“ALL FOR THE LOVE OF GOD”

‘Whatever good we do, we must do for the love of God, and whatever evil we avoid, we must avoid for the love of God ’ (St. Francis of Assisi).

St. Francis gives us excellent advice for the spiritual life. Only when this is our motivation in both things will the good we do and the evil we avoid acquire the full splendour of truth. Then we will find it easier to see that it was God’s grace that sustained us and we will not focus so much on ourselves and our ‘performances’. It is not always easy, especially when we receive praise from others for the good we have done or when we indulge in being some kind of ‘benefactors of humanity’, which can be a subtle temptation.

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“SHARE WITH ME WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEART”

“You are my child. Ask me with confidence and share that which is in your heart” (Inner Word).

Without a doubt, our Father knows what is in our hearts, even if it is only timidly manifested. He also knows all our worries: ‘Thou discernest my thoughts from afar (…) Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. ’ (Ps 138:2,4).

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“HOLY SADNESS”  

«Your sorrow will turn into joy» (Jn 16:20).

We know these words from the Gospel according to Saint John, which Jesus addressed to His disciples in view of His return to the Heavenly Father. He had previously told them: “A little while, and you will see me no more; again a little while, and you will see me” (Jn 16:16). Jesus, for His part, is filled with joy at returning to His Father and at having fulfilled His mission on earth.

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A DELIGHT FOR GOD

«O Lord, you derive no profit from dwelling among us, but you love us so much that you say it is your delight to be in our midst» (St Bonaventure).

Our Father’s love overwhelms us again and again and always finds new ways to manifest itself to us. As long as our heart is not totally dulled and too absorbed by the busyness of this world, we will recognise it every time we take the time to listen to the Heart of God. It may be communicated to us very softly, as the Holy Spirit often works in us, but it is so deeply impressed on our soul that we should never forget it and should always keep it in mind.

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THE FATHER HIMSELF OFFERS THE SACRIFICE

«If one of My creatures had been enough to atone for the sins of other men through a life and death similar to those of My Son, I would have hesitated. Why? Because I would have betrayed My love by making a beloved creature suffer, rather than suffering Myself, in My Son. I would never have wished My children to suffer.» (Message of God the Father to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).

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A PATH LAID OUT

« I received His [of my Son Jesus], prayers, that man might have a clearly indicated path along which to walk always in justice, so as to reach Me safely! » (Message of God the Father to Sister Eugenia Ravasio).

In His solicitous love, our Father has foreseen and prepared everything for His children. He not only offers us natural goods with great wisdom and love so that we may delight in them by gratefully attributing them to our Father as their origin, but much more still He showers us with spiritual goods, so that we may increasingly admire His love manifested in them.

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THE REMEMBRANCE OF GOD

‘I gave Moses My commandments to remind them, in spite of everything, of God, their Father, and of His sole wish, to save them. They were supposed to observe the commandments and thereby remember their infinitely good Father, always intent upon their present and eternal salvation’ (Message of God the Father to Sr. Eugenia Ravasio).

The commandments of the Lord… How important it is to keep them to this day, for they are an expression of His fatherly goodness! How much destruction is caused in every way by transgressing them!

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