Joining once again with Lara at Holy Mothering... http://madredetresbebs.blogspot.com/
I just finished reading I Believe in Love:Retreat Conferences in the Interior Life by Fr. Jean du Coeur de Jesus d'Elbee. This book was recommended to my son John by a seminarian during the Summer Camp for boys who are thinking about the priesthood. I am so glad that Matt(the seminarian)recommended this book for John, because not only did he enjoy it, but I did as well!
As a devotee of daily Mass, I was encouraged by this quote..."Let your Mass be the center of your day. Everything must flow for you from your daily Mass and everything must culminate in it."
Regarding the crosses we all carry in life..."He will never let the cross crush you; on the contrary, it will lift you up toward heaven. It is no longer you who will carry it, it is the cross which will carry you. Jesus took upon himself the bitterest cross and he will add a balm to it before giving it to you-that is certain. The sweetness of the crosses accepted with the joy of free will is a great mystery, yet very real." Isn't that beautifully comforting?
Finally, regarding the title..."There existed between Jesus and John the particular tenderness which comes from preference. Jesus had a special tenderness for John. And John knew himself to be preferred...Why was St. John the preferred? He tells us in a word. "Because I believed in love." And he makes the supreme revelation: Deus Caritas est. "God is Love." 1John 4:8 How do you learn that God is love? By your intimacy with Jesus. Where do you learn to live in this intimacy? At the foot of the tabernacle, at the Mass, in the Gospel."
Do you believe in love?
Is there any other way for relationships of any type (including colleagues in the workplace) to work? I tell supervisors that they have to love their employees (ALL of them) if they want to have an effective division, and I fully believe that is true.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds very good. My kids and I look forward to attending daily Mass. We only get it on Wednesdays and Thursdays at our parish currently. The outside parishes do their daily Mass at 8 am. Just a bit too early for us..since they are pretty far away. It is truly a blessing in our lives.
ReplyDeleteHello Anne -
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that you mentioned "I believe in Love." I have read this book many times - I always bring it with me on retreats.
If you and your followers want to get deeper into the life and charism of St. Terese, you MUST read "The Hidden Face" by Ida Friederike Gorres. It is the book that all the other books on Terese use as a reference. It was recommended to me by the Nation Link of the Lay Missionaries of Charity. I highly recommend it.
Also - if any followers have a call to live the life (in the world) of the Missionaries of Charity, check out www.laymc.com
God bless !
Hi, Anne!
ReplyDeleteGot my coffee!Got your pondering page! I am doubly blessed this morning. Your son also mentioned this book,so it must be very good.Coincidentally,[did I spell that right?] I have been meditating on John the last three days. He is my favorite apostle and whenever I think of Him, I picture him reclining and resting his head upon Our Lord's breast.I'll have to get this book!
Carried by the cross...
ReplyDeleteAnne, you have NO IDEA how comforting that was for me....THANK YOU
Teary eyed I read this post . . . if we believe, how could we ever doubt?
ReplyDeleteGod is good!