Posted in Christianity, Love, Quotes, Saints, Spirituality, tagged Joy, St. John of the Cross on March 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »
[People] obtain more joy and recreation in creatures through the dispossession of them. They cannot rejoice in them if they behold them with possessiveness, for this is a care that, like a trap, holds the spirit to earth and does not allow wideness of heart.
– St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mt. Carmel
Acknowledgement
Spanish anonymous – http://www.cervantesvirtual.com, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8653039
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, Good, Quotes, Religion, Saints, Spirituality, tagged Spiritual Growth, St. Francis de Sales, Virtue on November 11, 2019| Leave a Comment »
When assaulted by any vice, we must embrace the practice of the contrary virtue, and refer all the others to it, by which means we shall overcome our enemy, and at the same time advance in all the virtues. (. . .) For as the wild boar, to sharpen his tusks, whets and polishes them with his other teeth, and by this means sharpens all at the same time, so a virtuous man, having undertaken to perfect himself in the virtue of which he stands most in need for his defence, files and polishes it by the exercise of the other virtues, which whilst they help to sharpen that one, make all of them become more excellent and better polished.
– St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life
Acknowledgement
By Francisco Bayeu y Subías – [3], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50771068
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, God, Prayer, Quotes, Religion, Spirituality, tagged Mysticism, St. Teresa of Avila on March 28, 2015| Leave a Comment »
“Peter Paul Rubens 138” by Peter Paul Rubens – [1]. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons – http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peter_Paul_Rubens_138.jpg#/media/File:Peter_Paul_Rubens_138.jpg
Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing make you afraid.
All things are passing.
God alone never changes.
Patience gains all things.
If you have God you will want for nothing.
God alone suffices.
– The Bookmark of St. Teresa of Avila
Image and text from Wikipedia
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, Other, Quotes, tagged Change, New Year's Resolutions, Perfection on January 5, 2015| Leave a Comment »
In a higher world it is otherwise, but here below to live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.
-Bl. John Henry Newman, from “An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine”
Image from Wikipedia — Full Citation:
“John Henry Newman circa 1863” by Not stated – The Life of John Henry Cardinal Newman: https://archive.org/stream/a612281201warduoft#page/568/mode/2up. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Henry_Newman_circa_1863.jpg#/media/File:John_Henry_Newman_circa_1863.jpg
Posted in Art, Beauty, Christianity, Holidays, Jesus Christ, Quotes, Religion, Spirituality, tagged Christmas, Irish Blessing on December 25, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Deep peace of the running waves to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.Deep peace of the smiling stars to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the watching shepherds to you.
Deep peace of the Son of Peace to you.
Image from Wikipedia
Posted in Christianity, Other, Quotes, Religion, Spirituality, tagged Hope, Inspiration, St. Paul on September 2, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
-St. Paul, Romans 12:12
Image from Wikipedia
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, Love, Other, Quotes, Religion, tagged Developmental Disabilities, Down Syndrome, Pope Francis on August 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Pope Francis’ general intentions for the month of September, 2014:
That the mentally disabled may receive the love and help they need for a dignified life.
Please Lord, let it be so.
Image from Wikipedia
Posted in Art, Beauty, Books, Christianity, God, Quotes, Religion, Spirituality on August 20, 2014| Leave a Comment »
We cannot tell it because it is a desire for something that has never actually appeared in our experience. We cannot hide it because our experience is constantly suggesting it … Wordsworth’s expedient was to identify it with certain moments in his own past. But … (i)f Wordsworth had gone back to those moments in the past, he would not have found the thing itself, but only the reminder of it; what he remembered would turn out to be itself a remembering. The books or the music in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing.
-C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory”
Image from Wikipedia
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, Dialogue, Jesus Christ, Love, Quotes, Religion, tagged Anti-Semitism, Jews, Pope John XXIII on August 5, 2014| Leave a Comment »
“We are conscious today that many, many centuries of blindness have cloaked our eyes so that we can no longer see the beauty of Thy chosen people nor recogni(z)e in their faces the features of our privileged brethren. We realize that the mark of Cain stands upon our foreheads. Across the centuries our brother Abel has lain in blood which we drew, or shed tears we caused by forgetting Thy love. Forgive us for the curse we falsely attached to their name as Jews. Forgive us for crucifying Thee a second time in their flesh. For we know not what we did.”
– Cardinal Angelo Giuseppe Roncale (future Pope John XXIII), from a 1965 “Catholic Herald” issue (quoted by Wikipedia)
Image and text from Wikipedia
Posted in Catholicism, Christianity, God, Love, Prayer, Quotes, Religion, Spirituality, tagged Peace, St. Francis de Sales, Trust on July 3, 2014| Leave a Comment »
Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear. Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God to whom you belong will in his love enable you to profit by them. He has guided you thus far in life.
Do you but hold fast to His dear hand, and He will lead you safely through all trials.
Whenever you cannot stand, He will carry you lovingly in his arms.
Do not look forward to what may happen tomorrow.
The same Eternal Father who takes care of you today will take care of you tomorrow, and every day of your life. Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace then, and put aside all useless thoughts, all vain dreads and all anxious imaginations.
-St. Francis de Sales
Image from Wikipedia
