| Why do you think it is so important to draw these similarities between today’s woes and that of the time of St. Francis de Sales? If you watched the lecture, what did you find to be the most poignant or significant point that was made? Discuss this quote from St. Francis: “When we see our neighbor who is created in the image and likeness of God, should we not say: Well, look at this creature, does he not resemble the Creator? Should we not throw ourselves upon his face, to caress him and cry over him in love? Should we not bless him a thousand and a thousand more times?” How can we learn from St. Francis and apply his stance of gentleness and humility in today’s climate of despair and hysteria and division? Jesus calls the devil the “prince [or ruler] of this world” (John 12:31), how then can we have hope that Satan will not be the ruler in our lives? Why is it important to adopt an attitude that breeds hope and unity instead of feeding off of dissension, despair, and disunity (even when we are faced with many troubling issues and scandals)? |
4 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): Hi Elena!
Dec 18, 7:34 PM
Elena (Guest): I admit I haven
Dec 18, 7:34 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): Did you get to watch the lecture?
Dec 18, 7:34 PM
Ruth (Guest): Hello Sister! I know Simone was planning to watch the video Lecture. I did, too.Hi Elena!
Dec 18, 7:34 PM
Elena (Guest): haven’t been able to watch the lecture
Dec 18, 7:34 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): The summary is pretty good tho
Dec 18, 7:34 PM
Ruth (Guest): Agreed.
Dec 18, 7:34 PM
Elena (Guest): Thank you, yes, I did read the summary. It spoke volumes!
Dec 18, 7:35 PM
Elena (Guest): I will want to see the actual lecture at some point.
18, 7:35 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): So we can start
Dec 18, 7:35 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): Why do you think it is so important to draw these similarities between today’s woes and that of the time of St. Francis de Sales?
7:36 PMElena (Guest): I think it often feels like what we’re going through is unique and unprecedented. That makes it feel scarier, and the temptation is to despair and/or be angry.
c 18, 7:36 PMRuth (Guest): I think it gives us courage and hope that dad will make some progress in coming to a greater understanding in unity.
8 PM
Elena (Guest): I think it also speaks to the fact that the devil keeps at it, scattering trying to pit us against one another. This is an old trick.
Dec 18, 7:38 PM
Ruth (Guest): and unity, not in
Dec 18, 7:38 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): I think in my case as I regard St Francis as my Holy Father or Founder I like to know what he faced and it gives me energy to live in a time that resembles his
Dec 18, 7:38 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): I can learn from him
39 PM
Elena (Guest): We can all learn from him. I imagine even more so for you and the other Visitation Sisters.
Dec 18, 7:39 PM
Ruth (Guest): I I think one of the other names of the devil is the scatter or the divider
Dec 18, 7:39 PM
Ruth (Guest): Scatterer.
Dec 18, 7:39 PM
Elena (Guest): Yeah… I guess what I’m thinking about is that there’s nothing new under the sun. God has already foreseen every trick the devil plays and we can trust in God’s providence.
Dec 18, 7:40 PM
Elena (Guest): But it’s hard not to get upset.
7:41 PMVis Sr (Guest): Yes but we know that those other times passed and ours will too. But sometimes ours seems worse
PM
Ruth (Guest): Yes, and I appreciate that St. Francis went through personal Faith challenges, too.
Dec 18, 7:41 PM
Elena (Guest): Yes to both statements, Sister. I do think that social media exacerbates everything in our age.
Dec 18, 7:41 PM
Elena (Guest): Yes, Ruth! He is so relatable.
42 PM
Elena (Guest): The latest debacle of Frank Pavone is a perfect example.
Dec 18, 7:42 PM
Elena (Guest): over, not of
Dec 18, 7:42 PM
Elena (Guest): he is not a debacle! I mean the situation surrounding him.
Dec 18, 7:42 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): Yes so hard to believe about him, what is happening
Dec 18, 7:42 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): Hi Lisa
:43 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): 2. If you watched the lecture, what did you find to be the most poignant or significant point that was made?
Dec 18, 7:43 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Fr. Frank is a good Priest who stands up to evil, he does not deserve this!
Dec 18, 7:43 PM
Elena (Guest): People who support him are up in arms over what they see is a bad move by the Vatican.
Dec 18, 7:43 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): It is unbelievable truly
Dec 18, 7:43 PM
Elena (Guest): Yes, as Lisa just said!
PM
Lisa C (Guest): If a heretic defrocks you you are doing the right thing. He is being persecuted
by evil.
Dec 18, 7:45 PM
Ruth (Guest): My heart beaks for a woman who survived the Nazi invasion of Poland — from a wealthy Jewish family — has led a simple, caring life here in the US — a mater gardener — and now can no longer garden and wants to die. She seems to be reliving here early years as she hears about the war in Ukraine.Discuss this quote from St. Francis: “When we see our neighbor who is created in the image and likeness of God, should we not say: Well, look at this creature, does he not resemble the Creator? Should we not throw ourselves upon his face, to caress him and cry over him in love? Should we not bless him a thousand and a thousand more times?”
7:47 PMElena (Guest): Yes, yes, yes. And it can be so challenging, sometimes, when our neighbor does things that are unlikeable or unholy.
, 7:49 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Mother Teresa is an example of what StFdS said in 3.
Dec 18, 7:49 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): I think what St Francis did was love the sinner but not the sin
51 PM
Elena (Guest): This is what we must do right? Love the sinner, hate the sin. In today’s cultural climate, we are painted as hating both if we don’t condone the sin.
Dec 18, 7:51 PM
Ruth (Guest): Yes. And Love the Protestant but not Protestantism.
52 PMLisa C (Guest): Why does the Bible say warn people warn them again and then shake the dust off your feet?
7:52 PMVis Sr (Guest): for conversion, Lisa?
7:53 PMLisa C (Guest): I am not saying not not to love them and pray for them, but they are not good examples for children
18, 7:53 PMLisa C (Guest): A choice of a public ongoing life of sin with no effort to repent is not good
54 PMVis Sr (Guest): 4. How can we learn from St. Francis and apply his stance of gentleness and humility in today’s climate of despair and hysteria and division?
7:54 PM
Ruth (Guest): You are right, Elena. we’ve, as a culture lost the ability to use constructive argumentation. Name calling, generalizations has replaced it.
Dec 18, 7:54 PM
Elena (Guest): I’m finding myself in such a situation. My 14 year old grand niece who is autistic has declared that she’s. My nephew, her father (and also her mom) are fully supportive of this. So I must (and do) love her and pray for this situation.
PM
Vis Sr (Guest): I will join you in that prayer!
Dec 18, 7:55 PM
Elena (Guest): And ask for your prayers as well. She’s extremely vulnerable due to the autism and constantly being online (and being in public school).
Dec 18, 7:55 PM
Elena (Guest): Thank you, Sister.
Dec 18, 7:55 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Yes, pray for everyone, but do not say it is ok
56 PMElena (Guest): No on asks my opinion. I think they know what it is. I only see them a couple times a year.
, 7:56 PM
Lisa C (Guest): We need God more than ever to save people, but children should be kept away from examples of sin
57 PM
Elena (Guest): The gentleness and humility is key. Not saying I’m good at it, lol. But yes… not shaming people or hitting them with things they aren’t ready to hear and see. Loving them, inviting them to the Truth. And being humble, to remember it’s not our job to judge people’s souls – although we can judge actions.
Dec 18, 7:57 PM
Lisa C (Guest): How do children have a chance to be good with the world the way it is now
Dec 18, 7:58 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): I think gentleness and humility are forgotten virtues but I understood from the lecture that it can be a good approach to what we face even as we do not accept evil. Sometimes militarism tho we may feel it is not the way to go
18, 7:58 PM
Lisa C (Guest): The tiny piece of the Church that is left must pray everyone out of this mess
Dec 18, 7:58 PM
Elena (Guest): Lisa – it’s up to their families and who they allow to form their kids. Public schools with agenda, internet porn and violence… or modeling the family after the Holy Family and teaching their kids about our amazing Faith and God.
8, 7:59 PMVis Sr (Guest): yes the Holy Famile and all the saints
8, 7:59 PM
Elena (Guest): Sister – yes I agree. The militarism has also crept into the Church and those who actually do love the Lord and what is right and True. I see it a lot. It can also lead to scrupulosity and a hyper focus on justice without mercy.
Dec 18, 7:59 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Mother, the VA Nuns were examples of humility and gentleness
8:00 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): they were well formed in the past
Dec 18, 8:00 PM
Lisa C (Guest): They were amazing
8, 8:00 PMElena (Guest): Thank you all for your prayers for my grand niece. Her name is Erin.
18, 8:00 PM
Lisa C (Guest): The only problem was the world was a big big shock
Dec 18, 8:00 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): living up to their example is not easy
8, 8:01 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): because of sheltering?
Dec 18, 8:01 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Yes
Dec 18, 8:01 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): Maybe all of us in Catholic schools were shocked I am still shocked!
Dec 18, 8:01 PMLisa C (Guest): They were examples of how God will be to us…kind and sweet
8, 8:02 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): do you all find despair and hysteria in the world right now and division
Dec 18, 8:02 PM
Ruth (Guest): I didn’t go to a catholic school until 11th grade, with. Y parents permission but not their approval.
:03 PMVis Sr (Guest): I am encouraged by St Francis approach
03 PM
Lisa C (Guest): I think the Visitation Nuns ran a school more gentle than the average Catholic school
Dec 18, 8:03 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): yes, no hitting
8:04 PMVis Sr (Guest): 5. Jesus calls the devil the “prince [or ruler] of this world” (John 12:31), how then can we have hope that Satan will not be the ruler in our lives?
c 18, 8:04 PM
Lisa C (Guest): We did not need to be hit. LOL
Dec 18, 8:04 PM
Ruth (Guest): It is definitely there in the world, but there are lots of people trying to be helpers, too.
8, 8:05 PM
Elena (Guest): Yes, there is certainly division and hysteria in the world. I am grateful for living and working in a Catholic community where there seems to be a sanity and attentiveness to sanctity.
Dec 18, 8:05 PM
Lisa C (Guest): They spoke softly and kindly and so we all listened
PMElena (Guest): I’m not always gentle with my middle schoolers haha. Sometimes I have to bellow to be heard above the din. Then I smile sweetly and they laugh and simmer down.
8:06 PMElena (Guest): I don’t think St. John Bosco, our patron, would approve. But they are so NOISY sometimes. The 8th graders, anyway.
8, 8:06 PMElena (Guest): but they know I love them
6 PMElena (Guest): 5. Jesus said “I have overcome this world” and told us not to fear.
8, 8:07 PMLisa C (Guest): How they had 40 girls sitting quietly not talking or moving listening and learning was miraculous
8, 8:07 PMVis Sr (Guest): If we stick to Our Lord we do not need to fear
8:08 PMLisa C (Guest): God gives us peace
18, 8:08 PMElena (Guest): The canticle for morning prayer, Sister… there’s a line I’m trying to recall
, 8:08 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Even with the insane world we can go to Him and find peace
Dec 18, 8:08 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): I prayed morning prayer but cant help you out at the moment!
18, 8:09 PMElena (Guest): Canticle of Zechariah
8, 8:09 PM
Elena (Guest): delivered from our enemies, we may serve him without fear; in holiness and righteousness before him all our days
Dec 18, 8:10 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): I need to feed a Sr BRB here is another q 6. Why is it important to adopt an attitude that breeds hope and unity instead of feeding off of dissension, despair, and disunity (even when we are faced with many troubling issues and scandals)?
:10 PM
Elena (Guest): I love this line. Jesus holiness is ours, to worship and be in God’s presence without fear.
Dec 18, 8:10 PM
Ruth (Guest): I have that cantica
Dec 18, 8:10 PM
Elena (Guest): I’m reading an old translation on my phone at the moment.
Dec 18, 8:11 PM
Ruth (Guest): I have that Canticle framed in the room that used to be my consultation room.
Dec 18, 8:11 PM
Elena (Guest): i love it.
Dec 18, 8:12 PM
Elena (Guest): This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham; to set us free from the hands of our enemies; free to worship him without fear. Holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
Dec 18, 8:12 PM
Elena (Guest): <3
Dec 18, 8:12 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Hope and unity would come from having faith that God knows what He is doing for the Church in spite of the current craziness in the world and the Church
Dec 18, 8:13 PM
Elena (Guest): Okay, next question.. I agree, Lisa. That kind of despair and disunity breeds schism.
Dec 18, 8:13 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Schism comes from heretics
Dec 18, 8:13 PM
Elena (Guest): There are pockets of schism forming now, from both the “traditional” and the “progressive” angles.
Dec 18, 8:14 PM
Lisa C (Guest): The German Church is on the verge of schism with their synods
Dec 18, 8:14 PM
Elena (Guest): God knows what he is doing. I left the Church once, a long time ago. I came home to the Church almost 11 years ago now. There is no place else to be; I know God has it all in hand.
Dec 18, 8:15 PM
Lisa C (Guest): They are claiming the faith changes and outright contradicting the Church
Dec 18, 8:15 PM
Elena (Guest): Yes that’s true. Lefevre and his band also schismatic. And there are other pockets of those claiming to be prophets and doing God’s work as the “real” Church.
Dec 18, 8:15 PM
Elena (Guest): Germany has long been a troubling area for the Church.
Dec 18, 8:16 PM
Elena (Guest): I wonder why.. would be a fascinating study on why dissent breeds so copiously there for hundreds of years.
Dec 18, 8:16 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Didn’t Benedict bring Lefere’s group out of schism?
Dec 18, 8:16 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Lefebvre
Dec 18, 8:16 PM
Ruth (Guest): I have a German goddaughter in her mid-40s and I ask your prayers that I may be a really good godparent to her in these confusing times. Hey Fr. recently died after formally leaving the Catholic Church and was very much into Zen. And her mother is now demented. She’s strong and gentle though and very kind.
Dec 18, 8:17 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Oh my computer is changing spelling
Dec 18, 8:17 PM
Elena (Guest): I’m not sure.. there are still irregularities. I’ve been tangentially informed about a group around the north country in NY. They are very cult-like.
Dec 18, 8:17 PM
Elena (Guest): Oh, Ruth, I’m sorry to hear all of that. We will definitely pray for her and for you as her godmother!
Dec 18, 8:17 PM
Ruth (Guest): Her father.
Dec 18, 8:18 PM
Elena (Guest): it’s hard to spell in the first place, Lisa! haha I’m not good with spelling.
Dec 18, 8:18 PM
Lisa C (Guest): I am a victim of phonics
Dec 18, 8:18 PM
Elena (Guest): Ha!
Dec 18, 8:18 PM
Ruth (Guest): Thank you Elena.
Dec 18, 8:19 PM
Elena (Guest): My friends, I need to get going… sorry to cut this short. Trying to get to bed early tonight so I can be fresh. I’m teaching Mon – Wed and then driving to Boston for Christmas to be with the fam.
Dec 18, 8:19 PM
Elena (Guest): Merry Christmas to all of you and your families! Thank you, Sister! God bless you!
(Guest): Jesus asked us all to be one and hope is a theological virtue but dissention etc are not virtues
Dec 18, 8:22 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): so we need to live Salesian optimism
Dec 18, 8:22 PM
Ruth (Guest): Good have a wonderful Christmas with your family, Elena.
Dec 18, 8:22 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): and of course strive to be virtuous or even heroically so in these days
Dec 18, 8:22 PM
Ruth (Guest): Hello Gloria.
8:22 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Praying for the salvation of everyone is the ultimate optimism
Dec 18, 8:22 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): Yes excellent!
8, 8:23 PMLisa C (Guest): I do pray that
, 8:23 PM
Lisa C (Guest): I just think children need protection from the world while they form their conscience
Dec 18, 8:23 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): Like the Fatima prayer in the Rosary- those most in need of mercy to be saved
Lisa C (Guest): It is God’s will to save everyone….Jesus died for everyone…He cannot fail, He is God 8:25 PM
Lisa C (Guest): He will find a way to get to everyone’s free will 25 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): This last week of Advent is a good time to pray for them as we approach the great grace of Christmas 18, 8:25 PM
Ruth (Guest): And we can “offer up” all the inconveniences, emotional and physical pains with those of the Crucified as a kind of prayer for those most in need. , 8:26 PM
Lisa C (Guest): Baby Jesus is gentle and humble, born in a stable 8, 8:26 PM
Vis Sr (Guest): easy to approach