"I Believe in Love" Day 17 Part One----Great Desires, Humility, and Peace

[Dawn Marie]

Excerpts from the book “I believe in love”.

By Father Jean C.J. d’Elbee

 

DAY 17

PART ONE

GREAT DESIRES, HUMILITY, AND PEACE

 

IN ORDER TO GIVE JESUS LOVE FOR LOVE, WE MUST BE SOULS OF DESIRE.  NOTHING GREAT EVER COMES ABOUT WITHOUT GREAT DESIRES.  THEY ARE THE MAINSPRING, THE DRIVING FORCE.  WE MUST DESIRE TO BE NOT ONLY GOOD, BUT HOLY.  PERHAPS YOU WILL NOT KNOW HOW TO EXPRESS THESE DESIRES WITH ARDOR; THE ESSENTIAL THING, HOWEVER, IS THAT YOU BE FILLED WITH THEM.

 

OBSERVE HOW IN THINGS OF THIS WORLD, THINGS OF EARTH, DESIRES LIE BEHIND GREAT SUCCESS.  A BUSINESS MAN WHO WANTS TO MAKE MONEY MAKES HIS PLANS AND PREPARES HIS PUBLICITY IN ORDER TO EARN MORE.  A PAINTER WHO WANTS TO SUCCEED AT THE EXHIBITION COMES BACK TO HIS PAINTING AND RETOUCHES IT AGAIN AND AGAIN.  I KNEW A VERY GREAT ORGANIST WHO, WHEN HE WAS PREPARING FOR THE CONSERVATORY COMPETITION, SPENT ENTIRE NIGHTS AT HIS PEDAL BOARD.  IN THE MORNING, HE COULDN’T EVEN WALK OVER TO HIS BED!

 

WHAT WILL MEN DO TO GAIN PUBLIC RECOGNITION?  HOW MANY STEPS---AND SOMETIMES, HOW MANY COMPROMISES?   YET, ALL THAT IS FOR TEMPORARY FORTUNE, A FLEETING ENJOYMENT, FOR THE GLORY OF A MOMENT, A PUFF OF SMOKE.

 

AND YOU, CALLED TO PARTAKE IN THE INTIMATE LIFE OF THE HOLY TRINITY, TO KNOW GOD, TO LOVE HIM---HOW SAD IT WOULD BE IF YOU WERE TO CREEP ALONG IN INDIFFERENCE!  ROUTINE, TERRIBLE ROUTINE, IS THE DAUGHTER OF APATHY.  IN ORDER TO RISE OUT OF MEDIOCRITY AND LUKEWARMNESS, RENEW YOUR DESIRES.

 

“IF ANYONE THIRSTS, I WILL GIVE THE FOUNTAIN OF THE WATER OF LIFE, FREELY.”  TELL JESUS THAT YOU THIRST---THAT YOU THIRST FOR HIM!  THE GREAT COMMANDMENT, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL THY HEART, WITH ALL THY WHOLE SOUL, WITH ALL THY STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL THY MIND,” IS NOT RESERVED TO TRAPPISTS OR CARMELITES.  IT IS FOR EVERYONE.

 

HERE AGAIN, IT IS OUR LORD WHO GAVE US THE EXAMPLE.  HE HIMSELF, FIRST OF ALL, WAS THE MAN OF DESIRES.

“WITH DESIRE I HAVE DESIRED TO EAT THIS PASCH WITH YOU BEFORE I SUFFER.”  SITIO:  “I THIRST” FOR YOUR SOULS, I THIRST FOR YOUR HEARTS, I THIRST FOR YOUR SANCTIFICATION.  YOU WHOM I HAVE FILLED, QUENCH MY THIRST FOR LOVE BY YOUR THIRST TO LOVE ME.  “I HAVE COME TO CAST FIRE ON THE EARTH.  AND WHAT WILL I, BUT THAT IT BE KINDLED?”

 

LET YOUR DESIRE TO LOVE HIM, TO BE ONE WITH HIM,BE THE RESPONSE TO HIS OWN DESIRE TO BE YOURS.

THE SAINTS WHO HAVE RISEN VERY HIGH IN HEAVEN ARRIVED THERE ON WINGS OF GREAT DESIRES.  ST. MARY MAGDALEN DEI PAZZI HAD A VISION ONE DAY OF THE GLORY OF ST. LOUIS GONZAGA.  SHE WAS ASTONISHED: “HOW DID THIS YOUTH RISE SO HIGH AMONG THE SERAPHIM?”  IT WAS REVEALED TO HER THAT HE HAD ATTAINED THIS GLORY BECAUSE, DURING HIS SHORT LIFE, HE WAS CONSUMED WITH THE DESIRE TO LOVE GOD AND TO BE A SAINT.

I MUST ADD THAT THE DESIRE TO LOVE IS ALREADY TO LOVE.  A GREAT DESIRE TO LOVE IS ALREADY A GREAT LOVE.  IN THE SAME WAY THAT JESUS SAID TO ST. AUGUSTINE, “YOU WOULD NOT SEEK ME IF YOU HAD NOT ALREADY FOUND ME.”

 

HE WILL SAY TO YOU, “YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THIS GREAT DESIRE TO LOVE ME IF YOU DID NOT LOVE ME ALREADY.”  HE CANNOT FAIL TO FULFILL, BEYOND EVEN OUR GREATEST HOPES, A DESIRE THAT HE HIMSELF HAS INSPIRED.

[MARIA ESTHER DE VALLE]

Amen

[AnnaMaria]

AMEN

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

"YOU WOULD NOT HAVE THIS GREAT DESIRE TO LOVE ME IF YOU DID NOT LOVE ME ALREADY.” 

Amen.

[bernadette szczepkowski]

Amen+

[William N Conti]

Amen.

[AURA CID L F FERREIRA DE BRITTO]

A GREAT DESIRE TO LOVE IS ALREADY A GREAT LOVE.

IN ORDER TO GIVE JESUS LOVE FOR LOVE, WE MUST BE SOULS OF DESIRE.

NOTHING GREAT EVER COMES ABOUT WITHOUT GREAT DESIRES.

GOD CANNOT FAIL TO FULFILL, BEYOND EVEN OUR GREATEST HOPES,

A DESIRE THAT HE HIMSELF HAS INSPIRED.

†Amen†

[Michael]

Amen.

[Alley]

Blessed Mother Mary, please replace my sinful, weak and lukewarm heart with Thy

Pure, Immaculate and Sorrowful Heart!

My Lord, I give Thee Thy Mother's Love! 

[Gloria]

THE DESIRE TO LOVE GOD AND TO BE A SAINT.

[bernadette szczepkowski]

My Jesus, let me love You more and more.