Monday Musings - He Pleaded With Us

 

Monday Musings - The Essential Things We Must Do

 

Monday Musings - All Will Be Well!

Lord, no matter how hard I try, I will never be able, on this earth, to fully understand Who You are and how undeserving I am to have been created in Your image. 

Why You would humble Yourself to take on human flesh and to die for a sinner such as myself? - Because You love me and  offer me an opportunity for eternal life. 

(Image Source)

 

There is much that has happened in my life that I still do not understand. Though at times I have become so despondent (over what I now realize were mere trifles, toothpicks) that I begged You to end my life, I "know": that everything that has happened in my life was a part of Your great plan. Every second of despair was designed to bring me closer to You. Every scream of pain and hopelessness was a step toward being transformed into You. Everything I have experienced or will experience in this life is intended to assure I can spend eternity in Your Presence.

I marvel at the depth of Your love for me - Your infinite Patience. 

St. Catherine of Siena tells us: the more we come to know ourselves, the more we will come to know You. She did not say that this journey of discovery would be easy or painless.

So, Lord, when I cannot understand what is going on in my life, when I feel spiritually that I am dying, let me recall this Truth: You will never “allow a negative unless it leads to a positive.” Whether I understand Your purpose or not, I must accept whatever happens in my life as necessary for my salvation and for the salvation of the souls I love.

With Your grace then Lord: “I will silence my worry, adopt a spiritual perspective and cease to ask why, because I understand, I truly understand, that all will be well!"

ALL WILL BE WELL for those who place their love and trust in You.

 

Pondering Tidbits of Truth - October 29, 2020

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 addresses all the most important topics of our faith. The more we know our faith, the better our practice of discernment will be.”

(From Spiritual Warfare and the Discernment of Spirits)

 

Pope Benedict XVI

 “A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer. When no one listens to me anymore, God still listens to me. When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God. When there is no longer anyone to help me deal with a need or expectation that goes beyond the human capacity for hope, He can help me.”

 (From On Christian Hope)

 

Book Review - Encouraging Words To Live By - 365 Days of Hope for the Anxious and Ovefwhelmed - By Anne Costa

Despite the fact that Jesus has told us over and over that we should not be afraid or anxious about anything, most of us continue to be Martha's, forgetting His Truth the minute some challenge or trial enters our life. We are all flawed and sinful creatures. We need constant reminders to trust Him at all times and under all circumstances. 

Admittedly, this is easier said than done. Most of us find it difficult to run away from anxiety and fear. Left to our own devices, we are not likely to outrun or outsmart these devilish inclinations. We should never attempt to go it alone. 

Thanks to noted Catholic author, Anne Costa, we will not have to go solo in this unending spiritual battle. She has gifted us with another gem, Encouraging Words to Live By - 365 Days of Hope for the Anxious and Overwhelmed. We can now begin each day - less like Martha and more like Mary - with a Scripture passage, an inspiring reflection and a prayer. By gifting God with our undivided attention for a few minutes each day, He will equip us to follow Saint John Paul II's exhortation that we "Be not afraid!" 

I highly recommend this book. It is a treasure trove of hope and encouragement! You can your copy here.

Worth Revisiting - Take Heart Amid the World's Current Confusion

Take Heart Amid the World's Current Confusion