Of your own power...

Aquinas suggests that the angels fell because they would only accept heaven if they could get it of their own power. They did not want eternal bliss if they could only receive it as a gift from the hands of Infant in the manger.

And you, little soul? Will you accept heaven even if you cannot get there of your own power?

Hatred of sin

We hate that which offends our loved ones. Therefore it is because we love our Lord that we hate sin.

Do you hate sin or fear sin? If you fear sin, it reveals that you fear God and do not believe He is Mercy and Love.

Take this time of Advent to see our Lord in Mary's womb; how approachable He is! During this time He has twice veiled His majesty with human flesh, that of Christ and that of Mary. Come to see that sin's repulsiveness is because of the pain it causes His heart, not the pain it causes your pride.

Fall to our knees

It is in falling to our knees that we look up. It is from here that we learn hope in Him, for we can see Him as He really is: an Embryo in Mary's womb, an Infant in a manger. Only one who is humble can embrace a God who has become a child, conceived as a single cell in His Mother's womb.

Marriage, death and Advent

Many people see marriage only as a loss of your singleton life. But in marriage you do not leave your life behind, for then you would have nothing to give your spouse! Rather, marriage is a journey towards the other for life.

Likewise, death for a Christian is not leaving something, but rather going towards someOne.

Let us approach this time of Advent in the same way; prepare not by lamenting the loss of material things, but rather by rejoicing at the advent of the Birth of our Lord.

Do not seek the living among the dead

Child, you must not seek the living among the dead. Those who have turned to Christ and been redeemed are fully your brothers and sisters in Christ. You must forgive as well; you must not remember their sins, for Christ Himself has given them new life.

Made in God's image

Truly we are made in God's image! For the union of man and wife is an image of God as an eternal exchange of love... and it is through this embrace that we are created!

The little plant

My Jesus, you have placed my little soul just so -

Just where it can receive the right Sonlight,

Where it can be protected from the foxes and crows.

I love You with all of me,

And with that love I will grow

And stretch

out my leaves to the Son,

And soak You up,

That I may blossom and bear your fruit.

Importance of Hope

"He paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them." -- Acts 3:5

The crippled man had hope. He believed he would gain from Peter and John, though he did not know it would be as great as his healing. So we must believe when we turn to face God in prayer.

Your locked heart

You have locked your heart out of fear. Ask Jesus to enter, just as He entered the room where His disciples had locked themselves out of fear after the crucifixion. No matter how you have barred the door, He can and will enter and give you His peace.

Mary's face

What comfort Mary's face was to the disciples after the Ascension; for it was from her that Jesus gained His humanity. To see in her face, His face... what joy and peace would enter their hearts!

Faith and Marriage

Your faith has weakened. Perhaps then, you would do well to remember that Jesus is your Bridegroom, and that marriage is forever. Love is not for convenience or pleasure; it is a commitment. The love of marriage is that which has chosen its beloved for life. The love of Faith is that which has chosen its Beloved for eternity.

In the dry spells and struggles, realize that it is in the forever factor that you will find the peace and relief that you seek-- not in changing or leaving! What beauty and fulfillment and peace comes from the certainty of forever!

Forever Factor

While the forever factor is often what instills fear in the hearts of those contemplating marriage, it is that very factor that brings peace and calm to those who are married. Finally, there is one thing in life that is with absolute certainty: you are to love your husband with everything you are, and he will love you with everything he is, and nothing can separate you. The odd annoying quirks, the faults, the moods... all of these temporary things fade in the perspective of the forever factor.

Obedience

Obedience sets aside the holy from the unholy, the saints from sinners.

"Satan can even clothe himself in a cloak of humility, but he does not know how to wear the cloak of obedience." Diaries of St. Faustina, p.365

Numbness is not holiness

Numbness is not holiness. If you feel emotions that stem from selfishness or faults, do not simply cut yourself off from them and become numb. Rather, choose to act in a holy fashion, even against your feelings, and allow those choices and actions to change your emotions. Ask God to convert the energy to something holy.

If you cut yourself off from your heart, you have cut yourself off from the inner cell where Jesus dwells.

Criticism

You must take all criticism to prayer -- especially when it is given poorly! Ask the Lord to show you what of it is Truth. It may have been unfair but likely it was not unfounded.

God's Love

In the end, all questions, struggles and doubts are swallowed in His Love for us. We love to think that in the end we will know everything. Perhaps instead we will finally know without a doubt that everything is nothing in the face of Love.

How unsatisfying for the prideful mind, even as it fills the soul with peace!

Prayer of trust

Make your prayer an act of trust. Do not require that God speak to your consciousness but only to your heart. Let Him bypass the weaknesses and limits of your mind and go straight to your heart. There, He can do much without your ever knowing. In fact, perhaps He will accomplish more, since He can sanctify you without giving rise to pride!