30 November 2021 On Eternal Judgment
Always
be mindful of your departure, and do not forget the eternal judgment; then
there will be no disturbance in your soul.
Evagrius
Ponticus (345-399)
29 November 2021 On Humility
Humility consists in considering oneself to be nothing in all circumstances, cutting off one’s will in all things, accusing oneself of everything, and bearing without confusion that which befalls him from without. Such is true humility, in which vainglory finds no place. A humble man doesn’t need to try to show his humility in words, nor does he need to make himself do humble deeds, for both of these lead to vainglory, hinder progress, and cause more harm than good. But when they command anything, it is necessary not to contradict, but to fulfill it with obedience. This is what leads to success.
Saint John the Prophet (Sixth Century)
Humility consists in considering oneself to be nothing in all circumstances, cutting off one’s will in all things, accusing oneself of everything, and bearing without confusion that which befalls him from without. Such is true humility, in which vainglory finds no place. A humble man doesn’t need to try to show his humility in words, nor does he need to make himself do humble deeds, for both of these lead to vainglory, hinder progress, and cause more harm than good. But when they command anything, it is necessary not to contradict, but to fulfill it with obedience. This is what leads to success.
Saint John the Prophet (Sixth Century)
28 November 2021 Hold Fast
God is not accustomed to refusing a good gift to those who ask for one. Since God is good, and especially to those who are faithful to him, let us hold fast to him with all our soul, our heart, our strength, and so enjoy his light and see his glory and possess the grace of supernatural joy.
Ambrose of Milan
God is not accustomed to refusing a good gift to those who ask for one. Since God is good, and especially to those who are faithful to him, let us hold fast to him with all our soul, our heart, our strength, and so enjoy his light and see his glory and possess the grace of supernatural joy.
Ambrose of Milan
25 November 2021 On Prayer
You write, “To pray is to talk with God. But about what?” About what? About Him, about yourself—joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions—and Love and reparation. In a word, to get to know him and to get to know yourself—”to get acquainted!”
Saint JosemarĂa Escrivá (1902-1975)
You write, “To pray is to talk with God. But about what?” About what? About Him, about yourself—joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions—and Love and reparation. In a word, to get to know him and to get to know yourself—”to get acquainted!”
Saint JosemarĂa Escrivá (1902-1975)
21 November 2021
Fight the Good Fight
Fight the good fight until you reach the end, clinging fast to those
qualities that will assure your passage to love’s goal. I mean: love of
humankind, brotherly and sisterly love, hospitality, love of the poor,
compassion, mercy, humility, meekness, gentleness, patience, freedom from
anger, long-suffering, perseverance, kindness, forbearance, goodwill and peace
towards all. Out of these and through these the grace of love is fashioned,
which leads one to God who deifies the human being that He Himself fashioned.
20 November 2021 To Do
When you pray, be humble.
When you confess, be honest.
When you do penance, do it indefatigably.
When you eat, be sensible.
When you sleep, be disciplined.
When you are alone, be faithful.
When you are with others, be discreet.
When someone teaches you good manners, be receptive.
When someone reprimands you for your mistakes, be patient.
When you do something bad, ask forgiveness immediately.
When you are full of self-absorbed pride, fear for the health of your soul.
When you are sad, trust in God completely.
When you are doing manual work, work hard.
because hard work drives off every evil thought.
Mechthild of Magdeburg (Thirteenth Century)
When you pray, be humble.
When you confess, be honest.
When you do penance, do it indefatigably.
When you eat, be sensible.
When you sleep, be disciplined.
When you are alone, be faithful.
When you are with others, be discreet.
When someone teaches you good manners, be receptive.
When someone reprimands you for your mistakes, be patient.
When you do something bad, ask forgiveness immediately.
When you are full of self-absorbed pride, fear for the health of your soul.
When you are sad, trust in God completely.
When you are doing manual work, work hard.
because hard work drives off every evil thought.
Mechthild of Magdeburg (Thirteenth Century)
19 November 2021 On Meekness
Nothing is more powerful than meekness. For as fire is extinguished by water, so a mind inflated by anger is subdued by meekness. By meekness we practice and make known our virtue, and also cause the indignation of our brother to cease, and deliver his mind from perturbation.
Saint John Chrysostom
Nothing is more powerful than meekness. For as fire is extinguished by water, so a mind inflated by anger is subdued by meekness. By meekness we practice and make known our virtue, and also cause the indignation of our brother to cease, and deliver his mind from perturbation.
Saint John Chrysostom
18 November 2021 The New Creation
For to despise the present age, not to love transitory things, unreservedly to stretch out the mind in humility to God and our neighbor, to preserve patience against offered insults and, with patience guarded, to repel the pain of malice from the heart, to give one’s property to the poor, not to covet that of others, to esteem the friend in God, on God’s account to love even those who are hostile, to mourn at the affliction of a neighbor, not to exult in the death of one who is an enemy, this is the new creature whom the Master of the nations seeks with watchful eye amid the other disciples, saying: “If, then, any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away. Behold all things are made new.” (2Cor. 5:17)
Saint Gregory the Great
For to despise the present age, not to love transitory things, unreservedly to stretch out the mind in humility to God and our neighbor, to preserve patience against offered insults and, with patience guarded, to repel the pain of malice from the heart, to give one’s property to the poor, not to covet that of others, to esteem the friend in God, on God’s account to love even those who are hostile, to mourn at the affliction of a neighbor, not to exult in the death of one who is an enemy, this is the new creature whom the Master of the nations seeks with watchful eye amid the other disciples, saying: “If, then, any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away. Behold all things are made new.” (2Cor. 5:17)
Saint Gregory the Great
17 November 2021 On Holiness
God’s plan is that we be holy. Let us not refuse Him anything for love of Him and for our sanctification. No one can sanctify himself without suffering, it is necessary to follow our divine Master. The saints followed Him, and that is what made them arrive in Heaven, there is no other road.
Saint Joan Antide-Thouret (1765-1826)
God’s plan is that we be holy. Let us not refuse Him anything for love of Him and for our sanctification. No one can sanctify himself without suffering, it is necessary to follow our divine Master. The saints followed Him, and that is what made them arrive in Heaven, there is no other road.
Saint Joan Antide-Thouret (1765-1826)
16 November 2021 Spiritual Love
To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil — such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.
Saint Maximos the Confessor (580-662)
To harbor no envy, no anger, no resentment against an offender is still not to have charity for him. It is possible, without any charity, to avoid rendering evil for evil. But to render, spontaneously, good for evil — such belongs to a perfect spiritual love.
Saint Maximos the Confessor (580-662)
14 November 2021 On Fasting
If you see a poor man, take pity on him.
If you see a friend being honored, do not envy him.
Do not let only your mouth fast
but also the eye and the ear and the feet and
the hands and all the members of our bodies.
Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice.
Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.
Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare
at that which is sinful.
Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip.
Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism.
For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes,
but bite and devour our brothers?
Saint John Chrysostom
If you see a poor man, take pity on him.
If you see a friend being honored, do not envy him.
Do not let only your mouth fast
but also the eye and the ear and the feet and
the hands and all the members of our bodies.
Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice.
Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.
Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare
at that which is sinful.
Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip.
Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism.
For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes,
but bite and devour our brothers?
Saint John Chrysostom
12
November 2021 The New Life
But when we transcend ourselves, and become in our
ascent towards God, so simple that the naked love in the height can lay hold of
us, where love enfolds love, above every exercise of virtue that is, in our
Origin, of Which we are spiritually born, then we cease, and we and all our
selfhood die in God. And in this death we become hidden sons of God, and find a
new life within us: and that is eternal life.
Blessed John Ruysbroeck (1293-1381)
11
November 2021 Our Free Will
Our free will can stop or obstruct the course of
God’s inspiration. When the favorable wind of God’s grace fills the sails of
our soul, it is within our power to refuse consent, thereby impeding the effect
of that favoring wind. But when our spirit sails along and makes a prosperous
voyage, it is not we who cause the wind of inspiration to come to us. We
neither fill our sails with it, nor do we give movement to the ship that is our
heart: we consent to its movement. It is God’s inspiration, then, which impresses
on our free will the gentle, blessed influence whereby it not only causes the
will to see the beauty of the good, but also warms it, helps it, reinforces it
and moves it so gently that by its agency, the will turns and glides freely
toward the good.
10
November 2021 Teaching Our Children
Saint John Chrysostom
9
November 2021 The Soul
If something has become deeply united with your
soul, you should not only regard it as your possession in this life, but
believe that it will accompany you into the life to come. If it is something
good, rejoice and give thanks to God in your mind; if it is something bad, grieve and sigh, and strive to free yourself
from it while you are still in the body.
8
November 2021 Commune With God
When we desire to commune with God to strengthen our
souls for combat in the battles of life, we can close our eyes. When we have
done that, we have closed the “doors” of our senses. We have for a few moments
closed out the world around us. Now..it is dark, and if we are quiet and become
aware of this silence in our souls, we suddenly realize He is there.
Mother Angelica (1923-2016)
3
November 2021 Misery and
Imperfection
It is very good for us to know and feel our misery
and imperfection, but we must not allow that to discourage us; rather, our
awareness of our miseries should make us raise our hearts to God by a holy
confidence, the foundation of which ought to be in Him…The throne of God’s
mercy is our misery; therefore, the greater our misery the greater should be
our confidence in God.
4 November 2021 The Name of God
In times of affliction, unceasingly call out to the merciful God in prayer. The unceasing invocation of the name of God in prayer is a treatment for the soul which kills not only the passions, but even their very operation. As a doctor finds the necessary medicine, and it works in such a way that the sick person does not understand, in just the same way the name of God, when you call upon it, kills all the passions, although we don’t know how this happens.
Saint Barsanuphius the Great
1
November 2021 Active and
Contemplative
Now we are conscious of two powers in the human
soul: the active and the contemplative; the former maps the way, the latter
marks the journey’s end; in the former we toil so that our hearts may be
purified for the vision of God, in the latter we are at rest and see God; the
former calls for the practice of the commandments of this life that passes
away, in the latter we drink in the teachings of the life that shall never pass
away.
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