“Who shall not return love to Him who thus loves us?
Who of the redeemed shall not love Him,
and choose in that Heart
his eternal abode?”
Showing all posts in 3 Minutes for God the Father
“THE PRAISE OF GOD IN THE FIRST PLACE”
“Tell me how I can worthily praise you.” — “Praise first the omnipotence of the Father, by virtue of which he acts in the Son and in the Holy Spirit according to his will, and whose immensity is beyond the grasp of any creature in heaven or on earth.” (Vision of St. Mechthild of Hackeborn).
“LET NO ONE SNATCH AWAY OUR JOY!”
“The devil rejoices, above all, when he succeeds in snatching joy from the heart of a servant of God” (St. Francis of Assisi)
“BETTER A HUMBLE SINNER THAN A PROUD PHARISEE”
“I prefer a humble sinner to a proud Pharisee, because with the former I can walk my ways. That is why I allow humiliations and, at times, withdraw my tangible grace” (Interior Word).
MY PLANS ARE FULFILLED
“My plans are fulfilled, opportunely or inopportunely, even through missteps and darkness. No one can stop them; nothing can obscure God’s path” (Inner Word).
Our Father uses all circumstances to carry out His plan of salvation. Due to the resistance of the devil and the foolishness and weakness of man, it is true that God’s will often cannot be fulfilled directly according to His original intention. However, in His providence, our Father knows how to take this into consideration. Without abandoning his goal or changing it in principle, He pursues it through missteps and darkness.
INNER FREEDOM
‘Even if others want to deprive you of your external freedom, no one can ever take away your inner freedom’ (Inner Word).
These words should serve as comfort when our faith is under pressure or even suffers specific persecution. Many Christians have already experienced this situation, and many will still have to live through it. ‘The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it’ says the Gospel according to St John (Jn 1:5). And the darkness not only refused to receive the light, but often fought against it with active hostility.
THE LIFE OF GOD IN US
“Remain in me, so that my life may flow through you” (Inner Word).
This phrase is very similar to the words we know from the Gospel of St John: “Abide in me, and I in you” (Jn 15:4). The Lord invites us to give Him our whole heart and to watch over it so that it never strays from Him. Read More
THE STRONGER ONE HAS COME
‘Someone stronger must come and break the chains’ (Inner Word).
Sinful humanity is bound by chains with which Satan has bound it. He seeks to separate men from salvation in order to indirectly hurt God, who loves them so much. The chains are of various kinds. Read More
I HOLD ON TO YOU
“Do not look so much at your weaknesses and limitations, but at me who has called you and holds on to you, come what may.” (Inner word)
On the way of discipleship, we can easily be tempted to focus too much on our weaknesses. That would be the other extreme, as opposed to not noticing them at all or only noticing them in other people. Read More
“TRUE JUSTICE”
‘What would justice be without mercy? Allied with the darkness of cruelty, it would be injustice rather than justice’ (Saint Catherine of Siena).
Saint Catherine of Siena makes a plea here in favour of mercy. Indeed, in situations such as war, there is a great temptation to go beyond the limits of justice, to let oneself be carried away by the evil inclinations that dwell in the human heart, so that cruelty allies itself with justice, distorting it and making it terrifying.