Pondering Tidbits of Truth - July 31, 2025

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.

Mother Angelica  "Please, make a visit every so often. Just go into your church for a moment and say, “Hi, Jesus, I’m here. I don’t have much to say.” He knows that...He wants our will, our love, our faith, and our trust. Remember now, you have that, you have everything. Every day, whatever church you belong to, he waits in that tabernacle, hoping when that door opens, it’s you."

 

St. Peter Julian Eymard "Oh! How well the devil knows that by keeping souls away from the Eucharist he is destroying the Christian family and fostering selfishness in us. For there are only two loves: the love of God and the love of self. We must give ourselves to the one or to the other. How unhappy are they who no longer have the Eucharist! What darkness! What lawlessness of mind! What coldness of heart! Satan alone reigns as master and with him every evil passion! As for us, the Eucharist delivers us from all evils!"         (An excerpt 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 wisdom, these things are only the names of disasters, names that have no substance. No, the true disaster is to offend God, to do anything that displeases him."

 (From A Year With The Church Fathers)

Eucharistic Reflection - What Will Save the World

(Photo ©Father Lawrence Lew, O.P. Used with Permission)

We see clearly how in lands of comfort, wealth and abundance, man destroys himself, self-destructs, because he forgets God and thinks only of his riches and earthly well-being. What saves the world is the bread of God. Man must be nourished with the bread of God - and the bread of God - is Christ Himself.

What will save the world is a man kneeling before God, to adore and to serve Him. God is not at our service. It is we who are at His service.

(Cardinal Robert Sarah, July 26, 2025 Homily marking the 400^th anniversary of Saint Anne, mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary, at her shrine in Sainte-Anne d’Auray, Brittany, France)

Monday Musings - Made In His Image

We are often prone to despair and self-pity. We are quick to abandon fundamental Truths when confronted with adversity.  We forget that we are the adopted children of God and think that He has abandoned us.  We don't  believe that He has a plan for our lives or that with Him all things are possible. 

We refuse to believe  everything that God allows in our lives is intended to  assure our eternal salvation. So we avoid Him at all costs and go to  people, places and activities that can never make us truly happy. We convince ourselves that we don't need God. We so despise ourselves that we hang our heads low, fearful of seeing an image of ourselves in the glass panes of the store fronts we walk by. 

But we must look up. We must look into the cracked windows of our souls so that we can see ourselves as God sees us - as unique, magnificent treasures made in His image. Once we open our eyes to this Truth, our lives will change. We will seek to see God in everyone else with whom we interact, especially those whom the world consider "the least of us".

God doesn't make junk. He desires to dwell within us here on this earth and to spend eternity with us in heaven - that is why He created You.

So look up. See Jesus extending His Holy Hands. Grab them. Hold onto them. There is no sin He will not forgive a repentant sinner. Keep your eyes on His and never again doubt how much He loves you - you whom he made in His image.

Eucharistic Reflection - Father Donald H Calloway, MIC Is Spot On!

"What would it be like to see your favorite Saint praying before the Blessed Sacrament. It would probably move you to tears. A saint’s devotion, reverence and silence before the Real Presence would leave no doubt in your mind that Jesus is truly present in the holy Eucharist. Shouldn't this be the case with all Catholics? Shouldn't this be the case with all clergy? What about you? Are you reverent in church? Are you quiet in church? Would someone who saw you praying before the Blessed Sacrament be inspired by your example of Eucharistic piety?

If you are doing these things, praise God! Many are not observing these things in church. Too many people arrive late for Holy Mass and leave immediately after Holy Communion so as to get out of the parking lot before everybody else. Before holy Mass in many parishes people are conversing in and over the pews, the choir is rehearsing and those involved in various functions at Mass are running around doing last minute tasks. Some of these things are unavoidable, of course, but it does not seem that silence before and after Mass is rare these days. With so much noise, are people truly able to prepare their hearts for the celebration of holy Mass? Are they able to give thanks and pray in silence after Mass? In many parishes, people would find a peaceful and quiet preparation and Thanksgiving very hard to do.

Sometimes the priest himself is busy as a beaver before Holy Mass, offering very little witness to recollection and prayer. Priests don't need to be stoic in a corner praying, of course, but your average person in the parish rarely sees their priest at prayer before, after or outside of Holy Mass. When is the last time you saw your priest on his knees before a Tabernacle praying? Have you ever seen him pray before or after Holy Mass? Most people have never seen this from their priests. What would happen if people came to church and saw their pastor kneeling before the Tabernacle in prayer preparing for Holy Mass? Silence. That is what would happen. That silence would change everything. People coming inside would stop talking and imitate the priest, their father, kneeling down to pray and recollect themselves in preparation for Holy Mass Do not all children imitate their parents?

What about after Mass? What would happen if instead of going outside the church to shake hands with everyone and wish them a great day, the priest returned to the sanctuary knelt down, and prayed in Thanksgiving for the Eucharist? He doesn't have to make a grand display about it, but his actions would undoubtedly spark a Eucharistic revival in that parish. No useless committee work needed. No strategic planning required. No funds spent."

(From 30 Day Eucharistic Revival - a Retreat with Saint Peter Julian Eymard by Father Donald H Calloway, MIC. Use with permission)

Monday Musings - What Happens to Pure Souls?

 

Pondering Tidbits of Truth - July 17, 2025

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.

Dom Lorenzo Scupoli

"No creature ever loved Jesus Christ more ardently, nor showed more perfect submission to His will, than Mary, His mother. If then, this Savior, immolated for us sinners, gave His mother to us, an advocate and intercessor for all time, she cannot but comply with His request, and will not refuse us her assistance. Let us, then, not hesitate to implore her pity; let us have recourse to her with great confidence in all our necessities, as she is an inexhaustible source of blessing, bestowing her favors in proportion to the confidence placed in her."

 (From Spiritual Combat)

 

Alice von Hildebrand

“But the recognition of our nothingness should go hand in hand with an awareness that God, the infinitely good and merciful God, loves His creatures, these poor beggars that He has knighted by making them to His image and likeness. The moment that man perceives both his misery and his greatness, the consciousness that he is loved brings him to such overwhelming joy that, appropriately, he prefers to be nothing because the one who loves him and whom he has learned to love is everything.” 

(From The Privilege of Being a Woman)

 

St. Therese of Lisieux "I realize as never before that the Lord is gentle and merciful; He did not send me this heavy cross until I could bear it. If He had sent it before, I am certain that it would have discouraged me . . . I desire nothing at all now except to love until I die of love. I am free, I am not afraid of anything, not even of what I used to dread most of all . . . a long illness which would make me a burden to the community. I am perfectly content to go on suffering in body and soul for years, if that would please God. I am not in the least afraid of living for a long time; I am ready to go on fighting."  (From The Story of a Soul)

 

Eucharistic Reflection - What A God Who Loves Us Can Do

"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 Marie Vianney

Monday Musings - Praying

 

Eucharistic Reflection - Don't Be Passive

"Offer your whole life to the Lord during Mass every day. Put yourself on the patent with the bread that will become the Body of the Lord. Be the water that is mingled with the wine that will become His precious Blood."

(Excerpt from Communion is a Flame Bursting Within by Catherine Doherty, Servant of God)

Monday Musings - Lift Up Your Gaze!

[What follows is just one of 150 thought-provoking quotations you will encounter in Pondering Tidbits of Truth, Volume 6.]

Venerable Bruno Lanteri 

"Do you find yourself turning inward, preoccupied by your anxieties and burdened by your failings? 'Instead of turning in on yourself, lift your gaze often with peace and love to God.' Often. With peace. With love. The less you focus on your failures and the more you gaze on the Lord with peace and love, the more your heart will lift, the stronger you will become, the more joy you will find. Tell Him that 'you want to be totally His' and, with boldness, tell Him that 'it is His to make you become better'! 

(From Overcoming Spiritual Discouragement - The Wisdom and Spiritual Power of Venerable Bruno Lanteri) 

PAUSE AND PONDER: Is my first inclination when troubled and challenged to turn to God and ask for His assistance? If not, why am I hesitant to do so? Do I believe God can change me? Have I ever asked Him to? 

*****

[This is what Catholic author, Janeen Zaio had to say about this book.

Like having a saint for a spiritual director.  - One of the luxuries of the Catholic life is having your own spiritual director to encourage and challenge you; however, with the shortage of priests, it’s just not possible for most Catholics. Reading the book Pondering Tidbits of Truth is like meeting with a spiritual director in the comfort of your home. And this spiritual director has the intelligence of Pope Benedict XVI, the fire of Venerable Fulton Sheen, the insight of Cardinal Sarah, the courage of Pope Leo XIII, and the wisdom of many more ancient saints and contemporary theologians.

In this powerful book, Michael Seagriff has collected 150 quotes from the some of the greatest Catholic minds. But it’s not just a book that makes us admire the lofty ideas of the saints. After each quote, Seagriff added questions to challenge readers so that we examine ourselves and strive to imitate the saints.

Pondering Tidbits of Truth is such an enjoyable read that I found myself smiling, nodding my head, and writing in the margin. It’s a book for people at all stages of the faith journey whether they’re devout or lukewarm, young or old. In fact, reading one tidbit each night would make a quick but worthwhile addition to family prayer time.

It encourages readers to think about the critical questions of life such as, “Why did God put me here right now?” and it also gives concrete ideas for incorporating holy practices throughout the day.

Seagriff challenges readers to have a relationship with God, especially the Holy Spirit, Who is so often overlooked. He also helps readers appreciate the precious gift of Our Lord’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Most urgently, readers consider the consequences of not knowing, loving, and serving God.

It’s as if Seagriff read many of the greatest Catholic books and articles, highlighted the best parts, and served them up for us in an easily digestible way. I enthusiastically recommend that you savor this smorgasbord of wisdom and share it with others.”]

Eucharistic Reflection - Face Any Kind of Day

"Everything can be borne between two Masses if every morning we eat the bread of Saints. We will be able to face any kind of day. We will plunge into the sea of fire and come out burning ready to go forth and light fires of love. 

You are an empty chalice. Every morning you have to be filled. Every morning you offer yourself, your day, your being and consecrate yourself as a sacrifice to make up for what is wanting in the passion of Christ. I eat Christ in the morning and I am eating up myself through the day."

(Communion is a Flame Bursting Within by Catherine Doherty)