HOLY SILENCE

We all know that sickness, confusion, and difficulty are a part of life. These are just a few of the reasons why we pray. But don't forget that thanking God is as important as asking God for help. Since He willingly and abundantly loves us, shows mercy toward us, and invites us ever closer to Him in the luminous darkness; let us take time to offer our deep and abiding gratitude. - The following is a vocal prayer that you can use after a time of trouble: "Almighty and merciful

In this time of great upheaval, confusion, doubt, and fear, ask Archangel Michael not only to protect you and your family, but also the Church, bishops, priests, all laity, and the nations in which we live. While this is a clear example of a vocal prayer, the highlighted portions can become for you a reflection that acts as an entry point for more serious and ongoing silent meditative prayer. "O great and holy Michael, Archangel of God, standing at the head of the angels befo

Where your eyes are focused, your mind is trained to see; and surely your heart is fixed to follow. What do you look at every day? Your desk at work? The work boots you wear? Is it an empty wallet? A full one? Do you stare at people passing by? How about the Internet? Or, television? Our Father in Heaven lit a lamp by giving us commandments. Christ shined His light on life's path by giving us sacraments. The Spirit stokes the fires of our hearts by wounding us with an eternal

All of us get tired and frustrated. It is in those moments of fatigue that we resort to our sins, losing our zeal for God and the desire to do His will. That's when we need to be able to rely on a set of principles that will sustain and renew us in our love and pursuit of the One who creates, redeems, and sanctifies. "All rules should be directed towards the following primary practice: to preserve the inner spirit of life, fervency and zeal. Do such practices or exercises as

You will notice when the Spirit has sparked a fire within you. Do everything you can to protect that light and warmth. Far too often we let down our guard, allowing the world and the Evil One to pull us back from God and all that is eternal toward that which is temporary and meaningless. "The seed of life has been planted - guard it with everything you have. Otherwise you have nothing to which you can apply your labors, and nothing with which to carry them. You have received

We must work to pray and to remember Christ so deeply in our hearts and minds that we experience Him dwelling in us, literally. This takes great effort, of course, but it is a necessary facet of the journey toward spending eternity with God. The beautiful part of this work is that the Holy Spirit will give us signs along the way that will lift us up and keep us going. "Once remembrance of God has been established in the inner man, then Christ the Lord will dwell within you. T

To truly help others - to intercede for them - one must love. To truly love - to sacrifice for them - one must know God. To know God - to understand His will - one must reach for Christ. To reach for Christ - to go beyond the self - one must contemplate Him. To contemplate Christ - to reside in Him - one must let go. To let go - to enter the Divine cloud - one must trust. To trust - to be bathed in the luminous darkness - one must be sanctified. To be sanctified in the Holy S

"The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). To be born from above means we must let down our barriers and allow the Father to continue the creating that He began in us long before our parents knew each other. To be born from above means we must let go our of our sins and allow the Son to continue the redeeming and recapitulating in us tha

"Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify (3x). Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. And Thy holy Resurrection we glorify. Before Thy Cross we bow down in worship, O Master, and Thy holy Resurrection we glorify." - Hymn from the Elevation of the Holy Cross #Cross #Crucifixion #Father #Son #HolySpirit #HolyTrinity #Resurrection #Worship #MeditativePrayer #

"Of course, every good deed done for Christ's sake gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives us this grace most of all, for it is always at hand, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit. For instance, you would like to go to church, but there is no church or the service is over; you would like to preserve your virginity, but you have not the strength to do so because of your temperament, or because of the violence of the wiles of the enemy which b

When people meet you, do they see a profession; a social status; a nationality; an income bracket; an age; an education? Or, do they encounter God? While it may not seem fair to be evaluated by what we look like, how we sound, where we're going, or who we hang out with, the truth is that our countenance says so much more about who we really are than what we think we portray. That is why it is important to look deep inside to understand who or what is in us that gets reflected

Everyone asks questions of God all the time. Why am I here? What is my purpose? Are you there? Are you listening? Can you help me? Please, will you help me out of this problem? Please, I'm begging you, can you help me? Why is he/she/they doing this to me? Where am I going? Why do I do these things? No matter your question, part of God's answer will always be that you simplify your life. Think about it. How many problems in your life come from the overcomplicated, overwrought

The Sacrament of Confession is a necessary and beautiful part of a contemplative life. It forces us to reflect on ourselves, and our relationship with God and others. More specifically, it gives us the opportunity to encounter God out loud, forcing us out of our desire to lie to ourselves, and helping us more clearly participate in the forgiveness we need in order to draw closer to Him who desires our sanctification. While many people throughout history have disagreed with th

The Transfiguration of Jesus can be found in Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36, John 1:14, and 2 Peter 1:16–18. In these accounts, Jesus and three of his apostles, Peter, James, and John, go to Mt. Tabor. There Jesus radiates light, revealing His divinity, while Moses (the lawgiver) and Elijah (the prophet) appear on either side of Him. Then, "... a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice tha

Planning. Contriving. Scheming. This is what we do. Going before God in silence will break us of these habits. He will help us to know ourselves as sinners. He will help us to know His saving grace. He will fill us with a love that radiates before others as hope. #God #Sin #Sinner #Repentance #JesusChrist #HolySpirit #continualprayer #luminousdarkness

On bended knee, With bowed head, and Drenched with tears, I cry out O Lord For your forgiveness. Remove from me All that is not you. In love, With faith, and Filled with hope, I reach out O Lord For your embrace. Fill me With your Spirit. #Lord #HolySpirit #JesusChrist #Faith #Hope #Love #Suffering #Sin #Sinner #Repentance

Do not lose heart dear ones, we are all weak! If we seek comfort and courage in the Lord and in each other, we can work through the frailties of the human mind, body, and spirit. This might help you get started. The following reflection explains how and why we drift from God. It also talks of the strength we need to move beyond the difficult times. If you read this slowly and clearly, and give yourself some quiet time to think, it can lead you into a better understanding of y

Look for places to reflect. Make time to breathe. In the silence, you will re-discover the Holy Spirit who loves and protects. In the stillness, you will encounter the Christ who forgives and loves. Ask God in. Carry Him with you. Don't ever let go. #Reflection #silence #Stillness #Spiration #HolySpirit #JesusChrist #Love #Peace #HolyTrinity #God

It seems like we shouldn't need reminders to thank God for all He has given to us, but because we're so often focused on ourselves, it bears repeating from time-to-time. The truth is, more often than not, we have so much more to be thankful for than our daily prayers would seem to indicate. So, take some time today to thank God. Thank Him for life, love, faith, work, nature, and anything else you can think of to show your appreciation for all that He has created. To help you

For some, it seems odd that we should pray for the dead. "After all," they say, "the Lord will take care of them one way or another." But this just doesn't make any sense. At a higher level, if we take at all seriously Christ's prayer "that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:21) - then we can reasonably assume that God has made it possible for us to remain contin