Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

 

" Have you ever thought about the immense gift God has given to us in the holy Eucharist? Everything you can say about Christianity is related to the Eucharist in one way or another. Open the eyes of your heart and let yourself be pierced by this mystery.   God, the second person of the most Holy Trinity, gives Himself to us in the humblest possible way, as bread and wine. The multiplication of the loaves and fishes was a beautiful miracle but our Lord did not come just to feed 4000 people on a particular day. He came to give Himself as bread every day until the end of time. The multiplication of the loaves and fishes is dwarfed by this daily multiplication of Himself at the Eucharistic banquet." (Excerpted from  Communion is a Flame Bursting Within by Catherine Doherty)

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. Father Donald H. Calloway, MIC "Many saints have claimed to see angels during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and during Eucharistic adoration. The angels are God's servants and do His holy will. They pass unnoticed before our eyes, yet, when we attend Holy Mass or Eucharistic adoration, we are surrounded by armies of holy angels. They have no self-interest; their one desire is to serve and worship God. Like soldiers on a battlefield, they fight for God and constantly await their marching orders. It should be the same for you." (From 30 Day Eucharistic Revival – A Retreat with St. Peter Julian Eymard )   St. John Chrysostom "There is nothing to be dreaded in human ills except sin—not poverty, or disease, or insult, or ill treatment, or dishonor, or death, which people call the worst of evils. To those who love spiritual ...

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons) "Our holy faith teaches us, and we are bound to believe, that in the consecrated Host, Jesus Christ is really present under the species of bread. But we must also understand that He is thus present on our altars as on a throne of love and mercy, to dispense graces and there to show us the love which He bears us, by being pleased to dwell night and day hidden in the midst of us." St. Alphonsus de Liguori

Most of us are familiar with the  miracle of the five loaves and two fish found in  Matthew 14.  When that Gospel was read recently, I ran across an article entitled Giving What You Receive . It was posted as Catholic Life's Daily Reflection for August 7, 2024. You can read this excellent post in its entirety here.   (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons) Today, I want to share an excerpt from that post - one that provides much fruit for our contemplation: "When we receive spiritual nourishment from our Lord, our first thought must be to give it away. We must first see all that we receive from God as an opportunity to bestow those blessings upon others. This is the nature of grace. For example, if we are given a sense of peace or joy within our hearts, we must realize that this peace or joy we receive is a gift that must be immediately offered to others. If we are given a spiritual insight into the Scriptures, this is given to us first and foremost to share with others. E...

"If we really love the good God, we will find it a joy and happiness to spend some time near Him, to adore Him, and keep company with so good a friend. He is there in the tabernacle. What is He doing, this good Jesus, in the sacrament of His love? He is loving us.  If you pass a church then, go in to salute Him. Would you pass the door of a friend without saying good-day? And Our Lord is a friend who has been so good to us. It would be a very ungrateful person who would not visit Him.  Come to adore Him because He is your divine friend, your Creator, and your sovereign Master? You owe Him the homage of your whole being. Bow down before Him and praise Him. Come to keep Him company in the solitude in which the Christians leave Him.  Come, my soul, redouble your fervor. You are alone to adore your God. His eyes regard you alone. Come to His feet to thank Him, and then recall the benefits of redemption; the adoption of sons; the right to eternal life; so many pardons; so many...

 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) "Communion spurs you on. It is like a flame bursting within your soul. Off you go to love passionately, recklessly, imprudently, unto folly, without counting the cost to yourself. In the Eucharist, we receive the strength to preach the Gospel with our life in everyday activities, not looking for false glamor or status. From the Eucharist, we draw the courage to go and fight. Wherever we find ourselves, these are the front lines. " Catherine Doherty, Servant of God

 

  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. Bonaventure "If you would suffer with patience the adversities and miseries of this life, be a man of prayer. If you would obtain courage and strength to conquer the temptations of the enemy, be a man of prayer. If you would mortify your own will with all its inclinations and appetites, be a man of prayer. If you would know the wiles of Satan and unmask his deceits, be a man of prayer. If you would live in joy and walk pleasantly in the ways of penance, be a man of prayer. If you would banish from you soul the troublesome flies of vain thoughts and cares, be a man of prayer. If you would nourish your soul with the very sap of devotion, and keep it always full of good thoughts and good desires, be a man of prayer. If you would strengthen and keep up your courage in the ways of God, be a man of pray...