I. Draw a scale
• Left column- write all your anxieties, burdens, difficulties, fears
• Right column (Interior life) – 
  a) Mass attendance weekly
  b) Holy Hour of INTIMATE dialogue & listening in adoration chapel; not rosary nor Breviary 
  c) Write how many times you have had SA in the last 6 months. 
• Is your life “unbalanced” for the good or the bad?

 

Mathew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”

• 1st command- “come to me” if you are burdened…
• Promise- “I will give you rest”
• 2nd command- “take my yoke upon you & learn from me”
• promise- “you will find rest”

How do I go to Jesus? PRAYER

Luke 21:34-36 “Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

• What does it mean to have a drowsy heart?

  • Drowsy – lethargic, down, no zeal, little joy, anger, frustration…

  • Abuse of alcohol is only one way of escaping from the burdens of life, but there are many ways we can do this. Any time we give in to an excess of one sort or another, we begin to let our hearts become drowsy on a spiritual level. (ex. for me is to sleep excesively)

  • Whenever we seek momentary escapes from life without turning to God, we allow ourselves to become spiritually drowsy. 
    - When we feel burdened by life, we tend to look for a way out. And far too often, the “way out” is something that makes us spiritually drowsy. 
    - The moment we turn our eyes to the burdens of life and fail to see God in the midst of all things, we become spiritually drowsy and begin, in a sense, to fall asleep. (Catholic Daily Reflection)

• Answer in left column:

  • How do I seek momentary escapes from life without seeking Christ; my “way out”?

  • What activity do I enter an “excess of” that is my tendency? TV, alcohol, computer, shopping, sleeping, gardening, mechanics….

  • What burden is in my life that I do not see “God in its midst”?

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1 Samuel 3:1-20 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD under Eli. And the word of the LORD was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision. 2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim, so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place; 3 the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down within the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the LORD called, "Samuel! Samuel!" and he said, "Here I am!" 5 and ran to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call; lie down again." So he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called again, "Samuel!" And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." But he said, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, and the word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, "Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, `Speak, LORD, for thy servant hears.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came and stood forth, calling as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for thy servant hears."

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Then the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel, at which the two ears of every one that hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I tell him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for ever." 15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he said, "Here I am." 17 And Eli said, "What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you." 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD; let him do what seems good to him." 19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the LORD.

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• “Samuel was lying down within the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.” 3:3

• “Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.” 3:7

• “Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy” 3:8

• discerning the voice of God must become an EXPERIENCE

• INTIMACY with Christ – not a checklist of my to do’s! 
  - Rosary, study commentaries for homilies, breviary, readings…

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John 10:27 “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord. I know them, and they follow me.”

Mark 1: 35-39 “Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee.”

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• We learn that Jesus had a vibrant prayer life. He looked for deserted, quiet places where he could listen to the Father and communicate intimately with Him. All His activity flowed from His interior life with Abba.

• Jesus knew who He was. He knew where He came from; His identity was solid and he knew His purpose. Therefore, when His apostles come to tell him that “everyone is looking for him”, He does not go astray. He does not follow the people who want him, like him, are praising him, inviting him to dinner, and so on. He LEADS His apostles and centers them on their mission. His IS the BRONZE WALL, therefore, He is able to protect and defend the mission given to Him from the Father. He is not wishy-washy.

 

Simple Path #22.
In St. Joseph’s Humility God Manifests His Power,
Diary of MOC 

St. Joseph centered his life in prayer and silence. He meditated on the Word of God daily in humility, seeking no places of honor for himself. Hidden, he remained content. Through the humility and purity of his heart, he was able to see the purity and holiness of Mary. When he learned that Mary was with Child, (burden, tribulation, anxiety. Didn’t escape) through his humility, he entered the hiddenness of his heart and sought to know the Will of God. This is what makes a great man: to seek the Will of God in all things. My power and strength were manifested in his docility and tenderness of heart. When men let go of their human tendency to control and rely completely on Me, they will begin to possess the true power of God. St. Joseph embraced Mary as the Mother of God and believed in humility. He embraced the mission of God revealed and contained in Mary Most Humble. (3/19/11)

• 1. Centered his life in prayer & silence.
• 2. Meditated the Word of God daily
• 3. Sought no places of honor
• 4. Content in the hidden life
• 5. Seeks to know the will of God in all things
• 6. Relied completely on God; didn’t control