You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2019.
“We know certainly that our God calls us to a holy life. We know that he gives us every grace, every abundant grace; and though we are so weak of ourselves, this grace is able to carry us through every obstacle and difficulty.”
— St. Elizabeth Ann Seton
**
“Christ Himself taught humility of heart, and the heart must not remain idle, nor fail to product the necessary acts. And what acts of humility do you make before God? How often do you make them? When have you made them? How long is it since you made them? It would be absurd to hope for the reward which is promised to the humble without being humble, or at least making acts of humility; humility of heart without the heart’s humbling itself—what folly! Are you foolish enough to believe that this can be done? … it is necessary to humble ourselves when we approach God with prayer to obtain some grace, because God does not regard nor heed nor impart His grace except to the humble … When, therefore, you come to ask God for some grace of the body or of the soul, do you always remember to practice this humility? When we pray, and especially when we say the ‘Our Father’, we are speaking to God; and how many times when you are saying your prayers, do you speak to God with less respect than if you were speaking to one of your fellow creatures? How often when you are in church, which is the house of God, do you listen to a sermon, which is the Word of God, and assist at the functions of the service without any reverence? Humility of heart, says St. Thomas, is accompanied by exterior reverence; and to be lacking in this is to lack humility and is therefore a sin of pride, ‘which excludes reverence.'”
— Rev. Cajetan da Bergamo
“Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the most tender of friends with souls who seek to please Him. His goodness knows how to proportion itself to the smallest of His creatures as to the greatest of them. Be not afraid then in your solitary conversations, to tell Him of your miseries, fears, worries, of those who are dear to you, of your projects, and of your hopes. Do so with confidence and with an open heart.”
— St. Damien of Molokai
**
“The fullness of wisdom is fear of the Lord, she is present with the faithful in the womb (Sirach 1:14). Fear of the Lord does not mean to be afraid of God. It means to stand in awe and wonder before the greatness of the Lord. When we recognize that God is God and we are creatures, we develop a healthy sense of humility. We acknowledge our need for wisdom and grace, which are both gifts of the Holy Spirit.”
— Rev. Jude Winkler
I am Thankful
that God chose to create heaven and earth
that He had a plan to save us all, if we would receive it…
that bad things, both mistakes and sins, can lead us to God, if we yield to Him
that God chose to allow me to be born to parents who loved me to Jesus
that I have a sister Pam and brother Michael with whom I shared a wonderful childhood
that our parents taught us to love when we disagree
that I married Bill
that Troy and Victor are not only my sons but fine men
that all three show me they love me by their actions and words
that I have a childhood home in Joplin
that North Carolina is my home in adulthood
that both mountains and ocean embody the vast love of God
that I taught school in two private Christian schools in Charlotte
that Winston-Salem is quieter and slower than Charlotte
that I have friends I’ve lost track of
that I have friends I see often
that I have friends who understand me and friends who don’t
that I have former students who are now my friends
that I have friends who love me
that I know people who don’t even like me
that I know the difference between like and love
that I have a good education and have been given many opportunities in life
that I have learned from my opportunities, both good and bad
that I no longer seek as many opportunities to put myself in the forefront
that humility is a goal…
that I spent many years as a protestant Christian
that I learned to worship in various ways
that I had caring pastors in all the churches I joined or attended
that I now have priests—fathers, pastors, confessors, brothers
that I love people who are not Christian
that our house has a beautiful backyard where deer come
that our back yard was a fine place for our children to play
that God in His mercy allowed me to become Catholic
that being Catholic is allowing me to grow closer to Jesus
that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist
that grace comes from frequent confession
that the anointing of the sick heals spiritually before it heals physically
that I enjoy both soap bubbles on the deck and prayer at Mass
that I accept cooking and raising children as obeying and serving God
that prayer alone with God—Who made me— enables me to find life in Him.
“If you do not hope, you will not find what is beyond your hopes.”
— St. Clement of Alexandria
**
“Nothing is sweeter than love; nothing stronger, nothing higher, nothing more generous, nothing more pleasant, nothing fuller or better in Heaven or on earth; for love proceeds from God and cannot rest but in God above all things created.”
— Thomas a’ Kempis
“Would that I could exhaust myself in acts of thanksgiving and gratitude towards this Divine Heart, for the great favor He shows us, in deigning to accept our help to make Him known, loved and honored; He reserves infinite blessings for all those who devote themselves to this work.”
— St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
**
“If you stay united with Christ, each one of you will be able to do great things. This is why, dear friends, you must not be afraid to dream with your eyes open of important projects of good and you must not let yourselves be discouraged by difficulties. Christ has confidence in you and wants you to be able to realize all your most noble and lofty dreams of genuine happiness. Nothing is impossible for those who trust in God and entrust themselves to Him.”
— Pope Benedict XVI
“If you suffer with Him, you will reign with Him. If you cry with Him, you will have joy with Him. If you die with Him on the cross of tribulation, you will possess the eternal dwelling place in the splendor of the saints. And your name, written in the book of life, will be glorious among men.”
— St. Clare of Assisi
**
“The soul, enlightened by faith, judges of things in a very different way to those who, having only the standard of the senses by which to measure them, ignore the inestimable treasure they contain . . . the soul that recognizes the will of God in every smallest event, and also in those that are most distressing and direful, receives all with an equal joy, pleasure and respect. It throws open all its doors to receive with honor what others fear and fly from with horror. The outward appearance may be mean and contemptible, but beneath this abject garb the heart discovers and honors the majesty of the king. The deeper the abasement of his entry in such a guise and in secret the more does the heart become filled with love.”
— Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade
“Crosses release us from this world and by doing so bind us to God.”
— Blessed Charles de Foucauld
**
“Our freedom always has this marvelous power to make what is taken from us—by life, events, or other people—into something offered. Externally there is no visible difference, but internally everything is transfigured: fate into free choice, constraint into love, loss into fruitfulness. Human freedom is of absolutely unheard-of greatness. It does not confer the power to change everything, but it does empower us to give a meaning to everything, even meaningless things; and that is much better. We are not always masters of the unfolding of our lives, but we can always be masters of the meaning we give them. Our freedom can transform any event in our lives into an expression of love, abandonment, trust, hope, and offering.”
— Fr. Jacques Philippe
“Behold Jesus Christ crucified, Who is the only foundation of our hope; He is our Mediator and Advocate; the victim and sacrifice for our sins. He is goodness and patience itself; His mercy is moved by the tears of sinners, and He never refuses pardon and grace to those who ask it with a truly contrite and humbled heart.”
— St. Charles Borromeo
**
“My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain.”
— St. Faustina Kowalska
“Men do not fear a powerful hostile army as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.”
— St. Bonaventure
**
“Essentially a soldier, the Christian is always on the lookout. He has sharper ears and hears an undertone that others miss; his eyes see things in a particularly candid light, and he senses something to which others are insensible, the streaming of a vital current through all things. He is never submerged in life, but keeps his head and shoulders clear of it and his eyes free to look upward. Consequently he has a deeper sense of responsibility than others. When this awareness and watchfulness disappear, Christian life loses its edge; it becomes dull and ponderous.”
— Fr. Romano Guardini
“I ask you to consider that our Lord Jesus Christ is your true head and that you are a member of his body. He belongs to you as the head belongs to the body. All that is his is yours: breath, heart, body, soul and all his faculties. All of these you must use as if they belonged to you, so that in serving him you may give him praise, love and glory.”
— St. John Eudes
**
“Since Jesus has gone to Heaven now, I can only follow the traces He has left behind. But how bright these traces are! How fragrant and divine! I have only to glance at the Gospels; at once this fragrance from the life of Jesus reaches me, and I know which way to run: to the lowest, not the highest place!”
— St. Therese of Lisieux
Windows Toward the World 
Recent Comments