Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

(Image Source: Hands at Mass ) "A Christian on leaving the holy place moved by the holy thoughts that have been aroused in him by the sight of the ceremonies he has seen, and the prayers that he has said, ought to say to himself: 'I have just come from assisting at Holy Mass, a God has immolated Himself for me; He has shed His Blood for the salvation of our souls; what more could He do?'  Oh! how miserable I am, I who for so many years have refused Him my heart, which He has created for Himself and which He asks of me only in order to make it happy. I have just celebrated the praises of God with this same mouth that I had often sullied by all sorts of sins. Oh! my God, shall I always then beg from creatures the peace they are powerless to give me! My tongue shall it serve sometimes to praise You, sometimes to mispraise You.  No, Lord, I now wish only to bless and to love You.  Any Christian who has not, in going over these thoughts in his heart, assisted at the Holy Mass ...

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. Father Richard D. Breton “May our parishes become beacons of hope in a culture that thirsts for meaning. May they become places where people say” ‘Here I encounter Christ. Here I belong. Here I am sent to share His love.’ May we [our] priests lead the way, with the laity at our side, trusting the Holy Spirit, grounded in the sacraments, committed to truth and open to renewal.” (From A Transcendent Brand of Hope and Renewal -  A Priest’s Reflection published in November 6, 2025 issue of The Wanderer )     D r. Gregory Popcak   "When you are at Mass, don't just go through the motions. Ask God to help you find Him in the Eucharist. When you hear or read Scripture, prayerfully ask God what He is saying to you through the words. When you pray, don't just say words at God. Bring your whole self to it, rededicate your li...

What if the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass was always and everywhere offered in accordance with the dignity, reverence and obedience our God merits? If we truly worshiped Him as He deserves, do you think more Catholics would willingly and lovingly come to Mass and give their Lord the worship and adoration He ought to receive? May the following reflection help move us in that direction wherever there may be a need to do so. (Image Source: Hands at Mass ) When the Host is held on high and a chalice lifted…look up! Look up and see what Mary saw.  See a naked man squirming as He bleeds against a blackened sky; see a battered human body, writhing on a tree, prisoned there by savage spikes that have torn through Sacred hands and feet; see thorn-tortured head tossing from side to side as anguished torso labors, lifts and strains; see the eyes of God roll towards heaven beseeching, as broken lips blurt out that soul piercing cry: “My God, My God, Why has Thou forsaken Me?” What is ...

"What would it be like to see your favorite Saint praying before the Blessed Sacrament. It would probably move you to tears. A saint’s devotion, reverence and silence before the Real Presence would leave no doubt in your mind that Jesus is truly present in the holy Eucharist. Shouldn't this be the case with all Catholics? Shouldn't this be the case with all clergy? What about you? Are you reverent in church? Are you quiet in church? Would someone who saw you praying before the Blessed Sacrament be inspired by your example of Eucharistic piety? If you are doing these things, praise God! Many are not observing these things in church. Too many people arrive late for Holy Mass and leave immediately after Holy Communion so as to get out of the parking lot before everybody else. Before holy Mass in many parishes people are conversing in and over the pews, the choir is rehearsing and those involved in various functions at Mass are running around doing last minute tasks. Some of t...

"Offer your whole life to the Lord during Mass every day. Put yourself on the patent with the bread that will become the Body of the Lord. Be the water that is mingled with the wine that will become His precious Blood." (Excerpt from Communion is a Flame Bursting Within by Catherine Doherty, Servant of God)

 

In case this invitation was not extended to you today, close your eyes and listen to Jesus speaking directly to you - the one with whom He is in love: I am always here – 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year - waiting for you. But generally I am alone, abandoned and ignored. So when I looked out from behind the closed doors this morning, I was overjoyed to see you - so many of you. While there were many familiar faces among those filling the pews, there were a good number whom I have not seen in some time. If you only knew the joy I experience when you come! I take delight in all My people, but I experience a special joy when those who stay away come to be with Me. I have so much to give each of you! How I hunger for your presence here every Sunday. How I want to be one with you and fill you will My graces. How I want to give you the spiritual nourishment you need to withstand the weekly onslaught and temptations that surround you. I offer you My Word and mo...

[I have shared this post before. Its content is forever relevant and worthy of our consideration.] The gifts of the Magi - gold, frankincense, and myrrh - were expensive and very significant physical gifts. But they pale in comparison to the spiritual gifts we can give our Infant, Crucified, and Risen Lord – if we would but choose to do so. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) The gifts I am about to describe, when given to our Lord in love and gratitude, weekly (daily if possible), will not only please Him, but will result in our being united more intimately with the Prince of Peace. What follows are some concrete suggestions as to what each of us can and should do every time we attend Mass, if we are serious about loving God as He deserves and as we ought. We don’t need any one’s permission to do any of these things.  We will just do these things out of love and reverence and let God do the rest:        Read and ponder the Mass reading...

 

"The Passion of our Savior did not end on Golgotha, it is perpetuated on the altar and in souls. But in the same manner as the divine mercy has caused a source of redemption to pour forth from the wounds made at Calvary, so a fresh abundant source of grace will flow out anew from the wounds reopened by ungrateful humanity. Actually, Gethsemane and Calvary are renewed again on our altar! On Holy Thursday the dungeon was an hour of darkness. May it be here an hour radiant with light! That hour of Judas was an hour of hate, of crime. May it now be an hour of praise, love and reparation. Let us go forth to meet Jesus in His agony. Let us watch one hour with Him. Our companionship will repair the great and numerous sins which reopens His wounds. " (Rev. Mateo Crawley-Boevey, SS.CC. from Twenty Holy Hours )  

[I have shared this post before. Its content is forever relevant and worthy of our consideration.] The gifts of the Magi - gold, frankincense, and myrrh - were expensive and very significant physical gifts. But they pale in comparison to the spiritual gifts we can give our Infant, Crucified, and Risen Lord – if we would but choose to do so. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) The gifts I am about to describe, when given to our Lord in love and gratitude, weekly (daily if possible), will not only please Him, but will result in our being united more intimately with the Prince of Peace. What follows are some concrete suggestions as to what each of us can and should do every time we attend Mass, if we are serious about loving God as He deserves and as we ought. We don’t need any one’s permission to do any of these things.  We will just do these things out of love and reverence and let God do the rest:        Read and ponder the Mass reading...

Forgive this old man BUT: (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) PLEASE stop fanning the flames of natural fear. Instead , stoke up the furnaces of supernatural faith and trust in God. Be men of courage and faith. Stand up for God and not grovel at the feet of civil authority awaiting their permission (which you don’t need) for you to do what God commands. Of course, all of us must use common sense. Stay out of public areas and Churches if you are not feeling well or evidence any symptoms of illness. There is, and never has been, any real authority for, or reason to, hold hands while praying the Our Father, exchange a physical sign of peace, or offer communicants the precious Body and Blood from a chalice at every Sunday Mass. These practices are unnecessary and should be permanently abandoned. In these challenging times, stop placing your faith solely in hand sanitizer, disinfecting sprays, masks, and the confusing, inconsistent and oft-times unreliable recommendations made by som...

(Image Source: Wikimedia Common s) The Eucharistic journey deep into the sacred reaches its summit in Holy Communion, a moment calling for the utmost receptivity to God and the utmost response of love, epitomized by the words of the Apostle Thomas confronted by the glory of the Risen Christ, “My Lord and my God!”... It can become much more difficult to enter deep and contemplatively into the sacred if the liturgy is not celebrated in a reverent and fitting manner. Unfitting “activity” during the Mass, [Alice] von Hildebrand observes, such as the congregational singing of music devoid of a genuinely sacred character, thwarts our ability to enter the depths of the sacred, our contemplation of the sublime celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The motivation behind such an approach to music for the liturgy, that the congregation needs to be given something to do, something to busy themselves with during the Mass, so that they don’t get bored, is in von Hildebrand’s words compar...