Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

(Cannon Beach, OR 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! My wife and I just returned from an extended trip out West to visit our son and his family. What a blessed experience it was!  It will take me some time to "catch up" but at our hostess's request, I have included the following links to three older articles: What Is Impossible for One Man to Accomplish by Himself Becomes Entirely Possible with Your Help! Eucharistic Reflection There Are No Loopholes! Here is what I shared this week having prepared and scheduled these posts for publication before I left for my trip: Do You Treasure His Presence? Care About Your Soul? Eucharistic Reflection - "He No Longer Rules" Pondering Tidbits of Truth - August 28, 2014

( (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) 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. Gregory "If you have no temptations then the devil is your friend, your guide, and your shepherd. If he now permits your life to flow on int peace, he will at the end of your life draw you down into the abyss."

(Image of St. Eymard: Wikimedia Commons ) "Moreover, you must console our Lord. He expects consolation from you and will receive it with pleasure. Ask Him to prepare good priests for Himself; priests who are apostolic and zealous for the salvation of souls; priests who are the glory of their age and who present God with kingdoms. Beg Him to take ownership of everything, and to be not only a Savior, - that supposes nothing but sacrifice, - but a King, and a King of peace with absolute power. Console Him for His being so little treated as a King in His own kingdom. Alas! Our Lord is vanquished! In heaven He is an all-powerful Ruler Who commands saints and angels and is faithfully obeyed. Not so here below. Men, - the children He ransomed, - have got the best of Him. He no longer rules over Catholic peoples. Let us establish His kingdom in us at least, and work at restoring it everywhere."  (From New Year Wishes to Our Eucharistic Lord by Saint  Peter Julian Eymard) ...

Then it's time to do something about it!

My wife and I will be boarding a train later this afternoon to return home ending a nearly three week visit with our son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. I thank God that He blessed us with this unforgettable time together. Unfortunately, my visits to the local Catholic Church here created a heaviness and sadness  in my heart. There was no tabernacle in the main Church or Chapel. Our Lord was confined to a small room that accommodated only eight individuals.

(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! I am still on the road and will try to answer this week's question when we arrive home and I have a chance to catch up on things. Monday Musings - Recalling Life-Changing Moments Talk About A Forgotten Truth! On the Feast Day of St. John Eudes  Got To Know Who Your Enemy Is! Eucharistic Reflection - Looking For the Sacramental Species With Eyes of Faith

[The following guidelines given to priests will no doubt enhance our devotion as well.]  (Image source: Dreamstime.com ) "After uttering the words which bring Christ down upon the altar, look at the sacramental species with the eyes of faith. As you kneel, see the legions of angels which surround Christ and adore him with profound reverence. This sight should make you exceedingly humble.

If we do not know who is out to destroy our souls, how can we expect to avoid eternity in hell?

“Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make His spirit, His devotion, His affections, His desires and His disposition live and reign there. All our religious exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given us to do unceasingly.”                        ( St. John Eudes from The Life and Reign of Jesus in Christian Souls )

Do you get a sense that St. Bernard knew what was coming? Just look around this crazy world we inhabit. Might we be wise to heed his warning?

(Photo©Michael Seagriff)   [There are times when we should just stop, sit and silently recall some of the life-changing moments we have experienced in our lives but may have buried in the stone piles of our mind. My writing group recently suggested that we resurrect and record some of those memories. It was a good exercise and one I hope you will be encouraged to follow after reading the three little vignettes I shared.] *********************** I wasn’t nervous - really. “Should I be?” I asked my best man. “Good grief, man,” responded my not too clear headed buddy. “She’s a half hour late and lives just one block away from the Church! That’s a sign man – a bad sign. If I were you, I would leave this place pronto.”

(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! Here is what I scheduled for automatic publishing while out West visiting my son and his family: Sorry not to answer yet another question but am on vacation visiting my son, his wife and our two grandchilden in Seattle area and treasuring every second. Do Something - He Is Still Thirsting For Your Love Medicine For Our Soul Eucharistic Reflection - May His Gaze Meet Yours  Pondering Tidbits of Truth - August 14, 2014

( Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) 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. Augustine “We should hear the Gospel as if Our Lord were present and speaking to us. We must not say ‘happy were those who could see him’, for many of those who saw him crucified him; and many of those who have not seen him have believed in him. The very words that came from Our Lord’s lips were written down and kept and preserved for us.”

"Beloved souls, in suffering and in joy, go to Jesus hidden in the Sacred Host and let the sweetness of His loving gaze fill you. Like the sick who expose their diseased bodies to the healing rays of the sun, expose your miseries, no matter what they are, to the beams of light streaming forth from the Sacred Host. 

Many are more willing to subject themselves to extremely painful and sometimes risky medical procedures in order to regain their physical health, but flee from the sufferings essential for the salvation of their souls.

Do you become upset when you see our Lord ignored or disrespected? I hope so! I frequently write about the lack of reverence toward, and belief in, our Lord’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament and His on-going thirst to be loved by each of us. If you are interested, you can read some of my past posts on this subject here and here . In fact, I even wrote a book, I Thirst for Your Love – one which author, speaker and ETWN host, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, has highly recommended. This is what she has written: "Tender, earnest, and heartfelt— I Thirst For Your Love is an excellent collection of beautiful poignant Eucharistic reflections. Author Michael Seagriff believes we have lost the sense of the Sacred and offers countless reasons for us to pause and ponder Jesus’ Sacred thirst for our love. I highly recommend this book." 

(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!   My wife and I have been traveling across the country via train with no internet access. I scheduled publication of the following posts before we left: Holding On To Anything? Are You A Walking Jesus? Silence Is A Two Edge Sword Eucharistic Reflection - Become The Food of My Soul Feast Day of St. Dominic, Founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) Catholic Online was gracious to publish two additional posts: What Happened to Zeal For the Salvation of Souls? Finding God Through Suffering

The bride and I are traveling cross country to visit our son, his wife and our two youngest grandchildren.  I was unable to write something new for this occasion, so I am sharing a previous post in order to give you a glimpse into this great Church leader and the Order he founded. May something you read there ignite a passion for Truth and zeal for the salvation of souls.

"Jesus, my God, I adore You, here present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar, where You wait day and night to be our comfort while we await Your unveiled presence in heaven. Jesus, my God, I adore You in all places where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved and where sins are committed against this Sacrament of Love. Jesus, my God, I adore You for all time, past, present and future, for every soul that ever was, is or shall be created. Jesus, my God, who for us has endured hunger and cold, labor and fatigue, I adore You. Jesus, my God, who for my sake has deigned to subject Yourself to the humiliation of temptation, to the perfidy and defection of friends, to the scorn of Your enemies, I adore You. Jesus, my God, who for us has endured the buffeting of Your passion, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the heavy weight of the cross, I adore You. Jesus, my God, who, for my salvation and that of all mankind, was cruelly nailed to the cross and hung there for three long ho...

Knowing when to remain silent and when to speak has eternal consequences.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons ) At the time I made temporary promises as a Lay Dominican I had to select a religious name. Throughout my preparation as a postulant and novice, I had been exposed to a host of Dominican Saints and Blesseds – all worthy of emulation and whose example and name would serve me well. Yet, I had an urge to take the name of the little Fatima visionary Francisco. It did not seem too far afield for this new Dominican to do so. Francisco would often go to Church and sit on the floor next to the tabernacle so that he could be closer to his “Hidden Jesus”.  I love spending time with my “Hidden Jesus” and encouraging others to come before Him as well. Like Francisco and all Dominicans, I love our Blessed Mother, the rosary, and have a deep passion and love for the Eucharist.  I participate in and coordinate Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration in my former parish. Francisco and my lay vocation seemed like a good fit to me.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons ) [Brief Reflection on Matthew 14:13-21] The little that we have – be it in material goods, time  or talents – is sufficient for God’s work if, when He asks, we would just give whatever that is to Him. Take notice in today’s Gospel what He did with five loaves of bread and two fish! On the surface, it looked like Jesus was asking His Apostles to do the impossible – feed thousands of  people. He wasn’t. He was asking them to give Him what they had and He would make the impossible possible. God will never give us a task, no matter how daunting it may first appear, without giving us all that we need to complete it. The first step is our total surrender to, and trust in, His will for us. So let’s ask ourselves: Is there anything I am still holding on to and unwilling to give Him?

(Photo©Michael Seagriff) I t'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! Here is what I posted this week: Guest Post - Be Disruptive! Eucharistic Reflection - He Instituted the Eucharist Just For You! Loving God Pondering Tidbits of Truth- July 31, 2014 Be Bold! Love Your Priests! Share This Reflection With Them! 

What follows is a magnificent exhortation to our priests. It originated on Vultus Christi , a site you must visit regularly.  I have taken the liberty of posting this here since Father Mark has allowed me to do so in the past and because I am convinced it must be disseminated as widely as possible. I am asking three things of those who read this post: (1) Ponder this powerful profound reflection.  Revisit and read it from time to time; (2) Copy and paste this reflection, add a personal note of gratitude and a promise of prayerful support to it, then give the copy to your pastor and all other priests whom you know. Never stop praying for them and their sanctification; and (3) Consider going to the Silverstream Monastery icon in the right column and making a contribution to the work of this unique and vital religious community. Now the reflection:   Nothing of What I See Escapes the Reach of My Mercy Every priest of Mine is in passage from this world to t...