Catholics

Anonymous

me too FF. Especially as I am I was just in that very sitauation...as you sisters all know. I found myself failing so often when faced with a scary unknown..perhaps no financial comfort

But I kept praying and asked for help in my failing. When I asked for victory..I always felt compelled to add..but thy will Father...not mine. As you know I have been covered with a beautiful peace. Still small stumbles..perhaps an hour or two of indolence even!!😀 but the mood does not last..and I lean into the Lord because He said to...and His yoke is light! I am learning so much. Thankyou...💖🕊

Sparrow, thanks again for sharing about your grandpa. I can feel your love for him is so strong. He sounds such a good man. I can't help but have great vibes about this new job you went for!

.

sparrowhawk

Astrid, your words "lean into the Lord" are ones which I love. A great reminder for me. Thank you.

He was a beautiful man. I made the choice not to go to his funeral. It just isn't really convenient...and my formation and all the rest don't make it very easy. It was a hard choice which I discerned, but I feel at peace now and know he would understand. He always supported my vocation. I think my extended family may not be happy, especially as some of them haven't been so supportive of my choice to enter the convent, but my mother understands and I am sending a card to my grandmother to let her know.

The job was "immediate start" so I'm sure they won't be slow in communicating the outcome. I just pray they find the best person for the job.

superius

Patron Saint of Breast Cancer. February 5th, Memorial of St Agatha, Virgin and Martyr (231 - 251 AD). 

Agatha was born in Sicily. She was a beautiful young woman and a devout Christian. She had dedicated herself as a consecrated virgin to Jesus Christ. This meant that she would not marry but would devote her life to serving God and His people.
Many young men desired her hand in marriage but one in particular, Quintianus, had an obsession with her. When he was told by her that she belonged to Christ alone, his obsession became furious and murderous.

He had Agatha arrested for being a Christian during the persecution by the Emperor Decius. She was imprisoned in a brothel, where she endured continuous sexual assaults, for over a month. When she remained steadfast in the Faith, Quintianus had Agatha put in jail where she was subjected to tortures, including having her breasts cut off and being left without medical attention.

No torment could shake her and she remained serene, her commitment to Christ unswerving. During her ordeal, St Agatha prayed: “Lord, my Creator, you have ever protected me from the cradle; you have taken me from the love of the world, and given me patience to suffer: receive now my soul”. The menaces of her tormentors failed and she passed over to Heavenly Glory - a victorious Martyr - now reigning with her Saviour, in His Kingdom.

Anonymous

It is excruciating to imagine what the early martyrs endured. Mind boggling really.

God bless St Agatha.

feelingfeline

Amen,

sparrowhawk

St Agatha's story is amazing; thank you for sharing. 

I wasn't successful with the job, BUT...one of the interviewers was interested in me and wants to discuss a potential opportunity. I am not sure what, if anything, will eventuate...God is working...

Thank you for your prayers. Every interview is experience gained and an opportunity for me to meet some great people.

Anonymous

Great attitude.

Full of grace.

No doubt you will end up

exactly where the Lord wants you.🕊💖

feelingfeline

Amen Sparrowhawk. I do not doubt that the door that God is opening WILL become clear to you as you continue to discern His will. XX

Iamloved

feelingfeline

feelingfeline

Hi Sparrowhawk,

thought you would enjoy this in particular but think it would be enjoyed by many

All about how nuns have shaped art history

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-nuns-shaped-course-art-history?fbclid=IwAR0pw_7U8XmGogYSb002vreyPo9b8ZAcdkwKz55fSCFb3QQk530zSjvNV7s

XXXGGGYYY

St. Agatha: ora pro nobis!

feelingfeline

RedemptiveSufferer

Goodness, I really should stop in more often. I'm so sorry that I missed Laura's drop-in before Christmas. I would have wanted to tell her "hello and thank you for starting this thread."
I'm glad I could scroll through and get caught up. The pictures Astrid shared before Christmas were beautiful! And I'm sorry sparrowhawk for your grandfather's death.

So, what are you ladies reading? I'm just getting back into a book I started last year from Fr. Richard McAlear called The Power of Healing Prayer. It's so good that I'm not quite sure why I ever put it down.

~ Kim

ElaineTherese

Glad you dropped by, Redemptive Sufferer. St. Ignatius Loyala is my patron saint this year. I am reading about Ignatian spirituality in James Martin, S.J.'s The Jesuit's Guide (to Almost Everything): A Spirituality for Real Life. It's very practical.

Anonymous

very nice.

Re reading Dark night of the soul..

A different translator to last time

Laudato Si (thanks FF)

And The way of the pilgrim

Love all three.

Can I recommend a very short piece I read called..quite famous I think

The Mass on the World by Teilhard de Chardin.

Undoubtledly for me the most beautiful piece I have ever read on the eucharist.

Thanks for posting lovely sisters...been in a bit of a slump..always good connecting here. Xx

RedemptiveSufferer

ElaineTherese, just last week I was prepping for a podcast (of sorts) that was being recorded in advance of Lent. I ended up sharing some resources that I found at www.ignatianspirituality.org. You may be familiar with that website. I'm sharing the link in case there's something you may want to incorporate into Lent. I know it's early, but it usually sneaks up on me.

https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/lent

Astrid, thanks for sharing your list and recommendation! I've probably said for 5 yrs now that I'm going to read Dark Night of the Soul. Maybe once I'm done with the book I'm reading. :-)
May the Lord shine His face upon you next week in an effervescent way that drives away the slump you've been experiencing. Been there - it's no fun.

Anonymous

Thankyou ! And for the link too.

---

MCBaker

You need to understand St John of the Cross' biography to get a better understanding of "Dark Night of the Soul" I have never read that piece by de Chardin, but have read many other of his works. Definitely crashes radical Darwinism and Creationism.

Other rebels within the church were Meister Eckhart and Hildegard of Bingen. Then we have the moderns, Saint Mother Teresa, and Saint Faustina.

For many years I was afraid of thinking for myself within the church, mostly because of spiritual confusion. See my most recent post. Mystics often get in trouble with their touch of heterodoxy, but are later accepted, by bearing up under that criticism with grace.

feelingfeline

I am reading Arriving at Amen (Seven Catholic Prayers that Even I Can Offer) by Leah Libresco, a US convert to Catholicism. It is a very readable and likeable book on prayer. In a chapter on petition she discusses when you are in bad standing with someone (argument, tension etc) and you would like to be able to pray for your "enemy" but have not honestly got to that place yet. She found that praying to Mary for Mary to guide both herself and her "enemy" and to bring both to God was a good step. But what about when you can't even bring yourself to truthfully pray that? She said then pray for the grace to be able to pray to Mary .... she said sometimes it may take several steps back praying "I want to want to want to.... have Mary guide us both" - I just loved that as a gradual way of changing ones heart and becoming more able to pray for someone one dislikes.

MCBaker

That insight is especially relevant in child sexual abuse. I recently discovered it. It relieves blame on the abused, and sees the abuser as a fully human being.

I can even pray it for the perps of spiritual abuse!!!

RedemptiveSufferer

MCBaker thanks for the tip - I'll research St. John of the Cross's bio before diving into Dark Night of the Soul. I know I've read about him before, but sadly I retain next to nothing.

FeelingFeline I've heard of that author before (probably because I'm a convert too) and her book sounds interesting. Thank you for sharing. Funny, I was just talking to a friend about that same topic last week. I told her there's one person in my life (ex co-worker) who hurt me so deeply - I didn't see it coming - that I knew I had to forgive, but couldn't immediately. My prayer back then was, "Lord, give me a heart that desires the right thing, because right now I don't." I eventually got to the point that I forgave him, but even then, sometimes I had to repeatedly forgive him. Maybe that's not true forgiveness if negative thoughts keep surfacing. Sometimes I interpret the Bible passage where Peter asks Jesus how many times we're to forgive, and Jesus responds 7x77...not simply as if someone wrongs us that many times we need to forgive that many times, but also sometimes the one offense keeps returning in our hearts and we need to forgive again, and again, and again. (I realize it's my own spin ;-) )

MCBaker

I never saw it that way, but that is what lectio divina is about, understanding the Bible in more depth from the perspectives of others. You are right. And that repeated returning of the hurt is characteristic of PTSD.

ElaineTherese

Redemptive Sufferer,

Thanks for the link! Yes, you're right -- there are all sorts of good ideas for Lenten preparation on that site, and yes, it's never too early to start thinking about Lent.

Anonymous

some wonderful prayer ideas and 'ways in' to forgiveness. Thanks to alI.

I have experienced return syndrome after offering forgiveness too R.S. what you said makes a lot of sense.

I found that the returning is part of the healing process...spotlights on part of the issue left in darkness which must be uncovered and fully 'seen' before deeper levels of healing forgiveness can occur. Eventually my experience was a profound shift..whether through lessons of humility or greater love and closeness to Christ. Only when these moments of grace occured...and the timing could be days or years apart from the initial prayer...could the full experience of forgiveness come upon me. My human will and exertions ceased and somehow I could see the wounders as contributing to my spiritual growth. Like the irritation of sand that eventually makes a pearl.

RedemptiveSufferer

MCBaker, I didn't know that about lectio divina. I always thought it was simply focusing on a word in a passage, or placing yourself in the scene. I have so much to learn still!
ElaineTherese, I'm glad you liked the link! It has me excited about this coming Lent!
Astrid, I think that's part of the problem with this person...so much of what he did is left in darkness. I've not seen him since the occurrence and have since moved. I'll never understand why he did what he did. But I realize I shouldn't have to understand to forgive him. The Lord loves him and so should I...even if from afar. While I don't have the desire for vengeance in my heart, I know I haven't completely forgiven him (maybe 95% forgiven lol). I look forward to the day I receive "the full experience of forgiveness." Love that.

Anonymous

you will R.S because you have the intention to. God loves the divinity in each of us but not the deeds issued in blindness or willful obstruction..surely?

It isn't for us to know how God will move in those that hurt us, but only for us to trust and let go into a for- givingness..an open hearted space where we let go and entrust the soul that hurt us into God's loving care. We ask for the grace to enable us to reach this letting go-ness. As long as it takes...and being patient with ourselves whil it infolds in His perfect time. God grant you peace with this struggle and grace surround you and lift you out of the struggle.

MCBaker

Lectio divina can be an individual process, or a small community process. Since contributions can come from multiple perspectives, it is more rewarding as a group process.

Coincidentally, my disciples group is beginning new book, "Everybody needs to Forgive Somebody" by Allen R Hunt. Our organizational chair just asked how far we need to read for our first meeting. I really ought to take a look.

Anonymous

RS, if you have read St Teresa's The Interior Castle, Dark Night of the Soul is very much in that bent. Both works are sublime spiritual masterpieces. Must reads at some point...particularly if you are drawn to contemplative practice. Certainly not everyones cup of tea.

RedemptiveSufferer

Thank you, Astrid! It seems I started The Interior Castle a few yrs ago, then put it down. It too, was on my list of must reads, lol! Unfortunately, it's difficult for me to stay focused when I read unless a work really grabs me...and I'm wide awake. :-)