Posts

1201-1248 of 1833
Joseph Shanahan to Mother Bernard, 01.07.1935, Letters II, p.144
I see now more fully realised than ever the beauty of religious life - the staunch fraternal love both human and divine that binds us all together in and with… fr pt
Cf. Spiritual Letters, II, 209, 1839.
If you make it a habit to live with Jesus and Mary, you cannot fail to strengthen yourself and be soon filled with divine love, because when one is between… fr pt
"I do not know if I was right, I felt that since they (people being directed by Libermann) were really trying to live the interior life and to renounce all…
Cf. Commentary of Saint John, 328.
For all those who desire to obtain the salvation and the sanctification of souls, the great means that they have is to go to Our Lord with this devotion to… fr pt
Libermann: Règle Provisoire, 1,2,3, gloss
We are called to the apostolate; to carry out this apostolate fruit-fully we need the apostolic spirit. Apart from Our Lord himself, where can we find this spirit more perfectly… fr pt
Cf. Spiritual Letters, III, 287, 1843.
Saint Joseph must be very dear to every member of the Congregation, because of his intimate relationship with Jesus and Mary because he so deserved the tenderness of the Heart… fr pt
"Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Spirit, whom I adore with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, I beg you to grant me faith, humility, chastity…
Cf. Commentary of Saint John, 328.
Our Lord will communicate the most abundant gift of his Holy Spirit to us, which will fill us so much with his love, his holiness, his power and all the… fr pt
Cardinal Margéot: Homily for the beatification of Jacques Laval
The poor are evangelised by the poor. It was the custom in the co-lonial society at that time for mothers to give their babies to local women to nurse because… fr pt
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 109, 1835.
Of what good is it to amuse our hearts with frivolities during the short time that stay on earth? Will all these things not pass away? All these things vanish,… fr pt
"The aim of the Congregation is to form associates who will be committed to ecclesiastical discipline, with a love for all the virtues, especially obedience and poverty. They will be…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 238, 1836.
There would be many things to say about genuine simplicity, because generally, we do not know what it is. We look at it as something ordinary, and yet, it is… fr pt
"It is important that we Spiritans see ourselves as religious mission-aries. There may be an unconscious assumption amongst us that the priesthood is more 'important' than the religious life; that…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 419, 1838.
A cardinal principle in spiritual life is to simplify things as much as possible. The more simple and uniform our way of acting is, the more perfect it is, and… fr pt
Pierre Schouver, Superior General: Christmas Letter, 1996
Mission beyond frontiers is open to us over there (The Far East). Some things have stuck in my memory: a Franciscan in the mountains of Taiwan who had taken to… fr pt
Cf. Spiritual Letters, II, 341, 1839.
Once recreation is over, think no more of what you have said and done. If an indiscreet word has escaped you which might have displeased a confrere, do not trouble… fr pt
"During my thanksgiving after communion this morning, Jesus made it clear to me that he wants a new order of missionary sisters and that you and I must bring it…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, II, 341, 1839.
In the course of a conversation, observe moderation, peace, gentleness. Do not centre too much on yourself, forget yourself completely. In fact, anytime you start thinking of yourself, you will… fr pt
"The missionary is a person of the Beatitudes. Before sending out the Twelve to evangelise, Jesus teaches them the paths of mission: poverty, meekness, acceptance of suffering and persecution, the…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, II, 341, 1839.
Try to keep your mind free, cheerful, and open. This openness of heart and mind is indispensable for the acquisition of true interior spirit. fr pt
Libermann: Règlements of 1849. III,I, nos. 2-3
As the Congregation, along with all its members and all its works, exists only for the glory of God, all its undertakings must be of a religious nature. Consequently, nobody… fr pt
Cf. Spiritual Letters, II, 341, 1839.
Go your way cheerfully, simply, without dissipation, but without strain or inhibition, without apprehension of being well or ill judged, of pleasing or displeasing, without wanting to appear important, to… fr pt
"Up to the age of 15, Jacob studied nothing but Jewish theology. The only subject for his meditations was the Talmud and its various commentaries. Until he was 20, he…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, IV, 687, 1851.
May your life be therefore one of love, peace, of zeal and mercy. Live for God in this spirit and for these souls that are so poor. fr pt
"With the coming of independence in Africa and the establishment of hierarchies to govern the local Churches, the resultant missionary needs are urgent and serious. Everybody, from bishops to lay…
Cf. Notes and Documents, VII, 37, 1845.
With regards to prayer, there is no need to look for lots of reflections, or to produce lots of acts of the will. Stand before Jesus like a poor miserable… fr pt
"Don't allow yourself to get upset about the faults you commit. Guard against becoming impatient with yourself or getting de-pressed because of your weaknesses. Beware of any sort of anguish…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, II, 388, 1839.
When I noticed a soul that seemed to be called to the perfection of interior life, I would try to keep it away from too much movement, precipitation, trouble, anxieties,… fr pt
"There are some countries and geographic and cultural areas which do not have a local community of Christians; elsewhere such com-munities are so small that they are hardly a clear…
Cf. Notes and Documents, XIII, 144, 1851.
All rigidity of will, all trust in oneself and one’s own ideas must disappear, and be wiped out, if one is to possess these two magnificent virtues which are gentleness… fr pt
Jacques Laval to Libermann: 25.01.1848
I won't talk to you about my poor soul; it is very tired and cowardly, rarely thinks about God, hardly loves Our Lord Jesus any more and is no longer… fr pt
Cf. Spiritual Letters I, 126, 1835.
Enter most deeply into your innermost self and never come out. If you do that, your joy will be full and the peace of Our Lord Jesus Christ will flood… fr pt
"Since the beginning, the service of the poor has been one of the basic commitments of the Congregation and nearly all the signifi-cant experiences take root in this same concern.…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, IV, 687, 1851.
May God give you his peace and his love. fr pt
"I am convinced that all missionaries should have an unbounded confidence in God's holy Providence, especially in the midst of grave temptation: e.g. serious difficulties of no matter what nature,…
Cf. Commentary of Saint John, 85, 1840.
Lord! Please drown me in your so desirable and desired heavenly waters, drown there my concupiscence, drown there my pride, drown there all my vices and faults, in order that… fr pt
"Libermann was ambitious. He wanted badly to make the most of his life and, to this end, he was prepared to make great demands on himself. He was a man…
Cf. Commentary of Saint John, 338, 1840.
My Lord Jesus! I hear your cry, you call me, Lord, here I am: I am thirsty! Oh! Great thirst, which goes to failure, for I am completely empty and… fr pt
"Just as Jesus Christ was sent by his Father and lived for his Fa-ther, you also have been sent by him and you must live for him in the spirit…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 10, 1830.
Yet, do you mean to say that if I was a priest, I could have a place and come to help my family. No, my dear friends, it will never… fr pt
"The apostolic life is at the heart of our Spiritan vocation. It is 'that life of love and holiness lived on earth by the Son of God in order to…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 10, 1830.
I defy the world to discover for myself a happy person, for, who is richer than the person who wants nothing? Who is happier than the person whose desires are… fr pt
"All I can remember is that he had a delicate constitution, which made him the underdog with his brothers, but they still loved him very much. He stood out by…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 10, 1830.
My dear friends, I can assure you that my dear sickness is a great treasure for me. I hope that if our Lord Jesus Christ continues to give me grace… fr pt
"The second element of the Spiritan charism is attention to the reve-lation of the Holy Spirit in the concrete situations of everyday life. For such an openness, we must detach…
Cf. Spiritual Letters, I, 17, 1830.
Oh my dear friend, leave alone my dear poverty, my dear sickness, and a hundred thousand more sufferings. Sufferings alone can bring me to resemble our Lord Jesus Christ. fr pt
Cf. Notes and Documents, I, 149, 1828.
My Father who is in heaven will know very well what he will do with me. My body, my soul, all my being belongs to him and depends entirely on… fr pt
1201-1248 of 1833