It's Summer and I'm Shutting Up.

Every once in a while I'll read something that strikes me profoundly.  This time it was not only the words which stroke me as inspirational but also the person whom the words came from.

First read this blog here.

If you took some time to scroll all the way down you'll notice a slew of comments that were encouraging to say the least.  I happen to know this young lady and would like to compliment her post with a post of my own for my fellow brothers in Christ.

Lets start with this one quote to build on:
"God has assigned as a duty to every man the dignity of every woman." - Blessed John Paul II

Give it a second... Let it simmer.

When I read that it led me to a serious examination of conscience.  How much of a man have I been in my life towards our sisters in Christ?

Now take a second and think back to the Garden of Eden a little while after Adam and Eve had disobeyed God and ate the fruit from the Tree.

In Genesis 3:11 God asked Adam a pretty straight forward question:

'Have you been eating from the tree I forbade you to eat?'

What was Adam's response? The following verse in Genesis 3:12 tells us Adam's response:

'It was the woman you put with me; she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.'

Going back to the question God asked Adam.  Do you think God, All Powerful and All Knowing, needed Adam to admit his infidelity for Him to know that Adam had been disobedient?  No.  This wasn't an inquiry to his disobedience but an opportunity for repentance, humility and an amendment to do better.

Do you see what just happened?  God asked Adam if HE had been disobedient.  Adam's response?  He passes the buck and blames Eve.  This is what men, Christian and non-Christian, still do with regards to the question of purity and modesty.  We blame our lack of both sometimes on the fact that it's all around us and we are helpless victims to the onslaught of immodest fashions.  We point at the dress, or lack thereof, and ask for help from them yet fail to help ourselves.

Sure as gentlemen we can speak up and start shouting at the rooftops about modesty during these times.  But what do our actions preach?  Are we going to the beach where we know there will be a plethora of flesh?  Do we mortify our sight and even speech from impure things?  Yes, our female counterparts have the duty and power to assist us in our journey to chastity and purity but we are not simply at their disposal.  We too have our own will and have the power to exercise it as we please.

We must train and literally exercise our own will in small acts of mortification.  Prayer, Penance, Fasting and mortification of the senses.  When we see someone dressed immodestly, do we gaze intently, or do we look away and flee from such occasions.  Some of the great saints were so mortified in their sight they only looked up from the floor to gaze upon our Lord in the Eucharist.  Their mortification of the sense of sight was so great some saints could not even tell you what the walls of the very Church they adored looked like since they reserved their eyes only for our Lord.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church #2015 says:
The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle. Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes

In the Gospel of Matthew 5:29 we hear:

“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.”

Not to say that we should LITERALLY pluck out our eyes, but rather take upon ourselves a more forward approach to avoid that which leads us to hell.  Fasting and mortification of the other senses (sight, speech, etc.) allow us to practice our 'No' to ourselves.  We give up willingly good and legitimate things not because they are evil but because this practice of mortification strengthens our will against temptations further on which require our firm 'No' in a permanent and definite way.

Our duty is to guard the dignity of our sisters in Christ, but the easiest way to strip them of that dignity within ourselves is to look at them as just empty vessels of flesh.  As Christians it's more than having a sense of respect for our sisters.  It's having a deep charity for them who have immortal souls and bear the very Image and Likeness of God.

Where do we start?  By praying for them.  Let all our endeavors begin with our Lord in the Eucharist and let all our endeavors end with us practicing faithful what we believe and teach.  For as we know and as St. Francis of Assisi so beautifully put it, "Words tickle but Actions Thunder."

+AMDG

Write it down!

Most know the benefits to Holy Mass, Adoration, frequent Confession and recitation of the Rosary. (If not stay tuned because these will eventually be discussed)

But how many people know and practice the use of a spiritual journal? Today during my catechism class I mentioned that during adoration I wrote in my spiritual journal and many of the guys chuckled a little bit. Even my peers sometimes may forget it's significance and importance.

Why have one? What are it's advantages? And why is it not as comical as some would like to think?

Having a spiritual journal is a helpful way to keep up with our spiritual journey and to allow us time to focus our thoughts and meditations on things of God and our faith journey. I sometimes enjoy reading my past entries just to see and better appreciate the many different things God has done. This sometimes turns into it's own little reminders that God know's what He's doing even though at the time we don't.

The Sisters of Saint Joseph list a few other benefits to having a spiritual journal:

• Growing in self-understanding 
• Deepening awareness of God within 
• Making sense and order out of life 
• Expressing emotions and gaining perspective 
• Developing a greater awareness of daily life 
• Clarifying beliefs 
• Setting goals and managing time 
• Working through problems 
• Recording memories 

(source: http://www.goodgroundpress.com/part_1_beginning_your_spiritual_journal.aspx)

When I first started to pursue my fiance one of the first things I gave her was a spiritual journal. In it I wrote a note which said something to the effect of:

"In this journal we have the ability to escape from the world and be alone on an island with God. To simply BE with Him and communicate our deepest thoughts, desires and even fears. It allows us to contemplate His deepest mysteries but also to express our thoughts on the daily mundane things"

I like to look at it as me simply taking notes on the story which God has already begun writing in our lives. So during this Lenten Season, a season where we are more inclined to reflection and silence, it would be ideal and beneficial to start your very own spiritual journal if you don't have one already.

If you do and seem to have gotten a bit stuck on what to write here are some ideas:

Letters to God: Make a daily account to our Lord and speak to Him as you would a friend. Sometimes writing our thoughts and prayers down in this way can help us understand better the depth or lack of depth in our piety.

Reflections on Readings: Reflecting on the Mass Readings for the day not only allow you to meditate on the Word of God but also to better prepare yourself for Mass. If you do this after Mass you could use it to recap on the inspirations you picked up during Mass. Reflecting on Spiritual Readings are also helpful and inspiring. If you're like me we don't just pick up a good Catholic Book like "Story of a Soul" by St. Therese or "Confessions" by St. Augustine for simple recreation. But rather we are hunting for bits and pieces (or even mountains) of inspirations. To spend a little extra time to expand on those spurts of inspiration not only are beneficial to remember them but help us to meditate on how we can echo God's inspirations in our own lives.

Writing during the homily: This is where I get a page or two done. So often we have homilies that are truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and what a shame to meditate on these further. If we take notes during our lectures because we feel that information is important enough for us to remember. Why not the lessons the Holy Spirit is teaching us from the pulpit? Even if you don't go back and read over the homily, simply writing it down helps you pay attention and remember what's being said.

Letters from God: Some may think it silly but I know plenty of people who seek small bits of inspiration from our Lord himself. I'm not claiming that I or any of those I know are locutionist

(A locutionist is one who hears inwardly revelations which purport to be from some heavenly source)

But I do believe that God can send us inspirations if we are open to receiving them. That being said  normally say a prayer and ask for the aid of the Holy Spirit. I personally say the Come Holy Spirit prayer:

"Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen."

Afterwards, simply let the Spirit guide the words you write. If you have questions or concerns about those things you write this is where a good and holy Spiritual Director would be helpful.

Now then... get out there and start journaling! or not... But remember St Therese of Lisieux , St Faustina, St. Gemma Galgani all wrote down in one form or another about their spiritual journeys just to name a few.

God Bless and remember....
Deus Providebit.