presented by Fr. Richard S. Jones Pastor, St. Joseph Church, Coraopolis, PA 6:45 pm to 8:00 pm Monday, September 11, 2017 Spirituality Monday, September 18, 2017 Self-Esteem, Wonder, Friendship, Courage Monday, September 25, 2017 Teachability, Tolerance, Joy, Interdependence Monday, October 2, 2017 Perseverance, Freedom, Love, Generativity Monday, October 16, 2017 Balance, Prayer, Forgiveness, Gratitude Monday, October 23, 2017 Playfulness, Commitment, Hope, Restlessness Page 1 Week 6
Table of Contents Opening Prayer 3 Opening Song Be Thou My Vision 4 Scripture Reading (Philippians 2:12-18) 5 Scripture Reading (1 Thessalonians 5:12-28) 6 Playfulness Definition, Biblical Quotes & 7 Talking Points Test of Playfulness 8 Commitment Definition, Biblical Quotes & 9 10 Talking Points The Hierarchy of Commitment 10 The Commitment Ladder 11 Song Imagine Me Without You 12 Hope Definition & Biblical Quotes 13 Hope Talking Points 14 Quote by Thomas Carlyle & St. Thomas 15 Aquinas My Seventh Friend 16 What Cancer Can t Do 17 Restlessness Definition, Biblical Quotes & 18 Talking Points Stress Management 19 Closing Prayer 20 Page 2
Opening Prayer Father in Heaven, ever-living source of all that is good, keep me faithful in serving You. Help me to drink of Christ's Truth, and fill my heart with His Love so that I may serve You in faith and love and reach eternal life. In the Sacrament of the Eucharist you give me the joy of sharing Your Life. Keep me in Your presence. let me never be separated from You and help me to do Your Will. Page 3
Opening Song Be Thou My Vision Sung by Audrey Assad Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best Thought, by day or by night Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord Thou my great Father, I Thy true son Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one Riches I heed not, nor man s empty praise Thou mine Inheritance, now and always Thou and Thou only, first in my heart High King of Heaven, my treasure thou art High King of Heaven, my victory won May I reach Heaven s joy, O bright Heaven s sun Heart of my own heart whatever befall, Still be my vision O Ruler of all Heart of my own heart whatever befall, Still be my vision O Ruler of all Page 4
Scripture Readings Philippians 2:12-18 Obedience and Service in the World So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work. Do everything without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine like lights in the world, as you hold on to the word of life, so that my boast for the day of Christ may be that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.but, even if I am poured out as a libation upon the sacrificial service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of you. In the same way you also should rejoice and share your joy with me. Page 5
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Church Order We ask you, brothers, to respect those who are laboring among you and who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you, and to show esteem for them with special love on account of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, cheer the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with all. See that no one returns evil for evil; rather, always seek what is good [both] for each other and for all. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophetic utterances. Test everything; retain what is good. Refrain from every kind of evil. Concluding Prayer May the God of peace himself make you perfectly holy and may you entirely, spirit, soul, and body, be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will also accomplish it. Brothers, pray for us [too]. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I adjure you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Page 6
Playfulness is the quality of being light-hearted or full of fun; detachment vs. addicted. The Lord, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, Who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, Who will sing joyfully because of you, (Zephaniah 3:17) I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people. No longer shall the sound of weeping be heard there, or the sound of crying; (Isaiah 65:19) A joyful heart is the health of the body, but a depressed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22) A glad heart lights up the face, but an anguished heart breaks the spirit. (Proverbs 15:13) If we have a healthy spirituality, we will have a keen awareness of God s presence in the world Detachment Playfulness All about otters Detachment means the state of being objective or aloof. Page 7
Anita Bundy s Test of playfulness shows how an activity might move either towards play or non-play, depending on the nature of these three characteristics. Fig 1 shows the three characteristics of play and how they can tip the balance between play and non-play. Fig 2 represents a playful activity where the child: is intrinsically motivated, feels in control and has been able to suspend reality. Page 8
Commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc. They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. (Acts 2:42) I, then, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace: one body and one Spirit, as you were also called to the one hope of your call; (Ephesians 4:1-4) Then the people promised Joshua, We will serve the Lord, our God, and will listen to his voice. (Joshua 24:24) But thanks be to God that, although you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Romans 6:17) If we have a healthy spirituality, we will have a healthy awareness of sin Religion begins with a Have Mercy Religion as counter-cultural Jesus and opposition Page 9
God s commitment to us throughout history is a model for our commitment to on another. Why aren t there more men entering the seminary these days? Why does it seem like more and more couples are divorcing? Does this mean there is a vocation crisis or a marriage crisis? Or perhaps we simply face a commitment crisis? Stop and think for a moment how much in our world is disposable, everyting from computers to cell phones to cars are disposable. These seem to have a carryover effect to the way people lead their lives. The only commitment many people in today s world seem to want to adhere to is to keep their options open in jobs, in relationships, in life in general. Let us renew our commitment to live as faithful disciples, and in turn, honor and stay true to the commitments we have made in our lives. by Conversation Circles Page 10
From http://www.positiveimpact.com Page 11
Song Imagine Me Without You Sung by Jaci Velasquez As long as stars shine down from heaven And the rivers run into the sea Til the end of time forever You're the only love I'll need In my life you're all that matters In my eyes the only truth I see When my hopes and dreams have shattered You're the one that's there for me When I found you I was blessed And I will never leave you, I need you Chorus Imagine me without you I'd be lost and so confused I wouldn't last a day, I'd be afraid Without you there to see me through Imagine me without you Lord, you know it's just impossible Because of you, it's all brand new My life is now worthwhile I can't imagine me without you When you caught me I was falling You're love lifted me back on my feet It was like you heard me calling And you rush to set me free Chorus [2X] Page 12
Hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13) They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength, they will soar on eagles wings; They will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint. (Isaiah 40:31) Love the LORD, all you who are faithful to him. The LORD protects the loyal, but repays the arrogant in full. Be strong and take heart, all who hope in the LORD. (Psalms 31:24-25) For I know well the plans I have in mind for you oracle of the LORD plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Where then is my hope, my happiness, who can see it? (Job 117:15) Page 13
Why hope? o Two main reasons why we hope: 1. First proceeds from logic 2. Second from faith Hope is difficult Jesus and hope Hope is the conviction that: - What seems to be is not always what is; - Where we ve been or where we are is not nearly as important as where we re going - Faith is reborn by walking together, welcoming strangers, sharing pain and hopes, searching the scriptures, and breaking bread; - Life, and not death, has the last word; - And what s really real is more incredibly wonderful than our wildest expectations! Hope is a virtue none of us can live without. Hope counteracts the narcissistic expectiation that life has to follow our script and guarantee gratification. With hopeful hearts, we can face the harshness of reality without giving up. Three conditions facilitate our formation in hope: - Wait upon the mystery with utmost confidence that a course of action providing relief from the feeling of being abandoned will be revealed. - Continual conversation with God, especially during those trying times of life that by human standards appear to be the antithesis of hope. - Behold in the richness of the ordinary how the Spirit responds to our cry for the renewal of hope. Page 14
Faith has to do with things that are not seen and hope with things that are not at hand. St. Thomas Aquinas 1225-1274 Page 15
My Seventh Friend My first friend came and expressed his shock by saying, I can t believe that you have cancer. I always thought you were so active and healthy. He left, and I felt alienated and somehow very different. My second friend came and brought me information about a variety of cancer treatments. He said, Whatever you do, don t take chemotherapy. It s a poison! He left, and I felt scared and confused. My third friend came and tried to answer my whys with the statement, Perhaps God is disciplining you for some sin in your life. He left, and I felt guilty. My fourth friend came and told me, If your faith is great enough, God will heal you. He left and I felt that my faith must be inadequate. My fifth friend came and told me to remember that all things work together for good. He left, and I felt angry. My sixth friend never came at all. I felt sad and alone. My seventh friend came and held my hand and said, I care, I m here, I want to help you through this. He left, and I felt loved! Linda Mae Richardson (Melanoma Survivor) I became a witness to the beautiful art of friendship. People opened their hearts to me, expressed their feelings, and carried me through treatment with their prayers, love, and affection. Patricia L. Kinney Breast cancer and bone marrow transplant survivor, a.k.a. Alive and well! Arizona To have Christian hope means to know about evil and yet to go meet the future with confidence. Pope Benedict XVI Page 16
WHAT CANCER CAN T DO Cancer is so limited... It cannot cripple love, It cannot shatter hope, It cannot corrode faith, It cannot eat away peace, It cannot destroy confidence, It cannot kill friendship, It cannot shut out memories, It cannot silence courage, It cannot invade the soul, It cannot reduce eternal life, It cannot quench the Spirit, It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection. An enthusiastic believer in Christ, Dan Richardson, lost his battle with cancer. But his life demonstrated that even though the physical body may be destroyed by disease, the spirit can remain triumphant. This poem was distributed at his memorial service: If an incurable disease has invaded your life, refuse to let it touch your spirit. Your body can be severely afflicted, and you may have a great struggle. But if you keep trusting God s love, your spirit will remain strong. from Silver Linings: The Other Side of Cancer Sr. Melannie Svoboda s new book Hanging Onto Hope Reflections and Prayers for Finding Good in an Imperfect World Released Thursday, September 28, 2017 Available on amazon.com for $12.95 Page 17
Restlessness is the inability to rest or relax as a result of anxiety or boredom. Naomi then said, Wait here, my daughter, until you learn what happens, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today. (Ruth 3:18) Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. (Philippians 4:6) Indeed, religion with contentment is a great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it. (1 Timothy 6:6-7) But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil. (Matthew 6:33-34) If we have a healthy spirituality, we will sometimes feel that we are, indeed, exiles in a foreign land no matter how dear earth is to us Process as becoming Hunger and loneliness Life as a journey Heaven: a room full of puppies Page 18
from: https://www.inloox.com Control your appetites before they control you. St. John Climacus Page 19
Closing Prayer A Prayer for Peace of Mind Almighty God, We bless you for our lives, we give you praise for your abundant mercy and grace we receive. We thank you for your faithfulness even though we are not that faithful to you. Lord Jesus, we ask you to give us all around peace in our mind, body, soul and spirit. We want you to heal and remove everything that is causing stress, grief, and sorrow in our lives. Please guide our path through life and make our enemies be at peace with us. Let your peace reign in our family, at our place of work, businesses and everything we lay our hands on. Let your angels of peace go ahead of us when we go out and stay by our side when we return. In Jesus' name, Amen. This series has been based on: Traits of a Healthy Spirituality by Melannie Svoboda, SND Filled with the utter fullness of God: Caring for the one who ministers by Sr. Carla Przybilla, O.S.F., Ph.D. (1935-2004) Page 20