Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

“Sadness is looking at yourself; happiness is looking at God. Conversion is nothing more than shifting your gaze from below to above.” – Saint Carlo Acutis

“The only thing we really have to fear is sin…people are so concerned with the beauty of their bodies and do not care about the beauty of their souls.” – Saint Carlo Acutis

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October 27, 2011

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A Glimpse of St. Louis Bertrand

October 09, 2012

St. Louis Bertrand, O.P. (1526-1581) His early years – On January 1, 1526, one hundred and seven years after the death of St. Vincent Ferrer, another Dominican saint was born in Valencia – St. Louis Bertrand. He was actually baptized in the same Church and font in which St. Vincent had been baptized. Louis’s father, John, was related to and had an ardent devotion to Saint Vincent . He passed that devotion to his son – one which Louis treasured throughout his life. Louis has been described as “a fretful child and nothing seemed to comfort him except the sight of the holy images in the churches”. (Wilberforce 15) However, at an early age, he dedicated himself to the service of God and his studies. He learned to read and recite the Office of Our Lady before he was eight years old. As he grew older, he seldom spoke “unless the...

Eucharistic Reflection - Sincere Contrition and Perfect Love

June 16, 2026

(Image Source: Hands at Mass ) "A Christian on leaving the holy place moved by the holy thoughts that have been aroused in him by the sight of the ceremonies he has seen, and the prayers that he has said, ought to say to himself: 'I have just come from assisting at Holy Mass, a God has immolated Himself for me; He has shed His Blood for the salvation of our souls; what more could He do?' Oh! how miserable I am, I who for so many years have refused Him my heart, which He has created for Himself and which He asks of me only in order to make it happy. I have just celebrated the praises of God with this same mouth that I had often sullied by all sorts of sins. Oh! my God, shall I always then beg from creatures the peace they are powerless to give me! My tongue shall it serve sometimes to praise You, sometimes to mispraise You. No, Lord, I now wish only to bless and to love You. Any Christian who has not, in going over these thoughts in his heart, assisted at the Holy Mass ...

Eucharistic Reflection - If Only I Had Talked to Him...

June 09, 2026

"St. Theresa of Avila once heard someone say: 'If only I had lived at the time of Jesus… If only I had seen Jesus…If only I had talked with Jesus'…To this, Theresa replied: 'But do we not have in the Eucharist the living, true and real Jesus present before us? Why look for Him?' ” (Author Unknown, from Forgotten Truths to Set Faith Afire! Words to Challenge, Inspire and Instruct )

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A PERMANENT QUESTION

"When we spend time with Jesus we become like Him. Why are we not encouraged to do so?"

Remember

"Every 'flaw' I see in others is just a reflection of my own sinful soul. I must remember this Truth the next time I choose to be unkind or critical of someone else.”

Ask Yourself:

"What have I: not seen? not heard? or not understood?"

DISCLAIMER

I am blessed to be a Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed on this blog are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole. I am neither responsible for, nor endorse content (e.g. banner ads, pop-up ads, etc.) that may be linked to this blog.

PRAYER TO BE PRESERVED FROM SUDDEN DEATH

MOST AMIABLE JESUS "I humbly implore Thee by Thy ignominious Scourging, The Crowning with Thorns, Thy Holy Cross, and by all Thy Goodness, not to permit me to pass out of this world without having received Thy most holy Sacraments." -Prayer of St. Vincent Ferrer

Spiritual Weapon Needed For Our Times - Chaplet of St. Michael The Archangel

Pray The Litany For America

Let us pray for our nation. With gratitude to my Dominican brother, Louis Pizzuti, for composing this Litany For America

God's Magnificent Creation

A Glimpse of St. Louis Bertrand

October 09, 2012

St. Louis Bertrand, O.P. (1526-1581) His early years – On January 1, 1526, one hundred and seven years after the death of St. Vincent Ferrer, another Dominican saint was born in Valencia – St. Louis Bertrand. He was actually baptized in the same Church and font in which St. Vincent had been baptized. Louis’s father, John, was related to and had an ardent devotion to Saint Vincent . He passed that devotion to his son – one which Louis treasured throughout his life. Louis has been described as “a fretful child and nothing seemed to comfort him except the sight of the holy images in the churches”. (Wilberforce 15) However, at an early age, he dedicated himself to the service of God and his studies. He learned to read and recite the Office of Our Lady before he was eight years old. As he grew older, he seldom spoke “unless the...

Eucharistic Reflection - Sincere Contrition and Perfect Love

June 16, 2026

(Image Source: Hands at Mass ) "A Christian on leaving the holy place moved by the holy thoughts that have been aroused in him by the sight of the ceremonies he has seen, and the prayers that he has said, ought to say to himself: 'I have just come from assisting at Holy Mass, a God has immolated Himself for me; He has shed His Blood for the salvation of our souls; what more could He do?' Oh! how miserable I am, I who for so many years have refused Him my heart, which He has created for Himself and which He asks of me only in order to make it happy. I have just celebrated the praises of God with this same mouth that I had often sullied by all sorts of sins. Oh! my God, shall I always then beg from creatures the peace they are powerless to give me! My tongue shall it serve sometimes to praise You, sometimes to mispraise You. No, Lord, I now wish only to bless and to love You. Any Christian who has not, in going over these thoughts in his heart, assisted at the Holy Mass ...

Eucharistic Reflection - If Only I Had Talked to Him...

June 09, 2026

"St. Theresa of Avila once heard someone say: 'If only I had lived at the time of Jesus… If only I had seen Jesus…If only I had talked with Jesus'…To this, Theresa replied: 'But do we not have in the Eucharist the living, true and real Jesus present before us? Why look for Him?' ” (Author Unknown, from Forgotten Truths to Set Faith Afire! Words to Challenge, Inspire and Instruct )

Monday Musings - Suffer the Little Children (and Sinful Prisoners Too)

July 08, 2013

(Image from Biblebios.com) If God used Balaam’s donkey to get that prophet’s attention, I guess he can use me to get yours. May these periodic postings on the second and fourth Mondays of each month (God willing) generate fruitful discussion and faithful change. I was prompted a few weeks back to go through and empty out my desk drawer. It had been far too long since I had de-cluttered it. I had forgotten the hidden treasures it contained. Then I saw them – about 15 of them. Suddenly, I realized how long it had been since I last went to prison. Odd, isn’t it. The one place I visited where I was always immensely blessed is filled with men and women whom the majority of us would never voluntarily choose to have anything to do with - no matter that our Faith teaches that all of us, including the greatest sinners among us, were created in the image and likeness of God and that each of us, without exception, by and through the unearned and undeser...

Reparation – A Forgotten Word and Concept

March 09, 2015

(Photo©Michael Seagriff) In a world which, for the most part, no longer recognizes sin or the eternal consequences of sin, and where so many summarily announce that everyone will go to heaven, “reparation” is oftentimes an unwelcomed word and theological concept. How gravely mistaken are the souls who feel this way. So what does “reparation” mean? The late Servant of God, Father John A. Hardon S.J, offers this simple explanation: “Reparation is the act or fact of making amends. It implies an attempt to restore things to their normal or sound conditions, as they were before something wrong was done. It applies mainly to recompense for the losses sustained or the harm caused by some morally bad action. With respect to God, it means making up with greater love for the failure in love through sin; it means restoring what was unjustly taken and compensating with generosity for the selfishness that caused the injury.” Obviously there is much more ...

Monday Musings - Silence Speaks

June 22, 2026

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) “We have forgotten that there is eloquence in the silent simplicity of doing one’s ordinary duty. We have forgotten that there is power and terrific impact in example. A child of six was about to undergo a tonsillectomy. The surgeon, a fallen away Catholic, to ease all tension, playfully and paternally told the little girl that he was going to help her go to sleep for a while. Whereupon the child knelt on the operating table saying: 'If I’m going to sleep, I must first say my night prayers.’ In all simplicity and with the full charm of innocent childhood she folded her hands and said what you and I have said again and again in our youth. Now I lay me down to sleep; To God I give my soul to keep. And if I die before I wake, To God I give my soul to take. That night a fallen away Catholic came back to Christ. We forget that silence speaks, that our mere presence gives testimony to the truth – or evidence of our untruth!” (Rev. ...