Personal journaling for Christians...

Glory of the New Born Christ

In my search for how to explain this journal I was reminded of the fact that this is not my work, but His work that I am trying to allow to work through me. I have found great strength in not only reading God’s word daily, but also journaling on how I hear God speaking to me. The vision that I have is for every one of our brothers and sisters in Christ to be journaling about how the Word is speaking to them through the daily readings, but it doesn’t mean that the actual posting of mine or your thoughts would necessarily happen after the initial reading of the daily readings, and I have recently added the Divine Office of Readings to my morning reading before Mass.

I believe we are all called to take part in the daily experience of the Mass, when it is possible.  Also, I believe that the Word is talking directly to us all in a different way that respects the gifts that we have been given. It may not be possible for us to participate in the Mass every day, so this can be a very real way to experience the Word even when we cannot take part in the Mass and even more when we can.  If the vision that I have for all of us to be journaling is realized, imagine the fountain of truth that will be available for anyone who wants to plug-in to it…(especially if everyone who is able to, is posting their journal online!)  I have learned that sometimes it may be better to wait until after I have heard the readings at Mass before I post my journal, but I imagine this discipline would be different for every different person, and there may be times that the scripture that moves me comes from the Office of Readings for that day or even the Morning Prayer.

Format for journaling…

- Find the date for the daily readings that are posted here:

http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/- I use my journaling exercise daily to try to discern how God is speaking to me through the readings…Of course, I submit my understanding of scripture for general consumption, in order so that others can see how the Word is impacting me at this present moment, and by no means feel that my interpretation supersedes that of the church…I will try to point this out during my journal posts, and hopefully someone will bring it to my attention if I have erroneously considered some aspect of scripture…God bless you!

GROPP  - (God Really Obliges Perfect People) – Anagram for remembering the following:

1. “G” – Gift

2. “R” – Reading

3. “O” – Observation

4. “P” – Personification

5. “P” – Prayer

(God really obliges perfect people, but He doesn’t expect you to do it alone.)

“G” – Gift- Decide what Gift(s) of the Holy Spirit the Word of God is emphasizing…(This prayer, taken from the Novena to the Holy Spirit, could help discern what Gift that God is emphasizing through the reading that is chosen for my journal, or it may just be obvious which one I should choose to journal on.)

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit on Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You  and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord with the sign of Your true disciples, and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

• Wisdom- With the gift of wisdom, we see God at work in our lives and in the world. For the wise person, the wonders of nature, historical events, and the ups and downs of our lives take on deeper meaning. The matters of judgment about the truth, and being able to see the image of God.

• Understanding – With the gift of understanding, we comprehend how we need to live as a follower of Jesus Christ. A person with understanding is not confused by all the conflicting messages in our culture about the right way to live.

• Counsel (Right Judgment) – With the gift of right judgment, we know the difference between right and wrong, and we choose to do what is right. A person with right judgment avoids sin and lives out the values taught by Jesus.

• Fortitude (Courage) – With the gift of courage, we overcome our fear and are willing to take risk as a follower of Jesus. A person with courage is willing to stand up for what is right in the sight of God, even if it means accepting rejection, verbal abuse, or even physical harm and death.

• Knowledge – With the gift of knowledge, we understand the meaning of God’s Revelation, especially as expressed in the life and words of Jesus Christ. A person with knowledge is always learning more about the scriptures and Tradition.

• Piety (Reverence) – With the gift of reverence, sometimes called piety, we have a deep sense of respect for God and the Church. A person with reverence recognizes our total reliance on God and comes before God with humility, trust, and love.

• Fear of the Lord (Wonder and Awe) – With the gift of wonder and awe (fear of the lord), we are aware of the glory and majesty of God. A person with wonder and awe knows that God is the perfection of all we desire: perfect knowledge, perfect goodness, perfect power, and perfect love.

Aquinas says that four of these gifts (wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel) direct the intellect, while the other three gifts (fortitude, reverence, and fear of the Lord or Wonder and Awe) direct the will toward God.

“R” – Reading

- I usually pick a verse or verses from the Daily Readings to journal on, which becomes the second part of the body of the post…

“O” – Observation

- I give my general Observations on the scripture, which is the next part of the body of the post.  This may be a result of a days worth of reflection, or just a couple of hours, or maybe it is a instant revelation that I have had from the particular verse or verses that I just read…

“P” – Personification

- Then, I try to decide how I feel God is calling me to personify the  Fruit(s) of the Holy Spirit that the Word of God is calling me to display today, and that becomes the next part of the post.  It may be some way in which I have been able to display this fruit over the course of a couple of hours or days, or it could be, as I said, a hope to display this fruit more completely in the future, based on what I now know because of the truth that was revealed through the Word…

• Love
• Joy
• Peace
• Patience
• Kindness
• Generosity
• Faithfulness
• Gentleness
• Self-Control

This is by no means an exhaustive list and there may be many other fruits that we are capable of displaying, but these are the  ones that I use for reference that I have to thank Saint Paul for providing this list in his letter to the Galatians.  (Chapter 5 – verses 22 and 23)

“P” – Prayer

- Now, I will Pray in silence or write out my prayer about my conversation with God and ask for help in applying the direction that I have been given, and that becomes the end of my post…

After I have finished my post, I will sometimes seek out a picture or video that illustrates how I hear God speaking to me that day or how I feel God is calling me to personify the fruit that his grace has given me to display today.

As a part of this process for me, when I was ready, I sought out a communion service or Daily Mass where I can discuss or hear the direction from a Ministry Leader or Priest.  I hope that God continues to call me to actively participate in the sacrifice of the Mass daily, or at least on Sunday, as a lector or as an extraordinary minister of communion.  I am not worthy of Him blessing me this way, but I am truly thankful for His many blessings in my life and the life of my family.