Simply Living

When we are moving into a new home it is always amazing how much 'stuff' we have accumulated over the years and most of it unnecessary clutter. As we begin to pack up our belongings we also begin to purge our unnecessary extravagances, and rid ourselves of this mess, in order to begin afresh.

This can also apply to our inner lives, at times it is necessary to de-clutter our souls and find out what has been beneficial to us and what has caused undo problems. This seems to be a simple equation but it's very simplicity is complex, for in order to de-clutter our souls we also must purge ourselves of the 'things' that have drawn us away from God. This takes discipline, where we must understand what has been helpful to us and what has caused a distraction, and to rid ourselves of the distractions that have taken the place where God should be.

God should never be an after-thought He should be our entire thought, does obeying God's Will come first or our own comforts? Until we understand and grasp this important point we will not be able to de-clutter our souls from the spiritual debris we have accumulated over the years.

To live simplified lives does not mean we must live in poverty or become long-faced humourless people. It simply means defining what will bring you closer to understanding God's Will and then implementing it in your daily lives. Much of our clutter lay in our inability to see what brings us true happiness and what is false happiness. We tell the difference once we realise that Gods happiness is a lasting condition whereas false happiness lasts a moment and is gone and we are left wounded and insecure.

Life at times can be hectic but this very busyness should not be a permanent condition, for if one is continuously 'busy' what and whom are you running from? How many times do many of us put off prayer till we are in a 'better mood'? Or do we make excuses such as 'I am way to busy for prayer'? If we wish to live happy and fulfilled lives then prayer is not an option it is a MUST!

In order to properly de-clutter our inner lives we must ask in whom are we trying to impress, ourselves, our friends or God? Unlike people God is not interested in the opinion of others, He is interested in you alone, are you as interested with God? If you need to find out then ask yourself this simple question how much time do you give God throughout your day, or is it a case of no time for God?

Another leveler is how easy it is to become upset over trifles, we lose our temper, our blood pressure rises as we worry over other peoples opinion of us, or fret over our future. Yet does not the Word of God say that we should not worry, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? ....If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?" Then why do we worry and fret or could it be that our wants and our needs have become confused when we begin to think that both are the same, when it is not.

Our loving God never makes us to busy for Him, that is our prerogative, we choose to be too busy for God. As St. Teresa of Avila reminds us, "Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing pass;God never changes Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices." The word patience is the key to our happiness, prayer takes time after all what relationship would last if one partner was totally silent while the other is left to talk to themselves? God does not refuse to listen to us in so much as we refuse to converse with Him, for a prayer that lists our wants rather than to seek after what God Wills for us, is a soul that is having a relationship with its own ego.

Our Heavenly Father also knows our constraints, it is difficult for the parents of new born babies or infants to find any time during their day for quiet prayer, what our loving God seeks from us is our attention. We can give to God no matter the activity we are immersed in our thoughts in a continuous prayerful attitude. We also need to take a reality check for is every hour of our day busy or do we make time for our favourite TV programmes or spend time on the internet, or immerse ourselves in the latest scandal sheet or book?

There must be structure to our lives if we truly wish to simplify our lifestyles, this takes organization and discernment of what is truly important to us. Can we truly benefit our children or our spouses if we are overstressed and unappreciated? There comes a time when we need to give up the unnecessary luxuries and gadgets that few have time to enjoy. How best is your time spent worrying over luxury items you cannot afford or realizing that this gadget or item is not going to bring you permanent happiness or peace?

In our race to acquire the best, we enter into a vicious cycle for who defines what is best? Who are the dictators of consumerism, the product or yourselves?

We need to remember that God does not require us to be wearing designer labels or that we drive the best car or to be a perfect size 6.

In the end God longs for you....who do you long for?

Peace of Christ to you ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

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Catholic Spirituality

Spiritual Immaturity: The "Me" Syndrome

Many times, we have all been faced with this same dilemma...someone who is angry with God because of things that are happening, or has happened to them in their lives, and it is a difficult situation to handle to say the least. Most times, I have stood there like a dumb struck mule, and been unable to help them, been unable to give them what they needed to hear. Especially when they are so angry at having been "forsaken" by God. The thing that always strikes me, is how we frail, emotion driven humans react to so many different situations that occur within our lives. We seem to forget about praying to God, giving Him thanks, when things are going well. Yet, when things go wrong, we ask, where is God? Why is He not helping me? Even, why does God hate me, and love someone else, and give them so much? The truth is, God doesn't forsake us, we forsake Him.

We are so many times, such myopic people, seeing only what we perceive as coming from us, from our work, from our efforts, that we forget, that all the good things in our lives, comes from God. The home that we live in, the car that we drive, the food that we eat, all come from the blessings of God. Yet, we all, myself, and I dare say most people reading this, get so caught up in the "me" syndrome, that we tend to start thinking too highly of what "I" have received, as the rewards of "my" efforts, instead of seeing them for what they truly are, and that is the fruits of the blessings we receive from our Heavenly Father. So, who do we give thanks to? Ourselves. We give ourselves a pat on the back, and congratulate ourselves on our hard work and efforts paying off. We did it, and we did it all on our own.

Wrong!

Then, one day, we are just strolling along, just letting the world go by, and we get a lay off slip from work. We get behind on our payments, we have an illness, and we have to start cutting back more and more, and we see no end in sight. So, then we begin to pray. We ask others to pray. Why? Because now we are desperate! It is then, that we see God as our only recourse, our only way out, so to speak. We remember then, that we should have been giving thanks to God all along.

Sometimes though, there are those who see no way out. They see God as having turned His back on them. They get angry. They become resentful, even jealous. They refuse to turn their troubles over to God, yet are very willing and able to give Him all the blame, even when the blame is due to the choices that they have freely made. They will not see that God is their refuge, their port in a storm, their Father who loves them.

Now, some of you have children, and you love your children, and want only the very best for them. So it also is, with God. We are His children, and He wants only the best for us, here in this life, and in the life yet to come. Now, having children, and having been children ourselves, we know, that children are often inattentive. Children do something you do not want them to do, so you tell them to stop what they are doing. They don't "hear" you, and keep doing what you asked them to stop. You tell them again. They still keep on with the misbehavior. So, the next time, you give them a swat to get their attention, and miracle of miracles, they are suddenly able to hear you, and do as you ask. So also, it is with God. We become inattentive children, not giving Him our attention. He gives us a little nudge, and still we don't listen. Then, He gives us a little swat, so to speak, to wake us up.

As the scripture below so clearly tells us, we should pray, and pray, and pray again. The Holy scriptures tells us to pray without ceasing. So, your asking for prayers for your loved ones, your friends, even complete strangers, is absolutely the correct course to take. Nothing we humans can do, nothing we can say, is as strong, or as effective as prayer! I know, that sometimes people feel that prayer is not enough, that there must be something more that they can do. How much more can we do, than to pray for those we love, to our Heavenly Father, who loves us all, beyond our ability to understand?

Also, don't forget to give thanks to God for what we have!! One of the signs of spiritual maturity is always being thankful to God for what He does for us each and every day. Don't get caught up in the "me" syndrome.

James 5: 16...For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much!

Luke 11: 5 And he said to them: Which of you shall have a friend and shall go to him at midnight and shall say to him: Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 Because a friend of mine is come off his journey to me and I have not what to set before him. 7 And he from within should answer and say: Trouble me not; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give thee. 8 Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. 9 And I say to you: Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth: and he that seeketh findeth: and to him that knocketh it shall be opened: 11 And which of you, if he ask his father bread, will he give him a stone? Or a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if he shall ask an egg, will he reach him a scorpion? 13 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father from heaven give the good Spirit to them that ask him.

Copyright © 2006 Steve Smith. All Rights Reserved.

The Spirituality of Suffering

God is not a cruel God; He is a Loving Father, who wishes to give us, His children every good thing. But Despite God's goodness and His love for us, still we suffer with illnesses and other disorders. But our Heavenly Father does not run on `whimsy' or send as `punishments' an illness upon His child, for God is also the Great Healer! Blessed Mother Teresa understood this aspect of suffering when she said, "Today the passion of Christ is being relived in the lives of those who suffer. Suffering is not a punishment. God does not punish."

At times we must also take responsibility for our own health, and not blame God, when through bad decisions or bad habits we become ill. For instance, smoking is now well known for causing cancer, and other complications. Abusing alcohol will also hold serious consequences when it comes to the liver and brain. Food too can be hazardous when we overeat the wrong foods which can lead to obesity, and the ensuing complications that goes with it. Even things as cosmetic surgery can lead to serious health problems for many people. If we behave immorally and lead a dissolute life then we also open ourselves to other diseases that will attack our body.

But God does not create diseases nor does God `bless' a person with illness for our Loving God is just that loving and only wanting our well being. But when illness does strike, then God will not let us think that we have become `useless' and a `burden', instead He leads us into expiation and reparation for our sins and the sins of others. For even in illness we are not burdensome or useless to Him, through His Son Jesus who suffered a horrific and ignominious death on a Cross, so we too can join Jesus in our suffering by offering our own pain in conjunction with the sufferings of Jesus. For nothing we do is `useless' to our Father in Heaven, and everything is `gift' to Him who needs us not, yet longs for our love with the deepest of yearnings. God will help us as we suffer to join Jesus in the redemptive power of the suffering soul to intercede and in reparation offer our sufferings to Him, who is all Powerful, for the salvation of souls. That great Saint and Doctor of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila understood totally the Gift that can be reparative suffering for as she wrote, "Lord, either to suffer or to die....Oh, my Lord! How true it is that whoever works for you is paid in troubles! And what a precious price to those who love you if we understand its value."

Suffering only becomes a useless thing when we do not utilise the redemptive qualities of illness, and choose to resent rather than consent on this painful journey of total dependence on our Loving Father. God legitimises suffering as Holy, thereby bestowing and restoring our uniqueness and our value in His Loving Plan for the redemption of all men. Saint John of the Cross also understood the Gift that which is given to few souls for as he cautioned those who had been Graced with this Gift, "what more do you want, O soul! And what else do you search for outside, when within yourself you possess your riches, delights, satisfactions, fullness and kingdom-your Beloved whom you desire and seek? Be joyful and gladdened in your interior recollection with Him, for you have Him so close to you."

We must also take into account the degeneration of our body as we mature, which is entirely consistent with Gods plan of bringing us to Himself, when the time comes for us to depart this world for out Heavenly Kingdom, where God has prepared a place for each one of us. The great writer C. S. Lewis through his own anguish came to realise the paradox of this unwanted Gift when he said, "God whispers in our pleasures but shouts in our pains. Pain is His megaphone to rouse a dulled world."

So illness in itself is not a gift from God, but it can be our gift to Him, when we incorporate the self sacrifice of the One who showed the Way, to pick up our cross, and with courage and fortitude, say as did our Lord, "not my will, but Your Will be done"…even it is one step at a time. As Mother Teresa explained to those who did not understand the connection between suffering people and how God can use our own pain and anguish for His Glory, expressed it this way, "Without our suffering, our work would be just social work - it would not be the work of Jesus Christ, not part of the redemption." These words were not uttered from a heart that did not know suffering for though Mother Teresa worked in her community serving the poor she too was suffering both physically and enduring the 'dark night of the soul in her interior life. Mother Teresa expanded on the need for suffering souls in a world grown gluttonous with luxuries with these enlightening words, "Like all gifts, it depends on how we receive it. And that is why we need a pure heart to see the hand of God, to feel the hand of God, to recognize the gift of God in our suffering. He allows us to share in his suffering and to make up for the sins of the world."

To the sufferer it is only God who can ennoble the soul during its suffering by making that soul one with the Man of Sorrows who unlike us, was sinless and suffered in our place. We too gain a sense of dignity when we look to our Lord and Savior and Him Crucified for Love's sake, as we unite our pains and anguish to His for love of God and our fellow man. As our society leans more and more towards a culture of death we can see the aspect of souls lost due to those who refuse the Gift of suffering and instead choose to end their lives not in an act of 'mercy killing' but in a spirit of despair that has locked God out of the equation.

We should not look to suffer for sufferings sake but when suffering does come our way then let us embrace it as a kiss from the Beloved to his loved one, St. Therese of Lisieux understood this when she wrote, "I realize that one will love the good God better for all eternity because suffering borne with joy! And, by suffering one can save souls."

To suffer for loves sake is to become one with the Divine, an embrace of unequal love as God lifts us to Himself as He immerses us in the fiery depths of His Tremendous Love.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Spirit of Obedience

If we are to live our Faith, then we must do so by a spirit of filial obedience, unless we have this obedience to God revealed through His Word and the Teachings of the Church are we not just empty cymbals devoid of all meaning? Through the Word of God we learn what it means to live the meaning of Scripture, for as it says in John, "Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own. The Father who dwells in me is doing his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it. "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you....Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him."

As the above Scripture reminds us, God wants more than 'duty' from us He longs for a relationship with each of us, but one cannot have a relationship if we disrespect the one who loves us. Even though many may think themselves 'great Catholics' is this possible if the Commands of God are disregarded and then discarded? Unless we are obedient to what the Scripture and the Church teaches we are little more than puff and wind, which is blown around in all directions. The foundation of our beliefs will sink if we base it within our own power and intellect, and think that doing our will is the same as being obedient to God's Will. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us, "To obey in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself. Abraham is the model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture. The Virgin Mary is its most perfect embodiment."

At times we can become confused in whether we are doing God's Will, this is why it is vital to not only study the Bible but also alongside it to learn the Catechism, for if one is ignorant of both, then they are ignorant of God Himself and also lack any grasp of the Church's Teaching through the Magisterium. We also must be careful not to fall into legalism thereby making our Faith a chain around our neck which will lay a heavy burden upon us instead of enlightening our spirits to the Will of God. We were not created to follow a legalistic Law but rather to follow and be at one with Love, and that love being Divine, from the Triune Spirit. This Love becomes fulfilled in the soul that obeys the Law of Love taught by Christ and handed down to us through the Church. True freedom lay not in doing our will but in doing God's Will irrespective of our personal position in life, for God does not measure mans love for if that were so we would all be found bankrupt. St. Thomas Aquinas explains it in these words, "If you seek an example of obedience, follow him who became obedient to the Father even unto death. "For just as by the disobedience of one man," namely, Adam, "many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one man, many were made righteous."

It is not enough to say ' I believe in God' as if that were sufficient in and of itself, it would be better to say 'I live what I believe through the Grace of God'. Once again St. Thomas teaches us, "Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you." How much we love God will be defined by how much we live our Faith for unless we seek to do the Will of God, then who's will are we following? Being that we are all imperfect people, it follows that obedience at the beginning will be difficult, but that should not stop one from the practice of obedience for when practiced enough it soon becomes second nature. It is when those who claim to be Christian yet their actions speak the opposite that conflict arises as these very people follow their uncontrolled passions rather than practice self control by seeking Gods Grace.

To not know Gods Will is to live a life of deliberate folly, for those that do not know His Word nor the Catholic Catechism run the risk of being a law unto themselves! We cannot say we love God and then fail to follow God's Commands, if so is this not mere empty rhetoric? This should not lead us into despondency for God knows our hearts and He knows how imperfect we are, hence God Himself will give us the Graces needed through the Sacraments of the Church which will enable us to live God's Will. As St. Thomas Aquinas explains, "Believing is an act of the intellect assenting to the divine truth by command of the will moved by God through grace." This great Saint of the Church understood that if we truly love God we will do His Will even by default, in that God will give us the Grace needed to return His Love to its source, the Triune Spirit.

To live the Will of God does not mean we negate our very essence that which makes us unique it simply means that we become incorporated into the Divine by Grace alone, to quote St. Thomas, "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods." Can we say that we live our Faith if our hearts are embroiled in worldly pursuits, as we try and straddle the fence of Faith and Mammon? As another great Saint of the Church St. Augustine said very simply, "What do you possess if you possess not God?" This son of the Church knew better than most the temptations of the world yet through the Grace of God, he was able to overcome all his worldly leanings and instead to become obedient to God through the Church. It is while looking at St. Augustine we can see the transforming Power of God's Divine Love for as he said, The love of worldly possessions is a sort of bird line, which entangles the soul, and prevents it flying to God. St. Augustine had learnt that one cannot embrace the world and still hope to live a devout life he knew the two were incompatible, therefore he surrendered himself to the Divine Will.

In order for us to live God's Will does not mean we must become airy fairy and go through life as if living in a bubble removed from reality. The Saints of the Church were people of great common sense, who lived life simply and hardily. This form of lifestyle was embraced by St. Teresa of Avila, who knew that God being within Himself Divine and in no need of us, offered this advise to her Sisters, "Prayer is an act of love, words are not needed. Even if sickness distracts from thoughts, all that is needed is the will to love." We do not have to impress God with our deeds for did not God give us these Gifts to begin with? God asks for our love which is shown through obedience to Him and the Magisterium, He has no needs of empty words, for God is the Word!

To live our Faith, means to be obedient to God even if it costs us as it cost the Son of God, for our salvation is not guaranteed if we live outside of Gods Commands and the Teachings of the Church. We also need to look at The Blessed Virgin Mary who exemplifies true obedience as the Catechism teaches us, "The Virgin Mary most perfectly embodies the obedience of faith. By faith Mary welcomes the tidings and promise brought by the angel Gabriel, believing that "with God nothing will be impossible" and so giving her assent...Throughout her life and until her last ordeal when Jesus her son died on the cross, Mary's faith never wavered. She never ceased to believe in the fulfillment of God's word. And so the Church venerates in Mary the purest realization of faith."

What finer example do we need than to emulate the Faith as shown by The Blessed Virgin Mary, who pondered many things in her heart. When we look at the example provided by Mary we see the benefits of prayer working within the soul, for Mary prayed from a spirit of love and obedience to God as did her most noble spouse, Joseph. Unless we pray with our heart and seek to do Gods Will, we will run around in circles in a vain attempt to avoid that which must be present, obedience to the Word of God and the Church.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Spirit of Forgiveness

There is an old saying that many will be acquainted with, that 'forgiveness is divine' who ever was the author of that quote had it right for it most certainly IS Divine. Many of us find forgiveness difficult most especially if the person who has hurt or harmed us is not sorry for having done so, this makes the act of forgiveness almost impossible.

This is why we need to seek out Gods Healing Grace through prayer and then allow time to heal the pain that may still lay within the heart, but what we cannot do is absolve the one who has inflicted this pain upon us, that prerogative lay within Gods Power and not our own.

In order to be able to forgive another we must seek out the Divine Physician to heal our own hurts so that we do not turn into what we despise and use the same weapons against the perpetrator of our own pain. This is why we must beseech our Lord through prayer for the necessary Grace to forgive those who have caused us harm for within ourselves we have not the love necessary.

Let us first understand what forgiveness is and what it is not. When we forgive another for the harm done this does not mean we condone their actions and give them a free pass with no repercussions or accountability. What it does mean is that we hand our pain to our Lord who will look within the soul and the intent of both persons involved, for when someone strikes out in anger against us there is usually a reason even if that reason is unreasonable. We do not have the ability to read souls and therefore discover the underlying reasons behind the intent, that too is the prerogative of God.

Wherever there is malicious intent there will be a reckoning between the wrongdoer and his Creator, we read this in the account of Cain and Abel, where Cain became resentful and then envious of his brothers relationship with God but instead of changing his own faulty attitudes he chose instead to remove that which had caused his envy his brother Abel by murder! Even in this action Cain showed no remorse for the murder of his brother and instead in the ultimate act of self absorption Cain's own feelings revolved totally upon himself he cried to God that "My punishment is too great to bear. Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight." Even here Cain questions Gods ability to be in control of all He has created by questioning his own safety, He doubted Gods Goodness and instead cried out for his own welfare over and above anyone else's. Though Cain took this action, it did not go unpunished as Cain was made a wanderer for the murder of his innocent brother who had done no more than please God.

When others strike out at us we are often unaware of the why and instead we become hurt, confused and then rise in indignation against the assault done on our person or those we love. When a person is being deliberately malicious the underlying reason is envy of who you are which then turns into resentment as the person is too lazy to change their own ways, they then resort to trying to destroy your very essence. This maliciousness is driven by fear as the person who is filled with hate projects their own lack of esteem and self-worth unto their intended victim. The victim essentially becomes a mirror reflection of the haters own image of malice and aggression, the person who is filled with hate cannot stand to see this reflection of themselves in all its rawness and so it sets out on a course of destroying that which has touched upon its own insecurities and strikes out at any threat of being exposed to all eyes.

It is when we see these souls so full of malice and envy that we must recognise the source of its malady and that is always fear that they shall be found wanting in all things, therefore they will strike out and even plot the downfall of those who have threatened them. What is missing within these souls is love, for 'perfect love drives out all fear' in the person who has chosen to hate their fear of being discovered drives them onwards towards duplicity in all its various forms. Very few of us possess a good knowledge of ourselves therefore at one stage or another we may all find ourselves more driven by fear than love, in the words of Thomas a Kempis, "To truly know ourselves and have a true realization of the lowliness, the baseness, the meanness that we are potentially capable of is a high science of the soul." In order to know ourselves we must learn who God is, and how very different our nature is from the Divine, and upon recognising this we then turn to our Creator and pray for the Graces needed to rise above our base nature.

Nothing gratifies the soul that hates more than to see its victim strike back with equal levels of hate and malice, for what greater victory can there be than to make its victim become what it hates? This allows the person filled with malice to say in all truth 'you have become a reflection of what you hate, therefore you are no better than me', how very self satisfying for the hater to bring the hated down to its own level.

This is why it is essential that in our pain and anguish we turn to God to heal the hurt within so that we do not become what we hate. Forgiveness has nothing to do with aiding and abetting the wrong done but it does have everything to do with freeing us from the bondage of a vengeful spirit. In our efforts to heal it helps to remember where our focus should be and that is not on ourselves or on pleasing or impressing others but in pleasing God and relying on God to aid us in our hour of need, what does it matter if malicious rumours spread if your conscience is clear before God?

Saint Francis de Sales explains it this way, "The following advice of St. Gregory is useful: whenever you are 'justly accused' of a fault, humble yourself, and candidly confess that you deserve more than the accusation which is brought against you; but, if the charge be false, excuse yourself meekly, denying your guilt, for you owe this respect to truth, and to the edification of your neighbor. But if, after your true and lawful excuse, they should continue to accuse you, trouble not yourself nor strive to have your excuse admitted; for, having discharged your duty to truth, you must also do the same to humility, by which means you neither offend against the care you ought to have of your reputation, nor the love you owe to peace, meekness of heart, and humility." This being said is one thing, but when our hearts are grieving over a malicious attack it helps to go to our friends for comfort and aid so Saint Francis continues in this vein, "Complain as little as possible of the wrongs you suffer; for, commonly speaking, he that complains sins, because self-love magnifies the injuries we suffer, and makes us believe them greater than they really are. Make no complaint to choleric or censorious persons; but if complaints be necessary, either to remedy the offense or restore quiet to your mind, let them be made to the meek and charitable, who truly love God; otherwise, instead of easing your heart, they will provoke it to greater pain; for instead of extracting the thorn, they will sink it the deeper."

This warns us that if we continue to bemoan what has befallen us we risk the possibility of rejecting Gods Healing embrace for when rancor is in the heart, God's voice is drowned out by the chorus of discontent. We must remember at all times, that the spirit we feed will grow whether it be the Spirit of Love or the spirit of revenge, one will fill us with peace the other will fill us with discord, but the choice is always ours. We need to keep our focus on what is pleasing to God rather than allow another's attempt at disrupting our inner peace to succeed, as St. Teresa of Avila wrote, "Those whom they fear - and it is right they fear and always ask the Lord to be freed from them - are the traitorous enemies, the devils who transfigure themselves into angels of light who are disguised. Not until they have done much harm to the soul do they allow themselves to be recognized. They suck our blood and destroy our virtues and we go about in the midst of the same temptation but do not know it." Here St. Teresa warns us of the enemies tactics to turn us into what we hate by allowing our emotions to rule over every sphere of ourselves and allowing our thoughts to continually linger on the wrongs done rather than on God's Healing Grace and His benevolent Love.

When a heart is driven by fear this allows us to discern the spirit within the individual who is bent upon destroying the innocent, these people will use the devils tools as in lying, cunning and rumour mongering to try and drive a wedge between us and God, once again Saint Teresa warns us, "The devil can give the savor and delight that seem to be spiritual, but he doesn't have the power to join pain - and so much of it - to the spiritual quiet and delight of the soul. For all of his powers are on the outside, and the pains he causes are never in my opinion, delightful or peaceful but disturbing and contentious. Thus, the devil has to get at the soul from outside of the soul since only God occupies the soul."

For the soul that is at peace with God and their fellow man will face attack from outside of themselves in that the devil can only tempt us he cannot infiltrate into our souls unless he is invited. To the humble who meekly follow God and try to do good to others will face the attacks of the father of lies through the machinations of his children who work in league with the powers of darkness.

The only weapon that we have to defeat these malicious attacks by the father of lies and the children of darkness is to open our hearts to God in order to forgive that which has harmed us and to then discipline our minds to move on rather than sit and brood over wrongs done. When we recognise what is the motivating force of the attacker it allows us the ability to remain at peace and allow God in His Wisdom to judge the hearts of both as we move beyond the getting even stage and keep our focus on God and God alone!

When we forgive another it is the greatest test of our love for and of God in that nothing happens to us that God has not allowed, let us then move beyond the emotive feelings and instead seek to forgive the wrongdoer, lest we be found in the same condition. Therefore empty your hearts of all rancor as we meditate on the Passion of our Lord who died for our iniquities, for if God rendered an accounting who among us could pay the bill?

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

Catholic Spirituality

The Suffering Soul-A Journey Into Loneliness

When we journey into the realm of true suffering we enter a barren landscape devoid of all human consolation, for the soul that is truly in pain, the spirit is vanquished the eyes grow dim and the heart is rent asunder at its abandonment.

Words of advice fall onto the tender soul like shards of glass tearing it to pieces thereby increasing its pain ten fold, with inept attempts to somehow alleviate the agony that is within the suffering person, words cannot convey what another has not yet felt, the feeling of abandonment by its Beloved.

As the body writhes with agony, and the pain overwhelms the person, time loses all meaning as the soul faces its own passion, alone. During these moments of agony, all feelings of consolation has fled and the soul is left to face itself, nothing can express the intense pain of this moment, no words can reach those who's suffering is beyond man's help. The ring of comforting words fall hollow into a soul laid bare in the rawness of its own weakness, it's strength spent and like a vulnerable child the eyes are more eloquent than words, as it's inner desperation gasps for that which it cannot find, relief...relief...relief!

The suffering soul sighs long into that black darkness called night, where minutes seem like hours and inner desperation fills the heart as loneliness grips the suffering soul and lays it's own incompleteness bare. There is nowhere to hide, no where to find solace as it's very being is exposed to the searing ray of its own powerlessness. The long dark night becomes its enemy as the noise stills and all becomes quiet, yet there is no peace for the soul that cries into the night in the depths of their pain, 'God, God where are You?' 'Why have you left me to face only me?' The cries then reach a crescendo as the night becomes its accuser, 'there is no God'....'you have believed a lie'..'you are alone, there is no one and nothing only emptiness' and then in the anguish of the heart of the suffering soul it screams within, 'My God my God why have You abandoned me'?

Then comes the understanding and the meaning as the soul unifies itself to the sorrowful One the One who knows suffering the One who too cried that same echo into eternity the One who understands your pain....the One who reaches out for you...Christ Crucified! Yet the pain remains but it is different, why?

Through yet another long anguished night the suffering soul reaches out for the eternal unknowing....grasping and clutching that which is its only comfort, Christ Crucified! Only in Him does suffering find its meaning and only in Him does suffering become ennobled and also only in Him does suffering gain its dignity, and only in Him can one endure....the unendurable.

In the opening of day we are brave to those who love us, we can cope through the day, we can put on brave smiles, shrug off compliments at our 'show' of inner strength, but the sufferer knows the velvet blackness of night awaits it, but that terror is hidden from those who do not understand, for those who believe that we are at least 'gaining some rest for our weary bodies' these loving hearts know little of the terror of the looming and all encompassing....dark night. Slowly another day comes to its end as the sun disappears and the shadows lengthen, the skies darken and the suffering soul trembles within at the prospect of it's enemy...the long cruel dark of night....

The sufferer does not need to know the theology behind suffering, it needs no lengthy tomes of the meaning of suffering. Do we fill a child's head with theological discourses?Of course not! Then do not patronise the sufferer with long discourses on the meaning of suffering, the soul is LIVING it. Say nothing! Pray much!

When you pray for a soul that suffers make sure you mean it, pray unceasingly for this soul, pray till all words are spent, pray till you are tired of praying, pray pray pray....then you will find how empty your own soul is for the effort of prayer becomes too much for the healthy person. I mean not the 10 minute Rosary said at speed at the end of a long day, nor the hour spent in prayer...I speak about unceasing prayer for that one suffering individual. If you feel your five minute prayer is sufficient and feel comforted that you have done your bit, then spend nights with the sick, lonely and orphaned at hospitals, night after night after night...how long before resentment would fill the place of self satisfaction at your 'prayerfulness'? As Dorothy Day once wisely wrote when referring to St. Therese of Lisieux, "One needs to have gone through these small martyrdoms to understand them." The suffering soul can teach you all about martyrdom, they have no need of your empty words but of your listening heart.

When you are in the company of a person who's suffering is intense be reminded of Christ's own Passion, and remember if you had stood beneath the Cross at Calvary would you have advised our Lord to 'keep strong' or to 'have more Faith'? Or would your words dry up as your eyes overflow to be witness to such a suffering?

Once again as St. Therese wrote, "Let us suffer if needs be, with bitterness." This wonderful Saint understood the meanness of suffering and the toll it takes on the soul when they find themselves in the company of those who understand it not!

When in the company of the suffering soul, keep your wisdom to yourself and instead seek out their power in the midst of their powerlessness and seek their prayers for yourself and others....for when you are in the company of suffering you are in the company of Christ Himself!

Peace of Christ to you ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

roman catholic
Catholic Spirituality

What is Faith?

The Word of God reveals the essence of Faith when we read, "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen." Noah built the Ark by relying on God's Word alone, for the rains had not yet come, but Noah built the Ark by faithfully trusting that God would keep His Word. He faced the derision of the crowds and cared not how much their peels of laughter rang out, Noah kept building.

Faith is not about reading a lot and gaining in knowledge if this was so some of our greatest scientists should have excelled in love of God, but instead many proclaimed geniuses were atheists. This also includes some of our greatest thinkers, Friedrich Nietzsche through his writings proposed a parable that God is dead and in God's place would step the superman theory, in effect the 'perfect human specimen'. This theory though not intended was carried out by the National Socialist party of Germany under its leader Adolf Hitler. The theory that Nietzsche proposed was seen in all its horror as many Germans embraced the perfect Aryan specimen of man devoid of humanity, man then became a godless creature, devoid of human compassion.

When we look at Caiphas we see how though God can live amongst us yet we recognise Him not! When Jesus was led before Caiphas a very learned man of great intellect who had studied and knew the Law inside out, yet he failed to recognise God who stood before him face to face. Caiphas total absorption was not on God's Will but on the Law as he tightened the chains on those who wished to follow this 'man' Jesus! Caiphas was not a blight on mankind for had God not created him through His Divine Spark of infinite Love? Yet even though Caiphas had studied the Prophets he failed to see God in his midst, is Caiphas unusual in this or do we to fail to recognise God in the ordinary?

Sincere and true Faith is not simply a belief in God through the birth, death and Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, in order for Faith to have any relevance we must live it, to do otherwise makes us 'ritual observers' little different from Caiphas. As the then Cardinal Ratzinger wrote, "We need the living Christ, whom we can know only through our encounter with Him. But encounter presumes actual presence -- the Real Presence, which, in turn, requires the Sacrament and the Church that alone is authorized to give us the Sacrament, the Church that Jesus Christ Himself willed into existence and continues to support. The Eucharist, at each new celebration, must be recognized anew as the core of our Christian life. But we cannot celebrate the Eucharist adequately if we are content to reduce it to a ritual of, more or less, a half-hour's duration. To receive Christ means to worship Him. We welcome Him properly and worthily at the solemn moment of receiving Him only when we worship Him and in worshipping Him learn to know Him, come to understand His nature, and follow Him. We need to learn once more how to rest peacefully in His gentle presence in our churches, where the Eucharist is likewise always present because Christ intercedes for us before the Father, because He always awaits us and speaks to us. We must learn again how to draw inwardly close to Him, for it is only thus that we become worthy of the Eucharist."

When we reduce relationship to mere ritual, then is that love of God or love of a theory? We know that God is love, yet unless we live this very love in our own lives, then Christianity is a mere hypothesis yet to be utilised let alone lived. In another way let us look at this fact, if we love our children and proclaim this love to them and the world yet we fail to provide for their needs as they starve from lack of food, remain filthy through lack of care, is this love or mere empty rhetoric? The same goes when we attend Mass not through love of God and a longing to receive Him through the Sacraments but as mere 'religious observation' a sense of doing ones 'duty' are we not making religion a legalistic institution devoid of heart and soul.

Is this not the highest insult to our Heavenly Father to give him our presense but not our heart? To make God little more than a bit actor on the stage of our life, as if we were the entire focus of meaning and relevance to our existence! When we reduce our Faith to the level of fulfilling our sense of duty and even of giving to the needy have we not made our Faith little more than another social assistance program? It is not enough to give 'things' when God Commands us to give of ourselves to Him alone! As that great man of the Church, Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote, "Sanctity, then, is not giving up the world. It is exchanging the world. It is a continuation of that sublime transaction of the Incarnation in which Christ says to man: "You give Me your humanity, I will give you My divinity. You give Me your time, I will give you My eternity. You give Me your slavery, I will give you My freedom. You give Me your death, I will give you My life. You give Me your nothingness, I will give you My all." And the consoling thought throughout this whole transforming process that it does not require much time to make us saints; it requires only much love."

The only thing that can transform us is the indwelling Spirit but only with our consent. God will come to us in various forms and mediums. Such was the case with Saul who was thrown from his donkey and was given a vision of Christ Himself as Scripture reveals when Paul testified, "On one such occasion I was traveling to Damascus with the authorization and commission of the chief priests. At midday, along the way, O king, I saw a light from the sky, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my traveling companions. We all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goad.' And I said, 'Who are you, sir?' And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. Get up now, and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness of what you have seen (of me) and what you will be shown. I shall deliver you from this people and from the Gentiles to whom I send you, to open their eyes that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may obtain forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been consecrated by faith in me."

After Paul had seen this vision of Christ, did he return to his old life and resume his old ways? Did he continue to follow and be bound by Law alone or was he transformed into a living 'christ' so that no longer he lived but Christ liveth within him? St. Paul understood that when one believes in something they must then live it or die, for there are many deaths other than just the physical. If we live a life of religious obligation or 'ritualistic religion' as we observe the form of the Mass yet remain unmoved and detached this is a form of spiritual death which is brought upon ourselves.

Faith is more than just believing in God for doesn't Satan also believe in God? Faith is also more than doing our 'duty' for did not the Pharisee's fulfill their religious duty? Faith is also more than knowledge for was not King Solomon wise yet he fell from Grace?

What faith means is to live it each day, and by partaking of the Sacraments and in giving God our own fiat we then allow the indwelling Spirit to transform us into the Beatific Vision of how life can be when we surrender our will and live Gods Will. Those who willingly do not live their faith but instead are simply 'going through the motions' is soon evident to all as they continue to live worldly lives as they say the Word of God but God is far from their hearts.

We may not always understand Gods Way, but like our Blessed Mother we obey our Heavenly Father from filial love and in acknowledgement of our own unworthiness and in humility we come to understand that God has no need of us, but we have every need of God. This then allows us to live our Faith as a living Spirit, for as Blessed Mother Teresa said, "You and I, we are the Church, no? We have to share with our people. Suffering today is because people are hoarding, not giving, not sharing. Jesus made it very clear. Whatever you do to the least of my brethren, you do it to me...There are so many religions and each one has its different ways of following God. I follow Christ: Jesus is my God, Jesus is my Spouse, Jesus is my Life, Jesus is my only Love, Jesus is my All in All; Jesus is my Everything."

Mother Teresa understood that only God ennobles man and divinizes all we do from the outpouring of His Love. When we then put our Faith into action this displays the outpouring of the Living Water of Faith which flows through us and is shown through love in action, not our love but God's Love.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

roman catholic
Catholic Spirituality

Who Are Our Spiritual Teachers

Many of us have a tendency to only want to be in the company of those who support us and reassure our sense of worth, and though this is a good thing, we should not become dependent upon pleasing words about ourselves.

It is a fact that the Saints and many teachers of the spiritual life help us to understand that it is our enemies who will be our greatest teachers on our spiritual journey. This does not mean we must become doormats and allow others to trample upon us, but it is a good indication of our own spiritual compass. If we become upset or easily offended at the slightest unkind remark, and then retaliate in kind what then does this lead us to assume about ourselves? Do we look for validation only from our peers and not God, if so then we are doomed to unhappiness. As that wonderful young girl St. Bernadette teaches us, "What will be the crown of those who, humble within and humiliated without, have imitated the humility of our Savior in all its fullness!" Was not our Lord also accused falsely by others, betrayed by a friend and his friendship denied by another of his Disciples? Why then do we think things should be different for us?

At the time of our attack we may not recognise the lessons to be learnt as our feelings become heated and words pour forth like an out of control torrent and it is only when the torrent has run its course that we stop and reflect on what we failed to learn and grasp. We see this expressed by St Vincent Pallotti, "Not the goods of the world, but God. Not riches, but God. Not honors, but God. Not distinction, but God. Not dignities, but God. Not advancement, but God. God always and in everything." This teaches us to place our trust in God alone and to be at peace within ourselves and with others even when we are under attack, for as St. Paul of the Cross wrote, "When you feel the assaults of passion and anger, then is the time to be silent as Jesus was silent in the midst of His ignominies and sufferings."

Even though we may gravitate towards those of a like mind, we must also be aware that our greatest lessons in the spiritual life lay not with our friends but with those who we perceive as our 'enemies'. Sure our friends will clap us on the back and fill our hearts with love and warmth but there is no challenge to the darker sides of our own nature when we only want to hear 'nice' things said about ourselves. That great Doctor of the Church teaches us when St. Francis de Sales said, "To be pleased at correction and reproofs shows that one loves the virtues which are contrary to those faults for which he is corrected and reproved. And, therefore, it is a great sign of advancement in perfection." It is always difficult to accept correction even more so when one is not at fault, but if we maintain our Focus on Jesus we then gain in wisdom when we can grow from adversity.

We must also not become confused in allowing others to treat us with malice for the lesson lay not in the false spirit of charity by accepting lies and distortions, as if they were good and right. What our enemies teach us is our own reactions to these insults, slanders and calumnies, for this brings out the worst in our own natures and makes us aware of the failings we need to correct within ourselves. In that if we pay an inordinate amount of time consumed by thoughts of what others think of us, where then is our focus? On God or people? It is when we have placed our need for validity in the hands of others that will bring us great pain and anguish as St. Gerard said, "Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?"

It is our enemies who are our greatest teachers, for they will bring forth every negative fault and our failings which reside in our soul. These enemies will also challenge us to go beyond our own resources and to call out to God, for the `Gifts' needed to overcome the self in our nature. It is to them we owe our thanks for helping us to face the unlovable within ourselves, and then with the Grace of God and our co-operation we are transformed into living Christ's, to reflect His Love and then to give this Love to those who are wounded……just like us. In order to do this we need to maintain a strong prayer life, for we are not the source of our own strength God is, as St. Ephraem teaches us, "Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven."

For an example when one looks at a pearl it only becomes a thing of beauty after it has been irritated, aggravated, and chafed to go beyond its original state, a mere speck of sand then becomes a thing of unique quality. This is what our enemies do to us and without them knowing it, they do this for us, we go beyond our original state, and reach for the higher qualities, to love with Christlike love. Our enemies face us with the ugliness we try to quell and more often refuse to recognise, the repugnant aspects of our own personality, and until we face and acknowledge this inner baseness then our walk in Truth will falter. It is this self revelation which leads us to depend on God, and to seek Him in all things. For we realise within ourselves, we are of no account, but through God & in God, we are most precious, and it is in asking that we receive that which we lack, the ability to love and to accept all with docility, meekness and humility, from the hand of God. As that most humble Saint Clare exhorts us to, "Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you holy, has always protected you, and loves you as a mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me." This is why how easily we react to unfavourable comments are our warnings that we are not spending enough time with God, for no matter what another speaks whether it be for you or against you...God knows the truth and that should suffice for all.

It is through this self discovery we also realise, that to someone we are their enemy…..

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.

roman catholic
Catholic Spirituality