Contemplation

When the wells of logical expectations, feeling, imagination, and intellectual understanding run dry, when obfuscation threatens to turn to despair, and when it seems impossible imaginatively to feel God's existence and goodness in the face of some concrete fact, but we continue to live in an openness which refuses to set limits, then we are contemplating. It is also then, and only then, that we have our shoes off before the burning bush, that we are living in wonder, and are letting God be God.

Ronald Rolheiser OMI

Rejoice - Pray - Be grateful

Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Learning

Tell me, I'll forget.
Show me, I may remember.
But involve me, and I'll understand.

Chinese proverb

Do not be discouraged

Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.

Francis de Sales

Promised land

O God of exiles and strangers,
find the homeless parts of me;
guide them toward yourself,
for you are my promised land.

Joyce Rupp

Chastity

Chastity is, first of all, not primarily a sexual concept. It has to do with the limits and appropriateness of all experiencing, the sexual included. To be chaste means to experience things, all things, respectfully and to drink them in only when we are ready for them.

Ronald Rolheiser, O.M.I.

Slow down

Every hour of every day is an unspeakably perfect miracle.

Walt Whitman

Being yourself

We must lay before Him what is in us not what ought to be in us.

C.S. Lewis

Fidelity

Fidelity has little to do with fine feelings and everything to do with deep trust, believing the One who holds me in joy will never let go when sorrow steps in.

Joyce Rupp

Beautiful

The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.

Elisabeth Kubler Ross

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.

Mark Twain

Oil lamps

What are the oil lamps in our lives? They are the little everyday things: faithfulness, punctuality, kind words, thoughtfulness of another person, the way we are silent at times, the way we look at things, the way we speak, the way we act. Those are the little drops of love which make it possible for our life of faith to shine brightly.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Gratitude

Gratitude is the mother of all the virtues.

G. K. Chesterton

Gratitude

An attitude of gratitude creates blessings.

Sir John Templeton

Jesus came to bring the good news to the poor

Jesus came to bring the good news to the poor, not to those who serve the poor! I think we can only truly experience the presence of God, meet Jesus, receive the good news, in and through our own poverty, because the kingdom of God belongs to the poor, the poor in spirit, the poor who are crying out for love.

Jean Vanier

Trust

Then he said to them, 'Watch, and be on your guard against avarice of any kind, for life does not consist in possessions, even when someone has more than he needs.'

Luke 12:15

Be true to yourself

Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.

Steve Jobs

Friend

A friend loves at all times.

Proverbs 17:17

Character

Character is what you are in the dark.

D.L. Moody

A hard law

There is a hard law... When an injury is done to us, we never recover until we forgive.

Alan Paton

Image of God

Having been created in the image and likeness of God, unlike trees or flowers or fire or the moon, we are most fully human when we love, forgive and work toward peace. To be violent, vengeful or selfish is to be un-human.

From Franciscan Voices

Can't

When I was a child my mother used to tell me: 'There's no such word as "can't", 'The only thing you can't do', she said, 'is get the toothpaste back into the tube once you've squeezed it out.'

Margaret Silf

The hand

Never let the hand you hold, hold you down.

Author unknown

Setting goals

Even if I don't reach all my goals, I've gone higher than I would have if I hadn't set any.

Danielle Fotopoulis

See new landscapes

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.

Marcel Proust

Letting go

We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.

Joseph Campbell

God's everywhere

God's everywhere. God's in the effort, God's in the struggle, whether that's for civil rights or creative expression. God's always in the struggle with us.

Anne Lammott

Goodness

Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Shadows

If God created the shadows, it was to bring out the light.

Blessed John XXIII

Ongoing conversion

The goal of evangelization is ongoing conversion. We ourselves, of course, cannot convert anyone- even ourselves. Only the Holy Spirit can change the hearts and minds of people.

John Paul II

Mourning

Mourning is a symbol of a heart strong in compassion.

Fr. Joel O. Jason

The challenge of midlife

The challenge of midlife is to let go of the narrow ego and submit oneself to God. Whoever refuses to surrender will never find wholeness and, finally, will never gain spiritual health.

From "The Spiritual Challenge of Midlife", by Anselm Grün

Forgiveness

To understand all is to forgive all.

Christianity

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen: not because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.

C.S. Lewis

When bad things happen

Tough times can be God's way of shaking me free from the false gods and worldly ways that I'm hanging on to. He's rattling me for my own good, so that I'll be left with the unshakeable - God, the beginning and end of my life.

From "Blessed are the Bored in Spirit"

Wait

For certain things are not refused us, but their granting is delayed to a fitting time.

St. Augustine

At fifty

Tauler refers to Gregory's interpretation when he says that the human person goes through a spiritual crisis in the middle of life, aged 40. Until then, their image of God is much too clouded by projection. In the years between 40 and 50, however, the Holy Spirit transforms the person's relationship with God and enables them to understand and experience him (or her). At the age of 50, finally, we become people of the Spirit, a source of blessing for others, able to initiate them into the wisdom and experience of God.

From "Taste the Joy of Easter", by Anselm Grün

Kindness

Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves.

James Barrie

A Letter to a Friend

I just had to write to tell you how much I love you and care for you.
Yesterday, I watched you walking and laughing with your friends;
I had hoped that soon you'd want me to walk with you, too.
So I painted you a sunset to close your day,
and whispered a cool breeze to refresh you.
I waited - you never called - I just kept on loving you.

As I watched you fall asleep last night, I wanted so much to touch you.
I spilled moonlight onto your face - trickling down your cheeks as so many tears have.
You didn't even think of me;
I wanted so much to comfort you.

The next day I exploded a bright sunrise into a glorious morning for you.
But you woke up late and rushed off to work - you didn't even notice.
My sky became cloudy and my tears were the rain.

I love you. Oh, if you'd only listen ... I really love you.
I try to say it in the quiet of the green meadow, and on the blue sky.
The wind whispers my love throughout the treetops,
and spills it into the vibrant colours of all the flowers.
I shout it to you in the thunder of the great waterfalls,
and compose love songs for birds to sing for you.
I warm you with the clothing of my sunshine and perfume the air with nature's sweet scent.
My love for you is deeper than any ocean, and greater than any need in your heart.
If you'd only realise how I care.

My Dad sends His love.
I want you to meet Him - He cares, too.
Fathers are just that way.
So, please call on me soon. No matter how long it takes.
I'll wait - because I love you.

Your friend,
Jesus

Forgiveness

To forgive is not to forget.
To forgive is really to remember that nobody is perfect.
That each of us stumbles when we want so much to stay upright;
That each of us says things, we wish we had never said.
That we can all forget that love is more important than being right.
To forgive is really to remember that we are so much more than our mistakes;
That we are often more kind and caring,
That accepting another's flaws can help us accept our own.
To forgive is to remember that the odds are pretty good
that we might soon need to be forgiven ourselves.
That life sometimes gives us more than we can handle gracefully.
To forgive is to remember that we have room in our hearts
to begin again, and again, and again.

Self-patience

Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfection but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.

St. Francis de Sales

The Necklace

The cheerful little girl with bouncy golden curls was almost five.
Waiting with her mother at the checkout stand, she saw them, a circle of glistening white pearls in a pink foil box.

"Oh mommy please, Mommy. Can I have them? Please, Mommy, please?"

Quickly the mother checked the back of the little foil box and then looked back into the pleading blue eyes of her little girl's upturned face.

"A dollar ninety-five.. That's almost $2.00. If you really want them, I'll think of some extra chores for you and in no time you can save enough money to buy them for yourself.. Your birthday's only a week away and you might get another crisp dollar bill from Grandma."

As soon as Jenny got home, she emptied her penny bank and counted out 17 pennies. After dinner, she did more than her share of chores and she went to the neighbor and asked Mrs. McJames if she could pick dandelions for ten cents. On her birthday, Grandma did give her another new dollar bill and at last she had enough money to buy the necklace.

Jenny loved her pearls. They made her feel dressed up and grown up. She wore them everywhere, Sunday school, kindergarten, even to bed. The only time she took them off was when she went swimming or had a bubble bath. Mother said if they got wet, they might turn her neck green.

Jenny had a very loving daddy and every night when she was ready for bed, he would stop whatever he was doing and come upstairs to read her a story. One night as he finished the story, he asked Jenny, "Do you love me?"

"Oh yes, daddy. You know that I love you."
"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh, daddy, not my pearls. But you can have Princess, the white horse from my collection, the one with the pink tail. Remember, daddy? The one you gave me. She's my very favorite."

"That's okay, Honey, daddy loves you. Good night." And he brushed her cheek with a kiss.

About a week later, after the story time, Jenny's daddy asked again, "Do you love me?"

"Daddy, you know I love you."

"Then give me your pearls."

"Oh Daddy, not my pearls. But you can have my baby doll. The brand new one I got for my birthday. She is beautiful and you can have the yellow blanket that matches her sleeper."

"That's okay. Sleep well.. God bless you, little one. Daddy loves you."

And as always, he brushed her cheek with a gentle kiss.

A few nights later when her daddy came in, Jenny was sitting on her bed with her legs crossed
Indian style..

As he came close, he noticed her chin was trembling and one silent tear rolled down her cheek.

"What is it, Jenny? What's the matter?"

Jenny didn't say anything but lifted her little hand up to her daddy. And when she opened it,
there was her little pearl necklace. With a little quiver, she finally said, "Here, daddy; this is
for you."

With tears gathering in his own eyes, Jenny's daddy reached out with one hand to take the dime
store necklace, and with the other hand he reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet
case with a strand of genuine pearls and gave them to Jenny....

He had them all the time. He was just waiting for her to give up the dime-store stuff so he could
give her the genuine treasure.

So it is, with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasures.

God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.

If I had my life to live over

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle..

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later... Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's, more 'I'm sorry's.'

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute; look at it and really see it; live it and never give it back. STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!

Erma Bombeck (written after she found out she was dying from cancer)

Accepting imperfections

I turn to God not so much for forgiveness but for the power to accept humbly the reality about my imperfect self. I turn to him for the grace to give myself the forgiveness which he gives freely.

From "Happy Catholic"

Forgiveness frees

Hate kills. Forgiveness frees the soul.

Maggy Barankitse

Wrapped in God

Everywhere we go, we are immersed in God, wrapped in his healing and loving presence. In God we breathe, in God we weep, in God we rejoice, in God we mourn. We possess true life only if we are in God.

From "Taste the Joy of Easter", by Anselm Grün

Obedience

One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Surrender

When we surrender to God's will, we start a journey to peace, contentment and holiness. But first, we must surrender.

From "Every Day Catholic"

Self-defense

Choose to align yourself with people who are like-minded in their search for simplified inspiration. Give those who find fault or who are confrontational a silent blessing and remove yourself from their energy as quickly as possible. Your life is simplified enormously when you don't have to defend yourself to anyone, and when you receive support rather than criticism.

Dr. Wayne Dyer

Hope after loss

When tragedy strikes, it can rob your sense of hope. It tampers with your ability to believe in the best that life can offer. How can you be optimistic when you know the worst case scenario not only can happen but already has?
First, you have to deal with the grief and this can take a long time. Loss is a powerful event that can't be swept under the rug. It's important to talk to someone to sort out your feelings: a friend, support group, counselor, therapist, perhaps even your doctor. There are people out there who can help you through this process. You don't have to go it alone.
Eventually, you'll find your way back to happiness again. Whatever happened to you will no longer hold you prisoner, and the fear won't compare to the freedom you feel to enjoy life to its fullest.
I don't think we ever really get over a crisis or "move on". Instead, we grow. We take all we've learned and continue growing. Trusting in the goodness of life is part of that. Instead of dreading the next calamity, we hope for impending joy. I know it's difficult, but I also know it's possible. I've seen it happen.

Jennifer E. Jones

After a loss

I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it.

Maya Angelou

Prayer

Prayer is a way of gradually purifying and correcting our wishes and of slowly coming to realize what we really need: God and his Spirit.

From "Jesus of Nazareth", by Pope Benedict XVI

God's promise

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for tears, and light for the way.

Lean-tos

We all need lean-tos; we all need to be lean-tos for others. That's the blessing of human love and compassion. There are situations and moments in our lives when we are not strong. We feel weak, downtrodden, and miserable. If we are fortunate, others will stand by us and walk with us. They will wait for us to grow, will be patient with our pain, will speak encouraging words and listen long hours to us. They will believe in us when our own belief is in shreds. They will love us when our own love has been mired in the dregs of self-pity or confusion. They will be strength for us. They will watch patiently with us until our life begins again.
Lean-tos are not permanent havens; they are temporary but essential shelters when the storms rage around us or inside of us. Becoming too dependent upon others is emotionally unhealthy. We need to trust others for comfort, support, and vision when our spirit feels weak and visionless, but in the end, we have to do our part, accept our responsibility, and make our own choices and decisions. It is unfair for us to expect others to do this for us. They can cheer us on and cheer us up. They can go on believing in us when we cease to believe in ourselves. But they cannot do our growing for us.

From "May I have this dance", by Joyce Rupp

Trials

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.

Chinese proverb

All is on loan

All of life is filled with loss and with letting go. For the one who believes that all is on loan, this is to be expected. Not that this expectation cripples the spirit of joy. Just the opposite is true: the present moment is treasured and enjoyed all the more because it is so precious and so fleeting.

From "Praying our Goodbyes", by Joyce Rupp

Something good

Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day.

Author unknown

Loving my enemy

Some people think that loving one's enemies is a great effort. But for me it's far more of an effort to hate one's enemy. For then the enemy determines my own mood and my attitude. For me, loving my enemy means freedom. I don't regard the other person as an enemy but as a human being longing for friendship.

From "Through the Year with Jesus", by Anselm Grün

Christ in us

Christ in us does not negate our unique personality, nor does he eliminate our singular contribution to the human experience. The opposite is true: Christ in us enables us to be the fullest and most authentic versions of ourselves.

From "Spirituality You Can Live With"

"Blessed are those who mourn"

The second Beatitude: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted" (Mt 5:4). Is it good to mourn and to declare mourning blessed? There are two kinds of mourning. The first is the kind that has lost hope, that has become mistrustful of love and of truth, and that therefore eats away and destroys man from within. But there is also the mourning occasioned by the shattering encounter with truth, which leads man to undergo conversion and to resist evil. This mourning heals, because it teaches man to hope and to love again...
Those who do not harden their hearts to the pain and need of others, who do not give evil entry to their souls, but suffer under its power and so acknowledge the truth of God - they are the ones who open the windows of the world to let the light in. It is to those who mourn in this sense that great consolation is promised.

From "Jesus of Nazareth", by Pope Benedict XVI

The Jesus who divides

"Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on, a household of five will be divided: three against two, and two against three; father opposed to son, son to father, mother to daughter, daughter to mother, mother-in-law to daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law to mother-in-law" (Luke 12:51-53)

... Jesus doesn't divide because he's divided in himself. He simply shows up the way in which people are torn apart. He reveals that apparently harmonious families only seem to hold together, that their members have conformed to one another not out of love but out of convenience. But a great deal of aggression has accumulated behind this conformity which rips the family apart internally. Jesus speaks in a provocative way so that everyone can decide for him or against him, so that all can decide on the way that God entrusts to them, so that all can come to life on their own authentically personal ways...

But yet another aspect of the Jesus who divides is important to me: many people haven't ever decided what course to take... They do what others expect of them. Jesus challenges us to seek our own way and to discover our own self. That can happen only if we distance ourselves from the wishes of others...
It's only when I stand on my own feet that I can really communicate in freedom with my fellow men and women. Only then can encounter take place. As long as we're entangled with one another and the demarcation lines aren't clear, we can't recognize either the mystery of the other or our own identity. Jesus wants encounters between mature people, independent people. And that first requires division, distancing, detachment. That's the only way to a fruitful relationship.

From "Through the Year with Jesus", by Anselm Grün

Only Jesus

Only the Lord can enable us to do battle successfully; only he can bind up our wounds and heal our battle scars.
True joy and peace are on the straight and narrow path that Jesus shows us.

from "Spirituality You Can Live with"

Christ, the rock of our life

And what do we want to build our life on? Who can really answer the restlessness of our heart? Christ is the rock of our life! He is the eternal and definitive Word who keeps us from fearing any adversity, difficulty, hardship.

Pope Benedict XVI

Faith in Providence

Faith in providence, in fact, does not dispense us from the exhausting struggle for a dignified life, but it frees us from anxiety about things and from the fear of tomorrow.

Pope Benedict XVI

A faithful friend

A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure.
A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth.
A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds;
For he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself.

Sirach 6:14-17

Make your days count

Instead of counting your days, make your days count.

Author unknown

The rewards of Wisdom

Wisdom instructs her children and admonishes those who seek her.
He who loves her loves life; those who seek her out win her favor.
He who holds her fast inherits glory; wherever he dwells, the Lord bestows blessings.
Those who serve her serve the Holy One; those who love her the Lord loves.
He who obeys her judges nations; he who hearkens to her dwells in her inmost chambers.
If one trusts her, he will possess her; his descendants too will inherit her.
She walks with him as a stranger, and at first she puts him to the test;
Fear and dread she brings upon him and tries him with her discipline;
With her precepts she puts him to the proof, until his heart is fully with her.
Then she comes back to bring him happiness
and reveal her secrets to him.

Sirach 4:11-18

Towards a joyful future

Mistakes, regrets, and incorrect choices ... they come with consequences, pain, and fear, but it's the wisdom and willingness to learn from the past and then press onward that can lead to a surprising and joyful future.

Karen Majoris-Garrison

Jesus transforms

Jesus has come to transform people, not to exclude them. He has come for the seeming losers, and not to create a country club for the supposed winners.

From "Wondrous Encounters"

Renewal of love

There is always a healing balm in God, ready to soothe and renew a love relationship that has died.

From "Staying faithful today"

God's calling

God's being all-powerful is simply a definition of God - limitless. But God's power is never mere force. It is the relentless but gentle pursuit of the human heart, never intruding, but always calling.

From Believing in Jesus

Faith flourishes in the dark

Trials, temptations, spiritual dryness and suffering are all opportunities for our faith to grow stronger. We can, of course, neglect these opportunities and allow our faith to wither and die. But those who praise God in life's difficulties will experience the opposite effect.

From "Real Women, Real Saints"

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the loveliest thing in God's eyes.

Servant of God John the Gardener

We are all equal

There is only one God and He is God to all; therefore it is important that everyone is seen as equal before God.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Discover the sacred

Turn us into Magi, God. Boot us out of the familiar into the Holy City. Send us to the place where you dwell. As we leave the ordinary we discover the sacred, finding our heart's delight hidden in the midst of your world.

From "Celebrating Saints and Seasons"