Lord, Work in Us

I am the vine, you are the branches: 

He that stays in me, and I in him, 

the same brings forth much fruit: 

for without me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

Let us ask our Lord to work in us and through us, and let us do our utmost to draw Him down into our hearts, for He Himself has said: "Without Me you can do nothing" (St. Madeleine Sophie Barat).

Said Well

And the angel came in unto her, and said, 

Hail, [thou that art] highly favoured, 

the Lord [is] with thee: 

blessed [art] thou among women.

Luke 1:28

When the Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious than any other prayer (St. Louis de Montfort).

SAINT ROSE OF LIMA

DIVINE GRACE

If only mortals would learn how great it is to possess divine grace, how beautiful, how noble, how precious. How many riches it hides within itself, how many joys and delights! No one would complain about his cross or about troubles that may happen to him, if he would come to know the scales on which they are weighed when they are distributed to men (St. Rose of Lima).

And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. (Romans 11:6)

Desire for Truth

"If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him" (John 12:26).

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; 

no one comes to the Father 

but through Me."

John 14:6

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep" (John 21:17).


Reflection

If you love me, follow me. "I do love you," you protest, "but how do I follow you?" If the Lord your God said to you: "I am the truth and the life, I laid down certain conditions for obtaining my promises. Have you fulfilled them?" If you say: "What did you command, Lord our God?" he will tell you: "I commanded you to follow me.". In your desire for truth, in your love for life, you would certainly ask him to show you the way to reach them. You would say to yourself: "Truth is a great reality, life is a great reality; if only it were possible for my soul to find them!" -- St. Augustine


Prayer

I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which you have showed to your servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands (Genesis 32:10).

The living, the living, he shall praise you, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known your truth (Isaiah 38:19).

God Alone

My soul waits calmly for God alone. My salvation comes from him (Psalm 62:1).

So the LORD alone did lead him, 

and there was no strange god with him.
Deuteronomy 32:12

Reflection

Live in the world as if only God and your soul were alone in it. Then your heart will never be made captive by anything earthly thing (St. John of the Cross).

Prayer

O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, that dwell between the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth: you have made heaven and earth (Isaiah 37:16). For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God (Psalm 86:10).

Now, O LORD our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O LORD, are God (2 Kings 19:19).

All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).

How to bear Good Fruit

Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit (Matthew 7:17). Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 12:33). Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them (Matthew 7:20).

Remain in me, and I will remain in you.
No branch can bear fruit by itself;
it must remain in the vine.
Neither can you bear fruit
unless you remain in me.
John 15:4

No man [truly] making a profession of faith sinneth; nor does he that possesses love hate any one. The tree is made manifest by its fruit; so those that profess themselves to be Christians shall be recognized by their conduct. For there is not now a demand for mere profession, but that a man be found continuing in the power of faith to the end (St. Ignatius).

LOVE GOD

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, 

who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

To love God as He ought to be loved, we must be detached from all temporal love. We must love nothing but Him, or if we love anything else, we must love it only for His sake.

Thanks be to God!

The reward of humility 
and the fear of the LORD 

Are riches, honor and life.

Proverbs 22:4

In prosperity, give thanks to God with humility and fear lest by pride you abuse God's benefits and so offend him (St. Louis IX).

Life of Prayer

The air which we breathe, the bread which we eat, the heart which throbs in our bosoms, are not more necessary for man that he may live as a human being, than is prayer for the Christian that he may live as a Christian. -- St. John Eudes



Entries: 11/1/10-7:00AM

The Will

Remember, that the devil has only one door by which to enter the soul: the will. There are secret or hidden doors. Temptations, discouragement, and unrest are the wares offered by the enemy. Remember this: if the devil makes noise, it is a sign that he is still outside and not yet within. That which must terrify us is his peace and concord within the human soul

-- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina

The Work of Redemption

For it is in the liturgy, especially in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, that "the work of our redemption is accomplished," and it is through the liturgy especially that the faithful are enabled to express in their lives and manifest to others the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church.

-- Sacrosanctum concilium

Consuming Power of Love

Under the influence of fear, we bear the Cross of Christ with patience. Under the more inspiring influence of home, we carry the Cross with a firm and valiant heart. But under the consuming power of love, we embrace the Cross with ardor.

-- St Bernard

LET US BE FRIENDS

My Jesus, how good it is to love you! Let me be like your disciples on Mount Tabor, seeing nothing else but you, my Savior. Let us be as two friends, neither of whom can bear to offend the other. Amen.

-- St. John Vianney