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Date:         Fri, 13 Nov 1992 00:09:46 -0500
From:         Amanda Walker <amanda@INTERCON.COM>
Subject:      Re: Nature of List--Fossil

stabosz@chopin.udel.edu (Rae Stabosz) writes:
> Yes, this is true.  I think what I was mostly thinking of, when I wrote
> so emotionally above, was the verbalizations that I have heard so often,
> and almost always from the more liberal side of the Catholic spectrum,
> that aspiring to holiness is not a worthy aspiration.  That it is
> "too bourgeoise", too inner-directed instead of outward-directed towards
> others, too old-fashioned, if you will.

Hmm.  I have not gotten this impression at all.  In fact, the most inspiring
works I have found concerning the inner life and learning to be centered on
God in all things are by Roman Catholics.  For example, Thomas Merton's
lectures "The Mystical Life" and "The Vow of Conversion," which he gave to
the monks at Gethsemani and are now available on cassette, are absolutely
outstanding, as are his works on monastic vocations.  Now, I will say that
his works which were written for the popular press are somewhat "watered
down" in some senses, which can give a different impression of him than his
works aimed at fellow monks.

> My note was in reaction to Jim MacKintosh's (sp) disparaging of the pre-
> Vatican Church, as if it was a bogeyman and its practices not   worthy
> of appropriating to our own times.

I didn't read this into his words, although I can see how someone could have.
I'll let him speak for himself :).

> I would be very very glad to be pointed towards a
> contemporary liberal Catholic writing spiritually in a way that is loyal
> to Apostolic teaching but still distinctively liberal.  Please let me
> know if you can point me to such a source.  Thanks!

Well, my tastes probably run more liberal than you are looking for :).  I'm
rather fond of much of Matthew Fox's work, for example, although even I think
he occasionnally goes off the deep end.  I would encourage you to look for
Merton's monastic material, though--the cassettes of his lectures at
Gethsemani are published by Creedence Cassettes, and his notes are published
by Cistercian Publications.  I can dig up addresses and phone numbers if
there's interest.

As for others, I've been recently immersing myself in the writings of the
desert fathers and the saints of past centuries (not having had a Roman
Catholic upbringing to fall back on :)), but I'll take a look at my bookshelf
when I get home.

> I felt like screaming, "HOW???
> TELL ME HOW!!!!  I'm NOT lazy... I'm totally dedicated... yet I am also
> a mess and I fall in and out of selfishness and I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT
> TO DO ABOUT IT!!!  Don't tell me I just need to try harder, tell me what
> to DO to make it work!

This probably sounds like a flippant answer, but my first reaction is to say
"pray!".  If you do not already pursue a solid daily life of prayer and
private devotions, it is probably the single most effective way to find
insight about what to do with your life.  Unfortunately, it seems that today
even most Catholic educations neglect this very basic piece of groundwork.
There are resources out there, though.  One example (although I'd hesitate to
recommend that you start with it) is "The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius
of Loyola."  A more approachable example would be St. Teresa's "The Way of
Perfection."  Both of these were directed primarily towards religious, but
they have much of benefit to laypeople as well.  Even something as simple as
praying one of two parts of the Divine Office every day can have a remarkable
effect (for example, Sext or the Angelus after lunch, or Compline before bed).

Something else that I have found extremely useful is to go on a religious
retreat at least once a year.  Now, this does take time, and it may be hard
to initially set up if you are not already part of a religious community
which can arrange such things.  However, the benefits are well worth the
trouble.  Even something as simple as visiting a convent or monastery for a
long weekend can be a deeply renewing experience.  Pushing all of the little
distractions of everyday life off to the side for a bit can make it mch
easier to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit.  It also helps to have people to
talk to who have struggled with this kind of problem themselves (and everyone
with any kind of inner life has done so, and continues to do so throughout
life).

> I just
> want to hear that it's okay to strive for holiness in our
> lives, and that in fact this is what we are all striving for...

It is, and we are, despite all of the bickering that we often see on this
mailing list.


In peace and love,

Amanda Walker
--
"Christ has no body now but yours--no hands, no feet on earth but yours.
 Yours are the eyes through which He looks, compassion on this world.
 Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good.
 Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world."

-- A prayer of St. Teresa
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