Put out into the Deep

2 Timothy 1: 6-7 "Fan into a Flame the gift of God that you possess through the laying of my hands. For God did not give you a Spirit of Timidity, but a Spirit of Power, Love and Self-Control."

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Pope Francis on the Solemnity of the Annunciation

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The difference between community and a group of friends is that in community we verbalise our mutual belonging and bonding. We announce the goals and the spirit that unites us. We recognise together that we are responsible for one another. We recognise also that this bonding comes from God; it is a gift from God. It is he who has chosen us and called us together in a covenant of love and mutual caring.

‘Community and Growth’ by Jean Vanier

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Infographic: 6 signs every Catholic should have in their path

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Where does prayer come from? Whether prayer is expressed in words or gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most often of the heart (more than a thousand times). According to Scripture, it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of prayer are in vain.

CCC 2562

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Jesus has to be and to become evermore the center of my life. It is not enough that Jesus is my teacher, my guide, my source of inspiration. It is not even enough that he is my companion on the journey, my friend, and my brother. Jesus must become the heart of my heart, the fire of my life, the lover of my soul, the bridegroom of my spirit. He must become my only thought, my only concern, my only desire. The thousands of people, events, ideas, and plans that occupy my inner life must become all one in the one and only name: Jesus

‘Finding our Sacred Center’ by Henri Nouwen

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Every vocation, every path to which Christ calls us, ultimately leads to fufillment and happiness, because it leads to God, to sharing in God's own life.

'The Meaning of Vocation' by Saint John Paul II

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I Am Just a Little Pencil / more art here

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God is constantly trying to plant new seeds of victory on the inside of you. He’s trying to increase you. He’s trying to enlarge your vision. He wants to take you to new levels of victory. But before you see a harvest, the seed has to take root. You have to conceive it before you are going to receive it. In other words, before you’re ever going to be successful, you’ve got to see yourself successful. Before you’re ever going to have your dreams come to pass, you’ve got to look out through your eyes of faith and see them coming to pass. That’s how you allow the seed to take root.

Today, I encourage you to examine your thought life. What are you allowing to take root? Are God’s seeds of victory and life growing in your heart and mind, or are you nurturing seeds of defeat and despair? The good news is that you can change your thoughts right now, this very moment. Begin to dwell on God’s promises and His goodness. Let His good seeds take root in your mind and heart. It won’t be long before you’ll see that harvest of blessing come forth in every area of your life!

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I'm a little pencil in the hand of a writing God, who is sending a love letter to the world

Mother Teresa

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Holiness does not mean doing extraordinary things, but doing ordinary things with love and faith!

Pope Francis

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The rule for all of us is perfectly simple. Do not waste time bothering whether you "love" your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the greatest secrets. When you are behaving as if you love someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less.

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

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To be pure, to remain pure, can only come at a price, the price of knowing God and loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength we need to keep purity as something beautiful for God. Purity is the fruit of prayer.

Blessed Mother Teresa

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Grace empowers our intellects and wills to understand God's will and obey it, yet at the same time it leaves us free to resist if we choose. It is, in a word, love received and given.

Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate