“All that is done by obedience is meritorious . . . It is obedience, which, by the light of Faith, puts self-will to death, and causes the obedient man to despise his own will and throw himself into the arms of his superior . . . Placed in the bark of obedience, he passes happily through the stormy sea of this life, in peace of soul and tranquility of heart. Obedience and faith disperse darkness; he is strong because he has no longer any weakness or fears, for self-will, which is the cause of inordinate fear and weakness, has been destroyed.”
-Saint Catherine of Siena
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“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world. If none of my earthly pleasures satisfy it, that does not prove that the universe is a fraud. Probably earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy it, but only to arouse it, to suggest the real thing. If that is so, I must take care, on the one hand, never to despise, or to be unthankful for, these earthly blessings, and on the other, never to mistake them for the something else of which they are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage. I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that country and to help others to do the same.”
C.S. Lewis
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“It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be ground down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.”
-St. John Paul the Great
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“Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” –Matthew 6:7-15
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MP writes:
“I have a question concerning the way I pray and honor God and even the saints and angels. I have a collection of incense of many scents at home, and although I know the Church uses incense, it's Japanese incense, normally used for pagan practices . . ."
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I ran into a friend recently, another mom with lots of littles, at an indoor trampoline park. It was a sizzling summer day in Phoenix and we’d both reluctantly shelled out too much money for a few hours of much-needed activity for the kids.
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July 6
“We often lament that we are not able to pray because of the many distractions which hinder our recollection and dry up the source of devotion in our hearts, but in this we err and do not know what we are saying. The best prayer is not that in which we are most recollected and fervent, but that in which we are most humble; because it is written: ‘The prayer of him that humbleth himself shall pierce the clouds.” And what distractions of mind and heart can prevent our exercising humility?”
-Father Cajetan Mary da Bergamo
Today's Reflection:
According to the quote, what is the unique characteristic of the best prayer? Say a prayer asking God for this virtue – and don’t be surprised at how quickly He responds!
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June 30
“Be of good cheer, only work, only strive cheerfully; for nothing is lost. Every prayer of yours, every psalm you sing is recorded. Every alms, every fast is recorded.”
-St. Cyril of Jerusalem
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June 29
Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
“Both apostles share the same feast day, for these two were one; and even though they suffered on different days, they were as one. Peter went first, and Paul followed. And so we celebrate this day made holy for us by the apostle’s blood.”
-St. Augustine
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June 28
Feast of St. Irenaeus, Bishop and Martyr (130 – 200)
“Where there is order, there is also harmony, where there is harmony, there is also correct timing; where there is correct timing, there is also advantage.”
-St. Irenaeus
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