Pearls of Wisdom: Insipidity

"Not Herod, not Caiaphas, not Pilate, not Judas ever contrived to fasten upon Jesus Christ the reproach of insipidity; that final indignity was left for pious hands to inflict. To make of His story something that could neither startle, nor shock, nor terrify, nor excite, nor inspire a living soul is to crucify the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame." — Dorothy L. Sayers, The Man Born to be King

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Pearls of Wisdom: Finance 101

"If I could purchase with money the blessings which I possess, I should make much of it; but it is plain that these blessings are gained by abandoning all things." — St. Teresa of Avila, Autobiography, XX, 34

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Pearls of Wisdom: Fidelity

"The fidelity of the servant of Jesus Christ consists precisely in the fact that he does not try to adapt the faith to the fashions of the time." — Pope Benedict XVI, at a recent episcopal ordination

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Pearls of Wisdom: The Son of Such Tears

In his Confessions (Book III, Chapter XII), St. Augustine recounts the advice his mother (St. Monica) received from a certain Bishop concerning her wayward son:

"Only pray to the Lord in his behalf. He will find out by reading what is the character of that error and how great is its impiety." ... [S]he still would not keep quiet, but by her entreaties and flowing tears urged him all the more to see me and discuss matters with me, he became a little vexed and said: "Go away from me now. As you live, it is impossible that the son of such tears should perish." As she was often wont to recall in her conversations with me, she took this as if it had sounded forth from heaven.

"Tantum roga pro eo Dominum; ipse legendo reperiet, quis ille sit error et quanta impietas." ... [I]lla nollet adquiescere, sed instaret magis deprecando et ubertim flendo, ut me videret et mecum dissereret, ille iam substomachans taedio: "Vade - inquit - a me; ita vivas, fieri non potest, ut filius istarum lacrimarum pereat".

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Pearls of Wisdom: Humbled

Priusquam humiliarer ego deliqui: propterea eloquium tuum custodivi.
Bonum mihi quia humiliasti me, ut discam justificationes tuas. – Ps 118[119]:67,71

Before I was humbled I offended; therefore I have kept thy word.
It is good for me that I was humbled, that I might learn thy statutes.

"[F]or the furtherance of humility it is needful that we sometimes find ourselves worsted in this spiritual battle, wherein, however, we shall never be conquered until we lose either life or courage." – St. Francis de Sales, Introduction to the Devout Life, Part I, Chapter V

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Pearls of Wisdom: Fruit After its Kind

I'm in the midst of planning a little vocations dinner, and the following phrase from Francis de Sales keeps bouncing around in my head:

"When God created the world He commanded each tree to bear fruit after its kind; and even so He bids Christians, — the living trees of His Church, — to bring forth fruits of devotion, each one according to his kind and vocation."
– Introduction to the Devout Life, Part I, Chapter III

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