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. Dom Augustin Guillerand, O. Cart.  "Life is a journey. Provided we keep going, all is well. What God cannot tolerate - what is, indeed, intolerable - are those stationary souls who either are inert by nature or persuade themselves that they have reached the summit, and that there is nothing more for them." (From Where Silence Is Praise: From the Writings of Dom Augustin Guillerand, O. Cart. )   Father Dismas Sayre, O.P In our modern world, man sees Jesus's forgiveness and mercy as almost givens, taken for granted. Of course, even the most permissive and “merciful” want whatever they might consider evil to be punished, but never their own evil . It's funny how that works. As has often been stated by various authors, two thieves were crucified with Christ. One was saved, so we should not despair, but one was lost, so we should not ...

"In our modern world, man sees Jesus's forgiveness and mercy as almost givens, taken for granted. Of course, even the most permissive and “merciful” want whatever they might consider evil to be punished, but never their own evil . It's funny how that works. As has often been stated by various authors, two thieves were crucified with Christ. One was saved, so we should not despair, but one was lost, so we should not presume. Yes, it is very possible for us to lose our salvation, to lose our way eternally. Our Lord is crystal clear on this point in His many parables, as much as He is crystal clear on the need for forgiveness and mercy. But the goal of God's justice is not to separate us eternally but to restore us." (By Father Dismas Sayre, O.P. published in the July August 2025 issue of Light and Life entitled Is God just, holy and merciful? )  

I enjoyed reading Father Dismas Sayre, O.P.s Theology for the Laity column in the May-June 2025 issue of LIGHT and LIFE , in which he discussed God’s Omniscience.   I highly recommend you contact the Dominican Western Province’s Rosary Center & Confraternity at rosarycenter.org   and subscribe to this publication. You can read Father’s full column here. When I read the  following excerpt Father used from the Baltimore Catechism I knew I had to share it with those who read my blog. Many have suggested that parishes should make the Baltimore Catechism the center piece of faith formation programs. Few have done so. After you read the answer to question 18 as it appears in the 4 th edition of the Baltimore Catechism , you will understand why we should be using this Catechism and how desperately we need to be shaken out of our complacency and taught the truths of our faith. Sin, as you are about to discover or rediscover, is not a private matter. May the foll...