Fighting the Lenten Battles

Everyone who enters the Lenten desert consciously and who wills to more fully conform his or her self to the image of the Christos will have confronted by this third Tuesday in Lent, some of their worst inner enemies. We have repentence, penitence and remorse over our sins. The dark shadows of addictions, old wounds and scars, sins and omissions with their karmic aftermath, thought and behavior patterns which are less than exemplary - I have managed to wrestle with at least one of each of them by now this Lent. Some of them several times. But allowing a metamorphosis to take place by the grace of God and by surrendering to a higher power and one's own higher self (soul)is what is required of us. This is not self-help, but rather surrender to the Divine Wow. Metanoia and transformation into a new creature. This is the Lenten Spring.
DJY
Readings for today.

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Socrates said that at his trial for heresy.

We cannot procrastinate until tomorrow. For we know not what the next day will bring. Nor should we say, let us conquer a certain habit “little by little”, since this “little by little” will never come to an end
- St. John Chrysostom
photo credit: Loriannloo
~~~

God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot

I heard this wonderful song - written by Leonard Cohen and sung by Buffy Sainte-Marie - on KZUM community-powered radio while making my Lenten "big breakfast" this morning(scrambled tofu with hot sauce, garlic pepper and turmeric, fried potatoes & piece of toast). I was awestruck at the humble power of Ms. Sainte-Marie's rendition, and I really liked the depiction of the Holy Trinity and the end of the video. For your lenten journey ~

Almsgiving

The three cornerstones of Lent are prayer, fasting and almsgiving. The giving of alms is an ancient, worldwide spiritual practice of giving, materially, to the poor and needy. In a broader sense, almsgivng may be said to include the pouring out of self to include the broader definition of brotherhood, family and inclusiveness. Give, and give of your talents, and be of good cheer! Thank God for all my gifts and blessings, and trials and difficulties.

Householders & the homeless, in mutual dependence, both reach the true Dhamma. - Buddha

Total willingness to give is the wish-granting gem for fulfilling the hopes of wandering beings. It is the sharpest weapon to sever the knot of stinginess.It leads to bodhisattva conduct that enhances self-confidence and courage,And is the basis for universal proclamation of your fame and repute. Realizing this, the wise rely, in a healthy manner, on the outstanding path of(being ever-willing) to offer completely their bodies, possessions, and positive potentials. The ever-vigilant lama has practiced like that.If you too would seek liberation, Please cultivate yourself in the same way. - Lama Tsong Khapa

Christ Jesus in Matthew 25:45 (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition)
Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me.

Christ Jesus in Luke 11:40-42

40Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without, make also that which is within?
41But yet that which remaineth, give alms; and behold, all things are clean unto you.
42But woe to you, Pharisees, because you tithe mint and rue and every herb; and pass over judgment, and the charity of God. Now these things you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Forgiveness

The main theme of Lent, and indeed of the message of Christ Himself, is forgiveness. The unity this points to is nothing less than an overwhelming complete cohesiveness of the heavens and the earth, of humanity and nature, a new Eden. For that which is one must needs be harmonious, it shall not split apart or argue disparate battles, lest it become schizophrenic. Which is what our current state of the world is. Forgiveness of offenses opens the door for a fresh and clean realization that all is indeed one, that all is indeed love.
DJY

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Forgiveness is freeing up and putting to better use the energy once consumed by holding grudges, harboring resentments, and nursing unhealed wounds. It is rediscovering the strengths we always had and relocating our limitless capacity to understand and accept other people and ourselves. ~ Sidney and Suzanne Simon

The practice of peace and reconciliation is one of the most vital and artistic of human actions. ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

The more you know yourself, the more you forgive yourself. ~ Confucious

Alicia Keys-Pray For Forgiveness




Alicia Keys - Pray For Forgiveness

Beautiful garden
Where have you gone?
Myself delusions are leaving me in the start
Taking for granted all the goodness that I found
Somewhere I lost hope
My control came crashing down

[chorus]:
And I pray for forgiveness
Look for the answers
'Cos it's hard for me to pretend
Look to my mother
Gone to the captain
Don't you see this state that I'm in
No one will notice
Nobody notices
'Cos it's me where it begins...
Lookin' for justice
Searchin' for answers...

Beautiful morning
Please don't wake me from my sleep
'Cos I need some comfort
To regain my sanity

I don't wanna feel this crazy
I don't wanna feel this parted
Shattered in a million pieces
I'm so broken hearted

No one left to run
Nowhere left to go

[chorus]

I swear that every day
I feel like my mind is haunting me
I think of every little stupid mistake that has been made

This time I won't have the string to gather myself
I'm falling to pieces...

Remodeling In Progress

Beginning today, it is Great and Holy Lent in the Eastern Church, and the blog is about to undergo a refashioning and a remodelling as I pass through the 40 day spiritual cycle. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are at the forefront and politics and the world must take a back seat and cool their heels while the Lenten Spring works its resurrection magic on us. So don't be surprised at a new look, and some late winter/early spring doings coming to The Rosemary Tree soon! A good Lent to you.

Holy Thursday 2009

I am currently listening to the 2009 Holy Thursday services live from the Vatican via EWTN live streaming online radio (click "multimedia" on the menu, then the media you want ~ I'd be watching, but I can't focus on blogging while I watch cuz I'm a lousy multi-tasker). There is an online devotion, The Stations of the Cross, available here for those who are tied to their computers, although I strongly recommend getting the old corpus out of the chair and into a church for the real thing.



Pope Benedict XVI on Palm Sunday said a successful life without sacrifice does not exist. During his sermon in St. Peters square, the Pope spoke about what is involved in saying yes to God.

Great and Holy Monday

On Holy Monday we commemorate Joseph the Patriarch, the beloved son of Jacob. A major figure of the Old Testament, Joseph's story is told in the final section of the Book of Genesis (chs. 37-50). Because of his exceptional qualities and remarkable life, our patristic and liturgical tradition portrays Joseph as tipos Christou, i.e., as a prototype, prefigurement or image of Christ. The story of Joseph illustrates the mystery of God's providence, promise and redemption. Innocent, chaste and righteous, his life bears witness to the power of God's love and promise. The lesson to be learned from Joseph's life, as it bears upon the ultimate redemption wrought by the death and resurrection of Christ, is summed up in the words he addressed to his brothers who had previously betrayed him, “’Fear not ... As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.’ Thus he reassured them and comforted them” (Genesis 50:19-21). The commemoration of the noble, blessed and saintly Joseph reminds us that in the great events of the Old Testament, the Church recognizes the realities of the New Testament.

Also, on Great and Holy Monday the Church commemorates the event of the cursing of the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-20). In the Gospel narrative this event is said to have occurred on the morrow of Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:18 and Mark 11:12). For this reason it found its way into the liturgy of Great Monday. The episode is also quite relevant to Great Week. Together with the event of the cleansing of the Temple this episode is another manifestation of Jesus' divine power and authority and a revelation as well of God's judgment upon the faithlessness of the Jewish religious classes. The fig tree is symbolic of Israel become barren by her failure to recognize and receive Christ and His teachings. The cursing of the fig tree is a parable in action, a symbolic gesture. Its meaning should not be lost on any one in any generation. Christ's judgment on the faithless, unbelieving, unrepentant and unloving will be certain and decisive on the Last Day. This episode makes it clear that nominal Christianity is not only inadequate, it is also despicable and unworthy of God's kingdom. Genuine Christian faith is dynamic and fruitful. It permeates one's whole being and causes a change. Living, true and unadulterated faith makes the Christian conscious of the fact that he is already a citizen of heaven. Therefore, his way of thinking, feeling, acting and being must reflect this reality. Those who belong to Christ ought to live and walk in the Spirit; and the Spirit will bear fruit in them: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-25).

~~~

Matins of Great and Holy Monday

Matthew 21:18-43 (pp. 32-35)

The Parable of the Fig Tree

In those days, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, He was hungry and seeing a

fig tree by the wayside He went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And

He said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered

at once. When the disciples saw it they marveled, saying, "How did the fig tree

wither at once?" And Jesus answered them, "Truly, I say to you, if you have faith

and never doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but

even if you say to this mountain, `Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it will be

done. And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."

The Authority of Jesus

And when He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people

came up to Him as He was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing

these things, and who gave you this authority?" Jesus answered them, "I also will

ask you a question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what

authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or

from men?" And they argued with one another, "If we say, `From heaven,' He will

say to us, `Why then did you not believe him?' But if we say `From men,' we are

afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet." So they answered

Jesus, "We do not know." And He said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what

authority I do these things.

The Man with Two Sons

"What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, `Son,

go and work in the vineyard today.' And he answered, `I will not'; but afterward he

repented and went. And he went to the second and said the same; and he

answered, `I go, sir,' and did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?"

They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors

and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in

the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and

the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent

and believe him.

The Wicked Tenants

"Hear another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and

set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out

to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he

sent his servant to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants

and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants,

more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to

them, saying, `They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they

said to themselves, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his

inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those

tenants?" They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and

let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."

~~~

Stepping Back From Impulse

Good advice. Step back from the irritable impulse.

From Spirit Daily.

QUOTE  Step back, for example, from first thoughts of feeling puffed up. Step back from first thoughts of superiority. Step back from first thoughts of aggravation. Step back from jealousy or it will bite you back.

How many times during a typical day are you inclined to be aggravated or at least mildly disturbed with something or somebody? Isn't that a constant temptation? There are many reasons for disliking people and it is a test of life because it's a test of love.

Yet, life is too short for even a moment of agitation.

Often you have heard us discuss the power of forgiveness -- and the detriment of holding a grudge.

To love we must first forgive. When you don't forgive -- when you give into the inclination to dislike (and even hate) a person -- you step into that person's darkness. UNQUOTE

art credit: wolfsongo

Watch With Me One Hour

The Son of God was left alone in his suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. He wanted his closest friends to simply be with him, to help him pray and make it through the darkest hour. They let him down, giving in to their sleepiness rather than staying alert to suffer with Jesus.

"Could you not watch one hour with me?" (Matthew 26:40)

The only remedy for spiritual torpor is prayer, fasting and almsgiving. This is not just vocal prayer, although vocal prayer is important. This is not just physical fasting, although that also is important. It is not just tossing an extra tenner in the collection plate, although that never hurt anybody.

But the prayer , fasting and almsgiving which can heal our soul must involve a communion of hearts,just as a good marriage must involve more than just words.


From the Catholic Exchange.

QUOTE Sharing another’s suffering is one of the most intimate things we can do. It is easy to be with another in their joy. It is a much harder task to be with someone as they cry out in pain or misery or suffer in silence as their spirit is ripped to shreds and they feel that the light will never come out again. So often, when we see someone else in pain, we want to fix things. We want to make the pain go away. Sometimes, we can. Other times, we have nothing to offer but our presence. It is important to realize how much a gift that can be.

Christ suffers in solidarity with every soul, and we can suffer in solidarity with Him. We are never alone, though we may feel forsaken. Christ shows us that He is one with us in our sorrow and pain, no matter how alone we feel. We are all wounded, broken, suffering in some way, and even the pain we bring upon ourselves, He shares. He MUST share, because love is revealed fully when we share another’s suffering.

We cannot eliminate suffering in this life; there are times when we can partially alleviate another’s suffering, but our proper response to suffering is to simply be with, be for, the suffering person. The answer to suffering is always an experience of grace and unconditional acceptance. The answer to suffering is love - - Kathryn Mulderink, His Suffering and Ours. UNQUOTE
~~~

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

art credit: jsmart84
Laissez les bon temps rouler!! Let the good times roll...Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. It is also called Carnival, or Carneval, which derives from Carnivale, Latin for "farewell to flesh". It is celebrated as the last chance to party hearty before the season of Lent begins. Lent is the period pertaining to the last forty days of Christ's life on earth. Easter Sunday evokes a new beginning with the remembrance of Christ rising from the dead, and the end of Lent.

Let's Get Serious About Lent

Today is "Clean Monday" for Eastern Rite Catholics across the globe. We are tightening our belts and going temporarily vegan for as much of Lent as possible, the first week and Holy Week at the very least. Those faint of heart (that's me) can take some eggs and cheese in the intermittent weeks, with fish for celebratory days such as the Feast of the Annunciation. That is also the reason your Byzantine friends may catch themselves doing a little eye-rolling when they hear the (gasp) Roman Catholic fast of abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Fridays...
Big whiff, Biff, say the Byzantines!! :D

Here is Saint John Chrysostom on fasting. QUOTE Do you fast? Prove it by doing good works. If you see someone in need, take pity on them. If you see a friend being honored, don't get jealous of him. For a true fast, you cannot fast only with your mouth. You must fast with your eyes, your ears, your feet, your hands, and all parts of your body. UNQUOTE

Whatever your fasting ideal, the time is nigh to get serious about it. The joyful soul-making sorrow of the Lenten spring is upon us.

art credit: CasaBeltran
From Catholic Exchange.

QUOTE Aside from what the Church law of fast and abstinence requires of us, we should come up with a personal program for spiritual growth. This is our personal maintenance program. I have always recommended that we come up with something negative and something positive.
By something negative, I mean that each person should commit themselves to giving up something or a number of things. This sacrifice should be serious and demanding. The self-control that we exercise in giving up a legitimate pleasure strengthens our will and curbs the inclinations of our passions.
By something positive, I mean that each one should also do some kind of act that we would not normally do on a regular basis. Attending daily Mass, visiting the sick, volunteering time at the parish or praying a Sunday evening Rosary with the entire family are positive acts of virtue that have helped many people progress in their relationship with God.
Lenten practices of penance have great benefits for our spiritual lives. A serious Lent will be like a spring cleaning which will purify the clutter that has accumulated in our souls. A serious commitment to penance will also help us to conquer addictions, obsessions and compulsive behavior. A serious Lent will purify our soul and allow us to experience a deeper interior freedom. UNQUOTE
~~~