Worth Revisiting - St. Thomas Aquinas - Kernels of Wisdom for Lenten Reflection

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Want a simple but fruitful exercise this Lent? How about chewing on one of these short but powerfully packed kernels of wisdom from St. Thomas Aquinas each day during Lent? 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

  

Our body must be subject to the soul.  Death, sickness and all defects of the body are due to lack of the body’s subjection to the soul.

Fasting is mandatory and essential to spiritual growth.  Fasting is useful for removal and prevention of sin, and for raising the mind to spiritual things.

Go to the foot of the cross.  Contemplate Him who suffered so much for me and Him Whom I should love.

Christ is likened to a seed that fell to the ground and died but brought good fruit-remission of sins, conversion and fruits and glory (grace and mercy).

Christ allowed Himself to be tempted: to strengthen us against temptation, to warn us that no one, no matter how holy, may think himself free from temptation; to give us an example of how to overcome temptation (quote scripture to Satan); and to fill us with confidence in His mercy.

Avoid all occasions of temptation.  When Satan tempts, turn immediately to the Holy Ghost Who is more powerful than Satan.

Christ suffered mentally, emotionally, physically and through His senses-for me - all external sufferings.  Why should I expect to suffer any less than He?

Christ’s physical and internal suffering far exceeded any such suffering that I can experience or endure as a human being.

The cross of Christ calls us to Him.  If we choose Him, we have life eternally.  If we reject Him and follow man, eternal damnation.

Immensity of God's mercy-God gave us His son to die for us and Christ loved us, even though we were dead in sin!

Christ suffered voluntarily out of obedience to the Father.

I must consciously choose to follow Christ, if I am to reach the intended gift of salvation.

If Christ suffered, then I too must suffer, if I want to be with him eternally - suffering in the sense of accepting whatever crosses He sends me.

All I do must be done for the glory of God.

I must be clean, stainless and a clear conscience if I expect to spend eternity in God's presence.

Christ suffered and died for us while we were still sinners.

By Christ’s Passion, the devil was deprived of his power over me.

Each one of Christ's sufferings, even without His death, would have been sufficient to redeem mankind.

After being enlightened by Christ, the Samaritan woman assumes the work of the apostle by her words and actions.  Am I to do anything less?

The lost in hell cannot avail themselves of the effects of Christ's Passion.  While I'm alive, I can choose Christ and receive the effects of His Passion.

We have been reconciled to God by Christ's Passion.

The gates of heaven were closed first by the sin of Adam and Eve, and after Christ's Passion, by our unrepentant, unconfessed, personal sin.

What thing, to which I am entitled, would I deprive myself of in reparation for my sins?

No one can be with Thee eternally unless they choose to follow You.

When praying mention just a need and trust God to know what is best!

God mercifully goes to those living in sin and attracts them to Him.

God's precious blood: cleansed us of our sins and removed the wounds of sin; redeemed us; established our peace with God; is drink and nourishment to all who receive it; opens heaven to us; and delivers the souls from purgatory.

It was more fitting that man should be delivered by Christ's Passion than simply by God's will.

Spend time at the foot of the cross with Mother Mary.

Imitate Christ.  Be a servant.  Forgive others and pray for others.

If you desire to live perfectly, despise those things Christ on the cross despised.

No one can share in the eternal kingdom and be an heir of Christ, unless he is spiritually cleansed and wholly purified of every stain of sin (Revelation 21:27).

Be a humble servant of all.

Never forget or take for granted, the mysterious fact that the Eucharist really contains Christ, who is full of Grace.

Don't squander the great gift of redemption by holding onto worldly pleasure and sinfulness.

Reflect regularly on the reality of hell and pray constantly for the souls in purgatory.

The Cross and Resurrection are tied to each other.  I will not experience Resurrection and eternal happiness if I don’t carry the crosses God sends to me.

(Paraphrased excerpts from Saint Thomas Aquinas – Meditations for Every Day)