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Recovery Club

Compassion

Compassion


THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

Jesus was condemned to death in a Roman court.

When I was 21 years old, I was charged with a crime in a New South Wales court. I was not guilty of the accusations, but was convicted. I was confused and could not cope with the drama. Jesus had been innocent in the Roman court. He remained calm.
When I was 61, senior government employees accused me of being a danger to a female public servant. The public servant had been rude to me. I had used no violence. I had merely for an apology. A senior government employee manipulated me. I was very upset. I think Jesus would have taken it calmly - like he had 2000 years ago.
When I was 62, I was accused of upsetting six people in a suburban support group. I was picked on by a subculture. They manipulated the group to ban me. I was innocent. I was very upset. I was not calm like Jesus.
When I was 68, the CEO of a company complained about me to the board in my absence. I was a member of the board. The items in the complaint had been fabricated. I was expelled from the board and from the company. It had been treachery. I was very upset. I think Jesus would have taken it calmly.
At 69 I was banned for a year from another support group for having been rude to three people. I had had no opportunity to defend myself. I was upset. Probably Jesus would have accepted it calmly.
In the future I may be abused wrongly. I hope God will help me to cope with it.

Jesus was made to bear his cross.

In each of the five cases I had to cope with pain.

Jesus fell the first time under his cross.

In the first case I contracted a incurable illness. It is a handicap. It is not contagious. I had and have to put up with suffering.
In the second case I had to cope with shame and incriminating public service records.
In the third case I had to put up with shame, rejection, isolation and a bad reputation.
In the fourth case I had to cope with shame, betrayal, rejection, gossip and pain.
In the fifth case I also had to put up with rejection, ungreatfulness, suffering, isolation and a bad reputation.
In the future I may have to cope with more pain.

Jesus met his afflicted mother.

My psychologist consoled me.

The Cyrenean helped Jesus.

A university friend and school friend take an interest in me.

Veronica wiped the face of Jesus.

A few women console me.

Jesus fell the second time.

I haven't had a second downfall. Maybe it will happen in the future.

Jesus spoke to the holy women.

I made some good friends.

Jesus fell for the third time.

I haven't had a third downfall yet. Thank you God.

Jesus was stripped of his garments.

Each time I was treated wrongly my self-esteem was reduced.

Jesus was nailed to the cross.

One day a fatal illness or accident will affect me. If I can serve God thru my death, I will be glad.

Jesus died on the cross.

One day I will die.

Jesus was taken from the cross.

Probably my body will be taken to a cemetery.

Jesus was placed in the Sepulchre.

It is likely that my body will be burnt in a crematorium.

71 replies

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In response to: Compassion

Re: Compassion

I am glad you benefitted @Neb.

Yes all the traditions have something to offer or they wouldnt have lasted ..

but big institutions have their own set of problems ..

I find it interesting that many people turned off by christian religion can be enthusiastic about the Dalai Lama preaching the same thing as Christ ... it is what it is ..

In response to: Re: Compassion

Re: Compassion

PS. @Misty-Mirrors I never discussed many behaviours that I dealt with growing up with my first 2 psychiatrists ...(I saw them for 8 years) there wasnt time or something ... other issues with children and deaths and husband were more pressing ... I am doing that now ...thanks for the codependency tip.

In response to: Compassion

Re: Compassion

Hello Neb.
What is DID? What is Tridentine?
It sounds like religion helped you.
I grew up without religion. From the age of 24 to 39 I had a mentor. He was a Catholic. He was very clever. I became a Catholic. I only stayed in the church for 2 years. Later I joined a Twelve Steps organization and slowly my faith renewed. This was at the age of 58. I have been attending church regularly since then.
I combine my healing with medication prescribed by a psychiatrist, the care of nuns and the care of a a psychologist who is from the same country as I.
I wish you luck.
Misty Mirror.

In response to: Compassion

Re: Compassion

Hello Appleblossom.
I have only read one saint. That is St. Therese of Lisieux. A priest recommended me to him. I have done some exercises designed by St. Ignatius of Loyola. I found them good when I did them in a group. I didn't like doing them individually.
I haven't read any philosophers. I find philosophy very difficult to understand. I think it is convoluted. I I have read many self-help books. They helped me becoming healthier and more serene.
I would like to learn to act. I started a one-day course with Naida recently. I was very embarrassed. I left after morning tea. They were kind, however. An employee phoned me a few days later and asked me whether I was okay. I was thankful for that.
I only have very little experience with Buddhism. I do like relaxation exercises and mindfulness, however. I guess they are offsprings of Buddhism and Hinduism. Early Christians also meditated.
I found codependence books and Codependence Anonymous very good. They taught me how good parenting should be like and what dysfunctional parents do. It also taught me what the symptoms (maladjustment) of bad parenting is.
Misty.

In response to: Compassion

Re: Compassion

Hello Appleblossom.
I found psychologist better for problems than psychiatrists. I find that psychiatrists are only interested in controlling behaviour and thoughts with medication.
Misty.

In response to: Re: Compassion

Re: Compassion

I tend to agree @Misty-Mirrors but they are all unique too ... I have seen enough of both to have a reasonable sample size to make a generalisation ... lol ..

My last psychologist was a bit light weight and did not have much to contribute ... so I stopped and tried for a while researching and phoning and have not gone back .. except the Carers Vic person ...I had a good one for about 8 years and he helped me manage my son through the marriage break up periods .. I had such low self esteem I didnt mind seeing a psychiatrist for me .. but didnt want them to harm my son ... so took the psychology discipline ...

There are many psychiatrists who are offended by the approach of Big Pharma .. I will post it on a new thread.

I dropped Philosophy 101 in first year .. but keep bumping into it at various times ... and have now finished the massive text I was given back then ...a lot depends on how it is taught ...

The Greek philosophers were just into having DIALOGUES .. like we are ...so should the psychiatrists.

Nida are great for drama ... I am not a great actor but have been involved a little ... keep talking ... and doing things ... I have to go drop son for busking now ...

cheers

In response to: Re: Compassion

Re: Compassion

I read about the Little Flower when I was young and a biography as an adult ... she was my mother's favourite saint and my mother was angry that I did not choose her for my confirmation ... I had to discuss it with the priest and he said I had the right to choose my own saint for my spirituality .. and I choise Francis of Assissi ... maybe that is why I have an open approach to gender ... but the priest at the time and my father thought it was approriate and fine, even though he was a male saint...

I encourage you to read others ... ask those who you respect .. I am a little wary of the French St Therese being used as the only model for behaviour ... her tragic story is unique to her ... and it can be used to force people to submit to things as "the will of God" whereas they may be things that they can actually change and so prevent creative thinking and problem solving .... my mother forced us children to suffer a lot that was unncessary .. some of it was just her ignorance . . but ... too much focus on suffering did set the scene for self harm annd sacrifice to the death for my sibs and self.

It sounds like you have taken slow and steady steps to affirm your faith, thinking and way of life .. with support from medical and spiritual guides .. that is WISE ... my mother was not that humble .. she was deeply spiritual but very very proud ... liked bossing priests around or having them rely on her as a church organist ... she played parishes off against each other too ... to ensure she remained top dog ... but she is dead now ..God bless her soul.

In response to: Re: Compassion

Re: Compassion

Hi Misty Mirrors....DID is dissociative identity disorder, it use to be called multiple personality disorder....think 3 faces of eve. Basically, after early trauma, the person on the receiving end copes by creating mechanisms and sort of locks up bits of the brain. Fragmentary personalities emerge to deal with parts of ones life. My first one was modelled on Edward Bear my teddy who was my knight in shining armour, but it subdivided as one grew up.

The Tridentine Mass is the Mass before Vatican 2 introduced many changes. The Mass I attend is that and is in Latin, which is a learning curve. It is beautiful, I think.

i am glad you have found peace in your spiritual journey, and an ability to make sense of the world. It is nice to see someone who has survived decades as I have. I have only just started seeing a psychologist, whom I enjoy as I am very isolated in my relationships...one of the legacies of my life I guess.

In response to: Re: Compassion

Re: Compassion

Hello,

Sorry to butt into the conversation, but who has DID? My very best in the whole wide world friend has it 🙂

Baboo

In response to: Re: Compassion

Re: Compassion

I have some reservations about the consequences of Vatican 2. I think they meant well by enabling people to gather and worship in their own tongues but there was a lot lost as well.

The church I sing with is in English .. but uses the old Greek and Latin Ordinaries as originally set by composers .. eg Byrd, Palestrina.

I also was a church organist as a youth .. and played what I was told back then too .. more poppy stuff .. prefer the old music now ... unless it is Arvo Part ... or ...

The Tridentine mass seems like a lovely idea .. @Neb are they still in communion with the Vatican .. not that it bothers me but I like to know what stances the hieracrchy are making.

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