Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

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. John of the Cross "All you who are tormented and afflicted, laboring beneath the burden of anxiety and desire, cast it aside by coming unto Me, and I will refresh you; and your souls shall find that rest of which your desires rob you." (From The Ascent of Mount Carmel )

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 Revisiting Wednesdays. Do yourself a favor- go here 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 the post I have chosen to share: Monday Musings - So What’s the Rush? (Initially published April 27, 2015) (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) Many professing to be Catholic - even among those who attend Sunday Mass regularly - have lost the sense of the Sacred and their belief in the Real Presence of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The many reasons for this are beyond the scope of this brief reflection. Let me mention just two   (1) the ...

“As you kneel, see the Sacramental Species with the eyes of faith. As you knell, see the legions of angels which surround Christ and adore Him with profound reverence. This sight should make you exceedingly humble.  (Photo©Michael Seagriff) In the elevation, contemplate Christ elevated on the Cross. Ask Him to bring all things to Himself. Make fervent acts of faith, hope, love adoration, humility, saying with the mind, ‘Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me! My Lord and my God, I love you, my God. I adore you with my whole heart and soul’.  You may also renew the intention of the Mass which you are celebrating, offering up the Eucharist, according to its four ends. But when you lift up the chalice, make sure to remember in a very contrite way that the Blood of Christ has been shed for you, even though you have oftentimes despised it. Adore Him so as to make up for past neglect." (Cardinal Giovanni Bona from The Sacrifice of the Mass )

The Church's selective silence in the face of clear and unambiguous evil is impossible to reconcile with our moral obligations and the ageless wisdom of so many of our forbears in the Faith.  Why do our leaders hesitate for even a second to publicly and unrelentlessly oppose such evils as killing and harvesting of body parts for profit and continued funding of Planned Parenthood?  Why is there any delay in publicly correcting and reprimanding Catholic public figures who support  positions contrary to Church teaching and yet profess to be faithful Catholics?  Why do we refuse to immediately tell our government officials when they direct us to act contrary to our Catholic beliefs and God's Truth that we will not comply, instead of simply and meekly saying we will support Court challenges to such directives? Why? - a most compelling question requiring a loud response! Here is one offered by Father M. Raymond, O.C.S.O. more than half a century ago: ...

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons ) If you have not spent time in what we have come to call "Third World" countries, you may not realize how blessed you were to have been born in, or to have legally immigrated to, this great nation. Yes, there are far too many individuals living here who are struggling financially. But are they really poor? Many others appear to have everything. But are they truly rich? Why not listen, Mildred, and let me know what you think!

(Photo©Michael Seagriff) 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 Revisiting Wednesdays. Do yourself a favor- go here 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 week, I decided to share a guest post that appeared on my blog last January. I know Barb's words will ignite souls.  Guest Post - A Prophetic Warning!  (Originally posted  January 26, 2015) [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 soul...