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Post by Elizabeth on May 17, 2019 2:43:43 GMT
MAY 16 Recognize Christ
Christ is at once above and below: above in Himself, below in His people. Fear Christ above, and recognize Him below. Here He is poor, with and in the poor; there He is rich, with and in God. Have Christ above bestowing His bounty; recognize Him here in His need. - Sermon 123, 44
Prayer. Let me know Thee, my Father, let me know Thee as I too am known. Enter my soul, Thou Who are its strength, and make it what Thou want. - Confessions 10, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on May 17, 2019 15:41:44 GMT
MAY 17 Never Tire of Trying
Be assured that you can never be perfect in this world unless you realize that it is impossible for you to be perfect here. Therefore, your aim in life should be as follows. Always try your best in doing what you have to do, so that you may reach perfection. Never get tired of trying, because there is always room for improvement. - Commentary on Psalm 33, 14
Prayer. How do I seek Thee, O Lord? For when I seek Thee, it is happiness I seek. Let me seek Thee that my soul may live; as my body lives by my soul, so my soul lives by Thee. - Confessions 10, 20
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Post by Elizabeth on May 19, 2019 0:46:11 GMT
MAY 18 Value of Augustine's "Confessions"
The thirteen books of my "Confessions" are intended to praise the just and good God in all my evil as well as good ways and to stir up toward Him the mind and feelings of human beings. As far as I am concerned, they had this effect on me when I wrote them, and they still do so when I read them. What others think is their own business. I know that many of the brothers and sisters have enjoyed them, and still do so.
- Revisions 2, 32
Prayer. Lord, I give Thee an account of so many things to excite my own love and that of my readers for Thee, that we all may say: "The Lord is great and exceedingly to be praised." - Confessions 11, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on May 19, 2019 18:38:28 GMT
MAY 19 Thanks be to Thee
How magnificent are Thy works; in wisdom Thou have made them all. Thanks be to Thee! But Thou have made us over all of them. Thanks be to Thee! When we despised Thee, we were not despised: in case we should have forgotten Thy Divinity and should lose Thee, Thou even took upon Thyself our humanity. Thanks be to Thee! When and where can there not be thanks? - Sermon 16A, 6
Prayer. Lord, Thy best servants are those who wish to shape their life on Thy answers rather than shape Thy answers on their wishes. - Confessions 10, 26
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Post by Elizabeth on May 20, 2019 16:26:45 GMT
MAY 20 Christ Has Put an End to Fear
Did not Peter deny Christ out of fear of being put to death? By His resurrection Christ took away that fear of death. And because He had taken away fear of death, He asked, as was proper, if Peter loved Him. Fear had denied Christ three times. Three times love confessed Him. A threefold negation, the desertion or truth; a threefold confession, the witness of love. - Sermon 147, 3
Prayer. I call upon Thee, my God, my Mercy, my Creator. I had forgotten Thee, but Thou held me ever in Thy sight.
- Confessions 13, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on May 22, 2019 1:43:41 GMT
MAY 21 The Right Hand of the Father
Jesus ascended into heaven. And where is He now? He sits at the right hand of the Father. Do you know what "the right hand" means? "The right hand of God" means eternal happiness. It means inestimable, inexpressible, incomprehensible beatitude.
-Sermon 213, 4
Prayer. Let Thy right hand save me, O Lord, let it save me, so that I may stand on Thy right hand. I ask not the health of body but that having finished the present life I may be found on Thy right hand among the sheep.
- Commentary on the Psalm 59, 7
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Post by Elizabeth on May 23, 2019 0:40:28 GMT
MAY 22 Christ Is Our Way
Listen to Christ: Do you wish to walk? I am the Way. Do you wish not to be deceived? I am the Truth. Do you wish not to die? I am the Life. There is no place for you to go except to Me. There is no manner of going except through me. - Sermon on John 22, 8
Prayer. Lord, let me walk along the path of sublimity with the feet of humility. - Holy Virginity, 52, 53
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Post by Elizabeth on May 24, 2019 2:39:10 GMT
MAY 23 The Path of Christ
Undoubtedly, the path of Christ seems hard, but it is the safe way. Another path may hold out pleasures, but it is also teeming with robbers. - Commentary on Psalm 36 (2), 16
Prayer. Be my helper, and do not abandon me. See I am on Thy path. I have asked for only one thing from Thee: to live in Thy house all the days of my life, to gaze upon Thy delight, and to be protected in Thy temple. One thing I have asked for, but to attain it I am on Thy path. - Commentary on Psalm 36 (2), 17
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Post by Elizabeth on May 25, 2019 1:25:16 GMT
MAY 24 Love, and Do What You Will
Once and for all, a short rule is laid down for you: Love, and do what you will. If you keep silence, do it out of love. If you cry out, do it out of love. If you refrain from punishing, do it out of love. Let the root of love be within. From such a root nothing but good can come. - Sermon on 1 John 7, 8
Prayer. I love Thee alone, Lord. I seek Thee alone. I yearn to be possessed by Thee alone. - Soliloquies 1, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on May 26, 2019 2:31:58 GMT
MAY 25 Seek What Is Better
Seek what is better than you are so that you can be made better by it. If you desire gold, you may or may not obtain it. But you can always possess God whenever you wish. Desire God so that you may have Him, and then finally you will be really happy. This alone will make you truly happy. Love this, possess this; you can have this when you wish and without cost. - Commentary on Psalm 32, 16
Prayer. My faith, O Lord, which Thou gave me through the humanity of Thy Son, calls upon Thee. - Confessions 1, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on May 26, 2019 17:46:44 GMT
MAY 26 Spiritual Power of the Sacrament
Proud ministers are reckoned with the devil. But the gift of Christ, which is pure and flows through them, is not thereby contaminated. For the spiritual power of the Sacrament is just like light. It is pure and is received by those who are to be enlightened. Nor does it become less pure even though it passes through unclean ministers. - Sermon on John 5, 5
Prayer. Let them listen to Thee, O kind Jesus, and come to Thee. Let them learn from Thee to be meek and humble, since they need Thy mercy and Thy truth to live for Thee and not for themselves. - Holy Virginity, 36, 36
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Post by Elizabeth on May 27, 2019 15:36:44 GMT
MAY 27 The Holy Ghost Animates Us
What the soul is to the human body the Holy Ghost is to the Body of Christ, the Church. The Holy Ghost is active in the whole Church in the same way that the soul animates all the members of the human body. - Sermon 267, 4
Prayer. Let me know Thee, O Thee who know me. Let me know Thee just as I am known to Thee. Virtue of my soul, come into it and make it over for Thy own use, that Thou may possess it without spot or wrinkle. This is my hope.
- Confessions 10, 1
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Post by Elizabeth on May 28, 2019 23:55:14 GMT
MAY 28
Gossipers Stir Up Disharmony
Gossipers are described in a certain passage of the Scriptures this way: "The heart of the fool is as the wheel of the cart." It carries hay, and creaks, and keeps on creaking without end. Thus there are many brothers and sisters who do not dwell together except physically. What type of people do dwell together? People about whom it can be said: "They have one mind and one heart in the service of God." - Commentary on Psalm 132, 8
Prayer. Remember me, O Lord, not according to Thy wrath, which I have deserved, but according to Thy mercy. This befits Thee, O Lord, not owing to my merit but to Thy kindness. - Commentary on Psalm 24, 7
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Post by Elizabeth on May 29, 2019 14:35:10 GMT
MAY 29 Spiritual Growth through Temptations
Earthly life is a pilgrimage, and as such it is full of temptations. But our spiritual growth is worked out in temptation. By experiencing them, we have the chance to become winners. by overcoming them, we are crowned victors.
- Commentary on Psalm 80, 3
Prayer. Lord, Thou are our Physician, healing the ills of all. Thou reduce the swelling of pride, renew wasted life, and excise what is superfluous. Thou preserve what is necessary, restore what has been lost, and cure what has been corrupted. - Christian Combat, 11, 12
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Post by Elizabeth on May 30, 2019 14:31:37 GMT
MAY 30 In Heaven But Still on Earth
Our Head about to ascend to heaven commended to us His members on earth. To Saul the persecutor He said from on high: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?" That is, I have ascended to heaven, but I still remain on earth; here I sit at the right hand of the Father, but there I still hunger, thirst, and am a stranger. - Sermon on 1 John 10, 9
Prayer. Lord, Thou perfected my love, that I might surmount the troublesome entanglements of this world. Direct my desire toward the heavenly home so that I may be enriched with every good thing. - Commentary on Psalm 17, 34
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