Quote for the Day

[odhiambo]

'Be careful not to admit into your society those delicate and sensitive people who are afraid of the slightest pin prick, who cry out and complain at the least pain, who know nothing of the hairshirt, the
discipline or other instruments of penance, and who mingle, with their
fashionable devotions, a most refined fastidiousness and a most studied lack of mortification.'
St. Louis Marie de Montfort, 'Letter to Friends of the Cross'

[Therese]

Today's Divine Intimacy meditation concludes with a beautiful quote from St. Mary Magdalene dei Pazzi.  I want to share it with you.  Here it is:

"O blessed, happy, and glorious is he who suffers for love of You, O eternal Word, for--shall I dare say it?--as long as we are here below, it is a greater thing to suffer for You than to possess You, because possessing You, we can still lose You, but if we suffer for love of You, it will admit us to eternal life where we can never lose You" (St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi).

[odhiambo]

Amen.
St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi,
pray for us.

[Shin]

A quote that makes a person think.. this sort of quote is great for meditation isn't it?

[Therese]

I agree, Shin.  Now that you mention it I think I should make it a mediation of mine.  God bless you!

A quote that makes a person think.. this sort of quote is great for meditation isn't it?

[odhiambo]

A quote that makes a person think.. this sort of quote is great for meditation isn't it?

Yes! I am thinking though that one cannot suffer for Him without possessing Him. The two seem to me like conjoined twins

[odhiambo]

You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.
Saint Therese of Lisieux

[Therese]

A quote that makes a person think.. this sort of quote is great for meditation isn't it?

Yes! I am thinking though that one cannot suffer for Him without possessing Him. The two seem to me like conjoined twins

But do you think that one can possess Him while refusing to suffer for Him?

[Therese]

A quote that makes a person think.. this sort of quote is great for meditation isn't it?

Yes! I am thinking though that one cannot suffer for Him without possessing Him. The two seem to me like conjoined twins

But do you think that one can possess Him while refusing to suffer for Him?

I should say, but do you think that one can possess Him for long while refusing to suffer for Him?

[odhiambo]

A quote that makes a person think.. this sort of quote is great for meditation isn't it?

Yes! I am thinking though that one cannot suffer for Him without possessing Him. The two seem to me like conjoined twins

But do you think that one can possess Him while refusing to suffer for Him?

I should say, but do you think that one can possess Him for long while refusing to suffer for Him?

No, not for long. But possessing Him, can one really refuse to suffer for Him?  

[Therese]

A quote that makes a person think.. this sort of quote is great for meditation isn't it?

Yes! I am thinking though that one cannot suffer for Him without possessing Him. The two seem to me like conjoined twins

But do you think that one can possess Him while refusing to suffer for Him?

I should say, but do you think that one can possess Him for long while refusing to suffer for Him?

No, not for long. But possessing Him, can one really refuse to suffer for Him?  

A person still can refuse to suffer for God after having possessed Him.  For example, a professed religious brother not so strong in piety and who used to love women a lot before entering the religious life can receive God in Holy Communion for years in a state of grace (thus possessing Him) and then one day while away from the safe place of his friary, begging for the friars, falls completely head over heals for an extremely beautiful and kind woman whom he used to date and whom it would be un-lawful for him to marry (his passions and concupiscence gets the best of him).  Up until this point he had possessed God.  But the brother keeps his secret passion from his Father Guardian for whatever reason and chooses NOT to give up his "love" for this woman, fantasizing a great part of the day about her (thus sinning mortally), he will not suffer the loss of this "love of his life" for God; he chooses to give into his passions and desires (he even desires to date the woman and yes, have relations with her!)  He fell out of grace and lost His possession of God the moment he refused to suffer the loss of this "love of his life" for God.  This unfortunate situation has happened to husbands, wives, etc..  God bless you.

[odhiambo]

The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist.
 Saint Gregory the Great

[Shin]

'To wish to love God without suffering for love of Him is but illusion. Still, I cannot understand that one can suffer, if one really loves the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, because He changes the bitterest gall into sweetness.'

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

[Therese]

A quote that makes a person think.. this sort of quote is great for meditation isn't it?

Yes! I am thinking though that one cannot suffer for Him without possessing Him. The two seem to me like conjoined twins

But do you think that one can possess Him while refusing to suffer for Him?

We never fully possess God until we are with Him in Heaven. We can possess Him in a certain more limited way when we possess Him within ourselves, especially at Holy Communion, but we can lose Him. Only the possession of God in Heaven is guaranteed to remain forever. And it is rewarded to those who suffer patiently and lovingly until the end of their lives for God.

The possession of God in this life does not guarantee that we will posses God for all eternity. At one point in our lives we can give up on God and refuse to suffer something big for Him and then we can lose our possession of Him. Yes, we can refuse to suffer something big for Him and lose our possession of Him. But the patient and loving acceptance and endurance of our trials for the love of God does guarantee the possession of God forever when we are rewarded in Heaven for it -- and we will be rewarded for it in Heaven if we suffer for God in this life. This is why suffering for God is a greater thing: because only it can guarantee the possession of God in the next life... the mere possession of God in this life does not guarantee such a thing (it can even be lost) -- the possession of God in this life MUST be coupled with faithful suffering for God or it can be lost. See why suffering for God in this life is the more important than merely possessing Him in this life? The first bears fruit that is eternal (it bears an eternal reward), the latter does not necessarily -- it can be lost In this life. God bless you.

[odhiambo]

'If you say the Rosary faithfully until death, I do assure you that, in spite of the gravity of your sins "you shall receive a never-fading crown of glory." Even if you are on the brink of damnation, even if you have one foot in hell, even if you have sold your soul to the devil as sorcerers do who practice black magic, and even if you are a heretic as obstinate as a devil, sooner or later you will be converted and will amend your life and save your soul, if - and mark well what I say - if you say the Rosary devoutly every day until death for the purpose of knowing the truth and obtaining contrition and pardon for your sins.'
St. Louis Marie de Montfort

[odhiambo]

We must always desire to carry out our spiritual exercises well and with precision, both prayer and the exercise of the virtues, and we must never be troubled, anxious, or surprised if we fail to do so. Our desires depend upon our fidelity, which should always be total and yet should grow from day to day; our failures are caused by our infirmity, which we will never be able to leave behind during this mortal life. When we have committed some fault, we should immediately examine our heart and ask ourselves whether we retain a lively and thorough resolution to serve God.

One hopes for a heart that would rather suffer a thousand deaths than fail to keep this resolution. We reprove our heart: "Why, then, are you hesitating now? Why are you so cowardly?" And we make our excuse: "I was taken by surprise, and I hardly know how it happened, but now I am again thinking of my resolution." The heart must be pardoned. It is not through infidelity that it failed, but through infirmity. It must be corrected gently and calmly, that it not be brought to anger or further trouble. We should say to it: "My heart, my friend, in the name of God, be courageous. Let us walk together, taking care as we go, lifting ourselves up to our help, to our God." And, we must be charitable toward our soul, not taking it to task severely, provided we see that it is not offending purposefully. Do you not see that in treating it this way, we practice a holy humility?

St. Francis de Sales