Sunday, December 15, 2013




Parents' Prayer for Their Children

O God the Father of mankind, who hast given unto me these my children, and committed them to my charge to bring them up for Thee, and to prepare them for eternal life: help me with Thy heavenly grace, that I may be able to fulfil this most sacred duty and stewardship. Teach me both what to give and what to withhold; when to reprove and when to forbear; make me to be gentle, yet firm; considerate and watchful; and deliver me equally from the weakness of indulgence, and the excess of severity; and grant that, both by word and example, I may be careful to lead them in the ways of wisdom and true piety, so that at last I may, with them, be admitted to the unspeakable joys of our true home in heaven, in the company of the blessed Angels and Saints. Amen.

O Heavenly Father, I commend my children to Thy care. Be Thou their God and Father; and mercifully supply whatever is lacking in me through frailty or negligence. Strengthen them to overcome the corruptions of the world, whether from within or without; and deliver them from the secret snares of the enemy. Pour Thy grace into their hearts, and strengthen and multiply in them the gifts of Thy Holy Spirit, that they may daily grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ; and so, faithfully serving Thee here, may come to rejoice in Thy presence hereafter. Amen.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Prayer by Blaise Pascal

O Lord, from now on 
let me not desire health or life 
except to spend them for you and with you. 
You alone know what is good for me. 
Therefore do whatever 
seems best to you. 
Give to me or take from me. 
I desire to adore equally 
all that comes to me from you, 
my Lord and God. Amen.

-  Blaise Pascal

Thursday, November 7, 2013

An Ignatian Prayer Adventure

An Ignatian Prayer Adventure online retreat
This is a wonderful version of the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises.

source: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/an-ignatian-prayer-adventure/

Saturday, November 2, 2013

The Feast of All Souls November 2nd

 Saint Ambrose


From a book on the death of his brother Satyrus by Saint Ambrose, Bishop of Milan:

source:  http://divineoffice.org/

Let us die with Christ, to live with Christ

We see that death is gain, life is loss. Paul says: For me life is Christ, and death a gain. What does “Christ” mean but to die in the body, and receive the breath of life? Let us then die with Christ, to live with Christ. We should have a daily familiarity with death, a daily desire for death. By this kind of detachment our soul must learn to free itself from the desires of the body. It must soar above earthly lusts to a place where they cannot come near, to hold it fast. It must take on the likeness of death, to avoid the punishment of death. The law of our fallen nature is at war with the law of our reason and subjects the law of reason to the law of error. What is the remedy? Who will set me free from this body of death? The grace of God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

We have a doctor to heal us; let us use the remedy he prescribes. The remedy is the grace of Christ, the dead body our own. Let us then be exiles from our body, so as not to be exiles from Christ. Though we are still in the body, let us not give ourselves to the things of the body. We must not reject the natural rights of the body, but we must desire before all else the gifts of grace.

What more need be said? It was by the death of one man that the world was redeemed. Christ did not need to die if he did not want to, but he did not look on death as something to be despised, something to be avoided, and he could have found no better means to save us than by dying. Thus his death is life for all. We are sealed with the sign of his death; when we pray we preach his death; when we offer sacrifice we proclaim his death. His death is victory; his death is a sacred sign; each year his death is celebrated with solemnity by the whole world.

What more should we say about his death since we use this divine example to prove that it was death alone that won freedom from death, and death itself was its own redeemer? Death is then no cause for mourning, for it is the cause of mankind’s salvation. Death is not something to be avoided, for the Son of God did not think it beneath his dignity, nor did he seek to escape it.

Death was not part of nature; it became part of nature. God did not decree death from the beginning; he prescribed it as a remedy. Human life was condemned because of sin to unremitting labor and unbearable sorrow and so began to experience the burden of wretchedness. There had to be a limit to its evils; death had to restore what life had forfeited. Without the assistance of grace, immortality is more of a burden than a blessing.

The soul has to turn away from the aimless paths of this life, from the defilement of an earthly body; it must reach out to those assemblies in heaven (though it is given only to the saints to be admitted to them) to sing the praises of God. We learn from Scripture how God’s praise is sung to the music of the harp: Great and wonderful are your deeds, Lord God Almighty; just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not revere and glorify your nature? You alone are holy; all nations will come and worship before you. The soul must also desire to witness your nuptials, Jesus, and to see your bride escorted from earthly to heavenly realities, as all rejoice and sing: All flesh will come before you. No longer will the bride be held in subjection to this passing world but will be made one with the spirit.

Above all else, holy David prayed that he might see and gaze on this: One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I shall pray for: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, and to see how gracious is the Lord.



Thursday, October 31, 2013

Prayer to Know God’s Will

Prayer to Know God’s Will


May it please the supreme and divine Goodness
to give us all abundant grace
ever to know his most holy will
and perfectly to fulfill it.

—St. Ignatius of Loyola

source:   http://www.ignatianspirituality.com

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Living with Christ
Morning Prayer

Thursday, October 24, 2013


St. Anthony Mary Claret

         
I believe, Lord, but let me believe more firmly.
I hope, Lord, but let me hope more surely.
I love, Lord, but let me love more warmly.
I repent, Lord, but let me repent more deeply.
Lord, give me humility, meekness, 
chastity, patience and charity.
Teach me goodness, knowledge and discipline.
Give me your love together with your grace
and I will be rich enough.
My God, my Jesus, my all in all.

- St.Anthony Mary Claret

                               

Monday, September 16, 2013

Prayer

By Pope St Clement of Rome, 4th pope and bishop
He knew St Peter and St Paul before their martyrdoms in Rome
(circa 95AD):


We beg you, Lord, to help and defend us.
Deliver the oppressed.
Pity the insignificant.
Raise the fallen.
Show yourself to the needy.
Heal the sick.
Bring back those of your people who have gone astray.
Feed the hungry.
Lift up the weak.
Take off the prisoners’ chains.
May every nation come to know that you alone are God,
that Jesus is your Child,
that we are your people, the sheep that you pasture. 

Amen.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The “Kiss” of Divine Love Reflections from John of the Cross and Bernard of Clairvaux

Today is the Memorial of St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
He wrote a series of sermons on the first part of the Song of Songs.

In my email this morning, I found this lovely article and wanted to share it.



source:  http://imgc.allpostersimages.com/images/P-473-488-90/21/2130/37LED00Z/posters/gustav-klimt-the-kiss-der-kuss-close-up-of-heads.jpg


The “Kiss” of Divine Love
Reflections from John of the Cross and Bernard of Clairvaux

BY: WAYNE SIMSIC

Mystics have a way of placing ancient truths in a new light. They present for us what we already believe but in a way that fills us with wonder and awe, as if we were seeing it for the first time. St. John of the Cross is one example, as he introduces us to what may be possible if we are truly in love with God.

Imagine waking up in the morning to the touch or kiss of a loved one. You find yourself rising gently from the depths of the unconscious, like a sailor finally reaching home after wandering distant and foreign shores. In comparison, what is it like to awaken to the “kiss” of divine love in the depths of the heart? St. Bernard of Clairvaux, referring to the first line of the Song of Songs, describes God’s kiss as a secret expression of ineffable love that brings us back to life. According to Bernard, the kiss surpasses anything known in the physical world, and represents the intimate touch of the spirit of Christ.

Who can begin to describe the depth and meaning of the intimate touch of the spirit of Christ on our hearts? We know Jesus Christ as the fullness of God’s revelation to humanity, but we often bracket this as a dogmatic truth rather than looking upon it as God’s personal self-disclosure to us. In other words, God has entered into human experience and has given us in the Person of Jesus a glimpse into divine love. Divine love is so ready and willing to have an intimate relationship with us that it actually becomes one of us in order to reveal itself more. John reminds us that in Jesus Christ, God holds back nothing; he reveals the compassionate depths of divine nature by dying for us on the cross and rising from the dead, holding out the hope that we, too, will one day be transformed.

John was amazed that the Father offered us the gift of his Son, that God became human in Christ: “For this is how God loved the world: he gave his only Son” (John 3:16). It was a gift, he believed, given to each one of us personally. To truly understand John’s teaching, each of us has to claim our fundamental giftedness, namely, that Christ belongs to me and my unique personal history. God not only knows my thoughts, feelings, and experiences but identifies with them in the Person of Jesus Christ, who has become like us in all things but sin (Hebrews 4:15).

When the Word touches our hearts with his personal presence, when we are “kissed” by him, we really know God and are in communion with the divine. Only in the depths of our hearts is the Word fully revealed to us. Imagining Jesus in the Incarnation or on the cross is not enough. The incarnate Word is more than visible and tangible to us; he is a sign and invitation calling us to open ourselves to a fuller experience of revelation, to the divine presence within us. Only by an inner experience of grace—the touch of the Word’s own presence—can we really know Jesus and, in knowing him, know the Father as well.

If we are looking for God to intervene in our lives or for miracles to guide us, then our faith is limited. The faith that Jesus desires, insists John, is the total surrender of ourselves to him so that he can reveal himself intimately to us. According to John, Jesus knows what is in our hearts and will not reveal himself to us if our hearts are not open to his presence. What God wants to communicate to us cannot be expressed externally or in words; it can be expressed only in our awakening to the touch of a loving presence.

Trust, then, that everything is given to us through the Word made flesh, and we need nothing more. This overflowing of the Father’s love transforms us and all of creation. The more we immerse ourselves in the mystery of the Incarnation, the more wisdom we will gain to appreciate the beauty and goodness within ourselves, in others, and in the world at large. John himself saw light everywhere, in the faces of the people he met and in the forms of the natural world, all of which he believed were an extension of his love for Christ.

Once I take the Incarnation personally and accept that God gave his only Son especially for me, then I look at the world around me and see everything in a dramatically different way: It is all given through Christ. My vision changes; my eyes are renewed. In wonder I see the physical world, from quarks to the cosmos, as an expression of the Word made flesh, God’s love taking form.

Wayne Simsic is an author and retreat leader. He teaches at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio. This article is adapted from his bookSeeking the Beloved: A Prayer Journey with St. John of the Cross. If you’d like to read another excerpt or purchase the book, please visit our Bookstore.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Litany of Humility


Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being honored, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, Jesus.

From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That, in the opinion of the world, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

others may increase and I may decrease, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be chosen and I set aside, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be praised and I unnoticed, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be preferred to me in everything, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930),
Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

Source:  http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/03/06/litany-of-humility#ixzz2cHtMoACg

Discerning daily


Prayer for Discernment

(Source:  usni.org)

God our Father,
You have a plan for each one of us,
You hold out to us a future full of hope.

Give us the wisdom of your Spirit
so that we can see the shape
of your plan in the gifts
you have given us,
and in the circumstances
of our daily lives.

Give us the freedom of your Spirit,
to seek you with all our hearts,
and to choose Your Will above all else.
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.

Being Unsure

PRAYER OF ST. THOMAS MERTON




Source: http://service.cua.edu/longtermservice/prayersfordiscernment.cfm

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me. Nor do I really know myself.
And the fact that I think I am following your will
Does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you
Does in fact please you.

And I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road
Though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust you always
Though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death
I will not fear for you are ever with me.

And you will never leave me to face my struggles alone.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart


The Carmelite Sisters of the  Most Sacred Heart are located in Los Angeles.  Unlike most Carmelite convents, these sisters have a unique charism.  They describe their vocation as "a grace by which contemplation and action are blended to become an apostolic service of the Church. We promote a deeper spiritual life among God’s people through education, healthcare, and spiritual retreats."


Blessed by the Holy Spirit, this vibrant community recently celebrated three major vocational milestones:


Here are two lovely personal reflections by Sr. Gianna and Sr. Maria Goretti which give greater insight into what drew them to giving their lives to Christ.







Monday, August 5, 2013

Ana Vidovic and the beauty of Classical Guitar


“Beauty is the battlefield where God and Satan contend for the hearts of men.”
– Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

“Late have I loved thee, Beauty so old and so new; late have I loved thee. Lo, you were within, but I was outside, seeking there for you, and upon the shapely things you have made I rushed headlong — I, misshapen. You were with me, but I was not with you. They held me back far from you, those things which would have no being, were they not in you.”
– Augustine, The Confessions


I recently listened to this lovely classical guitarist:



She is not only extremely gifted, she is also quite attractive.

God has blessed her with so many gifts which she shares with us, the rest of the world.

Whenever I hear lovely music, or see something well crafted, created with care and skill, I see God.
For me, that is beauty and the purpose of beauty.

Fr. TS Reid wrote an insightful blog post, Beauty and Catholic Life, pertaining to this topic.

Here are some excerpts I want to share:


"Beauty and Catholic Life

by Fr. Timothy S. Reid

“Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!”—St. Augustine of Hippo


As Catholics, we know that the whole purpose of this life is to become holy so that we can live with God forever in heaven. Our goal is to become like God Himself, in whose image we have been created.

If God is Beauty Itself, as St. Augustine suggests in the quote above, then perhaps we can refer to this process as beautification! With this in mind, living a Catholic life is really a process of becoming more beautiful.

... Great philosophers of history like Plato, Aristotle, and Aquinas teach us that beauty is a quality, either natural or man-made, that delights the senses, the mind, or the soul. ...

Most importantly, beauty is not something we consume, but it is something that must be contemplated in order to be enjoyed. In other words, we must receive it and allow it to shape us. Beauty is something to ponder or to meditate upon.

To fully appreciate beauty, it is helpful to look at the way St. Augustine used the word “beauty” in the quote at the beginning of this article. For St. Augustine, “beauty” is another word for God Himself. God is not simply beautiful; He is Beauty.

... beauty, along with unity, truth, and goodness, is one of the transcendental attributes of being. 

.... Beauty is not just another attribute or adjective like “prettiness,” or “ugliness.” There is a metaphysical reality to beauty that bespeaks of God Himself, and that’s why Augustine referred to God as “Beauty.” God is Beauty Itself.

...the Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn...reflected on the statement of another Russian author, Fyodor Dostoyevsky: “Beauty Will Save the World.”

... most of us don’t see beauty as a necessity, but merely as a pleasant accessory to life. This is where Catholic thought and philosophy must step up to the plate. Dostoyevsky was right. Beauty can indeed save the world, and it does so one soul at a time. ...

All of us live in two spheres of existence, one internal and one external. ...

Beauty’s power to connect us with our interior life stems from its transcendent nature. ....
... beauty draws us out of ourselves. Specifically, beauty draws us toward God, who is Beauty Itself. ....

While so much of our society is wrapped up in physical beauty, as Catholics we know that inner beauty (or moral goodness) is what matters most. ...., the experience of beauty feeds our souls. It reminds us that we have eternal and immortal souls, and that we were created to live eternally with God in heaven.

The experience of beauty is actually a foretaste of heaven because it leads us to God,... Beauty is our portal to the interior life of our soul. It is through beauty that we can come to know and love God better in this life, which will only increase our desire to be with Him in the next.



Saturday, August 3, 2013

God is a Purple Hippo?



Mark Shea of the National Catholic Register recently shared this wonderful anecdote,  told to him by none other than  Peter Kreeft, professor of philosophy at Boston College and King's College (NY) at the recent Defending the Faith Conference at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio.



Professor Peter Kreeft
source:  http://www.peterkreeft.com/images/kreeft-sunlight.jpg


"... he ...told me of the most spectacular conversion he ever saw: a former student who had been an atheist (ex-Catholic). He was brilliant, got A's in his sleep, had a photographic memory and was as rich as Midas cuz daddy was a heart surgeon. He got into drugs and alcohol, but could handle it and so graduated with a med degree and got a red convertible from dad to celebrate.

On the night of his graduation, he drove to a bridge with the full intention of taking it at 100 MPH and committing suicide for the simple reason that he had everything and his life was completely empty and meaningless. Speeding toward the bridge, he suddenly saw, looming up in front of him, a giant purple hippopotamus. (He swore he was stone cold sober.) Stopping the car, the kid said "Who are you?" and the hippo replied, "I'm God and I want you to do what I say."

The kid agreed and the substance of the command was "Repent. Believe in Jesus Christ. Go to Bible school, become a pastor, save souls." The kid asked, "Why are you a purple hippopotamus?" and God replied, "Because you were so far gone this was necessary to get your attention."

The kid obeyed, went to Bible School, became a pastor, and helped inner city kids get off drugs and alcohol. 

One of Peter's students knew somebody he helped, and that's how word got back to Peter that this brilliant former atheist was now a pastor. Peter met him and got the whole story first hand. A lulu of a conversion story proving yet again that God is weird and that he loves you and has no concern for his own dignity when it comes to emptying himself for our salvation.


Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/mark-shea/what-i-saw-at-defending-the-faith-in-steubenville#ixzz2axp3DD1q

August 9 St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Martyr


source:  http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/images/featureart1/august22004/stteresabenedicta1.jpg



August 9   

Memorial of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
 Martyr, Co-Patroness of Europe





Common of One Martyr

St. Edith Stein was born into a Jewish family at Breslau on 12th October 1891.  Through her passionate study of philosophy she searched after truth and found it in reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Jesus.

In 1922 she was baptized a Catholic and in 1933 she entered the Carmel of Cologne where she took the name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.  She was gassed and cremated at Auschwitz on August 9, 1942, during the Nazi persecution and died a martyr for the Christian faith after having offered her holocaust for the people of Israel.   

A woman of singular intelligence and learning, she left behind a body of writing notable for its doctrinal richness and profound spirituality. 


She was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 11th, 1998.






Office of Readings - Second Reading

From the spiritual writings of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

"We greet you, Holy Cross, our only hope!"  The church puts these words on our lips during the time of the passion which is dedicated to the contemplation of the bitter sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The world is in flames.  The struggle between Christ and antichrist rages openly, and so if you decide for Christ you can even be asked to sacrifice your life.

Contemplate the Lord Who hangs before you on the wood, because He was obedient even to the death of the cross.  He came into the world not to do His own will but that of the Father.  And if you wish to be the spouse of the Crucified, you must renounce completely your own will and have no other aspiration than to do the will of God.

Before your the Redeemer hangs on the cross stripped and naked, because He chose poverty. Those who would follow Him must renounce every earthly possession.

Stand before the Lord Who hangs from the cross with His heart torn open.  He poured out the blood of His heart in order to win your heart.  In order to follow Him in holy chastity, your heart must be free from every earthly aspiration.  Jesus Crucified must be the object of your every longing, of your every desire, of your every thought.

The world is in flames:  the fire can spread even to our house, but above all the flames the cross stands on high, and it cannot be burnt.  The cross is the way which leads from earth to heaven. Those who embrace it with faith, love, and hope are taken up, right into the heart of the Trinity.

The world is in flames:  do you wish to put them out?

Contemplate the cross:  from His open heart the blood of the Redeemer pours, blood which can put out even the flames of hell.  Through the faithful observance of the vows you make your heart free and open; and then the floods of that divine love will be able to flow into it, making it overflow and bear fruit to the furthest reaches of the earth.

Through the power of the cross you can be present wherever there is pain, carried there by your compassionate charity, by that very charity, which you draw from the divine heart.  That charity enables you to spread every- where the most precious blood in order to ease pain, save and redeem.

The eyes of the Crucified gaze upon you.  They question you and appeal to you.  Do you wish seriously to renew your alliance with Him  What will your response be?

"Lord, where shall I go?  You alone have the words of life."

Ave Crux, spes unica!


source:  http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-i29WLtEnc/T2oGceiD6vI/AAAAAAAAAjs/o21wocjinAE/s400/capstone+-+Bryce+%234.JPG

 Responsory

R/.  We preach Christ Crucified, a scandal to the Jews and foolishness to the pagans, * but for those who are called, whether they be Jews or Greeks, we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

V/.  The desire of my heart and my prayer rises to God for their salvation;

* for those who are called, whether they be Jews or Greeks, we preach Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.



Canticle of Zechariah

Whoever hates his life in this world keeps it safe for life everlasting.

 Prayer

Lord, God of our fathers,
You brought St. Teresa Benedicta
to the fullness of the science of the cross at the hour of her martyrdom.
Fill us with that same knowledge;
and, through her intercession,
allow us always to seek after You, the supreme truth, and to remain faithful until death to the covenant of love ratified in the blood of Your Son for the salvation of all men and women.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.


Canticle of Mary

The saints find their home in the kingdom of heaven; their life is eternal peace.






for Mass



source:  http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4069/4671540732_6aa88fcc7f.jpg


Entrance Antiphon

The Lord will hear the just when they cry out; from all their afflictions He will deliver them.

Prayer
(same as above)

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord,
receive our gifts
as You accepted the suffering and death
of St. Teresa Benedicta
in whose honor we celebrate the Eucharist.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon

If anyone wishes to come after me, He must renounce himself, take up his cross, and follow me, says the Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Lord,
may the mysteries we receive
give us the spiritual courage which made Your martyr Teresa Benedicta faithful in Your service and victorious in her suffering.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.


First Reading

Book of Esther 4 (varies with version of Scripture)

 Queen Esther took refuge with the Lord in the mortal peril which had overtaken her.  She besought the Lord God of Israel in these words:  'My Lord, our King, the only One, come to my help, for I am alone and have no helper but you and am about to take my life in my hands.  I have been taught from my earliest years, in the bosom of my family, that You, Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations and our ancestors out of all the people of old times to be your heritage for ever; and that You have treated them as You promised.  Remember, Lord; reveal Yourself in the time of our distress.  As for me, give me courage, King of gods and Master of all power.  Put persuasive words into my mouth when I face the lion; change his feeling into hatred for our enemy, that the latter and all like him may be brought to their end.  As for ourselves, save us by Your hand, and come to my help, for I am alone and have no one but You, Lord'.

Responsorial Psalm

R/.  Taste and see that the Lord is good.


I will bless the Lord at all times,
His praise always on my lips;
in the Lord my soul shall make its boast.
The humble shall hear and be glad.  R/.


Glorify the Lord with me.
Together let us praise His name.
I sought the Lord and He answered me;
from all my terror He set me free.  R/.


Look towards Him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This poor man called; the Lord heard him and rescued him from all his distress.  R/.


The angel of the Lord is encamped
around those who revere Him, to rescue them.
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
He is happy who seeks refuge in Him.  R/.


Revere the Lord, you His saints.
They lack nothing, those who revere Him.
Strong lions suffer want and go hungry
but those who fear the Lord lack no blessing. R/.


Gospel

John 4: 19-24

The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.  Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."  Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.  You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."



The Genius of St. Ignatius


Nave Ceiling of  
Chiesa di Sant’Ignazio di Loyola a Campo Marzio
(Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola at Campus Martius) 
Rome, Italy
 Andrea Pozzo, 1694
(source: Ken Kaminsesky)


Suscipe

Take, Lord, and receive all my liberty, 
my memory, my understanding
and my entire will,
All I have and call my own.

You have given all to me.
To you, Lord, I return it.

Everything is yours; do with it what you will.
Give me only your love and your grace.
That is enough for me.





Anima Christi
 (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

Soul of Christ, sanctify me
Body of Christ, save me
Water from the side of Christ, wash me
Passion of Christ, strengthen me
Good Jesus, hear me
Within the wounds, shelter me
from turning away, keep me
From the evil one, protect me
At the hour of my death, call me
Into your presence lead me
to praise you with all your saints
Forever and ever
Amen.

The First Principle and Foundation 
(St. Ignatius of Loyola, as paraphrased by David L. Fleming, S.J.)

St. Ignatius begins his Spiritual Exercises with 
The First Principle and Foundation. 
While not typically thought of as a prayer, 
it still contains much that is worth reflecting on.


The Goal of our life is to live with God forever.
God, who loves us, gave us life.
Our own response of love allows God's life
to flow into us without limit.

All the things in this world are gifts from God,
Presented to us so that we can know God more easily
and make a return of love more readily.
As a result, we appreciate and use all these gifts of God
Insofar as they help us to develop as loving persons.
But if any of these gifts become the center of our lives,
They displace God
And so hinder our growth toward our goal.

In everyday life, then, we must hold ourselves in balance
Before all of these created gifts insofar as we have a choice
And are not bound by some obligation.
We should not fix our desires on health or sickness,
Wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one.
For everything has the potential of calling forth in us
A deeper response to our life in God.

Our only desire and our one choice should be this:
I want and I choose what better leads
To God's deepening his life in me.

(Source: http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/prs/stign/prayers.html)

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Memorial of St. Alphonsus Liguori



Spiritual Communion
St. Alphonsus Liguori

My Jesus, I believe that Thou art present in the most holy sacrament.
I love Thee above all things, and I desire to receive Thee into my soul. 
Since I cannot now receive Thee sacramentally, 
come at least spiritually into my heart.
 I embrace Thee as if Thou were already there, 
and unite myself wholly to Thee.
Never permit me to be separated from Thee. 

Amen. 
(Source:  http://www.stalphonsusbalt.org/staprayers.htm)




Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Memorial of St. Ignatius Loyola


Today is the Memorial of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, and a Soldier for Christ.
Today's Divine Office Office of Readings included a wonderful reading from the Life of St. Ignatius:

" When Ignatius reflected on worldly thoughts, he felt intense pleasure; but when he gave them up out of weariness, he felt dry and depressed. Yet when he thought of living the rigorous sort of life he knew the saints had lived, he not only experienced pleasure when he actually thought about it, but even after he dismissed these thoughts, he still experienced great joy. Yet he did not pay attention to this, nor did he appreciate it until one day, in a moment of insight, he began to marvel at the difference. Then he understood his experience: thoughts of one kind left him sad, the others full of joy. And this was the first time he applied a process of reasoning to his religious experience. Later on, when he began to formulate his spiritual exercises, he used this experience as an illustration to explain the doctrine he taught his disciples on the discernment of spirits."
.





Wow. What a day it's been!

My son is almost 14.
He is amazing.  Someday he wants to be a soldier, or a policeman, or a lacrosse coach.

He and I discussed St. Ignatius' observation today.

He sees the world with supernatural sight, which is truly a grace.

I love spending time just talking with him...
driving in the car, going for brunch at our local coffee shop & creperie,  browsing shops in the Design District.

Almost every topic he brings up blows me out of the water,
with awe for God and for this teenager he gave us.

The depth of perception, the clarity of vision, the ability to articulate things not of this world leave me utterly dumbfounded sometimes.

I pray for him, as every mother does for her son, but I pray in particular that he will
continue to ask for God's guidance,  hear God's will and have the courage to do whatever
God calls him to do with his life, with discerning his vocation.

I am so blessed and so thankful.



Monday, July 22, 2013

Gospel Poverty

This topic has been on my mind recently.

I read Connie Rossini's Contemplative Homeschool post this morning and found it both apropos as well as reassuring.

God Calls You to Holy Poverty



These passages spoke to me in particular:

"When we have too many possessions, we easily become attached to them and place our trust in our own resources, rather than relying on God. Our many earthly concerns distract us from heavenly matters. We find it difficult to advance in holiness.

What is Gospel poverty?

In his book Happy are You Poor, Father Thomas Dubay gives an excellent apologetic for the virtue of poverty. He argues that Gospel poverty means more than simply giving of your time and talent, more than being detached from what you own, more than giving of your surplus. If I truly love my neighbor, I will be more concerned about his being fed and clothed than about my owning the latest gadget. If I do not actively aid the poor, my faith is dead (see James 2:14-17). We are commanded to lend without expecting repayment (Luke 6:34), and to share our goods until there is an approximate equality among all (Luke 3:10-11)."

And Connie's conclusion is very helpful:

"An examination of conscience

Since we all have different family sizes, jobs, levels of health, and positions in society, the Church does not give us specific rules on living Gospel poverty. Following the lead of Father Dubay, I offer here some reflections as an examination of conscience:

Do I make buying decisions based on an image I want to portray?
Do I give at least 10 percent of my income to the Church and charitable organizations?
When was the last time I volunteered to help those in need?
Am I a slave to fashion or the latest product craze?
Do I practice hospitality?
How do I handle interruptions of my time?
Do I waste energy?
Is there any item it would be difficult for me to give up?
Do I trust God with my finances?
What do I do with serviceable items I no longer need?
Do I consider the poor in the voting booth?
How much do I spend on entertainment?
Do I value silence?
Am I content with what I have?
Am I grateful?"

Saturday, July 20, 2013

OCDS San Diego




This is the Order of Carmelites Discalced San Diego Chapter website

It includes an extensive list of resources and links.

I highly recommend the online link to  The Three Ages of the Interior Life 
by Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P., one of my all time favorite books and authors.

Also, visit Catholic Treasury for more online classic texts.


"God commands not impossibilities, 
but by commanding he suggests to you to do what you can, 
to ask for what is beyond your strength; 
and he helps you, that you may be able." 

--St Augustine