Your Pastoral Coach

The Spirituality of Eastern Catholics

As Roman Catholics we often forget that the universality of our religion also includes Eastern Catholics. Last year I did some research on their spirituality and found it rich and beautiful. I have not been in one of their liturgies, but I would like to go some day. Mary Poppins NOT of Crazyacres has a series of posts, beginning with this one about her liturgies and their emphasis on the Holy Trinity . Please visit her, learn, and enjoy...

Here are some thoughts on what I learned about their spirituality...

Do You Pray to the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit?

Who do you pray to?  Why?  One of the most awesome mysteries of our faith is that we believe in the Holy Trinity.  We believe that God has one nature and three persons:  Father/Creator, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Do you pray to one person more than others?  Is it based on the nature of your prayers?

I was thinking about this and most of the time during morning and evening prayer I pray to God the Father.  Also during my on-going conversation with God during the day.  I pray to Jesus during and after the Eucharistic celebration and also during Eucharistic adoration.  During meditation I focus on the presence of Jesus. 

I typically end my prayers with "Holy Spirit, enlighten my heart so that I may see the things of God, Holy Spirit enlighten my mind so that I may know the things of God, Holy Spirit enlighten my soul, so that my soul beling to God.  Sanctify all that I think, say, or do so it will be for the glory of God."  That littler prayer is trypically my only prayer directed to the Holy Spirit.

I believe that in some Eastern Rites they have many prayers directed to the Holy Trinity.  Just curious...

A Christian Garden

One of my hobbies is growing a vegetable garden. With this cold weather all I can do is dream about it. This caught my eye. It's from My Catholic Reflections.

For Green Thumbs
Received this as an email today and thought it worth sharing.

For the Garden of Your Daily Living

Plant three rows of peas:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

Plant four rows of squash:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

Plant four rows of lettuce:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

No garden is without turnips:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

To finish our garden we must have thyme:
1. Time for each other
2. Time for family
3. Time for friends

Water freely with patience and cultivate with love. There is much in your garden because you reap what you sow.

Technorati Tags: Spirituality

The Spirituality of Solidarity

My 16-year old son is now bald.  He shaved his head this week.  Why?  He is not in a swim team, or in a gang, or too hot.  He did it as an act of loving solidarity with a relative who just lost her hair due to chemotherapy.  I asked him, are you doing this as some sort of sacrifice for God? An offering? Are you thinking that if you do this for her God may take pity and help?  No.  He is doing this because he loves her and he shares in her pain.  This is an act of solidarity.  It is a way for her to know that she is not alone, she belongs.

Which Wolf Are You Feeding?

The Battle Inside

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 wolves.

"One is Evil. It is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed,
arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies,
false pride, superiority and ego.

The other is God. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity,
truth, compassion, and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Forgive Me Father, for I Have Sinned

I went to confession yesterday and today I feel so grateful. Grateful that we have the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, grateful that there was a long line of people wanting to receive it, and grateful that with God's grace and mercy I can have a cleaner heart to praise and adore God with. Ever since Friday I have had the words to this song playing in my head over and over... "Create in me, a clean heart oh God, and renew a right spirit with me..." As I cradle Catholic I grew up with this sacrament. As a teenager I used to walk a mile or more to go to church on Saturday, on my own, to confess. I see this sacrament differently now, my preparation for it is different, but the results are the same: deep peace, divine love, and joy in my heart.

Delight in Constant Conversation with God

"There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful,
than that of a continual conversation with God.

Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it."
... Brother Lawrence

May our whole life be lived in constant communion with God. May we always taste the sweetness of His presence...

Technorati Tags: Living in the presence of God, Spirituality

My Hunger for God

Spiritual growth and holiness are such interesting things. One one hand I hunger for God so much! On the other hand, I can't seem to be able to easily do what will satisfy my hunger. I crave to be in His presence all the time, all the days of my life, in fact all eternity. I know that for where I am, what would help me the most is to live in His presence by doing something simple: before every single task I say "God, please be with me as I start this meeting, or answer e-mail, or drive to work, or make coffee, or give this presentation, etc." Basically, the whole day becomes a constant and simple prayer. This week work has been insanely busy and difficult. I get very focused doing the task at hand and juggling many priorities. My success at doing these prayers? Maybe 20%... So simple in concept, yet so difficult for me to do... Nevertheless, I believe the benefits would be immense. And thus, I will continue, I will keep trying. This quote sums it up for me...

"You called. You shouted. You broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my darkness. You breathed your fragrance on me. I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you. Now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me and now I burn for your peace" (St. Augustine, Confessions, Book 7)

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Quotes, Spirituality

The Rosary Prayer by Prayer

I strongly recommend the book "The Rosary Prayer by Prayer" by Mary K. Doyle. Mary is a dear friend and former classmate in St. Mary of the Woods College's Masters program in Pastoral Theology. This is a great book to give people that are just now learning about this wonderful prayer. Because of the beauty of the illustrations, scriptural reflections for each mystery, and historical information about the development of this precious prayer, this is also a good book for people that are experienced with the Rosary. I had the opportunity to recently talk with Mary about her book...

Mary, what gave you the idea to write about the rosary? "Five years ago I began visiting Marian shrines and bringing back rosaries from the sites. I found a great desire for these rosaries. People would call and email me requesting one and then carefully select the perfect rosary. They would tell me about their experiences with Jesus and our Holy Mother. They would tell me of personal experiences they had but had never told anyone else. Some would even cry....

Blessings from my Retreat

I just returned from taking a few days to do a private retreat. Although I spent many hours in silence, I did have good conversations with the sisters during meals. These are my top 10 blessings from my retreat...

• Beginning the retreat by praying a rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament in a candle-lit chapel, while I could see 7 inches of snow silently falling on tall pine trees...
• Learning from Brother Lawrence how to live n the presence of God every hour of every day of my life...
• Participating with 50 to 60 Benedictine Sisters in praying the Liturgy of the Hours every morning and evening, thus learning about the power of community to advance our spiritual growth...
• Enjoying 1.5 hours of spiritual direction with Sister Rachel and learning about little ways to overcome my spiritual barriers...
• Participating in daily mass...
• Having unhurried time to pray, think, and write my thoughts in my journal...
• Having time to reassess my life purpose, intent, roles, strengths and goals in anticipation for 2006 objectives...
• Enjoying perfect silence since, due to the time of year and days of the week, I was the only person in a 48 room conference center. I got a kick out of walking to the chapel in my pajamas to pray late at night before going to bed...
• Observing the vibrancy of this community of religious sisters. I loved the fact that they had so many young sisters and many on formation. Praise God!
• Enjoying the intense and uninterrupted love of God in my heart. May He give me an insatiable hunger for His love and His presence...

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Spirituality