World Marriage Day

Today we (the church) celebrate World Marriage Day.

“for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health…”

Marriage is a promise to be Yin and Yang; to embrace Joy/Suffering, Mundane/Divine as One-and-the-same together.  A tender, vulnerable reflection of the nature of Love, but also Life itself….a perpetual responding to the vibrations of Harmony in the Universe….

Marriage is a Sacrament, just like baptism and Holy Orders, A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of the Grace of God in our Lives.
It marks your soul.

(2-13-11 World Marriage Day post, words rearranged some & re-posted)

“You shall see the face of God and live.”

 

God loves you and me.  No special performance required.
God loves me just as much when I sin or am angry, ashamed, 
afraid, or drunk and crawling on the floor,
as He does when I am serving the sick, the imprisoned and the poor 

God lets me touch right into the mystery with my prayer and ponderings
and lets me see and hear all sorts of wonderous things when I meditate and dream …

and I so feel His Love for me, His arms around me and His kiss in the catharsis of tears, and in the kenosis of a barren ego.

But it is only when I am with other people in the form of  the poor, the poor in spirit, the sick, the imprisoned, the lame, the outsider, the alien and the outcast when I ascend to his eye-level and see His Face.

and I love me more when I serve, particularly through with and in  the Church and her ministry work.  Maybe you are like me…I don’t know, but I like me better when I dont feel I am constantly missing my own mark.  It makes it easier on the entire community too probably. As much as I love my solitude I also love being a part of a community.

(I’ll probably edit this later, but I’m going to publish now anyway)

‘lu

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The Quote in the title is from Bob Dufford, S.J.,  Hymn
“Be not afraid”
You shall cross the barren desert
But you shall not die of thirst
You shall wander far in safety
Though you do not know the way.

You shall speak your words in foreign lands
And all will understand
You shall see the face of God and live.

Be not afraid
I go before you always
Come follow Me
And I shall give you rest.

A Soul Proclaims & Mary’s Mantle

MY SOUL PROCLAIMS THE GREATNESS OF THE LORD

There is so much about Mary not ever written or physically taught.  There are no New Testament stories about her deeds, other than her acceptance of God’s will.  I find it wonderful that we learn a lot about Mary from reading the Koran. She has a very special place in the Muslim bible.  I believe Mary will be a key figure in bringing about World Peace.  Her heart and soul  seem to be wide open for us to touch into and feel around in so we can get to know her that way, inside our own heart and soul.  Then this “knowing” is perhaps distributed and shared with others not only, or even necessarily, through our hands and words, but primarliy through our own wide-open hearts and souls. 

The Legion of Mary is a Catholic lay group I participate in which focuses on the Catholic Spiritual Works of Mercy.  All works of Mercy are included in our work, but the Spiritual ”work of the soul” is our focus…(if you can even call it “work”)… more than  ”works” of mercy for the human body which are of course vitally important too, but the Legion’s primary focus is the spiritual.

Here is the list of the Works of Mercy as outlined by the Catholic Church:

 Corporal (body) works of Mercy

• To feed the hungry;
• To give drink to the thirsty;
• To clothe the naked;
• To harbour the harbourless;
• To visit the sick;
• To ransom the captive;
• To bury the dead.

The Spiritual (soul)  works of Mercy are:

• To instruct those that don’t know (the ignorant)
• To counsel the doubtful
• To admonish sinner (this is reserved for special people who can do this in a Jesus-loving, hand and heart open and extended manner – I am not there yet) 
• To bear wrongs patiently
• To forgive offences willingly
• To comfort the afflicted
• To pray for the living and the dead

I am ready now to rejoin the Legion of Mary meetings. I have had to take a few months off to be with my Him. I backed off much of my ministry work that kept me away from home when Him was having so much trouble earlier this year, he is doing better now so I, for the most part, will be able to attend the meetings again. Charity begins at home. How can I be off doing “good” things when my own husband is home needing assistance. I believe the first place to look when wanting to do Church ministry work is inside your own heart and home.

During this time away from the Legion meetings, I have kept up with the Jail Ministry which I participate in not only as a part of the Dallas Diocese but also the Legion of Mary.  Yet, the Legion Meetings are a very important part of the big picture too. We pray together, we talk about our work and then plan the next week’s work, we support each other with encouragement and fellowship, pray some more and then go out into the world refreshed and eager to continue.  Under the aegis of Mary, wrapped in her mantle, swaddled like her baby so to speak, our souls feel loved cared for as we too love and care for the souls of others.

‘lu

Undoing Criticism (Posted by Kevin Beck on TLIO)

Criticism of others is, essentially, self-criticism turned toward someone else. That’s been know for a long time. Knowing it, ans recognizing it, though, are two different things. A lot of people who have been steeped in religious traditions of one type or another have a deep sense of self-criticism. It stems from pure motives. An attempt to improve, to grow, to strengthen oneself. An attempt to purify thoughts and actions. To repent. To climb Jacob’s ladder.

So much of that is based on a belief that we’re not as perfect as we should be. That sort of self-loathing is a reflection of a belief (often) that God is not happy with us unless we’re doing, thinking, being something other than what we are right now.

But how can we possibly be any different than we are at the moment? We can only be what we are. “Just as I am” the old hymn tells us. Just as I am. That’s enough becuase that’s all. Tomorrow will surely be different becuase tomorrow is not today. We’re bound to change, and that will be enough for that moment.

But worrying about it, stressing over it, forcing it to happen brings only anxiety. Be at peace with your self. God is. And when you know that in your innermost self, you’ll turn that love inside out and be at peace with others. The criticism will end. The confusion will cease. And love will remain.

Plus, when you see others criticizing you, you’ll know that they are really speaking of yourself. Having that little insight can really lighten your load.