Pondering Tidbits of Truth - February 26, 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.

St. Teresa of Avila

“Oh, what a hard thing I am asking of you, my true God: that you should love one who does not love you;  that you should open the door to one who does not knock; that you should give health to one who prefers to be sick and chooses rather to walk in her infirmity! You say, my Lord, that you .have come to seek out sinners. These, my Lord are the true sinners. Do not look on our blindness, oh my God, but at the streams of blood that your Son shed for us. May your mercy shine on such grave wickedness; remember, Lord, that we were made by your hands.”

(From Exclamations of the Soul to God)

It's "Worth Revisiting" Wednesday -"Listen Again to the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen"

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” Wednesdays.

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.

This is what I have chosen to share this week:

Listen Again to the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

(Originally posted on July 24, 2012)

There have always been prophets among us. Unfortunately, far too often we either do not hear them or intentionally ignore them. How different our Church and world might have been had we listened to Venerable Fulton J. Sheen.

The good news is that much of what he wrote still is readily accessible to anyone who wants to read what this often ignored messenger tried to share during his earthly life and what God is now allowing so many to re-discover and appreciate.  May more of us listen to this prophet. His wisdom and insight are timeless.

The following gem was recently quoted on Church Militant TV.com and is well worth sharing here:

Eucharistic Reflection - I Also Blush. Do You?

By means of the angels, Jesus calls the poor and simple shepherds,

in order to manifest Himself to them. 

He calls the learned men by means of their science.

And all of them, moved by His inner grace,

 hasten to adore Him. 

He calls all of us by divine inspiration, and

 communicates with us by means of His grace.

How many times has He invited us, too?
                           

And how readily have we responded? 

My God, I blush and become embarrassed

 when I have to answer such a question."

(St. Pio of Pietrelcina)

Your Hearts, Works, Joys and Sorrows Belong on the Paten

What a treasure trove of wisdom and spiritual insight our Church has accumulated over the centuries! The problem is that there are so many jewels, we forget what and where they are. 

How fortunate I was to stumble upon this gem, written more than four centuries ago:

May more of our priests follow the good Cardinal's excellent suggestion.

I also believe this is sound advice for us lay folk. Nothing prevents us from prayerfully offering Jesus our hearts, works, joys and sorrows each day at Mass when the priest, as alter Christus, lifts the paten in his sacred and venerable hands. 

This is not a novel idea. Many make such offerings daily in the privacy of their homes or in their cars on the way to work.  Why not join those prayers with those of the priest at Mass? A number of spiritual writers have made similar suggestions. 

This is a pretty simple thing to do - silently from your pew. It strikes me as a powerful and appropriate way for the laity to more "actively participate" in the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

What do you think?

One Act of Random Kindness

Thanks to my friend, Cathy V, I have the privilege of share this video - it is the simple gestures of kindness that have lasting impact:

Sunday Snippets - February 22, 2015

(Photo©Michael Seagriff)

It's Sunday and time to join an interesting group of Catholic bloggers at RAnn's place where you are sure to find something that will touch your heart and stir your soul. Take a few minutes and visit!

This is what I shared this week:

Prayer and That Persistent Pest

A Different Kind of Lenten Devotion - Part II

Homilies - When Was The Last Time You Were Challenged to Change the Way You Live?

What Does The World Need? 

Spend Time With Him! 

"It's Worth Revisiting" Wednesday - How's This for Clarity in Preaching?

"It's Worth Revisiting" Wednesday - How's This for Clarity in Preaching?

Thanks again 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” Wednesdays.

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: