thoughts on being a 'little flower'

I just read this article about humility and the teachings of St Therese..
http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=34381

it really made me think..

I love the last 3 paragraphs especially...

"It’s actually a relief to know that I am not fooling God. He knows this fearful, perverted “humility” lives in my heart, preventing me from realizing the peace of true humility. He will take care of it if I let Him; even in this I have to let go, trust Him to keep His word and wait. My progress toward holiness follows my cooperation, not my command. It will not be accomplished on my schedule; I cannot rush or cajole Him into action. Learning to wait is part of learning humility. I have no one to impress – I only have One to love.

St. Therese helps me understand, “the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy…if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus’ garden. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be.” (Story of a Soul)

A heart that is humble rests confidently in His mercy and love, and has no fear of being little or unnoticed, nor any need for adulation. He may be walking with the red rose in His hand, smelling its sweet fragrance, but He will also lie down on the grass that is covered in a bed of small wildflowers, and He will rest His head on their simple beauty, enjoying their soft comfort. I can think of nothing sweeter than to be that wild flower that’s pressed close to His heart as He lies down to rest. That is all my soul really longs for."

Neither can I..

That is beautiful and that is the one important thing there is.. to seek to please Jesus and to live for Him in whichever way He chooses.

prayer of a soul that longs for God

my God, where are You?
tell me how to find You..
i will go to the ends of the world
i will do anything You ask.

my heart is restless without You
the enemy tells me, 'all is well', -
and i find myself falling asleep..
but i know my soul needs You

i long for You, my God,
- can i still call You my Beloved?
i feel a silence inside; a stillness...
but no whisper of Your voice.

my soul is like a still lake in darkness.
no wind, no movement stirs it
where are You, Holy Spirit, river of Life?
have i offended You so that You left me?

my Lord, i beg You to not leave me
my heart longs for union with You
but i am unworthy
against You alone have i sinned

the Saints say...
when a soul feels rejected
that is when God is nearest.
could it be?

in Your mercy i will take refuge
Lord, oh Lord do not turn Your face from me
i want to look into Your eyes
Jesus i wish i could feel Your embrace

but if that is for greater souls -
Jesus then let me suffer with You.
i will be as gold
purified in the fire of Your love



God desires to make you a saint; and He refuses to remove you from your circumstances to do so. - Jose Maria Escriva

Christ's suffering

I think it's so important to think about the suffering of Our Lord. I've been feeling lately like I should do this more.

It's almost unbelievable that God would let Himself be killed by His own creation. and not only killed, but also treated with so much mockery, hatred, disrespect... it must have been unimaginably painful...not only His physical suffering, but emotional and spiritual as well. I think the more a person loves, the more they're able to suffer for that love. If Jesus loves us infinitely, imagine what His sufferings must have been! and the suffering of Our Blessed Mother too, as she stood by His side, because she loves Him so much!

I've wondered, why did Jesus have to endure so much...why did He have to die so painfully? and then I was praying the Rosary and I read the reflections for the Sorrowful Mysteries in my booklet... and it said, He wore the crown of thorns because of our pride.. He was scourged because of impurity.. in everything that happened, He offered reparation to the Father. And that's when I realized, He suffered so much because His love is so great and because the sin of the world - our sin - is so great. If there had been no impurity, for example, He might not have had to be scourged. And just that knowledge, that sin - my sin - caused all this, ...wow.. I just don't understand though, how through all that He loved us! Even though it was our sin that was causing Him all this suffering, even that didn't make Him bitter or angry. He only prayed.."Father, forgive them.."

and now too, when we repent, Jesus accepts us so readily and unconditionally... He is so glad we've come back to Him, even though we caused Him such pain. I think that is what true love is..

and then I think of all the ways He is still offended today.... people stealing the consecrated Hosts and destroying them.. so much distrust, unbelief, hatred, etc.. and then I look at my sins, and I really don't understand, how could He still love me like this? how could His love be so unconditional? and my heart is so poor and what can I offer Him that's of value..but how can anyone not love Him, seeing His suffering?

Jesus' words to St Gemma

"Jesus once said to me: "Do you know, daughter, for what reason I send crosses to souls dear to me? I desire to possess their souls, entirely, and for this I surround them with crosses, and I enclose them in sufferings and tribulation, that they may not escape from my hands; and for this I scatter thorns, that souls may fasten their affections upon no one, but find all con*tent in Me alone. My daughter, if you do not feel the cross it cannot be called a cross. Be sure that under the cross you will not be lost. The demon has no strength against those souls who for My love groan under the cross. 0 My daughter, how many would have abandoned Me if they had not been crucified. The cross is a gift too precious, and from it come many virtues."
I prayed then to Jesus that He would not concede to me any grace except that of loving Him very much, and Jesus said: "Oh soul dear to me, if you truly love Me, behold My chalice; you can drink it to the last drop. On this chalice I have placed My lips, and I want you to drink it." I told Jesus to do with me as He would. And then He said to me: "I have sent this cross to you, you do not appreciate it; rather it is contrary to your desire, but the more it is contrary, the more it is like Mine. Would it not seem to you a dreadful thing to see a father in the midst of sorrow and the children enjoying them*selves? When I shall be your Spouse of blood, I will come to you, but crucified; show your love to me as I have shown it toward you, and do you know how? By suffering, pains, and crosses without number. You ought, therefore, to consider yourself honored, if I lead you on paths hard and painful; if I permit that you be tormented by the demon, that the world despise you, that persons most dear to you afflict you, and with daily martyrdom, I permit your soul to be purified and tested. And you, daughter, think only of practicing great virtue; run in the path of the Divine Will, humbled, assured, that if I hold you to the cross, I love you."

Prayer to Our Lady

"prayer to the Queen of Heaven in thanksgiving for my Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, on June 27th, 2009"

I. Mother, this day is a secret.
See how well I hide it.

I walk through these streets,
see how ordinary I look.

People pass me by,
they do not suspect...the world does not know.

sun turns to twilight, the clock ticks,
with every step I come closer.

only a little further...
there is the steeple, the cross...
the familiar little church.
There is my Love hidden.

Do you hear my heart beating?
there You wait for me,
ready to take my heart.
O You have captured me!

I open the door...

II. O Mother, dare I say these words.
You see all the Angels listen.
the court of Heaven is silent.
I have only but a moment,
I dare not hesitate.

O Holy Angels, help me!
The Queen of Heaven is my Mother
and I come poor, dressed in rags.
how poor is my heart.

My Jesus, does this please You?
Oh, tell me, please speak!

III. lovely Lady,
I see your beauty and I'm speechless.
I see your purity and I'm dust.
You have a crown of stars like diamonds,
and the moon is under your feet.

O cover me with your mantle
Your Heart is radiant,
let all darkness flee.

see how fearful I am.
The enemy of my soul pursues me
he is almost at the door,
he taunts me with my sin.

this day is like no other,
and I have no courage.
Let me only say your name,
and I will live.

Oh Mary, Mary!
How lovely is your name,
I will spell it out with jewels,
I will sing it with the Angels.

You fill my heart with joy.

IV. Blessed Mother, receive these roses,
formed in the depths of my heart.
each rose, a Hail Mary.
Fervently I prayed them,
to proclaim you Blessed.

they are not like the roses of the Saints.
their fragrance less heavenly,
their colours less brilliant,
and they barely resemble roses at all.

they grew in a dark valley,
far from the sun.

I carried them here with the utmost care,
yet - how I wish to give you a greater gift!

V. Oh Mary, what sweetness!
raise me from the ground,
hold me trembling to your heart,
speak tenderly to me.

I look into your eyes,
and forget the things of earth.

Jesus,
Your love is my priceless treasure, my bliss.

Kind, gentle Mother,
how long must I wait?

St Teresa of Avila

Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you.
All things pass away;
God is unchanging.
Patience obtains everything
Whoever possesses God,
Wants for nothing;
God alone suffices.

Christ has no body on earth now but yours;
no hands but yours;
no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which
the compassion of Christ must look out on the world.
Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good.
Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.

let me never forget You

"To encounter but once the Heart of the Lord Jesus is to never forget Him, and to be forevermore taken by love of this sweet Redeemer. Yet many will not allow their hearts to be conquered by the good Jesus because they fear the cost of being in love with Him; they fear the sacrifices that it would entail. For this reason it is necessary to have a pure heart...a heart detached from pride and from the world, so that nothing might keep one from surrendering to the love of Jesus. For it does hold one captive--this love--, yet whoever surrenders to it would never wish to be freed from its chains."~St. Faustina

Maxims for the Direction of a Soul that Desires to Obtain Perfection in the Love of Jesus Christ

by Saint Alphonsus Liguori

1. To desire ardently to increase in the love of Jesus Christ.

2. Often to make acts of love towards Jesus Christ. Immediately on waking, and before going to sleep, to make an act of love, seeking always to unite your own will to the will of Jesus Christ.

3. Often to meditate on his Passion.

4. Always to ask Jesus Christ for his love.

5. To communicate often, and many times in the day to make spiritual Communions.

6. Often to visit the Most Holy Sacrament.

7. Every morning to receive from the hands of Jesus Christ himself your own cross.

8. To desire Paradise and death, in order to be able to love Jesus Christ perfectly and for all eternity.

9. Often to speak of the love of Jesus Christ.

10. To accept contradictions for the sake of Jesus Christ.

11. To rejoice in the happiness of God.

12. To do that which is most pleasing to Jesus Christ, and not to refuse him anything that is agreeable to him.

13. To desire and to endeavor that all should love Jesus Christ.

14. To pray always for sinners and for the souls in purgatory.

15. To drive from your heart every affection that does not belong to Jesus Christ.

16. Always to have recourse to the most holy Mary, that she may obtain for us the love of Jesus Christ.

17. To honor Mary in order to please Jesus Christ.

18. To seek to please Jesus Christ in all your actions.

19. To offer yourself to Jesus Christ to suffer any pain for his love.

20 To be always determined to die rather than commit a willful venial sin.

21. To suffer crosses patiently, saying, "Thus it pleases Jesus Christ."

22. To renounce your own pleasures for the love of Jesus Christ.

23. To pray as much as possible.

24. To practice all the mortifications that obedience permits.

25. To do all your spiritual exercises as if it were for the last time.

26. To persevere in good works in the time of aridity.

27. Not to do nor yet to leave undone anything through human respect.

28. Not to complain in sickness.

29. To love solitude, to be able to converse alone with Jesus Christ.

30. To drive away melancholy.

37. Often to recommend yourself to those persons who love Jesus Christ.

32. In temptation, to have recourse to Jesus crucified, and to Mary in her sorrows.

33. To trust entirely in the Passion of Jesus Christ.

34. After committing a fault, not to be discouraged, but to repent and resolve to amend.

35. To do good to those who do evil.

36. To speak well of all, and to excuse the intention when you cannot defend the action.

37. To help your neighbor as much as you can.

38. Neither to say nor to do anything that might vex him. And if you have been wanting in charity, to ask his pardon and speak kindly to him.

39. Always to speak with mildness and in a low tone.

40. To offer to Jesus Christ all the contempt and persecution that you meet with.

41. To look upon [religious] Superiors as the representatives of Jesus Christ.

42. To obey without answering and without repugnance, and not to seek your own satisfaction in anything.

43. To like the lowest employments.

44. To like the poorest things.

45. Not to speak either good or evil of yourself.

46. To humble yourself even towards inferiors.

47. Not to excuse yourself when you are reproved.

48. Not to defend yourself when found fault with.

49. To be silent when you are disquieted.

50. Always to renew your determination of becoming a saint, saying, "My Jesus, I desire to be all Yours, and You must be all mine."

the value of suffering

One day, I saw two roads. One was broad, covered with sand and flowers, full of joy, music and all sorts of pleasures. People walked along it, dancing and enjoying themselves. They reached the end without realising it. And at the end of the roads there was a horrible precipice; that is the abyss of hell. The souls fell blindly into it; as they walked, so they fell. And their number was so great that it was impossible to count them. And I saw the other road, or rather, a path, for it was narrow and strewn with thorns and rocks; and the people who walked along it had tears in their eyes, and all kinds of suffering befell them. Some fell down upon the rocks, but stood up immediately and went on. At the end of the road there was a magnificent garden filled with all sorts of happiness, and all these souls entered there. At the very first instant they forgot all their sufferings.
(Divine Mercy in My Soul, St Faustina)

some good quotes from 'the Imitation of Christ'

He who finds Jesus finds a rare treasure, indeed, a good above every good, whereas he who loses Him loses more than the whole world. The man who lives without Jesus is the poorest of the poor, whereas no one is so rich as the man who lives in His grace.

Choose the opposition of the whole world rather than offend Jesus. Of all those who are dear to you, let Him be your special love. Let all things be loved for the sake of Jesus, but Jesus for His own sake.

You must bring to God a clean and open heart if you wish to attend and see how sweet the Lord is.

When the grace of God comes to a man he can do all things, but when it leaves him he becomes poor and weak, abandoned, as it were, to affliction. Yet, in this condition he should not become dejected or despair. On the contrary, he should calmly await the will of God and bear whatever befalls him in praise of Jesus Christ, for after winter comes summer, after night, the day, and after the storm, a great calm.