OUR TRANSFORMATION INTO CHRIST

FOR A REVITALIZED COMMUNITY LIVING

AIM OF CHRISTIAN & RELIGIOUS LIFE: “LIVE JESUS” - To let Jesus live in me.

How do I let Jesus live in me? By living a devout life, that is, living as a fully committed disciple of Jesus: Prompt, active and diligent not only in .keeping God's commandments but also in putting into practice His counsels and inspirations (Read -IDL - First Part Ch.1)

PRAYER

“I strongly recommend to you prayer of the mind and of the heart, and especially that based on the life and sufferings of our Lord. By looking at Him often in meditation, your whole being will be filled with Him. You will learn His attitudes and model your actions on His.

Remaining close to the Saviour in meditation and observing His words, His actions, and His loving desires, we shall learn with the help of His grace to will, to speak and to act like Him.

Begin any kind of prayer, whether mental or vocal, by recalling the presence of God. Keep to this rule without exception. You will soon realize how helpful it is for you.

Do not hurry in order to say many prayers but take care to say those that you do say from the heart. One ‘Our Father’ said earnestly is of greater value than many recited in a hurry.

The Rosary is a very helpful way of praying, provided you know to say it properly.” (IDL: Second Part, Ch.1)

Read: IDL - Second Part, Ch.6, for the most important part of a simple method for mental prayer or meditation.

 KNOWLEDGE OF ONESELF - Examination of Conscience.

“The practice of self-purification cannot and should not come to an end as long as we live. Therefore, let us not be disturbed by our imperfections, because our perfection consists in fighting them. And we cannot fight them unless we see them.” (IDL: First Part, Ch.5)

“The examination of conscience is to be made always before going to bed:

1. Thank God for taking care of you during the day that is over.

2. Examine your behaviour during the day.

3. If you find you have done any good, thank God for it. If on the contrary, you have done anything wrong, in thought or in word or in deed, ask His pardon. Decide to correct yourself carefully." (IDL: Second Part, Ch. 11)

Read: IDL - First Part, Ch. 22; Fifth Part, Ch.4,5,6.

CONSTANT AWARENESS OF GOD'S PRESENCE

“In this practice is contained one of the most sure means of your spiritual progress.

In the course of the day, recall to mind the presence of God, as often as you can. Become aware of what God is doing and of what you are doing: you will realize that His eyes are turned towards you and fixed on you all the time with unparalled love. ‘My God’, you will say, ‘Why do I not look at You always, as You look at me always? You think of me so often, my Lord, and I think of you so seldom)”. (IDL: Second Part, Ch.12)

“Therefore, long for God again and again by short and ardent soarings of the heart: ask for His help, throw yourself in spirit at the foot of the Cross, adore His goodness, give Him your heart a thousand times a day, hold out your hand to Him like a little child to its father that He may guide you. Make a thousand different movements of your heart, to rekindle in yourself love for God.

Ejaculatory prayers *are made in this Way. This exercise is not difficult. It can be interwoven with all our occupations and work without causing the least disturbance.” (IDL: Second Part, Ch.13)

* Ejaculatory Prayers are short prayers that can be said quickly and repeated often, like "Father, I thank You", "Jesus, mercy", "Holy Spirit," help me".

“In this exercise of the awareness of God's presence and of ejaculatory prayers is to be found the most important practice of devotion. It can make up for the lack of all other prayers. Therefore, I ask you earnestly, take up this exercise with all your heart and never stop practicing it." (IDL: Second Part, Ch.13)

"Let us devote our lives to God's love over and over again throughout the day by means of ejaculatory prayer. This practice of continual aspirations is the best way of bringing love into everything we do, especially into the tiny, ordinary things of life." ("The Love of God”: Book 12, Ch.9). Read: IDL - Third Part, Ch.10 and Ch.35

THE EUCHARIST

"Until now I have not drawn your attention to the sun of the spiritual exercises, that is, the most holy, sacred and supreme sacrifice and sacrament of the Mass. It is the Centre of the Christian religion, the heart of devotion. Through it, God touches us in reality and gives us his graces and favours with abundant generosity.

Prayer united to this divine sacrifice has a power beyond words. Therefore, do your best to attend Holy Mass every day. Thus you can offer with the Priest the Sacrifice of your Redeemer to God the Father, for yourself and for the whole Church." (IDL: Second Part, Ch.14)

"The hares on our mountains become white in winter, since they neither see nor eat anything except snow. I assure you that similarly by repeatedly adoring and feeding in this. divine sacrament on Him, who is Beauty, Goodness and Purity, you will become completely beautiful, completely good and completely pure." (IDL : Second Part, Ch.21)

Read: IDL - Second Part, Ch. 21, last four paras.

THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE & RECONCILIATION

“Go to confession every week with humility and devotion. By Confession you receive more than absolution for the venial sins you confess. You are also given a great strength to avoid them in the future, much light to discern them well and abundant grace to repair whatever loss they have caused you. You will practise the virtues of humility, obedience, simplicity and charity. In no other act will you exercise more virtue than in this single act of confession.

Always have a sincere sorrow for the sins you confess, no matter how small they may be, with a firm determination to correct yourself in the future. Many confess their venial sins from force of habit and as it were to do what is expected, without thinking at all of correcting themselves. They continue to be weighed down by such sins all their life and in this way lose many spiritual benefits and advantages. (IDL: Second Part Ch.19)

Read: IDL - Second Part, Ch. 19

SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE & SPIRITUAL READING

i) SPIRITUAL GUIDANCE:

"If you want to set out earnestly on the path of devotion, find some good person to guide and direct you. Pray very earnestly to God to give you a guide who is good and faithful.

Do not put your trust in this person but in God. God will give you grace and speak to you through this person.

In your dealings with this person open your heart with complete sincerity and fidelity, clearly disclosing the good and the bad in you without pretending or concealing. In this way, the good in you will be assessed and made more secure, and the bad will be set right and cured. So you will be given relief and strength in your troubles, and moderation and control in your joys.” (IDL: First Part Ch.4). Read: IDL - First Part, Ch. 4

ii)  SPIRITUAL READING:

“Love the word of God. Listen to it always with attention and deep respect. Draw as much profit from it as you can. Do not let it fall to the ground. Imitate our Lady (Lk. 2:19 and 51).

Always have with you some good book of devotion. Read a little from it everyday with great love. Read also the stories and biographies of the Saints. You will see there, as in a mirror, the image of the Christian life. Find inspiration in their actions, drawing profit for yourself according to your life situation.” (IDL: Second Part, Ch. 17). Read: IDL - Third Part, Ch. 36

 PRACTISING THE LITTLE VIRTUES

“Let us simply, humbly and devoutly exercise ourselves in small virtues the conquest of which our Lord has entrusted to our care and toil. Such are patience, good-naturedness, mortifications of the heart, humility, obedience, poverty, chastity, tenderness towards our neighbour, bearing the imperfections of others and diligence. (IDL: Third Part Ch.2)

"The common people usually prefer fasting and mortifications of the body to gentleness, good-naturedness and other mortifications of the heart which however are more excellent.” (IDL: Third Part, Ch.1)

"Practice these little humble virtues which are like flowers growing at the foot of the Cross: the service of the poor, visiting the sick, care of the family with the work that goes with it, and useful diligence which will not permit you to be idle." (IDL: Third Part, Ch.35)

“Often recall to your mind that our Lord saved us by His sufferings and patience. In the same way, we must work out our salvation by sufferings and trials, and bearing insults, conflicts and troubles with as much gentleness as possible." (IDL: Third Part, Ch.3)

"Two favourite virtues shone forth in the Sacred Person of our Lord. He has particularly recommended them to us to indicate that through them our hearts are to be specially dedicated to His imitation. 'Learn of Me', He says, 'for I am gentle and humble of heart' (Mt. 11: 29).  Humility makes us perfect towards God and gentleness towards our neighbour.. (IDL: Third Part, Ch. 8). 

"When we struggle against some vice, in as far as it is possible we ought to embrace the practice of the contrary virtue. If I am attacked by pride or anger, I should in all circumstances incline and direct myself to the practice of humility and gentleness, and make use of prayer and the Sacraments to this end." (IDL: Third Part, Ch.1). Read: IDL - Third Part, Ch. 8

ii)   LOVING THE POOR:

FURTHER ADVICE FROM ST. FRANCIS DE SALES regarding the awareness of God’s presence and Ejaculatory prayer

2)   “How happy we shall be, if we have only Jesus in the mind, only Jesus in the memory, only Jesus in the will, only Jesus in the imagination. Jesus would be everywhere in us, and we everywhere in Him." (Letter to Madame de Chantal, 1^st January 1608)

3)   “Often pray spontaneously to our Lord. Do this at all the times you can, and no matter with whom you may be, always seeing God in your heart and your heart in God." (Letter to Madame Brulart, 3^rd May 1604)