Beauty Ever Ancient, Ever New

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace. ~ St. Augustine

Does it get any better than this? I believe these words of St. Augustine resonate with many of us, as so many of us have had a spirit-filled conversion or re-version to the faith after a time of being spiritually lukewarm or outright cold and distant from God. When we return to Him, we are blessed to bask in the knowledge that we have been given the immense gift of His great love and mercy for us. And even though we had the gift all along, we are inspired to see how our Beloved waited patiently for us to finally come to Him, ready to open it.

I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

Such passion! This is authentic closeness—not sentimental, superficial or manufactured, but deep, profound closeness to Father, Son, Holy Spirit and all of heaven. It is pure gift, and it is available to everyone with a heart for God. But this closeness is often like a dance with the Divine Lover of our Souls. Sometimes He permits us to feel very close to Him and our passions rise as we long to do everything we can for Him, bringing souls to Him, loving as He loves, giving as He gives. Yet other times, He is closer than ever, while He does not permit us to feel His presence. He gives us a desert experience. And it is in these experiences where the rubber meets the road, where our faith muscles are stretched and aching. It is these times where we must be vigilant, remembering that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. And when we grow in holiness over the seasons of our lives, God willing, we will grow to love these desert experiences, embracing them, and dare I say, loving them and thanking our Beloved for them. We will thank Him, because we will know that His will is perfect, and his plan is far greater than any plan we could manage to create for ourselves. And someday, we will see how our surrender, cooperation, faithfulness and love brought us to where He was calling us to be—smack dab in the center of His Heart.

Once we have received a taste of the goodness of the Lord, our souls hunger and thirst for more. We want always to live on the mountain with the Lord and bask in His love. But there are great spiritual benefits to the periods of desolation we experience. If we put ourselves on a steady diet of self-pity or distraction during them, we will make only baby steps or even backward steps on the spiritual journey. But if we thank Him, trusting and surrendering, He will help us to empty ourselves of all of the things that get in between us and a face-to-face relationship with the One Who loves us.

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you.

How often can we refer to these words again and again, seeing that we have separated ourselves from God by not embracing His plan for us. How often will we be on the outside, plunging into the things He has created, all the while ignoring the Creator? This is the story of our lives. Conversion is a continuing experience, not just a one time affair. We will not arrive at the summit of perfection in holiness during this lifetime, but that does not stop us from trying.

Who is Evangelizing YOU?

It has been said, that if you are not evangelizing the culture,

then you are letting the culture evangelize YOU!

      Pope Paul VI, in his apostolic exhortation known as Evangelii Nuntiandi, (‘to proclaim the gospel’), said that it was his duty as the successor of Peter, to confirm the brethren.  He wished in this exhortation, to encourage us in our “mission as evangelizers, in order that, in this time of uncertainty and confusion, they may accomplish the task with ever increasing love, zeal and joy.”  (December 8, 1975)

 Scripture gives us a succinct description of the manner of evangelizing:

Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15-16)

 What is scripture telling us here?  This passage is telling us five basic things with regard to evangelization.

1. Be prepared to speak when called upon. Always be prepared to give an answer.
2. Know what you are talking about.    Give the reason for the hope that you have.
3. Be gentle and respectful.  Do this with gentleness and respect.
4. Keep a clear conscience (reconciled to God).  Keep(ing) a clear a conscience.
5. When people reject you for the Truth you have made known to them, do not retort in anger and injustice, but remain in love so there can be no fault with you.  Those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their behavior.

The kingdom of God and salvation are available to every human being as a gift of grace and mercy.  For the Church, it is a question not only of preaching the Gospel from the pulpit, but also of “affecting, through the power of the Gospel, mankind’s criteria of judgment, determining values, points of interest, lines of thought, sources of inspiration, and models of life which are in stark contrast with the Word of God and the plan of salvation.” (Evangelii Nuntiando No. 19)

The Church itself is an evangelizer.  We, as the baptized Christian people who make up the Catholic Church, are called to this work of evangelization of the whole world—All of us.  In order to do so, we must begin by being evangelized ourselves.

Never let a question that comes to your mind go unanswered, especially if you are leaning away from what you know the Church teaches.  Pray for an answer, read to find an answer, ask a good priest to find an answer.  But never let your mind wander to what you think it might be, and never let someone who is not well-formed in their own conscience and understanding of the faith, scripture and Church teaching, give you the answer, without confirming that answer through orthodox sources.  You might be surprised at how much sense the Church makes, when you read and understand the true theology behind hot topic questions like abortion and gay marriage, instead of allowing yourself to be formed by the culture.  Give the Church a chance to explain.  “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”  JOHN 8:31-32 

There are many resources on the web, and many have wide and varied views of the Truth.  But by definition, there can be only ONE TRUTH.  Two versions of the same truth, if they do not line up perfectly, mean either one is right and one is wrong, or both are wrong.  They can not both be right.  We will attempt on this website, to only publish resources and articles which are based on sound Catholic doctrine and authority. 

Read your bible.  And make sure it is a good Catholic Bible and not missing any books.  The Ignatius Catholic Bible (RSV – Revised Standard Version) and the Navarre Bible are widely seen as some of the best translations.  Read the Catechism of the Catholic Church—WOW—Another incredibly beautiful document that might surprise you.  And read spiritual classics like The Diary of St. Faustina, or St. Therese’ The Story of A Soul, and St. Francis of De Sales’ Introduction to the Devout Life, or The Joy of Full Surrender by Fr. Jean Paul de Caussade.  Our Church is rich with the goodness of its saints.  And YOU are one them!  Find your niche and open your world to a radical conversion and profound change of heart.

Once you begin knowing your faith better, (and we ALL need to know our faith better—We could not learn it all in TEN lifetimes), you will begin to look more deeply at your own life.  You will ask and permit the Holy Spirit to illuminate for you, the places in your own life which require attention, and you will work to conform your will to the will of God and the virtues of Christ.  This is important for you as well as for the Kingdom of God.  As Pope Paul VI says in his exhortation, “Above all, the Gospel must be proclaimed by witness.”  Your witness and the way you live in your community is more powerful than you think. 

When speaking of a small group of Christians living within a community, Pope Paul VI said that these people radiate in a simple and unaffected way,

“their faith in values that go beyond current values, and their hope in something that is not seen and that one would not dare to imagine.  Through the wordless witness these Christians stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live:  Why are they like this?  Why do they live in this way?  What or who is it that inspires them?  Why are they in our midst?  Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one.  Here we have an initial act of evangelization.”  (Evangelii Nuntiando No. 21)

But this witness is only the beginning.  It is not enough if it is not explained and justified, as Peter said in the scripture quoted above.  The believer who has come to be evangelized himself must then go on to evangelize others. 

“Here lies the truth, the touchstone of evangelization:  it is unthinkable that a person should accept the Word and give himself to the kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to it and proclaims it in his turn.” (Evangelii Nuntiando No. 24)

This website is devoted to those who are dedicated to their own formation, and making themselves ready and committed to evangelizing others.  “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent.”  ACTS 18:9

reprinted from SentByTheSpirit.com

Sent By the Spirit.com

Just want to share with you a little of my latest venture.  I am no web designer, but with a little time on my hands, I started a new website, devoted to the new evangelism and the Catholic Evangelist!  So far, I have about 10 people committed to making regular contributions, so visit often to see new content as the site grows!  We have just launched ourselves with the first article today!

I pray this venture will be used by the Holy Spirit as a tool to bring many people back to God.  It will take some time to get it known and off the ground, so please share it with everyone you know!  And if you have any ideas or if you feel called to participate as a contributor, drop me a line and let know!

www.SentByTheSpirit.com

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty

O God our Creator,

Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world,
bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel
to every corner of society.

We ask you to bless us
in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard
on behalf of the rights of your Church
and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.

Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
gathered in your Church
in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood
and every danger overcome—
for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,
and all who come after us—
this great land will always be "one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

~from UCCSB website

Jerusalem My Destiny!

I have fixed my eyes on your hills,
Jerusalem, my Destiny!
Though I cannot see the end for me,
I cannot turn away.
We have set our hearts for the way;
this journey is our destiny.
Let no one walk alone.
The journey makes us one.

Other spirits, lesser gods,
have courted me with lies.
Here among you I have found
a truth that bids me rise. (Refrain)

See, I leave the past behind;
a new land calls to me.
Here among you now I find
a glimpse of what might be. (Refrain)

In my thirst, you let me drink
the waters of your life,
Here among you I have met,
the Savior, Jesus Christ. (Refrain)

All the worlds I have not seen
you open to my view.
Here among you I have found
a vision bright and new. (Refrain)

To the tombs I went to mourn
the hope I thought was gone,
Here among you I awoke
to unexpected dawn. (Refrain)

Composer: Rory Cooney

Spouse of the Holy Spirit

"It was with Mary and in Mary and of Mary that the Holy Spirit produced His Masterpiece ...God Made Man... For this reason the more He finds Mary His dear and inseparable Spouse in a soul,  the more powerful and effective He becomes in producing Jesus Christ in that soul...and that soul in Jesus Christ....  Mary was never led by her own will but always by the Will of God, who made Himself master of her to such an extent that He became her very Spirit....   Our Mother told St. Mechtilde:  'At the words of the Rosary...Hail Mary full of grace...I am aware that the Holy Spirit has showered so many graces upon me that I am able to give these graces in abundance to those who ask for them through me as Mediatrix.'”

~ St. Louis de Montfort

St. Maximilian Kolbe

A single act of love makes the soul return to life.  Let us often make use of this means.

 January 1894 – 14 August 1941

St Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.

Beautiful

What an absolutely incredible child!

I do not think I know anyone whose faith can compare to that of this precious saint.

Nothing left to do

Well, it looks like I may have come to the end of the road. It may literally take an act of Congress to help me to become a nun at this point, and since God could make these obstacles of mine disappear with far less than that, and He has chosen not to, then I really must come to grips with the fact that maybe He was never calling me in the first place.

It has been a rough day. I am completely devastated by the finality of it all, after so many years of longing for Him in this way. And even though I am convinced that HE put this longing in my heart, His silence and inaction speak louder than words, and it is simply too late for me to enter on April 29th. Absent a generous donor willing to take on my school loan, there is nothing left to do and nothing left to give. I have given everything I can think of, and done everything I can think of, and He simply does not want me, at least not for this.

Soooo….I don’t know that I will be writing here for awhile. This has been a long journey and I think it’s time to rest awhile.

Peace be with you during this Holy Week.