St. Louis IX: Advice From a Wise and Holy King and Father

3. Therefore, dear son, the first thing I advise is that you fix your whole heart upon God, and love Him with all your strength, for without this no one can be saved or be of any worth.

20. If you have anything belonging to another, either of yourself or through your predecessors, if the matter is certain, give it up without delay, however great it may be, either in land or money or otherwise. If the matter is doubtful, have it inquired into by wise men, promptly and diligently. And if the affair is so obscure that you cannot know the truth, make such a settlement, by the counsel of s of upright men, that your soul, and the soul your predecessors, may be wholly freed from the affair. And even if you hear some one say that your predecessors made restitution, make diligent inquiry to learn if anything remains to be restored; and if you find that such is the case, cause it to be delivered over at once, for the liberation of your soul and the souls of your predecessors.

35. Finally, most sweet son, I conjure and require you that, if it please our Lord that I should die before you, you have my soul succored with masses and orisons, and that you send through the congregations of the kingdom of France, and demand their prayers for my soul, and that you grant me a special and full part in all the good deeds which you perform.

36. In conclusion, dear son, I give you all the blessings which a good and tender father can give to a son, and I pray our Lord Jesus Christ, by His mercy, by the prayers and merits of His blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, and of angels and archangels and of all the saints, to guard and protect you from doing anything contrary to His will, and to give you grace to do it always, so that He may be honored and served by you. And this may He do to me as to you, by His great bounty, so that after this mortal life we may be able to be together with Him in the eternal life, and see Him, love Him, and praise Him without end. Amen. And glory, honor, and praise be to Him who is one God with the Father and the Holy Spirit; without beginning and without end. Amen.

~ St. Louis IX: excerpts from Saint Louis' Advice to His Son ~

Reflection for 8/25/11

Wise Counsel of Blessed Pope John XXIII: "Only for Today..."

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.

Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential.

Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do."

~Blessed John XXIII~

THE DAILY DECALOGUE OF POPE JOHN XXIII

1) Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2) Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behaviour; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3) Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4) Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5) Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6) Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7) Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.

8) Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9) Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world.

10) Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for 12 hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life.

~ Blessed John XXIII, excerpt from Homily of Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone
at the Eucharistic Concelebration Commemorating Pope John XXIII on his Memorial  ~

(Thanks to Valerie)

~ Related post: Prayer for Today's Needs:  "Just For Today"

Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B.: Lenten Fasting and Feasting

"Lent is a time to fast on certain things and also a time to feast on others.

Fast from discontent, anger,

bitterness, self-concern,

discouragement, laziness,

suspicion, guilt.

Feast on gratitude, patience,
forgiveness, compassion for others,
hope, commitment,
truth, and the mercy of God."

~ Fr. Thomas Rosica, C.S.B. ~

 

The Wisdom of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: Ways We Can Practice Humility

"It is our emptiness and lowliness that God needs and not our plenitude.

These are a few of the ways we can practice humility:

Speak as little as possible of oneself.

Mind one's own business.

Avoid curiosity.

Do not want to manage other people's affairs.

Accept contradiction and correction cheerfully.

Pass over mistakes of others.

Accept blame when innocent.

Yield to the will of others.

Accept insults and injuries.

Accept being slighted, forgotten, and disliked.

Be kind and gentle even under provocation.

Do not seek to be specially loved and admired.

 Never stand on one's dignity.

Yield in discussion even though one is right.

Choose always the hardest."

~ Blessed Teresa of Calcutta ~
Excerpt from The Love of Christ by Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Angelica: "You can't go to Heaven hating somebody...Forgive now..."

"If we knew that one truth--I shall never die.  I shall be somewhere forever."

"You can't go to Heaven hating somebody...

Forgive now. 

Love now. 

Be Compassionate now. 

Be patient now. 

Be understanding now. 

Be grateful now. 

Love Jesus and Mary now. 

Accept God's will now."

~ Mother Angelica ~

(Mother Angelica's talk on Purgatory begins at about 15 minutes.)

Mother Angelica's List of Scripture Verses Relating to Purgatory:
Mark 9:48, Sirach 7:37, 1st Corinthians 3:14, Luke 12:47-48, Matthew 12:32

Boasting

Marino Restrepo: Testimony on Purgatory and His Conversion Experience

"...we are just dust and we are going to be buried...the only thing that is going to be left of us is the love that we give--not the love that we receive--the love that we give.  That's all that's going to be left of us.  It is the only money that is going to be deposited in Heaven--love.  So let's put money in Heaven's bank.  Let's deposit love."

~ Marino Restrepo ~

Marino's life took a drastic turn during his visit to his hometown in Colombia at midnight on Christmas Eve in 1997. While he was driving into the ranch of one of his uncles where he was to spend the night, he was kidnapped by the Colombian rebels of the FARC (Revolutionary Arm Forces of Colombia) and taken to the jungle as a hostage for six months. During the first fifteen days of his kidnapping, he was kept in a cave with bats and different kinds of bugs while the captors were waiting for the rebels to pick him up. In that very cave, and after finding out that he was sentenced to death by his captors, he went through a mystical experience with God that changed his life forever. Five and a half months later, Marino was miraculously released from captivity after a miracle of God, and after his release he went back to his Catholic faith. Eighteen months later he became a full time missionary for the Catholic Church leaving all of his past, and his worldly possessions behind. constantly on the road of the mission around the world. Marino's testimony has been put into a book that he wrote and he is currently developing other teachings in writing, video and audio formats. All materials are available via this web page. Marino travels giving conferences and he can also be booked through this page as well.

Marino Restrepo on Purgatory:

Marino Restrepo Conversion Testimony:

Purity of Intention

August 1880. There are numbers of useless actions, many days entirely futile, without any love for Jesus or purity of intention. They are all lost since they have no value for Heaven.

You do not direct your intention with the purity that God wills. For instance, instead of offering up your actions vaguely, you could do so with much more fruit, if you only made your intention more definite. When you take your meals for example, say, "O my Jesus nourish my soul with your Divine Grace while I nourish my body." When you wash your face and hands say, "My Jesus, purify my soul as I am purifying my body," and so on, for each of your actions. Accustom yourself to be always speaking heart to heart with Jesus, and let Him be the mainspring of all you do or say. Do you understand me?...

...It is only those actions done with great love and under the eye of God, wishing to do His Holy Will, that will receive their reward immediately, without the soul passing through Purgatory. What great blindness there is in the world about all this.

~ Sr. M.G., a nun soul from Purgatory to Sr. M. de L.C;

excerpt from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

A Common Mistake in Correcting Others--Calling Attention to Former Faults

November 1880. When you have to reprove anyone who has committed a small or even a grave fault, do so with great gentleness. Be firm when the fault demands it, say few words, and never speak when in a passion, for then the reproof will harm the soul of both the one receiving it and the one giving it. Avoid calling attention to former faults, especially when correcting children. This is a common mistake and very displeasing to God, and those who do it are wrong. How do they know that it has not already been pardoned? Then why refer to it again? God has not set us such an example. Our own sins should constantly humble us and we should weep over them in the bitterness of our hearts before the Lord, but we should never refer to the past sins of another.

A Christian soul, and above all a religious soul, to be pleasing in the sight of our Lord, will treat her neighbor as she expects our Lord to treat her. Remember this well and when the opportunity comes, practice it faithfully.

~ Sr. M.G., a nun soul from Purgatory to Sr. M. de L.C.: 

excerpt from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

Pope John Paul II: "You Must Not Give Up on Praying!"

"Prayer gives us strength for great ideals, for keeping up our faith, charity, purity, generosity; prayer gives us strength to rise up from indifference and guilt,

if we have had the misfortune to give in to temptation and weakness.

Prayer gives us light by which to see and to judge from God's perspective and from eternity.

That is why you must not give up on praying!"

~ Pope John Paul II ~ 

The Presentation of Jesus: Consecration to God

"Christ has no body now but mine.

He prays in me,

 works in me,

looks through my eyes,

speaks through my words,

works through my hands,

walks with my feet

and loves with my heart."

~ St. Teresa of Avila ~
 

St. John Bosco: How to Overcome Evil Inclinations

"Once a man came from a distance to ask Father [St. Joseph] Cafasso what he should do to overcome his evil inclinations. Father Cafasso’s answer was quite brief: "Subdue them." The man went away satisfied. I decided to put this advice to the test and always found it quite effective. Some people think that they can pacify evil passions by giving in to them. This is a mistake. If a man has the dropsy, the more he drinks, the thirstier he becomes. Our evil inclinations are like snarling dogs, nothing will satisfy them. The more one panders them, the more they demand. An alcoholic may think that he will satisfy his craving by getting drunk, but it will only make his craving all the stronger. Do you want to banish evil thoughts? Control your sight, taste, and hearing. Give up certain kinds of talk and books. This is the only way you will still your passions, be victorious, and enjoy peace of mind."

~ St. John Bosco ~ 

St. Therese of Lisieux: Her Little Way of Avoiding Purgatory

"Let us make the flames of divine love devour our sins
and thus we will avoid the fires of Purgatory."

“ The chief plenary indulgence, which is within reach of everybody, and can be
gained without the ordinary conditions, is that of charity –
 which ‘covereth a multitude of sins.’”

~ St. Therese of Lisieux ~

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ST. THERESE!
ST. THERESE, PRAY FOR US!

St. Padre Pio: Spiritual Counsel

"Charity is the measure by which Our Lord judges all things."

"You ought to ask Our Lord for just one thing, to love Him.

All the rest should be thanksgiving."

~ St. Padre Pio ~

Preparation for Eternal Life: Grateful, Attentive Love for Jesus in the Eucharist

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying.

Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day.

Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now!

There are only so many tomorrows.”

~ Pope Paul VI  (1897-1978) ~

"On earth you simply do not know what God is. There, each one of you has an idea of what you think God is, according to your very limited knowledge, but when we leave our covering of clay and when nothing impedes the liberty of our souls, we at last begin to know God, His goodness, His mercy, His love. After this clearer view and the thirst for union, our souls yearn for God. This is our very life and we are forever repulsed because we are not sufficiently pure. This, in a word, is our worst suffering, the hardest, the most bitter. Oh, if only we were allowed to come back to earth, after knowing what God really is, what a different life we would lead! But what useless regrets, and yet on earth you do not think of these things and live as if you were blind. Eternity is of no account to you. The earth, which is only a journey and receives only the body which in itself turns to dust, is the sole object to which almost all of your desires tend and you do not even think of Heaven while Jesus and His love are entirely forgotten."

"On earth, people attach themselves to everything and everyone except to Him, who alone ought to have our love and to whom we refuse it. Jesus in the Tabernacle waits for souls to love Him and He finds none. Hardly one soul in a thousand loves Him as it should. You love Him and make up to Him for this guilty indifference which exists all over the world.

"But in Purgatory souls really love, do they not?

"Yes, but it is a love of reparation, and if on earth we had loved Him as we ought to have done, there would not be so many of us here in this place of expiation.

"Is Jesus well-loved in Heaven?

"In Heaven they love Him very much, there He is compensated. But Jesus wants more than that. He wants to be loved on earth, on that earth where He annihilates Himself in every Tabernacle, in order to be approached more easily and yet He is refused. People pass before a church with more indifference than they would before any public monument. If by chance, they go into the holy place, it is only to insult still more the Divine Captive who dwells there, namely, by their coldness and their irreverence. Their prayers are said hurriedly and without attention, instead of speaking to Him from their hearts and saying words of friendship and gratitude for all His favors to them."

~ Sr. M.G., a soul from Purgatory to Sr. M. de L.C: 
excerpts from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory ~

The Prince of Peace Should be the Highest Priority in Our Lives

The Imitation of Christ: Vanities of the World

Msgr. Charles Pope: Holiness Is More Than Being Nice

"There is a place for niceness and ordinary human kindness. But the point is that holiness cannot be reduced to this. There are times where holiness demands that we speak out strongly and unambiguously. True holiness will lead us increasingly to live in a way that others will often find an irritant. Perhaps our radical simplicity and generosity will prick their conscience. Perhaps our deep devotion to God will cause them to feel uneasy. Perhaps our moral positions will offend their politics or worldly ethics. Our mentioning of a day of judgment that looms may incite their anger. And so forth…. We do not seek conflict, but conflict finds us. The world demands that we back down and be nice, that we get along better.

"Holiness is not of this world. True holiness brings an increasingly radical transformation that makes the recipient seem to be a foreigner in this world who speaks with a strange accent and has foreign ways. He does not fit into simple political distinctions, does not conform to worldly categories. True holiness ignites a fire in the recipient and fire changes everything it touches. In the end no one remains neutral to a truly holy person. Either they complain of the heat or draw warmth, but no one is neutral."

~ Msgr. Charles Pope:  excerpt from here ~

St. Josemaria Escriva: Seventeen Evidences of a Lack of Humility

Seventeen Evidences of a Lack of Humility

1. To think that what one says or does is better than what others say or do

2. To always want to get your own way

3. To argue with stubbornness and bad manners whether you are right or wrong

4. To give your opinion when it has not been requested or when charity does not demand it

5. To look down on another's point of view

6. Not to look on your gifts and abilities as lent

7. Not to recognize that you are unworthy of all honors and esteem, not even of the earth you walk on and things you possess

8. To use yourself as an example in conversations

9. To speak badly of yourself so that others will think well of you or contradict you

10. To excuse yourself when you are corrected

11. To hide humiliating faults from your spiritual director, so that he will not change the impression he has of you

12. To take pleasure in praise and compliments

13. To be saddened because others are held in higher esteem

14. To refuse to perform inferior tasks

15. To seek to stand out

16. To refer in conversation to your honesty, genius, dexterity, or professional prestige

17. To be ashamed because you lack certain goods

~ From the Writings of St. Josemaria Escriva (Source) ~

St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi: Humility, Obedience, Prudence

St. Magdalen of Pazzi, so full of devotion for the dead, exhausted all the resources of Christian Charity on behalf of her mother, after the latter had departed this life. A fortnight after her death, Jesus, wishing to console His spouse, showed her the soul of her beloved parent. Magdalen saw her in Paradise, arrayed in dazzling splendour, and surrounded by saints, who appeared to take great interest in her. She heard the blessed soul give her three commands, which ever remained impressed upon her memory: "Take care, my daughter," she said, "to descend as low as possible in humility, to observe religious obedience, and to carry out with prudence all that it prescribes." Saying this, Magdalen saw her blessed mother vanish from sight, and she remained inundated with the sweetest consolation.

~ Excerpt from Purgatory: Illustrated by the lives and Legends of the Saints

by Fr. F.X. Shouppe, S.J. ~