"I Believe in Love" DAY 6 Part One---Unshakable Confidence

[Dawn Marie]

Excerpts from the book “I believe in love”.

By Father Jean C.J. d’Elbee

 

 

DAY 6

PART ONE

UNSHAKABLE CONFIDENCE

 

ST PAUL WROTE TO TIMOTHY:

 

I GIVE HIM THANKS WHO HAS STRENGTHENED ME, EVEN TO CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD, FOR THAT HE HAS COUNTED ME FAITHFUL, PUTTING ME IN THE MINISTRY, WHO BEFORE WAS COUNTED A BLASPHEMER AND A PERSECUTOR AND CONTUMELIOUS.  BUT I OBTAINED THE MERCY OF GOD BECAUSE I DID IT IGNORANTLY, IN UNBELIEF.  NOW THE GRACE OF OUR LORD HAS ABOUNDED EXCEEDINGLY WITH FAITH AND LOVE, WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS.

 

 

MARVELOUS ST PAUL, VESSEL OF ELECTION!  HOW HE KNEW THE MERCY AND LOVE OF THE BELOVED!  HE WAS SHOWERED WITH FAVORS TO SERVE AS AN EXAMPLE FOR US IN THE WAY OF CONFIDENCE WITHOUT LIMIT IN THE DIVINE MERCY.

 

“AS FOR ME” DECLARED ST. CLAUDE DE LA COLUMBIER, “I GLORIFY YOU IN MAKING KNOWN HOW GOOD YOU ARE TOWARD SINNERS, AND THAT YOUR MERCY PREVAILS OVER ALL MALICE, THAT NOTHING CAN DESTROY IT, THAT NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES OR HOW SHAMEFULLY WE FALL, OR HOW CRIMINALLY, A SINNER NEED NOT BE DRIVEN TO DESPAIR OF YOUR PARDON…IT IS IN VAIN, THAT YOUR ENEMY AND MINE SETS NEW TRAPS FOR ME EVERYDAY.  HE WILL MAKE ME LOSE EVERYTHING ELSE BEFORE THE HOPE THAT I HAVE IN YOUR MERCY”.

 

AND HERE ARE THE EXPRESSIONS OF A LITTLE KNOWN ASPECT OF THE HOLY CURE OF ARS, ST. JOHN VIANNEY, SPEAKING OF MERCY:

 

“GOD’S GREATEST PLEASURE IS TO PARDON US”.     “THE GOOD LORD IS MORE EAGER TO PARDON A REPENTANT SINNER THAN  A MOTHER TO RESCUE HER CHILD FROM THE FIRE”    “GOD AT THE MOMENT OF ABSOLUTION, THROWS OUR SINS OVER HIS SHOULDER.  HE FORGETS THEM; HE ANNIHILATES THEM; THEY SHALL NEVER REAPPEAR.”

SEE HOW THE SAINTS FOLLOW THEIR THOUGHTS TO ITS FINAL CONCLUSION.

ONE REPROACH SOMETIMES MADE TO THIS SPIRITUALITY OF CONFIDENT LOVE IS THAT IT WOULD ENTAIL THE DANGER OF PRESUMPTION AND OF LETTING OURSELVES GO.  YOU SHALL SEE WHEN I TALK TO YOU ABOUT ABANDONMENT AND OBEDIENCE, HOW ABANDONMENT AND OBEDIENCE DO AWAY WITH THIS DANGER.  I THINK ON THE CONTRARY THERE IS A DOUBLE DANGER IN THE METHOD, WHICH DIMINISHES THE ROLE OF CONFIDENCE AND STRESSES THE ROLE OF PERSONAL EFFORT, SUBJECTED TO NUMEROUS SELF-EXAMINATIONS. 

BESIDES IF WE LIVE THIS WAY, UNITED TO JESUS BY THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES, HE HIMSELF GUARDS OUR FIDELITY AND OUR GENEROSITY.

CARDINAL BOURNE SAID “ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS, LEFT MATHEMATICS OUT OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE, AND GAVE THE HOLY GHOST THE ROLE OFTEN USURPED BY DIRECTORS OF CONSCIENCE”. 

 

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING STRANGE: EVEN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SOULS, WHO BURN TO BE IN THE HEART OF JESUS, DO NOT WANT TO BELIEVE THAT CONFIDENCE IS THE KEY WHICH WILL OPEN THE DOOR FOR THEM, BECAUSE THIS DOOR IS A WOUND MADE BY LOVE.  THEY LOOK FOR OTHER WAYS, AS IF THIS WAY WAS TOO BEAUTIFUL TO BE RELIABLE.

 

SO WHAT THEN? HE CALLS ME JUST AS I AM? I CAN GO TO HIM WITH ALL MY MISERIES?  WITH ALL MY WEAKNESSES?   HE WILL REPAIR WHAT I HAVE DONE BADLY?  HE WILL SUPPLY FOR ALL MY INDIGENCE?

 

YES!  PROVIDED THAT YOU GO TO HIM, THAT YOU COUNT ON HIM, THAT YOU EXPECT EVERYTHING OF HIM.

A BEAUTIFUL PRAYER TO POUR FORTH FROM YOUR HEART THROUGHOUT THE DAY IS  “ JESUS, REPAIR FOR WHAT I HAVE DONE BADLY, SUPPLY FOR WHAT I HAVE LEFT UNDONE”.

AND I AM VERY SURE----OH YES INDEED!----THAT HE WILL NEVER SAY TO ME, “YOU HOPED TOO MUCH OF ME”.

DID NOT JESUS SAY, “ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER YOU ASK WHEN YOU PRAY, BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEM, AND THEY SHALL COME UNTO YOU”.

YOU SEE HOW FAR HE WANTS TO PUSH OUR CONFIDENCE: “BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED IT”.

 

 

[Kate Jackson]

 “GOD AT THE MOMENT OF ABSOLUTION, THROWS OUR SINS OVER HIS SHOULDER.  HE FORGETS THEM; HE ANNIHILATES THEM; THEY SHALL NEVER REAPPEAR.”

“ JESUS, REPAIR FOR WHAT I HAVE DONE BADLY, SUPPLY FOR WHAT I HAVE LEFT UNDONE”.

[Michael]

Amen.

[Gloria]

“ JESUS, REPAIR FOR WHAT I HAVE DONE BADLY, SUPPLY FOR WHAT I HAVE LEFT UNDONE”

[Cathleen]

+Amen+

[Alan]

Amen

[Dawn Marie]

AND I AM VERY SURE----OH YES INDEED!----THAT HE WILL NEVER SAY TO ME, “YOU HOPED TOO MUCH OF ME”.

DID NOT JESUS SAY, “ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER YOU ASK WHEN YOU PRAY, BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED THEM, AND THEY SHALL COME UNTO YOU”.

YOU SEE HOW FAR HE WANTS TO PUSH OUR CONFIDENCE: “BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED IT”.