Faith is a gift of God

 

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Good Morning

 Faith is a gift of God. Only he can bestow it, and it is a gift that he passionately desires to give us. However, he can only give it to us if we ask for it. When we ask for faith, we are turning our face towards his face, and he can look into our heart. He loves to see us facing him, but we for some reason try to avoid this. Even while begging him for favors, we close the eyes of our soul, so as to avoid looking at him. 

Yet he is always looking at us, with deep love. It is faith that allows us to enter peacefully into the dark night each of us faces at one time or another. Faith walks simply, like a child, between the darkness of human life and the hope of what is to come, “for eye has not seen, nor ear heard what God reserves for those who love him.” Faith is a kind of folly, a folly of God himself. Faith breaks through barriers. When our face is turned to God in faith, our eyes meet his, and each day becomes more luminous. 


The veil between God and us becomes thinner and thinner, until it seems we can almost reach out and touch him.  “For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing, can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38–39 -(God in the Nitty-Gritty Life) 

Where is Peace Found?

Matthew 4:1-11 

Keep your eyes on the Heart that refused to turn stones into bread, jump from great heights, and rule with great power. 

Who allows His Heart to be touched by the poor, the maimed, the halt and blind.  A Heart that becomes poor with the poor, rejected with the rejected and abandoned with the abandoned. 

"Where is peace found? - it is there in those places of the heart we feel broken, insecure, in agony, most afraid..   

Why there?  

Because in our weakness our familiar ways of: controlling and manipulating are being stripped away, where we no longer fix, force or find! --  Right there where we are most vulnerable, The Peace That is Not of This World is mysteriously hidden - "Peace that surpasses all understanding will guard your HEARTS and mind through Christ Jesus." - Phil. 4-8. 

You see, I am convinced that everything which happens to us is the instrument by which He Himself draws us into His wounded Heart through our own human condition.  It is He who first suffers the pain we suffer -this is love!  Only in the awesome environment of such Truth can we hear Christ speak to us Heart to heart. 

My Elder, Fr. McNulty, shares a  conversation between himself and Christ - Jesus speaking to him:

"You and I are one. You must not look anywhere else for the meaning of your pain or darkness, no matter what the sin or the consequences of it.  Come into my Heart through yours and I will show you everything.  All I need is a heart pierced by its own human condition just like Mine has been pierced, a heart that has no place else to go but to My Heart. I will do the rest."

Only God can say and do things like that.  This is not psychology, or mere spirituality, but Grace formed by revelation, not meant to be learned theoretically, but personally experienced and assimilated." -Seraphim+ NHA

 

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple.6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

Looking Beyond..

God, The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit

The BEYOND 

John 15:19

If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: 

but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

These are troublesome times, to say the very least.  People are confused, anxious, scared and angry.  It is harder and harder to find the much needed middle way, the via media.  Much is being thrown at society to distract our focus.

At Nazareth House Apostolate, we deal with such things through prayer and Pilgrimage.  Pilgrimage is a journey dedicated to ongoing prayer.  Walking the path we pray and praying the path we walk, experiencing source and destination that in coming home we can know it again for the first time. 

See previous blog post on Pilgrimage: Click Here for Pilgrimage Blog

And so, we at NHA have been spending this time of uncertainty in pilgrimage.  Our certainty is in the journey of our relationship in God.

St. Joseph was the protector and provider for the Holy Family as they lived their life in Nazareth.

Our Pilgrimage, naturally led us to the Shrine of St. Joseph, St. Meinrad, Indiana.  As the world laments in much sorrow, it is there we prayed the  first three Sorrowful Mysteries of the 7 Sorrows of Mary because St. Joseph was with Mary for these mysteries. 

As we prayed these mysteries, I couldn't help but notice the faces of the 70 year old hand carved wood statue.  Both St. Joseph and the young Christ Child are looking beyond - standing upright and firm, looking to the Beyond --not at the things of this world.  

Colossians 3:2

Set your affection on things above, 

not on things on the earth.

As we journeyed from one Sorrowful Mystery to the next, I discerned St Joseph's continual focus away from the world and towards The Beyond.  I noticed the bird droppings running down his shoulder, 

 

on his head, and the insects clinging to his forehead and likened them to the dregs of sorrows we have had pelted down on us in this world.  

and yet, the statue of St. Joseph steadfastly looks out from the world to the Beyond, The Kingdom, our real home.  And so should we.  

Philippians 3:20

For our conversation is in heaven; 

from whence also we look for the Saviour, 

the Lord Jesus Christ

The Christ Child also has bird droppings but an added sting of a hornet making a nest under his right arm.

And yet the Christ Child looks on, forward, out from the world, to The Father.  

John 17:16

They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. - James 1:26

More than ever, we must keep our focus on God and not allow the world to distract us. And it's not easy, because everything is increasingly designed to divert us. I wonder if the artist that carved this statue meant for it to be a symbol away from distraction, and a visual of how our focus should be - beyond this world and on the Next --especially when we've had so much to the contrary dumped on us.   

...I think maybe he did. 

Romans 12:2 - 

And be not conformed to this world: 

but be ye transformed by the renewing 

of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, 

and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.- John 16:32

The LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

"The ideal in prayer is to simplify it to the point where you no longer need a subject to pray about. 

     >"Father, in the Name of Jesus, give me your Spirit" - Jn. 16:23-25

       "in the Name of the Lord Jesus" Col. 3:17.  

You sense that these words of Paul could unify your life in continual prayer. This is the reason why you should rediscover this basic traditional attitude of the middle East, as Christianity was and is a middle Eastern religion. 

When you stay on the surface of the world, you are torn apart by departures and quarrels. All this belongs to the deceptive aspect of the surface.  Leave the surface and cross the visible outward areas to be with people from within.  The deeper you go into God, the less you are conscious of the distance travelled. 

Progress in prayer means a steady impoverishment.  In other areas, progress means adding a new friend, etc. whereas in prayer everything is gradually reduced to a single insight or a few word(s) or Name endlessly repeated. 

It's a wonder, a privilege to call God Father and to use that 'little' word "our" to embrace all of God's Children.  From wherever we pray, we reach up to the throne of heaven and reach out to believers in "every tribe and language and people and nations" (Rev. 5:9).  God sees, God hears, God knows, God comes, God delivers" - Ex. 3:7-8.  

This is the 'work', joy, hope and wonderment of Nazareth House Apostolate and the World Prayer Corp, i.e. to Pray the Lord's Prayer." - Seraphim 

Feast of St. Francis

Pray, Pray always.  

"St. Francis Day has always deserved my special attention since I need a lot of guidance to find the answer to the question "What place does poverty really have in my life?" I've felt that without a certain attempt to live a life of poverty I would be distracted. There are three aspects of Poverty that attract me: 1. Living simple, sober and silent, 2. a kind of forlorn fostered freedom, and 3. alleviating all poverty unlike Christ."  G.K. Chesterton/ Bk. St. Francis says that 'St. Francis' argument for poverty was 'that the dedicated man might go anywhere among any kind of men, even the worst kind of men, so long as there was nothing by which they could hold him.  If he had any ties or needs like ordinary men, (something that he may be 'hanging' onto) he would become like ordinary men." - (Gal. 2:20).  

(Acts 17:6) "...they dragged certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying these that have turned the world upside down come hither"

Therefore each year on St. Francis day I "stand on my head" because by seeing the world upside down I have discovered its dependent nature.  By seeing the world upside down, you can see the same city, people, church, home and job ... but in a different way! 

Dependence by definition means relying on for support... "Hanging".  When I saw in my upside world all that was just hanging there, I realized a greater truth. Maybe its not so much that we are being held - maybe the greater truth is that we're not being dropped! When a student drops a course, their reasons are usually that the course is too hard, not interesting enough or doesn't fit into their present plans.  But let me tell you something, God will never drop you no matter how hard you become, or how uninteresting you are or how unfit.  How do I know?  I've turned upside down." -Seraphim+

Shared Blinks

I read yesterday, a quote from Saint John Paul II: 

"My greatest desire in life is to be in 

constant eyelash-to-eyelash 

relationship with God."  

I found the quote to be a beautiful description of the depth and longing of closeness with The Almighty.  

When you consider the use of 'eyelashes' in the quote; "*The key is hidden inside the word “reconciliation.” Many words contain what are called dead metaphors—“dead” because their metaphorical meaning has become lost to us as language has changed. So, for example, when we say someone has scruples, we mean they have a sensitive conscience; but, in Latin, a scrupulum is a small pebble, so when someone has scruples, it’s like they have a rock in their shoe, niggling them. It’s easy to recognize the similarity in the two situations.

Another metaphor lies within the word “reconciliation.” The Latin word for eyelash is cilia. If you were so close to someone as to have your eyelashes with theirs (“with” being cum or con-  in Latin), you’d be con–cilia. And if you were once that close, but had drifted apart and then returned again (“again” being re- in Latin), you would be re-con-cilia—you would be reconciled.

This one word, with its hidden metaphor, succinctly summarizes salvation history. In the beginning, human beings shared a great closeness with God. In their innocence, Adam and Eve stood uncovered before God, not needing to hide anything. God walked with them in the garden in the cool of evening, like you might do with an old friend after a big dinner.

But we separated ourselves from God by our pride; we withdrew from that closeness, that intimacy, by wanting to change the nature of the relationship, by trying to be equal to God. Instead of being gentle infants held in our Father’s arms, cheek to cheek, we were headstrong toddlers who pushed and wiggled and squirmed out. And when we realized what we did, we hid, we covered ourselves, and we couldn’t look God in the face anymore.

But God loved us and wanted us back. God wanted us to be able to look Him in the eye again. So He came among us as one of us, like to us in all things but sin—he had arms and legs, hands and feet, a heart and a mind… and eyelashes. 

Icon: Our Lady of Tenderness, Anna House (St. Simeon Skete)

Jesus came to sinners, to the afflicted, to the poor, and stood eye to eye with them and said: “Your sins are forgiven you.” And by His Cross, as man he stood eyelash to eyelash with God on our behalf and said, “Father, forgive them,” and as God could respond, “It is accomplished.” Thus God “reconciled the world to Himself,” as the prayer of absolution says." -Nicholas Senz

*-Nicholas Senz

St. Antipas

Today, April 11th is the Feast Day for one of the eleven patronal Saints of St. Simeon Skete: St. Antipas. 

On this frosty morning; we made our way down to Grace Church

There, we enthroned the Icon of St. Antipas

"I know where you live -- where satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to My Name.  You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city, -- where satan lives." -Rev. 2:13 (NIV).  (-"...yet you hold fast my Name.." (E.S.V.); "...Yet you have held on to My Name..." (B.S.V); "...yet you are holding on to my Name" -(C.S.B.) )

"... To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." Revelation 2:17. 

God loves His creation.  Sin corrupted it, but He has a plan to return it to its original state of perfection, and He will reward those who help Him carry out His plan. 

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door: it desires to have you, but you must master it." Gen. 4:7 (NIV)

"But He said to them, 'I have food to eat that you know nothing about." -Jn. 4:32 (NIV), because "In your struggle against sin, you have not resisted to the point of shedding your blood." Heb. 12:4 (NIV). 

The hidden manna is something you receive already in this life. It corresponds to your hidden life.  Our hidden life is the place inside us where no one knows what is happening except you and God. It's where you struggle with impure thoughts, pride, vanity, the untruth, etc. It's where you fight and overcome those temptations. 

The hidden manna is the assistance that you receive when you pray for it in those tempestuous times; the nourishment you receive, the power from on high. It is given to anyone that asks, all that ask with a heartfelt longing to be free from sin. 

At the time that the book of Revelation was written, a white stone was equivalent with innocence. If you were to be tried for a crime, a white stone signified acquittal. 

The white stone is a symbol of whom you have become through your faithfulness and your determination to conquer sin. It is rock-hard faith and purity.  Here on earth your faith is being tested - in eternity it will have been proven.  

Today at the skete, we were given white stones as a remembrance of St. Antipas and the Scriptures of the day. 

Withstand the test. Written on the this flint-hard stone will be your new name "by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped corruption that is in the world through lust." - 2- Pet. 1:4

This name will reflect the struggles that you have stood in, and the sufferings you have endured. It will show who you've become because of your faithfulness and God's grace.  You know the fight you've had to live through to reach the place you are now, and you will instantly recognize that name and identify with it - - it is the ultimate symbol of victory and transformation.  Finally the name and the named are non-different, as the Name of Jesus and Jesus are non-different. So it will be for us.  This new name that only God and you know, is the attestation of your spirit; it's what God sees when He looks at you.  He won't be looking at your human nature, He'll zero in on the new creation in you, the outcome of your faithfulness to Him and His commandments. (2 Cor. 5:17) And that is what you will be for eternity, an eternally pure new creation, free from sin. 

March 20: Feast of St. Photini

Today is the Feast of St. Photini. At Jacob’s Well near Sychar in Samaria, Christ stopped to rest while His Disciples went into the town to find provisions to eat.  St. Photini (Svetlana in Slavic languages) came to draw water, and He asked her for water to drink from the well.  Christ revealed to her that he already knew of her unlawful relations with a man who was not her husband, and affirmed against her beliefs that salvation is from the Jews, not the Samaritans.  She learned by listening with an open heart that this was the Messiah for whom the whole world inwardly yearned.  The Samaritan Woman then left her water pot and went into town to confess that she had seen the Christ who can give all spiritual water that is completely fulfilling.

Legend states that St. Photini was baptized with her two sons and five sisters.  In Carthage she preached the Light of the Gospel, for which she is named, where she was arrested and brought to trial in Rome before Nero.  She converted Nero’s daughter Domnina, and then was martyred by being thrown down into a well where she died in this life, but was made alive by Christ in Heaven forever.  She truly tasted the waters of Everlasting Life.  

In Photini's honor, it is a tradition at the skete to hike down to the well which is just beyond the cave close towards the river near our property. 

Each year, after the Holy Mass, we put on our hiking boots and head off to the well.  Carrying the water pot that has been blessed at the Offertory of the Mass.

 Its a beautiful journey as the March flowers are decorating the  decaying leaf scattered land. 

The recent flooding has receded but we wondered if the well would be underwater or even if we'd be able to find it.  

As we passed the Cave we noticed many trees have fallen. 

Some trees were very large

Finally we reach Jacob's well and its in good shape.  The land around it is deep in mud but the well is fine.  

We leave a water pot behind as we intend to do every March 20th, as this is an Annual Hike to Jacob's Well, honoring St. Photini's Feast Day.  As we leave the water pot behind, at the well, we say the 2(b) set of Luminous Mysteries of the Remnant Rosary. 

The Revealing: Jn. 4:4-30; 1Cor. 10:4 “Jesus your Life ...is living in me.”

1. Jesus your life, the far country is living in me.
2.  Jesus your life the outcast is living in me.

3.  Jesus your life asking for that which only you can give is living in me.

4.  Jesus your life creating thirst is living in me.

5.  Jesus your life well of water springing up into everlasting life is living in me. 

6. Jesus your life, letting us know that you know is living in me.

7.  Jesus your life spirit and truth is living in me.

8.  Jesus your life revealing is living in me.

9.  Jesus your life Messiah is living in me.

10. “Jesus your Life is living in me that I may leave

behind the water-pots of my life” (Ex. 16:19-20; Mt. 6:33-34; Eph. 2:8-9; Heb. 12:1-2; Rev. 3:20).

Leaving the pot we return to the skete, back through the woods

passing the cave again

"Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,  “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did..." John 4:28