Visitation

This is a fairly late feast, going back only to the 13th or 14th century. It was established widely throughout the Church to pray for unity. The present date of celebration was set in 1969 in order to follow the Annunciation of the Lord (March 25) and precede the Birthday of John the Baptist (June 24).

Like most feasts of Mary, it is closely connected with Jesus and his saving work. The more visible actors in the visitation drama (see Luke 1:39-45) are Mary and Elizabeth. However, Jesus and John the Baptist steal the scene in a hidden way. Jesus makes John leap with joy—the joy of messianic salvation. Elizabeth, in turn, is filled with the Holy Spirit and addresses words of praise to Mary—words that echo down through the ages.

It is helpful to recall that we do not have a journalist’s account of this meeting. Rather, Luke, speaking for the Church, gives a prayerful poet’s rendition of the scene. Elizabeth’s praise of Mary as “the mother of my Lord” can be viewed as the earliest Church’s devotion to Mary. As with all authentic devotion to Mary, Elizabeth’s (the Church’s) words first praise God for what God has done to Mary. Only secondly does she praise Mary for trusting God’s words.

Then comes the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55). Here Mary herself (like the Church) traces all her greatness to God.

Comment:

One of the invocations in Mary’s litany is “Ark of the Covenant.” Like the Ark of the Covenant of old, Mary brings God’s presence into the lives of other people. As David danced before the Ark, John the Baptist leaps for joy. As the Ark helped to unite the 12 tribes of Israel by being placed in David’s capital, so Mary has the power to unite all Christians in her Son. At times, devotion to Mary may have occasioned some divisiveness, but we can hope that authentic devotion will lead all to Christ and therefore to one another.

Quote:

“Moved by charity, therefore, Mary goes to the house of her kinswoman.... While every word of Elizabeth’s is filled with meaning, her final words would seem to have a fundamental importance: ‘And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her from the Lord’ (Luke 1:45). These words can be linked with the title ‘full of grace’ of the angel’s greeting. Both of these texts reveal an essential Mariological content, namely the truth about Mary, who has become really present in the mystery of Christ precisely because she ‘has believed.’ The fullness of grace announced by the angel means the gift of God himself. Mary’s faith, proclaimed by Elizabeth at the visitation, indicates how the Virgin of Nazareth responded to this gift” (Pope John Paul II, The Mother of the Redeemer, 12).

How to Follow Him:

Do everything for Jesus; this is the way to follow him as our one neccessity. Listen to his words and be occupied by them.

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In the Visitation, the Virgin brings Christ to the Baptist's mother, the Christ who pours out the Holy Spirit. By the gift of the Holy Spirit, Mary's presence serves as a prelude to Pentecost, confirming a co-operation which, having begun with the Incarnation, is destined to be expressed in the whole work of divine salvation.

- Pope John Paul II

Good News:

What is the Good News? The Good News is that God still loves the world through each one of you. You are God’s good news, you are God’s love in action.

Service – Motives:

In today’s Gospel, Zebedee’s mother tried to “secure” the “highest” places in heaven for her sons. The service of God’s people and the needy of this world is about putting God first and at the centre of our lives. To serve with self-centred motives is to try to “manipulate” God.

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The most deadly poison of our times is indifference. And this happens, although the praise of God should know no limits. Let us strive, therefore, to praise Him to the greatest extent of our powers.

- Saint Maximilian Kolbe

In Our Midst:

Jesus is as close to us as our everyday experiences. That is where we find him or miss him. Ah! To be a Christian! To look at the world around us with the eyes of Christ! What a wonderful world it would be!

Good Deeds for God:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus assures us that all the good deeds that we do and the way we live our Christ-like life will never be overlooked by God. Indeed, we will be “rewarded” many times over because of His infinite generosity. However, our lives should be focused on loving God and not on the “reward” that we can gain from Him.

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Those who live according to the spirit of the world are fond of pleasures and ease; but those who live according to the Spirit of God, study to purchase the kingdom of heaven by pain and tribulation.

- Saint Conon the Elder (d. 275)

Gratitude to God:

The best way to show your gratitude to God and to people is to accept everything with joy. A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love.

Eternal Life:

As recounted in today’s Gospel, the Lord is challenging us daily to live our faith in more Christ-like ways. Even if we are good practising Christians, we are still challenged to find ways to deepen our faith, to conform our attitudes and behaviours daily to be more Christ-like.

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He alone loves the Creator perfectly who manifests a pure love for his neighbor.

- Saint Bede the Venerable (672-735)

Pentecost People:

We are a Pentecost people. Like the first disciples, we are gifted with the Holy Spirit so that we can share our faith with others. This is not always easy.…Pentecost is the day the disciples were empowered by the Holy Spirit to share their faith with a city of strangers. Why not take the risk this week and share your faith with those closest to you?

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This is the mystery of Pentecost: The Holy Spirit illuminates the human spirit and, by revealing Christ Crucified and Risen, indicates the way to become more like him, that is, to be "the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ."

- Pope Benedict XVI (June 4, 2006)

Feast of Pentecost (C)

Acts 2:1-11
Ps 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Rom 8:8-17
Jn 20:19-23 or Jn 14:15-16, 23b-26

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Feast of Pentecost. Shortly after Easter one year, a woman in my parish who had been received into the Church at the Easter Vigil told me how welcomed she felt in the Catholic family. The sense of openness and tolerance she experienced was especially important to her.

It's a characteristic of Catholicism to see God's goodness in all of creation, in various human endeavors, and in the cultures and histories of human beings wherever the Gospel is preached. While we haven't always lived up to that ideal, I was happy that my new parishioner experienced something of that spirit.

That universal dimension is also one of the themes of Pentecost. The dramatic story of the descent of the Holy Spirit tells us how the Holy Spirit can break down walls we may put up between peoples, races and cultures. What we see as obstacles, the Spirit can use to create a new unity, a reversal of the story of the tower of Babel in Genesis, when people let human arrogance lead to disunity, as one human language fractured into many different tongues.

Today across the world, a myriad of voices, different languages and many cultural expressions will celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. Let's join our voices with that Pentecost chorus.

Scripture:

•And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4)

• May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD be glad in his works! (Psalm 104:31)

•The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:16)

•Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21,22)

Reflection:

•Are you aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit?

The Spirit alone guides us to the Son and draws us to the Father. Indeed, “the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are sons of God” (Romans 8:16).… Praying means allowing the Spirit to instruct us; the Spirit allows us to understand and taste the things of God. He gives us, in particular, an understanding of God's plan; he brings us into the ways of God. The Spirit gives us this important discernment, this gift of wisdom, which allows us to discern what is according to God's will in such a way as to bring it to bear on our practical decisions and to establish a hierarchy of values and order our occupations, not according to human wisdom and prudence, but also to the folly of the cross and the inspiration of the Gospel.… The Spirit gives us a sense of spiritual things and a just hierarchy of values to be found there.

Renewed Faith:

Lord, you don’t ask me to do my “best”—just what is my own good, what I can do with my talents and my limitations. You know my heart and my intentions. Let me do my good and be satisfied, as you are. Amen.

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It is not enough to pray, "Thy kingdom come", but to work, so that the Kingdom of God will exist among us today.

- Saint Ursula Ledochowska (1865-1939)

Letting Go:

We cling to so much, Lord—to people and things, attitudes and ideas, habits and desires. Some are good, some not so good. We cling because they seem part of us— guideposts of ourselves. When we look upon your cross and see your outstretched arms, we realize you did not cling to anything except to God. we want to be like you, Lord, clinging to nothing but God.

Jesus – Faith and Love:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” When Peter answered “Yes”, Jesus replied, “Feed My lambs.” How much do we love Jesus? What are we doing or what have we done to show that we are truly “feeding” the needy and non-believers with Jesus’ Good News?

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Our Lord who saved the world through the Cross will only work for the good of souls through the Cross.

- Saint Madeline Sophie Barat (1779-1865)

Admiring Others:

God, help me, I pray, to admire what is fine in other people and to make my admiration known. Keep me aware that human hearts are ever hungry for encouragement. I know that even people who seem so confident can be strengthened in their work. May I develop the art of searching out kindness, generosity and courage, and then, by word or letter, show my admiration. Amen.

Unity – Faith:

In today’s Gospel Jesus prays for all believers to be united. All Christians should build on the positive and common aspects of the faith in Our Lord as Saviour of all humankind. Instead, many sow division by emphasizing or condemning the differences. Such practices cannot be the work of the Holy Spirit.

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Rule your own heart as a king rules over his kingdom, but be subject above all to the supreme ruler, God Himself.

- Saint John Climacus

Why do we sleep in church, but when the mass/service is over we suddenly wake up?

Why is it so hard to talk about God, but so easy to talk about sex?

Why are we so bored when we look at a Christian magazine, but find it easy to read Playboy?

Why is it so easy to ignore a Christian message, yet we repost the nasty ones?

Why are churches getting smaller, but bars and clubs are growing?

Prayer for a Peaceful Heart:

When difficulties confront me, Lord, give me the will to release the issues that lie beyond my control, the strength to work diligently to effect change where I am able, and the directon of your Holy Spirit to determine which path to choose. I trust a peaceful heart will follow. Amen.

Protection – Faith:

Jesus truly cares for us. In today’s Gospel He begs His Father to “keep us true to His Name and to protect us from the “Evil One.” Are we afraid of losing our faith or being harmed by “evil spirits”? The most secure way of living our lives is to Trust in Our Lord’s protection.

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An evil thought defiles the soul when it is deliberate and consented to. Our Lord placed evil thoughts at the head of all crimes, because they are their principle and source.

- St. John Baptist de la Salle

Recreation:

Praise you, Lord, for the blessing of free time today for play. I invite you to join us in our sport. May you be the unseen teammate, the referee of each point scored, the coach who directs our efforts. Let my goal be to be the best I can be as I use abilities which are gifts you endow. If I should win, thanks be to you. If loser, make me gracious and humble in defeat.

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For as the body is clad in the cloth, and the flesh in the skin, and the bones in the flesh, and the heart in the whole, so are we, soul and body, clad in the goodness of God. - Saint Julian of Norwich (1342-1423)

Lord, Make Me Real:

Lord, make me real. Create in me the person I was born to be, free of falsehood and self-deception. Show me—gently, if you please—what is counterfeit within my being. Uproot what is not of you so that seeds of faith may be nurtured within me and I may become really, really real. Amen.

Faith – How Strong?:

In today’s Gospel Jesus foretells that even as His disciples profess their belief that He is their Saviour, they would still flee in fear when their lives are being threatened. How important is our faith in our lives? Do we compromise when we are being tested?

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Learn who you are in the eyes of God.

- Saint Eugene de Mazenod (1782-1861)

Unending Love:

God loves me because I am weak and powerless, not in spite of those qualities. I am poor and needy, and God lifts me up.

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Work is not a curse, but the way men and women are called to fulfill themselves as human beings and as Christians.

- Blessed Arcangelo Tadini (1846-1912)

A Few Coins?

Lord, I don't want to be indifferent to the suffering I see each day, but I don't know how to make a difference. A few coins in an outstretched hand doesn't seem enough, yet what more can I do? Help me share the wonders of your love…in the squalor of life.

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Let us love God who deserves it!

- Saint Crispin of Viterbo (1688-1750)

We cannot choose the issues for which we have to suffer and perhaps die. John I suffered because of a power-conscious emperor. Jesus suffered because of the suspicions of those who were threatened by his freedom, openness and powerlessness. “If you find that the world hates you, know it has hated me before you.”

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“Martyrdom makes disciples like their Master, who willingly accepted death for the salvation of the world, and through it they are made like him by the shedding of blood. Therefore, the Church considers it the highest gift and supreme test of love. And while it is given to few, all however must be prepared to confess Christ before humanity and to follow him along the way of the cross amid the persecutions which the Church never lacks”

- Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, 42, Austin Flannery translation.

Lord, Teach Me:

Lord, I have often prayed to be able to see you, hear you, touch you and know you where you really are. Yet when I do see you in a lowly, dirty, perhaps crazy person living on the street, I don't know how to respond. Teach me, I beg you, what to do. Knowing you are in the poor is one thing; knowing how to embrace you in the poor is a much more difficult matter.

Suffering – Faith:

Jesus urged His disciples to ‘see’ beyond their pains and sufferings in this life. Insofar as they continue to live out God’s ways and make Him known, their pains will be short lived and they will soon inherit eternal joy. Is Jesus also challenging us to live out our faith in the same way?

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Without faith one does not please God; without gentleness one does not please one's neighbor.

- St Leonard Murialdo (1828-1900)

The Inner Path:

The cave has always been a symbol of the unconscious and a place for encounters with God. If you follow the inner path, you eventually come to the cave of your heart, where you will encounter the wilderness and darkness of isolation, shut off from thoughts, feelings and ideas, in order to be open to a visit from God. Everything must be left behind, including the ego, before entering the cave if we hope to emerge transformed.

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The first thing that a person finds in life and the last to which he holds out his hand, and the most precious that he possess, even if he does not realize it, is family life.

- Blessed Adolph Kolping (1813-1865)

God’s Merciful Love:

God, my faults and flaws are ever before me, masked but unmended. My only hope is knowing that you see me as I am and forgive me without hesitation or question. In your kindness, have mercy on me, a sinner.

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A servant of the Lord stands bodily before men, but mentally he is knocking at the gates of heaven with prayer.

- Saint John Climacus

Clear Vision:

Oh, Lord Jesus, help me discover my own inner beauty, so that I may then see more fully the beauty of my Creator.

Spiritual Consolations:

In today’s Gospel Jesus was consoling His disciples who were sad because He would soon be persecuted and be put to death. Jesus assured them that He will always send the Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide them to the Truth. Have the Holy Spirit been your strength and guide daily?

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The person who possesses Christian meekness is affectionate and tender towards everyone: He is disposed to forgive and excuse the frailties of others; the goodness of his heart appears in a sweet affability that influences his words and actions and presents every object to his view in the most charitable and pleasing light.

- Saint Francis de Sales

Space for Silence:

Modern life leaves little space for silence. But silence gives us space for receptivity; it allows us to hear the speechless language of God and to respond with our hearts.

Love – Commandments:

Obeying the “Ten Commandments” and the Laws of the Church are ways in which we show our love for God. However, such “obedience” are done better out of love for God rather than fulfilling obligations, to avoid sin or out of fear of punishment from God. How do I show my love for God?

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We who run in the way of love shouldn't be thinking of sufferings that can take place in the future: It's a lack of confidence; it's like meddling in the work of creation.

- Saint Therese of Lisieux

Our Lady of Fatima

Between May 13 and October 13, 1917, three Portuguese children received apparitions of Our Lady at Cova da Iria, near Fatima, a city 110 miles north of Lisbon. (See February 20 entry for Blessed Jacinta and Francisco Marto). Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for world peace, for the end of World War I, for sinners and for the conversion of Russia.

Mary gave the children three secrets. Since Francisco died in 1919 and Jacinta the following year, Lucia, who later became a Carmelite nun, revealed the first secret in 1927, concerning devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The second secret was a vision of hell.

Pope John Paul II directed the Holy See's Secretary of State to reveal the third secret in 2000; it spoke of a 'bishop in white' who was shot by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows into him. Many people linked this to the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981.

The feast of Our Lady of Fatima was approved by the local bishop in 1930; it was added to the Church's worldwide calendar in 2002. Sister Lucia died in 2005 at the age of 97.

Comment:

The message of Fatima is simple: Pray. Unfortunately, some people—not Sister Lucia—have distorted these revelations, making them into an apocalyptic event for which they are now the only reliable interpreters. They have, for example, claimed that Mary's request that the world be consecrated to her has been ignored. Sister Lucia has agreed that Pope John Paul II's public consecration in St. Peter's Square on March 25, 1984, fulfilled Mary's request. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prepared a June 26, 2000, document explaining the “third secret” (available at www.vatican.va).

Mary is perfectly honored when people generously imitate her response “Let it be done to me as you say” (Luke 1:38). Mary can never be seen as a rival to Jesus or to the Church's teaching authority, as exercised by the college of bishops united with the bishop of Rome.

Quote:

“Throughout history there have been supernatural apparitions and signs which go to the heart of human events and which, to the surprise of believers and non-believers alike, play their part in the unfolding of history. These manifestations can never contradict the content of faith, and must therefore have their focus in the core of Christ's proclamation: the Father's love which leads men and women to conversion and bestows the grace required to abandon oneself to him with filial devotion. This too is the message of Fatima which, with its urgent call to conversion and penance, draws us to the heart of the Gospel” (The Message of Fatima, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, June 26, 2000).

Fifth Sunday of Easter (C) -- Back dated Post

Acts 14:21-27
Ps 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13
Rv 21:1-5a
Jn 13:31-33a, 34-35

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Fifth Sunday of Easter. During World War II, my great-uncle in Italy served as a "partisan," a resistance fighter against the Nazis, and he gave his life for that cause. Resistance fighters like him fought throughout occupied Europe. They had to communicate secretly, often in code, as they tried to give hope to their captive brothers and sisters.

On these Easter Sundays, we read from the Book of Revelation. This New Testament work is puzzling, with its strange descriptions and symbolism. Many readers misunderstand its purpose, and try to find involved, often convoluted references to specific events in our own time or the future. But much of Revelation refers to the time in which it was written. Like those resistance fighters in occupied Europe, the early Christians lived through persecution under Roman rule. I like to understand the Book of Revelation as a kind of "resistance literature," a message of hope shared by persecuted Christians. Jesus has triumphed over evil; God's enemies will be defeated, even death itself.

Today, we Christians face our own troubles. We need to hear encouragement, as the Book of Revelation tells us that all will be made new, that death is not the end. It's an ancient message of hope as new as today's dawn.

Scripture:

•… they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. (Acts 14:21)

•…your dominion endures through all generations. (Psalm 145:13)

•Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. (Revelations 21:3)

•This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:35)

Reflection:

•How does God dwell in the human race?

•Is love limited by time, space or logic?

•What is an outward sign of the eternal dwelling?

Christ the Lord is a mountain, a mountain gathered and rich. He is a mountain in sublimity, gathered in the bringing together of a multitude, rich in charity. Now see how he draws all things to himself, how he unites all things in unity, substantial, personal, spiritual, sacramental. He has the Father in himself, with whom he is one in substance. He has the assumed humanity, with which he is one person. He has the faithful soul clinging to him, with whom he is one spirit. He has the one church of all the elect, with which he is one flesh.(St. Bernard of Clairvaux)

Sixth Sunday of Easter (C)

Acts 15:1-2, 22-29
Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8
Rv 21:10-14, 22-23
Jn 14:23-29

Hello, I’m Franciscan Father Greg Friedman, with the "Sunday Soundbite" for the Sixth Sunday of Easter. Shortly before his death, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago launched "Common Ground." Distressed by the polarization among Catholics, he believed that people of good will, who agreed on basic Catholic doctrine, even while expressing diverse viewpoints within the Church, could come together and seek to listen to one another.

Today's first reading reminds me of Cardinal Bernardin's dream of reconciliation. Centuries ago, Jewish and Gentile Christians found themselves disagreeing on how to follow Jesus. Trusting in the Holy Spirit, they prayed, shared their different approaches—and we read the result today.

The Gospel today also reflects something of the early community's uncertainty about its future. At the Last Supper, the disciples realize Jesus is about to leave them. They're troubled and afraid, not knowing how they will survive without him. Jesus assures him that he will send "the Advocate, the Holy Spirit," who will teach them and remind them of all Jesus told them. In effect, Jesus is promising that the Church can always rely on the Spirit to guide it in troubled times.

When we face difficulties and even disagreements within the Church, we mustn't forget what Jesus promises in today's Gospel: He sends us his Spirit to be our "Advocate" and teacher. The Spirit will help us discover the peace that Jesus gives—a peace the world does not know.

Scripture:

•Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, (Acts 15:2) … ‘It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, (Acts 15:28)

•So may your way be known upon earth; among all nations, your salvation. (Psalm 67:3)

•May the peoples praise you, O God; may all the peoples praise you! (Psalm 67:6)

•The city had no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gave it light, and its lamp was the Lamb. (Revelations 21:23)

•Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. (John 14:23b)

Reflection:

•What does Jesus mean, “keep my word?”

•What unnecessary burdens do you place on yourself and upon others?

•How do you show your love for Jesus?

•What does “we will make our dwelling with him” mean to you?

The man who lives and acts according to the grace of Christ dwelling in him acts in that case as another Christ, as a son of God, and thus he prolongs in his own life the effects and the miracle of the Incarnation.

God’s Peace:

Arguments can continue, battles can be waged, people can disagree—but we can still experience God’s peace. God’s peace is not grounded in a particular condition or position. It is grounded in love. God’s peace is an inner calm, a certainty that all will be well.

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To the property of Motherhood belongs natural love, wisdom, and knowing.

- Saint Julian of Norwich

Light of Truth:

Every person has a little corner in his heart he never wants anyone to venture into, even with a candle. That is why we deceive ourselves and why our neighbors know us better than we know ourselves.

Following Jesus:

We must forgive others, for on no other condition will our own sins be forgiven. There can be and there will be no mercy toward us unless we ourselves are merciful. The real test of the Christian is not how much he loves his friends, but how much he loves his enemies.

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Is it possible to hope for what we do not believe in?

- Saint Augustine of Hippo

Following Jesus:

We must forgive others, for on no other condition will our own sins be forgiven. There can be and there will be no mercy toward us unless we ourselves are merciful. The real test of the Christian is not how much he loves his friends, but how much he loves his enemies.

Love our Neighbour:

To love others is a spiritual “habit” that Our Lord wants us to have. In order to develop this “habit,” we will have to “fight” against our views and ways that seek selfish “benefits” in relationships. Instead, we should learn to love others because we want to love Christ more.

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The worst poverty is not to know Christ.

- Pope Benedict XVI (January 8, 2007)

Out of Focus:

How changed the world would be if we worked as hard at being good as we work at making ourselves comfortable or beautiful!

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Turn yourself round like a piece of clay and say to the Lord: I am clay, and you, Lord, the potter. Make of me what you will.

- Saint John of Avila (1499-1569)

Lonely Spaces:

The two loneliest places in the world are a strange city and one's own ego. When a man is alone with his thoughts, in false independence of the Love who made him, he keeps bad company.

Faith – “Pruning”:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asserts that if our faith is to bear fruit our negative and bad habits/behaviours would have to be “pruned” to receive God’s Spirit for the healthy growth that God wants to give us. “Pruning” is painful, but there are no “painless” ways to bear more fruit.

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What does our soul desire more passionately than truth?

- Saint Augustine of Hippo

A Listening Ear:

St. Paul tells us that faith comes from listening. God has things to tell us which will enlighten us—we must wait for him to speak. The Lord hears us more readily than we suspect; it is our listening to him that needs to be improved.

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I find myself so bound to the divine will that neither death nor life is important: I want to live as he wishes and I want to serve him as he likes, and nothing more.

- Saint Rose Venerini (1656-1728)

God of Fresh Starts:

Though time is too precious to waste, it must never be thought that what was lost is irretrievable. Once the diviine is introduced, then comes the opportunity to make up for losses. God is the God of the second chance….Being born again means that all that went before is not held against us.

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When you meet with suffering, contempt, the cross, your thoughts should be: What is this compared to what I deserve?

- Saint Josemaria Escriva (1902-1975)

Embracing Suffering:

The more you try to avoid suffering, the more you suffer, because smaller and more insignificant things begin to torture you in proportion to your fear of being hurt. The one who does most to avoid suffering is, in the end, the one who suffers most.

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My love, what can I do to make the whole world love you? Make use once again of this wretched instrument to renew the faith and conversion of sinners.

- Blessed Anna Rosa Gattorno (1831-1900)

True Love:

We are what we love. If we love God, in whose image we were created, we discover ourselves in him and we cannot help being happy. If we love anything else but God... we cannot help being unhappy, because we are a living caricature of what we are meant to be.

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One cannot have the Son without the Father; one cannot have Jesus without His Bible, which we call the Old Testament.

- Pope Benedict XVI

Building Life:

Nations, dynasties leave their mark upon the world by tearing pieces out of the map, by killing men and sending them into exile or slavery. But while armies destroy with great terror and confusion, God builds life where they have sown death and brings sanctity out of the poisoned stream of their hatred.

“Rooms in Heaven”:

In today’s Gospel, Jesus assures us that there are many rooms in heaven for us. If we over focus on our sinfulness, we will live in guilt. We tend to face death with great fear instead of accepting it with the peace that we will be entering our eternal home to inherit the heavenly room that God has prepared for us.

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And what will you do with my heart, O Christ?

- Saint John Houghton, martyr (1487-1535)

God’s Silence:

The kings and dictators and the mighty of the world accomplish their works with great noise, with speeches and drums and loudspeakers and brass and the thunder of bombers. But God works in silence.

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A man who has embraced poverty offers up prayer that is pure, while a man who loves possessions prays to material images.

- Saint John Climacus

True Contemplation:

All contemplative life on earth implies penance as well as prayer, because in contemplation there are always two aspects: the positive one, by which we are united to God in love, and the negative one, by which we are detached and separated from everything that is not God. Without both these elements there is no real contemplation.

“Still do not know me?”:

Jesus questioned Philip, “And you still do not know me?” This question is also our daily challenge. If we claim we know Jesus well, we should be making daily choices and serious decisions that help us mature in our faith in Him. Has the quality of our daily decisions grown over the years?

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You will not see anyone who is really striving after his advancement who is not given to spiritual reading. And as to him who neglects it, the fact will soon be observed by his progress.

- Saint Athanasius (295-373)

Perfect Love:

God's love is infinitely selfless and disinterested: What can he possibly gain from the love of his creatures? He seeks our love, not in order that we may give him something, but because he knows that for us the highest happiness consists in loving him. We have to love him because he is God.

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Patience is the companion of wisdom, not the handmaid of concupiscence. Patience is the friend of a good conscience, not the foe of innocence.

- Saint Augustine of Hippo

Work is a good thing for one's humanity—because through work one not only transforms nature, adapting it to his or her own needs,but also achieves fulfillment as a human being and indeed,in a sense,becomes “more a human being.”

— Late Pope John Paul II