Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

When you take the time to read the following reflection written by one of my Lay Dominican sisters, you will have no doubt that its author loves God and He her - as He does all of us.  This reflection is longer than most that I have shared on my blog - just one of 175 stirring Eucharistic Reflections you will find in Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore - Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration .  It is well-worth reading and savoring its every word and the images and experiences they will bring to mind. There is a place in the human heart that can only be filled by You, Lord. Try as we might to fill that space with glittery goods or flatterers, it remains nothing but a vacant apartment, an echo chamber, without You.   It is a place at the core of my being; I am empty, lonely, without You there. At Adoration, everything changes. If I let You in, You fill that insatiable yearning place.   You melt my iciness; my heart begins to glow.   In a mystical m...

This was a particularly trying weekend for me. I responded poorly to several unwelcome intrusions with anger, anxiety, impatience and doubt. I forgot an essential truth: that whatever was, or would be happening in my life today or anytime in the future, is intended by God for the salvation of my soul.  I had to trust Him. I had to surrender to God the concerns  that were causing me so much angst and which I was unable to resolve  on my own. I had to trust God to take care of them. I rushed to an online Adoration site I frequently visit where I could  gaze upon my waiting and loving Lord and seek His assistance.  On my way there, I rediscovered  Sanctify the Moment – The Now Moment  written by Ven. Fulton J. Sheen .   It had been some time since I had first read this article. It immediately helped me to put my current challenges into proper perspective. Hopefully, the good Archbishop's words will help you to do likewise:    ****...

  "… our first task is to adore and glorify God. It is the highest expression of our gratitude to Him and the most beautiful response our life can offer to the extraordinary love He bears us. To adore God one must set oneself apart -in silence. Come here in the silence of the heart, to listen to God. This is what it means to enter into a sacred disposition. There are sacred places set apart for God, chosen by God - these places must not be profaned by any activity other than prayer, silence and liturgy. Our churches are not theaters, nor concert halls, nor venues for cultural or recreational events. The church is the House of God. It is reserved for Him alone. We enter it with reverence and veneration, properly clothed, because we tremble before the greatness of God. We do not tremble out of fear but out of reverence, awe and wonder. …Sacred places do not belong to us; they belong to God. The purpose of the liturgy is the glory of God and the sanctification of the faithful, ...

(Photo by  Pablo García Saldaña  on  Unsplash ) This post may have no positive impact on anyone's life or it may be exactly what some soul needs to hear. It will likely cause some to attack me personally. I will leave the outcome of this effort where it belongs - in God's hands.  It is an invitation to take a look into our own souls. Where have we been and where are we headed?  Just when I thought this world had exhausted the ways it can devise to offend the God who made us in His image and likeness,  I glance at social media or school curriculum and shudder in utter shock and dismay. Too many have abandoned common sense and reason. They have no idea why God created them. Some are unable (or unwilling) to define the difference between a male or female. Others argue that there are more than two sexes. Still more believe that they can transition from one sex to another as they choose. Black has become white. Truth has been replaced with lies. The common good ...

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. John Chrysostom "Even if you do not confess, God is not ignorant of the deed, since he knew it before it was committed. Why then do you not speak of it? Does the transgression become heavier by the confession? No, it becomes lighter and less troublesome. And this is why he wants you to confess: not that you should be punished, but that you should be forgiven; not that he may learn your sin—how could that be, since he has seen it?—but that you may learn what favor he bestows. He wishes you to learn the greatness of his grace, so that you may praise him perfectly, that you may be slower to sin, that you may be quicker to virtue. And if you do not confess the greatness of the need, you will not understand the enormous magnitude of his grace."                       ...

As I have acknowledged previously,  Father Ignatius John Schweitzer, O.P gave birth to Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore – Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration  two years ago, when he invited the Lay Dominicans of the Province of St. Joseph to share their thoughts on the Eucharist and Eucharistic Adoration. He did this not knowing how many would respond or in what genre they would write. As a result of Father’s invitation, we now have a symphony of diverse reflections – from the simple to the sublime. Each reflection is a gem in its own right. Each one an invitation to a greater belief in, and reverence for, God’s Presence among us. Photo by  Eric Mok  on  Unsplash Try this gem on for size:                                                             In the Presence of the Lord  “Come out of ...

In her book, Mary's Mantle - Consecration Prayer Journal , Christine Watkins asked her readers: "Where do you place your hope? In the things and people and dreams of this world? Or in God?" She then shared the insight of St. Charles Borromeo: “God wishes us not to rest upon anything but His infinite goodness; do not let us expect anything, hope anything, or desire anything but from Him, and let us put our trust and confidence in Him alone.” Yes, St. Charles speaks the Truth - but one that is often difficult to live. Watkins' questions and St. Charles' observations prompted my writing the following personal reflection - in hopes something in it will resonate with you and stir your soul: Lord, You know well, how often I have allowed the demons of despair to destroy my spiritual and physical peace. You know Lord how I allowed this destroyer of souls to take me to a point where I begged You to end my physical life. How painful it is, even now years later, to recall...

In his Introduction to  Godhead Here in Hiding Whom I Do Adore - Lay Dominicans Reflect on Eucharistic Adoration , Father Ignatius Schweitzer, O.P., the Priest Promoter of the Lay Dominicans St Joseph Province, USA, writes:  "The Lay Dominicans in this book have discovered the secret! They have discovered the all-surpassing treasure and value and meaning we have in our Eucharistic Lord in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Adoration. Their deep yearnings have kept them coming back to the Eucharist to touch the human heart's ultimate fulfillment, God, and then to go out to the world with something to share." May Gloria J. Eldridge's refection, excerpted   from this inspiring book, entice all who read it, to discover and/or rediscover, the secret! (Photo by  Thays Orrico  on  Unsplash ) Sometimes and Always "Sometimes I pray. It might be the Rosary...the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, the Stations of the Cross. Sometimes I read. It might be Scripture...a dev...

 

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. Vinny Flynn “The first level of contrition is a contrition of fear. It's called, "imperfect contrition" or "attrition," because it's motivated by awareness of the ugliness of sin and by fear of eternal damnation. Prompted by the Holy Spirit, it begins a process of inner conversion that disposes us to grace and is completed by sacramental absolution...The second level of contrition, called "perfect contrition," [is] motivated not by a self-oriented fear, but by love for God and the awareness of how good He is. This is much more personal, leading to a deeper relationship with God and a growing desire to avoid anything that might offend Him." (From 7 Secrets of Confession )   St. Teresa of Avila "I believe we shall never learn to know ...

There is a famous story from the life of St. John Vianney. He noticed a farmer who spent many hours in the parish, praying before the Blessed Sacrament. When St. John Vianney asked him what he did in this time of prayer, he answered, “I look at Him, and He looks at me.” In my experience of Eucharistic Adoration, I have come to a surprising and somewhat startling discovery: I often do not feel anything happen during that time of prayer. Sometimes that time feels dry and seems fruitless. If I am in the presence of God Himself, spending direct time with Jesus physically before me, how come this is not the most fruitful and consoling time of prayer? How come I can often feel very little or nothing at all? Despite this, I still find it important to be with Him in Eucharistic Adoration. I imagine that people who go sunbathing do not feel themselves getting tanned. They may feel the warmth of the sun, but do they perceive the chemical changes that are occurring to change the tone of the...

Monday Musings – Be Diligent in Prayer   “Have you noticed that you always have plenty of time for the things that you love, but there's never enough time for the things that you don't? Some people dread, avoid or find little joy in prayer because they spend their time worriedly digging into their troubles, rather than focusing on the Lord. It is so much harder to be diligent in prayer if prayer is more a matter of discipline than desire. Turn your thoughts heavenward, look up to Jesus who walked on water. Keep from peering down into the stormy seas. The more you gaze at Him, the more prayer will be a joy. I have excerpted the words above from a reflection on Diligence in Prayer contained in Mary’s Mantle – Consecration Prayer Journal by Christine Watkins - a book I highly recommend and one which has provided me with much fruit for mediation. Let me share my journal response to Christine’s reflection in hopes that something she or I have written will stir your soul: ...