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Saturday 7 February 2015

From a reader

Father Guestmaster
Clear Creek Monastery
5804 West Monastery Road
Hulbert, OK 74441-5698
ph  918-772-2454
fax 918-772-1044

As I do not know about the lay community at Clear Creek, this information may be useful for those of you who do want to find out.



Retrying to post an article--The Inner Safe Haven

Too many people have told me here that they cannot find a safe haven, a community. I have thought on this today and reflected on St. Catherine's words on creating a cell within the mind to which one can retreat in order to find God and peace.

Some have asked me if this house, or this village, or this town is a safe haven. I have had to say "no" when asked by some friends here because the safe haven, by definition, must be safe. To be safe is not an external phenomenon, a security made by "preppers", but an interior safety.

One of the reasons why some of my friends have moved into other areas and discovered that what they thought they had found or created, in Washington State, or Idaho, or Maine, has not become a safe haven is that they have brought the world with them into what they thought would be a sanctuary. The reason is that those who have moved into the "community" have brought sin and corruption with them.

A true safe haven is interior, made from the life of prayer which seeks for perfection. Only when one stops sinning mortally, when one tries to omit all venial sins, and live in the life of virtue, working on the elimination of one's predominant fault, can one create that safe haven, which is the place where one meets the Indwelling of the Trinity.

Prepping for physical trials is fine, but those efforts alone do not create a safe haven. One of the things which we did in community so long ago was to repent and change, pray together twice daily, work on faults and sins.

Without the focus of holiness, no person, family or friends can create a safe haven. Christ must be the center of all efforts, not things, not place, not even people.

If one is moving into a community and bringing all of one's sins and faults into the area or house, those around one are there to help the process of purification. If one is not willing to change, to convert, to face old and new sins, there can be no safe haven.

The monastic communities, especially Benedictine and Cistercian ones, demand daily conversion. Monastic peace is bought for the price of dying to self, the death of the ego.

In the past, communities, or safe havens survived and flourished because of the holiness of the members, and not because of the mountains or valleys which protected these buildings.

Those communities which tolerated sin fell into ruin, or were renewed by reformers, such as St. Anselm.

The inner safe havens of each member creates the true, physical safe haven. If people are merely focusing on the externals, the place will not be a safe haven, no matter how remote or physically rich.

We are all called to holiness. Create the cell within the mind and soul for God to come and rest within. Such is the beginning of true community,

Please pray for this blog

Many technical problems today....prayers please!

re-post


Monday, 29 April 2013

"Build a cell inside your mind, from which you can never flee."

The title of this post is Catherine's advice on becoming a contemplative in the world.

Although she had great gifts of prayer and mystical experiences, God sent her into the world. Please remember, dear readers, that she was a lay person, a lay person who is a Doctor of the Church.


I have already written about Catherine, the great Doctor of the Church here in the perfection series and in other posts. I repeat a few here below.

Before I do that, I would like to note that out of all the Doctors of the Church, she seems particularly important for our times, and I find myself quoting her more than the others.

If you have not read her Dialogue, stop and do so. Here are some of my back entries on this great saint


08 Feb 2013
I close this section on Catherine of Siena with two notes. First of all, she was a lay person, not a nun or a sister. So those who think the way of perfection is not for us only have to look at her own life. God gives His graces to the ...

01 Feb 2013
Second selection from St. Catherine of Siena on bad priests. Posted by Supertradmum. Because of the news from .... Third selection of message to St. Catherine Siena ... Second selection from St. Catherine of Siena on ba.

01 Feb 2013
Last reference to The Dialogues and other writings of St. Catherine of Siena. Posted by Supertradmum. In some translations of her treatises and Dialogue, the sins referred by Christ regarding His priests point to the fact that if 


08 Feb 2013
Catherine of Siena, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux and Hildegard of Bingen. I am concentrating on their holiness and some of the writings. The reason a person is declared a Doctor of the Church is sort of like an honorary ...





01 Feb 2013
Christ words in the Dialogues of St. Catherine of Siena on good and bad priests: “You should love them therefore by reason of the virtue and dignity of the Sacrament, and by reason of that very virtue and dignity you should ...

21 Jun 2012
The Delphic Oracle and St. Catherine of Siena have something in common, which is not unusual, being that God works through many means to bring us all to perfection. Garrigou-Lagrange in the post yesterday, was ...


28 Jan 2013
The entrance into the illuminative way, which is the second conversion described by St. Catherine of Siena, Blessed Henry Suso, Tauler, and Father Lallemant, is called by St. John of the Cross the passive purification of the ...
By Batoni, who did my favourite Sacred Heart; thanks to wikimedia


18 Nov 2012
St. Catherine of Siena was a great player in the world, despite or because of her intense interior life. How can we do this, while working or studying, or commuting? Of course, the singing of the seven hours and the silence is ...

18 Jul 2012
Posted by Supertradmum. St. Catherine of Siena's Mystical Marriage. To you, young people, I say: if you hear the Lord's call, do not reject it! Dare to become part of the great movements of holiness which renowned saints have...

30 Jul 2012
Catherine of Siena is quoted by Garrigou-Lagrange. She states, " O cursed pride, based on self-love, how hast thou blinded the eye of their intellect, that while they seem to love themselves and be tender to themselves, they...

23 Feb 2012
It is crucial for the entire world that the Papacy remains independent of any other country or nation. St. Thomas Becket knew this. St. Catherine of Siena knew this, which is why she begged Pope Gregory XI to leave Avignon,

IF

I have the Internet in the next week, which I may not, I shall go through parts of St. Augustine's City of God, which seems pertinent at this time. St. Augustine wrote this to show that the Christians did not cause the Fall of the Roman Empire, as some were claiming at his time. He saw the need for a delineation of the City of God and the City of Man.

Might be fun to do at this time....but I do, also, need to attend to some important personal business. Pray I can get that done, please.



Year of Consecrated Life


Encourage your children, parents, to follow God's call.

Prayer for the Year of Consecrated Life © 2014, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

 God, throughout the ages you have called women and men to pursue lives of perfect charity through the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity, and obedience. During this Year of Consecrated Life, we give you thanks for these courageous witnesses of Faith and models of inspiration. Their pursuit of holy lives teaches us to make a more perfect offering of ourselves to you. Continue to enrich your Church by calling forth sons and daughters who, having found the pearl of great price, treasure the Kingdom of Heaven above all things. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

What part of Matthew 19 do people not understand?

 He answered, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Christ, Who is God said this--male and female only for marriage. No need for confusion for those who believe that Christ is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity.




Friendship in the Lord Part Four

I am concerned about the virtual community members reading the many, many Catholic blogs across the world. I am concerned when people write to me that they are completely isolated in their own areas, in American states, in European countries, in other nations across the globe. These good Catholics, who write to me or even speak with me, tell me that they are the only awake and orthodox Catholics in their parishes, where too many Catholics have compromised their consciences, and where their fellow Catholics are quite open about their disobedience to Catholic teaching. One cannot have friendships in the Lord with those who choose disobedience.

These good, obedient people, who have contacted me, from Australia, from Britain, from Germany, from New York, from Minnesota, and many other places, tell me that they are completely marginalized and alone in their remnant status.

Thinking about this problem and the loneliness of so many excellent Catholics, who are praying and doing penance for the Church, I have come to the sad conclusion that the virtual community, as much as it helps me, fails most Catholics who are on line.

Yes, these Catholics can write to me and Michael Voris, or Father Z., and say, "I am so glad I found you, as I was feeling so alone."

But, the truth is, these good people are physically alone. 

The virtual community has created some real community in some areas. I know this personally and am very glad of this. But, for the most part, those who have sought fellowship through twitter or the blogosphere remain separated from real Catholic community.

This fact not only grieves me, but shows me the depth of the problem of the smallness of the remnant.
When people in large metropolitan areas cannot find respectful, valid, or legal liturgies, cannot find real Catholic schools, cannot find a spouse, cannot find a spiritual director, I am saddened and realize that this situation will spread and become worse.

The isolation of real, practicing Catholics has not changed because of the virtual communities. Yes, we know we are not alone, but like those in Australia who write to me, miles separate people from meeting and becoming real brothers and sisters in Christ.

I have been more fortunate than most, in that the virtual community has brought me great friends and some benefactors. My Christian lady virtual friend who is purchasing bedding for me is one example. Yet, I would love to be in a real, daily Christian community. One reason I have wanted to stay in Europe is that I have found such groupings and miss those friends in Christ deeply.


It takes time to build on the ground, intentional communities. It takes energy. Yesterday, I spoke with a good Christian man who desires community and has lived in a wasteland of liberal Catholicism too long. He wants to pod. I had a note from a good woman who desperately wants community in her area and is praying for a young priest whom she thinks has the capacity to help create such in her city.

But, time is running out in some areas of the world. In America, only one crisis, either man-made or from weather, could shut down all the highways and put the entire nation under travel restrictions. We saw this in New York only weeks ago. Our movements will be curtailed and those who desire real community may never experience such friendship in the Lord.

I have tried for a long time on this blog to encourage community. I have failed in my attempts to inspire people to move, to seek out like-minded Catholics, to truly sacrifice personal comfort for the greater good of a community.

I have a friend who was in a famous Protestant community for most of his life. He told me one time, years ago, that community was very hard, but worth it. He left in order to marry someone outside the community, but the experience of friendships in the Lord mark him as someone who understands the Early Church.

I was in community for seven years. Again, I left it in order to pursue graduate studies and move out into the world, where God was calling me. I do not regret leaving that community so long ago, as that was God's Will for me, but I have never found anything like it in my travels. I also experienced and help create community when home-schooling, and when helping to set up real Catholic schools. It seems that the desire for community was more alive from 1971 to 2001, than now. I hope the desire in some hearts becomes reality.

I know that those in communities will be able to survive, spiritually, in the coming months when the Church faces the biggest challenge since Arianism once the Supreme Court passes same-sex marriage. As an excellent priest told his congregation when Great Britain passed the law years ago, "Your children and grandchildren will face a different world than you have had. You have no idea what is coming."

He was and is correct. The Church in America will split over this new decision. Many bishops will uphold the decision and decide to work with evil. Some bishops will stand up for the true teaching of Christ and His Church and be persecuted. Fines will be followed by church closures, bankruptcies of local dioceses, and the splitting of parishes.

Those Catholics who are isolated now will be more so then. I cannot inspire those who do not see or do not want to move into areas where there are communities already. I have failed in this task online.

Sadly, too many of the TLM communities are under attack or are facing dropping numbers in certain areas owing to changes in priests or the natural movement of people. In some cases, those who are attending the TLM do not want community. I have friends in TLM groups who have been trying to set up communities since before the Summorum Pontificum.  They, too, have failed to inspire others with the vision.

As I go into a place where I shall be more isolated and far from my small communities, from those few I have met who want to build real friendships in the Lord, but who cannot find others who want to do so, I am saddened. But, I must and do trust in Divine Providence.


For those who are succeeding in this endeavor, please write to me on this blog so I can share the good news with others. Some people who have contacted me are willing to move, but do not know where to go.

One of the tragedies has been something I first encountered in 2006, and this is that too many Catholic married couples are not of one mind on this topic. So many wives have told me over the years that they have wanted to move into real communities, but their husbands have not been open to this prospect. That a couple is not of one mind on the building of the Kingdom of God is a tragedy and causes great suffering for those who have had to give up their vision for friendships in the Lord.

The so-called splendid isolation of those who refuse to consider community may be based on fear, selfishness, sloth, or, more likely, consumerism and status. One must die to self to join others in building community. But, in my opinion, community is a necessity, not an option.

Pray for me that I can join those I have friendships in the Lord again. I miss all those with whom I have shared community, J, J, C, C, C, K, S, M, M, S, M, T, D, Fr. C., and others--a remnant, indeed. I pray for you who desire the building of the Kingdom of God on earth.

I pray that those who have hesitated no longer do so but act. I pray for the couples who need to come together in vision. I pray for those single people who have desired lay community life in the great urban ares, in agricultural towns, in mountain villages, and remain isolated with their God. I pray for myself and others who are old and have not found the support they need in parishes which ignore the elderly and shun those who are poor. Pray for me that I can return to "my people".

May all my readers on this virtual community discover or build physical communities before the curtain of darkness falls on our lands.

Psalm 133

The Blessedness of Unity

A Song of Ascents.

How very good and pleasant it is
    when kindred live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
    running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
    running down over the collar of his robes.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
    which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
    life forevermore.





Britain's Fears Destroy Lives of Maybe a Million Girls

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/child-sex-abuse-gangs-could-5114029

...all because of cover-ups and refusal to face reality. That this should happen in Great Britain indicates the depth of callousness towards young women and girls.

From Today's NO Gospel



Mark 6

31 And he said to them: Come apart into a desert place, and rest a little. For there were many coming and going: and they had not so much as time to eat.

32 And going up into a ship, they went into a desert place apart.

First Reading for Today's NO Mass

Hebrews 13:15-17New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition 

15 Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.
 St. Paul writes that praise to God is firstly from the lips in stating that He is God. but secondly is sacrificing for others.
In other words, prayer is followed by good works. I have been in a position for a week where I have had to rely on charity. A good Christian brother has helped me make a transition, which is not complete. I am now moving into an empty place without any furniture, bedding and so on. I am grateful for the roof over my head, as some of you know, I did not expect to be here until May.
A good Christian woman is ordering me a duvet and pillows, which I hope do not take too long to arrive, as I shall continue sleeping on the floor not having any furniture et al.
I could be anyone who is reading this blog, as it is too easy to fall away from the middle class into dire poverty. Sacrifices are pleasing to God, and I shall offer up each lack of comfort for those who have fallen away from the Faith in my family and extended family. Sincerely, I hope some of my prayers reach the throne of God from my small abode. 
No hardships need to be wasted.
Pray I can get the things I need for daily life. This place is temporary, for a month and I am very grateful to have it. It is too bad I cannot afford to buy it, as the reason I am here is that the owner has not been able to sell it and has temporarily taken it off the market,... a little cell for a month...how wonderful. Not sure about wifi access after tomorrow.

Lost Email

A very nice Chinese person wrote to me from California and I have lost the email address. If you are reading this blog, please send it to me again.

STM

Interesting Site

http://newcatholiclandmovement.org/