A word from us...
The Living Spirit - February 23rd
Jesus’ friends are in no way remarkable for their talent or character. He who considers the apostles or disciples great from a human or religious point of view raises the suspicion that he is unacquainted with true greatness. Moreover, he is confusing standards for the apostle and disciple have nothing to do with such greatness.
Their uniqueness consists of their being sent, of their God-given role of pillars for the coming salvation.”
Romano Guardini, “The Lord”
I John 2:
" And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
Jesus’ friends are in no way remarkable for their talent or character. He who considers the apostles or disciples great from a human or religious point of view raises the suspicion that he is unacquainted with true greatness. Moreover, he is confusing standards for the apostle and disciple have nothing to do with such greatness.
Their uniqueness consists of their being sent, of their God-given role of pillars for the coming salvation.”
Romano Guardini, “The Lord”
I John 2:
" And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked."
The Living Spirit - February 16th
Our insistence that each human being is an image of God should not make us overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose. None is superfluous. The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God.
Pope Francis, “Laudato Si”
Romans 1:
"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
Our insistence that each human being is an image of God should not make us overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose. None is superfluous. The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God.
Pope Francis, “Laudato Si”
Romans 1:
"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened."
The Living Spirit - February 9th
“In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen, Return of the Prodigal Son
From Psalm 95:
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For our Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand."
“In the past I always thought of gratitude as a spontaneous response to the awareness of gifts received, but now I realize that gratitude can also be lived as a discipline. The discipline of gratitude is the explicit effort to acknowledge that all I am and have is given to me as a gift of love, a gift to be celebrated with joy.”
Henri J.M. Nouwen, Return of the Prodigal Son
From Psalm 95:
"Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving. Let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For our Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. Oh come let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand."
The Living Spirit - February 2nd
“If we have a purpose in life and a consuming love, we can endure much. Because they are head over heels in love, saints are invariably happy people. But saints are not born such. A life of prayer, life in a warm, affectionate community, living the gospel virtues, the sacraments, Scriptures - all this is profoundly healing. Reality heals. We begin to order our lives around the supreme Reality, the One who is pure love. When we stop pursuing
little gods and seek the living God, our emptiness is filled.”
Sister Mary David, “The Joy of God”
From Isaiah 55:
"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD and he will have mercy on them, and to our God for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. As the rain comes down from heaven and does not return without watering the earth and making it bus and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes our form my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
“If we have a purpose in life and a consuming love, we can endure much. Because they are head over heels in love, saints are invariably happy people. But saints are not born such. A life of prayer, life in a warm, affectionate community, living the gospel virtues, the sacraments, Scriptures - all this is profoundly healing. Reality heals. We begin to order our lives around the supreme Reality, the One who is pure love. When we stop pursuing
little gods and seek the living God, our emptiness is filled.”
Sister Mary David, “The Joy of God”
From Isaiah 55:
"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD and he will have mercy on them, and to our God for he will freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. As the rain comes down from heaven and does not return without watering the earth and making it bus and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes our form my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
The Living Spirit - January 26th
“I do believe it is possible to create, even without ever writing a word or painting a picture, by simply moulding one’s inner life. And that too is a deed.”
Etty Hillesum
Murdered in Auschwitz, 30 November 1943 aged 29
From 2 Corinthians:
"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not: but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
“I do believe it is possible to create, even without ever writing a word or painting a picture, by simply moulding one’s inner life. And that too is a deed.”
Etty Hillesum
Murdered in Auschwitz, 30 November 1943 aged 29
From 2 Corinthians:
"Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we faint not: but we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn upon them. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. Seeing it is God, that said, Light shall shine out of darkness, who shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”