Knowledge: A Gift of the Holy Spirit
By Scott P. Richert, About.com
See More About:
knowledge
the gifts of the holy spirit
sanctifying grace
faith
the theological virtues
The Fifth Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Knowledge is the fifth of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. They are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, Whom Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 11:1), but they are available to all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused with sanctifying grace—when, for example, we receive a sacrament worthily. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, "They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them." When we are infused with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as if by instinct.
The Perfection of Faith:
Like wisdom, knowledge perfects the theological virtue of faith. The aims of knowledge and wisdom are different, however. Whereas wisdom helps us to penetrate divine truth and prepares us to judge all things according to that truth, knowledge gives us that ability to judge. As Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., writes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, "The object of this gift is the whole spectrum of created things insofar as they lead one to God."
The Application of Knowledge:
Knowledge allows us to see the circumstances of our life as God sees them, albeit in a more limited way, since we are limited by our human nature. Through the exercise of knowledge, we can ascertain God's purpose in our lives and His reason for placing us in our particular circumstances. As Father Hardon notes, knowledge is sometimes called "the science of the saints," because "it enables those who have the gift to discern easily and effectively between the impulses of temptation and the inspirations of grace." Judging all things in the light of divine truth, we can more easily distinguish between the promptings of God and the subtle wiles of the devil.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Pope's Poerful Challenge to Secularism in Czech Republic
Catholic World News (CWN)Feature Stories
In Czech Republic, Pope Benedict's powerful challenge to secularism (Subscribe to RSS Feed)
Sep. 28, 2009 (CWNews.com) -
During a weekend visit to the Czech Republic, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) surveyed the damage done to that nation by generations of Communist rule, and warned the Czech people against socialist materialism with secular materialism. "Man needs to be liberated from material oppressions", the Pontiff insisted.
In an unusual number of public speeches crowded into a 3-day schedule, the Pope repeatedly challenged the people of the Czech Republic to follow the example set by the great saints of their past history, revive a precious Christian heritage, and bring help to a society that is longing for true freedom but does not know how to find it.
The Pope began his trip-- the 13th foreign voyage of his pontificate-- on Saturday morning, and arrived in Prague shortly before noon. He was greeted at the airport by Czech President Vaclav Klaus.
During the welcoming ceremony the Pope outlined the theme that he would continue to develop, from different perspectives, throughout his stay. The Czech Republic, he said, has a deeply rooted Christian culture that can be traced back to the evangelization of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Their country "has been a meeting point for different peoples, traditions and cultures," and consequently has played an important part in European history-- "sometimes as a battleground, more often as a bridge."
The recent history of the Czech people is clouded by the years of Communist rule, and "the cost of 40 years of political repression is not to be underestimated," the Pope continued. The atheistic regime strove to silence the voice of the Church, but brave Christians "kept the flame of faith alive." Now that religious freedom has been restored, the Church should be a powerful witness in a secular society.
The Pope's challenge was directed at a Czech population that has become thoroughly secularized, with religious influence dwindling in the past generation. But the huge throngs who greeted the Pope demonstrated that the flame of faith is still alive. On Saturday afternoon the Pope visited one of the centers of that enduring faith, the shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague. As he venerated the famous statue the Pope prayed for the welfare of troubled families.
Later in the afternoon the Pontiff traveled to Prague Castle for a formal meeting with President Havel, followed by talks with other political leaders. In an address there the Pope remarked that 20 years have now passed since the "Velvet Revolution" that swept the Communist government from power, and "the process of healing and rebuilding continues." The Czech people still seek true freedom, he said, and that freedom can only be attained through a recognition of truth. The truth about European society, he continued, cannot be understood apart from a recognition of that society's Christian heritage.
Prague, the Pope reminded the Czech political leaders, is often called "the heart of Europe." He asked them to consider how they could understand this "heart," and suggested that "a clue is found in the architectural jewels that adorn this city." The architecture confirms the Christian heritage, he observed. "The creative encounter of the classical tradition and the Gospel gave birth to a vision of man and society attentive to God's presence among us."
On Saturday evening, at he led a Vespers service in the city's cathedral, the Pope delivered the same message in even stronger form. "Society continues to suffer from the wounds caused by atheist ideology, and it is often seduced by the modern mentality of hedonistic consumerism amid a dangerous crisis of human and religious values and a growing drift towards ethical and cultural relativism," he said. Catholics must take the lead in guiding society back toward a model of Christian humanism.
Pope Benedict flew from Prague to Brno on Sunday morning, and celebrated an outdoor Mass there for a congregation of about 120,000. Again he lamented the development of a secular materialism in which Christian faith and hope "have been relegated to the private and other-worldly sphere." An intense public focus on economic and scientific progress has produced very mixed results, he reminded the congregation. Christians must provide the necessary counterpoint, constantly reminding their neighbors that reality is not confined to the visible, material world.
In the afternoon the Pope met with the Czech bishops, and renewed his warning against the forces in society that seek "to marginalize the influence of Christianity upon public life" and the "artificial separation of the Gospel from intellectual and public life." The Church, Pope Benedict said, must show "a spirit of courage to share the timeless saving truths" that bring hope to the world.
Returning to Prague Castle on Sunday evening, the Pope gave an address to Czech university faculty and students, delivering a message that reminded many listeners of the Pontiff's famous lecture at the University of Regensburg. The scholarly world, he reminded his audience, "is directed to the pursuit of truth, and as such gives expression to a tenet of Christianity which in fact gave rise to the university." For decades, the aspirations that fuel university life were suppressed by an ideology that stunted the human spirit. But the quest for truth and for freedom "can never be eliminated, and as history has shown, it is denied at humanity's own peril."
There is still enough risk, the Pope said, that academic life will be stunted by "the temptation to detach reason from the pursuit of truth." A spirit of dogmatic relativism, he said, "provides a dense camouflage behind which new threats to the autonomy of academic institutions can lurk." Again the net result is deadly to the scholarly enterprise, the Pope said: "An understanding of reason that is deaf to the divine and which relegates religions into the realm of subcultures, is incapable of entering into the dialogue of cultures that our world so urgently needs."
September 28 is the feast of St. Wenceslas, and the Pope traveled to the church of St. Wenceslas in Stara Boleslav, outside Prague, to join in an annual pilgrimage to the site of the 10th-century martyr's death. There the Pontiff again celebrated an outdoor Mass, and in his homily exhorted the Czech faithful to imitate the virtue of St. Wenceslas, a generous king who gave first priority to the welfare of his people and to his own spiritual growth. "Do we not place more value today on worldly success and glory?" the Pope asked. "Yet how long does earthly success last, and what value does it have?"
Once more the Pope referred to the end of the Communist era, pointing out that with the fall of that regime, the members of the political elite were suddenly ousted from power. They had been affluent, comfortable, and confident, the Pope said. "Yet one need only scratch the surface to realize how sad and unfulfilled these people are." Christians must learn from St. Wenceslas, he said-- and pass the message along to others-- to have "the courage to prefer to kingdom of heaven to the enticement of worldly power."
After the Mass, the Pope offered a special word of advice to the young people in the congregation. "In every young person there is an aspiration toward happiness," he said. That aspiration is fundamentally healthy, but it can be manipulated and exploited by secularism and materialism "in false and alienating ways." The Pope encouraged young people to preserve their aspirations, take them seriously, and continue in the pursuit of true and lasting happiness until they discover, as St. Augustine discovered, "that Jesus Christ alone is the answer that can satisfy his and every person's desire for a life of happiness, filled with meaning and value."
In Czech Republic, Pope Benedict's powerful challenge to secularism (Subscribe to RSS Feed)
Sep. 28, 2009 (CWNews.com) -
During a weekend visit to the Czech Republic, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) surveyed the damage done to that nation by generations of Communist rule, and warned the Czech people against socialist materialism with secular materialism. "Man needs to be liberated from material oppressions", the Pontiff insisted.
In an unusual number of public speeches crowded into a 3-day schedule, the Pope repeatedly challenged the people of the Czech Republic to follow the example set by the great saints of their past history, revive a precious Christian heritage, and bring help to a society that is longing for true freedom but does not know how to find it.
The Pope began his trip-- the 13th foreign voyage of his pontificate-- on Saturday morning, and arrived in Prague shortly before noon. He was greeted at the airport by Czech President Vaclav Klaus.
During the welcoming ceremony the Pope outlined the theme that he would continue to develop, from different perspectives, throughout his stay. The Czech Republic, he said, has a deeply rooted Christian culture that can be traced back to the evangelization of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Their country "has been a meeting point for different peoples, traditions and cultures," and consequently has played an important part in European history-- "sometimes as a battleground, more often as a bridge."
The recent history of the Czech people is clouded by the years of Communist rule, and "the cost of 40 years of political repression is not to be underestimated," the Pope continued. The atheistic regime strove to silence the voice of the Church, but brave Christians "kept the flame of faith alive." Now that religious freedom has been restored, the Church should be a powerful witness in a secular society.
The Pope's challenge was directed at a Czech population that has become thoroughly secularized, with religious influence dwindling in the past generation. But the huge throngs who greeted the Pope demonstrated that the flame of faith is still alive. On Saturday afternoon the Pope visited one of the centers of that enduring faith, the shrine of the Infant Jesus of Prague. As he venerated the famous statue the Pope prayed for the welfare of troubled families.
Later in the afternoon the Pontiff traveled to Prague Castle for a formal meeting with President Havel, followed by talks with other political leaders. In an address there the Pope remarked that 20 years have now passed since the "Velvet Revolution" that swept the Communist government from power, and "the process of healing and rebuilding continues." The Czech people still seek true freedom, he said, and that freedom can only be attained through a recognition of truth. The truth about European society, he continued, cannot be understood apart from a recognition of that society's Christian heritage.
Prague, the Pope reminded the Czech political leaders, is often called "the heart of Europe." He asked them to consider how they could understand this "heart," and suggested that "a clue is found in the architectural jewels that adorn this city." The architecture confirms the Christian heritage, he observed. "The creative encounter of the classical tradition and the Gospel gave birth to a vision of man and society attentive to God's presence among us."
On Saturday evening, at he led a Vespers service in the city's cathedral, the Pope delivered the same message in even stronger form. "Society continues to suffer from the wounds caused by atheist ideology, and it is often seduced by the modern mentality of hedonistic consumerism amid a dangerous crisis of human and religious values and a growing drift towards ethical and cultural relativism," he said. Catholics must take the lead in guiding society back toward a model of Christian humanism.
Pope Benedict flew from Prague to Brno on Sunday morning, and celebrated an outdoor Mass there for a congregation of about 120,000. Again he lamented the development of a secular materialism in which Christian faith and hope "have been relegated to the private and other-worldly sphere." An intense public focus on economic and scientific progress has produced very mixed results, he reminded the congregation. Christians must provide the necessary counterpoint, constantly reminding their neighbors that reality is not confined to the visible, material world.
In the afternoon the Pope met with the Czech bishops, and renewed his warning against the forces in society that seek "to marginalize the influence of Christianity upon public life" and the "artificial separation of the Gospel from intellectual and public life." The Church, Pope Benedict said, must show "a spirit of courage to share the timeless saving truths" that bring hope to the world.
Returning to Prague Castle on Sunday evening, the Pope gave an address to Czech university faculty and students, delivering a message that reminded many listeners of the Pontiff's famous lecture at the University of Regensburg. The scholarly world, he reminded his audience, "is directed to the pursuit of truth, and as such gives expression to a tenet of Christianity which in fact gave rise to the university." For decades, the aspirations that fuel university life were suppressed by an ideology that stunted the human spirit. But the quest for truth and for freedom "can never be eliminated, and as history has shown, it is denied at humanity's own peril."
There is still enough risk, the Pope said, that academic life will be stunted by "the temptation to detach reason from the pursuit of truth." A spirit of dogmatic relativism, he said, "provides a dense camouflage behind which new threats to the autonomy of academic institutions can lurk." Again the net result is deadly to the scholarly enterprise, the Pope said: "An understanding of reason that is deaf to the divine and which relegates religions into the realm of subcultures, is incapable of entering into the dialogue of cultures that our world so urgently needs."
September 28 is the feast of St. Wenceslas, and the Pope traveled to the church of St. Wenceslas in Stara Boleslav, outside Prague, to join in an annual pilgrimage to the site of the 10th-century martyr's death. There the Pontiff again celebrated an outdoor Mass, and in his homily exhorted the Czech faithful to imitate the virtue of St. Wenceslas, a generous king who gave first priority to the welfare of his people and to his own spiritual growth. "Do we not place more value today on worldly success and glory?" the Pope asked. "Yet how long does earthly success last, and what value does it have?"
Once more the Pope referred to the end of the Communist era, pointing out that with the fall of that regime, the members of the political elite were suddenly ousted from power. They had been affluent, comfortable, and confident, the Pope said. "Yet one need only scratch the surface to realize how sad and unfulfilled these people are." Christians must learn from St. Wenceslas, he said-- and pass the message along to others-- to have "the courage to prefer to kingdom of heaven to the enticement of worldly power."
After the Mass, the Pope offered a special word of advice to the young people in the congregation. "In every young person there is an aspiration toward happiness," he said. That aspiration is fundamentally healthy, but it can be manipulated and exploited by secularism and materialism "in false and alienating ways." The Pope encouraged young people to preserve their aspirations, take them seriously, and continue in the pursuit of true and lasting happiness until they discover, as St. Augustine discovered, "that Jesus Christ alone is the answer that can satisfy his and every person's desire for a life of happiness, filled with meaning and value."
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Sister Cat, Brother Skunk
Another lady and I have been feeding a cat that was wandering around the neighborhood-or at least we were hoping the cat was getting some of the food. But lately people have been seeing skunks-not cats-on the property.
In fact one lady here said she was "stalked" by a great big skunk and another one said she saw two of them together.
Thursday, the cat food dish disappeared. I found out today that the maintenance man had taken it because a skunk was caught eating the cat's food. A skunk was trapped and picked up by Critter Control. I saw a trap over by the dumpster today to catch another one.
One lady looked me in the eye and told me that skunks kill cats; she's seen them rip the cats apart. (What a thing to hear right before dinner-gross!) So the cat may have either quit coming around because the skunk scared her or because he ate her.
We had some objections to our feeding the cat ever since another lady and I were given some cat food and asked to feed her. The objections had to do with attracting wild animals-especially skunks-who would eat the cat food and harm the cat or the people here-or dig around in the trash.
The day I found out about the cat I had a bag of stuff from Salvation Army-one of my favorite stores-in my hand. I wanted a cat so bad that that I purchased a wood "cutout" the shape of a cat-probably part of a kid's toy. I was thinking of what to name it. I wanted to name it "Wishbone" because of my wish to have a kitty and then to hear I have one to feed near my building. Then I thought of "Caritas," the Latin word for "charity"-or "Charity," the English word for "charity."
Whenever I referred (or refurred) to the cat by any name, I called it "Caritas." In a way she was a "charity case" as well as something for us to love-beside the little kids in this building. And I do think the cat's a female, since I was told it was a calico. And the noun caritas is in the femine gender in Latin. Many words that would be "its" in English would be masculine or feminine in Latin but some would be neutral gender. (In Spanish-one of our modern "dialects" of Latin-every noun is masculine or feminine.)
I think I need to confess pride, stubborness, and disobedience involving the cat. And I've been like this most of my life over things other than stray cats. I swore up and down that if a rule was made that we could no longer put cat food outside that the only way you were going stop me was if you evict me and put a restraining order on me so I couldn't come on the property and feed the animal-whatever it is.
There was a concern that the skunk might spray someone. I said I hope if it sprays anyone it would be me. That's how badly I wanted to continue feeding Caritas-but I don't want anyone else to get sprayed because of my stubborness or generosity.
I prided myself on telling people that their names are Latin for something. My name is Latin for "little", Amanda is Latin for "loveable", and Rex is Latin for "King." But that doesn't make me better than anyone that I know a little Latin or got good grades in it in high school.
My heart finally softened up over feeding the cat and the wild animals in th neighborhood when the lady told me about seeing the skunks ripping apart domestic cats and something about their bloody guts. I didn't get sick to my stomach-at least not in the physical sense-but I don't want to harm or scare away innocent kitties like that. If Caritas is dead or scared to come around because of that "black cat" with the two stripes running down its back and tail then I'm doing more harm than good to the animals-not just the people here.
I won't put out any more food until further notice. In fact I'll ask first before putting any thing out for the birds. I'd love to at least keep putting out the water for them because I've seen them bathing in the cat's water.
I don't want to cause any trouble taking care of the birds like I did with the cat.
In fact one lady here said she was "stalked" by a great big skunk and another one said she saw two of them together.
Thursday, the cat food dish disappeared. I found out today that the maintenance man had taken it because a skunk was caught eating the cat's food. A skunk was trapped and picked up by Critter Control. I saw a trap over by the dumpster today to catch another one.
One lady looked me in the eye and told me that skunks kill cats; she's seen them rip the cats apart. (What a thing to hear right before dinner-gross!) So the cat may have either quit coming around because the skunk scared her or because he ate her.
We had some objections to our feeding the cat ever since another lady and I were given some cat food and asked to feed her. The objections had to do with attracting wild animals-especially skunks-who would eat the cat food and harm the cat or the people here-or dig around in the trash.
The day I found out about the cat I had a bag of stuff from Salvation Army-one of my favorite stores-in my hand. I wanted a cat so bad that that I purchased a wood "cutout" the shape of a cat-probably part of a kid's toy. I was thinking of what to name it. I wanted to name it "Wishbone" because of my wish to have a kitty and then to hear I have one to feed near my building. Then I thought of "Caritas," the Latin word for "charity"-or "Charity," the English word for "charity."
Whenever I referred (or refurred) to the cat by any name, I called it "Caritas." In a way she was a "charity case" as well as something for us to love-beside the little kids in this building. And I do think the cat's a female, since I was told it was a calico. And the noun caritas is in the femine gender in Latin. Many words that would be "its" in English would be masculine or feminine in Latin but some would be neutral gender. (In Spanish-one of our modern "dialects" of Latin-every noun is masculine or feminine.)
I think I need to confess pride, stubborness, and disobedience involving the cat. And I've been like this most of my life over things other than stray cats. I swore up and down that if a rule was made that we could no longer put cat food outside that the only way you were going stop me was if you evict me and put a restraining order on me so I couldn't come on the property and feed the animal-whatever it is.
There was a concern that the skunk might spray someone. I said I hope if it sprays anyone it would be me. That's how badly I wanted to continue feeding Caritas-but I don't want anyone else to get sprayed because of my stubborness or generosity.
I prided myself on telling people that their names are Latin for something. My name is Latin for "little", Amanda is Latin for "loveable", and Rex is Latin for "King." But that doesn't make me better than anyone that I know a little Latin or got good grades in it in high school.
My heart finally softened up over feeding the cat and the wild animals in th neighborhood when the lady told me about seeing the skunks ripping apart domestic cats and something about their bloody guts. I didn't get sick to my stomach-at least not in the physical sense-but I don't want to harm or scare away innocent kitties like that. If Caritas is dead or scared to come around because of that "black cat" with the two stripes running down its back and tail then I'm doing more harm than good to the animals-not just the people here.
I won't put out any more food until further notice. In fact I'll ask first before putting any thing out for the birds. I'd love to at least keep putting out the water for them because I've seen them bathing in the cat's water.
I don't want to cause any trouble taking care of the birds like I did with the cat.
Friday, September 25, 2009
The Gift of Fortitude
Fortitude: A Cardinal Virtue and a Gift of the Holy Spirit
By Scott P. Richert, About.com
One of the Four Cardinal Virtues:
Fortitude is one of the four cardinal virtues. As such, it can be practiced by anyone, since, unlike the theological virtues, the cardinal virtues are not, in themselves, the gifts of God through grace but the outgrowth of habit.
Fortitude is commonly called courage, but it is different from what much of what we think of as courage today. Fortitude is always reasoned and reasonable; the person exercising fortitude is willing to put himself in danger if necessary, but he does not seek danger for danger's sake.
The Third of the Cardinal Virtues:
St. Thomas Aquinas ranked fortitude as the third of the cardinal virtues, because it serves prudence and justice, the higher virtues. Fortitude is the virtue that allows us to overcome fear and to remain steady in our will in the face of obstacles. Prudence and justice are the virtues through which we decide what needs to be done; fortitude gives us the strength to do it.
What Fortitude Is Not:
Fortitude is not foolhardiness or rashness, "rushing in where angels fear to tread." Indeed, part of the virtue of fortitude, as Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., notes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, is the "curbing of recklessness." Putting our bodies or lives in danger when it is not necessary is not fortitude but foolishness.
A Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Sometimes, however, the ultimate sacrifice is necessary, in order to stand up for what is right and to save our souls. Fortitude is the virtue of the martyrs, who are willing to give their lives rather than to renounce their faith. That sacrifice may be passive—Christian martyrs do not actively seek martyrdom—but it is nonetheless determined and resolute.
It is in martyrdom that we see the best example of fortitude rising above a mere cardinal virtue (able to be practiced by anyone) into a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit. But it also shows itself, as the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, "in moral courage against the evil spirit of the times, against improper fashions, against human respect, against the common tendency to seek at least the comfortable, if not the voluptuous."
Fortitude, as a gift of the Holy Spirit, also allows us to cope with poverty and loss, and to cultivate the Christian virtues that allow us to rise above the basic requirements of Christianity. The saints, in their love for God and their fellow man and their determination to do what is right, exhibit fortitude as a supernatural gift of the Holy Spirit, and not merely as a cardinal virtue.
Bearing Wrongs Patiently
When I came home after a busy day I received a note saying that I had to finish cleaning my bathroom and doing something with the clutter in front of the desk. I was almost as mad as a hornet!!! My room had to reach a certain standard in order for me to be allowed to stay at my friend's for the night. That's what was really bothering me!
I really think it's wrong to punish someone for having a problem he/she can't control or is doing the best they can with. And I've been really trying but did take some time out to do something.
I almost wrote a grievance (a complaint) about this but thought I'd talk to my case manager-the one who wrote the note-since this was kind of a "first offense" and also I received another note about a necessary ANNUAL smoke alarm inspection in every room of the building which has one. So they said our rooms had to be neat for the inspection. My smoke alarm isn't far from the chairs or clutter in front of my desks-so they will need room to do their work without tripping over my stuff or breaking an ankle.
I felt like I needed to talk to Father right away even if it's not a dire emergency. If I discuss issues that are weighing on me like this I usually don't call them at home or on their cell phones; I usually would talk to them before of after Mass or in the confessional.
So I called him at the number I have for him on my cell phone-probably his cell phone. I told him that I'm terrible at bearing wrongs patiently-one of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy and had less than a saintly attitude toward this kind of treatment.
He did ask me if the rent is reasonable and I told him that they base it on income like a housing authority apartment. He even asked me if I thought of moving and I said yes, but I really don't like living alone and don't know who'd let me live with them. And I'd like to live close to St. Patrick's so I can keep going to the Latin Mass.
He did encourage me and helped me not to feel like such a bad person and we both agreed other people, even seminarians and Sisters, can be a challenge to live with. Probably why it would be hard to find a place to live with others unless I got married or committed to an institution.
He's been quite a comfort and a blessing to me and sounds very cheerful even over the phone and behind the screen in the confessional. I wish I could be that cheerful, but I still have "more issues than TV Guide" and complain too much. This includes being penalized for being a very disorganized and tired packrat who has very little space to keep her belongings.
Father asked me if I had an "altar" in my room or some special place to pray or at least a statue of a patron Saint. I said I don't have the space for the altar, but I do have a statue of the Blessed Virgin with a Miraculous Medal on each side of her.
Saint Anthony of Padua is a favorite Saint of mine because he's the finder of lost things, St. Francis of Assisi another one because I admire him for giving away his possessions to the poor and living a life of poverty (as well as his love of animals) and St. Dymphna for being the Saint for mental and nervous conditions-which is what seems to be getting me in trouble-with the clutter and a lot of behavioral and emotional issues-including the stress that this situation causes me. So I may have at least these four Saints on my personal altar whenever I find room for one.
Father said he had to get off the phone, but he and I prayed the Magnificat, three Hail Marys, and another prayer-part of it in English and part of it in Latin, before getting off the phone.
Since I'm feeling a need to spend as much time as possible on this room I may not have much time to post on this blog. So I may have to post every other day-including the lessons on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit-Whose guidance I can really use at this time.
I really think it's wrong to punish someone for having a problem he/she can't control or is doing the best they can with. And I've been really trying but did take some time out to do something.
I almost wrote a grievance (a complaint) about this but thought I'd talk to my case manager-the one who wrote the note-since this was kind of a "first offense" and also I received another note about a necessary ANNUAL smoke alarm inspection in every room of the building which has one. So they said our rooms had to be neat for the inspection. My smoke alarm isn't far from the chairs or clutter in front of my desks-so they will need room to do their work without tripping over my stuff or breaking an ankle.
I felt like I needed to talk to Father right away even if it's not a dire emergency. If I discuss issues that are weighing on me like this I usually don't call them at home or on their cell phones; I usually would talk to them before of after Mass or in the confessional.
So I called him at the number I have for him on my cell phone-probably his cell phone. I told him that I'm terrible at bearing wrongs patiently-one of the Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy and had less than a saintly attitude toward this kind of treatment.
He did ask me if the rent is reasonable and I told him that they base it on income like a housing authority apartment. He even asked me if I thought of moving and I said yes, but I really don't like living alone and don't know who'd let me live with them. And I'd like to live close to St. Patrick's so I can keep going to the Latin Mass.
He did encourage me and helped me not to feel like such a bad person and we both agreed other people, even seminarians and Sisters, can be a challenge to live with. Probably why it would be hard to find a place to live with others unless I got married or committed to an institution.
He's been quite a comfort and a blessing to me and sounds very cheerful even over the phone and behind the screen in the confessional. I wish I could be that cheerful, but I still have "more issues than TV Guide" and complain too much. This includes being penalized for being a very disorganized and tired packrat who has very little space to keep her belongings.
Father asked me if I had an "altar" in my room or some special place to pray or at least a statue of a patron Saint. I said I don't have the space for the altar, but I do have a statue of the Blessed Virgin with a Miraculous Medal on each side of her.
Saint Anthony of Padua is a favorite Saint of mine because he's the finder of lost things, St. Francis of Assisi another one because I admire him for giving away his possessions to the poor and living a life of poverty (as well as his love of animals) and St. Dymphna for being the Saint for mental and nervous conditions-which is what seems to be getting me in trouble-with the clutter and a lot of behavioral and emotional issues-including the stress that this situation causes me. So I may have at least these four Saints on my personal altar whenever I find room for one.
Father said he had to get off the phone, but he and I prayed the Magnificat, three Hail Marys, and another prayer-part of it in English and part of it in Latin, before getting off the phone.
Since I'm feeling a need to spend as much time as possible on this room I may not have much time to post on this blog. So I may have to post every other day-including the lessons on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit-Whose guidance I can really use at this time.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The Gift of Counsel
The Third Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Counsel is the third of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. All seven gifts are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, Whom Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 11:1), but they are available to all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. As the current Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, "They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them."
The Perfection of Prudence:
Counsel is the perfection of the cardinal virtue of prudence. While prudence, like all the cardinal virtues, can be practiced by anyone, whether in a state of grace or not, it can take on a supernatural dimension through sanctifying grace. Counsel is the fruit of this supernatural prudence.
Like prudence, counsel allows us to judge rightly what we should do in a particular circumstance. It goes beyond prudence, though, in allowing such judgments to be made promptly, "as by a sort of supernatural intuition," as Fr. John A. Hardon writes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary.
Counsel in Practice:
Counsel builds on both wisdom, which allows us to judge the things of the world in light of our final end, and understanding, which helps us to penetrate to the very core of the mysteries of our faith.
"With the gift of counsel, the Holy Spirit speaks, as it were, to the heart and in an instant enlightens a person what to do," writes Father Hardon. It is the gift that allows us as Christians to be assured that we will act correctly in times of trouble and trial. Through counsel, we can speak without fear in defense of the Christian Faith. Thus, the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, counsel "enables us to see and choose correctly what will help most to the glory of God and our own salvation."
Is a Return to the Latin Mass in the Cards?
A Return to the Latin Mass
Clashes with congregants may erupt as a growing number of young priests push for a revival of pre-Vatican II customs
By Eric Ferkenhoff
Posted 6/17/07
Nearly two generations of Catholics now have grown up in a post-Vatican II world, worshiping in a church that celebrates mass in their local languages and, at least to some extent, embraces modern customs as much as it once rejected them.
So it seemed anathema when the Vatican confirmed recently that Pope Benedict XVI would relax restrictions on celebrating the 16th-century Tridentine Mass, citing "a new and renewed" interest in the ancient Latin liturgy, especially among younger Catholics.
Given the fierce fight that preceded Vatican II—the liturgical and doctrinal reforms of the mid-1960s that sought to make the church more accessible—a similar war would seem needed to overturn them. But a movement is building at seminaries nationwide to do just that: In addition to restoring the Latin mass, young priests are calling for greater devotion to the Virgin Mary, more frequent praying of the rosary, and priests turning away from the congregation as they once did. Perhaps most controversially, they also advocate a diminished role for women, who since Vatican II have been allowed to participate in the mass as lay altar servers and readers.
Such changes would seem to aggravate the church's growing attendance problems(in 2003, 40 percent of Roman Catholics said they had attended church in the past week, down from 74 percent in 1958) as well as enhance its air of exclusivity—the notion of Catholicism as the only true faith. Yet proponents of the movement argue that just the opposite holds: More people will attend mass if the traditions are richer and the doctrine stricter. The Latin mass, they say, would restore a sense of community they believe was diluted when the church allowed local culture to override tradition. In Chicago alone, mass is now said in some 50 languages.
"The traditional Latin mass simply excels at conveying the majesty and mystery of God," says Michael Dunnigan, a canon lawyer and chairman of the pro-Latin mass group, Una Voce America. Rejecting comparisons to fundamentalism, he denies that proponents are simply seeking more structure and discipline. "At the heart of the movement is a longing for beauty and an attitude of profound reverence," he says. Andrew Vogel, a seminarian from Rochester, Minn., notes that before Vatican II, mass attendance was at its highest and seminaries were full. "People just think we must have been doing something right," he says.
In today's Catholic churches, priests are free to celebrate a contemporary Latin mass, but they cannot celebrate the Latin mass as it was structured before 1962 without permission of their bishop. It is this restriction that the pope is considering lifting.
The proponents of the old Latin mass are said to number no more than 2 percent of Catholics, and polls show that the majority of Catholics embrace the reforms of Vatican II. But the Latin movement may be strong enough to carve a divide. Thomas Reese, a fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University predicts "a clash of cultures between clergy and the more liberal congregations as more of these conservative priests graduate and make their presence known."
He predicts that other old practices will be restored as the Vatican tries to impose the conservative values of Benedict on a more liberal world. "This is so much more about politics than it is about Latin and liturgy," Reese says.
According to published reports, the pope was, among other things, trying to bridge a divide with the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, even though that group has expressed concern about reversing the gains of Vatican II.
The Latin movement also has its detractors outside the faith. Jewish leaders take offense with older rites' references to Jews as faithless, and they worry that a revival of the old traditions could foster anti-Semitism.
But such arguments seemed far from the minds of the 20-odd worshipers who gathered last Friday for the Latin mass at Chicago's St. John Cantius Church. "You put the old rite and the new side by side, and there really is no comparison," says Simon Varnas, 35. "The old rite is far superior. It is more conducive to prayer, recollection, and personal dedication."
This story appears in the June 25, 2007 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
1rst Bank of Tulsa-South Bend Branch
I've been really tired the last few days, but I do plan on getting back to the gifts of the Spirit soon.
I had Father bless a scapular and a couple medals for me Sunday. I started to talk to him after getting my items blessed. But he had to interrupt me to talk to someone whom he saw give money to a panhandler.
He told the person not to be giving to panhandlers-especially in the inner city area like around St. Patrick's. Father said that if we do that the beggars will keep coming around and expecting more handouts. Not only can this be a real nuisance, but the people getting the money are very likely to use it for drugs and alcohol-not for food and gasoline like they may tell us.
Father said that these beggars would pester the women who come to the church for a nocturnal adoration and ask them for money. And they would then go to other churches and ask for money.
He also admitted to making the mistake of giving money to panhandlers at the parish he was assigned to in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But the other priest told him to stop it. And if we give money to panhandlers near St. Patrick's that that will make our church "the Bank of Tulsa."
He said we should offer food if that's what they're asking for-if we give them that they can eat instead of having the money to buy drugs. And some appear to be quite ungrateful and say, "I'd rather have the money!" And this can be an indicator that the money is being used for something other than food.
In fact I just ordered a value meal at Burger King when someone came up to me a few years ago to ask for money. I would not give it to him; instead I offered him half a bag of French fries. He didn't want the fries-he wanted the money! That made me even more suspicious he was looking for drug money not food!
I used to have a problem with neighbors going to my door or calling me to ask for cans of soda and money at all hours of the day and night (almost.) In fact the requests came so close together that I'd be kept busy with neighbors for 20 minutes straight before I could get any thing done in my apartment. I'm a very disorganized packrat with Attention
Deficit Disorder and need every minute I can get to organize my place-and the knocks and the phone ringing all the time caused me to lose my train of thought. And one of the smokers kept returning and asking for cigarette money after I said "no." I really wished that the landlord would do something to force these neighbors to leave me alone or offer me another place to live. But he wouldn't do it.
I've been advised to let the answering machine take all the calls-but I had so many hangups that I didn't think the telemarketers were the only people hanging up. I suspected that both people I wanted to hear from and the moochers in the building were hanging up on the machine as well. I finally ended up getting caller ID-even if it cost me an extra $10 a month.
I wish that I had known Father back in 2003 when the begging in my building started to get out of hand. It would have saved me a lot of headaches and I wouldn't have felt obliged to neighbors who were trying to satisfy cravings for cigarettes and other things that were bad for their health-and mine!
I had Father bless a scapular and a couple medals for me Sunday. I started to talk to him after getting my items blessed. But he had to interrupt me to talk to someone whom he saw give money to a panhandler.
He told the person not to be giving to panhandlers-especially in the inner city area like around St. Patrick's. Father said that if we do that the beggars will keep coming around and expecting more handouts. Not only can this be a real nuisance, but the people getting the money are very likely to use it for drugs and alcohol-not for food and gasoline like they may tell us.
Father said that these beggars would pester the women who come to the church for a nocturnal adoration and ask them for money. And they would then go to other churches and ask for money.
He also admitted to making the mistake of giving money to panhandlers at the parish he was assigned to in Tulsa, Oklahoma. But the other priest told him to stop it. And if we give money to panhandlers near St. Patrick's that that will make our church "the Bank of Tulsa."
He said we should offer food if that's what they're asking for-if we give them that they can eat instead of having the money to buy drugs. And some appear to be quite ungrateful and say, "I'd rather have the money!" And this can be an indicator that the money is being used for something other than food.
In fact I just ordered a value meal at Burger King when someone came up to me a few years ago to ask for money. I would not give it to him; instead I offered him half a bag of French fries. He didn't want the fries-he wanted the money! That made me even more suspicious he was looking for drug money not food!
I used to have a problem with neighbors going to my door or calling me to ask for cans of soda and money at all hours of the day and night (almost.) In fact the requests came so close together that I'd be kept busy with neighbors for 20 minutes straight before I could get any thing done in my apartment. I'm a very disorganized packrat with Attention
Deficit Disorder and need every minute I can get to organize my place-and the knocks and the phone ringing all the time caused me to lose my train of thought. And one of the smokers kept returning and asking for cigarette money after I said "no." I really wished that the landlord would do something to force these neighbors to leave me alone or offer me another place to live. But he wouldn't do it.
I've been advised to let the answering machine take all the calls-but I had so many hangups that I didn't think the telemarketers were the only people hanging up. I suspected that both people I wanted to hear from and the moochers in the building were hanging up on the machine as well. I finally ended up getting caller ID-even if it cost me an extra $10 a month.
I wish that I had known Father back in 2003 when the begging in my building started to get out of hand. It would have saved me a lot of headaches and I wouldn't have felt obliged to neighbors who were trying to satisfy cravings for cigarettes and other things that were bad for their health-and mine!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Gift of Understanding
One of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Understanding is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. They are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, Whom Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 11:1), but they are available to all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. As the current Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, "They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them."The Second Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Understanding is the second gift of the Holy Spirit, behind only wisdom. It differs from wisdom in that wisdom is the desire to contemplate the things of God, while understanding allows us, as Fr. John A. Hardon writes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, to "penetrate to the very core of revealed truths." This doesn't mean that we can come to understand, say, the Trinity the way that we might a mathematical equation, but that we become certain of the truth of the doctrine of the Trinity. Such certitude moves beyond faith, which "merely assents to what God has revealed."Wednesday, September 16, 2009
The Gift of Wisdom
Wisdom: A Gift of the Holy Spirit
By Scott P. Richert, About.com
One of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
Wisdom is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit enumerated in Isaiah 11:2-3. They are present in their fullness in Jesus Christ, Whom Isaiah foretold (Isaiah 11:1), but they are available to all Christians who are in a state of grace. We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. As the current Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, "They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them."The First and Highest Gift of the Holy Spirit:
Wisdom is the perfection of faith. As Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J., notes in his Modern Catholic Dictionary, "Where faith is a simple knowledge of the articles of Christian belief, wisdom goes on to a certain divine penetration of the truths themselves." The better we understand those truths, the more we value them properly. Thus wisdom, the Catholic Encyclopedia notes, "by detaching us from the world, makes us relish and love only the things of heaven." Through wisdom, we judge the things of the world in light of the highest end of man—the contemplation of God.The Application of Wisdom:
Such detachment, however, is not the same as renunciation of the world—far from it. Rather, wisdom helps us to love the world properly, as the creation of God, rather than for its own sake. The material world, though fallen as a result of the sin of Adam and Eve, is still worthy of our love; we simply need to see it in the proper light, and wisdom allows us to do so.Knowing the proper ordering of the material and spiritual worlds through wisdom, we can more easily bear the burdens of this life and respond to our fellow man with charity and patience.
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
What Are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
By Scott P. Richert, About.com
Question: What Are the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit?
We receive the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit when we are infused with sanctifying grace, the life of God within us—as, for example, when we receive a sacrament worthily. These seven gifts help us to live a Christian life.
Answer: The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude (or courage), knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. You can find an in-depth discussion of each in The Gifts of the Holy Spirit.Stay up to date on the latest Catholicism news and learn more about the Catholic Faith. Sign up for our free newsletter today!
I Lost my Post.
My post for tonight on the gift of understanding never showed up. After much struggle, I thought I had part of it posted. But I do not. And I tried to correct a problem with the post from yesterday and it disappeared after I did.
And I hate starting over from scratch. I can start my series on the Gifts of the Spirit some other time.
Maybe I can find something I can copy and paste so I don't have to take all this time copying it from a book.
And I hate starting over from scratch. I can start my series on the Gifts of the Spirit some other time.
Maybe I can find something I can copy and paste so I don't have to take all this time copying it from a book.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Sabrina's Back
I was getting ready to post a flier about the missing dog and trying to write an ad in my church bulletin. But my friend's daughter called me to tell me she got the dog back. I think someone heard my prayers-probably St. Francis or St. Anthony. I hope I can see her soon.
paula
paula
Saturday, September 12, 2009
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
I looked through a prayer book I usually use for my office. They have other devotions or prayers in addition to the office. A couple of them were about the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. I'd like to post one each day this week. The gifts are: Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.
Father taught his Confirmation class about the gifts of the Spirit. You get these when you're Confirmed. The more you pray for them as you're getting ready to be Confirmed, the stronger they'll be for you. I felt badly that I didn't "open" up these gifts and start using them when I was confirmed. In fact, there were some of these I didn't know I had. Father said it wasn't too late; I still have these gifts. Now I need to use them-and pray that I can use them.
Ad Jesum per Mariam (Through Jesus through Mary)
paula
Father taught his Confirmation class about the gifts of the Spirit. You get these when you're Confirmed. The more you pray for them as you're getting ready to be Confirmed, the stronger they'll be for you. I felt badly that I didn't "open" up these gifts and start using them when I was confirmed. In fact, there were some of these I didn't know I had. Father said it wasn't too late; I still have these gifts. Now I need to use them-and pray that I can use them.
Ad Jesum per Mariam (Through Jesus through Mary)
paula
I Got to Go to Mass After All
I was able to go to Mass after all. I was really worried about mortal sin and would have rather gone to Mass than to be tied to the building on Sunday morning-even if I'm excused.
I could stay home from church with a clear conscience if I had the flu. In fact I was wishing I had the flu, as miserable as that would be, since I could stay home without committing a sin. Be careful what you pray for-you might get it! Friday night I did feel nauseated and was kept up both by frequent trips to the bathroom and a fire alarm which kept going off. The fire alarm didn't quit going off until after midnight.
A very traditional Catholic from whom I've been buying from on eBay insisted I go ahead and go to Mass. But the lady at the front desk where I live "reminded" me that leaving during restriction without permission would result in eviction. She was worried about my having to live on the streets of South Bend.
But the priests at St. Patrick's said I'm excused "because of circumstances". That helped me clear my conscience about missing Mass because of the restriction. In fact the priest at the Latin Mass thought that would be the right thing out of obedience to the place I live at-to stay home instead of attending church while on restriction.
Since I had some kind of "bug" as well as the restriction I kept trying to call my ride to tell her I was sick and "grounded" and couldn't go to Mass for those two reasons. But every time I tried to call her her line was busy. I'e been trying to call her from 8:00 am to 11:30 pm and decided it was getting to be too late at night to call anyone. I thought maybe there was a chance that the Lord was keeping me from calling her since He wanted me in church and was going to pave a way. I started feeling better and felt like my room might be able to "pass" if I just pick things up or at least push them out of my way so they don't have to worry about me tripping over them.
I went and got the staff member who was authorized to check my room as she walked in at 7:00. She passed me but said I needed to sweep the floor before leaving. I swept the floor and got out just in time to meet my ride and tell her about her phone being busy. She said it was broken and didn't know it was until she tried to make a call and couldn't get a dial tone.
God works in mysterious ways!
And He and His Blessed Mother must have really wanted me in church Sunday-and could have done this as an answer to our prayers that I'd make it to Mass.
And I got off restriction just in time to go to the Tradtional Mass-even though there were two other Masses I could have gone to at St. Patrick's. The 10:30 and 5:30 Masses just don't hold a candle to the Latin Mass I go to at 7:45 am.
This was the happiest I've been while at Mass. When I saw Father standing on the steps in front of the church after Mass I told him I was really happy to make it to Mass that morning and told him what happened-including being unable to call my ride to tell her not to come.
God works in mysterious ways!
I could stay home from church with a clear conscience if I had the flu. In fact I was wishing I had the flu, as miserable as that would be, since I could stay home without committing a sin. Be careful what you pray for-you might get it! Friday night I did feel nauseated and was kept up both by frequent trips to the bathroom and a fire alarm which kept going off. The fire alarm didn't quit going off until after midnight.
A very traditional Catholic from whom I've been buying from on eBay insisted I go ahead and go to Mass. But the lady at the front desk where I live "reminded" me that leaving during restriction without permission would result in eviction. She was worried about my having to live on the streets of South Bend.
But the priests at St. Patrick's said I'm excused "because of circumstances". That helped me clear my conscience about missing Mass because of the restriction. In fact the priest at the Latin Mass thought that would be the right thing out of obedience to the place I live at-to stay home instead of attending church while on restriction.
Since I had some kind of "bug" as well as the restriction I kept trying to call my ride to tell her I was sick and "grounded" and couldn't go to Mass for those two reasons. But every time I tried to call her her line was busy. I'e been trying to call her from 8:00 am to 11:30 pm and decided it was getting to be too late at night to call anyone. I thought maybe there was a chance that the Lord was keeping me from calling her since He wanted me in church and was going to pave a way. I started feeling better and felt like my room might be able to "pass" if I just pick things up or at least push them out of my way so they don't have to worry about me tripping over them.
I went and got the staff member who was authorized to check my room as she walked in at 7:00. She passed me but said I needed to sweep the floor before leaving. I swept the floor and got out just in time to meet my ride and tell her about her phone being busy. She said it was broken and didn't know it was until she tried to make a call and couldn't get a dial tone.
God works in mysterious ways!
And He and His Blessed Mother must have really wanted me in church Sunday-and could have done this as an answer to our prayers that I'd make it to Mass.
And I got off restriction just in time to go to the Tradtional Mass-even though there were two other Masses I could have gone to at St. Patrick's. The 10:30 and 5:30 Masses just don't hold a candle to the Latin Mass I go to at 7:45 am.
This was the happiest I've been while at Mass. When I saw Father standing on the steps in front of the church after Mass I told him I was really happy to make it to Mass that morning and told him what happened-including being unable to call my ride to tell her not to come.
God works in mysterious ways!
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