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Saturday, October 19, 2013

St. Anthony of Egypt: Things That Make the Devil Afraid

The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross.

- St. Anthony of Egypt (251-356)



St. Therese of Lisieux: The Lord Cherishes Simplicity

Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity.
- St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Charles of Sezze: What God Commands

God does not command us to live in hair shirts and chains, or to chastise our flesh with scourges, but to love Him above all things and our neighbor as ourselves.

- St. Charles of Sezze 

Saint Dwynwen: Cheerfulness Wins Hearts!

Nothing wins hearts like cheerfulness.

- Saint Dwynwen (d. 460)



St. Joseph Sebastian Pelczar Quotation

One of the most ardent desires of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is that his Most Holy Mother be venerated and loved by all:  firstly, because the Lord himself has ineffable love for her, and then because he made her the mother of all men, so that with her sweetness she might attract to herself even those who flee the Holy Cross, and bring them to the Divine Heart.

- St. Joseph Sebastian Pelczar




Blessed Laura Vicuna: A Cheerful Attitude

A cheerful attitude will sustain you in all your difficulties, trials and sufferings in life.

- Blessed Laura Vicuna 


Mother Teresa: Believe In God's Love More Than Your Weakness!!

Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness.
- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta

Monday, October 14, 2013

Pope John Paul II: Suffering and Healing, A Double Lesson

The Gospel often shows Jesus in the act of bending over sick people, to comfort them and also, not infrequently, to cure them. 

The Redeemer himself did not escape suffering, and he taught that pain has a value in the work of salvation, yet "he went about doing good and healing all." A double lesson can be seen in this behavior: that human pain has a precise rose to play in God's plan, and that, nevertheless, it moves the heart of Jesus to compassion,for he knows well how profoundly suffering can upset frail humanity and how severely it can test it. Thus he never withholds his understanding and comfort from the sick person who turns trustingly to him.

It is very important, in fact crucial, to accept suffering with Jesus, like Jesus, and for his love, because this conforms in a special way with him and his mission. In this regard St. Maximus the Confessor teaches that God, in his inscrutable plan of love, allows suffering to strike mankind not only as a punishment but as a medicine.

The plea to be cured is still legitimate, because health, too, is a great gift of God, thanks to which we may render valuable services to our neighbor. No divine gift, in fact, is ever bestowed for our exclusive personal advantage but "so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

- Blessed Pope John Paul II