"There comes one moment, once -
And God help those who pass that moment by –
When beauty stands and looks into the soul
With grave, sweet eyes that sicken at pretty words".
In the "Rubaiyat" of Omar Khayyam. . . . . . .
"Whether at Naishapur or Babylon,
Whether the cup with sweet or bitter run,
The wine of life keeps oozing, drop by drop. . . . .
The leaves of life keep falling, one by one."
Jose Rizal to Josephine Bracken, on their wedding day. . . . . . .
"My people are poor. . . . . .
They have always been poor. . . . . . .
For centuries our only real possessions were
the land. . . . the sea. . . . . the sun. . . . . the rain. . . . . .
But, having nothing, we discovered
that our real treasure was. . . . . .each other!"
Mother Teresa. . . . . . .
"When I pray,
I do not talk to God. . . . .
I just listen."
Alfred Lord Tennyson in the Idyls of the King, at the end of his romantic story called: "Garreth and Lynette". . . . .
"Lights sprang up in the castle.
And there was great rejoicing in the castle that night,
Because they had discovered
that Death was only a smiling boy!"
Saint Ignatius Loyola, a thought that is constantly misquoted. . . . .
"Pray, as if everything depended on you,
knowing that, of yourself, you can not do it. . . . .
you need the help of God!
But then act as if everything depended on God,
with complete confidence,
knowing that He will take care of the outcome!"
A 22-year old Filipina, taking care of her mother, who was dying of cancer. The mother had a bad night. The daughter was up all night, trying to keep her comfortable. In the morning the mother looked at her, and said softly: "You will get tired taking care of me." The daughter wept all day that her mother should even think that! She said. . . . . . . . .
"How could I get tired taking care of her?
She is my mother!. . . . . .She is my mother!"
A mother stayed in bed for six months, on the advice of her doctor, so that the child in her womb would be safely born. After the delivery, when her baby was placed in her arms, the mother wept, and said. . . . . . . . .
"It was worth it!. . . . . .It was worth it!’
A five-year old boy in kindergarten, answering his teacher. . . . . .
"I know what God is like!. . . . . . .
He’s like my Dad!"
A seven-year old girl, about to make her first Holy Communion, to an angry adult who felt he was being unjustly treated by a crooked politician. . . . . . .
"You shouldn’t hate anyone, should you?. . . . . . .
Even if they are not doing everything right."
Saint Vincent de Paul to Louise de Marillac, when she became physically sick after seeing two destitute charity patients fighting each other for the bed space of another charity patient who had just died. . .
"Well. . . . .you can not expect the poor
to have all the virtues of the rich. . . . . . . "
Saint Vincent de Paul to a 17-year old nun who was going out with a basket of bread, to distribute it to the poor. . . . . .
"Sister, when you give out the bread. . . . smile!
Because it is only your love for the poor
that will enable them to forgive you
for the crust of bread you give them."
An 88-year old woman, reflecting. . . . . .
"The wonderful thing about growing old is that
you get time to see, and to hear, and to feel. . . . . .
and every day you realize more and more
how beautiful life is!"
Abraham Lincoln, at the end of the civil war in the United States, wanted to give amnesty to the rebels of the South. His councilors said to him: "In combat, it is a primary principal: destroy your enemies!". . . . . .Lincoln thought about it for a moment, and then said:. . . . . .
"If I can make my enemies my friends. . . . .
I have destroyed my enemies!"
Horacio de la Costa S.J., in his Christmas poem: "Juan de la Cruz Hangs Up a Paper Star" . . . . . .
"And if you ask why I affirm
That Melchor was King of Tondo
When Gaspar ruled Sampaloc
And Baltazar Binondo. . . . .
We will not argue. We will walk
The streets on Christmas Eve. . . . . .
And I will show you the poor man’s rafter
Where hangs the Star the Kings sought after
High above Christian prayer and laughter. . . . .
You will see it, and believe!
For when they crossed the sea again
From Bethlehem afar. . . . . .
They lost their camels in the sea
And they forgot the Christmas tree
But they brought back to you and me
The secret of the Star!"
Graham Greene in "The Fugitive" tells the story of a Mexican priest in the time of persecution. The priest has serious faults: he is a mild alcoholic, and he has had a child. But he understands how much the people need God, and he works, heroically, night and day, at his priesthood. Finally he is trapped by a strong, determined Communist, is tried, and sentenced to death. Sitting on the floor of his cell, waiting to be executed, he says to the communist. . . . . .
"The trouble with Communism is that it can only succeed
when it operates through good men, like you. . . . . But the
strength of the Church is that it can succeed even though
it works through men who are no good. . . . . like me."
The Athlete’s Prayer. . . . . . .
"If I should win,
Let it be by the code,
With my head and my honor held high. . . . .
But if I should lose,
Let me stand by the road
And cheer as the winner goes by!"
And I guess the most beautiful realization that ever comes to anyone is this: the one who really loves you, the one who is always wiling to sacrifice for you, the one who supports you always, no matter what. . . . . is God.
God is a friend!
You can reach it on Globe by texting: "Reuter @ 2978"
You can reach it on Smart by texting: "Reuter @ 326"