December 18, 2022

Dear St. Martin of Tours Family and Friends,

The Mission is over, but new life begins. For those who couldn’t make it to the three nights of talks with Patty Schneier, the recordings will be up on the website (under past broadcasts) and will remain there for a year’s time.

ON NIGHT ONE, on how to listen to the voice of God, focused on God speaking through

1. The Teachings of the Church, which are God’s instructions to every human being;
2. The Scripture Readings of the Day, which are God’s word to the universal church on that particular day;
3. God’s unique word to You is what happens when you take the day’s Scripture readings and ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. You will get insights and direction in limitless ways.

What holds us back in prayer? The greatest roadblocks are:

1. Dissent from an official teaching of the Church,
2. Living in a state of habitual mortal sin.

You cannot progress spiritually if one or both of the above are problems for you. God can “work around” our sin, so to speak, but only so far, until we reach a place of stagnation. There can be no peace without  acceptance of Truth and there can be no advancement in prayer unless the soul had committed to believe the Truth and to live the Truth.

ON NIGHT TWO, we were told that why the Sacrament of Confession is essential—because it removes sin from the soul. It unburdens us. According to Patty, Confession is the “Sacrament of a Happy Heart,” and she is correct. (By the way, our noisy confessional has just been sound proofed with professional studio sound insulation. So you don’t have to worry about eavesdroppers.)

ON NIGHT THREE, which was for me the most powerful night, was about fear, the two kinds of fear, and the three human needs which drive a soul into fear and away from God.

There are only two types of fears:

1. Fear of not getting what we want,
2. Fear of losing what we have.

As for the cause of fear they emerge from three human drives:

1. safety/survival
2. affirmation/esteem
3. power/control

The problem comes when we look for safety, affirmation, or power in creation, for example, if we look for happiness from other people, or from material things, or from worldly success, etc. But when we try to satisfy those three instincts with creatures, we will forever remain empty. It's the wrong program for happiness. Because that which is contingent (that which is NOT God) cannot handle this Divine Desire in our souls! The Safety, Esteem, and Power we are looking for are only fulfilled perfectly in God. So, if we get caught up in the drama of the world (for instance, All Things New, the Ukraine conflict, the American Political landscape, who is deemed important to whom, etc.) we will be led downward toward stagnation, unhappiness, and despair. But if we decided instead to get caught up in the drama of God (for instance, focusing on our interior life, how God is present to me every moment of the day, how to love people better, etc.) then the world will not ensnare us in worry, because every day we will be building the houses of our souls on rock.

Here is a final message from Patty Schneier to all of us:

What a JOY it was to journey with you during the Advent Parish Mission!  Thank you so much for your warm hospitality and receptivity!  I pray the mission will bear great fruit in your life and that you were able to take away some nuggets of truth.  Don’t forget to “show up for prayer every day”…”put the big rocks in first”...and frequently receive the “Sacrament of a Happy Heart!” I forgot one final thing…(LOL!) For those of you who would like to listen, I present the Daily Dose of Encouragement at 7:50 a.m. Monday-Friday on Covenant Network Catholic Radio (FM 96.7 or AM 1080).  Each week, I throw out a new topic, and then every day of that week, I offer a brief two to three minute reflection, spiritual suggestion, or word of encouragement.  You can also listen ANY TIME on all major podcasts:  Spotify, Apple, Podbean, etc. (search for The Daily Dose of Encouragement with Patty Schneier) OR go to www. ourcatholicradio.org and click on the “programs” tab, where hundreds of audio posts are archived, and new posts are updated daily.

Thanks again, for allowing me to be a small part of your spiritual journey this Advent! You are in my prayers,

Patty

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