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. John Marie Vianney "I can't stop praying for poor sinners who are on the road to hell. If they come to die in that state, they will be lost for all eternity. What a pity! We have to pray for sinners! Praying for sinners is the most beautiful and useful of prayers because the just are on the way to heaven, the souls of purgatory are sure to enter there, but the poor sinners will be lost forever. All devotions are good but there is no better one than such prayer for sinners." (From I Thirst For Your Love )   Alexander de Rouville  My child, God will not allow you to be tempted, tested or tormented beyond your strength. His help will always be equal to the trial He sends.  Give heed to His grace, for it already speaks to you, and respond to His inspirations. If God has more crosses in store for someone, He gives ...

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. (Photo©Michael Seagriff) St. Francis de Sales “Kiss frequently the crosses which the Lord sends you, and with all your heart, without regarding of what sort they may be; for the more vile and mean they are, the more they deserve their name. The merit of crosses does not consist in their weight, but in the manner in which they are borne…”  (From A Year With The Saints - - A Virtue For Every Month of The Year )

[The end of the Church's liturgical year seems like a good time to revisit an earlier post which also is a chapter in my book, Fleeting Glimpses of the Silly, Sentimental and Sublime .] Let me repeat some obvious truths. God is more powerful than any of us. He draws each of us to Himself. He wants to excite our hearts. He longs to fill our minds and souls with the Truth. He desires that we yield ourselves totally to His will. We are often reluctant to do so because we know we may be mocked, laughed at and persecuted.  In truth, our fidelity to God and His Word may bring us pain and suffering. It is so difficult to follow Him. At times we don’t want to do as He asks. What He wants from us sometimes seems too painful, too difficult, and too burdensome. We want to flee and hide from Him.   But we can’t. He is everywhere. He has given us Himself.   Our salvation and that of others hinges on our sharing and living this Truth. So we must go on - imperfectly and inconstan...

Let me repeat some obvious truths. God is more powerful than any of us. He draws each of us to Himself. He wants to excite our hearts. He longs to fill our minds and souls with the Truth. He desires that we yield ourselves totally to His will. We are often reluctant to do so because we know we may be mocked, laughed at and persecuted. In truth, our fidelity to God and His Word may bring us pain and suffering. It is so difficult to follow Him. At times we don’t want to do as He asks. What He wants from us sometimes seems too painful, too difficult, and too burdensome. We want to flee and hide from Him.   But we can’t. He is everywhere. He has given us Himself.   Our salvation and that of others hinges on our sharing and living this Truth. So we must go on - imperfectly and inconstantly no doubt - but we must go on, trusting that God will be at our side. One of the reasons we don’t always trust Him is our failure to understand the necessity and value of the suffering He ask...