aeternus

“O the supreme folly of those who resist the divine will! In God’s providence, no one can escape hardship. Who resisteth his will ??  A person who rails at God in adversity, suffers without merit; moreover by his lack of resignation he adds to his punishment in the next life and experiences greater disquietude of mind in this life: ?Who resists him and hath had peace?? The screaming rage of the sick man in his pain, the whining complaints of the poor man in his destitution–what will they avail these people, except increase their unhappiness and bring them no relief?  Little man, says St. Augustine, grow up.  What are you seeking in your search for happiness? Seek the one good that embraces all others . Whom do you seek, friend, if you seek not God? Seek him, find him, cleave to him; bind your will to his with bands of steel and you will live always at peace in this life and in the next.

God wills only our good; God loves us more than anybody else can or does love us. His will is that no one should lose his soul, that everyone should save and sanctify his soul.  Not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance.  This is the will of God, your sanctification.  God has made the attainment of our happiness, his glory. Since he is by his nature infinite goodness, and since as St. Leo says goodness is diffusive of itself, God has a supreme desire to make us sharers of his goods and of his happiness. If then he sends us suffering in this life, it is for our own good.  All things work together unto good.  Even chastisements come to us, not to crush us, but to make us mend our ways and save our souls: ?Let us believe that these scourges of the Lord have happened for our amendment and not for our destruction.”

** St. Alphonsus de Ligouri – Uniformity with God’s Will

“That many do not advance in the Christian progress, because they stick in penances, and particular exercises, while they neglect the love of GOD, which is the end. That this appeared plainly by their works, and was the reason why we see so little solid virtue. That there needed neither art nor science for going to GOD, but only a heart resolutely determined to apply itself to nothing but Him, or for His sake, and to love Him only.”

** Brother Lawrence of the Ressurection, OCD

A friend just sent me a link to a film.  I know nothing of its producers, directors, funders nor do I have any invested interest in the film itself.  I do however, as a child of God feel it a worthy link to pass along to anyone who might be reading this blog.  The expose film is called Blood Money and investigates the industry of Planned Parenthood.  The trailer can be viewed via YouTube.

“Praise therefore, and praise worthily, so that to the utmost of thy power there be in thee no charge, no thought, no contemplation, no care fulness of mind, that is void of the praise of God. Let no worldly prosperity divert thee, nor any worldly adversity restrain thee from His praise. For thus thou wilt praise the Lord with thy whole heart and with love also; thou wilt seek from Him nothing else than Himself, that He may Himself be the goal of thy desire and the reward of thy labours, thy consolation in this life of shadows and thy possession in the blessed life to come. Hereunto wast thou created, that thou shouldst bear a part in His praises for ever and ever, and this thou shalt more fully understand, when thou, being lifted up by the blessed vision of Him, shalt see that by His mere free bounty thou, when thou wast not, wert out of nothing created to such happiness, and created, called, justified, glorified unspeakable bliss. For the contemplation of such things will give to thee a love that shall not weary of praising Him for ever, of whom and by whom and in whom thou shalt rejoice that thou art blessed with good things so great and so unchangeable.”

–Devotions of Saint Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury

** photo from a cemetery near the Pallottine Retreat Center.

I wanted to share a powerful story with whomever might be reading this little blog.  It is a story of something which happens far too often without the world even knowing about its occurrence.  The story makes no headline in the media and sadly  only a handful of souls bears witness to it.  However, I’m going to speak to this matter in my own way to you here now.

Before reading further, I beg you to brace your heart. Here we go…

A few years ago an accomplished woman and brand new mother was making diner for her beautiful baby in a warm and cozy kitchen filled with love and happiness.  As she cooked she listened to the nightly news.  She stopped still when she heard the horrendous report of a mother killing her own 10 week old baby child.  Overcome with anguish and pain over the loss of such an innocent soul this mother was prayerfully determined to do something.  She called the coroners office and found the child had no other relatives so she asked, “I know this sounds crazy but may I burry this child?”.  Permission was granted and so the baby girl, Destiny, through the love of a caring soul was given a Christian burial.

A bad story with a good ending right?  Well, yes and no.  You see, it actually happens that many children are abandoned by the parents after they die.  Perhaps they were prematurely born or perhaps they were sickly and left to struggle for life in the hospital until they met their reward.  Sadly and shockingly this is not an absolutely uncommon situation and it has happened in my small city some 23 times in the past 5 years.

I will not tell the rest of the story here, but will invite you to grab your hankie (or a box of tissues) and watch a 3 minute multi-media presentation at the St. Louis Review newspaper.  Your cry will be for a good cause and your prayers will be so very welcome…

http://www.aeternus.com/innocents/

UPDATED:  I have changed the link to the story because I did not realize the link went behind the newspaper’s subscriber only area.  SORRY!  Click here to see.

You know, every once and awhile a soul can get a little confused by all the distractions of the world.  Living in our day it is difficult to “stay hidden in Christ” and keep our hearts united to His in the midst of our own turmoil and daily mundane struggles.  I think I can say with certainty that we all feel a bit trodden upon at times.  We may do our best to “offer it up” but a soul can get weary!

In the middle of one of my own wearisome battles a certain grace came to me in the form of a comment to this little blog.  Its message of hope in the beauty of a peaceful eternity of love and fellowship with our God and all His holy Angels and Saints came at just the right time.  It was like a loving smack on my tired brain to say, “Hey Lady, stay the course, be strong, never fear, I AM with you!”   Well, it may have been even more than a smack because it produced in me a good old long cry which has invigorated my soul once again.  I thank the sender immensely and will always pray for him!!!  AMEN! AMEN!

Here is the quotation I am passing along.  It is from a sermon by  St. Venerable Bede and is currently prayed in the traditional breviary at II Nocturns.  (I think it was that Nocturn part which inspired me to post the photo above which I took a few weeks ago.  It is of two Great Horned Owls at sunset who happen to be our neighbors.  You may have to play “Where’s Waldo” to spot the 2nd owl.)  I hope the quote will inspire your soul…

“Never shall there be discord anywhere there, but all things in harmony.  For everywhere there, things are in such concord that all the Saints are at unity with each other in one peace and joy.  Everywhere there, all things are tranquil and quiet.  Perpetual is the splendour there ; not like unto the sunlight which we know here, but a light which is the brighter, as it is the more blessed.  For that city, as saith Scripture, needeth not the light of the sun, because the Lord Almighty doth enlighten it by the Lamb which is the Light thereof.  There the Saints shall shine like as the brightness of the firmament, and they that have turned many to righteousness, as the stars, for ever and ever.

And so there is no night there, no darkness, no gathering of clouds, no asperity of heat or cold.  But such is the nature of things there as no eye hath seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, except of those only who have been found worthy to enjoy it, whose names are written in the book of life ; and who have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, and are before the throne of God, serving him day and night.  There is no old age anywhere there, nor misery of old age, for all are come to perfect manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

But far above all these things is the fellowship there.  That is, to enjoy the companionship of the heavenly citizens : to look upon the choirs of Angels and Archangels, of Thrones and Dominions, Principalities, Powers, and all the heavenly Virtues on high : and to behold the army of the Saints shining more gloriously than the stars ; of the Patriarchs glowing with faith ; of the Prophets rejoicing in hope ; of the Apostles judging the world reformed into twelve tribes of the new Israel ; of the Martyrs resplendent in their ruddy crowns of victory ; and of the Virgins wearing garlands of the purest white.”

“In external matters. In times of great heat, cold or rain; in times of famine, epidemics and similar occasions we should refrain from expressions like these: “What unbearable heat!” “What piercing cold!” “What a tragedy!” In these instances we should avoid expressions indicating opposition to God’s will. We should want things to be just as they are, because it is God who thus disposes them. An incident in point would be this one: Late one night St. Francis Borgia arrived unexpectedly at a Jesuit house, in a snowstorm. He knocked and knocked on the door, but all to no purpose because the community being asleep, no one heard him. When morning came all were embarrassed for the discomfort he had experienced by having had to spend the night in the open. The saint, however, said he had enjoyed the greatest consolation during those long hours of the night by imagining that he saw our Lord up in the sky dropping the snowflakes down upon him.”

– St. Alphonsus de Liguori — Special Practices of Uniformity