God is in charge - Detachment 3

This next month I am in charge of doing our ongoing formation for my Secular Franciscan group.  Initially I thought of doing the formation on the Eucharist but as I prayed over it I kept coming across things about detachment so I decided to explore that topic for formation.  Well, several months ago I signed up for a talk being given by Fr Albert Haasse OFM that was held yesterday and guess what he talked about?  Detachment!  Before God was whispering to me about detachment, yesterday, he spoke rather loudly and in a New Orleans accent to me about it.

I actually wondered seeing so many of my Franciscan brothers and Sisters were there if I should change my topic.  I don't think so.  I think it was God telling to go for it and giving me some more input.

One of the ideas that Fr Albert talked about is how detachment and renunciation are not the same thing.  Renunciation is cosmetic, or as he called it "lawn mowing".  It doesn't get at the root of the problem.  You deny yourself what you really feel you need to be happy and so make yourself and those around you miserable.  Detachment is a process that gets at the root.  It starts with recognizing  the thoughts that lead you to the desire for whatever it is.  Recognizing the thought and asking yourself what is that all about allows you to begin to detach yourself from the things that hold you back in growing spiritually.

One of the other points I found helpful is the idea that when we are so attached to things and ideas we are insulting God.  We aren't trusting Him to take care of us, to provide us with what we need.  We are inessiance saying to God that He may have created us and the world we live in but we know what we need and we don't need Him to get it.  We think that these things will make us finally happy and we chase them.  We get angry with God because He doesn't give them to us when we ask Him for them.  Lord, make we popular, make that person desire me, give me success, give me money, but in reality we are asking God to give us a stone, when what He wants to give us is the Living Bread.  

Detachment 2

Today I heard the results of a survey where the American people say that organized religion is loosing it's influence.  The person who conducted the survey saw now as an opportunity for religions to prove what they are and why they should have influence.

I think what he says is true.  At a time of "popularity" of religion we often took it for granted that those of us in a church had faith and it was being passed on to our children, but was it?  Or was it really just something people did because it was the norm?  I think that is the truth of it for most people.  They belonged to a faith but it had little to no influence on how they lived and now the new generation is saying to us that won't work.

How does that fit into detachment?  We have to detach ourselves from the idea of external trappings. The cross on my neck doesn't make me a Christian, what I believe isn't the whole story either, but how I act.  I can't say I believe in the sanctity of life and then not support life from conception to natural death in all I say and do, and not be a liar.  If I believe that you can't abort a child but I myself  never am open to life, or only open to life on my terms, I am a liar.  Do I dress like a Christian do I wear a cross and think that the trappings of faith is all I need, or do I have the heart of a Christian?  Sometimes we have to detach ourselves from our preconceived notions of what it means to follow God, to learn to hear His voice and follow Him.

I think I begin to understand how the faith can be dead without works but how works can not save us.  We get so caught up in the motions of faith.  We think that because we fast or pray or attend meetings that we more holy then those who don't do what we do, when it is our hearts we need to change.  If our actions don't flow from our hearts our actions will be hollow.  If they flow from our hearts we will do all those things and more.

I need to detach myself from my idea of myself and go with God, with no preconceived ideas only a wish do His will.  Pray for me.

Filling the hole left by God

Why, oh why do I try to use food or feeling good or being appreciated to fill the spot where God should be. I want people to like me.  I want them to think good of me.  I am addicted to honor.  This is what I need to give up for Lent.  How do I do this and still do Gods work?  I make myself miserable by looking for happiness in ways that are fleeting.  Honor is so fleeting, you have to seek it moment to moment.  I a second it can be gone.  Christ on the cross is the picture of freedom and joy according to St Thomas Aquinis.  How can I get there?  How can I become detached?  At this point I think I need to pray to God for help.  I want the true freedom that comes from loving God.  I don't want to worry about approval and prestige.

I think that I need to start with accepting myself and knowing that imperfect as I am that God loves me.  Maybe I need to start with accepting God completely. Surrendering myself to Him and asking Him to fill me.  I can not fill the whole in my life where God should be.  I need to let Him fill me and stop kicking Him out when I think He should reject me.  When I do that I feel the lack of God so completely.  That is true desolation and Hell here on earth.

In AA you learn let go and let God.  I am the prodigal daughter all I need to do is turn back to Him and He is waiting there to welcome me back.

Dear Lord take away my shame.  You never desired me to feel the shame I feel, you want me to feel Your love and be freed by that love.  Fill my heart with Your love and help me to realize that I don't have to earn that love.  It is a gift.  Free me to Your will.  Help me to remember that all I need is You.