I especially love this avout the Holy Spirit that he has such a good sense of humour and is such a joker, a God of surprises . We are like people who constantly build houses of cards in our spiritual life The Holy Spirit loved to laugh at us and knock our houses of cards down all round us
I was at Mass yesterday in the little cey Chapel hidden away in the back when I went into ecstasy at Communion. This hasn't happened in many, many years . I have no idea why it happened now . I certainly did not , 'Earn', it in anyway. This teaches me humility. The Holy Spirit blows were He wills. He just totally suits Himself. He loves to laugh at us, teaching us to laugh at ourselves.
All material joys are insignificant compared to the Spiritual But St John of the Cross was right when he placed such phenomenon as not to be too highly esteemed. These are but sparks from the fire of love. It is the fire itself that us the real deal For God is love and at the eve ING of life we will be judged on love
This is such a wonderful thread! It makes me think of throughout all history, God does not pick /call holy people. In fact, almost the opposite- he calls the ones we would never think would be. Even starting in OT, he chose Abraham who did many dumb things but God worked through him and eventually he became holy. The same with Moses and David. And then, of course, you have the Apostles with the like of Peter and Thomas. And, St. Paul also comes to mind. It all gives me such hope to know God does not first demand holiness and perfection before he calls us. No, he calls us while we are still sinners and through his love and Holy Spirit we become born again and at least start on the path to holiness. God is good.!
A soul can only walk towards God in direct proportion of its humility. The reason this is so is because pride would cause the soul to steal God's glory to one's. In other words without the depths of a good foundation of humility the Holy Spirit would be constructing a false building based on pride . In order for pride to be suppressed the grape of the soul needs to be crushed. A good example of this are Marian visionaries such as St Bernadette and St Catherine Laboure. Both illiterate and bottom of the heap, crushed grapes A good example of the opposite was St Bernadette's Novice Mistress who could ever understand why Mary had chosen Bernadette, rather than herself . People often complain about misfortunes I life They do not understand that this is how God crushes the grapes to bring forth the wine of holiness .
Jesus could just as well have been born a Prince, the son of a Great King , instead of the son of a poor Carpenter . But He chose Narareth to remind us that the path to God is rooted in littleness
St Phillip Neri said that, 'My pride will die half an hour after I do'. Pride is always, always with us . The path to God is the path of death of pride Of, like little grapes, constantly being crushed ...of the Cross ....and so the very things we most complain about are the very things we should thank God most for. Which is why for instance in old age we become weak and frail, with pains and ills and becoming least of the least. The grapes being crushed to make the wine if heaven.
People grumbling is a sure sign of pride . We rea kon we have got things coming to us when we haven't
I like to think of the Holy Spirit as a good parent who spots his 4 year child building a cubby house out of poisonous wood and stinging nettles, and then races over to rescue the child, by destroying the carefully but ignorantly built construction. Then smiling with love, at the upset child, says....I know you tried hard to build this, but it is dangerous and will cause you pain if you play in it. "May I help you build your next cubby house? " If the child refuses help from dad and stubbornly rebuilds a cubby house , this time out of entangled spiders in a web around hibernating snakes. I think dad would then knock the house over, kill the poisonous snakes and spiders and possibly take time for a good laugh, with an ever increasing focused eye on young Johnny's, cubby house building enterprise. I believe it would depend on how many times young Johnny pridefully defied dad's help before dad resorted to laughing at Johnny's attempts. At least I hope so. For there go I, with my own cubby house (spiritual life), building endeavours! Even now as I allow Dad to help me with this endeavour, I still like to take control, which then causes major flaws to the foundation of my newly built cubby house (spiritual life). The good thing is.....I think I laugh more at my failure than Dad does.
o lord can I grumble!… ask my dear wife about it. . I know my pride is my downfall… working on it or should I say God is working on it. And yes, those challenges that come my way are a huge help and grace from God. At Mass last night a older Italian lady who was a shepherd in her younger days spoke about sheep as it tied into Gospel. She said that sheep are not dumb as people always they think. She said they are actually meek…. So much so they only listen to their own shepherd. They will not follow any other voices… only the voice of their shepherd! I thought how many other “shepherd voices” do I listen in my life rather than by one True Shepherd? I can listen to the voices in this world because of my pride. Like a sheep, if I become meek and humble, I will recognize my Good Shepherd voice.
Apparently, according to Zt Alphonsus Ligouri, a Doctor of the Church and our Premier teacher of moral theology, there may be a time when God gets tired of a person spitting in His face and He kinda says I've had it and pac ks them off to hell. I think this is true and bears remembering.
I will post a link when I get back home. He wasn't the only Saint who said this...that you can try God's patience too far .
God is not a pussy cat. We can't take Him on our knees and pet Him. If it suits Him, He'll be more like a Roaring Lion We've forgotten all about that
2 Thessalonians 2 King James Version 1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle. 16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, 17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
this biblical passage leaves me doubtful if those who rejected God until the beginning of the reign of the antichrist will have a chance to resist his mistake.
I love St James like crazy. No wonder Martin Luther hated him St James did not approve of Spiritual Freeloaders like Father Luther.
