Nature and Grace - Lesson #12

Nature gladly receives exterior comfort to gratify the senses.

Grace seeks comfort only in God, finding delight in the Sovereign Good beyond all things visible.

Nature and Grace - Lesson #11

Nature is inclined to seek creatures, to the love of her own flesh, to idle pastimes and to unnecessary running about.

Grace draws men toward the love of God and virtuous living, renounces all created things, flees the world, despises the lusts of the flesh, restrains all useless wanderings, and avoids as much as possible appearing in public.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #10

Nature is greedy and gladly takes rather than gives, and clings possessively to private possessions.

But grace is kind and unselfish, avoids self-interest, is content with little, and rightly judges that it is more blessed to give than to receive.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #9

Nature focuses her attention on worldly matters, is elated by material gains, is downcast by losses, and is cut to the quick by a sharp word.

Grace is intent upon things eternal, is not worried by the loss of things, nor grieved by the unkind word; for her treasure and joy are in heaven, where nothing is lost.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #8

Nature surrounds herself with rare and costly things and looks down upon what is coarse and cheap.

Grace takes joy in humble and simple things, does not disdain hard things, nor refuses to be clad in poor clothing.

Nature and Grace - Lesson #7

Nature craves ease and idleness.

But grace cannot be idle and gladly embraces toil.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #6

Nature fears rebukes and contempt.

Grace is happy to suffer them for the Name of Jesus.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #5

Nature looks for honor and respect.

Grace refers all honor and reverence to God.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #4

Nature always looks to her own advantage, considering what gain she can derive from another.

But grace is not concerned with her own profit, but with what may benefit others.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #3

Nature dies hard and is not easily overcome or repressed. Never under her own accord will she be subject to obedience.

But grace studies how to be mortified to both the world and the flesh, desires to be overcome and under obedience, and seeks not her own liberty, nor to dominate any creature. Grace always wants to live under God's direction, and for His sake to place herself humbly under every human creature.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #2

Nature indeed is wily and betrays many through her deceits and crafty ways, and has always self as her end.

On the other hand, grace walks with simplicity, turning aside from all that appears evil. She employs no deceits, but does all unaffectedly, purely for God, in Whom she rests.

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

Nature and Grace - Lesson #1

Carefully observe the actions of nature and grace, for both move in opposite directions and in such subtle ways as to be indistinguishable except by the spiritually enlightened.

All men long after goodness and pretend there is some good in what they say or do; that is why many are deceived by an apparent goodness.

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

Seeking God

Sometimes we actually seek God before the union occurs. We think we begin the process because we are aware of our own activities, but fail to perceive what God is already doing.

Make no mistake about it, God always acts first, whether we notice it or not. Unless God unites with us there is nothing we can do to unite with God. Before we make any decision regarding these things, God is already present and active. It is when he responds to our response, assisting us where we are weak, that we first notice him entering our hearts. At other times God helps us into closer union without allowing us to observe what is happening.

From Living Love, A Treatise On The Love Of God by St. Francis De Sales

Footprints

During your times of trial and suffering,

when you see only one set of footprints,

it was then that I carried you!

From "Footprints" author Unknown

Hungry for God

You tell me that you feel more than usually starved for Holy Communion....Humble yourself as much as you can, my daughter, and warm yourself inside with the holy love of Christ crucified, so that you can spiritually digest this heavenly food as you should....

But what do you think this means, digesting Jesus Christ spiritually? People who have a good digestion feel their whole body strengthened as the food distributes itself evenly to every part of them. In the same way, my daughter, people who have good spiritual digestion feel that Jesus Christ who is their food penetrates to every part of their soul and of their body and communicates himself to them.

St. Francis de Sales in a letter to Jane de Chantal

A Personal Inventory

You and I must open ourselves to the question: What is life for? We should get right down into the fabric of our daily lives. What am I doing? Is my life a series of deadlines...metings...clearing my desk...answering phones...moving from one crisis to the next?

Do I look forward to the stretch of life that is ahead of me? To next week? to the coming year? Is mine a hand-to-mouth existence? Is it a matter of "getting by"?

When I wake up in the morning, is my first reaction: "Good morning, God!" or "Good God, morning!"? Am I in a survival contest? Do I feel Trapped? Am I just hanging on? Am I asking: How much longer can I take this?

Supernatural Peace, the Sweet Reward

Our senses may suffer so intensely at times, as to make us feel that we have lost supernatural peace, the very core of happiness. But this is not true, so long as we endeavor to unite ourselves with the Holy Will of God, even though our efforts may seem poor and ineffective. In the supernatural sense of the term, nothing else is essential to real peace and happiness, except the sincere desire and continued effort to comply with the good pleasure of God in everything.

From "The Holy Will of God" by Fr. Leo Pyzalski, C.SS.R.

Acts Persistently Repeated Beget.....

We know the law of human nature: acts produce habits; habits breed dispositions; dispositions form the will; and the rightly-formed will is character.

It is not otherwise in the work of grace. Acts, persistently repeated, beget habits and dispositions, and these strengthen the will, He who works both to will and to do comes with His mighty power and Spirit.

From Humility by Andrew Murray

The Devout Man

A good and devout man first disposes his works inwardly which he is to do outwardly.

The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas A. Kempis

Self-Discipline

Self-discipline is the key to personal greatness. It is the magic quality that opens all doors for you, and makes everything else possible. With self-discipline, the average person can rise as far and as fast as his talents and intelligence can take him. But without self-discipline, a person with every blessing of background, education and opportunity will seldom rise above mediocrity.

Mac Anderson