Monday, December 04, 2017

'But I have no obligation whatsoever. Moreover, our only duty is to become united to God.'



Considerations from the saints ...

Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
and those who find fault shall receive instruction. - Isaiah 29:24

'We should not be concerned about such matters at all. It is true that I would be of your opinion and act perhaps in the same way had I any responsibility in the matter. But I have no obligation whatsoever. Moreover, our only duty is to become united to God. Even if we were members of those communities which are being publicly criticized for their defections, we would be greatly at fault in becoming disquieted on that account.'" - "My Sister, St. Therese" - Sr. Genevieve of the Holy Face

Therese to Celine: "You have no responsibility in the guidance of souls, so to set about instructing others, even when truth is on your side, is exposing yourself to danger unnecessarily. You are not called to be a Justice of the Peace. This right belongs to God alone." - My Sister St. Therese, by Genevieve of the Holy Face

“Do not ask God to save such and such a person, or to help this one or that, but ask him that you may love him, and that his will may be done. You must talk with him familiarly, and explain to him that you want to love him well, but that you can’t do it, that many things seem obscure and illogical to you, and that you would like to understand them a little better … and do not hesitate, all day long, to invoke heaven.” - Jacques Fesch

"I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than to work a miracle in unkindness," Mother Teresa wrote to her sisters. This was a principle she herself followed. It was precisely this attitude of being kindly disposed that led her to look at others' actions in a favorable light, to give them the benefit of the doubt or to overlook a mistake. This kindness made her approachable and sought after even by people whose opinions were opposed to hers. Such kindness that communicates love was what she demanded of her sisters: "Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting. In the slums we are the light of God's kindness to the poor." - St. Teresa of Calcutta, Source
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5 comments:

  1. wallacehamilton2:17 PM

    So, in other words, our responsibility for our salvation is our own. I do like though to pray for others and for souls gone but not yet in heaven. I do not feel compelled however to make others believe as I do.

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    1. Terry Nelson2:33 PM

      Praying for the conversion of sinners and for others most in need of mercy is OL's request always. So yeah we pray for others but can't lose our peace over what we have no control over. You know what I'm saying.

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    2. Terry Nelson2:55 PM

      Oh, you maybe misunderstood what Jacques wrote, the part of the quote I wanted to emphasize is this:

      “... ask him (God) that you may love him, and that his will may be done. You must talk with him familiarly, and explain to him that you want to love him well, but that you can’t do it, that many things seem obscure and illogical to you, and that you would like to understand them a little better … and do not hesitate, all day long, to invoke heaven.”

      That's essentially how I pray, I tell the Sacred Heart everything, good and bad, and surrender myself to him confident he takes care of everything. Then I have that deep joy, knowing he will indeed take care of what I don't understand or the things that make me sad. This is what St. Therese and the others taught. I'm not a priest responsible for the direction of souls, but if I were, I would follow the same advice. I would teach according to what the Church has always taught, and if someone seemed upset about the Pope or Catholic teaching and said the Pope said this or that in error, I would tell them that he did not. I would tell them Catholic teaching doesn't change. I would tell them to pray - and pray for the Pope especially. I would instruct them to have confidence that all things work out well for those who love God. That's the little way of confidence and love. If a priest asks, 'but what am I to teach?' beacause people are telling him otherwise, I would say he needs to teach what he has been taught. No one is asking Catholics to believe in anything else. No one except for the evil one. It is especially absurd to think or believe that the Pope is doing that.

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  2. Angela M.12:47 AM

    That's one of the great things about being consecrated to Mary - you trust her to sort out your needs and requests.

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    1. Terry Nelson10:44 AM

      Yes! I also find the devotion of Undoer of Knots to be especially efficacious in total surrender. These prayers are the means to complete abandonment. The surrender prayer to Jesus and the Knots prayer. You of course remember Betsy Ten Boom in the camp - she had this prayer in her heart.

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