Posts

Showing posts with the label forgiveness

Learning to forgive and forget through your prayerful imagination

Image
Even though you've sought forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, do you still find yourself burdened with regret? Susan Bailey from beasone.org offers a prayerful way to use your imagination to let it all go. Click here to read ...

King Josiah, Consequences, and Love

Image
(From John Martin, via Wikimedia Commons, used w/o permission.) (Detail from John Martin's "The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah." (1852)) By some standards, this isn't a particularly "Christian" blog. I don't rant about the unending fires of Hell, or dwell on cheerful thoughts like this: " ...The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you.... " ( Sinners in the Hand of an Angry God ," Jonathan Edwards (1741)) That's because it's not 1741 any more, and I'm Catholic. I've talked about the Great Awakening, Jonathan Edwards, and Mark Twain, before. ( December 1, 2013 ) As a Christian, I agree with Simon Peter.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Catholic Author Jean Heimann of CatholicFire Tells Us How to Stay Married 10 Years & Then Some

Image
Following up on  last week's blog tour  where I reviewed Jean Heimann's new book Seven Saints for Seven Virtues, Jean and her husband Bill return to Can We Cana? for some advice on  How to Stay Married 10 Years & Then Some . 1. How many years have you been married and how many kids do you have? Bill & Jean :  We have been married 22 years and have no biological children. Bill has an adult son from a previous marriage, which was formally annulled by the Catholic Church prior to our marriage in the Church in 1992. 2. Name 3 things that have helped you to stay married this long. Jean : Our strong Catholic faith bonded us from the beginning and has kept us together over the years. We are “equally yoked” as the Protestants say. We were both actively involved in leadership roles in various ministries prior to our marriage (and continue to be) and saw eye to eye on the important issues that face engaged couples: openness to life, putting God first in our lives, ser

'If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.' Sunday Reflections, 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

Image
The Repentant Peter , El Greco, c.1600 Phillips Collection, Washington [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa)  Gospel   Matthew 18:15-20  ( New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition : Canada)  Jesus said to his disciples: “If another member of the church   sins against you,   go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.     But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.     If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.     Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and

Are your fears, doubts, and frustrations keeping you from intimacy with God?

Image
How is your spiritual life going? Are you feeling frustrated with yourself? Are you distraught over your lack of progress? Do you keep falling into the same sins repeatedly? Welcome to the human race! No, I’m not trying to dismiss your concerns flippantly. Sometimes we just need a reminder that we are, after all, fallen. Adam’s sin affects us all. But here’s something you may not have realized: Your sins do not shock God! God is used to sinners. He has centuries of experience with them. He even came down from Heaven to live among them. Then people criticized Him for eating with sinners instead of the “righteous.” Yes, He loved to hang out with people like you and me. God delights in showing mercy. He delights in lifting our burdens. He delights in carrying our yoke with us, comforting our sorrows, calming our fears. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

All...

Image
All... I was afraid to write some of the posts I have posted lately.  Part of me didn't want to write them, because of what they could cost me.  Yes, I have written the truth, I will not deny that, ever.  And I was commanded to write.  He said,  "You MUST write."   "OK I will." And write I shall.  The truth I tell could cost me dearly.  It has already begun to cost me, but because of my love, I will be obedient.  The Mathematics I love, may be only a dream, a certificate on the wall.   I may never get to use it.  Not my will but yours.  When you know the truth, any pain of any loss is small compared to the pain of the state of souls in the world. .... READ MORE.

Forgiveness YES Reconciliation NO

Image
Father Ignatius teaches an important lesson about forgiveness. Don't miss this. Click HERE

'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' Sunday Reflections, 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

Image
The Pharisee and the Publican ,  James Tissot  [ Wikipedia ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)                                   Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Luke 18:9-14  ( Revised StandardVersion – Catholic Edition )  Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his hou

Dead To Me

Image
  I read that the Clintons have a “dead to me” list. Or maybe it is a “dead to us ” list. They are, after all, a machine when it comes to politics so I imagine this list is some combined effort (he adds one, she adds one and maybe even Chelsea adds a few) based upon all their experiences over the past few decades. And of course, the whole thing may just be a rumor—but between you and me, somehow I don’t think so. Let’s be honest, there’s a lot of appeal in making a “dead to me” list so if it is true, I imagine theirs might be very long, indeed. Actually, whose wouldn’t be of some length? It is so easy for us to take our hurts and our pains and turn them into such a list; it is only natural to see the injustices and the slings and arrows of life as a battle cry for retribution and retaliation. read more> Cheryl Dickow www.BezalelBooks.com

We Stop Beneath the Buckeye Tree

The seed pod dropped on the sidewalk and split. I see the ruddy shine through a slit in the spiked orb and wonder at its depth of color, the certain slant of light spent on its creation and its becoming. I hold the sharp husk gingerly between my fingers and thumb and wonder at the satisfaction in prying apart the halves, the silken rip at the pith.  Notions of Autumn’s approach, the colored leaves, the drying bits of grass and flower are upon me.  The death and dormancy that fit beneath the harvest ground conceal a greater thing: Latent energy bursting into fullness, our God blossoming into the son of man ripening into the fullness of his mystery. I am tempted to hold fast the shells and face the blank wall, keep myself hidden within the pointed case and find my way to fullness turned inward.  Yet I strain against the covering, press into the exterior a plain and arching back.  I drop against the ground and split to see a shining depth of light in which death and birth work to

Lord, I am not worthy...

Image
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.

'Your sins are forgiven you.' Sunday Reflections, 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

Image
Feast in the House of Simon (detail) , Paolo Veronese, 1556-60 [ Web Gallery of Art ] Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA)                                   Readings (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Luke 7:36 – 8:3 [Shorter form, Lk 7:36 – 50]  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee's house, and took his place at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was at table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, "If this man were a pro

'When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her.' Sunday Reflections, Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C

Image
  Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath , Bernardo Strozzi, 1630s [ Web Gallery of Art] (First Reading, 1 Kings: 17:17-24) Readings   (New American Bible: Philippines, USA) Readings   (Jerusalem Bible: Australia, England & Wales, India [optional], Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa) Gospel  Luke 7:11 - 17  (Revised Standard Version – Catholic Edition) Soon afterward Jesus went to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a large crowd from the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep." And he came and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, arise." And the dead man sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother.  Fear seized them al

Signs from God

Image
True story. Hand to God. An acquaintance was having neighbor trouble. As often happens, things escalated rather quickly. What had begun as an issue where two sides were taking tough stands and no one was willing to budge swiftly careened into a legal battle. The acquaintance—a woman of great faith who diligently tried to live out her life as a disciple of Christ—was deeply troubled by the chain of events which left her with an impending court date. In the meantime, her young grandchild was in a school play and the play was scheduled for a date very close to the court date. The play was about different virtues or characteristics that are good to practice and to have: things like perseverance and kindness. The grandchild’s role in the play was to carry a placard for one of these virtues—marching around the stage with others holding similar placards with letters boldly proclaiming this characteristic or that trait. With the play and court date fast approaching, all

Where Do You Write Your Hurts?

Image
Two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey, they had an argument and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who had been slapped was hurt but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: Today my best friend slapped me in the face. They kept on walking until they found an oasis where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning. The friend saved her. After she recovered from the near drowning, she wrote on a stone: Today my best friend saved my life. The friend who had slapped and saved her best friend asked: After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on stone. Why? The other friend replied: When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness and waters of love can easily wash it away. When someone does something good for us we should engrave it in stone where it can remain for years to come. From this wonderful tale of two friends w

True Love

The Holy Gospel according to John: 15: 12-17 This is my commandment:  love one another, as I have loved you .  A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends, if you do what I command you.  I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know his master's business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.  You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last;  and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.  What I command you is to love one another . Source: The Jerusalem Bible How should we love one another? At this morning's daily Mass, our parish priest, Fr. Walter Tabios, preached about the quality of love that God asks of his friends.  He cited four types of love, all of which are anything but egotistical or self-serving. You may read the rest

The Prodigal Son

Sitting in the Adoration Chapel recently, my eyes were continually drawn to a print of The Return of the Prodigal Son, by Rembrandt. There is much to contemplate within the scene, but on that particular day it was the prodigal himself I returned to again and again. Broken, dirty, battered, he’d been shamed and brought low. And yet there is yielding peace in his very bones as he accepts his father’s embrace. He has surrendered. He knows who he is and where he belongs. Every line of his body, the very profile of his face is eloquent with that acceptance. He makes no excuses for his tattered clothing, the hole in his shoe, his bare head. Rather, he is open, and receives his father’s healing touch, his father’s blessing. The beauty of this parable is that we see fragments of ourselves in each of the characters: the father who hopes, trusts, and forgives; the faithful son who questions the justice of the rebellious son’s welcome – and perhaps to some extent also questions his

'How often must I forgive?' Sunday Reflections, 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A.

Image
 St Peter in Penitence , El Greco, painted c.1605 Readings   (New American Bible, used in the Philippines and the USA). Gospel Matthew 18:21-35 (Jerusalem Bible, used in Australia, England & Wales, Ireland, Scotland). Peter went up to Jesus and said, 'Lord, how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?' Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.   'And so the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who decided to settle his accounts with his servants. When the reckoning began, they brought him a man who owed ten thousand talents; but he had no means of paying, so his master gave orders that he should be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, to meet the debt. At this, the servant threw himself down at his master's feet. "Give me time" he said "and I will pay the whole sum." And the servant's master felt so sorry for him that he let him go and canc