A God Who Weeps With So Many Tears At The Loss Of One Soul...

Ah, who would not be touched? ... A God who weeps with so many tears at the loss of one soul and Who cries unceasingly: My friend, my friend, why proceedest thou thus to lose thy soul and thy God? Stop! Stop! Ah! Look at my tears, my Blood which flows yet. Must I die a second time to save thee? Look at me. Ah! Angels from Heaven descend upon earth, come and weep with me for the loss of this soul! Oh, that a Christian should be so unfortunate as to persevere still in running towards the abyss despite the voice which his God causes him to hear continually! But, you may say to me, no one says these things to us. Oh my friends, unless you want to stop up your ears, you will hear the voice of God, which follows you unceasingly. Tell me, my friends, then, what is this remorse of conscience which overwhelms you in the midst of sin? Why do these anxieties and storms agitate you? Why this fear, this dread that you are in, when you seem to be forever expecting to be crushed by the thunders of Heaven? How many times, even when you were sinning, have you not experienced the touch of an invisible hand which seemed to push you away, as if someone were saying: Unhappy man, what are you doing? Unhappy man, where are you going? Ah my son, why do you wish to damn yourself?

Would you not agree with me that a Christian who despises so many graces deserves to be abandoned and rejected because he has not listened to the voice of God or profited by His graces? On the contrary, my dear brethren, it is God Himself Who is scorned by this ungrateful soul who would seem to wish to put Him to death again. All creation demands vengeance, and it is, in fact, God alone Who wishes to save this soul and Who is opposed to all that could be prejudicial to it.

He watches over its salvation as if it were the only soul in the world. - Saint Jean Marie Vianney

The Soul Clouded By The Desires Is Darkened In The Understanding

The soul that is clouded by the desires is darkened in the understanding and allows neither the sun of natural reason nor that of the supernatural Wisdom of God to shine upon it and illumine it clearly. At the same time, when the soul is darkened in the understanding, it is benumbed also in the will, and the memory becomes dull and disordered in its dire operation. The intellect cannot get the illumination of God’s wisdom, the will cannot get the love of God, and the memory cannot get God’s image. Darkness and coarseness will always be with a soul until its appetites are extinguished. The appetites are like a cataract on the eye or specks of dust in it; until removed they obstruct vision. The affections and appetites deprive them of a treasure of divine light. Any appetite, even one that is but slightly imperfect, stains and defiles the soul. - Saint John of the Cross, 'Ascent of Mount Carmel,' Bk. 1. Ch. 8. No. 2, 4, 6, 7

Beware That Your Hearts Do Not Become Drowsy From Carousing And Drunkenness

Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the son of man. - Our Lord Jesus Christ

God, Grant Me The Serenity

God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me.

We Have Little Inborn Light, And This We Quickly Lose Through Negligence

WE MUST not rely too much upon ourselves, for grace and understanding are often lacking in us. We have but little inborn light, and this we quickly lose through negligence. Often we are not aware that we are so blind in heart. Meanwhile we do wrong, and then do worse in excusing it. At times we are moved by passion, and we think it zeal. We take others to task for small mistakes, and overlook greater ones in ourselves. We are quick enough to feel and brood over the things we suffer from others, but we think nothing of how much others suffer from us. If a man would weigh his own deeds fully and rightly, he would find little cause to pass severe judgment on others. - Imitation of Christ

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The Mercy of God is Infinitely Greater Than Your Malice

The mercy of God, my son, is infinitely greater than your malice. - Saint Padre Pio

The Devil is Active in Our Society

The devil is particularly active wherever well-meaning people make choices and settle into lifestyles that contradict the holy and righteous and good Law of God. When men believe that abortion is a good thing, sexual license is a personal matter, lying and cheating are just a way of getting what you want in life, others exist to make me happy, money and things are the measure of happiness and success, and that one person’s view of truth is just as valid as another’s, there the devil is in full-blown assault, all his guns blazing and all his forces in the field. The fact that, in our day, presidents, judges, academics, scientists, financiers, leaders in business and the professions, and most people you and I know believe such things as these indicates that the devil, rather than fleeing for the high ground, has found an open field of battle to work his will. - T. M. Moore

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton & God's Will

Elizabeth Seton told her sisters, “The first end I propose in our daily work is to do the will of God; secondly, to do it in the manner he wills it; and thirdly, to do it because it is his will.”

Those Who Convict The Evildoer Will Fare Well

To show partiality in judgement is not good. He who says to the wicked man, "You are just" - men will curse him; But those who convict the evildoer will fare well and on them will come the blessing of prosperity. - Proverbs 24:23-25

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The Lamp of The Wicked Will be Put Out

Be not provoked with evildoers, nor envious of the wicked; For the evil man has no future, the lamp of the wicked will be put out.

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Judgement: Shedding Light

Anyone ever say to you 'don't judge me!' or 'stop judging?' You should know that "Authentic judgement is a good thing. Authentic judgement is indispensable to the health of the individual and the health of a society...[judgement is] a truth telling that is honest, clear and direct, that sheds light on things in such a way that good and evil appear as what they really are. That's judgement. - Fr. Robert Barron

Be Careful not Commit Rash Judgement

Respect for the reputation of persons forbids every attitude and word likely to cause them unjust injury. He becomes guilty:

- of rash judgment who, even tacitly, assumes as true, without sufficient foundation, the moral fault of a neighbor;

- of detraction who, without objectively valid reason, discloses another's faults and failings to persons who did not know them;279

- of calumny who, by remarks contrary to the truth, harms the reputation of others and gives occasion for false judgments concerning them.

2478 To avoid rash judgment, everyone should be careful to interpret insofar as possible his neighbor's thoughts, words, and deeds in a favorable way:

Every good Christian ought to be more ready to give a favorable interpretation to another's statement than to condemn it. But if he cannot do so, let him ask how the other understands it. And if the latter understands it badly, let the former correct him with love. If that does not suffice, let the Christian try all suitable ways to bring the other to a correct interpretation so that he may be saved.280

2479 Detraction and calumny destroy the reputation and honor of one's neighbor. Honor is the social witness given to human dignity, and everyone enjoys a natural right to the honor of his name and reputation and to respect. Thus, detraction and calumny offend against the virtues of justice and charity. - Catechism of the Catholic Church