Pondering Tidbits of Truth - August 28, 2014

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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."

St. Ignatius of Loyola

“The human person is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by so doing to save his or her soul. The other things on the face of the earth are created for human beings in order to help them pursue the end for which they are created.

It follows from this that one must use other created things in so far as they help towards one's end, and free oneself from them in so far as they are obstacles to one's end. To do this we need to make ourselves in­different to all created things, provided the matter is subject to our free choice, and there is no prohibition. Thus as far as we are concerned, we should not want health more than illness, wealth more than, poverty, fame more than disgrace, a long life more than a short  one, and similarly for all the rest, but we should desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for which we are created.”

(From Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Personal Writings, Joseph A. Munitz and Philip Endean, Trs.)

St. Josemaria Escriva

"Have you ever thought how you would prepare yourself to receive Our Lord if you could go to Communion only once in your life? We must be thankful to God that He makes it so easy for us to come to Him; but we should show our gratitude by preparing ourselves to receive him very well."

(From The Forge)