Will be back...

I am taking a short sabbatical.... I will continue the series on Capitals Sins and their corresponding Virtues when I get back.  Est. time off = 3 weeks. Thank you for your patience.

PRIDE vs HUMILITY - Day 7

<sup>Words of Our Savior:

Luke 17:7-10</sup>

 "Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’?  Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?  So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”

PRIDE vs HUMILITY - Day 6

Is it okay to be... brokeN?
   unsuccessful?  hurt?  sick?  rejected? stupid?  poor?  ugly?  afraid?

Is it okay to not be perfect?  Is it okay to be...what I am... ME?

Hello.  Nice to meet you.  I am broken!!!  Yes, I am broken.  I hurt.  I am afraid.  I regret.  I am not all that I want to be.

I have admitted what I am.  I have even said it out loud.

I couldn't say this out loud for a long time.  It is hard to say that word in application to myself... broken... but, I am... broken...

In many ways and many things, I have failed.  I don't have it all together and I don't like recognizing that.  I am proud.  And if I am going to talk about humility, I must also live it. I must honestly recognize myself for who I am.

I have realized over time that I sometimes am more afraid that people will see that I am struggling than of my actual problem.

What will people say if they knew...

Will they think I am incapable? useless? emotional? undisciplined? hypocritical? What will THEY think?

WHAT will they think?!????

Well, once I truly understood in my head that nothing I could do, would give me the power to control what THEY - the crowd of random persons, who aren't exactly main players in my life - think, it was easier to let go of this oppression.

Then, it's easier to let go of WHAT will they think?!????  This time the "they" are the people closest to me.

Also, openly recognizing that I am broken, I felt I could finally breathe.  Yes, I am broken, but so what? Aren't we all? We all are struggling with something. We are all hiding something. The longer we hide behind that mask, of  "nothing is wrong with me", then the longer it will take before we can heal.

There is nothing wrong with having something wrong with ourselves.  However, it is wrong to stay in the place where we think, or act as if there is nothing wrong with us.  Life is about fixing all those wrongs.  It is a test.  It is a challenge.  What will we do with this problem?  How will we turn it into the greatest good possible?

PRIDE vs HUMILITY - Day 5

The Seventeen Evidences of a Lack of Humility

~~ From the Writings of Bl. Josemaria Escriva 

1. To think that what one says or does is better than what others say or do

2. To always want to get your own way 

3. To argue with stubbornness and bad manners whether you are right or wrong 

4. To give your opinion when it has not been requested or when charity does not demand it

5. To look down on another's point of view 

6. Not to look on your gifts and abilities as borrowed

7. Not to recognize that you are unworthy of all honors and esteem, not even of the earth you walk on and things you possess 

8. To use yourself as an example in conversations 

9. To speak badly of yourself so that others will think well of you or contradict you 

10. To excuse yourself when you are corrected 

11. To hide humiliating faults from your spiritual director, so that he will not change the impression he has of you 

12. To take pleasure in praise and compliments 

13. To be saddened because others are held in higher esteem

14. To refuse to perform inferior tasks 

15. To seek to stand out 

16. To refer in conversation to your honesty, genius, dexterity, or professional prestige

17. To be ashamed because you lack certain goods

PRIDE vs HUMILITY - Day 4

Two prayers against pride: (from http://prayerbook.com/Subjects/sevepray.htm#PRIDE)

O Lord Jesus Christ, Pattern of humility, who didst empty Thyself of Thy glory, and take upon the form of a servant: root out of us all pride and conceit of heart, that, owing ourselves miserable and guilty sinners, we may willingly bear contempt and reproaches for Thy sake, and glorying in nothing but Thee, may esteem ourselves lowly in Thy sight. Not unto us, O Lord, but to Thy name be the praise, for Thy loving mercy and for Thy truth's sake. Amen. 

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O Most humble Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, eternal praise and thanksgiving be to Thee, because in Thy tenderest age, on the eighth day of Thy mortal life, Thou didst vouchsafe to shed Thy precious and innocent Blood for us, and as a true Son of Abraham to bear the pain of Circumcision. By this most holy shedding of Thy Blood, I beg of Thee, the grace of humility against all pride and worldly vanity.

Our Father… Hall Mary… Glory Be…

O Savior of the world, who by Thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us: save us, and help us, we humbly beseech Thee, O Lord.

PRIDE vs.HUMILITY - Day 3

(I know, I know! In "time" it's day four and I am a day late!!! Sorry.  Life just was such that I was unable to post.  It is a further reminder to me that "tomorrow is not promised" and I am not in control of anything. What God wants my day to be is not always what I envision the evening before...)
 

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In considering humility today, I considered obedience: a proud soul doesn't obey.

Here is a directive from Jesus to St. Faustina:

"My daughter, let three virtues adorn you in a particular way: humility, purity of intention and love. Do nothing beyond what I demand of you, and accept everything that My hand gives you. Strive for a life of recollection so that you can hear My voice, which is so soft that only recollected souls can hear it..." (#1779)

The Degrees of Obedience  -- According to St. Faustina

Prompt and and complete fulfillment -- the obedience of the will, when the will persuades the intellect to submit to the advice of a superior. To facilitate obedience, Saint Ignatius suggests, moreover, three means: always to see God in our superior, whoever he might be; to justify in itself the order or advice of the superior; to accept each order as an order from God, without examining it or reflecting upon it. General means: humility. Nothing is difficult for the humble.  (#93-94)

"[W]ithout examining it or reflecting upon it." Wow, that level of willing submission is very jarring. I believe that this can only be accomplished with grace. Jesus, have mercy on us!

PRIDE vs HUMILITY - Day 2

Meditation I: Of Creation 

 by St. Francis De Sales

Preparation

1. Place yourself in the presence of God.

2. Ask Him to inspire you.

Considerations

1.  Consider that but a few years ago you were not in the world at all, and that you did not exist. Where were you, O my soul, at the time? The world has already lasted such a long time, and it had no news of you.

2.  God brought you forth out of this nothingness, to make you what you are merely of his goodness, for he had no need of you.

3. Consider the being that God has given you; for it is the highest form of being on earth, capable of living eternally and of being perfectly united to His divine Majesty. 

Affections and Resoulutions

1. Humble yourself profoundly before God, saying from your heart with the Psalmist: O Lord, I am nothing before thee. And why hast thou been mindful of me to create me? Alas! my soul, thou were in the abyss of nothingness, and have remained there, if God had not drawn you hence; and what could you do in this nothingness?

2. Give thanks to God. O my great and good Creator, how much do I owe You, since You have vouchsafed to take me in my nothingness, in order to make me in Your mercy what I am. What shall I ever be able to do in order to worthily bless Your Holy Name and give thanks to Your inestimable goodness?

3. Be filled with confusion. But Alas! my Creator; instead of uniting myself to You by love and service, I have made myself altogether a rebel by my inordinate affections, separating and withdrawing myself from You, in order to attach myself to sin, giving You no more honor than if You had not been my Creator.

4. Cast yourself down before God. O my soul, know that the Lord is your God; He made you, and you did not make yourself. O God, I am the work of Your hands.

5. Therefore, I do not wish any longer to take pleasure in myself, who for my part am nothing. Why do you do glorify yourself, O dust and ashes? Yes rather, O true nothingness, why do you lift yourself up? And, in order to humble myself, I will do such or such thing, bear with such or such contempt. I will change my life and henceforth follow my Creator, and glory in that condition of being which He has given me, making use of it entirely in obedience to His will, by such means as shall be taught me, and concerning which I will enquire of my spiritual Father.

Conclusion

1. Thanksgiving. -  Give thanks to God. Bless your God, O my soul, and let all who are with me bless His Holy Name; for His goodness has drawn me forth from nothingness, and His mercy has created me.

2. Oblation. - O my God, I offer You the being which You have given me, with all my heart; I dedicate and consecrate it to You.

3. Petition. -  O God, strengthen me in these affections and resolutions; O holy Virgin recommend them to the mercy of Your Son, with all those for whom I ought to pray, etc. 

Pater Noster, Ave.

At the conclusion of your prayer walk about a little and gather a bouquet of devotion, from the considerations which you have made, in order to inhale its perfume throughout the day.

 

PRIDE vs. HUMLITY

As you well know, pride and humility are contraries. You have also heard that:

Pride always goes before a fall... The bigger you are the harder you fall...etc.,

Ironically, as the most popular vice, pride has the least popular solution: humility. Humility is a scary word. Wrongly understood, it is often associated with having little self worth. Who wants that? 

Luckily, that is not what humility is. Humility is simply the right understanding of one's self. 

It is not thinking more highly of one's self  than one actually is, nor is it thinking lower of one's self than one actually is. It is understanding one's self exactly.

It is responsibly and honestly assessing who we are, what we have done, what we are good at, and what we have failed. It is realizing that we aren't in control.

St. Paul says, "For that which I work, I understand not. For I do not that good which I will; but the evil which I hate, that I do." (Rom 7:15) 

If St. Paul isn't in control of himself, than how can we claim such a control over ourselves, our lives and each other? Do we not also sometimes do what we hate, because of weakness? Who is without regret, without sin, without unchecked self-appointed glory?

Not me!!! :-)

Therefore, on Day 1 of 7 on PRIDE vs HUMILITY, I offer a simple prayer:

Jesus, please help me to see myself as You see me. 

Heal me from my self inflicted blindness. 

Open my eyes so that I see clearly what I need to be for You. 

I beg Your forgiveness for all the times I praised myself instead of You.

 Please heal the wounds that my pride has caused in me over the years. 

Please also bless those whom I have hurt because of my pride;
please bless them more than You bless me. 

Thank you. Amen. 

Introduction to the Devote Life - as inspired by St. Francis De Sales

I am currently reading St. Francis of De Sales', "Introduction to the Devote Life," and  I am discussing it with a friend. I think that St. Francis has a very simple and direct way to approach holiness.

He really has helped me become more aware of how to complete the journey, as opposed to just being on it. I believe that St. Francis addresses exactly the way to overcome sin and reach the perfection that Jesus Christ calls us to: "be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." St. Francis breaks this journey down into simple steps. 

• Stop committing mortal sins!
• Get rid of the attachments to mortal sin!
• Stop committing venials sins!
• Get rid of the attachments to venial sin! 

As a a refresher, I am breaking out the Baltimore Catechism (didn't you just love it as a kid?):

66 - 67, 69. What is mortal sin? Why is the sin called mortal? 

What are the three things necessary to make a sin mortal?

 Mortal sin is a grievous offense against the law of God. This sin is called mortal, or deadly, because it deprives the sinner of sanctifying grace, the supernatural life of the soul. To make a sin mortal these three things are necessary:

i) first, the thought, desire, word, action or omission must be seriously wrong;

ii) second, the sinner must be mindful of the serious wrong;

iii) third, the sinner must fully consent to it.

So... in other words to do the first thing St. Francis recommends, we must stop fully consenting to and committing grievous offenses against God. Easy! Right? :-)

After we become a master of this, the second task is to rid ourselves of the delight we experience with these sins: "I would commit these, if only the fear of God wasn't stopping me!" vs. "I hate doing that because it is harmful to me and the relationship I have with God and my neighbor. I am disgusted by the thought of doing that!"

And lastly (in my summary of his way), St. Francis recommends the purging of venial sin.

70 &71. What is venial sin? How can a sin be venial?

Venial sin is a less serious offense against the law of God, which does not deprive the soul of

 sanctifying grace... A sin can be venial in two ways:

i) first, when the evil done is not seriously wrong;

ii) second, when the evil done is seriously wrong, 

but the sinner sincerely believes it is only slightly wrong, 

or does not give full consent to it.

For both mortal and venial sins, their sources come from the following vices: pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy and sloth. These are also known as Capital or Deadly Sins. (75. They are called capital sins because they, in themselves, are not the greatest sins, but they are the chief reasons why men commit sin.)

Since all sin is displeasing to God, and sometimes, even deadly for us, I think it is wise to try and cut off every source of sin in our lives. For myself, I am going to look at each capital sin closely for a week . In doing so, I will compare them to the virtues opposite to them. I desire to develop the virtues that counter them such as humility, gratitude, chastity, charity, temperance etc.,. Therefore, I will include the prayers and ideas that I have come across to help root out the vice and strengthen the virtue. I will chose a new capital sin to examine each Sunday. Today, I will start with.... PRIDE. See my next blog entry for today.

Happy Sunday!

Meanwhile, you might find this article helpful: Examination of Conscience for Adults
or, try this quiz for a quick examination :-): Seven Deadly Sins Quiz - What's Your Sin?

Novena of Confidence to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Lord, Jesus Christ, to Your Most Sacred Heart

I confide this intention

(mention your request)

Only look upon me, then do what Your Heart inspires...

Let Your Sacred Heart decide...

I count on You.... I trust in You,

I throw myself on Your Mercy.

Lord Jesus! You will not fail me

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, 

I believe in Your Love for me.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I have asked many favors,

but I earnestly implore this one.

Take it in Your Sacred Heart.

When the Eternal Father sees it 

covered with Your Precious Blood, 

He will not refuse it.

It will no longer be my prayers but Yours.

O Jesus, O Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I place my trust in You.

Let me never be confounded. Amen.

CONSECRATION

O, most Holy Heart of Jesus,

fountain of every blessing, I adore You,

I love You with a likely sorrow

for my sins, I offer You this poor heart of mine.

Make me humble, patient, pure and wholly 

obedient to Your Will.  

Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in You 

and for You. Protect me in the midst of danger,

comfort me in my afflictions;

give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs. 

Your blessing on all that I do,

and the grace of a holy death.

NOVENA PRAYER

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, 

loved in all tabernacles

until the end of time. Amen.

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised

and glorified now and forever. Amen

Blessed be the name of Jesus.

Blessed be the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

pray for us and hear or prayer. Amen.

(1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory be...)

 

Already There -- Casting Crowns