“Choose the divine Heart for your sacred oratory, wherein to offer to God your petitions and prayers that may be pleasing to Him.” ~St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

“Christ does not force our will. He takes only what we give him. But he does not give himself entirely until he sees that we yield ourselves entirely to him.” ~St. Teresa of Avila

St. Edward the Confessor, pray for us.

“From the saints I must take the substance, not the accidents of their virtues. I am not St. Aloysius, nor must I seek holiness in his particular way, but according to the requirements of my own nature, my own character and the different conditions of my life. I must not be the dry, bloodless reproduction of a model, however perfect. God desires us to follow the examples of the saints by absorbing the vital sap of their virtues and turning it into our own life-blood, adapting it to our own individual capacities and particular circumstances. If St. Aloysius had been as I am, he would have become holy in a different way.” ~St. John XXIII,  Pope; Journal of a Soul

“I have found it very important in my own life to try to let go of my wishes and instead to live in hope. I am finding that when I choose to let go of my sometimes petty and superficial wishes and trust that my life is precious and meaningful in the eyes of God something really new, something beyond my own expectations begins to happen for me.” ~Fr. Henri J.M. Nouwen, Finding My Way Home

“The rosary, though clearly Marian in character, is at heart a Christ-centered prayer. It has all the depth of the gospel message in its entirety. It is an echo of the prayer of Mary, her perennial Magnificat for the work of the redemptive Incarnation which began in her virginal womb…. It can be said that the rosary is, in some sense, a prayer-commentary on the final chapter of the Vatican II Constitution Lumen Gentium, a chapter that discusses the wondrous presence of the Mother of God in the mystery of Christ and the Church.” ~Pope St. John Paul II, apostolic letter The Rosary of the Virgin Mary

“Only those who have experienced the solitude and the silence of the wilderness can know the benefit and divine joy they bring to those who love them.” ~St. Bruno

St. John of Kronstadt

“Do not let pass any opportunity to pray for anyone, either at his request or at the request of his relatives, friends, of those who esteem him, or of his acquaintances. The Lord looks favorably upon the prayer of our love, and upon our boldness before him. Besides this, prayer for others is very beneficial to the one himself who prays for others; it purifies the heart, strengthens faith and hope in God, and enkindles our love for God and our neighbor. When praying, say thus: ‘Lord, it is possible for Thee to do this or that to this servant of Thine; do this for him, for Thy name is the Merciful Love of Men and the Almighty.’” ~ St. John of Kronstadt, My Life in Christ

St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

Blessed Feast Day!

In 1988 I began my journey into Consecrated Life following the example of St. Francis of Assisi. Twenty-six years later I am in more awe than ever of the witness St. Francis gave (and still gives today) for Christ and the Catholic Church. His faithfulness to Christ, to the Gospels and to the Magisterium of Christ’s Church should be a model for every Christian seeking after holiness.

I am grateful, too, for the many Franciscan brothers and sisters, lay and in the consecrated state, God has allowed to crossed my path–through the intercessions of St. Francis no doubt. Women and men who give faithful witness to the Franciscan charism in all its various manifestations. One such man was Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR, founder of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who passed from this life to Life Everlasting last night, the 788th anniversary of St. Francis’ own transitus to Eternal Life.

For those who are in Christ Jesus, death shall have no dominion. May Fr. Benedict rest in peace and rise in glory.

For more on the life of St. Francis of Assisi, go here.