Courage II

Let us fix our eyes on the Crucifix in every difficult moment, 

and that gaze will renew our courage.

Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat

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Thanks be to God!

Cathy

The Cross

The Cross, it is true, awaits us at every turn, but it is the way to heaven.

~~Saint Mother Theodore~~

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!

Cathy

The Failure of Conquest and It's Only Success

Archbishop Fulton Sheen wrote the book The Cross And The Beatitudes, Lessons on Love and Forgiveness. In it he offers us a poem by Harry Kemp. I was so taken by it this morning that I decided I would share it with you.

I saw the Conquerors riding by
With cruel lip and faces wan:
Musing on kingdoms sacked and burned
There rode the Mongol Genghis Khan;

And Alexander, like a God,
Who sought to weld the world in one;
And Caesar with his laurel wreath;

And leading, like a star the van,
Heedless of upstretched arm and groan,
Inscrutable Napoleon went
Dreaming of empire and alone...

Then all perished from the earth
As fleeting shadows from the glass,
And, conquering down the centuries,
Came Christ, the Swordless, on an ass.
~Harry Kemp~

The truth is there is no unity or empires, no success or wealth without Christ. There is no happiness in the pain of others. It cannot be found except in the salvation delivered to us on the Cross.

~~^j^~~
Thanks be to God!

The Cross Through the Eyes of Mother Teresa

I was drawn today to the writings of Mother Teresa of Calcutta in the book Love: A Fruit Always In Season edited by Dorothy S. Hunt. It is a book of daily meditations on the words of Mother Teresa and today's is very graphic in its imagery. Reflect on these words with me.

What you can see in the Cross

...Look at the Cross and you will see Jesus' head bent to kiss you, His arms extended to embrace you, His heart opened to receive you, to enclose you within His love. Knowing that the Cross was His greater love for you and for me, let us accept His Cross in whatever He wants to give, let us give with joy whatever He wants to take, for in doing so they will know that we are His disciples, that we belong to Jesus, that the work you and I and all the Brothers and Sisters do is but our love in action... (Mother Terese of Calcutta: A Biography by Edward, LeJoly, 333-334)

If we look at the Cross through the eyes of Mother Teresa we can really see this loving Savior who gave his all for us! How much is ALL we can give for him?

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Thanks be to God!