Such a beautiful Spring morning yesterday! I was walking round the Park with the dogs yesterday admiring the cherry trees when I greeted my Guardian Angels when I heard them say, 'We are with you with sword and with shield' I wondered at once what this could mean. The shield part seems obvious , to defend against Evil and the Dark one. But what is the sword? It seems to me that the angels are Ministers of God and as such execute God's Will. So their swords are the performance of the Will of God in our lives. So we pray to God and in answering our prayers as God's Ministers they use their swords.
Last night I also saw a most beautiful thing in prayer. I spent the most restless night and spent a lot of it praying for my tow favourite petitions, for those who are the Greatest sinners and the most at risk of hell and for the souls deepest and most forgotten in Purgatory. All at once I found myself in the darkest cavern as I prayered for the souls. It seemed to me I was swept along through it as though borne by a high wind, but as I passed along it lights sprang up, little lights everywhere and I saw that my prayers were being applied to these poor souls in the greatest darkness.
Padraig the words of your Guardian angels is similar to part of my morning prayers, highlighted below! Offering Oh Jesus through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary and in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass being offered throughout the world today, I offer all my thoughts, words, prayers, actions, joys, sufferings, sorrows and distresses of this day in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, for my sins and of the whole world. Armour, I buckle truth around my waist and wear it as a belt, I wear integrity and righteousness and the breastplate of St Patrick as my breastplate. I wear salvation of God as a helmet on my head, and the eagerness to spread the Gospel of peace as shoes on my feet, Always carrying the shield of faith to protect me against the burning arrows of the evil one, and the sword, the word of God from the Holy Spirit praying all the time and standing firm and I take this double edged sword of the Holy spirit, the word of God, and I cut through the bonds that bind my soul and my spirit freeing my soul and spirit to follow the Holy spirit.
Very nice. Sounds a lot like what St. Paul describes in Ephesians 6, Eph 6:10 "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. (11) Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (12) For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (13) Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (14) Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; (15) And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; (16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. (17) And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: (18) Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints"
I need help from my guardian angel. Suffering much with desolation and aridity at the moment. I also don't know what my calling is. Alot of signs are pointing towards religious life but I feel sometimes this is not for me. I feel lost.
We'll be praying for you, Sanctus, May God bless you and His Angels protect you as you discern. Mother Church needs Religious now more than ever! So I hope you will prayerfully consider where the Lord is calling you to find His Peace that the world cannot give. Following His Path always leads to Treasure in Heaven. From Pope St. John Paul II's Encyclical: "II. VOCATION."And Jesus, Looking Upon Him, Loved Him" 3. "Jesus, looking upon him, loved him,"(6) and said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."(7) ... "And Jesus, looking upon him, loved him." This is the love of the Redeemer: a love that flows from all the human and divine depths of the Redemption. This love reflects the eternal love of the Father, who "so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."(8) ... The call to the way of the evangelical counsels springs from the interior encounter with the love of Christ, which is a redeeming love. Christ calls precisely through this love of His. In the structure of a vocation, the encounter with this love becomes something specifically personal. When Christ "looked upon you and loved you," calling each one of you, dear religious, that redeeming love of His was directed towards a particular person, and at the same time it took on a spousal character: it became a love of choice. This love embraces the whole person, soul and body, whether man or woman, in that person's unique and unrepeatable personal "I." ... "If You Wish To Be Perfect..." 4. This way is also called the way of perfection. Speaking to the young man, Christ says: "If you wish to be perfect...." Thus the idea of the "way of perfection" has its motivation in the very Gospel source ... He must therefore seek the perfection proper to him in the line of this image and likeness. As St. Paul will write in the letter to the Ephesians: "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."(14)" http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-p...hf_jp-ii_exh_25031984_redemptionis-donum.html
It's very hard to embrace the desolation -- I often suffer deeply from the same thing -- I have found some consolation in St John of the Cross and his mystical and poetic writings - Eventually desolation no longer becomes an enemy but like an odd friend that hangs around a little too long lol.
Prayers for you. Clarity and peace and trust. It's not easy. We have to be like little children......
Prayers for you tonight. Do not be slow to seek a little relaxation and joy in things aroundyou, whatever helps, a walk in the park, a good meal, a talk with friends, be kind to yourself.
Yes it is Xavier! 35 years ago I belonged to a little prayer group. With a core membership of 9 people we met every Friday on a mountain (at Pat and John's place) and we built a grotto that we had blessed by the Bishop. The group has long since disbanded and 4 members have passed on to eternal life, may they rest in peace. We prayed there together at the grotto for about 10 years. The Lord lead us to many prayers, and Ephesians 6 is one that we incorporated into our morning offering.
Dear Sanctus, I find that as Catholics we follow the Church's liturgical year, even in our personal lives! And Lent is always a struggle with many sufferings; most of these sufferings are unexpected and many very heavy. Normally at Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday the degree of these sufferings is lifted. Praise God. I will pray that this will be the case for you. Please pray for me also. Padre Pio says the greatest creed we can pray is the one we pray, when we feel totally abandoned, dejected, alone, God hears our prayers. God Bless.
Praying for you tonight Sanctus and tomorrow at Mass. Desolation is a terrible thing to be caught in--i have been there. Remembering Jesus in Gethsemane helped. I just stayed with Him there and offered Him my aridity. When in that state I wrote many sonnets trying to Express the terrible dryness. Here are some lines: "What is this place I've wandered to my Lord This cave of airless waste and no reply This land of thirst where dust alone is stored And no Rock gushes forth and prayers are dry Where is the grace the glory and the song The praise that used to pour like hidden springs Where is the spirit drunk on love and strong With faith. I've only ashes left to bring. I cannot even mix them with my tears. A hunger of the heart devours the frame Of flesh and all my ugliness appears To taunt me with some undiscovered shame. Here the will alone can love. How cold And barren is this chamber of my soul." Dearest Sanctus I survived and thrived by God's grace and so will you. Jesus told one of the saints that when we have consolation He is comforting us. When we endure desolation we are comforting Him. Praying!!! God bless.
