Dear Sir — One is often struck, on glancing over the papers, at the numerous appeals made to provide ‘comforts for our troops,’ but no one ever seems to think that the souls of those who have fallen in battle may possibly be in need of much greater comfort than the bodies of their comrades who survive. With all the spiritual help now at their disposal, even in the very …
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May 26, 2022
Jesus is looking at me as once he did upon blind Bartimaemus: “What wilt thou that I do to thee?” Lord, that I may see myself as You see me. Lord that my eyes may be open to the shortness of life. Lord, that I may understand the value of one degree of merit, and so heap up many.
May 25, 2022
One German prisoner, badly wounded in the leg, was brought in. He knew only a few words of English, but spoke French fluently. I try to do all I can for the unfortunate prisoners, as sometimes not much sympathy is shown them, and they have evidently been drilled into believing that we promptly roast and eat them alive. I gave him a drink, made him as comfortable as possible, and …
May 24, 2022
The following quote from one of Fr Willie’s letters recounts some of his war time adventures on 23 May 1917. What shines out for us on this occasion is Fr Willie’s naturalness, his dedication to providing the sacraments to the soldiers and, as always, his calm courage – I’m not sure that many of us would sum up these events by saying “there was really little danger”… I had been …
May 23, 2022
A sharp tongue is the only edged tool that grows sharper with use. COMMENT: How correct Fr Willie’s assessment is! The more we criticise others, the more critical we can become. Like all vices, the more we engage in them, the easier and easier it becomes to keep engaging in them, and to grow worse over time. That is why big sins don’t normally arise out of thin air – …
May 21, 2022
I did not write because I had nothing but disappointment, opposition, cold shower-baths and crosses to chronicle…Your news about the success in England is glorious, and yet I am assured that mine will come in Dublin if ever a house is opened. … I am confident the real difficulty will be to keep the men out. I never realised till I got on the mission staff the immense amount of …
May 20, 2022
How often have we murmured against the good God because He has refused our petitions or frustrated our plans. Can we look into the future as God can do? Can we see now and realise to the full the effect our request would have had if granted? God loves us, He loves us too dearly to leave us to the guidance of our poor judgements; and when He turns …
May 19, 2022
Do we realise the infinite possibilities of grace which lie hidden in the Tabernacle? Jesus only awaits our coming: and even before we have begun to beg His help, He has opened the treasures of His Sacred Heart and filled our hands with precious gifts. What monarch ever rewarded his subjects as Jesus repays us for the little trouble it costs us to visit Him even for one short moment. …
May 17, 2022
Are you weary of the fight already and willing to give in to the enemy? Never mind, come back, begin again, Jesus wants you. There are millions of pagans to be saved, a hundred thousand dying sinners every day to be rescued. COMMENT: Today’s quote captures the essence of Fr Willie’s spirit – he was a real fighter given over to spiritual combat, and he was a true missionary …
May 16, 2022
I feel ashamed at times that I do not profit more by His nearness, but I know that he makes allowances for weak, inconstant nature. COMMENT: Fr Willie occasionally wrote about what he called the “abuse of grace” – the idea that we fail to profit from all of the graces that God gives us. We are all almost certainly guilty of this failing to one degree or another. In …
May 15, 2022