The "Littleness" of God

I cannot fear a God who made himself so little for me!  

I love him!  Indeed, he is nothing but love and mercy.

-- St. Therese of the Child Jesus, LT #266

Mary Christmas...

A friend had this picture on Facebook. I stole it, and reproduced it here.  Love the message. 

There is also this wonderful history of male saints taking the name of "Mary":

• St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
• St. Anthony Mary Claret
• St. Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort

There are probably others...

The Art of The Game...

Now realize that anyone who doesn't know how to set up the pieces for a game of chess won't know how to play well...

And oh, how permissible this kind of game will be for us; and how quickly, if we play it often, will we checkmate this divine King, who will not be able to escape, nor will he want to. . .

The queen is the piece that can carry on the best battle in this game, and all the other pieces help.  There's no queen like humility for making the King surrender.

Humility drew the King from heaven to the womb of the Virgin, and with it, by one hair, we will draw him to our souls.

-- St. Teresa of Avila, Way of Perfection, Ch. 16

St. Raphael

 

A Carmelite friend recently gave me this holy card of St. Kalinowski.

(Looks to be foreign in origin).

Will need to read up on his life and writings...

 

Constant Prayer...

Get Up And Eat...

"Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!"   (1 Kings, 19:7)

Forgotten And Way, Way Overdue...

Must have forgotten about this one (even though it's famous).
This one is way, way overdue.  Can't possibly do without it.   Sorry I missed you, Lord!

Llena Eres de Gracia...

 

 

Dios te salve, Maria. Llena eres de gracia: El Señor es contigo.

Prayer to the Virgin

In seeing You so pure, so tender, and so compassionate, who would not be encouraged to unburden his intimate sufferings to you?

Who would not ask you to be his star on this stormy sea?  Who is there who would not cry in your arms without instantly receiving your immaculate kisses of love and comfort? If he be a sinner, your caresses will soften him.  If one of your devoted ones, your presence would enkindle the living flame of divine love.

If he be poor, you with your powerful hand will aid him and show him his true homeland.
If rich, you will sustain him with your breath against the dangers of his very agitated life.  If one is in affliction, you with your tearful gaze will show him the cross and on it your Divine Son.

Who will not find balm for his pains by considering the torments of Jesus and Mary? The sick man finds in your maternal heart the water of salvation that allows your enchanting smile to blossom forth, and makes him smile with love and happiness.

-- St. Teresa of the Andes

It Is Not For You To Know...

It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth...

--Acts 1:7,8

 

 

I Have Great Doubts...

 

The Need for Important Things...

It is not necessary to have important things to do.  I flip my little omelet in the frying pan for the love of God, and when it's done, if I have nothing to do, I prostrate myself on the floor and adore my God who gave me the grace to do it, after which I get up happier than a king.

-- The Ways of Br. Lawrence, #10

Mariam's Prayer...

Holy Spirit, inspire me.

Love of God, consume me.

To the right path lead me.

Mary my mother, look down upon me.

With Jesus, bless me.

From all evil, all illusion, all danger, preserve me.

 

-- St. Mariam of Jesus Crucified, 1869 

 

 

The Natural Vocation of Woman...

The image of the Mother of God shows us clearly which attitudes of the soul of the woman correspond to her natural vocation. 

In relation to man: obedience, confidence and participation in his life which favors his objective duties and the development of his personality; in relation to the babe: faithful protection, care, and development of the talents bestowed on him by God; and for both one and the other: complete gift of self and promptness in withdrawing into silence when she is not needed.

-- St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Essays on Woman #55
 

 

No Words Necessary....

 

 

Epiphany Sunday

 

Saw this little picture on a church bulletin -- it was Epiphany Sunday.

 

From Wikipedia:

Epiphany (/ɪˈpɪfəni/ i-PIFF-ə-nee), also Theophany, Little Christmas, or Three Kings' Day, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ. In Western Christianity, the feast commemorates principally (but not solely) the visit of the Magi to the Christ child, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles.