Catholic Fire

Whoever wishes to be my follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in my steps." (Luke 9:23) Reflection: "Our Lord sometimes makes you feel the weight of the cross. This weight seems unbearable but you carry it because in His love and mercy, the Lord helps you and gives you strength." "Imagine Jesus crucified in your arms and on your chest, and say a hundred times as you kiss His chest, "This is my hope, the living source of my happiness; this is the heart of my soul; nothing will ever separate me from His love." ~ St. Pio of Pietrelcina Action: Today, I will carry the crosses the Lord chooses to give me, as I surrender my heart to Him, opening it up to all His life-strengthening graces. I will give up discouragement, and accept the hope that He desires to give me. For, nothing can separate me from His love. ~ copyright February 7, 2008, Jean M. Heimann

"What makes the soul stronger in God and fortifies it is love... I live in a state of great langour. Love has done this because the more something is loved, the more one desires that it be possessed. Moreover,...this love generates a great zeal in me... If you keep your eyes fixed on Him, your entire soul will be set ablaze. But, if you are not doing so, strive with all your being to fix your eyes on Him and keep them there." ~ Blessed Angela of Foligno Blessed Angela (+1309) was a wife and mother who later became a Franciscan Tertiary and an esteemed mystical writer. ~ Adapted from the Magnificat, May, 2007 "Keep your eyes fixed on Him who is your guide to the heavenly country, where He is leading you. What does it matter to you whether Jesus wishes to guide you to Heaven by way of the desert or by the meadow, so long as He is always with you and you arrive at the possession of a blessed eternity?" ~ St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina "Look upon the beauty of ...