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Ave Maria Meditations

Why St. Peter fell: 

Look at little children: they never stop breaking things, tearing things, falling down, and they do this even while loving their parents very, very much. When I fall in this way, it makes me realize my noth­ingness more, and I say to myself: “What would I do, and what would I become, if I were to rely upon my own strength?”

I understand very well why Saint Peter fell. Poor Peter, he was relying upon himself instead of relying only upon God’s strength. I conclude from this expe­rience that if I said to myself: “0 my God, you know very well I love you too much to dwell upon one sin­gle thought against the faith,” my temptations would become more violent and I would certainly succumb to them.

I’m very sure that if Saint Peter had said humbly to Jesus: “Give me the grace, I beg you, to follow you even to death,” he would have received it immediately.

I’m very certain that our Lord didn’t say any more to his Apostles through his instructions and his physical presence than he says to us through his good inspira­tions and his grace. He could have said to Saint Peter: “Ask me for the strength to accomplish what you want.” But no, he didn’t because he wanted to show him his weakness, and because, before ruling the Church that is filled with sinners, he had to experience for himself what man is able to do without God’s help.

Before Peter fell, our Lord had said to him: “And once you are converted, strengthen your brethren.” This means: convince them of the weakness of human strength through your own experience.

St. Therese of Lisieux

Homily #110223 ( 04min) Play – Fr. Dominic exhorts us to do little things for Our Lord with great love.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Peter Damian, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church – Third Class – Form: EF, In Medio Ecclesiae
Readings:
1st: 2ti 4:1-8
Gsp: mat 5:13-19

Audio (MP3)

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Ave Maria Mediations  

One more point, so that we may have a perfectly clear idea of Saint Therese’s self-denial. Generally speaking we have a too material, too external idea of self-denial; we almost always picture self-denial under the form of privation, as the sacrifice of something material, or again as some external mortification. And so we tire ourselves out looking for something to give up instead of denying ourselves always and in everything.   

Self-denial is primarily and often solely something interior and spiritual; it is in no way synonymous with mortification, with privation. Even when there is no mortification, there ought always to be self-denial. Self-­denial is simply the disposition of the soul to live for self in nothing, a sincere and constant disposition, a fixed determination to turn the soul from its natural tendency to make self the centre of its life, a fixed determination not to think of self, to put self on one side.  (more…)

One Minute Meditation

Prayer to the Eternal High Priest

O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep Your priests within the shelter of Your Most Sacred Heart, where none can touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Your Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips daily tinged with Your Precious Blood. Keep pure and unworldly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood. Let Your Holy Love surround and protect them from the world’s contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here, and their everlasting crown in the hereafter. Amen.

~ St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Ave Maria Meditations

I WILL SPEND MY HEAVEN DOING GOOD ON EARTH!

LOVE IS REPAID BY LOVE ALONE…

…AND NOURISHED BY SACRIFICE.

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My Heaven on Earth

To bear my exile now, within this world of tears,

The holy tender glance of Christ, my Lord, I need.

That glance, surcharged with love, consoles me through the years;

His loveliness displays foretaste of heaven indeed.

On me my Jesus smiles, when toward Him I aspire-

The trial of my faith then weighs no more on me.

That love-glance of my God, that smile of holy fire,

Oh, this is heaven for me!

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‘Tis heaven to have the power, great grace from Christ to win

For Holy Mother Church, for all my Sisters dear,

For every soul on earth that He may enter in,

Enflame our sinful hearts, and grant us joy and cheer.

All things my love can gain when, heart to heart, I pray,

Alone with Jesus Christ in speechless ecstasy.

Beside His altar blest with Him I gladly stay,

Oh, this is heaven for me!

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FI News #56 – Fra George Mary Pio of Our Lady of Fatima makes First Vows ( 06min) >>> Play

Ave Maria!

Here’s a video of our 4 newly professed friars who took their first vows on September 8th, 2009.  All 4 will soon be in Italy to begin studying for the priesthood.  The houses of philosophy and theology for the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate are in Italy, just outside of Rome.  All FIs who study for the priesthood go to Italy, so when the Italian friars pick them up at the airport, our newly professed with be greeted with those familiar words: “Ave Maria! Parli l’italiano?”

Note: The optional  price for viewing this video is one Rosary to Our Lady for these new friars, per request of the one who wrote this post.  (St. Therese, pray for us!)

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)