Karoline Leavitt said yesterday that "The sanctity of our military rests on the chain of command...."

I'm not a veteran - though both of my parents, and other close family members, served - but I'm certain that she means something different by "sanctity" than I, or my veteran parents, do.

In the US, the military is not sanctified. It does not emanate or create holiness. Its members are not sworn to religious objects, holy goals, or deities. They are sworn to the US Constitution, a political document.

When the White House, through Leavitt's words, says that the military deals in sanctity, it tries to turn the US military into crusaders. And there, my readers, is the heart of this problem.

#WhiteHouse #Leavitt #military #sanctity #holiness #crusaders

A quotation from Ambrose Bierce

Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914?) American writer and journalist
“Scriptures,” The Devil’s Dictionary (1911)

More info about this quote: wist.info/bierce-ambrose/1074/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #ambrosebierce #devilsdictionary #divineplan #faith #holiness #perspective #religion #religiousintolerance #revelation #sacredness #sanctity #scripture #writings

Quote of the day, 21 June: St. Thérèse

Jesus be in your soul, my dear little brother in Christ.

I beg you, never think you’re “bothering me or distracting me” by speaking so much about yourself. Could it be possible for a sister not to take interest in everything that concerns her brother? As for distracting me, you have nothing to fear—on the contrary, your letters unite me more closely to the good God by allowing me to contemplate more intimately the wonders of His mercy and love.

Sometimes Jesus delights in “revealing His secrets to the little ones”; proof of this is that after reading your first letter of 15 October 1895, I thought the same thing as your spiritual director: You can’t be a sort-of saint—you must be one completely or not at all. I sensed that you had an energetic soul, and that’s why I was happy to become your sister.

Ah! my dear little brother, since it was given to me to understand the love of the Heart of Jesus, I confess that it has driven all fear from my heart. The memory of my faults humbles me, and makes me never rely on my own strength, which is only weakness; but more than that, this memory speaks to me of mercy and of love.

How could our faults not be consumed forever, when we cast them with childlike confidence into the burning furnace of Love?

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Letter 247 to Abbé Maurice Bellière (excerpts)
21 June 1897

“You can’t be a sort-of saint—you must be one completely or not at all.”
— St. Thérèse of Lisieux

This quote comes from St. Thérèse’s letter to seminarian Maurice Bellière, written on 21 June 1897. Thérèse had been corresponding with him since October 1896, and this particular letter replies to his Pentecost Monday message (7 June 1897), in which he shares that he will begin his novitiate with the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) on 1 October.

In it, Thérèse recalls thinking the same as Bellière’s spiritual director: “You cannot be a saint by halves; you must be one completely or not at all.” That phrasing comes from the English translation by Fr. John Clarke, O.C.D., published by ICS Publications.

In this post, we offer a dynamic rendering: You can’t be sort of a saint—you have to be one completely or not at all. The goal is clarity and impact while preserving Thérèse’s original intensity.

The French phrase à demi—meaning “incompletely” or “partially”—contrasts directly with her emphatic tout à fait (“completely”). This distinction is clarified in the Trésor de la Langue Française, an exhaustive historical dictionary of French usage known for its precision and literary depth. The TLFi notes that à demi often implies something unfinished or imperfect—unlike demi, which quantifies (e.g., demi-tasse). In Thérèse’s usage, à demi signals the danger of mediocrity in the spiritual life; she counters it with the language of totality.

This remark also echoes Bellière’s first letter of 15 October 1895, in which he expressed both his longing for holiness and his awareness of personal weakness. He asked that one of the nuns pray for him—and Mother Agnès chose Thérèse. Their exchange became the foundation of a profoundly spiritual correspondence. Studies on this pivotal dialogue were published in Vie Thérésienne, nos. 12–14 and 66–69 (October 1963 – April 1964).

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: Abbé Maurice Barthélémy-Bellière (1874–1907) is seen in this undated photo, wearing the habit of the Pères Blancs (White Fathers), formally known as the Missionaries of Africa. Adobe Express creates a collage of images of Bellière and St. Thérèse, featured with a background image of zebras grazing in Malawi, where Bellière served in the missions. Image credit: Carmelite Quotes (Some rights reserved).

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
What thoughts or feelings arise when you realize what Thérèse is really saying to Bellière?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#AbbéMauriceBellière #missionary #sanctity #StThereseOfLisieux #translation

There is More to Life and Beauty Than The Fall
Grant Hope 201
https://www.granthope.net/p/there-is-more-to-life-and-beauty
https://youtu.be/YboPGxssipk

#granthope #poetry #Innocence #Chastity #Virtue #Sanctity #Purpose #Faith #Relationships #God #Love #Life #moral #fypage #poetry #authors

#Evangelicals oppose #IVF & #hate #LGBTQ+ #people because of this one #strange #belief

It neither involves #Satan nor the #sanctity of #human #embryos.

They view anything that severs #sex from #procreation, and specifically #sex #outside of #marriage, is inherently #wrong.

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Spirituality #Religion #Hate #Bigotry #Discrimination #Homophobia #Transphobia #EmptyThePews

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2024/06/evangelicals-oppose-ivf-hate-lgbtq-people-because-of-this-one-strange-belief/

In giving thanks to God—together with all of you, beginning with the Most Eminent and Venerable Brother Archbishop Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe—for the great gift to the Church of Naples, the new Blessed Maria Giuseppina of Jesus Crucified, Thomas Merton’s reflection comes to mind. He stated: “There is no member of the Church who does not owe something to Carmel,” which finds further confirmation in this Solemn Rite [Merton, 1951].

Indeed, today the Church of Naples owes to Carmel, as a place and school of holiness, not only the precious gift of one of its daughters elevated to the honor of the altars, but also the most authoritative reminder of the universal vocation to holiness, its irreplaceable value, and its perennial relevance.

As the Representative of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI in presiding over today’s beatification, I feel honored and delighted to witness the marvelous works of God, and even more so to admire His masterpieces, which are always the saints and the blessed. This venerable archdiocese, with its considerable and growing number of Blesseds and Saints, offers them to the admiration of the entire Church.

The great, biblical words of the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, addressed precisely to the Discalced Carmelite friars [during a general audience on July 11, 1973], fit like a glove: “You are ‘sons of saints,’ look carefully at the immense spiritual inheritance that is handed down to you…” [Original text: Vos estis «filii sanctorum» (Tob 2:18): immensam intuemini hereditatem spiritualem] Words that I like to apply to the men and women brought forth in the faith in this Neapolitan Church.

Yes, dear people of Naples, you too are children of saints: from them we learn to elevate the horizons of hope to heavenly realities, without setting aside our commitment to building up the earthly city, despite all its urgent and disturbing problems. The more we contemplate the Lord among His Saints, entering into living communion with Him, the stronger the hope within us grows for an active and effective commitment to improving and changing the world around us.

Looking particularly at the story and message of Blessed Giuseppina, we better understand the inescapable need for the contemplative dimension in the life of every Christian. Her example also shows us the concrete way to cultivate it. Her existence was a true school of charity, both toward her fellow sisters and toward the vast field of the apostolate, which she, though a cloistered nun, cultivated solely to make people love the Lord more. She, too, like St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, did not want “to be a saint by halves” [cf. LT 247 to Abbé Bellière], albeit with her peculiarities and mystical gifts, and various extraordinary spiritual experiences.

Everything is summed up in a phrase that constituted the unifying program of the Blessed’s entire life: “I want to live by feeding on God’s will… I want my will to be united with God’s will as one.” And again in her Diary: “I ardently desire to live in the will of God; I know that saints are made in this way, and I want to make myself saintly to give glory to God.”

Such a program must be the great aspiration of every Christian, in full conformity with the word of Christ, the One, Supreme Model: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work” (Jn 4:34), because “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 Jn 2:17).

I end with the great honor of sharing with you the special apostolic blessing and greeting of Benedict XVI, who, as he has shown, carries Naples, this Church, its Venerable Pastor, and all the members of the People of God in his heart. I entrust you to the powerful intercession of the new Blessed, that she may protect you all and lead you on the path of holiness.

José Cardinal Saraiva Martins

Prefect, Congregation of the Causes of the Saints
Homily, Mass of Beatification of Blessed Maria Giuseppina
1 June 2008, Cathedral of St. Januarius, Naples

Note: Cardinal Saraiva Martins opens his homily with a quote from Thomas Merton. This quote is from the Author’s Note before the Prologue of Merton’s book, The Ascent to Truth. In context, Merton wrote: “There is no member of the Church who does not owe something to Carmel. But there are few who owe more to the saints of Carmel and to its Queen than does the author. Above all, this book was written, so to speak, under her direction and tutelage.”
Later in the homily, Cardinal Saraiva Martins quotes Blessed Maria Giuseppina, who said: “I want my will to be united with God’s will as one.” The Blessed uses the Italian word impasto, which literally translates to “dough” or “paste.” In the context of Blessed Giuseppina’s writings, impasto metaphorically conveys a deep, active blending and molding of one’s will with God’s will, much like the process of kneading dough until it becomes a cohesive, unified substance. This vivid imagery emphasizes the dynamic and transformative nature of aligning oneself completely with the divine will.

Translation from the Italian text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: This is a detail from an artist’s rendering of a well-known photo of Blessed Maria Giuseppina, who was captured seated outdoors, smiling broadly. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/05/31/giuseppina-1jun08homily/

#beatification #BlessedMariaGiuseppinaOfJesusCrucified #CardinalJoséSaraivaMartins #DiscalcedCarmelites #GiuseppinaCatanea #homily #Naples #sanctity #StThérèseOfLisieux #ThomasMerton #unionWithGod #willOfGod