A quote from Catherine:
The motive of our obedience we should ever bear in mind;
it is no other than the love of God.
Toddy is the feast day of St. Andrew, brother, fisherman, apostle, martyr. That pretty well sums up his life. Now what do those words tell us? He was in obedience to his family. He was in obedience to his work place, his brother who also worked the business. He was in obedience to Jesus who called him. He was in obedience to the Holy Spirit who led him to death and final glory.
His motive? From his life you can see his motive, love of family, love of work , love of God even to death. I wonder if any of us could say the same thing. What is our motive for obedience whether it is in the home, the workplace, the convent, the classroom, the friends?
Each of those places have responsibilities and duties. How do we carry them out. Do we use right intelligence and see a bigger picture? Do we only look at what we can get out of it? Do we complain? Do we put off? If our hearts are in the right place, then God is our motive; obedience is our response.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Silence
A quote from Catherine;
Perhaps silence is wearying to us, and yet our spiritual advancement
is generally most promoted in the hours of silence.
Our world is filled with noise. To have silence, to really be silent takes a lot of work. We are so unused to it. Yesterday, at noon, we had a prayer for peace as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders met here in the US. It was a full 5 minutes of silence. At first it was very uncomfortable to be with 15 or more people standing in a circle in silence. Yet the time was powerful.
I really had the time to lift up all the people who were players in this summit meeting. I had time to pray for those who are left homeless, who are incarcerated, who are harassers, who are the soldiers, the mothers and so forth.... It was a powerful time. Unfortunately, even in our worship time, there is not enough silence to really get to a depth of prayer that leaves one really, deeply in touch with those for whom we pray and to be deeply in touch with God.
Today take some time for silence. It is not wearying at all. It is more like an oasis in the noisy day. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Perhaps silence is wearying to us, and yet our spiritual advancement
is generally most promoted in the hours of silence.
Our world is filled with noise. To have silence, to really be silent takes a lot of work. We are so unused to it. Yesterday, at noon, we had a prayer for peace as the Israeli and Palestinian leaders met here in the US. It was a full 5 minutes of silence. At first it was very uncomfortable to be with 15 or more people standing in a circle in silence. Yet the time was powerful.
I really had the time to lift up all the people who were players in this summit meeting. I had time to pray for those who are left homeless, who are incarcerated, who are harassers, who are the soldiers, the mothers and so forth.... It was a powerful time. Unfortunately, even in our worship time, there is not enough silence to really get to a depth of prayer that leaves one really, deeply in touch with those for whom we pray and to be deeply in touch with God.
Today take some time for silence. It is not wearying at all. It is more like an oasis in the noisy day. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Perseverance
A quote from Catherine:
Perseverance is a constant exercise of self-denial, and as such serves to keep the body
in subjection to the spirit.
As we near the last days of the calendar year and the last days of the church year, this quote may be of some use to me today. Advent is only a few days away. Again we will read in Scriptures of the ongoing waiting for the Savior, the perseverance of those who watch and wait.
How often we forget that waiting is a virtue that is clothed in perseverance. We want everything instantly. We are a throw-away society. If something doesn't fit, or it needs repair, we just throw it away. A new and better model will come out, only to be obsolete in a few years, or months.
Perhaps it is good today to look at perseverance as a spiritual exercise of self-denial. Can I wait for something? for someone? What goals do I have? What is my plan to attain them? If they take a while do I just quit? What can I be doing in the long wait? How can i increase my spiritual side and decrease my whims for wanting things now?
www.sistersofmercy.org
Perseverance is a constant exercise of self-denial, and as such serves to keep the body
in subjection to the spirit.
As we near the last days of the calendar year and the last days of the church year, this quote may be of some use to me today. Advent is only a few days away. Again we will read in Scriptures of the ongoing waiting for the Savior, the perseverance of those who watch and wait.
How often we forget that waiting is a virtue that is clothed in perseverance. We want everything instantly. We are a throw-away society. If something doesn't fit, or it needs repair, we just throw it away. A new and better model will come out, only to be obsolete in a few years, or months.
Perhaps it is good today to look at perseverance as a spiritual exercise of self-denial. Can I wait for something? for someone? What goals do I have? What is my plan to attain them? If they take a while do I just quit? What can I be doing in the long wait? How can i increase my spiritual side and decrease my whims for wanting things now?
www.sistersofmercy.org
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