St Victor’s discipleship on Thursday – a few of our group went and recapped for us: we are called to make disciples of all nations and to make others into other Christos – this is impossible if we are doing it ourselves but if we are working with Christ what is or seems impossible, or scary is accomplished because God does the impossible for and with us.
The value of not just one thing or person but a relationship – there can be a new sort of “spirit” in a relationship
The longest running structured relationship is the Most Holy Trinity – a dynamic structure of intimacy and Love – within God there is a movement, relationship, dynamic, structure – until God came among us and talked about this Trinitarian relationship we couldn’t even begin to imagine it: Christ keeps referring to His relationship : the Father and I are one (not I am God period – there is always the relationship referenced here – if you see Me you see the Father – If I go to the Father, I will send the Holy Spirit … etc.
Relationship is really what gives something a new kind of value and meaning even though you can’t grab it, control it, and manipulate it.
In music if you have one thing standing on its own you don’t have structure but when you put 2 notes together you have harmony and structure – scripture if you have two or more gathered in My Name – also scripture mentions the harmony of notes (Genesis Chapter 1, Matthew 18:19-21)
Just having a base is boring (fun for a while) but if you add in treble and higher notes you have a much more interesting relationship and musical piece.
“It takes two to tango.” Dancing, like music is a good example of the benefits of a relationship.
All is not well in paradise – God can restore Loving relationships that have been broken.
We need to recognize our weaknesses in order to be strengthened in God. Being able to recognize our weakness allows us to heal. Jesus in us approaches others to help them in their need and Jesus in them approaches us to help us in our need.
What is my way of being :
To be and to be present with Him, present to God and trust in Him with my life, future, finances – allow my Faith to be stretched.
There is something about recognizing our imperfectness which can be a really wonderful thing !
We come to Christ like a needy little child. Everything with God is so simple. He bandages and heals our wounds. But everything with God is so simple.
My twins keep me in check by saying: “The Holy Spirit wouldn’t say that.”
We are allowing Christ into the room – allowing Christ to become more real – how He has been pulling and moving and choreographing us in Christ. We get samples of God – we allow Christ to get catches of us and allow Him to start turning us into His Divine Life.
You mutually become a new order of being as this relationship in Christ transforms each of you.
There’s a constant struggle with what I want and what I need and praying to God that what I need becomes what I want !!!
Jesus exposes us like a dentist and spiritually I’m at the dentist right now, and I’m also like a little tree without roots that just blows and blows – I’m trying to plant roots and getting nowhere and then I finally just rested and went to sleep and suddenly all the roots were growing strong – a little tree that keeps re-transplanting – He’s calling me to nap spiritually – Christ is the dentist with anesthesia – while I am struggling to set down roots
The stakes keep getting greater for us to exercise our trust and Hope in God more.
It always happens that way. Just when you find the one and only they want to become a nun. I was going to the Episcopal Church because they were more liberal but I never felt Christ’s Presence especially during the services and something always took me back to the Catholic Church and now I’m considering a Vocation. A lot of profoundly negative things have happened. The Episcopal church really misses the boat on morals and what they mean in our lives.
Things that would not have bothered me so much before bother me very much now.
I am found in God; God is never far from me but I allow things to take me far from God.
Acts 4:8-12 actual continuation of Jesus – we are to make other Christos – one Christ in other bodies
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said to them: Ye princes of the people, and ancients, hear: 9 If we this day are examined concerning the good deed done to the infirm man, by what means he hath been made whole: 10 Be it known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God hath raised from the dead, even by him this man stands here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other. For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved.
God’s Love is so powerful that He can heal broken souls – we think of our own failings and know that Jesus Christ is calling for us to be healed.
1 Jn 3:1-2 See what Love the Father has bestowed on us, that we may be called the children of God the reason that the world does not know us is because the world did not know Him …
1 Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him. 2 Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God; and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know, that, when he shall appear, we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.
Christ enters into the place of brokenness and confusion and darkness. He opens up the next level of denial and garbage and allows us to feel so secure that we can open up the wound and go into the darkness and unlock those chambers while we are resting and remove the poison/garbage at each level – we allow Christ to take whatever is unhealthy and Christ removes the rot and does the doing. We stay in that zone until He goes in and tames the roots.
Christ wants us forever to be little beginners; the measure between God and us is INFINITE.
All these people are having the exactly the same kinds of experiences. We are His Beloved. The word “Beloved” in itself is so beautiful.
Romans 9:1-3 “There is no monkey crazier than St Paul.” (Yup. That is a direct quote from Fr Paul G)
St Paul goes really insane. I’m dead on. – I speak the Truth in Christ. My … I have great sorrow and constant anguish. Separated from my brothers. Christ cannot Live without coming alive in the one next to you !
1 I speak the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost: 2 That I have great sadness, and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I wished myself to be an anathema from Christ, for my brethren, who are my kinsmen according to the flesh,
Jn 10: 11-18
11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. 12 But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches, and scatters the sheep: 13 And the hireling flees, because he is a hireling: and he hath no care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know mine, and mine know me. 15 As the Father knows me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.
16 And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. 17 Therefore doth the Father love me: because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. 18 No man takes it away from me: but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
I Am the Good Shepherd … I lay down My Life for My sheep. St Paul got this “crazy” Love from Jesus Who got it from the Father so we have a crazy family… The hireling sees the wolf coming and runs away… because He works for pay. I know Mine and Mine know Me. Jesus knows how Beloved He is of the Father. The two of them are coming into intimate union, communion over and over. You are just as Beloved to me as I Am beloved by My Heavenly Father and I want you to become just as beloved of Me. He who works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. Just as I know the Father and the Father knows Me. I will lay down My Life for the sheep. Other sheep I have that are not of This Fold. This is why the Father Loves Me. I have power to lay My Life down and the power to take it up again. This command I have received from My Father.
St Paul: I need my brothers, sisters [others] to come into this union with me or I will never be who I am !
Our greatest gift to Christ is what we will allow Him to do for us.
All we can do is receive. Be open to receive more. Anything else is an insult. I get so thrilled with that. Open yourself to receive more. Be a place to receive.
Only God Himself has the power to lay down His Life. You can’t, you don’t have the power to empty yourself. Christ Himself infuses His power – that He alone has – to lay down our life – let it be My power – My activity combined with your willingness to let this [contemplative] stuff go on – than lay down your life. We don’t have to worry about the fact that I can’t be a good person, can’t pray, can’t do anything much. “I live now, not I, but Christ in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
Humility – I really can’t do it. Guess what. You have a little bit more humility now, so allow Me to enter in. An ongoing resignation, spirit of resignation to My Presence, My Divinity – Poverty of Spirit – an on-going resignation to let Christ work. Allowing God’s Holy Spirit to wed our spirit – two becoming one, Allowing the Holy Spirit to overshadow us.
All prayer is Christ’s own prayer so that our capacity to move in Divine ways and our inner being moves and consecrates – time to open the secret passages.
Just the physical Presence of God Himself is not enough – He needs us to allow an access so that the relationship is mutual. He then frees more of us to participate. Christ wants us to become integrated. Christ wants us to be vulnerable, exposed (not compartmentalized) to Him. He receives from within us His own self. We are activated by His grace and we participate.
Christ could not become Man unless there was a Gift – a Supernatural Grace given by Christ on the Cross – an advance on the allowance – the Blessed Virgin Mary could not have done Her work as the Mother of God only as a creature (by or according to human nature) – she needed a unique Divine (Supernatural/Sanctifying) Grace. She is full of grace: She is The Immaculate Conception.
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