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. St. John Vianney "I come to tell you that they suffer in Purgatory, that they weep, and that they demand with urgent cries the help of your prayers and good works. I seem to hear them crying from the depths of those fires which devour them: 'Tell our loved ones, tell our children, tell all our relatives how great the evils are which they are making us suffer. We throw ourselves at their feet to implore the help of their prayers. Ah! Tell them that since we have been separated from them, we have been here burning in flames." (From Handbook for the Holy Souls in Purgatory ) Archbishop Luis M. Martinez "On the manger straw the celestial babe lay wrapped in the whitest of swaddling clothers. His sweet Mother contemplated Him in silence, her heart melted with tenderness, her soul absorbed in profound adoration. Jesus opened his eyes an...

 

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. Hubert Van Zeller, O.S.B. "The weight of evil in the world seems overwhelming. We feel it everywhere and our effort to resist is smothered. But God does not  see things in this way. God must still see the world as good or he would not allow it to continue its existence. H e prefers, so St. Augustine tells us, to draw good out of evil rather than not to permit any evil at all." (From The Mystery of Suffering) Father Benedict Baur, O.S.B.  "Think of all of our omissions with regard to opportunities for and impulses toward prayer. All those free moments we have in the course of each day: we could use them for prayer, but we omit to do so…Think of all the inspirations of grace and all the impulses to good we neglect or to which we turn a deaf ear. We know that God is speaking to us ...

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 Fulton J. Sheen   “The Christian soul knows it needs Divine Help and therefore turns to Him Who loved us even while we were yet sinners. Examination of conscience, instead of inducing morbidity, thereby becomes an occasion of joy.  There are two ways of knowing how good and loving God is. One is by never losing Him, through the preservation of innocence, and the other is by finding Him after one has lost Him. Repentance is not self-regarding, but God-regarding. It is not self-loathing, but God-loving. Christianity bids us accept ourselves as we really are, with all our faults and our failings and our sins. In all other religions, one has to be good to come to God—in Christianity one does not. Christianity might be described as a 'come as you are' party. It bids us stop worrying about ourselves, stop concentrating...

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.       St. John Marie Vianney "I can't stop praying for poor sinners who are on the road to hell. If they come to die in that state, they will be lost for all eternity. What a pity! We have to pray for sinners! Praying for sinners is the most beautiful and useful of prayers because the just are on the way to heaven, the souls of purgatory are sure to enter there, but the poor sinners will be lost forever. All devotions are good but there is no better one than such prayer for sinners." (From I Thirst For Your Love )   Alexander de Rouville  My child, God will not allow you to be tempted, tested or tormented beyond your strength. His help will always be equal to the trial He sends.  Give heed to His grace, for it already speaks to you, and respond to His inspirations. If God has more crosses in store for someone, He gives ...