ST THOMAS AQUINAS

St Thomas was born about 1225 [exact date unknown] at Rocca Secca near Aquino.  He was educated from the age of five to thirteen at the monastery of Monte Cassino [founded by St Benedict], and later at the university of Naples.  While in Naples he met and was attracted by the Dominican friars.  He planned to join their order and at the age of about 19 he was received and clothed in the habit of the order.  This caused great indignation in his home partly because the Dominicans were mendicants [an order that worked but also begged for their living].  His family captured him and kept him under house arrest for almost 2 years, but finally the family gave up and in 1245 allowed him to return to his order.

In 1245 St Thomas set off for Paris to do his novitiate with the Dominicans.  St Albert the great became St Thomas's teacher in Paris.  St Albert immediately saw the great intellect and holiness in Thomas.  At Naples and Paris Thomas studied the writings of the great Christian thinkers, the Fathers of the Church, also he studied the writings of great Muslim scholars such as Avicenna and of important Jewish thinkers such as Moses Maimonides.  Above all he studied the writings of Aristotle who, became for him, simply, 'the philosopher'.

St Albert took St Thomas to Cologne where Thomas completed his studies.  At Cologne he was nicknamed 'The Dumb Ox' because of his silent ways and huge size, but he was really a brilliant student.

He completed his studies with St Albert and then returned to Paris to begin his career as a teacher at the university.  After 4 years Thomas was appointed professor of Theology in 1256.  St Thomas was sent back to Italy in 1259 where he stayed for 10 years.  About this time he started the most important work of his life his 'Summa Theologica' this writing which fills about 5 volumes is a comprehensive statement of his mature thought on all the Christian mysteries.

In 1272 St Thomas was recalled to Naples as regent of studies.  Here on 6th December he experienced a revelation of God, after which he dictated no more, but said that all he had written in comparison to what he had seen was like so much straw.  So leaving his great work 'Summa Theologiae' unfinished.

He died on his way to the Council of Lyons on 7th March 1274.  He was about 49 years old.

St Thomas was not only a great writer, but a man full of humility, gentle, kind full of the Holy Spirit.  He was able to write about sublime things clearly, this is why he has the title 'Angelic Doctor'.  St Thomas was canonized in 1323.  St Pius V conferred on him the title Doctor of the Church on 15th April 1567.

The Problem of Suffering

Greetings to you, Glory here, It seems to me there is an awful lot of suffering in this world. Jesus suffered all His life, from His birth in piercing cold in a stable to a horrific death on a cross.  What about His Mother? How did she survive watching her son in such agony? I believe that if God had not miraculously sustained His Mother, she could not possibly have survived her martyrdom.
She was His Mother, a Mother more loving than all mothers combined could love.  In her heart were united natural love by which she loved Jesus as her Son, and  supernatural love, by which she loved Him as her God.
At the foot of the cross, Mary was made the Queen of Martyrs, and at the same time she became our Mother, the Comforter of the Afflicted, the Help of Christians and the Refuge of Sinners. 
If you are suffering in any way you have a powerful advocate in heaven your heavenly Mother, Jesus will refuse His Mother nothing, Go and ask her and especially remember her sorrows, She had to withstand them for her Son to redeem us.  I can only tell you that I have a great devotion to Our Mother of Sorrows, she has helped me so much, and got me out of so much trouble, not the least of when I got myself into debt with my spend first, worry about paying later!
Here is a little extract from the Stabat Mater prayer:

"At the cross her station keeping, Stood the mournful Mother weeping, Close to Jesus to the last".
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing, All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had passed.
Oh! how sad and sore distressed Was that Mother highly blest,
of the sole begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs;
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying, glorious Son
Is there one who would not weep,
'Whelmed in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to behold?

GEMS FROM THE SAINTS

" Oh what inspiration there is in the Crucifix!  who could find it hard to persevere at the sight of a God who never commands us to do anything
which he has not first practised himself?
[St John Vianney Cure of Ars]

" I was all alone without a single friend to give me a word of encouragement.  I could neither pray nor read, but there I remained for hours uneasy in mind and afflicted in spirit on account of the weight of my troubles, and for the fear that perhaps I was being tricked by the devil and wondering what I could do for my relief, not a gleam of hope seem to shine upon me from heaven or earth, except just this:  In the midst of all my fears and dangers, I never forgot how our Lord must be seeing the weight of what I endured.  Oh my Lord Jesus Christ, what a true friend you are, and how powerful, for when you wish to be with us, you can be and you always do wish it, if only we receive you"
[words of St Teresa of Avila taken from Fr. Benedict Groeschel's book 'Arise from Darkness]

" The key to love of God is prayer.  By turning your eyes on God in meditation, your whole soul will be filled with God.  Begin all your prayers in the presence of God.
For busy people of the world, he advised "Retire at various times into the solitude of your own heart even while outwardly engaged in discussions or transactions with others and talk to God".

The test of prayer was a persons's actions:  " To be an angel in prayer and a beast in one's relations with people is to go lame on both legs".
He believed the worst sin was to judge someone or to gossip about them.
"Even if we say we do it out of love we are still doing it to look better ourselves. But we should be as gentle and forgiving with ourselves as we should be with others".
[St Francis de Sales]

The Rosary

The Rosary is my favourite prayer.
What is the rosary if not a series of prayerful reflections on the kernel of Scripture which most concerns us, namely the Good News of our Salvation?
Take the joyful mysteries for example, every one of them are in Luke's gospel.
If you want to grow in holiness, say the rosary every day. Jesus himself gave us the 'Our Father' and the 'hail Mary' the first half of it was given to us by the angel Gabriel [Luke 1:26-28].

The Holy Spirit will speak to your heart while you are praying the Rosary and then you will say just like the disciples on the way to Emmaus "Did not our hearts burn within us as He talked to us on the road and explained the scripture to us? [Luke 24:32]

St Teresa of Avila

St Teresa of Avila [1515 - 1582] foundress of the Discalced Carmelites, and Doctor of the Church.  Teresa was born in Spain of a noble Castillian family.
Teresa loved reading the lives of the saints.  After the death of her mother Teresa decided to become a nun.  At that time the discipline in the convent was very lax.  After a series of visions St Teresa founded  in 1561 a reformed convent involving strict enclosure, perpetual silence, and poverty in Avila.

From 1568 onwards Teresa collaborated with St John of the Cross in the establishment of reformed friars.  Her book on comtemplative prayer the "Interior Castle" is excellent.

MY OTHER SELF

Greetings to you all, Glory here.  About 20 years ago my sister gave me an extract from a book called "My Other Self" the author is Clarence J Enzler [1910 -1976].  I dont know much about Clarence only that he was American and he wrote other books one of which was "Everyone's way of the Cross". I haven't even read "My other self".  But this extract really speaks to the heart I just think it is wonderful. [I am sure if you are interested you could get the book on Amazon].

In this extract Clarence is letting Jesus speak heart to heart to the individual soul.

MY  OTHER  SELF [by Clarence J. Enzler]

My dear friend, My greatest desire is that you be happy.  Believe that I am goodness itself.  Believe that I want your happiness far more that you yourself want it.

Try to realise that I see all your thoughts and emotions.  All your troubles and desires.  I know you far more intimately than you know yourself.  I know you not only as you are, but as you have been, and as you will be; and I know all of this NOW.

There is no past or future with Me; there is only the eternal now. If, then, I hold you and all things in existence by my will, no one thing can happen without my permission.  You cannot move, talk, listen, feel, see, or think without my concurrence.  Of yourself you cannot raise your finger, blink your eye; your heart cannot beat your lungs expand.  You cannot think a single thought without My doing much more of the work than you do yourself.  Literally you can do nothing, neither good or evil, without Me. I am in all that you do; all that you do, you can do only in, with, and through My power.  Whatever I send you or permit to happen to you is, under the circumstances, the best that could be.  For those who love Me, all things work together for good.  They must.  I will have it no other way.

This is My power.  Realize it.  Ponder it. Meditate, and understand how foolhardy it is not to trust in Me.  How foolish to resist My will, when no one can alter My decrees.  I am your refuge and your strength, Abandon yourself to Me.  Do not doubt Me, My friend, Do not be irritated at your pain, your losses, your sickness, your enemies. View them as the means by which I guide you to Myself.

If opposition and affliction were not the food of your spiritual growth, I would never allow them to approach you, much less touch you.  I send you nothing that is too heavy for you to bear.  Everything is fitted precisely to your strength.  If you realized My love for you, you would surely have confidence in Me.  Before the world was made, I loved you.  When there was no earth, no sun, no angels, I knew you were to be, when you would appear, what place you would have in My plan, how long you would live, what thoughts you would think and what prayers you would pray - and I loved you.

Time never was when I did not love you.  My making you was the expression of My infinite, eternal love, I love you far more than you love yourself, do not be afraid to abandon yourself wholly to Me.  Is there anything that I have not done, and that I can do, to win your complete confidence?  Tell Me and I will do it.  Remember I died for you.  Cling to Me with all your heart, with all your will, and I will make you a Saint.  The love of a mother, even the love of My Mother for Me, is nothing to My love for you.

"Just as the Father loves Me, so I love you".  I willingly died for you centuries before you were conceived in your mother's womb.  And I would die for you again, as often as might be necessary, if by dying I could win your love and your salvation.  What ever I do, whatever I send to you, should delight you.  A thousand times a day I smooth your way and strengthen you with My grace.  I see you always and I love you always.  Have confidence then, as a little child.  As you hope and trust, so shall you receive.  Never fear that you ask too much of Me.  Such humility is not humility, but lack of trust.  I say to you as to My Apostles, "Why are you so timid? How is it that you are still without faith?"

THE MOST HOLY NAME OF JESUS

Greetings all Glory here.  The most Holy Name of Jesus is awesome; It is a great weapon in the battle against our enemies - the world, the flesh, and the devil.  If the devil rises up against you do not be afraid, but call on Jesus - " In My Name they will cast out demons"[mark 16:17] "Holy and awesome is His Name"[psalm 110:9]

Call upon the Holy Name of JESUS!
He himself has said "he shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in distress"[psalm 90:15]

When you feel suffering, you or your family, without neglecting natural remedies, call on the name of Jesus. "He saved them for His Name's sake, to make known His power [psalm 105:7-8]

The most Holy Name of Jesus is a great light, it is the torch of the word of God.  Each time you say Jesus
you increase in your soul the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity.

Whenever you hear the Holy Name pronounced, bow your head; do so likewise everytime you say His Sacred Name.