It is not without effect what we choose to do with our lives. How we choose to interpret and live out the events of our life will also have effect. We often want to attribute to "the human spirit" such qualities as grit, resolve, and courage in the face of suffering and overwhelming odds only in a "human" way, ignoring the "spirit" part of the phrase. For us believers though, the emphasis is not on human but on spirit. We believe that we are led by the Holy Spirit to do Godly things, to do His will, and as Jesus shows us, that is what makes us truly human. Catherine was a mystic, a stigmatic, and beset with visions of Christ's suffering and death but it is the will of God that punctuates all her sufferings and belief. By being led by the Spirit to do God's will we perfect ourselves and those around us. This is the spirit by which humans in-spire (yes I did that) others. If, then, my daughter, you would be the true spouses of Jesus, you must do His holy will in all things; and you will do this if you entirely give up your own will on every occasion, and if you love the divine Spouse with your whole heart, your whole soul, and your whole strength. Then, you must carefully attend to the following points (but it is necessary to weigh all these words), as they contain the summary of Christian perfection:
-- From a Letter to a Nun I do beg you, my dearest son, to keep on conforming your will to God’s. You know that our coming into and departing from this world has nothing to do with our will and knowledge, but depends on the will of the all-powerful God, and you know too that no one can oppose his holy will. So it would be a foolish man who wanted to oppose one who can annihilate us in an instant, just as fire in an instant melts wax. -- From a Letter to Bonaccorso Bonaccorsi? (Can't determine the exact reference for this)
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Truth to Ponder
I decided to spend a year thinking about the Faith celebrated in the sanctoral calendar. There are also just some events, Scriptural, and other quotes that strike me on random days; or randomly on days, as the case may be. Saint's Days by Month
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Days by Entry
July 2018
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