A quote from Catherine McAuley:
Though we cannot always feel the same, yet we can so guard our exterior as to
let no disturbance of mind appear in our manner or countenance.
When I was a novice we were taught to be recollected at all times. Well, that is quite impossible for novices in their late teens. at the time I thougth is was to keep us from being too noisy because there was a large group of us and we came in a "herd" wherever we went. a couple had heavy footsteps.
when I was older, I learned there was more to this. When you are in ministry, it behooves one to seem cool and collected while there is turmoil going on around you. it helps you todeal withirate parents, co-workers and the close quarters that caused us to "push butons".
Still later I learned that if you place your trust in God and loved people, then not much can ruffle your calmness. I think I'm getting it a bit better. it's all about having that inner peace and serenity that helps one to realize that each pice of turmoil is NOT a crisis. often remaining cool and collected does so much good. To be there, one must have a quietude of attitude that comes from a deep spirituality. I'm trying. I don't always succeed, but there is alwasy tomorrow to start again.
waht about you? How are you handling all the stuff that comes your way?
www.sistersofmercy.org
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
According to Your Heart's Desire
A quote from Catherine McAuley:
Mortify in me , dear Jesus, all that is displeasing to Thee and make me according to Your own heart's desire. Amen.
I have been attending a class in my sabbatical program where we are working on what we were expected to do in our earlier years, those expectations where we were to work in a virtue and perfect it. If fact when we talk about becoming perfect we often think that it means to be without any error or sin. When we look at "being perfect as God is perfect" it is a hard act to even try to follow. It can be so discouraging since we fall, time and time again.
A different interpretation of this is to look at the whole of those passages, not just the part that is often read in liturgy. What one sees is that God is asking for compassion and love, not perfection! It was a new revelation for me. It also helped me to look at my outer life of trying to be perfect and at my spiritual life which is a personal relationship with a God who loves me just as I am.
Now today's quote says to me that are asking Jesus to make us aware of our weaknesses and to shape us according to his desires, which is with mercy and love.
So let us look at our lives to see where we are listening to God's desire for us and what is our ego or pride trying to make us better than others. It's an interesting slant on perfection and much easier to allow God to form us in mercy than to be without error.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Mortify in me , dear Jesus, all that is displeasing to Thee and make me according to Your own heart's desire. Amen.
I have been attending a class in my sabbatical program where we are working on what we were expected to do in our earlier years, those expectations where we were to work in a virtue and perfect it. If fact when we talk about becoming perfect we often think that it means to be without any error or sin. When we look at "being perfect as God is perfect" it is a hard act to even try to follow. It can be so discouraging since we fall, time and time again.
A different interpretation of this is to look at the whole of those passages, not just the part that is often read in liturgy. What one sees is that God is asking for compassion and love, not perfection! It was a new revelation for me. It also helped me to look at my outer life of trying to be perfect and at my spiritual life which is a personal relationship with a God who loves me just as I am.
Now today's quote says to me that are asking Jesus to make us aware of our weaknesses and to shape us according to his desires, which is with mercy and love.
So let us look at our lives to see where we are listening to God's desire for us and what is our ego or pride trying to make us better than others. It's an interesting slant on perfection and much easier to allow God to form us in mercy than to be without error.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Monday, September 15, 2008
Do Something More Each Day to Attract God's Love
A quote from Catherine McAuley:
You should endeavor each day to do something more to attract God's love and friendship, than you did the day before.
God simply loves us, no matter where we are the the spiritual journey. God is ready and waiting for us to turn in God's direction. To endeavor to do something more each day to attract God's attention isn't so necessary. God's attention is already focused on you. What we need to do is to turn each day to be aware of God's attention. In practice, it may look like we are doing something to attract God's attention, but what we really are doing is tuning our hearts, minds and body toward God's realm. god is attracting our intention (attention)!
Blessings on you as you reflect upon this. I welcome questions, reflections, comments.
www.sistersofmercy.org
You should endeavor each day to do something more to attract God's love and friendship, than you did the day before.
God simply loves us, no matter where we are the the spiritual journey. God is ready and waiting for us to turn in God's direction. To endeavor to do something more each day to attract God's attention isn't so necessary. God's attention is already focused on you. What we need to do is to turn each day to be aware of God's attention. In practice, it may look like we are doing something to attract God's attention, but what we really are doing is tuning our hearts, minds and body toward God's realm. god is attracting our intention (attention)!
Blessings on you as you reflect upon this. I welcome questions, reflections, comments.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Monday, August 25, 2008
May be Acceptable to Me...
A quote from Catherine McAuley:
Grant, O most Merciful Redeemer, that whatever you ordain or permit may always be acceptable to me. Amen.
Today I received a small setback that at first left me feeling sorry for myself. A pity-party was about to erupt on the scene. My inner tapes we playing big time and I had to get control of the negative thinking and turn it positive. How could I make something glaringly unjust to me ( or someones simple oversight) into a positive tape? This quote came to me quickly. Let all you permit be acceptable to me. In other words: DON'T GET BENT OUT OF SHAPE!!
There are two things that helped me. One is the phrase, 'Would this matter ten years from now?", and my sister's often-used phrase, "There's a hidden silver lining in bad things that happen." Catherine said it most simply in her quote.
Today, if things are going wrong or you feel someone has treated you unjustly, remember that the Lord is always there and with His help we can get through anything.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Grant, O most Merciful Redeemer, that whatever you ordain or permit may always be acceptable to me. Amen.
Today I received a small setback that at first left me feeling sorry for myself. A pity-party was about to erupt on the scene. My inner tapes we playing big time and I had to get control of the negative thinking and turn it positive. How could I make something glaringly unjust to me ( or someones simple oversight) into a positive tape? This quote came to me quickly. Let all you permit be acceptable to me. In other words: DON'T GET BENT OUT OF SHAPE!!
There are two things that helped me. One is the phrase, 'Would this matter ten years from now?", and my sister's often-used phrase, "There's a hidden silver lining in bad things that happen." Catherine said it most simply in her quote.
Today, if things are going wrong or you feel someone has treated you unjustly, remember that the Lord is always there and with His help we can get through anything.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Deep Experiences of Prayer
A quote from Mary Bride Claire:
Our life together must allow for deep experiences of prayer.
One of the most interesting challenges in religious life is prayer. Each Sister is expected to take time each day for deep personal meditation, for community prayer and for Eucharist. These are the mainstay of religious life.
There are other devotions that Sisters also use; the rosary, holy hours, midday prayer, examin, Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy Chaplet, novenas, 30 days' prayer and a host of others depending on the religious community.
But if you notice the one form of prayer that is not there is a sharing of our prayer with others. Faith sharing, Bible study, and prayer groups are not part of the required prayer. Yet, it is in these experiences that one grows as well in depth of prayer. Some are reluctant to share their deep faith with their peers, though they may readily do it with others.
We do not like to speak of our deepest emotions and our deepest feelings. Sometimes the words are inadequate. This, I think is a part of the human condition. But to grow and to nurture the future of religious life we are called to do it, to share and to risk in order to further the kingdom. Our life together depends upon it.
Today look where you could be doing some deep sharing-sharing your wisdom, sharing you spirituality, sharing your faith.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Our life together must allow for deep experiences of prayer.
One of the most interesting challenges in religious life is prayer. Each Sister is expected to take time each day for deep personal meditation, for community prayer and for Eucharist. These are the mainstay of religious life.
There are other devotions that Sisters also use; the rosary, holy hours, midday prayer, examin, Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy Chaplet, novenas, 30 days' prayer and a host of others depending on the religious community.
But if you notice the one form of prayer that is not there is a sharing of our prayer with others. Faith sharing, Bible study, and prayer groups are not part of the required prayer. Yet, it is in these experiences that one grows as well in depth of prayer. Some are reluctant to share their deep faith with their peers, though they may readily do it with others.
We do not like to speak of our deepest emotions and our deepest feelings. Sometimes the words are inadequate. This, I think is a part of the human condition. But to grow and to nurture the future of religious life we are called to do it, to share and to risk in order to further the kingdom. Our life together depends upon it.
Today look where you could be doing some deep sharing-sharing your wisdom, sharing you spirituality, sharing your faith.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
I Will Divide With You
A quote from Catherine McAuley;
Let me know when you are closely pressed
and I will divide with you, be it ever so little.
What a great outlook on life to have to share even if it is a small morsel! So often today we have so many things that we forget that we are to share what we have with others, no matter if it is only a piece of clothing, something from our closet or room or even our food. We have so very much and we don't want to feel like we are in want. Look at the super sized foods and drinks. We have more than what is sufficient.
This morning as I was walking early before the heat of the day, I was walking through our nearby park. One of the things I take with me is a plastic bag to collect cans and bottles that I see along the way. Sometimes there are some and sometimes there are none. We are such a throw away society and even as affluent as we are, we cannot seem to put our garbage in the garbage containers along the way. We have so little regard for others. I was reflecting today what it would be like to be too poor to have a can of soda. Could I live without soda or bottled water or any sort of bottled beverage? What if I were too poor to have this luxury?
So many in our world are. What we spend on sodas alone each day is for some their complete daily wage to feed their family.
I think I will look at Catherine's quote a little more closely and see where I can divide what I have, be it so little. I am also not going to drink cans of sodas for a while and see if I really miss them.
Maybe you could do the same.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Let me know when you are closely pressed
and I will divide with you, be it ever so little.
What a great outlook on life to have to share even if it is a small morsel! So often today we have so many things that we forget that we are to share what we have with others, no matter if it is only a piece of clothing, something from our closet or room or even our food. We have so very much and we don't want to feel like we are in want. Look at the super sized foods and drinks. We have more than what is sufficient.
This morning as I was walking early before the heat of the day, I was walking through our nearby park. One of the things I take with me is a plastic bag to collect cans and bottles that I see along the way. Sometimes there are some and sometimes there are none. We are such a throw away society and even as affluent as we are, we cannot seem to put our garbage in the garbage containers along the way. We have so little regard for others. I was reflecting today what it would be like to be too poor to have a can of soda. Could I live without soda or bottled water or any sort of bottled beverage? What if I were too poor to have this luxury?
So many in our world are. What we spend on sodas alone each day is for some their complete daily wage to feed their family.
I think I will look at Catherine's quote a little more closely and see where I can divide what I have, be it so little. I am also not going to drink cans of sodas for a while and see if I really miss them.
Maybe you could do the same.
www.sistersofmercy.org
Monday, August 4, 2008
Walk in the Garden
A quote from mother Agatha Murphy:
...When we grow old we will walk in the garden and laugh at the hardships of today.
It's been a while since I last blogged. I've been helping various people move from one house to the next, including myself. It's been a very busy July and not much time for computers, mail or even phone calls except to direct trucks, boxes and movers to move things where they needed to go.
Mother Agatha's word today would also be a reflection of what Catherine might have said had she lived long enough to be able to retire and let others take on the heavy work.
We are about so many things that the hardships of today seem to overwhelm us and yet if we could put them into perspective, we would see that they were not all that much. How much work and worry do we put in the things we do. Or as the saying goes, :Don;t sweat the small stuff." God would say, "Do not worry, I'm in charge today.."
Well, let us reflect upon what we worry about and ask this question: Would it matter eight years from now? If not, let it go!
www.sistersofmercy.org
...When we grow old we will walk in the garden and laugh at the hardships of today.
It's been a while since I last blogged. I've been helping various people move from one house to the next, including myself. It's been a very busy July and not much time for computers, mail or even phone calls except to direct trucks, boxes and movers to move things where they needed to go.
Mother Agatha's word today would also be a reflection of what Catherine might have said had she lived long enough to be able to retire and let others take on the heavy work.
We are about so many things that the hardships of today seem to overwhelm us and yet if we could put them into perspective, we would see that they were not all that much. How much work and worry do we put in the things we do. Or as the saying goes, :Don;t sweat the small stuff." God would say, "Do not worry, I'm in charge today.."
Well, let us reflect upon what we worry about and ask this question: Would it matter eight years from now? If not, let it go!
www.sistersofmercy.org
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