This weeks readings.

2006-08-04 Some of this weeks readings and thoughts.

I am reading an amazing biography called Pilgrimage and Exile: Mother Marianne of Molokai by Sister Mary Laurence Hanley, O.F.S. an O. A. Bushnell. It continues my readings on the lepers in Hawaii. This is an amazing story of a woman or extraordinary grace, wisdom and leadership. It is a bit of a slow read because of the language and extensive quotes from the period of late 1800’s and early 1900’s. But it is worth every minute spent reading.

I am also reading Scott Hahn’s Swear to God, Michael W. Higgin’s Stalking the Holy and will review both of them in the near future as well.

As well, I am continuing to read the three books The Way, Furrow and The Forge by St. Josemaria Escriva. Almost every time I pick them up, some point for reflection or for application to my life strikes me again. I keep them on my bedside table and try to read a few pages every evening and every morning. Today these 4 points from Furrow really struck home.

“Yours is an unbalanced character. You are a broken keyboard. You

play very well on the high notes and on the low notes, but no sound comes from the ones in the middle, the ones used in ordinary life, the ones people normally hear.”
#440

“Diamonds are polished with diamonds, and souls with souls.”
#442

“A great sign appeared in Heaven: a woman adorned with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars about her head." From this, you and I and everyone may be sure that nothing perfects our personality so much as correspondence with grace.
Try to imitate the Virgin Mary and you will be a complete man or woman.
#443

“If you abandon prayer you may at first live on spiritual reserves, and after that, by cheating.”
#445

I cannot recommend these 3 little volume’s enough. Either as the combined edition or as 3 individual books, they will challenge you to grow in the application of your faith.