Wise Words from St.Teresa of Calcutta

We need prayers in order to better carry out the work of God, and so that in every moment we may know how to be completely available to God. 
We should make every effort to walk in the presence of God, to see God in all the persons we meet, to live our prayer throughout the day. 

St. Teresa of Calcutta

Advent Advice from the Mystical Poet-St. John of the Cross

One dark night 
Fired with love's urgent longings
--Ah, the sheer grace--
I went out unseen,
My house being now all stilled.

St. John of the Cross-Carmelite saint, Doctor of the Church, mystical poet, friend of St. Teresa of Avila....

Good Advent Advice from the great St. John of the Cross. Still your soul this Advent. Seek God within, clear your mind, breathe deeply and still your mind and soul so you can better communicate with God.

NJA

St Francis of Assisi on Doing the Impossible for Christ

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

St. Francis of Assisi

Christianity needs people who are willing to do the impossible for Christ, because the Church needs disciples now who go above and beyond. The future depends on it. NJA

William Faulkner Quote About the Past

"The past is never dead-it's not even past."

William Faulkner (1897-1962)

This seems to be the case with scandal in the Church. We all want so much for the scandals to end, for justice and healing to prevail,  for reparation to God to happen everywhere.  NJA

The Church Crisis 2018

The Catholic Church is in crisis. A modern day perfect storm in the Church, with cover-ups, sexual abuse, pain and suffering of innocents, denials, conflicts of interest, finger-pointing, clericalism and arrogance at its worst. Evil inside the divine institution. The insanity of it all.
Wake up Church, this is serious. What will real, honest, pragmatic reform look like? I'm waiting to see, we are all waiting, because what has happened this summer with grand jury reports straight from hell and cover-ups from high places, can't go on.
The Spirit must lead. Reparation must be made to God.
NJA

(There probably doesn't exist a famous quote that could cover the mess I've described, so I just wrote my own.)

The Eucharist Should Commit Us To The Poor

"The Eucharist commits us to the poor. To receive in truth the body and blood of Christ......we must recognize Christ in the poorest...."
(Catechism of the Catholic Church #1397)

Think of yourself as an incandescent power, illuminated and perhaps forever talked to by God and his messengers.
Brenda Ueland

Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can become all we were meant to be. United to the "Vine" ...Jesus....we can do all things for good.
NJA

Do Good and Carry On!

To change the world for the better it is necessary to do good to those who are not able to return the favor, as the Father has done with us, by giving us Jesus. How much have we paid for our redemption? Nothing, totally free! Doing good without expecting anything in return. This is what the Father did with us and we must do the same. Do good and carry on!
Pope Francis

Be Receptive-Quote from St. Faustina

Be Receptive to God's mercy to the King of Mercy. Make time to come to God for graces and mercy. (Diary of St. Faustina)

Jesus wants us to be open to receive graces and mercy. As we prepare for Divine Mercy Sunday in the year 2018, we should "approach" God with arms wide open, ready to receive all the mercy and unconditional love that God wants to pour upon us. Amen.
NJA

Beauty and the Divine

Beauty is a manifestation of the Divine

Pope St. John Paul II (Letter to Artists)

The beauty in nature, the beauty in art, the beauty in seeing goodness and compassion evident in the world. The beauty of God's mercy and unconditional love for us.
NJA

Life's Most Persistent Question

Life's most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I try to do good, I try to be generous but still I feel I could do more. I've always felt that the one thing I'm called to do, that could really make a difference has eluded me. But God is shining light on that and the Holy Spirit is starting to move to help me understand what that is. Perhaps I've finally stumbled upon it or more accurately have been led to it.
NJA

Bringing Peace To Others Quote-From A Carmelite Sister

"If you are kind in thought, word and deed, you will bring peace no matter where you go."

Mother M. Angeline Teresa McCrory, O. Carm. (Servant of God-Foundress of the Carmelite Sisters For the Aged and Infirm- 1893-1984)

During the coming year 2018, the world needs peace more than ever and it begins with each one of us seeking peace within, in our homes and praying for peace in our neighborhoods, in our country and around the world.
NJA

George Eliot On Becoming All You're Meant To Be

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."  (George Eliot-pen name) Mary Ann Evans

It's never too late to be what you might have been in God's plan. We each have a role to play in salvation history and whatever that might be, the way to find God's will for our lives is through prayer, all forms of prayer. Be steadfast on the spiritual journey and keep trying to find God's will.
NJA

"If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking......"

Pure Emily....

"If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain:
If I can ease one life the aching, Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain."
Emily Dickinson

St. Benedict Quote on What's Really Important

"Gracious and holy Father, give me wisdom to perceive you, intelligence to fathom you, patience to  wait for you, eyes to behold you, a heart to meditate upon you and a life to proclaim you, through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ our Lord."
St. Benedict

St. Frances de Sales on Being Patient With Yourself

"Be patient with everyone, but above all with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfection but instantly set about remedying them-every day begin the task anew."
St. Frances de Sales

Or as St Teresa of Calcutta would tell her nuns when they failed or made a mistake---"Begin Again!"

Henry David Thoreau on Nature

"We need the tonic of wildness....We can never have enough of Nature. We must be refreshed by the sight of inexhaustible vigor, vast and titanic features."  Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)

One way to feel the presence of God is to surround ourselves with the beauty of Nature and quiet our souls and just be.
NJA

The Misuse Of Creation and Its Resources

"The misuse of creation begins when we no longer recognize any higher instance than ourselves, when we see nothing else but ourselves."
Pope Benedict (quoted by Pope Francis in the encyclical letter "Laudato Si")

If only President Trump reads the encyclical that Pope Francis gave him as a gift today in Rome, at the Vatican ....If only he reads it and it changes his ideas about the environment and how crucial it is to support policies that help the environment and stop the degradation of the earth and its resources. NJA

It's Never Too Late.....

It's never too late to be what you might have been.

George Eliot

Do you ever wonder what your true destiny in God is? Are you all you were meant to be? Do you listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as the saints did? Not easy to find true meaning, your true calling and the purpose of your life, according to God's plan for you.  But it is achievable through prayer and persistence.
NJA

A Walt Disney Quote About Doing The Impossible

"It's kind of fun to do the impossible"
Walt Disney

The Church needs people who are willing to "put out into the deep" and try the impossible (with creativity)  to evangelize in the modern world. NJA