Category: Step 1

Wisdom

2518 The sixth beatitude proclaims, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”307 “Pure in heart” refers to those who have attuned their intellects and wills to the demands of God’s holiness, chiefly in three areas: charity;308 chastity or sexual rectitude;309 love of truth and orthodoxy of faith.310 There is a connection between purity of heart, of body, and of faith:

The faithful must believe the articles of the Creed “so that by believing they may obey God, by obeying may live well, by living well may purify their hearts, and with pure hearts may understand what they believe.“

3112519 The “pure in heart” are promised that they will see God face to face and be like him.

312 Purity of heart is the precondition of the vision of God. Even now it enables us to see according to God, to accept others as “neighbors”; it lets us perceive the human body – ours and our neighbor’s – as a temple of the Holy Spirit, a manifestation of divine beauty.
Catechism of the Catholic Church



This faith and obedience, the two sides of the same coin is something that I learned early on in my ‘reversion’ to the fullness of the Catholic faith. I remember shortly after falling in love with the Lord anew. I was in my bedroom and had finished praying and was attempting to meditate on the days readings. So I just sat there for a while and spoke to Him. I plainly asked Him ‘so what now’? This sitting around in prayer thing still seemed pretty ‘boring’ to me at the time. I was wondering if this was it…did leading a Catholic Christian life simply mean sitting around praying all day.

His answer was so profound that even after two decades I remember it still. He told me…”you’ve prayed, now be attentive to ME and obey what I ask of you.” Well, let me tell you, my life has been anything but boring. Obeying Him has lead me on the most amazing adventures…my life to the reader may not seem very adventurous…I’m simply a homeschooling mom…but the path that lead me here was totally and completely amazing. It reminds of the following poem

This poem reflects the beautiful relationship that He wants with us.

At first, I saw God as my observer,
my judge,
keeping track of the things I did wrong,
so as to know whether I merited heaven
or hell when I die.
He was out there sort of like a president.
I recognized His picture when I saw it,
but I really didn’t know Him.

But later on
when I met Christ,
it seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride,
but it was a tandem bike,
and I noticed that Christ
was in the back helping me pedal.

I don’t know just when it was
that He suggested we change places,
but life has not been the same since.

When I had control,
I knew the way.
It was rather boring,
but predictable . . .
It was the shortest distance between two points.

But when He took the lead,
He knew delightful long cuts,
up mountains,
and through rocky places
at breakneck speeds,
it was all I could do to hang on!
Even though it looked like madness,
He said, “Pedal!”

I worried and was anxious
and asked,
“Where are you taking me?”
He laughed and didn’t answer,
and I started to learn to trust.

I forgot my boring life
and entered into the adventure.
And when I’d say, “I’m scared,”
He’d lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed,
gifts of healing,
acceptance
and joy.
They gave me gifts to take on my journey,
my Lord’s and mine.

And we were off again.
He said, “Give the gifts away;
they’re extra baggage, too much weight.”
So I did,
to the people we met,
and I found that in giving I received,
and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him,
at first,
in control of my life.
I thought He’d wreck it;
but He knows bike secrets,
knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners,
knows how to jump to clear high rocks,
knows how to fly to shorten scary passages.

And I am learning to shut up
and pedal
in the strangest places,
and I’m beginning to enjoy the view
and the cool breeze on my face
with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ.

And when I’m sure I just can’t do anymore,
He just smiles and says . . . “Pedal.”

— author unknown

You can go to this page—> Jesus My Lord and Savior to read more about faith and obedience and how both are required.

Poverty




2447 The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily necessities.241 Instructing, advising, consoling, comforting are spiritual works of mercy, as are forgiving and bearing wrongs patiently.

The corporal works of mercy consist especially in feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and imprisoned, and burying the dead.

242 Among all these, giving alms to the poor is one of the chief witnesses to fraternal charity: it is also a work of justice pleasing to God:243
<Catechism of the Catholic Church



The Lord has distributed His gifts and graces among His children, none to be kept to themselves but to be put to good use in service of His Church, the Body of Christ. Some of us are more equipped according to our personalities and life experience, for the spiritual works of mercy and others for the corporal.

It reminds me of Martha and Mary, both greatly loved Jesus but each showed it in very different ways. We may even at times be tempted to do like Martha did and look down on or even be jealous of our brothers and sisters who serve differently from us. That would be a grave mistake though. We are all needed and essentially all we need to do is …yes…pray and obey! Be YOU! The best version of you aided by His grace! Only look to others to see how you can help.

The following story explains well our need for each other —> The Long Handle Spoons

Detachment

2544 Jesus enjoins his disciples to prefer him to everything and everyone, and bids them “renounce all that [they have]” for his sake and that of the Gospel.

335 Shortly before his passion he gave them the example of the poor widow of Jerusalem who, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.

336 The precept of detachment from riches is obligatory for entrance into the Kingdom of heaven.
—Catechism of the Catholic Church



We may be tempted to see ‘riches’ as strictly monetary and therefore if we aren’t in the top 1% then this doesn’t really apply to us. Not so, anything that we may be ‘clinging’ to, is a form of richness. We are to release our attachments to people and things so that we can totally enjoy His Kingdom and all that He wants to give to us.



Matthew 13:45-46
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.


We are most likely not being called to homelessness, what we are being called to is ‘detachment’. To pray and obey, to listen to His voice and be willing to step into it with Him, no matter where He leads us or do whatever He asks of us. I said be willing, not be thrilled with it. That ‘not thrilled’ feeling when we first start to undertake this is what ‘sacrifice’ is about. It can be downright painful to let go of our own will. But hope and trust kick in and we know that what God promises us is true. That the Kingdom is worth it all.

When we think about sacrificing, we may think about Lent and the little sacrifices we are asked to make there. Well…it’s a start. Lent is supposed to be a training ground for life. This is why the Church sets up days of fasting, it’s a teaching platform more than anything. It is teaching us to become detached from our own will. By the way Fridays are still days of fasting, even though the abstinence part (no meat) has mostly been done away with. Meaning that we can choose our own sacrifice. But honestly, staying away from animal products has a good effect on our body as well, it is alkalizing.

My favorite story —> the little girl and her pearls.




Resiliency

1808 Fortitude is the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good. It strengthens the resolve to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life.

The virtue of fortitude enables one to conquer fear, even fear of death, and to face trials and persecutions. It disposes one even to renounce and sacrifice his life in defense of a just cause.

“The Lord is my strength and my song.”70 “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”71 —Catechism of the Catholic Church

No one is totally immune from the tragedies of life, that’s not what our life of faith is about. We live in a world that is filled with evil and unexpected situations of all sorts that can effect and wound us deeply and can come our way quite unexpectedly.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. —Ephesians 6:13


The thing that can get us through, is to strengthen our CORE and then totally releasing the situation into God’s hands. In full trust that whatever the situation is, He can and will bring good out of it.

I’ve experienced this personally in my own life so many times. Read about my own story of ‘reversion’ here —> MY Testimony I’ve had many more such life altering moments since then, moments that have deepened my faith walk. They all required me to step aside, and to trust Him fully. They were gut wrenching and difficult and the first instinct is to wallow in self pity, but then you “let go and let God” and heaven opens up! <br><br><br>

Hope

1818 The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man; it takes up the hopes that inspire men’s activities and purifies them so as to order them to the Kingdom of heaven; it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude. Buoyed up by hope, he is preserved from selfishness and led to the happiness that flows from charity.–Catechism of the Catholic Church

We often place our hope on so many undeserving people and things only to get let down time and time again. We think, this new book, this new diet plan, or this new relationship will finally do it. That the key to our complete happiness lays somewhere outside of ourselves.

Although material things can certainly satisfy us for a little while, and that keeps us in the game where intense addictions of varying degrees can set in. That’s not what we were created for. We were created for Him. Like St. Augustine said, “our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” And it’s not merely the ‘unchurched’ who hunger, we all do to some extent and need to be reminded often of what we have in Him.

There’s a better way. In Matthew 6:33 Jesus tells us to

“seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”


He wants it all for us, but He wants us to come to Him first. He knows our needs, and He knows what is best for us. So we are to ‘pray and obey’…to walk closely in relationship with Him, not merely tell Him what He needs to do for us, He’s not a genie granting wishes. We lay all of our burdens on Him, but then we allow Him to speak to us. To guide us in our steps. The world has an answer for every problem. But often times they are very different than the Lord’s way.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your way, and my thoughts than your thoughts. –Isaiah 55:9

Respect

1931 Respect for the human person proceeds by way of respect for the principle that “everyone should look upon his neighbor (without any exception) as ‘another self,’ above all bearing in mind his life and the means necessary for living it with dignity.”37

No legislation could by itself do away with the fears, prejudices, and attitudes of pride and selfishness which obstruct the establishment of truly fraternal societies. Such behavior will cease only through the charity that finds in every man a “neighbor,” a brother. Catechism of the Catholic Church

In today’s society the word respect has come to mean something or someone we like, a feeling of deep admiration. However in the Christian Catholic perspective we are to go even beyond that. The term that I prefer is reverence. A deep awareness and appreciation for all that contains truth, beauty and goodness…the seeds of holiness.

If we truly were capable of seeing God throughout His entire creation, including ourselves, we’d be living in a state of reverence; seeing God everywhere and in everyone, even in those who cannot see it in themselves or have temporarily rejected it. I say temporarily, because it only becomes permanent at the hour of our bodily death. Until then it is our duty to make sure that no a single one of our brothers are lost.

This is not the wishy-washy ‘tolerance’ that our society so embraces, or the lack luster ‘luv’ that everyone is into. But a genuine, wanting the very best for each soul we encounter and desiring heaven for them.

This type of respect begins with ourselves. In what ways are we disrespecting ourselves? Do we know that this thing that we are subjecting ourselves to is harming us and we continue to do it? That’s disrespect.

Diligence

1430 Jesus’ call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before him, does not aim first at outward works, “sackcloth and ashes,” fasting and mortification, but at the conversion of the heart, interior conversion.
Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.23 — Catechism of the Catholic Church

We often see ‘fasting’ and ‘mortification’, as ways to make us feel as badly as possible because we look at it wrongly. Instead of turning to God and asking Him what would He like us to hand over to Him, we start thinking of some grand scheme that we ourselves can put into place.

The truth is that it does cause ‘suffering’ but only to the extent of our attachment to the thing that we are relinquishing. The motive should be to be free of all idols, to love God and His will for us above all.

In Uniformity of God’s Will, St. Alphonsus Ligouri says. “The essence of perfection is to embrace the will of God in all things, prosperous or adverse. In prosperity, even sinners find it easy to unite themselves to the divine will; but it takes saints to unite themselves to God’s will when things go wrong and are painful to self-love.“

So when looking for some penance to do, I’d suggest first turning to God in prayer and then look at all the ways that little disobediences have crept it…attack those. You’ll know them by their addictive qualities or strongholds…those things that are either at the point of causing outright pain already or are simply at the beginning stages and making you feel like you can’t live without them. Look at all that you consume… whether through diet or are letting in to your life through entertainment or so forth.

The end result, this union with God is SO worth it all, and not just for ourselves. In these dark times we are in now, where so much disobedience, if not outright evil is palpable… the only to combat it is with radical obedience. God can use each one of us, even if in the smallest ways. We just need to be completely open to receiving directions from Him without any interference. Our attachments and sins, cause interference.

Please take some time and watch this video on fasting…very powerful.

Fasting

Surrender

2830 …The Father who gives us life cannot but give us the nourishment life requires – all appropriate goods and blessings, both material and spiritual. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus insists on the filial trust that cooperates with our Father’s providence.115 He is not inviting us to idleness,116 but wants to relieve us from nagging worry and preoccupation. Such is the filial surrender of the children of God:

To those who seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, he has promised to give all else besides. Since everything indeed belongs to God, he who possesses God wants for nothing, if he himself is not found wanting before God.117
(Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Getting back to loving God with our “whole strength” and caring for our physical bodies, which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit also known as the ‘breath of God’.

There are several ways of stirring up the Holy Spirit, prayer, communion with each other (where two or more are gathered, there I’ll be), singing songs of praise…you get the point.

Now let’s take a look at what’s been happening and how Satan is attacking and we get a clearer picture of why. From the “I can’t breathe” movement to the whole pandemic situation, which has hit the lungs of those in high risk groups particularly hard. We’ve been prevented from gathering together, from singing in churches, and we’ve been told to wear masks (I’ll get to that later). Now do you see…this is an attack on the Holy Spirit! If Satan is THIS angry…something good must be coming that he is trying so desperately to keep us from.

Folks…we need to invoke the Holy Spirit! We need a revival and we need it NOW!

Now to get back to the physical act of breathing itself…and specifically the role of the lungs. We know that through inhalation we take in necessary oxygen, which our lungs helps to disperse through the blood system and then into every single cell in our bodies. What is not often considered is the importance of exhalation. Why do we need to exhale at all?

Well our Creator knew exactly what we would need to keep our bodies functioning properly. When we exhale, we release toxins that have been accumulated in our bodies. We have various other organs that do this, but the lungs are an important component in detoxifying the body. We learned in my previous post KNOWLEDGE, about the lymphatic system and how acidity in the body can be detrimental to our health, well the detoxifying process is one way that brings the body back to a more balanced PH. Now can you see what a potential hazard blocking this process via masks can be?

But the law is the law and I’m not telling you to not wear one. Here’s what I AM telling you. Be smart about it. Be aware of why your body works the way it does. The whole PH thing is about balance; and toxins of all sorts, from the food we eat, the air we breathe, the products we use on our skin, to our very own emotions, can effect it.

So here are my suggestions for healthier lungs…

  • Watch your general toxicity level (stay healthy…keep reading this blog for more ideas coming up.)
  • Reduce indoor pollutants (especially the products that you clean with, and air freshners)
  • Get fresh air as often as possible (remove that mask when it’s not necessary, please don’t drive around with it when you are alone in the car.)
  • Do some breathing exercises. You can find some on Youtube. But just some deep breathing. We tend toward shallow breathing when we get anxious.
  • Get some movement in (this helps to move your lymphatic system as well). Simple walks are fine. A small trampoline at home, or a treadmill, are great for the Winter.
  • Add some house plants.

I am a Young Living distributor because I fully believe in their products and I feel the Lord has lead me to them. More to come on this. So if you’d like to explore clean, toxin free options for anything from cleaning supplies, to beauty products, please check out my page—> Essy’s Young Living Page.

Renunciation

2015 The way of perfection passes by way of the Cross. There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle.68 Spiritual progress entails the ascesis and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes:

He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows.69

2016 The children of our holy mother the Church rightly hope for the grace of final perseverance and the recompense of God their Father for the good works accomplished with his grace in communion with Jesus.70 Keeping the same rule of life, believers share the “blessed hope” of those whom the divine mercy gathers into the “holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”71 Catechism of the Catholic Church

On this journey there will be many ‘stair cases’ set before us, many apparent choices for us to make. But only one will bring us to the fullness of life. It takes extra ordinary virtue to persevere in it. Satan will use all at his disposal to lure us away from the path that the Lord has set before us. Renunciation then is to renounce these other choices. To stay true to our mission at hand. What is that? Well, it’s actually not as complicated as we may at times think. It’s merely to do the duty of the moment.

If you have the tendency to get as spazzed out as I do, setting up a routine might be a good idea. In the very beginning of this series I spoke of the book ‘A Mother’s Rule of Life’. The same way that monasteries have a set rule for the nuns to follow, we mothers can set one up for ourselves too. I like to schedule my routine in time blocks, instead of hour by hour.

The way mine is set up is the first time block is for me and God. The second time block as a homeschooling mom, I have assigned to my kids and as they have more independence now, I can also attain to my other Divinely assigned ‘ministries’ as they come up, during this time slot. Then my final slot is to attend to my home and family’s needs.

Then it becomes a matter of praying and listening. Being attentive to what our weaknesses or (‘symptoms’) are and specifically giving those areas over to Him as the video that I’ve linked below suggests, ‘practice the virtue that opposes your weakness’.

If you haven’t yet done so, this may be a good time to start that journal that I mentioned last week. Start paying attention to the areas that are causing you the most hurt, and with God’s grace and guidance, work to change them.

These are incredibly difficult times that we are all living through. But God has a plan, and it starts with each one of us working on the thing that we have the most influence over…ourselves. It’s really that simple.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!” So…are you ready to become part of the kindling? The Kingdom needs you. Have a blessed day!

Counsel

1831 The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. They belong in their fullness to Christ, Son of David.109 They complete and perfect the virtues of those who receive them. They make the faithful docile in readily obeying divine inspirations. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.110 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God . . . If children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.111
(Catechism of the Catholic Church)

Counsel is a gift of the Holy Spirit, one given to us to be able to discern the voice of the Lord and to follow as He leads us. But like all of God’s gifts, they are never for our own benefit alone. Those that are able to discern the times, are often able to be used by God to speak to His other children. We know these people as the Prophets and we set them in a separate category of holiness. What if this special gift was never intended to be separated out, but to be abundantly lavished on all of His children.

Do you feel a little separated from the Holy Spirit at the moment? Here’s a special prayer .

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful
and enkindle in them the fire of your love.
V. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And you shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit,
did instruct the hearts of the faithful,
grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise
and ever to rejoice in His consolation.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.