Quotes by Pope Francis on LENT

• Lent is a fitting time for self-denial; we would do well to ask ourselves what we can give up in order to help and enrich others by our own poverty. Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: no self-denial is real without this dimension of penance. I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt.

• What gives us true freedom, true salvation and true happiness is the compassion, tenderness and solidarity of His love. Christ’s poverty which enriches us is His taking flesh and bearing our weaknesses and sins as an expression of God’s infinite mercy to us.

• God did not let our salvation drop down from heaven, like someone who gives alms from their abundance out of a sense of altruism and piety. Christ’s love is different! When Jesus stepped into the waters of the Jordan and was baptized by John the Baptist, He did so not because He was in need of repentance, or conversion; He did it to be among people who need forgiveness, among us sinners, and to take upon Himself the burden of our sins. In this way He chose to comfort us, to save us, to free us from our misery.

• Christ, the eternal Son of God, one with the Father in power and glory, chose to be poor; He came amongst us and drew near to each of us; He set aside His glory and emptied himself so that He could be like us in all things (cf. Phil2:7; Heb 4:15). God’s becoming man is a great mystery! But the reason for all this is His love, a love which is grace, generosity, a desire to draw near, a love which does not hesitate to offer itself in sacrifice for the beloved. Charity, love, is sharing with the one we love in all things. Love makes us similar, it creates equality, it breaks down walls and eliminates distances. God did this with us. Indeed, Jesus “worked with human hands, thought with a human mind, acted by human choice and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, He truly became one of us, like us in all things except sin.” (Gaudium et Spes, 22)

We become like that which we love...

"We  become like that which we love. 
If we love what is base, we become base; 
but if we love what is noble, we become noble." 
~ Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen ~

I found this quote from Venerable Archbishop Sheen and it really struck me. In today's world, there is such a distorted view of what the word love really means. But as Christians and lovers of the Truth, we have a different way of looking at things than as the world does.

In John 4:16, the Bible says that "God is love". Love is the only thing that God can do. His complete essence is so full of love that He can not do any action unless it is out of love.

Who are you?
Who would you like to become?

These are two big questions that you must ask yourself. Notice that you don't have to answer the question "Who were you?" That question is irrelevant. It doesn't matter who you once were, all that matters is your present and your future.
All that matters now is who you can be for God.
All that matters is who you can be for love.

I'm not sure if you knew this (I honestly didn't), but Webster says that "base" as an adjective means "not following or in accordance with standards of honor and decency". So if you love the things of this world that have no honor and that are vulgar and indecent, then you shall become more like them until you too are filthy and vulgar and have no honor.

So if you want to become someone noble and beautiful and loving, you must love what is love. God is love. So fall in love with Him and He will change your essence, He will make you more like Himself. You will become something more noble because He is noble. Let Him work through your life, let Him break your base heart of stone, and let Him transform you into a beautiful instrument of His grace and love.

What do you love?
Who are you?
Who would you like to become?

What Consoles You?

This is the question that will decide everything in your life, so you better have a good answer.
What consoles you? 

Well, first of all, what exactly does console mean? Webster says "to alleviate or lessen grief, sorrow, or disappointment" and "to give solace or comfort". Maybe you can counter that you don't know anyone close to you who has died so you don't have any grief to be lessened. But grief isn't the only thing from which we ask
for comfort. 

We are all hurting. We are all asking for something more than this life. Each one of us faces disappointment every day. And when we are overcome by that ache, the sadness that makes us miserable and empty inside, where do we run for comfort?

Comfort can be found in so many things. Friends. Family. Food. Drugs. Alcohol. Crying. Loud music. Fixing trucks. Shopping. Puppy dogs. Taking a hike. Texting. Fishing. Sleep. Casinos. Pornography. Talking. Cooking. Video games. Sex. Bullying. Facebook. Singing. Drawing. Riding a bike. Gardening. Starbucks. Laughing. Playing golf. Books.

Where do you run when you want to escape?
What consoles you?

We need to get to the point in our lives where
the one thing that consoles us is Jesus Christ. 

Next time you are facing disappointment, grief, or sadness, run to Him. Let Him be your escape. Let Him hold you when there is nothing else that satisfies you. Let Him embrace you when words can't speak for the hurt and disappointment you feel. Run to Him. You don't even have to say a word, just let His hope and love fill your heart and bring you solace and peace. Let Him be your everything and I promise you will be consoled by every pain you will ever have to face.

*Disclaimer: This post was inspired by a talk given by
Father Jeff Kirby.

the Little Flower

*picture from humanflowerproject.com

So once upon a time, not too long ago, there was this little girl. She didn't seem like much when compared to great world leaders or millionaires or inventors, and she only lived to be twenty-four years old. But in those short twenty-four years of her life, she lived beautifully and accomplished something that some people never even dream of. She became one of the four female doctors of the Catholic Church and she found her own "little way" for others to follow to get to heaven.

Today we celebrate the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux. She was born in France in 1873. When she was only four years old, her mother died. She grew up with five older sisters and was raised by her the father she adored. When she was fifteen, she entered a convent just like her other sisters and became a Carmelite nun. She was too young to join the convent, but when her father took her to Rome for a visit, she got close to the Pope and begged him to let her become a nun. She was carried off by two guards, but the Vicar General was impressed, and not soon after, 

she was admitted into the convent.

For almost ten years, she lived a simple life as a nun. She meditated very often on the faith and the last four things (death, judgment, heaven, and hell). She had always wanted to become a saint and live a life only for God. She found her own way to get to heaven - 

a short and straight way to God's arms.

"I have always wanted to become a saint. Unfortunately when I have compared myself with the saints, I have always found that there is the same difference between the saints and me as there is between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and a humble grain of sand trodden underfoot by passers-by. Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new."

*picture from
carmelourladysdovecote.wordpress.com

"We live in an age of inventions. We need no longer climb laboriously up flights of stairs; in well-to-do houses there are lifts. And I was determined to find a lift to carry me to Jesus, for I was far too small to climb the steep stairs of perfection. 

So I sought in holy Scripture some idea of what this life I wanted would be, and I read these words: "Whosoever is a little one, come to me." It is your arms, Jesus, that are the lift to carry me to heaven. And so there is no need for me to grow up: I must stay little and become less and less."

When Therese was on her deathbed, her biological sister who was the prioress of the order ordered Therese to write down the story of her spiritual life. Therese's writings became a book that is still widely read today: Story of a Soul.

She was an absolutely amazing saint and her works still inspire many people to be saints today.

His Grace is Enough

I went to a Matt Maher concert last night and he sang a song that I've heard so many times before, but I had never really thought about its meaning. It's called Your Grace is Enough.

This song he wrote was inspired by a verse in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. In this chapter, Paul is talking about how there is something in his life that he really struggles with, "a thorn in the flesh", "an angel from Satan sent to beat me" (2 Cor 12:7). Three times Paul begs God to help him overcome this trial ad suffering. But God says to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9)."

Just meditate on that for a minute. These are striking words, whether you've heard them a million times at mass or if you're reading them for the first time, I encourage you to think about how they apply to you in your life right now. The Scripture is alive and it speaks to us even today.

"I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor 12:9-10)."

So if you're going through a difficult time in your life or if there is something you're really struggling with, don't be discouraged. Hope in the Lord, for He will give you the strength you need to get through whatever you are fighting. Nothing is too much for Him to handle.

We are all human. We are all fragile creatures. We are all weak. There are always demons in this life that we must face. There is always something in your life that must be overcome so that you will be closer to Christ and closer to heaven. These weaknesses make us stronger because God's power is "made perfect in weakness". When we are weak, God will be our strength. So we don't need to rely on ourselves and our own physical strengths, but we should always cry out to God, for He is ready to give us everything we need. He wants more than anything to help us with our struggles and temptations. We can't overcome them without Him. There can be no victory over sin without the love, mercy, and strength of Jesus Christ.

In Matt Maher's song, he says "You (God) use the weak to lead the strong." So don't be afraid if God wants to use your weaknesses and your imperfections to show the world His own strength and might. Let Him work in your heart so that the whole world will come to know the beauty and strength of our almighty God. He can do great things if we let Him.

His grace is enough.

Come Home

For many Catholics, religion is all about rules and what you have to do and what you mustn't do. And if you don't follow these rules perfectly, you will go to hell. That is what many of us believe these days, even though it is very far from the truth.

The Catholic faith is not about doing everything perfectly and never making a mistake, it's about falling down and receiving from God the grace and strength to stand up and try again. It's not about being perfect and flawless, it's about recognizing our own weaknesses and overcoming them with God's mercy and love. It's not about fighting and hating our human nature, it's about realizing that we are weak creatures and we are nothing without God. It's not about blind and heartless obedience, it's about knowing and loving and serving God, doing His will, and giving Him glory in our every day lives, so that we may be happy with Him forever in heaven.

Even if you follow the rules perfectly, it doesn't guarantee salvation. We have to do all things with great love. Like it says in the Bible, "If I speak in human and angelic tongues, but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)."

Following Christ isn't about rules and regulations and doing meaningless things. From the very beginning, it has been the greatest and truest love story you will ever experience.

There's a beautiful song I would like to share called "Come Home" by the Christian band Luminate. Its lyrics are very powerful. Every time I hear this song, I begin to look at things differently. 

Here are the lyrics to this song:

You're best friends with the word regret
Your afraid that your life's been wasted
So why hope if it's only gonna let you down?
You don't think people really change
You're a mess and you'll always be the same
And you doubt if you'll ever get it turned around

So you've been running, searching for something
But you're looking in a place you don't belong
But it's never too late, you can't outrun grace
No, Mercy doesn't care what you've done 

Come home

Come home

You can try to fix your broken empire
Put bricks on a cracked foundation
But you'll be building castles on the sand
There's power in the blood of Jesus
Your father's screaming Just Come Home!
He's reaching out His hands

From the shadows, From the wrong roads
From the darkness, From the unknown
To redemption, Something beautiful
To a new love, to new home

I know you've been running, searching for something

But you're looking in a place you don't belong

But it's never too late, you can't outrun grace

His Mercy doesn't care what you've done

Come home

Come home

So if you feel like you're far away from God and you feel far from His love, know that He loves you still. Know that He just wants you to come home and share in His happiness and peace.

Come home.

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Assumption of Mary into heaven.

*picture from www.photo-junction.blogspot.com

"We never give more honor to Jesus than when we honor His mother, and we honor her simply and solely to honor Him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek - Jesus, her Son." 

~Saint Louis de Montfort

"Men do not fear a powerful hostile army as the powers of hell fear the name and protection of Mary." ~Saint Bonaventure

"Mary having cooperated in our redemption with so much glory to God and so much love for us, our Lord ordained that no one shall obtain salvation except through her intercession." 

~Saint Alphonsus de Ligouri

 

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did." ~Saint Maximilian Kolbe

"Before, by yourself, you couldn't. Now, you've turned to our Lady, and with her, how easy!" 

~Saint Josemaria Escriva

 

"O sinner, be not discouraged, but have recourse to Mary in all your necessities. Call her to your assistance, for such is the divine Will that she should help in every kind of necessity." 

~Saint Basil the Great

"Mary, give me your heart: so beautiful, so pure, so immaculate; your heart so full of love and humility that I may be able to receive Jesus in the Bread of Life and love Him as you love Him and serve Him in the distressing disguise 

of the poor." ~Mother Teresa