Monday Musings - What Is The Height of Perfection?

 

Monday Musings - Be Diligent in Prayer

Monday Musings – Be Diligent in Prayer

 

“Have you noticed that you always have plenty of time for the things that you love, but there's never enough time for the things that you don't? Some people dread, avoid or find little joy in prayer because they spend their time worriedly digging into their troubles, rather than focusing on the Lord.

It is so much harder to be diligent in prayer if prayer is more a matter of discipline than desire. Turn your thoughts heavenward, look up to Jesus who walked on water. Keep from peering down into the stormy seas. The more you gaze at Him, the more prayer will be a joy.

I have excerpted the words above from a reflection on Diligence in Prayer contained in Mary’s Mantle – Consecration Prayer Journal by Christine Watkins - a book I highly recommend and one which has provided me with much fruit for mediation.

Let me share my journal response to Christine’s reflection in hopes that something she or I have written will stir your soul:

I do set aside time every morning and evening to pray, to meditate and to think of You Lord. The problem with my prayer life revolves around aridity, routineness, inattentiveness and distractedness. Prayer is often the first thing that I discard when my normal routine is disrupted. There have been times when I have gotten upset when something occurs that interrupts my prayer time or when someone does not respect it or makes it difficult or impossible for me to pray. But ultimately, it is only I who can thwart those impediments by simply being faithful to my prayer commitment.

Lord, your spiritual advisors over the centuries make it clear that the better form of prayer is to not just repetitively recite the words of others (though that has much value) but to use one's own words, to talk to You, heart to heart and, most importantly, to let You speak to me. This, of course, requires me to remain silent so I can hear You.

I admit Lord that I use the words of others too often. I acknowledge Lord that many times I just read the words without much reflection, recollection or understanding. While that is better than no prayer, You have so much more to offer me.

I thank you Lord for the exercises in Christine Watkins’ journal because they have helped me to focus on You with greater attention. I thank you Lord for the insight You have given me; now I must allow all that to take root in my heart, mind and soul- all for Your glory.

Please Lord, sanctify the time I spend in prayer. Remove the routineness and distractedness that is sometimes a part of my prayer time. Let me not gloss over a single word, since each one is a gift from You and is intended to take root in my life and to blossom.

Whenever the evil one manifests itself (especially while I am attempting to pray) “turn my thought heavenward”, make me “look up to You, Jesus, and keep me from peering down into the stormy sea.”

Lord, please bridge the huge gap that exists between what I profess to believe and how I actually live my life. NEVER, LORD, NEVER I PLEA, may I abandon my prayer life, no matter how dry and unproductive it may seem to be. Give me “the grace to focus more on You during my prayer time than digging into my troubles”.

Your words, O Lord, are alive as are the words you have placed on the lips of Your saints. Bring these Words to life when I pray, read and ponder them. Make my prayer time fruitful and joyful and a source of comfort to You. For this I pray.

 

Monday Musings - Where Is the Zeal for the Salvation of Souls?

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

St. Dominic de Guzman founded the Order of Preachers – the Dominicans – to preach the Gospel and to save souls. 

His zeal to save souls knew no limits. He reportedly spent every night in prayer tearfully asking God, “What will become of sinners?”

Does such zeal for the salvation of souls exist today?

In a recent post on Missio Dei, Kaleb Hammond questioned how many individuals in the world today believe that:

“Jesus is the one and only way to salvation, without whom we cannot enter heaven" and

“Hell is a real possibility for each of us and that Heaven is guaranteed to no one.”

Not many, he concluded, since we live in a culture that believes one religion is "just as good as another" and that all of us will go to heaven. I highly recommend that you read his post, The Heresy of Universalism. Here is a link.

Sadly, Kaleb is right. Our Church has long abandoned its primary duty - the salvation of souls. Not enough of its leaders have shed a tear over the countless souls who have lost their souls because of their failure to teach the Truth and their decision to remain silent in the face of rampant heresy.

Although we can do little for those souls who have already stood before the Throne of Justice, the sons and daughters of St. Dominic have neither quit the battle for souls nor lost their zeal for doing so. As long as the Order of Preachers continues being faithful to preaching the Truth and their mission to save souls, the proponents of religious indifferentism and universal salvation will, in God’s perfect timing, be defeated.

In the meanwhile, we must not remain silent in the face of lies and untruths. We must engage in the battle to save souls. We must know, teach, fraternally correct, live and defend the Truths of our Catholic Faith.

We must join our prayers and tears with those offered and shed by St. Dominic during his lifetime – unwilling to concede, from this point forward, the loss of even one more soul.

Monday Musings - Jesus' Invitation

Monday Musings - A Painful and Upsetting Truth

Let's be frank: If we really believe that Jesus Christ is truly and  substantially present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the tabernacles of our Churches, we would be there with Him. We would do everything in our power to spend some time with Him and to encourage others to do so as well. 

But we don't really believe this essential Truth. We have abandoned our Loving Lord to His prison-tabernacle and locked the doors of His Churches so that even the few drawn to be with Him are unable to get in.

Stop for a moment and ponder this shocking reality from our Lord's perspective. Is this anyway to treat the Son of God? Of course it isn't!

Go visit and comfort our abandoned and forgotten Lord. Bring  a copy of  Stirring Slumbering Souls - 250 Eucharistic Reflections with you and let the wisdom it contains draw you into His loving embrace and Presence. Enlist in His army of Adorers. Let Him change you and the world!

Here is a sample of what others have said about Stirring Slumbering Souls which received a Seal of Approval from the Catholic Writer's Guild:

"I am still reading Slumbering Souls and wanted to thank you for reawakening my adoration and love of Jesus. - Patricia Grant

“Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful gem with me. I feel like every single Catholic should read it and have a copy and then share it with someone who isn’t and then we would be all set in this world. Such richness here and it stirs up so much in the soul." - Anne Costa

"Love Stirring Slumbering Souls. Beautiful, inspiring work."- Patricia Casey Vanderloo

"I absolutely LOVED this book. The saints' quotes about the Eucharist were so profound. The author did a fantastic job getting inspirational quotes from so many different sources. I didn't want to put this book down and have purchased it as gifts for several friends." - Janeen Zaio

 Stop what you are doing and go visit Him!

Monday Musings - Yes, It Is Very Possible

"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?)

 

Monday Musings - Made In His Image

We are often prone to despair and self-pity. We are quick to abandon fundamental Truths when confronted with adversity.  We forget that we are the adopted children of God and think that He has abandoned us.  We don't  believe that He has a plan for our lives or that with Him all things are possible. 

We refuse to believe  everything that God allows in our lives is intended to  assure our eternal salvation. So we avoid Him at all costs and go to  people, places and activities that can never make us truly happy. We convince ourselves that we don't need God. We so despise ourselves that we hang our heads low, fearful of seeing an image of ourselves in the glass panes of the store fronts we walk by. 

But we must look up. We must look into the cracked windows of our souls so that we can see ourselves as God sees us - as unique, magnificent treasures made in His image. Once we open our eyes to this Truth, our lives will change. We will seek to see God in everyone else with whom we interact, especially those whom the world consider "the least of us".

God doesn't make junk. He desires to dwell within us here on this earth and to spend eternity with us in heaven - that is why He created You.

So look up. See Jesus extending His Holy Hands. Grab them. Hold onto them. There is no sin He will not forgive a repentant sinner. Keep your eyes on His and never again doubt how much He loves you - you whom he made in His image.

Monday Musings - What Happens to Pure Souls?

 

Monday Musings - Praying

 

Monday Musings - Lift Up Your Gaze!

[What follows is just one of 150 thought-provoking quotations you will encounter in Pondering Tidbits of Truth, Volume 6.]

Venerable Bruno Lanteri 

"Do you find yourself turning inward, preoccupied by your anxieties and burdened by your failings? 'Instead of turning in on yourself, lift your gaze often with peace and love to God.' Often. With peace. With love. The less you focus on your failures and the more you gaze on the Lord with peace and love, the more your heart will lift, the stronger you will become, the more joy you will find. Tell Him that 'you want to be totally His' and, with boldness, tell Him that 'it is His to make you become better'! 

(From Overcoming Spiritual Discouragement - The Wisdom and Spiritual Power of Venerable Bruno Lanteri) 

PAUSE AND PONDER: Is my first inclination when troubled and challenged to turn to God and ask for His assistance? If not, why am I hesitant to do so? Do I believe God can change me? Have I ever asked Him to? 

*****

[This is what Catholic author, Janeen Zaio had to say about this book.

Like having a saint for a spiritual director.  - One of the luxuries of the Catholic life is having your own spiritual director to encourage and challenge you; however, with the shortage of priests, it’s just not possible for most Catholics. Reading the book Pondering Tidbits of Truth is like meeting with a spiritual director in the comfort of your home. And this spiritual director has the intelligence of Pope Benedict XVI, the fire of Venerable Fulton Sheen, the insight of Cardinal Sarah, the courage of Pope Leo XIII, and the wisdom of many more ancient saints and contemporary theologians.

In this powerful book, Michael Seagriff has collected 150 quotes from the some of the greatest Catholic minds. But it’s not just a book that makes us admire the lofty ideas of the saints. After each quote, Seagriff added questions to challenge readers so that we examine ourselves and strive to imitate the saints.

Pondering Tidbits of Truth is such an enjoyable read that I found myself smiling, nodding my head, and writing in the margin. It’s a book for people at all stages of the faith journey whether they’re devout or lukewarm, young or old. In fact, reading one tidbit each night would make a quick but worthwhile addition to family prayer time.

It encourages readers to think about the critical questions of life such as, “Why did God put me here right now?” and it also gives concrete ideas for incorporating holy practices throughout the day.

Seagriff challenges readers to have a relationship with God, especially the Holy Spirit, Who is so often overlooked. He also helps readers appreciate the precious gift of Our Lord’s Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Most urgently, readers consider the consequences of not knowing, loving, and serving God.

It’s as if Seagriff read many of the greatest Catholic books and articles, highlighted the best parts, and served them up for us in an easily digestible way. I enthusiastically recommend that you savor this smorgasbord of wisdom and share it with others.”]

Monday Musings - Serving God Faithfully

 

Monday Musings - Gaze on Him Alone

 

Monday Musings - Humility

 

Monday's Musings - Who's Going to Know?

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 following thoughts encourage us all to work a little bit harder with God's grace, at routing sin out of our lives.

"18 Q. Does God know all things? A. God knows all things, even our most secret thoughts, words, and actions.

Certainly God "knows all things." First, because He is infinitely wise, and if He were ignorant of anything He would not be so. Secondly, because He is everywhere and sees and hears all. Darkness does not hide from His view, nor noise prevent Him from hearing. How could we sin if we thought of this! God is just here, looking at me and listening to me. Would I do what I am going to do now if I knew my parents, relatives, and friends were watching me? Would I like them to know that I am thinking about things sinful, and preparing to do shameful acts? No! Why then should I feel ashamed to let God see and know of this wicked thought or action? They might know it and yet be unable to harm me, but He, all-powerful, could destroy me instantly. Nay, more; not only will God see and know this evil deed or thought; but, by His gift, the Blessed Mother, the angels and saints will know of it and be ashamed of it before God, and, most of all, my guardian angel will deplore it. Besides, this sin will be revealed to the whole world on the last day, and my friends, relatives, and neighbors will know that I was guilty of it..."

 

Monday Musings - Review of Healing Promises – The Essential Guide to the Sacred Heart by Anne Costa

I wrote the following review nearly eight years ago. The Church dedicates the month of June each year to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Now is the perfect time to bring this book to your attention.

In one clear and engaging volume, the author has skillfully assembled a treasure trove of information, prayers and personal witnesses to the efficacy of true Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. You will learn of its history, God’s astonishing promises to those who promote and live out this Devotion, related prayers and even a step by step directions as to how to consecrate your home and your family to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

You will be uplifted and encouraged by the many stories Anne shares of those whose lives have been forever changed.

Read this book. Ponder its pages. Do the suggested exercises and reflections.  Ask for the grace to faithfully live out this Devotion individually and within your families. Our Lord has assured us that countless blessings and graces will follow.

Be sure to thank Him for the love that flows forth from His Pierced and Sacred Heart and for using Anne Costa as His faithful messenger and guide.

Then, go [run] to your computer or local book store right now and order a copy of this life-changing book, not only for yourself but for those you love.

Monday Musings - It Pains Me So

 

(Image Source: Wikipedia Commons)

Father, you did it again!

You are so gifted in so many ways.

Your sermon was right on. The poem you shared was a shock to the heart and soul.

But when you refused to hold up our Blessed Lord’s Body and Blood while the bells were rung three times;

When you so irritatingly directed the Extraordinary minister of the Cup as to where she was to stand;

When you interrupted the distribution of Holy Communion to encourage communicants to stop and pick up a copy of  the poem you read at Mass and which you had placed on the altar rail;

When you just threw our Lord into my wife’s hands.

This is all too much.

There was nothing reverent and Sacred about the manner in which you distributed Holy Communion today. No one's belief in our Lord's Real Presence would have been enhanced.

It was offensive...

Father…please pause…take a close look at what others see…and adjust what you do.

Monday Musings - We All Have A Natural Desire for God

 

Monday Musings - It's All Gift!

You created us Lord in your image, to know love and serve You on this earth and to be with You eternally. You remain here with us in the Consecrated and Sacred Hosts hidden behind locked tabernacle doors. This is all gift! None of us deserve this Divine generosity.

You desire that each of us become more like You - to always be Christ-like. My response over my lifetime, Lord You know, has been inconsistent, and at times, pathetic and traitorous!

You want me “to disappear so that You may appear in me.” “I must vacate my territory,” You tell me, “ so that You may fully occupy it.” But this can only happen by Your grace and by my being obedient to Your every command and prompting.

On the few occasions when I have obeyed Your promptings Lord, I received a glimpse of what You were calling me to be. Oh, how glorious Lord were the times I obeyed: returning to Your Church; participating in RENEW, Cursillo, Prison Ministry, Lay Dominicans, Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, and praying for the salvation of souls.

I did not always keep my eyes focused on Yours nor did I entirely surrender my will to Yours. Far too often Lord, I did not obey You. Yet when I look back on the times of my deepest anguish, I see now that You sent me Your light and Your angels - a lifeline - to pull me out of the pit of despair and back into Your loving arms. You allowed me to succeed because I placed my trust in You. I admitted my sinfulness and inability to go on any further unless You picked me up and carried me.

Let me never forget that You promised those who obey You, that their trials and tribulations would pass and that there was no reason to be afraid. You have always had my back. I was the one who has failed to consistently say ‘Yes,’ Fiat,’ Your will be done’.

Jesus I frequently pray that “I Trust in You.” Please breath life into those words so that I will have the courage and wisdom to obey You at all times and under in all circumstances, not just when it appears comfortable for me to do so.

 

Monday Musings - Remember Who Sows Fear

 

"The evil one sows fear; the angels of God dispel it."

Father Jose Gonzalez

Monday Musings - Place Yourself Entirely In HIs Hands