Today, just some scattered things that are beautiful and that speak to my heart:
~Pope Francis' August 11th Angelus address (for now, this is just an article about it. No English translation of the full thing yet... it usually takes a couple days to come out. But still, please read!).
~Some Fulton Sheen quotes from On Being Human:
"...He who made the heavens and lived for mankind spoke His tenderest love when His audience was one listener."
"...powerful enough to control the collective planets of the universe, and yet careful not to neglect the burden that weighed on a single heart."
"Everyone else is too weak to heal a broken heart. He alone can do it Who counts the stars."
"Those who have hope are like a boy with a kite. The kite may conceivably be so high in the clouds that it cannot be seen, but he who holds the string feels the tug of it."
~Two new songs by Audrey Assad. Her album isn't officially out until tomorrow, so no YouTube links to the actual music yet. But, lyrics:
You Speak
You liberate me
From my own noise and my own chaos
From the chains of a lesser love
You set me free
In the silence of the heart, You speak
In the silence of the heart, You speak
And it is there that I will know You
And You will know me
In the silence of the heart You speak
You speak
You satisfy me
'Til I am quiet and confident
In the work of the Spirit I cannot see
In the silence of the heart You speak
I Shall Not Want
From the love of my own comfort
From the fear of having nothing
From a life of worldly passions
Deliver me, O God
From the need to be understood
From the need to be accepted
From the fear of being lonely
Deliver me, O God
Deliver me, O God
And I shall not want
Oh, I shall not want
When I taste your goodness, I shall not want
When I taste your goodness, I shall not want
From the fear of serving others
From the fear of death or trial
From the fear of humility
Deliver me, O God
Deliver me, O God
And I shall not want...
Happy Monday, everybody!
Showing posts with label Fulton Sheen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fulton Sheen. Show all posts
Monday, August 12, 2013
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Sharesies!
First, some beauty:
Second, if you are struggling with interior peace and happiness at all, I highly recommend Fulton Sheen's Way to Happiness. I only stumbled upon it in our Adoration chapel today, so I'm not finished yet. But I am blown away at Sheen's ability to explain the human heart.
Second, if you are struggling with interior peace and happiness at all, I highly recommend Fulton Sheen's Way to Happiness. I only stumbled upon it in our Adoration chapel today, so I'm not finished yet. But I am blown away at Sheen's ability to explain the human heart.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
The "Waste" of Love
I love to read! Unfortunately, I have this problem: I keep beginning books, reading them partway, and never finishing them! One girl in our youth ministry program has taken it upon herself to hold me accountable and rid me of this tendency (which really is so amusing and endearing to me!). However, she might as well give up, because once you get into the range of "reading" 15+ books at the same time, there is probably no return. (On the other hand, no one is a lost cause in Christ, so perhaps there is hope for me still.)
Yet obviously I'm not actually reading them all simultaneously (although that would be a funny sight!). I'm just reading halves and quarters and three-quarters of various books, then getting distracted by other books. At the moment though, I'm quite proud of myself! I'm focusing on two books right now, and the payoff has been enormous. They're rocking my socks - actually, they're rocking my soul.
The first is the Fr. Michael Gaitley book on the Trinity that I keep referencing. The other one is about my favorite saint of all time:
Reading this one has been a long time coming - basically, since I found out that it was published (as I say this, though, I'm consulting the front of the book. It says copyright 2012... it must just feel like a long time, when there's a book out there about your favorite saint from one of your favorite writers that you haven't read yet!).
Sometimes, I can get to the point of thinking that no one is going to have a fresh insight on Therese; since everyone seems to love her and relate to her so much, there are a plethora of books on her. Then you've got to sift through the authors who really do know her life, her spirituality, her writings, etc., versus the people who think they get her, but totally miss the mark (it usually comes in the form of trying to push their own agendas onto her, such as, "she had a repressed desire to be a priest - oh what a sexist, sexist Church!"). However, I knew that it would be different with Sheen! So when I saw a paperback version in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception bookstore in D.C. a couple of weeks ago, I had to snatch it up! My entire "justification" for buying it is that I've only seen it in hardcover so far, which is more expensive (just roll with it...).
As a total and complete side note, you know that you have a fabulous spiritual friend when you both go into said bookstore, buy 4-5 books each, can't wait to show each other... and 3 of them are the exact same books. Two of which, of course, are this St. Therese book and the Fr. Gaitley book (and the third being a Scriptural rosary book). Win!
At any rate, back to business! The way that Fulton Sheen puts things - anything, really - is so wonderful and good for my soul! That's an understatement, really (if you need convincing, I can refer you to a Sheen-loving friend of mine). And with this book, it's no different. You really should just read it for yourself; but just for fun, here are a couple of things he said that particularly spoke to me during my holy hour tonight:
"After all, the reason we are tired in body is because we are already tired in mind. We have no love. The fires have gone out. We are cinders, burnt out cinders floating in the immensity of space and time. And here is a young girl. It is almost as if she is locked up in a gilded cage, absolutely straining at the leash in order to become a missionary. Why? Simply because she loved!"
Also:
"You'll fall in love. Then you'll discipline yourself. Then you'll be full of zeal. Then when the Lord's work is to be done, you'll do it. And when we're not in love, we're tired, and we're exhausted. Because she was full of love, the particular action that appealed to her was that of the soldier and the missionary. This is the new vision of sanctity. It needs to be revived in our day."
How true!! I think about the times that I am most exhausted - in a negative sense, the sense of being burned out - and I realize how little I am praying, how little I am loving! On the other hand, we have the saints. They spend themselves totally for God's sake, pour themselves out for Him - yet they want more!
"You read this book to receive strength, but then when you have received it, you'll have to spend it. As you waste your life, then you'll become richer and richer in the Kingdom of God."
Which reminds me... less than one week until Lent! It's a good time to start thinking and praying about what God wants you to do during this time, if you haven't already (personally, I'm a slacker/procrastinator, so I can always use a reminder, myself!).
At any rate, I hear St. Therese and Fulton Sheen calling to me: pray! "Waste" your time with Jesus, and you won't feel so exhausted. And spend yourself in service to others. "Waste" your time on them, for no reason other than love!
The antidote to burning out? It's the beautiful "waste" of love.
Yet obviously I'm not actually reading them all simultaneously (although that would be a funny sight!). I'm just reading halves and quarters and three-quarters of various books, then getting distracted by other books. At the moment though, I'm quite proud of myself! I'm focusing on two books right now, and the payoff has been enormous. They're rocking my socks - actually, they're rocking my soul.
The first is the Fr. Michael Gaitley book on the Trinity that I keep referencing. The other one is about my favorite saint of all time:
Reading this one has been a long time coming - basically, since I found out that it was published (as I say this, though, I'm consulting the front of the book. It says copyright 2012... it must just feel like a long time, when there's a book out there about your favorite saint from one of your favorite writers that you haven't read yet!).
Sometimes, I can get to the point of thinking that no one is going to have a fresh insight on Therese; since everyone seems to love her and relate to her so much, there are a plethora of books on her. Then you've got to sift through the authors who really do know her life, her spirituality, her writings, etc., versus the people who think they get her, but totally miss the mark (it usually comes in the form of trying to push their own agendas onto her, such as, "she had a repressed desire to be a priest - oh what a sexist, sexist Church!"). However, I knew that it would be different with Sheen! So when I saw a paperback version in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception bookstore in D.C. a couple of weeks ago, I had to snatch it up! My entire "justification" for buying it is that I've only seen it in hardcover so far, which is more expensive (just roll with it...).
As a total and complete side note, you know that you have a fabulous spiritual friend when you both go into said bookstore, buy 4-5 books each, can't wait to show each other... and 3 of them are the exact same books. Two of which, of course, are this St. Therese book and the Fr. Gaitley book (and the third being a Scriptural rosary book). Win!
At any rate, back to business! The way that Fulton Sheen puts things - anything, really - is so wonderful and good for my soul! That's an understatement, really (if you need convincing, I can refer you to a Sheen-loving friend of mine). And with this book, it's no different. You really should just read it for yourself; but just for fun, here are a couple of things he said that particularly spoke to me during my holy hour tonight:
"After all, the reason we are tired in body is because we are already tired in mind. We have no love. The fires have gone out. We are cinders, burnt out cinders floating in the immensity of space and time. And here is a young girl. It is almost as if she is locked up in a gilded cage, absolutely straining at the leash in order to become a missionary. Why? Simply because she loved!"
Also:
"You'll fall in love. Then you'll discipline yourself. Then you'll be full of zeal. Then when the Lord's work is to be done, you'll do it. And when we're not in love, we're tired, and we're exhausted. Because she was full of love, the particular action that appealed to her was that of the soldier and the missionary. This is the new vision of sanctity. It needs to be revived in our day."
How true!! I think about the times that I am most exhausted - in a negative sense, the sense of being burned out - and I realize how little I am praying, how little I am loving! On the other hand, we have the saints. They spend themselves totally for God's sake, pour themselves out for Him - yet they want more!
"You read this book to receive strength, but then when you have received it, you'll have to spend it. As you waste your life, then you'll become richer and richer in the Kingdom of God."
Which reminds me... less than one week until Lent! It's a good time to start thinking and praying about what God wants you to do during this time, if you haven't already (personally, I'm a slacker/procrastinator, so I can always use a reminder, myself!).
At any rate, I hear St. Therese and Fulton Sheen calling to me: pray! "Waste" your time with Jesus, and you won't feel so exhausted. And spend yourself in service to others. "Waste" your time on them, for no reason other than love!
The antidote to burning out? It's the beautiful "waste" of love.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Links I Love + Ven. Fulton Sheen Quote-y Goodness
Happy Tuesday! I think I'm going to take a cue from The Evangelista, and share some gems that I've come across on the webbernets lately (thank you to Fr. Kyle for that fabulous word. Interwebs, too!). Here we go:
This. This times five hundred and ninety-two! As a youth minister, I share similar frustrations... partially because the sorts of comments that he describes always make me somewhat insecure. But also, because I really, truly do want every baptized Christian to realize that they can be a relevant witness, if they love the Lord, love the people they meet and engage the culture in which those people live. I'm not the only person who can relate to youth, just because I'm 23, as if I'm going to expire someday. Thank you, Edmund, for this!
Jenifer Fulwiler has been rocking my socks lately! Last week, I exhorted you to watch her show; now, here it is, for your YouTube viewing pleasure! I was very excited indeed that it was trending on Twitter! Today, I also ran across this article she wrote about the message that dressing up sends to our lackadaisical culture.
My parish recently got Lighthouse Catholic Media, so I've been listening to their talks to try to spread the word! Today I listened to "True Worship" by Fr. Mike Schmitz, and I am in love with it. If I had listened to it earlier, I would have ordered a whole bunch of copies and handed them out as Christmas presents to the teens in my youth group... I still might do that sometime. It's not a freebie, but it's well worth the $2.50 to get the MP3 version online. Listen and share!! You can also find his homilies (for free) here. Praise the Lord for his gift of preachin' the truth! Seriously, it cuts me to the core.
This picture. Memes are kind of starting to get old for me. But this one makes me smile so much! Imagine Dwight saying it, and I guarantee that there is a 97.2% chance that it will make you feel better on a rainy day.
God's providence plays a definite hand in saving a prematurely born baby's life! I'm less than impressed with the UK's "ethical guidelines," but praise the LORD that this little one is alive and with his parents today!
Last but not least, I've been running across some smashing quotes from the Venerable Fulton Sheen over the last couple of days!
"Love that is only giving, ends in exhaustion; love that is only seeking, perishes in its selfishness. Love that is ever seeking to give and is ever defeated by receiving is the shadow of the Trinity on earth, and therefore a foretaste of heaven." (Three to Get Married)
"Each child that is born begins to be a bead in the great rosary of love, binding the parents together in the rosy chains of a sweet slavery of love." (Three to Get Married)
And my current favorite:
"If at all possible, the priest should make his daily Holy Hour before celebrating his Mass. Now that the Church's regulations on the pre-Eucharistic fast have been modified, he will be well-advised to take a cup of coffee before he starts. The average American is physically, biologically, psychologically and neurologically unable to do anything worthwhile before he has a cup of coffee! And that goes for prayer too. Even sisters in convents whose rules were written well before electric percolators were developed would do well to update their procedures. Let them have coffee before meditation." (The Priest is not his Own)
"...physically, biologically, psychologically and neurologically unable..." Gets me every time! I'm still giggling over it... dude, I really wish I could have coffee with Fulton Sheen. That would be the best! Although apparently, he shows up in my friend's dreams and drinks milkshakes with her. #jealous. (Probably shouldn't complain, though, because Cardinal Dolan crashed my dream once! It was pretty fabulous.)
I will leave you with one of my favorite links, the Mass readings of the day. Hopefully, this site isn't new to you. You might need a refresher on who Manoah from Zorah is, though! I did. But in all seriousness, the readings for tomorrow are beautiful, especially considering all of my friends who are currently pregnant, hoping for pregnancy, or taking care of small children. I also love this line from the Psalm 71, especially as a youth minister:
This. This times five hundred and ninety-two! As a youth minister, I share similar frustrations... partially because the sorts of comments that he describes always make me somewhat insecure. But also, because I really, truly do want every baptized Christian to realize that they can be a relevant witness, if they love the Lord, love the people they meet and engage the culture in which those people live. I'm not the only person who can relate to youth, just because I'm 23, as if I'm going to expire someday. Thank you, Edmund, for this!
Jenifer Fulwiler has been rocking my socks lately! Last week, I exhorted you to watch her show; now, here it is, for your YouTube viewing pleasure! I was very excited indeed that it was trending on Twitter! Today, I also ran across this article she wrote about the message that dressing up sends to our lackadaisical culture.
My parish recently got Lighthouse Catholic Media, so I've been listening to their talks to try to spread the word! Today I listened to "True Worship" by Fr. Mike Schmitz, and I am in love with it. If I had listened to it earlier, I would have ordered a whole bunch of copies and handed them out as Christmas presents to the teens in my youth group... I still might do that sometime. It's not a freebie, but it's well worth the $2.50 to get the MP3 version online. Listen and share!! You can also find his homilies (for free) here. Praise the Lord for his gift of preachin' the truth! Seriously, it cuts me to the core.
This picture. Memes are kind of starting to get old for me. But this one makes me smile so much! Imagine Dwight saying it, and I guarantee that there is a 97.2% chance that it will make you feel better on a rainy day.
God's providence plays a definite hand in saving a prematurely born baby's life! I'm less than impressed with the UK's "ethical guidelines," but praise the LORD that this little one is alive and with his parents today!
Last but not least, I've been running across some smashing quotes from the Venerable Fulton Sheen over the last couple of days!
"Love that is only giving, ends in exhaustion; love that is only seeking, perishes in its selfishness. Love that is ever seeking to give and is ever defeated by receiving is the shadow of the Trinity on earth, and therefore a foretaste of heaven." (Three to Get Married)
"Each child that is born begins to be a bead in the great rosary of love, binding the parents together in the rosy chains of a sweet slavery of love." (Three to Get Married)
And my current favorite:
"If at all possible, the priest should make his daily Holy Hour before celebrating his Mass. Now that the Church's regulations on the pre-Eucharistic fast have been modified, he will be well-advised to take a cup of coffee before he starts. The average American is physically, biologically, psychologically and neurologically unable to do anything worthwhile before he has a cup of coffee! And that goes for prayer too. Even sisters in convents whose rules were written well before electric percolators were developed would do well to update their procedures. Let them have coffee before meditation." (The Priest is not his Own)
"...physically, biologically, psychologically and neurologically unable..." Gets me every time! I'm still giggling over it... dude, I really wish I could have coffee with Fulton Sheen. That would be the best! Although apparently, he shows up in my friend's dreams and drinks milkshakes with her. #jealous. (Probably shouldn't complain, though, because Cardinal Dolan crashed my dream once! It was pretty fabulous.)
I will leave you with one of my favorite links, the Mass readings of the day. Hopefully, this site isn't new to you. You might need a refresher on who Manoah from Zorah is, though! I did. But in all seriousness, the readings for tomorrow are beautiful, especially considering all of my friends who are currently pregnant, hoping for pregnancy, or taking care of small children. I also love this line from the Psalm 71, especially as a youth minister:
"For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother's womb you are my strength."
See, it is possible and beautiful to be young and holy! St. Therese (my fave!) comes to mind here.
That's all for now! I pray for you, you pray for me... good night!
P.S. If anyone knows why my formatting ends up looking funny, especially for quotation marks and apostrophes, please let me know how I can fix that! I'm a grammar/format/editing nerd, so it bugs me. Thank you!
P.S. If anyone knows why my formatting ends up looking funny, especially for quotation marks and apostrophes, please let me know how I can fix that! I'm a grammar/format/editing nerd, so it bugs me. Thank you!
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