Gratitude - A Most Necessary Virtue

JMJ

I just recently read an article by Robert Siscoe titled: The Importance of Gratitude in that Age of Apostasy (Catholic Family News, August 2016 Vol 23 Issue 8).

In the article he cites extensively from The Third Spiritual Alphabet by Francisco de Osuna (LINK) while calling on Mediations For All The Days of the YearFr. Andre-Jean Marie Hamon's book on meditations, St. Thomas, St. Abrose, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.

I heartily recommend my readers to acquire a hard copy of the edition or review a slightly modified version at the link below.

The core message is this:
"If we fail to give thanks to God for the gifts we have received regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves the gifts themselves will grow stale and putregfy and, rather than serving as a means by which we can glorifying God and merit an eternal reward, our gifts themselves will produce rotten fruits and be the cause of our damnation."

If we fail to render to God proper and due thanksgiving the result will be the corruption of our gifts into:vanity, boasting,spiritual, presumptuousness.

Further Mr. Siscoe state the following:

" ... if we fail to give thanks to God, the light of faith, by which we more clearly perceive the evils of the world will produce within us bitterness and rancor; rather than purifying the heart and making man happy, these 'fruits of corruption' will render him miserable. Rather than making him humble wondering why the good God has given him the Faith in an age of apostasy, he will become frustrated with those who can't see the truth and like the Pharisees of old, will fail in charity toward them."

The remedy is to be thankful always and for all things. As Siscoe cited Osuna wrote: "Do not be like this, brother; awaken your soul to thank God for his kindness, thus heeding the council of our letter: Let all your works abound in fervent thanks".

Siscoe goes on to cite Osuna's three methods of thanksgiving:

Deeds: Giving our life for Christ vis martyrdom, using our talents for the service of God.
Mediation on the gifts we have received: Frequent acts of loving affections for favours received, for those promised, and for the ones lost through sin.
Words: By praising and referring everything we have received to its originator: God.

Pray and be Grateful that God has deigned to allow you to live in the time of the Church's trials - that you may thank him for the gifts He has bestowed upon you - as unworthy as you are and will ever be.

P^3

Links:

Virtues

The Importance of Gratitude

Comments

Is it sinful to attend the Novus Ordo (New Mass) - Is it Sinful to Not Attend the Novus Ordo on Sunday?

+ JMJ A non-SSPX Catholic is upset over the SSPX statements on not attending the Novus Ordo Missae. Ladies and gentlemen, what the SSPX, or at least its website editor, is advocating is a mortal sin against the Third Commandment. Unless the priest deviates from the language of the Sacramentary, the consecration, and thus the rest of Mass is to be considered valid. No one may elect not to attend Mass simply because abuses are occurring therein. Might I suggest that such absenteeism is its own abuse? The Third Commandment binds under mortal sin. Father So-And-So from the SSPX has no authority whatsoever to excuse attendance at Mass, be that Mass ever so unpalatable. Source:Restore DC Catholicism Well, this is interesting. First why does the SSPX issue this statement? Because it is sinful to put your faith in danger by attending a protestant service. It is likewise dangerous to put your faith in danger by attending a protestantized mass (ie the Novus Ordo Missae

Regarding Post: Fr. Joseph Pfeiffer no longer ... now Bishop Joseph Pfeiffer (Can't see this being a problem...)

+ JMJ I've been watching the popularity of the post about Fr. Pfeiffer's attempted episcopal consecration and its continued top listing on the 'popular posts' list at the bottom of posts. After some thought, I decided that I don't want to be responsible for anyone joining Fr. Pfeiffer's 'group', however unlikely that would be at this time. So I have reverted the article to the draft state. If anyone wants it reinstated, I would ask that they comment on this post with a rationale for reinstatement. P^3

Morning and Evening and other sundry Prayers

+ JMJ Along the theme of P^3 (Prayer, Penance, Patience), and for my own reference ... here is a collection of Morning and Evening prayers from the Ideal Daily Missal along with some additional prayers. In this crisis of the Church, I do not think it is possible to do too much prayer, penance and have patience. P^3

The Vatican and SSPX – An Organizational Culture Perspective

Introduction The recent and continuing interactions between the Vatican and the SSPX have been a great opportunity for prayer and reflection. The basis for the disagreement is theological and not liturgical. As noted by Dr. Lamont (2012), the SSPX theological position on the four key controversial aspects of the Second Vatican Council are base on prior theological work that resulted from relevant magisterial pronouncements. So it is difficult to understand the apparent rejection of the theological position of the SSPX.

SSPX Transfers

+ JMJ Eponymous flow posted the following list of transfers etc. Source: http://eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2020/04/castling-of-leadership-at-sspx.html The departures Bishop Bernard Fellay, the third Superior General until 2018, leaves the General House in Menzingen and moves to the Seminary of St. Thomas Aquinas in the USA. Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais, suffering from ill health, is being referred to the Seminary of St. Pius X in Ecene as a retreat. Fr. Christian Thouvenot, until now Secretary General of the General House, becomes a professor at the seminary in Ecene. Fr. Franz Schmidberger, until now Rector at the Seminary of the Heart of Jesus in Zaitzkofen, moves to the district of Germany. Fr. Jürgen Wegner, until now district superior of the DISTRICT USA, moves to the district of Austria. Fr. Philippe Brunet, until now Superior of the Autonomous House of Spain-Portugal, becomes professor at the Seminary U.L.F. and co-saviour of La Reja in

Tradicat

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