Invitations

 I can assume the Lord is moving and wishes me to follow, on the basis of events in my life, and certainties which assert themselves. In the matter of attending a banquet, the Lord used the image of a banquet at a wedding. He can invite, but He will not force anyone to sit down to dinner with Him.

The problem for the Christian is, to sort out and separate conflicting impulses in such a way that the Lord's Will is obvious and other motions are damped out.

Indeed, the enemy is vigilant for any opportunity to play with our emotions, in order to hide the danger of invitations we receive. The Will of God is accompanied by peace. By that I do not merely mean we experience no emotion whatever, but the deep and abiding rest of the soul is established in an impereturbable peace; the enemy is always trying to disturb that rest and that peace because he cannot abide the presence of the Lord which is manifested by that joyful peace. When you hit your thumb with a hammer, accidentally, you drop the hammer and hop around a bit until the pain is reduced enough to be tolerable. The peace of the Lord was always there, but the impact on the finger by the hammer is capable of drowning out the perception of peace.

Similarly, the rest I am speaking of is no emotion, but it evokes emotions that soothe and augment a spiritual rest. Finding a haven where we may rest in the solitude surrounding the Lord is a matter of persistent evaluation of the suitability of a place where we may experience the rest and the peace in order to listen for the voice of the Lord.

While we should not avoid consolation, neither should we importune the Lord like an immature child, "daddy I want more." The quickest way to squelch that consolation which is so appealing, is to insist on having it. A mother has only so much milk to give her baby; crying an fussing will not cause an increase in lactation.

At the same time, as we get older, we begin to realize time getting short. The prudent man notices, and strives to make the most of his time. We are given time in order to do the Will of the Lord, and He knows how to take a trial and turn its pain into a powerful voice of intercession to bring us salvation, so long as our heart is truly fixed on Him, and not merely to satisfy ourselves. We generally lack the insight to realize how trivila most of our longings are. That demands that we analyze ourselves, and listen to others with a perspective on the Lord to guide us to the place we should be.

While participation in the passion-life of the Lord is a laudable thing, it does not happen merely to satisfy some longing for a spurious pain that may have nothing to do with God at all. So long as its origin is seen to emanate from our own emotions, we should recall ourselves to an attitude of selflessness that characterizes the Lord, and a realization that what He offers us by way of participation is of such caliber as will force us to endure merely for love. Any other motive is suspect.

The Lord loves those who love Him. He loves anyone who is willing to shoulder part of His burden.  pious man will realize how deep is His sorrow and pain as the original sufferer of crucifixion. He lends part of it as a burden to us; a burden to be borne with and by His strength and according to His love, because it is not bearable in any other way.

He will maintain what selflessness we possess, and weave our acquiescence into His Will and His workings, so that our desires do not conflict with His and we remain selfless and useful to Him as a passive participant in what He wants to do.

It is no secret that selfishness tries to assert itself at all times, while the Lord is operating in us, to Will a cooperation with Him. If you perceive His work in you, give thanks and try to cooperate as well as you can.

If you find joy bubbling up from within you, give thanks and draw closer if you can.

If you become aware of a new idea, know that someone else may already have thought of it. Investigating the possibilities of cooperation can enhance the execution of God's Will, so long as one remains awake and does not allow oneself to drift off to some specious dream. Often God's Will provides that two groups of a similar nature will conceive similar ideas at the same time. If you recognize such a work, it is worth wondering what the Lord may have in mind. The preeminant work must be that the Lord's Will is visible and the path forward to accomplish something in His Name is the impetus behind the action.

Invitations

 I can assume the Lord is moving and wishes me to follow, on the basis of events in my life, and certainties which assert themselves. In the matter of attending a banquet, the Lord used the image of a banquet at a wedding. He can invite, but He will not force anyone to sit down to dinner with Him.

The problem for the Christian is, to sort out and separate conflicting impulses in such a way that the Lord's Will is obvious and other motions are damped out.

Indeed, the enemy is vigilant for any opportunity to play with our emotions, in order to hide the danger of invitations we receive. The Will of God is accompanied by peace. By that I do not merely mean we experience no emotion whatever, but the deep and abiding rest of the soul is established in an impereturbable peace; the enemy is always trying to disturb that rest and that peace because he cannot abide the presence of the Lord which is manifested by that joyful peace. When you hit your thumb with a hammer, accidentally, you drop the hammer and hop around a bit until the pain is reduced enough to be tolerable. The peace of the Lord was always there, but the impact on the finger by the hammer is capable of drowning out the perception of peace.

Similarly, the rest I am speaking of is no emotion, but it evokes emotions that soothe and augment a spiritual rest. Finding a haven where we may rest in the solitude surrounding the Lord is a matter of persistent evaluation of the suitability of a place where we may experience the rest and the peace in order to listen for the voice of the Lord.

While we should not avoid consolation, neither should we importune the Lord like an immature child, "daddy I want more." The quickest way to squelch that consolation which is so appealing, is to insist on having it. A mother has only so much milk to give her baby; crying an fussing will not cause an increase in lactation.

At the same time, as we get older, we begin to realize time getting short. The prudent man notices, and strives to make the most of his time. We are given time in order to do the Will of the Lord, and He knows how to take a trial and turn its pain into a powerful voice of intercession to bring us salvation, so long as our heart is truly fixed on Him, and not merely to satisfy ourselves. We generally lack the insight to realize how trivila most of our longings are. That demands that we analyze ourselves, and listen to others with a perspective on the Lord to guide us to the place we should be.

While participation in the passion-life of the Lord is a laudable thing, it does not happen merely to satisfy some longing for a spurious pain that may have nothing to do with God at all. So long as its origin is seen to emanate from our own emotions, we should recall ourselves to an attitude of selflessness that characterizes the Lord, and a realization that what He offers us by way of participation is of such caliber as will force us to endure merely for love. Any other motive is suspect.

The Lord loves those who love Him. He loves anyone who is willing to shoulder part of His burden.  pious man will realize how deep is His sorrow and pain as the original sufferer of crucifixion. He lends part of it as a burden to us; a burden to be borne with and by His strength and according to His love, because it is not bearable in any other way.

He will maintain what selflessness we possess, and weave our acquiescence into His Will and His workings, so that our desires do not conflict with His and we remain selfless and useful to Him as a passive participant in what He wants to do.

It is no secret that selfishness tries to assert itself at all times, while the Lord is operating in us, to Will a cooperation with Him. If you perceive His work in you, give thanks and try to cooperate as well as you can.

If you find joy bubbling up from within you, give thanks and draw closer if you can.

If you become aware of a new idea, know that someone else may already have thought of it. Investigating the possibilities of cooperation can enhance the execution of God's Will, so long as one remains awake and does not allow oneself to drift off to some specious dream. Often God's Will provides that two groups of a similar nature will conceive similar ideas at the same time. If you recognize such a work, it is worth wondering what the Lord may have in mind. The preeminant work must be that the Lord's Will is visible and the path forward to accomplish something in His Name is the impetus behind the action.

Prevail

Day's Saints

Adalbert of Magdeburg, Bishop & Benedictine
John of Pulsano, Bendictine

Gospel
Mt 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

+

Choose your weapons by which you will prevail.

He tells us to be as perfect as His Father. We have not seen Him with our earthly eyes, and seldom with spiritual eyes, yet a time will come when we do not see Him with earthly eyes at all, and we must grow in faith for the day when we will need all our strength to see at all.

Demons behold a beauty beyond what we can see with our earthly eyes, but they cannot appreciate it, or come to love the Lord, because they are caught up in everything evil, and are filled with an unquenchable hate for the human race. He is limited in what he can do himself, but God is not limited in any way, and His children were made to create galaxies and to revel in the splendours of the universe made by Him, and so, constantly give praise to God by their very being.

It should be obvious the source of the vile occurrences in the world, and the very goodness of God's creation ought to speak to His glory and the depths of His love. There is a mortal combat, therefore, between brothers and sisters, one striving to take what is not theirs, and the other, striving to protect the people God created to be His children. 

Blessed are the children of God, for He loves them. I rejoice in their goodness, and bless Him for humbling me so that I may participate in seeing this marvel of holy goodness, and the pangs of His cross with which He reminds me I am His. I am weak and incapable of much, but He accomplishes all that needs to happen, because He is our way to succeed. We do succeed in pleasing Him, and He awaits our attempts at reaching out. He will therefore reach out to us, to compensate for our weakness and frailty, and He will deem our efforts as His glory and will be more than glad to wear them as a cloak of honor.

Therefore, children of the cross, rejoice in God, whether calamities befall your or not, for so long as you love Him, and do what is loving amongst yourselves, you will bless Him who needs no blessing and receive what you did not deserve, because His love is greater than what you deserve.

No one who has given Him everything they have or everything they are, will lack for His love and admiration. This is the strength of the saints that made the martyrs keep their place and not run off in fear to lose their lives. They received their lives back again and enriched by divine grandeur so that they were forever content to be in and of Him forever.

Prevail

Day's Saints

Adalbert of Magdeburg, Bishop & Benedictine
John of Pulsano, Bendictine

Gospel
Mt 5:43-48
Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

+

Choose your weapons by which you will prevail.

He tells us to be as perfect as His Father. We have not seen Him with our earthly eyes, and seldom with spiritual eyes, yet a time will come when we do not see Him with earthly eyes at all, and we must grow in faith for the day when we will need all our strength to see at all.

Demons behold a beauty beyond what we can see with our earthly eyes, but they cannot appreciate it, or come to love the Lord, because they are caught up in everything evil, and are filled with an unquenchable hate for the human race. He is limited in what he can do himself, but God is not limited in any way, and His children were made to create galaxies and to revel in the splendours of the universe made by Him, and so, constantly give praise to God by their very being.

It should be obvious the source of the vile occurrences in the world, and the very goodness of God's creation ought to speak to His glory and the depths of His love. There is a mortal combat, therefore, between brothers and sisters, one striving to take what is not theirs, and the other, striving to protect the people God created to be His children. 

Blessed are the children of God, for He loves them. I rejoice in their goodness, and bless Him for humbling me so that I may participate in seeing this marvel of holy goodness, and the pangs of His cross with which He reminds me I am His. I am weak and incapable of much, but He accomplishes all that needs to happen, because He is our way to succeed. We do succeed in pleasing Him, and He awaits our attempts at reaching out. He will therefore reach out to us, to compensate for our weakness and frailty, and He will deem our efforts as His glory and will be more than glad to wear them as a cloak of honor.

Therefore, children of the cross, rejoice in God, whether calamities befall your or not, for so long as you love Him, and do what is loving amongst yourselves, you will bless Him who needs no blessing and receive what you did not deserve, because His love is greater than what you deserve.

No one who has given Him everything they have or everything they are, will lack for His love and admiration. This is the strength of the saints that made the martyrs keep their place and not run off in fear to lose their lives. They received their lives back again and enriched by divine grandeur so that they were forever content to be in and of Him forever.

Two Hearts

Feast of the Immaculate Heart
Calogerus the Anchotire

Ex 19:2-6a

In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.

While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,

Moses went up the mountain to God.

Then the LORD called to him and said,

“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;

tell the Israelites:

You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians

and how I bore you up on eagle wings

and brought you here to myself. 

Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,

you shall be my special possession,

dearer to me than all other people,

though all the earth is mine.

You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”

Gospel Matthew 9:36—10:8

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them 

because they were troubled and abandoned,

like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples,

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples

and gave them authority over unclean spirits

to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

The names of the twelve apostles are these:

first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;

James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;

Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,

“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.

Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

+

More prescious than anything, is the gift of the heart to God. With such a gift, Jesus can conquer the world, laying it waste in His love, which is to say, shorn of all other embellishment or grandeur.

That which belongs to God, does not belong to the world, and no money can buy it. All that we have comes from God, so that taking the little the poor have, is stealing from God. He will pursue anyone who tries to take what belongs to Him, and anyone who takes the life of a person given to God, will never see His Face, while those who held His children in reverence, will never cease to see His Face and be washed in bliss forever.

Bold of heart are those who love the Lord, and they shall be strengthened to see more deeply into that Heart which was pierced for love. Thus, His most precious children have been called by Him, and tasked with suffering to obtain great graces that sanctify the earth and all the peoples on it.

Even if the world itself were to vanish, God would remain, and all who loved Him will be safe in Him, for He will make a place fitting for those who loved Him.

His Mother will be  honored forever, and those who loved Her will see Her and be swept up in love to Her arms. She will pour out holiness on a world defiled by selfish sins and sinners will be troubled commensuarate with their sins, but all who come to love Her will be safe from destruction. Only those who longed for destruction will be destroyed, for His love, and His Mother's love will claim what is God;s and conserve it.

God did not send invaders to kill and destroy, but those who came will be destroyed.

Two Hearts

Feast of the Immaculate Heart
Calogerus the Anchotire

Ex 19:2-6a

In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp.

While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain,

Moses went up the mountain to God.

Then the LORD called to him and said,

“Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob;

tell the Israelites:

You have seen for yourselves how I treated the Egyptians

and how I bore you up on eagle wings

and brought you here to myself. 

Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant,

you shall be my special possession,

dearer to me than all other people,

though all the earth is mine.

You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”

Gospel Matthew 9:36—10:8

At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them 

because they were troubled and abandoned,

like sheep without a shepherd.

Then he said to his disciples,

“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;

so ask the master of the harvest

to send out laborers for his harvest.”

Then he summoned his twelve disciples

and gave them authority over unclean spirits

to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.

The names of the twelve apostles are these:

first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew;

James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John;

Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;

James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus;

Simon from Cana, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.

Jesus sent out these twelve after instructing them thus,

“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.

Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’

Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.

Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.”

+

More prescious than anything, is the gift of the heart to God. With such a gift, Jesus can conquer the world, laying it waste in His love, which is to say, shorn of all other embellishment or grandeur.

That which belongs to God, does not belong to the world, and no money can buy it. All that we have comes from God, so that taking the little the poor have, is stealing from God. He will pursue anyone who tries to take what belongs to Him, and anyone who takes the life of a person given to God, will never see His Face, while those who held His children in reverence, will never cease to see His Face and be washed in bliss forever.

Bold of heart are those who love the Lord, and they shall be strengthened to see more deeply into that Heart which was pierced for love. Thus, His most precious children have been called by Him, and tasked with suffering to obtain great graces that sanctify the earth and all the peoples on it.

Even if the world itself were to vanish, God would remain, and all who loved Him will be safe in Him, for He will make a place fitting for those who loved Him.

His Mother will be  honored forever, and those who loved Her will see Her and be swept up in love to Her arms. She will pour out holiness on a world defiled by selfish sins and sinners will be troubled commensuarate with their sins, but all who come to love Her will be safe from destruction. Only those who longed for destruction will be destroyed, for His love, and His Mother's love will claim what is God;s and conserve it.

God did not send invaders to kill and destroy, but those who came will be destroyed.

Exchange

DAY'S SAINTS
Anthony of Padua, Franciscan,Doctor of the Church
Blessed Gerard of Clairvaux, Cistercian

Gospel Mt 5:13-16

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You are the salt of the earth.
But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned?
It is no longer good for anything
but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
You are the light of the world.
A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.
Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket;
it is set on a lampstand,
where it gives light to all in the house.
Just so, your light must shine before others,
that they may see your good deeds
and glorify your heavenly Father."

Give me your heart in place of my own.

Do  not give up in despair, you have yet to be crucified, unless, of course, He has nailed you to your cross. While you struggle, continue to love Him with all the effort in your being, to demonstrate your love of Him, because He crucified you precisely for that purpose.

You will only get so many opportunities to show your love to Him before you are summoned to His side to account for your life. Be a good steward and invest all your trials into eternal life, an endless account from which only you and God can take anything.

He sees every moment of your life, and every impulse of your heart, so strive that they all be as perfect as your Lord, to answer every question decisively on the side of the Lord.

We have a heavenly country to which we belong and from which we can never be separated. We may be exiles on this earth, but God is everywhere, and all His holy blessings and affectionate longings for our love take place hidden in His Heart.

Was your heart pierced by the lance? The side of your Lord was, long before you were born, and He carried that wound like a shield awaiting your appearance on the scene, and defended you against all things that might harm your eternal existence. His wound was meant to enkindle your love so you might participate in its pain and bliss which exist together forever. Bow down to your brothers and sisters with that heart He has wounded so they too may catch fire in that eternal flame of love.