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Showing posts with the label Humility

Why Make a Universe?

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(From NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA); ESA/Hubble Collaboration; used w/o permission.) " The heavens declare the glory of God; the sky proclaims its builder's craft. " ( Psalms 19:2 ) Genesis 1:1 - 31 says that God created the universe, and us, and found everything "very good." Psalms 19:2 says that the celestial light show declares the glory of God. Who is this message being directed at? More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Grant Me a Humble, Teachable Spirit

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Today’s Gospel:  Mark 12:28-34 This passage is a unique exchange between one of the scribes and Jesus. This particular scribe is not out to ensnare Jesus but approaches Him with an open, honest, and extremely intelligent mind. Jesus is actually impressed by this man’s insights and intuitive understanding of the Word of God; even though He does not give the man a traditional, rote answer, the scribe agrees and even expands on Christ’s answer with further insights that are in keeping with the spirit of Jesus’s own, new spirituality. The scribe asks, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replies, quoting from the Old Testament: “The first is this: The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Now Jesus has added a second commandment to the traditional, Old Testament command. However, the scribe

Humility, Science, and Accepting Reality

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I could be a Christian, following my Lord, if I believed that we live on a flat plate with nothing between us and the cosmic ocean but a sold dome that holds the stars. But my faith doesn't depend on maintaining ignorance of what we've learned in the last two dozen or so centuries. Imagery in 1 Samuel 2:8 and Psalms 148:4 is beautiful, poetic, and consistent with Mesopotamian cosmology : hardly surprising, considering where the Hebrews lived. That was then, this is now, and we've learned quite a bit about the universe since the days of Kubaba and Enmerkar . Some details of their lives seem exaggerated, but folks still pad their resumes, and that — isn't another topic.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Lay people and the third mansions

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  My most recent post at SpiritualDirection.com was about the one path to holiness. Everyone, I wrote, is called to deepen their relationship with God through prayer. Everyone becomes holy by prayer and virtue. As always when this subject comes up, some want to argue that Teresa of Avila’s teaching on the mansions was not meant for lay people. Lay people are too busy to be expected to pray much, the argument goes. So they must be content with offering their day to God and the like. Now, I have no problem with lay people offering their day to God, making their work a prayer, praying as they work, et cetera. Of course we should do that. But I do have a problem with the notion that only monks, nuns, and priests are called to contemplation, or that only they need to spend much time dedicated to mental prayer. So I was happy to read the second chapter on the third mansions in Interior Castle. In this chapter, although Teresa is writing primarily for her cloistered nuns, she u

Loving Lent

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  Thoughts to Ponder I choose to surrender the clutter in my life, heart, spirit So Jesus will set me free from stuff, Then fill me with His Loving Presence. May the things of this world fall away  so I may fall in love with God. God can only fill the empty places. Grace does what I cannot do. Jesus will have to do everything. This is true humility Pride  entices me to work harder,  pray more,  fast religiously,  perform heroic acts of virtue.  Humility  accepts that only God can save me  and other people. It is my job simply to surrender in prayer  and give Him permission to flow through me. continue

Stealing God’s Job: Defying Reality

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A writing prompt once asked, “Think about the last time you broke a rule (a  big one,  not just ripping the tags off  your pillows).  Were you burned, or did things turn out for the best? ” Just like most people, I do not simply break a rule here and there;  no,  like every other human being, I continually break the most fundamental law of the universe without any conscious effort by refusing to accept reality. Instead of realizing my place in the universe, as one of God’s creations, I put on masks and false personalities in a vain attempt to deny my very nature. In pride, I act like a queen at the centre my own little world. Even worse, I steal God’s job by trying to save myself by my own efforts. continue reading

Stealing God's Job

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If you asked a typical Catholic, “ Are you stealing God’s job?” , they would laugh out loud at such a ridiculous question and emphatically deny it.  I know I did.  Granted, the wording of this question is designed to shock. Yet the question is also meant to provoke self- examination.  After someone asked me this question, I examined my life and was surprised at what I discovered. I realized like almost everyone else, I was trying to fulfill the role of God in my day-to-day life. It is an easy trap for most modern people since we are pressured by obligations. In an attempt to cope, we resort to rushing around independently without God. We seize control as we  try to be ever more efficient with little time to relax, pray or socialize. The result is we end up living in isolated, man-made prisons that shut out other humans, never mind other living creatures and God.  Instead of seeking communion, each of us exists at the absolute centre of our little artificial universe.  The conse

The Courage and Humility of the Wisemen

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The strongest impression for me of these three men is their courage as well as their humble spirituality. They venture into the unknown, following a star of all things, into a foreign land with enough sensitivity to listen to the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit even though they are not Jewish. They have enough humility to prostrate themselves and actually worship an impoverished human newborn in the confines of a stable full of animals and surely the smell of manure The Adoration of the Kings, Flemish artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1564 It is not within their spiritual tradition to worship a human, never mind an infant, yet their minds are open enough to acknowledge that this rogue star, which has settled over a stable, signifies an event of cosmic significance.Their hearts and souls are open enough to sense the presence of the Divine in a mortal baby. In comparison to these ancient ‘heathens,’ we do not fare that well. continue

Saint Martin de Porres~Humility, Gratitude

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Absolute conformity to the will of God Unwavering devotion to Jesus and Mary Continued @ mommynovenas.org

Honest Prayer

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Real prayer Portraits – Cesar Augusto Is not a mental exercise, a game. Honest prayer Opens our core, our heart to the Almighty, The Creator of the universe. Such prayer is necessarily humble because He is God and we are not. No room for pride; He knows us better than we know ourselves. Stark prayer  is rooted in this reality. All we can do is place ourselves in His  Presence,  in the Light, Letting go of all demands and control, Open to receive His transforming Love. Mother Teresa said:     read more >

St. Bernard of Clairvaux: A model of peace for these troubled times

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“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” – Matthew 5:9 How do we deal with the violence, war, and conflicts that we face in our world today?  How can we serve as true peacemakers in our 21st century culture? St. Bernard of Clairvaux , a Cistercian abbot, a contemplative, theologian, and mystic of the twelfth century is an excellent example for us to follow. Due to the numerous schisms which had arisen in the Church during his age, he traveled extensively throughout Europe, restoring peace and unity. Not only did he deal with divisions in the Church, but he also mediated in secular disputes and was sought out as an adviser and an arbitrator by the ruling powers of his era. What was his secret for restoring peace and unity to a troubled world? He was merely a modest monk with no worldly power or possessions. What made him so influential and valuable to others was the fact that he was a man of heroic virtue. Which virtues made him effective as a peac

Humility: Accepting Reality

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A man trying to organize a men's choir said I had a fine voice. Given a choice, he asked, wouldn't someone prefer a beautiful voice to a powerful mind or athletic body? I agreed, but was a bit embarrassed: since I've got two out of the three. My wife's opined that if bad hips hadn't kept me from excelling at sports: I'd be insufferable. She's probably right. Self-Esteem Run Amok Since pride is a sin, is it wrong to be proud of my voice? Yes — and no. It depends on what sort of "pride" is involved. When "pride" is self-esteem run amok, it's one of the seven capital sins: along with avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth or acedia. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1866 ) Ancient Greeks called it hubris . It's a bad idea in stories, from " Oedipus Rex ," to Milton's " Paradise Lost " and Paul Ryder's " Cosmic Monsters ." Most of us don't get the sort of reality check

Cuddly Dinosaurs and Feathers

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That cute little critter isn't a bird, but it's covered in feathers: unless Kulinda insulation is something new. Newly-discovered, that is.... ...Faced with our rapidly-expanding knowledge of Earth and the universe, folks have options. A person can decide that fuzzy dinosaurs don't matter in the everyday life, which is true. Another option is to decide that humanity had all the answers in 3000 B.C. , 350 B.C. , 1654 A.D. , or some other arbitrary date. My preference is taking the universe "as is," acknowledging that we have learned a great deal: and most likely have a great deal more learn. More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Get Out of the Way

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What Jesus did for me, , Yongsung Kim. When we give up striving and trying to save ourselves with our own efforts, when we finally  get out of His way, God has a chance to save us from ourselves. . Sometimes God waits till we are almost drowning, exhausted by our own efforts to save ourselves  because He knows that this is the only time we will accept salvation on HIS terms. read more>

Self-Important Humility

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When many Christians think of  humility and sanctity, they often think of ascetic fasting and the heroic acts of the saints but these sorts of practices often focus more on self than on God. It is actually a subtle sort of self-delusion that is difficult to discern but God is finally getting through to me, helping me shake of self-defeating,  pious actions that actually drive me further from God. I cannot earn His love or Presence. He must do everything in me. This is true  humility. Pride  entices me to work harder, pray more, fast religiously and perform heroic looking acts of virtue.   Humility  accepts that only God can save me and other people WHY? We must come to the realization that we need a Saviour. It usually takes, even Contemplative Monks decades to finally let go of the last of their pride and to humbly surrender control. Pride makes us try to earn our salvation with good works. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—an

Let Teresa of Avila teach you about patience

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Window in the Convent of St. Teresa (photo credit: Wikipedia). Teresa of Ávila wrote these words on a bookmark she kept in her breviary: Let nothing disturb you; Nothing frighten you. All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God. God alone suffices. St. Teresa was determined to reach the heights of holiness. Yet at the same time she was realistic, based on her own experience and those of the nuns under her care as head of the Discalced Carmelite Order. Put these two characteristics together, and you have one of the wisest guides to the spiritual life. Let’s take a closer look at her advice. Perseverance is a key to success   Remember the parable Jesus told about the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-8)? We must never give up praying when it seems God is not hearing us. Teresa advised her sisters to apply this lesson to growth in prayer. … I say that it is

Fighting demons while you sleep

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Orthodox Bulgarian icon of St. George fighting the dragon (photo credit: Wikipedia). I used to have spiritual warfare dreams. For what seemed like hours, I would dream that a demon was trying to attack me. To repel him, I had to say, “In the name of Jesus, be gone!” Then he would leave–and be back a few minutes later. Over and over I did battle with demons. I would awake exhausted. Spiritual warfare in daily life   I don’t usually have such dreams any more. But some days I feel like they’ve become my waking reality. Life as a homeschool mom can be trying. I must overcome constant temptations. One moment, three kids ask me for help at once. The next, “J” spills juice on the floor I just mopped. Then two others get in a fight, and one talks back when I discipline him. All during math class. Now none of these situations is major. But when you barely have time to breathe between one and the next, you get exhausted. You discipline in anger instead of love. You ye

An Omelet Fit for a King

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  Maria Stewart is a homeschooling mother of seven. She is a graduate of Franciscan University in Steubenville where she majored in Elementary Education and Theology. Maria and Chris, her husband, are involved in the Casting Nets Ministry ( www.CastingNetsOnline.com ). They are also involved in foster care. One has to wonder how this busy woman ever found time to write her wonderful new children’s story An Omelet Fit for a King —and yet when God asked her to write it, how could she not? In the charmingly illustrated book, Maria explores different aspects of humility using the acronym E.G.G.S. A lesson she admits she learned herself while being hospitalized and relying on the love and kindness of others. An Omelet Fit for a King has been released to rave reviews and consistently ranks in the top 100 in different Amazon categories. Today it is #67in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Education > Children & Teens . Whether you are a mom looking for

Lord, I am not worthy...

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Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. This response at Mass seems to me to sum up the whole spiritual life. It provides wonderful material for meditation. I am not worthy On my own, I cannot please God. I can only vaguely know His character. He had to reveal Himself to me through Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and the teaching authority of the Church. He gave me parents who were loving enough to have me baptized and teach me the faith. He continues to show me His design for my life. All this is a pure gift which I could not merit. But I have found the Christian life to be a constant battle. I fall every day. I repent, make resolutions to be good, then sin again. God’s purity is so beyond me. His holiness is a burning fire that I would never dare approach. Except… Read the rest at Contemplative Homeschool.

Our Biggest Delusion

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There is a world of difference between a man who is aware of himself, sitting on a hill and looking at a  beautiful sunrise and a man so enthralled with that very same sunrise that he forgets himself and becomes  absorbed  in  the scene. In the first instance the man is egocentric; he is at the centre 0f his world, not God. When I see beauty everywhere, I experience joy and a sense of connection because my eyes are not on myself. The truth is that I am simply part of the whole. Everything does not depend on me. I am free to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature and the Spirit of God which permeates all when I am in the right place in the scheme of things. I am living in a fantasy when I see myself as the center of the universe, viewing everything as it circles around me. As believers we sing and recite prayers that proclaim that God is the centre of all but our psychological make-up screams the exact opposite. I view people, events, history and yes even God through my eyes, ju