Pondering Tidbits of Truth - May 22, 2025

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.

David G. Bonagura, Jr.

"It has become fashionable in certain circles for parents to put off their child's baptism until he or she is older and can make a personal decision. This is a colossal mistake. To deprive a child of Baptism is akin to depriving him of an education or health care.

Parents would never make teeth brushing handwashing or school optional for their children. Likewise, they should never make God and His grace optional. God is essential and Baptism is the means by which human beings begin to encounter God in His fullness.”

(From 100 Tough Questions for Catholics -  Common Obstacles to Faith Today.)

 

St. Alphonsus Liguori

"St. Augustine says, that to prevent the sheep from seeking assistance by her cries, the wolf seizes her by the neck, and thus securely carries her away and devours her. The Devil acts in a similar manner with the sheep of Jesus Christ. After having induced them to yield to sin, he seizes them by the throat, that they may not confess their guilt; and thus he securely brings them to Hell. For those who have sinned grievously, there is no means of salvation but the confession of their sins."

(From The Sermons of St. Alphonsus Liguori)

 

Carol Puschaver

“How very quickly I can grow impatient, annoyed; even angry and resentful, o dear Saint Michael! Even right after Church! One has only to steer a full shopping cart into the express lane ahead of me, talk during a movie or hurt someone I love. I feel so ashamed - and discouraged. How very tempted I am to shy away from others and avoid life's challenges altogether!

But that is not the way of the authentic Christ- centered life I want to lead. And so, dearest Archangel St. Michael, please help me to my feet, as many times as I may fall, please help get me back up. Pray for me that I may become more patient and tolerant as I would want others to be with me. Help me to see God in my neighbor and to be an ambassador of His love and mercy to all I meet this day.

Thank you. AMEN.

(From Lovingly Do I Call to You - Prayers to Saint Michael the Archangel. Used with permission.)

  

Pondering Tidbits of Truth - December 8, 2022

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.

 

 

 

Robert Cardinal Sarah

“Noise surrounds us and assaults us. The noise of our ceaselessly active cities, the noise of automobiles, airplanes, machines outside and inside our houses. Besides this noise that is imposed on us. There are other noises that we ourselves produce or choose. Such as the soundtrack of our everyday routine. This noise, unconsciously, often has a function that we do not dare admit: it masks and stifles another sound, the one that occupies and invades our interior life. How can we not be astonished by the efforts that we constantly make to stifle God’s silences.”

(From The Power of Silence)

 

 

Madeliene Delbrel, Servant of God

“At the beginning of each hour of the long day, we could say 'I must begin this hour as if I were going to be a martyr, and a witness' - because there is not one second we have the right to let God’s Word lie dormant in us.”

(From We, The Ordinary People of the Street)

 

 

Father Gabriele Amorth

“Satan has had a large group of followers since God first created man. Therefore, man has always had to struggle against the temptations and possessions of the demons who act out of hatred of God. But today there is a denial of God that is to be feared. Today man has been able to impose a culture in which reason and science are enough to explain everything. God, from whom everything comes, is denied. And the result is mathematical: whoever denounces God gives himself over to the devil and to all his works. The Lord has spoken clearly: either you are with Christ or you are with Satan. There are no alternatives or half measures. Today, as never before, there are many who either believe in Satan or believe that he does not exist Thus, he can operate in total liberty tempting and tormenting men in a thousand ways, without having them think that these evils come from him.”

(From The Devil Is Afraid of Me)

 

Monday Musings - Arm Yourselves!

 We are at war!

We have always been at war with an enemy not ordinarily visible to our naked and sinful eyes… a spiritual war…a fight for our eternal souls!

Yet millions of souls do not realize this!

This spiritual war, on-going since the onset of creation, has now manifested itself in the physical plain as evidenced by the chaos and hatred present throughout our world – a world which, for the most part, has rejected its Creator and abandoned His commandments.

No one fights this kind of war successfully without adequate spiritual armaments – the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the frequent reception of the Holy Communion and the Sacraments (especially confession), regular participation in Eucharistic Adoration, prayer throughout the day (daily rosary a must), fasting, mortification, and the use of sacramentals (including such blessed items as holy water, medals, scapulars, blessed salt, crucifixes and candles).

How tragic it is that access to many of these weapons has been drastically curtailed since the onset of the current pandemic. Rare have been the exhortations to arm ourselves spiritually, to place our trust in the God who gave us these weapons, and to put aside blind and faithless fear.

Why one is even hard pressed to find holy water to use in one’s home – this among one of the most powerful sacramentals against the evil one (who HATES it) and an essential armament in this spiritual combat.

Although our Almighty God has assured us that in the end, Satan will not prevail, countless souls will be lost because they were not encouraged, or were unable to, properly arm themselves for this battle.

You may want to consider adding this Litany for America (composed by a fellow Lay Dominican) to your daily prayer routine.

It's time to unlock the doors and pass out the ammunition!

Monday Musings - Advice From a Wise Confessor

Advice from a wise confessor:

(Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash)

Remember if Satan succeeds in keeping you in sin and despair, he has succeeded in preventing you from fulfilling God’s will for your life and the specific work God has delegated to you.

Don’t give Satan that power over you.