Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (2)

Intro

Intro

On a boat, no rudder oars, sail welded

constant wind one direction

ocean nothing in sight

If you dont stay in it

try push

try swim

Why get out/struggle?

because want to go where wind isnt; or

don’t trust the wind to guide us right

What is

boat body, in it our soul, ocean is this life, wind is providence of God that prepares us for good works to sail in

either trust for prompting of God in soul anxiously struggle against it relying on self

Not no suffering, just inner peace of soul

boat (earthly body and life) can tossed by waves

sometimes hold tight to stay in

thru storm or shark infested

waters PASS OVER, sometimes nice sometimes violent

real good and evil in world, not delusion to think they are,

but God moves us OVER them ALWAYS for the good

Providence everything for best, but still pass over real evils even if for best.

2nd Reading

Have no anxiety at all (peace of God)

how can Paul possibly command this?

pretend evil is illusion?

just jump in an embrace the waters and become one with the ocean?

No!

real evils

deluding ourselves might remove some anxiety, but at the cost of despairing of matters most:

not spiritual hedonism..no..it costs us union with Good.

Do not lie to self and claim pain in itself is good, or heartlessly claim suffering of fellow man is their ignorance

but see it in light of God allowing an actual evil (e.g. the cross) for a greater good.

that no matter what evil it is it IS BEST that it happens.

not denying it is evil, but trusting its part of the best plan and you couldnt have chosen better than to go thru such evil.

your body, emotions, and senses should rock, like the boat it is going over violent turbulent waves, but the soul stays put in the boat. The inner heart is at peace, the externals are not.

to have no anxiety at all:

trust wind will provide momentum need

no need to struggle against it and plot you OWN course

let it internally move your own plotting

and don't value anything in this life as destination

don’t jump into the waves or escape from the rocking boat in the storm

This Peace is heart of Catholicism

Christ model, as Thomas, truly suffered body and emotions misery on cross,

EXACT same time, utter happiness on the Cross

for soul (not emotions, not body) was united in perfect peace w/ God’s violent plan

like boat tossed by waves stormy, but great peace withn, was He on the cross.

inner peace is not escape from suffering, but necessarily compatible with it!

the suffering of the soul is vice, its peace virtue, virtue is inner peace, vice inner despair

St. Francis de Sales tells us ‘always to guard our inner peace even if the whole world seems upset’

St. Padre Pio tells us worry is completely useless

as CCC states

301 “Recognizing this utter dependence with respect to the Creator is a source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence:”

2547: “Abandonment to providence of Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow”

1 Pet 5:7 “cast all you anxieties on Him”

For us

anxiety is sinful, vice in soul

unless mortal sin of despair, probably venial sin, but still should be fought

temptation to anxiety (thats not a sin), but embracing its voice as our counselor is

good exorcist knows, dont dialogue demon, as the chief excorcist does (Christ) silences true or false speaking

mixes truth with lies

“But, the voice is too prominent in my life, I MUST HEAR WHAT IT HAS TO SAY!”

some more tempted by anxiety for thousands of reasons

well, rejoice!, easier to know and identify what you shouldnt listen to then!

temptation to sin come violently just makes battle lines more obvious

its the sneaky type thats hard to catch

Banish all anxiety by trusting the wind and not jumping in the water

remember words of Truth Himself paraphrased:

John 14:27 Peace* I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world (waters) gives do I give it to you. Do not let your (inner core) be troubled or afraid despite the sight of storm and wave.

Notes:

Me

right before Paul says rejoice ALWAYs, in the LORD I say again, rejoice

NOT in world, but in God

world not only may be improper object, but can produce sorrow

inner peace here, but still that should be secondary

anxiety is about despair and lack of providence, so cast all out

but it, not necessarily what brings it

what it is, oppositeof anxiety

I speak to you all who are in faith

This is a battle in this life, constantly moving to distrust and desolations

what is lack of peace but fruit of vice?

Scripture + Catechism

“Cast all your anxieties on Him 1 Pet 5:7 `

CCC 2547 Abandonment to providence of the Father in heaven frees us from anxiety about tomorrow

seek ye first, and all else added

CCC 301 With creation, God does not abandon his creatures to themselves. He not only gives them being and existence, but also, and at every moment, upholds and sustains them in being, enables them to act and brings them to their final end. Recognizing this utter dependence with respect to the Creator is a source of wisdom and freedom, of joy and confidence:

John 14:27 Peace* I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.

Peace occurs at least 92 times in NT

Commentators

Jerome

following God’s teaching brings inner peace

Clement of Rome

fitting to be free from all anxiety

Aug

no fully known until heaven

but even now should be rejoicing

Ambrose

just man has inner peace

external peace is error

internal peace shuts out power of temptation

St. Thomas

Christ both perfectly happy and immensely suffering at same time

to earthly things suffering to higher things joy

St. Ignatius

consolation can involve weaping in sorrow for sins