Thy Will.

"Thy will be done..."

I know that everything that happens in this life is Your will and no matter how confusing and awful it seems, good will come from it. You are all good, all loving and all powerful. I love You and I know You will protect me.

He May Captivate...

Don't worry so much about doing great things. You may be called simply to live well with a patient, obedient and humble heart so that God, dwelling there, may captivate those who look at you -- through you -- to Him.

After all, it was the humble, patient, obedient ass that our mighty Lord chose to carry Him into Jerusalem; the lowly, humble Maiden He chose to bear Him; the poor babe He chose to become; and the dirt and dust He chose to love and save.

O Suffering...What a Gift!

"Even though Our Lord cries out again and again: Blessed are the poor in spirit, the peacemakers, the meek, they who hunger and thirst for justice. [Matt. 5:3-6], the world cannot embrace this wisdom. It cries out: "Oh! How blessed are the wealthy, the oppressors, those who take vengeance on their enemies, and those who one dares not offend." See how the perfection of the Cross is folly in the eyes of the world precisely because it embraces what is abhorrent to human nature."

 - St. Frances De Sales, Palm Sunday -- Humility and Obedience

Suffering is a common topic on my blog but I don't think I can talk about it enough. We have such a gift! We, as Catholics, are able to take the otherwise oppressive weight of suffering, offer it up to God, and have it returned to us as a gift of purification and strength; patience, obedience and humility. Christ's Passion has turned suffering into a tool and death in to a passage way, a door, a gate.

The secular world misses this completely. Value is equated to pleasure: A life of suffering is seen as a life not worth living. This has led to many evils in our society: assisted suicide, infanticide, euthanasia, and the belief that those with severe handicaps and/or medical problems should be left to die thus "relieving" the family (or other caretakers) of financial, physical and emotional strain and the individual of the life that others have decided for them isn't worth living. How twisted our society is...

My first reaction is to feel anger -- even hatred -- towards some of the lead advocates of such movements but this is would be giving into their thinking regarding the value human life. 

God created each and every person with love and purpose, Mother Mary prays for them and loves them as much as any other of her adopted children. As St. Francis de Sales explains, every created being has perfection because it is made in God's image and imperfection because it is made from nothing. Therefore, "Every man has some imperfection, no matter how holy he may be -- and some perfection, no matter how wicked."

So, to sum up this post in two points: 1.) Take joy in suffering and 2.) There is good even in the wickedest of men. 
[ o, and 3.) St. Francis de Sales is freaking awesome! ]

God bless, keep up the fight & have a wonderful day.

St. Joseph, ora pro nobis

^"18 Now the birth of Jesus ^[c]Christ was as follows: 

when His mother Mary had been^[d]betrothed to Joseph, 

before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 

¹⁹ And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting 

to disgrace her, planned ^[e]to send her away secretly."

-Matthew 1:18-19

Imagine that you were a man engaged to a beautiful, humble, God-fearing, young woman who you trusted and were excited to bring into your home. Nothing in this life was as important to you as following, loving, studying and obeying the commands of God and you were at peace having found a woman with the same devotion. 

One day you are going about your regular activities: working at your shop, the gentle cooling breeze turning your heart and mind to prayer thanking God for the wonderful woman He has given to you and the promising life you two will have...

...But that day you find out that she is pregnant.

Everything stops. You feel crushed, cheated, betrayed, sad, confused... all your emotions are swirling. How could this virtuous woman -- this woman you loved and trusted -- be carrying another man's child?

St. Joseph had such strength. Many men in this situation would be uncontrollably furious and would willingly expose the woman and get their revenge. Not St. Joseph. He had no idea that this woman and her child were very special indeed but still spared them death; he planned to silently and respectfully divorce Mary.

Of course, his simple plan was not what God had in mind. He told Joseph not to divorce Mary but bring her into his home. And with incredible trust, St. Joseph did just that.

Silent, strong, humble and trusting St. Joseph, please pray for us.

O Sacred Head, Surrounded

Beautiful lyrics, beautiful melody -- this is my favorite Lenten hymn. (Original lyrics by St. Bernard of Clairvaux.)

O Sacred Head, surrounded

by crown of piercing thorn!

O bleeding Head, so wounded,

reviled and put to scorn!
Our sins have marred the glory
of Thy most Holy Face,
yet angel hosts adore Thee
and tremble as they gaze 

I see Thy strength and vigor
all fading in the strife,
and death with cruel rigor,
bereaving Thee of life;
O agony and dying!
O love to sinners free!
Jesus, all grace supplying,
O turn Thy face on me. 

In this Thy bitter passion,

Good Shepherd, think of me

with Thy most sweet compassion,

unworthy though I be:

beneath Thy cross abiding

for ever would I rest,

in Thy dear love confiding,

and with Thy presence blest.

But death too is my ending;

In that dread hour of need,

My friendless cause befriending,

Lord, to my rescue speed:

Thyself, O Jesus, trace me,

Right passage to the grave,

And from Thy cross embrace me,

With arms outstretched to save. 

Breathe, Pray & Hope

Mamma Mary, please pray for me.

 I struggle and I fall so very often. You are my gentle, mighty protectress. Mystical Rose, Queen of Peace and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, please pray for me and for all your dearly beloved children.

Child Jesus, asleep in the manger, please have mercy on me. 

You came down to the midst of poverty -- no possessions, nothing extra, You came so simply. Please work in my heart so that I too may live a life of simplicity where my only goal, my only concern, is to love well and do the Father's will. Have mercy on me, sweet Child.

Silent St. Joseph, please pray for me. 

Help me to live with no concern for my own glory. Pray that I may selflessly serve my Lord as you did. Strong St. Joseph, please pray for me that I may trust God with my whole being and surrender, abandoning myself to love.

All holy men and women, 

please pray for the conversion of souls and a great increase in purity.

Breathe in, breathe out. 

Try your hardest.

God is in command.