Harvesting The Fruits of Contemplation

(St. Vincent Ferrer Parish, NYC) "Once again we are in Advent, which reminds us vividly, beautifully of Christ's first Advent in time. Even while He is coming, He is also with us now in many ways. He is with us in the Tabernacle. Incredible love that He is, He could not separate Himself from us. He also walks among us and all his priests. Through their hands, He multiplies Himself in the hosts so that they can feed us with the Bread of Life – Himself. How immense must be His love for us. Think for a moment. Allow a few moments of silence to interrupt your reading of this page. Try to comprehend the lavishness of God's love for us. Daily millions of Hosts are given in Holy Communion to the faithful throughout the world. And each Host is Christ, coming in tremendous love to be united to each and all. Think about it now! Let every day be the day of beginning again of loving Christ a little more, of hungering for Him a little more, of turning our face to Him. To accomplis...

A few nights ago, several of us read and discussed John 15:1-5. Take a moment right now to read those few verses:    (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons ) "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine dresser. Every branch of mine that bears no fruit, he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."   In those passages, Jesus discusses, among other things, the need to prune every branch that bears fruit so that it may bear more fruit. He reminds us that we cannot bear fruit (spiritual) unless we abide in Him. "Faith, hope and trust in God," our spiritual advisor stated, ...

[I originally posted this in 2014. I hope you find it worth my sharing again. Our Lady of Guadalupe pray for us!] 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 pausing in awe and wonder watching pilgrims walking on their knees across the plaza leading to the Cathedral, some of whom I was later told had been walking in that manner for miles. I regret now not having photographically captured the inspiring witness of those devoted souls.  

What a privilege it is to participate in this Virtual Book Tour! It took me all of five seconds to accept Ellen Gable’s invitation to read her latest novel, Where Angels Pass . Ellen is a storyteller extraordinaire. She never disappoints. Like her eleven earlier books, Where Angels Pass is a page turner. I had to force myself to stop and get some sleep. The author seamlessly weaves her tale through the perspective of Hank, the victim of clerical sexual abuse, and his daughter, Effie. In doing so, she has done a great service to our Church, the victims of this dreaded abuse, and particularly to their families whose suffering has gone virtually unnoticed. While sharing this story was no doubt painful for her, Ellen’s courage in doing so will help other families living through this nightmare. She has done a masterful job mixing fact with fiction. This is a novel you will not want to put down. You can buy your copy here . Don’t take my word. Here is a sampling of what other revie...