Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

 

This was a particularly trying weekend for me. I responded poorly to several unwelcome intrusions with anger, anxiety, impatience and doubt. I forgot an essential truth: that whatever was, or would be happening in my life today or anytime in the future, is intended by God for the salvation of my soul.  I had to trust Him. I had to surrender to God the concerns  that were causing me so much angst and which I was unable to resolve  on my own. I had to trust God to take care of them. I rushed to an online Adoration site I frequently visit where I could  gaze upon my waiting and loving Lord and seek His assistance.  On my way there, I rediscovered  Sanctify the Moment – The Now Moment  written by Ven. Fulton J. Sheen .   It had been some time since I had first read this article. It immediately helped me to put my current challenges into proper perspective. Hopefully, the good Archbishop's words will help you to do likewise:    ****...

In her book, Mary's Mantle - Consecration Prayer Journal , Christine Watkins asked her readers: "Where do you place your hope? In the things and people and dreams of this world? Or in God?" She then shared the insight of St. Charles Borromeo: “God wishes us not to rest upon anything but His infinite goodness; do not let us expect anything, hope anything, or desire anything but from Him, and let us put our trust and confidence in Him alone.” Yes, St. Charles speaks the Truth - but one that is often difficult to live. Watkins' questions and St. Charles' observations prompted my writing the following personal reflection - in hopes something in it will resonate with you and stir your soul: Lord, You know well, how often I have allowed the demons of despair to destroy my spiritual and physical peace. You know Lord how I allowed this destroyer of souls to take me to a point where I begged You to end my physical life. How painful it is, even now years later, to recall...

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 t...

(Image source:  Wikimedia Commons )   The little that we have – be it in material goods, time  or talents – is sufficient for God’s work if, when He asks, we would just give whatever that is to Him. Take notice in today’s Gospel what He did with five loaves of bread and two fish! On the surface, it looked like Jesus was asking His Apostles to do the impossible – feed thousands of  people. He wasn’t. He was asking them to give Him what they had and He would make the impossible possible. God will never give us a task, no matter how daunting it may first appear, without giving us all that we need to complete it. The first step is our total surrender to, and trust in, His will for us. So let’s ask ourselves: Is there anything I am still holding on to and unwilling to give Him?

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons) So what is the next step, Lord? What do I do? Where do I go? How do I love You and others as I ought? What must I sever myself and my time from? How Lord do I bridge the great gap that exists between what I profess to believe and how I actually live my life?  Please reveal to me, dear Lord, what I have been unable or unwilling to see.  When Lord will my heart and will be one with Yours – where every second of my life honors and glorifies You?

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 John Catoir   "The more you trust God, the happier you will be...The great spiritual masters tell us that the path to both happiness and holiness is found in fidelity to the duty of the present moment. If you take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves. Be faithful to the duty of the present moment. Do it for the Lord, and be at peace."  (An excerpt from Uplifting Thoughts for Every Day ) St. Peter Julian Eymard   “What displeases God most on earth and in us is sin. You must give this truth your attentive consideration. The just and the saints themselves are not exempt from sin. And we, have we not at least venial sins on our conscience? The just and the saints themselves are not exempt from sin. Have we never had to weep for mortal sins?...

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.     Catherine Doherty, Servant of God “I had worked with Catherine for many years in our gift shop and handicraft department. One day, Catherine stopped to dictate an article for our paper Restoration , probably concerning our needs for craft materials and gift shop items. It was a fairly extensive article, but she dictated it aloud, without pausing. I was somewhat astonished that she could do this and I asked, “B, how can you create that way? Don’t you have to be in the mood to write? Don’t you need time to think about what you want to say and just how to say it? Catherine looked at me, as she often did, with a look that betrayed a combination of disappointment and despair in her spirit. 'Sweetheart, don’t you understand? This is God’s work. I simply say a prayer to do it well. I know He will give me the grace to do so, so I proceed ...