Relying On Mercy, Continue In Sin

31 July 2022

Some people understand the charity of our Lord and are saved by it; others, relying on this mercy and kindness, continue in their sins, thinking that it may be theirs whenever they wish. But this is not so, for then they are too late and are taken in their sins before they expect it, and so damn themselves.

      Walter Hilton (1340-1396)

Everyone Will Be Judged

30 July 2022

Everyone – past, present, and future – will be judged. Now, then, is the time for mercy, while the time to come will be the time for justice only. For that reason, the present time is ours, but the future time will be God’s only!

      Saint Thomas Aquinas

Coram Deo

28 July 2022

Bad times, hard times - this is what people keep saying; but let us live well and times shall be good. We are the times. Such as we are, such are the times.

      Saint Augustine of Hippo

On Sin

27 July 2022

Sin arises when things that are a minor good are pursued as though they were the most important goals in life. If money or affection or power are sought in disproportionate, obsessive ways, then sin occurs. And that sin is magnified when, for these lesser goals, we fail to pursue the highest good and the finest goals. So when we ask ourselves why, in a given situation, we committed a sin, the answer is usually one of two things. Either we wanted to obtain something we didn’t have, or we feared losing something we had.

        Saint Augustine

God Loves Us, But...

26 July 2022

We often confuse unconditional love with unconditional approval. God loves us without conditions but does not approve of every human behavior.

        Henri Nouwen

On Grace

24 July 2022

We know certainly that our God calls us to a holy life. We know that he gives us every grace, every abundant grace; and though we are so weak of ourselves, this grace is able to carry us through every obstacle and difficulty.

      Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Examine Yourself

23 July 2022

... in the evening examine yourself on what you have said this day, what you have done and thought, for in these things perhaps you have often offended God and those about you.

      Thomas à Kempis

On Possessions

20 July 2022

Whatever you possess must not possess you; whatever you own must be under the power of your soul; for if your soul is overpowered powered by the love of this world’s goods, it will be totally at the mercy of its possessions. In other words, we make use of temporal things, but our hearts are set on what is eternal. Temporal goods help us on our way, but our desire must be for those eternal realities which are our goal.

      Saint Gregory the Great

On Worship

19 July 2022

To worship God in truth is to recognize Him for being who He is, and to recognize ourselves for what we are.

        Brother Lawrence

Mother of God

16 July 2022

Is there anything nobler than the Mother of God? Anything more splendid than this woman chosen by Splendor itself? Anything more chaste than the one who conceived the physically untainted body?

        Saint Ambrose of Milan

Spiritually Free

14 July 2022

When we are spiritually free, we do not have to worry about what to say or do in unexpected, difficult circumstances. When we are not concerned about what others think of us or what we will get for what we do, the right words and actions will emerge from the center of our beings because the Spirit of God, who makes us children of God and sets us free, will speak and act through us.

        Henri Nouwen

On the Devil

10 July 2022

The devil dreads fasting, prayer, humility, and good works: he is not able even to stop my mouth who speak against him. The illusions of the devil soon vanish, especially if a man arms himself with the Sign of the Cross. The devils tremble at the Sign of the Cross of our Lord, by which He triumphed over and disarmed them.

    Saint Anthony of Egypt

On Prayer

8 July 2022

But for those who have not attained the capability of praying sincerely it is necessary to pray slowly, waiting for a corresponding echo in the heart to each word of the prayer. And this is not always soon given to men unaccustomed to prayerful contemplation. Therefore, for such men, it must be laid down as an absolute rule to pronounce the words of the prayer slowly, and with pauses. Wait until every word gives back its corresponding echo in your heart.

        Saint John of Kronstadt