Category Archives: Spiritual Reflections

Spiritual Reflections

St John Henry Newman

I shall do good, I shall do God’s work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.

Dear Lord…shine through me, and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel Your presence in my soul…Let me thus praise You in the way You love best, by shining on those around me.

God knows what is my greatest happiness, but I do not. Thus God leads us by strange ways; we know He wills our happiness, but we neither know what our happiness is, nor the way.

I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. My sickness, or perplexity, or sorrow may be necessary causes of some great end, which is quite beyond us. He does nothing in vain.

St John Henry Newman

Art from www portraitsofsaints com

Columbus Day . the Marian Mission

In 1992, Jesuit Father John Hardon gave a series of exceptional talks on Columbus for the 500th anniversary of the Catholic discovery of America. He brought to light many vital facts overlooked or ignored by secular historians.

“The underlying motive of Columbus’ historic voyage was the conversion of those who did not know Christ as the living Son of God and son of Mary,” stressed Father Hardon. “Throughout the log, Columbus makes it clear he and his men are sailing across the Atlantic to spread the good news of salvation and convert the natives to Christianity.”

Columbus was deeply devoted to Our Lady. His writings disclose childlike dependence on her. He named his flagship the Santa Maria — Holy Mary. A favorite prayer was “May Jesus with Mary be with us on the way.” For safety in a storm he promised his first act of thanksgiving on returning home would be a pilgrimage to the shrine of Santa María de Guadalupe in southern Spain.

from the National Catholic Register

Knights of Columbus Documentary . WEB

Saint Bruno

In solitude and silence … God gives his athletes the reward they desire: a peace that the world does not know and joy in the Holy Spirit.

When you observe true obedience with prudence and enthusiasm, it is clear that you wisely pick the most delightful and nourishing fruit of divine Scripture.

For the devil may tempt the good, but he cannot find rest in them; for he is shaken violently, and upset, and driven out, now by their prayers, now by their tears of repentance, and now by their alms giving and similar good works.

Saint Bruno

Saint Faustina

“He who knows how to forgive prepares for himself many graces from God.
As often as I look upon the cross, so often will I forgive with all my heart.”

“Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized;

“I will not allow myself to be so absorbed in the whirlwind of work as to forget about God.
I will spend all my free moments at the feet of the Master hidden in the Blessed Sacrament.”

“’My daughter, have fear of nothing; I am always with you. All your adversaries will harm you only to the degree that I permit them to do so. You are my dwelling place and my constant repose. For your sake I will withhold the hand which punishes; for your sake I bless the earth.’”

St Faustina Kowalska

image from stainedglassinc

Saint Therese

Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will
and being just what God wants us to be.

If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient; but I only look at the present, I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future.

I learned from experience that joy does not reside in the things about us
but in the very depths of the soul.

Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.

St Therese of Lisieux

Feast of the Guardian Angels . Monday

You should be aware that the word “angel” denotes a function rather than a nature. Those holy spirits of heaven have indeed always been spirits. They can only be called angels when they deliver some message. Moreover, those who deliver messages of lesser importance are called angels; and those who proclaim messages of supreme importance are called archangels. And so it was that not merely an angel but the archangel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary. It was only fitting that the highest angel should come to announce the greatest of all messages.

~ St Gregory the Great

“Beside each believer stands an Angel as protector
and shepherd, leading him to life.”

~ St Basil the Great

“If we only got to heaven, what a sweet and easy thing it will be
there to be always saying with the angels and the saints
‘Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus.’ ”

~ St Philip Neri

.

Heavenly Father,

Your infinite love for us has chosen a blessed Angel in heaven and appointed him our guide during this earthly pilgrimage. Accept our thanks for so great a blessing. Grant that we may experience the assistance of our holy protector in all our necessities.

And you, holy, loving angel and guide, watch over us with all the tenderness of your angelic heart. Keep us always on the way that leads to heaven, and cease not to pray for us until we have attained our final destiny, eternal salvation. Then we shall love you for all eternity. We shall praise you in God unceasingly for all the good you have done for us while here on earth. Be a faithful and watchful protector of our family and friends. Lighten, O you perfect servants of God, our task. Guide our family and our Church so that we may become like unto Jesus, may imitate him faithfully, and persevere till we attain eternal life.

Amen

Feast of the Holy Archangels

“Let us affectionately love His angels as counselors and defenders appointed by the Father and placed over us. They are faithful; they are prudent; they are powerful; Let us only follow them, let us remain close to them, andin the protection of the God of heaven let us abide.”

~ St Bernard of Clairvaux

The only true riches are those that make us rich in virtue. Therefore, if you want to be rich, beloved, love true riches. If you aspire to the heights of real honor, strive to reach the kingdom of Heaven. If you value rank and renown, hasten to be enrolled in the heavenly court of the Angels.

~ St Gregory the Great

Invisibly, through the ministry of angels, the Spirit of God, whom even the mind’s eye cannot see, baptizes into himself both our souls and bodies, giving us a new birth.

~ Didymus of Alexandria

“I am Rafael, one of the seven angels who stand and serve before the Glory of the Lord … A king’s secret should be kept secret, but one must declare the works of God and give thanks with due honor. Do good, and evil will not overtake you.”

~ St Rafael the Archangel ( Book of Tobit )