tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62903362011-04-21T19:19:24.576-04:00Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. - Psalm 42:7<br><br> Put out into the deep. - Luke 5:4<br><br> . . . how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ . . . - Ephesians 3:18Jonathannoreply@blogger.comBlogger171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1144294701557496322006-04-05T23:30:00.000-04:002006-04-05T23:38:21.566-04:00

Based on an email I wrote to a friend:In further explanation of my position, my firm belief is that, in the words of St. Thérèse, there is really only one vocation: to Love. The other vocations - priesthood, "religious life", marriage - are but temporary manifestations of that one vocation. They are temporary in the sense that they exist for this earthly life as an anticipation of the life that

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1141719397513527802006-03-06T23:04:00.000-05:002006-03-07T03:27:38.746-05:00

†From the Gospel of Luke:The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. (8:14-15. All Scripture references are NIV)The parallel account in

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1132682491156119952005-11-22T13:01:00.000-05:002005-11-22T14:03:51.660-05:00

†While I’d love to post everyday, I will most likely not have the luxury of doing so.  Instead, I shall make a sincere effort to post at least once every week.  Toward that end, I will be posting my reflections based on the daily readings from Bert Ghezzi’s “Voices of the Saints” (© 2000, Image Books)Today, by my calculations, is the 326th day of the year, but I will simply write a reflection

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1132086712206266032005-11-15T13:31:00.000-05:002005-11-15T15:31:52.263-05:00

†In a previous entry I wrote:I wonder how it is that I continue finding these Theresian themes cropping up in my life. “My vocation is to love” she said. Perhaps if I had chosen a different saint for my patron when I was confirmed I would have seen the development of things attributed to them instead.All other vocations must have this vocation as their source. Each of them is but a different

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1129188399595987722005-10-13T03:16:00.000-04:002005-10-13T03:26:39.600-04:00

†I have no fear of hell, for fear and love cannot co-exist. In fact, it is very simple to avoid hell and reach heaven. But why does Jesus say that narrow is the path to eternal life, and few there are who find it? Because of the pride of our hearts We insist on saying with Lucifer, "I will ascend to the heavens" even thought we are powerless to do so. It is simple because Jesus knows the way

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1126243732442621892005-09-09T01:24:00.000-04:002005-09-09T01:28:52.450-04:00

From a journal entry:†Jesus, I need your help. This is too great and wonderful for me. To love another and so to love you more, and to love you and so to love another more. It is possible, is it not? To have this: the more I love the one, the more I love the other. Surely in my heart my great desire is to love without end.I wonder how it is that I continue finding these Theresian themes

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1119910261379238012005-06-27T17:58:00.000-04:002005-06-27T19:11:20.320-04:00

†Suffering can be very instrumental in bringing us closer to God. It can help a great deal in making us holier. We can even find joy in our suffering:"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil. 3:10-11)"Endure hardship as discipline;

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1102919232204598892004-12-13T01:17:00.000-05:002005-06-27T17:57:48.323-04:00

†Ah, my friend! How long it has been since I have enjoyed your presence! I have seen you passing by and I have heard your voice from across the way, but, I've been too busy to stop and talk. We do talk in the morning at work everyday, but that's just business talk. Its important for me to focus on the upcoming project, so I can't afford to really listen to you unless your telling me something

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1093839602884050262004-08-29T23:51:00.000-04:002004-08-30T00:20:02.883-04:00

Speaking of love, this quote from this UsaToday.com article is not an example of it: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-08-29-convention-protests_x.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno "I hope this shows the world that they're not alone in their hatred of George Bush," [referring to the large protest in Manhattan today] I honestly don't know what to say in response to

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1093757871078443842004-08-29T01:05:00.000-04:002004-08-29T23:41:40.850-04:00

Throughout the Scriptures and from many pulpits the message is preached, "Repent, confess your sins, turn to God. . ." An excellent -- and essential -- call. Every day we are called to conversion, to once again lay our hearts before the Cross and cry out, "Lord, have mercy! . . . . I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed, by what I have done and by what I have not done . . . ." But I

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1079682948598063402004-03-19T02:55:00.000-05:002004-03-19T02:59:09.200-05:00

“He has . . . set eternity in the hearts of men . . .” I realize that there is a longing for eternity within me, a longing for eternal life, a longing for eternal satisfaction. I long for eternal relationships, where I and another can run to the end of eternity and back again and not be exhausted, longing to go deeper still. A great sadness falls upon my heart, for I do not have that sort of

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1078981995324989022004-03-11T00:13:00.000-05:002004-03-11T00:16:24.640-05:00

The essay “The Singer Solution to World Poverty” was the first piece of writing by Peter Singer that I have ever read. His name is not new to me, for I have read other things that have made reference to him and his rather bold ideas. While I have been completely opposed to his suggestions, finding his argument for legal infanticide particularly repugnant, he does have a certain skill for

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1073599447351479102004-01-08T17:04:00.000-05:002004-01-08T17:04:27.543-05:00

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 (NIV) "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12 (NIV) "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1073501659873855272004-01-07T13:54:00.000-05:002004-01-07T13:54:39.843-05:00

"I lift up my eyes to the hills -- Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip -- he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you -- the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1073434477291793822004-01-06T19:14:00.000-05:002004-01-06T19:14:56.810-05:00

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (PHL 4:4-7) † What wise counsel this

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1073414616812581212004-01-06T12:21:00.000-05:002004-01-06T13:46:31.096-05:00

Last night I had the opportunity to go see The Last Samurai. I had only read one review of the movie, which was an unfavorable one, but I had heard from my friends that it was a good movie. My friends were wrong -- it was a great movie. I am not much of a film buff, having few resources with which to approach movies in an academic way, so I have to resort to forming my opinion based on my

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6290336.post-1073369285820647342004-01-06T00:29:00.000-05:002004-01-06T01:15:13.080-05:00

From time to time I spend time in various different Christian chat rooms. I am always astonished at how quick people are to quote various passages of Scripture and glibly proclaim that such and such is what the speaker or author meant. Trying to discover what the author meant is an excellent endeavor, but sometimes it seems that people are too quick to use Scripture to prove their point, even

Jonathannoreply@blogger.com0