You obtain from God as much as you hope for. - John of the Cross
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There is much talk online about 'who will be saved?' asking, 'are there many who will be saved?' while worrying over the good counsels of the saints announcing that 'most souls go to hell'. I believe such fears are healthy, however, there is one little Doctor of the Church who embraced such notions, not out of fear, but with confidence in the merciful love of God.
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St. Therese of Lisieux "expected as much from God's justice as she did from his mercy. 'How nice it is to think that God is just!' she said. 'It means he takes our weakness into account and knows full well how frail we are by nature.' She also said that she would prefer to live without consolation, because in that way she could give God greater proof of her trust in him." - Mother Agnes of Jesus, St. Therese By those Who Knew Her
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The way is narrow.
I remember one of the little Children of Fatima had a vision from the Blessed Virgin Mary about where sinners go.
ReplyDeleteWhat other saint thought that most people go to Hell? We get the opposite impression from the teachers of the church these days.
-Vickie
"Never say that God is just. If He were just, you would be in hell. Rely only on His injustice which is mercy, love and forgiveness."
ReplyDelete— St Isaac of Nineveh
Terry: This is uncanny. Last night before I went to sleep, I read this passage from Faustina's diary
ReplyDelete# 651 In part--"Mercy is the flower of love. God is love and Mercy is His deed. In love it is conveived; in mercy it is revealed. Everything I look at speaks to me of God's mercy. Even God's very justice speaks to me about His fathomless mercy, because justice flows from love".
So comforting...
Never was it known that anyone who fled to the protection of our Holy Mother was left unaided.
ReplyDeleteGod is just; but He loves His Dove.
Make good friends with His Mommy.
"Give all that you have to the poor, and follow Me."
Is your reaction the same as the first man He said it to?
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I try what I can, and I try to trust. It seems mortal sin is so easy, though, and so everywhere (add to that how entering an occasion of mortal sin can be a mortal sin even if one doesn't commit the sin or intend to, and the possibilities to go to Hell are endless - alright!).
ReplyDeleteI cannot find comfort, feel free, feel at peace. I have no idea how anyone does without being a total prude or a monk.
How did Christ live?
ReplyDeleteLive as He did.
He is the Supreme Example.
Women are well advised to follow the actions of the Holy Mother.
In following these examples, make sure you have love for God in your heart.
Christ told Saint Matilde it took all the actions of the Holy Trinity, for Christ to shed every drop of His blood in an attempt to get man to change his heart.
All God wants is our love.
Is that so much for Him to ask for?
Do not let Satan or Pride keep you from Heaven.
The Saints made it to Heaven; its their job to help us get there.
Ask a Saint for help.
"... I cannot find comfort, feel free, feel at peace. I have no idea how anyone does without being a total prude or a monk..."
Did you feel comfort in your Mother's arms when you were at her breasts? Was peace yours then?
What did you do to put an end to your peace?
God walked with Adam. He walked with Adam.
Adam walked in the ways of the Lord.
He was at peace.
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Mercury - it can be done - it takes a long time - but it can be done. You fall, you get up, you fall again, you get up. If you can't get up or don't want to get up, then ask for the grace to want to want to. That is the kind of confidence which draws the mercy and love of God most. It is the meaning of the psalm - deep calls unto deep. It is the Lord who 'frees our shoulder from the burden'. He permits repeated falls to help us know our weakness and to better show his mercy. Never give up.
ReplyDeleteIf anybody knows about suffering, Mr. Nelson, it would be you.
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God knows we are imperfect...we live in a world that is imperfect. A daily examination of conscience is good--I also make note of the GOOD I do in the job/vocation that God wants me to do. It is too easy to get caught up in the misery, which is what Satan wants us to do.
ReplyDeleteI take much comfort knowing that I have good earthly Prayer Warriors who pray for me, as well as saints, angels, and of course our Dear Blessed Mother. Also wonderful to know that Confession makes things all better.
My grandma made an arrangement with God that He would pick one person each day that needed prayers, and she would pray for this person all day, rosary, Adoration, you name it. She did that each day for more years then I can remember. I'm sure that when she got to Heaven she was greated by many folks thanking her for her prayers.
Mercury, I highly recommend Father Gaitley"s book "Consoling the Heart of Jesus"- you can get it on Amazon....his section on weaknesses, sinfulness and attachments is really good. He goes into the Divine Mercy message, St Therese's Little Way etc. Really helps if you have Jansenist tendencies.
ReplyDeleteGod bless you!
The problem is not so much that I keep falling into mortal sin and needing repentance - that'd be easy and clear for a change. It's that I work myself into agony withe every thought and action I do, and there is always some saint condemning as sinful something I find innocuous. Case in point: apparently Liguori said staring at one's own private parts was a grave sin!
ReplyDeleteAnd in all areas concerning chastity, where there is "no parvity of matter", it seems absolute rigor and scrupulous fear is the only way to go accordin to tradition. And anyone who says Catholic tradition is not prudish is simply not facing up to the writings of oh, every saint.
And if I get what I have been praying for, a restoration of my broken marriage - why there's no end to sexual matters I will have the chance to worry about. Did I touch my wife in the wrong place, at the wrong time, on the wrong way, with the wrong body part, etc. And the saints have much to say on it all.
No wonder people on Catholic Answers fret over questions like when it's okay to see their spouse naked, the minutiae on acts preparatory to the marriage act, whether it's okay to hold hands with a girl, whether it's a sin to wear a bathing suit / go to a beach, or a high school dance. There's enough tradition to condemn it all - oh and don't worry, if you decide to just not worry about and end up being wrong - mortal sin!
I'm not worried about whether God will forgive be if I repent, but rather I am scrupulously and utterly afraid of sinning, especially against chastity, to the point where it's a debilitating obsession, as anyone who I tire with these
comments would know.
Terry, sorry again for hijacking the combos or my pet scruples.
Sarah - that's a beautiful story about your grandma by the way. I bet something like that is not at all uncommon among the pious old ladies we always see in Church or in the adoration chapel.
ReplyDeleteI second the recommendation of Father Gaitley's book, "Consoling the Heart of Jesus."
ReplyDeleteI'd also recommend, if at all possible, finding a spiritual director and to have continual contact with him/her -- at least once a month if possible. It can be so good to voice what torments us and let others help us separate it out.
Mercury, I hear ya!
ReplyDeleteOne of the Church Fathers said: "All issues of Justice were settled with the cross of Jesus so that all that is left is the total complete and infinite mercy of God."
ReplyDelete(((Mercury)))
ReplyDeleteMercury, Let the bantering back and forth in your head go unanswered. Ignore the arguments and fall into Christ.
ReplyDeleteConfusion doesn't come from Christ, contemplate his love and mercy and try to let the rest go.. they're stumbling blocks to your perfection.
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My question - how do we win more souls for Christ and even if my own soul should tank?
A guess a good guide us that if the fear is overpowering, like a black cloud making it hard to breathe, it's not coming from Christ. I even know how true guilt for true mortal son feels, and that's not it.
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