PARADOXICAL

Fill yourselves first, and then only will you be able to give others. -St. Augustine

One must look after his own wounds, but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of others. -HJMN

He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist. -St Francis of Assissi

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. -St Francis of Assissi

Like turtles, take one day at a time. It's not how fast you move nor how long you live, it's how you cherish every moment. Life is a gift... enjoy it.

When we do what we can, God will do what we can't. Our task is to take care of the possible and trust God with the impossible.

Treasure of holy poverty, a treasure so great and divine, that we are not worthy of possessing it in this vile bodies of ours. It is this celestial virtue which every hindrance is moved from the soul, so that it can freely commune with God. -St. Francis

You're blessed when you are out of options, and all you can do is lean on God. Because when you realize your need for God, it is only then that you tap into His imeesureable greateness and goodness. You're blessed when you've been stripped of that which is most precious to you. Because only then can you be tenderly embraced by the one most precious to you. - Mt. 5:3-5

True strength of character is not calculated by how well we manage to carry some sizeable load under challenging conditions, but is perhaps better measured by our ability to remain kind and light-spirited even when we're sure that we can't bear the weight of one more ounce of life.

There was a man who saw a bee floundering around the water. He decided to save it by stretching out his finger, but the bee stung him. The man still tried to get the bee out of the water, but the bee stung him again. Another man nearby told him to stop. But he said, "It is in the nature of the bees to sting. It is in my nature to care. Why should I give up?" Don't give up caring. Don't give up doing good, even if people around you sting. -2Cor.14:10.

Our poverty, in a deeper level, may mean a discovery of our weakness, wounds, brokenness. We serve and share our lives, not because we have so much to give and we have so much to share, but bcause we ourselves are in need. -?

Life's like a piano. The white keys represent happiness and the black keys show sadness. But as you go through life's journey, remember that the black keys make music too.

I used to think that God's gifts were on shelves one above the other. And the older we get and the taller we grow the easier we can reach them. Now, I find that God's gifts are on shelves one beneath the other, and the lower we stoop, the more we get. It is the good deeds we do, the kinds words we speak, the love we give, and the humility we show that help us stoop down to find our real treasures.

So great is the joy which I expect, that all pain is joy to me. - St. Francis of Assissi (stigmatist)

Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what is missing.

Being poor is what Jesus invites us to, and that is much, much harder than serving the poor. -HJMN

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. -St. Augustine

True, I am in love with suffering, but I do not know if I deserve the honor. -Saint Ignatius

posted by Resty Odon  # 12:03 AM