St. Gabriel's Resolutions

In honor of the feast day of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows, I have posted his 41 resolutions that he kept in his religious life.  Pray for us, O' Holy Saint!

Gabriel’s 41 resolutions:

I will keep my rule, even the smallest thing.
I will not neglect any of my spiritual exercises.
I will shun idleness.
I will be punctual.
I will obey the sound of the bell as though it were the voice of God.
I will receive all things from the hand of God, as being sent by Him for my own personal benefit.
I will profit by every occasion for mortification that may occur.
I will fulfil exactly my ordinary duties, mortifying self in whatever would prove an obstacle to perfect obedience.
I will mortify my eyes and my tongue.
I will not leave my cell without necessity.
I will not inquire after anything through curiosity.
I will check my desire to talk.
I will increase the number of such like acts daily.
I will not take any food outside of mealtime.
I am poor and I should act accordingly.
I should be willing to put up with any inconvenience gladly.
I will not eat with avidity, but rather with reserve and with modesty, subjecting my appetite to reason.
I will mortify myself in ordinary things and whatever I feel inclined to do, saying in my heart: “O my God, I will not do this thing through mere inclination, but because it is thy will”.
I will be reserved toward those to whom I feel most inclined, prudently avoiding their presence and conversation.
I will not utter a word that might, in the least, turn to my praise.
I will not take pleasure in any praise bestowed upon me.
I will never excuse myself when I am blamed or corrected, nor even resent it interiorly, much less put the blame upon others.
I will never speak of the faults of others, even though they may be public, nor will I ever show want of esteem for others, whether in their presence or in their absence.
I will not judge ill of anyone.
I will show the good opinion I have of each one by covering up his faults.
I will consider everyone my superior, treating all with humility and reverence.
I will rejoice at the good done by others.
I will not permit myself to become interested in vain and useless things.
I will rejoice at the success of others.
I will practice charity and kindness, assisting, serving and pleasing all.
I will shun particular friendships, so as to offend no one.
Every morning and evening I will practice some act of humility, and gradually increase the number.
I will close my heart against disquiet of any kind.
I will suppress immediately all emotions of impetuosity and all affections that might cloud my mind, even lightly.
I will obey the voice of the Superior as if it were the voice of God himself.
In my obedience I will neither examine the why nor the wherefore.
I will conform my judgment to that of my Superior.
I will not employ time in conversing about purely worldly matters.
“Faithfulness in little things” is the motto I will always follow in my efforts to reach holiness.
I will try to reproduce in myself whatever I see edifying and virtuous in the conduct of others.
I will give to God the best that I have — the entire affection of my heart.

Simple

"Let your prayers be simple, for both the Publican and the Prodigal Son were reconciled to God by a single phrase."

- St. John Climacus

Septuagesima Sunday

"Sed castigo corpus meum, et in servitutem redigo : ne forte cum aliis praedicaverim, ipse reprobus efficiar."

My Friends

“...This is the way we should see Christ. He is our friend, our brother; He is whatever is good and beautiful. He is everything. Yet, He is still a friend and He shouts it out, "You're my friends, don't you understand that? We're brothers. I'm not...I don't hold hell in my hands. I am not threatening you. I love you. I want you to enjoy life together with me.”

-St. Porphyrios 

Serious

Purifying the soul is serious: the hereafter is ahead, the world is behind, death is near, the journey is far and the provisions are light.

-Al-Ghazali

My Thoughts

I reckon one of the other mysteries of the spiritual life is that the deeper we enter into the mystery of Christ, the more profound is our understanding of our sinfulness.  This is why the great saints never were proud of themselves.  Their level of humility matched with their level of unworthiness.

Mystery

Brothers and sisters, one thing that I have learned since I entered the Church in 2013 is that the Cross is a mystery.  Suffering is a mystery.  Contradictions are a mystery.  Pain is a mystery.  All is a mystery.

However, Christ, OUR SAVIOR, will answer the questions that are deep in our hearts when we meet Him.  Be patient and loyal to Him and His Church.  All things pass in time.  Eternity never ends and if we are faithful to God, we will partake of that everlasting Wedding Banquet.  Think about how beautiful that Banquet will be my brethren!

Salve Sancta Parens

One of my favorite chants in the Roman Rite.

Stillness

“Evagrius said, ‘Cut the desire for many things out of your heart and so prevent your mind being dispersed and your stillness lost.”

-The Desert Fathers

The Anodyne

You know, I feel bad for those who aren't in love with the Mother of God.  She's everything!  She is the Vessel that gave birth to God!

Think of that!  She was only in Her teens!  My eyes stream tears when I think of this. 

If I found out on the day of Judgement that She isn't what I taught She was, I would stick to Her rather than the truth.  Christ and His Mother are the apogee of my spiritual life. 

Theotokos

One of the wonderful things about the Mother of God is that when you fall in love with Her, you start a journey that has no end.  She represents an ideal that cannot be matched especially for all the fellow brothers who lack a woman in their life that loves them.  She is perfect.  She is always there.  When one contemplates Her, tears stream out from the eyes.

O' Theotokos, we magnify Thee!

Sunday Sermon from Fr. David Jones - The Peaceful Soul

Pius XIII Engaging in Prayer

This is true prayer.

No Room

Christ is everything.  24 hours a day our hearts must be fixated on Christ.  We can have no room for any other influences.

Can you have Christ without his Church?  No!  Protestants!  Be warned!  You must leave the error of your ways and enter the Church!  Only then will you find peace!

This Too Shall Pass

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

Magnificent Khawaja

I was so glad to see Usman Khawaja get back on track with a test hundred a few days ago after a tough home summer.  You can hear what it means to him as he roars in joy as gets his century.

With the Eyes of the Soul: The Life of St. Porphyrios

Pope Pius XIII Addressing the Cardinals

Legend.

Struggle

Sometimes the pain is so excruciating that you feel so alone and as if no one can help you!  However, it's in these moments that you have to hold even harder to Christ!  Yes, He is silent.  His Holy Mother is silent.  However, They see your struggle.  They are helping you in Their silence.  Your soul has to suffer in this profound manner for your benefit.  Don't you see this?  Remind yourself that this too shall pass.  All men shall die.  Your suffering shall pass.

Peace

"Do not wish for everything to be done according to your determination, but wish that it is how it should be, and in this way, you will attain peace with everyone. And believe that everything that happens to us, even the most insignificant, occurs through God’s Providence. Then you will be able to endure everything that comes upon you without any agitation."

-St. Dorotheus of Gaza

Price of Pain

"The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain."

-Padre Pio

Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

Absolute masterpiece.  No other song can relate to me more than this one. My whole life has been one of suffering.  I have been slow dancing in a burning room since day one.  However, it's for my benefit.  Without this excruciating suffering, I cannot be saved.  It's only through this profound suffering, I can be saved.  I am the worst of sinners and have committed sins that horrify me to this day.

Lord, please save and protect John Mayer.

Darkness

“The most beautiful act of faith is the one made in darkness, in sacrifice, and with extreme effort.”

-Padre Pio

Raw Pain

"There can be raw pain and bleeding where so many thousands see the inevitable ups and downs of only a game."

-The great C.L.R James on cricket

Myrrh Streaming Icon of the Theotokos

I was fortunate enough to get some sacred myrrh from this icon today at a local Antiochian Orthodox church.  Pray for us, Holy Theotokos!

St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

Legend.

In Your Atmosphere - John Mayer

One of my favorite Mayer performances.  At the center of every man's trouble with women, is a recognition that the Mother of God represents the apogee of a woman's progress.  O' Mother of God, how can I stand in Your atmosphere!

Message to the Mother of God

O' Theotokos, if You leave, what will be of our state?  How can we poor children of Yours even breathe one breath without Your motherly intercession?

When we die and face God, please do not be a silent advocate.  Speak O' Mother of God!  Speak on our behalf!  Do not allow us to be orphans on that terrible Day!  Do not allow our earthly sufferings to be in vain.