Quotations that Motivate & Inspire

[Gary david]

20 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

An excellent and important read is "Theology and Sanity" by Frank Sheed.  I am into my third read (over quite a few years) of this wonderful work.  Quoting from the back cover:

"Of Sheed's many books,this is my favourite not just because it is the clearest explanation of The Trinity ever put on paper,but because it proves that the Catholic view of reality can satisfy our mental hunger"

"Vatican II issued an urgent call for the laity to take a more active role in the life of The Church.  What should the life of the Christian believer be like? How are average lay Catholics called to help save the world? How does theology fall into the picture".

 

Pdf https://epdf.tips/theology-and-sanity.html

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Theology-Sanity-Frank-Sheed/dp/1684221005 - Paperback $13.75 - 420 Pages

 

 

Edit:  This book would just have to be a Catholic classic by now.

Thank you for taking the time to show these quotes Barbara, they surely havent gone unnoticed. God bless you....

[Guest]

38 minutes ago, Gary david said:

Thank you for taking the time to show these quotes Barbara, they surely havent gone unnoticed. God bless you....

Thank you very much, Gary, for the encouragement."Everyday keep encouraging one another" Hebrews Ch 10 and the Introduction to The Divine Office. Thank you too for acknowledging each of the posts.  I value this.  I value your input and consideration of others. I value you.

May God bless you also.

I am long winded in reply, Gary, for which I apologise - and not at all unusual for me to "preach to the converted".  My posts help me to clarify my own thinking.

I go over to Catholic Answers now and then and see I have received a  'nice share pin' (CA term) for some link I have posted being accessed more than 25 times by outside visitors/ lurkers.  We can never know why or who might read a post, nor how many might be reading.  We are a public forum and it is an avenue for evangelisation.........especially for me at 73 and disabled sitting on my rear very often at my computer.  It is a real consolation to know that I can still at least try to do some good after a very active younger lifestyle.  Once I can afford some materials, I am looking forward to going back to some painting as a diversion from technology.  I am certainly no artist, but I do like to paint.  I like the feel and smell of paint.

There might be few of us just now active in the forums, but we have no idea at all how many are non members and reading posts.  No idea how much good we might be doing without knowing it.

A whole next door family of five children and parents were baptised and converted to Catholicism when I was around 12 yrs of age, somewhere around then.  They were curious about where I went almost every weekday at around 6.30am or so and asked my mother about it.  I used to ride my bike to Mass back pre V2 when morning weekday Mass was 7am or so.  Mass was in the Chapel of The Daughters of Charity and so the family contacted them to find out about Catholicism. 

We can never know often - and at all times and everywhere we are evangelists and evangelising - consciously or not, successful or not.  It is intention and motivation, effort, that The Lord considers - success or failure is His Domain alone whether we succeed or fail.  Succeed or fail is a worldly measure.  United to Jesus through Grace, we are always succeeding at all times, whether we know it or not, through Divine Providence.  Jesus is Success - and why we we have the Victory of The Cross which appears to the worldly as failure and St Paul calls it a "stumbling block" . (Doctrine of Divine Providence - as in the CCC and EWTN explains it nicely http://www.ewtn.com/faith/Teachings/GODB3.HTM ).  To read about Divine Providence in the Catholic Catechism, go to http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p4.htm  Scroll down to:

V. GOD CARRIES OUT HIS PLAN: DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Any good we might have done, or undone, will be known to us perhaps only in Heaven.

[Guest]

Edit:  St Paul calls The Blood of The Cross "a stumbling block to many".  For us, it is the Victory of Jesus over this world and the forces of Hell -  His Victory is confirmed by His Resurrection.

An excellent and important read (not all that long) from the Catholic Catechism on the Life of Jesus and the meaning for us at the various stages of His Life: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p122a3p3.htm

Excerpts: 533 The hidden life at Nazareth allows everyone to enter into fellowship with Jesus by the most ordinary events of daily life:

The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus - the school of the Gospel. First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us. . . A lesson on family life. May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character. . . A lesson of work. Nazareth, home of the "Carpenter's Son", in you I would choose to understand and proclaim the severe and redeeming law of human work. . . To conclude, I want to greet all the workers of the world, holding up to them their great pattern their brother who is God.225

534 The finding of Jesus in the temple is the only event that breaks the silence of the Gospels about the hidden years of Jesus.226 Here Jesus lets us catch a glimpse of the mystery of his total consecration to a mission that flows from his divine sonship: "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's work?"227 Mary and Joseph did not understand these words, but they accepted them in faith. Mary "kept all these things in her heart" during the years Jesus remained hidden in the silence of an ordinary life.

 

[Guest]

 

https://churchpop.com/2017/03/11/pope-francis-5-finger-prayer/

 

 

https://churchpop.com/2017/03/11/pope-francis-5-finger-prayer/

Edited May 10, 2019 by BarbaraTherese

[Gary david]

18 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Thank you very much, Gary, for the encouragement."Everyday keep encouraging one another" Hebrews Ch 10 and the Introduction to The Divine Office. Thank you too for acknowledging each of the posts.  I value this.  I value your input and consideration of others. I value you.

May God bless you also.

I am long winded in reply, Gary, for which I apologise - and not at all unusual for me to "preach to the converted".  My posts help me to clarify my own thinking.

I go over to Catholic Answers now and then and see I have received a  'nice share pin' (CA term) for some link I have posted being accessed more than 25 times by outside visitors/ lurkers.  We can never know why or who might read a post, nor how many might be reading.  We are a public forum and it is an avenue for evangelisation.........especially for me at 73 and disabled sitting on my rear very often at my computer.  It is a real consolation to know that I can still at least try to do some good after a very active younger lifestyle.  Once I can afford some materials, I am looking forward to going back to some painting as a diversion from technology.  I am certainly no artist, but I do like to paint.  I like the feel and smell of paint.

There might be few of us just now active in the forums, but we have no idea at all how many are non members and reading posts.  No idea how much good we might be doing without knowing it.

A whole next door family of five children and parents were baptised and converted to Catholicism when I was around 12 yrs of age, somewhere around then.  They were curious about where I went almost every weekday at around 6.30am or so and asked my mother about it.  I used to ride my bike to Mass back pre V2 when morning weekday Mass was 7am or so.  Mass was in the Chapel of The Daughters of Charity and so the family contacted them to find out about Catholicism. 

We can never know often - and at all times and everywhere we are evangelists and evangelising - consciously or not, successful or not.  It is intention and motivation, effort, that The Lord considers - success or failure is His Domain alone whether we succeed or fail.  Succeed or fail is a worldly measure.  United to Jesus through Grace, we are always succeeding at all times, whether we know it or not, through Divine Providence.  Jesus is Success - and why we we have the Victory of The Cross which appears to the worldly as failure and St Paul calls it a "stumbling block" . (Doctrine of Divine Providence - as in the CCC and EWTN explains it nicely http://www.ewtn.com/faith/Teachings/GODB3.HTM ).  To read about Divine Providence in the Catholic Catechism, go to http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p1s2c1p4.htm  Scroll down to:

V. GOD CARRIES OUT HIS PLAN: DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Any good we might have done, or undone, will be known to us perhaps only in Heaven.

Barbara! You are not long winded. Long winded to me is going on and on without  much value to ones words. It is just as important to speak as it is to listen. And the the things you say make much sense. You speak with your faith as well as live it and I appreciate that. So again Barbara, thank you and may God continue to bless you.........

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Gary david said:

Barbara! You are not long winded. Long winded to me is going on and on without  much value to ones words It is just as important to speak as it is to listen.. And the the things you say make much sense. You speak with your faith as well as live it and I appreciate that. So again Barbara, thank you and may God continue to bless you.........

Thank you, Garry, for your sincere kindness.  My admiration is for those who can say so much in few words - it's not me for sure.  I try to walk the talk and rather often it is a stumbling and falling sort of walk.  But as I stated in my post, The Good Lord looks at intention and motivation in weighing things up as He does and will at Judgement.  Success or failure is His Domain alone and for His Own Good Reasons.  That is a real consolation and motivation to just keep on going and trying, beating a weary well worn path to repentance and starting out again once more.

Where there is failure, God has permitted it for His Own Good Reasons.  Where there is success, it is God's Work for His Own Good Reasons.  Hence in failure and in success it is God's Work  for His Own Good Reasons always.  Failure and success is a worldly consideration, in Faith we see only the Loving Hand of God in all things regardless - because "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose'(Romans 8). 

Even Faith itself, even a strong and rich Faith, can be a stumbling and falling sort of road.  When times get difficult for very many reasons in our world, when times get cruel, inhuman and anger provoking, Faith can be a quite difficult walk and The Good Lord knows this.  Seeing The Loving Hand of God in all things is no easy road.  The Good Lord knows this.  He knows our humanity intimately, in Heaven in His Glory He is still very much human as well as Our Triune God.  What a Mystery!

May God continue to bless you also, Garry, you are an important factor in Phatmass membership in my book.....I value you........and I do love your humour.

Quote

It is just as important to speak as it is to listen

Very well said, thank you.

[Gary david]

5 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Thank you, Garry, for your sincere kindness.  My admiration is for those who can say so much in few words - it's not me for sure.  I try to walk the talk and rather often it is a stumbling and falling sort of walk.  But as I stated in my post, The Good Lord looks at intention and motivation in weighing things up as He does and will at Judgement.  Success or failure is His Domain alone and for His Own Good Reasons.  That is a real consolation and motivation to just keep on going and trying, beating a weary well worn path to repentance and starting out again once more.

Where there is failure, God has permitted it for His Own Good Reasons.  Where there is success, it is God's Work for His Own Good Reasons.  Hence in failure and in success it is God's Work  for His Own Good Reasons always.  Failure and success is a worldly consideration, in Faith we see only the Loving Hand of God in all things regardless - because "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose'(Romans 8). 

Even Faith itself, even a strong and rich Faith, can be a stumbling and falling sort of road.  When times get difficult for very many reasons in our world, when times get cruel, inhuman and anger provoking, Faith can be a quite difficult walk and The Good Lord knows this.  Seeing The Loving Hand of God in all things is no easy road.  The Good Lord knows this.  He knows our humanity intimately, in Heaven in His Glory He is still very much human as well as Our Triune God.  What a Mystery!

May God continue to bless you also, Garry, you are an important factor in Phatmass membership in my book.....I value you........and I do love your humour.

Very well said, thank you.

Our God is our example. Jesus suffered and died for us. I cannot compare Jesus to you or I, thats not possible. But as Jesus made His way to the cross suffering as He did, He fell and more than once and recieved help as well. We also suffer and through His grace manage to get up. He didnt want to suffer so and even asked His Father to take that cup from Him. His Father did not take His cup and instead  Jesus continued to be obedient to Him. Where would we be if He hadnt obeyed? And so we as well suffer and also must remain obedient to Him and for the very same reasons. What possible other way is there to prove ones love and faith if they posses it? People may say many things of love and faith but these are simply words if not tested. This is simply the way God has created it to be and so it is. We must not seek a smaller cross to carry, we may already have a smaller cross and could be so much larger.

  Well Barbara I hope you are well and I wish you well and am asking God to bless you as well..........

  

[Guest]

Laughter is a jolly good medicine............

One of the funniest I Love Raymond episodes:

 

[Gary david]

7 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Laughter is a jolly good medicine............

One of the funniest I Love Raymond episodes:

 

I just watched that episode and it was very funny Barbara! Thanks for the smiles

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Gary david said:

Our God is our example. Jesus suffered and died for us. I cannot compare Jesus to you or I, thats not possible. But as Jesus made His way to the cross suffering as He did, He fell and more than once and recieved help as well. We also suffer and through His grace manage to get up. He didnt want to suffer so and even asked His Father to take that cup from Him. His Father did not take His cup and instead  Jesus continued to be obedient to Him. Where would we be if He hadnt obeyed? And so we as well suffer and also must remain obedient to Him and for the very same reasons. What possible other way is there to prove ones love and faith if they posses it? People may say many things of love and faith but these are simply words if not tested. This is simply the way God has created it to be and so it is. We must not seek a smaller cross to carry, we may already have a smaller cross and could be so much larger.

  Well Barbara I hope you are well and I wish you well and am asking God to bless you as well..........

  

Profound and insightful post, Garry - thank you very much for sharing your reflections  

[Guest]

"Lift up your heart to Him, sometimes even at your meals, and when you are in company; the least little remembrance will always be acceptable to Him. You need not cry very loud..........

...........He is nearer to us than we are aware of."

 

… Brother Lawrence  CARMELITE OCD(c.1605-1691)

A spiritual classic of some renown:  "The Practice of the Presence of God"

Free online at : https://www.ccel.org/ccel/lawrence/practice.html

ST THERESE OF LISIEUX

SPIRITUALITY OF IMPERFECTION

Finding Strength in Weakness

(By:  Carmelite Sister Vilma Seelaus, O.C.D."

"Two contrasting images of Thérèse situate what I call her "Spirituality of Imperfection." After her death, those who knew Thérèse recast her into expected images of sanctity. In the testimony from the process of beatification, her sister Pauline says of Thérèse "As long as I knew her, the only part of her that touched the ground was the soles of her feet".

Thérèse however offers us a truer image of herself."

Part 1   http://showcase.netins.net/web/solitude/vilma5.html

Part 2   http://showcase.netins.net/web/solitude/vilma5b.html

 

"Fortunately, she discovered early in life that neither her recorded acts of virtue, nor her burning zeal in practicing spiritual exercises, nor her profound experiences and reverential tears after communions-- not even the smile of the Virgin-- none of these help her in overcoming even the least of her faults. The more she tries, the greater and more depressing are her failures and her entanglement in scruples. During the time of her scruples, every thought and even her most commonplace actions became a source of worry and anxiety. Her extreme helplessness meant either despair or finding a new way in the struggle to balance her own weakness before the justice of God."

Edited May 15, 2019 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

 

MARY: THE PERFECT DISCIPLE

https://osvnews.com/2017/02/01/mary-the-perfect-disciple/

Mark Shea February 1, 2017http://www.ncregister.com/blog/mark-shea

 

" And every single one of us is vitally needed to fulfill the mission of the Church.

It’s all hands on deck."

 

Quote

 

Excerpts:...........“Mary is present in the Church as the Mother of Christ, and at the same time as that Mother whom Christ, in the mystery of the Redemption, gave to humanity in the person of the Apostle John. Thus, in her new motherhood in the Spirit, Mary embraces each and every one in the Church, and embraces each and every one through the Church. In this sense Mary, Mother of the Church, is also the Church’s model. Indeed, as Paul VI hopes and asks, the Church must draw ‘from the Virgin Mother of God the most authentic form of perfect imitation of Christ.’”

— Pope St. John Paul II in Redemptoris Mater (“Mother of the Redeemer), No. 47"..........

..........."Those “other and greater powers” are something we as disciples need to meditate on, as we often afflict ourselves with a false picture of the Church called “clericalism.” Clericalism is the notion that only the ordained and religious are “real” Catholics. It is an idea the Church flatly rejects. All the baptized are members of the Body of Christ. That does not, of course, turn the Church into a populist democracy or a doctrinal free-for-all, but it does make clear that, in the words of Sherry Weddell, “If you are called, you are gifted; and if you are gifted, you have been called.”..................

 

 

[Gary david]

8 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

 

MARY: THE PERFECT DISCIPLE

https://osvnews.com/2017/02/01/mary-the-perfect-disciple/

Mark Shea February 1, 2017http://www.ncregister.com/blog/mark-shea

 

" And every single one of us is vitally needed to fulfill the mission of the Church.

It’s all hands on deck."

 

 

 

Do you follow the happenings in Medjegorie Barbara?

[Guest]

13 hours ago, Gary david said:

Do you follow the happenings in Medjegorie Barbara?

I do not follow the happenings.  I think The Church is investigating but yet to formally approve, although I really am unsure since I do not follow Medjugorje.  I do particularly like the artistic image and statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje.  I bought one but sadly it got broken and it wasn't a cheap statue either.  It has particular meaning for me.

 

 

The above is almost an exact replica of the statue I bought.  I just had a look at Arc Religious Supplies here in Australia where I bought mine, but seems they are no longer stocking it, or it might be just out of stock and might re-appear.  I might email and ask when funds look healthier.  I haven't thought about the statue for a long time now.

[Gary david]

9 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

I do not follow the happenings.  I think The Church is investigating but yet to formally approve, although I really am unsure since I do not follow Medjugorje.  I do particularly like the artistic image and statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje.  I bought one but sadly it got broken and it wasn't a cheap statue either.  It has particular meaning for me.

 

 

The above is almost an exact replica of the statue I bought.  I just had a look at Arc Religious Supplies here in Australia where I bought mine, but seems they are no longer stocking it, or it might be just out of stock and might re-appear.  I might email and ask when funds look healthier.  I haven't thought about the statue for a long time now.

Alright Babara. I was just curious how you felt.about it. But knowing you dont follow.Medgjegorie you really cant comment much about it. Do you feel that the blessed Mother is given power through her Son to show herself on earth to help people pray and to believe in Jesus. I ask you because I value your opinion and was  curious where you stand on this.

  God bless Barbara.....

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Gary david said:

Alright Babara. I was just curious how you felt.about it. But knowing you dont follow.Medgjegorie you really cant comment much about it. Do you feel that the blessed Mother is given power through her Son to show herself on earth to help people pray and to believe in Jesus. I ask you because I value your opinion and was  curious where you stand on this.

  God bless Barbara.....

I very much believe Our Lady can and does make appearances and even speaks with people on earth and this has happened numerous times in our history.  Where such occurrences are claimed publicly, I do wait for Church approval and what The Church decides is what my decision is also, while we are not bound to do so..  I would have no idea how to discern real or suspect appearances etc.

[Guest]

I did very quick research on the Church's position now and found the following on Crux from 5 days ago on Medjugorje:

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-europe/2019/05/12/pope-okays-pilgrimage-to-medjugorje-says-apparitions-need-study/

It is becoming difficult sometimes to discern reliable Catholic sites from those that are unreliable.  Catholic Culture is no longer doing site reviews.  I did have a look at Our Lady's Warriors website and they do not mention Crux in their Dissent section.  I think it might be because of bias and we are all, no exceptions, biased.  A website can contain very suspect reporting as well as quite reliable and sound material.  When Catholic Culture was doing reviews, they would highlight this factor if present.  I have no idea why CC ceased the reviews.

Edited May 17, 2019 by BarbaraTherese

[Gary david]

37 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

I very much believe Our Lady can and does make appearances and even speaks with people on earth and this has happened numerous times in our history.  Where such occurrences are claimed publicly, I do wait for Church approval and what The Church decides is what my decision is also, while we are not bound to do so..  I would have no idea how to discern real or suspect appearances etc.

Thank you for your opinion Barbara. I have always held a fascination for the blessed virgin. So many people have so many differnent opinions about her from fervent belief to scoffing at her. I do believe in what she has said through the years. I do believe she prays for us. I beleive she has been allowed to be seen through the veil of heaven to help convert sinners and to also help us inctrease our prayers to help sinners as well. I am always amazed that God would send her like this to assist us in increasing our faith and helping us to simply beleive. This always will amaze me. Let know one say that God never tried to help us.

  In writing this I have recalled seeing something a few years ago. I am a glazier and work with glass. I worked at a glass  company around the corner of Mercy Hospital and did much glass work at this hospital. Now I was there and did work on one section and was very familiar with it. Then in the morning I heard on the news that the virgin mary has appeared in a window of mercy hospital. I myself at that time didnt believe it. Living right near this place and doing much work there made that news somewhat surreal. Well I went right down there and to by blessed wonder.....there she was. She wasent there before, I personally knew that. And she ramained for quite a while. She was beautiful!

  I just thought I would share my recall of my memory. I looked to see if I could find something about this event and to my surprise I found this.

 

  God bless Barbara....

[Guest]

What a wonderful experience for you, Gary, and for all the people who saw the window.  We do not need these appearances of Our Lady for the fullness and richness of Faith of necessity, but it must do something very positive to someone who has such an experience.  I wonder to myself "How could someone who saw an appearance of Our Lady go away and not be affected and for life?"

If I ever had such an experience, I think I would faint.

_____________

 

 My experience: I was staying with my cousins in a country town over school holidays as a teenager.  I think the whole town knew the family and that we were committed Catholics.  In those days, eating meat on Fridays was forbidden.  As a bit of fun on a Friday, we would go into  shops in the main street and buy some pies and pasties (contain meat).  Hoping to the shock horror of anyone in the shop.  Catholics buying meat on Friday!!! We would hide the pies and pasties in our bedrooms until after midnight on Friday and then congregate in one bedroom, there were five of us girls.  This was real risky stuff because my Uncle and their Dad was a particularly very strict and intimidating authority figure.  The very real risk of waking him and he confronting us added, I think, to our sense of adventure and risk taking.

One Friday after midnight one of my cousins wanted tomato sauce.  To creep into the kitchen and get the sauce was another dreadfully risky exercise.  But I volunteered to do it.  I entered the kitchen and there ahead of me was the Baby Jesus.  Horrified and ashamed of myself for being disobedient to a parental authority figure, I knelt down and closed my eyes and began to pray for forgiveness.  Next thing, one of my cousins shook me on the shoulder and asked what was going on.  I pointed to the Baby Jesus ahead of me. 

Now I should have worn my glasses, because the Baby Jesus was actually the gas refrigerator pilot light reflecting on the lino.

There was much muffled merriment that night at my expense......and for a while after that too.

[Guest]