"I Believe in Love" Day 18, Part Two----Great Desires, Humility, and Peace

[Dawn Marie]

Excerpts from the book “I believe in love”.

By Father Jean C.J. d’Elbee

 

DAY 18

PART TWO

GREAT DESIRES, HUMILITY, AND PEACE

 

“EVERYONE WHO EXALTS HIMSELF SHALL BE HUMBLED; AND HE WHO HUMBLES HIMSELF SHALL BE EXALTED.”

IF WE KNEW ALL WE GAIN BY HUMILIATIONS, WE WOULD THIRST FOR THEM.  BESIDES, NO ONE BUT DISCIPLES OF JESUS CAN BE HUMBLE.  THERE IS NO HUMILITY WITHOUT HIS GRACE.   IT DOES NOT EXIST IN THE WORLD BECAUSE IT IS TOO CONTRARY TO OUR NATURE, WOUNDED BY THE SIN OF PRIDE. 

 “FOR GOD RESISTS THE PROUD”----TERRIBLE WORDS!   BUT HE DELIVERS HIMSELF UP---HE GIVES HIMSELF TOTALLY TO THE HUMBLE AND THE SMALL.  HE SURRENDERS TO THEM.  NOT ONLY DOES HE NOT RESISTS THEM, BUT HE CANNOT REFUSE THEM ANYTHING, AS WAS THE CASE WITH THE WOMAN OF CANAAN.

 

HE PREFERS THE POOR, THE DISGRACED, THE DESTITUTE, AND THE NEEDY, BECAUSE THEY ARE GENERALLY MORE HUMBLE.  HE PREFERRED THE CURE DE ARS, THE LITTLE BERNADETTE, WHO SAID THAT IF THE HOLY VIRGIN HAD FOUND A CHILD AT LOURDES MORE POOR AND IGNORANT THAN SHE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THAT CHILD WHOM SHE WOULD HAVE CHOSEN.  THE SAME WAS TRUE AT LA SALETTE, AT PONTMAIN, AT FATIMA.   AS A SCHOOLBOY, ST. PIUS THE X WENT BAREFOOT FROM HIS HOME TO SCHOOL, HIS SHOES OVER HIS SHOULDER, IN ORDER NOT TO WEAR THEM OUT.

“I OFFER PRAISE TO YOU, FATHER, LORD OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, BECAUSE YOU HAVE HIDDEN THESE THINGS FROM THE WISE AND THE PRUDENT, AND HAVE REVEALED THEM TO THE LITTLE ONES.”  WE SENSE THAT THIS CRY OF JESUS COMES FROM THE VERY DEPTHS OF HIS HEART.

ST. LUKE TELLS US THAT IN PRONOUNCING THESE WORDS, “HE REJOICED IN THE HOLY SPIRIT.”  HE FORESAW AT THIS MOMENT THE ARMY OF LITTLE SOULS, THE MARVELOUS ARMY OF THE “VERY SMALL” CALLED TO RECONQUER THE WORLD FOR HIS HEART: “YOU HAVE REVEALED THEM TO THE LITTLE ONES.”

THE HUMBLE MAN REALIZES THAT HE DOES NOTHING GOOD IN THE SUPERNATURAL ORDER BY HIMSELF; THAT APPLAUSE IS BAD FOR HIM----IT SEEMS TO HIM THAT IT IS A SORT OF STEALING.  ALL GOOD COMES FROM THE BELOVED KING, AND EVIL FROM HIMSELF.  THIS IS JUSTICE AND TRUTH.  HE REALIZES IT WITH JOY AND PEACE.  WITH THE SAME SIMPLICITY, THINKING OF THE GRACES HE HAS RECEIVED, HE WILL SAY, FECIT MIHI MAGNA QUI POTENS EST: BY MYSELF I CAN DO NOTHING, BUT, “HE WHO IS ALL POWERFUL HAS DONE GREAT THINGS IN ME.”

“LET US REMAIN VERY REMOTE FROM ALL THAT GLITTERS,” WROTE LITTLE THERESE.  “LET US LOVE OUR LITTLENESS; LET US LOVE TO FEEL NOTHING.  THEN WE SHALL BE POOR IN SPIRIT, AND JESUS WILL COME SEEKING US, HOWEVER FAR AWAY WE ARE.  HE WILL TRANSFORM US INTO FLAMES OF LOVE!”

HUMILITY IS AN ABYSS WHICH ATTRACTS TORRENTS OF GRACES, WHICH ATTRACTS JESUS HIMSELF INTO A SOUL.  HE WAS NOT ABLE TO RESIST THE HUMILITY OF THE PRODIGAL SON, THE GOOD THIEF, OR THE WOMAN OF CANAAN.  THE VACUUM WHICH HUMILIATIONS MAKES IN US WHEN WE RECEIVE IT RIGHTLY IS AN EMPTINESS WHICH ATTRACTS HIM IRRESISTIBLY.  HE BENDS OVER THE SOUL WHO LOVES ITS LITTLENESS AND NOTHINGNESS; HE BENDS OVER IT WITH AN UNSPEAKABLE LOVE.

 

SO BE HUMBLE BEFORE GOD.  EVERYTHING IS A GIFT ON HIS PART----A GRATUITOUS GIFT.  EVEN AFTER THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ACTS OF GENEROSITY, YOU CAN SAY TRUTHFULLY, “I AM AN UNPROFITABLE SERVANT.”

[Dawn Marie]

SO BE HUMBLE BEFORE GOD.  EVERYTHING IS A GIFT ON HIS PART----A GRATUITOUS GIFT.  EVEN AFTER THE MOST BEAUTIFUL ACTS OF GENEROSITY, YOU CAN SAY TRUTHFULLY, “I AM AN UNPROFITABLE SERVANT.”

[Gloria]

Amen

[RosaMaria W. Arrojo]

Amen!!