Spiritual Malaise

 

 I notice spiritual malaise in this very materialistic, godless society of our developed world. My students seem to be blase' about romance, marriage, about family or about having children, especially women. Young people, in particular, seem to have so much more materialism than in the past and yet, they lack more and more animation in living life. They often express the phrase, " I'm bored!" after immediately receiving a  toy novelty of some kind after which I say, "Use your imagination and make it exciting."  I tell my grandchildren that with only a handful of toys, I was able to fully enjoy my childhood. I fondly recall playing "store" as I called it, using my creativity and imagination in reconstructing a little cubicle area in the basement as a store. I used real objects such and food and shopping bags which made my imaginative play come to life. I was hardly ever bored. Today, parents seem to have to keep their children always distracted with sports, screens or other pastimes. Toys or video games need to be more and more complex or glitzy for children as they inevitably become yet, more bored and more unanimated. Families that just have one child, plan "play dates" for their children with children from bigger families to assist in removing "boredom" from setting into the humdrum day to day living of their "only child". What I experience now with my students in the U.S (after 54 years of teaching them) or when I travel to Europe as well, in countries like France or Italy, is that adults take the place of  siblings for their single child which in the end, makes the child even more pampered and coddled. My observation of large families like the one I grew up in, is that we were happy overall, with very little in the sense of material things. We smiled a lot and we enjoyed family life. I also notice from my personal experiences with humanity in all walks of life and from diverse socioeconomic status in the world, that the happiest people seem to be poor people. If you look at children who smile the most, it is always the impoverished ones that do. Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,"  It means that spiritual humility, a recognition of one's spiritual need and dependence on God, is what truly matters, not material wealth. To be happy does not require great wealth and materialism, it just requires us to live a simple life that has meaning and purpose with faith, hope and love in our hearts, mind and soul. 

In Deuteronomy, 30:19 Moses states, "I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, that you and your children might live."  "Life" is not just biological existence but a spiritual life of relationship with God, achieved by loving, obeying, and holding fast to Him. The call to choose life and not be distracted by worldly things.  The Catholic Church views this passage as a call to live a life of obedience to Christ, which is the path to true and abundant spiritual life. We need hope in Christ to live life both physically and spiritually when life is dark and difficult. The body dies but so does the soul without it. Without a spiritual life of relationship with God, as with many people, especially young people today in modern society, their emptiness and depression is covered over with distractions, materialism and toys. What we need is relationship with God, with our families and with our fellowman in order to heal our spiritual malaise. The glitz, noise, busyness, sports, distractions, toys, hi-tech gadgets, etc all need to be tempered! I think I would want the word, "Moderation" on my tombstone as my message to humanity! No, all kidding aside, my message to humanity is that we need hope, hope in Christ to hold onto for all the spiritual malaise that exists in the world today.

The Journey of the Christian Pilgrims Dante and Pinocchio

 

The end of our journey in life is God. Both Dante in his medieval masterpiece, the Divine Comedy, and Lorenzini’s, Adventures of Pinocchio represent the journey of the Christian soul, of the pilgrim on earth who discovers that true happiness, true freedom, lie in desiring what God desires. True freedom is true happiness and true happiness is true freedom. Dante Alighieri in his final words to Beatrice as she is departing says:

“Tu mi hai portato da servo alla liberta’.”

“You brought me from slave to freedom.”

Pinocchio had to learn that in order to be truly happy and free, he had to learn how to truly love. He learned to go from self-centeredness to other-centeredness as he learned from his terrestrial father and his supernatural mother who both taught him how to love unconditionally and sacrificially.

The conscience, the inner sanctuary where the soul encounters God is a very biblical idea that takes center stage in Dante and Lorenzini’s works. Pinocchio’s conscience is a slow formation and awareness of what he ought to do. Conscience through the character of the Grillo Parlante (the talking cricket) was and is for us the living voice that speaks very concretely from our experiences of judgment of life. The movement of conscience is like a strong pull on our heart. It is a certainty of what must be done no matter the cost. It is not an oracle that whatever comes from it is necessarily right. Pinocchio went off the straight and narrow path many times in order to form his conscience correctly. It was essential that Pinocchio’s transformation from puppet (inanimate) to a human being ( animate) come from seeking knowledge for the right purpose. His experiences taught him wisdom that lead to truth and true happiness.

What is love without learning and what is learning without love? The natural law and the ten Commandments tell Dante and Pinocchio how to act reasonably in each area of life. These commandments give Pinocchio guardrails that prevent him ultimately to go off the road, off the right path. Pinocchio slowly learns how to love, how to reason and how to participate in God’s providence by using his free will in making good decisions. In this way, he flourishes, he is happy, and he is truly human made in the image and likeness of God. Pinocchio needs the virtue of prudence in serving his conscience on the right path. Prudence must be guided by the fundamental principle of the common good not just our own good. We can go astray as Pinocchio illustrates so lucidly by not using prudence. The direction of Pinocchio’s life and our life can be altered at any moment. So, we must take heed when making decisions that should impel us to ask:

 What kind of person do I want to be?

The place where the decision is made for Pinocchio and for us in answering this most important question is called the well-formed conscience where we listen and heed the voice of God.

Pinocchio learned how to love sacrificially by saving his father and in saving his father, he saved himself!

These were my final thoughts in class after the viewing of Matteo Garrone's Italian film of Pinocchio and connecting it to Dante's Divine Comedy.

I Nonni

"The righteous still bring forth fruit in old age, they are ever full of sap and green, to show that the Lord is upright."

Psalm 92:12-15

I was watching a program on EWTN entitled "Grandparents" and I immediately related to all the messages 
that were coming from grandchildren who were speaking about their grandparents on this program. Their messages were full of hope.  I think that as an Italian Nonna I have truly experienced great Hope in Life as a grandparent. I have ten precious grandchildren, each of whom is so beautifully unique and precious and each one an immense blessing to me! I think that this role of Nonna comes to me very naturally because my own carissima Mamma was such a loving and caring  mother and grandmother. 

I feel so happy when I am with my grandchildren. Though I am tired at the end of the day, I feel reinvigorated to live life to the fullest for them. I hope and pray that our grandchildren will carry on our heritage and our Catholic faith.

The old way is still the good way.

"Thus says the Lord, stand by the roads and look for the ancient paths where the good way is and walk in it and you will find rest for your souls."

Jeremiah

The basic truths that our parents taught us as children can be safely taught to our children and their children but best of all, these ancient truths are always a source of comfort in our own lives from beginning to end. G.K. Chesterton said, "Happy is the man who still loves something that he loved in the nursery, He has not been broken in two by time. He is not two men but One and has not just saved his soul but his Life."

My Favorite Quotes

DON'T JUST LIVE

LIVE WITH PASSION!

Father Cedric Pisegna

MORE CONSISTENT DISCLIPLINE LEADS TO LESS CONSTANT DISCIPLINE.

Dr. Ray Guarendi

BY SEEKING AND BLUNDERING, WE LEARN.

Goethe

ALL LIFE IS A LEARNING TO DIE.

Dale Alhquist

ED ECCO SUL TRONCO SI ROMPONO GEMME,

UN VERDE PIU' NUOVO DELL'ERBA

E TUTTO MI SA DI MIRACOLO.

Quasimodo

HOPE MEANS HOPING WHEN THINGS ARE HOPELESS.

G.K. Chesterton

DEATH AND LOVE ARE THE WINGS THAT BRING THE GOOD MAN TO HEAVEN.

Michelangelo

THE VIRTUES ARE TO THE SOUL WHAT THE MUSCLES ARE TO THE BODY

Scott Hahn

OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN.

St. Paul

PRAY, HOPE AND DON'T WORRY.

Saint Padre Pio

IT IS BETTER TO SUFFER EVIL THAN TO DO EVIL.

Socrates

WE WILL REAP ONLY,WHAT WE SOW.

St. Paul

ORDER IS THE BADGE OR GUARANTOR OF FREEDOM.

C.S. Lewis

FATIGUE MAKES COWARDS OF US ALL.

Vince Lombardi

St. John Chapter 6

 The Eucharist is the sacrament of Charity ( Caritas), the sacrament of divine love,

                                His own Heart...IL GENTIL CUOR.

We cannot come to Faith, Hope, and Love on our own.

The Eucharist is a pure gift from God, a gift that He freely gives us if we only ask.

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our Catholic Faith.

Jesus is the Bread of Life that feeds us. Jesus says,

" I am the Bread of Life.

Whoever comes to me will never be hungry,

and whoever believes in me will never go thirsty."

The Eucharist is the center of the Christian life and the summit or the highest expression 

of the Christian life for Christ's Church. This doctrine of the Catholic Church is so important 

that every other teaching of the Catholic Church depends upon it. It is the central teaching of the Holy Christian Life.

If our faith in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity is weak, everything else will suffer and be weak. It is like a domino effect! If this Pillar of our Catholic Faith falls, then everything else will fall and be out of place. We need to put our complete trust and obedience in Jesus Christ. Through grace in us, God will give us a share of His own knowledge and trust in the Father and His own Divine Love.

As a cradle Catholic I always have known that Jesus is fully present to me in the Eucharist. We cradle Catholics are so, so so blessed! The incredible reality that I am literally receiving divinity at the table of the Lord, that I am in the process of being made Divine-becoming a partaker of the divine nature of God. 2 Peter 1-4

I am literally incorporated into God's divine life. The Sacraments give me a trajectory, a path into God's divine life! This realization was for some reason always in me, dormant but real and as I matured in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom, I truly became on fire to receive my Lord and my God in the Eucharistic banquet at Mass. What a treasure we have as cradle Catholics! We are truly, truly truly blessed! I am so grateful to God for always innately believing the Real presence of Jesus, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the blessed Eucharist.

GRAZIE DI CUORE CARO GESU' PER AVERMI CONDIVISO 

LA TUA FEDE CORRETTA

LA TUA SPERANZA CERTA

E LA TUA CARITA' PERFETTA.

LA TUA FEDEFE 

DORINA

The Cross of Christ

 The Cross of Christ

                is    

The Tree of Life.

The Cross transforms us.

Through Prayer and Suffering

the Cross can become

the Crown of Christ.

Sister Angelica made me truly understand

 this most beautiful lesson of 

        Catholicism.

No one lives for oneself and

No one dies for oneself.

We live and die for the Lord.

Romans 14:7-12 in the Bible says, "For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's".

 

My Sisters the Saints by Colleen Carroll Campbell

My Sisters the Saints by Colleen Carroll Campbell was an inspiring book for me of a woman's deep faith and the saints who became her sisters along the path to her answered prayers because I could so readily identify with her through my own personal witness of redemptive suffering followed by the triumph of the cross in many adverse episodes of my own life This book really resonated with me. I never had a quest to understand the meaning of my feminine identity in light of my Christian faith and Italian upbringing and a culture shaped by modern feminism. My Italian upbringing especially largely due to my almost perfect mother solidified in me an unshakable view of what true femininity and womanhood were not. I found grace and inspiration from Mary, the Mother of God and through my dear Mamma’s selfless giving to me. Secular feminists were never appealing to me. I was never confused over sexual promiscuity or fidelity, professional success or family; marriage over cohabitation; or freedom over responsibility. I loved pleasure but my life was not driven by it. Love and liberation were not tied for me ever. In fact, what I would ultimately discover is that true liberation would come from my surrender to God' completely. Unrestricted Freedom was just a trap and a way that Satan would lure modern women under the guise of equal rights for women to total subjugation and slavery. My dear mother may have been a slave but she was a slave of God through her own volition. Saint Paul exhorts us to be slaves of Christ, to imitate HIs unconditional love and that is the love that my dear Mother refracted onto me through her exemplary deeds. My parents were not educated in the sense of formal schooling or through reading Scripture but they embodied Jesus in how they lived their daily lives. I, on the other hand, through my Catholic and public formal education cultivated a true love for my Catholic faith through frequent attendance of daily mass, the love of contemplative prayer, reading of scripture and spiritual books, reciting of the Rosary and other devotions and going to adore, thank, praise and petition my Lord and Savior at Eucharistic Adoration. I would come to fully realize later in life the incredible gifts and graces that I would receive through the beauty of my Catholic faith, its Church and most importantly, through its founder, our Lord, King, and Savior Jesus Christ. I also discovered EWTN and Relevant Radio later on in life and I am so indebted to them for the vast enrichment and deepening of my faith. I love everything about the Catholic Church:

1 Jesus as (God – man, Nativity, Crucifixion and Resurrection for Man's eternal salvation)

2 The Eucharist for my spiritual daily nourishment (my Heaven on Earth) - being with Jesus, truly present body, blood, soul, and divinity in communion with all the angels and Saints. Such a beautiful gift from God to us!

 3 The other six Sacraments- Reconciliation where all of my sins are absolved, Baptism which is the initiation or entry to the kingdom of God; Confirmation which is the continuation of God's grace to opening my heart to the gifts of the Holy Spirit especially the gifts of awe and wisdom; Marriage which is a union of two souls ( a man and a woman) to love as Christ loved us; Holy Orders which is to give us unbroken, apostolic succession to teach us the Gospel and to give us the body and blood of Christ in Persona Christi and lastly, Last Rites so that we may meet our Maker and make peace and be granted eternal life.

5 The Communion of Saints such as Saint Francis of Assisi, St Joseph, St Anthony, Saint John Paul II, Saint Gianna Molla, Saint Gerard, Blessed Francis Seelos for a few examples with their heroic love & faith in God to guide us through their illustrious example of love of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Colleen Carroll Campbell was able to get through her crosses and trials with the mystery of life, love, illness, and death through her encounter and inspiration with the following six female saints: Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux, Faustina of Poland, Edith Stein of Germany, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Mary of Nazareth. Her fascinating personal memoir, My Sisters the Saints was a great witness of faith and of authentic feminism for me.

4 The Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady of Lourdes, of Fatima, and of Medjugorje)

The Blessed Mother Mary is the perfect mother of God and of us all. She has always helped me in my trials and tribulations in a world that is imperfect and through it all always helping me to draw closer to Jesus, to help him, serve him and imitate him. Reciting my nightly rosary when I can before I fall asleep from exhaustion always gives me peace and a tremendous sense of hope because nothing is impossible for God. (Luke 1 verses 36-37). 

“Generations that called Mary blessed not only because of her unique privileges, but because of the role she plays in guiding the rest of us toward the complete union with God.”  Colleen Campbell

 God used a tumultuous pregnancy and Mary's example to teach me to truly love those who had hurt me in the past, to truly forgive them, and to truly love and trust my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To surrender completely, to accepting His will through my brokenness and through the miraculous birth of my first beautiful grandson I did not marvel that God transformed my life so radically but I thanked him with immense gratitude for having done so. My faith was never shattered, never doubted, just tested and triumphant.

 6 The Pope, the Catholic Church, Bishops, Priests and Sisters and Missionaries

I don't know what I would have done or who I would be today without the guidance, counseling and teaching by these holy, good, and beautiful mentors of imitators of Christ.

 7 The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass – (liturgy and sacrifice of Calvary)

 When I am at Mass I am at home with my Creator. I feel safe and at peace and the most joyful I could ever be.

 8 the Beatitudes of Christ on Mount Olive

 These are radical tenets for imitating Christ’s Compassion (Caritas)to my fellow man.

“Love one another as I have loved you.  Love God and love your neighbor and enemies as yourself.” This is a tremendous shift from the old Covenant to the New Covenant of Jesus Christ and very difficult to do. To follow the Ten Commandments is challenging enough but to follow the Beatitudes is even more challenging but definitively more edifying.

 9 The Cross

Christ gives us spiritual trials in our souls for those who love Him so that they may learn to love Him more. In Catholic school I was taught what my mother and father exemplified in their life, to unite my sufferings to the sufferings of Christ. “To err is human to forgive is divine.” Christ said to his Father on the cross, “ Forgive them for they know not what they do.”  My own father would always say that the best vendetta is to forgive. If we imitate Christ in loving and forgiving our enemy we get closer to Him and closer to perfect love (Caritas) as in Christ’s Passion. It takes God’s grace which alters our pride into humility. Christ’s love surpassed even that standard, as he gave his life not just for his friends but for those who had made him their enemy.

The six saints described by Colleen Carroll Campbell in her spiritual memoir illuminated the Christian life for me in a way that made me relate completely to her experience with them and with my own experience with the Catholic faith and my Italian upbringing.

I highly recommend this moving and powerful book of Colleen Carroll Campbell.