Awareness of God

Welcome to Sabbath Moments, a meme hosted by Colleen at Thoughts on Grace. Visit her to see the “God times” other bloggers experienced this week.

(1)This week I’ve started my daily Lenten reading/meditation program with Meditations and Readings for Lent from St. Thomas Aquinas. I am just loving this book which begins with Septuagesima Sunday and carries through to the Triduum.  Here’s a part from Thursday’s meditation:

Every man shall receive his own reward, according to his labor (1 Cor. 3:8).

I.  This reward is at once common to all men and particular to each.

(1)  It is common to all because that which all see and enjoy is the same, that is to say, God.  Then shalt thou abound in delights in the almighty (Job 22:26). In that day the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory, and a garland of joy to the residue of his people (Isa. 28:5) and therefore St. Matthew says (20:9) that to every laborer in the vineyard there is given one penny.

(2) The reward is yet special for each individual.  One man shall see more clearly than another, and shall enjoy more fully, according to the measure allotted him….

These short meditations afford much food for thought throughout the day and night and are a constant inspiration toward living a better life.  I especially like how St. Thomas presents so many quotes from sacred Scripture to make his points.

(2) A huge storm front came through Wednesday night with a lot of thunder and rain that continued for half the day Thursday.  Since my sleep was gravely disturbed I spent many hours repeating the wonderful words from the Good Friday Reproaches and the end of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy – Holy God, Holy mighty One, Holy immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

With the revolutions and killings in the Middle East, a Canadian hospital and death panel sentencing a little baby to death before his time (over money, not compassion), and elected officials in Midwestern states going AWOL, I really felt called to acknowledge God as supreme and plead for His mercy.

These words struck me for the first time as very Hebrew – very Old Testament. Each phrase increases in greatness the attributes of our Father, heaping declaration upon declaration.  His holiness is inseparable from His might and immortality.  Lots to meditate on here.

Next to the prayer I use to end my posts, this prayer is special to me.  It has become one of my favorites to pray in the dark or in heavy pain – a great reminder of who I am and Who He is.

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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.)

St. John of Matha, Laurent de La Hire (1606-1656, Paris), oil on canvas and wood, Musée du Louvre, Paris

Today’s 1962 calendar celebrates the feast of St. John of Matha (1160-1213).  Pope Innocent III approved his founding of the Order of the Most Holy Trinity (the Trinitarians) in 1198 for the purpose of ransoming captives from the Muslims. His community spread throughout France, Italy, England, Spain, and into north Africa where they were able to free many slaves.  The ones well enough to be sent home went, but the Trinitarians were allowed to remain in north Africa to care for the ones too old or ill to go home.

Today’s feast is a reminder that slavery is far from over. Not only is slave labor practiced in the Sudan, Niger, Somalia, Chad, Nigeria, Kenya, India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Indonesia to name a few states, sex slavery is rampant in those countries as well as Cambodia, Thailand, middle Europe, Africa and the Middle East to name a few more.

One of the most concerning developments in the saga of human trafficking is the heavy trans-Atlantic sex trade and the growth of sex slave hubs such as Houston, Texas where  United States politics facilitates transporting illegal immigrants by illegal immigrants for the sole purpose of prostituting girls as young as 11 or 12. Murder of these women is not uncommon if they are a threat to discovery. Our country, therefore, belongs on the list of countries facilitating human trafficking.

The scams worked on the slaves to get them here and keep them hidden are as varied as the evil human heart can devise.  If the full numbers were to be discovered, every decent person would fall to his knees in a collective wail of anguish on the spot.

The Corporal Works of Mercy

Our time is St. John of Matha’s time to the nth degree. If ever we needed the intercession of a saint opposed to slavery it is now, and he is one we can turn to.  He is a great example of living a corporal work of mercy which, unfortunately, was left out of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – #2447.  (Every Catholic family should have a copy of this in the home for study and reference.)  But just because it isn’t there doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply.  In fact, it applies now more than ever.

You can find the seven corporal works of mercy listed in the Baltimore Catechism and the Catholic Encyclopedia.  These are the ones I memorized in second grade, thanks to those good nuns who made sure we kids knew Church teaching.

They are to:

1. Feed the hungry
2. Give drink to the thirsty,
3. Clothe the naked,
4. Ransom the captive
5. Harbor the harborless (shelter the homeless)
6. Visit the sick
7. Bury the dead

We cannot buy people out of sex or hard labor slavery today. The people enslaving others keep it hidden as much as possible because it is so lucrative – really dirty money but they get to live very high.  Sometimes their governments protect the slavers.  Pimps are slavers, too, holding their slaves captive by hooking them on drugs and beating them.

Government policies not to negotiate with terrorists negates buying people out of captivity, though private businesses and families have ransomed Somali pirate captives in recent years.  So how can we ransom the captives today?

Ransoming captives is not a thing of the past.

The answer is by fasting and praying, assisting law enforcement in discovering traffickers, pressuring governments to stop human trafficking, speaking out against it wherever we can, sealing our borders and obeying our immigration laws, and helping in rescue efforts if we are able.  We might submit a Mass stipend for the Holy Sacrifice to be offered for an end to human trafficking. Most of us can at least do the fasting and praying part if God has not called us to other ways of combating this dehumanizing crime.

The other slavery we need to ransom others from is slavery to sin. We are all captives of sin unless we struggle daily against the wiles of the devil.  Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, attendance at Mass whenever we can, offering up our pain and suffering for the salvation of souls, frequent Confession, daily prayer – all of these actions are spiritual almsgiving and a work of mercy.

St. John of Matha, pray for us and for all of God’s children who are enslaved physically or spiritually.

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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.)

Colleen at Thoughts on Grace hosts this meme every Saturday.  Visit her to see what other bloggers say about their Sabbath Moments, the times when we experience God in a special way.  Join us by sharing your own Sabbath Moments.

This week I read Susan Boyle’s autobiography and reviewed the book here:  Susan Boyle – Her Inspiring Story. When I finished the book, I reflected on how God works in hidden ways in people’s lives, how He has blessed the world with a glorious voice, and how Susan Boyle’s devout Catholic life inspires others. She is a great example to others who suffer from some kind of anxiety disorder, or who have been bullied by their peers.  I thanked God for giving her to the world.

My second Sabbath Moment for the week was coming down with another cold which has gone into my chest.  I had made out a “To Do” list.  Everything on the list requires a lot of small steps to get completed, and I had planned to rev up the engines and get going.  But God has other plans and I gave up to Him all of the things I wanted to do in favor of spending more time with Him since doing anything else would be counterproductive. (Fibromyalgia makes any illness much worse and I’ve had a lot of pain in the long bones of my legs this week in addition to the cold symptoms.  I’m sure it has to do with the body fighting the virus.)

I appreciate having the grace to submit instead of bulling my way forward doing what I want to do.

Want to subscribe to posts by email? Visit the third box in the sidebar.

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.)

In the February 2010 issue of Inside the Vatican Robert Moynihan wrote on this subject - that suffering and the cross is “a mystery hidden at the heart of the faith which we must not minimize.”

Agony in the Garden, c.1587, Jacopo Ligozzi (b. 1547, Verona, d. 1627, Firenze), oil on panel, private collection

He points out that “since the Second Vatican Council, when many have rightly stressed that Christians are ‘a Resurrection people,’ but wrongly neglected that…we are a ‘crucifixion people’ with all that implies,” we have, as Catholics, minimized this great mystery. The overwhelming “happy talk” from many pulpits has resulted in a failure by many to comprehend the salvific value of suffering as Pope John Paul II wrote about in Salvifici Dolores. (If you have not read the Pope’s Apostolic Letter, click on the title and you will go to it on the Vatican web site.  It is excellent.)

In his editorial, Moynihan quotes New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan on the condition of Haiti:

Haiti is the broken, bloodied body of Christ….Yes, we all have a share in the Resurrection, but as a race redeemed, we also sometimes take part in His Passion.  Christ scourged.  Christ crucified.

Somehow suffering frees us from worldly attachments if we adopt the right disposition. As we discover our lack of control over our worldly plans and desires, if we submit to God and embrace what He sends us no matter how burdensome, if we fix our eyes on the cross, we see more clearly our dependence on God in a rightly ordered way. He is the one who will deliver us and not we ourselves.  This ascent into truth, as it were, is an ascent into holiness if we learn to desire what God wants for us.

It’s easy to forget in the midst of pain and frustration that God wants only our good and that every obstacle He sends us is a sign of love and an opportunity to train our wills and hearts to desire “Thy will be done.” A great good and a great privilege is to be invited by Christ to ascend the cross with Him, to offer up our sufferings with His for the redemption of souls. Let us carry this message of hope to those who have never heard of this way of thinking, that they may find the purpose in their pain and the special place they have in God’s plan.

This article is the first in a series on depression.  By presenting basic information I hope to help others as I have been helped by a holistic approach.  The causes of depression are varied but chronic pain and other stressors play a big role. As we age it only gets more difficult to handle depression.  What is really important is that we take charge of our health and find medical professionals who think beyond prescribing pills.  The answer to getting well (or getting better) is unique for each person and discovering what works is like an adventure with Sherlock Holmes.  It takes a lot of work before the right combination of therapies are discovered.  One thing for sure, nobody is depressed because he needs more prescription antidepressants in his system.

Not long ago the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that “depression is the leading cause of disability as measured by YLDs (years living with disability) and the 4th  leading contributor to the global burden of disease (DALYs) (disability adjusted life years) in 2000.”[1] They estimate that by the year 2020, depression will rise to second place for all ages and both sexes.

About 121 million people worldwide suffer from this disease and every year about 850,000 people commit suicide because of depression according to WHO.  Signs of depression include: loss of interest or pleasure in life, feelings of guilt or low self-esteem, feelings of hopelessness, low energy levels, poor concentration, disturbed sleep, aches and pains and eating abnormalities.  Barriers to effective care may be financial, lack of knowledge concerning the disorder, unavailability of qualified providers, and the social stigma attached to mental disorders which prevents people from seeking help.

What many people involved in conventional medicine don’t realize, and what holistic medical providers do understand is that depression is a systemic disorder that affects body and mind. Systemic problems require a systemic solution.  Often simple changes in life style can eradicate depression without the use of drugs and the expense of psychotherapy.  Approaching the treatment of depression as a systemic issue can ameliorate the social stigma still at issue in getting effective treatment.

Glandular malfunction

From a biochemical perspective, several glands are associated with depression.  The adrenal glands which sit atop the kidneys have two functions connected with depression.  First, they are the “stress” glands, and second, they are associated with the pancreas and regulation of blood sugar levels.

When people are stressed, the adrenal glands increase the production of hormones that put us on high alert and step up blood sugar levels to give us energy to overcome a perceived threat.  It doesn’t matter what the stress is from, if it continues long enough the effect on the body is the same — exhaustion of the adrenal glands.

When the adrenal glands are depleted, the thyroid gland tries to compensate by raising blood glucose levels.  The gland increases the metabolic rate which breaks down fats and protein into glucose.  But when the overworked thyroid is depleted, the metabolic rate slows resulting in chronic fatigue and “brain fog”.  In addition, the thyroid is often prevented from functioning well due to lack of adequate iodine in the gland, a major problem today in America.

When the adrenals and thyroid are depleted, the pituitary gland shifts into high gear and works to produce additional stimulating hormones to help with the thyroid function.  Unfortunately, overworking the pituitary gland results in greater depression.

Getting back to the basics: food, water, exercise

Fortunately, it is possible in many cases to restore healthy balance or an improved level of wellness in the body with logical, natural approaches, many of which work synergistically.  The first place to start is with food.  Providing the raw materials for neurotransmitters in the brain begins healing.

Poor eating habits are destructive to health and contribute to depression.  Eating five smaller meals a day helps with the regulation of blood sugar and “rests” the adrenals.  Getting the right mix of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates for each person’s biochemistry is essential.  What works for one person may not be best for another, so people must listen to their bodies.

Avoiding artificial sweeteners and allowing carb needs to be satisfied by raw vegetables and fruits rather than breads, cereal, and pasta from refined products is also essential. These foods along with some protein are great snacks and easy to take along when people are away from home.   Adequate and well-balanced protein, especially from whey or eggs can jump-start feeling better.  Protein is the building block for various neurotransmitters that play a role in regulating mood.

The body needs plenty of omega-3 fatty acids.  These come from sardines, tuna, Alaska red salmon, flax and chia seeds or from supplements.  Cod liver oil is an excellent source and it comes in flavors.

The second “basic” in natural treatment of depression is sufficient water which does not contain chlorine, fluoride, chemicals, hormones and other substances bad for the body.

To know how much water to drink daily take body weight in pounds, divide that number by two, and then divide the result by 8.  This tells how many cups of water are needed to maintain good hydration.  Other positive effects from proper hydration are pain reduction and a boosted immune system. [2]

The final “basic” natural therapy is exercise, the last thing a depressed person wants to do.  With severe depression most people don’t even want to get out of bed, but “…walking or some other form of exercise for 30 minutes a day can improve depression and mood in nearly everyone.”[3]  Beginning with 5 minutes a day is sufficient.  A high-tech, lower cost exercise aid is the Nintendo Wii™ with the opportunity to play bowling, softball, tennis and other games no matter what the weather.

Supplements

Although many people may find relief from depression by doing the basics listed above, supplements are often necessary to get the best results.  Probiotics, the healthy bacteria the intestines need to get the most out of an improved diet, is the first place to start.

Addressing adrenal and thyroid problems is also important and easily done by using supplements.  Drenamin® has been in use since 1935 for adrenal support.[4]

Hypothyroidism is a known cause of depression and nervousness. It is likely that 13 million adults in the United States have an undiagnosed hypothyroid condition and possibly close to 52 million suffer from the condition.[5]

Determining a low thyroid condition is easy using a basal temperature test.  Put an oral thermometer by the bedside.  Upon awakening in the morning do not get out of bed!  Place the thermometer in the armpit for 10 minutes.  Record the temperature.  Do this every day for a week.  A reading between 98.2 and 97.2 is considered normal.  If it is lower than this, it indicates a sluggish thyroid.[6]  However treating with a natural thyroid hormone supplement will not help depression if an iodine deficiency is present in the body.  Therefore, an iodine-loading test is necessary.  Test results for over 30,000 people indicate that about 96% of the population is iodine deficient. Supplementation with iodine which the thyroid (and all body cells) needs to function will often help depressed patients turn a corner from despair to hope.

A good multiple vitamin-mineral product will help keep systemic imbalances from occurring.  Antioxidants like Vitamin A and C help detoxify the body, reducing stress from toxins.  Sometimes extra B vitamins are necessary, especially B3 (niacinamide) and B12.  Niacinamide, a form of B3, is known to reduce anxiety and depression when taken several times a day.[7]  There is no way to overdose on B3 because it is metabolized by the body so quickly that within 3 hours all traces of it are gone.  It may take a few weeks to notice improvement, but the results can be astonishing.  People with years of “brain fog” and low energy are almost suddenly clear-headed and energetic.  Best of all, it is very inexpensive.

Herbalists have recommended St. John’s Wort for years to relieve depression.

Finally, in the supplement category are the effects of Vitamin D, called the Sunshine Vitamin. Doctors are now realizing that low levels of D cause a host of serious health issues, among which is fatigue and depression.  The optimal level of D is 50-65 ng/ml according to Dr.Mercola.  Physicians are discovering a large percentage of the population are very low on Vitamin D and need anywhere from 1000 -10,000 IU daily, particularly in winter when exposure to the sun is limited. Before starting Vitamin D supplementation, a blood test (25(OH)D) is necessary to determine the baseline levels of D in the body.

Other “natural” remedies

Full-spectrum light therapy is known to be beneficial to people depressed with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).  Use of high enough levels of Vitamin D may make light treatment unnecessary.

Prayer has been shown to help relieve depression.

The Emotional Freedom Technique, a psychological acupressure technique which is being used increasingly by health professionals unblocks emotional issues affecting depression.  Click on the link for complete instructions on this application.  A person does not need to go to a health professional to apply this therapy.

All of the approaches covered in this article can be called “natural” in that none introduces foreign substances into the body to treat depression and all individually or in some combination right for the individual can help relieve depression.  All therapies put the patient in charge of feeling better with a holistic approach to the systemic problem of depression.

[1] http://www.who.int/mental_health/management/depression/definition/en/

[2] Drugs That Don’t Work and Natural Therapies That Do! by David Brownstein, M.D., p. 186-187

[3] ibid. p. 178

[4] http://www.standardprocess.com/display/displayFile.aspx?docid=95&filename=/Public/Lit/TabSheets/drenamin3650.pdf

[5] Overcoming Thyroid Disorders Second Edition by David Brownstein, M.D. p.35

[6]  Alternatives Newsletter, November 2009, Dr. David G. Williams, p.39

[7] http://www.doctoryourself.com/hoffer_niacin.html

Dr. Brownstein’s books are available in the “wellness” category at my custom store.

Fushimi, Imperial Palace, Tokyo, (c)Tomo.Yun (www.yunphoto.net/en/)

Wisdom 13:3 tells us God is “the author of beauty.”  In the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2500 we find this idea developed:

Even before revealing Himself to man in words of truth, God reveals Himself to him through the universal language of creation, the work of His Word, of His wisdom: the order and harmony of the cosmos – which both the child and the scientist discover – “from the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator,” “for the Author of beauty created them”. (Wisdom 13:3, 5)

The Catechism goes further in #2501:

Created “in the image of God” (Gen. 1:26), man also expresses the truth of his relationship with God the Creator by the beauty of his artistic works.  Indeed, art is a distinctively human form of expression; beyond the search for the necessities of life which is common to all living creatures, art is a freely given superabundance of the human being’s inner riches.  Arising from talent given by the Creator and from man’s own effort, art is a form of practical wisdom, uniting knowledge and skill, to give form to the truth of reality in a language accessible to sight or hearing.  To the extent that it is inspired by truth and love of beings, art bears a certain likeness to God’s activity in what He has created.  Like any other human activity, art is not an  absolute end in itself, but is ordered to and ennobled by the ultimate end of man. (cf. Pius XII, Musicae sacrae disciplina; Discourses of September 3 and December 25, 1950)

In his “Confessions”, St. Augustine reveals what happens when the pursuit of beauty is not ordered to God:

Roar of Flames, (c)Tomo.Yun (www.yunphoto.net/en/)

Late have I loved Thee, O Beauty so ancient and so new! Too late have I loved Thee. And lo, Thou wert inside me and I outside, and I sought for Thee there, and in all my unsightliness I flung myself on those beautiful things which Thou hast made. Thou wert with me and I was not with Thee. Those beauties kept me away from Thee, though if they had not been in Thee, they would not have been at all. Thou didst call and cry to me and break down my deafness. Thou didst flash and shine on me and put my blindness to flight. Thou didst blow fragrance upon me and I drew breath, and now I pant after Thee. I tasted of Thee and now I hunger and thirst for Thee. Thou didst touch me and I am aflame for Thy peace….

We can see in all of the above, a relationship exists between wisdom, truth, and beauty. One way the infinite All-Beautiful, All-Wise, All-Truth Creator reveals Himself to us is through beauty.  The pursuit of beauty rightly ordered is the pursuit of God.  And what makes something beautiful?  An inherent harmony, peace and order intrinsic to it.

Everyone needs to surround himself with some kind of beauty, especially the chronically ill.  Our bodies are discordant with disease; we are out of balance and disturbed to such an extent that all to much of our energy is spent coping and struggling to achieve some sense of equilibrium.  If we are open to it, looking at or listening to something beautiful restores inner peace and some sense of wellness.  It can spur us on to prayer and praise of God, and imperfect as earthly beauty is, it hints at the eternal harmony, order and joy we aspire to.  For many years now I have been practicing this and know that it works.  Earlier I wrote about the effect images of our beautiful Blessed Mother have on pain.  Sharing beauty will always be a part of this site.

Niju Bridge, Main Gate of Imperial Palace, Tokyo, (c)Tomo.Yun (www.yunphoto.net/en/)

Ever searching for beauty, yesterday I was looking for free stock photos to use at this site. Many pages into the Google list I stumbled upon an extraordinarily talented photographer who is willing to share his work for free as long as the user follows the terms of the license agreement at his site.  Yun is very generous.  You might enjoy reading about why here.  I find much of his work a real joy and thank God I have eyes to see.  If you visit his site, be prepared to stay awhile and be captivated by the beauty.   Perhaps other bloggers who come here may wish to use his work, or readers may like to download images for personal use.  Speaking as a professional photographer, copyright and credit is important to protect an artist and honor his work.

Readers can grow in appreciation of how God works in their lives, drawing closer to Him through the unpleasant and sometimes devastating circumstances we all suffer because of our fallen nature.  Think: building virtue, avoiding despair.

Smoothly written and logically composed, it offers the flexibility of going directly to sections of interest, losing nothing when bypassing previous sections.  Moreover, the “Finding Purpose Beyond…” suggestions and challenges at the end of each section help to focus on moving toward real happiness through the suffering we cannot escape. I found the content of this feature very thought-provoking and helpful.

Engaging stories of individuals the authors have treated in their practices illustrate their points and enliven the subject along with appropriate Biblical quotes.  I highly recommend this book to people looking for answers to circumstances troubling them, wondering where God is in all of it, and how life can be better. 

I am a member of the Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger program: http://brb.thomasnelson.com/.  In exchange for posting reviews I received this book free.

Yes, they want you to buy their products and they explain what the formulations should do, how you should use them, and what they are for.  No, I get nothing from VRP and have yet to purchase anything from them because of budgetary considerations but I would really like to some day.  Nevertheless, the articles themselves are worth checking out.  They are short, fully footnoted, and identify research findings related to numerous conditions. 

We also can have “brain fog” from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue, and from side effects of some prescription drugs.  For example, in a recent article, “Four Ways to Keep Your Brain Young for Good” I learned that given the right conditions, brain cells can regenerate themselves.  Neurites, branch-like extensions on brain cells can be reduced as we age, causing what people call “senior moments.”

Another good article, “Could Chronic Stress be Lowering Your IQ?” talked about the effects of excessive levels of cortisol on the brain.  It states that there may even be a connection between Alzheimer’s and stress. 

If you or anyone you know might benefit from more knowledge about the factors involved in brain functioning take a look at these short articles and keep those pesky neurites functioning well.

Catholics praying the Divine Office will find this Biblical quote in the hour of Lauds from the Saturday Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  It is a favorite of mine because not only does it apply to Our Lady, it applies to every person created.  In this one verse God tells us that we are in His mind from all eternity, and that we will live forever after death, worshiping and praising Him. 

I am constantly struck by the love God has for each person – that He made us and His we are. (Ps. 99:3)  When we are struggling with pain and illnesses of all types we can sometimes forget that One greater than we has us in His heart.  Often we are so preoccupied with just getting by under our own power we forget to surrender to His power – to stop and ask what He is asking from us.

With the culture of death gaining greater ascendance daily, it seems to me that we must practice our Faith ever more diligently and especially to pray for the conversion of others.  (We must pray daily for our own conversion, too, but that is another topic.) 

For those of us who cannot do much in the physical realm, there remain the intentions of the heart: the unseen sacrifices we make in union with Christ.  The value of these sacrifices cannot be measured in earthly terms.  We will only know their true worth at the Last Judgment.  Fortunately, we have great examples to follow from Our Lady to our brothers and sisters in Christ who have gone on before us.  Saints such as Catherine Laboure, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Faustina Kowalska, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. John Cantius, and Blessed Herman Joseph of Steinfeld – all spiritual giants who called no attention to themselves but left us the example of quiet holiness and the desire that all come to know and love Our Lord.