Living Without School: The wooing of the soul

Monday, September 14, 2009

The wooing of the soul

It is almost as if God were wooing the human soul..Blessed Angela de Foligno..as quoted in one of the books I am reading, The Nun . A fictionalised biography of St Margaret Mary Alacoque.

Today is the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Some of us went to Mass this morning; some will go this evening, when I am at work...

We remember that the cross is our hope; our lifeline; our salvation. Today's table cen

trepiece serves as a visual prompt for this thought.

Yesterday, at Mass, Fr talked about carrying our cross. Not whinging or whining. Not judging others; for who knows the private life of the person in the next pew, the next house, the next street? Who knows their cross?

And so last night found us discussing our crosses, while watching Battlestar Galactica (sob! the last season!) and seeing the cross that individuals in the series had to bear, upon their discovery of earth, of their true identity. The different reactions of the characters in the episode. The different reactions of family members to thoughts on our own personal crosses.
Do we even have a cross? Maybe just getting up each day and doing what has to be done faithfully, cheerfully, is what we are called to carry?

It was then that the quote above came back to me.
It is almost as if God were wooing the human soul..

God never asks more from us than what we can give. The fact is, he asks, with integrity, with respect for free will.

As the discussions in our house go, we meandered off topic. Talked about names we would take, names of saints, as religious names. If we were joining a religious order. And why. Looked up saints in the saints encyclopedia. Debated the value of changing your name, upon joining a religious order. And several felt very strongly about the importance of this...Finally, we returned to our DVD!

And finally, I come back to today in the liturgical

calendar and to today's unschooling. One of today's projects?

Researching and making posters of the types of crosses used in Christian symbolism; the types of crucifixes.

.......Thomas has

made a start..

3 comments:

Chris said...: Great work Thomas. It is a very interesting subject to investigate.; 6:15 am
Beate said...: Papa Ben reminded us the other day that if we love Christ, we must love the cross. That's sooooo hard... I want life to be easy!; 10:13 pm
Hopewell said...: I love the cross project!; 1:04 am

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Prayer of Consecration of St. Maximilian Kolbe

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to thee. I, N___, a repentant sinner, cast myself at thy feet humbly imploring thee to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to thyself as thy possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases thee. If it pleases thee, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of thee: "She will crush your head," and, "Thou alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world."

Let me be a fit instrument in thine Immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed Kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever thou enters, one obtains the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through thy hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise thee O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thy enemies.

Prayer of St Bonaventure

Pierce, O most Sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for Thee, that it may yearn for Thee and faint for Thy courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst after Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God.May it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, attain Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end.May Thou alone be ever my hope, my entire assurance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firmly rooted immovably henceforth and for ever. Amen.