I believe the hard heartest, most cross grained and most unloving Christians in all the world are those who have not had much trouble in their life. And those that are the most sympathizing, loving and Christlike are generally those who have the most affliction. The worse thing that can happen to any of us is to have a path made too smooth. One of the greatest blessings the Lord ever gave us was a cross. 
- Charles Spurgeon 

(Usually we do not have to look too far for the cross. How have you experienced its transformative power lately?)

ACTS 5:34-42;    PS 27:1, 4, 13-14;    JN 6:1-15

R. One thing I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord.

The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The LORD is my life's refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?

One thing I ask of the LORD
this I seek:
To dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD
and contemplate his temple.

I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.





Dorothy Day in Loaves and Fishes  cites an essay which had been published in The Catholic Worker by Peter Maurin titled A Case for Utopia :  "The world would be better off if people tried to become better, and people would become better if they stopped trying to become better off.  For when everyone tries to become better off nobody is better off.  But when everyone tries to become better everyone is better off.  Everyone would be rich if nobody tried to become richer and nobody would be poor if everybody tried to be the poorest.  And everybody would be what he ought to be if everyone tried to be what he wants the other fellow to be."  Dorothy Day saw these words as still relevant in 1967.  And they resonate with me today.

The relevance is particularly appropriate with our new Pope lifting our awareness of the needs of the poor.  In his inaugural address Pope Francis offered a passionate pledge to serve "the poorest, the weakest, and the least important."  Pope Francis appeals to leaders of nations and to each of us to be called to service.

Dorothy Day was a complicated person with a simple message.  The story of the loaves and the fishes and the work of Dorothy Day inspire me to live simply so I can continually strive to become better and try to be what I want the other fellow to be.

- by Mary Lee Brock

Selected Quotes from St. John of the Cross on the Journey of the Soul to God by Contemplation

- from Ascent of Mt. Carmel

Bk. 2. Ch. 12. #6. The more spiritual a man is, the more he discontinues trying to make particular acts with his faculties, for he becomes more engrossed in one general, pure act, a calm and repose of interior quietude. 

#7. The soul would want to remain in that unintelligible peace as in its right place. Since people do not understand the mystery of that new experience, they imagine themselves to be idle and doing nothing.

 #8. They must learn to abide in that quietude with a loving attentiveness to God. At this stage the faculties are at rest and do not work actively but passively, by receiving what God is effecting in them.

- compiled by James and Tyra Arraj