February 14
“Love is the key to the mystery. Love by its very nature is not selfish, but generous. It seeks not its own, but the good of others. The measure of love is not the pleasure it gives – that is the way the world judges it – but the joy and peace it can purchase for others.”--Ven. Fulton J. Sheen
February 13
“What do you think His will is? The Lord asks of us only two things: love of His Majesty and love of our neighbor. These are what we must work for. By keeping them with perfection, we do His will and so will be united with Him.”--St. Teresa of Avila
February 12
“If you would attain the purity you ask of me, there are three principal things you must do. You must be united with me in loving affection, bearing in your memory the blessings you have received from me. With the eye of your understanding you must see my affectionate charity, how unspeakably much I love you. And when the human will is concerned you must consider my will rather than people’s evil intentions, for I am their judge – not you, but I.”
--Our Lord to St. Catherine of Siena
February 11 Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
"I am the Immaculate Conception" --The Blessed Virgin to St. Bernadetter Soubirous
For Reflection: Do I understand the meaning of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception -- that Mary was conceived without the blemish of original sin? I will ask the Blessed Mother today to enhance my appreciation of this great truth.
(Quote from Graceful Living)
February 10
"The way of faith gives us more than the way of philosophical thought: it gives us God, near to us as person, who loves us and deals with us mercifully, giving us that security which human knowledge cannot give. But the way of faith is dark."--St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
Fr. Ed shared this beautiful quote by Ron Quinlan on the Catholic Exchange website during today's Women of Grace live radio program. It beautifully illustrates God's deep and abiding love for us. Happy St. Valentine's Day!
My Beloved Child, Yes, you are my beloved child. I know this is hard for you to believe. You see all your mistakes and failures, all the times you lost your temper, all the times you’ve hurt people, all the times you stayed away from me. You look at yourself and see your failures. I look at you and see your beauty. I see the love you’ve given to those you encountered in your life. I see the times you tried to love others, all the times you’ve given of yourself. I see a beautiful person struggling to become the person you were created to be. There is a beauty and love deep inside of you. Right now you may not see it but someday the whole world will look at you and see this rare beauty, someone very special and unique, a gift to the world — for you are my gift and my beloved child. So often you’ve been afraid of me. You run and try to hide, hoping that I won’t notice your mistakes. So many hours you spend, doing everything you can to stay busy, too busy to think, to busy talk to me. You run away from me but I long for your company. I long to shower you with my love, to pour my blessings upon you. I yearn to comfort and console you, to be there for you in your pain. My desire is to take care of you. My passion is for you to come to me, seeking me, to know and love me — for that is why I made you. I want you to know that I know everything you ever done — and I love you with a passion so intense that human words can not describe it. Your past is forgiven and forgotten. I remember nothing you have confessed. I passionately desire to forgive you everything. All you have to do is repent and confess. So come to me; come so that I may pour my blessings upon you. There is so much I want to give you. I want to do so much for you. I want you to know my peace. I want to set you free from the guilt that robs you of your joy; from the fear that plagues you; from the worry and anxiety that is tearing you apart. I want you to know my joy, to know my freedom, to be secure in my love. Come, now! There is nothing you have to change or do, no improvements you have to make before you come to me. Come as you are. I love you exactly as you are. Just, come!
