Ten Catholic Things that Caught My Eye Today (Feb. 25, 2015)

1. Don’t be superficial about prayer.

2. Sr. Wendy Beckett has the “Meditation of the Day” slot in Magnificat today (subscribe here). She writes like an artist – and a hermit (she happens to be both!):

That loveless slum you see in yourself is quite truly you—I won’t pretend otherwise, but it is you seen in the light of God. The “you” that he passionately loves, that he chooses to be most intimately possessed in a love-union—that you is the poor thing you experience as your true self. So, despair is the last thing to feel, rather a blazing surge of hope and gratitude that his love doesn’t depend at all on our beauty and goodness. But there is even more joy to it than this, because we just can’t see our poverty unless he shows it….
So to see it is clear proof that he is present, lovingly and tenderly revealing himself to you. It’s the contrast you are experiencing—can you understand? How do you know you are weak and unloving? Only because the strength and love of Jesus so press upon you that, like the sun shining from behind, you see the shadow. This is the surest way to him. These are the only two essentials the soul can see—in this life we can’t encompass both. Either we see all in the light of him, and primarily self, or we see only him and all else is dark…. But it is up to you to accept his grace; only you can thank him for it, and let it draw you, as it is meant, to long constantly and trustfully for his purifying love.

3. This was in my National Review Online list today, too. I include it here for both the tweet and the #OPPower retweet:

If they were dominicans, there'd be nothing to see RT @b_marilena Franciscan monks snowball fight (Jerusalem, Israel) http://t.co/QuhCbkOaCQ

— Bzavier ن ✡ (@bzavier) February 25, 2015

4. Speaking of Dominicans: It is Fr. Lawrence Lew’s birthday today (he has some of the best photos on social media – and, well, I could have ended that with a period after photos). Here’s our interview a few months ago on “Tweeting the Gospel.”

5. His homily for today as a birthday gift! (And Fr. Lew can see spring, by the way!)

6. I just happened to see this on Twitter this morning as it was tweeted. Fr. Kyle was one of “my freshmen” when I worked on Orientation at some point during my years at Catholic University:

A #LentenMessage from #CUA alumnus @frkti: pic.twitter.com/yb1yIvVhb1

— CUA Alumni (@CUAalumni) February 25, 2015

7. I talked with the Coptic Christian in Virginia responsible for the icon that has been making the rounds in their memory here.

8. During a time of such darkness, from the Office of Readings today:

Lord, kindle a light for my guidance and scatter my darkness.

III

He rewarded me because I was just. *
repaid me, for my hands were clean,
for I have kept the way of the Lord *
and have not fallen away from my God.

For his judgments are all before me: *
I have never neglected his commands.
I have always been upright before him; *
I have kept myself from guilt.

He repaid me because I was just *
and my hands were clean in his eyes.
You are loving with those who love you: *
you show yourself perfect with the perfect.

With the sincere you show yourself sincere, *
but the cunning you outdo in cunning.
For you save a humble people *
but humble the eyes that are proud.

You, O Lord, are my lamp, *
my God who lightens my darkness.
With you I can break through any barrier, *
with my God I can scale any wall.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, our strength and salvation, put in us the flame of your love and make our love for you grow to a perfect love which reaches to our neighbor.

Ant. Lord, kindle a light for my guidance and scatter my darkness.

The Lord teaches the humble his way.
– He guides the gentle-hearted along the right path.

9. Philly preps for the World Meeting of Families with saints around the city:

Today for our #WCW we celebrate St. Anne to lean more about her go to: http://t.co/xD74LjqEkq

— World Meeting 2015 (@WMF2015) February 25, 2015

10. Fr. Steve Grunow:

Lent is a privileged opportunity to repent and we should take this opportunity seriously. Waiting to repent until some other time or thinking oneself exempt is really quite dangerous. The opportunity to repent is now. We may not have this opportunity later.