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Spiritual Zen
A spiritual path towards enlightenment.
Jul
29
Policy without principleWealth without workCommerce without moralityPleasure without conscienceEducation without characterScience without humanityWorship without sacrificeMohandas K. Gandhi
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Jul
28
There is a thing as a good death. We ourself we are responsible for the way who we died. We must choose between clinging in the life of a way like the death does not become anything but a lack, or leaving it goes of life in the freedom to be able to give to us to others like hope source…. The true question before our death, then, is not, how much can I nevertheless obtain, or how much it influences I can nevertheless exert? but, how I can live so that it can continue being fruitful when I am between my family and friendly not more here? That question changes of position our attention to do to being. Ours to do he brings success, but our being bears bears fruit. Enrique Nouwen, life dear gift and of greater ours
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Jul
27
Disciple of Maria MagdaleneFaithful of the ministry of Christ; Quiet witness of the passion of Christ; Messenger of Resurrection’Model de Christ of the fidelity and the pious contemplation; he requests for me.
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Jul
27
July 31, 2011 Isaiah 55:1-3; Psalm145; Romans 8:35, 37-39; Matthew 14:13-21 ????????? Thecompassion of Jesus leads to healing. For the past three weeks, Jesus has beenteaching what the kingdom of heaven is like. Crowds have assembled to hear hiswords. Some commentators speculate that over ten percent of Israel came to hearhim speak. The section starts out by telling us that Jesus withdrew to praybecause he heard of the tragic death of John the Baptist. Though we read thesewords often, it is good for us to consider the real grief that Jesusexperienced. Grief is an underestimated emotion and it is comforting to reflectupon the hurt Jesus felt at the death of his colleague and friend. ????????? Thecrowds followed him because they were eager to be with him. As his heart waswounded because of his personal loss, he was moved to act out of hiscompassion. He cured the sick when he disembarked. He recognized that manypeople had needs that kept them from living fully. ????????? Jesusacts as the good shepherd who feeds and specially cares for his own people.While doing so, he trains his disciples to have self-confidence, to showinitiative, and to be leaders – just as he is doing. This first feedingnarrative is strictly to the people of Israel; later on the feeding narrativeis meant to include the Gentiles as well. Because of the sheer size of the populationexperiencing this miracle, it is meant to show that it has a social characteras well as the miracle over nature. This episode is meant to recall the eventsin Exodus and Numbers when God gave the Israelites manna in the desert eachday. The Eucharist is meant to anticipate the messianic banquet in the kingdom.Matthew, using Jewish apocalyptic imagery, brings to mind the reconstitutedIsrael with its Twelve Tribes represented by his Twelve Apostles. It helps usto consider the value of our leftovers. ?????????? ? In a season when we think of good food andrich drink, it is easy to soak in the words of Isaiah who calls us into a feastwhere we can eat and drink to our hearts and belly’s delight. This feast is onewithout cost; everyone is invited. It is the banquet offered by God when wefollow his commands and live an upright life. All we have to do is listen tothe words of God, which are a feast in themselves. ????????? Jesusalso invites the crowds into a rich meal through a blessing. Generosity, opengiving, and true community ensures that there will be plenty of food for allpresent and even for those who are absent. Sadly, many people find it difficultto be generous with open giving to their communities of faith today. Many wantto do what is good and right for the needy among us and we value our financialand emotional care for others and yet many want to restrict their gifts inorder to know that the money will be used for such purposes. We want to addconditions to our giving because we are frustrated when our voices are notheard or that we are not shown respect. Money, or withholding money, talks whenall else fails. It shows something is not right in our institutional churchesand the kingdom remains elusive when authority is not rightly used. We stillyear for good shepherds. We yearn for the day when the banquets of Isaiah andJesus can come true. I still believe in miracles. Themes for this Week’s Masses FirstReading: In Exodus, Moses hears the cries of the people whoremember the good old days in Egypt when they had plenty of food instead ofnutritious by hardly-exciting manna each day. Miriam and Aaron spoke againstMoses against the marriage he entered with a Cushite woman. The Lord supportsMoses; for her sins, Miriam becomes a snow-white leper. In Numbers, Moses sendsmen into Canaan to reconnoiter the land. They bring back news of a land flowingwith milk and honey, but also news that the occupants are strong and fierce.The people shriek at the Lord who punishes them, one for each year, an era thatlast 40 years. While in exile at Meribah, Miriam dies and the people grumble.Moses strikes a rock with his staff and water flows copiously from a rock. Mosesexhorts the people to keep the statutes and commandments of the Lord so theyand their children may prosper and have long life on the land they are tooccupy. Gospel: Jesus, after his miraculous feeding of the people of Israel, goes off to pray.He meets up with his disciples by walking on water to reach them in the boat.He calls them to deeper trust in him by asking Peter to walk on the water toreach him. Pharisees dispute the custom of Jesus to eat without first washinghis hands in violation of the law. He replies that impurity comes from withoutrather than from the outside. He then meets the Canaanite woman whose daughteris tormented by a demon. The faith of Jesus is expanded to include those outsideof Israel as capable of salvation. After spending a great deal of time with hisdisciples he asks, “Who do you say I am.” Peter confesses, “Youare the Christ of God.” For this answer, Jesus tells Peter he will buildhis church upon his faith. The person who is to be a disciple is to denyhimself and follow Jesus radically. Saints of the Week Monday: AlphonsusLiguori, bishop and doctor(1696-1787), founded a band of mission prieststhat became the Redemptorists. He wrote a book called “MoralTheology” that linked legal aspects with kindness and compassion forothers. He became known for his responsive and thoughtful way of dealing withconfessions. Tuesday: PeterFaber, S.J., priest and founder (1506-1546), was one of the originalcompanions of the Society of Jesus. He was a French theologian and the firstJesuit priest and was the presider over the first vows of the lay companions.He became known for directing the Spiritual Exercises very well. He was calledto the Council of Trent but died as the participants were gathering. Eusebiusof Vercelli, bishop (d. 371) , was ordained bishopafter becoming a lector. He attended a council in Milan where he opposed theArians. The emperor exiled him to Palestine because he contradicted secularinfluences. He returned to his diocese where the emperor died. PeterJulian Eymard, priest (1811-1868) left the Oblates whenhe became ill. When his father died, he became a priest and soon transferredinto the Marists but left them to found the Blessed Sacrament Fathers topromote the significance of the Eucharist. Wednesday: JohnVianney, priest (1786-1859) became the parish priest in Ars-en-Dombes wherehe spent the rest of his life preaching and hearing confessions. Hundreds ofvisitors and pilgrims visited him daily. He would hear confessions 12-16 hoursper day. Friday: Dedicationof the Basilica of Mary Major in Rome is celebrated because it is thelargest and oldest of the churches in honor of Mary. The veneration began in435 when the church was repaired after the Council of Ephesus in 431 when Marywas proclaimed the Mother of God. This is the church where Ignatius of Loyolasaid his first Mass and where Francis of Assisi assembled the first crèche. Saturday: TheTransfiguration of the Lord is an historical event captured by the Gospelswhen Jesus is singled out as God’s Son – ranking higher than Moses or Elijah.In front of his disciples, Jesus becomes transfigured, thus revealing his truenature. Ironically, the anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomboccurred at Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. This Week in Jesuit History · ???????? Jul31, 1556. The death in Rome of Ignatius Loyola. · ???????? Aug1, 1938. The Jesuits of the Middle United States, by Gilbert Garrigan wascopyrighted. This monumental three-volume work followed the history of theJesuits in the Midwest from the early 1820s to the 1930s. · ???????? Aug2, 1981. The death of Gerald Kelly, moral theologian and author of Modern Youth and Chastity . · ???????? Aug3, 1553. Queen Mary Tudor made her solemn entrance into London. As she passedSt Paul’s School, an address was delivered by Edmund Campion, then a boy ofthirteen. · ???????? Aug4, 1871. King Victor Emmanuel signed the decree that sanctioned the seizure ofall of the properties belonging to the Roman College and to S. Andrea. · ???????? Aug5, 1762. The Parliament at Paris condemned the Society’s Institute as opposedto natural law. It confiscated all Jesuit property and forbade the Jesuit habitand community life. · ???????? Aug6, 1552. The death of Claude Jay, a French priest who was one of Ignatius’original companions at the University of Paris.
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Jul
25
Oftenin Scripture, we encounter someone who asks Jesus for what he or she wants. Inthis case, it is the wife of Zebedee, mother of James and John, a good Jewishmother, who goes to Jesus to ask for a wish. I am delighted because I am alwayssaying to my retreatants, “Ask Jesus for what you want. He wants to giveit to you. Just plainly ask!” Ignatius says that God is always actingthrough our desires so it is best to speak them to Jesus. I enjoy knowing thatthe men who are the pillars of our faith (our stalwart Apostles) sent theirmother to do their work for them. Somehow this seems very real. Mothers have away of getting the very best for their children. ????????? For any number of reasons, we don’task for what we want and desire. We think of desire as a bad thing, partiallybecause it represents sensuality or sexuality. We are taught that our desiresare bad or selfish, like the old Jesuit maxim, “Go get what you wantbefore all the selfish people take it.” We ought not to want something forourselves. We are told to ask for some good for another person instead. And.And. And. We dare not ask God something for ourselves even though God commandsus many times in scripture to do so. We are taught early on not to give voiceto our desires. ????????? In today’s Gospel, James and John wantthe privileged honor of sitting next to Jesus when he comes into the fullnessof his kingdom. Their mother asks for it, and Jesus is astonished at the lackof thought given to their request. He asks, “Can you drink from the cup -of suffering?” They answer eagerly, maybe impetuously, “We can.”Who in their right mind would make such a request? The cross is not somethingto be taken lightly. We are to be free to say ‘yes’ to approach the cross. Somerightly say ‘no’ or ‘not yet’ because they know what they don’t want; if we say’yes,’ we are to be aware of the pain and suffering we will face as we gazeupon the awful sorrow of the cross of Jesus. ????????? As we hear from Jesus, one thing isclear: the cross looms on the horizon – whether we desire it or not. It is notsomething we can escape or avoid. We will deal with it at some point in life. Thequestion that arises is: What is our disposition and attitude by which weapproach the cross? “How” is more important that “what.” ????????? I have learned to be real in my prayer.I have learned that it is important for me to express my unfiltered desires andfeelings to God in the rawest way I can do it. I have learned to see that my angeris good. It is very healthy to find ways to express it well so I know I am heard.I have shouted at God with tremendous anger. I have been so angry with God Iwould not even talk to him for stretches of time and I derided God for his lackof power and his lack of concern. I have poured out my heart far from thekindest of ways because I wanted to let God know of my supreme frustration andmy utter doubt in God’s care of me and my loved ones. How could God treat methis way if God is all loving and all powerful and all just. I let him have itgood. I felt better. ? ???????? I watched my sister die anexcruciating death. She was born with mental retardation and had a difficultlife that fundamentally shaped the dynamics of our family. We cared for her asbest we knew how. Early in my life I got so angry with God for allowing thisdreadful condition to inhabit a sweet little girl. Poor girl. As a young boy, Irecall screaming at God for making her a person with retardation. At age six, Irecall steaming in frustration that God chose this and allowed this to happen.I pleaded with God to give me her condition so my innocent sister could be setfree. I wanted her to live well. Her illness in life was undeserved. ????????? I was sympathetic and yet frustratedwith my parents because they did not protest enough to the doctors as my sisterwas still in the womb. I wished they could have spoken for their own needs anddesires more vehemently. My hemorrhaging mother during her last month ofpregnancy was told to go home because she was in false labor. My parentsobediently followed the doctor’s professional advice though they knew better.All the while, the umbilical cord wrapped around my sister’s neck depriving herof needed oxygen. ? ????????? At the end of her 43 years oflife she stayed at home amidst seven long years of pain and suffering – theworst I’ve ever seen. I came close to cursing Jesus for he had only been on thecross for three hours; my sister’s suffering was much more awful. Wheelchairbound and constricted in a physical prison, a tube inserted to feed her and atube to catch her waste, she was stung with pain. We would hold her in our armseach day and look into her catatonic eyes wondering if she knew we were there. Howwe wished she could speak and tell us how she felt. She cried cry herself tosleep and immediately awoke from her chronic, ceaseless pain. Sleep could notsoften her fatigue. Hospitals sent her back to us because her pain was toounbearable for nurses and other patients to hear. It caused everyonediscomfort. Even loving care-givers did not want to hear her moans of pain. Wefear suffering.Our fear and psychic pain would arise and we tried to reach herto let her know we were there for her, and we knew we were unable to help her.We were inexhaustibly powerless. We could provide no relief. We too werestripped of any choice – utterly without any control or power. ????????? After further pouring out my groaningand moaning to God while caressing my sister’s face, it was then that I couldpenetrate deeply into my sister’s blank, catatonic eyes. She could not fullysee me back but I had to continue to look. I wanted to find her, to have herrecognize me, to stand by her, and I could not give up. I gazed into the darkinfinity through her eyes. Exhausted, despairing, and hopeless, I was drawn into see the sad, sorrowful eyes of Jesus looking back at me. He was there on thecross, weeping, weeping deeply for my sister, that I could finally come to aplace of stillness and silence. I gazed upon him on the cross as he beheld mysister on hers. He was with her in her suffering and with me in mine. Hewrithed in pain because we were in pain as life slipped out of his body. He wasso sad for us and he could not get off the cross because he needed to be therefor us. ????????? My sister’s pain continued a few moremonths before she died. I don’t know how my mother made it through a singleday, but she was lovingly faithful to her daughter. I solidly knew that Jesuswas with my sister and she seemed consoled by that. It was only by lookingdeeply into that dark pit of suffering that Jesus was able to gently reach meand show me his heart. At this place, the desires of my heart met his – and hewas gracious. ????????? I encountered a gentle God – aGod who cannot act violently, especially with earthen vessels. Jesus gives usthe greatest gift he can – by being in vulnerable solidarity with his people ashe hangs on the cross, with those who hang on the cross. If we look deeply intoour suffering, we will undoubtedly find the broken, disabled, disfiguredChrist, imprisoned on his Cross, and he will gently be present to us. Nogreater gift exists. ??????????????? Because ofthis, says St. Paul, we are afflicted in every way, but not constrained;perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struckdown, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus,so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in us. Death is at work in us;and life too. Therefore, we take up the cup of suffering; the same cup that isthe cup of life. Because we believe, we can speak of the one who raised theLord Jesus because it is the same one who will raise us also with Jesus andplace us in his presence, like he did with my sister. It is a place where wemost want to be.
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Jul
23
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Jul
23
Some that they demand to lack the faith could give the welcome prospectof God that disturbs our personal satisfaction, to only propose better and moreintimate loves. They can feel that they can deal with trusting God to humanenterprise to the end, at good times and bad, but of God of the moralist or a Godinvoked not to only solve problems. If such God exists and can demonstrate to be areliable partner of the conversation continues being the crucial questions, by all means. Butwillingness to imagine to God that one could be preparation to consider is anexercise in honesty. In the end, each of us necessity decides if our own lifestory is narrated more truth with God including like important andinterlocutor of the possesor of bets, or no. Nobody is due to deceive in the belief that the Christian writings of Jewishand uniformly offer attractive or infavor of the evidence tranquilizing of the faith. For the believers as well as us believing, remainlife-long provocations of some episodes. However, in the end, the believers are not safe they want tosee that they cleared. Problematic histories have values in the dramatisation of the aspects ofdealing with God that is the best one to know around. Adrian Lyons, S.J of imagines believing
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Jul
22
We see people and things not whereas they are, but as we are.
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Jul
21
The charity can be a very short word, but with its enormous meaning of the pure love, it summarizes its whole relation to God and its neighbor.
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Jul
19
Matthew redefines familyin this Gospel passage. In this family household, there can only be one father- the holy Father – that is, God our Creator and whoever calls upon the name ofthe Lord is welcomed as mother, brother or sister. This family has a universalcall to everyone – despite his or her condition. Hospitality is a key virtue ofthe kingdom. Matthew cleans up Mark’s brutally truthful language. Thebrothers of Jesus and his mom come to collect him to bring him home. Hispreaching and his claim to be the special envoy of God are bringing confusion andunwanted shame to the family and they are embarrassed because he is ‘out of hismind.’ His family is not an unconcerned bystander to whom a scriptural lessonmust be taught. They are angry with him and will give him a verbal whippingwhen they get him home and bring him to the family psychiatrist who will scoldhim and make him conform. This is what families do. Family secrets are not to bemade public – under any circumstances. Jesus stands there, in front of thecrowds, and calmly stretches out his hand towards his disciples. He declares thathe belongs to a new family. His family of origin can choose to be a part of itby doing the will of God or not. Tension within that household and village musthave been thick. I bet some people are saying of you, “You are out of yourmind” for making this 30-day retreat. Members of our family of origin do love us. They alsogive us a lifetime of prayer material as we deal with the cards we have been given.Much of the chaos we carry with us is learned during our formative years. We areprone to respond in unhealthy ways when these experiences are painful. Sometimesour external circumstances leave us wanting: we dislike our bodies; we are notpretty, smart, or strong enough, or straight; we are adopted or a mistake; wehave an emotionally distant father or an alcoholic mother; or we weren’t borninto the right social class. We repress memories as if something terrible didnot happen; we deceive ourselves into thinking we are not wanted or cared for; ourself-esteem is shot; we have been threatened, harmed, and transgressed unjustlyby others; the list can go on, but so can our recurring, ineffective, copingcycles that destroy our well-being and happiness. Somewhere along the way, our sins and the sins done to ushave undone us. We are paralyzed and demoralized and we keep our secrets zippedup so tightly that we are not even sure of their truthfulness. We are as sickas our secrets. In fact, we won’t let anyone in. We push back; we keep othersat bay; we close down the deepest parts of ourselves so others don’t dislikeus; our fears get engaged and we fight or flee. We fail to see the kindness andmercy of someone who is trying to be our helpful friend. We find ourselves unable to reliably go to our self forinformation about the world. We can’t trust ourselves and we become separatedfrom our real self. We are so accustomed to keeping others at bay, we don’teven let Christ see our most vulnerable parts. This is where we sin. We sin outof our strength, not our weakness. We sin because we close ourselves off to thelove that many people hold out for us. We fear what people might come to knowabout us. Fear is not faith. Fear is our sin of infidelity to Christ. Thiscontorted, deeply entwined chaos binds us, defines us, and owns us. We are outof our minds. Sadly, we think we are alone. The story of the Exodus tells us that we are to passthrough our fears like the Egyptians did. When they were at the road’s end,they began to despair. Just as they were about to give up, Moses (just likeJesus in the Gospel) stretched out his hands and showed the way to salvation.The Israelites were able to be saved from destruction by passing safely throughthe dry land of the sea. Once the people were led to safely, Moses once againstretched out his hand to cover the land with sea water to vanquish the threatof harm. It is not easy to pass through the all-consuming watersof our fears. We fear being open to God. We hold onto the illusion that we havecontrol, and we fear giving God control. We figure, if we hold onto our fear,we at least have control of it – control of something. We may not want torelive the pain from stinging memories that may have become our friend. As weget close to these memories, we recoil from the touch. We have been too hurt towant to befriend them. Our sense of preservation tells us they will only revealto us what we have done wrong and how we deserve the bad stuff that happened tous. But there is a different way. Jesus is stretching out his hands trying to show us apath to liberation. We have to pass through the devouring waters of our fearswith him. The mystery of Christ’s life is always happening. His presencetranscends time. He can part the waters to lead us to safety. He can bring usthrough our bad memories to heal us. What is not transformed within us istransmitted. With him, he can reveal a different view to our memories thatgives us a freeing insight. In him, he can forgive the deeds we have committedand give us courage in our imagination to stand up to those who have harmed usand sinned against our boundaries. Our imagination brings meaning to ourexperiences as it unites our mind and heart. Through him, we can become theperson we truly have always wanted to be. We have to respond to him when he stretches out his handwith a gentle invitation or a surprising nudge or a lingering whisper. We haveto stretch our hand back to him so he can grasp onto it and bring us throughthe waters of shame, dread, and despair. We have a choice, but Christ stands infront of us beckoning us to follow. Even if we don’t have the strength to walkthrough the sea, we still have a choice. If we remain where we are standing, wecan see our fate will be like the charioteers and Egyptian soldiers. We remainfree enough to choose wherever Jesus is leading us. Do you want to go? Do youreally want to go? His pleading eyes convey what he wants for us. He has to leadus there. He has to do it for us. We cannot liberate ourselves. We need a saviorto liberate us from our contorted muck. We know that because our chaos remainsunchanged through our efforts to deal with them. We cannot do it. Only hislove, his personal love for us, only a deeper affection can conquer ourdisordered affections and make them aright once again. Only the deeply caringreach of Jesus will lead us to our wholeness – to our real true selves. Ourfree choice is this: we can hold our hand back to Jesus so he can grasp it andcarry to us this freedom. Take his hand, please. Take his hand. Sure, thisunknown path has its own fear and uncertainty, but take his outstretched hand.Let his hand grasp yours.
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Jul
19
One of the gifts greater than the Spirit Santo can grant in us is peace in time of the fight, calm in means of the hardship, for in time of desolation arming to us with a strong value.
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Jul
17
The confession cures, confession justifies, pardon of the concessions of the confession of the sin… It creates it firmly. It does not doubt, it does not vacillate, never desperation of the God mercy. It waits for and it has confidence in the confession.
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