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.         Archbishop Joseph Raya “Faith doesn’t mean you can’t panic. Mary and Joseph almost certainly panicked when they lost Jesus in the temple. What it means is that you keep on going even if you do panic. You just do whatever is right in front of you, and keep on going, in faith that it will all work out.”   (From July-August 2020 issue of RESTORATION published by Madonna House)     Dan Burke “No matter how [spiritual] consolation specifically surfaces within us, if it is authentic, it will always draw us to submit to the magisterium of the Church and to God’s will and ways. It is really no more complicated than that. The challenge is that if we are not well catechized – and most of us are not – we may not understand or even notice when we are led astray. By God’s grace we have a catechism that ...

T hank you Allison Gingras at  Reconciled To You  and Elizabeth Riordan at  Theology Is A Verb   for hosting Worth Revisiting each week. It is a privilege to share our work with you and your followers .  We Are Own Worse Enemies (Originally published on November 25, 2013)   (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) Far too many Catholics are not well-formed in the teachings of Christ's Church. Given this tragic reality, one would expect Catholic media to only publish the work of individuals and columnists who accurately set forth the tenets of the Catholic Church.  Over the years, too many publications claiming to be "Catholic" have consistently demonstrated a preference for doing just the opposite. A most recent example of this proclivity is a column that a local Diocesean newspaper published wherein its author wrote the following: “Putting an end to the killing of unborn babies is a priority for me, and it is a priority fo...

You do not have to wait another minute! The long-promised Volume 5 of Pondering Tidbits of Truth is now available in paperback. From the back cover:   "There is so much noise in this world that we are not only having trouble hearing ourselves think, we rarely hear the voice of God. So many are the distractions and demands placed on our time, that we nary give God a thought. Many of us recognize this failure and long for a way to make time for Him. Countless others are unaware of the damage being done to their eternal souls by rarely if ever thinking of He Who created them. What can we do about this? We must, all of us, make time for God every day. But where to begin? Right now, promise your Creator that you will give Him five minutes of your time every day." How? Pick up your copy of Pondering Tidbits of Truth Volume 5 and begin each day reading and pondering one of its 100 quotations. Watch God work in your life. You can order your copy here .

Free Book Offer FREE Copy of Pondering Tidbits of Truth – Volume 2 I will be publishing Volume 5 of my Pondering Tidbits of Truth series shortly. To celebrate that happy occasion and further promote this 5-book series. I will be offering a free Kindle version of Pondering Tidbits of Truth - Volume 2. Get your free copy by clicking this link on any of the three days listed below. Volume 2 of Pondering Tidbits of Truths , like the other four books in this series, presents 100 potentially life-changing quotations for you to read and ponder, one morsel at a time, at your own pace and at a time of the day that   you   find   most   convenient – when you first begin the day, during your coffee or lunch break, while you are in the waiting room of your doctor, or before settling in for the night.   All five volumes are also excellent for group reflection and discussion. Each of the books in this series is a simple but sure-fire tool to make certai...

After reading a recent syndicated column in my Diocesan newspaper, I could not remain silent. The columnist, Father Ron Rolheiser, a well-known Catholic priest and theologian, criticized a brother priest who had had the courage to preach the Truth. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) Some background first.  For decades, observers have decried the absence of quality catechesis within the Catholic Church – this despite the universal recognition that many Catholics do not know or fully understand their Faith. Several respected polls have concluded that as many as seventy-five per cent of those professing to be Catholic do not attend Sunday Mass on any regular basis, if at all. The number of non-attendees may be even greater than this reported percentage. The salvation of its members’ souls is the Church’s primary mission. Yet rarely is the necessity of attending and participating in Sunday Mass ever addressed. When was the last time you heard a homily on the ...

Thank you Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan for your weekly invitation to re-post our favorite articles on Worth Revisiting. Go here now (and every Wednesday) and let an interesting group of Catholic bloggers nourish you in your Faith journey. During the rest of each week. visit Allison at   Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb .  You will be pleased with what they share. Here are my thoughts this week: Homilies - When Were You Last Challenged To Change the Way You Live?  (Originally posted on February 16, 2015) The best homilies are those which challenge us to look objectively at our relationship with God and how we live out our faith. We need to be reminded of the great chasm that often exists between what we profess to believe and how we actually live our lives. We must be encouraged to seek God's grace and forgiveness if we are ever to bridge that gap. How can that be done? Father Suarez has some unambiguous s...

Thank you, Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan, for inviting an ever-expanding group of Catholic bloggers to re-post their favorite articles on “Worth Revisiting” Wednesdays. Do yourself a favor- go there now (and every Wednesday) and let these authors bless and challenge you in Faith journey. During the rest of each week. visit Allison at   Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb .  Here is what I am sharing this week: We Are Our Own Worse Enemy ( Originally posted November 25, 2013) Far too many Catholics are not well-formed in the teachings of Christ's Church. Given this tragic reality, one would expect Catholic media to only publish the work of individuals and columnists who accurately set forth the tenets of the Catholic Church.  Over the years, too many publications claiming to be "Catholic" have consistently demonstrated a preference for doing just the opposite. An example of this proclivity is a column that ...