The Virtues of the Good Thief

The Crucifixion by Tintoretto

Picture source

"He believed,
he repented,
he confessed,
he preached,
he loved,
he trusted,
he prayed."

- Arnold of Chartres
via The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ by Saint Alphonsus de Liguori

Maxims by Saint Philip Neri

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Philip Neri. The following are some of the maxims for the month of May.  May it inspire us to living a holier life.

-  Men are generally the carpenters of their own crosses.

-  We must not give up praying and asking because we do not get what we ask all at once.

-  We ought to abhor any kind of affection, whether in talking, dressing or anything else.

-  As much love as we give to creatures, just so much we steal from the Creator.

-  Avarice is the pest of the soul.

-  He who wishes for goods will never have devotion.

-  All sins are highly displeasing to God, but above all sensuality and avarice, which are very difficult to cure.

-  If we find nothing in the world to please us, we ought to be pleased by this very not finding anything to please us.

-  He who wishes to attain to perfection must have no attachment to anything.

-  The greatness of our love of God must be tested by the desire we have of suffering for His love.

-  Let us strive after purity of heart, for the Holy Spirit dwells in candid and simple minds.

-  The Holy Spirit is the master of prayer, and causes us to abide in continual peace and cheerfulness, which is a foretaste of Paradise.

-  If we wish the Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray, we must practice humility and obedience.

-  A virtuous life consists in mortifying vices, sins, bad thoughts, and evil affections, and in exercising ourselves in the acquisition of holy virtues.

-  Let us be humble and keep ourselves down:  Obedience! Humility! Detachment!


Source

Thought for Today - Suffering in Silence

Should we keep our sufferings to ourselves or should we get talk about it with someone we trust?  Should we bear our crosses patiently?  Do we lose the merits we could have gained in Heaven by seeking comfort from another human being?  An answer to this question is not very easy.  Maybe the following prayer can help.

"O Jesus, let me never yield to despair.  Let me come to You in hardship and spiritual distress."

- Stations of the Cross reflection