On poverty of spirit, good friendships and mortification

Introduction to the Devout Life

Part III, Chapters 15-29

Notes from Polish Group:
Tomasz Hawrylewicz, Jan Marciniak, Tomasz Lukaszuk

Jan, Tomasz L, and Tomek H.

28 November 2011

To have a rich Spirit even in the midst of real Poverty is possible only for those who entrust themselves to God. God is the One is continually giving strength, protection and freedom. In the company of our Dear Lord Jesus, His Mother Mary, Apostles and numbers of Saints, men and women find it possible to grow in true freedom of spirit. If you free your heart from the wealth of this world, and attached yourself more tightly to God in your spirit, you will discover a new sense of freedom.

St Francis is describing two kinds of poverty: secular and religious. It is important to choose poverty as a life’s option to be free and available for God and His mission. By personal witness and imitation of Jesus, you will find the best and easiest way to come close to God, and, as a result, to show God to others who are seeking Him.

Real and a good friendship is based on a pure love, charity, goodness, prudence, devotion and  Christian perfection, always  ready to please and help another person.  God knows how very  precious a friendship it is. Precious, because it comes from Him, because it tends to God, because He is the link that binds you, because it will last for ever. Truly it is a blessed thing to love on earth as we hope to love in Heaven, and to begin that friendship here which is to endure for ever there.   Friendship based on the gospel values is always open to others, by helping, sharing by using talents and many other natural gifts to grow in better relation with God and one another.

Francis makes a distinction between good friendship and evil friendship. What he calls evil friendship is always looking only for a personal benefit. Therefore, it does not hesitate to make empty promises. In a such friendship nothing good will be seen but only egoism, selfishness   and bad values  which are not building  and uniting but only destroying  another person. Therefore It is a very important to dedicate your heart to God, and offer your love for Him,   to protect yourself from  such relation. Never hearken to any indiscreet conversation whatsoever – never mind if you see rude and uncourteous behaviour in others. Nor should you be afraid in rejecting any such company, because it will be not good for you or for your soul.

St Francis is also advising Philothea to practice of Bodily Mortification by fasting, prayer, discipline and austerity.  Fasting and labour both exhaust and subdue the body, but if your work is necessary or profitable to God’s Glory, he advises you to bear the exhaustion of work than to do a self-imposed penance of fasting. That is sacrifice enough!

Every kind of mortification must always be embraced with a consideration to one’s purpose in striving to do the will of God. In other words, mortification must be understood as a help to control the body and manifest one’s desire to come closer to God. This consideration, rather than other other pious aim, is the true purpose of prayer and fasting, penance and mortification.

Summary and in-text illustrations collected by Fr. Jan Marciniak
Class photos by Joe Boenzi

A deep discussion, and fun too

Stand in God's presence

Introduction to the Devout Life, Part II - Chapters 1-11

Polish Group

Tomasz Hawrylewicz, Tomasz Grzegorz Lukaszuk, Jan Marciniak

Notes form the sharing in the group on 7.11.2011

In the second part chapter I – XI.  St Francis using different imaginations, pictures and samples is stressing an importance of prayer and meditation “ prayer opens the understanding to the Divine Light, and the will to the warmth of Heavenly Love” ( Chapter 1 ). By prayer and meditation is easy to find rest and peace in the heart and act like Him (God) who is as tree is protecting us. Giving the examples of great saint and writers as Bonaventura, Bellintani, Bruno, Capilla, Francis de Sales advises how important and necessary it is to make daily meditation  - giving an hour every day before diner or after in the church of at home beginning whether with mental or vocal prayer in your language as rosary, spiritual book purifying by act of contrition.

Very important before meditation is just to stand in the presence of God as a blind man before king who do not see him, but feels his presence or David who sees His presence everywhere with explanation “the strength of my heart” or St. Stephen in the hour of martyrdom thus to hold Him.

(Chapter 2)  Presence before Blessed Sacrament and prostrating is helping to grow in total dependent as my God whom I choose.  ( Chapter 3)

By meditating Lord on His Cross and Passion is helping to understand how much God loves me sending His son (Chapter 4). This picture in my mind is no longer imagination but reality light in my spiritual journey. I need  always to search for Him ”as the bee which hovers over one flower so long as it afford honey.” (Chapter 6)

Meditation should be concluded with humility through my 1.thanksgiving, 2. oblation and 3. petition in which you ask God to give you a share in the Merits of His Dear Son. My meditation has to be as the flowers from the garden with their scent will bring to your heart joy and happiness. ( Chapter 7)

Purity and other virtues have to be practised in realities seeking opportunity how and where to use them well, standing before God in the truth calling for help and assistance  your guardian Angel, those persons who are concerned in the mystery you are meditating  to the Saints, to yourself, your own heart to sinners. ( Chapter 8)

As meditation sometimes is not so easy and very dry is very useful to use various gesture and action, such as prostrating yourself, folding your hands upon your breast, kissing your crucifix etc.

The morning prayer it should  be made in this wise:

1. Thank God and adore Him for His Grace, 
2. Call to mind that the new day is His gift, 
3. Consider how to praise and to live with His presence by humbling yourself, because the new day is his gift.  (Chapter 10)

Examinations of conscience should be made before going to bed in the following order:

1. At the end of the day is very important to examine of conscience with follow rules  as tanks God for his present during the day. 
2. Examine what you have done and how did you conducted yourself. 
3. For good thing  express your thanks and bob ask for pardon  begging God for his help and assistance 
4. Commend yourself to the church, your relations and friends, to God  etc. – to assist you.  

Synthesis by  D. Jan Marciniak