Some great thoughts and quotes by St. Josemaria Escriva
Today I decided that I would give myself a break and allow a master to speak in my place. I will be allowing the St. Josemaria Escriva to speak in my absence. I can only imagine if this were an actual conversation this is how it would go down:
Me: Fr. Escriva, I have been very busy these past several days can you do me a favor?
Fr. Escriva: Sure what do you desire?
Me: Thanks I would love for you to write down some of your thoughts about the Christian life.
Fr. Escriva: That sounds like a daunting endeavor, but through the grace of the Holy Spirit I would love to impart some of my thoughts and teachings on a variety of topics. So I accept with great humility and joy.
Me: Thanks so much, I really appreciate it, if you ever need anything from me feel free to ask me.
Fr. Escriva: I will (laughing) I might send you on a mission somewhere. God Bless, just pray for me that my words might further the will of our loving and omniscient father.
Me: I will, thanks and God Bless!
Now without further adieu I will be listing 5 quotes of St. Escriva's teachings from the book, "Friends of God".
"Christian life can never be reduced to an oppressive set of rules which leave the soul in a state of exasperation and tension. Rather, it accommodates itself to individual circumstances as a glove fits the hand, and it says that as well as praying and sacrificing ourselves constantly, we should never lose our supernatural outlook as we go about our everyday tasks be they big or small. (p. 206)
"What does it matter that we stumble on the way, if we find in the pain of our fall the energy to pick ourselves up and go on with renewed vigor? Don't forget that the saint is not the person who never falls, but rather the one who never fails to get up again, humbly and with a holy stubbornness. If the book of Proverbs says that the just man falls seven times a day, who are we poor creatures, you and I, to be surprised our discouraged by our own weaknesses and falls." ( p.196)
"Try to commit yourself to a plan of life and keep to it: a few minutes of mental prayer, Holy Mass-daily if you can manage it-and frequent communion; regular recourse to the Holy Sacrament of Forgiveness...You should not let them become rigid rules, or water tight compartments. They should be flexible, to help you on your journey, you who live in the middle of the world, with a life of hard professional work and social ties and obligations which you should not neglect, because in them your conversation with God still continues. Your plan of life ought to be like a rubber glove which fits the hand perfectly." (p.229-230)
"Be very childlike! The more childlike the better. I speak from personal experience as a priest, who has had to pick himself up many times in these past thirty six years (how long and yet how short they now seem to me.) which have been spent striving to fulfill a very precise requirement of God's will. There's one thing that has helped me always, the fact that I am still a child, and I am always climbing onto my Mother's lap and finding refuge in the Hand of Christ, my Lord." (p.235-236)
"Therefore, when in our own life or in that of others we notice something that isn't going well, something that requires the spiritual and human help which as children of God, we can and ought to provide, then a clear sign of prudence is to apply the appropriate remedy by going to the root of the trouble, resolutely, lovingly and sincerely. There is no room here for inhibitions, for it is a great mistake to think that problems can be solved by omissions and procrastination." (p.244)
Read and reflect carefully on these words. I firmly believe that if you do this your life will radically change. The beauty of this type of change is that it will occur gradually, under the radar, occurring consistently through the daily habits of our personal walks with Christ. The time is now, we need to become saints, it is God's greatest desire for all of us; let walk bravely, courageously, humbly, trusting that God will lead us to the heavenly shore of his will, sanctifying our world in the process. God demands greatness, while at the same time he always provides the tools necessary. It is my prayer that we all become saints!
Me: Fr. Escriva, I have been very busy these past several days can you do me a favor?
Fr. Escriva: Sure what do you desire?
Me: Thanks I would love for you to write down some of your thoughts about the Christian life.
Fr. Escriva: That sounds like a daunting endeavor, but through the grace of the Holy Spirit I would love to impart some of my thoughts and teachings on a variety of topics. So I accept with great humility and joy.
Me: Thanks so much, I really appreciate it, if you ever need anything from me feel free to ask me.
Fr. Escriva: I will (laughing) I might send you on a mission somewhere. God Bless, just pray for me that my words might further the will of our loving and omniscient father.
Me: I will, thanks and God Bless!
Now without further adieu I will be listing 5 quotes of St. Escriva's teachings from the book, "Friends of God".
"Christian life can never be reduced to an oppressive set of rules which leave the soul in a state of exasperation and tension. Rather, it accommodates itself to individual circumstances as a glove fits the hand, and it says that as well as praying and sacrificing ourselves constantly, we should never lose our supernatural outlook as we go about our everyday tasks be they big or small. (p. 206)
"What does it matter that we stumble on the way, if we find in the pain of our fall the energy to pick ourselves up and go on with renewed vigor? Don't forget that the saint is not the person who never falls, but rather the one who never fails to get up again, humbly and with a holy stubbornness. If the book of Proverbs says that the just man falls seven times a day, who are we poor creatures, you and I, to be surprised our discouraged by our own weaknesses and falls." ( p.196)
"Try to commit yourself to a plan of life and keep to it: a few minutes of mental prayer, Holy Mass-daily if you can manage it-and frequent communion; regular recourse to the Holy Sacrament of Forgiveness...You should not let them become rigid rules, or water tight compartments. They should be flexible, to help you on your journey, you who live in the middle of the world, with a life of hard professional work and social ties and obligations which you should not neglect, because in them your conversation with God still continues. Your plan of life ought to be like a rubber glove which fits the hand perfectly." (p.229-230)
"Be very childlike! The more childlike the better. I speak from personal experience as a priest, who has had to pick himself up many times in these past thirty six years (how long and yet how short they now seem to me.) which have been spent striving to fulfill a very precise requirement of God's will. There's one thing that has helped me always, the fact that I am still a child, and I am always climbing onto my Mother's lap and finding refuge in the Hand of Christ, my Lord." (p.235-236)
"Therefore, when in our own life or in that of others we notice something that isn't going well, something that requires the spiritual and human help which as children of God, we can and ought to provide, then a clear sign of prudence is to apply the appropriate remedy by going to the root of the trouble, resolutely, lovingly and sincerely. There is no room here for inhibitions, for it is a great mistake to think that problems can be solved by omissions and procrastination." (p.244)
Read and reflect carefully on these words. I firmly believe that if you do this your life will radically change. The beauty of this type of change is that it will occur gradually, under the radar, occurring consistently through the daily habits of our personal walks with Christ. The time is now, we need to become saints, it is God's greatest desire for all of us; let walk bravely, courageously, humbly, trusting that God will lead us to the heavenly shore of his will, sanctifying our world in the process. God demands greatness, while at the same time he always provides the tools necessary. It is my prayer that we all become saints!
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