A place of heart...

    ... a broken and contrite heart, O God,

you will not despise. - Psalm 51:17

  "I still remember an evening meditation on Dutch television

during which the speaker poured water on hard, dried-out soil,

saying, 'Look, the soil cannot receive the water and no seed can grow.' 

Then after crumbling the soil with his hands and pouring water

on it again, he said, 'It is only the broken soil that can receive

the water and make the seed grow and bear fruit.'  

    After seeing this, I understood what it meant 
to begin the Eucharist with a contrite heart,

a heart broken open,

to receive the water of God's grace."

Fr Henri Nouwen

With Burning Hearts,

A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life

Photo credit (above):  Eve Anderson 

________________________________________________________

Let us likewise prepare properly 

to fully receive the graces and benefits 
of our Spiritual Communions

My Jesus, 

I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament. 

I love You above all things, 

and I desire to receive You into my soul. 

Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, 

come at least spiritually into my heart. 

I embrace You as if You were already there 

and unite myself wholly to You. 

Never permit me to be separated from You.  Amen.

A place of heart...

    ... a broken and contrite heart, O God,

you will not despise. - Psalm 51:17

  "I still remember an evening meditation on Dutch television

during which the speaker poured water on hard, dried-out soil,

saying, 'Look, the soil cannot receive the water and no seed can grow.' 

Then after crumbling the soil with his hands and pouring water

on it again, he said, 'It is only the broken soil that can receive

the water and make the seed grow and bear fruit.'  

    After seeing this, I understood what it meant 
to begin the Eucharist with a contrite heart,

a heart broken open,

to receive the water of God's grace."

Fr Henri Nouwen

With Burning Hearts,

A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life

Photo credit (above):  Eve Anderson 

Grace upon grace...

“He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself,

or he loses his labor.” - St Ignatius of Loyola

 

If we confess our sins, He who is upright can be depended upon to forgive sins, 
and to cleanse us from every wrong. - I John 1:9

"Of the gifts of grace which

the soul receives in the Eucharist,

one must be counted among the highest;

the Eucharist does not allow the soul

to remain long in sin

or to persist in it obstinately."

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Spain ~ 1491-1556

Priest, Founder of Society of Jesus (Jesuits)
Patron of retreats

The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius - Classic - a MUST READ! 

Jesuit motto:  Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (A.M.D.G.)

"For the greater glory of God"

Feast Day - July 31

"Some of us would be surprised if they knew what God

could make of them if, in the decisive moments of their lives,

they gave ear to the voice of grace!"  - St Ignatius of Loyola

Click here: St. Ignatius of Loyola - YouTube (2 mins)

Click here: Saint Ignatius Loyola - YouTube (Slideshow - 3:30 mins)
Click here: St. Ignatius life lessons in emotional intelligence--Aleteia

St Ignatius, pray for us!

His glance follows us...

"Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us 

from our lethargy." - Pope Francis

“Make use of devotion to the Blessed Sacrament

as a means of persevering in the practice of virtue. 

Let us go to Him toward evening

and tell Him about our shortcomings,

let us ask Him for help and forgiveness. 

Our Lord loves us, constantly, and His glance

follows us every moment of the day.”

Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val

Servant of God

"... when the door starts closing a bit because of our weakness and sins, 

confession reopens it." - Pope Francis

 

 "Put aside your hatred and animosity. Take pains to refrain from sharp words.

If they escape your lips, do not be ashamed to let your lips produce the remedy,

since they have caused the wounds. Pardon one another so that later on

you will not remember the injury. The recollection of an injury is itself wrong.
It adds to our anger, nurtures our sin and hates what is good.  It is a rusty arrow 

and poison for the soul. It puts all virtue to flight."— St. Francis of Paola

Second Sunday of Advent: Repentance and Grace...

 Second Sunday of Advent

Repentance and Grace

It was of him (St John the Baptist) that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said:  A voice of one crying in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. - Matthew 3: 3 



"A humble confession displeases Satan and,
if he could, he would make you
omit Holy Communion."

Thomas a Kempis, Imitation of Christ

 During this holy Advent season make frequent and good confessions that you may receive 
frequent and good Holy Communions.

 

On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry

Advent Hymn by Charles Coffin (+1749)

On Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Come, then, and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings.

Then cleansed by every Christian breast
And furnished for so great a Guest.
Yea, let us each our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.

For Thou art our Salvation, Lord,
Our Refuge, and our great Reward.
Without Thy grace our souls must fade
And wither like a flower decayed.

Lay on the sick Thy healing hand
And make the fallen strong to stand;
Show us the glory of Thy face
Till beauty springs in every place.

All praise, eternal Son, to Thee
Who advent sets Thy people free,
Whom, with the Father, we adore
And Holy Ghost forevermore.

A place of heart...

    ... a broken and contrite heart, O God,

you will not despise. - Psalm 51:17

  "I still remember an evening meditation on Dutch television

during which the speaker poured water on hard, dried-out soil,

saying, 'Look, the soil cannot receive the water and no seed can grow.' 

Then after crumbling the soil with his hands and pouring water

on it again, he said, 'It is only the broken soil that can receive

the water and make the seed grow and bear fruit.'  

    After seeing this, I understood what it meant 
to begin the Eucharist with a contrite heart,

a heart broken open,

to receive the water of God's grace."

Fr Henri Nouwen

With Burning Hearts,

A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life

Photo credit (above):  Eve Anderson 

 MEMORIAL DAY - May 29

Eternal remembrance and gratitude for the innumerable, generous, 
courageous, self-sacrificing and heroic acts of service – seen and unseen.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord.

And let perpetual light shine upon them.

May their souls and the souls of all of the faithful departed 
through the mercy of God rest in peace. AMEN

Donald Trump Calls for Memorial Day to Be a Day of Prayer for Permanent Peace After Meeting With Pope Francis