Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

(Photo©Michael Seagriff) There are times we do not ask God what He wants of us for fear that He will suggest something we are unwilling to do. On other occasions, we hear God's promptings very clearly but choose to ignore them.   The next time we are tempted to do either of these things, we would be wise to recall this warning: : "…sometimes He [God] demands of a particular soul a greater degree of love. Such a soul understands this call, because God makes this known to it interiorly, but the soul may either follow this call or not. It depends on the soul itself whether it is faithful to these touches of the Holy Spirit, or whether it resists them. I have learned that there is a place in purgatory where souls will pay their debt to God for such transgressions; this kind of torment is the most difficult of all. The soul which is specially marked by God will be distinguished everywhere, whether in heaven or in purgatory or in hell. In heaven, it will be dist...

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. Augustine "Look not with disdain on venial faults; if the weight of each one does not frighten you, let their numbers, at least, terrify you." (From Instructions For Novices by Blessed Hyacinthe-Marie Cormier, O.P.)

T hank you Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan for inviting Catholic bloggers to re-post their favorite articles on "Worth Revisiting” Wednesdays.   Go there now (and every Wednesday) and gouge yourself on a feast of spiritual treasures. Be sure to visit Allison at  Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb during the rest of the week.  You will find much spiritual nourishment and encouragement there. Here is my contribution: Stop Running Away From Suffering - Embrace It As God's Will for You (Originally posted April 16, 2014) As Catholics we are supposed to be counter cultural. But are we? What spiritual concept is more foreign in today's culture than the idea that we should embrace suffering? Probably none, since the majority of us run away from, reject, and complain about any and all forms of suffering.  We are always looking for some pill to pop or syrup to ingest to get rid of even the slightest physical pain. How...

“Closeness to Christ in the silence of contemplation does not distance us from our contemporaries but, just the opposite, makes us attentive and open to the joys and distresses of men, stretching the heart to the dimensions of the world. It puts us in solidarity with our brothers in mankind, particularly with the least among us, who are especially beloved by the Lord. Through adoration, the Christian contributes mysteriously to the radical transformation of the world and the germination of the Gospel. Every person who prays to the Lord brings the whole world along with him, raising the world to God. (St. John Paul II from Could You Not Watch With Me One Hour?)