There is a Longing

As a child, my understanding of God’s omniscience didn’t extend very far beyond His knowing the number of hairs on my head.  My underdeveloped mind didn’t need much more convincing than that, and I greatly anticipated the day in Heaven when I would receive the answer to that question.  Exactly how many hairs do I have on my head?! While we may smile at the naivety of children, it is helpful to acknowledge that such a reality still remains true for us all throughout our lives.  The scope of our imagination and intellect, no matter how advanced, will never fully encompass God.  The reason for this is quite simple: we are not God.  We can-and should-delve into the deep things of God, revealed to us by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10).  But we must be humbly mindful of our limitations.   Before we start getting skeptical ( What! A God we can’t understand?! ), we can pose the question: who am I to say that I have a right to understand?   The underst...

My husband & I celebrated 25 years of marriage yesterday, so today I thought I'd share some saint quotes on marriage & the Christian family. “The charity which burned in the household at Nazareth should be an inspiration for every family. All the Christian virtues should flourish in the family, unity should thrive, and the example of its virtuous living should shine brightly.” (St. John XXIII) “When a husband and wife are united in marriage they no longer seem like something earthly, but rather like the image of God himself.” (St. John Chrysostom) “Marriage is to help married people sanctify themselves and others. For this reason they receive a special grace in the sacrament which Jesus instituted. Those who are called to the married state will, with the grace of God, find within their state everything they need to be holy.” (St. Josemaria Escriva) “The greater the friendship, the more solid and long-lasting the marriage will be, as we are united not only in flesh but in ...

     The Gospel ends on a powerful note today. It could be one way of summing up our entire Christian life. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give.      Jesus entrusts the Apostles with the important mission of spreading the Gospel, the good news of the Kingdom. They are sent out on their own to preach the living Word. The message they are sent to preach will be a call for many: eternity starts now, within the conversion of hearts.      The Twelve are also bestowed with the power to work miracles. Imagine their astonishment when they realized it was really Jesus working those miracles through them! Perhaps they felt unworthy to “wield” that power; or humbled to recognize they didn’t wield anything at all, but that they had become instruments of God’s holy and perfect will. But the graces they received were not meant to be hidden for their own individual needs. Jesus gave them to His Apostles to enrich the lives o...

This is a post of mine from  10 years ago on my other blog. My dad (a deacon) referred to it in his homily this past weekend for the Feast of Corpus Christi. I felt it would be worth sharing here as well. ************ For most of my life, when I would go to the altar for Communion, I would feel slightly disappointed to receive a piece of Christ from the larger Host the priest had broken. Why did I have to get one of the jagged-edged pieces instead of a perfect, round one? Recently it hit me...by receiving a broken piece, I am truly receiving Christ in a most intimate way. When He died on the cross, His body was NOT in perfect condition. His flesh had been torn. Blood poured from His jagged wounds. He was weak...just as I am weak without Him. By receiving His broken body in the Eucharist, I can more fully realize the sacrifice He made for my sins. Does this mean that I cannot appreciate this sacrifice if I receive a perfect, round Host? Absolutely not! In this perfect Host, I can sh...

            All throughout history, destruction, debasement, and disorder seem to be the lot of the human body. This conclusion is more presently noticeable in the horrors of our own time. However, despite the appearance of a rapid decrease in human respect, I think every age has come with horrifying evils, perhaps we just get used to them and go on to find more. Our disrespect for the human body and soul is inexcusable, and the threats we make against them shouldn’t be tolerated.           It can be a little shocking, then, to realize what it is that Our Lord is inviting us into; what it is that we are specifically calling to mind on this solemnity. The Three Persons of the Trinity, perfectly united, reveal to us through the Person of Jesus Christ, that They are One. The division in our world - the division in our very self! - is strikingly poor in contrast. But the Son opens to us the door of His Heart. It is in...

St. Anthony, St. Anthony! Please come around! Something is lost and cannot be found! Perhaps you've heard this or similar version of this prayer. You may have even uttered it a time or two yourself. St. Anthony of Padua is the go-to saint when we've lost something. But why him? St. Anthony of Padua was born in 1195 into a wealthy family in Lisbon, Portugal & given the name Fernando Martins. Per his request at the age of 15, he was sent to the Abbey of Santa Cruz in Coimbra to study theology & Latin. Upon his priestly ordination, he took responsibility for guests at the Abbey. He later left the Abbey to become a Franciscan friars, taking the name Anthony. He spread the Gospel message to Morocco, but became I'll there & was sent back to Portugal. His journey, however, veered off course & he ended up in Sicily, then Tuscany. He was assigned in San Paulo to a hermitage where his recovery was spent in prayer & study. News of his eloquent speaking reached Sr. ...

This coming Sunday, June 11, the Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ.  "'For as the sun cannot be divided into light, heat, and colour, the whole of God and the whole of man cannot be separated under the white mantle of the host; for even if the host should be divided into a million particles (if it were possible) in each particle should I be present, whole God and whole Man. When you break a mirror the reflection to be seen in it is not broken; similarly, when the host is divided God and man are not divided, but remain in each particle.'"  from The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena

On the first Sunday after Pentecost we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity.  We transition from celebrating the outpouring of the Holy Spirit to the celebration of that Life to which He now draws us.  The Life of the Most Holy Trinity.  The Father infinitely and eternally loves the Son.  The Son infinitely and eternally reciprocates His Father’s love.  This mutual love is very much unique, alive, and mysterious to our understanding.  This love is the Holy Spirit, Who works quietly in our souls, inviting us into the embrace of the Father and the Son.  “God so loved the world…”   The life of the Holy Trinity is one of love, contrary to the life of selfishness and hatred which our fallen nature presents to us.  And yet Our Lord is always reminding us that we were made for love.  At the heart of all good things is the love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  It is marvelous to think that this is what we were ...

On June 7, the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Willibald of Eichstatt. He was born October 21, 700 in Wessex, England. His siblings, Winebald & Walburga became saints, as well as his father, St. Richard the King. He was also related on his mother's side of the family to St. Boniface. As an infant, he almosts died. His parents prayed and promised to dedicate him to God if he survived. At the age of five, he began his studies at the Abbey of Waltham, Hampshire, England.  In 722, he set out on a pilgrimage to Rome with his father & brother, Winebald. Along the way, his father died & he suffered from malaria. He reached Jerusalem in 725 & is known as the first Englishman in the Holy Land. Thought to be a Christian spy, he was captured by the Saracens. After his release, he continued his journey visiting many holy places. Upon his return to Italy, he served as a dean & porter in Monte Casino. His missionary work continued in Germany, where he was sent by Pope ...