Suffering With Joy

Sabbath Moments

September 10, 2011

Awareness of God

Welcome to the Sabbath Moments meme hosted by Colleen at Thoughts on Grace.  Please visit her to read other bloggers’ pauses with the Lord this week.

Bye-bye Asparagus Beans

This week we tore out the asparagus bean plants and I pickled my last three jars for the season.  Sharing this crop with friends and neighbors throughout the summer is a way to pass on the generosity of God to others.  I’ll miss getting fresh beans every day, but I saved some seeds to plant next spring.  Whenever I work in the garden and with fruits of the harvest I’m aware of how blessed I am that I can participate in God’s work of providing food.

Thoughts on Justice

Reading the meditations of Divine Intimacy this week on the subject of justice were peaceful moments with God. Today’s reading contained the following paragraph from Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene, OCD:

What good, then, is the outer display of justice if its interior spirit is lacking?  For example, what use is it to pose in public as a defender of the rights of the people, if in private life a man does not pay workmen a just wage, or is dishonest in commerce, in business, in exercising his profession?  What use is it to pour out fine words and promises – or even gifts – on anyone, when we are not willing to recognize and respect his rights?

After reading this I couldn’t help but think how important it is that we pray for our politicians and businesspeople.  The above paragraph seems to be written especially for them.  Yet we can’t point fingers at others without looking at ourselves on these points.  Hypocrisy begins in the heart and often we are blind to it in ourselves while we can easily see it in others.

Father Gabriel continues with something that is really hard for most people to swallow, including me.  For those of us who are of the ilk of “I love you Jesus but please don’t make me get up on that cross with You,” nothing shines a greater light on our lack of humility and virtue of justice than this:

For a soul aspiring to sanctity, it can well be said that the greatest justice consists in bearing patiently and humbly all the injustices of which it is the target, for it would be absurd to think of reaching perfection without following in the footsteps of Jesus. If He, Innocence itself, suffered so much injustice without complaining, is it not just that we who are sinners should, at least, suffer something without posing as victims, but remaining calm and serene? Justice itself, then, urges us to bear injustices.  Thus, this virtue which begins by enjoining us to give to everyone his due, reaches its culmination in making us enter fully upon the path of sanctity and union with God.

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V. Praised be Jesus Christ!

R. Now and forever. Amen.

(Click on the link above to read why I am ending my posts with this.)

6 Comments to Sabbath Moments

1. 

   Good reflections! I still wish I could enjoy some of your tasty asparagus beans.

   Rhetoric about justice is useless if it is not coupled with actions. And Fr. Gabriel’s remarks about learning to bear suffering without complaining are right on target–though I have to admit I’ve often done a poor job of living up to such a standard.

   Evan
   Evan recently posted..Sabbath Moments
Evan on September 10th, 2011
2. 

   I HAVE to get this book, Barb! Every single time you put up quotes from Fr. Gabriel I see the truth in his words. I may not be good at applying everything quite yet but I see it.

   I still haven’t tried asparagus beans. I’ve never even found them around here.
   Mary recently posted..How to Trim Your Followers List in Three Simple Steps
Mary on September 10th, 2011
3. 

   I love your stories about gardening. And your last sentence on that – participating with God in providing food – that is awesome and moves me.
   I was also moved by your Thoughts on Justice. One thing I have learned from my own crosses is that I need to accept them. Receive and accept. It takes a lifetime to do that i guess. But I have come to realize that who am I to complain when I think of what Jesus suffered for us? No easy. We need His grace to do this!
   Thanks for joining me in this meme each week!
   Colleen recently posted..Sabbath Moments – Rain and More Rain
Colleen on September 10th, 2011
4. 

   Evan, Mary, and Colleen, Father Gabriel’s words helped me see what Jesus was getting at when He said, “Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. 5:10) It is sooo hard to do! We need lots of grace to do it.
barb on September 10th, 2011
5. 

   Mary, I haven’t seen any asparagus beans in grocery stores. I understand you might be able to get them at Asian markets. Maybe also at farmers’ markets.

   Father Gabriel seems to know exactly where we need to be poked and prodded, doesn’t he? The spirituality of St. Teresa of Avila is a very great gift to the Church.
barb on September 10th, 2011
6. 

   Beautiful reflection from Divine Mercy, Barb. I think I need to get my hands on that book, too.
   carol@simple_catholic recently posted..Sunday Snippets: A Catholic Carnival (September 11, 2011)
carol@simple_catholic on September 11th, 2011