Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

The gifts of the Magi - gold, frankincense, and myrrh - were expensive and very significant physical gifts. But they pale in comparison to the spiritual gifts we can give our Infant, Crucified, and Risen Lord – if we would but choose to do so. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) The gifts I am about to describe, when given to our Lord in love and gratitude, weekly (daily if possible), will not only please Him, but will result in our being united more intimately with the Prince of Peace. What follows are some concrete suggestions as to what each of us can and should do every time we attend Mass, if we are serious about loving God as He deserves and as we ought. We don’t need any one’s permission to do any of these things.  We will just do these things out of love and reverence and let God do the rest:     

  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 “A person in love with God is always on the alert to make friends, make a friend – not for any ulterior motive but just because friendship is the fruit of Christian love. A stranger is only a friend I haven’t met yet.”  ( From Poustinia ) Dr. Peter Kreeft “We can consider him [Jesus Christ in every person and in ourselves] because he really is there. He is in his whole Body as your soul is in your whole body. We really do meet and touch and help or harm Christ in our neighbors. If we lived this one thought, we would convert and transform the world.” (From Christianity for Modern Pagans – Pascal’s Pensees ) St. Catherine of Siena "He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to ...

Thank you Allison Gingras at  Reconciled To You   and Elizabeth Riordan at  Theology Is A Verb   for  hosting Catholic bloggers at  Worth   Revisiting . It is a privilege for us to share our work with you and your readers .     Some Christmas Memories  (Originally posted on December 25, 2016) Most of us recall the joy and excitement we experienced as young children singing Christmas carols and happy birthday to Jesus while waiting to see what gifts Santa would leave under our tree.   How many times did my siblings and I resolve to catch the jolly old man in the act only to fall fast asleep – many hours later than Mom and Dad would have liked?   Strange how we could not quite understand why they looked so tired as we exploded into their bedroom at 3 A.M. and at fifteen minute intervals thereafter until they finally conceded defeat, crawled out of bed, and witnessed our glee and...

Souls who are well grounded in faith on earth should bear a close resemblance to the Blessed in Heaven. What the blessed in Heaven behold unveiled, the same we will behold on earth in the light of faith, if we are penetrated with a lively sense of the presence of God. (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) Lack of a lively faith in the Holy Eucharist is the reason why lukewarm Catholics lose their faith and turn their backs upon the Church. We shall never be able to lead a spiritual life and attain  to familiarity with God, nor draw abundant fruits from Holy Communion, if the virtue of faith is wanting. And alas, how many are lacking in a firm, lively faith!  O Faith, thou marvelous virtue! O sublime virtue, how little are thou known! Oh, let us pray for a most fervent, lively faith! Then will the Holy Eucharist be our life and our All, and our souls will be enriched with heavenly treasures. The just man lives by faith. Experience has  proved that lukewarmness ...

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) It is astonishing how hard-headed, stiff -necked and obstinate a people we Catholics and our leaders are. The answer to all that troubles our Church in these times is, has been, and always will be, to humble ourselves by spending time on our knees in front of the Blessed Sacrament and surrendering all that we do to our abandoned and imprisoned Lord. But most of us don't and won't. The late St. John Paul II envisioned and urged that every parish have Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration. Only a handful have accepted His challenge.  Despite the demands on his time, this Saint spent multiple hours a day in Eucharistic Adoration - the essential fuel for living a holy life. He, like Venerable Fulton J Sheen, recommended that all priests make a daily Holy Hour.  For the most part, both men have been ignored. In a recent article written by Monsignor Robert J. Dempsey and  published in Adoremus Bulletin, October, 2018 entitled "To Pra...

Thank you Allison Gingras and Elizabeth Riordan for another opportunity to re-publish our favorite posts on Worth Revisiting .   Go there now   and be nourished spiritually. V isit Allison at Reconciled To You and Elizabeth at Theology Is A Verb during the rest of each week.   You will enjoy your visit. Although I have shared this before, I decided to post it again:  Remembering Our Lady of Guadalupe    (Originally posted on December 12, 2014) While my wife and I were cleaning out our attic and basement a few weeks ago, we discovered a long lost treasure - photographs from a trip that my eldest daughter and I had taken to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City more than twenty-five years ago. At the time of that visit, the original Church built at the request of the Blessed Mother, was deemed unsafe to enter. A new modern structure – much larger had been erected nearby. I remember pa...

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) "Streams of graces and blessings flow from the living and personal presence of our Divine Savior in the holy Tabernacle into the hearts of those who approach Him with humility and confidence...Never does a soul that is penetrated with a lively faith approach Jesus and go away without being enriched. If we ourselves did not sow many weeds in the garden of our soul, He would soon have it covered with the treasures of grace...Nothing, not even the sense of our unworthiness and sinfulness, should deter us from appearing before Him: Yea, the poorer we are, the more often should we hasten to the Divine Treasury that we may become enriched. The weaker we are, the more frequently should we approach the Divine Fountain of Grace, that we may be revived and strengthened.   Here, in the holy Tabernacle, is the wonderful pool of Bethsaida , that is, the 'house of mercy' or 'place of healing,' in which the Divine waters of grace are c...