Hot Water Cold Shoulder

First things first I’m the realist.... just teasing. I hear that song before I sit down to reflect. 

Every smile I give, every pedestrian I stop for, every car I impatiently honk at bc they’re on their phone (not paying attention only for them to jet through the yellow light while I wait through another red) all represent our community. The community that I’m grateful to call home. I am a walking talking representation of the investments I’ve made. It’s a no brainer my first and foremost investment is my faith and radical self love, second is getting my husband to heaven and then my children. It sounds radical and it is. I have radically accepted who I am, I have also radically accepted my Faith and thanks to Father Mike (Schmitz) this radical acceptance comes with the responsibility to love radically; because radical love can radically change the root of a person. I have seen this love in our community. I have seen it in meal-trains, playdates with purpose, keeping ones mouth shut tight when the news isn’t yours to share, the list goes on. 12 years is a long time to be invested.  when there is a need only say the word and people show up. It’s like the weeping women in Calvary. Jesus did not ask for their help (for obvious reasons) they saw a need, showed up and filled the need. That is what is shown whenever there is a need in our community. I’ve seen it. you’re not getting this? You have not seen this? Honey, let me introduce you to some people I call framily. I’ve seen the food, flowers,  sign up sheets, housekeeping schedules we’ve put together for one another, play dates with a purpose, prayer groups based on books that help us be better (& sometimes provided a place for a much needed nap bc growing humans, raising Saints and is hard work). There is something to be said about unshakable faith and it takes practice. 

Regardless of where we are in this specific season,  of our specific journey it is so important not to judge others. That does not mean you have open borders to boundariless  actions of others. It means acknowledging your values and truth seeking.  Our actions say everything people need to know about us, as it relates to value; specifically moral intent. Was I thinking about moral intent when we (wheeping-okay that’s dramatic) women of Vatican valley pulled together to quarinteam and quarinteach this am? You better believe your sweet cheeks it did. Did I think of moral intent yesterday when all of Vatican Valley internet went out? Off and on all day? Is there sugar in syrup!?..then yes! I “dropped to rope” of control and let the day teach us. 

I am not cradle Catholic. So when I attended (and just paid off!!) a small Dominican Catholic college I fell in love with our faith.  My boundaries and what we allow in our home or don’t allow is ours and ours alone. Again there’s a freedom and responsibility. The freedom knowing your boundaries and that if people cannot meet you where your are in your specific season of life..?....boundary. There is freedom knowing people will judge regardless. Period that’s it. We can not control anyone other then ourselves. We can never assume one’s motives or lack of action when morally; it’s warranted. It’s their journey. It has nothing to do with “me”.  How many times have my children heard that? There is a responsibility when one is authentic to his or her truths I.e. do my actions match what you claim? 

 St. Thomas of Aquinas teachings on ethics: “.... we know that the nature of any exterior act can be evaluated in terms of itself but such a valuation does not provide us with the information we need to evaluate the act as a whole that is the exterior act plus the interior act and once again it is the interior act which is the final determinant of the moral quality of the act as a whole.”

...” external acts can never be considered evil apart from the internal disposition of those who performed those acts to be more specific an exterior act is rendered evil either because the will formulates and is guided by a bad intention or by reason of its willing something which is evil itself.  we fail morally when we will an evil end (even though the means we used to attain that end are good) or when we will an evil act even though we suppose that some good will come of that act because there must be a happy communion between the interior and the exterior in a good act the goodness of the interior and exterior act can be said to be the single goodness. 

 it has been established that a good intention, being fixed on an end which is truly good, is a necessary  condition for a good act but it is not sufficient. the road to hell, the aphorism has it, is paved with good intentions. human beings are not perfected merely by intending to do good.  the intention must be there of course and the intention comes first, but it must be acted upon. otherwise,  it becomes an accusation instead of a motivation“. 

I stand by what I represent and represent what I am by the actions that I take. They are guided in faith. Beatific vision, true happiness is not and cannot be found in this world. However, I’m going to take and be open to the gifts I’ve been given and share my gifts like my life depends on it. I’m also going to use my experience, knowledge, education, expertise to make informed decisions our my home. One last thought nugget.  An invaluable tool Christians need to use is their ability to discern the truth. Science explains and proves things of this world and science does not contradict faith. Faith proves what science cannot but faith does not contradict science because it’s the truth. I love science. It’s my jam. A wise woman once taught me when using the scientific method one was first always consider the source. What are motivations, biases, assumptions, gain?.. with this information?  Why is this information available? Who made this information available? And who will benefit most with this information? I mean I can use that in so many areas of my life.