The quotes posted to social media (Facebook, Instagram, X) this past week moved from the feats day of Catherine of Siena to the singularity of the demand of God, for our love which is shown in being loved (and showing the same love for his other children). No one saw more clearly the miseries and …
Tag Archives: Weakness
The Connection of Beauty, Love, Knowledge, Unity, and Contemplation in Marcel Văn
Since restarting this blog last year, I’ve tried to probe the depths of what exactly Christian contemplative prayer is. It’s really easy to take a viewpoint that is too phenomenal, too superficial, too ephemeral. But if we want to have a foundation that is truly solid for our prayer life, that takes a lot of …
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Profit from Weakness and Be a Child in the Arms of God (Quotes Vol. 18)
From social media (Facebook, Instagram, and X) this past week: Make an effort to profit from your great weakness and, by it, to become holy. Throw yourself upon Jesus in confidence, like a little child unable to take a single step on her own. Be like the fragile branch which, one day, will bear flowers. — Marcel …
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The Future Movement Marcel Văn Prepared For (Part 10)
Throughout the month of November, I have published nine posts—which have really been articles—on Marcel Văn and clerical abuse. Starting from a summary, exhausting but not exhaustive, of the abuse itself (Part 1), then moving through how Văn’s primary mission of “changing suffering into joy” is actually the face of spiritual resilience in the wake …
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The Little Way after Clerical Abuse (Part 9)
Nobody doubts that Marcel Văn saw himself as a spiritual little brother of Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. It’s pretty hard to miss. Thus, we find biographers speaking of a “life placed under the aegis of the ‘Little Flower’,” or “a sort of ideal double of himself” found by Văn in …
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Confidence and the Face of Jesus (Quotes Vol. 12)
From Facebook, Instagram, and X this week: I remain convinced that the sick child is the one with the privilege of being closest to his mother. In the same way, the weak soul is the one the closest to the Lord. — Marcel Văn In every human being you can find the Face of Jesus, never forgetting that what …
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Through Weakness, to Confidence
When you are prevented from labouring for God’s glory, either by reason of bodily infirmity or from some other cause which shows forth his divine pleasure, be not grieved. Instead, cast yourself with confidence into the arms of the One who knows what is most to your advantage and who draws you in in proportion …
Be Steadfast
Be steadfast, and never rest content until you have obtained the now of eternity as your present possession in this life, so far as this is possible to human infirmity. Blessed Henry Suso (1300–1366)
Let Not Your Imperfections Discourage You
Let not your imperfections discourage you; your God does not despise you because you are imperfect and infirm. On the contrary, he loves you because you desire to cure your ills. He will come to your assistance and make you more perfect than you would have dared to hope, and adorned by his Hand, your …
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Supreme Test of Love
There are times in life when a man’s whole bulwark of virtues seems to crumble, as if all the powers of the will sustaining it had given out. When this happens you will find yoruself confronted with the supreme test of love, for you will have gone so far as your possibilities will have allowed …
Contemplative in the Mud 