Your character affects your body

Excerpt from Christian Self-Mastery by Basil W. Maturin pp. 175-6

"The deeds that the body does upon earth, the habits it forms, and the life it lives must as surely affect its future as they affect the future of the soul. Character is stamped upon the whole bodily frame; the way a man walks or sits or stands all help to show something of his character. We are told that every thought is registered in the molecular changes that it effects in the brain.

"And certainly the face is the mirror in which the soul is reflected, upon which it stamps with ever-deepening lines its thoughts, its passions, and its ambitions. The difference between the face of a child and the face of a ma is the same as that between a white sheet of paper and one covered in writing, or between a new garment and one that has been long worn.

"It has been said by a well-known and learned psychologist, 'I believe that we are subject to the law of habit in consequence of the fact that we have bodies. The plasticity of the living matter of our nervous system, in short, is the reason why we do a thing with difficulty the first time, but soon do it more and more easily, and finally, with sufficient practice, do it semi-mechanically, or with hardly any consciousness at all. Our nervous systems have grown to the way in which they have been exercised, just as a sheet of paper or a coat once creased or folded tends to fall forever afterward into the same identical folds.' [William James]

"Had we but eyes to see, we might take scalpel and microscope and read in the bodily frame the moral history of the life of the soul that was its tenant. Indeed, many a characterisitc is stamped so clearly that none can fail to see it. Many we fain would hid but cannot; the telltale flesh has, so to speak, materialized the thoughts of the mind, given them form and shape, and revealed them to the world.

"As the body lies still and silent in death, its mystery and its pathos is that it has been the instrument and cooperator, and remains the material record of the soul's life. No thought ever passed through the mind for one brief moment without the body taking its part and writing the record. Was ever history written with such unerring accuracy as is written the history of the soul in the body it inhabits?"

Saints

The saints are the "great luminous trail on which God passed through history." --Benedict XVI

This is what God asks of us when He asks us all to become saints-- He asks us to allow Him into history, to give Him ourselves that He may affect the world through us. He asks us to surrender that His Kingdom may reign on earth!

Blessing

We ask our priests for blessings, why not ask Jesus? Go to Him in adoration, bow your head and ask for His blessing. Ask Him to pray for you to His Father. Feel the warmth of His holy hands laid upon your head. Feel His prayer wash over you, protecting you from all that is dark and evil. Allow Him to place you in a cloud of grace.

Show me a garden bursting into life

This generation is beginning to see the beauty of true love, of a love that desires the completeness of true communion rather than passing pleasures. It is a generation that feels the desire to experience a love that is fruitful. It is a generation that begins to see how love perfects human nature.

"I don't quite know
How to say
How I feel.

Those three words are said too much
They're not enough.

If I lay here
If I just lay here
would you lie with me
And just forget the world?

Forget what we're told
Before we get too old
Show me a garden
That's bursting into life"
--Chasing Cars Snow Patrol

Purifying Beauty

A woman's beauty is something which is meant to call a man to holiness-- it is meant to be a purifying fire that destroys his lust and calls him to true manhood. This type of beauty is that which radiates from a woman who is committed to her Lord, and in Him has found Love.

"Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell
It was love from above that could save me from hell
She had fire in her soul it was easy to see
How the devil himself could be pulled out of me

There were drums in the air as she started to dance
Every soul in the room keeping time with her hands"
--Into the Night Santana and Chad Kroeger

"Supplement your faith with virtue." --2 Peter 1:5

Faith is the kite which flies us to the heavens, but virtue is the string which by anchoring it, allows it to soar.

"I can do all things in him who strengthens me" --Philipians 4:13

"God will do great things in you provided that you believe much more in His power than in your weakness" --Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

Water seeps through a wall at its weak points, eventually wearing through the wall and sending it crashing down. God seeps into us through our weaknesses, eventually tearing down our false self in order to flood our souls with His living waters of Grace. Once flooded He is our strength, and we no longer need that wall that He has demolished. He is our Shield, our Fortress, our Rock. Be not afraid.

"I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts" --Jeremiah 31:33

God has written His law upon our hearts. It is up to us to learn the language and its nuances in order to truly enter into its endless beauty! For some who have never heard His language, the laws are formidable and incomprehensible. Others know the language well enough to comprehend what the laws are saying, but are unable to enter into the incredible artistry with which He has written His laws!! Blessed are those who are able to comprehend that the writer of this Law is the Master Artist, and study His work closely to find ever anew the beauty and logic of His work. This requires complete submersion in it, and a close study of the history of the Artist as well as all His works. Let us devote ourselves to this study, that we too may marvel at His ingenuity!

"During the fourth watch of the night, He came toward them, walking on the sea." --Matthew 14:25

Our Lord's power over all of Creation must never be doubted. When we pray, let us not doubt His power, let us not limit God in what He can do for us! If you are wondering why there is so much trouble in your life, know that it is because you limit what God can do for you by your weak prayer. If you are truly open to His grace and mercy, your troubles will remain in this world, and He will call you to dwell with Him above its turmoil. He will call you to step out of the boat of faithlessness and walk on the very sea that tossed it about. But if you doubt Him, you will be pulled down into the endless chaos by the gravity of this world. Let us pray always for a deep Faith in Him. Let us pray for abandonment to Him and rest soundly in Our Fortress.

"All creation hangs on Your every word
With the sound of Your voice
Waters still, You are Lord over all
With the touch of Your robe
Sick are healed" --MercyMe