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talking to myself

A blog by markdohle in General

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About this blog

personal stuff

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personal reflection

The Christian Path is Incarnational

The Christian Path is Incarnational “Lend Me your body too, when you travel, when you toil, when you eat, and when you sleep. I did all these things when I lived among men. Make Me live again among them, and they must be aware of Me. Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (p. 206). Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition.   ++++++++++ The intimacy that God has with us is something I believe to be beyond our reach to understand.  Since God has been revealed through Jesus Christ
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personal reflection

What Lies Beneath

What Lies Beneath This piece was written in 2019. Since then, David has also died. Some of you may remember it, if you decide to read-Br.MD March 20—Holy Hour. “You are worried about the passage from this life to the next? But since it is the greatest proof of love that you can give Me, be glad. Offer your death to Me now with complete detachment, ready even for heroism. Say, ‘Even if I didn’t have to suffer death, I would choose it in order to be more one with Him.’ And in this
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Pro-life and living in a democratic republic

Marco, a good friend of mine thinks along different lines than I do.  Also, our belief system is different.   Yet, he has helped me a great deal in learning to listen to others who, for the most part, think very differently than I do on Pro-Life issues. Below is a response I gave to one of the participants on Marco's blog.   Pro-life and living in a democratic republic Thank you, Marcia, for your comment.   It is good to be here, I am sort of the odd man out because I
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God's Gaze

God’s Gaze “Don’t you feel full of Me? Don’t you see how your physical trials drew Me to you? And your heartbeats that you were able to count tonight —didn’t My own heart beat to the same rhythm? ‘It’s His heart,’ you thought. And right away your faith was enriched and your soul became like a watered garden. You forgot everything so that you might think only of our oneness. Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (p. 208). Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition. The diffi
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“Absence of hope is war.

“Absence of hope is war. Absence of justice is life. Absence of death is suffering. and absence of love is darkness.” ― Swaraj Bhatia, Our Days :A Survival Odyssey   As humans, we do have ideals.  I do, but I can say that I very seldom live up to my ideals in a persistent manner.  Justice for instance is an ideal.  We often call for justice, but in the end, it is mostly based on revenge.  Sometimes, justice or the call for it is just another version of the belief in “blood debt
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What I Would Wish Away

What I Would Wish Away I do not believe that wishes come true.  They are something we long for and would wish things were different.  However, reality can be harsh so as much as we would love for things to be different, well, it won’t happen.    Not because it is impossible, but well, we are not a rational species, though we do struggle to be.  Our fears. and instinctive desires can have such a hold on us that we can’t seem to do much about it if any number of issues get a hold of us.  It b
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May Our Hands Gather in Unity

May Our Hands Gather in Unity “Lend Me your hand to write. Lend Me your voice to teach the little ones the living truth. Lend Me your gestures to love them. And to cheer your pastor in his duties, lend Me your kindness. In this way, through you, I shall be among them, among yours. Your influence will be increased and you will think less of yourself. ‘This is not the fruit of my own effort,’ you will say. ‘Jesus was there with me.’ Say it to yourself over and over again; it will k
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Goodbye Fr. Eduardo

Goodbye Fr. Eduardo   I retired from the infirmary in 2013 and started my stint as a retreat/guest master. It was time for a change. In 2020 when COVID came onto the scene, I was called back in to do a few shifts a week. Since I like the early hours, I was put on the 3:30-8 AM shift. I enjoyed it. Fr. Eduardo was one of the three that needed full-time assistance.   I fi
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No Two Souls are Alike

No Two Souls are Alike “I implore you, live in My love every single second. I don’t force you. I never force, even with regard to My gifts. You are free to take or leave them. How often your freedom has crucified Me! And so, I wait . . . I wait for centuries. Don’t you realize that I’ve been waiting a long, long time for you? No two souls are alike. None Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (p. 222). Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition.   When writing from a faith perspective
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The Healing that comes with Confession of Sins

The Healing that comes with Confession of Sins "We are in a supernatural struggle" with evil, the pope said, "even though we already know the final outcome will be Christ's victory over the powers of evil. This victory truly takes place every time a penitent is absolved. Nothing drives away and defeats evil more than divine mercy."-Pope Francis   It is very difficult, even humiliating to go before a priest, or minister, or a trusted friend, and to confess one’s wrongdoing, or
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Gordian Knot/Human Situation

Gordian Knot/Human Situation The myth about the Gordian Knot relates to how Alexander the Great dealt with the problem of untying it.   He simply got a sword and cut it in half, and by doing so, he became, over a short period of time, the conqueror of the world.  Of course, did he really deserve to get what he wanted.  In the end he felt disappointed that after he conquered, there was nothing left for him to do.  Since the knot is impossible to untie, the use of force was a waste of time, b
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The Conversion of the World

The Conversion of the World “You, at least you, child, is your soul filled with Me? Do you breathe for Me alone? Do you still put your interests before Mine, or in your earthly pilgrimage do you carry Me before you like a lantern? Have you made My anxieties yours? Have you taken your part in the conversion of the world? Near My martyrs, can you say ‘I was there,’ even if only in desire? “Who will help Me, if you, My communicants, don’t keep close?” Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (
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Personal Reflection

Pray and Listen from the Heart

Pray and Listen from the Heart   I shall speak to you, I shall speak to your heart, so that you may hear My voice for the joy of your heart. You will hear My voice especially when you will come before My Face, when you will adore My Eucharistic Face and draw near to My open Heart. I will speak to your heart as I spoke to the heart of My beloved disciple John, the friend of My Heart, the priest of My open Heart.   Mon
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Choice

Choice Always see love at the source of everything that comes from God. There is love and there is hate —nothing else. Two roots: God and the devil. Man with his free will takes his choice of the fruit. Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (pp. 268-269).  Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition. It is often difficult for me to see how man has free will.  For I can view how challenging it for me to grow into the man that I want to be.  I seek to be a man of justice, compassion, and yes
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Personal Reflection

Fatigue

Fatigue. “When you are tired, think of My fatigue.   Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (p. 44).Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition   Most people are acquainted with fatigue.  I think for most it comes and goes, and we can feel fatigued for more than one reason.  I have always had some trouble with fatigue.  I am a light sleeper, and I seem to start dreaming as soon as I fall asleep, so that could add to one reason why I feel fatigued often.  I also need time to recharge to ge
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The True Nature of God

The True Nature of God The unfolding of My love in you is My personal happiness; I’m waiting for it. Everything that affects you touches Me personally. My friend, you are part of Me and I, your Christ, am part of you. Bossis, Gabrielle. He and I (p. 7). Pauline Books and Media. Kindle Edition.   I find it interesting how hard is for Christians (me included) to understand how Personal the Infinite, the Ground of all Being, that which is Wholly Other, is.  Perhaps if God could
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Letter from a prisoner

Got a letter from a prisoner             One of my faults in writing letters is that I tend to wait for a while before I write back.   I was having a problem reaching a prisoner because they kept moving him, and so I got back three letters that were not forwarded.  I kind of gave up, thinking, hopefully, that he was finally released.  It turned out I was right. However, I did not find out in a happy way.  He told me that he was ‘back’ in prison, this time for two years, which does not so
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What do I believe?

What do you believe? It is good to ask questions directed towards us. Then, seek to answer them honestly, directly, before God. It can be a hard question asking about what we truly believe. How do I live, treat others, how do I treat myself? How do I judge others, talk about them. The time I spend in prayer every day, is it a priority? Do I seek opportunities to study in the desire to deepen my appreciation of the gift of faith. Faith is not just a set of i
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Seasons of Our Lives

Seasons of Our Lives Old age is a time to face up to reality.  Illusions are taken away one by one, and in a way, we are forced to ponder the meaning of our lives.  Death is the great leveler, we will all one day have to face up to this truth, and even if we do not, our demise will still come.  It is a hard fact indeed, but one also that gives our lives a certain depth.  Scarcity makes appreciation for what we have.  I do appreciate youth, its energy, and the well-being that young p
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Is There Anywhere to Rest?

Is There Anywhere to Rest?           Sometimes people will say to me statements that will cause me to smile, or if I am tired and struggling, inwardly sigh. There are lots of ideas that we can have that are patently false, but if not looked at too closely can be believed for a while.           We can expend a lot of effort for instance on getting rich and famous, because it can be believed that famous people are somehow happier and more secure, than those who are not rich and famous. It i
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Wordless Yearning

Wordless Yearning Often times our relationships can bring to the fore our deep and abiding loneliness.  We are often attracted to people who do not return it.  As the song goes “Everyone here is thinking about someone else”.  We seek a place of rest but never find it.  Or if we do it is only for a time.  This is often called ‘infatuation’, until reality sets in and the imperfections of those we love become often painfully obvious.  Even when two humans, be it in friendship, or a deeply committ
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Chapter Talk 7/2/23 Humility

Chapter Talk 7/2/23 Humility "The seventh degree of humility is, when, not only with his tongue he declared but also in his inmost soul believes, that he is the lowest and vilest of men, humbling himself and saying with the Prophet: 'But I am a worm and no man, the reproach of men and the outcast of the people.' Rule of Benedict chapter 7. ++++++++++ When I was a young monk, I always had a negative reaction to the above quote. I simply did not believe that such a statement cou
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The struggle implicit in our faith walk, and prayer life

The struggle implicit in our faith walk, and prayer life One of the prisoners that I am writing to, brought up some issues he is having with his faith in God and prayer. I do not know why he is in prison, and usually, I do not look that up unless I feel the need to. I have done it twice only. His struggles while unique to him, are still very common, though that does not lessen the struggle nor the pain involved. It is part of the human situation. I certainly have the same type of struggles.
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Jesus suffered deeply

Jesus suffered deeply. I would say that one of the experiences ‘all’ humans have to go through if they survive birth and the first few years, will have to go through more than one “Gethsemane” experience. Where there is great suffering, and the sky is silent so to speak. Heaven seems empty and we are alone. I believe that the anguish that Jesus suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane was that reality. Often prayers seem not to be answered and there is suffering that will not let up and is like b
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Being stretched to our full capacity

Being stretched to our full capacity Our ‘deepest longing’, what is that? Perhaps, it is what would tear us open. Break our hearts if actually experienced. Is it too good to be true? In fact, it can be easier to believe in nothing, than to wrestle with our deep hidden fears of the Infinite, to come to a place of awe, and abandonment. Perfect love casts our fear, as St. John speaks of in his 1st Letter. Yet, who is capable of ‘perfect love’? In reading the scriptures, we can come to see deep
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