Recent Posts

Tuesday 11 August 2015

Musings on St. Clare


Many movies, books, icons, and other works of art over the centuries have depicted St. Clare as a gentlewoman who saw Christ in St. Francis, left a comfortable life, and followed the way of the Cross.

St. Clare reminds us of simpler, more pure times, despite the wars between the city-states, wars of pride and commerce, which blotted the landscape of her time.

Yet, the days were simpler, and choices, perhaps, easier to make, for a young person who wanted to follow Jesus closely.

Born into comfort and the new wealth of Assisi, Clare wrote the first harsh rule for women, and possibly, the first rule for nuns ever written by a woman. Rome took time to approve the strict order, now known as the Poor Clares, and now, but not everywhere, but in many places, not in keeping with the spirit of Clare.

Although her times were less complicated, Clare had to run away from home and withstand her father's violent dissent of her choice of vocation.

Her sister also joned her eventually.

One hopes that St. Clare invokes the Holy Spirit today to call young women into the religious life of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

St. Clare died at 59 and was canonized a mere three years after her death, as the Popes of her day recognized her holiness immediately. Many miracles were attributed to her within a short time of her holy death.

People pray for vocations, but few actually encourage their girls to become nuns. Some parents thwart God's plans for their children. Every parent must be generous with God and give to Him the children He wants for His service.

Sadly, we have the story of Clare's more than difficult father. May parents not only pray for vocations, but form children who will accept the call of God to go into religious life.

Internet News

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/major-firefox-vulnerability-lets-hackers-steal-your-files-using-dodgy-web-ads-20150809-givb77.html

http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/digital-life-news/one-million-australians-not-seeing-ads-on-the-web-as-blocker-use-rises-20150706-gi5ure.html

Bishop Speaks Honestly About Persecution

http://www.ewtnnews.com/catholic-news/US.php?id=12457

“Our people are asking these questions: how come we apply for the American visa and are denied?” Archbishop Warda said. 

“This is a clear case of persecution,” he added. 

...

Archbishop Warda said one of the most important things Americans can do is to speak out about the violence being done to Christians in the Middle East.

“All the statements (by U.S. government and media) have not condemned strongly what damage it is doing,” he said. 

“What they are saying is just ‘This is not the true Islam. This is violating the picture of Islam.’ The issue for them is the image of Islam, but none of these statements speak about the victims, about what has been done to the victims, they are not even mentioned. And that is one of the questions our people have.”

...

“What is their only crime? To believe in the one who said 2,000 years ago, ‘love thy neighbor,’” Anderson said of Christians in the Middle East. “The blood of these martyrs cries out to heaven for justice, and to you and me for help

Being Flexible

One thing about following God, Who, remember, makes new doughnuts everyday, is that one must be flexible.

What one thinks may happen may change or morph into something else.

I never thought I would be doing spiritual direction and this is taking a great deal of my time now. It is an honor to be asked to help out with spiritual lives, and very humbling.

This started many, many months ago, ebbing and flowing according to people's needs. What is freely given is freely given, and, of course, I would never, never charge or ask for money for spiritual direction. No one should.

And, it is possible that the house of prayer/adoration may be rental for awhile, rather than buying, for several reasons. One is that I have not raised enough for buying, and will be setting something up soon I hope, and, two, baby steps seem to be the way now. Three, this is what may be opening up soon. God will put me where He wants to do so.

I may have one benefactor besides those generous people who have given already, but as the site and the setting for banking take a cut of the money, which is reasonable, I may shut down the gofundme and just go with talking to potential benefactors, so that I do not have to pay the middle man.

In the meantime, the little cell of prayer continues, as best I can do, and by the end of the month I shall be in a different state, with chapel, and things gathered for the house of adoration. I am learning to move quickly, as God ordains, and wait. This seems to be a pattern-almost like being in the army-moving quickly, then waiting, moving, waiting.

God Makes New Doughnuts Everyday!

I have had several priests encourage me in this endeavor of the house of adoration and prayer. For this moral support, I am grateful. In addition, several mature women of faith support me in prayer and encouragement as well. This is gratifying. I thank them, although some do not read this blog. Most wish it could happen here, but that door has not opened.

Being flexible is part of a missionary's life, and the life of an evangelizer. Having been on the front lines of spiritual warfare, I know that times of  "r and r" have become more and more rare. In fact, I personally need more quiet, and less giving of spiritual direction. But, that is fine for now, as God gives us all the strength we need to do His work. One can only give what one gets from the Bridegroom.

If God builds this house in the middle of a desert, I would be most happy! I need to go up into the mountains for a while.

But, I do not think He will allow me to do this for a bit.