ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX

There are those who seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge


That is curiosity.

There are those who seek knowledge to be known by others

That is vanity.

There are those who seek knowledge in order to serve

That is love.
—St. Bernard of Clairvaux
 
One of my favorite quotes! Spoken over 800 years ago, and still true today.  St. Bernard, who's feast day it is, knew the importance of using the gifts that God gave us.  Not to boost our ego's but to help all the people of God.  Education is still the most powerful tool and we even today we need to be reminded to use it for the service of others. 

ST. JOHN EUDES

The French saint, John Eudes, was the founder of two religious communities, promoter of devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart, a missionary and  a priest.  One quote of his always strikes me:

"Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his desires and his disposition live and reign there. All our religious exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given us to do unceasingly" (St. John Eudes, The Life and Reign of Jesus in Christian Souls).


How do we do this, not as a wonderful theory but concretely?  How do we do this day in and day out?  And if we don't why not?  Shouldn't all of our life reflect God with us?  Not just as a pious Church devotion but in our work, in our play and in our rest.  If as we profess all things are possible with God-why not this?

FEAST OF TRANSFIGURATION

St. John of the Cross said "We do not know God by thinking, but by encountering."  Today the Feast of the Transfiguration is the feast of encountering.  We encounter God with us. 

GOOD READS

If you are looking for something good read - do I have a couple suggestions.  From Fr. James Martin,sj, "A Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything." The title itself makes me smile! In Martin’s usual style he brings us in touch with the Jesuit goal of “finding God in all things.” Ignatius’ insights as valid and needed today as they where 460 years ago. Martin shows us how we can find God and how God can find us.

My next suggestion comes from Franciscan, Fr. Richard Rohr. His book “The Naked Now”, helps us to become truly present so we can “know the Real Presence.” Drawing on the work from the Gospels and the great contemplatives of our church. Rohr challenges his reader to slow down and to take stock of that which is essential—our relationship with our God.

In “Water, Wind, Earth & Fire” Benedictine Oblate, Christine Paintner, introduces us to praying with the elements. Her guided contemplative exercises offers us a way to become more aware of the nearness of God in our day to day life

IGNATIUS LOYOLA

What a great feast day we have today- Ignatius of Loyola. So many thoughts come to mind as a reflect on his life.  One quote that stands out your me is "Act as if everything depended on you; trust as if everything depended on God."   How many times in any one day do we feel like the weight of the world is on our shoulders?  And what we have to remember is that God is in charge.

JOACHIM AND ANNE

Today is the feast in honor of Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of the Blessed Mother,  yet what do we know about them?  Nothing - they never otter  a single word.  So why honor them?  It is because of the Blessed Mother that they are honored.  It was the gentle, faith filled way, that they raised her, which gave her the ability to say yes to the Angel Gabriel. What examples they must have been for Mary.  Do we try to do that for our children today?  Things are much more complicated than they used to be, so perhaps it is even more imperative we to to such examples of the past. 

St. Mary Magdalen

Today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalen - one of our notorious sinners and one who was close to our Lord.  The one, in fact, that Jesus showed himself to after he rose.  Funny isn't it, Jesus was not hesitant to spend time with sinners and more importantly to forgive them, to see their intrinsic worth as a child of God.  It is easy to say that we forgive another, yet do we actually do that in our heart?  Many people today think that to be 'Catholic' means that we all are alike, they fear those that are 'different'.  Young and old alike, want the other to worship in the way they see fit. Yet who is to say which one is correct?  Jesus welcomed saints and sinners alike, people from all walks of life gathered around Jesus. Maybe today is a good day to start gathering around the person and message of Jesus.  Knowing that we are ALL equal in the eyes of God.