Ijournal entry 111615 #46. November, Month of The Holy Souls. GO SAINTS! Quotes from Soren Kierkegaard, Thomas Neal, PhD, and Ivan Pavlov, and St. Maria Teresa of Jesus. "Overcoming our Self Love, our Comfort and our Opinion", by Anthony Mullen. Article:"December 8, 2015: Solemnity of The a Immaculate Conception, Wear a Veil to Mass", by Lily Wilson. My YouTube video: Vicky's veil testimony.
Prayer for The Holy Souls by Blessed John Henry Newman
"O GOD of the Spirits of all flesh, O Jesu, Lover of souls, we recommend unto Thee the souls of all those Thy servants, who have departed with the sign of faith and sleep the sleep of peace. We beseech Thee, O Lord and Saviour, that, as in Thy mercy to them Thou became man, so now Thou would hasten the time, and admit them to Thy presence above. Remember, O Lord, that they are Thy creatures, not made by strange gods, but by Thee, the only Living and True God; for there is no other God but Thou, and none that can equal Thy works. Let their souls rejoice in Thy light, and impute not to them their former iniquities, which they committed through the violence of passion, or the corrupt habits of their fallen nature. For, although they have sinned, yet they always firmly believed in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and before they died, they reconciled themselves to Thee by true contrition and the Sacraments of Thy Church.
O Gracious Lord, we beseech Thee, remember not against them the sins of their youth and their ignorances; but according to Thy great mercy, be mindful of them in Thy heavenly glory. May the heavens be opened to them, and the Angels rejoice with them. May the Archangel St Michael conduct them to Thee. May Thy holy Angels come forth to meet them, and carry them to the city of the heavenly Jerusalem. May St Peter, to whom Thou gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven, receive them. May St Paul, the vessel of election, stand by them. May St John, the beloved disciple, who had the revelation of the secrets of heaven, intercede for them. May all the Holy Apostles, who received from Thee the power of binding and loosing, pray for them. May all the Saints and elect of God, who in this world suffered torments for Thy Name, befriend them; that, being freed from the prison beneath, they may be admitted into the glories of that kingdom, where with the Father and the Holy Ghost Thou lives and reigns one God, world without end.
Come to their assistance, all ye Saints of God; gain for them deliverance from their place of punishment; meet them, all ye Angels; receive these holy souls, and present them before the Lord. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine on them"
"O GOD of the Spirits of all flesh, O Jesu, Lover of souls, we recommend unto Thee the souls of all those Thy servants, who have departed with the sign of faith and sleep the sleep of peace. We beseech Thee, O Lord and Saviour, that, as in Thy mercy to them Thou became man, so now Thou would hasten the time, and admit them to Thy presence above. Remember, O Lord, that they are Thy creatures, not made by strange gods, but by Thee, the only Living and True God; for there is no other God but Thou, and none that can equal Thy works. Let their souls rejoice in Thy light, and impute not to them their former iniquities, which they committed through the violence of passion, or the corrupt habits of their fallen nature. For, although they have sinned, yet they always firmly believed in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and before they died, they reconciled themselves to Thee by true contrition and the Sacraments of Thy Church.
O Gracious Lord, we beseech Thee, remember not against them the sins of their youth and their ignorances; but according to Thy great mercy, be mindful of them in Thy heavenly glory. May the heavens be opened to them, and the Angels rejoice with them. May the Archangel St Michael conduct them to Thee. May Thy holy Angels come forth to meet them, and carry them to the city of the heavenly Jerusalem. May St Peter, to whom Thou gave the keys of the kingdom of heaven, receive them. May St Paul, the vessel of election, stand by them. May St John, the beloved disciple, who had the revelation of the secrets of heaven, intercede for them. May all the Holy Apostles, who received from Thee the power of binding and loosing, pray for them. May all the Saints and elect of God, who in this world suffered torments for Thy Name, befriend them; that, being freed from the prison beneath, they may be admitted into the glories of that kingdom, where with the Father and the Holy Ghost Thou lives and reigns one God, world without end.
Come to their assistance, all ye Saints of God; gain for them deliverance from their place of punishment; meet them, all ye Angels; receive these holy souls, and present them before the Lord. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine on them"
It is so hard to have to bear that sad, sad news
So Boys, don't put us through dat pain, PLEASE play to win & not to lose
So Boys, don't put us through dat pain, PLEASE play to win & not to lose
🔵 "The truth is a snare: you cannot have it, without being caught. You cannot have the truth in such a way that you catch is, but only in such a way that it catches you." By Soren Kierkegaard
⚫️ "We tend to be so myopic and shallow in our judgment on the value of what we do, on what's important or what's not. On what God can do with our little nothings if we entrust them to Him with great love. The interdependence of all things is so staggeringly complex and intricate and delicate that just one decision, one smile, one sacrifice or one harsh word can change the course of history. For better or for ill. Even -- I'd say especially -- your interior life radiates out into the whole cosmos. Your most secret thoughts are, in fact, making it either easier or more difficult for those around you to follow Christ. Every day, begin with a prayer for the Spirit to guide your actions, that they will set in motion the uncountable goods that He wills. And at the end of every day entrust all your past actions to His mercy, asking Him to forgive the failures and bless the successes; and untangle any knots you may have tied up". By Thomas Neal, PhD
⚪️ “Perfect as the wing of a bird may be, it will never enable the bird to fly if unsupported by the air". By Ivan Pavlov
🔴 "It is because of faith that we exchange the present for the future." By Pope Benedict XIV
⚪️ "Lord, on my own I can do nothing; and even if I could, I would not want to, for I desire nothing save that Your will be done in me, over me and around me". By St. Maria Teresa of Jesus
⚫️ "We tend to be so myopic and shallow in our judgment on the value of what we do, on what's important or what's not. On what God can do with our little nothings if we entrust them to Him with great love. The interdependence of all things is so staggeringly complex and intricate and delicate that just one decision, one smile, one sacrifice or one harsh word can change the course of history. For better or for ill. Even -- I'd say especially -- your interior life radiates out into the whole cosmos. Your most secret thoughts are, in fact, making it either easier or more difficult for those around you to follow Christ. Every day, begin with a prayer for the Spirit to guide your actions, that they will set in motion the uncountable goods that He wills. And at the end of every day entrust all your past actions to His mercy, asking Him to forgive the failures and bless the successes; and untangle any knots you may have tied up". By Thomas Neal, PhD
⚪️ “Perfect as the wing of a bird may be, it will never enable the bird to fly if unsupported by the air". By Ivan Pavlov
🔴 "It is because of faith that we exchange the present for the future." By Pope Benedict XIV
⚪️ "Lord, on my own I can do nothing; and even if I could, I would not want to, for I desire nothing save that Your will be done in me, over me and around me". By St. Maria Teresa of Jesus
This veggie got it's start at the Rosary Congress. While reading "THE SOLITARY LIFE - A Letter of Guigo, INTRODUCED AND TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN BY THOMAS MERTON", the wheels began to turn.
Link to a pdf copy:
http://transfiguration.chartreux.org/Publications/06-SolitaryLife.pdf
The following passage was extracted, and then it was for me to sleep on it and let it marinate all night long.
"Resting on the hope of mercy, without trust in its own merit, it thirsts after heaven, is sick of earth, earnestly strives for right conduct, which it retains in constancy and holds firmly for ever"
My response = To not have this attitude of hoping for great things beyond our wildest imagination materializing and being delivered to us without fail by God, is to give up the fight. It is to give in to defeatism, slipping and falling without rising to persevere against the odds, and allowing skewed judgments to dominate. The driving force fueling that is a dependency on self and self works. What is right is to be totally dependent on God, and to know that we are not worthy of one single merit to enter heaven period. This knowledge will get us moving in the right direction. Being dependent on mercy, grace, and God's good will be what it takes for us all to go straight to the top, and way, way, way up at that.
Why is this not possible? Can we of our selves merit anything? Is it enought to just crawl through the door? No, we can't even on our own crawl through the door. So brothers and sisters, let us live the best that we can, and desire, desire, desire, all that the Good God can and wish to bless us with. To ask, is to show we want it, and with the recognition that what we want, we can't get it on our own, is to rest on the hope of mercy providing all.
Link to a pdf copy:
http://transfiguration.chartreux.org/Publications/06-SolitaryLife.pdf
The following passage was extracted, and then it was for me to sleep on it and let it marinate all night long.
"Resting on the hope of mercy, without trust in its own merit, it thirsts after heaven, is sick of earth, earnestly strives for right conduct, which it retains in constancy and holds firmly for ever"
My response = To not have this attitude of hoping for great things beyond our wildest imagination materializing and being delivered to us without fail by God, is to give up the fight. It is to give in to defeatism, slipping and falling without rising to persevere against the odds, and allowing skewed judgments to dominate. The driving force fueling that is a dependency on self and self works. What is right is to be totally dependent on God, and to know that we are not worthy of one single merit to enter heaven period. This knowledge will get us moving in the right direction. Being dependent on mercy, grace, and God's good will be what it takes for us all to go straight to the top, and way, way, way up at that.
Why is this not possible? Can we of our selves merit anything? Is it enought to just crawl through the door? No, we can't even on our own crawl through the door. So brothers and sisters, let us live the best that we can, and desire, desire, desire, all that the Good God can and wish to bless us with. To ask, is to show we want it, and with the recognition that what we want, we can't get it on our own, is to rest on the hope of mercy providing all.
"For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to deliver us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people as his own, eager to do what is good. Say these things. Exhort and correct with all authority. Let no one look down on you"
This is what came to mind as a result of the marinating process: We should desire great things, big things, to rank as high as a saint as possible, etc. There should be no limit to our having these lofty desires. Since we can only provide for ourselves brackish water, it is not to limit our desires based upon our capabilities. Only the Living waters of the Holy Spirit will help us sail the high seas to attain our desired goals as God so wills.
This is what came to mind as a result of the marinating process: We should desire great things, big things, to rank as high as a saint as possible, etc. There should be no limit to our having these lofty desires. Since we can only provide for ourselves brackish water, it is not to limit our desires based upon our capabilities. Only the Living waters of the Holy Spirit will help us sail the high seas to attain our desired goals as God so wills.
"Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
It is delusional to think that mere human activity is capable of achieving and meriting anything on it's own. How completely different is a true disciple of a Christ, versus a spiritual seeker, one who is so sure about making it into heaven. The priority for them is not about responding to graces for self improvement resulting in behavioral changes for God's greater glory, but for adhering to their own self determined regimen that is pleasing to self. It may be felt that the need to rise above irreverent and petty behavior is superfluous, because God is understanding, kind, and forgiving, etc. The spiritual seeker cares to follow thine own way, that way is predetermined and tailored to their will. An example is like: my agenda will be Mass often, saying the Rosary, attending spiritual activities, etc. therefore the fulfilling of my debt is paid. No account is taken in regards to how well is this debt being paid and it is in the manner pleasing God as He so desires. The only doubts that may be present is in regards to raising the bar, going for the gold, then reticent feelings may creep in, with thoughts of "I can't do that", or "this is impossible". How sad the "spiritual seeker" is.
It is delusional to think that mere human activity is capable of achieving and meriting anything on it's own. How completely different is a true disciple of a Christ, versus a spiritual seeker, one who is so sure about making it into heaven. The priority for them is not about responding to graces for self improvement resulting in behavioral changes for God's greater glory, but for adhering to their own self determined regimen that is pleasing to self. It may be felt that the need to rise above irreverent and petty behavior is superfluous, because God is understanding, kind, and forgiving, etc. The spiritual seeker cares to follow thine own way, that way is predetermined and tailored to their will. An example is like: my agenda will be Mass often, saying the Rosary, attending spiritual activities, etc. therefore the fulfilling of my debt is paid. No account is taken in regards to how well is this debt being paid and it is in the manner pleasing God as He so desires. The only doubts that may be present is in regards to raising the bar, going for the gold, then reticent feelings may creep in, with thoughts of "I can't do that", or "this is impossible". How sad the "spiritual seeker" is.
Isaiah 55:1-2 "Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; And you who have no money come, buy and eat. Come, buy wine and milk Without money and without cost. 2"Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance"
All this can be liken to showing up for an event. One shows up, but do not have what is necessary to meet the criteria for entering. It's good to make the effort and show up, that demonstrates a desire to enter and a hunger to possess the contents within in joy. But without going further to gain possession of the coin that would allow one to stand tall and enter, or not have enough purchasing power to secure anything once entering the door, results in a sad futile end indeed. Of our own, what we possess is dross, absolutely worthless for entering or securing anything of great value.
All this can be liken to showing up for an event. One shows up, but do not have what is necessary to meet the criteria for entering. It's good to make the effort and show up, that demonstrates a desire to enter and a hunger to possess the contents within in joy. But without going further to gain possession of the coin that would allow one to stand tall and enter, or not have enough purchasing power to secure anything once entering the door, results in a sad futile end indeed. Of our own, what we possess is dross, absolutely worthless for entering or securing anything of great value.
"For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me--the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!"
All depends on a docile, open heart. If we place God's will above our own will, and desire the greater good, graces will freely be given to those who ask, seek, and knock. To understand this is to desire, desire, desire, and surrender, surrender, surrender. To say come Holy Spirit, come!, is to be empowered to align oneself in close association with the gate keeper, standing at the Gate. Jesus is the gate, standing at the door, for Jesus is also the door, He alone allows us entrance. Once in, desiring what we want, with no money, He who owns it all can freely give us the desires of our heart. Small desires verses large desires, you choose.
All depends on a docile, open heart. If we place God's will above our own will, and desire the greater good, graces will freely be given to those who ask, seek, and knock. To understand this is to desire, desire, desire, and surrender, surrender, surrender. To say come Holy Spirit, come!, is to be empowered to align oneself in close association with the gate keeper, standing at the Gate. Jesus is the gate, standing at the door, for Jesus is also the door, He alone allows us entrance. Once in, desiring what we want, with no money, He who owns it all can freely give us the desires of our heart. Small desires verses large desires, you choose.
"Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way" It's to be like Mary, and chose the better part. It's not like she deserved the better part, but because she desired, wanted, and chose to sit at the feet of Jesus, it was granted to her. |
"but few things are needed--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Martha may not have been thinking it was "doable", but we have to put our faith in action. Rightly so, some one needed to do the chores, but to step out in faith and choose the better part is to know that with Jesus, all things are possible to the one who believes.
Martha may not have been thinking it was "doable", but we have to put our faith in action. Rightly so, some one needed to do the chores, but to step out in faith and choose the better part is to know that with Jesus, all things are possible to the one who believes.
"If you can?" Said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes."
"No limit" should be our motto regarding desires. The only limitation is expecting to accomplish something on our own, or settling into our little comfort zone. What we do accomplish is due to grace, so why limit grace if we really believe that the grace is ours in abundance, being poured out without measure by our God who is Almighty and ever so Powerful? Can't He do any and everything?
"No limit" should be our motto regarding desires. The only limitation is expecting to accomplish something on our own, or settling into our little comfort zone. What we do accomplish is due to grace, so why limit grace if we really believe that the grace is ours in abundance, being poured out without measure by our God who is Almighty and ever so Powerful? Can't He do any and everything?
"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"
That said, let us desire that God so transform us that we will be high ranking officers in God's army.
That said, let us desire that God so transform us that we will be high ranking officers in God's army.
Article: "December 8, 2015: Solemnity of The a Immaculate Conception, Wear a Veil to Mass", by Lily Wilson
Info from this site:
http://www.veilsbylily.com/december-8-2015-wear-a-veil-to-mass/
"On December 8, 2015, join millions of Catholic women across the ages in devotion to the Real Presence
🔲 Why?
For 2000 years, Catholic women have worn some kind of head covering in Church. Though the particular reasons for doing so have varied (for example, modesty, submission to God, etc.), this practice has always focused on the transcendence of the place - the church, the very dwelling of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Having been given this magnficent Gift by Jesus himself, every Catholic church holds something not found anywhere else: the true, living presence of our Savior, hidden under the appearance of bread and wine.Today, wearing a veil - any kind of covering - is a symbolic gesture that points to the amazing reality of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. As women, we are symbols of the Church - the Bride of Christ - and "the veil is meant to be a visible reminder of the perfect submission of the Church to the loving rule of Christ."
(Read more on the Eucharist: Is the Eucharist Truly Jesus' Body and Blood? - Eucharistic Miracles: Evidence of the Real Presence)
🔲 When?
On December 8, join a global movement to encourage devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, present in every Catholic church. Encourage your friends to join you - you won't be the only one! - and wear the veil anytime you are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, whether present inside a Catholic church for Mass or simply passing through momentarily.
🔲 How?
With any kind of veil, and with the proper interior disposition. Similar to a religious habit, your veil is a public proclamation of your desire to submit to the will of God for your life, and of your commitment to answering the universal call to holiness and continual conversion. Your veil is also a sign of the great dignity inherent to a woman, who has the potential to receive life within herself... both human life and the supernatural life of God.
🔲 What about "other people"?
It is natural to be concerned about what other people think. Sure, some may think the veil is an outdated practice with no meaning in today's culture while others may judge us as trying to be holier-than-thou. Love, however, seeks to ornament Love with beauty and to worship in humility. An act of devotion like veiling does both, while drawing to the fore our love of God above all else.
🔲 But the Church doesn't require it
Just as the Church does not mandate that every person pray the Rosary, neither does she mandate that every woman wear a veil. This does not mean, however, that either is not a worthy devotion. On the contrary, these devotions are pleasing to God when done out of love for Him.
🔲 Where do I start?
Although any type of head covering is suitable, most women choose lace veils. You may browse all Veils by Lily here. For this campaign, we have designed a beautiful lace mantilla - our most affordable yet. See the Starter Veil.
Info from this site:
http://www.veilsbylily.com/december-8-2015-wear-a-veil-to-mass/
"On December 8, 2015, join millions of Catholic women across the ages in devotion to the Real Presence
🔲 Why?
For 2000 years, Catholic women have worn some kind of head covering in Church. Though the particular reasons for doing so have varied (for example, modesty, submission to God, etc.), this practice has always focused on the transcendence of the place - the church, the very dwelling of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Having been given this magnficent Gift by Jesus himself, every Catholic church holds something not found anywhere else: the true, living presence of our Savior, hidden under the appearance of bread and wine.Today, wearing a veil - any kind of covering - is a symbolic gesture that points to the amazing reality of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. As women, we are symbols of the Church - the Bride of Christ - and "the veil is meant to be a visible reminder of the perfect submission of the Church to the loving rule of Christ."
(Read more on the Eucharist: Is the Eucharist Truly Jesus' Body and Blood? - Eucharistic Miracles: Evidence of the Real Presence)
🔲 When?
On December 8, join a global movement to encourage devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, present in every Catholic church. Encourage your friends to join you - you won't be the only one! - and wear the veil anytime you are in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament, whether present inside a Catholic church for Mass or simply passing through momentarily.
🔲 How?
With any kind of veil, and with the proper interior disposition. Similar to a religious habit, your veil is a public proclamation of your desire to submit to the will of God for your life, and of your commitment to answering the universal call to holiness and continual conversion. Your veil is also a sign of the great dignity inherent to a woman, who has the potential to receive life within herself... both human life and the supernatural life of God.
🔲 What about "other people"?
It is natural to be concerned about what other people think. Sure, some may think the veil is an outdated practice with no meaning in today's culture while others may judge us as trying to be holier-than-thou. Love, however, seeks to ornament Love with beauty and to worship in humility. An act of devotion like veiling does both, while drawing to the fore our love of God above all else.
🔲 But the Church doesn't require it
Just as the Church does not mandate that every person pray the Rosary, neither does she mandate that every woman wear a veil. This does not mean, however, that either is not a worthy devotion. On the contrary, these devotions are pleasing to God when done out of love for Him.
🔲 Where do I start?
Although any type of head covering is suitable, most women choose lace veils. You may browse all Veils by Lily here. For this campaign, we have designed a beautiful lace mantilla - our most affordable yet. See the Starter Veil.
"Overcoming our Self Love, our Comfort and our Opinion", by Anthony Mullen
Info from this site:
https://divineantidote.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/overcoming-our-self-love-our-comfort-and-our-opinion/
"We have been focused on the short and certain route to holiness, to loving God as much as is possible for us as creatures…as did Elizabeth Kindelmann, St. Faustina, St. Therese and the other Exemplars of the New and Divine Holiness, in order to imitate Him by imitating His Mother. The Grace of the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the fulfillment of the prophecy given to St. Louis de Montfort that “God would raise up saints
in holiness who exceed the prior saints as the cedars of Lebanon tower over the little shrubs.” It is pure Gift….the Reign of the Holy Spirit…the New Pentecost, which must unfold. God being pure Love must continue Giving! It is an “Extraordinary Grace”, which God now wants to give to everyone because of our Mother’s desire to share with us her children; but it still requires our cooperation or correspondence with this Grace!
We have been given the pearl of great price, but now we must “purchase” it by “selling” all our self love. In other words, a gift given is not received without awareness, acknowledgment, appreciation and use of the gift! This is correspondence to Grace! The Lord selects guides or mentors for us, and another holy Priest, Fr. Jacques Phillips, has a small masterpiece that teaches us how to correspond to Grace entitled, “In the School of the Holy Spirit” (he also wrote “Searching for and Maintaining Peace”). We know that we can not become holy of our own efforts; it is ONLY in and through the Holy Spirit that we can do so.
Our Lord taught St. Faustina the critical need for being able to know, hear and execute the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in order to accept and share in His Life of Holiness and that happens only through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, when we commit to this way of life through our desire, we quickly see how far away we are and are tempted to discouragement…Satan’s favorite ploy. Our self love, our love of comfort, attachment to our own opinion and way of doing things becomes an extraordinary impediment! We are blinded to our own blindness! Many of us refuse to open our hearts and souls to admit our self reliance due to our pride and self love. Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes of our soul to see all the selfishness which holds us back! God wills to do the work in us…He longs to do it…but He will not violate our free will. So, we must constantly desire this Grace and trust in Him alone to do it!
So, what is the first step to making progress in listening for the
inspirations of the Holy Spirit? Let us listen to the Master, St. John of the Cross (St. Therese’s mentor): “Great is the power and persistence of Love, since it overcomes and binds God Himself. Happy is the soul who loves, because that soul holds God captive, and obtains from Him all that he or she desires (all that which is within the Will of God, which loving God perfectly must be!)”. So, our daily prayer must be: “Lord I truly desire to love You perfectly with Your Will…with Your Own Love. I will not desist until You grant me this Love. I admit my nothingness and grant that I am totally and completely unworthy, but trust in Your Infinite Divine Mercy and
Compassion to overcome my inability as Your loving infant, who leaps with blind trust into Your Fatherly arms of Love!”
Next, we must recognize that we must start with the “small stuff”. Fr. Jacques explains: We will obtain the Grace to be faithful in the important things (giving up our love of comfort, allowing others opinions to prevail, except for sin) that at present we find impossible, by dint of being faithful in the little things within our grasp (kindness to our family members, praying the Rosary faithfully every day), especially when those little things are the ones that the Holy Spirit asks of us by calling to our hearts with His inspirations.” So, we implore God with complete certainty to allow us to commit to the little things coupled with the faithful, daily begging for His Love in order to Love Him. As Fr. Jacques explains: “Holiness is not the realization of a given model of perfection that is identical for everyone. It is the emergence of an absolutely unique reality (you as a child of a God!) who God alone knows, and that He alone brings to fruition.” Never give up, rely on God alone through and with His Mother, and God will reward you with His own Love. We will continue in future posts to examine how to hear and execute the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in this new series with Fr. Jacques Philippe."
Info from this site:
https://divineantidote.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/overcoming-our-self-love-our-comfort-and-our-opinion/
"We have been focused on the short and certain route to holiness, to loving God as much as is possible for us as creatures…as did Elizabeth Kindelmann, St. Faustina, St. Therese and the other Exemplars of the New and Divine Holiness, in order to imitate Him by imitating His Mother. The Grace of the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is the fulfillment of the prophecy given to St. Louis de Montfort that “God would raise up saints
in holiness who exceed the prior saints as the cedars of Lebanon tower over the little shrubs.” It is pure Gift….the Reign of the Holy Spirit…the New Pentecost, which must unfold. God being pure Love must continue Giving! It is an “Extraordinary Grace”, which God now wants to give to everyone because of our Mother’s desire to share with us her children; but it still requires our cooperation or correspondence with this Grace!
We have been given the pearl of great price, but now we must “purchase” it by “selling” all our self love. In other words, a gift given is not received without awareness, acknowledgment, appreciation and use of the gift! This is correspondence to Grace! The Lord selects guides or mentors for us, and another holy Priest, Fr. Jacques Phillips, has a small masterpiece that teaches us how to correspond to Grace entitled, “In the School of the Holy Spirit” (he also wrote “Searching for and Maintaining Peace”). We know that we can not become holy of our own efforts; it is ONLY in and through the Holy Spirit that we can do so.
Our Lord taught St. Faustina the critical need for being able to know, hear and execute the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in order to accept and share in His Life of Holiness and that happens only through the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. However, when we commit to this way of life through our desire, we quickly see how far away we are and are tempted to discouragement…Satan’s favorite ploy. Our self love, our love of comfort, attachment to our own opinion and way of doing things becomes an extraordinary impediment! We are blinded to our own blindness! Many of us refuse to open our hearts and souls to admit our self reliance due to our pride and self love. Only the Holy Spirit can open the eyes of our soul to see all the selfishness which holds us back! God wills to do the work in us…He longs to do it…but He will not violate our free will. So, we must constantly desire this Grace and trust in Him alone to do it!
So, what is the first step to making progress in listening for the
inspirations of the Holy Spirit? Let us listen to the Master, St. John of the Cross (St. Therese’s mentor): “Great is the power and persistence of Love, since it overcomes and binds God Himself. Happy is the soul who loves, because that soul holds God captive, and obtains from Him all that he or she desires (all that which is within the Will of God, which loving God perfectly must be!)”. So, our daily prayer must be: “Lord I truly desire to love You perfectly with Your Will…with Your Own Love. I will not desist until You grant me this Love. I admit my nothingness and grant that I am totally and completely unworthy, but trust in Your Infinite Divine Mercy and
Compassion to overcome my inability as Your loving infant, who leaps with blind trust into Your Fatherly arms of Love!”
Next, we must recognize that we must start with the “small stuff”. Fr. Jacques explains: We will obtain the Grace to be faithful in the important things (giving up our love of comfort, allowing others opinions to prevail, except for sin) that at present we find impossible, by dint of being faithful in the little things within our grasp (kindness to our family members, praying the Rosary faithfully every day), especially when those little things are the ones that the Holy Spirit asks of us by calling to our hearts with His inspirations.” So, we implore God with complete certainty to allow us to commit to the little things coupled with the faithful, daily begging for His Love in order to Love Him. As Fr. Jacques explains: “Holiness is not the realization of a given model of perfection that is identical for everyone. It is the emergence of an absolutely unique reality (you as a child of a God!) who God alone knows, and that He alone brings to fruition.” Never give up, rely on God alone through and with His Mother, and God will reward you with His own Love. We will continue in future posts to examine how to hear and execute the inspirations of the Holy Spirit in this new series with Fr. Jacques Philippe."
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