Be Not Astonished

 

'Do not be either astonished or discouraged 

at the difficulties you find in prayer.  

Only be constant and submissive 

and God will be pleased with you.'

St. Claude de Colombiere

Painting:  Winslow Homer, At the Window, 1872, cropped

Better Than a Fast

'Conquering the tongue is better than fasting on bread and water.'

St. John of the Cross 

Painting:  Albert Anker, 1897, in US public domain due to age

In the Home Where....

'Happiness is to be found only in the home where God is loved 

and honored, where each one loves, and helps, and cares for the others.'

St. Theophane Venard

Painting:  Helen Allingham

Jesus, To Me.....

 
'Jesus to me 
     is 
honey 
     in the mouth, 
music
     in the ear, 
a song 
     in the heart.'

       St. Bernard










Painting: Edmund Charles Tarbell, 
in US public domain due to age (PD-US)

The Path to Unbelief

'This is the path which leads to death: 
Men first leave off private prayer;
then they neglect 
the due observance of the Lord's day;
then they gradually let slip 
from their minds the very idea 
of obedience to a fixed law;
then they actually allow 
themselves things which 
their conscience condemns; 
then they lose the direction 
of their conscience, which, 
being ill used, 
at length refuses to direct them.
And thus, being left by 
their true inward guide, 
they are obliged to take 
another guide, their reason, 
which by itself knows little 
or nothing about religion;
then their blind reason 
forms a system of right or wrong 
for them, as well as it can,
flattering to their own desires,
and presumptuous 
where it is not actually corrupt.
No wonder 
such a scheme contradicts Scripture, 
which it is soon found to do; 
not that they are certain to perceive this themselves;
they often do not know it, 
and think themselves still believers in the Gospel,
while they maintain doctrines which the Gospel condemns.
But sometimes they perceive that their system is contrary to Scripture; 
and then, instead of giving it up, they give up Scripture, and profess themselves unbelievers.  
Such is the course of disobedience, beginning in slight omissions, and ending in open unbelief.'

John Henry Cardinal Newman

Painting by Blonskaya, in US public domain due to age (PD-US)

Only Because Of

'We can touch the souls of others

only because of our own personal contact with Jesus.  

If that communication is cut off, no virtue will go forth out of us.' 

From The Living Pyx of Jesus by A Religious, Pellegrini, 1941, p. 303

Painting:  Janez Šubic

The Purpose

'Life's purpose 
is not
to gratify us, 
but 
to purify us.' 

from The Living Pyx of Jesus 
by A Religious, Pellegrini

























Painting:  Nikolaj Alexejewitsch Kassatkin, Girl near Fence

Wake up the Universe!

'The whole world is asleep,
and God so full of goodness,
so great,
so worthy of all praise ...
no one is thinking of Him!
See, nature praises Him!
And man.. who
ought to praise Him, sleeps!
Let us go,
let us go and
wake up the universe..
and sing His praises!'

Blessed Mariam Baouardy

photo © Nancy Shuman

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

The Jewels You Do Not See

 

'Do not think that, because the particular virtues 

you have in mind don't shine in your neighbor, 

he will not be precious in God's sight for something
you are not thinking about.'  

St. John of the Cross

Painting:  Lauritis Andersen Ring

I Run to the Fountain

'O Lord, I run to the spring; I desire the source of the water. 

In You is the fountain of life, an inexhaustible source; 

in Your light there is a light which will never be darkened... 

Seeing this light, my eye grows keener.  

Drinking from this fountain, 

my inner thirst becomes more acute. 

I run to the fountain, 

panting for its water..... 

I run like a deer...'

St. Augustine

Painting:  Walter Moras, in US public domain due to age (PD-US)

It Will Pass

'Let us not be turned from prayer because of dearth of feeling, 

or even because the mind is weighed down by discouragement 

and distressed by the thought of utter unworthiness.  

This mental gloom will pass.  

It is something over which we hold no control; 

the less attention we give it the better.'

(from In Love with the Divine Outcast, by a Religious, Pellegrini, Australia, 1934, p. 123)

Painting: Edmund Charles Tarbell, Across the Room, 1899, in US public domain due to age (PD-US)

My Eyes Are Dazzled

"O ever-present God within me....
How seldom do I remember
that at any time, in any place,
I can find You, commune with You,
by simply turning towards You
the eyes of my soul.
Forgive me, Holy Spirit,
for behaving as if I had never heard of You!

Now, as one just awakened, I say
'God is here,
and I have been unaware of Him.'

I confess it with shame:
Every moment of my day
is filled with other interests.

My eyes are dazzled
by the sight of things and people.
I have little time,
little attention,
little love
to give You, the indwelling God...

O God, the Father,
God, the Son,
God, the Holy Ghost,
forgive me!"


(from "Listening to the Indwelling Presence," compiled by a Religious, Pellegrini, Australia, 1940, pp. 55-56)


 Painting:  Nicolas Regnier Truaer

Gather a Devotional Bouquet

'After completing your prayer, go back over it for a moment 

and out of the considerations you have made,

gather a little devotional bouquet to refresh you during the rest of the day.'

St. Francis de Sales

Painting:  Frank Bramley

Things Held Me Far From You....

'Too late have I loved You,
O beauty so ancient
and so new!  Too late
have I loved You.
And behold,
You were within me
and I was away
outside, and there
I searched for you, deformed,
plunging,
absorbed in
those beautiful things
You had made.
You were with me,
but I was not with You.  Things held me
far from You,
things which would
not have existed at all
except for You.
You called,
You shouted,
and burst in
on my deafness.
You shone
and gleamed brightly
at me and
dispersed my blindness.  You breathed
forth fragrances,
and I drew in my breath, and still I pant for You.  I tasted much, and I hunger and thirst for more.  You touched me, and I burned for Your peace.'

St. Augustine

Painting:  Albert Anker 
 

Uprooting

'Ordinarily, most Christians simply snip at their defects, without uprooting them.'

St. Francis de Sales 

Painting:  Ernestine von Kirchsberg, in US public domain due to age (PD-US)

Shall I Spoil My Holiest Actions?

'Vain complacency,
the desire to be seen,
to be the main
topic of conversation,
to be praised
and told we are
doing well
and
performing wonders...
leads to the
forgetfulness of God
and the spoiling
of our holiest actions.'

St. Vincent de Paul



















Painting: George Spencer Watson

The Power of Duty

'Do not fear that the duties imposed upon us by obedience, though numerous and heavy, will distract us from our union with God.  In fact, when they are performed for His glory, they have the power to unite us closely to Him.  How could the very things that join our will to His draw us away from Him?'

St. Francis de Sales

Painting:  William McGregor Paxton, Girl Sweeping, 1912

A Sobering Promise

'I have promised with God's grace not to begin any action without remembering that He is witness of it.'  

St. Claude de la Columbiere

Painting:  John Singer Sargent, Fishing for Oysters at Cancale

How To Not Gossip

'Never utter in your neighbours' absence what you would not say in their presence.'

St. Mary Magdalen of Pazzi

Painting:  Edward Henry Potthast, in US public domain due to age (PD-US)


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