cathollc spirituality

IP#69 Conor Grennan – Little Princes on Inside the Pages

“Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal is  ultimately about an ordinary man who’s heart was opened with extraordinary love. Conor Grennan is an author, and now, humanitarian who chronicles the harrowing, touching, and compelling story of the children of Nepal. ”  A true story of  corruption, child trafficking and civil war in a far away land-and one man’s extraordinary quest to reunite lost children with their parents.  It was a joy to have the opportunity to talk with Conor and to get the word out about Next Generation Nepal the organization established to help the people of Nepal.

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For more information on the book and “Next Generation Nepal”, visit www.NextGenerationNepal.org

A portion of the proceeds from “Little Princes” is given tothe work of saving and aiding the children of Nepal.

IP#68 Sarah Ban Breathnach – Peace and Plenty on Inside the Pages

From prosperity to destitution to peace, Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of the genre-defining book “Simple Abundance” which spent over a year at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has sold nearly 5 million copies to date, has quite the story to tell. Sarah is truly a lovely woman who has had the courage to step forward to share her story of struggle in financial crisis and her “peace” and “serenity” found in God.  In “Peace and Plenty: Finding Your Path to Financial Serenity” shares what she has learned on her journey with reassurance and deep comfort throughout.

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To learn more about this work visit Sarah’s website
“Simple Abundance”

The Second Meditation – Introduction to the Devout Life: Chapter 10 by St. Francis de Sales audio mp3 edition – Discerning Hearts

Introduction to the Devout Life
By
St. Francis de Sales

read by Omar F. A. Guiterrez

Chapter 10 – The Second Meditation :  

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For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

Other audio meditations from the Introduction of the Devout Life

Of the End for which we were Created.

Preparation.
1. PLACE yourself before God.
2. Ask Him to inspire your heart.
Considerations.
1. God did not bring you into the world because He had any need of you, useless as you are; but solely that He might show forth His Goodness in you, giving you His Grace and Glory. And to this end He gave you understanding that you might know Him, memory that you might think of Him, a will that you might love Him, imagination that you might realise His mercies, sight that you might behold the marvels of His works, speech that you might praise Him, and so on with all your other faculties.
2. Being created and placed in the world for this intent, all contrary actions should be shunned and rejected, as also you should avoid as idle and superfluous whatever does not promote it.
3. Consider how unhappy they are who do not think of all this,—who live as though they were created only to build and plant, to heap up riches and amuse themselves with trifles.
Affections and Resolutions.
1. Humble yourself in that hitherto you have so little thought upon all this. Alas, my God, of what was I thinking when I did not think of Thee? what did I remember when I forgot Thee? what did I love when I loved Thee not? Alas, when I ought to have been feeding on the truth, I was but filling myself with vanity, and serving the world, which was made to serve me.
2. Abhor your past life. I renounce ye, O vain thoughts and useless cogitations, frivolous and hateful memories: I renounce all worthless friendships, all unprofitable efforts, and miserably ungrateful self-indulgence, all pitiful compliances.
3. Turn to God. Thou, my God and Saviour shalt henceforth be the sole object of my thoughts; no more will I give my mind to ideas which are displeasing to Thee. All the days of my life I will dwell upon the greatness of Thy Goodness, so lovingly poured out upon me. Thou shalt be henceforth the delight of my heart, the resting-place of all my affections. From this time forth I will forsake and abhor the vain pleasures and amusements, the empty pursuits which have absorbed my time;—the unprofitable ties which have bound my heart I will loosen henceforth, and to that end I will use such and such remedies.
Conclusion.
1. Thank God, Who has made you for so gracious an end. Thou hast made me, O Lord, for Thyself, that I may eternally enjoy the immensity of Thy Glory; when shall I be worthy thereof, when shall I know how to bless Thee as I ought?
2. Offer. O Dearest Lord, I offer Thee all my affections and resolutions, with my whole heart and soul.
3. Pray. I entreat Thee, O God, that Thou wouldest accept my desires and longings, and give Thy Blessing to my soul, to enable me to fulfil them, through the Merits of Thy Dear Son’s Precious Blood shed upon the Cross for me.
OUR FATHER, etc. Gather your little spiritual bouquet.

The Third Meditation – Introduction to the Devout Life: Chapter 11 by St. Francis de Sales audio mp3 edition – Discerning Hearts

Introduction to the Devout Life
By
St. Francis de Sales

read by Omar F. A. Guiterrez

Chapter 11 – The Third Meditation :  

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For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

Other audio meditations from the Introduction of the Devout Life

Of the Gifts of God

Preparation.
1. PLACE yourself in the Presence of God.
2. Ask Him to inspire your heart.
Considerations.
1. Consider the material gifts God has given you—your body, and the means for its preservation; your health, and all that maintains it; your friends and many helps. Consider too how many persons more deserving than you are without these gifts; some suffering in health or limb, others exposed to injury, contempt and trouble, or sunk in poverty, while God has willed you to be better off.
2. Consider the mental gifts He has given you. Why are you not stupid, idiotic, insane like many you wot of? Again, God has favoured you with a decent and suitable education, while many have grown up in utter ignorance.
3. Further, consider His spiritual gifts. You are a child of His Church, God has taught you to know Himself from your youth. How often has He given you His Sacraments? what inspirations and interior light, what reproofs, He has given to lead you aright; how often He has forgiven you, how often delivered you from occasions of falling; what opportunities He has granted for your soul’s progress! Dwell somewhat on the detail, see how Loving and Gracious God has been to you.
Affections and Resolutions.
1. Marvel at God’s Goodness. How good He has been to me, how abundant in mercy and plenteous in loving-kindness! O my soul, be thou ever telling of the great things the Lord has done for thee!
2. Marvel at your own ingratitude. What am I, Lord, that Thou rememberest me? How unworthy am I! I have trodden Thy Mercies under root, I have abused Thy Grace, turning it against Thy very Self; I have set the depth of my ingratitude against the deep of Thy Grace and Favour.
3. Kindle your gratitude. O my soul, be no more so faithless and disloyal to thy mighty Benefactor! How should not my whole soul serve the Lord, Who has done such great things in me and for me?
4. Go on, my daughter, to refrain from this or that material indulgence; let your body be wholly the servant of God, Who has done so much for it: set your soul to seek Him by this or that devout practice suitable thereto. Make diligent use of the means provided by the Church to help you to love God and save your soul. Resolve to be constant in prayer and seeking the Sacraments, in hearing God’s Word, and in obeying His inspirations and counsels.
Conclusion.
1. Thank God for the clearer knowledge He has given you of His benefits and your own duty.
2. Offer your heart and all its resolutions to Him.
3. Ask Him to strengthen you to fulfil them faithfully by the Merits of the Death of His Son.
OUR FATHER, etc.
Gather the little spiritual bouquet.

IP#67 Mike Aquilina – The Mass on Inside the Pages

“The Mass:  The Glory, The Mystery, The Tradition” is absolutely fantastic! This is the book so many of us have been waiting for and leave it to Mike Aquilina, along with co-author, his eminence, Cardinal Donald Wuerl to bring  it to us.  Every Catholic household should have a copy of this richly satisfying primer to the great prayer of the Church…The Holy Mass!  Beautiful pictures, historical background, the essential how, what, where, why of every aspect of the mass, this work is neither too “light” nor too “heavy”, but just right to deeply educate us all on the celebration, while encouraging us all to dive deeper into it’s mysteries.  And with changes coming to the Mass in late 2011, now is the time to pick this up!  No excuses…this is a must!

Check out the book here

Also check out more by Mike Aquilina on his Discerning Hearts page

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The Fifth Meditation – Introduction to the Devout Life: Chapter 13 by St. Francis de Sales audio mp3 edition – Discerning Hearts

Introduction to the Devout Life
By
St. Francis de Sales

read by Omar F. A. Guiterrez

Chapter 13 – The Fifth Mediation :  

Download (right click & choose “Save Link As”)

For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

Other audio meditations from the Introduction of the Devout Life


Of Death.

Preparation.

1. PLACE yourself in the Presence of God.
2. Ask His Grace.
3. Suppose yourself to be on you death bed, in the last extremity, without the smallest hope of recovery.

Considerations.

1. Consider the uncertainty as to the day of your death. One day your soul will quit this body—will it be in summer or winter? in town or country? by day or by night? will it be suddenly or with warning? will it be owing to sickness or an accident? will you have time to make your last confession or not? will your confessor or spiritual father be at hand or will he not? Alas, of all these things we know absolutely nothing: all that we do know is that die we shall, and for the most part sooner than we expect.
2. Consider that then the world is at end as far as you are concerned, there will be no more of it for you, it will be altogether overthrown for you, since all pleasures, vanities, worldly joys, empty delights will be as a mere fantastic vision to you. Woe is me, for what mere trifles and unrealities I have ventured to offend my God? Then you will see that what we preferred to Him was nought. But, on the other hand, all devotion and good works will then seem so precious and so sweet:—Why did I not tread that pleasant path? Then what you thought to be little sins will look like huge mountains, and your devotion will seem but a very little thing.
3. Consider the universal farewell which your soul will take of this world. It will say farewell to riches, pleasures, and idle companions; to amusements and pastimes, to friends and neighbours, to husband, wife and child, in short to all creation. And lastly it will say farewell to its own body, which it will leave pale and cold, to become repulsive in decay.
4. Consider how the survivors will hasten to put that body away, and hide it beneath the earth—and then the world will scarce give you another thought, or remember you, any more than you have done to those already gone. “God rest his soul!” men will say, and that is all. O death, how pitiless, how hard thou art!
5. Consider that when it quits the body the soul must go at once to the right hand or the left. To which will your soul go? what side will it take? none other, be sure, than that to which it had voluntarily drawn while yet in this world.

Affections and Resolutions.

1. Pray to God, and throw yourself into His Arms. O Lord, be Thou my stay in that day of anguish! May that hour be blessed and favourable to me, if all the rest of my life be full of sadness and trial.
2. Despise the world. Forasmuch as I know not the hour in which I must quit the world, I will not grow fond of it. O dear friends, beloved ones of my heart, be content that I cleave to you only with a holy friendship which may last for ever; why should I cling to you with a tie which must needs be broken? I will prepare for the hour of death and take every precaution for its peaceful arrival; I will thoroughly examine into the state of my conscience, and put in order whatever is wanting.

Conclusion.

Thank God for inspiring you with these resolutions: offer them to His Majesty: intreat Him anew to grant you a happy death by the Merits of His Dear Son’s Death. Ask the prayers of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints.

OUR FATHER, etc.
Gather a bouquet of myrrh.

The Sixth Meditation – Introduction to the Devout Life: Chapter 14 by St. Francis de Sales audio mp3 edition – Discerning Hearts

Introduction to the Devout Life
By
St. Francis de Sales

read by Omar F. A. Guiterrez

Chapter 14 – The Sixth Mediation :  

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Download (right click & choose “Save Link As”)

For the pdf containing the complete text and footnotes click here

Other audio meditations from the Introduction of the Devout Life

On Judgment.

Preparation.
1. PLACE yourself in the Presence of God.
2. Intreat Him to inspire you.

Considerations.
1. When the time comes which God has appointed for the end of this world, and after many terrible signs and warnings, which will overwhelm men with fear,—the whole earth will be destroyed, and nothing then left.
2. Afterwards, all men, save those already risen, shall rise from the dead, and at the voice of the Archangel appear in the valley of Jehoshaphat. But alas, with what divers aspects! for some will be glorious and shining, others horrible and ghastly.
3. Consider the majesty with which the Sovereign Judge will appear surrounded by all His Saints and Angels; His Cross, the Sign of Grace to the good and of terror to the evil, shining brighter than the sun.
4. This Sovereign Judge will with His awful word, instantly fulfilled, separate the evil and the good, setting the one on His Right Hand, the other on His Left—an eternal separation, for they will never meet again.
5. This separation made, the books of conscience will be opened, and all men will behold the malice of the wicked, and how they have contemned God; as also the penitence of the good, and the results of the grace they received. Nothing will be hid. O my God, what confusion to the one, what rejoicing to the other! Consider the final sentence of the wicked. “Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” Dwell upon these awful words. “Go,” He says—for ever discarding these wretched sinners, banishing them for ever from His Presence.  He calls them “cursed:” O my soul, what a curse: a curse involving all other maledictions, all possible evil, an irrevocable curse, including all time and eternity; condemning them to everlasting fire. Think what that eternity of suffering implies.
6. Then consider the sentence of the good. “Come,” the Judge says—O blessed loving word with which God draws us to Himself and receives us in His Bosom. “Blessed of My Father”—O blessing above all blessings! “inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world.” O my God, and that Kingdom will know no end!

Affections and Resolutions.
1. Tremble, my soul, at the thought. O God, who will be my stay in that hour when the pillars of the earth are shaken?
2. Abhor your sins, which alone can cause you to be lost when that fearful day comes. Surely I will judge myself now, that I be not judged;—I will examine my conscience, accuse, condemn, punish myself, that the Judge may not condemn me  then. I will confess my faults, and follow the counsels given me.
Conclusion.
Thank God for having given you means of safety in that terrible Day, and time for repentance.
Offer Him your heart, and ask for grace to use it well.

OUR FATHER, etc.
Gather a bouquet of myrrh.

IP#66 Sr. Briege McKenna – The Power of the Sacraments part 3 on Inside the Pages

Part 3 of 3…Sr. Briege McKenna O.S.C. is a tremendous blessing for all of us in the Church! “The Power of the Sacraments” is a beautiful work which helps us all to appreciate the gift of grace that flows through the sacraments. There is such a hunger in the hearts of God’s children today for healing and peace. Sr. Briege, in her beautiful maternal nurturing way, helps us to see that the answer is right in front of us reaching out to us right now…he is Jesus Christ. “Miracles Do Happen” is her beautiful book recounting her miraculous healing and her call to mission to the world. It also expresses her great love and concern for the priesthood. Her insights are tremendous…her love for Christ and her bride, the Church, is a glorious witness and light for today’s world. She is truly one of the most inspiring persons I have ever encountered!

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Click here to be taken to Sr. Briege’s website “St. Clare Sisters Retreat Ministry”

You can find both of Sr. Briege McKenna’s books here

For more information:

St. Clare Sisters Retreat Ministry
P.O. Box 1559
Palm Harbor, FL 34682, U.S.A.

Office: #727-786-3821
Fax: #727-787-3741
Prayerline: #727-781-5906
www.sisterbriege.com

prayer@sisterbriege.com
info@sisterbriege.com

For more Sister Briege on Inside the Pages:

IP#64 Sr. Briege McKenna – The Power of the Sacraments part 1 on Inside the Pages

IP#65 Sr. Briege McKenna – The Power of the Sacraments part 2 on Inside the Pages

IP#56 Fr. Robert Spitzer – 5 Pillars of the Spiritual Life on Inside the Pages

Fr.-Robert-Spitzer-3Fr. Robert Spitzer is fantastic and his gift to us in this work is tremendous for those seeking to grow deeper in the spiritual life. These five dimensions of the spiritual life: (1) the Holy Eucharist, (2) spontaneous prayer, (3) the Beatitudes, (4) partnership with the Holy Spirit, and (5) the contemplative life itself, generally do not develop simultaneously or even in parallel ways. Some develop very quickly, but do not achieve significant depth; while others develop quite slowly, but seem to be almost unending in the depth of wisdom, trust, hope, virtue, and love they engender. The best way of explaining this is to look at each of the pillars individually.

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5-Pillars

This is where you can find the book

St. Sebastian, the Solider Saint

St. Sebastian was a captain of the guard in the Roman military. When the Emperor Diocletian turned on the Christians and began what would be called the “Great Persecution”, Sebastian refused to harm the followers of Christ.

During Diocletian’s persecution of the Christians, Sebastian visited them in prison, bringing supplies and comfort. Reported to have healed the wife of a brother soldier by making the Sign of the Cross over her.  He converted soldiers and a governor to Christianity. Diocletian reproached Sebastian for his supposed betrayal, and he commanded him to be led to the field and there to be bounden to a stake to be shot at. “And the archers shot at him till he was as full of arrows as an urchin,” leaving him there for dead. Miraculously, the arrows did not kill him. The widow of Castulus, Irene of Rome (later St. Irene), went to retrieve his body to bury it, and found he was still alive. She brought him back to her house and nursed him back to health. The other residents of the house doubted he was a Christian. One of those was a girl who was blind. Sebastian asked her “Do you wish to be with God?”, and made the sign of the Cross on her head. “Yes”, she replied, and immediately regained her sight. Sebastian then stood on a step and harangued Diocletian as he passed by; the emperor had him beaten to death and his body thrown in a privy. But in an apparition Sebastian told a Christian widow where they might find his body undefiled and bury it “at the catacombs by the apostles.”

Because Sebastian had been thought to have been killed by the arrows, and yet was not, and then later was killed by the same emperor who had ordered him shot, he is sometimes known as the saint who was martyred twice. – wiki