"this is heavy. but we are also strong."

Beautiful, beautiful post over at mothering spirit.  Read it all here.

A professor from grad school used to remind us that the measure of maturity was the extent to which one could live with ambiguity. Why do I still find myself stuck marveling in adulthood how often I have to hold paradox in trembling tension? It grates at me not to resolve the unresolvable.

Maturity means growing into the space where the world does not make sense and yet we agree to live there. Because it can still be good. Because there is no other option. Because we are always asked to carry more than we think we can.

continue here.

This Sweet Word

"This sweet Word jousted with His arms upon the wood of the most holy Cross, death fighting a tournament with life and life with death: so that by His death He destroyed our death, and to give us life He sacrificed the life of His body. So then with love He has drawn us to Him, and has overcome our malice with His benignity, in so much that every heart should be drawn to Him: since greater love one cannot show-and this He himself said-than to give one's life for one's friend. And if He commended the love which gives one's life for one's friend, what then shall we say of that most burning and perfect love which gave its life for its foe? For we through sin had become foes of God. Oh, sweet and loving Word, who with love hast found Thy flock once more, and with love hast given Thy life for them, and hast brought them back to Thy fold, restoring to them the Grace which they had lost!"

-St. Catherine of Siena, in her letter to Pope Gregory XI

St. John of the Cross - from The Spiritual Canticle

VI
THE BRIDE

Oh! who can heal me?
Give me at once Yourself,
Send me no more
A messenger
Who cannot tell me what I wish.

VII
All they who serve are telling me
Of Your unnumbered graces;
And all wound me more and more,
And something leaves me dying,
I know not what, of which they are darkly speaking.

VIII
But how you persevere, O life,
Not living where you live;
The arrows bring death
Which you receive
From your conceptions of the Beloved.

IX
Why, after wounding
This heart, have You not healed it?
And why, after stealing it,
Have You thus abandoned it,
And not carried away the stolen prey?

X
Quench my troubles,
For no one else can soothe them;
And let my eyes behold You,
For You are their light,
And I will keep them for You alone.

XI
Reveal Your presence,
And let the vision and Your beauty kill me,
Behold the malady
Of love is incurable
Except in Your presence and before Your face.

XII
O crystal well!
Oh that on Your silvered surface
You would mirror forth at once
Those eyes desired
Which are outlined in my heart!

XIII
Turn them away, O my Beloved!
I am on the wing:

St. John of the Cross, from The Spiritual Canticle

"There are certain things in life too beautiful to be forgotten."

From Venerable Fulton Sheen's Wartime Prayer Book (originally published 1943 as Armor of God):

"There are certain things in life too beautiful to be forgotten. That is why we revere the sacrifice of our soldiers on Memorial Day. The most beautiful thing about the life of our Lord was His death. Everyone else came into the world to live; He came into it to die; 'to give His life as a ransom for many' (Matt. 20:28)

"His death was the one thing He wished to have remembered.  He did not ask that men should write down His words in books. He did not ask that His deeds be recorded in history.  But He did ask that men remember his death."

 

Also from Wartime Prayer Book:
A prayer from a Soldier in France, Joyce Kilmer (1886 - 1918)

My shoulders ache beneath my pack
(Lie easier, Cross, upon His back).

I march with feet that burn and smart

(Tread, Holy Feet, upon my heart).

Men shout at me who may not speak
(They scourged Thy back and smote Thy cheek).

I may not lift a hand to clear
My eyes of salty drops that sear.

(Then shall my fickle soul forget
Thy agony of Bloody Sweat?)

My rifle hand is stiff and numb
(From Thy pierced palm red rivers come).

Lord, Thou didst suffer more for me
Than all the hosts of land and sea.

So let me render back again
This millionth of Thy gift. Amen.

Let us fall into the hands of the Lord

Sirach Chapter 2:

My child, when you come to serve the Lord,

prepare yourself for trials.

 

Be sincere of heart and steadfast,

and do not be impetuous in time of adversity.

 

Cling to him, do not leave him,

that you may prosper in your last days.

 

Accept whatever happens to you;

in periods of humiliation be patient.

 

For in fire gold is tested,

and the chosen, in the crucible of humiliation.

 

Trust in God, and he will help you;

make your ways straight and hope in him.

 

You that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy,

do not stray lest you fall.

 

You that fear the Lord, trust in him,

and your reward will not be lost.

 

You that fear the LORD, hope for good things,

for lasting joy and mercy.

 

Consider the generations long past and see:

has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed?

Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken?

has anyone called upon him and been ignored?

 

For the Lord is compassionate and merciful;

forgives sins and saves in time of trouble.

 

Woe to timid hearts and drooping hands,

to the sinner who walks a double path!

 

Woe to the faint of heart! For they do not trust,

and therefore have no shelter!

 

Woe to you that have lost hope!

what will you do at the Lord’s visitation?

 

Those who fear the Lord do not disobey his words;

those who love him keep his ways.

 

Those who fear the Lord seek to please him;

those who love him are filled with his law.

 

Those who fear the Lord prepare their hearts

and humble themselves before him.

 

Let us fall into the hands of the Lord

and not into the hands of mortals,

 

For equal to his majesty is his mercy;

and equal to his name are his works.

I love You, O my God

"I love You, O my God, and my only desire is to love You until the last breath of my life. I love You, O my infinitely lovable God, and I would rather die loving You, than live without loving You. I love You, Lord and the only grace I ask is to love You eternally....My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love You, I want my heart to repeat it to You as often as I draw breath."
- Saint John Vianney

The Remember Me Project

What a great grace we have in the Body of Christ to pray for eachother, the Church Militant and the Church Suffering, and to ask the Church Triumphant to intercede for us.  We are never alone.  Jesus has promised us He is always with us.  He strengthens us in our weaknesses through the power of the Holy Spirit, through the gift of the Sacramental life of the Church.  Living in the power of Christ's resurrection, we trust in His providence, no matter our circumstances.  One of the most beautiful parts of being Catholic is the devotion to praying for our loved ones who have died before us, for our beloved souls still being purified in Purgatory.  We also can pray for the intercession of those saints who are already with God, including our Mother Mary, who cares for us her children.  She, and all the saints, always point us to Jesus and His Heart loving us every moment of our lives, encouraging us along the way.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.                      Hebrews 12:1  

Our Lord revealed to St. Gertrude, regarding our beloved souls being purified in Purgatory:

"I accept with highest pleasure what is offered to Me for the poor souls, for I long inexpressibly to have near Me those for whom I paid so great a price. By the prayers of thy loving soul, I am induced to free a prisoner from purgatory as often as thou dost move thy tongue to utter a word of prayer!"

It is a gift that we can intercede on behalf of our beloved souls!  Below watch the video about a wonderful project that helps us to remember, and pray for, our faithful departed.  Please consider supporting this project on kickstarter, by offering a pledge to get the project finished!  You can purchase a book through a specified pledge amount or look to purchase a book, once the project is funded and the books are printed.  Laura is a beautiful, faith-filled woman who has been inspired by the Holy Spirit to offer this prayerful book, "a family heirloom in remembrance of our faithful departed."  Watch the video below, and visit her kickstarter page to help get this project completed.

Great Post In Honor of Our Dear Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's Birthday

A very Happy Birthday to our dear Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI today! 

There is an excellent post at Catholic Vision in honor of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's birthday about the harmony of truth and love, referencing Joseph Ratzinger's older writings. Check it out at:

The Harmony of Truth and Love

cross posted at Community of Catholic Bloggers

Before You

 

Before You

Before You,

it all seemed superficial.

Life seemed easy, yet restless.

My heart was walled.

My heart was careful,

seemingly broken beyond repair.

My heart was beyond bother,

relying on a strength that could not stand,

carrying a false hope in that which could not last.

Then I saw You, Jesus and now I know You.

You have revealed Your Love to me,

and my perception has changed.

You plunge into the depths with me.

You never abandon me.

Life is harder, yet Your yoke is easy,

Your burden light.

You tear down the walls in my heart.

You give me boldness and a new,

pure humility,

knowing Your Power,

giving strength to my weakness.

You bind up my wounds with Your Holy Touch.

Your Strength is ever present.

Your Hope is true. Your Love is eternal.

And I realize it was always You,

that there never was a before You.

You never change. You never left.

You have always been my Love, my Life, my Breath.

 

I Love You, Jesus.

Amen.

 

 

Prayer to St. Joseph for the Church Militant

 

O GLORIOUS St. Joseph, chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus, the chaste spouse of Mary ever Virgin and the head of the Holy Family, and then appointed by the Vicar of Christ to be the Heavenly patron and defender of the Church founded by Jesus, most confidently do I implore at this moment thy powerful aid for all the Church Militant on earth. Do thou shield with thy truly paternal love especially the Supreme Pontiff and all the bishops and priests who are in union with the Holy See of Peter. Be the defender of all who labor for souls amidst the trials and tribulations of this life, and cause all the peoples of the earth to submit themselves in a docile spirit to that Church which is the ark of salvation for all men.

Be pleased also, dear St. Joseph, to accept this dedication of myself which I now make unto thee. I dedicate myself wholly to thee, that thou mayest ever be my father, my patron and my guide in the way of salvation. Obtain for me great purity of heart and a fervent devotion to the interior life. Grant that, following thine example, I may direct all my actions to the greater glory of God, in union with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary and in union with thee. Finally, pray for me that I may be a partaker in the peace and joy which were thine at the hour of thy holy death. Amen.

"The humble and hidden presence of the Lord in Mary, in the Church and in each soul, radiates light and hope to the world."

Hope does not disappoint.  It has been an amazing week, with ups and downs, but through it all, the Holy Spirit so evident and working in mysterious ways in each of our lives and in the life of the Church at large.  I want to share with you one of the most beautiful teachings of our new Pope Francis, given in 2008, as His Eminence Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio, SJ, at the 49th International Eucharistic Congress in Quebec (source The Sacred Page, translation from Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam).  My heart is filled with gratitude for our new Papa, a humble, holy, and wise man.  Let us pray for him together.  You will want to read the entire catechesis, but here are a few of my favorite exerpts, showing both the Eucharistic and Marian heart of our new Pope Francis (emphasis from Michael Barber at The Sacred Page).

First, Mary as a Model of the Covenant, and how she helps us live the Eucharistic Mystery:

Desire and self-offering are the two anticipatory attitudes that convert the Church and also each faithful soul into “new wineskins.” By desire and self-offering we become, like Mary, vessels suitable for the Word to take on flesh within us. The humble and hidden presence of the Lord in Mary, in the Church and in each soul, radiates light and hope to the world. John Paul expresses this beautifully, speaking of the Visitation:

“‘And blessed art thou that hast believed’ (Lk 1:45): Mary has anticipated, in the mystery of the Incarnation, the Eucharistic faith of the Church. When, in the Visitation, she carries within her the Word made flesh, she becomes, in a way, a ‘tabernacle’ – the first ‘tabernacle’ in history – where the Son of God, still invisible to the eyes of men, is offered for the adoration by Elizabeth, as ‘radiating’ light through the eyes and the voice of Mary.”

Mary, therefore, is a model of the Covenant, between the Lord and His bride the Church, between God and each man. Model of a Covenant that is company of Love, confident and fruitful abandonment and fullness of hope that irradiates joy. All of these virtues become music in the Magnificat of which John Paul II gives us a beautiful Eucharistic vision:

“In the Magnificat, after all, is present the eschatological tension of the Eucharist. Each time the Son of God is presented under the ‘poverty’ of the sacramental species, bread and wine, the world has within it the germ of the new history, in which ‘He hath put down the mighty from their seat’ and ‘hath exalted the humble.’ (cf. Lk 1:52). Mary sings of the ‘new heaven’ and the ‘new earth’ that are anticipated in the Eucharist and, in a certain sense, allows a glimpse into its programmed ‘design.’ Given that the Magnificat expresses the spirituality of Mary, nothing helps us live better the Eucharistic Mystery than this spirituality. The Eucharist has been given to us for our life, as that of Mary’s, all one Magnificat!” 

And, the great personal joy of receiving the Eucharist as Mary receives:

Throughout this catechesis, as we contemplate in Mary the mystery of the Covenant, it has been gradually revealed to us the riches of the Eucharist and of the Church. In our Mother all becomes concrete and “possible.” In her school the ineffable mysteries of God are given a maternal face and tone and they become comprehensible to the faith filled with Love which, as God’s faithful people, we profess to Mary. The conclusions to be drawn for the personal spiritual life, I believe, each of us must select from among those in which one finds the greatest joy, as Saint Ignatius asserted in the Spiritual Exercises. Uniting the Eucharist and the sacramental communion with Mary is something that we do intuitively, and deepening our understanding of this is something which does us all good.

For this we might ask the Grace of receiving Communion as Mary received the Word and allow it to take on flesh anew in me; the grace to receive the Eucharist from the hands of the Church using ours as a paten (meaning “manger”), aware it is our Lady who places it there and entrusts us with same; the grace of singing with Mary the Magnificat in that moment of silence that follows Communion; the grace of anticipating in the Eucharist all that will be our day or week, with all the good and positive offered jointly with the bread, and all that suffering and passion offered jointly with the wine; the grace of believing and placing with Love all our hope in that premise and token of salvation we already have in each Eucharist, to later conform our life in the image of that which we receive. Thus, each of may derive benefit from that upon which we have meditated.

And, finally, on going forth to be light of the world and salt of the earth:

It is the incommensurable, unreturnable nature of the gift that has been transmitted to us which compels the Lord to sanctify the Church in an indefectible manner, as He did with His Mother, in such a way that it is assured this gift can be both received and transmitted “for the life of the world.” the mystery of the Covenant that makes the Church all-holy is a mystery of [both] service and of Life.  It should never cease to amaze us this definite aperture to the Trinitarian life itself is given and is poured forth not just for some but for the life of the world. This is the case even if not all know it or take advantage of the fruit of the incomprehensible Liberty of the Uno and Triune God whose self-giving is total and for all.

In uniting to Christ, instead of sealing itself off, the People of the new Covenant are converted into a “sacrament” for all humanity, sign and instrument of salvation, in a work of Christ, into a light of the world and salt of the earth (cf. Mt 5:13-16), for the redemption of all. The mission of the Church continues that of Christ: “As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.” (Jn 20:21). Therefore, the Church receives the spiritual strength necessary to accomplish its mission of perpetuating in the Eucharist the sacrifice of the Cross and being in communion with the body and the blood of Christ. So, the Eucharist is the source and, at the same time, the summit of all evangelization, given that its objective is the communion of men with Christ and, in Him, with the Father and with the Holy Spirit.

 

H/T Father Andrew for posting the article on twitter.

Cross posted at Community of Catholic Bloggers

A heart burning with love is a joyful heart

"A joyful heart is the normal result of a heart burning with love. She gives most who gives with joy." -- Blessed Mother Teresa

Blessed Mother Teresa, when she cared for the desperately poor around her, never turned away from suffering. Yet, she always gave her heart to those around her with much joy, even despite her own interior suffering. That kind of joy comes from a heart burning with love for Christ.

Blessed Mother Teresa, pray for us!