St. Catherine of Siena - The Willingness To Suffer for The Salvation of Souls

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On this feast day of the great Dominican Saint, Lay Dominican, Doctor of the Catholic Church, and mystic, St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380), I wanted to share one of my favorite (but  challenging) excerpts from The Dialogue:

"The willing desire to suffer every pain and hardship even to the point of death for the salvation of souls is very pleasing to me. The more you bear, the more you show your love for me. In loving me you come to know more of my truth, and the more you know, the more intolerable pain and sorrow you will feel when I am offended.

You asked for suffering, and you asked me to punish you for the sins of others. What you were not aware of was that you were, in effect, asking for love and light and knowledge of the truth. For I have already told you that suffering and sorrow increase in proportion to love: When love grows, so does sorrow. So I say to you: Ask and it shall be given to you; I will not say no to anyone who asks in truth. 

Consider that the soul's love in divine charity is so joined with perfect patience that the one cannot leave without the other. The soul, therefore, who chooses to love me must also choose to suffer for me anything at all that I give her. Patience is not proved except in suffering, and patience is one with charity, as has been said. Endure courageously, then. Otherwise you will not show yourselves to be—nor will you be faithful spouses and children of my Truth, nor will you show that your delight is in my honor and in the salvation of souls."

Eucharistic Reflections - Holy Thursday - I Want My Priests and My People Close to Me to Console Me

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Holy Thursday should be among the most treasured days in our Church as we commemorate and give thanks for the Gift of the Eucharist and the Priesthood.

It must be an occasion for the spiritual re-invigoration of our priests and of all whom they serve.

God is quite clear as to what He expects from His priests! - to make the Eucharist the center of all that they do - all that they do.  This begins and is sustained only by spending time in His Eucharistic Presence, adoring Him, listening to Him and allowing Him to complete their priestly transformation into other Christs,

His expectations and pleadings have not changed over the centuries.  Sadly, He still awaits a universal and affirmative response from many of His priests.

Thank God that through the following two reflections, Father Mark at Vultus Christi has the courage to share those expectations with his brother priests and with us. 

Here are two brief excerpts from each of Father's posts and the links to where you can read them in their entirety.

After pondering these stirring words, will you love your priests enough to get copies of these reflections into their "sacred and venerable" hands? Will you too make the Eucharist the center of all that you do? Will you also come into His Presence? Will you pray unceasingly for the sanctification of our priests?

[Image source: Wikimedia Commons]

Christ’s First Mandate to His Priests - Watch and Prayer With Me

"...I wanted them to understand by this that unless a priest keeps watch and perseveres in prayer, all else will be in vain.He will dispense the substance of My mysteries, but without the sweetness of a heavenly unction, without the fire and light of a personal experience of My Divine Friendship. This is why I beg My priests to become adorers:to begin to keep watch and pray close to Me in he Sacrament of My Love. [Read full post here.]

 

The Night of My Agony and Betrayal 

"The renewal of My priesthood in the Church will begin from the fire of love that blazes in the Sacrament of My Body and Blood. I call all priests to seek My Eucharistic Face and to abide in My presence. I want all My priests to discover My open Heart, My living Heart beating with Love for them,and pouring forth a purifying stream of Blood and of Water for their holiness, and for the life of the world. I summon all My priests into My Eucharistic presence.They must learn that in My company is the fullness of joy. They must discover in the Sacrament of My Love the sweetness and strength of My Divine Friendship...." [Click to read in its entirety.]