Sáng sớm tôi bước ra đường để đi bộ.
Mặt trời chưa lên khỏi ngọn cây,
nhưng cả bầu trời đã sáng.
Quanh tôi, khu phố vẫn còn ngủ yên.
Giữa mùa hè
mà ngoài trời chỉ có 55 độ.
Thật là thần tiên!
Cái lạnh buổi sáng làm tôi cảm thấy sảng khoái, dễ chịu.
Hít những hơi thở dài cho tôi cái cảm tưởng
như từng tế bào trong người tôi đang bừng tỉnh,
như hạnh phúc đang len lỏi thấm vào từng mạch máu li ti trong tôi.
Đây là giây phút tôi gặp Chúa, gặp Sự Sống của tôi,
là giây phút thánh của tôi.
Đây là nơi chốn tôi gặp gỡ Ngài, là "bụi gai bốc cháy" của tôi,
là đất thánh của tôi.
Tôi có những ước mơ cho cuộc đời,
có những đam mê cho một lý tưởng cao qúy,
có những hăng say cho một ơn gọi sống trọn vẹn
và tôi hiểu
tất cả đều bắt nguồn từ đây,
từ giây phút thánh này,
từ đất thánh này.
Tôi biết tại sao tôi mê thích
những buổi sáng đi bộ.
Vũ Tiến
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
World Youth Day 2011, Madrid August 16-21
I woke up in darkness
Surrounded by silence
So where, where have I gone?
I woke to reality
Losing its grip on me
Oh where, where have I gone?
'Cause I can see the light
Before I see the sunrise
[chorus]
You called and You shouted
Broke through my deafness
Now I'm breathing in and breathing out
I'm alive again
You shattered my darkness
Washed away my blindness
Now I'm breathing in and breathing out
I'm alive again
Late have I loved You
You waited for me, I searched for You
What took me so long?
I was looking outside
As if Love would ever want to hide
I'm finding I was wrong
'Cause I can feel the wind
Before it hits my skin
[]
'Cause I want You,
Yes I want You I need You, and I'll do
Whatever I have to just to get through
'Cause I love You,
Yeah I love You
[]
Ignatian Spirituality - Charles J. Jackson, S.J. - [5]
Examination of Consciousness
The Examination of Consciousness is a simple form of prayer directed toward developing a spiritual sensitivity to the special ways God approaches, invites and calls.
It should be done at the end of each day, though it can be done more frequently, as the person feels drawn to it. The more frequently he does it, however, the more natural it becomes for him. Thus it becomesa way of consciousness, a way of growing into an ever-closer relationshipwith God. It can take anywhere between five and fifteen minutes. It really doesn’t matter how long one spends; the important thing is that he opens himself to recognizing and responding to God’s movements within him.
St. Ignatius suggests five steps to the Examination of Consciousness. It is important, however, that the person feels free to structure the Examination in a way that is most helpful to him. There is no right way to do it; nor is there a need to go through all of the five points each time. A person might, for instance, find himself spending the entire time on only one or two points. The basic rule is: Go wherever God draws you. And this touches upon an important point: the Examination of Consciousness is primarily a time of prayer; it is a ‘being with God.’
The five points Ignatius proposes are:
The Examination of Consciousness is a simple form of prayer directed toward developing a spiritual sensitivity to the special ways God approaches, invites and calls.
It should be done at the end of each day, though it can be done more frequently, as the person feels drawn to it. The more frequently he does it, however, the more natural it becomes for him. Thus it becomesa way of consciousness, a way of growing into an ever-closer relationshipwith God. It can take anywhere between five and fifteen minutes. It really doesn’t matter how long one spends; the important thing is that he opens himself to recognizing and responding to God’s movements within him.
St. Ignatius suggests five steps to the Examination of Consciousness. It is important, however, that the person feels free to structure the Examination in a way that is most helpful to him. There is no right way to do it; nor is there a need to go through all of the five points each time. A person might, for instance, find himself spending the entire time on only one or two points. The basic rule is: Go wherever God draws you. And this touches upon an important point: the Examination of Consciousness is primarily a time of prayer; it is a ‘being with God.’
The five points Ignatius proposes are:
- Recall that you are in the presence of God: You are before God who loves you and welcomes you, who enlightens and guides you. Embrace the God who dwells in you, the God ever at work in you.
- Give thanks to God for his many gifts: Give thanks to God for what he has allowed you to do this day and for what you have received this day, the pleasant and the difficult, for the word of encouragement and the generous gesture, for your family and friends, for all those who challenge you to grow.
- Examine how you have lived this day: What has happened to you in your life and relationships? How has God been at work in you? What has he asked of you? And how have you responded: with generosity or self-centeredness, honesty or deceit?
- Ask for forgiveness: Ask pardon for your failures to understand or respond to others in their difficulties and pain. Ask pardon for not loving God in every part of your life.
- Offer a prayer of hope-filled re-commitment: I am aware of my weakness, yet am confident in God’s strength. I renew my commitment to follow the path that God offers me to be a source of light for all creation. ‘If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old has passed away. See, everything has become new.’ (2 Cor. 2:17)
Phút Hồi Tâm có trở nên nhàm chán chăng?
Nghe một số người, kể cả tu sĩ lẫn giáo dân, nói rằng họ không còn làm phút hồi tâm hằng ngày nữa vì lâu ngày trở nên nhàm, cha Herbert Alphonso, S.J. suy nghĩ nhiều để tìm hiểu lý do.
Nghe họ kể rằng mỗi ngày họ hồi tưởng lại những biến chuyển trong ngày, cảm tạ Chúa vì những ơn sủng nhận được, rồi xét xem đã làm những gì đúng và nhất là những gì sai trái để nhìn nhận những thiếu xót của mình, từ đó xin Chúa giúp để sống xứng đáng hơn. Vậy tại sao đối với họ dần dần phút hồi tâm trở nên nhàm chán? Cha Alphonso - trong cuốn Discovering Your Personal Vocation - nghĩ rằng ngài đã tìm được một câu trả lời:
Như thế, phút hồi tâm không phải là xét mình xem đã làm gì đúng hay sai, nhưng phút hồi tâm là một việc nhận định giúp tôi yêu mến hơn. Cha Alphonso viết:
VTL
Nghe họ kể rằng mỗi ngày họ hồi tưởng lại những biến chuyển trong ngày, cảm tạ Chúa vì những ơn sủng nhận được, rồi xét xem đã làm những gì đúng và nhất là những gì sai trái để nhìn nhận những thiếu xót của mình, từ đó xin Chúa giúp để sống xứng đáng hơn. Vậy tại sao đối với họ dần dần phút hồi tâm trở nên nhàm chán? Cha Alphonso - trong cuốn Discovering Your Personal Vocation - nghĩ rằng ngài đã tìm được một câu trả lời:
"I think I have come up with an answer: We have made of the examination of conscience an exercise of mere morality; it is, in fact, the daily exercise of discernment.
Morality, as such, belongs to the Old Testament; what is typical of the New Testament is not morality, but discernment."Theo cha Alphonso, người môn đệ của Chúa Kitô không hành động dựa trên tiêu chuẩn đúng hay sai của Cựu Ước. Nhưng dựa trên luật của Tân Ước là luật của tình yêu khắc ghi trong đáy lòng mỗi người. Do đó người môn đệ nhận định xem giữa hai điều, nên làm điều gì để có thể yêu mến hơn.
Như thế, phút hồi tâm không phải là xét mình xem đã làm gì đúng hay sai, nhưng phút hồi tâm là một việc nhận định giúp tôi yêu mến hơn. Cha Alphonso viết:
"Christians decide through discernment, in seeking to find out where greater love beckons them. In this sense, as an exercise of discernment, the Examination of Conscience is the typical New Testament exercise."Năm nay chủ đề của các buổi Họp Mặt Vùng là "Magis", đi tìm những gì "hơn nữa" theo lời khuyên của thánh I-Nhã, hy vọng câu trả lời của cha Alphonso cũng giúp chúng ta có một cái nhìn mới "hơn" về Phút Hồi Tâm để qua đó chúng ta không thấy nhàm chán vì chỉ chú tâm đến những sự phải trái đã làm trong ngày, nhưng để sống yêu mến hơn.
VTL
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Ignatian Spirituality - Charles J. Jackson, S.J. - [4]
Discernment
Discernment is rooted in the understanding that God is ever at work in our lives – inviting, directing, guiding and drawing us into the fullness of life. Its central action is reflection on the ordinary events of our lives. It seeks to discover God’s presence in these moments and to follow the direction and guidance he gives us through his grace. It is not the events themselves that are of interest, but rather the affective responses they evoke in us - feelings of joy, sorrow, peace, anxiety and all the indefinable ‘somethings’ that arise and stir within us. It is precisely here that through faith we can discover God’s direction and guidance in our lives.
Discernment presupposes an ability to reflect on the ordinary events of one’s life, a habit of personal prayer, self-knowledge, knowledge of one’s deepest desires and openness to God’s direction and guidance. Discernment is a prayerful ‘pondering’ or ‘mulling over’ the choices a person wishes to consider. In his discernment, the person’s focus should be on a quiet attentiveness to God and sensing rather than thinking. His goal is to understand the choices in his heart: to see them, as it were, as God might see them. In one sense, there is no limit to how long he might wish to continue in this. Discernment is a repetitive process, yet as the person continues, some choices should of their own accord fall by the wayside while others should gain clarity and focus. It is a processthat should move inexorably toward a decision.
St. Ignatius observed that the Spirit of God works to encourage and give joy and inner peace to the person who is trying to respond generously to God’s love; the spirit of evil, on the other hand, interjects discouragement, anxiety and fear. In other words, the person honestly seeking God can discover God’s direction and guidance by being sensitive to the affective responses his considerations evoke in him. Does one option evoke a sense of peace? Perhaps God is affirming it. Does another leave him unsettled? Then perhaps God is directing him elsewhere. In all this, he must be sensitive to where he experiences peace and joy, inspiration and hope. It needs to be pointed out, however, that his finding himself affirmed or unsettled in his considerations does not necessarily mean that God is affirming or negating anything. Discernment is a conver-gence of many factors, all of which need to be weighed and evaluated in prayer. A person’s mind may offer sage advice, but discernment ultimately happens in the heart.
Discernment is rooted in the understanding that God is ever at work in our lives – inviting, directing, guiding and drawing us into the fullness of life. Its central action is reflection on the ordinary events of our lives. It seeks to discover God’s presence in these moments and to follow the direction and guidance he gives us through his grace. It is not the events themselves that are of interest, but rather the affective responses they evoke in us - feelings of joy, sorrow, peace, anxiety and all the indefinable ‘somethings’ that arise and stir within us. It is precisely here that through faith we can discover God’s direction and guidance in our lives.
Discernment presupposes an ability to reflect on the ordinary events of one’s life, a habit of personal prayer, self-knowledge, knowledge of one’s deepest desires and openness to God’s direction and guidance. Discernment is a prayerful ‘pondering’ or ‘mulling over’ the choices a person wishes to consider. In his discernment, the person’s focus should be on a quiet attentiveness to God and sensing rather than thinking. His goal is to understand the choices in his heart: to see them, as it were, as God might see them. In one sense, there is no limit to how long he might wish to continue in this. Discernment is a repetitive process, yet as the person continues, some choices should of their own accord fall by the wayside while others should gain clarity and focus. It is a processthat should move inexorably toward a decision.
St. Ignatius observed that the Spirit of God works to encourage and give joy and inner peace to the person who is trying to respond generously to God’s love; the spirit of evil, on the other hand, interjects discouragement, anxiety and fear. In other words, the person honestly seeking God can discover God’s direction and guidance by being sensitive to the affective responses his considerations evoke in him. Does one option evoke a sense of peace? Perhaps God is affirming it. Does another leave him unsettled? Then perhaps God is directing him elsewhere. In all this, he must be sensitive to where he experiences peace and joy, inspiration and hope. It needs to be pointed out, however, that his finding himself affirmed or unsettled in his considerations does not necessarily mean that God is affirming or negating anything. Discernment is a conver-gence of many factors, all of which need to be weighed and evaluated in prayer. A person’s mind may offer sage advice, but discernment ultimately happens in the heart.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Ignatian Spirituality - Charles J. Jackson, S.J. - [3]
Ignatian Spirituality
We have already observed that a spirituality possesses an internal cohesion, and this is certainly true for Ignatian spirituality. But we might well ask ourselves: Just what is the nature of this internal cohesion? What is the glue or, more precisely, the understanding or interior vision that gives Ignatian spirituality its cohesion? Although Ignatius never spoke in such terms, his realization at Loyola that God was actively at work in his life and, as his experience at Manresa revealed, that God was similarly at work in the lives of all people provided the grounding for what became his spirituality. This insight became the premise underlying his Spiritual Exercises and found expression in the fifteenth of its preliminary notes: ‘it is the nature of the Creator to deal directly with the creature, embracing it with love and praise, and disposing it for how it might serve him.’ It is this understanding of God – that God is an ‘active God,’ ever at work in people’s lives, inviting, directing, guiding, disposing them for how they might serve him – that animates Ignatian spirituality and gives it its internal cohesion.
Spiritual Exercises
Ignatian spirituality began in the religious experience of Ignatius Loyola, but it only took shape and form as he gave it written expression in his Spiritual Exercises. It is beyond the scope of this brochure to do justice to the rich complexity of the Spiritual Exercises. A few comments, however, are in order.
The Spiritual Exercises owes its origin to Ignatius’ reflections on his how God had been at work in his own life and his experiences of guiding others in the spiritual life. It is not a treatise on the spiritual life nor, for that matter, is it even meant to be read. It is a set of guidelines, somewhat like a teacher’s notes, intended for a person guiding another in ‘making’ the Exercises. The Spiritual Exercises describes a process directed toward developing attentiveness to God, openness to God and ultimately responsiveness to God. All this is based on the premises (1) that God deals directly with the individual person and (2)that the person can discern to what God is inviting him.
The Spiritual Exercises is meant to draw a person into a dynamic that progresses from his awareness that he is a sinner yet forgiven to his free and total offering of himself to God. Central to this dynamic and acting almost as a thread running through it is the person of Jesus. Yet Jesus is not simply a model to be imitated; rather as the glorified Christ, he is always God with us, laboring with us and for us, drawing us into the Father’s love. At its deepest level, the Spiritual Exercises is meant to draw the person into a deep and personal relationship with Jesus.
In one manner or another, all of Ignatian spirituality is expressed in the Spiritual Exercises. However, since it has been described as active attentiveness and prompt responsiveness to God, it seems appropriate to highlight two facets that give clear expression of this: discernment and the examination of consciousness
Ignatian spirituality can thus be described as an active attentiveness to God joined with a prompt responsiveness to God, who is ever active in our lives. Although it includes many forms of prayer, discernment and apostolic service, it is the interior dispositions of attentiveness and responsiveness that are ultimately crucial. The result is that Ignatian spirituality has a remarkable ‘nowness,’ both in its attentiveness to God and in its desire to respond to what God is asking of the person now.
We have already observed that a spirituality possesses an internal cohesion, and this is certainly true for Ignatian spirituality. But we might well ask ourselves: Just what is the nature of this internal cohesion? What is the glue or, more precisely, the understanding or interior vision that gives Ignatian spirituality its cohesion? Although Ignatius never spoke in such terms, his realization at Loyola that God was actively at work in his life and, as his experience at Manresa revealed, that God was similarly at work in the lives of all people provided the grounding for what became his spirituality. This insight became the premise underlying his Spiritual Exercises and found expression in the fifteenth of its preliminary notes: ‘it is the nature of the Creator to deal directly with the creature, embracing it with love and praise, and disposing it for how it might serve him.’ It is this understanding of God – that God is an ‘active God,’ ever at work in people’s lives, inviting, directing, guiding, disposing them for how they might serve him – that animates Ignatian spirituality and gives it its internal cohesion.
Spiritual Exercises
Ignatian spirituality began in the religious experience of Ignatius Loyola, but it only took shape and form as he gave it written expression in his Spiritual Exercises. It is beyond the scope of this brochure to do justice to the rich complexity of the Spiritual Exercises. A few comments, however, are in order.
The Spiritual Exercises owes its origin to Ignatius’ reflections on his how God had been at work in his own life and his experiences of guiding others in the spiritual life. It is not a treatise on the spiritual life nor, for that matter, is it even meant to be read. It is a set of guidelines, somewhat like a teacher’s notes, intended for a person guiding another in ‘making’ the Exercises. The Spiritual Exercises describes a process directed toward developing attentiveness to God, openness to God and ultimately responsiveness to God. All this is based on the premises (1) that God deals directly with the individual person and (2)that the person can discern to what God is inviting him.
The Spiritual Exercises is meant to draw a person into a dynamic that progresses from his awareness that he is a sinner yet forgiven to his free and total offering of himself to God. Central to this dynamic and acting almost as a thread running through it is the person of Jesus. Yet Jesus is not simply a model to be imitated; rather as the glorified Christ, he is always God with us, laboring with us and for us, drawing us into the Father’s love. At its deepest level, the Spiritual Exercises is meant to draw the person into a deep and personal relationship with Jesus.
In one manner or another, all of Ignatian spirituality is expressed in the Spiritual Exercises. However, since it has been described as active attentiveness and prompt responsiveness to God, it seems appropriate to highlight two facets that give clear expression of this: discernment and the examination of consciousness
Ignatian spirituality can thus be described as an active attentiveness to God joined with a prompt responsiveness to God, who is ever active in our lives. Although it includes many forms of prayer, discernment and apostolic service, it is the interior dispositions of attentiveness and responsiveness that are ultimately crucial. The result is that Ignatian spirituality has a remarkable ‘nowness,’ both in its attentiveness to God and in its desire to respond to what God is asking of the person now.
Gặp gỡ anh chị em CLC Vietnam
18/7
Thăm cả nhà,
Tôi vừa dự "trại hè" (assembly) của anh chị em CLC Việtnam vào cuối tuần 17-18/7 ở VN. Cùng đi với tôi có cha Luke Rodrigues, EA của World CLC... và cha Liêm để tham dự buổi họp mặt này.
Có 85 anh chị em đại diện cho 12 nhóm trẻ (sinh viên/cựu sinh viên, tuổi 18-35) đến từ Hànội, Huế, Nhatrang, Qui Nhơn, Biên Hòa, Gia Kiệm, Đồng Nai, Thủ Đức, Sàigòn, Cầnthơ, và 4 nhóm người lớn (giáo lý viên, tuổi 40-65). Có sự khác biệt giữa 2 nhóm này... Nhóm cựu sinh viên đến từ các khóa LT cho sinh viên và do cha Joseph Phạm Thanh Liêm hướng dẫn từ năm 1998. Nhóm giáo lý viên (còn gọi là Gia Đình Sống Đạo) đến từ những khóa huấn luyện về giáo lý của cha Peter Phạm Hữu Lai hướng dẫn khi ngài cư trú ở GP Xuân Lộc.
Hôm qua chúng tôi ngồi nghe chia sẻ của các nhóm, dâng thánh lễ, và tham dự văn nghệ và lửa trại... Lần đầu tiên sau nhiều năm, 2 bên đã đồng ý hiệp nhất với nhau thành một tổ chức cấp quốc gia để sẵn sàng tiến trình gia nhập World CLC. Họ đã bầu ra một National Exco (có sự thỏa thuận trước về các vai trò giữa 2 cha Liêm và Lai... nên kỳ này họ chỉ chuẩn nhận (ratify) những quyết định trên mà thôi!).
Cha Luke đề nghị họ chọn một cộng đoàn CLC bảo trợ (sponsor community)... và có lẽ rằng Đồng Hành CLC của chúng ta rất thích hợp để giúp đỡ các anh chị em này. Trong tương lai, cha Liêm hoặc EA mới của họ sẽ liên lạc với Đồng Hành nhiều hơn...
Hôm nay chúng tôi trình bày về World CLC và Fatima 2008, để cho anh chị em bên nhà hiểu được những quan tâm và ưu tiên của CLC quốc tế... Sau đó là thánh lễ đồng tế và nghi thức cam kết. Có 7 bạn cam kết lần đầu và 5 bạn tái cam kết. Cha Luke cũng chia sẻ một số tài liệu về Formation và liên hệ của CLC với dòng Tên.
Chúng tôi đã có những kinh nghiệm khá tốt về tinh thần và mức độ dấn thân của anh chị em CLC Việtnam. Trong tương lai, mong rằng sẽ có nhiều liên hệ giữa trong và ngoài nước ... để một ngày nào đó, chúng ta cùng tham dự CLC Assembly với nhau ... Lần tới dự trù là 2013 ở Hongkong.
Vài hàng chia sẻ với cả nhà ...
Anh, sj
Thăm cả nhà,
Tôi vừa dự "trại hè" (assembly) của anh chị em CLC Việtnam vào cuối tuần 17-18/7 ở VN. Cùng đi với tôi có cha Luke Rodrigues, EA của World CLC... và cha Liêm để tham dự buổi họp mặt này.
Có 85 anh chị em đại diện cho 12 nhóm trẻ (sinh viên/cựu sinh viên, tuổi 18-35) đến từ Hànội, Huế, Nhatrang, Qui Nhơn, Biên Hòa, Gia Kiệm, Đồng Nai, Thủ Đức, Sàigòn, Cầnthơ, và 4 nhóm người lớn (giáo lý viên, tuổi 40-65). Có sự khác biệt giữa 2 nhóm này... Nhóm cựu sinh viên đến từ các khóa LT cho sinh viên và do cha Joseph Phạm Thanh Liêm hướng dẫn từ năm 1998. Nhóm giáo lý viên (còn gọi là Gia Đình Sống Đạo) đến từ những khóa huấn luyện về giáo lý của cha Peter Phạm Hữu Lai hướng dẫn khi ngài cư trú ở GP Xuân Lộc.
Hôm qua chúng tôi ngồi nghe chia sẻ của các nhóm, dâng thánh lễ, và tham dự văn nghệ và lửa trại... Lần đầu tiên sau nhiều năm, 2 bên đã đồng ý hiệp nhất với nhau thành một tổ chức cấp quốc gia để sẵn sàng tiến trình gia nhập World CLC. Họ đã bầu ra một National Exco (có sự thỏa thuận trước về các vai trò giữa 2 cha Liêm và Lai... nên kỳ này họ chỉ chuẩn nhận (ratify) những quyết định trên mà thôi!).
Cha Luke đề nghị họ chọn một cộng đoàn CLC bảo trợ (sponsor community)... và có lẽ rằng Đồng Hành CLC của chúng ta rất thích hợp để giúp đỡ các anh chị em này. Trong tương lai, cha Liêm hoặc EA mới của họ sẽ liên lạc với Đồng Hành nhiều hơn...
Hôm nay chúng tôi trình bày về World CLC và Fatima 2008, để cho anh chị em bên nhà hiểu được những quan tâm và ưu tiên của CLC quốc tế... Sau đó là thánh lễ đồng tế và nghi thức cam kết. Có 7 bạn cam kết lần đầu và 5 bạn tái cam kết. Cha Luke cũng chia sẻ một số tài liệu về Formation và liên hệ của CLC với dòng Tên.
Chúng tôi đã có những kinh nghiệm khá tốt về tinh thần và mức độ dấn thân của anh chị em CLC Việtnam. Trong tương lai, mong rằng sẽ có nhiều liên hệ giữa trong và ngoài nước ... để một ngày nào đó, chúng ta cùng tham dự CLC Assembly với nhau ... Lần tới dự trù là 2013 ở Hongkong.
Vài hàng chia sẻ với cả nhà ...
Anh, sj
Prayer: Joyce Rupp
We move so fast, God,
and sometimes we see so little in our daily travels.
Slow us down.
Create in us a desire to pause.
Helps us to pursue moments of contemplation.
Help us to see in a deeper way,
to become more aware of what speaks to us of beauty and truth.
Our inner eye gets misty, clouded over, dulled.
We need to see in a new way,
to dust off our heart,
to perceive what is truly of value
and to find the deeper meaning in our lives.
All of our ordinary moments are means of entering
into a more significant relationship with you, God.
In the midst of those very common happenings,
you are ready to speak your word of love to us,
if only we will recognize your presence.
Teach us how to enjoy being.
Encourage us to be present to the gifts that are ours.
May we be more fully aware of what we see,
taste, touch, hear, and smell.
May this awareness of our senses sharpen our perception
of our everyday treasures
and lead us to greater joy and gratitude.
Grant us the courage to be our true selves.
Help us to let go of being overly concerned
about what others think of us
or of how successful we are.
May our inner freedom be strengthend
and our delight in life be activated.
Life is meant to be celebrated, enjoyed,
delighted in, and embraced in all its mystery.
Guide us to our inner child.
Draw us to your playground of creation, God of life,
so that we will live more fully. Amen
and sometimes we see so little in our daily travels.
Slow us down.
Create in us a desire to pause.
Helps us to pursue moments of contemplation.
Help us to see in a deeper way,
to become more aware of what speaks to us of beauty and truth.
Our inner eye gets misty, clouded over, dulled.
We need to see in a new way,
to dust off our heart,
to perceive what is truly of value
and to find the deeper meaning in our lives.
All of our ordinary moments are means of entering
into a more significant relationship with you, God.
In the midst of those very common happenings,
you are ready to speak your word of love to us,
if only we will recognize your presence.
Teach us how to enjoy being.
Encourage us to be present to the gifts that are ours.
May we be more fully aware of what we see,
taste, touch, hear, and smell.
May this awareness of our senses sharpen our perception
of our everyday treasures
and lead us to greater joy and gratitude.
Grant us the courage to be our true selves.
Help us to let go of being overly concerned
about what others think of us
or of how successful we are.
May our inner freedom be strengthend
and our delight in life be activated.
Life is meant to be celebrated, enjoyed,
delighted in, and embraced in all its mystery.
Guide us to our inner child.
Draw us to your playground of creation, God of life,
so that we will live more fully. Amen
Ignatian Spirituality - Charles J. Jackson, S.J. - [2]
St. Ignatius Loyola
Almost five hundred years ago, Ignatius Loyola, a Basque courtier-soldier lay on his sickbed recovering from wounds that had almost ended his life. Looking for something to help pass the time, he began to read: not the romantic novels he desired, but the only books available – a life of Christ and the lives of the saints. From time to time, he set aside his book and allowed his thoughts to wander – imagining himself a valiant knight in the service of a great lady. His thoughts also turned to what he had read, and he imagined himself imitating the heroic deeds of the saints in serving God.
He began to notice, however, that his thoughts evoked different reactions in him. Thoughts of himself as a valiant knight, though delightful while they lasted, ultimately left him feeling empty and sad. On the other hand, thoughts of imitating the heroic deeds of the saints brought him a joy that lasted even after these thoughts had ended. Then, as he later described it, ‘one day his eyes opened a little, and he began to wonder at this difference and reflect upon it.’ It dawned on him that one set of thoughts was directed toward God and presumably had its origin in God, whereas the other was not. Two contrary spirits, he sensed, were actively at work in him: the Spirit of God and the spirit of evil. He realized that God was communicating not in mountaintop experiences, but in his affective responses to the ordinary events of his life.
During the long months of his recuperation, Ignatius read and re-read the two books, reflected on Jesus’ life and the examples of the saints, and made more than a few resolutions. What was ultimately pivotal, however, was not anything that he did during this time but rather something that was happening to him. God, he realized, was actively at work in him – inviting, directing, guiding and actively disposing him for the way in which he might best serve him.
Almost five hundred years ago, Ignatius Loyola, a Basque courtier-soldier lay on his sickbed recovering from wounds that had almost ended his life. Looking for something to help pass the time, he began to read: not the romantic novels he desired, but the only books available – a life of Christ and the lives of the saints. From time to time, he set aside his book and allowed his thoughts to wander – imagining himself a valiant knight in the service of a great lady. His thoughts also turned to what he had read, and he imagined himself imitating the heroic deeds of the saints in serving God.
He began to notice, however, that his thoughts evoked different reactions in him. Thoughts of himself as a valiant knight, though delightful while they lasted, ultimately left him feeling empty and sad. On the other hand, thoughts of imitating the heroic deeds of the saints brought him a joy that lasted even after these thoughts had ended. Then, as he later described it, ‘one day his eyes opened a little, and he began to wonder at this difference and reflect upon it.’ It dawned on him that one set of thoughts was directed toward God and presumably had its origin in God, whereas the other was not. Two contrary spirits, he sensed, were actively at work in him: the Spirit of God and the spirit of evil. He realized that God was communicating not in mountaintop experiences, but in his affective responses to the ordinary events of his life.
During the long months of his recuperation, Ignatius read and re-read the two books, reflected on Jesus’ life and the examples of the saints, and made more than a few resolutions. What was ultimately pivotal, however, was not anything that he did during this time but rather something that was happening to him. God, he realized, was actively at work in him – inviting, directing, guiding and actively disposing him for the way in which he might best serve him.
Koinonia: ĐH Leadership Gathering và Họp Mặt Vùng
Mến chào quý cha và quý anh chi em ,
Chúng ta đang ở giữa mùa hè với những cuộc nghỉ hè với gia đình. Mong mọi nguời vui, bình an, và tuơi trẻ trong các sinh hoạt và công việc hàng ngày.
Các vùng khắp nơi đang ráo riết chuẩn bị cho các cuộc họp mặt vùng với chủ đề "MAGIS" rất hấp dẫn. Bắt đầu vào tuần tới họp mặt vùng đầu tiên sẽ diễn ra tại Canada và anh chi em Canada uớc luợng sẽ có hơn 100 nguời tham dự . Chuơng trình sẽ đuợc chuẩn bị cho các lứa tuổi nguời lớn, thanh thiếu niên, và các em nhỏ . Vào cuối tuần lễ Labor Day sẽ là HMV của vùng Trung Tây và Tây Nam. Và cuối cùng, vùng Đông Bắc sẽ có HMV vào cuối tuần tháng 10, ngày 15 đến 17. Trong HMV của Tây nam và Dông Bắc sẽ có bầu cử Ban Phục Vụ Vùng. Hai vùng này xin đuợc lời câù nguyện của mọi nguời và các đề cử viên. Hai cha Trí và Hùng sẽ hiện diện trong các HMV với chúng ta.
Ban Huấn Luyện và Ban Phục Vụ đang hoạch định chg trình cho buổi Đồng Hành Leadership Gathering vào cuối tuần 2-5 tháng 12, 2010. Đây là sinh hoạt toàn quốc duy nhất trong năm nay với mục đích đặc biệt là tụ tập không chỉ những anh chị em đang có trách nhiệm chính thức trong Cộng Đoàn (các BPV vùng, các ban ngành, v.v...), nhưng ngay cả những anh chị em nhóm viên có thao thức sống sâu đậm hơn với Chúa Kitô trong lối sống Đồng Hành CLC và làm sao trở nên khí cụ phục vụ hữu hiệu hơn (magis). Ban Phục Vụ ao uớc các anh chị em trong các vùng khuyến khích nhau tham dự sinh hoạt này như là một cuộc xum họp Gia Đình. Về nơi chốn, thì KA và TS đang xin một số anh chị giúp tìm nơi nào thích hợp, nhưng có lẽ là ở Nam CA hoặc Texas. Khi nào có chỗ chính thức sẽ thông báo đến mọi nguời. Trong thời gian chờ đợi, xin mọi nguời để dành và xin nghỉ làm vào cuối tuần này nhe.
Xin các anh chị Truong/Phó Vùng chuyển thư này đến các ban ngành trong vùng (Ban Huấn Luyện, YaYA Ministry, và Ban Gia Đình).
Thân mến trong Chúa Kitô,
Kim-Anh và Thái Sơn
Chúng ta đang ở giữa mùa hè với những cuộc nghỉ hè với gia đình. Mong mọi nguời vui, bình an, và tuơi trẻ trong các sinh hoạt và công việc hàng ngày.
Các vùng khắp nơi đang ráo riết chuẩn bị cho các cuộc họp mặt vùng với chủ đề "MAGIS" rất hấp dẫn. Bắt đầu vào tuần tới họp mặt vùng đầu tiên sẽ diễn ra tại Canada và anh chi em Canada uớc luợng sẽ có hơn 100 nguời tham dự . Chuơng trình sẽ đuợc chuẩn bị cho các lứa tuổi nguời lớn, thanh thiếu niên, và các em nhỏ . Vào cuối tuần lễ Labor Day sẽ là HMV của vùng Trung Tây và Tây Nam. Và cuối cùng, vùng Đông Bắc sẽ có HMV vào cuối tuần tháng 10, ngày 15 đến 17. Trong HMV của Tây nam và Dông Bắc sẽ có bầu cử Ban Phục Vụ Vùng. Hai vùng này xin đuợc lời câù nguyện của mọi nguời và các đề cử viên. Hai cha Trí và Hùng sẽ hiện diện trong các HMV với chúng ta.
Ban Huấn Luyện và Ban Phục Vụ đang hoạch định chg trình cho buổi Đồng Hành Leadership Gathering vào cuối tuần 2-5 tháng 12, 2010. Đây là sinh hoạt toàn quốc duy nhất trong năm nay với mục đích đặc biệt là tụ tập không chỉ những anh chị em đang có trách nhiệm chính thức trong Cộng Đoàn (các BPV vùng, các ban ngành, v.v...), nhưng ngay cả những anh chị em nhóm viên có thao thức sống sâu đậm hơn với Chúa Kitô trong lối sống Đồng Hành CLC và làm sao trở nên khí cụ phục vụ hữu hiệu hơn (magis). Ban Phục Vụ ao uớc các anh chị em trong các vùng khuyến khích nhau tham dự sinh hoạt này như là một cuộc xum họp Gia Đình. Về nơi chốn, thì KA và TS đang xin một số anh chị giúp tìm nơi nào thích hợp, nhưng có lẽ là ở Nam CA hoặc Texas. Khi nào có chỗ chính thức sẽ thông báo đến mọi nguời. Trong thời gian chờ đợi, xin mọi nguời để dành và xin nghỉ làm vào cuối tuần này nhe.
Xin các anh chị Truong/Phó Vùng chuyển thư này đến các ban ngành trong vùng (Ban Huấn Luyện, YaYA Ministry, và Ban Gia Đình).
Thân mến trong Chúa Kitô,
Kim-Anh và Thái Sơn
Ignatian Spirituality - Charles J. Jackson, S.J. - [1]
Spirituality
Spirituality is a word that lacks a concise definition. Although it includes prayer, piety and the so-called interior life, it is ultimately a way of living and acting. For the Christian, spirituality can be defined as life in accord with the Spirit of God, a life that ‘makes us sons and daughters of God’ (Rom. 8:9,14).
This is not to say, however, that there is but one Christian spirituality. There are, in fact, many. By way of example, each of the four Gospels in the New Testament can be said to reflect a distinct spirituality, each faithful to the gospel Jesus preached yet viewed through the prism of its writer. As Christianity developed, however, so too did other spiritualities, each rooted in a particular historical and cultural setting and in some manner expressing its ideals and aspirations. Each was grounded in a specific understanding about God, about God’s relationship with the world and about the human person in that world. And it was from this understanding that the spirituality – a way of living and acting – developed and grew.
A word of caution, however, is in order: a spirituality is not simply a collection of spiritual ideals and practices, a smorgasbord – as it were – from which one can pick and choose. It possesses an internal cohesion. Its elements, in fact, display a remarkable interrelatedness in which each flows from and gives expression to the worldview from which the spirituality sprang.
Each spirituality is identified by the specific historical, cultural or religious tradition from which it sprang – 17thcentury French, Pauline, Carmelite, Celtic and Methodist spiritualities, to name but a few. This brochure will focus on Ignatian spirituality, the spirituality of the 16th-century Basque, St. Ignatius Loyola. It will single out some of the more important traits of this spirituality, describe each, underscore their interrelatedness and attempt to show how each flows from and gives expression to Ignatius’ integral worldview. In order to do this, however, it seems best to begin not with the spirituality of St. Ignatius but with the man himself.
Spirituality is a word that lacks a concise definition. Although it includes prayer, piety and the so-called interior life, it is ultimately a way of living and acting. For the Christian, spirituality can be defined as life in accord with the Spirit of God, a life that ‘makes us sons and daughters of God’ (Rom. 8:9,14).
This is not to say, however, that there is but one Christian spirituality. There are, in fact, many. By way of example, each of the four Gospels in the New Testament can be said to reflect a distinct spirituality, each faithful to the gospel Jesus preached yet viewed through the prism of its writer. As Christianity developed, however, so too did other spiritualities, each rooted in a particular historical and cultural setting and in some manner expressing its ideals and aspirations. Each was grounded in a specific understanding about God, about God’s relationship with the world and about the human person in that world. And it was from this understanding that the spirituality – a way of living and acting – developed and grew.
A word of caution, however, is in order: a spirituality is not simply a collection of spiritual ideals and practices, a smorgasbord – as it were – from which one can pick and choose. It possesses an internal cohesion. Its elements, in fact, display a remarkable interrelatedness in which each flows from and gives expression to the worldview from which the spirituality sprang.
Each spirituality is identified by the specific historical, cultural or religious tradition from which it sprang – 17thcentury French, Pauline, Carmelite, Celtic and Methodist spiritualities, to name but a few. This brochure will focus on Ignatian spirituality, the spirituality of the 16th-century Basque, St. Ignatius Loyola. It will single out some of the more important traits of this spirituality, describe each, underscore their interrelatedness and attempt to show how each flows from and gives expression to Ignatius’ integral worldview. In order to do this, however, it seems best to begin not with the spirituality of St. Ignatius but with the man himself.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Fr. Tri Dinh: A "Cura Personalis" Priest
“Oh taanks,” says Father Tri – a common way that he signs his email responses. Beneath this spirit of humble, joyful simplicity lies a life of service that can be described as anything but “common.” You’ll find here someone who is deeply rooted in his vocation – having just celebrated 10 years as a Jesuit priest – and is continually convicted of His love for God, and God’s unconditional love for him. Meeting Father Tri may seem like meeting anyone else at first though – he is fun-loving, likes to poke fun, and just finds joy everywhere. There is no sense of intimidation or being “too holy” as society may view religious figures today. Father Tri seems to “get” people right away – in his draw to connect and build relationships, he is able to bring larger ideas around faith and religion to a much more personal level.
It is from this foundation that his gifts truly shine light to others, as they journey to discover their own sense of light and calling in life. Elena Mireles, a young adult who, as a student, formerly worked with Father Tri in campus ministry at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, describes her service with him as a time filled with life and grace
Fr Pedro Arrupe’s Vocation Story
One day I was in the esplanade with my sisters, a short time before the procession of the Blessed Sacrament. A wheelchair pushed by a middle-aged woman passed in front of us. One of my sisters said, “Look at that poor boy in the wheelchair.” He was a young man of around 20, all twisted and contorted by polio. His mother was reciting the rosary in a loud voice, and from time to time she would say with a sigh, “Maria Santissima, help us.” It was a truly moving sight, and it brought to mind the plea the sick man in the Gospels spoke to Jesus: “Lord, cleanse me from this leprosy!” The mother hastened to take her place in the row the bishop was to pass carrying the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance.
The moment came when the crippled young man was to be blest with the Host by the bishop. He looked up at the monstrance with the same faith that the paralytic mentioned in the Gospels must have looked upon Jesus. After the bishop had made the sign of the cross with the Blessed Sacrament, the young man rose from the wheelchair, cured, as the crowd, filled with joy, cried out, “Miracle! Miracle!”
Thanks to the special permission I had, I was later able to assist at the medical examinations of the young man. The Lord had truly cured him. There is no need to tell you what I felt and thought at that moment. I had come from the Faculty of Medicine in Madrid where I discovered so many professors (some truly renowned) and so many companions who had no faith and who always ridiculed miracles. At Lourdes, I had been an eyewitness of a true miracle worked by Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, by that same Jesus Christ who had, during the course of His life, cured so many who were ill and paralytic.
I was filled with an immense joy. I seemed to be standing by the side of Jesus; and, as I sensed His almighty power, the world that stood around me began to appear very, very small.
I returned to Madrid. My books fell from my hands. The lessons, the experiments which had so thrilled me before, now seemed so very empty. My companions asked me, “What’s happening with you this year? You are like one who has been stunned!” Yes, I was like one stunned by that experience, which every day grew more disconcerting. The one thing that remained fixed in my mind and in my heart was the image of the Host as it was raised up in benediction, and of the paralyzed boy who had leapt from his wheelchair. Three months later, I entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Loyola.
Pedro Arrupe, SJ – A Priest Forever. Loyola University Press, 1986.
A retreat journal
(trích trong cuốn A VACATION WITH THE LORD của Thomas Green S.J)
+ + +
An important tool of a good retreat is a journal. Journal workshops and keeping a journal of our prayer are fairly common today. I myself find it a very valuable tool for discernment. The idea is just to sit down for a few minutes, perhaps after each period of prayer, and to jot down in the journal what has happened in prayer. I find it most helpful to write talking to the Lord, because if I write talking to the book or to myself, my writing tends to be very "heady" -- focused on ideas and insights; whereas, as we shall stress, it is our feelings that we discern. I find when I write talking to the Lord, for example: "Lord, this hour was very difficult. I found myself distracted and restless, unable to center on you. But I tried to persevere, and in the last moment or two I felt your peace and your reassurance that the time was not wasted" - as I say, when I write talking to the Lord, the journal very naturally focuses on my feelings. He knows all my ideas and insights already. It is what I felt and experienced that is uniquely me and that comes into focus for me when I write to him.
I see three values of a good journal in a retreat. First of all, we all tend to be introspective, to be looking over our shoulder at ourselves when we are praying. We tend to ask, "Am I really praying?" or "Is this really God?" In other words, we turn away from the actual prayer experience in order to look at ourselves praying, and that is not good. The journal, I believe, can be a great help in avoiding that introspection during our time of prayer. When I am tempted to ask whether I am praying, whether this is really God, I can say: "No. There will be a time for that question after the prayer, when I sit down with the journal. It is better just to go ahead and pray as best I can and not be analyzing my prayer now."
The second value of the journal is this: if I have a director, or if I myself am attempting to see the unity of the whole retreat experience as I go along, the journal can help me not to lose sight of the forest because of the trees. A good retreat is like the weather; it changes suddenly and unpredictably, and when we have dark days we tend to forget that the sun ever shone. As St. John of the Cross says, referring especially to the dark night, "When there is consolation we feel it will last forever; and when there is desolation we believe God is gone forever." The journal can help us to see these individual ups and downs as parts of a total experience. For that reason also, I always suggest to retreatants that the last prayer period in each day be a repetition of the whole day, asking for the grace of unity. I suggest they not use some new scriptural passage but, rather, reread their journal for the whole day or for the whole time of the retreat up to that moment, asking always to see the unity of the total experience. I believe that in a good retreat the Lord has just one "message" for us. It is an exciting adventure to discover gradually, with the help of the journal and the daily repetition, what that message is.
The journal's third value is realized when we come to speak to the director, to share what has been happening in our prayer. Usually it is not good, I think, to show the journal to the director. If we do, we will be writing it for the director, whereas it should be between the retreatant and the Lord. We should not be writing with a view to impressing someone else. But it can be very helpful before meeting the director to read over the journal to see what we wish to share.
+ + +
An important tool of a good retreat is a journal. Journal workshops and keeping a journal of our prayer are fairly common today. I myself find it a very valuable tool for discernment. The idea is just to sit down for a few minutes, perhaps after each period of prayer, and to jot down in the journal what has happened in prayer. I find it most helpful to write talking to the Lord, because if I write talking to the book or to myself, my writing tends to be very "heady" -- focused on ideas and insights; whereas, as we shall stress, it is our feelings that we discern. I find when I write talking to the Lord, for example: "Lord, this hour was very difficult. I found myself distracted and restless, unable to center on you. But I tried to persevere, and in the last moment or two I felt your peace and your reassurance that the time was not wasted" - as I say, when I write talking to the Lord, the journal very naturally focuses on my feelings. He knows all my ideas and insights already. It is what I felt and experienced that is uniquely me and that comes into focus for me when I write to him.
I see three values of a good journal in a retreat. First of all, we all tend to be introspective, to be looking over our shoulder at ourselves when we are praying. We tend to ask, "Am I really praying?" or "Is this really God?" In other words, we turn away from the actual prayer experience in order to look at ourselves praying, and that is not good. The journal, I believe, can be a great help in avoiding that introspection during our time of prayer. When I am tempted to ask whether I am praying, whether this is really God, I can say: "No. There will be a time for that question after the prayer, when I sit down with the journal. It is better just to go ahead and pray as best I can and not be analyzing my prayer now."
The second value of the journal is this: if I have a director, or if I myself am attempting to see the unity of the whole retreat experience as I go along, the journal can help me not to lose sight of the forest because of the trees. A good retreat is like the weather; it changes suddenly and unpredictably, and when we have dark days we tend to forget that the sun ever shone. As St. John of the Cross says, referring especially to the dark night, "When there is consolation we feel it will last forever; and when there is desolation we believe God is gone forever." The journal can help us to see these individual ups and downs as parts of a total experience. For that reason also, I always suggest to retreatants that the last prayer period in each day be a repetition of the whole day, asking for the grace of unity. I suggest they not use some new scriptural passage but, rather, reread their journal for the whole day or for the whole time of the retreat up to that moment, asking always to see the unity of the total experience. I believe that in a good retreat the Lord has just one "message" for us. It is an exciting adventure to discover gradually, with the help of the journal and the daily repetition, what that message is.
The journal's third value is realized when we come to speak to the director, to share what has been happening in our prayer. Usually it is not good, I think, to show the journal to the director. If we do, we will be writing it for the director, whereas it should be between the retreatant and the Lord. We should not be writing with a view to impressing someone else. But it can be very helpful before meeting the director to read over the journal to see what we wish to share.
Prayerful thought: St Francis of Assisi
"Jesus Christ, our Lord, whose footsteps we're to follow, called his betrayer 'friend' and willingly handed himself over to his crucifiers. Our friends, then, are all those who unjustly inflict upon us tests and ordeals, shame and injury, sorrows and torments, martyrdom and death. They are the ones we should love most, for what they're really inflicting upon us is eternal life."
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Francis of Assisi
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Prayer: William Browning, C.P.
O Holy Spirit,
give me stillness of soul in you.
Calm the turmoil,
with the gentleness of Your peace.
Quiet the anxiety within,
with a deep trust in You.
Heal the wounds of sin within
with the awareness of Your presence.
Confirm the hope within,
with the knowledge of Your strength.
Give fullness to the love within,
with an outpouring of Your love.
O Holy Spirit,
be to me a source of light strength and courage,
so that I may hear Your Call ever more clearly,
and follow it more generously. Amen.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Prayer: Meister Eckhart
You need not seek him here or there, for he is no further than the door of your heart; there he stands patiently awaiting whoever is ready to open up and let him in. No need to call to him from afar: he can hardly wait for you to open up, he longs for you a thousand times more than you long for him.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Prayer: Pedro Arrupe, SJ
Teach me Your way of looking at people:as You glanced at Peter after his denial,
as You penetrated the heart of the rich young man
and the hearts of Your disciples.
I would like to meet You as You really are,
since Your image changes with whom
You come into contact.
Remember John the Baptist’s first meeting with You?
And the centurion’s feeling of unworthiness?And the amazement of those who saw miracles
and other wonders?
How You impressed Your disciples,
the rabble in the Garden of Olives,
Pilate and his wife
and the centurion at the foot of the cross.
I would like to hear and be impressed
by Your manner of speaking,
listening, for example, to Your discourse
in the synagogue in Capharnaum
or the Sermon on the Mount where Your audience
felt you “taught as one who has authority.”
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Prayer: St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi
Come! Consume in us whatever prevents us from being consumed in you.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Prayer: At the Rising of Your Sun
Lord God, Creator of light,
at the rising of your sun each morning,
let the greatest of all lights - your love -
rise, like the sun, within my heart.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Prayer: Søren Kierkegaard
God our heavenly Father,
when the thought of you
wakes in our hearts,
let its awakening
not be like a startled bird
that flies about in fear.
Instead, let it be like a child
waking from sleep
with a heavenly smile.
Prayer is a gift of God
The world is not a machine, a mechanism in which every movement is determined, but a place of life, that has come from a living intelligence, and is impregnated by it, open to the action of God, and borne by a finality of love. In this world in which we live, the effects of prayer are objective and can be verified.
Prayer is a gift of God. From all eternity God has wanted this prayer that I am making here and now, at this point in time, in view of a particular effect, which He has also willed from all eternity.
And yet I make this prayer freely; on my part, it is an act of faith and love that is meritorious. And it is freely that God answers my prayer.
God, by His grace, by the action of His Spirit, inspires me to pray. I pray. God answers my prayer.
Why did God create prayer? In order to bestow the dignity of causality upon His creatures: real causality, placed between an initiative of God and His fulfilment of it.
God in His mercy has freely decreed that it is only with the collaboration of humanity that He will accomplish His plan of salvation: and prayer is an example of this.
+ + + + +
From the book titled: ‘Interior Prayer’ by a Carthusian
Prayer is a gift of God. From all eternity God has wanted this prayer that I am making here and now, at this point in time, in view of a particular effect, which He has also willed from all eternity.
And yet I make this prayer freely; on my part, it is an act of faith and love that is meritorious. And it is freely that God answers my prayer.
God, by His grace, by the action of His Spirit, inspires me to pray. I pray. God answers my prayer.
Why did God create prayer? In order to bestow the dignity of causality upon His creatures: real causality, placed between an initiative of God and His fulfilment of it.
God in His mercy has freely decreed that it is only with the collaboration of humanity that He will accomplish His plan of salvation: and prayer is an example of this.
+ + + + +
From the book titled: ‘Interior Prayer’ by a Carthusian
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises
The essential dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises are discussed from the different perspectives of Fathers John O’Malley, George Aschenbrenner, John Padberg, Joseph Tetlow and William Barry in the first of a series of video on the Spiritual Exercises produced by Georgetown University.
Link:
http://explore.georgetown.edu/documents/48499/
Link:
http://explore.georgetown.edu/documents/48499/
Ignatius of Loyola — Model for Lay Spirituality
Pat Carter
Harvest - Summer 2006
While Ignatius is most often thought of as the founder of the Jesuits, he spent a good part of his life as a lay person. It was as a lay person that he began developing the Spiritual Exercises and guiding others through them. During his recuperation in Loyola in 1522, the first pages of the Exercises were written and the bulk of the book was in place by 1524. He continued to refine his work until 1540, and the book was published in 1548. Ignatius was ordained in June of 1537 (although he didn’t say his first Mass until Christmas of 1538) and took vows as a Jesuit along with others of the Company on April 22, 1541, the official beginning of the Jesuits.
Ignatius was a person of his time. He was born a year before Columbus arrived in the Americas in his attempt to prove that the world was round, not flat. In that same year, Muslims and Jews are expelled from Southern Spain after almost eight hundred years of Muslim rule. Spain conquered the Aztec Empire in Central America in 1521 and the Incan Empire in South America in 1533. In 1522 the first ship, the only one of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition to survive, circumnavigates the globe under the command of a Basque captain, Juan Sebastián Elcano. The Protestant Reformation is taking hold in several countries in Northern Europe. In 1543 Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun.
The Catholic Church itself was in crises. Its priests were often ignorant of the Gospels and Sacraments and some openly disregarded their vow of celibacy. One of Ignatius’ own brothers who was a priest lived with the mother of his three children. Another of his brothers who was married had a concubine who visited him regularly — another common practice of the time. The newly discovered facts that the earth was round and that it was not the center of the solar system challenged long-held theological beliefs and cosmic views. And in Spain, the Inquisition was in full swing.
Into this milieu, Ignatius was born: a Basque, a soldier, a person of a noble, but poor, family, a person of passion and loyalty, a romantic, a visionary and a mystic. He had the gift of tears, struggled with scruples and suffered from chronic illness. After his conversion, the same passion that he had for romancing and fine clothes and being a great soldier was focused on Jesus and God’s Kingdom. He fell in love with God and had a special devotion to the Trinity and Eucharist. His personality was not changed, but his whole being was now focused on doing great things for God.
So what can we, as lay people, learn from Ignatius? In my own reflection on Ignatius’ life, several themes seemed to appear.
Harvest - Summer 2006
While Ignatius is most often thought of as the founder of the Jesuits, he spent a good part of his life as a lay person. It was as a lay person that he began developing the Spiritual Exercises and guiding others through them. During his recuperation in Loyola in 1522, the first pages of the Exercises were written and the bulk of the book was in place by 1524. He continued to refine his work until 1540, and the book was published in 1548. Ignatius was ordained in June of 1537 (although he didn’t say his first Mass until Christmas of 1538) and took vows as a Jesuit along with others of the Company on April 22, 1541, the official beginning of the Jesuits.
Ignatius was a person of his time. He was born a year before Columbus arrived in the Americas in his attempt to prove that the world was round, not flat. In that same year, Muslims and Jews are expelled from Southern Spain after almost eight hundred years of Muslim rule. Spain conquered the Aztec Empire in Central America in 1521 and the Incan Empire in South America in 1533. In 1522 the first ship, the only one of Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition to survive, circumnavigates the globe under the command of a Basque captain, Juan Sebastián Elcano. The Protestant Reformation is taking hold in several countries in Northern Europe. In 1543 Copernicus publishes his theory that the Earth and other planets revolve around the Sun.
The Catholic Church itself was in crises. Its priests were often ignorant of the Gospels and Sacraments and some openly disregarded their vow of celibacy. One of Ignatius’ own brothers who was a priest lived with the mother of his three children. Another of his brothers who was married had a concubine who visited him regularly — another common practice of the time. The newly discovered facts that the earth was round and that it was not the center of the solar system challenged long-held theological beliefs and cosmic views. And in Spain, the Inquisition was in full swing.
Into this milieu, Ignatius was born: a Basque, a soldier, a person of a noble, but poor, family, a person of passion and loyalty, a romantic, a visionary and a mystic. He had the gift of tears, struggled with scruples and suffered from chronic illness. After his conversion, the same passion that he had for romancing and fine clothes and being a great soldier was focused on Jesus and God’s Kingdom. He fell in love with God and had a special devotion to the Trinity and Eucharist. His personality was not changed, but his whole being was now focused on doing great things for God.
So what can we, as lay people, learn from Ignatius? In my own reflection on Ignatius’ life, several themes seemed to appear.
Monday, July 12, 2010
New Coordinator for ĐH Tây Nam YaYA Ministries
Kính thưa qúy Cha và anh chị trong gia đình Đồng Hành,
Chúng em trong Đồng Hành Tây Nam YaYA Ministries xin chia sẻ tin vui với các anh chi. Cuối tuần vừa qua, chúng em có một buổi họp, Deepening Weekend, để coi lại tất cả những ơn chúng em đã được nhận qua tình yêu của Chúa trong năm vừa qua. Chúng em cầu nguyện để xem lại những nhu cầu của vùng chúng em và lắng nghe lời gọi và hướng dẫn của Chúa. Sau đây, chúng em xin chia sẻ những "graces" của buổi họp này.
Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their continued support for our ministry through their prayer and presence. It was a wonderful and grace-filled experience to have served in this ministry for the past 3 years. However, because I will begin a new chapter in my life, I am no longer able to serve as a coordinator and member of the Dong Hanh Tay Nam YaYA Ministries. For this reason, we found that this past weekend would be a wonderful opportunity to “deepen” in our ministry as we undergo a transition in our ministry. We hope to share some of the following fruits of our journey from this past weekend.
Again, we would like to thank everyone, especially BHL and BPV, for your continued guidance and prayers throughout this transition period. We pray that together with the entire Dong Hanh community, we may continue to grow in God’s love as we continue to serve God together in His name.
With Love,
Alex
and Dong Hanh Tay Nam YaYA Ministries
Chúng em trong Đồng Hành Tây Nam YaYA Ministries xin chia sẻ tin vui với các anh chi. Cuối tuần vừa qua, chúng em có một buổi họp, Deepening Weekend, để coi lại tất cả những ơn chúng em đã được nhận qua tình yêu của Chúa trong năm vừa qua. Chúng em cầu nguyện để xem lại những nhu cầu của vùng chúng em và lắng nghe lời gọi và hướng dẫn của Chúa. Sau đây, chúng em xin chia sẻ những "graces" của buổi họp này.
Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for their continued support for our ministry through their prayer and presence. It was a wonderful and grace-filled experience to have served in this ministry for the past 3 years. However, because I will begin a new chapter in my life, I am no longer able to serve as a coordinator and member of the Dong Hanh Tay Nam YaYA Ministries. For this reason, we found that this past weekend would be a wonderful opportunity to “deepen” in our ministry as we undergo a transition in our ministry. We hope to share some of the following fruits of our journey from this past weekend.
- We re-centered and reflected on our roots for continued guidance and direction. Through God’s grace and the guidance of cac anh chi from BHL, we were reminded of our role in the ministry. It was a beautiful and humbling reminder to see who we are as part of the larger Dong Hanh family.
- We prayed and discerned on the needs of vung Tay Nam’s youth and young adult and ministry. Within our prayers, we listened for God’s guidance on how to address these needs. (I have included a list of the needs and some of our short-term and long-term goals for the upcoming two years.)
- We began the transition for some of the older members of the team who are now called to directions of their lives. We would like to thank Hugo Munoz, Minh Nguyen, and Thi Tam Ton for having served with us the past year(s). We were able to travel together on an amazing journey, and we hope they continue to inspire others through God’s work where ever they may be. You will be missed dearly.
Again, we would like to thank everyone, especially BHL and BPV, for your continued guidance and prayers throughout this transition period. We pray that together with the entire Dong Hanh community, we may continue to grow in God’s love as we continue to serve God together in His name.
With Love,
Alex
and Dong Hanh Tay Nam YaYA Ministries
How Great Thou Art! - Hillsong
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Prayer: St. Ignatius
Lord, teach me to be generous.
Teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,
to toil and not to seek for rest,
to labor and not to ask for reward,
save that of knowing that I do your will.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Prayer: St Francis
Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me bring your love.
Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord
And where there's doubt, true faith in you.
Make me a channel of your peace
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope
Where there is darkness, only light
And where there's sadness, ever joy.
Chorus:
Oh, Master grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
Make me a channel of your peace
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned
In giving all ourself that we receive
And in dying that we're born to eternal life.
[Chorus]
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Prayer: Henri Viscardi
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of others.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am most richly blessed.
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of others.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am most richly blessed.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Prayer: John Veltri, SJ
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY
O God, I find myself at the beginning of another day,
I do not know what it will bring,
Please help me to be ready for whatever it may be.
If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely.
If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly.
If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently.
If I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly.
I pray just for today,
for these twenty-four hours,
for the ability to cooperate with others
according to the way Jesus taught us to live.
"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
May these words that he taught us become more than words.
Please free my thinking and feelings
and the thinking and feelings of others,
from all forms of self-will,
self-centredness,
dishonesty,
and deception.
Along with my brothers and sisters, I need this freedom
to make my choices today according to your desires.
Send your Spirit to inspire us in time of doubt and indecision
so that, together, we can walk along your path. Amen.
-- adapted from an unknown source by J. Veltri
O God, I find myself at the beginning of another day,
I do not know what it will bring,
Please help me to be ready for whatever it may be.
If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely.
If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly.
If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently.
If I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly.
I pray just for today,
for these twenty-four hours,
for the ability to cooperate with others
according to the way Jesus taught us to live.
"Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
May these words that he taught us become more than words.
Please free my thinking and feelings
and the thinking and feelings of others,
from all forms of self-will,
self-centredness,
dishonesty,
and deception.
Along with my brothers and sisters, I need this freedom
to make my choices today according to your desires.
Send your Spirit to inspire us in time of doubt and indecision
so that, together, we can walk along your path. Amen.
-- adapted from an unknown source by J. Veltri
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Called to be God’s beloved children
A PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AT THE CLC-NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
“…unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3-4).
In the beginning were desires…
… desire to take care of children while their parents attend workshops
… desire to integrate children into national and regional CLC assemblies
… desire to encourage children to live lives to the fullest while playing, reflecting, doing arts and crafts
… desire to simplify Ignatian spirituality to child level
… desire to help children taste the sweetness of prayers and encounter God in simple ways
… desire to foster Catholic faith in children’s everyday life
… desire to introduce children to the CLC way of life early on…
Out of those desires, a children program focusing on Ignatian themes such as God’s creation, I am special in God’s eyes, The call of the King, and Bear Fruit, was first developed for the 2008 Dong Hanh National Assembly in Southern California. During the Christmas week of 2008, the couple Duc Le and Thy Nguyen from Boston, MA with the help of other Dong Hanh members put together a simple children program which consisted of games, songs with movements, arts and crafts projects, and reflection activities. The program was well received by the children and their parents.
After the Dong Hanh National assembly, our president Liem Le expressed the desire for having a children program at the 2009 CLC USA National Assembly. Around May 2009 Mong Hang Nguyen (Houston, TX), Kim Anh Vu (Phoenix, AZ) and I had several telephone conversations to work on the daily themes for the children program. With joyful hearts, we agreed on expanding the structure of the existing children program to cover the four weeks of the Spiritual Exercises. We were convinced that children were capable of doing the Spiritual Exercises while having fun at the same time. We named the four sessions according to the four weeks of the exercises: 1) God creates the world out of love, 2) God creates me and He loves me the way I am, 3) God chooses me and calls me to follow Him, 4) I labor with God and bear fruits.
We gave the program the title “Called to be God’s beloved children” to parallel the central theme of the CLC-USA National Assembly “Called to be a prophetic community.”
With great enthusiasm, Christine Chau Hoan Tran and Thy Nguyen (both from Boston, MA) and I worked out the daily details for two months. We filled out the four sessions with ice breaking and team bonding games, hiking trip, reflecting activities, arts and crafts projects, movie, and a skit called “St. Alice” for the “CLC USA by night” entertainment program.
Prior to the National Assembly, we contacted the children’s parents to conduct ‘teleconference-training-sessions’ so that parents could journey with their children and help out at the same time.
On July 10, 2009, about sixteen children aged 6 through 13 arrived at the CLC-USA National Assembly, not knowing that they were to embark on an Ignatian Spiritual Exercise trip. During the hiking trip around the Trinity facility, the children formed groups of five and were asked to play the roles of God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, an angel and a human being. The Trinity God, the angel and the human discussed about what to create, why creating it, and where to let it live. Together the divine-human team co-created the world. The children were also given Ziploc bags to collect what they had created. Using the collected materials (sands, rocks, leaves, grass, flowers, etc.), the children made “creation posters, ” shared their experience of discovering God’s creation, and offered the fruit of their labor (the posters) during Mass.
With colorful clay in their hands, the children were asked to go back to that very moment when God created them. They were reflecting on the thoughts, the dreams, the feelings that God had for them while He was forming them. Like the potter whose efforts were to make master pieces of art, the children were asked to use the clays to build themselves, expressing the dreams that God had for them.
One of the highlights of the “CLC USA by Night” entertainment program was the beautiful and lively performance of the children. On stage, they relived the life of St. Alice. The children’s enthusiasm and joyful play surprised the audience.
The daily sending and blessing of the children to their program prior to the daily workshop and the re-union of children and parents at Mass gave a promising picture of a community built on hope, love, and integration…
Reflecting on my journey with the children program, the joys and the friendships that I have experienced as a result of this journey, I feel very grateful. I know that I am ‘called to be a prophetic community,’ especially ‘called to be God’s beloved child.’
06/27/10
Sophie Nguyen
“…unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3-4).
In the beginning were desires…
… desire to take care of children while their parents attend workshops
… desire to integrate children into national and regional CLC assemblies
… desire to encourage children to live lives to the fullest while playing, reflecting, doing arts and crafts
… desire to simplify Ignatian spirituality to child level
… desire to help children taste the sweetness of prayers and encounter God in simple ways
… desire to foster Catholic faith in children’s everyday life
… desire to introduce children to the CLC way of life early on…
Out of those desires, a children program focusing on Ignatian themes such as God’s creation, I am special in God’s eyes, The call of the King, and Bear Fruit, was first developed for the 2008 Dong Hanh National Assembly in Southern California. During the Christmas week of 2008, the couple Duc Le and Thy Nguyen from Boston, MA with the help of other Dong Hanh members put together a simple children program which consisted of games, songs with movements, arts and crafts projects, and reflection activities. The program was well received by the children and their parents.
After the Dong Hanh National assembly, our president Liem Le expressed the desire for having a children program at the 2009 CLC USA National Assembly. Around May 2009 Mong Hang Nguyen (Houston, TX), Kim Anh Vu (Phoenix, AZ) and I had several telephone conversations to work on the daily themes for the children program. With joyful hearts, we agreed on expanding the structure of the existing children program to cover the four weeks of the Spiritual Exercises. We were convinced that children were capable of doing the Spiritual Exercises while having fun at the same time. We named the four sessions according to the four weeks of the exercises: 1) God creates the world out of love, 2) God creates me and He loves me the way I am, 3) God chooses me and calls me to follow Him, 4) I labor with God and bear fruits.
We gave the program the title “Called to be God’s beloved children” to parallel the central theme of the CLC-USA National Assembly “Called to be a prophetic community.”
With great enthusiasm, Christine Chau Hoan Tran and Thy Nguyen (both from Boston, MA) and I worked out the daily details for two months. We filled out the four sessions with ice breaking and team bonding games, hiking trip, reflecting activities, arts and crafts projects, movie, and a skit called “St. Alice” for the “CLC USA by night” entertainment program.
Prior to the National Assembly, we contacted the children’s parents to conduct ‘teleconference-training-sessions’ so that parents could journey with their children and help out at the same time.
On July 10, 2009, about sixteen children aged 6 through 13 arrived at the CLC-USA National Assembly, not knowing that they were to embark on an Ignatian Spiritual Exercise trip. During the hiking trip around the Trinity facility, the children formed groups of five and were asked to play the roles of God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, an angel and a human being. The Trinity God, the angel and the human discussed about what to create, why creating it, and where to let it live. Together the divine-human team co-created the world. The children were also given Ziploc bags to collect what they had created. Using the collected materials (sands, rocks, leaves, grass, flowers, etc.), the children made “creation posters, ” shared their experience of discovering God’s creation, and offered the fruit of their labor (the posters) during Mass.
With colorful clay in their hands, the children were asked to go back to that very moment when God created them. They were reflecting on the thoughts, the dreams, the feelings that God had for them while He was forming them. Like the potter whose efforts were to make master pieces of art, the children were asked to use the clays to build themselves, expressing the dreams that God had for them.
One of the highlights of the “CLC USA by Night” entertainment program was the beautiful and lively performance of the children. On stage, they relived the life of St. Alice. The children’s enthusiasm and joyful play surprised the audience.
The daily sending and blessing of the children to their program prior to the daily workshop and the re-union of children and parents at Mass gave a promising picture of a community built on hope, love, and integration…
Reflecting on my journey with the children program, the joys and the friendships that I have experienced as a result of this journey, I feel very grateful. I know that I am ‘called to be a prophetic community,’ especially ‘called to be God’s beloved child.’
06/27/10
Sophie Nguyen
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