March 30th Reflection

“When the Jews had shouted for Barabbas, and threatened Pilate to denounce him as disloyal to Rome if he released Jesus, the governor made one more attempt to save the life of Christ. He ordered Him to be severely scourged, hoping thereby to move the pity of the Jews. Vain attempt at a fresh compromise with his con science! Pilate only involved himself in deeper guilt, and Christ in a greater agony of suffering. Nothing ever succeeds except a bold, fearless obedience to God’s holy inspirations.”
Father Richard Frederick Clark, S.J.

“Love is an excellent thing, a great good indeed, which alone maketh light all that is burdensome and equally bears all that is unequal. For it carries a burden without being burdened and makes all that which is bitter sweet and savory. The love of Jesus is noble and generous; it spurs us on to do great things and excites us to desire always that which is most perfect.”

— Thomas à Kempis,

March 30th Reflection

March 29th Reflection

“It is undoubtedly true that each of us, men and women, irresponsible and thoughtless as we often are, hold within our hands the happiness and sorrows of others. We cannot help it or escape from it. The power is in us inalienably almost from birth to death—in us, because we are persons—and we are responsible for the use we make of it. Indeed, so mysterious is this power that the very presence of a person who does not realize his responsibility is often the source of the keenest pain of all . . . The failure to exercise the power to give happiness to others is not merely negative in its results; it is the source of the most positive suffering of all. Thus there is no escape from the responsibility involved in the possession of this power. Not to use it where it is due is to destroy all happiness. Strange power, indeed, to be committed to such weak and unworthy hands; yet there could be but one thing worse: that none could interfere with the joys and sorrows of others. We might envy their happiness and pity their sorrows, but we could not help them. It would be a world of isolated individuals wrapped in inviolable selfishness; each must take care of himself and the world must go its way.”

— Fr. Basil W. Maturin

March 29th Reflection

March 28th Reflection

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have You present so that I do not forget You. You know how easily I abandon You. Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life and without You I am without fervor. Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light and without You I am in darkness. Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will. Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice and follow You. Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You very much and alway be in Your company. Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You. Stay with me, Lord, as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of Love. Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close and life passes, death, judgment and eternity approaches. It is necessary to renew my strength, so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You. It is getting late and death approaches, I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows. O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile! Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all its dangers, I need You. Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread, so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness, the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart. Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You, if not by Communion, at least by grace and love. Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart, Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more. With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity. Amen. 
– Padre Pio’s Prayer After Holy Communion

March 28th Reflection

March 27th Reflection

The path of virtue is painful to nature when left to itself; but nature, assisted by grace, finds it easy and agreeable.

 – Venerable Louis of Granada

“Any cross would be easy to bear if we could only tailor it to fit ourselves. Our Lord’s cross was not made by Him, but for Him. Crosses and burdens are thrust upon us. Our acceptance makes them personal. Our Lord even said that there would be at least seven crosses a week: ‘Take up your cross daily and follow Me.’ Crosses are of two kinds: pure ones, which come from the outside, such as pain, persecution, and ridicule; and inner, or impure crosses, which come as the result of our sins, such as sadness, despair, and unhappiness. These latter crosses can be avoided. They are made by contradicting the will of God. The vertical bar of the cross stands for God’s will; the horizontal bar stand for our wills. When one crosses the other, we have the cross. Our Lord never promised that we would be without a cross; He only promised that we would never be overcome by it. St. Peter so loved the cross, that when the time came for his execution he asked to be crucified upside down. May He who was found guilty of no other crime than that of the excess of love, make us hate the load of sin that made His cross. The whole cross borne in union with His will and following in His footsteps is easier to bear than the splinters against which we rebel.”

– Archbishop Fulton Sheen

March 27th Reflection

March 24th and 25th Reflections

Behind again, apologies!

“As we have seen, there is sometimes a big difference between what God is actually asking of us, and what we imagine he is asking. We won’t have the grace to do what God is not asking of us. But for what he is asking, he has promised us his grace: God grants what he commands. When God inspires us to do something (if it really is God who is the source of the inspiration), at the same time he supplies the ability to do it, even if it is beyond our capacity or scares us at the start. Every motion that comes from God brings both the light to understand what God intends, and the strength to accomplish it: light that illuminates the mind, and strength that gives power to the will.”

— Fr. Jacques Philippe

“All our perfection consists in being conformed, united and consecrated to Jesus Christ; and therefore the most perfect of all devotions is, without any doubt, that which the most perfectly conforms, unites and consecrates us to Jesus Christ. Now, Mary being the most conformed of all creatures to Jesus Christ, it follows that, of all devotions, that which most consecrates and conforms the soul to Our Lord is devotion to His holy Mother, and that the more a soul is consecrated to Mary, the more it is consecrated to Jesus.”

— St. Louis De Montfort

In silence, there is humility of spirit or what might be called “wise passivity.” In such the ear is more important than the tongue. God speaks, but not in Cyclones–only in zephyrs and gentle breezes. As a scientist learns by sitting passively before nature, so the soul learns wisdom by being responsive to His Will. The scientist does not tell nature its laws; nature tells the scientist. We do not tell or impose our will on God; in silence like Mary, we await an Annunciation.  

~ Fulton J. Sheen

March 24th and 25th Reflections

Stop #3: St. Leonard

Stop #3 on our Fish Fry Tour took us to St. Leonard’s Parish, a short drive from the Ohio River and the famous water tower.

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Despite the fact that the fish fry was held on St. Patrick’s Day, the fish fry was quite busy.  The wait in line for food was 30 minutes, wrapping around the “antechamber” so to speak.  Fortunately, a bar was close by to allow for beverages to be consumed during waiting.

A curious sight on the way to the food was the fryer stationed outside.  Fortunately, there was a tent to protect from the elements.

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There were likely other fryers elsewhere, given the number of people in line.  That said, the wait was worth it again.

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As you can see, the dinner had plenty of Irish “craic”:  fish, chips, Guinness, and lots’o’green.  Some mac’n’cheese, a hush puppy, and apple crisp gave the dinner some added Southern flair.  Quite good for $12.

Of course, a St. Patrick’s Day dinner isn’t complete without:….

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Green beer!  Yes, first time I’ve had green beer, but there is a first time for everything!

Not pictured is another staple of Kentucky around this time of year:  March Madness games.  Rhode Island had just beaten Creighton and UNC had defeated Texas Southern during dinner.  

Our next stop:  Guardian Angels!  

Stop #3: St. Leonard

March 22nd Reflection

“What really hurts is not so much suffering as the fear of suffering. If welcomed trustingly and peacefully, suffering makes us grow. It matures and trains us, purifies us, teaches us to love unselfishly, makes us poor in heart, humble, gentle, and compassionate toward our neighbor. Fear of suffering, on the other hand, hardens us in self-protective, defensive attitudes, and often leads us to make irrational choices with disastrous consequences.”

— Fr. Jacques Philippe

“Go to your crucifix: look upon it and see all of (God’s) predictions accomplished, even the least of them. Say to yourself: everything will be fulfilled, and the happiness that has been promised to me will not fail. I will see God, I will love him, I will praise him forever and ever, and all my desires will be fulfilled, all my hopes accomplished. Amen. Amen.”
– Bishop Bossuet

March 22nd Reflection