Beloved Holy Spirit, one of the most wonderful gifts that You can make grow in us as fruit is joy. It is that joy which, like love, makes everything easier and overcomes the weight that life so often brings with it. A joy that is contagious, and gives a ray of light and some comfort to the other person, as long as they are not closed.
Your friend, St. Paul, even tells us to rejoice at all times (cf. Phil 4:4). Read More
“I look with favor upon everything done for My glory: prayers, fasting, vigils, and other works of spiritual discipline. But nevertheless—even if it does not seem so to those of little faith—I am with greater affection toward My chosen ones, who, in their human weakness and frailty, trustingly seek refuge in My mercy.” (Words of the Lord to St. Gertrude of Helfta)
Once again, the theme of human weakness and limitation is addressed, which draws the Lord’s loving attention in a special way. Without diminishing the good works of ascetic practices—works the Lord regards with favor—His love inclines even more toward those who, in their inner distress, seek His mercy and trust in it.
