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Nobody escapes being wounded. We are all wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not, 'How can we hide our wounds?' so we don't have to be embarrassed, but 'How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?' When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.
- Henri Nouwen
(What gifts have come into your life through your woundedness?)
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Fire of Love: Encountering the Holy Spirit, by Donald Goergen, OP.
Book available via Amazon.com and other sellers as paperback and digital.
Facilitated by Philip St. Romain
Dates: Thursdays October 7, 14, 21, 28 November 4 and 11
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Central via Zoom
Fee: $25.00 - Registration
Reflects on the Spirit’s influence in our individual lives, in the Church, other world religions and the cosmos. Fr. Goergen brings a lifetime of theological study and practical ministry experience to help us become more aware of and open to the gifts of the Spirit.
Participants will need to obtain their own copy of this book in advance.
Zoom links will be sent weekly to participants.
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Col 1:24–2:3; Psalm 62:6-7, 9
Lk 6:6-11
On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught,
and there was a man there whose right hand was withered.
The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely
to see if he would cure on the sabbath
so that they might discover a reason to accuse him.
But he realized their intentions
and said to the man with the withered hand,
“Come up and stand before us.”
And he rose and stood there.
Then Jesus said to them,
“I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath
rather than to do evil,
to save life rather than to destroy it?”
Looking around at them all, he then said to him,
“Stretch out your hand.”
He did so and his hand was restored.
But they became enraged
and discussed together what they might do to Jesus.
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Reflection on the Scriptures
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Why do Christians celebrate Sunday as the Lord's Day? Most importantly we celebrate it to commemorate God's work of redemption in Jesus Christ and the new work of creation accomplished through Christ's death and resurrection (2 Corinthians 5:17). God's action is a model for us. If God "rested and was refreshed" on the seventh day, we, too, ought to "rest" and let others, especially the poor, "be refreshed" as
well (see Exodus 31:17; 23:12). Taking "our sabbath rest" is a way of expressing honor to God for all that he has done for us. Such "rest" however does not exempt us from our love for our neighbor. If we truly love the Lord above all else, then the love of God will overflow to love of neighbor as well. Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) said: "The charity of truth seeks holy leisure; the necessity of charity accepts just work."
How can we make Sunday a day holy to the Lord? First, by refraining from unnecessary work and from activities that hinder the worship we owe to God. We can also perform works of mercy, such as humble service of the sick, the infirm, and the neglected. And we ought to seek appropriate relaxation of mind and body as well. The joy of the Lord's Day is a great gift to refresh and strengthen us in our love of God and of
neighbor (Nehemiah 8:10). Do you know the joy of the Lord and do you find rest and refreshment in celebrating the Lord's Day?
Lord Jesus, in your victory over sin and death on the cross and in your resurrection you give us the assurance of sharing in the eternal rest of heaven. Transform my heart with your love that I may freely serve my neighbor for his good and find joy and refreshment in the celebration of Sunday as the Lord's Day.
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The Ascent of Mount Carmel, by St. John of the Cross
E. Allison Peers Translation. Paperback, Kindle, Audio Book.
Click here to purchase on Amazon.com
BOOK THE SECOND
Wherein is described the nature of dark night and how necessary it is to pass through it to Divine union; and in particular this book describes the dark night of sense, and desire, and the evils which these work in the soul.
Of the Ascent of Mount Carmel
Wherein is treated the proximate means of ascending to union with God, which is faith; and wherein therefore is described the second part of this night, which, as we said, belongs to the spirit, and is contained in the second stanza, which is as follows. __________________________________________________________________
Second Stanza
Chapter 22
Wherein is solved a difficulty -- namely, why it is not lawful, under the law of grace, to ask anything of God by supernatural means, as it was under the old law. This solution is proved by a passage from Saint Paul.
1. Difficulties keep coming to our mind, and thus we cannot progress with the speed that we should desire. For as they occur to us, we are obliged of necessity to clear them up, so that the truth of this teaching may ever be plain and carry its full force. But there is always this advantage in these difficulties, that, although they somewhat impede our progress, they serve nevertheless to make our intention the
clearer and more explicit, [398] as will be the case with the present one.
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