(no subject)
I have been finding myself more and more reflective on death and purgatory of late. Last night I burned my wrist and hand with some scalding water. Throughout the night my thoughts kept turning to purgatory and inspiring me to offer my suffering to my sweet sister Mary. I am torn with indecision. Years ago I offered her all my merits throughout my life to use as she wishes. I find myself wondering if I should continue in this way or if I should ask her to accept a "heroic offering" in favor of the poor souls. Any thoughts out there?
I subscribe to a blog titled Catholic Spiritual Direction. This morning I recieved an issue that is just wonderful. I'm going to include a few paragraphs from it.
http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/12/15/2-salvation-is-born-mt-118-25?utm_source=Catholic+Spiritual+Direction+blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=adc781bb36-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN
"For the Jewish mentality at the time of Christ, names corresponded to real characteristics of the one being named. In Jesus, this correspondence reaches its culmination: “his name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2666). Jesus is God who comes to save us; he is the Savior God. This implies that we need a Savior; otherwise, God would have given him a different name.
That’s the lesson - so basic, but so vital. Unfortunately, even practicing, believing Catholics often live as if Christ were merely an add-on. We can easily treat religion like one more thing on our to-do list - an important one, certainly, but just one among a bunch of important things. We forget that if Jesus is the Savior God, then we for whom he came need him to save us. We really need him in our lives, in every sector of our lives, in every corner. When we live as if we do not, we fall into the swelling crowd of practical atheists: those who profess to believe in God, but live as if God were only remotely relevant. That’s building a life on undependable sand - but Jesus wants to be our rock.
Christ the Friend Friends come to friends in need. Jesus came to be our truest friend, because he came to bring us what we need most: himself, his love, and his grace.
Jesus: I created you to desire fulfillment in life, and I created you to find it only in one place: an intimate relationship with me. I know your heart, and I know that it will be restless until it rests in me. But original sin took away the possibility for that intimate relationship. It ruptured your communion with God; the human race had forsaken my friendship. I didn’t give up on you. I came to earth to renew that communion, to reestablish that friendship. In my perfectly but painfully obedient incarnation, life, death, and resurrection, I reversed on your behalf the human family’s sinful rebellion. I did it because I wanted you once again to be able to call God “Father”; I wanted you to come home.
But even that wasn’t enough. I couldn’t wait until heaven to be with you. I wanted to stay with you, intimately, individually. So, I founded my Church, and I left you my ever-living presence in the Eucharist - thus I fulfilled the promise I had made through my prophets, to bear the name Emmanuel: “God is with us.” I came to save you and give you the hope of heaven, and I stay with you to keep that hope alive. How I looked forward to that first Christmas, the door into your life!
Christ in My Life Many times I resent when my plans are foiled and my hopes left unfulfilled. When you throw me curve balls, I get nervous, or angry, or doubtful. And yet, I know that you are always guiding me with your infinite wisdom. Teach me to discover your will in the midst of life’s ups and downs, and to be docile, like Joseph and Mary. Thy Kingdom come, Lord - not mine…
So often I depend almost entirely on my own talents and strength to succeed. And yet, here you are, teaching me by your quiet coming to earth, that when it comes to the only success that really matters, success as a human being, as a child of God, I am helpless! I need you, Lord, to be my Savior. I need your love and your grace to give meaning and direction to my life. Grant me success, Lord, the kind that lasts forever…
It amazes me that you want to stay so close to me. Thank you for giving me the gift of faith, for bringing me into your family, the Church. Never let me be separated from you, Lord…
Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC, ThD"
Is that not just so inspiring?
Well, I have to get back to reading my catechism. We have a refresher class Sunday at the Carmelite meeting on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. Then it's back to Redemptoris Mater. I've been finding wonderful stuff to supplement the footnotes on that one. (*happy sigh*)
I subscribe to a blog titled Catholic Spiritual Direction. This morning I recieved an issue that is just wonderful. I'm going to include a few paragraphs from it.
http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/12/15/2-salvation-is-born-mt-118-25?utm_source=Catholic+Spiritual+Direction+blog&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=adc781bb36-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN
"For the Jewish mentality at the time of Christ, names corresponded to real characteristics of the one being named. In Jesus, this correspondence reaches its culmination: “his name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2666). Jesus is God who comes to save us; he is the Savior God. This implies that we need a Savior; otherwise, God would have given him a different name.
That’s the lesson - so basic, but so vital. Unfortunately, even practicing, believing Catholics often live as if Christ were merely an add-on. We can easily treat religion like one more thing on our to-do list - an important one, certainly, but just one among a bunch of important things. We forget that if Jesus is the Savior God, then we for whom he came need him to save us. We really need him in our lives, in every sector of our lives, in every corner. When we live as if we do not, we fall into the swelling crowd of practical atheists: those who profess to believe in God, but live as if God were only remotely relevant. That’s building a life on undependable sand - but Jesus wants to be our rock.
Christ the Friend Friends come to friends in need. Jesus came to be our truest friend, because he came to bring us what we need most: himself, his love, and his grace.
Jesus: I created you to desire fulfillment in life, and I created you to find it only in one place: an intimate relationship with me. I know your heart, and I know that it will be restless until it rests in me. But original sin took away the possibility for that intimate relationship. It ruptured your communion with God; the human race had forsaken my friendship. I didn’t give up on you. I came to earth to renew that communion, to reestablish that friendship. In my perfectly but painfully obedient incarnation, life, death, and resurrection, I reversed on your behalf the human family’s sinful rebellion. I did it because I wanted you once again to be able to call God “Father”; I wanted you to come home.
But even that wasn’t enough. I couldn’t wait until heaven to be with you. I wanted to stay with you, intimately, individually. So, I founded my Church, and I left you my ever-living presence in the Eucharist - thus I fulfilled the promise I had made through my prophets, to bear the name Emmanuel: “God is with us.” I came to save you and give you the hope of heaven, and I stay with you to keep that hope alive. How I looked forward to that first Christmas, the door into your life!
Christ in My Life Many times I resent when my plans are foiled and my hopes left unfulfilled. When you throw me curve balls, I get nervous, or angry, or doubtful. And yet, I know that you are always guiding me with your infinite wisdom. Teach me to discover your will in the midst of life’s ups and downs, and to be docile, like Joseph and Mary. Thy Kingdom come, Lord - not mine…
So often I depend almost entirely on my own talents and strength to succeed. And yet, here you are, teaching me by your quiet coming to earth, that when it comes to the only success that really matters, success as a human being, as a child of God, I am helpless! I need you, Lord, to be my Savior. I need your love and your grace to give meaning and direction to my life. Grant me success, Lord, the kind that lasts forever…
It amazes me that you want to stay so close to me. Thank you for giving me the gift of faith, for bringing me into your family, the Church. Never let me be separated from you, Lord…
Yours in Christ, Father John Bartunek, LC, ThD"
Is that not just so inspiring?
Well, I have to get back to reading my catechism. We have a refresher class Sunday at the Carmelite meeting on the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. Then it's back to Redemptoris Mater. I've been finding wonderful stuff to supplement the footnotes on that one. (*happy sigh*)