Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

[The following article, penned by a dear friend and faithful Catholic, was first published more than four and a half years ago in the December 2017 issue of The Patriot (Volume 8, Issue 2). I am re-posting it here with permission and at his request. This is one man's attempt to wake us up. It needs to be heard and heeded.] JESUS’ WARNING TO US I, Jesus, speak to you, the people of the United States, individually and as a nation. I have witnessed civil conflict after civil conflict, war after war, Mortal Sin after Mortal Sin. I have witnessed the breaking of each of the Ten Commandments. More and more people are denying Me, are indifferent to Me. I have been profaned. My Mother Mary has been ridiculed and the object of jokes. Moral corruption on all levels of the political, social and religious strata is ubiquitous. People are scandalized by all of this. I have held my anger back because I love each and every one of you and I want you to join Me in Heaven. But time is getting...

Today our Dominican family celebrates the memorial of St. Rose of Lima (1586-1617). She was the first canonized saint of the Western hemisphere, a contemporary of St. Martin DePorres and Saint John Macias , and “patron saint of Lima, Peru, all the Americas, the Phillippines, India, florists, gardeners, and people ridiculed for their piety” .   The Office of Readings today offers this excerpt from her writings for our fruitful meditation and response:   Our Lord and Savior lifted up his voice and said with incomparable majesty: “Let all men know that grace comes after tribulation. Let them know that without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. Let them know that the gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase. Let men take care not to stray and be deceived. This is the only true stairway to paradise, and without the cross they can find no road to climb to heaven.” When I heard these words, a strong force came upon me an...