“And because iniquity hath abounded, the charity of many shall grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12) The times we are living in are challenging no doubt. The world has become infected by sin. I believe the above quote speaks directly to the days we live in. We are all affected by the materialistic, hedonistic and selfish culture that surrounds us and with the break down of family life, civil society and the decay of parish life, the pillars that once supported us are crumbling. We need to take stock that our hearts have not been infected by secular attitudes. We need to regularly examine conscience to see where we fall short in charity lest the love in our hearts is extinguished lest we become lukewarm Christians. Are we too keen to judge others? Do we accuse too readily? Do we lack charity? Do we fail to have empathy for the poor and downtrodden? Are we neglectful of family? Do we use truth rather than live the truth? Are we harsh in our words and language? I have been tested recently and found wanting in many areas of my life so have taken stock myself asking these hard questions. It is a sobering experience to make a really deep examination of conscience and allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate through the fog of self-deception. Come Holy Spirit Come through the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Thank you for this thread Garabandal. I was on a silent retreat some time back and I felt the Lord show me I was a beggar....for His mercy, and had nothing to offer Him other than sin and misery and the effects of it. ME... that had been praying almost all of my life!! This revelation shook me to the core and I spent days praying into it. One day I had an image of the Lord sitting opposite me and exposing his heart, I felt him say He was a beggar too... for my love. That even though I had nothing good to offer him, it way my poverty of spirit and misery that drew him to me, and that he wanted to fill me with His love. To be honest I spent a few weeks arguing over this with Him and trying to understand how I could love Him back when Love is His gift to me. One day I opened a book and the words of Him speaking to a saint jumped out at me, "Don't argue with me over my mercy"!
These are seven disarming questions, garabandal! Thank you. I highlighted two of them because it strikes me that to live the truth is to live charity. They are different sides of the same coin. Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
I am away camping at the minute. I have a little hobby at mass, which I guess you could call saint spotting. So at mass yesterday they were saying the Rosary and I saw the Parish priest approach a little old lady head bowed in prayer. He could not rouse her for several minutes try as he might. She was so deep in prayers. I specially noticed how gently he approached her, it seems he had a veneration for her,this big bustling man. I was very touched watching this
I too have been deeply convicted of sin recently. But I think we need to know the devil can cause us to despair by over doing it. My own useless effort cause me all the more to rely on mercy, for when I am weak Christ through grace will be strong
This is beautiful Border Collie. A big step in the spiritual life. Realizing we are nothing and have nothing to give Him except our will in this moment. To cooperate with his grace. I think it was St. Philip Neri who used to pray "Be watchful Lord, Philip may betray you today". Just love Him and let him work through you.
Why, why too much! We sometimes view others unfairly with a certain skepticism, cynicism. Who here has walked an inch in my shoes or your shoes. So true! When we have guests coming we tend to clean up our house, but very rarely do we think to clean up our spiritual home when we invite Jesus in prayer. Many have old nick and co as their lodgers and they need to be evicted. Perhaps a sign over our hearts should read reserved: no sin allowed! Yes, at times! However, It has always occurred to me that as rational emotional human beings made in the likeness of God; we are given the right to express ourselves freely and uniquely in moral unity. It would be clinically abhorrent to me to think that we were all like robots on an assembly line. Sometimes our method of communication can be unfairly misinterpreted, misconstrued. God bless!
Thank you Praetorian, to be honest I am still struggling in trying to understand how to love Him, everything I have is his gift so how can I love Him if my desire to love and ability is already His to start with?? What does He gain from my love when it is all his gift and grace? Maybe you or somebody here can help.
It is His grace to give you the desire to love Him, but you still have chosen to respond and love Him. This makes Him exceedingly happy, so much so we cannot imagine. One of the things He will not do is force someone to love Him. One beautiful quote from one visionary (St. Faustina I think, but not sure) is that each soul is His favorite. It is as if you are the only child He ever made and you have chosen to love Him with your whole heart. I w3as not blessed with children, but I can imagine that if I had only one, this would make me the happiest.
