Tuesday, June 30, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

     Today's feast honors the countless martyrs who were killed by the mad Emperor Nero because of the fire in Rome he had blamed on them.  Cruel and inhuman tortures were inflicted on the brave Christian community.  The Church was persecuted more or less intensely from 64 to 314 A.D.

     Let us pray especially today to those nameless Christian heroes and beg them for the courage to face the obstacles to faith in our day with the bravery with which they faced death itself.

Supplication

     We implore God for an increase of faith, and for the grace to feel this increase and put it into practice;  for the four gifts of the Holy Spirit:  wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and counsel;  for a love of the sacred and scientific studies.  We ask God that we may give absolute priority to Bible reading and meditation, and in particular to the Gospel and the Letters of St. Paul.

What Strikes Me Most Today

     It is difficult to imagine facing a lion, knowing what was to come.  What incredible faith these martyrs - witnesses in the fullest sense of the word - demonstrated to Rome and to the world, in the first centuries of the Church and forever!  The "obstacles of faith" that I worry about are nothing compared to what they faced.

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Monday, June 29, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

Sts. Peter and Paul

Apostles

     St. Peter gained the palm of martyrdom at Rome where he had established for himself and his successors the See of the Vicar of Christ.  St. Paul, who had traveled the entire world known at that time in order to preach the Gospel, was also martyred at Rome.  The two apostles are united in this feast to signify their union in apostolate and martyrdom.

     Let us ask Sts. Peter and Paul for the grace of being true to our Faith.

Peter and the Church

     Jesus Christ founded the Church for the salvation of men.  The Church is a sheepfold which has only one door, Jesus Christ.  It is a flock, of which Jesus Christ is the Shepherd.  It is a vineyard, and Jesus Christ is the true vine.  At the head of the Church is Peter, then come the bishops and priests:  all ministers of the word and of grace.  The Church is the people of God.  May all be faithful!  May all believe in what the Church preaches!  May all follow moral teachings and the Christian virtues!  May all know and participate in the sacred liturgy!  May all meditate on the teachings of the Church - in particular, those of the Second Vatican Council.

The Mission and St. Paul

     What did St. Paul do?  He was chosen to bring the name of Jesus to kings, to the Jewish people, and to all the world.  And not only to bring the Word - "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."  When we are able to suffer for people, either voluntarily or at least with resignation, then our love for them can no longer be doubted; it is a true, sincere love.

     The example of Jesus, the example of Mary, and the example of St. Paul are what must guide us.  Paul never gave himself a single day of rest!  And how many dangers he encountered!  How many times he was imprisoned!  How many times he found himself shipwrecked, tossed about by storms!  And in the end he was a victim of love for souls.

What Strikes Me Most Today

I love reading what Blessed Alberione has to say about these two great saints.  I especially was struck by the final line, giving St. Paul yet another title, "St. Paul, victim of love for souls."  

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

St. Irenaeus

Bishop and Martyr

St. Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Palycarp who had been a student of St. John the Apostle.  He was later made Bishop of Lyons in Gaul where he suffered martyrdom for the Faith around the year 200.  Many of Irenaeus' writings against the Gnostic heresy are still extant. 

     Let us deepen our knowledge of our Faith and live it well, so as to draw others to it.

From Prayer to Life

St. Augustine says that those who know how to pray well know how to live well.  Try now to feel the "pulse" of your soul:  this "pulse" is prayer.  If you put your hand on it and feel it beating, it's a sign that the spirit of prayer is there, that there are no mistakes or, if there are, that they are merely involuntary.  If, on the contrary, you do not feel it beating and suspect that there are many mistakes, examine yourself carefully in depth.  Many mistakes are a sign of little prayer and of much malice.

What Strikes Me Most Today

I think the word malice is one of those that does not translate exactly how we think of it in English.  The American Heritage dictionary defines malice as "a desire to harm others or to see others suffer; spite."  I don't think that's what Blessed Alberione meant.  My guess would be if we had mortal sin which we had not confessed, this would disrupt our relationship with God (through our choice of sin over our relationship with God), and this could affect graces coming to us and our prayer life.  I would love to hear anyone else's thoughts on this.  Please click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

St. Cyril of Alexandria

Bishop and Doctor

     St. Cyril, Patriarch of Alexandria, was a staunch defender of the divine maternity of Mary.  He died in 444 after suffering calumnies, injuries and persecutions from his enemies.

     Let us imitate St. Cyril in his love for the Blessed Mother.

Love, the Voice of Prayer

     Simplify your prayer.  The person united to God has but one voice:  love!  And all his prayers are an expression of his love for God.  Even if he asks for temporal graces, he asks for them only insofar as they are to the glory of God.  In all his prayers there is, basically, just one request:  love!  If he adores, it is for love.  If he thanks, it is for love.  If he asks pardon for sin, it is for love.

What Strikes Me Most Today

Today I am struck by the line "simplify your prayer."  I often feel like I don't pray well, and I need to pray more and pray better.  The Pauline charism is all about living every moment as a prayer.  That makes sense with the goal of becoming like St. Paul, where "...I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me..." Gal 2:20.  That is the ultimate living every moment as a prayer!

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Friday, June 26, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

Interior Balance

Don't have a strange piety.  Don't live with scruples, nor be too lax, ending by having a conscience like a shirt that stretches and shrinks.  Some consciences are made like an accordion:  tightly closed for others, wide open for their owners.  No!  Have upright consciences!  The Lord is not honored either by scruples or by errors.  He is not honored by strange demands or by pretending that nothing ever finds its way into our hearts, that a distraction never comes into our minds, etc.  The Lord is honored by truth, by sincere love for Him and for people and by rectitude and fidelity of will when we give Him the energies we have.

What Strikes Me Most Today

Today is another example of Blessed Alberione showing us an important idea in an entirely new light.  I have never thought of anyone's conscience as an accordion, but it really makes sense.  I really like the analogy, and I love everything else he wrote today to go along with it.  This one goes to my list of favorites!

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

Supplies

What we must consider is whether, day by day, we keep our lamps supplied with oil.  If we do, even though we do not know when the heavenly Bridegroom will come, we do know that we are prepared.  On the other hand, when one's life has been lukewarm, when one does not live a very fervent life, there is little one can do.  But our entire life will be examined.  When we go for judgment, God will not examine just the last day, the last hours, the last week.  He will examine our whole life!

What Strikes Me Most Today

I hate to focus on details, but today I am a little hung up on "He will examine our whole life!"  As I mentioned, I did go to confession this last weekend.  I'm hoping what I confessed is erased from the movie of my life.  I'm hoping the confessional is like an editor's cutting room floor, and what's been removed is gone forever.  If so, I really need to go to reconciliation more often!

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" to share your thoughts.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,

Compiled by J. Maurus

The examples of the biblical personalities edify

     The examples of biblical personalities are a wonderful mirror of all virtues.

     St. John the Baptist has two feasts in his honour:  his birth on 24 June; and his martyrdom on 29 August.  He is the prophet of the Most High and is already prefigured by Isaiah and Jeremiah; is purified and consecrated right from the womb of his mother to announce Jesus and to prepare people for his coming.

     From the Gospel we know the remarkable things associated with his birth (Lk 1).  His father Zachary gave him the name suggested by the archangel Gabriel:  John, which means the Lord is gracious.

     Zachary instantly recovering his power of speech and filled with the Holy Spirit predicts the greatness of his son:  "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High, for you shall go before the Lord to prepare his ways."

What Strikes Me Most Today

I love to picture Zechariah's (or Zachary's) face when Gabriel appears to him.  I just can't imagine what I would do if some overwhelmingly awesome heavenly visitation occurred to me!  I have to give him credit for remaining conscious.  Then I think how each of us truly and really have a Guardian Angel as close to us as Gabriel is to Zechariah in the picture above.  I shouldn't be any less in awe just because I can't see my Guardian Angel.

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,

Compiled by J. Maurus

The Bible is a great sacramental

Bible reading is called a great sacramental because it is part of the revelation and incarnation of the divine Word.

There are many who would have liked to do many good things, many works of charity, but are without the means.  They would have liked to perform many things in order to grow in merit, but don't have sufficient skill, health and time.

Let them instead read the Bible:  this will compensate for all the good works they wanted to do. They will have in heaven much merit.  For if every good work is meritorious, so much more meritorious is the reading of the Bible which is one of the primary sacramentals!

It is always at our disposal, and its merit is just next to the sacraments.

What Strikes Me Most Today

Blessed Alberione always has a way of making me look at things in a new light.  I don't usually think of the Bible as one of the primary sacramentals, but that certainly makes sense.  It reinforces for me the need to read and study the Bible (especially the parts of the Old Testament I really don't know very well), as well as St. Paul's writings (which truly have made a profound impact on me).

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Monday, June 22, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

St. Paulinus of Nola

Bishop

     St. Paulinus was born at Bordeaux, France, around 353.  He became a senator and later was elected Roman Consul of the area.  Converted by the grace of God near the tomb of St. Felix, and thirsting for a better way of life, Paulinus gave away all his property and possessions.  He and his wife moved to Nola, near Naples.  In 409 the people of Nola elected him bishop.  He was a great-hearted and holy shepherd of his flock for 22 years and died in 431.

     Following his example, let us learn to see the glitter of this world for what it is and to aspire to the glory of heaven.

What Strikes Me Most Today

I went to confession this weekend.  I hate to admit that it's been a while since I've been, but now that I have, I remember how awesome this sacrament is.  Every time I go, I feel so much better afterwards - like I've been given another chance to start over (not start sinning again, but trying to avoid sin better than I have).  My goal is to try to take advantage of this awesome sacrament more often.

What is on your mind most today?  Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,

Compiled by J. Maurus

Bible reading increases charity

     Bible reading inflames charity.

     This supernatural virtue doesn't sprout from the earth:  it comes from heaven; it is the daughter of God and it originated in the most sacred Heart of Jesus.

     He loved the Father, loved human beings even to the point of giving his life for them.  God teaches us charity.  All the time that we have to exhort to love God and neighbour, we must have recourse to the Bible where we find:  "You shall love the lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind" (Mt 22:37).

     And from the Bible we learn how God loves persons, how he loves us.

What Strikes Me Most Today

From the Bible we learn how God loves us.  The bible is the story of God's love for mankind in general, but for each one of us individually as well.  Reading the bible is definitely one of those things I really need to do more.  Overall I think Catholics are reading and studying the bible in greater numbers than ever.  The more we know and love God, the more likely charity will increase in our lives - it certainly makes sense, I just never put those two together until I read Blessed Alberione's words.

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,

Compiled by J. Maurus

Believe the Word

     Believe the word of scripture, every part of it with Catholic faith, with Christian faith, with simple and strong faith:

     Catholic faith:  The Holy Spirit enlightens every reader, but not infallibly:  the Holy Spirit enlightens infallibly the Church in interpreting the Scripture according to the mind of the Divine Master.  Therefore before reading one should have sufficient religious instruction; and while reading keep at hand a commentary approved by the Church.

     Christian faith:  It means to read the Gospel with the love and the spirit with which Jesus preached it.  The Gospel flowed from the Heart of Jesus:  it has to be interpreted with a heart full of love.

     Simple faith:  Because it is the simple and the humble who understand Jesus and follow him.

     Strong faith:  The Gospel can cause conversion, but courage is needed to offer it to the lost and those who have gone astray.  Courage is needed also to give up one's evil ways to follow Jesus Christ.  

What Strikes Me Most Today

"The Gospel can cause conversion, but courage is needed to offer it to the lost and those who have gone astray."

     I often find it difficult to offer the Gospel to others.  I worry about offending someone if I don't know their religious background or beliefs.  I don't want to come off as "holier than thou," because I am not a saint - I am a sinner working on my relationship with Jesus the Divine Master, the Way, the Truth, and the Light - and He is so awesome I do want to let everyone know about Him - so I need to continue to pray for courage to share the Gospel with as many people as God wants me to.

What strikes you most today?  

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

     

Friday, June 19, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

By Blessed James Alberione

St. Romuald

Abbot

St. Romuald, son of a duke, was born in Ravena, Italy, around the year 950. At the age of twenty, he entered a Benedictine manastery. Later he founded the Order of the Hermit Camoldolese monks. He died in the year 1027.
St. Romuald's life teaches us that while vices kill, austerities lengthen one's life. We can also learn from Romuald how to "find God" in solitude and a spirit of "listening."

What strikes me most today

I feel sorry for myself too easily. I had several things keep me from getting as much sleep as I had hoped to get last night - nothing earth-shattering, but enough that I started the day feeling sorry for myself. I certainly don't go to bed hungry, but busy days I miss lunch and feel sorry for myself. If vices shorten life and austerities lengthen life, I have some major changes to make!

What strikes you most today? Click on "COMMENTS" to share your thoughts!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,

Compiled by J. Maurus

Mary was faithful to the Word even till the cross.

"When Jesus had said this, a woman spoke up from the crowd and said to him, 'How happy is the woman who bore you and nursed you!' But Jesus answered, 'Rather, how happy are those who hear the word of God and obey it'" (Lk 11:27-28).

This woman was glorifying Mary, the Mother of Jesus. "Blest is the fruit of your womb, Jesus" - we tell Mary.

Mary has a special blessedness in as much as she was an insturment in God's hand for the incarnation of God's son.

But what was of greater merit, the true blessedness of Mary was: doing the will of God, that is, listening to and putting into practice the Word of God. She was not only faithful and docile in accepting the will of God, in listening to the word coming from God, but she always remained in the disposition of: let your will be done, in every case, even at the foot of the cross.

What Strikes Me Most Today

Many times I feel that I know what God would want me to do - how I shoould act, what I should do, what I shouldn't do - but I rationalize and find some excuse for doing things my way. I need to be more of the mindset, "let your will be done, in every case," not just when it is convenient or easy for me, but "in every case." It's difficult, for me anyway.

What strikes you most today?

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,

Compiled by J. Maurus

The Immaculate Heart of Mary



Mary and Jesus are always united: in life, in heaven, and in veneration. Along with the Heart of Jesus the Church honours and prays to Mother Mary who has a great heart for all her children (the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary falls on the Saturday after the solemnity of the Sacred Heart).

To honour the Heart of Mary is the same as honouring the most holy Virgin; to have recourse to the Heart of Mary is to have recourse to the heavenly Mother. To imitate the virtues of the Heart of Mary is to imitate the most holy Virgin.

What are the qualities of her Heart? They are many.

Her Heart is Immaculate; from the moment she was conceived she belonged to God.

Hers is the most humble Heart; from such a Heart sprang the expression: "Behold, I am the handmaid of God."

Hers is the most pure Heart; she loved the Lord, and only him.

Hers is a generous Heart; she was always ready to do the will of God, even when things were tough, even during the passion and agony of her Son on the Cross.

Two conclusions for us then: imitate Mary and have recourse to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.


What Strikes Me Most Today

Blessed Alberione had a special devotion to Mary, especially as Mary Immaculate and Queen of Apostles. Every saintly person I read about has this type of devotion to Mary.
I especially like how Blessed Alberione outlines the qualities of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and instructs us to imitate Mary and have recourse to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

What strikes you most today? Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,
Compiled by J. Maurus
The Sacred Heart of Jesus

St. John remarks that to hasten death the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus. "But when they came to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they did not break his legs. One of the soldiers, however, plunged his spear into Jesus' side, and at once blood and water poured out" (Jn 33-34).
The Lord changed this act of offence by his enemies into an instrument of grace for all. They wanted to insult Jesus to the extreme, but Jesus wanted to give us the greatest proof of love, opening to us the way to heaven.
By faith and by humility we can find our way to the Heart of Jesus better than the steel spear has done.
The Heart of Jesus is humble and welcomes all those who are small, poor and humble. To them he opens his Heart.
The Heart of Jesus is humble and welcomes all those who are small, poor and humble. To them he opens his Heart.
The heart of Jesus is all goodness and mercy; it beckons all to him: let us have confidence in him.

What Strikes Me Most Today

The line that really strikes me today is, "By faith and by humility we can find our way to the Heart of Jesus better than the steel spear has done." Wow, that is a powerful image. For me, it takes an ideal image, far from where I am, and brings it within my grasp. I need faith and humility, and these can bring me directly to the Heart of Jesus. Jesus is not just an idea or a philosophy; Jesus is true God and true man, our Lord and Savior, and His Sacred Heart is within reach of us all.

What strikes you most today?

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Monday, June 15, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,

Compiled by J. Maurus

Meditate on the Crucifix

The Eucharist is the renewal of the sacrifice on the cross in our midst. On Calvary was printed the most beautiful book, the Crucifix....

It was printed in special letters and we should not fail to:

Gaze at the face of Jesus smeared with blood and spittle;

Gaze at his thorn-crowned head;

Gaze at his body crisscrossed with wounds;

Gaze at his feet and hands pierced by nails.

Now that book printed on Calvary, let us say, comes also to us every morning on our altars. The Mass in indeed Calvary brought before us.

What Strikes Me Most Today

Blessed Alberione has a way of making me look at things from a different perspective. Thinking of the crucifix as a book is one I never thought of - but the fact that our Catholic faith is based on a person, Jesus Christ, and His work of salvation for His father and through the Holy Spirit - makes perfect sense that we can learn more by gazing at Jesus on the cross than reading many books.

What strikes you most today?

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,
Compiled by J. Maurus
The body and blood of Christ

Four are the purposes of the institution of the Eucharist:

• To adore Jesus present in this sacrament,
• To thank Him for all the gifts, especially for the institution of the Eucharist,
• To satisfy and make reparation for all the forgetfulness, coldness, ingratitude towards and sacrileges against the Eucharist,
• To pray that the Holy Mass, Communion, Visit to the most Holy Sacrament be held in great honour by all.

In the gospel Jesus promised the Sacrament. "For my flesh is the real food; my blood is the real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me and I in him. The living Father sent me, and because of him I live also. In the same way whoever eats me will live because of me. This, then, is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread that your ancestors ate, but then later died. The one who eats this bread will live for ever" (Jn 6:55-58).

What Strikes Me Most Today

I especially like how Blessed Alberione summarizes this and outlines the reasons for the institution of the Eucharist. Although the mystery of transubstantiation is hard to understand, Jesus makes it clear in John 6 that He is truly and really and actually present in the Eucharist - body, blood, soul, and divinity. I remember reading John 6 after hearing a speaker say Jesus meant the Eucharist to merely "symbolize" his body; I don't know how anyone can read John 6 and say that Jesus was not clear and adament that His flesh is the real food and His blood is the real drink. Jesus let people walk away who thought this was a tough teaching, but the Real Presence is the Truth, and Jesus is Truth (and Way and Life!)

What strikes you most on this feast of The Body and Blood of Christ?

Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Response to "COMMENTS" message from June 11, 2009

The following is in response to Anonymous from June 11, 2009.  I tried to put it after your comment, but I wrote too much and it wouldn't fit.  Then I figured that what you wrote is so important (and I really appreciate you sharing how you feel), that I would post your response here (of course there is also the reason that I couldn't figure out how to fit it anywhere else!)  Thanks again!

Dear Anonymous, I'm really sorry it took me this long to respond, but I really appreciate your thoughtful post, and I wanted to give you a thoughtful response. My access to resources are primarily from the Daughters of St. Paul, who talk to people about these type of issues every day, and they pray about it daily. The following is a summary of some of their thoughts: I like to encourage people to find out what it is that the Church REALLY teaches about the "social values" she is speaking about. It's easy to get our ideas about the Church from sources that are not really authorities on Church teaching (like the news, movies, our friends, etc.) If we want to really understand the Church's teaching and the WHY behind the teaching, we need to be clear what the Church actually teaches. Our PBM (Pauline Books & Media) title Exploring the Catholic Faith is a wonderful, brief, readable updated overview of the Church. There is also the whole world of Catholic Social Teaching that is a big part of the Church's teaching and there is a lot of good material on this available. One book is An Introduction to Catholic Social Teaching by Roger Charles, S.J., published by Ignatius Press ($9.95). Another is The Heart of Catholic Social Teaching by David McCarthy, published by Baker Publishers ($24.95). A great book on spirituality is The God Who Will Not Let Go by van Breen, S.J. In addition to good reading, getting away to a retreat house is always a good spiritual “shot in the arm.” As Catholics we have something very special and beautiful that we celebrate when we go to Mass. We believe that Jesus actually renews his self-offering for us in the Mass, that he actually and really becomes present to us in the Bread & Wine and also in the communion we share with the universal Church (all the people who make up the Church) as we celebrate Mass. (Our PBM book Why the Mass Matters is a great resource on breaking open the parts of the Mass.) Since many of us have been going to Mass for years, it can sometimes feel like we know it all already and have seen it all and know what's going to happen - so why should we go? When we have the opportunity to deepen for ourselves what really happens at Mass and the role that we play in the communion of the Mass, the Mass becomes more meaningful for us, and we can move beyond the priests whose homilies we don't like, the issues we're uncomfortable with, the unfriendly person who didn't shake my hand at the Sign of Peace, the badly trained reader/musician, etc. Also, I might add that the Lord has chosen very human and imperfect people to make up the Church and we are all on a continual journey of conversion, transformation and growing in holiness and away from sin. This means that we, and even our leaders, are not immune from sin and from making mistakes. We are also not exempt from having disagreements within the Church (all we have to do is look at the disagreements between Peter & Paul--2 of our greatest Apostles!) All of this, hopefully, keeps us growing and open to the Holy Spirit, to how he continually speaks to us in every generation, calling us to faithfulness in following the Lord anew in every new generation. Hope this helps! Jeff P.S. The above books should be available online or at the Daughters of St. Paul bookstore. In St. Louis: Pauline Books & Media 9804 Watson Road Crestwood, MO 314-965-3512 or www.Pauline.org for other locations in other cities and countries. If you live in a city anywhere near a Pauline Books & Media I would definitely recommend going there. The sisters' words they shared today are great, but they are even more awesome when you can spend time in one of their book centers talking to them in person! Also, each book center has a chapel that all are invited to spend time in. Getting to know the Daughters of St. Paul has been life-changing for my spiritual life, which has certainly had its ups and downs in the past! The Daughters dedicate their lives to helping us all with our relationship with God! God Bless them, and God Bless You

Saturday, June 13, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,
by Blessed James Alberione
St. Anthony of Padua
Priest and Doctor

St. Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195. He entered the Order of St. Francis, was ordained to the priesthood and preached throughout France and north Italy. He died at Padua in 1231.
Because St. Anthony was able, by divine intervention, to recover a book which had been stolen from him, he is invoked to help find lost articles. Let us ask him to help us find "spiritual treasures" for heaven.

Light of Hearts

The third glorious mystery is the descent of the Holy Spirit, "Light of hearts." Of His seven gifts, four are primarily concerned with the mind: wisdom, understanding, knowledge and counsel. "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful."

What Strikes Me Most Today

Today I am in a nostalgic frame of mind. The picture of St. Anthony holding the Infant Jesus reminds me of when I held my children like that. Now my eighteen year-old son could lift me easier than I could lift him. My youngest is going into 5th grade now, and she is going to serve her first mass tomorrow. She is so excited; and I am certainly feeling older with my youngest undergoing another rite of passage, but I am very excited for her, too! I'll be praying for you all at her 8:00 a.m. mass Saturday June 13th!

What strikes you most today?
Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

Friday, June 12, 2009

The Most Blessed Trinity

From A Year With Blessed James Alberione,

Compiled by J. Maurus

God is a community of love

The Church during Advent makes us aware of and thank specially the Father for promising the Messiah and preparing the chosen people.

Then she makes us consider the work of the Son, the Redeemer, from his birth till his ascension.

In the third place she proposes for our consideration the work of the Holy Spirit, the communicator of life.

On Trinity Sunday the Church invites us to praise, thank, and entreat the three divine Persons. Here we are almost at the middle of the liturgical year.

Today let us sing the unity of God and the attributes of the three divine Persons: one God in three Persons. Let us recall the work of creation, redemption, and sanctification. Let us remind ourselves of what intimate sharing in the divine life we are called to.

What Strikes Me Most Today

I know there are many beautiful and artistic representations of the Trinity, but I'm a more visual/concrete kind of person - the diagram above helps me understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity better than any other.

I'm interested to hear if any other depictions or descriptions of the Trinity help you understand the Trinity better. Click on "COMMENTS" below to share yours.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

St. Barnabas

Apostle

St. Barnabas was a Hebrew born in Cyprus. His name was Joseph. At an early age he was converted to Christianity. At that time Joseph received the name Barnabas which means "son of consolation" because of his kind and optimistic nature. Barnabas sold his land and brought the price to the apostles. He accompanied St. Paul to the cities of Asia Minor. Tradition says that he was martyred in Cyprus during the persecution of the 60's.

Let us be cheerful and optimistic too. What a wonderful way to draw people to Christ!

What Strikes Me Most Today

Being cheerful and optimistic. I've said it before, but that really is what first attracted my family to the Daughters of St. Paul in St. Louis. They were and are the most genuinely happy people I know. They spread the Gospel by living the Gospel. What a great gift they are to us all, and seeing the joy in their lives makes us want to become closer to Jesus Master, cause of our joy!

What strikes you most today?

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

From Saint and Thought For Every Day,

by Blessed James Alberione

Adoration

Spend this day in adoration of the Holy Spirit. Grace is a vital principle - indeed, it is life itself - and the exercise of grace is faith, hope and charity. Grace makes natural virtues supernatural, particualarly the cardinal virtues. From it spring the eight beatitudes, which are the beginning here on earth of the happiness of heaven; the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which perfect our natural energies and elevate them; and the fruits of the Holy Spirit, of which the last and the crown is charity.

What Strikes Me Most Today

OK, I admit it - I had to look up the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. They are: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord. The fact that knowledge is a gift of the Holy Spirit, and I didn't know the seven gifts, just doesn't sound good. Fortunately, God must have understanding, since it is another of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

What strikes you most today? Click on "COMMENTS" below to share your thoughts.

The Mass of Blessed Giacomo Alberione

The Mass of Blessed Giacomo Alberione

The above is a link to a site with great video of Blessed Alberione - I haven't seen any of these before, and the one of the Consecration is actually in color. There are great shots of other Paulines in the videos. I really love these videos; I hope you do too.

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