Do you need a break?
"Come
aside to a quiet place and rest awhile" Mk
6:31
The
amazing story in this issue of how St. John
Vianney felt so exhausted that he just craved to
get away from it all, and indeed on more than one
occasion tried 'to down tools' and to just get
out, should give consolation to those who find
themselves continuously exhausted. You have a
friend in Heaven. We all have our limits in terms
of what our minds and bodies can take.
After
one crosses one's limit, one begins to feel
exhausted, is more irritable and impatient,
begins to make silly mistakes, and becomes more
forgetful.
Sadly
sometimes the person who most needs a break is in
the least position to take one - for example the
parent with the special needs child. (That is why
respite hours are the one thing which absolutely
should not be cut.)
Meanwhile
those of us who are in a position to have control
over our lives should give thanks to God for this
very real blessing.
There
are some forms of work that are relatively stress
free and so, while one may need a physical rest,
one seldom needs to 'get away' from it. Other
forms of work involve continuous stress. Then one
really does need to be able to get away from it
for a while.
The
challenge is to get to know one's own body and
one's own limits, and to organise one's life in a
way that is physically, emotionally and mentally
healthy.
What
Are Your Values?
"What
does it profit a person if he gains the whole
world, but loses his eternal spirit (soul)."
Lindsay
Lohan's mother's maiden name was Dona Sullivan,
from an Irish Catholic family. Her
maternal grandfather, John L Sullivan, was the
co-founder of Pro-Life in Long Island.
The faith had been passed down for generations
within the family. When Lindsay performed as an
11 year old in Parent Trap, she was an adorable
little girl - and a tremendous actress. I
wondered how they found her. I didn't know that
she had been put to work as a model when just 3
years of age - and that at eleven she was already
a veteran. Today at 24, Lindsay is a chronic
alcoholic, possibly a drug addict, and has
serious sex and relationship problems. She is now
facing a prison sentence - and trying to find
solace in yoga and Buddhism. Lindsay has enjoyed
more fame and more fortune than the entire
population of most counties in Ireland, but at
what cost to her eternal spirit? The
challenge for all of us, and especially for
parents, is to seek to create an environment in
which the nourishment of a child's eternal spirit
and their having a living relationship with
Jesus, comes first, not last. And that
it always comes before fame and fortune!
Pray
For Actors
"Rejoice
always, pray constantly" (even when watching
films) 1 Th 5:17
When
watching 'Parent Trap', I had no idea that
Lindsay's own parents were continuously fighting,
often separated, and eventually divorced while
she was still a child:- rather ironic given that
the theme of "Parent Trap" is identical
twins, (both being played by Lindsay),
successfully endeavouring to bring their divorced
parents back together! Deep within her spirit,
Lindsay undoubtedly felt the irony - and the
pain. Countless millions derived enjoyment from
the film. It was popular amongst Christian
groups. But how many of us, when watching
the film, thought to say a prayer that Lindsay
would grow up with Jesus in her heart?
It was inevitable that satan would target her in
a special way. Today sadly all the wholesomeness
is long gone from her young life. I find it very
relaxing when mentally exhausted to lie back and
watch a wholesome film. In future, I plan to get
to know something of the personal lives of the
actors and actresses and to pray for them as I
watch the films. For how can we claim to
love God yet not pray for His children -
especially those who touch our lives and who are
in the front line!
More
Tragedies
"Our
fight is not against human foes but cosmic
powers" Eph 6:12
I do
not believe that the roads and cars in Inishowen
are worse than in many other parts of Ireland.
And I certainly do not believe that the young
people there are worse or more reckless than in
the rest of Ireland. Yet the number of
young people killed in tragic road accidents
there is totally out of proportion to the rest of
the country. So another factor must be
at play. Sometimes there can be a run of
tragedies or accidents in an area. It is, as if
in some way that we do not understand, there is
another force at work; a force that is able to
make use of poor roads, faulty cars, human error
or fatigue, and of human sinfulness (driving
while drunk, or reckless driving etc) to bring
about tragedy and mayhem. The force at work here
is a sinister spiritual force, and while good
roads and more responsible driving make it harder
for this force to cause carnage, this
force itself can only ultimately be dealt with by
spiritual powers - prayer for deliverance:- the
effective exorcism of the area.
Only
To Jesus
"I
desire to lead you all only to Him, and in Him
you will find true peace and the joy of your
heart."
Mary
has sometimes been described as a signpost
pointing to Jesus, but she is far more than just
a signpost. She is a real living loving person,
now enjoying the fullness of Heaven, reaching out
to us with God's love, and seeking to guide us
into a living relationship with Jesus.
"I
desire to lead you all only to Him, and in Him
you will find true peace and the joy of your
heart."
In
opening our heart to her, we are opening our
heart to Jesus, yet it is important to realise
that it is Jesus who can actually come alive in
our hearts.
If
you just stick with Mary, and fail to invite
Jesus to come alive in your heart, you are
missing out badly.
We
all need in some way to become open to what Jesus
called 'Baptism in the Spirit':- to have Jesus
come alive in our hearts, to have His love so
'poured into our hearts' that we are transformed
(born again) by love from within, and to become
open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
This
is what Mary desires for you
"I
desire to lead you all only to Him, and in Him
you will find true peace and the joy of your
heart."
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Don't Miss
Don't miss the
August issue of The Curate's Diary. It contains
stories and reflections that will help you come
to a deeper relationship with Jesus.
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