GREAT ARTICLE by Fr. Heilman
I hope he writes a book!!!
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Spiritual Warfare
Fr. Z ~ Hardest Post He has ever Written
Has some very good points...Things we all need to reflect on going further into the diaconate.
What I was getting out of this today, was the spiritual warfare that is going on...
He states, "that war is horrible, vicious and seriously ugly. Spiritual war is worse than material."
Think about that for a minute...
What does that mean? How can this be?!?!
IMO ~ because spiritual war is for your SOUL! It's wounds last an eternity!!!
There is a whole spiritual realm that "the many" do not even understand. We have guardian angels that watch over us! There is an entire army of Holy Angels that fight all around us, daily.
We have to be conscious of the angels and the spiritual realm every day! Use the spiritual gifts we have been given...the sacramentals, the prayers, the graces that God has given us and fight!
USGF ~ United State Grace Force (by Fr. Heilman)
Is a great place to start...
Fortes in Fide
Has some very good points...Things we all need to reflect on going further into the diaconate.
What I was getting out of this today, was the spiritual warfare that is going on...
He states, "that war is horrible, vicious and seriously ugly. Spiritual war is worse than material."
Think about that for a minute...
What does that mean? How can this be?!?!
IMO ~ because spiritual war is for your SOUL! It's wounds last an eternity!!!
There is a whole spiritual realm that "the many" do not even understand. We have guardian angels that watch over us! There is an entire army of Holy Angels that fight all around us, daily.
We have to be conscious of the angels and the spiritual realm every day! Use the spiritual gifts we have been given...the sacramentals, the prayers, the graces that God has given us and fight!
USGF ~ United State Grace Force (by Fr. Heilman)
Is a great place to start...
Fortes in Fide
Sunday, February 10, 2019
#TRUTH
"The Truth of the filial adoption in Christ, which is intrinsically supernatural, constitutes the synthesis of the entire Divine Revelation."
Let that sink in...
Then move on to the rest...HERE
This is a great statement/article by Bishop Athanasius Schneider
This one has some highlighted portions by Fr. Altman (St. James the Less)
This is an excellent statement on our Faith as Christians!
It is posted HERE (at One Peter Five) or HERE (at Rorate Caeli) as well.
Let that sink in...
Then move on to the rest...HERE
This is a great statement/article by Bishop Athanasius Schneider
This one has some highlighted portions by Fr. Altman (St. James the Less)
This is an excellent statement on our Faith as Christians!
It is posted HERE (at One Peter Five) or HERE (at Rorate Caeli) as well.
Thursday, February 7, 2019
Relationships
I've been thinking about God's and my relationship!
I like it...
I have one...
A personal one...
BUT, like any relationship, we can still go deeper!
What does having a good relationship take? TIME & EFFORT...
God's effort is never the problem.
He is ALWAYS there. He is perfect! He is omnipotent, omniscient, & omnipresent!
God's time is never an issue, he works "out of time & space".
Me, I get lost in time and space...and it seems that the only one I "tend" to forget in that time is God.
In these past few days (Week IV) of the Divine Office, I have "felt" and "heard" our Lord in my life and my relationship to Him.
Psalm 138 ~ Thanksgiving
Psalm 108 ~ Praise to God & a plea for help
Psalm 146 ~ Those who trust in God know what it is to be happy
Psalm 139: 1-18, 23-24 ~ God sees all that is
God is LOVE. Our relationship has to be about LOVE!
Do everything you do for the love of God and His creation!
Here are some quotes that I need to reflect on...
Quotes from Chapter 2 ~ A New Friendship ~ Edward L. Buelt
"Communio, sharing the divine delight, is the very essence of being and the way of all creation."
"The deacon is called to be in and to live this communio, and to lead others, especially sinners and the poor, into their own intimate relationship with God."
"...freed by Christ in baptism, once ordained, a deacon obediently serves God's Word."
"...a deacon makes himself freely "present" and takes up the duties and obligations of Christian service responsibly."
[From the Latin res and pons, meaning reality (or truth) and bridge.]
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus," St Paul taught.
I like it...
I have one...
A personal one...
BUT, like any relationship, we can still go deeper!
What does having a good relationship take? TIME & EFFORT...
God's effort is never the problem.
He is ALWAYS there. He is perfect! He is omnipotent, omniscient, & omnipresent!
God's time is never an issue, he works "out of time & space".
Me, I get lost in time and space...and it seems that the only one I "tend" to forget in that time is God.
In these past few days (Week IV) of the Divine Office, I have "felt" and "heard" our Lord in my life and my relationship to Him.
Psalm 138 ~ Thanksgiving
Psalm 108 ~ Praise to God & a plea for help
Psalm 146 ~ Those who trust in God know what it is to be happy
Psalm 139: 1-18, 23-24 ~ God sees all that is
God is LOVE. Our relationship has to be about LOVE!
Do everything you do for the love of God and His creation!
Here are some quotes that I need to reflect on...
Quotes from Chapter 2 ~ A New Friendship ~ Edward L. Buelt
"Communio, sharing the divine delight, is the very essence of being and the way of all creation."
"The deacon is called to be in and to live this communio, and to lead others, especially sinners and the poor, into their own intimate relationship with God."
"...freed by Christ in baptism, once ordained, a deacon obediently serves God's Word."
"...a deacon makes himself freely "present" and takes up the duties and obligations of Christian service responsibly."
[From the Latin res and pons, meaning reality (or truth) and bridge.]
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus," St Paul taught.
Sunday, February 3, 2019
Being vs. Doing...
Thoughts from this weekend ~
Doing all things to serve Christ!
Being the icon of Christ the Suffering Servant
Letting Christ, the suffering servant work through you!
Your life is not about You!
A surrender to God's will, seeking holiness through service to others.
Doing all things to serve Christ!
Being the icon of Christ the Suffering Servant
Letting Christ, the suffering servant work through you!
Your life is not about You!
A surrender to God's will, seeking holiness through service to others.
Monday, January 14, 2019
On Prayer
Diaconate Formation ~ Fr. Kiziewski
"If you do not have 30 minutes of mental prayer, you need to change (& add that)!
Some thoughts on Prayer:
Prayer must translate to the HEART!!!
Romans 8:26 ~ "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words."
All Prayer has 2 purposes:
#1 ~ Glorify God
#2 ~ Make us better (saves our soul/more holy).
Below is a great video to reflect on:
"If you do not have 30 minutes of mental prayer, you need to change (& add that)!
Some thoughts on Prayer:
Prayer must translate to the HEART!!!
Romans 8:26 ~ "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words."
All Prayer has 2 purposes:
#1 ~ Glorify God
#2 ~ Make us better (saves our soul/more holy).
Below is a great video to reflect on:
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Ashes & Sackcloth
A great bit of writing:
A Year of Ashes
Some key take-aways (besides a year of contrition & penance, which would be fitting!):
~ Vows are vows and should be recognized as such (for both laity and ordained).
~ SIN is the problem, and the unwillingness to call SIN what it is!
~ We should FEAR GOD more than we fear (earthly) consequences!
BTW ~
I HAVE heard homilies, teaching and preaching on these very subjects. I count myself blessed to have had fantastic priests that speak the TRUTH and who look after their flock and really try to save souls!
Saving souls is no joke!!!
Another quote/thought that I reflected on this week:
Jesus taught and THEN fed. ~ Fr. Altman (Homily HERE)
This was as it relates to the people who would like to say Jesus would accept everyone (no matter their sins, w/o repentance) today! That we should be open to all, no matter their choices.
WRONG...teach them the TRUTH, and then, if they choose to follow (repent), welcome them with open arms!
Let's keep in mind that teaching does not have to be with a hammer (but sometimes it helps), but it can also not ALWAYS be with a feather, either.
ALWAYS show compassion and mercy!
Let's define compassion and mercy...It is NOT acceptance!!!
It IS caring for their ETERNAL SALVATION...teach them if the things they are doing are contrary to the truth. We MUST let them know there is more to life than the temporal, and that they (& we) should be concerned with the "life to come" far more than the immediate satisfaction/pleasures.
All Glory be to God!
A Year of Ashes
Some key take-aways (besides a year of contrition & penance, which would be fitting!):
~ Vows are vows and should be recognized as such (for both laity and ordained).
~ SIN is the problem, and the unwillingness to call SIN what it is!
~ We should FEAR GOD more than we fear (earthly) consequences!
BTW ~
I HAVE heard homilies, teaching and preaching on these very subjects. I count myself blessed to have had fantastic priests that speak the TRUTH and who look after their flock and really try to save souls!
Saving souls is no joke!!!
Another quote/thought that I reflected on this week:
Jesus taught and THEN fed. ~ Fr. Altman (Homily HERE)
This was as it relates to the people who would like to say Jesus would accept everyone (no matter their sins, w/o repentance) today! That we should be open to all, no matter their choices.
WRONG...teach them the TRUTH, and then, if they choose to follow (repent), welcome them with open arms!
Let's keep in mind that teaching does not have to be with a hammer (but sometimes it helps), but it can also not ALWAYS be with a feather, either.
ALWAYS show compassion and mercy!
Let's define compassion and mercy...It is NOT acceptance!!!
It IS caring for their ETERNAL SALVATION...teach them if the things they are doing are contrary to the truth. We MUST let them know there is more to life than the temporal, and that they (& we) should be concerned with the "life to come" far more than the immediate satisfaction/pleasures.
All Glory be to God!
Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Advent 2018
I have begun to fast on the Ember Days
It has been a good thing...getting back to the traditions of the Catholic Church.
Fasting and abstinence on Fridays is an important part of our Faith.
I would encourage you to try this...see what you feel like, where your mind goes, etc.
Reflect on Christ's Passion...
Adding these ember days, contributes to that penitential response even more so...
Remembering that God has given us ALL of creation...this includes nature, the seasons, weather, etc
This is a pic that I found and reflected during this Advent Season (and will continue to this year):
It has been a good thing...getting back to the traditions of the Catholic Church.
Fasting and abstinence on Fridays is an important part of our Faith.
I would encourage you to try this...see what you feel like, where your mind goes, etc.
Reflect on Christ's Passion...
Adding these ember days, contributes to that penitential response even more so...
Remembering that God has given us ALL of creation...this includes nature, the seasons, weather, etc
This is a pic that I found and reflected during this Advent Season (and will continue to this year):
It says volumes...maybe even better to reflect on throughout the entire year, but makes more sense when you read it in light of ADVENT...
HOWEVER... We have been told that "the many" (the "In crowd") are taking the broad path, while "the few" are following the narrow path to heaven
Enter by the narrow gate, since the road that leads to destruction is wide and spacious, and many take it; but it is a narrow gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only a few find it. ~ Matt 7:13
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