Framing Prayer 12 Carmelites and The Cross

St. Teresa Benedicta is, indeed, a saint for our time. In April of 1933, Hitler enforced a law that no Jews could hold a university position. On August 9th, 1942, St. Teresa Benedicta was killed in a gas chamber at Birkenau, Auschwitz. There can be no doubt that this saint knew the coming of her end. We see this in her studies on the sufferings and Cross of Christ.

For the lay person, meditation cannot be seen as an option, as I have noted on this blog since 2012, and as Father Dan emphasized yesterday.

St. Teresa Benedicta's thoughts on the Cross can help any lay person with the growing darkness of our nation, of our world.

Today, I wonder whether I shall ever see my dear son again, if circumstances will prevent me from sharing his life, and even sharing his or my death.

By concentrating on the Cross, at a time, when as the saint notes, "...the need and misery, and the abyss of human malice, again and again dampens jubilation over the victory of light. The world is still deluged by mire, and still only a small flock has escaped from it to the highest mountain peaks. The battle between Christ and the Antichrist is not yet over. The followers of Christ have their place in this battle, and their chief weapon is the cross."

"What does this mean? The burden of the cross that Christ assumed is that of corrupted human nature, with all its consequences in sin and suffering to which fallen humanity is subject. The meaning of the cross is to carry this burden out of the world. The restoration of freed humanity to the heart of the heavenly Father, taking on the status of a child, is the free gift of grace, of merciful love. But this may not occur at the expense of divine holiness and justice. The entire sum of human failures from the first Fall up to the Day of Judgment must be blotted out by a corresponding measure of expiation."

"The way of the cross is this expiation...The Saviour is not alone on the way of the cross...Everyone who, in the course of time, has borne an onerous destiny in remembrance of the suffering Saviour, or who has freely taken up works of expiation has by doing so cancelled some of the heavy load of human sin and has helped the Lord carry his burden."

What St. Teresa Benedicta is writing about is reparation...follow the tags for more of my blogs on this. We have forgotten what it means to be joined to the suffering of Christ. And, this is an honor. To be ask to join with Christ in his passion may be one of the greatest graces of our times.

The following words are astounding. "Or rather, Christ the head effects expiation in these members of his Mystical Body who put themselves body and soul at his disposal for carrying out his work of salvation."

Christ reaching out to us on the Cross is not only a comfort, but a sign of our duty to suffer with and in him.

The saint continues, "The lovers of the cross whom he has awakened and will always continue to awaken anew in the changeable history of the struggling Church, these are his allies at the end of time. We, too, are called to that purpose."

Many of us are suffering at this time of growing paganism, of the surety of the loss of freedoms, of the prospect of imprisoned priests and harassed laity.  St. Theresa Benedicta's world was similar to ours--a time of growing tyranny and ruthlessness towards a particular religion, a specific culture.

The parallels strike us as not only timely, but a necessary meditation for us to ponder at this crossroad of history.

"Voluntary expiatory suffering is what truly unites one to the Lord intimately. When it arises, it comes from an already existing relationship with Christ. For, by nature, a person flees from suffering. And the mania for suffering caused by a perverse lust for pain differs completely from the desire to suffer in expiation....Only someone whose spiritual eyes have been opened to the supernatural correlation of worldly events can desire suffering  in expiation, and this is only possible for people in whom the spirit of Christ dwells, who as members are given life by the Head, receive his power, his meaning, and his direction. Conversely, works of expiation  bind one closer to Christ, as every community that works together on more task becomes more and more closely knit and as the limbs of a body, working together organically, continually become more strongly one."

I hope readers see that this is the time to consider reparation and expiation as part of our daily prayer.

St. Teresa Benedicta continues.....

"But because being one with Christ is our sanctity, and progressively becoming one with him our happiness on earth, the love of the cross in no way contradicts being a joyful child of God. Helping Christ carry his cross fills one with a strong and pure joy, and those who may and can do so, the builders of God's kingdom, are the most authentic children of God....."

She notes that Good Friday is not over....then, she states:

"Only those who are saved, only children of grace, can in fact be bearers of Christ's cross. Only in union with the Divine Head does human suffering take on expiatory power.."

It seems to me that the lay person would find this spiritual insight an easy path to follow in prayer and reflection. Are there not many who suffer daily now? Will not this suffering increase? Can we not use this suffering to join with Christ, "in union" with him and thereby become saints?

Perhaps the daily meditations demanded by our lives as Catholics can be focused on the Passion and Death of Christ. Many saints recommend thinking on the cross as a way to salvation.


St. Theresa Benedicta shows us that in times of great hardship, one can turn suffering into joy, and pain into reparation.

Two more posts on this saint.....

Mysterious Words of Christ

Today, we hear Christ telling the apostles at the Last Supper that He will be glorified. This is stated clearly after Christ shows that Judas will betray Him.

Two mysterious things happen almost simultaneously. Satan enters Judas because Judas has given himself over to Satan in order to betray Christ. He is now possessed, by willingly giving over his free will, his decision of treachery to the dark side of evil. Those of us who have been betrayed by loved ones or trusted friends join with Christ in His suffering.

It is as if Satan and Judas have made a pact--Christ's death for Judas' soul. Judas cooperates with Evil to bring down Christ, the Son of God. But, Satan does not see the end of the story.

The second mysterious occurrence is announced by Christ in these words said after Judas leaves:

 When he therefore was gone out, Jesus said: Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God be glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself; and immediately will he glorify him.

Christ speaks of His glory, and that the Father is glorified because of Him, Christ. God gives the glory back to Christ in line 32, as the Father and the Son are One.

What is this glory? I think the glory is threefold. 

First of all, the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, the Passion, begins in this Upper Room with the Institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood.

Christ and the Father are glorified both in the Mass and in the priesthood. The apostles become each an alter Christus, the other Christs, bringing the Body and Blood of Christ to all Catholics down to this present day through the apostolic succession. Indeed, these two new rites, new sacraments, Holy Eucharist and Holy Orders, bring glory to God, to Christ, to the Church. 

Second, Christ is glorified, and therefore, glorifies the Father through His perfect obedient Passion and Death on the Cross, which is the New Passover, the freeing of all mankind from the bondage of eternal death and sin. Christ is the Second Adam, undoing the sin of Adam through suffering as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world. God is glorified in His Son's redemption of all people. Freedom to be saints, to regain the lost innocence of Adam and Eve is given to all. The New Passover Lamb leads the New People of God through the new Red Sea of baptism, earned on the Cross by Christ. Christ is the New Adam, the New Moses, the New King David.

Third, Christ is glorified in His love for both the Father and all mankind, and this Love is the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, the Holy Ghost. The Trinity is glorified at this Last Supper, in Gethsemane, on Calvary, and finally, as shown to all the world, at the Resurrection.

So, now is the Son glorified...

John 13:

18 I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen. But that the scripture may be fulfilled: He that eateth bread with me, shall lift up his heel against me.

19 At present I tell you, before it come to pass: that when it shall come to pass, you may believe that I am he.

20 Amen, amen I say to you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me; and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me.

21 When Jesus had said these things, he was troubled in spirit; and he testified, and said: Amen, amen I say to you, one of you shall betray me.

22 The disciples therefore looked one upon another, doubting of whom he spoke.

23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, and said to him: Who is it of whom he speaketh?

25 He therefore, leaning on the breast of Jesus, saith to him: Lord, who is it?

26 Jesus answered: He it is to whom I shall reach bread dipped. And when he had dipped the bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

27 And after the morsel, Satan entered into him. And Jesus said to him: That which thou dost, do quickly.

28 Now no man at the table knew to what purpose he said this unto him.

29 For some thought, because Judas had the purse, that Jesus had said to him: Buy those things which we have need of for the festival day: or that he should give something to the poor.

30 He therefore having received the morsel, went out immediately. And it was night.

31 When he therefore was gone out, Jesus said: Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32 If God be glorified in him, God also will glorify him in himself; and immediately will he glorify him.

Dark Night Again....

Matthew 27:46 Douay-Rheims 

46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying: Eli, Eli, lamma sabacthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

One of the few "lights"of Holy Week for the person in the Dark Night. is that Christ joins us in His Own darkness. Christ allowed Himself to take our sins upon Himself and experience the type of suffering we suffer daily because of our sins and the sins of others.

Joining us in humanity, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity became Incarnate specifically to free us from Original, mortal and venial sins.

Christ enters liturgically into His Dark Night of the Spirit, not because of His sin, as He is Perfect, Innocence, Good, but because of our sins. We join His sacrifice in the Masses we attend, but especially this week in the climax of Lent,  in this Passion Week and in the Triduum.

As I enter this week, I am grateful to God for His Sacrifice, when He chose suffering, both spiritual and bodily, so that I do not have to go to hell. Grace upon grace is given to us through His Passion and Death on the Cross, and through His Resurrection. Christ overcame death and sin, conquering Satan, undoing the damage done by our First Parents.

This is the week of Christ's joining with us as we see on Good Friday in the terrible words of pain and faith as noted above.

We neither despair, nor do we pretend to be something other than we are--sinners standing at the foot of the Cross. And, if we love Christ, we are on Calvary not merely for ourselves, but for Him. But, there is no consolation on this Place of the Skull, only the agony which brings victory over sin and death.

The Mass is the real, not symbolic, recreation of Calvary in an unbloody manner. Everytime we go to Mass, we are standing, again, at the foot of the Cross.

Let us all pause and thank God for His Goodness shown to us most clearly in Holy Week.

Will The Cross

Suffering forms the theme of many posts on this blog. Just follow the tags.

But, this week, the holiest week of the year, one follows Christ on His terrible journey to the Cross.

Years ago, when I read that the great saints encouraged meditating on the Crucifixion, I could not accept that looking at the Cross was a credible exercise. Thankfully, God has been patient with me, and now, I can say truly that meditating on the Passion brings one into the reality of self-knowledge and love of God.

When one gets to the point where one asks God the Father to join in the suffering of Christ, one has embraced the purgation of the soul and body.

This purgation, this accepting of the Cross in any way God presents it to one, marks the real beginning of purification.

One begins to want to suffer, for one's sins, for reparation, for intercession, for the glory of God.

The more humble one becomes, the easier the acceptance of suffering becomes.

Follow Christ this week, not only in the Scriptures, but in the heart, mind, imagination, will.

Will the Cross.

Because of a conversation with a friend, two re-posts

Sunday, 24 February 2013

On St. Peter and the Transfiguration-- a lesson in not being afraid of the future, not holding on to the past

Posted by Supertradmum

Continuing my thoughts today on the readings of the day, I am grateful to my excellent grade school, high school and college teachers, who taught me how to read the Bible. I was fortunate in that "us kids" had our own and I loved mine, done by the Maryknoll Sisters with gorgeous illustrations. My son used it until I got him another one and now it is with some home schooling family.

Another beautiful Bible I lovesd when young was the Taize Bible(Jerusalem Bible translation, but I just would look at the paintings), as the illustrations were so hauntingly symbolic and beautiful. Children and young adolescents, as well as teens, learn through art, just as we all do, if we take the time.

That is one reason I use art in my posts, as I cannot write everything a reader can see.

St. Peter made a huge mistake today in the reading. It is comforting that the Evangelist let us see that Peter grew into his perfection, as we must, and was not automatically "with it".

Peter states, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah” Luke 9:33

Luke notes that Peter did not know what he was saying. Duh.

However, I think Peter was trying to do three things, which we try to do to avoid the road to perfection.

Peter was fighting the New Covenant and wanting to hold on to the Old Covenant. A sign of God's Presence in the desert had been the Tent with the Law and the Ark of the Covenant. Now, Peter was smart enough about his Scripture, as all Jewish men were at the time, but he missed the point.

He did not want something new. He wanted to hang on to the familiar.

How many times do we do this? We want to play god and plan out every detail of our live, based on past experiences. We are afraid to try some new way.

Peter wanted his old way of religious worship. The temple, the tent, etc.

He understood that he was witnessing a Theophany, but he wanted to keep it, save it in the old and not move on into the new.

He was frightened of the Cross. What does the Scripture say that Elijah and Moses and Christ were discussing? The Gospel today states clearly that "they were speaking of his passing". That means, the man who symbolized the Law and the great prophet, and Christ, the Son of God, were discussing Christ's Passion-the New Covenant.

Peter got this part, but he was scared. Surely, Christ was not going to suffer? Surely, Christ was not the Lamb of God? As a man who knew his Scripture, Peter was getting worried. Why?

Peter, like all Jewish men, knew this passage: Peter knew that Elijah was going to bring in a new age.

Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD,
6: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Peter also knew that John the Baptist was not Elijah.  This had been settled.

John 1:19
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 
20: And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21: And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not.
Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23: He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

So, Peter might think that this Elijah appearance was the real deal. And, he would have remembered the famous story of Elijah raising the widow's son from the dead.

1st Kings 17:17 to 1st Kings 18:40

Poor Peter was being forced out of his comfort zone.

He had to understand that Christ was the promised Messiah, that Christ was the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. 

Other ideas of suffering from Isaiah 53 may have creeped into Peter's consciousness.

No wonder he wanted to hang on to the old and not face the new.

How many times do we want to hang on to what is known to us in religion instead of being open to the unknown? Peter had not known Christ like this. But, Christ wanted these three apostles to see Him in order to strengthen them before the Crucifixion.Christ revealed Himself at the Transfiguration in His Glory, but not with the marks of His Passion.

His Glorified Body was yet to be revealed.

Obviously, when Peter denied Christ, this denial was serious sin, as he has seen Christ as the Son of God.

Thankfully, he repented and was forgiven and went on to rule the Church in wisdom and grace (with a little help from St. Paul).

Peter was a man who seemed to have had to learn things the hard way.

Let us cooperate with grace. 

Let us pursue perfection.

The Law, the Prophets, the Love-a personal mediation

Posted by Supertradmum

I have been told recently by some priest friends, that the Sunday Gospels for Lent are among the oldest liturgically scheduled readings in the Church. Today's and last Sunday's on the Temptation have been read on these respective Sundays for over a thousand years according to two priest friends. How wonderful.

The Transfiguration was always a mystery to me until I saw it in terms of Love. Christ, Who is about to walk to Golgotha and endure pain for us, is giving his disciples a glimpse of His Glory, so as not only to encourage them for the days to come (and is this not timely today?) but also to show how much God loves them by sending His Only Son for this purpose.

Moses and the Law and Elijah and Prophecy point to Christ as the Messiah, the Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, the One, True Prophet and One, True Priest, as well as being the Son of God.

How these monotheists must have been shocked at this revelation, that Christ is God, as well as the Father, and the Holy Spirit. We have been given The Trinity in baptism and we walk in God. So, too, Peter, James and John walked in the Trinity, two to death and one to exile. So, we are warned, as well as loved today. Christ in His Glory points to our own final glorified bodies united with our souls at the end of time, but only after sufferings and trials.

Love is always the answer. Love. And, why did the disciples keep silent? Were they afraid? No, I think it is that when we have a love experience, we cannot find the words to describe this. And, love is so sacred, it really is hard to discuss it, or, rather, Him.  Silence protects the Love in our hearts. The monastic orders know this. Silence is like a protective shield guarding the Love of Christ in our beings. Let nothing dilute that Love today.

The paintings show turmoil and fierce movement. Why? When the Divine, when God reveals Himself in our lives, He interrupts the doldrums  the ordinariness of our lives. We are thrown into the happy, yet disturbing chaos of love. Those of us who have experienced this interruption have been changed. How happy we are when love changes our lives..........how wonderful to have this glimpse of immortality. Listen to Love.

	Luke 9:28-36

Jesus took with him Peter and John and James and went up the mountain to pray. As he prayed, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became brilliant as lightning. Suddenly there were two men there talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they kept awake and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ – He did not know what he was saying. As he spoke, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.

The Meaning of A Fast Lent

The word Lent is actually from the root word meaning longer days, as in those days past the Spring Equinox. The root may be lencten---long or longer day(s).

Lent seems long to some people who are not use to fasting or abstinence. Lent may seem long this year as it came so early, when winter lasted long into February and March with a vengeance.

Lent goes slowly for some, but for me, this has been a "fast Lent". In fact, I want it to go on longer. Because I am far away from a church, I did not get to Ash Wednesday or any Stations of the Cross. I cannot get to daily Mass and there is no adoration for miles. I cannot afford taxis, and buses do not run at night in this area, or on Sunday, and are irregular during the week.

My Lented penance has been the absence of Christ in the Eucharist, a fast imposed on me.

I feel that I have not practiced Lent long enough, that there is so much more purgation and suffering to endure and I desire to do this. Joy comes in suffering. This is the big change. Like the souls in purgatory, I want to suffer. I desire the purgation. I want to suffer for those certain people for whom I pray. Suffering is efficacious. I think I know how the souls in purgatory feel when they have had a glimpse of God in the particular judgment, but are not yet ready for heaven. They must feel torn between the loss of the Beauty of God, and the absolute need for suffering.

Dante has souls in purgatory leaping back into the fire with joy to continue their purgation. This is where I am-leaping back into the suffering with joy and pain side-by-side.

Easter is coming too fast. Perhaps, because I am older, and things appear to go more quickly to the old rather than to the young, Lent has been too short.


This Lent, I have come into a great peace and acceptance of suffering with the newish knowledge that God's plans are so much bigger and more mysterious than one can ever imagine.

The falling away of a lifetime of some oppressions and the awareness of a grand scheme in life, which is just revealing itself, has been part of this Lent. So many people have come into my life asking me for spiritual direction, I have accepted this new role, which started in Malta.

Remember my posts on "God makes new doughnuts every day"? Well, my Lent has seen the making of dozens of new doughnuts. 

But, like someone facing the day of death, I want more time of purgation. Easter is only two weeks away, too soon is the time for rejoicing coming upon me. I want the struggle to continue until the goal is met. I am still in the race and that goal is so far away, that like a person in a marathon, I have to keep on running without the ribbon in sight.

Some people feel that time slows down almost to a stopping point in great suffering. For example, when one is in the hospital with a serious illness or operation, time becomes strangely inverted as schedules are lost, as night and day become confused, as the calendar seems set aside.

Physical and mental suffering mess up one's awareness of time. I remember the happy days of being pregnant with STS. I was the envy of friends, as I never had any morning or evening sickness and felt better preggers than I did most of my life. And the time went so fast, getting ready, making a nursery, until the last few days, which seemed to drag on, as I waited for Baby.

Those last three days seemed like an eternity. Time slowed to a painful hour-by-hour waiting.

I am hoping that the last two weeks of Lent will "slow down", with the days becoming longer, I hope my awareness of God becomes more enlightened.

I am not ready for the great celebration of the Resurrection.

This has been a fast Lent.

Follow Up from The Perfection Series-ακηδία

Long ago in the perfection series, and in the posts on St. Bernard, I referred to the sin of accidie. Here is the long definition. It is not what people think it is, simple sloth. It is becoming distracted with useless things so that we are taken away from prayer, meditation and contemplation.

Discussing this with a seminarian today, I was struck with the idea that the noon-day devil is not merely low-blood sugar or high-blood sugar before or after lunch, but a demon who distracts us from times of prayer we even schedule.

St. Philip Neri preached that the afternoon in Rome was "the dangerous part of the day", when youth fell into mortal sins of fornication and even gang fighting. ακηδία sets in.

Looking at Psalm 90, one has to reckon with the pleasures of falling into sin and fight these. The noon-day devil is not poetry, but a real demon.

Here is the psalm.

Psalm 90 Douay-Rheims 

90 The praise of a canticle for David. He that dwelleth in the aid of the most High, shall abide under the protection of the God of Jacob.

2 He shall say to the Lord: Thou art my protector, and my refuge: my God, in him will I trust.

3 For he hath delivered me from the snare of the hunters: and from the sharp word.

4 He will overshadow thee with his shoulders: and under his wings thou shalt trust.

5 His truth shall compass thee with a shield: thou shalt not be afraid of the terror of the night.

6 Of the arrow that flieth in the day, of the business that walketh about in the dark: of invasion, or of the noonday devil.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand: but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 But thou shalt consider with thy eyes: and shalt see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou, O Lord, art my hope: thou hast made the most High thy refuge.

10 There shall no evil come to thee: nor shall the scourge come near thy dwelling.

11 For he hath given his angels charge over thee; to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 In their hands they shall bear thee up: lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt walk upon the asp and the basilisk: and thou shalt trample under foot the lion and the dragon.

14 Because he hoped in me I will deliver him: I will protect him because he hath known my name.

15 He shall cry to me, and I will hear him: I am with him in tribulation, I will deliver him, and I will glorify him.

16 I will fill him with length of days; and I will shew him my salvation.

Here is the definition from Ortho-Wiki.

Akedia (in Latin, accidie) is literally fatigue or exhaustion, but in technical usage refers to the spiritual and physical lethargy which can plague those pursuing the eremetic life. The reference in Psalm 90 (91 MT) to the "demon of noonday" is traditionally identified as akedia. It can take the form of listlessness, dispersion of thoughts, or being inattentively immersed in useless activity.

St.Thomas Aquinas calls it world-weariness, which causes a person to neglect both their physical and spiritual duties. This habit of thinking and feeling is a hard sinful habit to break, but one must do so.

One way to break the habit of negative and depressive thoughts it to constantly praise God all day.

The Office of the Hours is a perfect way to break this habit.

Also, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, to be said at 3:00, is another way to break accidie.

Listlessness can also be expressed in restlessness, like someone feeling like they "just have to get out" and go shopping.

Accidie may be seen in the need to watch television as well. One breaks a habit of vice by practicing the opposite virtue.

More later...

Reposting from Advent in Lent

I am resposting this as I have had recently a realization of one of the greatest sins found in this country. Americans demand a certain standard of food and have lost the sensitivity to simplicity. In the doctor's office, the television was on and a morning show highlighted receipes. Do all Americans now eat desserts daily? At one time, desserts were served and eaten only on the high holy days and special occasions. I am shocked at the fact that desserts seem to be expected in many families.The amount of food eaten and the choices indicate an enslavement to food here in the States. God forgive us.
Sunday, 22 December 2013

The Sins of Christmas Time-Gluttony

It seems to me that nations have corporate sins; that is, that national cultures gravitate to some sins more than others.

If I had to identify the American culture with one sin it would be the deadly sin of gluttony.

If one travels anywhere in the world, and comes back to the States, what is most noticeable are these things.

One, the amount of food people eat daily.

Two, the amount of good people waste daily.

I was visiting two households lately where the freezers were full of outdated food-seriously outdated food.

The host in one told me he has to throw away food all the time as he buys too much, and then does not use it.

All the food he was throwing away was expensive meat and fish, mostly from Trader Joe's.

I was shocked.

25% of what Americans buy is thrown away. 40% of what we produce is not eaten.

http://organicconnectmag.com/america-wastes-nearly-half-its-food/#.UrY9CNJDuyY

The second shock is the amount of food people expect to have at one meal.

People also snack here. I wish all Americans would spend time in other countries and notice the dinners and such people eat.

Much, much less, even the middle classes eat less and restaurants serve smaller portions.

One gets use to eating less food and expecting less.

It is actually healthier.

That Americans eat all the time, and in such quantities, grieves me. And, there are many, many, more obese young people here.

Gluttony is over-indulgence and over-consumption of food and drink.

Gluttony is also taking too much pleasure, and spending too much time over food buying, or preparation.

There is an odd idea in the Midwest that to love is to feed-and to feed is to love. Men and boys are spoiled at home with food daily. I can see the difference here than in Europe, where excessive eating is not seen as a specific sign of love.

And, in some counties in England, wheelie bins are only emptied once every two weeks. Americans cannot imagine that.

Here is St. Thomas Aquinas on Gluttony: http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3148.htm

to be continued....

On The Desert God

Psalm 28

Douay-Rheims 

28 A psalm for David, at the finishing of the tabernacle. Bring to the Lord, O ye children of God: bring to the Lord the offspring of rams.

2 Bring to the Lord glory and honour: bring to the Lord glory to his name: adore ye the Lord in his holy court.

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of majesty hath thundered, The Lord is upon many waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is in power; the voice of the Lord in magnificence.

5 The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars: yea, the Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus.

6 And shall reduce them to pieces, as a calf of Libanus, and as the beloved son of unicorns.

7 The voice of the Lord divideth the flame of fire:

8 The voice of the Lord shaketh the desert: and the Lord shall shake the desert of Cades.

9 The voice of the Lord prepareth the stags: and he will discover the thick woods: and in his temple all shall speak his glory.

10 The Lord maketh the flood to dwell: and the Lord shall sit king for ever. The Lord will give strength to his people: the Lord will bless his people with peace.

The name El was the title of the desert god of many of the ancient religions. El  was also the god of the storms. However, the One, True God took the name and made it His Own, the God of all Creation, the Father of all Mankind, as well as the God of the Desert. God is still the God of the Desert. Christ Himself went into the desert to pray and allow Himself to be tempted. Over and over again, those who love God went into the desert to leave the world and find Him. Sometimes, God calls some of us into the desert, as He did with the Desert Fathers. Why God calls some of us out into the dryness is a mystery of the Dark Night and of purity. I am in the desert. I know this. When I went to Adoration today, the monstrance was set up in a desert scene of rocks and sand. This is Malta. In the myth of Psyche  which I have mentioned more than once on this blog, the woman must do penance for doubting love. Such is the path of purification, which takes away all that is stopping Love Himself from coming to one. The desert experience is a clear symbol of the nothingness of the Dark Night. No consolations, no color, no refreshment, only dryness and a bright light which causes all to be dark because it is so bright. One's guardian angel can help us in this dark night.  You might want to check out this post from the past. On Sunday, we saw Christ in the desert facing temptations. He is God and Man and the temptations were real. But, this was not the first time God was in the desert. We remember the Hebrews, God's Chosen People being freed from Egypt by God's Mighty Hand and then rebelling over and over again in the desert. Their punishment was 40 years. But, God was with them. For God had a right to purify His Own; and one of the biggest sins was complaining. The person or person's with a complaining heart lacks several virtues, and is ignoring a truism God deserves praise daily. Pride causes complaining. The moaner wants to be a god, to play god. The moaning one lacks humility and wants to be in control. Only God is in control and He is in control. Why did the entire generation of Jews have to die out in the desert for their sins of rebellion? Why did they not get to see the promised land? Even Moses was punished for striking the rock three times instead of obeying God and striking it once. No big deal, one might think. Why such a harsh punishment? Was it merely that Moses was impatient, or angry? Was it that he was not trusting in God to make water flow in the desert with just one small gesture? Moses forgot who he was. As a great friend of God, one who walked with God and heard His Voice daily, Moses forgot one small truth. Obedience in the smallest thing which God asks is real Love. Moses died on Mt. Nebo within sight of the Holy Land, God's home for him. This was a terrible punishment for Moses. He was purified in this suffering, as we know that he, Moses, was seen in the Transfiguration with Christ and Elijah The obedience of the heart is learned in silence. In the desert, there is much silence. In silence, we learn to listen and hear God. Even Moses had to be punished for not listening. And, yet, we have more than what Moses had. We have Christ in the Eucharist, we have the Church and the sacraments to help us.St Paul writes, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth" Rom. 10: 4 Doing things out of Love is what Paul means. We act out of love and not fear. We act out of love and not merely obedience without love. Moses forgot to act out of love. Obedience is Love. If one is not obedient in the smallest thing, one is lacking in love. The desert carves out our hearts so that we have room to love God. The desert is hard. It is very hot in the day and very cold at night. Sand gets into one's skin, eyes, hair. It is full of dangerous animals. Water is scarce. One has to rely on God totally in the desert. He is our Guide, as we cannot get out of the desert without Him. He is our sustenance, as we are not fed in the desert, without Him. The world is fast turning into the desert. There will soon be no Catholic nations to go to in order to avoid evils such as abortion, contraception, euthanasia, same-sex marriage. There will be no place to hide. Among rocks and sand, there are few places to hide. We must create that place in our souls or we shall die. Learn to live in the desert.  from today's Morning Psalm, 94 If only, today, you would listen to his voice:   “Do not harden your hearts   as you did at Meribah, on the day of Massah in the desert,   when your fathers tested me – they put me to the test,   although they had seen my works.” “For forty years they wearied me,   that generation. I said: their hearts are wandering,   they do not know my paths. I swore in my anger:  they will never enter my place of rest.” But God is merciful and He sent His Only Son to help us while we are in the desert. Dear Lord, help us to learn to live in the desert. Help us now to be so full of love for you, that being in the desert is merely one more way to find You and love you. To be continued..............