My parish priest

Exactly. very good observations!

 

I cant remember the saint that was told this--maybe St Faustina. Jesus told her that when she was filled with consolations she was resting on Him. When she was feeling desolation and His absence she was letting Him rest on her and consoling His Heart.

 

This is why I like to see a gentle hearth fire burning in a heart, rather than a bonfire. The hearth fire burns slowly giving heat, the bonfire comsumes. Sometimes looking at, say born again types I see too much of the bonfire. They have not often been tested by the Cross. Like gold in the furnace.

I was listening to some Carmelite Nuns, (enclosed) talking about their vocations and was really struck by their understanding of this; that their vocation was to hang on the Cross with Christ.

That's really quite something.

 

One thing a recent episode of suffering that lasted about 48 hours did was reminded me of the comparative absence of Jesus in Daily Life. Because I needed Christ's advise, comfort and presnse so much I kept turning to Him quite intensively in pray and of course He was always of course very much there.

People talk of, 'Seeing Jesus ' and that can be so deceptive. We imagine visions, ghosts and so on. But all I can say He was as real to me as though standing right beside me. More real than the people around me. We don;t really relate all that well even with people we love the most and the deepest in this life, do we? Whereas with Jesus it is pure fire and Light; isn't it? In God, in Christ there are no Shadows. This World though is full of Shadows even when our love is the very, very best it can be in this life. There are still flitting shadows.

But in our love for Jesus and His love for us it is the full summer time of heaven.

My mind went back down the years to childhood and even infancy. This was the very same Jesus I saw back them. Friend of my childhood years.

..and not only a Jesus who spoke in general terms of comfort but even specific practical advise on how to handle things.

But it took suffering to do this. To draw the curtains between here and heaven.

 

Fr Mark must be praying like crazy to come out with wonderful wise words like this.

Great priest!!

 

Great video about forever friend

 

When I would be sad about being punished as a child, I would throw myself face down on my bed and talk to my Forever Friend

 

Well said, this ties into the key thing that brought about that turning point in my life back in January. I've always had a hard time trusting people, and while I knew that I struggled a lot with scrupulosity it took a really longtime for me to really trust in Jesus and Mary. It wasn't until that snowy day in January that I was finally was able to embrace Our Lady as really and truly my Heavenly Mother and really trust in Her.

I now understand what it means to be a slave of love for Our Lady.

 

Yes brilliant insight, we aren't "building the City of God" as that old song goes, Our Lord is producing the fruit of the Age of the Immaculate Heart, we just need to calmly till the ground. I'm glad I have been able to open myself up, so that Our Queen Bee can start producing the fruit of August in my soul.

 

One of the things I've been meditating on more and more recently, is Our Lady of Sorrows holding Her crucified Son in Her arms. I often think of Her holding the mangled and bloody corpse of Her Son, Her eyes full of tears look at me. I imagine Her saying to me, with gentle voice full of mercy:

"Yes, you did this, but I forgive you, and more than that, I want to be your Mother."

 

That's a deep prayer, RW.