A Treasure To Be Shared

ALMIGHTY GOD, Who knowest the hearts of all, I render unto Thee my heartfelt thanks for these present trials. Praised be Thy holy Name for granting me the privilege to share in the sufferings of Thy Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, for the salvation of souls. I pray not for respite from pains great and small, but rather to know Thee even as Thou desirest to be known, to love Thee even as Thou desirest to be loved, for I am Thy child and disciple, desiring to be known as Thy friend amidst the company of the angels and saints, willing to remain steadfast and forgetful of the cost of love, to serve Thee in this life in the fervent hope of residing in Thy Presence for all eternity; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who livest and reignest with Thee, Father, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. For reflection: Colossians 1:24

Spes, Esperanza, Espoir, Speranza, Mieć nadzieję, Ελπίδα, Pag-asa, Надеяться, 希望, आशा, Tumaini The person who experiences consolation never gives up in the face of difficulties because he or she always experiences a peace that is stronger than any trial. | Pope Francis We cannot come to a conclusion about the state of our soul from its suffering or its rejoicing…Consolation indicates, certainly, that the soul has taken a step in the spiritual life, but desolation may be a sign that it is even nearer to the summit. | Jennie Ewing,  The Four Consolations of the Holy Spirit Hope is a lush garden wherein peace resides. Without the nurturing water of God's grace, the edges grow rigid and turn into a wall, casting shadows. The heart risks becoming hardened and lifeless, leaving one paralyzed and lost as negativity creeps in. Weeds of irrationality take over, choking the flowers. In a recent article, Jenny Ewing at Catholic Exchange (2SEPT2020) provides a brief but beautifu...

O Almighty and eternal God, beholden are the many who dwell in distress, known unto Thee, who dost struggle each day to meet their basic needs or who endure injustice at the hands of wicked men. O Loving Father, we beseech Thee, aid us in our prayers and in our labors for truth and virtue, that those beset by the vile deeds of men may be liberated to partake in life's bounteous blessings and to sustain themselves; this we implore through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Prayer before Jesus Crucified Dear Lord, when looking up at Thee, I see Thy loving eyes on me; Love overflows my humble heart, Knowing what a faithful friend thou art. A cup of sorrow I foresee, Which I accept for love of Thee; Thy painful way I wish to go, The only way to God I know. My soul is full of peace and light, Although in pain, this light shineth bright; For here Thou keepest to Thy breast, My longing heart to find there rest. Leave me here freely all alone, In cell where never sunlight shone; Should no one every speak to me, This golden silence makes me free! For though alone, I have no fear, Never wert Thou, O Lord, so near. Sweet Jesus, please, abide with me! My deepest peace I find in Thee. Amen Saint Titus Brandsma

A read of various religious organizations' websites reveals a point of convergence relating to attempts to find a way forward even as the same communities are in steep decline. Brief Digression The websites looked at range from Anglican to United Church to Evangelical to liberal Catholic to Tradition-minded Catholic parishes. By "Tradition-minded" is here meant a parish robustly configured to the living Magisterium established by Jesus Christ and the teaching handed on by the Apostles. Convergence What is that point of convergence so frequently being talked about? Liminality. There is agreement among foundering communities, in particular, that they are in the midst of transition and (desperately) need coping mechanisms to survive. Most are in denial about the likelihood that their communities are, according to the stats , dying. The few exceptions, those making an honest effort to conform to the will of God by honouring the Apostolic Tradition, are thriving . That growth ...

You are not alone. If your cause be just, God is on your side and will bring you through the darkness of unjust treatment. But, if you are in the wrong, God will shepherd you and call you to repentance. Possessing a heart softened by His grace, He will receive you into His light. You will want to ask yourself, 'what I am called to learn from trials and unjust treatment?' You must commit to praying for those who mistreat you. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Though your persecutors' behaviour may disgust you, and cause you much suffering, you must love them and pray for their salvation. It may be that you ask God to provide them with opportunities to reform their lives, to cease behaving as tyrants, to stop being emotional vampires, to stop weaponizing their wounds to attack others. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not se...

Photo by Enrique Vidal Flores Do not turn your suffering into wrath, for madness shall surely follow, a madness that consumes not only you but those around you as well. Such a madness consumes reason and sympathy, and boils away humanity until, in isolation, a continuous lament becomes the dirge of a soul possessed of the need to destroy others, even making one become the thing hated. The saints know that our wounds leave a place for God to enter in and transform and purify us of useless attachments, relieving us of false loves. No one should pretend that the crucifying process of suffering is without pain. With the grace of God, we are able to enter into the wounds of Jesus, which are a place for us to enter in, in His time and in His way, to be transformed more and more in likeness to God. Our capacity to bear trials and to rely on God for His peace is increased the more we trust God and accept His grace to live for, by and with Him, for the salvation of souls. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ...

The Kamloops Indian Residential School in 1937. Archdiocese of Vancouver I am a child of an African Canadian and Cowichan father, and a Yorkshire mother. My nieces (one deceased) and nephew are status (registered) Indians, children of an indigenous brother-in-law and one of my older sisters. The surviving niece is very active in her community, a member of one of three tribal councils of the Nlaka'pamux First Nation. “The pain that such news causes reminds us of our ongoing need to bring to light every tragic situation that occurred in residential schools run by the Church,” Archbishop J. Michael Miller of the Vancouver Archdiocese said in a statement. “The passage of time does not erase the suffering.” - NY Times The Canadian Government's desire to assimilate indigenous populations may have initially aligned with a few good intentions, intentions that included helping people find advantage in a relentlessly changing and exploitative society. However well-intended past education...

Pugin, Rood Screen at St. Giles' Church Now, more than ever, the Ordinariate is needed to help Catholics orient themselves to God. We in the Ordinariate, a community born of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of UNity in the Truth, the Mover of former Anglicans and all people of goodwill to unity with the Church founded by Jesus Christ on Peter the Chief Apostle, understand well what it is to live in the midst of turmoil as one or more Anglican bodies have descended into conformity with the world and the ensuing doctrinal confusion that accompanies flirtation with insanity. For those such as yours truly, received into the Church in the 1980s, long before the Ordinarate was conceived, and having fairly recently discovered the Ordinariate and its beautiful form of the Mass, the Ordinariate offers a refuge from loose play with the Sacred Liturgy. Speaking as an outsider for a moment, communities of the Ordinariate offer disillusioned Catholics and those earnestly seeking revere...