tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post4283086211941015319..comments2023-09-22T06:56:46.508-05:00Comments on Adoro te Devote: Please Don't Break My HeartAdorohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02853244433854822731noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-27950918337450066862009-09-21T23:19:35.788-05:002009-09-21T23:19:35.788-05:00Hey, I know that friend ;)
You put this into word...Hey, I know that friend ;)<br /><br />You put this into words much better than I :)Joe of St. Thérèsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06506671882770822003noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-6394523834455091602009-09-21T18:37:31.666-05:002009-09-21T18:37:31.666-05:00Fr. S. ~ Thanks for recommending the conference. I...Fr. S. ~ Thanks for recommending the conference. It was EXCELLENT although I wasn't able to finish it... was at work and of course the phone rang, coworkers needed things, etc., so stopped it and lost it. Oh, well. I can try again some other time and hear the rest! Definitely worthwhile!Adorohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02853244433854822731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-33345021017820501422009-09-21T12:43:48.975-05:002009-09-21T12:43:48.975-05:00Adoro,
It makes perfect sense! That's just d...Adoro, <br /><br />It makes perfect sense! That's just discernment. "Duc in altum." "Put out into the deep," as Our Lord said. The real question ends up being, "What have you got to lose?" This is a question about love, in the end. Do you find yourself falling for a life the way someone falls for a person? The answer will come. Right now if the answer is, "I am not yet sure," then that is fine. Where do you feel safe and where do you feel that you are the beloved? Attraction is not an exact science, so if you feel as if you are being drawn to Him, let yourself be drawn. As much as it seems counter intuitive, enjoy the anxiety and the strange sense of courtship. <br /><br />I'd like to suggest a conference that you may find helpful. It was given to seminarians, but I think the principles are still very appropriate. It was given by the Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Bismarck. Here is the link: <br /><br />http://www.kenrick.edu/podcast/2008/11/day-recollection-classroom-dependence-session-1<br /><br /><br />-Fr. S.Father Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00442061840942409462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-5140474217469276422009-09-21T10:33:33.065-05:002009-09-21T10:33:33.065-05:00Thank you, Fr. S. I do know that the relationship...Thank you, Fr. S. I do know that the relationship religious/priests have with God is different than in the married or single life. I had this conversation with a friend this summer, and she provided her perspective from lived experience. It's not something I've written about here, although I've discussed it with a few people here and there, although I can't explain it as beautifully as she did!<br /><br />In any case, she described how, in religious life/priesthood, the primary relationship is with God, and friendships flow from that union outward. In the married life, or single life, it is the relationships with others that drives towards union with God.<br /><br />Ever since I learned this from her, I've been praying about that, trying to figure out...am I being drawn to God through others, or are my friendships from others resulting from the way God draws me towards Himself? I think that this is key, because it is not a relationship that is learned or developed, but belongs naturally to us...because it's the way God created us. It's fitting, because, as we know, God calls each one of us into being and into a particualar Vocation. You were BORN to be a Priest, and you said yes to that, to God's great joy (and ours!). Some are born to be Brothers, or Sisters. The jury is still out for me (um..on my end, not God's. Wish He'd just send me an email and clear all this up! lol)<br /><br />I'm explaining this very very badly and imprecisely so I hope you understand what I'm TRYING to say?Adorohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02853244433854822731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-72414963042084359212009-09-21T08:00:14.213-05:002009-09-21T08:00:14.213-05:00Adoro,
You bring up an interesting point, about ...Adoro, <br /><br />You bring up an interesting point, about "entrust[ing] our brokenness to OTHERS". I presume you mean in terms of vocation and formation. Here are the facts about that. Everywhere you go will have imperfect formation. Every person who does formation or even spiritual direction will be a sinful person. Every person who intends to do you well will have their own faults. Insofar as that is the case, formation is a mixed bag. There are moments of wonderful self-discovery, of dependence upon the will of our superiors or camaraderie with others. There are also moments that are very, very hard. What happens is that the sinfulness of others grates against us. In the end, we get both a desire for Our Lord and a thick skin through formation. But, as in all things, you will not get the joy and wonder of being around others without also sometimes feelings the friction and abrasiveness of others. I think you already know this, though. <br /><br />What you may not know is that, if you pray, if you try to serve and serve and serve, something beautiful happens. You realize that as long as you continue to draw close to Our Lord, as long as your relationship there is sound and growing, you can put up with just about anything. Even in community life, which is not known to be easy, when you are surrounded by people whom you alternately love and hate, depending on the day, the driving relationship is not with them. The driving relationship is not even with your superiors. The driving relationship, the life giving relationship, the relationship of care and joy is with Our Lord. <br /><br />You see, Our Lord provides. If He is calling you to vowed life and you trust and follow, while there may be difficult days, even almost unbearable days when your suitcase is half packed, He will provide. That is not an abstract type of providence. Really and truly, He will provide you with the security that conquers and assuages all fear and anxiety. There is a reason that religious life is compared to spousal life. Part of that is safety. Just as loving spouses feel no safer than when they are with each other, when they have true, vulnerable intimacy, the same is true for religious. As I said and you noted before, this has to do with being cared for. It has to do with being desired by the Beloved. <br /><br />What I know is this. As much as there was a time in my life that I wanted a wife and children, what I have now I would not trade for anything because I know the Beloved and that is more than sufficient. <br /><br />May Our Lord Bless You Abundantly, <br />Fr. SFather Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00442061840942409462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-50602025873827292792009-09-20T21:34:34.029-05:002009-09-20T21:34:34.029-05:00Father S. ~ Thank you for your comment. I've r...Father S. ~ Thank you for your comment. I've read it a few times and delayed in responding as I've turned your words over in my mind. It is this phrase that struck me:<br /><br /> <i>Our Lord allows us the difficulty of the brokenness so that we may not just abandon ourselves to Him, but be cared for.</i><br /><br />That is probably, quite likely even, part of my problem, part of trust. Are we willing to entrust our brokenness to OTHERS? Others who may not understand, who may abuse that trust, who might give us exactly what we need...and in a situation where we can't run away from love anymore?<br /><br />No, your words aren't rambling, but exactly what I needed to "hear". Thank you. <br /><br />God bless you even more abundantly than He has blessed me.Adorohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02853244433854822731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-43396547874077293042009-09-20T12:07:30.121-05:002009-09-20T12:07:30.121-05:00It would be very kind if you could post a link to ...It would be very kind if you could post a link to our blog on your blog:<br /><br />www.catholicheritage.blogspot.com<br /><br />God bless you!<br /><br />St. Conleth's CHAAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-2218094151664332322009-09-20T10:23:21.948-05:002009-09-20T10:23:21.948-05:00Adoro,
You post often on my blog and I am not su...Adoro, <br /><br />You post often on my blog and I am not sure if I have posted on yours. I read it often and appreciate it. Anyhow, this post of yours is beautiful. I just thought I'd share an observation. <br /><br />In my life as a priest and before, I have known what real heartbreak is. I do not mean this in the Hallmark card sort of way. I mean it exactly in the way that you do, namely, in that way that is life changing, in that way which is tremendously difficult and that can bring true grief. There is a benefit, to this, though. As wretched as it may feel in the moment and for years later, there is a benefit. We realize, if we are called to serve the Lord in vowed life, that He will bind up the wounds of heartbreak. There will always be a certain rawness to the wounds, but we will know that in serving Him we have no need for anxiety or fear. If He calls us to vowed life, He will provide. Recall the words of the father of the prodigal son to the older brother, "All that I have is yours." Our Lord allows us the difficulty of the brokenness so that we may not just abandon ourselves to Him, but be cared for. What I can tell you is that the life is completely worth it. As terrible as the heartbreak is, imagine the opposite. The hands of Our Lord are the hands of a healer. He will fill you with joy. <br /><br />Anyhow, I hope that this does not come off as syrupy rambling. I know it to be true in my life. Would I take the heartbreak again just to know the grace? Absolutely. <br /><br />May Our Lord Bless You Abundantly, <br />Fr. S.Father Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00442061840942409462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-63923048286643316612009-09-19T22:35:51.468-05:002009-09-19T22:35:51.468-05:00Mandrivnyk ~ Try being 35, with unpaid undergrad l...Mandrivnyk ~ Try being 35, with unpaid undergrad loans, mounting grad loans, a house you can't afford and a paycheck (compliments of Church employment) that doesn't pay your own monthly bills, never mind the extras such as car maintenance, house maintenance, the townhome association fee...etc.<br /><br />I'm so far in debt I can't afford to die. Forget religious life, if I'm even called to it, which more and more I doubt. <br /><br />Take hope...you're ONLY 25. If I was only 10 years younger and realized a possible Call...that would have made ALL the difference in my life.<br /><br />If there's little hope for YOU, there's absolutely NONE for me.<br /><br />And NEITHER of us can really think that way, can we? Consider Sarah and Hannah. Impossible for them, too.<br /><br />But again...I don't think I"m Called. <br /><br />Nope. But I'm going to get through this and won't finish until I'm either professed or married or dead. I somehow expect the latter will happen first. It's most likely at this point. <br /><br />Mary ~ Thank you. We all desperately need prayers.Adorohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02853244433854822731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-33539975962516383192009-09-19T22:26:24.536-05:002009-09-19T22:26:24.536-05:00As a wife and mother, I don't know much about ...As a wife and mother, I don't know much about the discernment process except for what I have read on your blog and others who are going through this, but my prayers are with you. May the Lord continue to lead and guide you on your journey.Mary N.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06618318192221168152noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-63691867434882394192009-09-19T22:23:40.737-05:002009-09-19T22:23:40.737-05:00Yeah, Adoro. I remember, years ago, being at Adora...Yeah, Adoro. I remember, years ago, being at Adoration on retreat with the SMME, and being nearly bowled over with the realization (I thought) that, while this was not the community for me, I was absolutely in the right place, and, eventually, that Christ was indeed calling me to be his spouse.<br /><br />I've never quite gotten over that sense, really, which is terribly sad considering how much I've thrown away. I've too much of a habit of infidelity, to make that terribly plausible. Never mind the nearly $40k of student debt I have no way of repaying any time soon. I'm only 25, but by the time I have a stable enough faith life to know anything, and am debt free, it will have long since been too late.<br /><br />It's very hard to trust, sometimes, that regardless of the damage we do to ourselves and the consequences that brings, Jesus will never, ever, break our hearts. Even if there's nothing else in the world we can trust, there's that. Still, it's so hard, sometimes, to let Him love us.Mandrivnykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12114386237830968319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-42203307754511733842009-09-19T19:54:37.070-05:002009-09-19T19:54:37.070-05:00Mandrivnyk ~ People who are outside of this don...Mandrivnyk ~ People who are outside of this don't understand this part, but I'm finding that there are many of us who ARE. <br /><br />Elizabeth ~ That's one of the points of the post...no, He won't. However, this post is a deeply personal one about a deep fear MANY people in discernment feel, think, whatever. Intellectual knowledge and understanding doesn't negate the reality of the agony of discernment. <br /><br />Anyone who HASN'T been here won't experience it. That's why I wrote this post. To help those of you who DON'T know about this to understand, and to help those who DO know what it's like to know they aren't alone.Adorohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02853244433854822731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-2158795236885272422009-09-19T18:13:35.224-05:002009-09-19T18:13:35.224-05:00Adoro, I can never imagine God rejecting you (or a...Adoro, I can never imagine God rejecting you (or anyone)! He may have other options for you, but that is not rejection; that is acceptance.Elizabeth Mahlouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00334700057953625321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-14524503774171421472009-09-19T12:34:05.722-05:002009-09-19T12:34:05.722-05:00Notificaton of an award delayed due to Verizon int...Notificaton of an award delayed due to Verizon internet outages.<br /><br />http://adriennescatholiccorner.blogspot.com/2009/09/award-missed-is-not-award-gone-or.htmlAdriennehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01562944653624224107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-80405150450137851622009-09-19T11:30:06.092-05:002009-09-19T11:30:06.092-05:00Thank you, Adoro for another beautiful post! You&#...Thank you, Adoro for another beautiful post! You've certainly presented an important, if often forgotten perspective. I'm sure many people will find it helpful; I certainly did.Mandrivnykhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12114386237830968319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-73150392920646479272009-09-17T23:44:44.232-05:002009-09-17T23:44:44.232-05:00Leah ~ It is really scary, and a lot of us are rea...Leah ~ It is really scary, and a lot of us are really messed up. It's good your're finding Jesus now. I'm 35 and running out of time. When I was in college, I was looking for God everywhere, having been chased away from where He IS by bad theology stating he WASN'T there.<br /><br />God is faithful. Trust Him, give your fear to HIm...He will lead you when you're ready. If you're not ready now, you will be when it's time for whatever He is preparing you to be!Adorohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02853244433854822731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15170815.post-91608062975490363462009-09-17T23:04:42.020-05:002009-09-17T23:04:42.020-05:00As someone who is starting to discern her vocation...As someone who is starting to discern her vocation, this post really helped me a lot. It made me realize that I am not the only one who is so scared and so broken. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting your story!hurricane_windshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08599689985607431790noreply@blogger.com