Spiritual Journey

Featured image above: Die Steinigung des Heiligen Stephanus by Luigi Garzi, via Wikimedia Commons

Reflection 276: Seeing Without Accomplishing

Does God get angry with you when you do not accomplish a certain task for His glory? It depends. He may issue forth His holy wrath if the failure is on account of your sin. This wrath is an act of His Mercy calling you to repentance. But at other times your work and service of God may be hindered by things beyond your control. The Lord knows this and sees it. You may wonder at times why God does not “fix” this or that problem. You may wish you had it in your power to move someone to act when they appear to be a hindrance to your work of mercy. But this is not your concern. Your concern must be to do all that is in your power to accomplish the Will of God, leaving the rest to Him. God is pleased by your efforts, not by your successes. He does not measure the objective success; rather, He measures the subjective success. In fact, sometimes God allows many obstacles to arise as a way of purifying your work and sanctifying your soul through patience and deepening resolve. Do your duty and that will suffice for the work of Mercy our Lord has given you (See Diary #1374).

Think about that which you believe God has given you as a duty to perform. It may be some ordinary activity or it may be something that appears to be grander in nature. Reflect, also, upon apparent obstacles you encounter in fulfilling your duty. Try not to look at these “obstacles” as obstacles at all. Rather, see them as opportunities to deepen your resolve to fulfill the mission of Divine Mercy God has given to you.

Lord, help me to be faithful to You in all that I do. Help me to refrain from focusing on the results of my efforts and, instead, to offer my effort to You for Your glory. I know You are pleased by my total dedication to You, dear Lord. Help me to daily resolve to deepen that dedication so as to become a better instrument of Your Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

October is the month of the Holy Rosary

Featured image above: Christus im Hause der Martha by Georg Friedrich Stettner, via Wikimedia Commons

Reflection 275: The Glory of Humdrum Days

At first thought, “humdrum” and “glory” may not appear to go together unless they were used in contrast. But these two words are married together in the Mind of God. They are “married” in the sense that we are able to glorify God and obtain holiness through our day-to-day humdrum duties. Though this may not be immediately apparent, understanding this unlocks a door to the treasures of Heaven in countless ways. By discovering this deep spiritual truth you are able to offer every moment of every day to God and win His abundant Mercy through every action of your life. For example, even your breathing can become a source of the Mercy of God when you offer it to Him for His glory. If that doesn’t make immediate sense to you don’t dismiss it. Seek to offer and sanctify every action and you will begin to discover that every action of every day can become a source of the continual outpouring of the Mercy of God (See Diary #1373).

Try a simple exercise today. As you breath in, pray interiorly that the Will of God enters your soul, and as you breathe out, offer your own selfishness to God. Try to think about this as often as you can throughout the day. Pretty soon you will discover that you are glorifying God even through this most basic human act. Discovering this will help you realize that every act of your day, no matter how small, can become a source of the outpouring of the Mercy of God.

Lord, as I breathe in I invite Your perfect Will and Mercy into my life. And as I breathe out, I submit to Your Mercy all my sin and self-will. Jesus, please consume every act I do this day. May even the smallest act be done for You and for Your glory. Nothing is too small for You, dear Lord. May I discover Your abundant Mercy in all things throughout my day so that my life may become a continual offering to You and a constant instrument of Your Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

October is the month of the Holy Rosary

Featured image above: Monastery inhabited by Russian Orthodox nuns, via Wikimedia Commons

Reflection 274: Renewing Your Vows

It is a common practice for those who are married to renew their vows from time to time, especially on significant anniversaries. The renewal of vows and promises also takes place by priests and religious. This practice is a good and holy one in that we must constantly renew our total dedication to God in our vocation. But the renewal of vows and promises to God should go beyond our particular vocations and enter every universal vocation to holiness. Through Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion you have been given over to God for His service. You are His and He is yours and this mutual exchange of your hearts must be renewed daily. In fact, the reception of Holy Communion has this renewal as one of its goals. Not only do you receive our Lord into your soul in this precious gift, you also renew your total self-giving to God through its reception. As you daily renew your total commitment to our Lord, allow Him to consume every part of your life as if a blazing fire were consuming a log. Allow your renewal to consume your sin, weakness, sufferings and even joys. Let everything in your life be for the glory of God and the manifestation of His Divine Mercy (See Diary #1369).

Ponder today how often you renew your total commitment to our Lord and His holy Will. Reflect upon the image of a blazing fire consuming a log. See this as an image of what happens when you renew your love of God and your commitment to Him through your vocation to holiness. Hold nothing back, surrendering all each and every day. Let God consume you completely, transforming you into His Mercy.

Lord, I renew, today, the vows of my Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. I renew the total dedication of my life to You and surrender all for Your service. Receive me, Lord, and do with me as You will. I am Yours, Lord, given without reserve. Jesus, I trust in You.

Novena to St. Thérèse, the Little Flower
September 22-30

Featured image above: The Last Communion of Saint Jerome by Sandro Botticelli, via Wikimedia Commons

Reflection 273: No Earthly Ties, Only Love of God

The pinnacle of our relationship with God includes being stripped of every other earthly tie so that nothing holds us back from running toward God with great passion and purpose. We must be freed of every attachment in this life so that our one attachment is God and His holy Will. This does not mean we ought to neglect our love for others. This is especially true with family love. Love for those in your family must take on a special focus and become total and irrevocable. However, there is a difference between loving your family with a perfect love and being attached to them in an earthly way. In fact, holy detachment is necessary if you are to love with the Heart of Christ. Loving Jesus as your one desire in life will direct you to Him through others. You will love Christ in your family and in all aspects of your earthly vocation. But your love for all will be a love for Christ when you love Him with this perfect love. When this happens, every other attachment will be transformed into your love of God (See Diary #1365).

What do you love in this world? What is it that you are attached to? Think about your greatest earthly loves. Hopefully these loves include family members and others whom God has put in your life. Now examine those loves and ponder whether they are centered in Christ. By loving them are you actually loving God? Or do these earthly loves remain ends in themselves? Reflect upon the goal of making love of God the one and only focus of your life and try to discover how you love God in and through every other person and every aspect of your life.

My Lord, I love You and desire to love You above all else and in all else. May You become the one and only goal of my love. As I love You in all Your creatures may I be drawn closer to You and lavish Your perfect mercy upon their lives. Jesus, I trust in You.

Novena to St. Thérèse, the Little Flower
September 22-30

Featured image above: Christ’s Appearance to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection by Alexander Andreyevich Ivanov, via Wikimedia Commons

Reflection 272: The External Manifestation of the Heart

No one can see your heart except you and God. God is aware of every detail of your interior life to a perfect degree; you see the details of your interior life to an imperfect degree. Nonetheless, it is important to become increasingly aware of the reality of your inner life. See your soul as a hidden and secret world in which the Mercy of God resides. Allow the inner chambers of your heart to become consumed with the love of God. This holy and pure love of God must direct all things within you. And although others will not see that which takes place within you, they will see the good fruits that come forth from your life and these good fruits will become an exterior witness to the Mercy of God alive within you. Though the inner life is hidden, it must become manifest so that the secret workings of God will produce Mercy in a visible and radiant way (See Diary #1363).

Are you aware of the powerful work of God within your soul? Are you attentive to His merciful hand, leading you and guiding you within this secret sanctuary of your interior life? Fix your interior gaze upon the pure love of God and allow this hidden place to bring forth an abundance of good fruit. As the good fruit of your life is produced, allow it to be made manifest for the world to see and to be inspired and changed by the Mercy of God coming forth from you. Ponder today this direct connection between your interior and exterior and allow your heart to shine forth.

Lord, I love You with a burning love. Please continually purify my heart so that Your grace may become active and alive within my soul. As You work Your miracles of grace in my life, bring forth the good fruit of Mercy in my exterior actions so that Your works will become a public testimony to the pure love that is alive in my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

Novena to St. Thérèse, the Little Flower
September 22-30

Featured image above: Visión del Beato Alonso Rodríguez by Francisco de Zurbarán, via Wikimedia Commons

Reflection 271: Looking Past the Obstacles in Life

One very common tendency and temptation most people struggle with is to become fixated upon sufferings, humiliations and the false opinions of others. When we experience one or more of these burdens, we can be tempted to make them the central focus of our life. For example, if you are unjustly humiliated and others have an erroneous opinion of you, it can be exceptionally hard to keep this from dominating your thoughts. Similarly, whatever it is that causes you grief or suffering can easily become the focal point of your life. These tendencies must be overcome by a commitment to look beyond these obstacles and to gaze only on the Truth. What is the Truth? It’s that which is in the Mind of God. Nothing less, nothing more, nothing other. As you seek to look beyond the struggles of life and focus only on the Truth, you will discover God’s glorious Will. His Will always offers us hope, confidence and joy as we move forward in life (See Diary #1360).

What is it that dominates your attention? What is it that you are most aware of day after day? If you tend to let yourself become drawn into the confusions of life, work to change the focus of your attention. Instead, look only at the Will of God. His Will is glorious, inspiring, hopeful and renewing. Pay no attention to anything that is not contained within His Divine Will and the confusion, hurt and humiliation that you struggle with will slowly disappear as it is overwhelmed by the Mercy of God.

Lord, help me to remain focused on the Truth as it is seen by Your watchful eye and known by Your perfect Mind. Help me to discover Your Will as the only Truth that I must know and help me to embrace Your Will with my whole being. Jesus, I trust in You.

Novena to St. Thérèse, the Little Flower
September 22-30

Featured image above: The Death of Saint Peter Martyr by Bernardino da Asola, via Wikimedia Commons

Reflection 270: The Details of the Will of God

Are you willing to accept the Will of God in your life? If so, you must be open to all the details. God’s Will is not some grandiose generalization. Choosing His Will is not simply a matter of saying that you choose to follow Him with broad strokes. Rather, choosing His Will is saying “Yes” over and over to every little prompting and every inspiration that the Lord gives. It’s about building a habit of attentiveness to the small ways that God speaks to you. Mercy is also in the details since Mercy and the Will of God are one and the same. Being open to the Mercy of God means that you come to realize that God wants to enter into the most “insignificant” parts of your life. The truth is that nothing in your life is insignificant to our Lord. Therefore, you must realize that those parts that you perceive as insignificant are very dear to Him. His care and concern reaches far and wide and is offered at every moment to every detail that makes up the apparent complexity of your life. When you realize this, you will, in turn, want to seek the fine details of His holy Will. You will want to serve Him in every way possible and, in so doing, you will be living in His merciful Will (See Diary #1356).

Reflect today on the small things in your life. What is it that, at first thought, seems far from the Will of God? Knowing that every little detail of your life is important to our Lord and is always in His sight will give you a new perspective. As you reflect upon the small things that make up your life, turn them over to the Will of God and invite His Mercy into those details. Doing so will lead you down the path of true happiness.

Lord, I offer You, this day, every part of my life. Thank You for Your perfect love and concern. Help me to love You in the details, embracing Your perfect Will in all things. May I never tire of allowing Your Mercy to enter so as to produce the smallest acts of love. Jesus, I trust in You.

Novena to St. Thérèse, the Little Flower
September 22-30

Featured image above: Saint Christina giving her father’s idols of gold to the poor, via Wikimedia Commons

Reflection 269: A Twofold Gaze at Mercy and Misery

If you could pick two things to gaze at, what would they be? Ideally, the two greatest things to gaze at are the Mercy of God and your own misery. Most likely, it immediately makes sense that the Mercy of God would be one of the most important things to gaze at, but the wisdom of gazing at your own misery may not be immediately apparent. What we need to understand is that there is danger in seeing only one or the other. If you were to focus in on the Mercy of God without also seeing your misery, then you would not be in a position to invite that Mercy into the parts of your life that need it the most. And if you were to gaze at your misery without also seeing the Mercy of God, you would be led into despair. The Mercy of God is given so that every sin, hurt, confusion, struggle and the like will have a remedy. Our Lord longs to heal us and lift our burdens. Allow His Mercy to meet all that burdens you and His Mercy will achieve its end (See Diary #1345).

Try to take some time to quietly and reflectively gaze at both God’s Mercy and your own inner burdens. As you look at both, try to imagine them meeting within the sanctuary of your soul. Let the Mercy of God fuse with any misery you experience in life and, in that act, you will be allowing God to do what He longs to do.

Lord, please have Mercy on me and heal me. Help me to see the areas of my life that are in grave need of Your Mercy. As I see them, help me to also fix my eyes upon Your Sacred Heart from which Mercy and grace flow. In this gaze, may I discover Your unending compassion and love and so be healed of all that burdens me. Jesus, I trust in You.

Novena to St. Thérèse, the Little Flower
September 22-30

Featured image above: Frederick Arthur Bridgman – The Prayer, via flickr

Reflection 268: Pondering Death

Perhaps thinking about your death is frightening. It may not be something that you actually consider very often. But it is a grace to be able to look at one’s death directly and with full confidence. And this is only possible to do with full confidence if your life is in order and given completely to God. If you can honestly look into your soul and see that you have made holiness your ultimate goal, then you can also look directly at death with peace and calm. What is there to fear in that case? What is there to fear if you have dealt with the sin and regrets you have? There is nothing to fear in this case. Death, to the holy soul, is a reward and a journey to look forward to with delight and anticipation (See Diary #1343).

Try to do this simple exercise today of imagining this as being your last day on Earth. Perhaps you immediately think about family or other tasks that you need to complete first to prepare. Or perhaps you are filled with fear because you are aware of your sin. First, try to set aside the practical tasks that would be left unfinished and even try to set aside your concern for your family and friends. Though these are good and holy concerns, it is helpful to look at death only in regard to the condition of your soul. If you were to die today, would you be able to look at the merciful Heart of our Lord and tell Him, honestly, that you die with Him as your greatest love? Could you say to Him that His Will is your primary goal in life? If not, reflect upon any obstacle you see and use this meditation to take an honest inventory of your life.

Lord, I know that Heaven must be my goal and my focus in life. Help me to put my eyes upon You and all that awaits. Help me to also look honestly at the condition of my soul and to identify any obstacle in the way of my holiness. I love You, dear Lord, help me to make You the central focus of my life. Jesus, I trust in You.

Novena to St. Thérèse, the Little Flower
September 22-30