To love the Mass

A man who fails to love the Mass fails to love Christ. We must make an effort to "live" the Mass with calm and serenity, with devotion and affection. And this is why I have always suspected that those who want the Mass to be over with quickly show, with this insensitive attitude, that they have not yet realized what the sacrifice of the altar means.

-- St. Josemaría Escriva de Balaguer

Let us meditate today on the condition of our soul. Are we making a sincere effort to rectify our intentions, to sanctify our daily responsibilities? There are things we fail to remember, not because we have short memories but because we are short of love. The person in love does not forget!

-- St Teresa of Avila

Daily Meditations for Mothers

Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.
EPHESIANS 4:29

Lord, if you took away all the words I said
yesterday that were not useful for building up,
would I have any words left at all? Forgive me
for all the idleness and gossip that comes out
of my mouth. Strengthen me, today, so that I
might do a better job at watching my words.
Remind me, please, that my children are
watching... and learning from me.

If something uncharitable is said in your presence, either speak in favor of the absent, or withdraw, or if possible stop the conversation

-- St. John Vianney

“Oh, how great is man! Man, being created by
love, cannot live without love; either he loves God
or he loves himself and the world. See, my children,
it is faith that we want…When we have not
faith, we are blind. He who does not see, does not
know; he who does not know does not love; he who
does not love God loves himself. He cannot then
know the Truth, nor any good thing; he can know
nothing but falsehood, because he has no light; he
is in a mist. Rather, we see that god, urged by the
ardour of His love would not create us like the
animals; He has created us in His own image and
likeness. Do you see?” St. John Vianney

He is generous even to exhaustion; and what is most wonderful is, that He gives Himself thus entirely, not once only, but every day, if we wish it. Every fresh Communion is a new gift which Jesus Christ makes of Himself.

-- St. Ignatius of Loyola

THE DAILY GROTTO: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!

THE DAILY GROTTO: URGENT PRAYER REQUEST!

Zeal without knowledge is always less useful and effective than informed zeal, and is very often dangerous!

-- St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Woke up with this song in my head... enjoy!

You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.

-- St. Therese

Question: Is it better to receive Holy Communion on the hand or on the tongue? « Catholic Writings

Question: Is it better to receive Holy Communion on the hand or on the tongue? « Catholic Writings

We read in the gospel that when the Lord was teaching his disciples and urged them to share in his passion by the ministry of eating his body, some said: This is a hard saying; and from that time they no longer followed him. When he asked the disciples whether they also wish to go away, they replied: Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. I assure you my brothers that even to this day it is clear to some that the words which Jesus speaks are spirit and life, and for this reason they follow him. To others these words seem hard, and so they look elsewhere for some pathetic consolation. Yet wisdom cries out in the streets, in a broad and spacious way that leads to death, to call back those who take this path.
-- St Bernard

Another of my favorite Matt Maher songs

Fifteenth Sunday in ordinary time

First Reading: Amos 7:12-15
Psalm: Psalm 85:9-14
Second Reading: Ephesians 1:3-14 or 1:3-10
Gospel: Mark 6:7-13

Whoever does not love does not know God. Why? Because God is Love. What more can be said, my Brothers? If one did not find one word in praise of love through this epistle, nor the least word through out all the other pages of Scripture, and we heard only this one word from the voice of the Spirit of God: Because 'God is Love,' we should seek for nothing more.

-- St. Augustine

Meditation

Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Dear God, I know that into every life a little
rain must fall. Please help me today to build
up those vital lines of communication with my
family. Enable me to secure these lifelines
when the sun is shining on us so that when
the rain falls, we will be able and willing to
bear each other's burdens. And remind me that
you are asking me to keep those same lines of
communication built up with you, dear Father,
rain or shine.

Grant, O Lord, that my heart may neither desire nor seek anything but what is necessary for the fulfillment of Your Holy Will. May health or sickness, riches or poverty, honors or contempt, humiliations, leave my soul in that state of perfect detachment to which I desire to attain for Your greater honor and Your greater glory. Amen

-- St. Ignatius Loyola

A word from St. Augustine

We must understand then, that even though God doesn't always give us what we want, He always gives us what we need for our salvation.

-- St Augustine