'My hope is in Christ, who strengthens the weakest by His Divine help. I can do all in Him who strengthens me. His Power is infinite, and if I lean on him, it will be mine. His Wisdom is infinite, and if I look to Him for counsel, I shall not be deceived. His Goodness is infinite, and if my trust is stayed in Him, I shall not be abandoned.'

Pope St. Pius X

A Word on Wednesday, Wednesday, April 11, 2012

For today, I offer a slight change of pace while trying to stay within the spirit of ‘A Word on Wednesday’.  The following quote is from Archbishop Chaput’s recent Kindle ebook, A Heart on Fire: Catholic Witness and the Next America.  I heartily recommend this book to all Catholics;  it gives a wonderful celebration of the truth the Church teaches that exemplifies the kind of thinking so common among our Founding Fathers.  We badly need to relearn these ideas today.

“Most people know [John Courtney] Murray for his work on Vatican II’s Decree on Religious Liberty. In his 1960 book We Hold These Truths—which has never gone out of print—Murray argues the classic Catholic case for the legitimacy of American democracy. But Murray’s real genius is tucked inside his earlier words from 1940, where he says that “a profound religious truth is at the basis of democratic theory and practice, namely the intrinsic dignity of human nature; the spiritual freedom of the human soul; its equality as a soul with others of its kind; and its superiority to all that does not share its spirituality.” (Kindle e-book edition, Location 114)

Early Church Fathers, Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012, St Ignatius of Antioch

The Resurrection of Christ (Kinnaird Resurrection) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)He underwent all these sufferings for us, so that we might be saved; and He truly suffered, just as He truly raised Himself, not as some unbelievers contend, when they say that His passion was merely in appearance. It is they who exist only in appearance; and as their notion, so shall it happen to them: they will be bodiless and ghost-like shapes. I know and believe that He was in the flesh even after the resurrection.  And when He came to those with Peter He said to them: “Here, now, touch Me, and see that I am not a bodiless ghost.” Immediately they touched Him and, because of the merging of His flesh and spirit, they believed. For the same reason they despised death, and in fact were proven superior to death.  After His resurrection He ate and drank with them as a being of flesh, although He was united in spirit to the Father.  St Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans

Authentic Spirituality

“An authentic spirituality is a simple spirituality.”[1]
 

I

’ve been reading this book recently, feeding my growing interest in Ignatian spirituality, and the profundity of just this one sentence seems immense.  I’ve often thought it true that the simpler something can be done, or made, the better; great, complex projects or other contrivances usually seem to lead to great difficulties, if not absolute failure.  What’s true in the world can be no less true in our spiritual lives, the simpler the better.

What do I mean?  Well, for example in lectio very often 10 minutes is better that both nothing and an hour.  These days, it’s hard enough to find 10 minutes to sit down, focus, and just soak in God’s Word – an hour is impossible and even attempting such a thing can be disastrous.  Prayer doesn’t have to be difficult, just sit down and talk to God.  Perhaps more importantly, when you’re done talking, take a few minutes to listen to what He has to say.

It’s quite simple really.

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[1] From God's Voice Within: The Ignatian Way to Discover God's Will by Mark E. Thibodeaux  (Kindle E-book, Location 70)

Friday Florilegia, Friday, April 6, 2012

This weeks reading is from the Gospel for the Second Sunday of Easter next week.  May you have a blessed Easter Triduum and glorious Easter morning!

Gospel Jn 20:19-31

On the evening of that first day of the week,
when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,
for fear of the Jews,
Jesus came and stood in their midst
and said to them, "Peace be with you."
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.
The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.
Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.
As the Father has sent me, so I send you."
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,
"Receive the Holy Spirit.
Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,
and whose sins you retain are retained."

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve,
was not with them when Jesus came.
So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them,
"Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands
and put my finger into the nailmarks
and put my hand into his side, I will not believe."

Now a week later his disciples were again inside
and Thomas was with them.
Jesus came, although the doors were locked,
and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you."
Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands,
and bring your hand and put it into my side,
and do not be unbelieving, but believe."
Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me?
Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples
that are not written in this book.
But these are written that you may come to believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

A Word on Wednesday, Wednesday, April 4,2012 St John Vianny

“One can offer himself as a victim for 8-15 days for the conversion of sinners. One can suffer cold, heat, deprive oneself of looking at something, go visit someone who would appreciate it, make a novena, attend daily Mass for this intention in places where it is possible. Not only would one contribute to God’s glory by this holy practice of praying for sinners, but one would obtain an abundance of grace.”  St John Vianny

Early Church Fathers, Sunday, April 1, 2012, St Cyprian of Carthage

Image via Wikipedia

[Christ’sl every act, even from His first coming, is marked by an accompanying patience. From the first moment when He descended from the sublimity of heaven to earthly things. The Son of God did not disdain to put on the flesh of man; nor, although not Himself a sinner to bear the sins of others. He put aside His immortality for a time, and allowed Himself to become mortal, so that, although innocent. He might be slain for the salvation of the guilty. St Cyprian of Carthage, The Advantage of Patience.