Is there a 'fog on' switch because sometimes in my mind and heart I feel like I am struggling in a spiritual mist - as through a glass darkly. And I struggle to articulate faith orally. But when I start to write I get illumination and clarity - it is the strangest thing.
That was brought up at our retreat and it is a human trait. We must experience the lows in order to ascend to the highs. Or we must wander in the fog to know the joy of being in the light. If our thoughts wander in prayer and we realize it, then God is bringing us closer to him when we get back on track. But God is always there with us. In our fog and in our clarity. QUOTE="garabandal, post: 456002, member: 41"]Is there a 'fog on' switch because sometimes in my mind and heart I feel like I am struggling in a spiritual mist - as through a glass darkly. And I struggle to articulate faith orally. But when I start to write I get illumination and clarity - it is the strangest thing.[/QUOTE]
Wow! What is her book called ? This really strikes me. " what does it matter if we are soiled and shabby. We have Jesus for our holiness."
I have recently been thinking of the Joyful Mystery, the finding of Jesus in the Temple as the shout for joy mystery. I just imagine Mary shouting for joy when she found Jesus and it makes me smile. It is all downhill from there. Fulton Sheen always started his homilies with a few jokes and this was such a wise thing to do for nothing opens the heart like laughter.
I believe God communicates Himself to each individual soul in a unique manner as individual as the soul itself. Illumination and clarity often comes to me when I am before the Blessed Sacrament and it is given as a psalm. And in that psalm is the direct "answer" or insight i need. The psalm confirms the inner Word i receive. That is how I know it is the Lord. It isn't always that way. Sometimes like you it comes in writing. For me it flows out as a sonnet. I know its the Holy Spirit because sonnets are difficult to write and yet the words flow freely and fit the very rigid format effortlessly. I haven't experienced this illumination in a long time but I am always waiting. When the light turns on it is glorious but there are miles of darkness in between. Just my experience.
One theme I notice from Fr Benedict Groescels talks is how difficult it may be to live with a saint. He knew quite a few in his time. A for instance he mentioned how difficult it could be on occasion to deal with . He also mentions how difficult it would have been for the Apostles to live with Jesus. Why? Well in looking and listening to Him you would constantly be confronted with our own shortcoming. I notice for instance in talking to some Catholics who are very, very careful in not saying uncharitable things with other people.They would not directly rebuke you for being uncharitable but change the topic or just keep quiet. This can be an uncomfortable experience.
Today as I was praying the joyful mysteries I was struck once again by the phrase: and the Angel left her. Short and spare but what a world of meaning. " the Angel left her" No sticking around to tell her how to proceed or to counsel her. An unmarried pregnant girl in that culture! But the angel left her. Yet her first impulse was charity and off she went to Elizabeth. What an extraordinary amount of trust Our Lady had in God the Father. I could ponder this for a long time. And never get to the end if it. Contrast that with the disciples in the storm. " don't you care that we are about to perish??" It is huge. To me at least.
The highest truths come to rest like Noah's Ark on Mount Ararfat on the Mountain of Paradox. The is and is not.
I never realized this before but you are completely right. I often meditate on how young Our Lady was, but not this. And there was St. Joseph, having his own struggles.
I greatly appreciate this also......I've never really considered this from Mary's end of things....I've always followed the angel back to heaven, announcing with great Joy to all the Choirs~ "She said yes!!"
Yes! What an amazing thought, AED. Our Lady's charity towards Elizabeth must have brought forth great graces. As a frightened young girl, Our Lady must have found great comfort in assisting Elizabeth, and certainly it was a learning experience to prepare the young Mary for Jesus' birth.
Great quote, thanks for posting it. I feel like this observation repeats itself over and over in scripture. Original sin, Cain and Able, tower of Babel, the fall of the Hebrews over and over. It's like where Jesus says Matthew 7:21-23 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ No one thinks they are building the tower of babel when they are doing it. Consciously or subconsciously trying to control the means to acquire glory, heaven and holiness.
Here is one I just heard today. Babies aren't born in a barn, but lambs are. Shepherds don't watch over babies, but sheep and lambs.
The sun is shining today! What a difference it makes! It rained all day yesterday, very grey and misty. But if gave me time to do more work and cleaning and to catch up on some sleep. I bought two beautiful rugs which make a lot of difference. A good night's sleep makes a huge difference, I nearly fell over I was so tired at mass on Sunday. I feel sorry for the shop keepers in the little seaside town of Ballycastle as they will loose a fortune with the bad weather. Their ancient annual Auld Lammas Fair comes round in a few weeks, I hope they get good weather.
On Friday night in my last campsite a young family with a very large family turned up on the campsite. I was glad to see them for a little company but I was surprised anyone showed up because of the weather. It rained all Friday night and rained all Saturday. On Saturday the wife came over to tell me that I heir car had broken down when they were trying to get back home. She asked me to keep an eye on their car as they would be back on Monday. Monday came , more heavy rain. The husband came with a mechanic n a 4x4 with a trailor and hauled of the car. He gave me a great big smi le and a toot on the horn on the way of. I was touched by this. They had had their weekend ruined. He had probably had to take the day off work and drive to the middle of nowhere. He had to find a mechanic with a trailerat considerable expense to drive way out here. Goodness knows what was wrong with the car and how much it would cost to fix it. Still this great big smile and wave!! Remarkable. Some people can preach a sermon just with a smile.
This morning there was a funeral for a 97 year old man called David who was born way back in 1927. His wife died just two years ago. He seems to have had an interesting life of it being actress grandfather and owning a factory in town. It was not a big funeral but I was so sad because at the Eucharist there was a whole row of his family lying did go up to receive the Eucharist. They all sat there like stone. So very, very
