understanding faith.

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Tue, 28 May 2013 20:35:31 +0800

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Tue, 28 May 2013 20:33:00 +0800

The Message of Pentecostby Pope Francis Dear Brothers and...

Sun, 26 May 2013 10:08:00 +0800

The Message of Pentecost
by Pope Francis

Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today we contemplate and re-live in the liturgy the outpouring of the Holy Spirit sent by the risen Christ upon his Church; an event of grace which filled the Upper Room in Jerusalem and then spread throughout the world. But what happened on that day, so distant from us and yet so close as to touch the very depths of our hearts? Luke gives us the answer in the passage of the Acts of the Apostles which we have heard (2:1-11). The evangelist brings us back to Jerusalem, to the Upper Room where the apostles were gathered. The first element which draws our attention is the sound which suddenly came from heaven “like the rush of a violent wind”, and filled the house; then the “tongues as of fire” which divided and came to rest on each of the apostles. Sound and tongues of fire: these are clear, concrete signs which touch the apostles not only from without but also within: deep in their minds and hearts. As a result, “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit”, who unleashed his irresistible power with amazing consequences: they all “began to speak in different languages, as the Spirit gave them ability”. A completely unexpected scene opens up before our eyes: a great crowd gathers, astonished because each one heard the apostles speaking in his own language. They all experience something new, something which had never happened before: “We hear them, each of us, speaking our own language”. And what is it that they are they speaking about? “God’s deeds of power”. In the light of this passage from Acts, I would like to reflect on three words linked to the working of the Holy Spirit: newness, harmony and mission

Newness always makes us a bit fearful, because we feel more secure if we have everything under control, if we are the ones who build, programme and plan our lives in accordance with our own ideas, our own comfort, our own preferences. This is also the case when it comes to God. Often we follow him, we accept him, but only up to a certain point. It is hard to abandon ourselves to him with complete trust, allowing the Holy Spirit to be the soul and guide of our lives in our every decision. We fear that God may force us to strike out on new paths and leave behind our all too narrow, closed and selfish horizons in order to become open to his own. Yet throughout the history of salvation, whenever God reveals himself, he brings newness - God always brings newness - and demands our complete trust: Noah, mocked by all, builds an ark and is saved; Abram leaves his land with only a promise in hand; Moses stands up to the might of Pharaoh and leads his people to freedom; the apostles, huddled fearfully in the Upper Room, go forth with courage to proclaim the Gospel. This is not a question of novelty for novelty’s sake, the search for something new to relieve our boredom, as is so often the case in our own day. The newness which God brings into our life is something that actually brings fulfilment, that gives true joy, true serenity, because God loves us and desires only our good. Let us ask ourselves today: Are we open to “God’s surprises”? Or are we closed and fearful before the newness of the Holy Spirit? Do we have the courage to strike out along the new paths which God’s newness sets before us, or do we resist, barricaded in transient structures which have lost their capacity for openness to what is new? We would do well to ask ourselves these questions all through the day.

Harmony. The Holy Spirit would appear to create disorder in the Church, since he brings the diversity of charisms and gifts; yet all this, by his working, is a great source of wealth, for the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of unity, which does not mean uniformity, but which leads everything back to harmony. In the Church, it is the Holy Spirit who creates harmony. One of Fathers of the Church has an expression which I love: the Holy Spirit himself is harmony – “Ipse harmonia est”. He is indeed harmony. Only the Spirit can awaken diversity, plurality and multiplicity, while at the same time building unity. Here too, when we are the ones who try to create diversity and close ourselves up in what makes us different and other, we bring division. When we are the ones who want to build unity in accordance with our human plans, we end up creating uniformity, standardization. But if instead we let ourselves be guided by the Spirit, richness, variety and diversity never become a source of conflict, because he impels us to experience variety within the communion of the Church. Journeying together in the Church, under the guidance of her pastors who possess a special charism and ministry, is a sign of the working of the Holy Spirit. Having a sense of the Church is something fundamental for every Christian, every community and every movement. It is the Church which brings Christ to me, and me to Christ; parallel journeys are very dangerous! When we venture beyond (proagon) the Church’s teaching and community – the Apostle John tells us in his Second Letter - and do not remain in them, we are not one with the God of Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Jn v. 9). So let us ask ourselves: Am I open to the harmony of the Holy Spirit, overcoming every form of exclusivity? Do I let myself be guided by him, living in the Church and with the Church?

Mission. The older theologians used to say that the soul is a kind of sailboat, the Holy Spirit is the wind which fills its sails and drives it forward, and the gusts of wind are the gifts of the Spirit. Lacking his impulse and his grace, we do not go forward. The Holy Spirit draws us into the mystery of the living God and saves us from the threat of a Church which is gnostic and self-referential, closed in on herself; he impels us to open the doors and go forth to proclaim and bear witness to the good news of the Gospel, to communicate the joy of faith, the encounter with Christ. The Holy Spirit is the soul of mission. The events that took place in Jerusalem almost two thousand years ago are not something far removed from us; they are events which affect us and become a lived experience in each of us. The Pentecost of the Upper Room in Jerusalem is the beginning, a beginning which endures. The Holy Spirit is the supreme gift of the risen Christ to his apostles, yet he wants that gift to reach everyone. As we heard in the Gospel, Jesus says: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to remain with you forever” (Jn 14:16). It is the Paraclete Spirit, the “Comforter”, who grants us the courage to take to the streets of the world, bringing the Gospel! The Holy Spirit makes us look to the horizon and drive us to the very outskirts of existence in order to proclaim life in Jesus Christ. Let us ask ourselves: do we tend to stay closed in on ourselves, on our group, or do we let the Holy Spirit open us to mission? Today let us remember these three words: newness, harmony and mission. Today’s liturgy is a great prayer which the Church, in union with Jesus, raises up to the Father, asking him to renew the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. May each of us, and every group and movement, in the harmony of the Church, cry out to the Father and implore this gift. Today too, as at her origins, the Church, in union with Mary, cries out: “Veni, Sancte Spiritus! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love!” Amen.

"The four ways of Ignatian Spirituality: Finding God in all things. Becoming a contemplative in..."

Fri, 24 May 2013 20:04:59 +0800

“The four ways of Ignatian Spirituality: Finding God in all things. Becoming a contemplative in action. Looking at the world in an incarnational way. Seeking freedom & detachment.”

- James Martin SJ, The Jesuit Guide to Almost Everything

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Thu, 23 May 2013 21:55:05 +0800

I’ve been out of a regular job for the past four months...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:59:46 +0800

I’ve been out of a regular job for the past four months because I have made a personal decision to start relying on God for everything in my life. Yielding to His plan for me and allowing Him to guide my steps. In my line of work it has not been easy and I’ve constantly had to keep reminding myself that acting out of rest means I’m acting on my decision to fully trust in God’s plans.

Acting out of rest, means that I’m able to weed away the anxieties and calmly proceed from moment to moment knowing that God watches over my every move and cares about every detail of my life.

"Prayer is not only about entering into a relationship with God; it is also about being changed. If..."

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:54:29 +0800

“Prayer is not only about entering into a relationship with God; it is also about being changed. If we are going to have quality prayer, we will need to take time to stay with the Holy One in prayer, to become familiar with the depth of Love in the center of our being. As we increasingly commit ourselves to keep this relationship alive and thriving, nor only is more of God’s essence revealed; we also come to know more of our own true self.”

- Joyce Rupp

It has always been a struggle to keep up with this habit everyday. Starting this year, I have decided to start my day by choosing God every morning. This entails me waking up and allowing my first thoughts to find its way to my collection of devotionals. It entails me to go about my morning very slowly and resisting the urge to open my laptop and check the social feeds.

I fail most of the time because the urge is too strong. ”What is up with everybody else?” or “What’s the latest on…?” or “What’s been happening?” or the occasional “I might find something that will jar my mind open.”

But this great need to know what is up with everybody else somehow makes me realize that I am often dependent on the rest of my world to understand how I feel about my life. And once I have grasped this, I begin to decide how I feel about my day and how I enter the day is highly dependent on whether or not I will encounter people who will vex me or not.

This is my default.

I know it has to evolve. I know it has to move towards centering on the Holy One and walking to the rhythm of His heartbeat and not everybody else’s or mine. Sometimes I avoid prayer because it becomes daunting to enter into the silence of unknowing. What could echo back during this moment where I go into a place of hearing nothing but His voice? What if I feel nothing?

All these worries about praying tell me how I need to keep on persevering in taking time to “stay with the Holy One in prayer”. To keep the relationship alive and thriving. The same way I would keep a relationship with people I love thriving just the same.

"For to not feel loved, or useful, has to be the root of all neuroses—particularly the neuroses of..."

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:45:36 +0800

“For to not feel loved, or useful, has to be the root of all neuroses—particularly the neuroses of the modern age, with its technology, its dehumanizing speed, it’s profound sense of existential exile—and by asking those weaker than us for help, and praying for them as well, we close the circle in a new way.””

- Heather King, Shirt of Flame

"It is commonly in a somewhat cynical sense that men have said, “Blessed is he that expecteth..."

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 06:10:09 +0800

“It is commonly in a somewhat cynical sense that men have said, “Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall not be disappointed.” It was in a wholly happy and enthusiastic sense that Saint Francis said, “Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall enjoy everything.” It was by this deliberate idea of starting from zero, from the dark nothingness of his own deserts, that he did come to enjoy them.”

- G.K. Chesterton, St. Francis of Assisi as quoted in Advent and Christmas Wisdom from G.K. Chesterton (via my-crazy-catholic-life)

The secret of discernment | Conversion Diary

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 09:02:53 +0800

The secret of discernment | Conversion Diary

SHIRT OF FLAME: FIRE EAR

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:20:01 +0800

SHIRT OF FLAME: FIRE EAR:

Heather King reminds me today that I need to pay more attention to the wonders of how God created me. These little intricacies often go unnoticed.

Image ◊ Good Letters: The IMAGE Blog ◊ Trouble and Memory

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 22:02:28 +0800

Image ◊ Good Letters: The IMAGE Blog ◊ Trouble and Memory

"We remain ignorant of many details, not because God enjoys keeping us in the dark, but because we..."

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 20:06:20 +0800

“We remain ignorant of many details, not because God enjoys keeping us in the dark, but because we have not the faculties to absorb so much light. At a single glance God knows what the world is about and how history will end. But we time-bound creatures have only the most primitive manner of understanding: we can let time pass. Not until history has run its course will we understand how “all things work together for good.” Faith means believing in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”

- Philip Yancey, Disappointment with God

Faith, Fiction, and Flannery: Show Support for Iraqi Christians: Remember Who You Have Met

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 19:04:12 +0800

Faith, Fiction, and Flannery: Show Support for Iraqi Christians: Remember Who You Have Met:

Something about the photo haunts me.

"In this season—despite the “not-knowing,” the pain, the fear, and the..."

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 13:39:11 +0800

“In this season—despite the “not-knowing,” the pain, the fear, and the frustration—I can be grateful for so much. I am the daughter of the Creator of the universe, who guides my life with tenderness and compassion. In a way that I will never completely understand, He loves me. Yes, He loves me, despite the fraility of my faith. I can give Him nothing that He has not first given me, yet He receives the gift of my entire self with greater joy and pride than the loving parent who accepts the colorful crayon scribblings of her little one and displays them as if they were a piece of priceless art. The more that I realize my utter unworthiness of His love, the better I am able to receive it gratuitously. Here is a holy exchange: He takes all that is ours and unites Himself to it, only that He may give us all that is His. Yes, it is an exchange that is radically one-sided, yet He does not use the enormous inequity of it to coerce us into slavery. Instead, He calls us as free persons to adoption as children. And we can give Him no greater gift than our “yes” to brought into His family and into divine union with the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

- Mystery and Manners

becket: “It is useless to try to make peace with ourselves by...

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 06:43:10 +0800

becket:

“It is useless to try to make peace with ourselves by being pleased with everything we have done. In order to settle down in the quiet of our own being we must learn to be detached from the results of our own activity. We must withdraw ourselves, to some extent, from effects that are beyond our control and be content with the good will and the work that are the quiet expression of our inner life. We must be content to live without watching ourselves live, to work without expecting an immediate reward, to love without an instantaneous satisfaction, and to exist without any special recognition.“ -Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island

"Life passes, riches fly away, popularity is fickle, the senses decay, the world changes, friends..."

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 06:42:32 +0800

“Life passes, riches fly away, popularity is fickle, the senses decay, the world changes, friends die. One alone is constant; One alone is true to us; One alone can be true; One alone can be all things to us; One alone can supply our needs; One alone can train us to our full perfection; One alone can give a meaning to our complex and intricate nature; One alone can give us tune and harmony; One alone can form and possess us.”

- Blessed John Henry Newman (via yourgracelikethemorning)

“He is not a means, and our joy is not the end” | Conversion Diary

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 15:47:28 +0800

“He is not a means, and our joy is not the end” | Conversion Diary:

What is precious in believing-without-seeing is not the not-seeing but the believing, the strengthening of the faith muscle when the crutches of seeing and feeling are removed. Seeing Him was not enough, for thousands saw Him yet turned away, and even shouted, “Crucify him!” Feeling Him in the heart is not enough either, for that is subjective, that is ours, that is fallible. Furthermore, we are self-centered experience addicts. We are so addicted to our own positive experiences of joy and happiness that if we experienced Christ more joyfully than we do, we would almost inevitably come to love our experience of Christ more than Christ Himself. We would come to worship our experience, that is, ourselves.

"When I invite you to become saints, I am asking you not to be content with second best. I am asking..."

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 12:05:07 +0800

““When I invite you to become saints, I am asking you not to be content with second best. I am asking you not to pursue one limited goal and ignore all the others. Having money makes it possible to be generous and to do good in the world, but on its own, it is not enough to make us happy. Being highly skilled in some activity or profession is good, but it will not satisfy us unless we aim for something greater still. It might make us famous, but it will not make us happy. Happiness is something we all want, but one of the great tragedies in this world is that so many people never find it, because they look for it in the wrong places. The key to it is very simple - true happiness is to be found in God. We need to have the courage to place our deepest hopes in God alone, not in money, in a career, in worldly success, or in our relationships with others, but in God. Only he can satisfy the deepest needs of our hearts.””

- Pope Benedict XVI (via topraisetoblesstopreach)

quaerere-deum: Crucified (by Lawrence OP) If I can only grasp...

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 20:08:08 +0800

quaerere-deum:

Crucified (by Lawrence OP)

If I can only grasp the truth a little better..