Patience and Growth in Holiness

How does patience help us grow in holiness? The faults and shortcomings of our neighbors provoke in us feelings of discomfort, inconvenience, annoyance, and at times even intense anger. These feelings rise up inside us because of our reactions to the irritating words or actions or attitudes of others. This aspect can be seen very clearly in regard to the most difficult of all forms of patience, namely, the patience connected with loving our "enemies." Our Lord taught the necessity of this kind of love in His Sermon on the Mount.

Andrew Apostoli, CFR

Say It

Say to the faint-hearted,
Say it, say it to the poor;
'Be strong, don't be afraid....
Your God is coming to save you.'

cf. Isa. 35:4

Are You His Disciple

"If you continue in my word [truth] you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32)

O Leaf, Blown Along

O leaf; blown along.
Do you know where you are going?
If you don’t, any path will get you there?
Oh, I remember.
Early in life I asked the proverbial question, why?
In response, I heard because!
Because; because why became my cry.
Does no one know?
I also remember the beginning; I was but a bud.
Then I became the early small shape of myself.
Slowly I became the whole of me.
For a season of time, I seemed so fine and no longer asked why.
But my strength began to fade.
And as time went by I browned and withered.
Then suddenly I fell and I was blown along.
And here I am on a path to where.
O leaf; do you know where you are going?

Written by Jim Cordie
12/20/02

Make Me An Instrument Of Your Peace

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love:
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.

Prayer of St. Francis

Effects of Sorrow

"For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death, says St. Paul (2 Cor 7:10). Sorrow, then, can be either good or evil depending on how it affects us.

True enough, it produces more bad effects than good; for it has only two good effects, namely, compassion and repentance. But it has six evil effects, namely, anxiety, sloth, wrath, jealously, envy, and impatience.

This has caused Wisdom to say that sorrow has brought death to many, and there is no profit in it (Sir 30:25). For two good streams flowing from sorrow as their source, there are six that are very evil.

Introduction to the Devout Life, 4, 12.

Not By Chance

My Lord
I beg you, don't go by without stopping.
I'll bring you a little water, and you can wash you feet
and rest in the shade.
I'll bring you a bite to eat, and you can refresh yourselves
before going any further.
Not for nothing, not by chance,
have you visited me today.

(cf. Gen. 18:1-5)

Why Be Hopeful

The knowledge that the Spirit is at work in the hearts of believers and intervenes in the events of history is a reason for us to be optimistic and hopeful.

John Paul II

The Ways of Satan Versus Christ

St. Ignatius put two standards before retreatants just before they begin to reflect on their own way of life. The standard of Satan progressed from riches to honor to pride; the standard of Christ from poverty to insults to humility.

William A. Barry, SJ

Solidarity With the Poor

Concentrating on the sufferings of Jesus brings the disciple's attention to the sufferings of so many people in the world.

Jesus had a special love for the oppressed and the alienated, so attention to his suffering in prayer brings us into solidarity with the poor.

St. Teresa of Avila

A Future With Hope

Surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Lips of Knowledge

Teaching others -- especially when it comes to sharing God's truth -- is a wiser investment than faceted emeralds: "There is gold, and an abundance of jewel; but the lips of knowledge are a more precious thing." (Prov. 20:15)

Terry Powell

Pride

How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious?

I am afraid it means they are worshipping an imaginary God.

C. S. Lewis

Perseverance & Patience

Perseverance in the face of adversity dissolves evil, while unremitting patience destroys it utterly.

St. Thalassios

He's Waiting for You

If you are not walking in close relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ ... if He has been tapping you on the shoulder, but you have not yet responded ... embark upon His Holy pathway today! He's waiting for you!

Sandra Lewis Pringle

Storms Come and Go

And suddenly, behold, there arose a storm of hurricane strength on the sea, so the boat was being covered by waves, but He was sleeping. And they went and awakened Him, saying, "Lord rescue and preserve us! We are perishing!" And He said to them, "Why are you timid and fearful, you of little faith?" Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a perfect calm. Matthew 8:24-26

Where is your storm brewing today? Is it on the financial sea, the emotional waves of life, the bottomless deep of debt, the raging fear of death and sickness? There is a storm raging somewhere around you today. For we have an adversary who always keeps things churned up. But the question of the external storm is not the issue. Storms come and go. They will always be in this life until Jesus returns and makes it all new. But Jesus didn't let the "storms" get on the inside of Him, and neither should you. You have His Spirit living in you, you have His Name to use against the storm, you have an extreme Book, and you serve an extreme God, in an extreme heaven. So tell me, where is the storm in your life today. It should not be inside of you

Accepting Advice

He who does not accept advice will never go by the straight path, but will always find himself among cliffs and gorges.

I Was A Stranger........

He said also to the one who had invited him, "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Luke 14:12-14 (NRSV)

Faith Is

Faith is related not to self-assurance but to God; not to an event, but to truth.

Fulton J. Sheen

When We Call on God

At times when we are struggling with life and think we can't go on, we discover that God is "running the race" with us. God can give us the strength to do what we had believed was impossible.

When we call on God for strength, anything becomes possible.

Walter H. Everett

Acquiring Holiness

What an immense struggle it is to break the fetter binding us so strongly to material things, to stop worshipping these things, and to acquire instead a state of holiness.

St. Theodoros The Great Ascetic

Do You Enjoy the Noise

He who is not attracted by worldly things cherishes stillness.

St. Maximos the Confessor

Life or Death?

Moses said to the Israelites, "I have set before you life, and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live."

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NIV)

God always asks us to do what is good for us. When we choose to do right, we choose life; when we choose to do wrong, we choose death. Sometimes obeying God seems to keep us from good opportunities. But in the end, obeying God is the choice that leads to life. And that's a choice worth our weighty consideration.

Mary Manson

Share What You Have

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Hebrews 13:16 (NRSV)

Catholic Virtue

Catholic virtue is invisible, because it is normal!

Evil is abnormal.

G. K. Chesterton

The Sacraments

For the Catholic the sacraments are both certain and incredible!

G. K. Chesterton

Have You Let the Cry of the Poor Pierce Your Heart

Both Tobit and Jesus moved beyond their everyday situations because they heard the cry of the poor and needy. And that's what sets them apart. Tobit could not bear the thought that some of his brothers and sisters might be defiled, and he wanted to show his fellow Jews that God still cared for them.

Similarly, Jesus' heart went out to the human race. He wanted to show us that God wants to care for us as well.

Tobit risked much to care for his people, and Jesus gave everything.

What might God be calling you to give for the sake of his people?

From: "the Word among us"