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. Rev. Father Raymond, O.C.S.O. “We need God.  Without Him we can do nothing. But God also needs us. He needs us to bear witness to the fact that He exists; that God became man; that God died; that God rose again; that men can become like God. God needs us to be animated Gospels and give the world the almost unbelievable ‘Good News’ that God is our Father, and we are heirs to all that almighty God possesses.” (From God. A Woman and the Way )     Father Jean-Pierre de Caussade, S.J. "The divine activity permeates the whole universe, it pervades every creature; wherever they are it is there; it goes before them, with them, and it follows them; all they have to do is to let the waves bear them on. Would to God that ... all men could know how very easy it would be for them to arrive at a high degree of sanctity. They would only h...

(Photo by  Pablo García Saldaña  on  Unsplash ) This post may have no positive impact on anyone's life or it may be exactly what some soul needs to hear. It will likely cause some to attack me personally. I will leave the outcome of this effort where it belongs - in God's hands.  It is an invitation to take a look into our own souls. Where have we been and where are we headed?  Just when I thought this world had exhausted the ways it can devise to offend the God who made us in His image and likeness,  I glance at social media or school curriculum and shudder in utter shock and dismay. Too many have abandoned common sense and reason. They have no idea why God created them. Some are unable (or unwilling) to define the difference between a male or female. Others argue that there are more than two sexes. Still more believe that they can transition from one sex to another as they choose. Black has become white. Truth has been replaced with lies. The common good ...

"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? )  

 

 

We must never presume upon God's mercy. Too many of us take His mercy for granted. We do not like to think of His justice. Why Catholics are being told they all have a reasonable hope of being saved.  This is not quite what many of our Saints have concluded. (Image Source: cathopic.com ) Here are two short examples: According to St. Leonard of Port Maurice, Saint Vincent Ferrer reported "that an archdeacon in Lyons gave up his charge and retreated into a desert place to do penance, and that he died the same day and hour as Saint Bernard. After his death, he appeared to his bishop and said to him, ‘Know, Monsignor, that at the very hour I passed away, thirty-three thousand people also died. Out of this number, Bernard and myself went up to heaven without delay, three went to purgatory, and all the others fell into Hell.' "  Saint Jacinta of Fatima warned that “So many people are going to die, and almost all of them are going to Hell! So many people falling into ...

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.       Venerable Louis of Granada, O.P. “What can equal the blindness of him who sells eternal happiness for the fleeting and bitter pleasures of this world? How incomprehensible is the ignorance of him who neither fears Hell nor strives for Heaven; who feels no horror for sin; who disregards the menaces as well as the promises of God; who makes no preparation for death, which hourly seizes its victims; who does not see that momentary joys here, are laying up for him eternal torments hereafter! ‘They have not known or understood; they walk on in the darkness.’( Psalm 81:5) of sin through this life, and will pass from it to eternal darkness of the life to come.” (From The Sinner's Guide )     James Monti   “At a time when Catholics who love the Traditional Latin Mass are being marginalized and treated as outcasts who...