faith |

faith

a living faith:

offers much comfort and security because our hope is in a SOMEONE-not merely a something-namely-JESUS CHRIST.

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Pacian pointed out that the word “Catholic” is not borrowed from man. he wrote, “Christian is my name, Catholic my surname.”

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Fr. Corapi notes:

Catholic morality does not change because God does not change. what was immoral 2000 years ago is “immoral” today. we can either improve or degenerate. do not confuse morality with human beings’ perception of what is moral. the TRUTH is JESUS. so moral law is based on a SOMEONE not a something. morality subsists in TRUTH. God gave us the natural law at creation to guide our choices. in accord with right reason.

the fabric of humanity is deteriorating due to non-adherance to the natural law. all death/sin came from a lie: “you can be like gods.” an inversion. or turning upside down of good and evil.

death ( a lie). sin. stalks humanity from conception to birth.

if you have a problem with “Catholic morality” it is because you have a problem with morality itself-TRUTH. JESUS. GOODNESS. GOD.

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measuring ourselves:

if we simply applied to ourselves the measures we use for others-even this would open our eyes in more ways than one. but we hopelessly refuse to do so. we have become incapable of seeing ourselves and live in a state of blind security; our spiritual life has not even begun to develop, and cannot develop before we have abandoned this false attitude. ~fr. alexander yelchaninov

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words

may the spoken words of my mouth, the thoughts of my heart, win favor in Your sight, O Lord. ~Ps. 141

we can use our treasured capacity for speech to offer prayer as fragrant as incense before God or to offer hurt to another.

set, O, Lord, a guard over my mouth, keep watch at the door of my lips. do not turn my heart to things that are wrong, to evil deeds with men who are sinners.

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fear and HIS Will

by charles de foucald

complete freedom from fear is one of those things we owe wholly to Our Lord.

to be afraid is to do Him a double injury. first it is to forget Him, to forget that He is with us, that He loves us, and is Himself almighty, and second it is to fail to bend to His will.

if we shape our will to His, as everything that happens is either willed or allowd by Him, we shall find joy in whatever happens, and shall NEVER be disturbed or afraid.

so then we should have a faith that banishes ALL fear.

beside us, face to fave with us, within us, we have Our Lord Jesus Christ, our God, whose love for us is infinite, Who Himself is almighty, Who has told us to seek for the kingdom of God and that everything else will be given us.

be certain that NOTHING will happen to us that we cannot use as a source of the greatest good for HIS glory and the sanctification of ourselves and others, and that everything that happens is either willed or permitted by HIM. and that therefore, far from lying under the shadow of fear, we have only to say, “whatever happens, GOD BE PRAISED!”

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living water

i heard the voice of Jesus say: “behold, I freely give the living water, thirsty one, stoop down and drink, and live.”

i came to Jesus and i drank of that Life giving stream; my thirst was quenched, my soul revived. and now i live in Him.

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obstacles

nothing gives Jesus greater pleasure than to see a soul, that notwithstanding all the obstacles which obstruct her path, force herself to be ever more and more devoted in procuring the glory of God and proclaiming His love.

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losing sight of HIM

rise above earthly things and your surroundings to lose yourself entirely in HIS will. you must strive to never lose sight of HIM even for a moment. do not think that for this reason you will be so absorbed as not be able to attend to your duties. you will experience the very opposite, that the soul most closely united to Jesus will be the one most exact in all her duties, since Jesus, whom she loves, acts for her….

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the mission of an apostolate

to better understand the need not only of a pious, but of an interior life.

if their zeal is to have any success, and if they are to fill their homes with the unction of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and with that unchanging peace which in the face of every trial will always be a characteristic of the truly Christian family, the apostle must recognize that the REDEEMER is the primary cause of ALL divine life.

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st. louis de montfort

“suffer, weep, fast, pray, hide ourselves, humiliate ourselves, impoverish ourselves, mortify ourselves. he who has not the spirit of Christ, which is the spirit of the cross, does not belong to Him, but they who belong to Him have crucified their flesh and their concupiscences.”

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WHO IS JESUS TO ME?

JESUS IS THE WORD MADE FLESH.

JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE.

JESUS IS THE VICTIM OFFERED FOR OUR SINS ON THE CROSS.

JESUS IS THE SACRIFICE OFFERED AT HOLY MASS FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD AND FOR MINE.

JESUS IS THE WORD-TO BE SPOKEN.

JESUS IS THE TRUTH-TO BE TOLD.

JESUS IS THE WAY-TO BE WALKED.

JESUS IS THE LIGHT-TO BE LIT.

JESUS IS THE LIFE-TO BE LIVED.

JESUS IS THE LOVE-TO BE LOVED.

JESUS IS THE JOY-TO BE SHARED.

JESUS IS THE SACRIFICE-TO BE OFFERED.

JESUS IS THE PEACE-TO BE GIVEN.

JESUS IS THE BREAD OF LIFE-TO BE EATEN.

JESUS IS THE HUNGRY-TO BE FED.

JESUS IS THE THIRSTY-TO BE SATIATED.

JESUS IS THE NAKED-TO BE CLOTHED.

JESUS IS THE HOMELESS-TO BE TAKEN IN.

JESUS IS THE SICK-TO BE HEALED.

JESUS IS THE LONELY-TO BE LOVE

JESUS IS THE UNWANTED-TO BE WANTED.

JESUS IS THE LEPER-TO WASH HIS WOUNDS.

JESUS IS THE BEGGAR-TO GIVE HIM A SMILE.

JESUS IS THE DRUNKARD-TO LISTEN TO HIM.

JESUS IS THE MENTALLY ILL-TO PROTECT HIM.

JESUS IS THE LITTLE ONE-TO EMBRACE HIM.

JESUS IS THE BLIND-TO LEAD HIM.

JESUS IS THE DUMB-TO SPEAK FOR HIM.

JESUS IS THE CRIPPLED-TO WALK WITH HIM.

JESUS IS THE DRUG ADDICT-TO BEFRIEND HIM.

JESUS IS THE PROSTITUTE-TO REMOVE FROM DANGER AND BEFRIEND.

JESUS IS THE PRISONER-TO BE VISITED.

JESUS IS THE OLD-TO BE SERVED

~MOTHER TERESA

the fruit of silence is prayer.

the fruit of prayer is faith.

the fruit of faith is love.

the fruit of love is service.

the fruit of service is peace.

~printed on mother teresa’s “business card”

lead me from death to life; from falsehood to truth; lead me from despair to hope, from fear to trust; lead me from hate to love, from war to peace; let peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe.

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stabatmater