Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

A fellow Lay Dominican was kind enough to write this review of Stirring Slumbering Souls - 250 Eucharistic Reflections . I wanted to show her my appreciation by sharing it with you: "This book is the most useful one I know to help transition from worldly distractions to a heart to heart visit before the Blessed Sacrament. I take it with me, and I open it to any page, read it, then put it down and my visit is enriched by the thoughts author Seagriff has provided. He has researched extensively to provide the best reflections available. One can only grow closer to God in the Blessed Sacrament by purchasing and reading this book. It is not meant to be read all at once, just slowly in short sections as food for reflection." Would you pass this post on to family, friends and loved ones? For the many souls who have already read this book and have told me how valuable you found it to be, would you co nsider posting a brief review on Amazon as well? Stirring Slumbering Souls - 25...

Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash "...I say that the intelligence finds its supreme happiness in Communion and that the more often one receives, the happier one is spiritually. God is the only source of happiness; happiness is in Him alone, and He has reserved the right to bestow it through Himself. And well it is for us that we must go to God Himself to find happiness! In this way we do not devote ourselves to creatures nor find in them our highest good. Happiness is not even in the bestowal of the priest. He gives you a share in the fruits of the Redemption, cleanses you from your sins, and gives you the peace of a clear conscience; happiness and joy he cannot give you. Mary herself, who is the Mother of Mercy, will lead you back to the right way, will appease the anger of her Son Whom you have offended; God alone will give you joy and happiness. The Angel said to the shepherds: 'I bring you good tidings of great joy; He Who is its cause and its source, your Savior and God...

(Photo by Laura Allen on Unsplash ) What is so hard, so heart-wrenching and so painful? The lack of belief in, and reverence for, Our Lord and Savior, really and substantially present in the Blessed Sacrament! So relatively few Catholics believe this fundamental and essential Truth of our Faith. Only a scant minority treasure this most Precious Gift. For the most part, we have abandoned, ignored and disrespected our imprisoned Lord. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) Many souls were denied access to Him from the outset of this pandemic. I, and many others, fear that few are the Adoration Chapels which chose to close, that will ever fully reopen. Knowing this lack of belief to be true, should not our primary catechetical focus be on re-establishing a sense of awe, amazement, belief in, and excitement for, our Eucharistic Lord? You would think so, wouldn’t you? But let me share just two recent experiences that shed some doubt on that expectation. The first public Mas...