Tag: addictions

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

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!

Fortitude

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)

This special virtue is given to us to combat ‘vice’. In Portuguese the word ‘viceo’, means a habit or an addiction, while the English word has taken a more dire twist. But let’s aim to combat all ‘vices’. Even the little things that we hardly ever give a second thought to, can eventually trap us. Luckily we have Fortitude which is a gift of the Holy Spirit to see us through all of it.

Since we are starting our steps with the SELF, begin by listening to your body. What things do you know are causing you harm but you just can’t seem to quit. Ask the Holy Spirit for an extra portion of fortitude.

Please watch the following video by Christine Watkins from Queen of Peace Media.