Rugwig: September 2011

"Be Mindful of your dignity, O Christian." - St. Leo

God was made man that man might be made god (St. Augustine, Serm. 13 de Temp.).

Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness (Genesis 1:26).

"Show me a penny. Whose image and inscription hath it?" They answering, said to him, "Caesar's." And he said to them: "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's: and to God the things that are God's" (Luke 20: 24-25).

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? (1 Corinthians 6:19).

Few there are who know the privilege of such a dignity; fewer still who ponder it with the gravity it deserves. We are living temples of God, we carry God Himself in their hearts, and that therefore we should walk divinely with God and converse in a manner befitting such a guest (Cornelius a Lapide, In Os. 1:10).

"Contemplate Me in the core of your heart and you will see that I am your Creator and you will be happy" (Said by Jesus Christ to St. Catherine of Siena, recorded in her Life, I, chap. 10).

If God humbled Himself to become man, it was in order to exalt men and to make them gods (St. Augustine, Serm. 166).

We are called gods, not only because we have been raised to supernatural glory, but because we now possess God dwelling and abiding in us. Otherwise, how are we temples of God, according to Paul, possessing the Spirit dwelling within us, unless the Spirit be God by nature? (St. Cyril, In Joan., I, 9).

Only the indwelling of God makes a soul a temple of God (St. Thomas, In 1 Cor., 3:16, lec. 3).

That which the most exalted creatures never could have been able to say, that which would fill the loftiest heavenly powers with terror and consternation, we say confidently every day: "Our Father, who art in heaven." A marvelous fellowship. (St. Peter Chrysologus, Serm. 72).

"Ah, daughter, how few are they who love Me in truth! If people loved Me, I should not hide My secrets from them" (Said by Jesus Christ to St. Teresa of Avila, recorded in her Life, chap. 40).

To unite us to God Himself; to establish a vital relationship between our soul and the inner life of God, such is in very deed the the love of God as manifested. It was to make possible this union, these vital relations with God Himself, that [Jesus Christ] desired to unite Himself to human nature (Sauve, Le culte du Coeur de Jesus, 24).

The profound submission of a holy humility, the disdain of self, and the awareness of our own baseness do not debase us, but rather they enable us to fly to the height of perfect union with God (Blessed Henry Suso, Union).

By simple attention in watching our own interior, we perform excellent acts of virtue and make prodigious advances in perfection; whereas, on the contrary, by neglecting our interior we incur incalculable losses (Lallemant, Spiritual Doctrine, V, chap. 3; art. 1).

Likewise the great supernatural facts, such as the fact of Lourdes, are rather easily grasped by the clean of heart. They quickly see the supernatural origin, meaning, and import of these facts. Then, while learned men discourse endlessly without being able to reach a conclusion, God does His work in the clean of heart. Finally, [after humbly engaging in more profound learning,] the soul delights in returning to the simplicity of faith of the patriarchs, to the words of the psalms, to the parables of the Gospel (Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, The Three Ages of the Interior Life).

When we do everything wholeheartedly, love increases continually (St. Therese of Lisieux).

Once we are convinced that God dwells within us, we abandon ourselves with sweet truth into His hands, we confide all our interests to His care, and thus we enjoy perfect peace and serenity: "Thou makest a tranquil heart, great peace, and festive joy" (The Imitation). Now, there is no disposition more favorable for spiritual growth than inward peace: "In silence and in solitude the devout soul maketh progress" (The Imitation) (A. Tanquerey, The Spiritual Life, no. 1223).

18 September 2011

A State of Contant Total Amazement

"My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement." - Patricia Graynamore.

A Dominican brother once told me, "Most people, most of the day, are practical atheists. I know I am. I'm a religious, and most of the day I don't think about how God's grace is actively working in my life."

"[4] Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!
[5] Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near.
[6]Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.
[7]Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
[8] Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things."
Philippians 4:4-8, NAB.

[The first quotation is taken from: http://joeversusthevolcano.blogspot.com/.]