30 June 2024
The word of God is Sacramental. That means it is sacred, and a sacred
word is make present what its indicates.
Henri Nouwen
Continue In Sin
29 June 2024
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
On Prayer
18 June 2024
Thus if I pray, I am anticipating a great thing in my prayer. And our prayer pleases God; He requires it and delights in it. He promises, commands and shapes it. God cannot get enough of the prayers of the godly. Therefore the prayer of the godly is likened to the most attractive odor which one cannot smell enough. Then He says: “I will hear.”
Martin Luther
Thus if I pray, I am anticipating a great thing in my prayer. And our prayer pleases God; He requires it and delights in it. He promises, commands and shapes it. God cannot get enough of the prayers of the godly. Therefore the prayer of the godly is likened to the most attractive odor which one cannot smell enough. Then He says: “I will hear.”
Martin Luther
Carnal Concupiscence
17 June 2024
Carnal concupiscence is remitted, indeed, in baptism; not so that it is put out of existence, but so that it is not to be imputed for sin.
Saint Augustine
Carnal concupiscence is remitted, indeed, in baptism; not so that it is put out of existence, but so that it is not to be imputed for sin.
Saint Augustine
Unconditional Love
14 June 2024
God’s love is unconditional. Be sure that yours is too!
Saint Augustine
God’s love is unconditional. Be sure that yours is too!
Saint Augustine
Silence of the Heart
13 June 2024
Enter into yourself, leave behind all noise and confusion. God speaks to us in the great silence of the heart.
Saint Augustine
Enter into yourself, leave behind all noise and confusion. God speaks to us in the great silence of the heart.
Saint Augustine
A Perfect Person
12 June 2024
The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward. The perfect person does good through love. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does. He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward. The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.
Saint Clement of Alexandria
The perfect person does not only try to avoid evil. Nor does he do good for fear of punishment, still less in order to qualify for the hope of a promised reward. The perfect person does good through love. But as soon as he has realized the beauty of doing good, he does it with all his energies and in all that he does. He is not interested in fame, or a good reputation, or a human or divine reward. The rule of life for a perfect person is to be in the image and likeness of God.
Saint Clement of Alexandria
The Eucharist
11 June 2024
Let us also then touch the hem of His garment, or rather, if we be willing, we have Him entire. For indeed His body is set before us now, not His garment only, but even His body; not for us to touch it only, but also to eat, and be filled. Let us now then draw near with faith, every one that has an infirmity.
St. John Chrysostom
Let us also then touch the hem of His garment, or rather, if we be willing, we have Him entire. For indeed His body is set before us now, not His garment only, but even His body; not for us to touch it only, but also to eat, and be filled. Let us now then draw near with faith, every one that has an infirmity.
St. John Chrysostom
The Holy Spirit
10 June 2024
From Christ and in Christ, we have been reborn through the Spirit in order to bear the fruit of life; not the fruit of our old, sinful life but the fruit of a new life founded upon our faith in him and our love for him. Like branches growing from a vine, we now draw our life from Christ, and we cling to his holy commandment in order to preserve this life. Eager to safeguard the blessing of our noble birth, we are careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, and who makes us aware of God’s presence in us.
St. Cyril of Alexandria
From Christ and in Christ, we have been reborn through the Spirit in order to bear the fruit of life; not the fruit of our old, sinful life but the fruit of a new life founded upon our faith in him and our love for him. Like branches growing from a vine, we now draw our life from Christ, and we cling to his holy commandment in order to preserve this life. Eager to safeguard the blessing of our noble birth, we are careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, and who makes us aware of God’s presence in us.
St. Cyril of Alexandria
The Eucharist
9 June 2024
This meal is our theophany, the appearance of the triune God among us for our salvation, the revelation of his hidden glory, the visible manifestation of his holiness.
John Kleinig
This meal is our theophany, the appearance of the triune God among us for our salvation, the revelation of his hidden glory, the visible manifestation of his holiness.
John Kleinig
Self-loathing
8 June 2024
The business of hating oneself, though it appears virtuous, is in reality one of Satan’s most plausible devices. It keeps a man preoccupied with himself and his sins. The abject attitude of self-loathing may be natural in the presence of God’s holiness, but never do we find in the Bible that God requires its continuance. Having seen and admitted our faults, the command is to stand, or go, or do.
J.B. Phillips
The business of hating oneself, though it appears virtuous, is in reality one of Satan’s most plausible devices. It keeps a man preoccupied with himself and his sins. The abject attitude of self-loathing may be natural in the presence of God’s holiness, but never do we find in the Bible that God requires its continuance. Having seen and admitted our faults, the command is to stand, or go, or do.
J.B. Phillips
The Cause of Sin
7 June 2024
Our churches teach that although God creates and preserves nature, the cause of sin is located in the will of the wicked, that is, the devil and ungodly people. Without God’s help, this will turns itself away from God, as Christ says, “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character.”
AC XIX
Our churches teach that although God creates and preserves nature, the cause of sin is located in the will of the wicked, that is, the devil and ungodly people. Without God’s help, this will turns itself away from God, as Christ says, “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character.”
AC XIX
The Eucharist
6 June 2024
What you see is the bread and the chalice; that is what your own eyes report to you. But what your faith obliges you to accept is that the bread is the body of Christ and the chalice is the blood of Christ. This has been said very briefly, which may perhaps be sufficient for faith; yet faith does not desire instruction.
Saint Augustine
What you see is the bread and the chalice; that is what your own eyes report to you. But what your faith obliges you to accept is that the bread is the body of Christ and the chalice is the blood of Christ. This has been said very briefly, which may perhaps be sufficient for faith; yet faith does not desire instruction.
Saint Augustine
Moral Principles
5 June 2024
Moral principles do not depend on a majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right.
Fulton Sheen
Moral principles do not depend on a majority vote. Wrong is wrong, even if everybody is wrong. Right is right, even if nobody is right.
Fulton Sheen
The Resurrection That Is To Come
4 June 2024
Consider, beloved, how the Lord keeps reminding us of the resurrection that is to come, of which he has made the Lord Jesus Christ the first fruits by raising him from the dead. Let us look, beloved, at the resurrection that occurs at its appointed time. Day and night show us a resurrection; the night lies in sleep, day rises again; the day departs, night takes its place. Let us think about the harvest; how does the sowing take place, and in what manner? The sower goes out and casts each seed onto the ground. Dry and bare, they fall into the earth and decay. Then the greatness of the Lord’s providence raises them up again from decay, and out of one many are produced and yield fruit.
Saint Clement
Consider, beloved, how the Lord keeps reminding us of the resurrection that is to come, of which he has made the Lord Jesus Christ the first fruits by raising him from the dead. Let us look, beloved, at the resurrection that occurs at its appointed time. Day and night show us a resurrection; the night lies in sleep, day rises again; the day departs, night takes its place. Let us think about the harvest; how does the sowing take place, and in what manner? The sower goes out and casts each seed onto the ground. Dry and bare, they fall into the earth and decay. Then the greatness of the Lord’s providence raises them up again from decay, and out of one many are produced and yield fruit.
Saint Clement
The Church
3 June 2024
The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles among so many dangers in the world; it therefore remains unmoved. The Church’s foundation is unshakeable and firm against the assaults of the raging sea. Waves lash at the Church but do not shatter it. Although the elements of this world constantly beat upon the Church with crashing sounds, the Church possesses the safest harbor of salvation for all in distress.
Saint Ambrose of Milan
The Church of the Lord is built upon the rock of the apostles among so many dangers in the world; it therefore remains unmoved. The Church’s foundation is unshakeable and firm against the assaults of the raging sea. Waves lash at the Church but do not shatter it. Although the elements of this world constantly beat upon the Church with crashing sounds, the Church possesses the safest harbor of salvation for all in distress.
Saint Ambrose of Milan
God's Love
2 June 2024
Incomprehensible and immutable is the love of God. For it was not after
we were reconciled to him by the blood of his Son that he began to love us, but
he loved us before the foundation of the world, that with his only begotten Son
we too might be sons of God before we were anything at all.
St. Augustine of Hippo
The Liturgy
1 June 2024
In a world where everything has gotten to be so transitory and "throw it away tomorrow," is there anything that they can count on as lasting, that they can be sure will still be there tomorrow, next Sunday, next year, and when they die? The liturgy delivers the answer, "Yes!" Same old liturgy every Sunday. You can count on it's like been there for a thousand years and more. When people bump into that in a world where there isn't anything else they can be sure of like that, there's something real! And so we decline the demands of a consumer society which has to have a new model every year or every week if you're going to sell. For then you're talking marketing, and you're not talking the Church of Christ and the holy liturgy.
Norman Nagel
In a world where everything has gotten to be so transitory and "throw it away tomorrow," is there anything that they can count on as lasting, that they can be sure will still be there tomorrow, next Sunday, next year, and when they die? The liturgy delivers the answer, "Yes!" Same old liturgy every Sunday. You can count on it's like been there for a thousand years and more. When people bump into that in a world where there isn't anything else they can be sure of like that, there's something real! And so we decline the demands of a consumer society which has to have a new model every year or every week if you're going to sell. For then you're talking marketing, and you're not talking the Church of Christ and the holy liturgy.
Norman Nagel
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