Do You Not Know?

Fruit in Season

Holy Spirit, Enlighten...

May People Not See Me

'Jesus, help me to spread Your fragrance 
wherever I am. Fill my heart with Your Spirit 
and Your life. Penetrate my being and take 
such hold of me that my life becomes a radiation 
of Your own life. Give Your light through me and remain in me in such a way that every soul I 
come in contact with can feel Your presence in me.

'May people not see me, but see You in me.'

                     John Henry Newman

Of the Graces of Your Great Mercy

Holy Spirit, 'Send the dew of Your sweetness, and grant that, with my senses under control, my soul and my spirit may enjoy the fullness of the graces of Your great mercy. Cultivate the impressionable ground of my hardened heart of flesh so that it may be able to receive Your spiritual seed and make it bear fruit. We confess that only through Your great wisdom do the gifts blossom and grow in us.' 

St. Gregory of Narek

Painting: Wisinger-Florian Im Garten, in US public domain due to age

The Bridge

'Human pride and egoism
always create divisions,
build walls of indifference,
hate and violence. 
The Holy Spirit,
on the other hand,
makes hearts capable
of understanding
the languages of all,
as He re-establishes
the bridge
of authentic
communication
between earth and Heaven.'

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI









 









Painting:  John Henry Hill

Just One of Your Words

'O Lord, all my greatness is in listening to You: hearing You in the external word of Your law, and hearing You in the interior inspiration of Your Spirit, in the multi-faceted ways by which Your Providence speaks....

'It is more precious and more important to hear just one of your words, and to establish with You a current of interior attraction, than the many things that my love would like to offer You.'

G. Canovai, 'Suscipe Domine'

Painting:  Edmund Tarbell

From the Depths of Vice to the Summit of Love

              'There are many examples of sinners who, having embraced a life of self-denial,
              became saints.....
              St. Augustine, St. Camillus, St. Mary Magdalen,
              St. Margaret of Cortona, St. Mary of Egypt and many others
              have raised themselves from the depths of vice to the summit of love.
              It is good for us to witness these sublime victories of grace.
              Nothing is more consoling nor illustrates more clearly
              the marvelous effects of correspondence with the grace of God.
              The Holy Spirit acts progressively.
              He gives first a glimmering
              and asks in return some small act of virtue.
              Fidelity to these first inspirations strengthens us to receive greater light
              and gives us a more powerful impetus.
              Grace then becomes not only more and more exacting,
              but also more powerful.'

(from Fervorinos From the Lips of the Master, compiled by a Religious, Pelligrini, Australia, 1940, pp.144-145)

                 Painting: Simon Vouet, Magdalene

                This post is linked to Catholic Bloggers Network Monthly Linkup

Breakthrough

The painting on this post is one I will also be using on my other blog for the feast of Pentecost.  I love letting this one appear in a large format, so that it crosses the sidebar.  I love seeing it break through boundaries, burst past neat edges.  I can think of nothing more appropriate for this Feast. 

The events of Pentecost did not fit into neat, tidy categories.  Suddenly, the world the apostles had known was bursting at the seams. 

'When the feast of Pentecost came it found them gathered in one place.  Suddenly from up in the sky there came a noise like a strong, driving wind which was heard all through the house where they were seated.  Tongues as of fire appeared; which parted and came to rest on each of them.  All were filled with the Holy Spirit.  They began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them.'  (Acts 2:1-4)

My prayer for all of us on this feast is that we open our hearts to the Holy Spirit of God.  

May He fill the hearts of His faithful. 

May He cause us to know and love Him. 

May He break through barriers of sin and darkness, and renew the face of the earth.  

Pentecost painting by Jean Restout