Fr Doyle wrote the following in his diary on 21 December 1913, 102 years ago today. It relates to a recent trip to the cinema – it’s not clear what date he went to the cinema, but presumably it was the same day or at most a few days beforehand. At the end of the performance of “Quo Vadis?” the words of our Lord seemed to go through my soul. …
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December 21, 2015
The desire to be a saint has been growing in my heart all during this year, especially the last couple of months. God has given me this desire; He will not refuse the grace, if only I am faithful in the future. How good you have been to me, O my God, waiting so patiently for me to return to You! Help me now generously to do all You want …
December 10, 2015
From the Tabernacle Jesus seems to say, “Stay with Me for it is towards evening and the day is now far spent”. This should urge me to come to visit Him often. If my resurrection is a real one and is to produce fruit, it must be external, so that all may see I am not the same man, that my life is changed in Christ. COMMENT: Fr Doyle wrote …
November 11, 2015
I think He would like you to pay more attention to little things, looking on nothing as small, if connected with His service and worship. Also try to remember that nothing is too small to offer to Him — that is, the tiniest act of self-conquest is of immense value in His eyes, and even lifting one’s eyes as an act of love brings great grace. COMMENT: Despite the …
April 1, 2015
The Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb The final scene of the awful tragedy is drawing to a close. Reverently the faithful few bear the dead Christ down the hill of shame, that body from which all the care of loving hands cannot remove the marks of the cruel scourge, the rending nails, the lance’s gaping thrust. Into the tomb they bear Him, the burial place of a …
March 29, 2015
Worries? Of course; and thank God. How else are you going to be a saint? “When thou comest to the service of God, prepare thy soul for temptation” – which means trials and worries of all kinds. If you train yourself to see God’s hand in all things and rather to be glad when everything goes wrong, you will enjoy great interior peace. Here is a most important spiritual maxim …
January 14, 2015
I can imagine I am a soul in Hell, and God in His mercy is saying to me, “Return to the world for this year and on your manner of life during the year will depend your returning to Hell or not.” What a life I should lead! How little I should think of suffering, of mortification! How I would rejoice in suffering! How perfectly each moment would be …
January 2, 2015
Fr Doyle was known for his enthusiastic promotion of religious vocations. He wrote a best selling pamphlet on the topic (http://fatherdoyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/vocations.pdf) and another on the priesthood http://fatherdoyle.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/shall-i-be-a-priest.pdf During his life he received many letters from around the world from people who had found their vocation, thanking him for these pamphlets. The power of his written word continued long after his death – I know of one chaplain in World War 2 who …
December 8, 2014
St Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church A wooden block used as a pillow by St Teresa The life of St. Teresa teaches us that we should never despair of becoming saints. As a child she was filled with a strange mysterious longing for martyrdom. But the early years of her religious life found her cold or tepid in the service of God, indifferent to the sacred duties of …
October 15, 2014
From the Capuchin Crypt in Rome From the Capuchin Crypt in Rome Death is the end of all things here, the end of time, of merit, of pain and mortification, of a hard life. It is the commencement of an eternal life of happiness and joy. “God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.” (Rev. 21, 4.) In this light, life is short indeed and penance sweet. I thought …
October 14, 2014