#francis writes a bl

[heretherebedork]

The Hanukah Choose Your Own Tropes BL Adventure!

So! @iguessitsjustme is running a fantastic Choose Your Own BL Adventure with multiple romance options and lots of choices... and this is my mini version for Hanukah!

This will last Eight Days and the pairing is already determined but the path they take to get together is up to you! I will be posting each night at some point after sundown (Hanukah!) and I will give you are many choices as i can think of.

Anyway, the first night is about... not exactly how they meet but how the audience seems them meet. Not a meet cute, but a sweet meet for those watching!

But, first, we need an introduction... don't we?

The shot starts on a smiling, chubby young man who's whipping up a batter in a slightly too messy kitchen. His apron has flour, there's a few splotches in his hair and he's laughing about something. This is Jelly! He's a pastry student who's always been popular and well-liked. The youngest in his family by a decade, he was the apple of everyone's eye and is more than a little spoiled by the love and tender care of his three older sisters and his adoring parents. He's always positive, has never had any reason to worry and generally just really likes people. He's not used to being disliked which means that his relationship with our love interest is a bit... interesting.

Because Latke's opening shot is very different. Latke is in the kitchen as well, another culinary student, but he is cutting neat and perfect vegetables for a soup and his face is set stoically as he pours them into a perfectly clear broth. Lakte is the oldest of two in a family that struggled and he has never been popular nor has he ever been spoiled. He is strict, neat and quick to judge people for being popular or particularly positive. Although he is loyal to those that are loyal to him, he does not trust easy kindness and that means he looks at Jelly with constant suspicion.

The hardest part of all of this? Both of them have a crush on their current student mentor, Gelt. And while Jelly laughs it off and tries to turn it into a joke, Latke is not on board with that.

But now we're on the scene and a love story must commence!

[puppy-phum]

sorry i have to ramble some more about last twilight bc i cannot contain it. this is not anything meta, just some thoughts.

as an avid music lover and now a serious soundtrack enthusiast, i need to mention how much i adore the music choices of this show.

i am not sure who picks the final songs to be used and what criteria they use for it (is it p'aof? do they have some kind of library for songs they can pick from as many songs appear in several bls? or do they get free hands?), but the bg songs in last twilight that have caught my attention have been brilliant.

yes, sure, they use the instrumentals of their original songs. that's typical for bls and any shows really. but there are also other songs.

i like collecting instrumental songs to put on my playlist i use for writing, so good instrumentals always intrigue me. last twilight has now introduced me to two artists whose music feels very inspirational.

first one is francis wells whose song april will be cold was used in the scene where mork has flashbacks of his conversations with several ppl which then make him turn back and accept the caregiver job from day. i listened to several of the albums and these songs are very adventure game themed. very energetic, powerful, agile perhaps. a surprising choice. made me wonder where they found it (i am still leaning towards them having a library of songs they have free access to rather than someone actually knowing these artists).

another one is bonnie grace's song titled notorious. it was used in the scene where they show mork making his way through the market blindfolded as he tries to understand day's experience. once again, very adventure game, fantasy movie themed. pulls me even more outside the feeling of a "regular" bl. this show doesn't fit the category btw. idk if that category still exists as such but the boundaries of it have been pushed for a while now. i like it, it's what we need.

all this to say: i am very curious about these music choices and very grateful that last twilight is throwing new music my way. i will never say no to that.

(now just please release the ost song used in the trailer am desperate!!!)

[not-poignant]

very, very late question to an old work and I will perfectly understand if you don't want to reply to this and prefer not to bring the discussion toward your old works.

out of curiosity, how much did the hunger games, divergent, maze runner or other dystopian YA works of the time influence TGATNW?

the curiosity stemmed from the fact that while my initial perspective on your works were that they were a complete divergence from mainstream media due to its rawer, kinkier nature, a thought popped up that your works might have (purposefully?) satisfied the trends of the times they were created. the golden age (and fae tales soon after) was an appropriate dystopian rebellion story in the midst of the YA fever in 2014-2015 containing similar tropes.

On the other hand, falling falling stars and other efnisien centric works which address mental health and recovery more heavily than other works were published in the present day while shows on mental health discourse (for instance sex education and euphoria) are increasingly more popular. there are definitely exceptions, but those mentioned are some of your most prominent works.now that I think about it, my question might actually be: if at all, how do current trends influence your narratives? I think I remember a mention of these works' influences being old tales, so it would be interesting to hear how contemporary works have inspired you as well if it all.

thanks Pia! even if you don't reply, thanks for all the time and effort you've put into these works. they mean a lot and so much more to a many people.

This one is easy to answer:

my question might actually be: if at all, how do current trends influence your narratives?

So the TL;DR upfront -> I don't read, and often don't know about current trends. I have zero interest in writing to market. I hadn't read any of those books you mentioned when I wrote The Golden Age that Never Was with the exception of The Hunger Games, which came out over half a decade beforehand (except for the last installment in the trilogy, which was my least favourite lol).

In more detail:

I was inspired to write The Golden Age that Never Was - I can't believe I'm saying this - based on a dream I had in August, 2015.

I read Divergent for the first time in 2016 (er, so after I'd started TGATNW). I read book 1, gave it 2 stars, and don't remember anything about it. I haven't read Maze Runner and I know nothing about it.

Going back through my Goodreads account in 2013 and 2014, I read what looks like almost no books actually published in those years. I read books on cod (literally, the nonfiction book Cod, it's really very good), I read Manna Francis (defo not YA), I read nonfiction books on trauma, I read a bunch of Tricia Owens (M/M not YA), I read Eleanor & Park (YA but contemporary), I read a bunch of M/M, Hagio Moto's Zankoku na Kami ga Shihaisuru manga took over my life for a few months, and then I read a bunch more BL manga (none of it recently published that year) for consecutive months and checked out of anything written in the western world for almost half a year.

I got back into M/M at the end of / beginning of 2015 and it looks like that was all I was reading through all of 2015 with very few exceptions (one more Rainbow Rowell book, Station Eleven by Mandel, and nonfiction). I read no dystopian YA in the 2 year lead up to writing The Golden Age that Never Was. Not a single title. Out of like 200 titles. I didn't even read historical dystopian YA. I think we can safely say that was in no way a direct influence and I can bet you around $500 I had no idea it was a trend lmao.

I do not know exactly how to convey how little I give a shit about reading or responding to publishing trends. I don't care and have never cared. No, wait, I think I attempted to care for about 2 months after seeing a Facebook post about it and then was like 'wait, this is extremely demotivating' and stopped. There are some - few - absolute favourite authors who if they release a book, I will read it that year. (Like the latest Murderbot by Martha Wells). Otherwise I prefer generally not knowing what the trends are, and I don't read author blogs etc. that keep me updated on this. New genres rise and fall and by the time I hear of them, they've either already vanished, or new names have been invented for them.

I feel the same way about music and a lot of television as well. I started watching True Detective for the first time this year. A lot of the music I've listened to and discovered didn't release that music this year. And while I have watched and listened to things that did release this year, it was less because it was 'trendy' and more because they are musicians I've always listened to (Manchester Orchestra) or TV shows I would have wanted to watch anyway.

Also The Golden Age that Never Was isn't dystopian YA. But I wasn't reading much by the way of any dystopian romantic science fiction anyway (and certainly nothing released in those years), and no space operas or anything like that. If TGATNW synced up with any trends at all, it was a happy coincidence. But given I don't think it's YA, if people who only wanted to read dystopian YA found it, they were going to be really disappointed! Lmao.

Around 2013 I also just stopped reading anything heterosexual because I had a choice in the moment and exercised that choice. And I tell you - it's low key hilarious how much you get locked out of almost all the trends (certainly almost 10 years ago) anyway, if you exclusively read same sex.

I also just have general disdain for the idea of purposefully satisfying any kind of fiction trends in fanfiction. Like, no, that's not for me. I think that's a waste of my time, and it's not why I write fanfiction. I write fanfic for fun, and to me, looking at trends and writing to trends is one of the least fun things I can actually think of doing.

(Re: Your Sex Education / Euphoria example, I had to laugh. I haven't seen the latter, and the former I only watched for the first time late last year, when I'd already finished Falling Falling Stars.)

No trend has ever inspired anything I've ever written. And no book / show has ever directly inspired anything I've ever written too. I definitely have inspirations - everyone does - but like, yeah no, one of the reasons I let other people rec works similar to mine is because I can never think of any, because I write because of a perceived vacuum providing what I want to read. If what I want to read is already present and there's a lot of it, I won't write anything, because I don't need to. I am the opposite of an 'adding my book into the pile of a trend' author, like literally, that's a reason to not write for me.

I write what I don't see in the world, and it's pretty much that simple.

[blairdrawzstuff]

dearest bl

hello violet i hope this ask find you well i

so whats up with you as of late me an

i have some things to tell you, you might not like it and im sorry if

you dont have wattpad so you might not know whats going on but

me and pha francis (moonmxple) have something to tell you about neobix (no hate on him but)

like you might have known. uhhh things had have NOT been going well for neobix, cuppy and francis right now. im not gonna get into too much details about it since it's none of my business but, neobix is writing a book (and make a lil video for it. u can see in their tumblr)

its called "dead or alive". now i dont want to say anything be rude diss on him or anything, there's no issue with him quite literally write fics twice almost everyday/lh good for him. its just that this book is special since it features YOU now i dont know if they asked for your permission or not but he did "credit" you

so without futher ado. ill let the fic speak for itself (see what i did there? nudge nudge? wrong timing? okay-)

now the first chapter (it only have 1 chapter so far)

..actually you know what? lets just cut the crap, this was originally just about the fic and how you are in it. and im sorry but ive got to talk abt some stuff (inhale) he had:

1.make cuppy uncomfortable (i mean he said bezel presured him to making rubcha content but i feel like he could have handle it better, 1 is jsut a reason for 2 tbh)

2.doesnt accept that cuppy doesnt want to talk to him anymore and still kinda pester xem

3.that online/pet name post, u know the one..

4.keep writing fanfic of you guys (meaning you, cuppy and francis). like that one fic he wrote (well not rlly it jsut have notes for now) (the one he didnt credit your character for). and now this other one

5.in this fic as you can see he portrayed you guys (espically francis) as the villain who manipulate him! like i wouldnt even be okay if its your character but it's even more bad that he said its feature you guys!! the people, not even the character as you can see from his crediting.

6.he treated francis and tagging aer like friends even though he wrote aer as a bad person (which show quite clearly from his lil video in which he made for the au/fic)

yeah basically francis and is tired and so does cuppy. and i understand if u dont want to answer this ask or talk about it <3

i hope you have a nice week mac 🧡🧡

Yeah- I've been told by someone (anon) (I'ma be totally honest, I slimed through that-) anywho he/they didn't ask and it's sort of bothering me- but I'm trying to have a good birthday sooo I'm going to put it off till probably next week- I know that sounds kinda bad- but Idrk what to do about it yet... Thank you bin <3

[zoezoegr]

About me!

Hi! I'm Zoë and I'm many, many things. Sometimes people ask me how I do it all and the truth is, I just love making stuff more than anything in the world!

First and foremost, I'm an independent filmmaker (of the writer/director variety) :

I've made a whole bunch of short films (We Are Bleach (2022, 23 min.), Inevitability (2021, 23 min.), Please Be Kind (2024, 4 min), etc.). These films have been on the festival circuit and have won a lot of awards and I'm really, really, really proud of that (like everyone else on tumblr, I did not win anything growing up lol). I've also written a bunch of feature screenplays that have won a lot of awards as well, including Top 10 in Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope (that's my favorite because everything about Mr. Coppola inspires me and I genuinely can't believe this happened for me). I have three features currently in development, so if you're interested in getting involved in producing an epic debut feature, get in touch with me :) my projects are The Weather Just Got Sexy, Hanging Gardens of the Sea and Sky, and My World At Night.

I'm also a singer/songwriter --

--mainly doing old-school rock music but I hate being pigeonholed into a single genre. So far, I have out a punk song called Platonic Fun, a disco/alt rock song called Free, an rnb/soul/alt rock song called I Want My Time With You, and a 50s lounge jazz/soft bop song called I Adore You. I'll be coming out with my first album soon! All my songs are on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Youtube, whatever you use. Here's a music video for my song Free and here's the last live set I played in London shot by Lou Smith :)

Obviously, this page is mainly about my visual art,

which is how I got started. I went to uni in Japan at Kyoto Seika University where I studied writing and drawing manga in Japanese! I also used to run the now defunct but still I am told iconic tumblr blog from the heyday of this site, fehyesvintagemanga

As an artist, I sometimes write and draw comics still when the mood strikes me - now they're kind of a hybrid between manga and western comics like this. Some of my favorite manga I wrote in Japanese are up on my site as well like this BL manga about two designers and a llama from the moon, or this one where I reimagined The Breakfast Club to be about what are essentially yandere weeaboos.

I make a lot of fine art at this point and there's a ton of it on my website. For instance, this larger than life watercolor of Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman covered in Japanese and Chinese song lyrics. Or this series of watercolor/mixed media pieces inspired by (mainly) British films and comedy and also Doctor Zhivago.

I LOVE doing b&w art that lives in the borderland between illustration and fine art that could go either way depending on context like this.

I'm also a photographer,

my specialty is portraits and fashion. Here are some cool photos I've taken this year. And here are some more!

If you want to buy something/hire me...

I'm based between Paris and London and I'm always happy to sell originals or prints, so let me know if there's something you like :) I'm also open to commissions - come at me with your budget and I'll see what I can do. And, of course, that goes for photography sessions as well! This is my print shop which I'll be adding to regularly This is my new music Instagram for anyone who's still on Insta and I'm actually on TikTok too My hp My production company's hp My photography website

For easy links, here's my tree

Nice to meet you!

[sskk-ao3feed]

my bsd headcanons

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/imMc2S4 by ssiejiz i know a lot of u guys see headcanons and dont really care but for some reason i feel the need to share this also sorry for spelling/grammar errors if there are any Words: 105, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Multi Characters: Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nikolai Gogol (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Gin, Tachihara Michizou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kunikida Doppo (Bungou Stray Dogs), Miyazawa Kenji (Bungou Stray Dogs), Izumi Kyouka (Bungou Stray Dogs), Elise (Bungou Stray Dogs), Mori Ougai (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fukuzawa Yukichi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Sigma (Bungou Stray Dogs), Yosano Akiko (Bungou Stray Dogs), Ozaki Kouyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Hirotsu Ryuurou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Suehiro Tecchou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Lucy Maud Montgomery (Bungou Stray Dogs), Jouno Saigiku (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edgar Allan Poe (Bungou Stray Dogs), Ookura Teruko (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fukuchi Ouchi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (Bungou Stray Dogs) Relationships: Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke/Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fyodor Dostoyevsky/Nikolai Gogol (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Gin/Tachihara Michizou, Kunikida Doppo/Yosano Akiko (Bungou Stray Dogs), Everyone & Everyone Additional Tags: Headcanon, minor kunikida/yosano if any at all, first fic...., Implied Sexual Content, Angst, Fluff, He/Him and They/Them Pronouns for Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Gay Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Pansexual Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Bisexuality, Dazai Osamu is a Mess (Bungou Stray Dogs), Why Did I Write This?, i finally understand why writers ask how to tag, How Do I Tag, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt, Implied/Referenced Suicide, its dazai ofc, dazai used to read bl, (im making it canon pls), Height Differences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/imMc2S4

[silvestromedia]

SAINTS NOVEMBER 20

St. Edmund the Martyr, 869 A.D. Martyred king of the East Angles. He was elected king in 855 at the age of fourteen and began ruling Suffolk, England, the following year. In 869 or 870, the Danes invaded Edmund’s realm, and he was captured at Hone, in Suffolk. After extreme torture, Edmund was beheaded and died calling upon Jesus. His shrine brought about the town of Bury St. Edmund's. He is depicted as crowned and robed as a monarch, holding a scepter, orb, arrows, or a quiver.

St. Francis Xavier Can, Roman Catholic and Vietnamese Martyr. A native, born in Sou-Ming, he worked as a catechist with the priests of the Foreign Missions of Paris. Arrested and refusing to deny the faith, Francis Xavier was strangled in prison. Nov 20

St. Maxentia of Beauvais. Irish or Scottish virgin and martyr. She fled to France to escape marriage to a pagan chieftain and lived as a hermitess on the banks of the Qise River near Senlis. The chieftain she had spurned hunted her down and beheaded her at Pont-Sainte-Maxence when she refused to return with him to Ireland.

St. Eval, 6th century. Bishop of Cornwall, England, also called Uval or Urfol. A village in that county bears his name.

St. Edmund Rich, 1242 A.D. Archbishop of Canterbury England, who baffled for discipline and justice, also called Edmund of Abingdon. Born in Abingdon, on November 30, 1180. he studied at Oxford, England, and in Paris, France. He taught art and mathematics at Oxford and was ordained. lie spent eight years teaching theology and became Canon and treasurer of Salisbury Cathedral. An eloquent speaker, Edmund preached a crusade for Pope Gregory IX and was named archbishop of Canterbury. He became an advisor to King Henry Ill and presided in 1237 at Henry’s ratification of the Great Charter. When Cardinal Olt became a papal legate with the patronage of King Henry, Edmund protested. A long-lasting feud between Edmund, the king, and his legate led him to resigning his see in 1240. He went to Pontigny, France, where he became a Cistercian. He died at Soissons, on November 16. Edmund was canonized in 1246 or 1247. A hall in Oxford bears his name.

St. Autbodus, 690 A.D. Irish missionary and hermit. Autbodus preached in Hainault, Belgium, and Artois and Picardy, France. He retired to a hermitage near Laon where he died.

Bl. Josaphata Michaelina Hordashevska, Roman Catholic Ukrainian Nun. First member of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, She died of bone cancer

St Gelasius I became Pope in 496, and during his four-year reign fought against paganism and heresy, writing treatises against Manicheanism, Monophysitism, and Pelagianism, among others. Some of his principles in ecclesiastical matters were taken up by the Second Vatican Council. Nov 20

St. Felix of Valois, Hermit and co-founder of the Trinitarians with St. John of Matha. He lived as a recluse at Cerfroid, France, and in 1198 received approval from the Holy See for the Order of the Most Holy Trinity to ransoms captives from the Moors. Felix founded St. Mathburn Convent in Paris while in his seventies. He died in Cerfroid on November 4.Feastday: Nov. 20

[traumacatholic]

Free Catholic books by the Saints

Under this read more you will find 79 free and legal pdfs of books written by:

St. Albert the Great

St.Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

St. Ambrose of Milan

St. Anselm of Canterbury

St. Anthony Mary Claret

St. Augustine

St. Benedict

St. Bernard of Clairvaux

St. Bonaventure

St. Bridget of Sweden

St. Catherine of Genoa

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Gertrude the Great

St. Mechtilde

St. Ignatius of Loyola

St. John of Avila

St. John Bosco

St. John of the Cross

St. Leonard of Port Maurice

Ven. Louis of Granada

St. Louis Marie de Montfort 

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

Ven. Mary of Agreda

St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier

Bl. Peter Julian Eymard

Bl. Raymund of Capua

St. Robert Bellarmine

St. Teresa of Avila

St. Thomas Aquinas

All of the books come with a choice quote to give you an idea of what the writing style is going to be like. If you’re looking for more Catholic theological books to check out, then I would recommend this post which includes links to books about various theological issues such as the Sciences, Sacraments, Catechisms, Mysticism, and so on.

St. Albert the Great - On Cleaving to God - De Adhaerendo Deo - Latin & English Edition 'I have had the idea of writing something for myself on and about the state of complete and full abstraction from everything and of cleaving freely, confidently, nakedly and firmly to God alone, so as to describe it fully (in so far as it is possible in this abode of exile and pilgrimage), especially since the goal of Christian perfection is the love by which we cleave to God. . . .' Download PDF     Download RTF     View Online St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The Divine Office 'Some, no doubt, will say to me that it is useless to explain the psalms after so many illustrious interpreters have done so. I declare, however, that it has not been useless as far as I myself am concerned; since, in consequence of this work, I recite my breviary with much more attention than formerly when there were many passages that I did not understand; I hope that the same may happen to many other persons.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The Glories of Mary 'It was, then, not without reason that St. Germanus called the most Blessed Virgin the breath of Christians; for as the body cannot live without breathing, so the soul cannot live without having recourse to and recommending itself to Mary, by whose means we certainly acquire and preserve the life of divine grace within our souls. But I will quote the saint's own words: "As breathing is not only a sign but even a cause of life, so the name of Mary, which is constantly found on the lips of God's servants, both proves that they are truly alive, and at the same time causes and preserves their life, and gives them every succor."' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The History of Heresies and Their Refutation 'Photius promised everything, and was accordingly consecrated, but by the very same Gregory, and took possession of the See. Six months had not yet passed over, since his consecration, and he had broken all his oaths and promises; he persecuted St. Ignatius, and all the ecclesiastics who adhered to him; he even got some of them flogged, and by promises and threats induced several to sign documents, intended for the ruin of his sainted predecessors. Not being able to accomplish his design, he laid a plot, with the assistance of Bardas, that the Emperor should send persons to take information, to prove that St. Ignatius was privately conspiring against the state.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The Holy Eucharist 'Purity of intention is called the heavenly alchemy by which iron is turned into gold; that is to say, the most trivial actions (such as to work, to take one's meals, to take recreation or repose), when done for God, become the gold of holy love. Wherefore St. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi believes for certain that those who do all with a pure intention, go straight to Paradise, without passing through purgatory. It is related that it was the custom of a pious hermit, before setting about any work, to pause a little, and lift his eyes to heaven; on being questioned why he did so, he replied, "I am taking my aim."' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The Holy Mass 'The priest's vestments, namely, the amice, alb, cincture, maniple, stole, and chasuble should be in a good condition and have been blessed by the bishop or by an authorized priest. It is certainly a mortal sin to celebrate Mass without a chasuble, or with a chasuble not blessed; the same thing holds good in regard to the alb. Theologians agree more or less in saying the same thing in regard to the other vestments.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The Incarnation, Birth, and Infancy of Jesus Christ '"Ah, beautiful Infant! tell me whose child art Thou?" He replies: "My Mother is this pure and lovely Virgin who is standing by me." And who is thy Father? "My Father" he says, "is God." How is this? Thou art the Son of God, and art so poor; and why? Who will acknowledge Thee in such a condition? Who will respect Thee? "No," replies Jesus, "holy faith will make known who I am, and will make me loved by those souls whom I came to redeem and to inflame with my love."' Download PDF St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Letters 'If you answer me that it is possible for me to be deceived, I would then say to you that it will no longer be necessary for you to write to me; seek another director in whom you have confidence, come to an understanding with him, and let there be no question about me. I command you, moreover, in a formal manner, never, never, never to confess these temptations, even if you believe to have consented to them. I say this and take it on my conscience. Do not do so even if you were at the point of death; for there is no sin in all that, as far as you are concerned. The sentiments of which you speak are apprehensions, fears; but they are not sins.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Letters II 'You are not the only one whom Jesus Christ treats thus: how many penitents have I not had whom the Lord has treated in this way nearly to the day of their death! One of them was continually tempted to hate God; another said without intermission that she had been condemned never to be able to love God, etc.; nevertheless they all died a happy death. And as for you, of what are you afraid? If you had not this cross of desolation, you would not have any cross in this world; and without a cross we cannot come to God. Besides, the pain that you feel on account of not being able to love God, is a proof that you love him; for if you did not love him you would not feel this pain. Those persons that do not love God feel no pain in thinking that they do not love him.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Letters III 'During the time of the missions, of novenas, and of other exercises, visits should not be paid to women, even under the pretext of God's glory, unless the visit is paid to the principal lady of the place; she may be visited by the Superior in company with another Father. Our confessors must not speak with women outside of the confessional, unless this be done in answering a question in a few words; but especially should they never speak with them alone in their houses. Should it be necessary to converse with any one of them, it must be done in the church with all the modesty and decorum that our holy state demands.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Letters IV 'I must tell you, your edition of the Moral is excellent; the paper is good, and the printing exquisite. I understand many have procured a copy, and many more are asking for one. The Prolegomena of Father Zaccaria in particular is very beautiful, as learned as it is useful. This good Father has honored me very much by the dedicatory letter prefacing his work. I must needs thank him for this, but as I know not to what address I should send my letter, I ask you to see that it reaches him. This will be an easy matter for you.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Letters V 'In their sermons, let them attend chiefly to the following points: 1. Frequently to speak upon the eternal truths, as the consideration of them is most powerful in bringing sinners back to God. 2. The loss of innumerable souls who go to perdition, on account of sins concealed in confession through shame. And here let us again recommend to the pastors to have a strange confessor in their churches once a month. 3. To inveigh against parents who allow young men to visit their houses who may be to their daughters an occasion of sin. They shall admonish such parents that, failing in this respect, they fall under the reserved case to which excommunication is attached.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Miscellany 'With regard to corporal penances, they shall fast on all the vigils of the feasts of the Blessed Virgin; they shall abstain from flesh-meat during Advent and the Novena of the Holy Ghost; but the refection in the evening shall be more abundant than on the fasting days of the Church. On two days of every week on Wednesdays and Fridays all shall take the discipline in common. They shall sleep on straw; woollen pillows and sheets of ordinary linen are, however, allowed. The beds, as a rule, shall be seven palms in length by three and a half in breadth.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ 'And so it is related by Josephus, the Jew, who lived shortly after our Lord, that Jesus was torn in his scourging to such a degree that the bones of his ribs were laid bare; as it was also revealed by the most Holy Virgin to St. Bridget, in these words: "I, who was standing by, saw his body scourged to the very ribs, so that his ribs themselves might be seen. And what was even yet more bitter still, when the scourges were drawn back, his flesh was furrowed by them." To St. Teresa, Jesus revealed himself in his scourging; so that the saint wished to have him painted exactly as she had seen him, and told the painter to represent a large piece of flesh torn off, and hanging down from the left elbow; but when the painter inquired as to the shape in which he ought to paint it, he found, on turning round again to his picture, the piece of flesh already drawn.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Preparation for Death '"Consider that thou art dust, and unto dust thou must return." The day will come when thou must die, and be placed in a grave where "the worms" shall "cover thee." (Isa. xiv. n.) The same fate awaits all, both nobles and plebeians, both princes and vassals. Directly the soul shall leave the body, with the last gasp, it will go into eternity, and the body will return to its dust. "When Thou takest away their breath they die, and are turned again to their dust." (Ps. civ. 29.)' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The Mysteries of the Faith - The Redemption 'Jesus is the only Hope of our salvation: "There is no salvation in any other but Him" (Acts. 4:12). I am the only door, says He; and he that shall enter in through Me shall assuredly find life eternal: "I am the door; if any one enter by Me, he shall be saved" (St. John 10:9). And what sinner would ever have been able to hope for pardon if Jesus had not, by His Blood and by His Death, made satisfaction to the Divine justice for us? "He shall bear their iniquities" (Is. 53).' Download PDF St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The True Spouse of Jesus Christ 'Virgins who have the happiness of dedicating them selves to the love of Jesus Christ by consecrating to him the lily of their purity, are, in the first place, as dear to God as his angels. . . a certain virgin, called Georgia, was at the point of death a great multitude of doves was seen hovering about her; that when her body was brought to the church they flew to that part of the roof which corresponded to the place where the corpse had been put, and remained there till after the interment. By all who saw them, these doves were regarded as angels paying respect and homage to the body of the virgin.' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Uniformity with God's Will 'By uniting themselves to the divine will, the saints have enjoyed paradise by anticipation in this life. Accustoming themselves to receive all things from the hands of God, says Saint Dorotheus, the men of old maintained continual serenity of soul. Saint Mary Magdalene of Pazzi derived such consolation at hearing the words "will of God," that she usually fell into an ecstasy of love. The instances of jangling irritation that are bound to arise will not fail to make surface impact on the senses. This however will be experienced only in the inferior part of the soul; in the superior part will reign peace and tranquillity as long as our will remains united with God's.' Download RTF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - Victories of the Martyrs 'St. Cyril was born at Caesarea, and, while yet a child became a Christian, in consequence of which he was maltreated, and finally turned out of doors by his idolatrous father. Information to this effect having been given to the judge, he caused Cyril to be brought before him; and, being told that the child frequently invoked the name of Jesus, he promised him that he would effect a reconciliation with his father, on condition that he would never more pronounce that name. The holy child replied: "I am content to be turned out of my father's house, because I shall receive a more spacious mansion in heaven; nor do I fear death, because by it I shall acquire a better life."' Download PDF     St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori - The Way of Salvation and Perfection 'Our most important affair is that of our eternal salvation; upon it depends our happiness or misery for ever. This affair will come to an end in eternity, and will decide whether we shall be saved or lost forever; whether we shall have acquired an eternity of delights, or an eternity of torments; whether we shall live forever happy, or forever miserable.' Download PDF     St. Ambrose of Milan - Concerning Virginity 'And what is virginal chastity but purity free from stain? And whom can we judge to be its author but the immaculate Son of God, Whose flesh saw no corruption, Whose Godhead experienced no infection? Consider, then, how great are the merits of virginity. Christ was before the Virgin, Christ was of the Virgin. Begotten indeed of the Father before the ages, but born of the Virgin for the ages. The former was of His own nature, the latter is for our benefit. The former always was, the latter He willed.' Download PDF     St. Anselm of Canterbury - The Devotions of 'Awake, my soul, awake! show thy spirit, arouse thy senses, shake off the sluggishness of that deadly heaviness that is upon thee, begin to take care for thy salvation. Let the idleness of vain imaginations be put to flight, let go of sloth, hold fast to diligence. Be instant in holy meditations, cleave to the good things which are of God: leaving that which is temporal, give heed to that which is eternal. Now in this godly employment of thy mind, to what canst thou turn thy thoughts more wholesomely and profitably than to the sweet contemplations of thy Creator’s immeasurable benefits toward thee.' Download PDF St. Anselm of Canterbury - Proslogium and Monologium 'I pray, O God, to know thee, to love thee, that I may rejoice in thee. And if I cannot attain to full joy in this life may I at least advance from day to day, until that joy shall come to the full. Let the knowledge of thee advance in me here, and there be made full. Let the love of thee increase, and there let it be full, that here my joy may be great in hope, and there full in truth. Lord, through thy Son thou dost command, nay, thou dost counsel us to ask; and thou dost promise that we shall receive, that our joy may be full. I ask, O Lord, as thou dost counsel through our wonderful Counselor. I will receive what thou dost promise by virtue of thy truth, that my joy may be full.' Download PDF     St. Anselm of Canterbury - Why God Became Man - Cur Deus Homo 'If you should find yourself in the sight of God, and one said to you: "Look thither;" and God, on the other hand, should say: "It is not my will that you should look;" ask your own heart what there is in all existing things which would make it right for you to give that look contrary to the will of God.' Download English Version PDF     Download Latin Version PDF St. Anthony Mary Claret - Autobiography 'I was terrified then and I still am as I write, although it all happened some six years ago. Fear seems to make my blood run cold even now, and of all the labors and sorrows that have come my way I can remember none that does not fade into nothingness in comparison, and I think that our complaints are largely without foundation. Again I say that this was one of God's greatest mercies toward me. I have benefited greatly from it, both by losing the fear of this life's trials and contradictions, and by gaining the strength to bear them and thank the Lord who freed me, as I now see it, from such endless and terrible evils. Since then, as I have said, everything here seems easy in comparison with just a moment of suffering there.' Download PDF     St. Augustine - Enchiridion on Faith, Hope, and Love 'Through this involvement they were led, through divers errors and sufferings (along with the rebel angels, their corruptors and possessors and companions), to that final stage of punishment without end. "Thus by one man, sin entered into the world and death through sin; and thus death came upon all men, since all men have sinned." By "the world" in this passage the apostle is, of course, referring to the whole human race. This, then, was the situation: the whole mass of the human race stood condemned, lying ruined and wallowing in evil, being plunged from evil into evil and, having joined causes with the angels who had sinned, it was paying the fully deserved penalty for impious desertion.' Download PDF     St. Benedict - The Rule of - Latin and English Edition 'Every age and understanding ought to have a measure of government suitable to it. As often therefore as children, or those under age, commit faults, and are incapable of understanding the greatness of the punishment of excommunication, let them be punished by rigorous fasting, or sharp stripes, that so they may be corrected.' Download PDF St. Bernard of Clairvaux - On Loving God 'It is natural for a man to desire what he reckons better than that which he has already, and be satisfied with nothing which lacks that special quality which he misses. Thus, if it is for her beauty that he loves his wife, he will cast longing eyes after a fairer woman. If he is clad in a rich garment, he will covet a costlier one; and no matter how rich he may be he will envy a man richer than himself. Do we not see people every day, endowed with vast estates, who keep on joining field to field, dreaming of wider boundaries for their lands? Those who dwell in palaces are ever adding house to house, continually building up and tearing down, remodeling and changing. Men in high places are driven by insatiable ambition to clutch at still greater prizes. And nowhere is there any final satisfaction, because nothing there can be defined as absolutely the best or highest. . . It is so that these impious ones wander in a circle, longing after something to gratify their yearnings, yet madly rejecting that which alone can bring them to their desired end, not by exhaustion but by attainment.' Download PDF     St. Bonaventure - Life of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 'What is more beautiful than that chastity which renders clean the being conceived from uncleanness, changes enmity into friendship, and men into angels? The angel and the chaste man differ indeed in point of felicity, but not of virtue. For if the chastity of the one be happier, that of the other is stronger. It is chastity alone which in this mortal state, represents a kind of immortality. That alone, which, amidst the nuptial solemnities, imitates the method of that blessed and heavenly region, where they neither marry nor are married, giving us an imperfect relish of the divine and heavenly conversation there enjoyed among the blessed. This frail vessel which here we carry with us, and in which we are in danger, chastity sanctifies, not unlike the sweet scented balsams wherewith dead bodies are embalmed and preserved from corruption. It curbs the senses, restrains the faculties of the body, and preserves the whole man from the contamination and loose desires attending idleness.' Download PDF     St. Bonaventure - Life of St. Francis of Assisi 'And as all the brethren surrounded him, he extended his hands over them in the form of a cross, crossing his arms in the form of that sign which he had ever loved; and so he blessed all the brethren, whether present or absent, in the name and in the power of the Crucified. Then he added: "Farewell, my children, abide in the fear of the Lord, and ever persevere therein. And when any temptation or trouble approaches you say: Blessed are they who persevere in those things which they have begun. And now I go to God, to whose grace I commend you all."' Download PDF     St. Bonaventure - The Mind's Road to God 'Therefore the symbol of the six-winged Seraph signifies the six stages of illumination, which begin with God's creatures and lead up to God, to Whom no one can enter properly save through the Crucified. For he who does not enter by the door but otherwise, he is a thief and a robber [John, 10, 1]. But if anyone does enter by this door, he shall go in and go out and shall find pastures [John, 9]. Because of this John says in his Apocalypse [22, 14], "Blessed are they that wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb, that they may have a right to the Tree of Life and may enter in by the gates into the City"; as if he were to say that one cannot enter into the heavenly Jerusalem through contemplation unless one enter through the blood of the Lamb as through a gate.' Download PDF     St. Bonaventure - Mirror of the Blessed Virgin Mary 'Of this flower consider, first, in Mary the flower of precious virginity, which is virginity itself. Of this it is said in Isaias: "The desert shall rejoice and shall flower as a lily." Mary can fittingly be said to be a desert, who was so willing to be alone, who was in her voluntary solitude visited by an angel. Therefore St. Ambrose well says: "Alone in the inner part of her house, she whom no man could see, he found her alone without a companion, alone without a witness." In what manner this desert, the Virgin Mary, should rejoice, let her say herself: "And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior." This desert of earth flowered like a lily by virginity. O angelical lily! O heavenly flower! O truly heavenly flower!' Download PDF     St. Bridget of Sweden - Prophecies and Revelations 'But now I shall tell you God's will in this matter; for I gave birth to God himself. . . that if some pope concedes to priests a license to contract carnal marriage, God will condemn him to a sentence as great, in a spiritual way, as that which the law justly inflicts in a corporeal way on a man who has transgressed so gravely that he must have his eyes gouged out, his tongue and lips, nose and ears cut off, his hands and feet amputated, all his body's blood spilled out to grow completely cold, and finally, his whole bloodless corpse cast out to be devoured by dogs and other wild beasts. Similar things would truly happen in a spiritual way to that pope who were to go against the aforementioned preordinance and will of God and concede to priests such a license to contract marriage. For that same pope would be totally deprived by God of his spiritual sight and hearing, and of his spiritual words and deeds. All his spiritual wisdom would grow completely cold; and finally, after his death, his soul would be cast out to be tortured eternally in hell so that there it might become the food of demons everlastingly and without end. Yes, even if Saint Gregory the Pope had made this statute, in the aforesaid sentence he would never have obtained mercy from God if he had not humbly revoked his statute before his death.' Download PDF     Download RTF     View Online St. Catherine of Genoa - Life and Doctrine 'This holy Soul was so regulated by God, that in all that was necessary and reasonable she satisfied every one; and although she was entirely employed in serving her sweet Love, yet she was never willing to displease her neighbor either in word or deed, but on the contrary always assisted him as far as she was able. She said, however, to her Lord: "Thou hast commanded me to love my neighbor, and I am unable to love any one but thee, or to admit any partner with thee: how then shall I obey thee?" And interiorly he responded thus: "He who loves me loves also all whom I love. It suffices that for the welfare of the neighbor thou shouldst do all that is necessary for his soul and body. Such a love as this is sure to be without passion; because it is not in himself but in God that the neighbor should be loved."' Download PDF     St. Catherine of Siena - The Dialogue of the Seraphic Virgin 'Some there are who have become faithful servants, serving Me with fidelity without servile fear of punishment, but rather with love. This very love, however, if they serve Me with a view to their own profit, or the delight and pleasure which they find in Me, is imperfect. Do you know what proves the imperfection of this love? The withdrawal of the consolations which they found in Me, and the insufficiency and short duration of their love for their neighbor, which grows weak by degrees, and oftentimes disappears. Towards Me their love grows weak when, on occasion, in order to exercise them in virtue and raise them above their imperfection, I withdraw from their minds My consolation and allow them to fall into battles and perplexities. This I do so that, coming to perfect self-knowledge, they may know that of themselves they are nothing and have no grace, and accordingly in time of battle fly to Me, as their Benefactor, seeking Me alone, with true humility, for which purpose I treat them thus, without drawing from them consolation indeed, but not grace. At such a time these weak ones, of whom I speak, relax their energy, impatiently turning backwards, and sometimes abandon, under color of virtue, many of their exercises, saying to themselves, "This labor does not profit me." All this they do, because they feel themselves deprived of mental consolation. Such a soul acts imperfectly, for she has not yet unwound the bandage of spiritual self-love, for, had she unwound it she would see that, in truth, everything proceeds from Me, that no leaf of a tree falls to the ground without My providence, and that what I give and promise to My creatures, I give and promise to them for their sanctification, which is the good and the end for which I created them.' Download PDF     Download RTF     View Online St. Francis de Sales - The Consoling Thoughts of 'Often in spirit kiss the crosses which Our Lord Himself lays upon your shoulders. Do not look to see whether they are made of a precious or a perfumed wood; they better deserve the name of crosses when they are made of mean, common, worm-eaten wood. I assure you this thought is ever returning to my mind, and I know only this refrain; undoubtedly it is the canticle of the Lamb; it is a little sad, but it is melodious and beautiful: "My Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt."' Download PDF     St. Francis de Sales - Introduction to the Devout Life 'If you have carefully stored up the fruits of past consolations, you will receive more; to him that hath yet more shall be given, but from him who has not kept that which he had, who has lost it through carelessness, that which he hath shall be taken away, in other words, he will not receive the grace destined for him. Rain refreshes living plants, but it only brings rottenness and decay to those which are already dead. There are many such causes whereby we lose the consolations of religion, and fall into dryness and deadness of spirit, so that it is well to examine our conscience, and see if we can trace any of these or similar faults. But always remember that this examination must not be made anxiously, or in an over-exacting spirit. Thus if, after an honest investigation of our own conduct, we find the cause of our wrongdoing, we must thank God, for an evil is half cured when we have found out its cause. But if, on the contrary, you do not find any particular thing which has led to this dryness, do not trifle away your time in a further uneasy search, but, without more ado, and in all simplicity, do as follows: 1. Humble yourself profoundly before God, acknowledging your nothingness and misery. Alas, what am I when left to myself! no better, Lord, than a parched ground, whose cracks and crevices on every side testify its need of the gracious rain of Heaven, while, nevertheless, the world's blasts wither it more and more to dust.' Download PDF     St. Francis de Sales - Mystical Flora or the Christian Life under the Emblem of Plants 'Come, let us trudge on through these lowly valleys of humble little virtues, and we shall find the rose amongst thorns, charity which shines forth in the midst of afflictions from within and without, the lily of purity, the violet of mortification, and many more than I can tell. But, above all, I love these three little virtues sweetness of heart, poverty of spirit, and simplicity of life; and these great exercises of charity visiting the sick, helping the poor, consoling the afflicted; but all without flurry, and with true liberty. Our arms, as yet, are not long enough to reach to the cedars of Lebanon; let us content ourselves with the hyssop of the valley.' Download PDF     St. Francis de Sales - Treastise on the Love of God 'When I see my Saviour on the Mount of Olives with his "soul sorrowful even unto death": -- Ah! Lord Jesus, say I, what can have brought the sorrows of death into the soul of life except love, which, exciting commiseration, drew thereby our miseries into thy sovereign heart? Now a devout soul, seeing this abyss of heaviness and distress in this divine lover, how can she be without a holily loving sorrow? But considering, on the other hand, that all the afflictions of her well-beloved proceed from no imperfection or want of strength, but from the greatness of his dearest love, she cannot but melt away with a holy sorrowful love. So that she cries: "I am black" with sorrow by compassion, but beautiful with love by complacency; the anguish of my well-beloved "has changed my colour": for how could a faithful lover behold such torments in him whom she loves more than her life, without swooning away and becoming all wan and wasted with grief.' Download PDF     St. Francis of Assisi - Works of the Seraphic Father 'These are the weapons by which the chaste soul is overcome: looks, speeches, touches, embraces. . . He who retires into the desert avoids three combats: seeing, hearing, and detraction. . . Fly from the world, if thou wilt be pure. If thou art pure, the world does not delight thee.' Download PDF     St. Gertrude the Great - The Exercises 'Thou art the glorious mirror of the Most Holy Trinity, into which the eyes of the clean of heart may gaze, here only darkly, but there face to face. Come, sprinkle me over with Thy purity, and I shall be cleansed. Touch the secret places of my heart with Thy cleanness, and I shall be made whiter than snow. Let Thy charity, I beseech Thee, prevail by its greatness, and let Thy merits infold me with their abundant holiness, lest I be held back from Thy beauty by my unlikeness. Tu es praeclarum sanctae Trinitatis speculum, quod ibi facie ad faciem, hic autem in aenigmate solum, licet intueri per mundi cordis oculum. Eia resperge me tE puritate et mundabor. Tange tua munditia cordis mei intima, et super nivem dealbabor. Praevaleat quaeso tuae charitatis magnitudo, et involvat me meritorum tuorum copiosa sanctitudo, ne impediat me a te meae venustatis dissimilitudo.' Download PDF     St. Gertrude the Great - The Life and Revelations of '"Ah!" exclaimed Gertrude, "teach me, O best of teachers, how to perform even one action perfectly in memory of Thy Passion." Our Lord replied: "When you are praying, extend your arms to represent the manner in which I extended Mine to God My Father in My Passion and do this for the salvation of every member of the Church, in union with the love with which I stretched out My arms upon the cross." "If I do this," she replied, "I must hide myself in a corner, for it is far from being customary." Our Lord replied: "If any one prays thus with his hands extended, without fear of contradiction, he pays Me the same honour as one would do who solemnly enthroned a king."' Download PDF     St. Gertrude the Great - The Love of the Heart of Jesus to His Creatures "Alas! what fruit can I obtain from this exercise, when I am so unstable?" But our Lord, who could not endure to behold the affliction of His servant, with His own hands presented her with His Divine Heart, under the figure of a burning lamp, saying to her: "Behold, I present to the eyes of your soul My loving Heart, which is the organ of the most Holy Trinity, that it may accomplish all that you cannot accomplish yourself, and thus all will seem perfect in you to My eyes; for even as a faithful servant is always ready to execute the commands of his master, so, from henceforth, my Heart will be always ready, at any moment, to repair your defects and negligences."' Download PDF     St. Gertrude the Great & St. Mechtilde - Preces Gertrudianae 'This prayer was revealed to St. Gertrude during an unusually abundant influx of grace and light. Our Lord said to her: Whoever repeats this prayer shall receive the grace to know me more intimately, and shall receive in his soul the splendour of my Divinity, even as he who holds up to the sun a mirror of pure gold collects therein the dazzling efflugence of its rays.' Download PDF     St. Ignatius of Loyola - The Autobiography of 'In the meantime the divine mercy was at work substituting for these thoughts others suggested by his recent readings. While perusing the life of Our Lord and the saints, he began to reflect, saying to himself: "What if I should do what Saint Francis did?" "What if I should act like Saint Dominic?" He pondered over these things in his mind, and kept continually proposing to himself serious and difficult things. He seemed to feel a certain readiness for doing them, with no other reason except this thought: "Saint Dominic did this; I, too, will do it." "Saint Francis did this; therefore I will do it." These heroic resolutions remained for a time, and then other vain and worldly thoughts followed. This succession of thoughts occupied him for a long while, those about God alternating with those about the world. But in these thoughts there was this difference. When he thought of worldly things it gave him great pleasure, but afterward he found himself dry and sad. But when he thought of journeying to Jerusalem, and of living only on herbs, and practising austerities, he found pleasure not only while thinking of them, but also when he had ceased. This difference he did not notice or value, until one day the eyes of his soul were opened and he began to inquire the reason of the difference.' Download PDF     St. Ignatius of Loyola - Letters and Instructions 'It is to be noted, that if one be of a choleric temperament, and should converse with another who is choleric, if they be not in everything of the same mind, there is a great danger of their conversation becoming heated. Consequently, one who knows that he is of a choleric temperament must go strongly armed, even in regard to the smallest details about to be discussed with others, with examen and other precautions, to endure and not to lose his temper with the other party, especially if he knows that other to be weak in self-control. In conversing with phlegmatic or melancholic persons there is less danger of discord through heated words.' Download PDF     St. Ignatius of Loyola - The Spiritual Exercises 'It is likewise to be remarked that, as, in the time of consolation, it is easy and not irksome to be in contemplation the full hour, so it is very hard in the time of desolation to fill it out. For this reason, the person who is exercising himself, in order to act against the desolation and conquer the temptations, ought always to stay somewhat more than the full hour; so as to accustom himself not only to resist the adversary, but even to overthrow him.' Download PDF     St. Ignatius of Loyola - A Thought from for Each Day of the Year 'Adversity is such, that it is really advantageous to the just man, for it causes him a profitable loss; just as a shower of precious stones might break the leaves of the vine, but would replace them by the most beautiful treasures.' Download PDF     St. John of Avila - The Letters of 'What else was the happiness you felt at having freed yourself from the miseries of this world, and at having received the pledge of love from the celestial King, but a sign that your change of plans proceeded, not from your own inconstancy, but from God, Who had put the desire into your heart. The happiness came from him as a testimony and pledge of the many great and pure joys He will give you if you prove faithful to Him. The least or these is incomparably better than husband, children, riches, or anything else this world can give. Would that you knew by experience how sweet God is to those who forsake created things to gaze on their Creator! How tenderly the Divine Spouse cherishes those who cast away all transitory joys. They are like the chaste turtle doves which refuse all earthly comfort and long only for the love of their Lord in Heaven, and like the dove which returned from her flight from the ark to her master's hand as pure as when she left him, undefiled by having touched any dead body even with her feet. Is anything the world contains of less account than a corpse full of corruption? Why unite ourselves with what will only contaminate us? For the bitterness its joys leave behind is a thousand times greater than any pleasure they give us. Return heartfelt thanks to Christ for the light to distinguish between the priceless and the worthless, between eternal and temporal things, between God and a mortal man.' Download PDF     St. John Bosco - The Life of St. Dominic Savio 'He wished at least to do without breakfast, but consideration for his health made it prudent to forbid that also. What then was he to do to satisfy his desire for some bodily mortifications. As he was forbidden to do anything that affected his food, he began to afflict his body in other ways. He put some some sharp things into his bed, so that he might not be able to repose in comfort: he wanted a kind of hair shirt; but all these things were soon prohibited. He thought of something else. During the autumn and winter he managed to escape having extra blankets for his bed, so that during the cold of January he had only the summer coverings on his bed. This was discovered, because, one morning he was unwell, and had to remain in bed; and when the Director came to see him, he saw at once that he had insufficient covering for that severe weather. "Why did you do this?" the Director asked, "did you want to die of cold?" "Oh, I shall not die of cold," he answered. "When in the stable at Bethlehem, or hanging on the Cross, Our Lord had less to cover Him than I have now."' Download PDF     Download RTF St. John of the Cross - Ascent of Mount Carmel 'We here describe as night the privation of every kind of pleasure which belongs to the desire; for, even as night is naught but the privation of light, and, consequently, of all objects that can be seen by means of light, whereby the visual faculty remains unoccupied and in darkness, even so likewise the mortification of desire may be called night to the soul. For, when the soul is deprived of the pleasure of its desire in all things, it remains, as it were, unoccupied and in darkness. For even as the visual faculty, by means of light, is nourished and fed by objects which can be seen, and which, when the light is quenched, are not seen, even so, by means of the desire, the soul is nourished and fed by all things wherein it can take pleasure according to its faculties; and, when this also is quenched, or rather, mortified, the soul ceases to feed upon the pleasure of all things, and thus, with respect to its desire, it remains unoccupied and in darkness. . . The reason for which it is necessary for the soul, in order to attain to Divine union with God, to pass through this dark night of mortification of the desires and denial of pleasures in all things, is because all the affections which it has for creatures are pure darkness in the eyes of God, and, when the soul is clothed in these affections, it has no capacity for being enlightened and possessed by the pure and simple light of God, if it first cast them not from it; for light cannot agree with darkness; since, as Saint John says: Tenebroe eam non comprehenderunt. That is: The darkness could not receive the light.' Download PDF     St. John of the Cross - Dark Night of the Soul 'On a dark night, kindled in love with yearnings-oh, happy chance!- I went forth without being observed, my house being now at rest. In darkness and secure, by the secret ladder, disguised-oh, happy chance!- In darkness and in concealment, my house being now at rest. In the happy night, In secret, when none saw me, nor I beheld aught, without light or guide, save that which burned in my heart. This light guided me more surely than the light of noonday to the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me- A place where none appeared. Oh, night that guided me, oh, night more lovely than the dawn, oh, night that joined Beloved with lover, Lover transformed in the Beloved!' . . . Begins the exposition of the stanzas which treat of the way and manner which the soul follows upon the road of the union of love with God.' Download PDF     St. John of the Cross - The Living Flame of Love 'The death of such persons is very gentle and very sweet, sweeter and more gentle than was their whole spiritual life on earth. For they die with the most sublime impulses and delightful encounters of love, resembling the swan whose song is much sweeter at the moment of death. Accordingly, David affirmed that the death of the saints is precious in the sight of the Lord [Ps. 116:15]. The soul's riches gather together here, and its rivers of love move on to enter the sea, for these rivers, because they are blocked, become so vast that they themselves resemble seas. The just one's first treasures, and last, are heaped together as company for the departure and going off to the kingdom, while praises are heard from the ends of the earth, which, as Isaiah says, are the glory of the just one [Is. 24:16].' Download PDF     St. John of the Cross - A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul "The silent music." In this silence and tranquillity of the night, and in this knowledge of the divine light, the soul discerns a marvelous arrangement and disposition of God’s wisdom in the diversities of His creatures and operations. All these, and each one of them, have a certain correspondence with God, whereby each, by a voice peculiar to itself, proclaims what there is in itself of God, so as to form a concert of sublimest melody, transcending all the harmonies of the world. This is the silent music, because it is knowledge tranquil and calm, without audible voice; and thus the sweetness of music and the repose of silence are enjoyed in it. The soul says that the Beloved is silent music, because this harmony of spiritual music is in Him understood and felt. He is not this only, He is also --"The murmuring solitude."' Download PDF     St. Leonard of Port Maurice - The Hidden Treasure or the Immense Excellence of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass 'Some there are who seem astonished when they fancy that our good God has, in a certain sense, changed His mode of governing the world since the ancient times: for, in the latter He was wont to be called the God of armies, and He used to speak to the people out of clouds with bolts of thunder in His hands; for indeed, He punished crime with all the rigor of His justice. For one single adultery He put five-and-twenty thousand of the tribe of Benjamin to the sword. For an act of vainglory committed by David in making a census of his kingdom, He sent a terrible plague, which in a very short time swept off seventy thousand of the population. For one irreverent and incautious glance He slew fifty thousand of the Betsamites. And in these our times He tolerates not only vanities and frivolities, but adulteries the most sordid, scandals the most barefaced, nay, and the most frightful blasphemies which many Christians cast on His most holy Name. How then do we account for all this? Why this difference in His mode of governing? . . . The holy sacrifice of the Mass is the true and sole reason for such stupendous clemency, for in it we offer to the eternal father the great victim, Jesus Christ.' Download PDF     St. Leonard of Port Maurice - The Little Number of Those Who Are Saved 'What did Our Lord answer the curious man in the Gospel who asked Him, "Lord, is it only a few to be saved?" Did He keep silence? Did He answer haltingly? Did He conceal His thought for fear of frightening the crowd? No. Questioned by only one, He addresses all of those present. He says to them: "You ask Me if there are only few who are saved?" Here is My answer: "Strive to enter by the narrow gate; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." Who is speaking here? It is the Son of God, Eternal Truth, who on another occasion says even more clearly, "Many are called, but few are chosen." He does not say that all are called and that out of all men, few are chosen, but that many are called; which means, as Saint Gregory explains, that out of all men, many are called to the True Faith, but out of them few are saved. Brothers, these are the words of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Are they clear? They are true. Tell me now if it is possible for you to have faith in your heart and not tremble.' Download PDF     Download RTF     View Online Ven Louis de Granada, & Various Authors - Life of Dom Bartholomew of the Martyrs 'The Bishops of France are arrived, and with them the Cardinal of Lorraine, who, speaking to the Council in the name of the whole country, described the excesses and malice of the heretics to be such as I cannot think of without horror. Frenchmen persecute Frenchmen, profane the holiest places, break the sacred images, throw down the altars, and burn with fire the most sacred objects of our faith, and the more they strive to put down these heretics, the more they seem to increase. I assure you I am getting alarmed, lest a spark of this abominable fire should reach even to Braga. For I am persuaded, by what I hear and see around me, that a Christian who lives according to the maxims of this world, and forgetful of his own salvation, is not less susceptible of this contagious heresy than dry wood is of fire, because it is an open door for every species of licence and libertinage. It is by this bait to the corruption of our poor human nature that the preachers of these unhappy doctrines tempt so many of their disciples, because they teach that every Christian, no matter whether in holy orders or not, should embrace the state of matrimony, and they exempt every one from the laws of the Church, as regards fasting, abstinence or confession. Therefore, there is no doubt that if the smallest entrance be given to these false prophets, they will speedily gain innumerable disciples.' Download PDF     Ven. Louis of Granada - A Memorial of a Christian Life 'We put in the twelfth place solitude, which is the surest guardian of innocence. Nothing so powerfully preserves it, and it is this which all at once cuts off the occasion of all sins, since it banishes from our eyes and our senses all the objects which may give them birth. This remedy is so certain, that heaven sent no other to the blessed Arsenius, when he heard that voice which said to him, "Arsenius, fly, keep silence, and be quiet." If you will then become true servants of God, endeavour to retire into yourselves, do all that possibly you can to free yourselves from all visits, compliments, and worldly conversations. For what can you hear in companies, but detractions, lies, or flatteries? Or, if they are exempt from these things that are sins, which rarely happens, they are not from abundance of others less criminal indeed, yet such as will render your souls void of devotion, and so fill them with the images and remembrance of what you shall have seen and heard, that will never fail to present itself before you at the time of prayer, and hinder it from being so free and pure as it ought to be. But if you are looked on as uncourteous, and if worldly men take it ill that you pay them not these civilities, trouble not yourselves about it, for it is far less in convenient that men should complain of you, than that you should displease God; cast your eyes on the martyrs, and so many other saints who have done so great, and suffered so terrible things to obtain heaven.' Download PDF     Ven. Louis of Granada - The Sinner's Guide '"Now are gathered together on one side the horrible assemblage of devils, on the other, the glorious company of Angels. And the man begins to discern which of these two parties will carry off the spoil. For if works of piety and virtue are found in him, he is immediately comforted with the feast and banquet of the Angels. But if his vile demerits and wicked life forbid this, he shudders with intolerable fear and terror; he is cast down headlong, seized, torn from his wretched flesh, and carried away into everlasting torments." All this is from S. Peter Damiani. This is true, and this must be. Can any one possessed of reason require more to show how miserable the lot of the wicked is and how careful he must be to avoid it, seeing that so wretched and disastrous an end awaits them?' Download PDF       St. Louis Marie de Montfort - Letter to the Friends of the Cross 'Do you clearly distinguish the voice of God and his grace from that of the world and of human nature? Do you listen to the voice of God, our heavenly Father, pronouncing his three-fold malediction on all who follow the desires of the world: "Woe, woe, woe to all the people on earth;" the Father who stretches out his arms to you in loving appeal, "Come out, my chosen people," dear friends of my Son's Cross, away from worldlings, who have been cursed by myself, rejected by my Son, and condemned by my Holy Spirit? Beware of following their counsels, of sitting in their company, or even lingering on the road they take. Hasten away from the infamous Babylon. Listen only to the voice of my beloved Son and follow only him, whom I have given you to be your way, your truth, your life, and your model. (Ipsum audite.) "Listen to him." Do you listen to the voice of Jesus who, burdened with his Cross, calls out to you, "Come after me; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark; be brave; I have conquered the world."?' Download PDF     St. Louis Marie de Montfort - The Secret of Mary 'The essential practice of this devotion is to perform all our actions with Mary. This means that we must take her as the accomplished model for all we have to do. Before undertaking anything, we must forget self and abandon our own views. We must consider ourselves as a mere nothing before God, as being personally incapable of doing anything supernaturally worthwhile or anything conducive to our salvation. We must have habitual recourse to our Lady, becoming one with her and adopting her intentions, even though they are unknown to us. Through Mary we must adopt the intentions of Jesus. In other words, we must become an instrument in Mary's hands for her to act in us and do with us what she pleases, for the greater glory of her Son; and through Jesus for the greater glory of the Father. In this way, we pursue our interior life and make spiritual progress only in dependence on Mary.' Download PDF     St. Louis Marie de Montfort - The Secret of the Rosary 'So we ought to love our heavenly Father and say to him over and over again: "Our Father who art in heaven" - Thou who dost fill heaven and earth with the immensity of thy being, Thou who art present everywhere: Thou who art in the saints by thy glory, in the damned by thy justice, n the good by thy grace, in sinners by the patience with which thou dost tolerate them, grant that we may always remember that we come from thee; grant that we may live as thy true children; that we may direct our course towards thee alone with all the ardour of our soul.' Download PDF     St. Louis Marie de Montfort - True Devotion to Mary 'She is so full of love that no one who asks for her intercession is rejected, no matter how sinful he may be. The saints say that it has never been known since the world began that anyone had recourse to our Blessed Lady, with trust and perseverance, and was rejected. Her power is so great that her prayers are never refused. She has but to appear in prayer before her Son and he at once welcomes her and grants her requests. He is always lovingly conquered by the prayers of the dear Mother who bore him and nourished him.' Download PDF     St. Margaret Mary Alacoque - Letters 'Oh, how happy I am that you love Him and want to belong entirely to Him! You ask for a short prayer that will express your love for Him. I myself know no other, nor do I find any better, than this love itself. For everything speaks when one loves. Even the most engrossing occupations are proofs of our love. So, as Saint Augustine says, love, and then do what you will. And since we cannot love without suffering, let us both love and suffer and not lose a moment of this. For every cross is so precious to a heart that loves its God and wants to be loved by Him. Let us strive, then, to make ourselves true copies of our crucified Love.' Download PDF     Ven. Mary of Agreda - The Admirable Life of the Glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph 'St. Joseph, having been chosen by God to be His image towards His only Son, was not marked out for any public function in the Church of God, but merely to be the expression of His purity and the incomparable sanctity which separates Him from every visible creature; and hence he is the patron of hidden and unknown souls. Far different are the functions of St. Peter in the Church, from the operations of St. Joseph within it. St. Peter is established to control its exterior in its government and administrations, to preserve its doctrines, and to direct its prelates and ministers. St. Joseph, on the contrary, who is a saint hidden, and without external functions, is appointed to communicate interiorly the super-eminent life which he receives from the Father, and which afterwards flows through Jesus Christ upon us.' Download PDF     Ven. Mary of Agreda - The Mystical City of God - Vol. I - The Conception 'The vow of chastity includes purity of body and soul; this is easily lost, and it is difficult, sometimes, according to the manner of losing it, even impossible to repair. This great treasure is deposited in a castle, which has many portals and openings, and if these are not all well guarded and defended, the treasure is without security. My daughter, in order to preserve perfectly this vow, it is necessary to make an inviolable pact with thy senses, not to use them, except for what is according to the dictates of reason and for the glory of the Creator.' Download PDF     Ven. Mary of Agreda - The Mystical City of God - Vol. II - The Incarnation 'I do not say that thou must do away with all sensible feeling, for that is not naturally possible to the creature; but whenever thou meetest adverse happenings, or when thou art deprived of what is useful, necessary or agreeable thou must bear it with joyful resignation and give praise to the Lord, because his will is being fulfilled in thy regard. By seeking only his pleasure, and considering all else as of passing moment, thou wilt gain a quick and easy victory over thyself, and thou wilt seek all occasions to humiliate thyself under the mighty hand of the Lord (I Pet. 5, 6).' Download PDF     Ven. Mary of Agreda - The Mystical City of God - Vol. III - The Transfixion 'My daughter, since in recounting to thee the works of my most holy Son I so often remind thee how thankfully I appreciated them, thou canst understand how pleasing to the Most High is the faithful correspondence on thy part, and the great mysteries of his blessings connected with it. Thou art poor in the house of the Lord, a sinner, insignificant and useless as dust; yet I ask thee to assume the duty of rendering ceaseless thanks for all that the incarnate Word has done for the sons of Adam and for establishing the holy and immaculate, the powerful and perfect law for their salvation. Especially shouldst thou be thankful for the institution of Baptism by which He frees men from the tyranny of the devil, fills them with grace, clothes them with justice and assists them to sin no more. This is indeed a duty incumbent upon all men in common; but since creatures neglect it almost entirely, I enjoin thee to give thanks for all of them, as if thou alone wert responsible for them.' Download PDF     Ven. Mary of Agreda - The Mystical City of God - Vol. IV - The Coronation 'These words of the most blessed Mother tore the heart of saint John, and, unable to restrain his sorrow and his tears, he answered: "My Mother and my Lady, thy will and that of the Most High I am bound to obey in whatever Thou commandest, although my merits are far below what they ought to be and what I desired. But do Thou, most loving Lady and Mother, help thy poor child, who is to be left an orphan, deprived of thy most desirable company."' Download PDF     St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier - Conferences and Instructions 'As so many bees you fly from flower to flower, bringing your harvest to the common store. This is as the mysterious work of a hive, where each occupies herself for the general good, without reserving anything for herself. Those who are beginners now in religion find their little cells already built, the stores already prepared, and it will come to pass that thousands and thousands of souls will come here after us to enjoy the delights and the rest of the Lord, working in their turn to prepare a place for those who will succeed them.' Download PDF     Bl. Peter Julian Eymard - The Divine Eucharist 'God has loved us from all eternity. This is a truth upon which we ought to meditate all our life. We have always existed in the love of the good God, always been present to the thought of the Holy Trinity. The Father thought of His creature, the Son of those that He was to redeem, the Holy Spirit of those that He was to sanctify.' Download PDF     Bl. Raymund of Capua - The Life of St. Catherine of Siena 'Her father, who was better than the others, examined her conduct in silence, and comprehended daily more and more that she was doing the will of God, and not following the fancies of a capricious maiden. One day, while the servant of Jesus Christ was praying fervently in her brother's room, the door being open, because her parents had forbidden her to shut it, her father entered to take something that he needed in the absence of his son. While looking about, he saw his daughter who was kneeling in one corner of the chamber, and having a snow-white dove reposing on her head; at his approach it fled, and seemed to disappear through the window. He enquired of his daughter what dove that was that just flew away; she replied that she had not seen a dove or any other bird in her room. This occurrence filled him with astonishment, and awakened serious reflections in his mind.' Download PDF     St. Robert Bellarmine - The Art of Dying Well 'He therefore who wishes to examine his conscience well, and to make a good confession, must first read some useful book on the method of making a proper confession, or at least consult some pious and learned confessor. Then let him enter into the chamber of his heart, and not hastily, but accurately and seriously examine his conscience, his thoughts, desires, words, and actions, as well as his omissions; afterwards he should lay open his conscience to his director, and humbly implore absolution from him, being ready to perform whatever "penance" may be imposed upon him.' Download PDF     Download RTF     View Online St. Teresa of Avila - A Few Sweet Flowers Collected from the Writings of 'The life above, the life on high, alone is life in verity; Nor can we life at all enjoy, till this poor life is o'er; Then, O sweet Death! no longer fly, from me, who, ere my time to die, am dying evermore; for evermore I weep and die, dying because I do not die.' Download PDF St. Teresa of Avila - The Interior Castle or The Mansions - Including Some of Her More Interesting Letters 'What rest can the poor little butterfly find, with all the trials I have told you of and many more? They serve to make her desire the Bride-groom more ardently. His Majesty, well aware of our weakness, fortifies her by these and other means in order that she may obtain courage for union with a Lord so great and may take Him for her Spouse. Perhaps you will laugh and think I am talking foolishly: there can be no call for courage here; there is no woman, however low her class, who would not dare to wed a king. So I think, were he an earthly monarch, but there is need of more fortitude than you suppose in order to espouse the King of heaven. Our nature appears too timid and base for anything so high; without doubt, unless God gave us the grace it would be impossible for us, however much we might appreciate its benefits. You will learn how His Majesty ratifies these espousals; probably this is done when He ravishes the soul by ecstasies, thus depriving it of its faculties; if the use of these were retained, I think the sight of its close vicinity to so mighty a Sovereign would probably deprive the body of life. I am speaking of genuine raptures, not fancies that come from women's weakness -- which so often occur nowadays -- making them imagine everything to be a rapture or an ecstasy. As I think I said, some are so feebly constituted as to die of a single prayer of quiet.' Download PDF     St. Teresa of Avila - The Life of by Herself 'Let us now return to our orchard, or flower-garden, and behold now how the trees begin to fill with sap for the bringing forth of the blossoms, and then of the fruit -- the flowers and the plants, also, their fragrance. This illustration pleases me; for very often, when I was beginning -- and our Lord grant that I have really begun to serve His Majesty -- I mean, begun in relation to what I have to say of my life, -- it was to me a great joy to consider my soul as a garden, and our Lord as walking in it. I used to beseech Him to increase the fragrance of the little flowers of virtues -- which were beginning, as it seemed to bud -- and preserve them, that they might be to His glory; for I desired nothing for myself. I prayed Him to cut those He liked, because I already knew that they would grow the better.' Download PDF     St. Teresa of Avila - The Way of Perfection 'The first thing, then, that we have to do, and that at once, is to rid ourselves of love for this body of ours -- and some of us pamper our natures so much that this will cause us no little labour, while others are so concerned about their health that the trouble these things give us (this is especially so of poor nuns, but it applies to others as well) is amazing. Some of us, however, seem to think that we embraced the religious life for no other reason than to keep ourselves alive and each nun does all she can to that end. In this house, as a matter of fact, there is very little chance for us to act on such a principle, but I should be sorry if we even wanted to. Resolve, sisters, that it is to die for Christ, and not to practise self-indulgence for Christ, that you have come here. The devil tells us that self-indulgence is necessary if we are to carry out and keep the Rule of our Order, and so many of us, forsooth, try to keep our Rule by looking after our health that we die without having kept it for as long as a month -- perhaps even for a day. I really do not know what we are coming to.' Download PDF     St. Teresa of Avila - Works & History of Journeys and Foundations 'My mother also was a woman of great goodness, and her life was spent in great infirmities. She was singularly pure in all her ways. Though possessing great beauty, yet was it never known that she gave reason to suspect that she made any account whatever of it; for, though she was only three-and-thirty years of age when she died, her apparel was already that of a woman advanced in years. She was very calm, and had great sense. The sufferings she went through during her life were grievous, her death most Christian. We were three sisters and nine brothers. All, by the mercy of God, resembled their parents in goodness except myself, though I was the most cherished of my father. And, before I began to offend God, I think he had some reason, for I am filled with sorrow whenever I think of the good desires with which our Lord inspired me, and what a wretched use I made of them.' Download PDF     St. Thomas Aquinas - The Summa Contra Gentiles - Of God and His Creatures 'If then the final happiness of man does not consist in those exterior advantages which are called goods of fortune, nor in goods of the body, nor in goods of the soul in its sentient part, nor in the intellectual part in respect of the moral virtues, nor in the virtues of the practical intellect, called art and prudence, it remains that the final happiness of man consists in the contemplation of truth. This act alone in man is proper to him, and is in no way shared by any other being in this world. This is sought for its own sake, and is directed to no other end beyond itself.' Download PDF    

[lets-dance-to-joy-division]

Diary Post

I Had A Beautiful Moment Today

Today was weird. I had the day off work and had a wonderful therapy session this morning. Made some progress on self affirmations, emotional awareness and interpersonal relationships. Setting goals and boundaries kind of stuff.

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Ended up getting back to my hotel and decided to write letters to six people that I value. I told them good things that I've observed about them. I ended each letter with a "reminder" of something that will help them to take better care of themselves.

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Got some paperwork done and read some more of A Little Life. Jude St Francis... I've never felt so connected to a character as I have you; I wish I could just hold you through your pain.

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I went to Target later and had an emotional breakdown in my car as I was leaving. I saw a couple holding hands as I was walking out of the store. They looked so pure and happy, not a care in the world, as they smiled and talked under the lights and little trees on the sidewalk of the lot. I was just smashed in the face with every lonely feeling in the world. It's mutual, we just don't work anymore and we want different things from life, but fuck I still love her so much. She's still my best friend despite everything. I mean, we got married for a reason right?

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But then the most magical thing happened. I got back to my room after an awkward elevator ride with three people who I'm close to here, we're all working remotely together. Three of the people I wrote letters for actually. I could barely talk because I was still fighting back tears and trying to hide the pain. I started getting ready for bed when the three of them showed up at my door. They just came in my room and held me.

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They pushed me to say what was hurting because I'm apparently not very good at hiding it. I felt like it was a stupid thing, but they just validated me. They told me they were there for me even if I didn't think my feelings were valid. They let me cry and just helped me through the pain. They showed me so much love tonight.

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Then we sat, and talked, and laughed for a while about stupid bullshit that happened throughout our days. I'm really lucky to have friends like these. I felt so alone tonight for a moment. But it just goes to prove my mantra true.

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I am not alone. You are not alone.

BL 26AUG2022

[quidfree]

Are u stuck on anything in ur wips rn?

good timing bc yeah absolutely. to give u a quick rundown in no particular order (serving as a no doubt daunting look into my brain + an unprecedented reveal of some of my most pressing wip array):

fic 1: trying to map out a way to fit the micro plot beats of todobaku slowburn enemies to rivals onto a complex political medieval drama is really annoying and im trying my best to really unclutter the plot so its not such a word-stealer. like i need to forcibly drag myself away from lord of the rings and into a merlin episode or else its going to be 20 chapters later and ill still be setting up like genealogy

fic 2: tsh stuff- i have this particular vignette i need to tie-up before i can move onto another one bc my brain works like that and it’s annoying bc i dont know what the point of the scene is to tie it up with i just liked the vibe. also then i need to focus on getting some balance into the scenes by having scenes of richard needing francis and not vice versa. like thats not the text of any of them but subtextually.

fic 3 (prompted): get past the sports fest scene so i can continue setting up bakugou starting to move like the mc of the story. the main difficulty w this comm is that im trying to sort of follow the plot of two totally disparate stories which is just overcomplicating what is at its core just a very funny premise. i want to get to bakugou fighting for his life against bl tropes not be stressing about timelines

fic 4: back to tsh lol i need to .. commit to actually writing the wedding segment even tho i Know its going to be long and dramatic. i think im just scared of writing charles. like i know im going to get him right enough for the audience but i need to feel i chose the right charles for the setting and im really conflicted as to what direction to take him in

fic 5: i really want to get this goldfinch thing going but i have so many concepts for the first shaekspeares goldfinch fic ™ and also TBH one of the annoying things is that i dont write sex scenes but the fic i want to write would work best with one at a certain specific point of the story so now i need a workaround lmfao.

fic….: i have another prompt to do which i can do as soon as some of these are dealt with but thankfully the prompter said no rush so i feel less stressed abt this one. im thinking 3d year sports fest missing scene from TLAAO hehe

anyways yea. thats whats going on in the bg of my head during my 9 hour workdays. can one of you please admit theyre rich and be my sugar daddy/mommy so i can get on w it.

[heretherebedork]

Guess who forgot to post last night!? It's me, the person who is so easily distracted it's not even funny!

Anyway in part 2 y'all decided they had to fall for each other at the same time but also be idiots which is fun and I kinda knew was going to be the answer but I had to give it because it was requested.

So!

Latke is the one who figures out his own feelings first. He might be angry and he might not trust easily but that doesn't mean he doesn't know why. And he does. Latke looks at Jelly and sees the tormentors who plagued him through high school, the ones who treated him so nicely when it benefited them and turned away when it didn't... and it mostly didn't.

But Jelly is always nice to him. Even the other students say that Jelly is always nice, that Jelly compliments his food when he isn't even there, that Jelly is always laughing about being the second best student in the class compared to him.

And Latke is not immune to actual kindness. In fact, as he is rapidly discovering, he's very, very weak to it.

Jelly, though, is learning that the serious face and the way Latke pushes the world away just makes him want to know more. He wants to see Latke smile. He wants to see him relax his shoulders. He wants to try his food and not just for class comparison. He wants to make him smile, more specifically. He wants to feed him and laugh with him and maybe that would be even better than impressing Gelt.

So, now that they've both fallen but have no idea the other has... what's the first sign they might notice? The First Flirt, if you will?

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for St Ignatius of Loyola

Lev 25:1, 8-17; Ps 66; Matt 14:1-12

Our Province recently launched a website called ‘DominicanJubilee.com’, and the prayer written by the Master of the Order that we’re saying every day in our current St Dominic Novena refers to the “double Jubilee” of this year, and today four of our brothers, two of whom were schooled by the Society of Jesus, will begin their Jubilee Pilgrimage as they commemorate the journey taken by the first Dominicans in England 800 years ago; returning to our roots as a Province. This language of Jubilee, of course, is derived from the passage from Leviticus that we’ve just heard: “You will declare this fiftieth year sacred and proclaim the liberation of all the inhabitants of the land. This is to be a jubilee for you; each of you will return to his ancestral home, each to his own clan.” Our brothers, witnessing to the Gospel as they go, speaking of God and to God, will certainly be proclaiming the freedom won for us in Christ as they travel past our ancestral ‘homes’, going from Ramsgate to Oxford. But what of us who remain behind?

We are called to live the jubilee by renewing our fervour as Dominicans, doing what Dominicans have been called to do from the very beginning – preaching for the salvation of souls – and we can trace the effects of our Dominican mission, when it is lived out faithfully and well, in the life of today’s saint, Ignatius.

For while Iñigo de Loyola was convalescing from a cannonball injury in his family home in the Basque country, he turned to the only books available to him, both written by Dominicans: the Life of Christ by Ludolph and The Golden Legend by Bl. James of Voragine. The Dominican work of writing spiritual works thus touched him, and indeed, led to his liberation from his chivalric fantasies and focussed his mind on the idea of giving his life for the Gospel. So, at the end of reading these books he said to himself: “St Francis did it. St Dominic did it. Why shouldn’t I?”

So, in 1522, Ignatius makes his way on pilgrimage to Montserrat, to the shrine of Our Lady, but he stops at the nearby town of Manresa, and there, he seeks hospitality with the Dominican friars. During his time in the Dominican Priory at Manresa he joined the friars in prayer (even though he knew no Latin), attended the Dominican Rite Mass during which he receives a vision which convinces him about the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and he begins to go to confession with a Dominican friar to guide him and answer his questions about God. Later on, while studying in Salamanca, he would continue to go to the Dominicans at San Esteban for confession. How vital, then, is this work of giving spiritual direction, and setting aside hours for regular confessions in our priory church. Indeed, tomorrow, some of our youngest parishioners will be making their first confession. For through our fidelity to our Dominican life and work, perhaps, like those friars at Manresa, we might touch some young person who is searching like St Ignatius. Certainly, St Ignatius was much affected by his time in Manresa with the Dominicans. Often, later in life, when carrying out a task he would say: “I saw it thus in Manresa”, and it is now thought that the Saint’s Spiritual Exercises were first drafted in the Dominican cell where he lived in Manresa.

So, through steadfastly carrying out our ministry here in our time we carry out the jubilee work of proclaiming liberation to all the inhabitants of this land, especially through faithfully preaching the fullness of the Gospel, and diligently offering the sacrament of reconciliation. For some, parish ministry might not seem as exciting as taking to the road as a missionary or teaching in Oxford. But, as St Ignatius learnt, God isn’t found in what we find exciting nor even in what we think we want, but in unexpected places and situations.

The work of being a faithful Preacher of Truth is, however, not without peril. For as today’s Gospel reminds us: we might lose our heads. Nevertheless, as St Ignatius saw so clearly, and as he wrote in his Spiritual Exercises, the goal of our human life is to love God, and so, to have fullness of life with him for ever. So, he said, “we should “desire and choose only what helps us more towards the end for which we are created”, that is, our every thought, word, and action is directed towards loving God more, even if it should cost our lives. Hence he counselled one of the first Jesuits to remember “how the blessed saints like St Francis and St Dominic and many others bore themselves… to have recourse to the true and higher Wisdom, [and] to ask and obtain more light [from God] in order to arrange all things to [God’s] greater service and honour.”

On his feast day, and in this Dominican jubilees year, we would do well to heed St Ignatius’s words and arrange all things ad majorem Dei gloriam!

[pamphletstoinspire]

The Blessing of St. Francis of Assisi

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord show His face to you and have mercy on you. May the Lord smile upon you and give you His peace. Amen.

Note:

Within the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi is a precious relic: a small, crumpled piece of yellowed parchment with the writing of St. Francis, now displayed in a silver reliquary. It was written on Mount La Verna after St. Francis had received the stigmata. The first biographer of St. Francis, Bl. Thomas of Celano wrote that for a long time St. Francis’s friend, Brother Leo, had greatly desired to have some memorial from the words of Our Lord written by St. Francis.

“One day Blessed Francis called him, saying, ‘Bring me paper and ink, for I wish to write the words of God and His praises which I have been meditating in my heart.’ What he asked for being straightway brought, he writes with his own hand the praises of God and the words which he [his companion] wished, and lastly a blessing of the brother, saying: ‘Take this sheet for thyself and until the day of thy death guard it carefully.’ All temptation was at once driven away; the letter is kept and worked wonders for the time to come.” Brother Leo kept it faithfully; folding it in four, he carried it in his pocket and guarded it jealously for a good forty-six years.  The text in the middle, written in black, and marked with a large “Tau” cross is in Francis’s own handwriting, he writes the praises of God* and grants to Brother Leo the blessing from the Book of Numbers 6: 22-27 which later became known as “the Blessing of St. Francis.”

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, in his homily for the World Day of Peace, 2013, spoke of this blessing from the Book of Numbers which was for the priests and the people of Israel. “The blessing repeats the three times Holy Name of God, a Name not to be spoken, and each time linked to two words indicating an action in favor of man. Peace is the summit of these six actions of God in our favor, His most sublime gift, in which He turns toward us the splendor of His Face.”

This is the great blessing that St. Francis desired to impart to his friend, Brother Leo:

“May the Lord bless and keep you; may He make His Face shine upon you and be merciful to you; may He turn His Countenance toward you and give you His Peace!”  (Num. 6:22-27) - Amen!

[kyutown]

Hii♡ , so I noticed that you do boygroup ships, so I wanted to ask for a ahip with txt, enhypen , skz and p1h

I'm a 05 liner, cancer and my mbti is infp. I don't really like people that much and only have like 5 friends that im close to, but also have a few online friends. I'm kinda shy, I guess, but I'm OK with talking to people, I just don't really like it. I can't really easily open myself up to others and underestimate myself alot. I cry really easily. Also I'm pretty clingy and touch starved. I'm 5'7 and I wear glasses. I have short (wolfcut) brown hair and I dress kinda gender envy. I also don't really care about my gender. I really like BL dramas, Harry Potter, and Stranger Things and I also enjoy K-RnB and Indie music in various languages. I'm interested in witchcraft and really like crystals and astrology. I always carry a tigers eye (crystal) around with me in form of a necklace(its my favourite:)). I don't really have a certain aesthetic, but I really like cottagecore, minimalism and café aesthetics. My hobbies are Horseback riding (not on competition level), jewellery making, reading, writing and just crafting things in general. I'm really interested in fashion, am asexual, and speak German, Norwegian, English, and really bad French. I'm interested in language and want to study German or English once I graduated. I also really love cats and own to longhair cats (Kitty & Francis). Yeah. That's me :)

Thank u sooo much in advance ♡♡

hi! thank you for responding!

for txt, i think you would be nice with taehyun! he would enjoy learning languages! he is very smart and i think he would enjoy learning the languages you already know so that you guys can communicate with each other on a deeper level! he would love to study german with you and if you want to speak a language he already knows, he would always be willing to help you!

for enhypen, i think jay would match you well! jay would be the type who is also interested in fashion like you! he would enjoy to go to the shopping mall and look for clothes with you! it wouldn't matter if you guys came out of the mall with bags full of new clothes because what really matters is if you guys had fun and usually you guys will!

for stray kids, i think minho (lee know ) would be a good pair for you! minho also has a cat and i think he would enjoy the fact you like cats as well! he adores his own cats and i feel like he would adore yours as well! he would always bring your cats snacks or new toys which would not only make your cats happy and it would make you smile as well!

for p1harmony, i think soul would be a nice fit! soul loves his skull rings and i feel like jewelry making would be a fun way to spend a date for you guys! you guys would make one for yourself and would make one for each other! he would wear the rings you make him often and would hope you wear the ones he made for you often!

[silvestromedia]

SAINTS OCTOBER 17

St. Ignatius of Antioch, Roman Catholic Priest and Martyr. He was among the Apostolic Fathers, was the third Bishop of Antioch, and was a student of John the Apostle. En route to Rome, where according to Christian tradition he met his martyrdom by being fed to wild beasts. Feast day is October 17th. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/saints/10/17/st--ignatius-of-antioch--bishop--martyr-in-rome.htm

Bls. Marie Magdalen Desjardin and Marie Louise Vanot, Roman Catholic Nuns and Martyrs. Ursuline martyrs of the French Revolution. She was guillotined in Valenciennes with Marie Louise Vanot. In religion, Marie Magdalen was called Marie-Augustine. Marie Louise was called Natalie. Feast day is October 17th.

Bl. Jane Louise Barre and Jane Reine Prin, Roman Catholic Nuns. Ursuline martyrs. Known in the religious life as Sisters Cordula and Laurentina respectively, the 3 were guillotined by officials of the French revolutionary government at Valenciennes and were members of the Ursuline nuns martyred during the French Revolution. Feast day is October 17th.

St. Richard Gwyn, 1584 A.D. One of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. Also called Richard White, he was born in Montgomeryshire, Wales, in 1547, and studied at Cambridge University, England. Converted from Protestantism, he returned to Wales in 1562, married, had six children, and opened a school. Arrested in 1579, he spent four years in prison before his execution by being hanged, drawn, and quartered at Wrexham on October 15, for being a Catholic. While jailed, he composed many religious poems in Welsh. He is considered the Protomartyr of Wales and was included among the canonized martyrs of England and Wales by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

St. Francis Isidore Gagelin, Roman Catholic Priest and Vietnam Martyr. Born in Montperreux, France, in 1799, he entered the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris. He was sent to Vietnam in 1822, where he was ordained a priest. In 1833, Francis was seized by anti-Christian forces and was martyred by strangulation. Feastday Oct 17

St. Nothlem, Archbishop of Canterbury. Originally a priest in London, he was named archbishop in 734 A.D. Notheim conducted research on the history of Kent which was collected by Abbot Albinus and in turn utilized by the Venerable Bede in the writing of his Ecclesiastical History. St. Louthiem, 6th century. Irish saint, patron of St. Ludgran in Cornwall, England. Also called Luchtighem.

Sts. Ethelbert and Etheired, 670 A.D. Martyred great grandsons of King Ethelbert of Kent, England (d. 616), at Eastery near Sandwich. Their shrine is at Ramsey Abbey in Huntingdonshire.

St. Regulus, 4th century. An Abbot of Scotland. He is best known for bringing the relics of St. Andrew to Scotland from Greece.

St. Colman of Kilroot, 6th century. Abbotbishop of Kiltrout, near Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. He was a disciple of St. Ailbhe of Emly.

B. PETER CASANI, PIARIST

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 10 June – Blessed Edward Joannes Maria Poppe

Blessed Memorial of Blessed Edward Joannes Maria Poppe  (18 December 1890 in Temse, Belgium – 10 June 1924 at Moerzeke, Belgium of a stroke, aged 34) Priest  – Apostle of Eucharistic Adoration, especially amongst children and of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Evangeliser, Reformer, Spiritual Director of Seminarians, Supporter of the Labourer – Patron of Moerzeke, Labourers, Military chaplains, Children’s Eucharistic Adoration.   Attributes – Priest’s robes.   Bl Edward’s beatification cause commenced on 5 April 1966 under Blessed Pope Paul VI and he became titled as a Servant of God as a result while the affirmation of his life of heroic virtue saw St Pope John Paul II name him as Venerable on 30 June 1986. That same pope beatified Poppe in Saint Peter’s Square on 3 October 1999.

Edward Joannes Maria Poppe was born in Temse on 18 December 1890 as the third of eight children to the baker Dèsirè Aloies Poppe (25.12.1851-10.01.1907) and Josepha Ogiers (31.08.1863-21.10.1947).   One brother became a priest while five sisters were nuns and one daughter remained home alone with her mother. He was an energetic child and an excellent student.   His mischievousness saw him often knock things over even putting himself at risk of being harmed.   He was also quite stubborn and never left his sisters alone though his sisters would often get back at him and would muss up his hair when he was caught combing in front of the mirror.   He was also a big eater and liked to devour treats from his father’s store.   But in 1902 he received his First Communion and Confirmation and this made him more serious which meant jokes and teasing became rarer.   In spring 1904 his father introduced him to his business plans and had hoped to see his son begin a baking apprenticeship though Poppe remained silent at first though his resolution to become a priest led him to tell his father as much.   Not long after a priest friend to his parents gave a favourable opinion of Poppe’s vocation to which his father told his mother:  “Let’s not be selfish. God has not given us our children for ourselves”.   He studied at the Sint-Niklaas St. Joseph Minor Seminary from 1905 until 1910 where he became a member the De Klauwaerts association which was a student movement in the Flemish Movement before World War I.

Despite his father’s death on 10 January 1907 he was able to continue his studies and commenced his ecclesial studies in 1910 to become a priest.   But at first he wanted to take over his father’s business for his mother’s sake, though his mother did not like the idea and told him:  “Before he died, Papa made me promise to let you continue with your studies. I want to keep that promise”.   He was drafted in September 1910 and being a seminarian made him a target for harassment (he was mocked and provoked) while his companions’ vulgar nature was unendurable to him to what he called “a hell”.   He was also quite pained that he could not receive the Eucharist and go to Mass each week due to the rigidfity of the army service.   But his time in the service still allowed for him to do his philosophical studies.   He liked to read poems which was something he had done since his childhood.

He began his studies in Thomism on 13 March 1912 at the Louvain college where he became influenced from the works of Saint Louis de Montfort which made him a fervent devotee of the Blessed Mother of God.   It was also around this time that he learnt about Saint Thérèse of Lisieux but he also had a love for Saint Francis of Assisi.   In September 1913 he moved to the Ghent for his studies where he became a member of the Filioli Caritatis which was a group of priests who aimed for holiness.   On 14 July 1913 he graduated in letters and philosophical studies at Louvain.

The outbreak of World War I in 1914 saw Poppe called to arms as a battlefield nurse on 1 August but he fell ill in Namur at Bourlers on 25 August after having been at the battle site since 4 August.   He was placed half-dead in an ambulance van and was taken to Bourlers where the priest Castelain took care of him until December.   In his period of recuperation the Germans advancing had with them several prisoners of war and he appealed to Saint Joseph that these men be freed which led to their miraculous freeing all except a Frenchman;   Poppe renewed the appeal and the Frenchman returned. Father Castelain also told him about the life of Blessed Antoine Chevrier.   Once he recovered in he went to Mechelen to continue with his ecclesial studies in April 1915 after Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier obtained for him a dispensation to leave the armed forces.

Priesthood On 1 May 1916 he was ordained to the priesthood.   Poppe became the parish associate pastor in Sint-Coleta on 16 June 1916 which was a poor labourers’ parish in Ghent.   He started the Eucharistic League for the children (he dedicated this to Pope Pius X) and introduced them to the countless aspects of the faith and also taught catechism and handed children devotional cards.  He made it a practice to greet workers after their shifts ended in the late afternoon.   Poppe chose to live in poorness in order to be like his parishioners.

He became exhausted in July 1917 due to his manner of living and his weak health and so was transferred to a convent in Moerzeke.   He was ordered to rest for a month though when he returned the pastor was concerned for him so discharged him from league meetings and catechetical lessons;   this made him heartbroken but he was obedient.  He was often confined to his bed but from there wrote numerous texts for the “Eucharistische Kruistocht” – Eucharistic Crusade) of the Averbode convent while often appearing in the popular adolescent magazine “Zonneland”.   In July 1918 he asked the Bishop of Ghent for a different post and so from 4 October 1918 until 1922 he served as the rector to the Vincentian Sisters.   But Poppe suffered a severe heart attack on 11 May 1919 (and received the Extreme Unction) though spent his time recovering in his bed while writing letters and articles that were criticisms of materialism and Marxism.   He suffered a much more serious heart attack on 8 June and could no longer have visits or celebrate Mass due to the severe status of his health.   He was weak but recovered over the next several months to the point where he managed to make a trip to visit the tomb of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux in France on 15 September 1920.

Declining health and death Improvement in his health saw him appointed as the spiritual leader of the armed forces school in Leopoldsburg in October 1922 for seminarians and priests drawn into service. But a cardiac crisis in 1923 – while visiting his mother on Christmas – made it impossible for him to return to Leopoldsburg and he again was confined to the Moerzeke convent. He suffered a heart attack on 1 January 1924 but suffered a severe relapse on 3 February. Poppe died from a stroke on the morning of 10 June 1924 as he prepared to dress and take care of affairs.   He received the Extreme Unction and gazed at an image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus as he died.

Post-mortem Cardinal Désiré-Joseph Mercier promoted him as an ideal of a good priest who was spiritual and ascetic and who was prepared to sacrifice his life for the faith.   His birth house in Temse has become a museum and the street is renamed “Priester Poppestraat”; another museum can be found in the Moerzeke convent.   There are statues of Poppe in both Moerzeke and Ghent.

Beatification The beatification process opened in Ghent in an informative process that spanned from 21 March 1946 until its closure on 29 September 1952 at which stage the theologians approved all his spiritual writings on two instances on 13 February 1959 and 15 January 1971.   The formal introduction to the cause came under Pope Paul VI on 5 April 1966 and he was titled as a Servant of God while an apostolic process was later held from 18 November 1967 until 25 June 1969.   The Congregation for the Causes of Saints validated the previous processes in Rome on 28 April 1975 and received the Positio dossier from postulation officials in 1984.     The theologians approved the cause on 25 March 1986 as did the C.C.S. on 10 June 1986. The confirmation of his life of heroic virtue on 30 June 1986 allowed for Pope John Paul II to title him as Venerable.

The miracle was required for his beatification was investigated in the diocese of its origin from 4-19 January 1996 at which stage all documentation was sent to Rome and received C.C.S. validation in a decree on 28 June 1996.   Medical experts approved this healing as a miracle on 6 November 1997 as did the theologians on 31 March 1998 and the C.C.S. members on 1 July 1998.   John Paul II issued his approval to this miracle on 3 July 1998 and beatified Poppe in Saint Peter’s Square on 3 October 1999.