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Here are this week’s must-reads:
+ “One day at a time. This is very important. Very often we exhaust ourselves going over the past again and again and also our fears about the future. But when we live in the present moment, we mysteriously find strength. We have the grace to live through what we encounter today. If tomorrow we must face more difficult situations, God will increase his grace. God’s grace is given at the right time for it, day by day. Sometimes we would like to lay in reserves, to stockpile strength for ourselves. But that isn’t possible.” — Fr. Jacques Philippe
+ Yesterday was the feast of St. Joan of Arc, my confirmation saint. I love this reflection on her from Pope Benedict XVI: “The Name of Jesus, invoked by our Saint (Joan of Arc, my confirmation saint) until the very last moments of her earthly life was like the continuous breathing of her soul, like the beating of her heart, the centre of her whole life.” May it be the center of ours too… Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. — here
+ Prayer of St. Augustine: “Father, I am seeking: I am hesitant and uncertain, but will you, O God, watch over each step of mine and guide me.”
+ “Holding a grudge doesn’t make you strong; it makes you bitter. Forgiving doesn’t make you weak; it sets you free.” — Stronger Marriages
+ “Love is never something ready-made, something merely ‘given’ to man and woman, it is always at the same time a ‘task’ which they are set. Love should be seen as something which in a sense never ‘is’ but is always only ‘becoming,’ and what it becomes depends upon the contribution of both persons and the depth of their commitment.” — St. John Paul II
+ “Repeatedly, God uses the image of a wedding to demonstrate His love for us. He relates His commitment to our relationship as a groom and we are His bride. His covenant is one of everlasting freedom, fidelity, and faithfulness…
Despite the list of circumstances that may arise in this life, we promised to love one another to Heaven. We honor those assurances through practicing self-denial and humility. Most importantly, we acknowledge our humanity and the absolute necessity of grace in order to achieve our goal. And so, let us all cry out to God to “come” into our hearts, into our homes, and into our families. Let us keep up our end of the covenant by simply inviting Him into our lives.” — Two Become Family
+ On Discerning the Best Use of Our Time
+ “If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in sweetness, patience, humility and charity.” — St. Philip Neri
+ On St. Philip Neri: “In prayer just before Pentecost, a fireball of the Holy Spirit appeared before St. Philip Neri, which he swallowed down into his heart. The heat was so intense that he threw himself onto the ground to cool himself off. After his death, it was discovered that his heart was so enlarged that his ribs were bent and broken to make space for the love of God. In church, those seated on the pew with him could feel his heart beating through the wood…” — Santa Clara Design
+ Always return to the promises of Jesus
+ “Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength.” — St. Phillip Neri
+ The Scriptural Basis for Novenas
+ “Prayer is the soul of every apostolate. Without regular, intimate conversation with Our Lord, we can do nothing that is truly good or lasts. Remember, He does not require our success. He only requires that we respond with our “yes” to the constant stream of grace He pours out on us in every moment of the day. To sense that grace, to know how to respond the way He wants us to, and to cooperate fully with Him, however, we must live lives of deep and continual prayer How do we do this?” — The Contemplative Homemaker
+ “The soul needs prayer like the body needs oxygen.” — St. John Paul II
+ Jesus’ Ascension and Theology of the Body
+ Lastly, here’s what’s featured in this week’s Catholic Wife, Catholic Life Newsletter. I share these every Monday and they always include: two gluten-free recipes, a reflection & prayer based on Sunday’s Mass readings, and links to budget-friendly fashion & Catholic home decor.
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