Discerning the Holy Will of God

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+OFTEN when we say to ourselves, "What should I do?" we are really only asking, "What could I do?" Even if we mean to ask, 'should', we barely truly ask the question when we exclude discerning the Holy Will of God. When should we discern the Will of God? The answer is simply: always. Since we are not (yet) saints, and are not united to Christ, discerning the Holy Will of God does not come automatically, nor does it usually come to us easily even through prayer. When, then, is it appropriate to discern through prayer? The truth of the matter is, it is always appropriate to discern through prayer. "But if the matter is light, how then can I be in the world and yet pray always?" Remember that the Holy Spirit tells us to "pray always". But how is this possible? This is known as the habit of recollection, and like all good habits, it must be acquired (at least in part), by much repeated effort on our part.

Recollection by habit requires the consistent practice of the following:

1.) Daily discovery of who JESUS is through meditation on scripture. This understanding is revealed to us through the teachings of Holy Mother Church. Just as scripture, itself, is part of Sacred Tradition that comes from God, so is all the Church's understanding of this as it has been passed on to us from the Apostles. Any new understanding is not authentic, because God revealed all to us necessary for our salvation through the teachings handed down through the Apostles. Our understanding, therefore, must be truly catholica: True for all people, all places, throughout all times. What a wonderful patrimony on which to rest!

One of the best ways to choose your daily meditation is to follow the readings for that day, or at least for the Sunday of that week. This is because the more we engage in the liturgical year, the more we avail ourselves to the particular graces that come through deeper engagement of that liturgical time. The Holy Ghost then permits the liturgy to become a part of our lives not just externally, but interiorly, intimately guiding our very souls.

2.) We must ask daily, "Who am I to God?" We must examine our consciences by conducting both general and particular examinations. General examinations consist in thinking through the 10 Commandments (not "the 10 Suggestions"), and looking not only at mortal offenses, but any offenses, even the small worms of deception known as venial sins. Was the sin deliberate? Semi-deliberate? What fault of mine was behind it? Is it common to me? This brings us to the particular examinations along with firm resolution of ammendment. The particular examin can and should be done at least 3 times throughout the day, to make sure that you are keeping your resolution to avoid the sin or fault (which leads to sin). The resolution must be concisely predefined in such a manner, "When such-and-such occurs and I am tempted to ____, I will rather do ____ in order to maintain my friendship with God and grow in His grace and Love." Then, according to the times that you fall, you have a predetermined penance for that day, something small, unless the sin is mortal*. (*If one is yet in the position to commit mortal sins, greater care must by done to sever a near occasions and prompt and close attention must be kept by a good, well-trained Confessor.) Any person serious at all about their spiritual life should have a regular, well-trained Confessor that they see at least once every 2 weeks. Faults and resolutions should be discussed during this time, in addition to any and all sins committed since the previous Confession.

3.) Daily discoursive prayers are also important, and often either over-looked, or to the other extreme --- they are relied upon as an end and not merely a means to the more involved prayers of mediation and contemplation. If examination is akin to looking at a road map and considering where we are, and meditation is akin to considering where we should be heading, discoursive prayer is one of the ways in which we put 'the pedal to the metal'. It is part of the practice of virtue, and helps us to strengthen our virtue 'muscles', as it were. Discoursive prayer is part of our daily routine, and without a routine we will not grow in the virtues and therefore nor in our relationship with God.

The most important daily, discoursive prayer is the Holy Rosary, or Our Lady's Psalter. This prayer, which was given to religious who could not either read the Psalms, or memorize them, was also given to the laity by Our Lady herself. She gave it to the laity by way of giving it to St. Dominic Guzman (whose feast is celebrated today, August 4).

Our Rosary is preparation of the other steps, so long as we are faithful to praying the Rosary daily. By this means, we enter daily into the mysteries of our Lord, both by mediation and discoursive devotion. Also, it aids in building the habit of virtue, both by invoking the aid of the Blessed Mother (asking through her for her Son's Divine aid), and daily proving our love and devotion through this simple prayer.

Faithful adherence to these practices will lead us to becoming more and more recollected in Christ, and lead us to detachment of created goods. Detachment from created goods leaves as we attach ourselves authentically to God will lead us to contemplative prayer --- where we received infused virtues and 'listen' to the Voice of God. The bottom line is the more we keep to these basics in greater devotion each day, the more readily we will be able to discern what we should do and not merely what we think we can.

St. Dominic, pray for us.+

"... heretics are more easily won over by examples of humility and virtue than by external display or a hail of words. Should we not rather arm ourselves with devout prayers and, carrying before us the standard of true humility, proceed in our bare feet against Goliath?" --- St. Dominic

Note: Please listen to Veni Creator on the first, top right video on this page. Invoke also St. Dominic to sing from Heaven with you, as he is especially likely to do, this having been one of his favorite songs which he often sang (along with the Ave Maris Stella). (The Veni Creator will be the first song played among the 2 others that follow also invoking the Holy Ghost.)

Words to "Veni Creator" here

Words to "Ave Maris Stella" here

Why hast Thou loved me? -- A THOUGHT FROM ST. ALPHONSUS

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+Consider that no one --- whether friend or brother, father or mother, lover or spouse -- loves you more than your God. And Divine Grace is the inestimable treasure through which vile creatures and servants like ourselves become dear friends of our Creator. "For she is an infinite treasure to men, which they that use become friends of God." It was for the purpose of increasing our confidence that "He emptied Himself," so to speak, humbling Himself to the point of becoming man in order to live in familiar converse with us. "He conversed with us." He went so far as to become a little Babe and to live in poverty and die on a Cross for our sake. He even placed Himself under the species of bread so as to be with us always and in the most intimate union. "He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My Blood abideth in Me and I in Him."

In short, so great is God's love for you that He seems to love no one but you. And therefore you should love no one but Him. You should be able to say to Him: "My Beloved to me and I to Him." My God has given Himself entirely to me, and I give my whole self to Him; He has chosen me for His beloved, and I choose Him from among all for my only love. "My Beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands."

Often, therefore, speak to God in these words: O my Lord, why hast Thou loved me so much? What good dost Thou find in my poor self? Hast Thou forgotten the injuries I have done Thee? But since Thou hast treated me with so much love --- for instead of condemning me to Hell, Thou hast given me graces without number --- I will henceforth love no one but Thee, my God and my All. What grieves me most in my past offences, O my loving God, is not so much the punishment I have desired, as the displeasure I have given Thee, Who art worthy of infinite love. But Thou dost never reject a repentant and humble heart. "A contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Now indeed I wish for no one else but Thee alone in this life and in the next. "What have I in Heaven? And besides Thee, what do I desire upon earth? Thou art the God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever." Thou alone art and wilt always be the only Lord of my heart and will; Thou alone my only good, my Heaven, my hope, my all. "The God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever."

In short, so great is God's love for you that He seems to love no one but you. And therefore you should love no one but Him. You should be able to say to Him: "My Beloved to me and I to Him." My God has given Himself entirely to me, and I give my whole self to Him; He has chosen me for His beloved, and I choose Him from among all for my only love. "My Beloved is white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands."

Often, therefore, speak to God in these words: O my Lord, why hast Thou loved me so much? What good dost Thou find in my poor self? Hast Thou forgotten the injuries I have done Thee? But since Thou hast treated me with so much love --- for instead of condemning me to Hell, Thou hast given me graces without number --- I will henceforth love no one but Thee, my God and my All. What grives me most in my past offences, O my loving God, is not so much the punishment I have desered, as the displeasure I have given Thee, Who art worthy of infinite love. But Thou dost never reject a repentant and humble heart. "A contrite and humble heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." Now indeed I wish for no one else but Thee alone in this life and in the next. "What have I in Heaven? And besides Thee, what do I desire upon earth? Thou art the God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever." Thou alone art and wilt always be the only Lord of my heart and will; Thou alone my only good, my Heaven, my hope, my all. "The God of my heart and the God that is my portion forever." +

On the Feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, 2009

Sancte Alphonsus, ora pro nobis.

And Now for Something Liturgically Out of Sequence

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+ There is never really an inappropriate time to think of the Passion of our Lord.

The saints frequently meditated on the Passion of Lord, no matter what the liturgical season. Of course, during penitential seasons, especially Lent, they entered more deeply into the mysteries of our Lord's Passion and death.

What is a bit out of the ordinary is listening to the Passion chanted outside of Lent. I figure, as long as we can still meditate on our Lord's Passion, why not help yourself better enter into that meditation with at least the last part of the Good Friday chanting of the Passion? Here is a little video I threw together of some paintings, chiefly by Fra Angelico (copyright permitted for purposes of private use and/or education), and a few other famous artists (works open to the public), with the end of the Passion. I'm not sure if the priests want their names made public, so I will omit their names here. As you will see in many of these paintings (of the ones that are Fra Angelico), St. Dominic Guzman makes a 'cameo'. He is entering into the Passion in his meditation, as we join him in our contemplation.

Disclaimer: The images don't exactly go with the words, but I realize many won't even know what is being said, unless you follow it with your Bible or missal. (I actually plan on redoing this at a later date to correct this, but I need more time to do the research for images that I can actually use within their copyrights.) Also, this particular recording was not professional, as you will notice. I had planned on going to another Good Friday Mass (in Latin) but had a friend use my recorder for this purpose, as I knew the priests that night had very good chant discipline and voices. My friend figured out where to best place the recorder towards the end of the Passion. I had to edit out where the quality was too poor, and you can hear at the beginning of this portion that the digital recorder is suddenly finding a new 'home'.

If you follow along with your missal or Bible, you will see that this recording begins with, "Partiti sunt vestimenta mea sibi: et in vestem meam miserunt sortem." ("They have parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture they have cast lots.") The Gospel continues from that point to the end of the reading, "they laid Jesus becauase the speulcher was night at hand."

Two interesting points to make here, especially if you've never attended the Good Friday traditional, "Extraordinary" Liturgical, Roman Catholic Rite. The first is you will hear a significant pause in the chanting of the Passion, as everyone (priests, laity, etc.) kneel after, "...He gave up the ghost." This is because this isn't merely a reading, or a performance, but the Holy Word of God, and our purpose in worship is meditate on the Word during the liturgy. There is much that could obviously be said here, in the context of this point of the Passion alone. The second interesting point is that at the point where the Gospel text reads, "And after these things Joseph of Arimathea..." and forward, the music suddenly modulates. Not only does it modulate, but a melodic motif is introduced and repeated as if on a loop. The melodic phrase ascends to a higher note, and falls back down and then repeats. This deliberately gives the impression of winding, as it points musically to the winding of the sudarium around the corpse of Jesus. This is particularly interesting, since this is a very, ancient melody, and if you don't know of how important the sudarium and it's link to the Shroud of Turin is, it is highly recommended that you read about it.

Without further adieu (or apologies), I bring you this video for your contemplation:

O Pretioso Sanguine!

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Jesus, salvator mundi

Tuis famulis subveni

Quos pretioso sanguine

Redemisti

Salvator Mundi, Palestrina

4th Sunday of Pentecost

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Epistle: Romans 8:18-23
Gospel: Luke 5:1-11

"And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him."

Last week, the message of the Epistle and Gospel focused on judging actions, but not people, rather being humble minded and reminded of the value of penance.

This Sunday, the message is about hope.

In the Epistle, St. Paul empathizes with the sufferings of his brethren, and to see their sufferings as a share in the punishment for sin. We don't know if our sufferings are for our own sins, or the sins of others, we only know for certain that God is fully loving and fully just.

"For the creature was made subject to vanity, nor willingly, but by reason of him that made it subject in hope; because the creature also itself shall be delivered from the servitude of corruption."

St. Paul refers to the concerns of this life as vanity because of the evil brought into the world due to original sin. Our suffering in this life, therefore, is due to having to serve in the context of things that are vain, meaning, that they do not fulfil the ultimate desire of one in who is in the Spirit of Christ, and because of the disorder of this life in which we must serve, suffering is inevitable.

"For we know that every creature groaneth, and travaileth in pain, even until now; and not only it, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption of the sons of God, the redemption of our body, in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Here St. Paul referes to the mystical "adoption" not as coming first into the Church, but the union of the created soul with God.

We then see in today's Gospel reading, Jesus suprising the apostles and other fishermen by giving them very unlikely fishing advice, which due to the miracle, turns out to be a success.

Our Lord commands Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon, answering, said to Him: Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing..." How often it is, in the midst of our sufferings, that we turn to Jesus and find that nothing seems to be working out? What then? Do we lose hope and trust during the night of our souls? Do we then say, "Master, we have labored all the night, and have taken nothing"?

This was a serious concern for them. Back then, it wasn't like fishing was a sport, but it was the means by which to feed their people. "All night" was no exaggeration, but a real description of their plight. These were expert fisherman who did this for a living, and worked all through the dark hours, with still nothing to show. It was a bit of a desperate situation. They'd not seen themselves as having given up, but that the situation itself was a lost cause. After the long night, they had brought in the boats and equipment and were washing their nets when our Lord called out to them.

Simon, in obedience to Jesus, followed his order to let down the net. When Simon saw the miraculous result of the multitude of fishes, he repented of his sin. What was the sin? The sin was that Simon did not ask Jesus for his assistance, and trust that he would, in some way, help him.

"And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed him."
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Why is that we get ourselves often so bogged down in inward or outward complaints, even to the point of thinking too much of something as if it were such a cause to be it's own end (rather than a means to union with the Almighty) or even lose our peace all together? How do we, once and for all, bring our own ships to land and leave all things, in order to trust in Jesus above all else (even in the long, dark night)? Do we always need a miracle to grow in supernaturalized hope?

We grow in hope when we grow in love of Christ. We grow in love of Christ when we seek to know him in his actions revealed to us in the Gospels, and in faithful adherence to his Sacraments. And, we grow by the other essential requirement: by daily meditation on his life.
We must have a conversation with him, even outside of our daily prayer time, where we endeavor to share every moment with the aim to maintain his True Presence within bodies. The holiest place on the planet to each faithful Catholic should be his own heart --- not for its corruption, having been born of original sin, having suffered its effects, and itself having commited sin, but because it is the place where Jesus seeks to dwell. We don't need to "feel" that it is the holiest place, but rather, we must recognize this vocation of every faithful Catholic, to be the living tabernacle of the Lord. However, when we sin against hope, when we lose our peace over life's trials, we dissipate Christ within us.

The more we make a habit of regarding our Lord in our hearts more frequently after Holy Communion we can grow in the supernatural gifts.

If there were a burglar to come to your home tonight, and he knocked on the door, then said, "Hello, it's a strange man come to burgal your home!" would you open the door and let him in?
The answer is: No. Of course not. However, when we chose to let our peace be disturbed we do worse than opening the door to have our homes burgled, as we are talking about the home Christ looks to make in our hearts, at a very high price he paid for you.

We are creatures with emotions, and this makes it more challenging to grow impatient or fall into poor judgment. This is why the more we regard the Lord's Presence within us (after receiving Holy Communion), the more we will be readily apt to do whatever it takes to maintain that sanctuary within ourselves, where God can dwell more fully and peacefully. Also, we must chose to leave all things, in order to follow Him. When we see that even the necessities in life are only for the purpose of getting us by in this life in order that we may serve Him, we must use them as if they are just that: a means to a glorified end. We must have holy impatience only withourselves to endeavor to be always recollected, and always keep our hearts at peace to maintain Christ within us.