Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

  (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) [104] Mother Angelica of the Annunciation  "All earthly joys are finite glimpses of eternal bliss. But because we tend to hold on to what we see with our physical eyes, we tend to forget what can be seen only with the eyes of Faith. And so it is that Heaven is always remote from our thoughts and removed from our daily experiences.  (From Mother Angelica on God, His Home, and His Angels )  PAUSE AND PONDER: Where do I seek to satiate my hunger for joy: in the people and material things of this world or in seeking an intimate spiritual relationship with the God who offers me eternal joy? Has any earthly joy ever lasted?   (Excerpted from Pondering Tidbits of Truth – Volume 6 )

 

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) I am going to reveal to you the secret of sanctity and happiness. Every day for five minutes control your imagination and close your eyes to all the noises of the world in order to enter into yourself. Then, in the sanctuary of your baptized soul (which is the temple of the Holy Spirit) speak to that Divine Spirit, saying to Him:    O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me. Tell me what I should do; give me Your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept all that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know Your Will. If you do this, your life will flow along happily, serenely, and full of consolation, even in the midst of trials. Grace will be proportioned to the trial, giving you the strength to carry it and you will arrive at the Gate of Paradise, laden with merit. This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret of sanctity. ( Prayer...

Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash "...I say that the intelligence finds its supreme happiness in Communion and that the more often one receives, the happier one is spiritually. God is the only source of happiness; happiness is in Him alone, and He has reserved the right to bestow it through Himself. And well it is for us that we must go to God Himself to find happiness! In this way we do not devote ourselves to creatures nor find in them our highest good. Happiness is not even in the bestowal of the priest. He gives you a share in the fruits of the Redemption, cleanses you from your sins, and gives you the peace of a clear conscience; happiness and joy he cannot give you. Mary herself, who is the Mother of Mercy, will lead you back to the right way, will appease the anger of her Son Whom you have offended; God alone will give you joy and happiness. The Angel said to the shepherds: 'I bring you good tidings of great joy; He Who is its cause and its source, your Savior and God...

The key is not worldly power, possessions and prestige. It is interior:

  [If God used Balaam’s donkey to get that prophet’s attention, I guess he can use me to get yours. May these periodic postings (God willing) generate fruitful discussion and faithful change.] Although the following quotation was in the context of using contraception, its wisdom applies to all sin and demonstrates the power of just a few well-chosen words:

St. Claude de la Colombiere was a 17th century Jesuit whose life we recall today. He believed that one of "the most firmly established and consoling of the truths that have been revealed to us" is "that (apart from sin) nothing happens to us in life unless God wills it so." St. Claude became the spiritual director of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. He encouraged, supported and promoted her call to spread devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The saint was also a gifted spiritual writer, who has left a number of gems, including one of my favorite books, Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence (TSTDP) . Blessed John Paul II canonized him in 1992. Read and ponder what he has to say about earthly happiness and prayer: Let me show you a good way to ask for happiness, even in this world. It is a way that will oblige God to listen to you. Say to Him earnestly: either give me so much money that my heart will be satisfied, or inspire me with such contempt for it that...