Plain walls

We were overwhelmed at the task of packing last week, but now that is started it seems easier. The only thing we could do in the face of the overwhelming tasks, was to go ahead with one room, one step at a time, and not to see the whole picture. It worked well.

Now it is similiar with the state of our souls: we are following the study on Counsels of Perfection, http://counselsofperfection.blogspot.com/, and in the chapter of  removing venial sins I see a parallel with the packing of our house, it is good to know what is to come one step ahead, for planning, but not to see the whole scope, because it could be daunting. The reason for to see the next step is to prepare the tools for the battle, it is different to go to the fields with a mounted horse or with bow and arrows, in one you go straight to the enemy, in the other you stay at a distance. Some sins are better defeated by "grabbing the bull by the horns", by having the sword of the Sacraments frequently, others are better defeated by staying at a distance of temptation and sending the arrows of Truth.

We have carried with us a book on the Amish for 10 years, and its pictures have become familiar to us. On entering our new to become house for the first time, we felt at ease, at home, and after looking into many other farms thereafter we kept the same feeling about our first showing. Friends, banks and family have doubted our choice, and sometimes in the back of my mind I also hear the same doubts, yet it is in the plain walls, in the rough dry walls, in the plain floor and empty floorplan that my heart  finds refuge.

I opened the Amish book again today, to see the pictures with my children, and there it was, one house with the same appearance, a house that calls for daily work, a house that calls for holiness. I find myself in clutter and too many things around the house and on my walls, that instead of helping in the job of homemaking, they hinder work and make me lazy, complacent.

May the new house keep its new stewards in peace and work, in rough, plain, and lovely walls.

Move to the farm

We are probably moving to our farm on March, for this reason I will concentrate in packing, moving and settling in for the next weeks.

I hope meanwhile you have a good start of spring, Blessings!

Rule of Life

I have been looking into the rules of life for the lay people in the Benedictine Order and the Carmelite Order. Even though both seem very appropiate for family life concerning the path of sanctification I choose the motto " Love as God loves you" of the Carmelites.

The priest in our local parish, suggested to do some list of our main goals, our core beliefs, the tenets with which we strive to surround our life, and to find a spiritual director to held us accountable during this upcoming season of Lent. In regards of that I compiled some of my aspirations, now I have to find the spiritual director. I am praying to God that he will lead us to our new homestead, and that he will also lead us to Him.

Rule of Life February 9^th 2012

To observe the relationship with God as a supremacy in my life and let the Love of the Father pour out to my relationships, starting with my husband, relatives, friends and family. Eucharist and Confession attended regularly, if possible daily.

To follow Jesus in his teachings,  studying of the scriptures and other materials. Bible study every Sunday, study group on relationships Tuesdays.

To allow the Holy Spirit to work in my life. Observe prayers at night ( family rosary, individual meditation, examination of conscience, summary of day events) 30 minutes, at wake time (devotion to God, silence) 30 minutes, at noon time, ( prayers, hymns, recollection) 30 minutes.

Some indications of the Carmelite order Rule of Life

5. The love of God, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, (5) is the fire that Christ came to bring to the earth and wishes to be blazing. (6) To enter into and remain in that love given by the Father is the aim of the Christian pilgrimage as told in the Gospel, that authentic rule of Christian life. The law of the Gospel is that we love God, with all our strength, (7) and our neighbor as Christ loved us. (8)

6. In this context an authentic Christian life implies a mysticism based on the scriptural understanding of that life, especially as understood by Saint Paul. (9) At its most profound level this life consists in a personal love of God,:

Christ is its first and absolutely fundamental mainstay and, in him, the Father in the Holy Spirit. This commitment is the arrival and departure point for the life of the Christian who wishes to conform to Christ, especially in our days that are not always open to the values of the spirit and of the Gospel. On the other hand, not understanding the Christian life as an ever more intimate union with the Lord would be to lose its true meaning.

7. By baptism we become part of the huge assembly of brethren that is the Church; that is, we are united to the Mystical Body of Christ as real members. (10) All are called to form one fraternal community; (11) this is possible if, although by nature weak and limited because of their wretchedness, they allow themselves to be guided by divine grace and they do not reject God and their brethren through sinfulness.

8. This universal calling becomes a reality in the baptized who are united through faith and the Eucharist. (12) The basic mystery of the Church is the fact that it is essentially a community of brethren who, in a relationship of mutual love, discover that they are members of the one family. (13) This unity, formed and animated by Christ and his Holy Spirit, (14) demands a continual and loving active cooperation, love being the fundamental law Christ has given to the members of his Mystical Body.

9. Human weakness hinders the practice of fraternal love, but that renunciation and interior detachment required by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount help Christians to reach the goal of total availability, (15) and to overcome the three major obstacles identified by Saint John as the sensual body, the lustful eye and pride in possessions. (16)

13. There cannot be conflict between temporal well-being and the realization of God's Kingdom, since both the material and spiritual orders derive from God; but the danger of conflict can arise from the bad use we make of our knowledge of the temporal sphere. The Christian should use the findings of science to bring about a spiritual and material betterment of human life. (23)

18. What the Tertiary expresses by one's Profession is none other than an intensified renewal of one's baptismal promise to love God above all else and to renounce Satan with all his works and pomps; the difference in this act of love lies in the means the Tertiary uses to reach this goal. The fundamental Christian law that pledges a person to love God and all others with all one's strength, demands of everyone the constant affirmation of the primacy of God, (29) the rejection of any possibility of serving two masters (30) and the love of others above and beyond all selfishness (31).

19. The chastity and obedience of the Tertiary, which also recall the deep sense of poverty, have meaning in the areas of economic well-being, of sexuality, and the imperative not to serve false gods: (32) Christian holiness is love of God and others without any consideration of self. By virtue of the vow of obedience Tertiaries must obey the superiors of the Order and the Group's Spiritual Assistant in all that they are asked to do, according to the Rule, for their own spiritual life. They are bound to observe the vow of chastity according to the duties of their state in life.

21. The entire Carmelite family, in its task of living out its consecration to Christ, (34) seeks to live in the presence of the living and true God who, in the person of Christ, lives in our midst; (35) it is a family that seeks divine intimacy.

25. Lay Carmelites, imbued with the spirit of the Order, try to live its charism in a silent listening to the Word, making their whole life a prayer by allowing themselves to be caught up by the Spirit for the wonderful works that God accomplishes and which require their commitment and worthwhile contribution.

a) The Sacraments, especially the Eucharist, are the life of Christ spread among believers, enabling them to be united to him. (40) To take part in the Sacrifice of the Altar, (41) daily if possible, provides that necessary lifeline with Christ.

b) The Liturgy of the Hours, (42) at least morning Lauds, Vespers and Compline, are the ecclesial expression of their meetings with God. Different places and circumstances may point to the necessity of other forms of liturgical prayer.

26. The spiritual life is not devoted to the liturgy only. Although called to prayer in common, the Christian is still bound to enter into his or her room and pray to the Father in secret; (43) indeed, according to the teaching of Christ, (44) supported by the Apostle, (45) the Christian is bound to pray unceasingly. (46)

34. They will see and be able to show how temporal activity and material occupations are a share in the creative and transforming work of the Father, (56) and that it is a true service to others, which helps bring about human progress. (57)

Saint Bridgid

Tomorrow Wednesday is Saint Bridgid, so I decided to publish this post in advance.

I have looked at the story of the saint and I will make up a story of the childhood of Saint Bridgid, telling her how father envisioned her sanctity in a vision, how when she was little she was so generous that gave all her mother's butter to the poor one day, and afterwards the butter appeared again, and also how desiring to be consecrated to God and not to marry, though she had many suitors because of her beauty, she asked God for an infirmity and her wish was granted, with an eye that become swollen right away. Some years after at the ceremony of her consecration, her eye became right again and she was as beautiful, pure and radiant as she had been before.

This is a viedo of the gaelic song Ode to Bridgid:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqN3XAqoFDg

Ode to Bridgid

Gabhaim molta Brighde, Iníon í le hÉireann,

Iníon le gach tír í, molaiimís go léir í

Lóchrann geal na Laighneach, soils’ ar feadh na tire,

Ceann ar óigheacht Éireann, ceann na mban ar mine

Tig an geimhreadh dian dubh, gearra lena géire,

Ach ar lá le Brighde, gar duinn Earrach Éireann , molaiimís go léir í.

 (Translation)

I sing loudly the praises of Bridget, she it is who is a daughter not just of Ireland, but of all the countries of the world.

A shining lantern of Lenster, a flame throughout the land, leader of the women of Ireland, one of the finest women ever.

The hard dark winter comes, short and sharp, but once Bridget’s day appears, Ireland’s Spring is not far behind and in all the countries of the world.

anonymous Irish Gaelic song, 1900

Poem 

Far above enthroned in glory
Sweetest saint of Erin's isle
See thy children kneel before thee,
Turn on us a mother's smile
Sweet St Brigid, Erin's children
Far and near on land and sea
Mid the world and in the cloister
Fondly turn with love to thee
Sweet St Brigid soothe the mourner
Shield the weary tempted soul
Sweet St Brigid guide thy children
To their bright and happy home.

St. Brigids Oaten Bread
1 cup flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoons baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt., 3 tablespoons butter in small pieces, 3/4 cup uncooked oatmeal flakes. 1 egg, 1/2 cup buttermilk
1.heat oven to 425 degrees. 2. grease baking sheet. 3.combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in bowl and mix. 4.Add butter bits and cut in with knife until mixture is crumbly. 5.add oats and toss to combine. 6.in other bowl beat egg with buttermilk. 7.make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in the egg mixture and mix with a fork until crumbs hold together. Make dough into ball and transfer to floured surface. Knead 20-25 times. Add flour if sticky.
8.pat dough into 8-inch round and transfer to baking sheet. 9.score a deep cross into the bread but do not cut it through 10.bake 15-20 minutes till brown.

Movement

We are going tomorrow to see two farm houses, for us to live when our town house sells, I am looking forward to seeing them and to see if they are a possibility for our family.



Mr. Apple's Family by Jean McDevitt

It has been a long time that I am thinking about a farm, and in the past some comments of people that know me have detered me to keep pursuing it. They would say I am not that kind a girl to be farming, I would miss the socialization of being in town, i am not cut up for the job, etc.....but suddenly it occurred to me that this is not the first time this happens, people who love me also doubted I would be doing good in studying a college degree in science, or marrying and having a family, and yet, did I listen to them then? No, I studied Organic Chemistry, and I married and had a family, God's willing, is his voice that I should listen to, and not the doubts or molds of the world. So this time i am confident about this step and to do our best in moving to the country.

Last weekend, our town parish was blessed with the visit of somebody very special Monsignor McGarty, I did not know about his position or rank, but his ways were so wise and bold in delivering the message, that no matter who he had been in social status, his uniquennes and value shone right through the congregation. He spoke about Nineveh and its wicked ways, and we were reflected in our little town, and our unrepented ways. He spoke about deliverance and of the call of Jonah, and we felt the call of God to repent, the big distance between our lifes and the life that God wants for us. This is the movement that my soul took in last Sunday, and it is the movement that hopefully would occur before every Mass, so to produce our sincere offerings to the altar.

Monsignor Mc.Garty ended with a verse of Saint Bernard, which I was very impressed with. I am trying to find it so I can copy it below. He talked about prayer and the effect of it in our lives, he told us about the nuns in Saint Joseph, how now that they are retired they have more time to pray! and how this life of prayer, not asking for things, but of communion with God, has changed them into beautiful creatures, that one longs to be around to.

Mr. Apple's Family by Jean McDevitt

I know that my heart is in conflict, some of the teachings I am following are forbidden in the Catholic Church for being away from spiritual revelation of God, yet how can I repent if I do not see the lies behind them, I just see the Truth in them? I ask for intercessory prayers, that Truth would be revealed to me and the Holy Spirit would lead me to repentance or in the other hand that my eyes would cease to be blind and that I will be granted  courage to keep holding these seemingly opposing views.

Will

"We have nothing of our own but our will.

It is the only thing which God has so placed in our own power

that we can make an offering of it to Him"

The Cure D'Ars

I read this some time ago and at first I did not understand. Some time later an occurrence happened in my life that shed some light to this thought:

There was a time in my life where an acquaintance started to become a friend, and my feelings for that male friend started to intensify, as we were spending time together and sharing our thoughts on life and the world in general. Those feelings gained control over my mind in such a way, that I could say it was like falling in love, the thoughts about this friend occupied all the time my head and it came to pass that they also started to have an effect on my will. I was one night sitting at the sofa, praying fervently to God about it, asking for help not to act upon these feelings and to remain faithful to my husband. As fervent as it was the prayer, and sincere in my admittance of powerlessness, as other times in my life had been, it came then too an answer. The phone rang, and a woman called Faith asked for an uneventful matter. I hang up the phone shortly and came back to my sofa, when suddenly I realized that the answer was exactly there, it has been given to me in such a phone call, it was FAITH. I had to remain having faith in God and in his deliverance.

Nonetheless, later on, I did act upon my feelings, and though the faithfulness in my marriage remained intact as far as actions go, I cannot say so in matters of thinking and feeling, and just by the Grace of God my actions did not end up in adultery.

Finally in my life I was able to understand King David in his turmoils and suffering, where previously I had disdain, having a hard time believing God could be friend to someone that was in so much of a mess, I had now symphathy and understanding, and my heart went out to his life events and his repentances.

So in the subject of Faith, and Faithfulness, how we keep intact the contract with our spouses in a way that is faithful in its ample sense, a faithfulness that comes from the willing-heart and not from the head in its dry law-giving? How we keep loving God and his commandments out of love and not out of duty, duty which at the end produces emprisonment of the souls, phariseism and dryness of hearts? How we can make an offering of our will to God in love?

Wedding of our cousins this last summer.

New Year Revision

We have been doing an experiment for the last half of the year, regarding our family and our environment, and it is time now to observe the results of the experiment.

We are living in town, (not yet in our dream homestead!) amidst neigbors of varied beliefs and cultural habits, and since last June we have been open to them and their lifestyles, because it did not seem right to protect me from people that were different, because ultimately we are all sinners, and why one sinner would be more rightly held than the others?

I have seen recently a video about sexual sin and homosexuality that while opposing homosexual marriage firmly, it also puts down the barriers between THEM and US, because we are all guilty of some sort of sin.

I believed that love for our neighbor should be strong to go over the barriers of difference in religious and cultural beliefs, and that the exercise of this duty of love, which starts with our spouse and goes towards brothers and sisters in Christ, spills out to all the nations, and eventually we would carry the burdens of everybody we encounter with christian joy.

Now, while still holding the above as true, I also have to recognize that the effects of being involved with the larger community has had an impact in our lifes, and not just positive.

We had noticed an increase in disrespect from our children, in general, and also in particular aspects like they cannot sit at the regular 50 minutes Mass without complaining, while before they were contentedly sitting through the Traditional Mass for hour and a half. The unity of husband and wife in marriage, well, is more separated than united, as we feel stranged from each other and carry resentments towards each other. My working for outside endevours, as much worthy as they seem to me, have left the house in disorder, I cannot tend to the laundry anymore, with clothes spilling all over the room, my meals are far from thoughtful, many  times burnt,  and I start to also resent my home because all the disorder in it. It seems that if we continue in this direction we may end up working in jobs outside the home, children in public school and getting a divorce!

Now why this is so, if our values did not change? I think there are mysterious ways that things happen, and eventhough i cannot know the whys, it is obvious to me that the exposure to the larger community erodes the beliefs one holds inwardly, and perhaps unconsciously, it starts to change them until it might be to late to go back. Romans 1 and 2 comes to mind as a possible explanation of this shift in thought patterns, and also the verses were we are admonished to be among believers, comparing the light with the darkness. Frodo, eventhough he had a lot of purity in his heart, was changed by the ring.

So, unless we acquire a pure heart unable to be corrupted, I have to admit that it is not such great idea to be open to the large currents of thoughts, nay the people that sustain them, and that it is of utmost importance to be in the company of believers to feed each other from the Water of Life. Not for nothing did the old saying say: "Divide and Conquer". We shall be united, in our marriages, in our congregations, in our love for God.

So for this New Year, we are putting our house for sale again, and trusting God to lead us to homesteading, to do His Work amidst his children.