August 29
"Although the difficulties, temptations, and different events that occur in
the course of carrying out our plan may cause us some uncertainly as to whether we have chosen well, once our resolution has been made, we must never doubt the holiness of its execution."
~St. Francis de Sales
For Reflection:
Another tactic the evil one uses to render us ineffective is to create trials and difficulties for us as we seek to conform to God's will. His hope is that we will give up, convinced we have made a mistake. Am I willing to
persevere and not fall victim to this ploy of the evil one - no matter the cost?
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August 28
"After we have implored the light of the Holy Spirit, applied our thought to search for His good pleasure, taken counsel with our director and perhaps two or three other spiritual persons, we must come to a resolution and decision
in the name of God."
~ St. Francis de Sales
For Reflection:
This quote reveals another tactic of the evil one. He will incite doubt, confusion, and uncertainty into our heart so as to hold up our consent to God. What about my own personality or temperament could cause me to fall victim to this strategy? Beg God for the grace to overcome this temptation.
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We recently received an email from a PREP catechist who expressed concern about her parish introducing the
Alpha program for their eighth grade class. Is this program appropriate for Catholics?
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The canonized women who are mothers add to our altars a special kind of incense – a two-fold fragrance of motherhood, both natural and spiritual. The very definition of their sainthood reveals that the life of the soul was sacrosanct to them and that while they nurtured the physical life of their children, it was eternal life which they desired to impart above all.
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The next two days mark the feasts of two great saints of the Church, a mother and a son, whose lives give testimony to a sure-fire method of evangelizing those we love.
St. Monica (August 27) is the mother of St. Augustine (August 28), though Augustine was no saint when Monica began her earnest intercession. At that time he was a pagan and a member of the heretical Manichean sect. He was known to be a carouser who lived with a woman to whom he had fathered a child. A brilliant mind, he was "devoted" to his views and his lifestyle, and had no intention of converting to the Catholic faith.
St. Monica was distraught about her son's dissolute ways and decided to do something about it. She prayed. And in the end, her prayers won the soul of her son.
What was it that made St. Monica's prayers so effective? I think five strategies are primarily responsible. Perhaps you can implement them as you seek to evangelize those you love.
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August 27
"An inspiration urging us to give up some true good we
already possess in order to pursue a future good is suspect."
~St. Francis de Sales
For Reflection:
Sometimes the evil one keeps us in the pursuit of what seems to be a better or a greater good. This is only to keep us from completing that which God has intended for us. Have I fallen victim to this ploy of Satan in the past? Am I being tempted to fall ploy to it now? (See tomorrow's Grace Line for another tactic the evil one uses to keep us from fulfilling God's will for us.)
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CZ asks: “
Do you have any knowledge of German New Medicine?”
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August 26
"The voice of the Spouse, that is, His inspiration, in
no way disturbs or troubles her, but draws her so gently that He causes her soul to melt with delight and, as it were, to flow into Him."
~St. Francis de Sales
For Reflection:
This quote encourages me to follow only those inspirations that are holy and bring my soul peace. To what extent is this helpful in my current deliberation regarding God's will for me?
If you enjoy Daily Gracelines, please prayerfully consider making a donation to support and sustain our apostolate so that we may continue to provide this and all of our resources designed to nourish and grow your Catholic faith.
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"We want God!"
This was the rallying cry of the people of Poland on June 2, 1979. A son of Poland had been elevated to the throne of St. Peter, Pope John Paul II.
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A new study has found that at least eight percent of persons who practice mindfulness meditation experience a worsening in depression or anxiety, and even an onset of these conditions for the first time.
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