Veni, Veni, Emmanuel

Why Am I Not Receiving God's Gifts?

For All Thy Benefits

Have a blessed Thanksgiving!

The Grandest Power

Winning Hearts

A Really Good Beginning

'Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state. 

But if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves, 

a really good beginning will have been made.'

St. Philip Neri

Painting: Josef Wagner-Höhenberg, in US public domain due to age

How to Open the Heart of God

Joy!

With thanks to God for a beautiful new grandson!

These Splendid Jewels

Even in the Midst

Closer Than Water

Heaven's Healing

To Travel Peacefully

Truly Free

Only in God

The Best Consolation

On Our Way

One Could Do Worse

'When I see birches bend to left and right

Across the lines of straighter darker trees,

I like to think some boy's been swinging them....

'I'd like to go by climbing a birch tree, 

And climb black branches up a snow-white trunk

Toward heaven, till the tree could bear no more, 

But dipped its top and set me down again.

That would be good both going and coming back.

'One could do worse than be a swinger of birches.'

Robert Frost, from 'Birches'

Painting: Winslow Homer. The Birch Swing ,1864

Getting Personal

'Only in this personal relationship with Christ, 

only in this encounter with the Risen One, 

do we really become Christians.... 

Therefore, let us pray to the Lord to enlighten us, 

so that, in our world, He will grant us the encounter 

with His presence, and thus give us a lively faith, 

an open heart, and great charity for all, 

capable of renewing the world.'

Pope Benedict XVI, 2008

Painting: Barna da Siena, Mystic Marriage of St Catherine

We Make Known Our Vices