Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

[ The following reflection assumes that persons presenting themselves for Holy Communion, are free from mortal sin ] (Photo©Michael Seagriff) Love and confidence can be awakened by considering that this Lord, though great in majesty, justice, and hatred of sin, is equally great in goodness and mercy for sinners. That is why He descended from heaven to earth and assumed our flesh. For sinners He fasted, traveled, sweat, labored, kept vigil, suffered persecution and the contradictions of the world. For sinners He preached by day and prayed and kept vigil by night. For sinners the door of His heart is always open, so that He will never drive them away, however miserable they may be.

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons ) Nearly a year ago, I shared a brief article on prayer – a gift I received while on retreat at the Abbey of Genesee . That post was well-received. You can read it here. If you read that simple reflection, you will understand what a blessing it was for me to return to that special place a few weeks ago and to hear Father John Denburger, O.C.S.O. discuss prayer once again.  Father did not disappoint. Underlying all prayer, he told us, is God’s decisive love for each of us. During the course of his presentation, this soft-spoken and insightful teacher drew a distinction between two types of prayer: maintenance and spousal. 

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 There is no sin or crime committed by another which I myself am not capable of committing through my weakness; and if I have not committed it, it is because God, in his mercy, has not allowed me to and has preserved me in the good. (From Confessions )

O unfathomable good that fills heaven and earth, incline Yourself graciously this day, and despise not Your poor creature. Lord, if I am not worthy of You, yet do I stand in need of You. Ah, gentle Lord,, are You not He Who with one word created heaven and earth? Lord with one word can You not restore health to my sick soul? O Lord, do unto me according to Your grace, according to Your infinite mercy, and not according to my desserts. Yes, You are the innocent Paschal Lamb, which at this day is still offered up for the sins of mankind. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons ) Ah, sweet-tasting bread of heaven, which contains all sweet tastes according to the desire of everyone’s heart, make the hungry mouth of my soul to rejoice in You this day; give me to eat and to drink; strengthen, adorn and unite me interiorly to You. Ah, Eternal Wisdom, come down so powerfully this day into my soul, that all my enemies may be driven out of her, all my crimes be melted away, and...

Today we Dominicans and the universal Church have the great privilege of celebrating the feast day and memorial of our Father, St. Dominic!   This day is especially sweet this year - the 800 th anniversary of the founding of the Order of Preachers. (Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, NYC) God has used and continues to use the Order of Preachers to defend His Church and proclaim His Truth. Since their founding, Dominicans have worked untiringly to save souls. Every day, they strive to faithfully live their motto: "To Praise, To Bless, To Preach." In my mind, nothing captures the charism of the Dominican Order and its founder better than this most succinct and penetrating quotation attributed to St. Albert the Great: “The roving dogs are the Order of Preachers who do not wait at their homes for the poor but go out to them and lick the ulcers of their sins, having in their mouths the bark of preaching .” If you want a brief glimpse into the life of...

Today, we remember St. John Marie Vianney - the patron Saint for parish priests. “There is nothing,” he once wrote, “so great as the Eucharist. If God had something more precious, He would have given it to us." If you are among the Catholics who report they get little or nothing out of Mass, ponder the following Forgotten Truth and  words of this most holy priest. Ask God for the grace to believe that which your human eyes can not see.    "Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed ."

Thank you Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan for your weekly invitation to re-post our favorite articles on Worth Revisiting. Go here now (and every Wednesday) and let an interesting group of Catholic bloggers nourish you in your Faith journey. During the rest of each week. visit Allison at   Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb .  You will be pleased with what they share. Here is my offering: Eucharistic Reflection - May His Gaze Meet Yours (Originally posted August 13, 2014) "Beloved souls, in suffering and in joy, go to Jesus hidden in the Sacred Host and let the sweetness of His loving gaze fill you. Like the sick who expose their diseased bodies to the healing rays of the sun, expose your miseries, no matter what they are, to the beams of light streaming forth from the Sacred Host.  Why dilute your love in an unceasing flow of words? Why destroy the charm of intimate communings with Him by childish loqua...