[Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori – XVII-XVIII Century AD; Marianella, Kingdom of Naples/Pagani, Kingdom of Naples; (aged 90); Bishop; spiritual writer, composer, musician, artist, poet, lawyer, scholastic philosopher, and theologian; Founder; Doctor of the Church] “III - Happiness deriving from perfect Uniformity. Acting according to this pattern, one not only becomes holy but also enjoys perpetual serenity in this life. Alphonsus the Great, King of Aragon, being asked one day whom he considered the happiest person in the world, answered: “He who abandons himself to the will of God and accepts all things, prosperous and adverse, as coming from his hands.’’ “To those that love God, all things work together unto good.” Those who love God are always happy, because their whole happiness is to fulfill, even in adversity, the will of God. Afflictions do not mar their serenity, because by accepting misfortune, they know they give pleasure to their beloved Lord: “Whatever shall befall the …More
"There is a story to this effect in the “Lives of the Fathers” about a farmer whose crops were more plentiful than those of his neighbors. On being asked how this happened with such unvarying regularity, he said he was not surprised because he always had the kind of weather he wanted. He was asked to explain. He said: “It is so because I want whatever kind of weather God wants, and because I do, he gives me the harvests I want.’’ If souls resigned to God’s will are humiliated, says Salvian, they want to be humiliated; if they are poor, they want to be poor; in short, whatever happens is acceptable to them, hence they are truly at peace in this life. In cold and heat, in rain and wind, the soul united to God says: “I want it to be warm, to be cold, windy, to rain, because God wills it.”
St. Gerard Majella (a Redemptorist) is an intercessor for safe delivery and I ask him to pray for a crisis pregnancy center I work for. St. Gerard, beloved servant of Jesus, imitator of your meek and humble Savior and devoted child of the Mother of God. Enkindle in my heart one spark of that Heavenly fire of charity which glowed in your heart and made you and angel of love. Preserve me from danger and from excessive pains which accompany childbirth. Shield the child whom I carry that he or she may see the light of day and receive the purifying and life giving waters of baptism. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
"I thank you, gracious Lord, I thank you; because what I formerly believed by your bounty, I now so understand by your illumination, that if I were unwilling to believe that you did exist, I should not be able not to understand this to be true."
[Saint Anselm of Canterbury/Anselm of Aosta; XI-XII Century AD; Aosta, Kingdom of Burgundy, Holy Roman Empire/Canterbury, England; (aged 72); Italian Benedictine Monk; Archbishop; Abbot; Philosopher; Theologian; Doctor of the Church] “CHAPTER IV - How the fool has said in his heart what cannot be conceived But how has the fool said in his heart what he could not conceive; or how is it that he could not conceive what he said in his heart? Since it is the same to say in the heart, and to conceive. But, if really, nay, since really, he both conceived, because he said in his heart; and did not say in his heart, because he could not conceive; there is more than one way in which a thing is said in the heart or conceived. For, in one sense, an object is conceived, when the word signifying it is conceived; and in another, when the very entity, which the object is, is understood. In the former sense, then, God can be conceived not to exist; but in the latter, not at all. For no one who understands …More
[Saint Anselm of Canterbury/Anselm of Aosta; XI-XII Century AD; Aosta, Kingdom of Burgundy, Holy Roman Empire/Canterbury, England; (aged 72); Italian Benedictine Monk; Archbishop; Abbot; Philosopher; Theologian; Doctor of the Church] “CHAPTER IV - How the fool has said in his heart what cannot be conceived But how has the fool said in his heart what he could not conceive; or how is it that he could not conceive what he said in his heart? Since it is the same to say in the heart, and to conceive. But, if really, nay, since really, he both conceived, because he said in his heart; and did not say in his heart, because he could not conceive; there is more than one way in which a thing is said in the heart or conceived. For, in one sense, an object is conceived, when the word signifying it is conceived; and in another, when the very entity, which the object is, is understood. In the former sense, then, God can be conceived not to exist; but in the latter, not at all. For no one who understands …More
"I thank you, gracious Lord, I thank you; because what I formerly believed by your bounty, I now so understand by your illumination, that if I were unwilling to believe that you did exist, I should not be able not to understand this to be true."
"What are you, then, Lord God, than whom nothing greater can be conceived? But what are you, except that which, as the highest of all beings, alone exists through itself, and creates all other things from nothing? For, whatever is not this is less than a thing which can be conceived of. But this cannot be conceived of you."
'(2) So, dear sisters, be content not to have in this world any pleasure or any beloved, and do not grow tired of denying your own will, remembering what our patriarch St. Francis said, that is, that the most excellent and greatest gift that God’s servant can receive from God in this world is to conquer himself by denying his own will. So he said: “So great is the good that I behold / that every wound is beloved by me, ”in order to show how, through the memory of eternal things, he rejoiced in suffering evil.'
[Saint Catherine of Bologna – XV Century AD; Bologna/Bologna (aged 49); Virgin; Mystic; Spiritual Writer; Teacher; Artist] '[VI] Of the Sixth Weapon. (1) The sixth weapon is the memory of the goods of paradise which are prepared for those who lawfully struggle by abandoning all the vain pleasures of the present life in accord with the saying of the most holy doctor Saint Augustine that it is impossible to enjoy present goods and future ones too. (2) So, dear sisters, be content not to have in this world any pleasure or any beloved, and do not grow tired of denying your own will, remembering what our patriarch St. Francis said, that is, that the most excellent and greatest gift that God’s servant can receive from God in this world is to conquer himself by denying his own will. So he said: “So great is the good that I behold / that every wound is beloved by me,”38 in order to show how, through the memory of eternal things, he rejoiced in suffering evil. (3) And in confirmation of the …More
Come adore the wondrous Presence Bow to Christ the source of Grace Here is kept the ancient promise of God's earthly dwelling place Sight is blind before God's Glory Faith alone may see His face.
[Saint Catherine of Bologna – XV Century AD; Bologna/Bologna (aged 49); Virgin; Mystic; Spiritual Writer; Teacher; Artist] '[VI] Of the Sixth Weapon. (1) The sixth weapon is the memory of the goods of paradise which are prepared for those who lawfully struggle by abandoning all the vain pleasures of the present life in accord with the saying of the most holy doctor Saint Augustine that it is impossible to enjoy present goods and future ones too. (2) So, dear sisters, be content not to have in this world any pleasure or any beloved, and do not grow tired of denying your own will, remembering what our patriarch St. Francis said, that is, that the most excellent and greatest gift that God’s servant can receive from God in this world is to conquer himself by denying his own will. So he said: “So great is the good that I behold / that every wound is beloved by me,”38 in order to show how, through the memory of eternal things, he rejoiced in suffering evil. (3) And in confirmation of the …More
'(2) So, dear sisters, be content not to have in this world any pleasure or any beloved, and do not grow tired of denying your own will, remembering what our patriarch St. Francis said, that is, that the most excellent and greatest gift that God’s servant can receive from God in this world is to conquer himself by denying his own will. So he said: “So great is the good that I behold / that every wound is beloved by me, ”in order to show how, through the memory of eternal things, he rejoiced in suffering evil.'
"(7) For this reason, I beg you, daughter, that you not follow your current evil desire and temptation, but stand strong and persevere until the end, so that you can finally reach that noble feast and company which I saw, and rest eternally with these glorious virgins who await you.”
The Blessed Virgin Mary does this even though she is already there. Join her as much as possible. Then ask her that your heart beat in love for her and in prayer with her.