Satan called a worldwide convention of demons.
In his opening address he said,
"We can't keep Christians from going to church."
"We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth."
"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their saviour."
"Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken."
"So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ.."
"This is what I want you to do," said the devil:
"Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"
"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.
"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.
"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."
"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."
"Keep them from spending time with their children."
"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"
"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."
"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive." To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."
"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."
"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."
"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."
"Invade their driving moments with billboards."
"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kin d of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes.."
"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. "
"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."
"Give them headaches too! "
"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."
"That will fragment their families quickly!"
"Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas."
"Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death."
"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."
"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."
"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."
"Keep them busy, busy, busy!"
"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences."
"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus."
"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."
"It will work!"
"It will work!"
It was quite a plan!
The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there.
Having little time for their God or their families.
Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.
I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?
You be the judge!!!!!
Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?
Jeniffer Pereira
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
A Little Boy's Explanation of God -- Fabulous!!!
Out of the mouths of the Babes--
I certainly don't think an adult could explain this more
beautifully!
THIS IS FABULOUS!!!
It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in
Chula Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework
assignment, to 'explain God.' I wonder if any of us could have done as
well?
(and he had such an assignment, in California , and someone published
it, I guess miracles do happen!)
EXPLANATION OF GOD:
'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the
ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on
earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are
smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his
valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that
to mothers and fathers.'
'God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot
of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at
times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or
TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a
terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to
turn it off.'
'God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps
Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over
your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't
have.'
'Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are
any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church.'
'Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on
water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who
didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching
to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his
father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were
doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.'
'His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard
work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road
anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad
out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for
God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without
having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.'
'You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because
they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.'
'You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy,
and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!
Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going
to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at
the beach until noon anyway.'
'If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be
very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to
camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're
scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real
deep water by big kids.'
'But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I
figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God.'
(If you believe in God, please pass this on, and may God bless you
too.)
Have an awesome day, and know that someone has thought about you!
I certainly don't think an adult could explain this more
beautifully!
THIS IS FABULOUS!!!
It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in
Chula Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework
assignment, to 'explain God.' I wonder if any of us could have done as
well?
(and he had such an assignment, in California , and someone published
it, I guess miracles do happen!)
EXPLANATION OF GOD:
'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the
ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of things on
earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies. I think because they are
smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have to take up his
valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that
to mothers and fathers.'
'God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot
of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at
times beside bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or
TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must be a
terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a way to
turn it off.'
'God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which keeps
Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going over
your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't
have.'
'Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there are
any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our church.'
'Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on
water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who
didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him preaching
to them and they crucified him. But he was good and kind, like his
father, and he told his father that they didn't know what they were
doing and to forgive them and God said O.K.'
'His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his hard
work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the road
anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps his dad
out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for
God to take care of and which ones he can take care of himself without
having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more important.'
'You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because
they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.'
'You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy,
and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!
Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going
to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come out at
the beach until noon anyway.'
'If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be
very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to
camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're
scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into real
deep water by big kids.'
'But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I
figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God.'
(If you believe in God, please pass this on, and may God bless you
too.)
Have an awesome day, and know that someone has thought about you!
God, One more chance Please
It's another morning.... I have to go to office.
WHAT???? This is me!!! I shouted seeing my picture in the newspaper. But what the HELL is it doing in the obituary column??
Strange.
One sec... Let me think, last night when I went to bed I had severe pain in my chest, but I don't remember anything after that, I think I had sound sleep.
Its morning now, oh... It's already 10:00 AM, where is my coffee? I will be late for office and my boss will get a chance to shout at me.
Where is everyone? I screamed.
"I think there is a crowd outside my room, let me check." I said to myself.
So many people... Not all of them are crying. But why are some of them crying.
WHAT IS THIS??? I'm lying there on a bed in the drawing room!!!!
"I AM HERE"�. I shouted!!! No one listened.
"LOOK I AM NOT DEAD". I screamed once again!!! No one was interested in me.
They were all looking at me lying on the bed.
I went back to my bed room.
"Am I dead??" I asked myself.
Where are my wife, my children, my mom-dad, my friends?
I found them in the next room, all of them were crying. Still trying to console each other.
My wife was crying. She was really looking sad.
My little kid was not sure what happened, but he was crying just coz his mom was sad.
How can I go without telling my kid that I really love him, I really do care for him....??
How can I go without telling my wife that she is really the most beautiful and the most caring wife in this world..??
How can I go without telling my parents that I am what I am just because of them...??
How can I go without telling my friends that without them, perhaps I would have
Done wrong things in life- thanks for being there always
When I needed them. And sorry for not being there when they really needed me..
I can see a person standing in the corner and trying to hide his tears. Oh, he was once my best friend, but a small misunderstanding made us part, and we both never let go off our egos....
I went there.. And offered him my hand, "Dear friend. I just want to say sorry for everything, we are still good friends, please forgive me."
No response from other side, what the hell?? He is still preserving his ego. I am saying sorry, even then!!! I really don't care for such people.
But one sec.. It seems he is not able to see me!!!! He did not see my extended hand.
My goodness. AM I REALLY DEAD???
I just sat down next to MYSELF; I also felt like crying.
"OH GOD!!!! PLEASE GIVE ME FEW MORE DAYS."
I just want to tell my wife, my parents, my kid and my friends how much I love them.
My wife entered the room, she looks beautiful.
"YOU'R BEAUTIFUL" I shouted.
She didn't hear my words, in fact she has never heard these words from me, coz I have never told her.
"GOD!!!!" I screamed. a little more time plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. I cried.
One more chance please-to hug my child, to make my mom smile.. just once, to make my dad feel proud of me at least for a moment..., to say sorry to my friends for everything I have not told and done for them-inspite of that for still being there for me..
Then I looked up and cried!!!!
I shouted..
"GOD!!!! ONE MORE CHANCE PLEASE!!!!"
"You shouted in your sleep," said my wife as she gently woke me up. "Did you have a nightmare?"
I was sleeping..??!!!
Oh that was just a dream..??!!
My wife was there. She could hear me.
This was the happiest moment in my life!!
I hugged her and whispered.. "U R THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND CARING WIFE IN
THIS UNIVERSE.. I REALLY LOVE U DEAR"
I just couldn't understand that in spite of a smile on her face she had tears in her eyes...
I was so HAPPY!!!!!
"THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVING ME ANOTHER CHANCE!!!"
It's not late.. Forget your egos, forget all that has happened....., and just express your love to others.... Be friendly..... Keep smiling and be happy for ever.
Author unknown
WHAT???? This is me!!! I shouted seeing my picture in the newspaper. But what the HELL is it doing in the obituary column??
Strange.
One sec... Let me think, last night when I went to bed I had severe pain in my chest, but I don't remember anything after that, I think I had sound sleep.
Its morning now, oh... It's already 10:00 AM, where is my coffee? I will be late for office and my boss will get a chance to shout at me.
Where is everyone? I screamed.
"I think there is a crowd outside my room, let me check." I said to myself.
So many people... Not all of them are crying. But why are some of them crying.
WHAT IS THIS??? I'm lying there on a bed in the drawing room!!!!
"I AM HERE"�. I shouted!!! No one listened.
"LOOK I AM NOT DEAD". I screamed once again!!! No one was interested in me.
They were all looking at me lying on the bed.
I went back to my bed room.
"Am I dead??" I asked myself.
Where are my wife, my children, my mom-dad, my friends?
I found them in the next room, all of them were crying. Still trying to console each other.
My wife was crying. She was really looking sad.
My little kid was not sure what happened, but he was crying just coz his mom was sad.
How can I go without telling my kid that I really love him, I really do care for him....??
How can I go without telling my wife that she is really the most beautiful and the most caring wife in this world..??
How can I go without telling my parents that I am what I am just because of them...??
How can I go without telling my friends that without them, perhaps I would have
Done wrong things in life- thanks for being there always
When I needed them. And sorry for not being there when they really needed me..
I can see a person standing in the corner and trying to hide his tears. Oh, he was once my best friend, but a small misunderstanding made us part, and we both never let go off our egos....
I went there.. And offered him my hand, "Dear friend. I just want to say sorry for everything, we are still good friends, please forgive me."
No response from other side, what the hell?? He is still preserving his ego. I am saying sorry, even then!!! I really don't care for such people.
But one sec.. It seems he is not able to see me!!!! He did not see my extended hand.
My goodness. AM I REALLY DEAD???
I just sat down next to MYSELF; I also felt like crying.
"OH GOD!!!! PLEASE GIVE ME FEW MORE DAYS."
I just want to tell my wife, my parents, my kid and my friends how much I love them.
My wife entered the room, she looks beautiful.
"YOU'R BEAUTIFUL" I shouted.
She didn't hear my words, in fact she has never heard these words from me, coz I have never told her.
"GOD!!!!" I screamed. a little more time plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.. I cried.
One more chance please-to hug my child, to make my mom smile.. just once, to make my dad feel proud of me at least for a moment..., to say sorry to my friends for everything I have not told and done for them-inspite of that for still being there for me..
Then I looked up and cried!!!!
I shouted..
"GOD!!!! ONE MORE CHANCE PLEASE!!!!"
"You shouted in your sleep," said my wife as she gently woke me up. "Did you have a nightmare?"
I was sleeping..??!!!
Oh that was just a dream..??!!
My wife was there. She could hear me.
This was the happiest moment in my life!!
I hugged her and whispered.. "U R THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND CARING WIFE IN
THIS UNIVERSE.. I REALLY LOVE U DEAR"
I just couldn't understand that in spite of a smile on her face she had tears in her eyes...
I was so HAPPY!!!!!
"THANK YOU GOD FOR GIVING ME ANOTHER CHANCE!!!"
It's not late.. Forget your egos, forget all that has happened....., and just express your love to others.... Be friendly..... Keep smiling and be happy for ever.
Author unknown
Love is...
Love is like magic and it always will be
For love still remains lifes sweet mystery
Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange
And there is nothing in life that love cannot change
Love can transform the most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace
Love is unselfish, understanding and kind
For it sees with its heart and not with its mind
Love gives and forgives
There is nothing too much
For love to heal with its magic touch
Love is the language that every heart speaks
For love is the one thing that every heart seeks
Author unknown
For love still remains lifes sweet mystery
Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange
And there is nothing in life that love cannot change
Love can transform the most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace
Love is unselfish, understanding and kind
For it sees with its heart and not with its mind
Love gives and forgives
There is nothing too much
For love to heal with its magic touch
Love is the language that every heart speaks
For love is the one thing that every heart seeks
Author unknown
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Thomas Merton
“For me to be a saint means to be myself. Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and of discovering my true self.”
He was a poet, a mystic, a monk, an artist, a peace activist, a priest, a spiritual master, en ecumenist, a Zen practicener, and a saint.
The childhood and adolescence described in The seven storey Mountain were lonely and aimless. He suffered separation from his only brother, missed his parents deeply, and behaved in ways that disgusted him – drinking, smoking, partying, and always showing off.
Excerpt from No man is an island “Why do we have to spend our lives striving to be something that we would never want to be, if we only knew what we wanted? Why do we waste our time doing things which, if we only stopped to think about them, are just the opposite of what we were made for?
We cannot be ourselves unless we know ourselves. But self-knowledge is impossible when thoughtless and automatic activity keeps our souls in confusion. But we have to cut down our activity to the point where we can think calmly and reasonably about our actions. We cannot begin to know ourselves until we can see the real reasons why we do the things we do, and we cannot be ourselves until our actions correspond to our intentions, and our intentions are appropriate to our own situation. But that is enough. It is not necessary that we succeed in everything. A man can be perfect and still reap no fruit from his work, and it may happen that a man who is able to accomplish very little is much more of a person than another who seems to accomplish very much.
Merton stepped into the halls of the monastery it was clear where he had arrived “I felt the deep, deep silence of the night, and of peace, and of holiness enfold me like love, like safety. The embrace of it, the silence! I had entered into a solitude that was an impregnable fortress. And the silence that enfolded me, spoke to me, and louder and more eloquently than any voice, and in the middle of the quiet, clean smelling room, with the moon pouring its peacefulness in through the open window with the warm night air, I realized truly whose house that was, o glorious Mother of God.”
Thoughts in solitude, Merton’s prayer, “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have the desire in all that I am doing I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
He was a poet, a mystic, a monk, an artist, a peace activist, a priest, a spiritual master, en ecumenist, a Zen practicener, and a saint.
The childhood and adolescence described in The seven storey Mountain were lonely and aimless. He suffered separation from his only brother, missed his parents deeply, and behaved in ways that disgusted him – drinking, smoking, partying, and always showing off.
Excerpt from No man is an island “Why do we have to spend our lives striving to be something that we would never want to be, if we only knew what we wanted? Why do we waste our time doing things which, if we only stopped to think about them, are just the opposite of what we were made for?
We cannot be ourselves unless we know ourselves. But self-knowledge is impossible when thoughtless and automatic activity keeps our souls in confusion. But we have to cut down our activity to the point where we can think calmly and reasonably about our actions. We cannot begin to know ourselves until we can see the real reasons why we do the things we do, and we cannot be ourselves until our actions correspond to our intentions, and our intentions are appropriate to our own situation. But that is enough. It is not necessary that we succeed in everything. A man can be perfect and still reap no fruit from his work, and it may happen that a man who is able to accomplish very little is much more of a person than another who seems to accomplish very much.
Merton stepped into the halls of the monastery it was clear where he had arrived “I felt the deep, deep silence of the night, and of peace, and of holiness enfold me like love, like safety. The embrace of it, the silence! I had entered into a solitude that was an impregnable fortress. And the silence that enfolded me, spoke to me, and louder and more eloquently than any voice, and in the middle of the quiet, clean smelling room, with the moon pouring its peacefulness in through the open window with the warm night air, I realized truly whose house that was, o glorious Mother of God.”
Thoughts in solitude, Merton’s prayer, “My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope that I have the desire in all that I am doing I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Ignatius of Loyola
Until the age of 26 he was a man given to the vanities of the world. He was born in 1491 Basque country of northern Spain. As a boy he served as a page in the court of a local nobleman, and later distinguished himself as a valiant soldier. In his soldering career, his leg was struck by a cannonball in a battle at Pamplona in 1521. Confined to his sick bed, Inigo asked a relative for some books. All she could offer was “Imitation of Christ” and “Life is saints.” To his great surprise, the soldier found himself attracted to the lives of the saints and began thinking. If St. Francis or Dominic could do such-and –such, may be I could do great things. Thinking about doing great deeds for God, he was left with the feeling of peace – what he termed “consolation.” Thinking about success as a soldier or impressing a particular woman, though he was initially filled with great enthusiasm, he would later be left feeling “dry”- “desolation.” This realization also marked the beginning of his understanding of “discernment” in the spiritual life, a way of striving to seek God’s will in one’s life, a key concept of Ignatian spirituality.
After his recovery first he made a pilgrimage to a well-known monastery in Spain, in Montserrat, where he confessed his sins, laid aside his knightly armor, and put on the homespun grab of a pilgrim. From Montserrat, Inigo journeyed to a nearby small town called Manresa, where he lived the life of a poor pilgrim, fasting continually and begging for alms. In the end, his prayer made him more certain that he was being called to follow God more closely. Inigo spent several months in seclusion in Manresa, experiencing prayer that grew ever deeper, and then commenced his journey to Jerusalem.
After a series of mishaps in Jerusalem and elsewhere, he decided that to accomplish anything note withy in the church of his time, he would need more education and perhaps even to become a priest. He had to sit in a class- at age thirty- with small boys learning their Latin lessons.
While studying in Paris, Inigo attracted attention as a result of his ascetic penchant for dressing in the poorest clothes, begging for alms, helping the poor, and assisting other students in prayer. Gradually, Ignatius gathered around him a tight-knit group of six men, who decided they would work together in the service of God. Eventually, the men decided to form the Company of Jesus, for the purpose of “helping souls.” He was ambitious to do great things ad majorem Dei gloriam – for the greater glory of God – Magis – the best, the highest, the most for God.
Ignatius found God everywhere: in the poor, in prayer, in the Mass, in his fellow Jesuits, in his work, and, most touchingly, on the balcony of the Jesuit house in Rome, where he loved to gaze up silently at the stars at night. During these times he would shed tears in wonder and adoration.
Ignatius was a mystic who loved God with an intensity rare even for saints. He loved God and loved the world, and those two things he did quite well.
At heart, Ignatian spirituality flows from the saint’s most famous work, The Spiritual Exercises. It was the fruit of his prayer and his experience in helping others pray. What has been called his greatest gift to the church has enabled thousands of men and women – Jesuits, priests, sisters, brothers, lay persons – from almost every Christian denomination to experience a deep intimacy with God. This spirituality that enables everyone to see God in all things. The goal of Ignatian spirituality can be summed up in another succinct expression: desiring to become a “contemplative in action,” a person who maintains a contemplative stance in an active life.
Ignatius prayer “Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding, and all my will-
All that I have and possess.
You, Lord, have given all that to me.
I now give it back to you, O Lord.
All of it is yours.
Dispose of it according to your will.
Give me love of yourself along with grace.
For that is enough for me.
It is a prayer of total surrender. I offer you everything, God all I need is your love and grace. This is all I need to be "YES, ALIVE."
After his recovery first he made a pilgrimage to a well-known monastery in Spain, in Montserrat, where he confessed his sins, laid aside his knightly armor, and put on the homespun grab of a pilgrim. From Montserrat, Inigo journeyed to a nearby small town called Manresa, where he lived the life of a poor pilgrim, fasting continually and begging for alms. In the end, his prayer made him more certain that he was being called to follow God more closely. Inigo spent several months in seclusion in Manresa, experiencing prayer that grew ever deeper, and then commenced his journey to Jerusalem.
After a series of mishaps in Jerusalem and elsewhere, he decided that to accomplish anything note withy in the church of his time, he would need more education and perhaps even to become a priest. He had to sit in a class- at age thirty- with small boys learning their Latin lessons.
While studying in Paris, Inigo attracted attention as a result of his ascetic penchant for dressing in the poorest clothes, begging for alms, helping the poor, and assisting other students in prayer. Gradually, Ignatius gathered around him a tight-knit group of six men, who decided they would work together in the service of God. Eventually, the men decided to form the Company of Jesus, for the purpose of “helping souls.” He was ambitious to do great things ad majorem Dei gloriam – for the greater glory of God – Magis – the best, the highest, the most for God.
Ignatius found God everywhere: in the poor, in prayer, in the Mass, in his fellow Jesuits, in his work, and, most touchingly, on the balcony of the Jesuit house in Rome, where he loved to gaze up silently at the stars at night. During these times he would shed tears in wonder and adoration.
Ignatius was a mystic who loved God with an intensity rare even for saints. He loved God and loved the world, and those two things he did quite well.
At heart, Ignatian spirituality flows from the saint’s most famous work, The Spiritual Exercises. It was the fruit of his prayer and his experience in helping others pray. What has been called his greatest gift to the church has enabled thousands of men and women – Jesuits, priests, sisters, brothers, lay persons – from almost every Christian denomination to experience a deep intimacy with God. This spirituality that enables everyone to see God in all things. The goal of Ignatian spirituality can be summed up in another succinct expression: desiring to become a “contemplative in action,” a person who maintains a contemplative stance in an active life.
Ignatius prayer “Take, O Lord, and receive all my liberty,
My memory, my understanding, and all my will-
All that I have and possess.
You, Lord, have given all that to me.
I now give it back to you, O Lord.
All of it is yours.
Dispose of it according to your will.
Give me love of yourself along with grace.
For that is enough for me.
It is a prayer of total surrender. I offer you everything, God all I need is your love and grace. This is all I need to be "YES, ALIVE."
Therese of Lisieux – Little flower
“For me, prayer is the heart’s impulse, a simple gaze toward heaven. It is a cry of gratitude and love, from the depths of trial as well as the heights of joy. Finally it is something great, supernatural, that expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.”
Therese petitioned pope XIII for a special dispensation to enter the Carmelite order before she turned sixteen. You will enter if God wills it, he said. Her request was granted a few months later by the local bishop. Her life within the monastery walls was short and uneventful, “lacking in outward drama” She was praying ardently for the missionary service in Vietnam. At 23rd she contracted tuberculosis, followed a year of intense suffering. Therese devoted herself to prayer and to the service of God in the monastery. She prayed for missionary priests in particular. “Genius of secret mortification” Therese embraced small, daily hardships as both a test and a gift from God. The sisters in her convent who showed the least kindness to Therese were the ones she tried to love the most. She chose to sit beside the sister during the recreation. Therese heard harsh comments in the monastery, from sisters jealous of her youth, confused by her sanctity, and baffled by her Charity. Such misunderstanding was par to her life. Her autobiography “story of a soul” captivating, her example inspiring, and her “little way” accessible to countless believers. On Sep 30, 1897, at age 24 she died. Her last words were “Oh, I love Him …… My God ….. I love you. In 1925 only 28 years after her death, Therese was declared a Saint. And in 1997, Pope John Paul II declared her a doctor of the church.
In her autobiography, The story of the soul, Therese frequently speaks of her lifelong love of flowers and gardens. Here, she employs the image of the garden to illustrate here idea of the little way to God
“Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers he has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy.
And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus’ garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but he has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances when He looks down at his feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be
Our Lord is occupied particularly with each soul as though there were no others like it. And just s in nature all the seasons are arranged in such a way as to make the humblest daisy bloom on a set day, in the same way, everything works out for the good of each soul.
She called herself a “little flower” a small daisy compared to the more magnificent roses.
Therese, who had been filled with a sense of God’s presence since her childhood, began to experience a crushing sense of God’s absence in her prayer. “If you only knew what darkness I am plunged into!” she admitted to one sister.
Her life – at once simple and complex, clear and opaque, childlike and mature, humble and bold, joyful and sorrowful – has spoken to millions of people. She can speak to you now here, if only you have ears to listen!
Therese petitioned pope XIII for a special dispensation to enter the Carmelite order before she turned sixteen. You will enter if God wills it, he said. Her request was granted a few months later by the local bishop. Her life within the monastery walls was short and uneventful, “lacking in outward drama” She was praying ardently for the missionary service in Vietnam. At 23rd she contracted tuberculosis, followed a year of intense suffering. Therese devoted herself to prayer and to the service of God in the monastery. She prayed for missionary priests in particular. “Genius of secret mortification” Therese embraced small, daily hardships as both a test and a gift from God. The sisters in her convent who showed the least kindness to Therese were the ones she tried to love the most. She chose to sit beside the sister during the recreation. Therese heard harsh comments in the monastery, from sisters jealous of her youth, confused by her sanctity, and baffled by her Charity. Such misunderstanding was par to her life. Her autobiography “story of a soul” captivating, her example inspiring, and her “little way” accessible to countless believers. On Sep 30, 1897, at age 24 she died. Her last words were “Oh, I love Him …… My God ….. I love you. In 1925 only 28 years after her death, Therese was declared a Saint. And in 1997, Pope John Paul II declared her a doctor of the church.
In her autobiography, The story of the soul, Therese frequently speaks of her lifelong love of flowers and gardens. Here, she employs the image of the garden to illustrate here idea of the little way to God
“Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers he has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy.
And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus’ garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but he has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances when He looks down at his feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be
Our Lord is occupied particularly with each soul as though there were no others like it. And just s in nature all the seasons are arranged in such a way as to make the humblest daisy bloom on a set day, in the same way, everything works out for the good of each soul.
She called herself a “little flower” a small daisy compared to the more magnificent roses.
Therese, who had been filled with a sense of God’s presence since her childhood, began to experience a crushing sense of God’s absence in her prayer. “If you only knew what darkness I am plunged into!” she admitted to one sister.
Her life – at once simple and complex, clear and opaque, childlike and mature, humble and bold, joyful and sorrowful – has spoken to millions of people. She can speak to you now here, if only you have ears to listen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
