MIKE’S MEDITATIONS

Your Personal Salvation History By Mike Van Vranken O ne could say that reading the bible is a study of the salvation history of God and his creation. At the same time, our personal narratives, the stories of our individual experiences of life are our own personal salvation history. Throughout the existence of education, people have found it important to study mankind’s history. And as important as this has been to our evolution as a species, an even greater importance exists in our study of salvation history. How do we take the message of the bible, integrate it with our own personal narrative, and study salvation history as it pertains to the entire universe, as well as to us as individuals in that universe? One question we might ask ourselves is: “How has God approached me in my salvation history?” When we are willing to take the time to research and study this history, we will begin to see who we are in God. At the top of a sheet of paper, write the words: “People in my life who have reflected God’s face to me.” Now ask God for the grace to be reminded of all the people from ages one through 12 in your life who reflected His face to you. Maybe you think of your parents, grandparents, priests, religious sisters, siblings or teachers. Talk to God about theses people and pay attention to what is stirring inside you as you remember them. Now, who were the people who reflected God’s face from ages 13 to 20? What about in your 20’s, then your 30’s, your 40’s and each decade of your adult life? Who are the people reflecting God’s face to you? As the feelings and memories stir inside you, continue your conversation with God. Ask him to show you how these people contributed to your salvation history. Now, on another sheet of paper, write: “What were the religious images that are important to me throughout my life?” Again, look at them through the ranges of ages one through 12, then 13 through 20, and so on. What movements are going on within you as you remember these? How have the images changed as you matured? Which images, if any, are still very important to you? Ask God what all of this is saying to you about your own history with him and his experiences with you. On another sheet, which events in your life seem to show in the clearest ways how God has approached you? Use the same age segments as you rediscover all the events of God in your life that have been so important. Talk to God about these events. What is he saying to you about them? Let’s keep going. Do the same practice that we’ve done with people, images and events, with “songs or music” that have shaped your relationship with God. Continue the exercises examining how God was approaching you as you recall “favorite virtues,” “enemies or troublesome persons in your past,” “places,” “books,” “tasks or work” and “gifts” you been given by God and/or shared with others. A spiritual exercise like we’ve been discussing here could, and probably should, take about a month or more to complete. This is not a quick and easy, once and done activity. It requires a disciplined study of your personal history. And, this is not an intellectual exercise. This is about entering in to your experiences with God throughout your life and recalling all he has done for you. This is about taking the time to reminisce with God and recall his blessings by paying attention to all that he has used to approach you, to be with you, to love you. This is about listening to God and to what he has been saying to you throughout your life; and what he is saying now. As you peruse your own salvation history throughout this month, allow your eyes to be opened a little to see who you are to God; or as St. Paul would say, “who we are in Christ.” Do you recognize how he sees you as his beloved daughter or son? Who has he been calling you to be? Who is he calling you to be right now? Do you see yourself as his beloved? Do you recognize you have been his beloved since before the world began? Yes, studying human history is an important way to grow in our understanding of God’s creation. Along with that study, a discovery of our own, personal salvation history helps us grow in our relationship with God and recognize who we are to him. Then we can discover the roles he is calling us to play, right now, in helping him build the kingdom of God. Van Vranken

Mike is a spiritual director, author, speaker and teacher. You can contact him at mikevanvranken@comcast.net

Classics Help Readers to Understand their Catholic Faith By Kate Rhea

Slattery Library News & Notes

What's New?

With more than 120 volumes, the Classics of Western Spirituality collection presents readers with a comprehensive library of historical texts on Christian spirituality, and a representative collection of works on Jewish, Islamic, Sufi, and Native American spirituality. This library contains multiple genres of spiritual writing, including poetry, songs, essays, theological treatises, meditations, mystical biographies and philosophical explorations.

Collections such as these are essential to exploring the discipline of Christian spirituality. As Sandra Schneiders, professor emerita in the Jesuit School of Theology explains, “the spirituality of Catholic Religious Life, both monastic and ministerial, as it developed in the Christian tradition, was actually rooted historically and mystically in the commitment of the consecrated virgins in the first three centuries,” making collections featuring voices from this time period crucial to understanding the foundational ideas of the Catholic Church. Such volumes include:

· The writings of Pseudo-Macarius, a Syrian monk of the 4th century. · Conferences, a study of the Egyptian ideal of the monk by John Cassian, a monk in 4th century Bethlehem and Egypt. · Selections from the writings of one of the most influential shapers of the western theological tradition, Augustine of Hippo of the 4th century. · The Life of Anthony by Athanasius, 3rd century Bishop of Alexandria, spiritual master and theologian, was a major figure of fourth-century Christendom. · Life of Moses, by Gregory of Nyssa which brings to light his complex identity as a 4th century mystic and one of the Greek Cappadocian Fathers, along with St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen.

Beyond these early works, The Classics of Western Spirituality also features selected translations by well-known authors such as Vincent de Paul, Catherine of Siena, Ignatius of Loyola and more. This remarkable collection was donated to Slattery Library & Resource center by The Most Reverend William Benedict Friend, first Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Shreveport.

Kate Rhea, administrative assistant for the library and cemetery, is available to help patrons research information, search and select reading material, and even host group meetings in the library. With themed displays each month and many newly cataloged materials ready to borrow, our library is revitalized and ready to serve our patrons.

To sign up for the newsletter featuring topical and seasonal collections, information on newly catalogued books, book and movie reviews, information on book clubs, and more, please e-mail Kate at krhea@dioshpt.org.

Visit the Slattery Library

Visit the Slattery Library inside the Catholic Center! The library is open Monday - Friday from 9am to 4:30 p.m. 3500 Fairfield Avenue Shreveport, LA 71104 318-868-4441