The Joys and Challenges of a Solitary Life

[Shin]

We must make our heart a spiritual temple, wherein to adore Him incessantly. We must watch continually over ourselves, that we may not do, nor say, nor think anything that may displease Him. When our minds are thus employed about GOD, suffering will become full of unction and consolation.

Our very thoughts must become holy and virtuous and in the Lord.  What a beautiful way to live!

[whiterockdove]

The Practice of The Presence of God

Fifteenth Letter

To the Same.
GOD knoweth best what is needful for us, and all that He does is for our good. If we knew how much He loves is, we should always be ready to receive equally and with indifference from His Hand the sweet and the bitter: all would please that came from Him. The sorest afflictions never appear intolerable, except when we see them in the wrong light. When we see them as dispensed by the hand of GOD, when we know that it is our loving FATHER who abases and distresses us, our sufferings will lose their bitterness, and become even matter of consolation.                Let all our employment be to know GOD: the more one knows Him, the more one desires to know Him. And as knowledge is commonly the measure of love, the deeper and more extensive our knowledge shall be, the greater will be our love: and if our love of GOD were great, we should love Him equally in pains and pleasures.
     Let us not content ourselves with loving GOD for the mere sensible favors, how elevated soever, which he has sone, or may do us. Such favors, though never so great, cannot bring us so near to Him as faith does in one simple act. Let us seekHim often by faith. He is within us: seek Him not elsewhere. If we do love Him alone, are we not rude, and so we not deserve blame, if we busy ourselves about trifles which so not please and perhaps offend Him. It is feared these trifles will one day cost us dear. Let us begin to be devoted to Him in good earnest. Let us cast everything besides out of our hearts. He would possess them alone. Beg this favor of Him. If we do what we can on our parts, we shall soon see that change wrought in us which we aspire after. I cannot thank Him sufficiently for the relaxation He has vouchsafed you. I hope from His mercy the favor to see Him within a few days. (4) Let us pray for one another.
I am, in our LORD, Yours, &c.
NOTES:
(1: Gal.i, 10; Eph. vi, 5,6)
(2: The particulars which follow are collected from other accounts of Brother Lawrence.)
(3: I suppose he means that all distinct notions he could form of GOD, were unsatisfactory, because he perceived them to be unworthy of GOD; and therefore his mind was not to be satisfied but by the views of faith, which apprehend GOD as infinite and incomprehensible, as He is in Himself, and not as He can be conceived by human ideas.)
(4: He took to his bed two days after, and died within the week.)

THE END of
The Practice of The Presence of God; The Conversations and Letters of Brother Lawrence
     

[whiterockdove]

Here's an aspiration for the day;
"May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God,
Rest in peace!"

[Therese]

Great aspiration, especially for for All Souls Day!  God bless you, Whiterockdove!

[Shin]

May the Precious Blood of Christ grant relief to the holy souls!

GOD knoweth best what is needful for us, and all that He does is for our good. If we knew how much He loves is, we should always be ready to receive equally and with indifference from His Hand the sweet and the bitter: all would please that came from Him.

May the Lord grant us this grace.

[whiterockdove]

amen! great aspiration!   yes, anyone feel free to jump in here,
an aspiration  a day keeps the blues away....... 


I heard of another short prayer referring to The Precious Blood, I think it went something like;

Protect me Jesus and cover me with thy precious blood. 

anyone know if this is right?


I am finishing up "The Story of A Soul"  recommended reading from our Priest.  I thought I would write out some excerpts from the end of the book. These are recollections from the women who lived with her, mainly the novices in her charge.   So  regarding  St. Therese of Lisieux, here are some memories of things she said and did;

COUNSELS AND REMINISCENSES OF SOEUR THERESE, THE LITTLE FLOWER OF JESUS

     Most of what follows has been gathered from the conversations of Soeur Therese with her novices. Her advice cannot but prove helpful to souls within the cloister, and likewise to many in the world who may be attracted by her simple and easy -little way- to God.

******

One of her novices, greatly discouraged at the thought of her imperfection, tells us that her mistress spoke to her as follows:

You make me think of a little child that is learning to stand but does not yet know how to walk.  In his desire to reach the top of the stairs to find his mother, he lifts his little foot to climb the first step. It is all in vain and at each renewed effort he falls. Well, be like that little child. Always keep lifting your foot to climb the ladder of holiness, and do not imagine that you can mount even the first step. All God asks of you is good will.
From the top of the ladder he looks lovingly upon you, and soon, touched by your fruitless efforts, He will Himself some down, and, taking you in His Arms, will carry you to His kingdom never again to leave Him. But should you cease to raise your foot, you will be left for long on the earth."

******

"The only way to advance rapidly in the path of love is to remain always very little. That is what I did, and now I can sing with our holy Father, St. John of the Cross:
"Then I abased myself so low, so very low, That  I ascended to such heights, such heights indeed, That I did overtake the prey I chased!"

*******
to be continued....

[Therese]

I love this thread, Whiterockdove!  First, The Practice of the Presence of God, one of my favorite works; now, this material about St. Therese!  How wonderful!  I love this saint and her words so much!  Thank you for your posts and God bless you!

[whiterockdove]

Thank you! I just wish Brother Lawrence's  fine work
Could have been done in the book section. I hadn't intended to
Write it all out, it just ended up that way.

St.Therese of Lisieux has been suggested reading from our priest. He's really big on the saints.
Much credit goes to parents, now saints themselves!  Her upbringing led to
A well-cultivated soul. 

[Therese]

St. Therese had such a privileged background filled with a great abundance of graces.  Her family life couldn't be beat.  What a beautiful family life she had!  St. Therese was properly brought up and yes, Whiterockdove, her soul was well-cultivated.

St. Therese, pray for us!

[Shin]

This has all been such fine reading whiterockdove!

Thank you for the writings of Brother Lawrence! 

[whiterockdove]

I enjoyed working on "The Practice of The Presence of God" very much!  I really value exchanges like his, just letters of advice to his fellow Carmelites.  I  have heard grumblings that he has not yet been made a saint, but perhaps it suits his legacy more to not be a saint recognized by The Church. 

An account on the exhumation of St. Therese of Lisieux said although there was speculation that she would be found to be incorruptible, it was not the case. There were only bones. It didn't matter, though. There was a procession and veneration of her very mortal and humble remains. It was what she had hoped for. She wanted to remain "little" and nothing special. 


Here is an aspiration for Friday, Nov. 6th as we all get ready for the cold weather, work to get to mass, struggle with long commutes and endure the hazards of being out and about.
I am going to a funeral for one of our parishioners. May her soul rest in peace! Phyllis raised 13 children and farmed with her husband. And canned food from the garden, worked in the school lunchroom, worked in a senior citizen lunchroom.  A busy busy lady, and always cheerful and nice to the people like me who carried her groceries to the car when she shopped at the local supermarket where I worked.
Not everyone is friendly to the blue collar, service  workers like me but she always was. Eternal rest, grant unto her, O lord, and may perpetual light shine upon her!
 
And the aspiration is:
O Lord, you have been our refuge,
from generation to generation....

...Give success to the work of our hands.
O give success to the work of our hands.

Counsels & Reminiscenses of Soeur Therese, The Little Flower of Jesus

Under a temptation which seemed to me irresistible, I said to her: "This time, I cannot surmount it." She replied: "Why seek to surmount it? Rather pass beneath. It is all well for great souls to soar above the clouds when the storm rages; we have simply to suffer the showers. What does it matter if we get wet? We shall dry ourselves in the sunshine of love."

It recalls a little incident of my childhood. One day a horse was standing in front of the garden gate. My companions talked to him and tried to make him move off, but while they were talking I quietly slipped between his legs....Such is the advantage of remaining small.

*****

Our Lord said to the mother of the sons of Zebedee: "To sit on mu right or left hand is for them for whom it is prepared by my Father." (1) I imagine that these chosen places, which have been refused alike to great Saints and Martyrs, will be reserved for little children; and did not
David foretell it when he said, that 'the little Benjamin will preside amidst the assemblies(2)of the Saints."

*******

"You are wrong to find fault with this thing and with that, or to try to make everyone see things as you see them. We desire to be "as little children." and little children do not know what is best: to them all seems right. Let us imitate their ways, Besides, there is no merit in doing what reason dictates."

[Therese]

I am presently rereading St. Therese's last conversations.   She knew that she would not die in-corrupt.  I love quotes from her and learn a lot from them.  I only wish that she had read Mystical City of God, so that all her quotes about our Lady would be influenced by the true life of our Lady.

[Therese]

Good aspiration, Whiterockdove.

[whiterockdove]

I am presently rereading St. Therese's last conversations.   She knew that she would not die in-corrupt.  I love quotes from her and learn a lot from them.  I only wish that she had read Mystical City of God, so that all her quotes about our Lady would be influenced by the true life of our Lady.

Yes, especially since she had such healing come from Our Lady.   

I'm referring to the time in her life when she was having an episode of some sort of illness, spiritual, mental  or otherwise with being bed bound and unable to recognize people, etc. This went on for a long time and one day she was lifted out of this state for good after she saw the smile of Mary in a vision (this  may not be the right term)

Of course she later started having symptoms of tuberculosis, but this respite from all her distress was a blessing in her short life.


Here are  some more quotes and recollections  from " The Story of a Soul"

"My patrons and my special favourites in Heaven are those who, so to speak, stole it, such as the Holy Innocents and the Good Thief.
The great Saints won it by their works; I wish to be like the thieves and win it by stratagem -a stratagem of  love which will open it's bates both to me and to poor sinners. In the Book of Proverbs the Holy Ghost encourages me for He says: 'Come to me, little one, to learn subtlety!"

*****
" What would you do if you could begin over again your religious life?"

"I think I should do as I have already done."

"Then you do not share the feeling of the hermit who said: 'While a quarter of an hour or even a breath of life still remains ito me, I shall fear the fires of hell even though I should have spent years in penance'?"

"No, I do not share that fear; I am too small.Little children are not damned."

"You are ever seeking to be as little children are, but tell us what must be done to obtain that childlike spirit. 'Remaining little'--what does it mean?"

"Remaining little' means--to recognize one's nothingness, to await everything from the Goodness of God, to avoid being too much troubled at our faults; finally not to worry over amassing spiritual riches, not to be solicitous about anything. Even amongst the poor, while a child is still small, he is given what is necessary; but, once he is grown up,  his father will no longer feed him and tells him to seek work and support himself. Well, it was to avoid hearing this, that i have never wished to grow up, for I feel incapable of earning my livelihood, which is Life Eternal!"

to be continued.


*******

Here is an aspiration for Sunday, Nov. 8th:   

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."

[Shin]

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."

'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. By "the poor in spirit" is meant those who are poor in earthly desires, and desire nothing but God. These are poor in desires, but not without affection, because they live contented even in this life; and, therefore, the Lord does not say, "Theirs will be the kingdom of heaven," but "theirs is," because even in this life they are rich in spiritual blessings which they receive from God; and thus, however poor they are in temporal goods, they live content with their condition. They are different from the rich in earthly desires, who, in the present life, whatever riches they possess, are always poor, and live discontented; for the good things of this life do not satisfy our thirst, however much they are increased; wherefore, these persons are never contented, never attaining to the acquisition of what they desire.'

St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori

[whiterockdove]

Here is an aspiration for Wed., Nov. 18th;

You, O Lord, are my lamp, my God,
Who lightens my darkness.