Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

We are not required to ask for suffering. We are not prohibited from seeking to be relieved from our suffering. But when God wills it, we can accept it and recognize it for what it actually is:

  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 “If you want to equip your soul with virtue and acquire habitual sanctity, it is necessary to practice acts of the virtue which is contrary to your vicious inclinations…mortify your inclinations, even when the object itself is lawful, but not necessary. It will facilitate victory on other occasions; you will gain experience and strength against temptation and present yourself as acceptable to your Savior.  (From The Spiritual Combat and a Treatise On Peace of Soul )   Servant of God Catherine de Hueck Doherty   When a poustinik enters a poustinia [a small cabin or room where one goes in to pray, fast and encounter God in silence] he really faces himself. Much of the gospel is concerned with this facing of oneself. Christ said that it is what comes out of a man that defiles h...

When the soul has given itself up to God, He makes it suffer, and will make it suffer constantly. This will be hard! In order to take complete possession of the soul, God annihilates it, as it were, and takes its place. And as it is continually assailed by the temptation to find itself again, God gives combat, makes it suffer; He effaces the spirit, stifles the heart. Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash When the spirit will not surrender unconditionally, God plunges it into darkness, into temptations against faith, and hope and confidence. All peace is lost until the mind surrenders and totally renounces its own lights. Against such a state, the director can do nothing. He reasons; he discourses on the goodness of God, which the soul alas, can no longer see. It is terrified by the past and trembles for the present. What is to be done? Accept everything. God wills this state for you and does not tell you why. He is waiting for you to say to Him: 'I am nothing but sin; I give myse...

Click the link that follows to watch a video that New Advent recently posted. It is a must see for those of us who sometimes feel our crosses are too heavy. I am sorry I was not able to embed the video directly to this post.