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                February 18, 2011
 

Romans 12: 9-13, 18  

Let love be without any pretence. Avoid what is evil; stick to what is good. In brotherly love let your feelings of deep affection for one another come to expression and regard others as more important than yourself. In the service of the Lord, work not halfheartedly but with conscientiousness and an eager spirit. Be joyful in hope, persevere in hardship; keep praying regularly; share with any of God’s holy people who are in need; look for opportunities to be hospitable.

As much as possible, and to the utmost of your ability, be at peace with everyone.

                R. How good it is for us to work together —

Psalm 133

How good, how delightful it is
    to live as brothers all together!

It is like a fine oil on the head,
    running down the beard,
running down Aaron's beard,
    onto the collar of his robes.

It is like the dew of Hermon
    falling on the heights of Zion;
for there Yahweh bestows his blessing,
    everlasting life.

                Sing: You will know They are Christians by Their Love

                R. God intends us to work in communities —
                God intends us to obey just authority —
                Institutions cannot survive without
                    working as a team —
                    we exist as a team —
                    we don't try to tear the institution apart
                    as we work alone in anger —

                Satan wants division — so he can
                    take out men working together —
                    working in peace and love and unity
                    with each other —

                We are members of God's family —

                In a family usually there is mother and father and children —
                Children came into being through a mother and father —
                God intends us to obey —

Mark 1: 14-20

After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the gospel from God saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is close at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel.’

As he was walking along by the Lake of Galilee he saw Simon and Simon’s brother Andrew casting a net in the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Come after me and I will make you into fishers of people.’ And at once they left their nets and followed him. 

    Going on a little further, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John; they too were in their boat, mending the nets. At once he called them and, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the men he employed, they went after him.

   

Mark 2: 13-14

He went out again to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking along he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him.

                R. Jesus was bringing together
                    His special
                    Community that
                    would work with Him —

                They gave up everything —
                    willingly —
                    enthusiastically
                    to follow Christ —

                Matthew left all his money —
                    all his taxes to follow Jesus

                Matthew threw a big party —

                The Apostles followed Jesus —
                Jesus was in charge
                Jesus was the Master —
                Students follow their teachers —

                In movies we can see all of Jesus'
                    Apostles walking in a group
                    That wasn't how it was —
                    They followed Jesus —
                    Jesus was up front —
                    Jesus was the leader —
                    Jesus was the teacher —
                    Jesus was out front —
 

                Fr. Joe talked about
                    4 Chaplains that they were on a boat
                    at the time of Hitler —

                The boat was going down —
                These Chaplains gave the people
                    their life jackets when they
                    ran out of life jackets —
                    so the Chaplains went down with
                    the boat — they died for others —

                This is the way of love —
                These men were full of Jesus
                They sacrificed for others —
                They gave to others
                The Apostles weren't dumb —
                    a tax collector wasn't dumb —

                The Apostles that followed Jesus
                    were sharp men —
                    they were wise and
                    they followed Jesus —

                Help us to FOLLOW JESUS —
                Happiness is in following Jesus —

                NOT following SATAN — LIVE by the
                    message of the Gospel —

                Help us to work together —
                Help us to work to bring people together —
                Help us to show we are Christians —

                Sing: We come to share our Story - G240

                The rule of religious orders are
                    based on this obedience to superiors —
                        to obey just authority —
                        even if we disagree on the way
                        something is to be done —
                        the procedure —
                        we obey those over us —
                        we obey authority —
                    Religious take a vow —

                The Apostles were fishing and
                    Jesus went by and He said —
                    'Come and follow Me' —

                Jesus obeyed His Father —
                Jesus taught us how to be —
                We can rebel against God's will —
                    To follow Jesus —
                    To rebel against God's will 

                R. We have a free will —
                    to be obedient and follow Jesus —
                    or to be disobedient and to
                    argue how when we are 'wrong'
                        we are 'right' —
                Try to discredit authority by showing
                    bad example of how we disobey

                2 children were playing —
                    a small child was very rebellious —
                    the rebellious child left — he was older than the
                    little child —
                    the little child that was still there
                        was taught a big lesson —
                        DISOBEY — the little child witnessed it —

                    The little child looked up to the rebellious kid —
                    The little child disobeyed all that day and night
                    The little child continued disobeying —

                    The older child gave a bad example and
                        showed the little child the way to disobey —
                        Jesus tells us to follow Him —
                        Jesus was obedient to His Father —
                            to His death on the cross

                Today's Readings
 

Genesis 11: 1-9

The whole world spoke the same language, with the same vocabulary. Now, as people moved eastwards they found a valley in the land of Shinar where they settled. They said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them in the fire.’ For stone they used bricks, and for mortar they used bitumen. ‘Come,’ they said, ‘let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top reaching heaven. Let us make a name for ourselves, so that we do not get scattered all over the world.’ 

    Now Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that the people had built. ‘So they are all a single people with a single language!’ said Yahweh. ‘This is only the start of their undertakings! Now nothing they plan to do will be beyond them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language there, so that they cannot understand one another.’ Yahweh scattered them thence all over the world, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel, since there Yahweh confused the language of the whole world, and from there Yahweh scattered them all over the world.

Psalm 33: 10-15

Yahweh thwarts the plans of nations,
frustrates the counsels of peoples;
but Yahweh's own plan stands firm for ever,
his heart's counsel from age to age.
How blessed the nation whose God is Yahweh,
the people he has chosen as his heritage.

From heaven Yahweh looks down,
he sees all the children of Adam,
from the place where he sits he watches
all who dwell on the earth;
he alone moulds their hearts,
he understands all they do.

                R. In the first reading the people continued
                    to sin after the flood —
                    They constructed the tower of Babel —
                    They were working to build a tower —

                    The problem was their intention —

                    Their intention was much like Adam and Eve —
                        they would build this tower and
                        they thought they would be like gods —

                    Ambition to be like god —

                    The tongue was confused by God because
                        of what they did to build the tower —
                    Through the death and resurrection
                    we will see one tongue on Pentecost —

                We see yesterday Peter told Christ —
                    that He couldn't get crucified —
                    Jesus said to Peter
                    "Get behind me satan"

                Jesus says if you want to be part of His Kingdom
                    you must follow in My footprints —

                Jesus said in the Gospel
                    He was doing the glory of His Father —

                What have we accomplished if we
                    rule the whole world and
                    suffer the loss of our soul —

                Jesus has conquered sin and conquered
                    death —

                Those who persevere and follow Jesus
                    will have eternal life —

                Jesus says: "Take up your cross and follow Me"

                A person under authority and causing
                    trouble, disobeying wants to
                    raise up over those over them —
                    They can be pressed on by the
                        devil to oppose the will of God in
                        following authority —
                    The devil wants division with those
                        over us
                        so he presses in so the person under
                        authority can get the attitude "I am right" —
                        the person over me is "wrong" —

                That is what Adam and Eve did they
                    disobeyed God over them.

                The devil presses in an
                    "I'm right" attitude against authority — they
                    try to decide the person over me in authority is wrong
                    It is God's will — we obey authority —
                    Like Adam and Eve obeying God

                    But satan wants those under authority to
                        have this attitude — "I am right" —
                        "Those over me are wrong" —
                    So they are divided with God's will —
                    They are miserable —
                    They can further go to others to prove they are
                        right over authority —
                    If they are opposing just authority
                    they are disobedient and in desolation —

                    This trick of satan is as old as Adam and Eve —
                    Those building the tower of Babel
                        wanted in today's first reading
                        to be equal to God —

                    When a person is in desolation — the devil
                        lies to them —
                        like a person violating a marriage contract —
                        the devil tells the person that it's okay
                        to cheat on their spouse —

                The devil says in this case it is okay —
                    "You are right" —

                Like Adam and Eve they have gone against
                    God's will —
                    listened to satan —
                    put themselves in an "I'm right and
                    authority is wrong attitude"

                    Which is as old as Adam and Eve —
                    Then the devil is their counsel —
                    Telling them to oppose just authority —
                    Creating division and disobedience to
                        God's will
 

                This is the first fall of man, in the Bible, in the garden —
                    It is how Adam and Eve sinned —

                When you choose to be divided against God's will —
                    then you are working against God's will —
                    then you are really miserable —

                Working against God's will —
                    hurts the body of Christ —

                When we make the 'examine' as Fr. Carter did
                    every day — twice —

                We detect how we are opposing
                    God's will and we can make an act of
                    contrition — rather than becoming
                    an instrument of satan —
                    trying to prove we are right
                    when we are trying to oppose
                    just authority over us —

                Religious orders
                    have taken these vows over the centuries
                    of poverty, chastity and obedience —
   

                R. Fr. Carter made his 'examine' twice a day —
                In the 'examine' you see you are to be
                    grateful for your blessings —
                    thank God for His gifts —
                    then see if you are doing God' will —
                    are you offending God by not doing
                        God's will — seeking power over
                        authority — justifying yourself as
                        right —

                    trying to weaken authority by talking
                        against them to others —
                        show others under you —
                        you should be in charge —
                        authority is wrong —

                This is an added offense to the body of
                    Christ —
                    You harm the body of Christ when
                        you try to take out a religious
                        institution, a family, a community
                        to prove you are right for your
                        disobedience —

                When this is the actions of a person
                    being right becomes the god to them
                        at all costs —

                Adam and Eve were sorry and they were
                    punished and
                    so are we because of their
                    disobedience

                We all have a wounded human nature —
                Disobeying just authority is
                    DISORDER

                R. Fr. Carter obeyed his superiors —
                    one who takes a vow of obedience
                    like Fr. Carter did are to live by that —

                Fr. Carter wanted obedience to his superiors —
                    even if he wanted something else —
                    he never wanted to not do God's will
                        or lead others off —
                        He obeyed His superiors —
                        It was his will to do God's will —
                            IN LOVE —

                Fr. Carter never ever wanted to retaliate against
                    his superiors

                It was his life to obey those over him —

                This is like Jesus —
                    who obeyed His Father to His death
                        on the cross —

                Jesus obeyed His Father —
                There is perfect obedience to God's will
                    in heaven

Excerpt of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. pp. 141-150  

313. RULES FOR DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
I

Rules for understanding to some extent the different movements produced in the soul and for recognizing those that are good to admit them, and those that are bad, to reject them. These rules are more suited to the first week
  

314.  I.  In the case of those who go from one mortal sin to another, the enemy is ordinarily accustomed to propose apparent pleasures. He fills their imagination with sensual delights and gratifications, the more readily to keep them in their vices and increase the number of their sins.

    With such persons the good spirit uses a method which is the reverse of the above. Making use of the light of reason, he will rouse the sting of conscience and fill them with remorse.

315.  2.  In the case of those who go on earnestly striving to cleanse their souls from sin and who seek to rise in the service of God our Lord to greater perfection, the method pursued is the opposite of that mentioned in the first rule.

    Then it is characteristic of the evil spirit to harass with anxiety, to afflict with sadness, to raise obstacles backed by fallacious reasonings that disturb the soul. Thus he seeks to prevent the soul from advancing.

    It is characteristic of the good spirit, however, to give courage and strength, consolations, tears, inspirations, and peace. This He does by making all easy, by removing all obstacles so that the soul goes forward in doing good.

316.  3.  SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION.  I call it consolation when an interior movement is aroused in the soul, by which it is inflamed with love of its Creator and Lord, and as a consequence, can love no creature on the face of the earth for its own sake, but only in the Creator of them all. It is likewise consolation when one sheds tears that move to the love of God, whether it be because of sorrow for sins, or because of the sufferings of Christ our Lord, or for any other reason that is immediately directed to the praise and service of God. Finally, I call consolation every increase of faith, hope, and love, and all interior joy that invites and attracts to what is heavenly and to the salvation of one's soul by filling it with peace and quiet in its Creator and Lord.

317.  4.  SPIRITUAL DESOLATION.  I call desolation what is entirely the opposite of what is described in the third rule, as darkness of soul, turmoil of spirit, inclination to what is low and earthly, restlessness rising from many disturbances and temptations which lead to want of faith, want of hope, want of love. The soul is wholly slothful, tepid, sad, and separated, as it were, from its Creator and Lord. For just as consolation is the opposite of desolation, so the thoughts that spring from consolation are the opposite of those that spring from desolation.

318.  5.  In time of desolation we should never make any change, but remain firm and constant in the resolution and decision which guided us the day before the desolation, or in the decision to which we adhered in the preceding consolation. For just as in consolation the good spirit guides and counsels us, so in desolation the evil spirit guides and counsels. Following his counsels we can never find the way to a right decision.

319.  6.  Though in desolation we must never change our former resolutions, it will be very advantageous to intensify our activity against the desolation. We can insist more upon prayer, upon meditation, and on much examination of ourselves. We can make an effort in a suitable way to do some penance.

320.  7.  When one is in desolation, he should be mindful that God has left him to his natural powers to resist the different agitations and temptations of the enemy in order to try him. He can resist with the help of God, which always remains, though he may not clearly perceive it. For though God has taken from him the abundance of fervor and overflowing love and the intensity of His favors, nevertheless, he has sufficient grace for eternal salvation.

321.  8.  When one is in desolation, he should strive to persevere in patience. This reacts against the vexations that have overtaken him. Let him consider, too, that consolation will soon return, and in the meantime, he must diligently use the means against desolation which have been given in the sixth rule.

322.  9.  The principal reasons why we suffer from desolation are three:

    The first is because we have been tepid and slothful or negligent in our exercises of piety, and so through our own fault spiritual consolation has been taken away from us.

    The second reason is because God wishes to try us, to see how much we are worth, and how much we will advance in His service and praise when left without the generous reward of consolations and signal favors.

    The third reason is because God wishes to give us a true knowledge and understanding of ourselves, so that we may have an intimate perception of the fact that it is not within our power to acquire and attain great devotion, intense love, tears, or any other spiritual consolation; but that all this is the gift and grace of God our Lord. God does not wish us to build on the property of another, to rise up in spirit in a certain pride and vainglory and attribute to ourselves the devotion and other effects of spiritual consolation.

323.  10.  When one enjoys consolation, let him consider how he will conduct himself during the time of ensuing desolation, and store up a supply of strength as defense against that day.

324.  11.  He who enjoys consolation should take care to humble himself and lower himself as much as possible. Let him recall how little he is able to do in time of desolation, when he is left without such grace or consolation.

    On the other hand, one who suffers desolation should remember that by making use of the sufficient grace offered him, he can do much to withstand all his enemies. Let him find his strength in his Creator and Lord.

325.  12.  The enemy conducts himself as a woman. He is a weakling before a show of strength, and a tyrant if he has his will. It is characteristic of a woman in a quarrel with a man to lose courage and take to flight if the man shows that he is determined and fearless. However, if the man loses courage and begins to flee, the anger, vindictiveness, and rage of the woman surge up and know no bounds. In the same way, the enemy becomes weak, loses courage, and turns to flight with his seductions as soon as one leading a spiritual life faces his temptations boldly, and does exactly the opposite of what he suggests. However, if one begins to be afraid and to lose courage in temptations, no wild animal on earth can be more fierce than the enemy of our human nature. He will carry out his perverse intentions with consummate malice.

326.  13.  Our enemy may also be compared in his manner of acting to a false lover. He seeks to remain hidden and does not want to be discovered. If such a lover speaks with evil intention to the daughter of a good father, or to the wife of a good husband, and seeks to seduce them, he wants his words and solicitations kept secret. He is greatly displeased if his evil suggestions and depraved intentions are revealed by the daughter to her father, or by the wife to her husband. Then he readily sees he will not succeed in what he has begun. In the same way, when the enemy of our human nature tempts a just soul with his wiles and seductions, he earnestly desires that they be received secretly and kept secret. But if one manifests them to a confessor, or to some other spiritual person who understands his deceits and malicious designs, the evil one is very much vexed. For he knows that he cannot succeed in his evil undertaking, once his evident deceits have been revealed.

327.  14.  The conduct of our enemy may also be compared to the tactics of a leader intent upon seizing and plundering a position he desires. A commander and leader of an army will encamp, explore the fortifications and defenses of the stronghold, and attack at the weakest point. In the same way, the enemy of our human nature investigates from every side all our virtues, theological, cardinal, and moral. Where he finds the defenses of eternal salvation weakest and most deficient, there he attacks and tries to take us by storm.

 

328. RULES FOR DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS
II

Further rules for understanding the different movements produced in the soul. They serve for a more accurate discernment of spirits and are more suitable for the second week
  

329.  I.  It is characteristic of God and His Angels, when they act upon the soul, to give true happiness and spiritual joy, and to banish all the sadness and disturbances which are caused by the enemy.
   It is characteristic of the evil one to fight against such happiness and consolation by proposing fallacious reasonings, subtilties, and continual deceptions.

330.  2.  God alone can give consolation to the soul without any previous cause. It belongs solely to the Creator to come into a soul, to leave it, to act upon it, to draw it wholly to the love of His Divine Majesty. I said without previous cause, that is, without any preceding perception or knowledge of any subject by which a soul might be led to such a consolation through its own acts of intellect and will.

331.  3.  If a cause precedes, both the good angel and the evil spirit can give consolation to a soul, but for a quite different purpose. The good angel consoles for the progress of the soul, that it may advance and rise to what is more perfect. The evil spirit consoles for purposes that are the contrary, and that afterwards he might draw the soul to his own perverse intentions and wickedness.

332.  4.  It is a mark of the evil spirit to assume the appearance of an angel of light. He begins by suggesting thoughts that are suited to a devout soul, and ends by suggesting his own. For example, he will suggest holy and pious thoughts that are wholly in conformity with the sanctity of the soul. Afterwards, he will endeavor little by little to end by drawing the soul into his hidden snares and evil designs.

333.  5.  We must carefully observe the whole course of our thoughts. If the beginning and middle and end of the course of thoughts are wholly good and directed to what is entirely right, it is a sign that they are from the good angel. But the course of thoughts suggested to us may terminate in something evil, or distracting, or less good than the soul had formerly proposed to do. Again, it may end in what weakens the soul, or disquiets it; or by destroying the peace, tranquility, and quiet which it had before, it may cause disturbance to the soul. These things are a clear sign that the thoughts are proceeding from the evil spirit, the enemy of our progress and eternal salvation.

334.  6.  When the enemy of our human nature has been detected and recognized by the trail of evil marking his course and by the wicked end to which he leads us, it will be profitable for one who has been tempted to review immediately the whole course of the temptation. Let him consider the series of good thoughts, how they arose, how the evil one gradually attempted to make him step down from the state of spiritual delight and joy in which he was, till finally he drew him to his wicked designs. The purpose of this review is that once such an experience has been understood and carefully observed, we may guard ourselves for the future against the customary deceits of the enemy.

335.  7.  In souls that are progressing to greater perfection, the action of the good angel is delicate, gentle, delightful. It may be compared to a drop of water penetrating a sponge.
    The action of the evil spirit upon such souls is violent, noisy, and disturbing. It may be compared to a drop of water falling upon a stone.
    In souls that are going from bad to worse, the action of the spirits mentioned above is just the reverse. The reason for this is to be sought in the opposition or similarity of these souls to the different kinds of spirits. When the disposition is contrary to that of the spirits, they enter with noise and commotion that are easily perceived. When the disposition is similar to that of the spirits, they enter silently, as one coming into his own house when the doors are open.

336.  8.  When consolation is without previous cause, as was said, there can be no deception in it, since it can proceed from God our Lord only. But a spiritual person who has received such a consolation must consider it very attentively, and must cautiously distinguish the actual time of the consolation from the period which follows it. At such a time the soul is still fervent and favored with the grace and aftereffects of the consolation which has passed. In this second period the soul frequently forms various resolutions and plans which are not granted directly by God our Lord. They may come from our own reasoning on the relations of our concepts and on the consequences of our judgments, or they may come from the good or evil spirit. Hence, they must be carefully examined before they are given full approval and put into execution.

end of excerpt

From The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, 
    by Louis J. Puhl, S.J. p.11

21.                     SPIRITUAL EXERCISES

    Which have as their purpose the conquest of self
    and the regulation of one's life in such a way that
    no decision is made under the influence of any
    inordinate attachment

                        23. FIRST PRINCIPLE AND FOUNDATION

                            Man is created to praise, reverence and serve God 
                        our Lord, and by this means to save his soul.

                R. The Holy Spirit leaves us in peace, love and joy

                The Evil spirit leaves us sad, tired, angry, unloving

Prayer of St Ignatius

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Blood of Christ, inebriate me
Water from the side of Christ wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
O good Jesus, hear me
Within Thy wounds hide me
Permit me not to be separated from Thee
From the wicked foe defend me
at the hour of my death call me
and bid me come to Thee
That with Thy saints I may praise Thee
For ever and ever. Amen.

                R. Jesus returned from the
                    temptations full of the
                    Holy Spirit —

                Jesus returns to His hometown
                    but He is rejected —
                    He has problems —

                Jesus teaches —
                Jesus performs miracles

                Pray for grace to know Jesus —
                    to love Him more —
                    to imitate Jesus more —

                Examination of Conscience —

                Sit down —
                    look at the blessings —
                    Give God thanks
                    See where God is acting in you today
                        Are you doing God's will? Or
                    See where you are failing to do God will today—

                Make an act of contrition —
                    jealousies, anger,
                    control, possessiveness —
                    blocking God's will in others —
                    how you have offended God and
                    others —

                How you have done damage
                    to His body — the Body of
                    Christ —

                Do the examination of conscience
                    twice a day —