Gratitude for God’s Generosity

Gratitude is one of the things I need to work on during Lent. I do not show it enough, particularly for the things I have received from God. Ingratitude (or at least insufficient gratitude) for God’s gifts tend to keep Him from giving more. This excerpt from the Second Reading for today’s Office of Readings …

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A heart contrite and humbled you will not spurn

Continuing on with the “heart” theme with the Daily Mass Readings, this excerpt from the Responsorial Psalm for today’s Mass for the Friday after Ash Wednesday is “A contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn.” (Psalm 51:19) Courtesy Sacred Bible: Catholic Public Domain Version This is a wonderful testimony, and offers hope …

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Advent is upon us!

As I’ve been doing for nearly eleven years, I’m about to remind you of the beginning of another season on the Church’s liturgical calendar. Although you are probably aware of Advent starting tomorrow night, my doing so is like a little exhortation to not just think of it as another page on the calendar or …

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All things work together unto good

The following quote from St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans has appeared quite frequently in recent days in my Facebook feed and this morning in my daily reading from The Imitation of Christ (Book III, Ch. 59 No. 2): Romans 8:28 And we know that, for those who love God, all things work together unto …

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Spiritual prepping for Fatima and 2017 UPDATED (AGAIN!)

NOTE: Post updated AGAIN with a corrected link and additional items. Calling Catholic men (and ladies, too!) Fr. Richard Heilman of the Roman Catholic Man site has a challenge for you! Quote: “Inspired by the excellent program, “Exodus 90,” and all of the research that reveals it takes 90 days to replace bad habits (even …

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St. Maximilian Kolbe: martyr, patron of addicts, died 75 years ago today

NOTE: This is an edited version of a post previously published to “Paul Sofranko’s Blog” St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe was executed in the Nazi German concentration camp at Auschwitz seventy-five years ago today for being a Catholic priest. He was a Conventual Franciscan friar and Guardian (leader, administrator) of Niepokalanow, then the world’s largest friary …

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…if this chalice cannot pass away from me…

Continuing along with my weekly Passion meditations from (almost) every Friday, this last one on July 15th managed to get me only one more verse into Matthew’s account before stopping. Matthew 26:42 “Again, a second time, he went and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this chalice cannot pass away, unless I drink it, let your …

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Look at the Man!

Today was the Solemnity of the Triumph (or Exaltation) of the Cross. The Cross was a symbol of failure. Christ was condemned as a criminal and hung on a tree. One would expect His movement would just die shortly after. Humiliated, degraded, mocked, beaten and scorned, and finally given a grisly, horrific form of capital …

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Wash yourselves clean!

The Reading from the Morning Prayer for Saturday of the First Week of Lent: Isaiah 1: 16-18 “Wash yourselves clean! Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes; cease doing evil; learn to do good. Make justice your aim; redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow. Come now, let us set things …

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Guide me in your truth and teach me

The best way for conversion (or reversion if you left the Church and are coming back) is to humbly petition the Lord by prayer to guide you. The Holy Spirit does wonders if you ask him. In this excerpt from the Responsorial Psalm from today’s Mass of the First Sunday of Lent… Psalm 25: 4-5 …

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