I offered my daily litany of St. Joseph for you yesterday, as I am currently completing the 33 day preparation for my consecration to him. May St. Joseph protect you and be a role model for you John. Just as he protected and raised his son for the glorious purpose of conquering death, may he raise you in his loving care so you may be able to conquer temptations, despair and all other evil attacking you daily. Speculum patientiae, ora pro nobis. Fulcimen in difficultatibus, ora pro nobis. Solatium miserorum, ora pro nobis.
It all actually came to the surface yesterday when I had to stand back and take a good look at myself in the mirror and I didnt like what I saw... My tipping point was I had parked my car to bring my elderly mum to the shop, when I came out to my car another car had parked behind me and blocked me in also blocking two other cars. 20 minutes later a middle aged girl came out of another shop and casually said sorry..well she got both barrel's from me, I frightened the life out of her I actually couldn't believe how much anger spewed out of my mouth, my poor mum then gave me both barrel's for reacting the way I did. when I got home I felt Jesus staring at me with a "are you serious" expression. why couldn't I just have let it go, it wasnt the end of the world I suppose the only good thing that came out of this was it allowed me to take stock of who and what I am
The trigger was the casual “sorry.” I get it. Thank you, John, for sharing your human frailty with us. God forgives you and so do I. God bless you.
John, I also surprise my good self daily, evenly hourly (truthfully around every 15 minutes) at how sinful I actually am. My puffed up self does not like the real me (and wants to get rid of her by any means), but in reality, I can't eradicate her, she's like a limpid, sticking solidly to me. Lord Have Mercy. The truth is, I am wretched and am in constant need of God's mercy (not a pleasant thought), but a truth. However this is a good thing, with this annoying limpid, I am able to humble myself before Gods omnipotence and realise that if it wasn't for the grace of God I would be unable to function at all! Truth be told, I have a great urge to become a hermit (to hide, to get out of the way), so that I don't continually spoil Gods plans, I don't know why He allows me to be around where I consistently destroy all the good He initiates. This baffles me. Yet I know, I would be incapable of surviving as a hermit; So God in His mercy, risks His Divine Love and Mercy on my wretchedness and incompetence. Why does God risk this? I believe it is because He will supply the wisdom for souls to overcome and eradicate any harm I may have caused, because it will be swallowed up in His Almighty Love, Mercy, Omnipotence and Blood. This is why God allows and suffers estrangement. It Is due to His incomprehensible Mercy and unfathomable Love.
This is one of my This is one of my absolute favorite saints and sayings. It is a reminder for me personally that I am never abandoned by God and if I remain faithful, the happiness that eludes us on earth will be manifest in heaven for eternity! Eternity! I cling to this hope daily. Thank you St. Bernadette for these precious, comforting consolations for all of us whose life is filled with so much pain. You remind us that this is temporary and this life is fleeting. If we have nothing to fill us with joy in this life, we know we will be filled to the brim in the next life. Thank you St. Bernadette ( and Jason for posting this important promise from God via Bernadette). ( If you’ve never watched The Passion of Bernadette, you’ll see in her the beautiful hope in her own great suffering….very inspirational).
Oh what a beautiful post! I like you wish I had the grace to live a hermits life. If God would open those door, I would walk through them. I hold no value in this world or anything in it. Detaching from it completely would be a great relief. Who knows, God may allow it in times we are existing in now. Christians may be detached in a involuntary way…we never know.
