#spiritualdirection

[fratresdei]

To My Body

Holy ash, animate dust

Stunted conductor, moonstruck cache

I smell the winter in your nose,

carry you from my bed,

scan the grass with your feet.

With your mouth I taste filth.

Your nerves keep me safe

            and keep me awake.

You are channel 

and dam.

You show me cliffs

and hang me from them.

The conception 

that splits.

The growth 

and growths.

You warm

          and burn.

You sprint, sway, float

break, infect, sprain.

You play, write, know,

block, stop, detain.

Another day.

Senses seen.

More skin to shed;

body to be.

By Rachel Parsons, Fratres Dei Spiritual Direction

#poem #poetry #spiritual poetry #original poem #poems on tumblr #poems and poetry #poems #spiritual direction #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #spiritual journey #spiritual growth #spiritual life #spiritualdirection #spiritual advisor #spiritual guidance

[allsoulspriory]

For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore, all have died. And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised. So then, from now on, we acknowledge no one from an outward human point of view. Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view, now we do not know him in that way any longer. So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away – look, what is new has come! And all these things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His plea through us. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!” — 2 Cor 5:14-20

An ambassador may live in a foreign country, but he does not belong to it. He is there to represent his own country, and no opportunity of helping forward her interests is allowed to pass. We have to represent Christ to the world. The word “constrain” suggests a constant pressure, an urge, as when water is forced down a particular channel. St. Paul says: “I act as I do because I am under a mighty constraint; I can do no other; I am not master of myself. Do not wonder at what may seem to be unusual and extravagant. Attribute my eccentricity to Christ—His love actuates me and bears me along.”

What is meant by “the love of Christ?” Is it His to us, or ours to Him? It is impossible to divide them thus, for they are one. As the sunlight strikes the moon and is reflected from her to the earth, so the love we have for Christ, or to man, is the reflection of His love for us. All love in our cold and loveless hearts is the emanation and reflection of the Love which began in Him, was mediated to us in Calvary, and is reflected from us as sunlight from a mirror.

The love of Christ does not constrain all Christian people because they do not understand the profound significance of the Cross, but when the soul once appreciates that and passes through the gate of death into the life of God, it begins to feel the constraining love of Christ. The pivot of our life must be the Risen Christ: “We no longer live unto ourselves, but unto Him who rose again.” We sometimes hear people described as eccentric—out of the center. A man is ex-centric to the world when he is concentric with Christ. It is thus that we become a new creation. When by faith we are united to Jesus Christ in His Cross and Grave, the transition is made. We pass over into the Easter life. He has reconciled us unto Himself and given us the ministry of reconciliation—therefore, we are ambassadors. We have to proclaim forgiveness to the sinful, the loosening of their chains to those who sit in prison houses, and the near approach of salvation to all (Isa 52:7-10).

Prayer

This empty cup for Thee to fill; This trembling heart for Thee to still; This yielded life to do Thy will, O Lord of Love, I bring Thee. Amen.

#allsoulspriory #paxabbey #thefellowshipcorner #christsapostoliccatholicchurch #dailywalk #frjohnpax #axiomsofanurbanpriest #spiritualdirection #motivation #spiritualgrowth

[brendanelliswilliams]

My Extemporaneous Homily for Trinity Sunday

[This extemporaneous homily given today on the Feast of the Holy Trinity at The Chapel of St. George is transcribed from an audio recording. I added a few clarifying words to the transcription, but I’ve otherwise preserved the spontaneity of the form in which it arose and was originally shared. Subsequent to the Mass this morning, I’ve been reflecting a lot on the work of the éskhaton (the ‘last things’, the ‘completion’) and its relationship to related notions in other traditions. I will likely do some reflective writing on that to share with all of you soon. But, in the meantime, here’s my little ‘Word of Life’ from this morning’s Mass. May it bless.]

The concept that is really in my heart and mind this year as I reflect on the Feast of the Holy Trinity is ‘participation’. And I’m thinking of this in terms of a particular technical theological framework, which has real application for us, I think. It’s known as ‘participatory eschatology’. ‘Participatory eschatology’ simply means that the way the final or last things, the completion of things, comes about is through our direct participation in the divine work. That’s all it means. Rather than us sitting around waiting for something to come from the sky and magically change everything, we participate in that transformative power of the divine will, as it goes out into the whole of Creation, and, according to an ancient mode of Christian theology I very much embrace, eventually brings all life back into union with itself. That notion is called apokatástasis: the ultimate ‘wholling’ or re-union of all Creation. 

We’re all invited to participate in that movement, in that divine unfoldment. And I think if the doctrine of the Trinity is worth anything, it’s that. It’s a reminder that we’re being invited to participate, not merely to have ideational constructs that sound fancy or that we’ve inherited and assumed as ‘beliefs’ without really understanding what they point to. If we get stuck there, we’re in trouble. And we’ve been stuck there a lot throughout the history of the Church, particularly in the West. We’ve been stuck a lot in ideas and beliefs. And that’s not a good place to be.

I’d like to read you something from the early Church. It’s a wondrous thing to look back at some of this theology—particularly the monastic witnesses from the early Church—and realize that a more expansive, breath-embracing understanding of Christian tradition was present in the beginning. It’s not a trend that we came up with because we wanted to conform the Church to our own modern ideas—it’s not that at all, actually. This expansive, mystical understanding of theology is really present in the early Church. This is from St. Macarius the Great. He says:

‘The soul that is found worthy to participate in the Holy Spirit and be illuminated by Her radiance, and by the ineffable glory of Her beauty, becomes Her throne and Her dwelling place. Such a soul becomes all light, all face, all eye. The soul becomes entirely covered with the spiritual eyes of light; nothing in it is left in shadow.’

Elsewhere St. Macarius also says that ‘God reveals God’s own nature to the soul and is discovered by the soul in direct knowledge (gnōsis), in wisdom, love, and faith….[with] the overseeing guidance of the spiritual intelligence’, so that the soul’s divine participation might blossom. ‘In short,’ he continues, ‘God made the soul like this so that it could be His own bride, that it might have communion with the Divine, to be merged in union with God, and so become as one spirit with God.’

That’s the journey, my friends—nothing less than that. To become merged in totalizing re-union with the Divine Ground: that’s our task. Not just to help a few things in the world here and there—that’s great too, but it’s really this divine re-union or ‘divinization’ (theosis) that we’re called to. In that, we participate directly in the life of the Trinity, in its spiritual economy: we are not looking at it as an object somehow removed from us, outside our direct experience, but we each become a Son or Daughter: we become another ‘Anointed One’, the Divine Child in Trinitarian reckoning, which lives and moves in unceasing communion with the Source, through the power and energy of the Holy Spirit. That’s what it means to be sanctified, to become a Saint.

And I want to say that we don’t have any more time to waste on anything short of this. I think you all have a sense—whether it’s consciously, not fully consciously yet, or whatever stage of processing you happen to be in—that the world is unraveling: the external world that we find ourselves in is unraveling. And we’re rushing head-long into these unprecedented modes and degrees of novelty, of bizarreness, of deconstruction and collapse: in our institutions, in the way we sustain ourselves on and with the Land, and all these other things. 

So, we don’t have time anymore to be stuck in beliefs and strange ideas we don’t fully grasp the application of. That was a luxury of the past. And now it’s incumbent upon us to do what St. Macarius is pointing to: to engage this process of real interior transformation, so that the whole Creation may be helped in its transformation, to come back into union with its Source. 

For these words, and all that has been offered here this morning, Amen.

Fr. B.+

#brendanelliswilliams #fatherbrendan #homily #sermon #mysticism #mysticaltheology #theology #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #trinity #transformation #ancient #wisdom #monastic #monasticism #ascetic #priest #teacher #spiritualteacher #spiritualdirection #contemplative #reflection #contemplation #depth #reclamation

[wcatradio]

In this episode of The Dynamic Duo, Ronda Chervin, Cynthia Toolin-Wilson and Al Hughes plan out their next book. Please write to [email protected] concerning your thoughts about today's episode. Should The Dynamic Duo (Tremendous Trio) continue to talk about their progress on this book on their show, or should they do that off-air and pursue a different on-air topic? Let Cynthia know at the email address above!

#alhughes #catholic #catholicauthor #catholicbook #catholiclife #catholicspirituality #cynthiatoolinwilson #rondachervin #spiritualdirection #spirituality #thedynamicduo

[grkhere]

Unlocking the Profound Wisdom of Bhagvat Geeta Verses. 

#youtube #spirituality #spiritual development #spiritual #spiritualdirection #spiritual awakening #spiritual quotes #spiritualquest

[archetypalsoulcoach]

#transpersonal #transpersonalcoaching #josephcampbell #divinepower #followyourbliss #reachoutbeyond #spiritualdirection #spiritualawakening #spirituality #soulwork

[speechofthesoul]

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy. #soulwork #theuniverseislistening #crystalshop #spiritualhealth #spiritualdirection #mindsetmattersmost #selfawareness #reikihealer #beinspired #abundantlife #shopsmallboutiques #energyhealer #listentoyourgut #wellnessjourneywarrior #healingvibrations👆💫 (at RockCollage) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpxD6SsO1x6/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#soulwork #theuniverseislistening #crystalshop #spiritualhealth #spiritualdirection #mindsetmattersmost #selfawareness #reikihealer #beinspired #abundantlife #shopsmallboutiques #energyhealer #listentoyourgut #wellnessjourneywarrior #healingvibrations👆💫

[pguiler-blog]

The Winds of Change

Easier on the soul than the ego At the beginning of the year I made no resolutions but I did make a determination. That is, that I will learn to have my soul overtake my ego. Those who are on their own spiritual quest will likely understand but if you don’t I think I’ve found a simple explanation. When I function and handle issues from my ego I get all snarly and can’t sleep or think. Basically…

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#spiritualdirection

[fratresdei]

Thoroughly obsessed with this painting in the Fratres Dei Spiritual Direction office

Native; Paten Spartina (marsh grasses) by JessicaMDalrymple on Etsy

#spiritual direction #spiritual journey #spirituality #spiritualgrowth #spiritual growth #spiritualdirection #painting #nature painting #art #artwork

[fratresdei]

Fratres Dei Spiritual Direction's newsletter is hot off the press! I promise it’s fun! Give ‘er a read for embodiment poetry, nonreligious thoughts on hope, and sweet deals for spiritual direction, bodywork, burnout care, head-heart connection meditation, and spiritual direction supervision. Check it out at the first link in the comments, and subscribe at the second link in the comments to get the goods sent straight to your inbox.

#spiritualdirection #spiritual development #spiritual direction #spiritual director #spiritual advisor #spiritualguidance #spiritualgrowth #spiritual guidance #spiritual growth #spirituality #burnout #burnout recovery #burnout prevention #poetry #hope #spiritual poetry #spiritual practices #spiritual practitioner #spiritual poem #poem

[fratresdei]

Spiritual direction provides an opportunity to explore your personal spirituality in an agenda-free, judgement-free space. Now through 7/17, enjoy a free 1st session and 50% off your 2nd. Schedule with the link in the comments and use promo code: JULY50.

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[fratresdei]

*marriage material*

#queer #faithfullylgbt #spiritualdirection

[fratresdei]

Happy Easter to all the veritable punks going through faith deconstruction today.

#spiritual direction #faith deconstruction #deconstruction #deconstructing religion #deconstructing christianity #spiritualguidance #spiritualhealing #spiritualgrowth #spiritualdirection #spirituality #spiritual development #spiritual wisdom #spiritualpath #spiritualawakening

[allsoulspriory]

My soul pursues you; your right hand upholds me. — Ps 63:8

There are three notes in this Psalm that betoken the stages of the soul’s growth: “My soul thirsteth for Thee”; “my soul shall be satisfied”; “my soul followeth hard after Thee.” We may pass through a wilderness of spiritual drought, the night of the soul, and the seasons of dryness and depression that are apt to occur. In some cases, such as when Elijah asked to die or when John sent his despairing question to Christ from his prison, it is the result of physical or mental overstrain. But at such times, let us still speak of God as “‘my God.” Nothing can sever you from His everlasting Love. You may not have the glad consciousness of it, but you must never surrender your belief. Bless Him as long as you live, and lift your hands in prayer.

But we can never be satisfied with what we have attained. God is ever moving forward! Let us follow hard after Him.

Prayer

Living or dying, Lord, I would be Thine. Draw me day by day nearer to Thyself, until I am wholly filled with Thy love and fitted to behold Thee face to face. Amen.

#allsoulspriory #paxabbey #thefellowshipcorner #christsapostoliccatholicchurch #dailywalk #frjohnpax #axiomsofanurbanpriest #spiritualdirection #motivation #spiritualgrowth

[fratresdei]

Follow this link to hear an exciting personal announcement from Rachel! Plus info about spiritual direction supervision, the religious transition support group, and discounted spiritual direction.

#spiritual direction #spiritualdirection #spiritualdirectionsupervisor #spiritualdirectionsupervision #spiritualgrowth #spiritualjourney #spiritual development #spiritualpath #spiritualguidance #spiritualawakening #spirituality #spiritual #spiritualdirector

[fratresdei]

Anyone who knows me knows that spiritual direction is one of the great loves of my life. I talk about it like it's my girlfriend. So naturally, one of my deepest joys is supporting other spiritual directors through spiritual direction supervision. Check out this new video to learn more, and schedule a free spiritual direction supervision consultation with the link in the comments!

#spiritualdirection #spiritualdirectionsupervision #spiritual direction #spiritual direction supervision #spirituality #spiritualjourney #supervision #supervisor #spiritual development #spiritual knowledge #spiritualgrowth #spiritual awareness #spiritual