One of the most difficult things about the faith is not simply desiring God with all of our heart, but allowing God and His desire for us to transform us and shape us. It means allowing Him to draw us into His own life and virtue. We are to become in the world what He is to us.
Therefore, we are immediately confronted with the fact that we have to let go of the limited powers of our own reason and judgment. We must place our faith and hope in the providence of God to guide us along the path that leads to salvation. Like Saint Peter there often comes a time in our life when another binds us and leads us where we do not want to go. There will likely be many occasions when we are called to die to self and sin and to live for God alone - come what may.!
The afflictions that we bear and our desire NOT to force our will upon others can only emerge from this reality. We must put on the mind of Christ. We must become what we receive in the holy Eucharist. All that we suffer must be seen as united to Christ’s redemptive work on the cross. Christianity is about as far from being a philosophical system or ideology as something could be. It is Divine Life and Love.
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Text of chat during the group:
00:01:48 FrDavid Abernethy: page 374
00:02:05 FrDavid Abernethy: Welcome Susanna
00:02:15 FrDavid Abernethy: Facebook friend :-0
00:02:33 Susanna Joy: Reacted to "Facebook friend :-0" with ☺️
00:02:49 Susanna Joy: Thank you, Father.
00:02:57 FrDavid Abernethy: You’re very welcome
00:41:30 John: Would making asceticism an end in itself a type of obeying the letter of
the law, rather than the spirit?
00:42:31 Susanna Joy: This is very helpful advice for me right niw, as I have been staying at my friend's spiritual community, and being so distressed at members' contentiousness...wondering what to do and stay cenetered/bring a spirit if peace
00:42:50 Susanna Joy: *spirit of peace
00:46:15 Susanna Joy: Yes...exactly. .. Love must return to its Source in order to flow ever onward...
Remembering to turn to Christ in these moments
00:49:02 TFredman: (My name is Tracey) The hardest Lent I ever had was when my spiritual director suggested a different type of fast - a fast from just what we are talking about. Taking his counsel to heart, I decided that a contentious coworker would not disturb my peace and I would love her - oh yes, she was my Lenten project. It was incredibly difficult. She did her best to destroy me and to talk about me to others and to in effect destroy our "team" during the most difficult season of our work. I suffered through that Lent and beyond more than I can express. But through it all, I was at peace and grace followed.
00:51:52 John: At a retreat in June, I was given a Holy Card with a prayer of St. Charles de Foucauld: An Act of Abandonment: "Father, I abandon myself into Your hands. Do with me what you will. Whatever You may do, I thank you. I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all Your creatures - I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into Your hands I commend my soul; I offer it to Thee with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into Your hands, without reserve, and with boundless confidence. For You are my Father. Amen.
00:52:43 carol nypaver: 🙏🏼
00:53:22 Alexandra K: Amen..
00:55:59 Anthony: I agree with the feeling of loss. There's an interesting verse in Sirach or Wisdom, I think, "Let not th eunuch say 'I am not fruitful.'" It's a verse pointing to Abraham 's hope in an impossibile situation.
00:57:09 Louise: A woman I know ask the Beloved to teach her unconditional love. After few months, her 30-year husband announced her that he was leaving for a younger woman. What an opportunity to react with unconditional love!
00:59:00 Louise: ''asked''
01:05:36 carol nypaver: Is it important to discern whether it is atonement for sin or a test?
01:10:01 John: These experiences of painful, crushing long-suffering remind me of what Cardinal Merry del Val prayed for in his Litany of Humility: http://catholictradition.org/Litanies/litany55.htm
01:10:36 Anthony: The Gospel insinuates some Jews called St Mary a very bad name. That must have been hard to bear.
01:12:16 Alexandra K: And during this past year of contentiousness i have been praying The cardinal s litany of humility. Watch out you ask for!
01:14:08 Sheila Applegate: Do we really want "thy will to be done" because does that not mean he wants us humbled..and like Him. We don't, mostly.
01:18:13 Sheila Applegate: Ouch.
01:18:25 maureencunningham: Thank You
01:19:01 Susanna Joy: Thank you, Father.🙏🏾
01:19:03 Lorraine Green: Thank you Father
01:19:03 John: Thank you, Father!
01:19:09 sue and mark: good night thank you
01:19:14 Alexandra K: Ty
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