Pondering Tidbits of Truth - January 29, 2015

Pondering Tidbits of Truth is my simple and inadequate way of providing nuggets of spiritual wisdom for you to chew on from time to time.

Father Jean Nicholas Grou

“God wishes-us to fear His justice, so that we may avoid sin, so that we may forsake it as soon as possible, so that we may ex­piate it by penance, so that we may never think we have expi­ated it sufficiently, and so that we may not lightly presume on the hope of pardon. But at the same time He wishes us to trust in Him, to hope for all things from His mercy, to return to Him through love rather than fear, and never to allow ourselves to become the prey of a terror that is without foundation and in­jurious to God, and that can have no other effect than to dis­courage and dishearten us.

But how far are we to carry this trust in God? As far as His power and His goodness; as far as our own weakness and our own misery; that is to say, our trust is to be boundless.”

(From The Spiritual Life-A Comprehensive Guide for Catholics Seeking Salvation)

St. Thomas Aquinas

[Almsgiving] is more useful for the one who practices it than for the one who receives it, for the man who makes a practice of almsgiving draws out a spiritual profit from his acts, whilst those who receive his alms receive only a temporal benefit.

(From Commentary on the Second Epistle to the Corintihians)

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

“But whatever be the reason for these trying days, of this we may be certain:  The Christ Who suffered under Pontius Pilate signed Pilate’s death warrant; it was not Pilate who signed Christ’s.  Christ’s Church will be attacked, scorned, and ridiculed, but it will never be destroyed…. The bold fact the enemies of God must face is that modern civilization has conquered the world, but in doing so has lost its soul.  And in losing its soul it will lose the very world it gained. Even our own so-called liberal culture in the United States, which has tried to avoid complete secularization by leaving little zones of individual freedom, is in danger of forgetting that these zones were preserved only because religion was in their soul.  And as religion fades so will freedom, for only where the spirit of God is, is there liberty.”

(From Characters of Passion as quoted by Patti McGuire Armstrong in Venerable Fulton J. Sheen on Politics)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

“It’s Worth Revisiting” Wednesday - Not This Time Buddy

Thanks to the generosity and encouragement of Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan, an ever-expanding group of Catholic bloggers take the time each week to re-post their favorite articles on “It’s Worth Revisiting” Wednesday.

Do yourself a favor- go there now (and every Wednesday) and let these authors bless and challenge you in Faith journey.

During the rest of each week. visit Allison at  Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb.  You will be pleased with what they share.

 Here is what I am sharing this week:

Not This Time Buddy

(Originally posted 4/23/12)

I am ashamed to admit how easily I fall prey to the “blues.” God has immensely blessed me in this life and I have no real reason for ever feeling down and discouraged.  But, of course, I am human and prone to such disorders.

In reflecting (many times) on what might set me off on this non-productive path, I discovered a number of culprits, these being the “big three” - thinking I can actually accomplish anything of value by myself and without God’s grace and assistance; being self-centered and self-absorbed; and not being present and helpful to others.

The solution then seems so obvious: allow God to be God and use me as His instrument, put others before myself, and do something concrete to help someone.

Inevitably, the “blues” evaporate whenever I stop thinking of myself and focus on God and my neighbor.

But lately, these demons, like vultures circling their prey, have refused to leave. They have used my love for our Eucharistic Lord and passion for Eucharistic Adoration, to imbed their claws into my weak soul.

No Better Place To Be! No Better Thing To Do!

There is no better place to be and no better thing to do on this earth than to be on our knees adoring and worshiping our Loving Lord who humbles Himself to remain with us until the end of time.

Thanks to Video Catechism and JD Trevors for sharing this video. Pass it along then go visit Him!

On The Feast Day of St. Thomas Aquinas

I recently began reading St. Thomas Aquinas by G.K. Chesterton. I highly recommend this book!

Although I do not know if the following tale Chesterton shares about our Angelic Doctor is true, I just had to share it with you:

"It was of him [St.Thomas Aquinas] that the tale was told, and would certainly have been told more widely among us if it had been told of a Puritan, that the Pope pointed to his gorgeous Papal Palace and said, "Peter can no longer say 'Silver and gold have I none' "; and the Spanish friar an­swered, "No, and neither can he now say, 'Rise and walk.' "

St. Thomas Aquinas pray for us.

Eucharistic Reflection – There Would Have Been No Need of Christ Coming to Earth If…

“If we were naturally good and naturally progressive, there would have been no need of Christ coming to earth to make men good. Those who are well have no need of a physician. If all were right with the world, God would have stayed In His Heaven. His Presence in the crib in Bethlehem is a witness not to our progress, but to our misery. Just as Christmas is a season for exchanging gifts with friends, so Our Lord came to this poor earth of ours to exchange gifts. He said to us, as only a good God could say: "You give Me your humanity and I will give you My divinity; you give Me your time and I will give you My eternity; you give Me your weary body and I will give you redemption; you give Me your broken heart and I will give you love; you give Me your nothingness and I will give you My All.”

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                   (Venerable Fulton J. Sheen,  December 20, 1964 )

Guest Post - A Prophetic Warning!

Although I have not yet had the privilege to physically meet the gifted writer whose work I am about to share with you, we are not strangers.

Barbara Schoeneberger, M.A. has challenged and stirred my soul (and countless other souls) through her words and inspiring example.

She has struggled for more than a decade with, among other crosses, physical limitations, surgeries and chronic pain. Once she understood "the purpose of her suffering", her life changed. Through sharing her life's experiences and spiritual journey, Barbara hopes her writings will "help others to make the most of the challenges God has sent them."
   
You would serve the welfare of your soul well if you made a point of visiting her frequently at  Suffering With Joy.

Barbara has graciously consented to my sharing one of her most recent and timely posts - one that should be widely read and disseminated :


A Prophetic Warning!

by Barbara Schoeneberger

Cleaning out a file cabinet this past week I found this copy of a presentation Servant of God Father John A. Hardon, S.J. gave in 1999 at the national meeting of the Institute on Religious Life. I’ve been a fan of Father Hardon’s ever since he came to my attention in the mid to late 1990s. At that time I took his Marian Catechist program and bought all of the tapes he offered through Eternal Life. It was a great blessing to hear him speak the teachings of the Church with no ambiguity.

 

Present at that meeting of the Institute were Cardinal George, Bishops Bruskewitz, Doran, and Timlin, and many superiors of religious institutes. As we begin a new year in a world that has deteriorated measurably since 1999, we, although we may not be vowed religious, would do well to reflect on his words.

Continue reading HERE at Barbara's blog.

Oh! To Be a Joyful Dominican Witness!

They are at it again!!!