It is better to be burdened and in company with the strong than to be unburdened and with the weak. When you are burdened, you are close to God, your strength, who abides with the afflicted. When you are relieved of the burden, you are close to yourself, your own weakness; for virtue and strengthContinue reading “Meditation on Virtues & Trials”
Tag Archives: Hope
The Silent Love of God
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. ~Isaiah 53:7 For many of us, the apparent silence of God is confusing or frustrating, and weContinue reading “The Silent Love of God”
St. Imelda and the Fulfillment of All Desire
God is Beauty Itself. And being God, He is indefinable, incomprehensible, unlimited, uncontainable. God knows each one of us perfectly and love each one of us completely, and He alone can fill our deepest and greatest desire for happiness and fulfillment. This is His desire: To fill us with the life and joy of HisContinue reading “St. Imelda and the Fulfillment of All Desire”
Three Poems for the Weary Soul
Christ the Morning Star1 Gently Thou wakest me, adrift on seas of mist; a firm hand to my healing shoulder, a soft touch to my flushed cheek. Though I long to remain on the empty night— no stars, no moon, no wind to guide me elsewhere— Thou speakest thus kindly: Awake, my friend! A newContinue reading “Three Poems for the Weary Soul”
The Glory of Repentance: Learning Courage and Hope from The Lord of the Rings
The following contains spoilers for those who have neither read nor seen The Lord of the Rings (specifically The Two Towers book, chapter one, or the film version of The Fellowship of the Ring). Several weeks ago, some friends and I were talking about our favourite books, and the topic turned (as it often doesContinue reading “The Glory of Repentance: Learning Courage and Hope from The Lord of the Rings”
Sharing Sorrow: Why We Read Sad Literature
The other night some friends and I were discussing sorrowful literature—why we read it and so often cherish it. Even if a book is mostly not sad, the parts of it that inspired sorrow in us remain in our minds, provoking a continued and deep reflexion in us, and very often they hold a specialContinue reading “Sharing Sorrow: Why We Read Sad Literature”
The Beauty of the Precious Blood: A Meditation on the Hearts of Jesus & Mary
‘and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced’ Zechariah 12:10 Yesterday was the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and today is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Yet the Hearts of Jesus and Mary are one. Not only are they united spiritually in the great mission of mankind’s redemption,Continue reading “The Beauty of the Precious Blood: A Meditation on the Hearts of Jesus & Mary”
The Gifts of the Lady Galadriel: A Meditation on Pentecost
Here follows a meditation on Pentecost, when God bestowed the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, through the lens of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings—in particular the chapter of the Lady Galadriel’s giving of gifts to the Fellowship of the Ring. This I began with ardour and undertook with caution in mind,Continue reading “The Gifts of the Lady Galadriel: A Meditation on Pentecost”
Three Poems for the Troubled Heart
O Blessed Mary, Mother of All the Living O sweet lips which let fall fruit of the honeycomb, rest upon my sick heart; Whose kind ears first would hear the Child’s joy and mirth resound, incline to my poor soul. Of Morning Birdsong Listen! O thou downcast soul, disturbed spirit, weak frame— hearest thou weeping?Continue reading “Three Poems for the Troubled Heart”
Splendour of Mercy: The Image of Divine Mercy
In light of tomorrow’s Feast of Divine Mercy, I want to share a third reflexion to prepare us for joy and awe; here writing on the image of Divine Mercy (see above image) and the Feast’s indulgence. Jesus told St. Fasutina: ‘No soul will be justified until it turns with confidence to My mercy, andContinue reading “Splendour of Mercy: The Image of Divine Mercy”
The Curious Critic 