To Become Generous

To become generous, we must learn to do with our whole heart, not only what is a duty, but also what, though no obligatory, will give more glory to God.

Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.

Only God's Love

Only God's love can draw men freely to Himself, transform their loves, and make them the most compelling evidence of His love.

Douglas G. Bushman

You Will or His

You must forget yourself always and in all things, in small things as well as in those that are great. I make no exceptions, but want you to be divested of your self-will in all things. For how can you be wholly Mine and I totally yours, if you still entertain self-will within and outside yourself?

From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis

Cooperate with Grace

We do not always cooperate with His grace; many times pride, egoism, and all our other uncontrolled passions turn to evil what God has planned for our good.

Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.

The Inner Man

If the inner man is strong, the outward enemy is sooner overcome.There is no worse or more troublesome enemy to your soul than yourself, as long as your flesh is not under the control of your will.

From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis

Harden Not Your Hearts

We must not only meditate on Jesus' sufferings, but also take part in them; only by bearing His Passion in our heart and in our body (cf. 2 Cor 4,10) shall we be able to share in its fruits.

So it is that in the liturgy of this season the Church repeats more insistently than ever: "If you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts."

Teach me to be attentive to all the unexpected ways you come close to me.

Teach me to trust your purpose and care for me more than my own ideas.

Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P.

The Work of Love

We need to encounter Jesus each day who stirs the flame of faith in our hearts. It is our kindness and our gentle smile that reveals we have been healed.

Monsignor Gregory E.S. Malovetz

I Cried Last Night

My spiritual director sometimes makes reference to messages from the Spirit that he senses or encounters in various movies.

Last evening while watching a Hallmark movie entitled “Candles on Bay Street,” I experienced again a sense of our relationship with each other as children of God.

In this remarkable story, several times the song “You’ve got a Friend” written by Carole King in the early 70’s was sung in the movie. This song moved me in a special way.

It is easy to dismiss my experience as a sentimental moment, but I see more than the emotion of the event. I sense the Spirit conveying to me a heartfelt relationship with my fellow pilgrims.

My candle burns at both ends
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends -
It gives a lovely light.

Edna St. Vincent Millay

Small Things Can Be the Real Quality of Life

On March 6th I wrote: Today brought some warmth. The snow is melting. I’m healing little by little from surgery of four weeks ago. I look forward to spring in many ways: my healing, warm days, flowers, green grass and leaves on the trees again.

On last Tuesday, I saw the first daffodil of the season in my neighbor's yard on a not so spring like day. Then Spring arrived on Friday with overcast skies and very cool temperatures. It seemed more like winter. Yesterday was more of the same, with a little sun.

But today we awakened to the Sabbath and with it a day FULL of real worldly sunshine and milder temperatures!

Small things can be the real quality of life if we take the opportunity to see what is in our presence.

Today regardless of my physically ailments, I take joy in a new birth of life that each new spring delivers to us.

Veracity

Veracity is the heart of morality.

Thomas Henry Huxley

In What Consists Firm Peace

All men desire peace; but all will not do what is necessary to obtain it. My peace is found among the humble and gentle of heart; you will find your peace by being patient. If you will listen to Me and follow My words, you will enjoy great peace.

From The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A. Kempis

Love Is Love's Reward

Jesus' mission is one of fulfillment. God has always loved us, and in Jesus this love goes "to the end" (Jn 13:1).

Now is the time of conversion, is the time to allow God's love to expand our capacity to receive his love so that we can enter more fully into Christ's Paschal Mystery where divine love goes "to the end."

Pray for Barbara

Barbara is having difficulty with her co-workers due to their evil behavior.

The Necessity of Mercy

"Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Peter is a practical man, and he likes to know where he stands. But his generous offer of "seven times" is multiplied by Christ to "not seven times but seventy-seven times"; in other words, a zillion is required, an impossible command without grace.

The extraordinary act of John Paul II, who visited his would-be assassin in prison to forgive him, shows that the mercy we participate in through God's grace is available to us in every situation.

Meeting the Lord

In my contacts with my neighbor--and how many people I do meet in the course of a day!--I can form the habit of greeting Our Lord, present in every creature.

Self-Renunciation

"You must forget yourself always and in all things, in small things as well as in those that are great. I make no exceptions, but want you to be divested of your self-will in all things. For how can you be wholly Mine and I totally yours, if you still entertain self-will within and outside yourself?

From "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas A. Kempis

Bear Ye One Another's Burdens

Everyone has some burden, more or less heavy, to bear; physical or moral weakness, the press of duties and responsibilities, fatigue or other troubles which weigh on his shoulders. Everyone feels the need of a friendly hand to help him carry this weight. This hand should be held out to him in fraternal charity, which for the love of God, knows how to be all things to all men.

Humiliations

Many souls would like to be humble, but few desire humiliation; many ask God to make them humble and fervently pray for this, but very few want to be humiliated. Yet it is impossible to gain humility without humiliations; for just as studying is the way to acquire knowledge, so it is by the way of humiliation that we attain to humility.

Learn Their Name

There are people we pass by each day - folks who live in our neighborhood, stand at the bus stop with us, work in our offices. Sometimes we don't even know their story. The greatest service you could preform this Lent is to learn their name.

Intimacy with God

A soul who longs for a life of intimacy with God is not satisfied to limit its relations with Him to the time of prayer, but tries to extend them throughout the whole day.

Love Is.....

Love is swift, sincere, pious, joyful and glad; it is strong, patient, faithful, wise, forbearing, courageous, and is never self-seeking; for when a man seeks himself, he ceases to love.

From "The Imitation of Christ" by Thomas A. Kempis

Pray for Angela & Husband

Angela asks: please pray that my husband and I will know Gods will for our lives and that we would hear God's voice loud and clear and be obedient. That we would hunger and thirst for His word and delight ourselves in the Lord. That both my husband and I would be given wisdom and knowledge. That we would be filled to completeness with the Holy Spirit and be constantly lead by the Holy Spirit and bear good fruit.

Mildness

Mildness is the flower of charity, a participation in that infinite sweetness with which God guides and governs all things. There is no one who has a greater desire for our good, for our sanctification than God; yet He never uses harshness, severity, or violence.

Divine Mercy by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.

Your Eternal Salvation

How many people will remember you and pray for you once your are dead? So do all you can now, for you do not know when you will die or what you will face after death. Gain merit for eternity now while there is time and concern yourself only with your eternal salvation.

From The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas A. Kempis

March 8

Today is Sunday, the Sabbath our day of rest and holiness given to us by the Lord. We move forward today by turning our clocks up one hour to begin daylight savings time.

Let us also turn up our hearts to beat more fully in living a life of doing the will of the Lord.

The Kingdom of God

“My son, do not be impressed by the brilliant and clever sayings of men: the kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power “(1 Cor 4:20).

From “The Imitation of Christ, Thomas A. Kempis

Pray for Herb

Pray for Herb who will be having surgery for removal of a mass in his lung.

Be the Change

Get rid of some unnecessary material need in your life, and do without it for the next month!

March 6

Today brought some warmth. The snow is melting. I’m healing little by little from surgery of four weeks ago. I look forward to spring in many ways: my healing, warm days, flowers, green grass and leaves on the trees again.