“Any false unity that is not founded in Me cannot endure and will crumble.” (Inner word)
We humans long for unity, and when we find it, great peace enters our souls—first with God, and then with other people.
Yet there is one condition for true unity. It can exist only in truth and is therefore founded on God Himself. Certainly, there are many interest groups and various forms of associations. But these are only peripheral in nature and therefore cannot reach the depth that true unity embodies.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who practice it.” (Psalm 111:10)
We understand the gift of the fear of the Lord as the first of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. When we practice it, our lives take on a clear and unmistakable direction. We examine our actions in the presence of God to see whether they might offend our Heavenly Father. This is a profound turning point in life, and thus the healing power of the Holy Spirit can unfold radiantly in our souls. At first, this gift may be accompanied more by a holy fear of doing even the slightest thing that might displease God. The memory of what might happen as a consequence if we stray from the path is also very vivid.
“An hour of patience is worth more than several days of fasting” (St. John Vianney)
“When the devil wants to destroy someone, he begins by instilling in that person a great aversion to prayer.” (St. John Vianney)
We must always expect resistance to our progress in the spiritual life. Although it can happen on our path of following Christ that a certain aversion to vocal prayer may arise in contemplative souls, this aversion is not directed against prayer itself but rather points to the need to seek more silent prayer and contemplation.
‘By virtue of grace, I can grant you everything that my Son possesses by virtue of His divine nature’ (Inner Word).
“If people knew what power the dear poor souls have over God’s heart, and if they knew what graces can be obtained through their intercession, they would not be so forgotten. We must pray much for them so that they may pray much for us.” (Saint John Vianney, Curé of Ars)
“How beautiful and great it is to know and serve God! We have nothing else to do in this world but this. Everything else we do is a waste of time.” (St. John Vianney).
“God is searching for you, because from time immemorial He has been intent on bringing back the lost sheep.” (Hildegard of Bingen).
We are learning to understand ever more deeply this movement of our Father’s love.
“Do everything, endure everything, to win souls for the Lord.” (Don Bosco)
“A man who masters his passions is master of the world. We must either master them or be mastered by them. It is better to be the hammer than the anvil.” (St. Dominic).
