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. Bernard of Clairvaux “Look to the star of the sea, call upon Mary. In danger, in distress, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. May her name never be far from your lips, or far from your heart. If you follow her you will not stray; if you pray to her, you will not despair; if you turn your thoughts to her, you will not err. If she holds you, you will not fail; if she protects you, you need not fear; if she is your guide, you will not tire; if she is gracious to you, you will surely reach your destination." (From A Homily of St. Bernard)   St. John Henry Newman “Realize it, my brethren; —every one who breathes, high and low, educated and ignorant, young and old, man and woman, has a mission, has a work. We are not sent into this world for nothing; we are not born at random; . . . God sees every one of us; He creates every soul,...

 

( Image Source- Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament ) "Beloved Jesus, notwithstanding twenty centuries of Your nearness and friendship, we have not yet penetrated, as we should have, the mystery of love in Your divine Eucharist. In reparation for this lack of understanding, we offer You Mary's affection, and the love of her maternal Heart. Adorable Jesus, we owe You yet another apology. We feel remorse for not loving You with the burning charity with which we should repay Your love. Notwithstanding Your generosity and Your unbelievable tenderness, our love is still far too measured... Jesus, Love of our love and Life of our life, turn way Your adorable eyes from our failings and our lukewarmness; turn them away from the forgetfulness of our good resolutions, from the weakness that prevents us from keeping our repeated promises to become better - to become saints.  F or love of Mary, Your Mother and ours, pardon us, Jesus! As reparation for our coldness, we offer You the lov...

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 Mectilde of The Blessed Sacrament “We must be very surprised to see with what boldness people enter churches and we ourselves enter choir, which is a place sanctified by the Presence of God Oh! If we could see the posture of the angels and the saints before the adorable Eucharist, we would not be so bold as to enter without fear, without respect, and without amazement. It is here that we lack faith.” (From The Mystery of Incomprehensible Love )     Father Jean Pierre de Caussade, S.J. “To avoid the anxieties which may be caused by either regret for the past or fear of the future, here is the rule to follow: The past must be left to God’s measureless mercy, the future to his loving providence; and the present must be given wholly to his love through our fidelity to his grace.”  (From Abandonment to Divine Prov...

[When you next receive Holy Communion, pause and imagine our Blessed Mother standing at your side. Hear and ponder these words that flow from her most Immaculate Heart:] (Photo©Michael Seagriff) “My child if you knew the value of the gift Jesus gives you in giving Himself to you in Communion and the sentiments toward you which fill His soul, would you lack proper sentiment toward Him? Here the creature is visited by the Creator; a beggar by the King of glory; an afflicted soul by the heavenly consoler; a man who is all sin by Him Who is holiness itself. Humble yourself profoundly before Him; His goodness which is infinitely greater than anything you can imagine. Loathe your own past ingratitude; ask His help for the future; promise Him undying fidelity. Abandon yourself to the impulses of purest joy. Ask the angels and saints to offer Jesus thanks on your behalf, thanks that are adequate, if that be possible, to the splendid gift He give you. ...

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. Alphonus Liguori “Good friends find pleasure in one another's company. Let us know pleasure in the company of our best Friend, a Friend who can do everything for us, a friend who loves us beyond measure. Here in the Blessed Sacrament we can talk to Him straight from the heart.”  (From Visits to the Most Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mary ) St. Josemaria Escriva "For every soul is a wonderful treasure; every man is unique and irreplaceable. Every single person is worth all the blood of Christ." (From Christ Is Passing By ) St. Gertrude "They ought not to call my sweetest Jesus my only Son, but rather my first-born Son. I conceived Him first in my womb, but after Him, or rather, through Him, I conceived every one of you to be His brothers and to be my children, adoptin...

Ah, Lord, it is but too true, Thou are not loved! O Sacred Heart, if we have any spark of love and generosity in us at all, shall not our most fervent desire and longing be, Oh, would that Thou wert loved! (Image source: Wikimedia Commons) Shall we not strive by every means in our power to make Thee known and loved? Shall we not try to pay many an extra visit to our dearest Friend, ever present in the Blessed Sacrament, ever living to make intercession for us? And may this prayer, dearest Lord, be on our lips when we bow down in lowly adoration in Thy Sacred Sacramental Presence: ‘O Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thou lovest! Thou are not loved! Oh, would that Thou were loved!’ O Lady and Mistress of the Sacred Heart, open that Heart to me, thy child. Teach me to know Him intimately, to love Him ardently, and to follow Him closely. Mother, give me to Jesus! (From Meditation on The Passion )

T hank you Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan for inviting Catholic bloggers to re-post their favorite articles on "Worth Revisiting” Wednesdays.   Go there now (and every Wednesday) and gouge yourself on a feast of spiritual treasures. Be sure to visit Allison at  Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb during the rest of the week.  You will find much spiritual nourishment and encouragement there. I am sharing the following post: Monday Musings – Mary My Mother – Be at My Side  (Originally published January 4, 2016) (Photo©Michael Seagriff) [The great value of retreats is that the guidance and insight gained during those intense times of prayer and silence never stop giving. Every time I re-read my notes from past retreats I gain additional direction and encouragement. Let me share an example of what I mean.] On the second day of my retreat, I found myself distracted particularly at Communion. This upset me and...