" I BELIEVE IN LOVE" DAY 4 Part Two----Humble Confidence

[Dawn Marie]

Excerpts from the book “I believe in love”.

By Father Jean C.J. d’Elbee

DAY 4

PART TWO

HUMBLE CONFIDENCE

 

WE HAVE BEEN TRAINED IN THE HABIT OF LOOKING AT OUR DARK SIDE, OUR UGLINESS, AND NOT AT THE PURIFYING SUN, LIGHT OF LIGHT, WHICH HE IS, WHO CHANGES THE DUST THAT WE ARE INTO PURE GOLD. 

I AM NOT TELLING YOU, “YOU BELIEVE TOO MUCH IN YOUR OW WRETCHEDNESS”.   WE ARE MUCH MORE WRETCHED THAN WE EVEN REALIZE.  BUT I AM TELLING YOU, “YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ENOUGH IN MERCIFUL LOVE”.

 

WE MUST HAVE CONFIDENCE, NOT IN SPITE OF OUR MISERIES, BUT BECAUSE OF THEM, SINCE IT IS MISERY WHICH ATTRACTS MERCY.

OH THIS WORD, MERCY---MISERICORDIA---“MISERIS COR DARE”, A HEART WHICH GIVES ITSELF TO THE MISERABLE, A HEART WHICH NOURISHES ITSELF ON MISERIES BY CONSUMING THEM.  MEDITATE ON THIS WORD.

 

ST. THOMAS SAYS THAT “TO HAVE MERCY BELONGS TO THE NATURE OF GOD, AND IT IS IN THIS THAT HIS OMNIPOTENCE MANIFESTS ITSELF IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE”.

 

LITTLE THERESE PERCEIVED THIS WHEN SHE WROTE THESE LINES WHICH COMPLETE AND CROWN HER MANUSCRIPT:

“YES, I SENSE THAT EVEN IF I HAD ON MY CONSCIENCE ALL THE SINS WHICH CAN BE COMMITTED, I WOULD GO, MY HEART BROKEN, TO REPENT AND THROW MYSELF INTO THE ARMS OF JESUS, FOR I KNOW HOW MUCH HE CHERISHES THE PRODIGAL CHILD WHO RETURNS TO HIM.

IT IS NOT BECAUSE THE DEAR LORD, IN HIS PROVIDENT MERCY HAS PRESERVED MY SOUL FROM MORTAL SIN THAT I AM LIFTED UP TO HIM BY CONFIDENCE AND LOVE”

 

WHEN I HAVE PREACHED THIS DOCTRINE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE MIDST OF OUR MISERY, TAKING MY SUPPORT FROM LITTLE THERESE, I HAVE OFTEN, VERY OFTEN, MET WITH THIS OBJECTION:

 

“YES, SHE WAS MARVELOUSLY CONFIDENT, BUT SHE COULD SAY THAT ‘FROM THE AGE OF 3 SHE HAD NEVER REFUSED GOD ANYTHING’.  IF I, TOO, COULD CLAIM NEVER TO HAVE REFUSED JESUS ANYTHING SINCE MY CHILDHOOD, IT WOULD BE EASY FOR ME TO BE CONFIDENT AS SHE WAS.”

 

BUT SHE FORESAW IT AND ANSWERS IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF HER GREAT LETTER TO SISTER MARIE OF THE SACRED HEART, A FUNDAMENTAL MONUMENT OF HER DOCTRINE.

IT IS LIKE A WILL:

 

“OH, JESUS, HOW MUCH I COULD SAY TO ALL LITTLE SOULS ABOUT HOW INEFFABLE YOUR CONDESCENSION IS….I FEEL THAT IF (THOUGH THIS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE) YOU WERE TO FIND A SOUL MORE WEAK AND LITTLE THAN MINE, YOU WOULD BE PLEASED TO SHOWER UPON IT EVEN GREATER FAVORS, IF IT ABANDONED ITSELF TO YOU WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR INFINITE MERCY”.

 

 

 

[Alan]

Amen

[Nicola Wansink]

Amen.

[AnnaMaria]

AMEN

[Dawn Marie]

ST. THOMAS SAYS THAT “TO HAVE MERCY BELONGS TO THE NATURE OF GOD, AND IT IS IN THIS THAT HIS OMNIPOTENCE MANIFESTS ITSELF IN THE HIGHEST DEGREE”.

[Flavia Talladen Schott]

Amen. 

[bernadette szczepkowski]

Amen+

[Alley]

With love +

[Michael]

Amen.

[MARIA ESTHER DE VALLE]

Amen

[Kate Jackson]

Through the prayers of these crusaders, Lord help me to love those who persecute and calumniate me. Amen.