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. Catherine of Genoa    "The greatest suffering of the souls in purgatory, it seems to me, is the awareness that something in them displeases God, that they have deliberately gone against His great goodness. I can also see that the divine essence is so pure and light-filled—much more than we can imagine—that the soul that has but the slightest imperfection would rather throw itself into a thousand hells than appear thus before the divine presence."   (From  Treatise on Purgatory )   Dr. Kathleen Cuddihy, O.P. “Our Lord is here in all His Divinity and Humility in the Holy Eucharist, waiting for us to come.  To come, to spend time with Him in Adoration, to receive Him into our bodies during Mass, to unite with Him.  Our ever loving, merciful Father is present with us, we can look upon Him, speak to Him.  G...

"Before (Jesus') gaze, all falsehood melts away. This encounter with Him, as it burns us, transforms and frees us, allowing us to become truly ourselves...His gaze, the touch of His heart heals us through an undeniably painful transformation as through fire. But it is a blessed pain, in which the holy power of His love sears through us like a flame, enabling us to become totally ourselves and thus totally of God." Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi , 47

 

(Photo©Father Lawrence Lew, O.P. - Used With Permission) " Loving souls can find no greater delight than to be in the company of those whom they love. If we, then, love Jesus Christ much, behold we are now in His presence.  Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament sees us and hears us; shall we, then, say nothing to Him? Let us console ourselves in His company; let us rejoice in His glory, and in the love which so many enamored souls bear Him in the Most Holy Sacrament. Let us desire that all should love Jesus in the Holy Sacrament, and consecrate their hearts to Him; at least let us consecrate our affections to Him. He should be all our love and our whole desire." (St. Alphonsus Liguori)

Homiletic and Pastoral Review Magazine  Book Reviews – November 2023 Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore  – Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic.  Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore: Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration . Hammondsport, NY: The Lay Fraternity of St. Dominic, 2023. 351 pages. Reviewed by Fr. Ignatius John Schweitzer, OP.  ( Reprinted here with permission ) As part of the effort toward Eucharistic Revival, the Dominican Laity have released an inexpensive new book on Eucharistic Adoration,  Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore: Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration . It is a unique and exceptional book worthy of the parish’s adoration chapel and also as a gift for a friend who has yet to discover the Eucharist. The book gathers together about 175 reflections of Lay Dominicans on what Eucharistic adoration means to them, what they do during a holy hour, ways that the Eucharist has transformed them,...

I am finding Father Calloway's "retreat" to be very fruitful and highly recommend this book to all. Here is an excerpt: “While the devil definitely wants you to sin and offend God and his love, the devil knows well that the only thing that can bring you true happiness in this life and everlasting joy in the next, is the Holy Eucharist. It is for this reason that the devil's primary tactic of bringing souls to ruin is to estrange them from the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the key to happiness and true life in God. The devil doesn't want you to go to heaven. He wants you to go to hell. The devil knows that if he can get you to doubt the Real Presence, it is very likely that you will eventually fall away from believing in sin, hell and the devil himself. He knows that to walk away from the Eucharist is to walk away from life. To abandon belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is to lack trust in God's merciful love and plan for your salvation. T...

"What does Jesus Christ do in the Eucharist? It is God who, as our Savior, offers Himself each day for us to His Father's justice. If you are in difficulties and sorrows, He will comfort and relieve you. If you are sick, He will either cure you or give you strength to suffer so as to merit Heaven. If the devil, the world, and the flesh are making war upon you, He will give you the weapons with which to fight, to resist, and to win victory. If you are poor, He will enrich you with all sorts of riches for time and eternity. Let us open the door of His Sacred and adorable Heart, and be wrapped about for an instant by the flames of His love, and we shall see what a God who loves us can do. O my God, who shall be able to comprehend?"   St. John Vianney    

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. Archbishop Luis M. Martinez, Servant of God "As an audience maintains silence to hear better the voice of an orator, as music lovers keep silence during a symphony to admire its artistic beauty, so the silence of contemplation is nothing other than the indispensable condition for hearing the voice of God and addressing to Him our heartfelt words." (From When God is Silent: Finding Spiritual Peace Amidst The Storms of Life )   Father Donald Haggerty "To give ourselves to God in prayer is to find a door in our heart unlocking and opening to the hearts of other people." (From his Contemplative Enigmas )   St. Jean-Pierre de Caussade "Sometimes we live in God and sometimes God lives in us. These are very different states. When God lives in us, we should abandon ourselves com...

"Do you feel unworthy to Receive Holy Communion? You should. You are unworthy. We are all unworthy. Knowing your unworthiness is a sign that you have a healthy spiritual life and proper disposition for receiving Holy Communion... Though we are all unworthy of such a great gift, our Retreat Master [St. Peter Julian Eymard] is very clear that the only thing that should keep us from Holy Communion is mortal sin." (Excerpt from 30 Day Eucharistic Revival - A Retreat with St. Peter Julian Eymard by Father Donald H. Calloway, MIC)