I was reading from the Sermons of St. Francis de Sales on Our Lady this morning. Now that is a book that is on my must-have list. If you question whether you have a true friendship, I don't mean friends, I mean that true, deep friendship of the saints. Try measuring it up to this beautiful quote:
For if the bond of charity so bound and united the Christians of the early Church that St. Luke assures us that they were of one heart and one mind [Acts 4:32], with how much greater reason may we not say and believe that the Son and the Mother, Our Lord and Our Lady were only one soul and one life?...
But as to her soul, it was inseparably united to the soul, heart and body of her Son, so that the blows which the blessed body of the Savior received on the Cross caused no wound to the body of Our Lady, but they gave a mighty counter-blow to her soul, so that the prophecy of Simeon was verified. Love is accustomed to receive the counter blows of the afflictions of the beloved.
St. Francis de Sales
Showing posts with label Virtue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Virtue. Show all posts
September 21, 2012
September 5, 2012
Brutal Honesty
I marvel at how easy it is to involve oneself in pettiness... or at least imbibe the fruits of pettiness... which is no more than a little piece of rottenness. I'm beginning to think that pettiness is the devil's real tool. I can see a new chapter to the Screw Tape Letters which may start something like:
Ha! Ha! Ha! Get them to think that these little things are truly what is real, truly what is important. It will destroy even the most virtuous! (insert evil laugh)
How often we do not accuse ourselves in or out of the confessional, but yet so often we do nothing more than excuse ourselves even in these little things. To accuse oneself and to excuse our neighbor with great mercy! Our parish priest mentioned a term in his homily on Sunday.. "brutal honesty". Imagine if we all went into the confessional with brutal honesty (toward self... and mercy towards others). Here I am Lord to accuse myself in brutal honesty. Ouch.
St. Teresa of Jesus says, "We may not be [angels or saints]; but what a good thing it is for us to reflect that we can be if we will only try, and if God gives us His hand!" (Way 16) The saint strongly insists that those who have dedicated themselves to the spiritual life should not nourish petty desires, but generous ones, nor should they fear to emulate the saints; she affirms with authority, "I have never seen any courageous person hanging back on this road, nor any soul that, under the guise of humility, acted like a coward, go as far in many years as the courageous soul can in a few" (Life, 13)Divine Intimacy #289
Let's let Our Blessed Mother teach us the path, the great path, the magnanimous path... do great things while remaining hidden. All we need to say is "Be it done unto me according to Thy Word." In that there is no room for pettiness... only for great love. And the fruit of such love is Christ.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Get them to think that these little things are truly what is real, truly what is important. It will destroy even the most virtuous! (insert evil laugh)
How often we do not accuse ourselves in or out of the confessional, but yet so often we do nothing more than excuse ourselves even in these little things. To accuse oneself and to excuse our neighbor with great mercy! Our parish priest mentioned a term in his homily on Sunday.. "brutal honesty". Imagine if we all went into the confessional with brutal honesty (toward self... and mercy towards others). Here I am Lord to accuse myself in brutal honesty. Ouch.
St. Teresa of Jesus says, "We may not be [angels or saints]; but what a good thing it is for us to reflect that we can be if we will only try, and if God gives us His hand!" (Way 16) The saint strongly insists that those who have dedicated themselves to the spiritual life should not nourish petty desires, but generous ones, nor should they fear to emulate the saints; she affirms with authority, "I have never seen any courageous person hanging back on this road, nor any soul that, under the guise of humility, acted like a coward, go as far in many years as the courageous soul can in a few" (Life, 13)Divine Intimacy #289
Let's let Our Blessed Mother teach us the path, the great path, the magnanimous path... do great things while remaining hidden. All we need to say is "Be it done unto me according to Thy Word." In that there is no room for pettiness... only for great love. And the fruit of such love is Christ.
August 4, 2012
The Modesty Debate
I'm not actually here to debate, it just sounded like a good title. Raising boys is a wild adventure but dressing them is simple. You merely have to walk into any store buy blue jeans, dockers or any other kind of pants and a polo and t-shirt and you are good to go. That's it. They look like any other decently groomed person without an attitude. But trying to raise modest girls is really... something else. I have spent more time looking at how women/girls dress and praying over it. I came to one very clear conclusion. Our Blessed Mother could never have lived in this world at this time. Why? Because God always kept her hidden, she always kept herself hidden, there would be no way she could be kept hidden on this earth. There is nothing in the ordinary sphere of the Catholic World that Our Blessed Mother could or would wear. When it comes to modesty the weird answer I get is "What would Our Lady wear?" I spent hours in prayer over this question. Our Lady could not wear anything we wear as she never revealed herself externally or internally to any eyes in any way. Our Blessed Mother was perfect, she was beautiful beyond words both inside and out, she was the pinnacle of virtue. No. God in His Infinite Wisdom placed her upon this earth at that particular time in History for a particular reason. To accomplish His Will while keeping her hidden from who she really was. (so, why did He put me here and now, I wonder?!).
So... in raising girls who have gone beyond Lands' End dresses and jumpers it is so hard. I have watched families go from way-oversized little-house-on-the-prairie garb to giving it all up because it was "too hard". Red flag. Danger. Wrong. But what is truly acceptable in the Eyes of God so as to avoid tempting men (who, from what I understand, are rather easily tempted.. no offense)? I have spent so much time on this question. So for today I decided to put together a curiosity poll. No, I wouldn't take my standard of modesty from a poll, but I am curious as I am a small little blog with a small little following, generally Catholic, I would guess. The poll is not about your highest ideal of modesty but about what you think is acceptable in the Eyes of God for women's attire and in avoiding being a temptation to men. The poll goes shortest to longest in both polls... so be sure to click your answer, not the one marked which is automatic. Of course, I probably don't have enough people here to do a poll but come on... polls are fun and anonymous.
So... in raising girls who have gone beyond Lands' End dresses and jumpers it is so hard. I have watched families go from way-oversized little-house-on-the-prairie garb to giving it all up because it was "too hard". Red flag. Danger. Wrong. But what is truly acceptable in the Eyes of God so as to avoid tempting men (who, from what I understand, are rather easily tempted.. no offense)? I have spent so much time on this question. So for today I decided to put together a curiosity poll. No, I wouldn't take my standard of modesty from a poll, but I am curious as I am a small little blog with a small little following, generally Catholic, I would guess. The poll is not about your highest ideal of modesty but about what you think is acceptable in the Eyes of God for women's attire and in avoiding being a temptation to men. The poll goes shortest to longest in both polls... so be sure to click your answer, not the one marked which is automatic. Of course, I probably don't have enough people here to do a poll but come on... polls are fun and anonymous.