Monday, Fourth Week of Lent

“Take a corpse and bring it where you will! It makes no resistance, does not change its attitude, does not wish to move. If you place it on a throne, it looks down and not up; if you dress it in purple, it appears only paler than before. So it is with the really obedient; he never asks why he is sent, he is never concerned as to how he came here, does not seek to be taken away. If he acquires honors, they only increase his humility, and the more he is praised, the more unworthy does he consider himself.” ~St. Francis of Assisi

Life With Christ

“The ministry of evangelization…begins with an encounter with one Person, the Person of Jesus, and effects a change within us, a conversion of heart, which touches every area of our lives. Life with Christ brings joy, peace, and fulfillment. It brings healing, forgiveness, and truth. But it also oftentimes means a change in perspective and direction, a breaking away from what is comfortable or convenient, or “the norm.” This purification can be painful, but it is exactly in this struggle that the Lord will be glorified through us. In our weakness, He is strong. In our brokenness, He makes us whole. He wishes to use us, to move in us, in such a way that our own lives become a means of evangelization toward everyone we meet. Christ needs disciples who are not afraid to speak of his love and mercy from their own lived experiences, from the depths of their changed being.” ~Deacon Ralph Poyo, 2011 Maine Catholic Men’s Conference keynote speaker

Intolerance & Tolerance

“The Church is intolerant in principle because she believes; she is tolerant in practice because she loves. The enemies of the Church are tolerant in principle because they do not believe; they are intolerant in practice because they do not love.” ~Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange

Perfect Joy

How St. Francis Taught Brother Leo That Perfect Joy Is Only in the Cross

One winter day St. Francis was coming to St. Mary of the Angels from Perugia with Brother Leo, and the bitter cold made them suffer keenly. St. Francis called to Brother Leo, who was walking a bit ahead of him, and he said: “Brother Leo, even if the Friars Minor in every country give a great example of holiness and integrity and good edification, nevertheless write down and note carefully that perfect joy is not in that.”

 And when he had walked on a bit, St. Francis called him again, saying: “Brother Leo, even if a Friar Minor gives sight to the blind, heals the paralyzed, drives out devils, gives hearing back to the deaf, makes the lame walk, and restores speech to the dumb, and what is still more, brings back to life a man who has been dead four days, write that perfect joy is not in that.”

And going on a bit, St. Francis cried out again in a strong voice: “Brother Leo, if a Friar Minor knew all languages and all sciences and Scripture, if he also knew bow to prophesy and to reveal not only the future but also the secrets of the consciences and minds of others, write down and note carefully that perfect joy is not in that.”

And as they walked on, after a while St. Francis called again forcefully: ‘Brother Leo, Little Lamb of God, even if a Friar minor could speak with the voice of an angel, and knew the courses of the stars and the powers of herbs, and knew all about the treasures in the earth, and if be knew the qualities of birds and fishes, animals, humans, roots, trees, rocks, and waters, write down and note carefully that true joy is not in that.”

And going on a bit farther, St. Francis called again strongly: “Brother Leo, even if a Friar Minor could preach so well that be should convert all infidels to the faith of Christ, write that perfect joy is not there.”

Now when he had been talking this way for a distance of two miles, Brother Leo in great amazement asked him: “Father, I beg you in God’s name to tell me where perfect joy is.”

And St. Francis replied; “When we come to St. Mary of the Angels, soaked by the rain and frozen by the cold, all soiled with mud and suffering from hunger, and we ring at the gate of the Place and the brother porter comes and says angrily: ‘Who are you?’ And we say: ‘We are two of your brothers.’ And he contradicts us, saying: ‘You are not telling the truth. Rather you are two rascals who go around deceiving people and stealing what they give to the poor. Go away]’ And he does not open for us, but makes us stand outside in the snow and rain, cold and hungry, until night falls-then if we endure all those insults and cruel rebuffs patiently, without being troubled and without complaining, and if we reflect humbly and charitably that that porter really knows us and that God makes him speak against us, oh, Brother Leo, write that perfect joy is there!

‘And if we continue to knock, and the porter comes out in anger, and drives us away with curses and hard blows like bothersome scoundrels, saying; ‘Get away from here, you dirty thieves-go to the hospital! Who do you think you are? You certainly won’t eat or sleep here’–and if we bear it patiently and take the insults with joy and love in our hearts, Oh, Brother Leo, write that that is perfect joy!

And if later, suffering intensely from hunger and the painful cold, with night falling, we still knock and call, and crying loudly beg them to open for us and let us come in for the love of God, and he grows still more angry and says: ‘Those fellows are bold and shameless ruffians. I’ll give them what they deserve.’  And he comes out with a knotty club, and grasping us by the cowl throws us onto the ground, rolling us in the mud and snow, and beats us with that club so much that he covers our bodies with wounds–if we endure all those evils and insults and blows with joy and patience, reflecting that we must accept and bear the sufferings of the Blessed Christ patiently for love of Him, oh, Brother Leo, write: that is perfect joy!

‘And now hear the conclusion, Brother Leo. Above all the graces and gifts of the Holy Spirit which Christ gives to His friends is that of conquering oneself and willingly enduring sufferings, insults, humiliations, and hardships for the love of Christ. For we cannot glory in all those other marvelous gifts of God, as they are not ours but God’s, as the Apostle says: ‘What have you that you have not received?’ But we can glory in the cross of tribulations and afflictions, because that is ours, and so the Apostle says: ‘I will not glory save in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ.’

To whom be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

~from The Little Flowers of St Francis, The “Fioretti”

Thursday, Third Week of Lent

“God will do wondrous things in us and through us. He will replace our hearts of hardened stone with a heart of flesh. Our hearts will be softened by God’s love and grace. And so, we ask him today that he dwell in us, that we choose the victorious standard of Christ and reject the evil standard of the devil. We pray that he reign in our lives and that he send us out as his apostles and prophets.” ~Fr. Jason Mitchell, LC

Wednesday, Third Week of Lent

CUS430Mercy
​”​What gives us true freedom, true salvation and true happiness is the compassion, tenderness and solidarity of His love. Christ’s poverty which enriches us is His taking flesh and bearing our weaknesses and sins as an expression of God’s infinite mercy to us.” ~Pope Francis, Lenten Message 2014

Love Silence

“May the Lord give us all the grace to love silence, to look for it and to have a heart guarded by the cloud of silence.” ~Pope Francis, Dec 20, 2013

sacredheart

“For it is in the Heart of Christ that the human heart learns to know the true and unique meaning of its life and destiny; it is in the Heart of Christ that the human heart receives its capacity to love.” ~Pope John Paul II, June 22, 1990

Living Water

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:10)

Lord, how many years did I try to quench the thirst of my heart with the intoxicants of the world, the flesh, and the devil? You knew then (as you know now) everything about me, yet you looked at me with loving kindness, and offered me the only thing that could refresh my sin-dried spirit: the Living Water that is your Holy Spirit. May I never cease to thirst for you, dear Lord, and in you find Living Water. Amen

Be You

st_catherine_of_siena

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” 

~ St. Catherine of Siena