JMJ. Ever since it became important to me, ie. soon after my conversion to Catholicism, I have wanted to be a disciple of Jesus'. I haven't been a very good one, I admit. Whatever small success I've achieved has been through the grace of God and certainly in spite of anything I've done. Still, that has been my aim--and a good one, an admrable goal to have.
But I was listening to a CD not long ago--which, I misremember. The speaker mentioned the concept of discipline and how necessary it is in order to follow Christ faithfully. Such as in fasting. You know--givng something up. I've never been great at that because I'm too focused on my material wants. Give up ice cream for a bed-time snack? Get real!
Now, being a disciple--I could shoot for that. I'm a great follower but a poor leader. I can follow with the best of them. But discipline? Discipline is the ability to control one's self. Discipline is self-mastery. What's odd is that they both come from the same root. It was one of those mini epiphanies I've had from time to time. If I ever want to follow Christ properly I need to master myself. That's gonna take some real work. But knowing the problem and it's solution is half the battle. Now for the hard part...
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
"New Speech"
JMJ. I hate the new speech of a generation almost completely out of contact with the Real. Specifically, the phrase "my bad." The kids use it to excuse themselves when they've made a mistake. But, like society in general, they in particular don't want to accept responsibility and do NOT want to say, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake. Please forgive me." Instead, it's "my bad." God help us.
"Lenten Thoughts"
JMJ. Ok, I'm going to repeat some things I've written of earlier. I'm 63 so my mind isn't what it once was and it's my blog so I can do as I please. So there.
The last couple of years I've taken to using only the Sorrowful Mysteries during Lent when I pray the Rosary. It just seems to be the right thing to do. After all, though Lent's outcome is Easter, the period itself is not what you would call joyful or luminous or glorious. It's sombre and that's the way I feel like praying it.
I've also started doing something else this year during my Rosary. Following the "amen" of each "Hail Mary" I add "mea culpa, Domine." If He could undergo such a frightful Passion on my account it seems only fitting that I continually acknowledge my sinfulness which caused that Passion.
Finally, there is one bright spot amongst the grey. Although it was MY sin that caused Him to sweat blood in the garden, and it was I who wielded the scourge that bloodied His back, and they were MY hands that wove the plait of thorns which pierced His brow, and it was MY hand which pounded the nails which gave us the first crucifix, it was I who helped Him carry His cross through St. simon of Cyrene. Thank you, Lord, for this small penance.
The last couple of years I've taken to using only the Sorrowful Mysteries during Lent when I pray the Rosary. It just seems to be the right thing to do. After all, though Lent's outcome is Easter, the period itself is not what you would call joyful or luminous or glorious. It's sombre and that's the way I feel like praying it.
I've also started doing something else this year during my Rosary. Following the "amen" of each "Hail Mary" I add "mea culpa, Domine." If He could undergo such a frightful Passion on my account it seems only fitting that I continually acknowledge my sinfulness which caused that Passion.
Finally, there is one bright spot amongst the grey. Although it was MY sin that caused Him to sweat blood in the garden, and it was I who wielded the scourge that bloodied His back, and they were MY hands that wove the plait of thorns which pierced His brow, and it was MY hand which pounded the nails which gave us the first crucifix, it was I who helped Him carry His cross through St. simon of Cyrene. Thank you, Lord, for this small penance.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
"God's Mysterious Ways"
JMJ. One would have had to have had his head buried in the sand for the last few weeks not to have noticed the horrible devastation in Japan as the result of a Richter 9 earthquake and its subsequent tsunami. Even the hardest of heart would have been hard-pressed not to have been moved by the suffering of the Japanese people.
Well, I'm not particularly hard-hearted so I was very troubled at this devastation and misery. On a very peronal level, too, since--as I've mentioned before--we once had a Japanese exchange student living with us for a year when my sisters were in high school. You can imagine that I was quite worried about her and her family's safety so I e-mailed that evening and was vastly relieved when she quickly replied that she, the family, and her home were safe but that they had lost many of their possessions.
The material can be replaced but imagine my surprise when I received a note from a woman unknown to me saying that she had gone to school with Toko (and my sisters, of course) so many years ago and that they had not been in contact for quite some time. Had I heard anything from her and could I put her in touch with Toko? Now how, I wondered had this woman thought to write me? I read further and it happens that upon hearing of the earthquake she googled Toko's name and my previous blog page came up!
Of course I replied that I had, indeed, just heard from Toko and that she was well. I offered to forward a message to her if she wished. She did, she wrote, and I forwarded it. Toko was so thankful to have heard from another of her old friends. She might have been surprised at this coincidence but I wasn't--after all, I believe in the communion of the saints. God's got us all safe in His arms and He's got a plan for all of us. Amen.
Well, I'm not particularly hard-hearted so I was very troubled at this devastation and misery. On a very peronal level, too, since--as I've mentioned before--we once had a Japanese exchange student living with us for a year when my sisters were in high school. You can imagine that I was quite worried about her and her family's safety so I e-mailed that evening and was vastly relieved when she quickly replied that she, the family, and her home were safe but that they had lost many of their possessions.
The material can be replaced but imagine my surprise when I received a note from a woman unknown to me saying that she had gone to school with Toko (and my sisters, of course) so many years ago and that they had not been in contact for quite some time. Had I heard anything from her and could I put her in touch with Toko? Now how, I wondered had this woman thought to write me? I read further and it happens that upon hearing of the earthquake she googled Toko's name and my previous blog page came up!
Of course I replied that I had, indeed, just heard from Toko and that she was well. I offered to forward a message to her if she wished. She did, she wrote, and I forwarded it. Toko was so thankful to have heard from another of her old friends. She might have been surprised at this coincidence but I wasn't--after all, I believe in the communion of the saints. God's got us all safe in His arms and He's got a plan for all of us. Amen.
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