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:    ****...

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. Vinny Flynn "A spiritual Communion acts on the soul as blowing does on a cinder-covered fire which was about to go out. Whenever you feel your love of God growing cold, quickly make a spiritual Communion.’ ‘Quickly!’ There’s a sense of urgency here. The saints are trying to tell us that we should not limit our union with Christ in the Eucharist to sacramental Communion once a week, or even once a day. We need Christ’s living presence in our lives moment-by-moment to nourish us and protect us from sin, so we need to renew our union with Him regularly, especially any time we feel ourselves drifting away. Christ is not merely present in the Eucharist during Mass! The Eucharist is an ongoing fulfillment of Christ’s Gospel promise to remain with us: ‘Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age’ (Mt. 28:20)."   (From...

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. Venerable Fulton J. Sheen   “Burning the candle at both ends for God’s sake may be foolishness to the world, but it is a profitable Christian exercise for so much better the light! Only one thing in life matters: Being found worthy of the Light of the World in the hour of His visitation. We need have no undue fear for our health if we work hard for the Kingdom of God; God will take care of our health if we take care of His cause. In any case, it is better to burn out than to rust out.”   (From Fulton Sheen Institute) St. Isaac of Syria "In times of spiritual coldness and laziness, imagine in your heart those times in the past when you were full of zeal and solicitude in all things, even the smallest. Remember your past efforts and the energy with which you opposed those who wanted to obstruct your progress. These recollections...

 

 

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 "God invites us to accept the loneliness of walking alone with Him. He says: ‘Yes, you need help from other people, but first get it from Me. Attach yourself to Me. I will give you everything you need, for I am the Lord of everything. I will renew and restore you and you will have new eyes and new ears." (From Are You Ever Lonely? March 2023 issue of Restoration )   St. John Marie Vianney "What a sad life does he lead who wants both to please the world and to serve God! It is a great mistake to make, my friends. Apart from the fact that you are going to be unhappy all the time, you can never attain the stage at which you will be able to please the world and please God. It is as impossible a feat as trying to put an end to eternity. Take the advice that I am going to give you now and you will be les...

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 . Mother Mary Francis “When great masterpieces of art are restored, layers and layers of the overlay are removed before the real panting is found. So, it is with our sins. We ask God to take off one coat after another of sin and pretense until His real image is visible again.” (From A Time of Renewal )

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 Reginald Garrigou-LaGrange, O.P. "The face-to-face vision of God will produce in us a love of God so strong, so absolute, that nothing can ever destroy it nor even diminish it. It will produce a love built on admiration, respect, and gratitude, but above all on friendship, with the simplicity and familiarity that this love presupposes. Through such a love we will enjoy above all else that God is God, that He is infinitely holy, infinitely merciful, infinitely just ."                                                           ...