MyJoysComplete!

What is God inviting me to at an Ignatian Silent Retreat?

Nourishment – Discernment – Clarity – Freedom

“Never let anything so fill you with sorrow as to make you forget the joy of Christ risen.” 

– SAINT MOTHER THERESA OF CALCUTTA

“Let us be careful shepherds
watching over Christ’s flock.
Let us preach the whole of God’s plan,
to the powerful and to the humble,
to rich and to poor,
to men of every rank and age,
as far as God gives us the strength,
in season and out of season.” St Boniface (672-754)
Martyr, Confessor, Bishop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmwKpcJKLt8

Kings and queens and bishops and popes sought St. Hildegard’s counsel. But the Benedectine nun was perhaps most knowledgeable about admiring and appreciating every creature.

Among her most inspirational words:

Show respect foe other people's opinions

Become genuinely interested in other people.

Always begin in a friendly way.

Always begin with praise and appreciation.

Go out of your way to make others feel more important.

- Dale Carnegie

What baggages will I be holding on to when He calls me HOME?!!!!

If you seek patience, you will find no better example than the cross. Great patience occurs in two ways: either when one patiently suffers much, or when one suffers things which one is able to avoid and yet does not avoid. Christ endured much on the cross, and did so patiently, because when he suffered he did not threaten; he was led like a sheep to the slaughter and he did not open his mouth.
--St. Thomas Aquinas

“If someone who has worldly means sees a brother in need and refuses him compassion, how can the love of God remain in him?” 1 Jn. 3:17

“There is a state of resting in God; an absolute break from all intellectual activity, when one forms no plans, makes no decisions, and for the first time really ceased to act; when one simply hands over the future to God’s will and ‘surrenders himself to Fate.’” – St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Learning to recognize the voice of God in your daily life is accomplished by building an interior habit of listening, recognizing, responding, listening some more, recognizing and responding, etc. The more you hear the voice of God, the more you will recognize His voice in the most subtle of ways, and the more you come to hear the subtleties of His voice, the more you will be able to follow. In the end, this is only accomplished by an ongoing habit of deep and sustaining prayer. Without that, it will be very difficult to recognize the voice of the Shepherd when you need Him the most. - Catholic Reflections 

Let us fix our gaze of faith on the Crucifix, and we will find that he was not satisfied only with the possibility of suffering but wished truly to suffer every kind of pain in body and in spirit, because it is not the mere possibility of suffering but suffering itself that brings us merit. 

The Church and the world have a great need of eucharistic worship. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love. Let us be generous with our time in going to meet Him in adoration and in contemplation that is full of faith and ready to make reparation for the great faults and crimes of the world. May our adoration never cease

Pope John Paul II

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

“With all the strength of my soul I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Feed on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles. Because true happiness, dear friends, does not consist in the pleasures of the world or in earthly things, but in peace of conscience, which we have only if we are pure in heart and mind.”

Being angry about the right things and in the right way is virtuous. But avoiding anger at all times may be a sign of weakness. St. Thomas Aquinas notes how it is a vice notget angry over things one should. He calls it "unreasonable patience." A failure to correct the wicked encourages them to persist in their evil deeds, since there are no reprimands for their wrong actions. It also causes confusion in the community over what is truly right and wrong, and thus may lead even good people to do evil.

Christians, in particular, realize that their responsibility within creation and their duty towards nature and the Creator are an essential part of their faith. (Pope John Paul II 1990 World Day of Peace Message, no. 15)

In terms of the ego, most religions teach in some way that all of us must die before we die, and then we will not be afraid of dying. Suffering of some sort seems to be the only thing strong enough to destabilize our arrogance and our ignorance. I would define suffering very simply as whenever you are not in control.

Richard Rohr

"We need no wings to go in search of Him, but have only to look upon him present in us."

-St Teresa

“If God sends you many sufferings it is a sign that He has great plans for you, and certainly wants to make you a saint.” Saint Ignatius of Loyola

“If the Church stays silent
in the face of what is happening,
what difference would it make,
if no church were ever opened again?”

Blessed Franz Jägerstätter (1907-1943)
Martyr

“Sometimes living with memory, with the thought of what friends, those who shared your soul and dreams, will do to you is worse than taking a bullet or having someone stab your flesh. There is a way of bleeding from one's soul.”
― Megan McKenna,The New Stations of the Cross

When God gives you some opportunities, it is almost like a process that you do not even realize what is recurring at the moment. - Author: Barbara Padilla

God is a Father who never abandons his children, a loving Father who supports, helps, welcomes, forgives, saves, with a fidelity that immensely surpasses that of men, opening up to an eternal dimension. (Pope Benedict XVI)

Yes.. I am busy ...you are busy....every one else is busy..yaadaa..yaadaa SO WHO THEN REACHES OUT? 

Do we still love God for what He has to offer us ....

What futile activity takes up most of my time that I should think about uninstalling??

Harpei Dei - Rosario Cantado de los Pueblos

Let's make that intentional effort to gaze at Nature and in the process enjoy the Creator of Creation itself

What is man if he does not have the time to meditate, to self-reflect and to ponder on what has been!!!

God is the Master of Creativity - all creation evidences this. As a child of my Father, what talents do I have and pursue?

The focus today is to think deep about relationships and the extent of how much we would travel with another even in those dark days when they most need us!

My devotion to God should show through my body language and my posture during my prayer time. Am I a devoted disciple?

So what drives and propels me at different points of the day? Do I give enough time for prayer and my daily devotions throughout the day?

Different ways to approach prayer!

How well am I managing my emotions and who controls them? 

TO VENTURE OUT INTO THE UNKNOWN TO GO WHERE OTHERS ARE HESITANT SHOWS THAT WE HAVE A GOD WHO CAN'T WORK MIRACLES. LET'S NOT COCOON OURSELVES AND DEFLECT EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT GOD BRINGS OUR WAY DUE TO A LACK OF FAITH. 

Paul referred to our duty to respond to that offer of redemption by cooperating with the grace we are given. Such cooperation means seeking holiness, caring our crosses, patiently enduring redemptive suffering, and keeping the moral law. 

Without the Cross there is no Jesus and vice versa.

 It was Christ's mission to establish the kingdom on earth and he will remain with it as it unfolds and reaches its perfection in the next life. CCC

Vulnerability helps me be in check with my sins and causes me to change my negative behaviours. 

The perfection of faith must involve works of charity toward both God and our neighbour,  and hope gives us confidence in God's unfailing help

Ruth is a type of the Gentiles who would one day receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ and enter the Church that he established. CCC

The parable of the Wedding Feast is a wonderful illustration of the blissful joy experienced by someone fully united to Christ. CCC

This parable illustrates how the goodness and mercy of God is the same for those who respond to his call figuratively at the 'eleventh hour' as it is for those who have been with him from the beginning. It teaches God's generosity in bestowing his blessings upon others. CCC

Embracing the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience- according to each person's state in life- is necessary for Christian perfection and eternal life. CCC

God invites us to a life of self-giving if we are to reach happiness. 

This crossing of the Jordan, through which Israel entered the Promised Land, is a type of the waters of the Sacrament of Baptism that would open up the gates of Heaven, our eternal Home. CCC 1222

An important part of the spirit of service is that it be done with joyful willingness CCC

Jesus carried nothing with Him and lived a life of poverty - and freedom! 

The Transfiguration Feast invites us to a mountain experience with Christ today! Am I willing to let go of what holds me down here and walk up the mountain with Him?

Peter was given a unique mission - to guard the authentic teachings of Christ, serve as a focal point of unity , and be a shepherd for the Apostles and the entire Church. CCC

 It would be my next challenge to intentionally look at all the areas that God has blessed me and continues to do so each and everyday of my life. 

The Lord calls me today to spend time chatting with Him - the more time I spend with God the more radiant I become. I would not need any rejunevating products to make myself look more appealing....😂

Patience is necessary but we must leave the sifting to God. 

Although the people turned to the worship of the golden calf, God forgave them and remained faithful to them because of the intercessory prayer of Moses. CCC

The Ten Commandments of Decalogues explains the proper attitude and behaviour for those who love God and neighbour and reveals the gravity of the obligation to abide by the Law. CCC 

Moses and Aaron showed such exemplary leadership skills in that they knew that ultimately God was in charge of His people!

The point here is that Jesus was not denying his family ties but asserting the primacy of intentional ties in the new community

Only the wilderness can save us many a time - teach, expose and restore us to who we are created to be!

What is my Christian response during this season when many out there are in need of help? 

The Church is a home and family for everyone, especially those who 'labour and are heavy burdened' CCC

Those who witness the works of Christ or hear the Gospel but reject the grace of God face dire consequences. CCC

To answer Christ's call to discipleship everything must defer to this vocation. CCC

In sharing his mission, Christ's Apostles and disciples would also share in his suffering and rejection. CCC

We should pray fervently for priestly and religious vocations as well as for all people to center their lives on Christ . CCC

God has a unique plan for each individual to achieve holiness and to do the work of evangelization. 

Are you yearning for the touch of God? He is here... speak to Him

The Gadarenes by asking Christ to leave, showed fear in the face of such overwhelming power over the Devil and nature itself. 

There is no holiness without renunciation and spiritual battle... Spiritual proogress entails the asceticism and mortification that gradually lead to living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes. CCC

Discipleship means following Christ unconditionally with all of the sacrifice it may entail

The miracles worked by Christ manifest his divine power and the divine authority of his teachings. CCC

Our God-given mission precedes our birth!

False - prophets - people whose hypocrisy and erroneous teaching misled and caused confusion among the people