Please offer me some words of wisdom to help me in my difficulty

[Therese]

I am in a situation that is very difficult and makes me feel like I am not getting what I need--I am not being permitted time before Jesus in the tabernacle like I used to have ... not because of my duties or schedule or anything like that, but because the only chapel I can pray before the Blessed Sacrament is a private chapel with restrictions ... I am allowed only very little time in the chapel (a little time before Mass and a 15 minute thanksgiving after Holy Communion).  What a trial this is because I am being deprived of time and prayer in the presence of God Himself, and I used to be able to enjoy good time with Him before the tabernacle!  Can you offer me any helpful feedback to assist me?  I know that our Lord gives us all that we need, so I know that my feeling like I do not have what I need is not justified.  Shin has already given me a most excellent response in a personal message to me, but I am wondering if others have good and helpful words of wisdom for me, to add to his.  Shin, please contribute more if you can and wish to.  God bless you all!

[Shin]

'Men of the world, who know no treasures but those of the earth, cannot comprehend what pleasure can be found in spending a long time before an altar, where is placed a consecrated Host; but to souls which love God, hours and days passed before the Blessed Sacrament seem as moments, for the celestial sweetness which the Lord there gives them to taste and to enjoy.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[Therese]

'Men of the world, who know no treasures but those of the earth, cannot comprehend what pleasure can be found in spending a long time before an altar, where is placed a consecrated Host; but to souls which love God, hours and days passed before the Blessed Sacrament seem as moments, for the celestial sweetness which the Lord there gives them to taste and to enjoy.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

Yes, celestial sweetness to taste and to enjoy!

[whiterockdove]

Oh Therese, I am so sorry for your situation and I will pray for you.   Is there another church available or any adoration confraternities in your area?
 Remember when one door closes, another one opens. 
  I will be praying The Little Crown for your intentions this morning,  remember, Our blessed Mother is full of goodness for the just and the oppressed. She will help you through this, I'm sure of it.
There is a solution out there, somewhere.

[Therese]

Oh Therese, I am so sorry for your situation and I will pray for you.   Is there another church available or any adoration confraternities in your area?
 Remember when one door closes, another one opens. 
  I will be praying The Little Crown for your intentions this morning,  remember, Our blessed Mother is full of goodness for the just and the oppressed. She will help you through this, I'm sure of it.
There is a solution out there, somewhere.

Thank you so much, Whiterockdove, for your prayers!  At the present time, this is the only chapel I can get to that has the Blessed Sacrament.  I read something in Abandonment to Divine Providence yesterday which helps me immensely.  If I can find the passage online I'll share it with you and the others.  This book is most excellent! 

[Therese]

I can't find the Abandonment to Divine Providence passage on-line but I'll type it out for you all right from my book, seeing it is so excellent and helpful.

"Truly," said Jacob, "God is in this place and I knew it not."  You are seeking God, dear soul, and He is everywhere, everything cries His name to you, everything gives Him to you; He is at your side, around you, within you, and astride your path; He remains with you and you still seek Him!...Ah, you are seeking the idea of God, while you possess His substance, you are pursuing perfection and it is there all the while in everything that comes to meet you.  Your sufferings, your actions, your inclinations are, as it were, the sacramental species under which God gives Himself  to you, while you are off chasing your sublime ideas.  But God will not come to your house clothed in their splendor."

J.P. de Caussade, Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence, p. 81-82

One can appreciate this passage even more after reading the preceding chapters of this book.  I like how J.P. de Caussade says, "Your sufferings, your actions, your inclinations are, as it were, the sacramental species under which God gives Himself  to you, while you are off chasing your sublime ideas.  But God will not come to your house clothed in their splendor."  Clearly, our Lord wants me to be one of his very self-abandoned souls, otherwise He'd see to it that I have more time before the tabernacle with Him.

God bless you!

[Therese]

Sometimes I have a little more than 15 minutes before the tabernacle after Holy Communion, how I cherish the sweetness of those times.  Of course, what I can do when I can't be at the chapel is pray at home while sending my guardian angel to the chapel for me.  Besides, one's intention counts a great deal and is as valuable as an act itself.  If it is impossible for me to do something that I wish to do, I can gain the same graces for having my intention to perform the act as I would have gained by performing the act itself.  Yes, I miss out on much sweetness by my not being able to be before Jesus in the tabernacle, but this does not mean that I have to miss out on graces ... and grace counts much more than sweetness; the cross and obedience to God with humility and resignation is better and much more profitable to my soul than consolations.  Again, one's intention is as important as an act performed, and counts as much as it, so I should not complain--I should just be perfectly abandoned to God's holy Will and not fret.  And what is most important for me to always remember is that I am a temple of the Holy Ghost and that God dwells within me and will always remain in me so long as I remain in a state of grace.  He is with me, in me, why should I feel any separation from Him if I can't be in a chapel praying before Him in the Blessed Sacrament? Yes, I miss out on sweetness when deprived of time before Jesus in the tabernacle, but sanctity does not depend on sweetness at all, but on the crosses, deprivations and sufferings patiently and lovingly endured for God, who orders all things in my life in the best way possible.  To doubt that He does this--and in this situation of mine-- is to doubt the goodness, wisdom and Providence of God, which would be very wrong for me to do.  God bless you!

[Shin]

'Make two homes for thyself, my daughter. One actual home in thy cell, that thou go not running about into many places, unless for necessity, or for obedience to the prioress, or for charity's sake; and another spiritual home, which thou art to carry with thee always -- the cell of true self-knowledge, where thou shalt find within thyself knowledge of the goodness of God.'

St. Catherine of Siena

[Therese]

'Make two homes for thyself, my daughter. One actual home in thy cell, that thou go not running about into many places, unless for necessity, or for obedience to the prioress, or for charity's sake; and another spiritual home, which thou art to carry with thee always -- the cell of true self-knowledge, where thou shalt find within thyself knowledge of the goodness of God.'

St. Catherine of Siena

Thanks, Shin, for the very helpful quote!  This situation I'm in has made me think of St. Catherine of Sienna, my patroness, who had had restrictions to deal with herself.  God bless you!

[odhiambo]

I am in a situation that is very difficult and makes me feel like I am not getting what I need--I am not being permitted time before Jesus in the tabernacle like I used to have ... not because of my duties or schedule or anything like that, but because the only chapel I can pray before the Blessed Sacrament is a private chapel with restrictions ... I am allowed only very little time in the chapel (a little time before Mass and a 15 minute thanksgiving after Holy Communion).  What a trial this is because I am being deprived of time and prayer in the presence of God Himself, and I used to be able to enjoy good time with Him before the tabernacle!  Can you offer me any helpful feedback to assist me?  I know that our Lord gives us all that we need, so I know that my feeling like I do not have what I need is not justified.  Shin has already given me a most excellent response in a personal message to me, but I am wondering if others have good and helpful words of wisdom for me, to add to his.  Shin, please contribute more if you can and wish to.  God bless you all!

Hi Therese  

This is how I see it.

The situation is beyond your control; no good worrying about it.  
Jesus is within you. Believe it.  Only mortal sin would drive Him out and even then, He does not abandon you, He does not go far.  He stands waiting for you to let Him in again….
Talk to Him in the privacy of your heart, wherever you are.
Tell Him you want to spend time with Him at the chapel but circumstances have prevented that wish. Offer this disappointment to Him.  Accept His Will, yes, His Will, keeping in mind this quote:

"Nothing in our lives is due to chance but whatever happens contrary to our wills, be assured that it is in accordance with the Will of God, with His Providence, with the order He has instituted, with the consent He has given and the laws He has established"
? St. Augustine
You might wonder, why would God allow someone to block another from worshiping Him? We do not know. His ways are not our ways....
And another quote I love to quote:
Let nothing disturb you;
Let nothing frighten you,
All things pass away.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things.
He who has God,
finds he lacks nothing.
God alone suffices.
Saint Teresa of Avila
Be blessed. God loves you and He is with you wherever you are.
Be thankful for the little time you get to be with Him at Adoration.

[odhiambo]

"Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence"
It seems to be just my kind of book! I have not heard of this book Therese, or if I have, then I have forgotten. Thanks for mentioning it. I wish I could get an ecopy

[Therese]

Dear Odhiambo,

Thank you for your excellent words of wisdom.  Guess what?  I shall have a one hour chapel visit with our Lord after Mass on Saturday!  Our Lord heard me in my distress and has shown compassion on me!  Yes, He orders all things, and so surprisingly and wonderfully!  Today is my patroness' feast day (St. Catherine of Siena); how splendid that on her feast day our Lord has granted me some time with him before the tabernacle this weekend ... St. Catherine too was deprived of time in prayer before the tabernacle, but she found a solution to her problem when she got inspired to make of herself an oratory.  It's funny how my situation has developed since I first started this thread, asking you and the others for assistance.  Your response has culminated in much happiness for me, as it touches on what I truly know to be true about our Lord and His divine Providence, even ending with a granted prayer on the feastday of my Patroness, who truly knows from personal experience my cross of not being able to pray before the tabernacle.  God bless you, Odhiambo, and Mary keep you!  Again, thank you!

Yours in Mary Immaculate,
Therese

[Therese]

"Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence"
It seems to be just my kind of book! I have not heard of this book Therese, or if I have, then I have forgotten. Thanks for mentioning it. I wish I could get an ecopy

I see that you are already acquainted with the operations of divine Providence, judging by your other very helpful response; you would greatly benefit by reading Caussade's book, as would the others.  I recommend the Tan version, as it has Caussade's letters included.  I have read several excellent books on Abandonment to divine Providence and find them to be the most instrumental in giving interior peace, along with books about Blessed Mary; but this book to me is one that I keep wanting to go back to.  You can hear an audio version of the book (without the letters included) on-line, but I recommend that you buy a copy, if you can afford one.  The book definitely is a keeper, one that you will return to for wisdom and for so much more!  God bless you!

[Shin]

We have an e-book copy on Saints' Books, in the Misc. section. 

[Therese]

You have quite the website, Shin!   Deo gratias and kudos to you!

[Therese]

Be thankful for the little time you get to be with Him at Adoration.

This thought had come to my mind a few days ago when my father had repeated two days in a row in conversation that he prefers quality to quantity.  In his statement I heard God telling me that I, too, should prefer my quality of time in adoration more to my quantity of time, and that I should be grateful for the time I get to be with Him in adoration.  Thank you for your help!  BTW, if any person's prayer intention on these forums has made me think of divine Providence your prayer intention for the preservation of your vision has.  I remember when I first prayed for you a while back I had thought about divine Providence working in your situation and how no matter what God has happen to you it will happen because it is the very best thing for your salvation.  Thus I was not worried for you but trusted that God, who loves you inestimably, would only and always do what is best for you.  You of all people would benefit greatly from reading De Caussade.  God bless you!