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Friday, March 29, 2019
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Mighty Women: Fr Sam Medley, our director, just finished serving as retreat master for these amazing consecrated women from the Apostles of the Interior Life. Book your retreat with us. There are accommodations, sumptuous cuisine, and priests for offering Mass, confession, spiritual direction, and giving reflections. Contact us for more information.
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Friday, March 8, 2019
Always seek the blessing of the poor Today a beggar prayed over me and gave me his blessing. What a grace to receive the blessing of a poor man. I have always felt that even if I give some meager charity to those in need that their prayers for me would unlock the floodgates of the Lord, and thereby obtain blessings I could not with my own weak petitions. In these moments I feel the words of Tobit 12:9, “for almsgiving saves from death, and purges all sin.” Alms works away at the miserly selfishness lurking in our hearts, opens new paths of purity and truth, cleanses us of ‘entitled’ grumblings, and inspires deep in our hearts joyful gratitude at the gift of Life. It is not only prayer and fasting that casts out demons, but heartfelt almsgiving that saves us from the fires and hardened curses of hell.
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God Our Loving Father uses Lent to take us by the hand and guide us back to the right path. For each of these respond: Lord, guide us back to you+ When we use good and healthy pleasures too much that they become dominant or excessive... When we seek comfort from passing things forgetting our eternal destination... When we seek our own pursuits, forsaking the needs of the poor members of our family or community... When instead of merely keeping up with friends and family, we spend too much time on social media, forgetting prayer... When instead of just enjoying a show for evening relaxation we binge watch, keeping us from living life or needful rest... When things don't go our way and instead of waiting patiently we react with irritation or guile... When legitimate authority in our life directs us toward the common good yet we rebel or resist correction... When we turn from gratitude and joy to slump into complaining or self-pity... When we lose sight of God's hand failing to trust him, lapsing into vain anxiety and worry... When we forget God is in charge and needlessly brood over human politics and divisive rancor... When the Holy Spirit inspires us to intercede for others yet we procrastinate in obstinacy... O God Our Loving Father, guide us always in your merciful path, help us to trust in your ways and always seek your face, that when this earthly life is over we may rejoice with you in eternal life, through Christ Our Lord. Mary Mother of Jesus be a mother to us now+
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Thursday, March 7, 2019
“Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep, And say, “Spare, O LORD, your people!”
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Ash Wednesday fasting: For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.
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Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Giving up for Lent? You certainly will give up if you attempt something that is too difficult. Don’t hate thyself. You don’t go into the gym after staying away for a while and attempt to lift some weight too heavy you never could lift before. You would injure yourself and have to recover and would be discouraged in the future to get in shape. Out of guilt some people line up big and heavy penances for Lent, things they might not really be ready for, and then when they fail because it was too much to begin with, they feel a failure and more guilty when they started. Instead I find it is better to look at your state in life at what you should be doing anyway and to do it if it is close enough for you to try. Like a physical weight your body can lift while still being a challenge, spiritually this will not only make you stronger but be an encouragement because of the little victories you will have. This way you’re planning not only to succeed incrementally but permanently change your habits. Good pointers for penances that could permanently change you? Be S.M.A.R.T. Make sure it is: S - specific - don’t say you’ll “give up negativity” or “be holier” for Lent. What exact practices are you going to do? M - measurable - how many more minutes will you pray? How many acts of kindness will you do for your family? A - attainable - don’t attempt something you can’t do. Be realistic about what you’re capable of. If you’ve never been able to do it before there might be a step in between point A and C that you are missing - B. R - relevant - it should be something that helps you be a better you, not turn a businessman into a monk, not take you away from charity toward your family but enkindle it. If you are committing habitual sin you shouldn’t focus on something else but stop what you shouldn’t be doing anyway. T - time sensitive - daily, weekly, monthly, at least once during Lent (like confession) etc. putting a time limit on it makes you accountable.
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