Showing all posts in 3 Minutes for God the Father

“Until God ordains otherwise, a man ought to bear patiently whatever he cannot correct in himself and in others.” (Thomas à Kempis)

The effort to improve oneself or help others do so appropriately is never in vain because it is an act of love. Furthermore, every improvement benefits everyone. Yet one easily encounters limits in this process. One should certainly try again and again and not give up in resignation. The latter would be a misguided attitude, focused not on God but on one’s own feelings.

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“Death holds no terror for a sincere servant of Christ who works to lead souls to the knowledge of the truth.” (St. Ramon Llull)

As we move toward the great goal of meeting the Lord in death, it is a great comfort to know that we have sincerely tried to serve in the Lord’s vineyard. There is hardly anything more important that we can do on earth than help people find God and walk in His ways. From this, we can draw the confidence that St. Paul had when he knew that the crown of victory awaited him (cf. 2 Tim. 4:8).

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“Therefore let not thy heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Believe in Me, and put thy trust in My mercy.” —The Imitation of Christ, III, 30

There are many circumstances that seek to take hold of our hearts. Fear and dread are among them and have the power to captivate a person completely or, at the very least, rob them of their inner peace.

From stories and reports, we know that in times of war, it is not uncommon for people to deliberately try to spread fear and dread to intimidate the enemy before the battle begins and use them as a weapon of war. If successful, the enemy’s fighting strength is weakened, and their courage may wane.

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“Nothing is impossible for me, and when I find an open heart, I want to give everything and, through it, bestow gifts upon others as well.” (Inner Word)

How deeply our Father longs to find open hearts! Perhaps we cannot even imagine this because God is self-sufficient. It is true: God is perfect and does not need our love to become more perfect. And yet….

Our Father longs for this love, which He Himself is. God longs to share with those creatures whom He has made His children everything He wishes to give them. It is an unimaginably vast amount. However, it requires an open heart to receive it.

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“Turn back before it is too late. Do not spurn my love, for it restrains my wrath” (Inner Word)

Even though we can recognize our Father’s mercy so deeply when we contemplate His love that we can hardly imagine how people could fail to be caught in the net of love that the Son of God has cast upon the earth, this must not lead to an unhealthy carelessness in our relationship with God.

The call to repentance resounds constantly: Whether it is a return from a sinful life to God, like the Prodigal Son, or a deeper conversion on the path to holiness. Love never fails, as the Apostle Paul so aptly reminds us, and what is the call to repentance other than turning toward the love of God, leaving the path of ruin, or abandoning lukewarmness and growing in love?

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“Come, my son, come! Go, my son, go, but do not hesitate!” (Inner Word)

We are always called to come to God and to look for our Father with our hearts. Even though God has already taken up residence in our hearts, He still desires to deepen our union with Him each day through the cultivation of love. In addition, a final revelation of God’s love and glory still lies ahead of us, as the Apostle Paul testifies: “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” (1 Cor. 13:12)

In the Little Book of the Father, it is expressed this way: “My children, I will not speak to you about the whole greatness of My infinite love, because you have only to open the holy books, to look at the crucifix, the tabernacle and the Blessed Sacrament, to realize the extent to which I have loved you!” Read More

“Don’t focus so much on your weaknesses and limitations, but on Me, who has called you and holds on to you, come what may.” (Inner Word)

On our journey of discipleship, this word serves as an important guide. Sometimes, when we become aware of our weaknesses and limitations, our courage may waver. It is not easy to bear our own inadequacies. It then becomes difficult to draw strength from within, and we may even feel paralyzed.

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“I will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Cor. 6:18)

In Madre Eugenia’s little book on the Father, the sacred words of the New Testament come to life: “I have endowed you with the true Spirit of the new law.” This refers to the new covenant that the Lord established with His people through the coming of His Son. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

Thus, according to the Father’s words, all people are raised to the dignity that befits the children of God.

Whether we live up to this dignity and live as true children of God is now up to us as human beings, a status we have received through Holy Baptism. We know what this means: serving God with all our hearts and, time and again, returning to Him in repentance when we have erred.

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“Don’t pay attention to their whispers! They are unimportant and harmful, and their only purpose is to rob you of your peace and confidence.” (Inner Word)

Here we focus on false and erroneous thoughts that may arise from our hearts or be “whispered” to us by the powers of evil. Even rumors or negative thoughts others have about us can affect us indirectly and cause anxiety.

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“He who minds neither praise nor blame possesses great peace of heart and, if his conscience is good, he will easily be contented and at peace.” (Thomas a Kempis)

In the passage above, Thomas a Kempis addresses what can confuse us and how we can easily lose our peace of mind. We must learn to handle praise. Certainly, genuine praise is uplifting. Yet spiritual teachers warn us of the danger that, when we receive praise, our focus may increasingly turn inward toward ourselves. Following such a path can lead to a growing lack of freedom. This occurs when we, so to speak, “build ourselves up” with this praise and even begin to derive our inner worth from it. But this would make us dependent on other people, and as a result we may find ourselves seeking their praise and even feeling disappointed when it is not given. Our heart is no longer undividedly focused on God, from whom true peace comes. We have forgotten to attribute all praise to the Lord and have, so to speak, claimed it for ourselves.

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