Cardinal Bauttista on Eucharist

The Eucharist "is an invitation to solidarity and commitment to the poor, the suffering, the little ones, the marginalized," the cardinal reflected. "It is light to recognize the face of Christ in the face of our brothers. To acknowledge Christ in the Holy Host, in fact, leads to being able to see him also in our brothers and it opens our hearts to go out to meet every poverty."

--Cardinal Bauttista, Sept. 18

Saint Bridget of Sweden 5.20: Fasting, Works, Presumption, Mercy … devil persuades the imperfect man to fast beyond his strength, to promise to do …

St. Agnes's lesson to the daughter about not relapsing and not advancing properly, and about the right way to begin or continue with abstinence, and about what kind of continence is pleasing to God.

Chapter 20

Agnes speaks: "Daughter, stand firm and do not relapse, for a serpent lies at your heels ready to bite. Yet, do not rush unduly ahead either, for the tip of a sharp lance is in front of you, and if you advance at the wrong speed, you will be wounded. What does a relapse mean if not letting trials lead to regrets about having taken on a more austere and wholesome way of life and to a desire of returning to old habits and delighting the mind with dirty thoughts? Such thoughts, even if they give some pleasure to the mind, only obscure every good thing and by degrees lead away from all goodness. Nor should you rush unduly ahead, that is, punish yourself beyond your strength or imitate the good works of others beyond your capacity. God has ordained from eternity that heaven should be opened to sinners through works of love and humility, yet by preserving moderation and discretion in every way. Now, then, the envious devil persuades the imperfect man to fast beyond his strength, to promise to do unaccustomed things that he cannot manage, to desire to imitate more perfect models without considering his own strengths and weaknesses. The devil does this either in order that, when the man's strength fails him, he should continue with his badly begun vows out of human embarrassment rather than for the sake of God, or in order that he should quickly give up the struggle because of his indiscretion and weakness.

For this reason, use as your measure your own self, that is, your strengths and weaknesses, since some people are stronger by nature, others weaker, some more fervent by the grace of God, others keener due to good habits. Hence, regulate your life in agreement with the advice of God-fearing men, so that the serpent does not sting you due to your thoughtlessness, and so that the poisonous tip of the sword, that is, the poisonous suggestion of the devil, does not delude your mind so as to make you want to seem more than you are or long to become something beyond your strength and powers.

There are, indeed, some people who believe they can reach heaven by their own merits, and God spares them from the devil's temptations due to his hidden plan. There are others who think they can make reparation to God for their transgressions with their own works. The error of all of these is altogether damning, for even if a person were to kill his body a hundred times over, he could not make up a thousandth of the account he owes to God, because it is God who gives us the ability and the will, seasons and health, who fills us with a desire for the good, who gives us riches and honor, who kills and gives life, raises up and lays low. All things are in his hand. Hence to him alone should all honor be given, and no one deserves to be counted for anything before God.

Since you are wondering about the lady who came for indulgences but was corrupted, I answer you: There are some women who have the virtue of continence but do not love it. They experience neither a great longing for pleasure nor violent temptation. If honorable proposals of marriage were made to them, they would accept. However, since no great offers are made to them, they look down on lesser offers. In this way, continence sometimes gives rise to pride and presumption, which, by divine permission, leads to a fall, such as you have now heard. If a woman were so minded as not to want to be stained even once, not even if the whole world were offered her, it would be impossible for such a woman to be left to shame. If, however, in his secret justice, God permitted such a one to fall, it would rather lead to her reward than to sin, provided that she fell against her will.

Know, then, that God is like an eagle that from on high views everything down below. If an eagle should see anything rising up from the ground, it immediately swoops down and snatches it. If it catches sight of something poisonous coming against it, it would pierce it like an arrow. If something unclean is dropped on it from above, it gets rid of it with a great shake just like a goose does. God acts like that as well. If he sees human hearts rising against him due to the weakness of the flesh or the devil's temptations against the will of the spirit, he immediately swoops down through an inspiration of contrition and penance and brings it to naught, making the person return to God and come to himself again. If the poison of carnal desire or greed enters the heart, God quickly pierces the mind with the arrow of his love, so that the person does not persevere in sin and get separated from God. If some impurity of pride or the dirt of lust defiles the spirit, he shakes it quickly off, just like a goose, through constant faith and hope, so that the spirit does not become hardened in vice or the soul that is joined to God become stained unto damnation. Therefore, my daughter, in all your feelings and actions, consider God's justice and mercy, and always keep the end in sight."

http://www.catholic-saints.net

(copy the link and browse in Safari)

Stethoscope Video with surprise ending

http://www.angelfire.com/ak2/intelligencerreport/stethoscope.html

When difficulties come thick and fast...Saint Josemaria Escriva on Fortitude

The person with fortitude is one who perseveres in doing what his conscience tells him he ought to do. He does not measure the value of a task exclusively by the benefit he receives from it, but rather by the service he renders to others. The strong man will at times suffer, but he stands firm; he may be driven to tears, but he will brush them aside. When difficulties come thick and fast, he does not bend before them. Remember the example given us in the book of the Machabees: an old man, Eleazar, prefers to die rather than break God's law. 'By manfully giving up my life now, I will show myself worthy of my old age and leave to the young a noble example of how to die a good death willingly and nobly for the revered and holy laws.'

Magis Reflection on laborers in God's vineyard

Reflection

• Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

• From today's gospel (Mt 20:1-16):

  The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner

  who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.

  After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,

  he sent them into his vineyard.

  A nugget of wisdom that we Jesuit scholastics (seminarians) often hear is 'compare and despair'. In the long process of formation, scholastics are sent to different work experiments and have unique summer opportunities - some that are more appealing than others. Like any group of people that work closely with one another, one inevitably compares himself to others in the group. I work harder than he does. She's more affable and talented than I am. He dresses like a slob! She talks too much and doesn't pull her weight. Why does he get the special attention and promotions? These comparisons lead to an unhealthy fixation on deficiencies (others' or one's own), and causes despair and uncharitable thoughts.

  So too, in the life of faith. I can't seem to pray as well as she does. He is a living saint...and then there's the rest o f us. I can't believe she calls herself a Christian. He is a lazy free-loader. Certainly there is room for fraternal correction done in charity when we see things that need attention, especially if they give scandal. But our Gospel reminds us today that Christ calls us to labor in His vineyard -- not to supervise it.

  The challenge that dedicated believers face is not whether we are willing to work for the Kingdom of God. The subtle caveat is that we are willing to work for God conditionally-i.e., on our terms, making sure that we're getting an equitable reward. Prayer time in, grace out; devotion to God in, special favors out. Who cannot relate to the day laborers who began early and stayed to the end, only to get the same daily wage as those who straggled in toward the end? The stout human heart is far more calculating than God's generous one; how quickly we forget graces received when we compare our relationship to God with another's. We do well to recall that He has been generous and patient with us - especially at times when we were the late stragglers who received an umerited grace from God.

  'My friend, I am not cheating you.

  Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?

  Take what is yours and go.

  What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?

  Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?

  Are you envious because I am generous?'

  Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

  May the grace today be to labor joyfully in the vineyard, free from idle comparing and despairing.

  Mr. Joseph Simmons, SJ

U.S. Catholic Bishops on stem cell research

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/stem-cell-research/

Discerning judgement--stop enabling and affirming people who sin

http://www.spiritdaily.com/enabling.htm

Great article on judging vs enabling

World Youth Day

Follow World Youth Day at www.virtualworldyouthday.org

Pope Benedict XVI on the heart and conscience, Solomon's Prayer

Pope Benedict XVI Prayer for a good conscience:

"May the Virgin Mary help us, with God's grace, to make out own consciences open to truth and sensitive to justice, in order to serve the Kingdom of God".

Quality of life depends on sound Conscience:

  "An erroneous mentality suggests that we should ask God for favours or favourable conditions. Yet the truth is that the real quality of our lives, and of social life in general, depends on the sound conscience of each individual, on the capacity of each person to recognise what is good, distinguish it from evil and patiently seek to put it into effect".
--Pope Benedict XVI, July 24, 2011

On duty to form your conscience and its role in societal success or failure
"Truly, the great achievements of the modern age - the recognition and guarantee of freedom of conscience, of human rights, of the freedom of science and hence of a free society - should be confirmed and developed while keeping reason and freedom open to their transcendent foundation, so as to ensure that these achievements are not undone, as unfortunately happens in not a few cases. The quality of social and civil life and the quality of democracy depend in large measure on this 'critical' point - conscience, on the way it is understood and the way it is informed. If, in keeping with the prevailing modern idea, conscience is reduced to the subjective field to which religion and morality have been banished, then the crisis of the West has no remedy and Europe is destined to collapse in on itself. If, on the other hand, conscience is rediscovered as the place in which to listen to truth and good, the place of responsibility before God and before fellow human beings - in other words, the bulwark against all forms of tyranny - then there is hope for the future".  --Benedict XVI

Forming conscience is Church's most valuable contribution to society
Benedict XVI, speaking to Croatians on 4 June 2011 spoke of conscience as "the keystone on which to base a culture and build up the common good. It is by forming consciences that the Church makes her most specific and valuable contribution to society. It is a contribution that begins in the family and is strongly reinforced in the parish, where infants, children and young people learn to deepen their knowledge of the sacred Scriptures, the 'great codex' of European culture; at the same time they learn what it means for a community to be built upon gift, not upon economic interests or ideology, but upon love, 'the principal driving force behind the authentic development of every person and of all humanity'".

MORAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THOSE IN GOVERNMENT

VATICAN CITY, 24 JUL 2011 (VIS) -

Pope Benedict XVI explained the meaning of Solomon's prayer. 

"We know that 'heart' in the Bible indicates not just a part of the body but the core of the individual, the seat of his intentions and judgments; in other words, his conscience. An 'understanding heart' means, then, a conscience capable of listening, sensitive to the voice of truth and thus able to distinguish good from evil. In Solomon's case the request is motivated by his responsibility for guiding a nation, Israel, the people whom God chose to reveal His plan of salvation to the world. The king of Israel must, then, seek constant harmony with God and listen to His Word, in order to guide the people along the ways of the Lord, the way of justice and peace.



  "However", the Holy Father added, "the example of Solomon applies to us all. Each of us has a conscience which makes us, in a certain sense, 'king'; in other words, which enables us to exercise the supreme human dignity of acting according to right conscience, doing good and avoiding evil. Moral conscience presupposes a capacity to listen to the voice of truth, humbly to follow its guidance. People called to play a role in government naturally have a further responsibility and, as Solomon teaches, have even greater need of God's help.

Appendix 2: Fasting In Scripture | Bible.org - Worlds Largest Bible Study Site

http://bible.org/seriespage/appendix-2-fasting-scripture

This link is an excellent quick reference for fasting mentioned in scripture.