Feel Like Quitting Again

[scapularkid8]

Just reading the first post, you sound like more of a Christian than most “Christians” I know.

At times, this includes myself.

God is with you. You don’t see it, but I do. Keep going, Christ is with all of us.

 

[moosears]

I was once told by a priest that as long as we are trying to be good Christians that we are fulfilling our duty. God sees the heart and knows our interior pain and suffering when we fall. As long as we get back up and continue the battle I believe we gain merit for it. It is when we give up and wallow in self pity and continue with these feelings of worthlessness that we lose the battle. That is what the evil one wants of us. Therefore, go back into the battle and be comforted because in the end we know that Christ has already won the war for us. It lies with us to continue to fight the good fight.

I have heard it said that a just man falls 7 times a day. If that is the case then I will fall at least twice as often but, I will not ever give up because the alternative is, eternal hell starts now. I have already tasted hell because I have given up before and finally returned to the Church. Believe me you do not want to go into that dark and miserable place. I think Nita is right, do not make the Christian life too burdensome or you will burn yourself out and the evil one will take you hostage and torment you to the point of insanity if you let him.

You do not have to practice heroic virtue. God gives special graces to do that and only in His good time. You must practice virtue according to your state in life. That is why I suggested earlier in this thread finding a good spiritual director. We do not always know how to discern what God’s will is for us in particular areas of our lives but they can help us to do just that. Take heart and be content with doing little things with great love. Do examine your conscience nightly and make as perfect an act of contrition as you can. Remember though, love is not a feeling, it is an act of the will. Our feelings can be misleading.

It sounds to me that you are making an honest effort. Do not be disheartened when you see other, new Christians who appear to be having a great relationship with our Lord while you are struggling. You just have to accept where you are and work by degrees from there. Everyone struggles in some area of there spiritual life, do not be fooled.

God grant you peace of heart, mind and soul!

 

[Trishie]

“I have chosen you, not rejected you, do not be afraid for I am with you; stop being anxious and watchful for I am your God. I give you strength, I bring you help, and I uphold you with my victorious right hand.” [Isaiah 41:9-10]

Saint Therese of Lisieux encourages us in our attempts towards holiness in our vocation to love and serve. Of her own response to the call, she wrote, “This desire could certainly appear daring if one were to consider how weak and imperfect I was, and how after seven years in the religious life, I am still weak and imperfect. I always feel, however, the same bold confidence of becoming a great saint because I do not count on my own merits since I have none, but I trust in God who is Virtue and Holiness.
God alone, content with my weak efforts, will raise me to Himself and make me a saint, clothing me in His infinite merits. I didn’t think then that one had to suffer very much to reach sanctity, but God was not long in showing me this was so and in sending me the trials I have already mentioned.” Therese remarked that such holiness may “not be evident to the eyes of mortals.”

We draw hope from this saint of ‘the consecrated ordinary’, whom Pope John Paul 2 declared a Doctor of the Church on October 19, 1997. Many Sisters in her Carmelite community were unaware of the holiness of her ‘ordinary’ deeds of kindness, and doubted that anything worthwhile could appear in her obituary circular.
We implore God for ‘everyday’ love and trust such as Therese maintained before temptations of doubt and suffering.

 

[water]

Saint Therese of Lisieux encourages us in our attempts towards holiness in our vocation to love and serve. Of her own response to the call, she wrote, “This desire could certainly appear daring if one were to consider how weak and imperfect I was, and how after seven years in the religious life, I am still weak and imperfect. I always feel, however, the same bold confidence of becoming a great saint because I do not count on my own merits since I have none, but I trust in God who is Virtue and Holiness.
God alone, content with my weak efforts, will raise me to Himself and make me a saint, clothing me in His infinite merits. I didn’t think then that one had to suffer very much to reach sanctity, but God was not long in showing me this was so and in sending me the trials I have already mentioned.” Therese remarked that such holiness may “not be evident to the eyes of mortals.”

Thanks for the quote. This morning, I was debating on whether I should read the Story of a Soul or the Confession. I finally decided to read the Story of a Soul; I hope it is going to help me tremendously with St. Therese’s thoughts.

 

[Trishie]

Hi, Water,
Comments through her letters and to her novices, not in her basic autobiography are also valuable, e.g.

Therese of Lisieux elucidates how to live as child before God. “The only way to advance rapidly in the path of love is to always remain very little” “‘Remaining little’ means—to recognise ones nothingness, to await everything from the goodness of God, to avoid being much troubled at our faults; finally, not to be worried about amassing spiritual riches.” “There is but one means of compelling God not to judge us, and it is—to appear before Him empty-handed…spend your treasures as you gain them…All my earnings [merits] are spent immediately on the ransom of souls…Our Lord is justice Himself, and if He does not judge our good actions, neither will He judge our bad ones.”

In response to a novice who was discouraged by her faults, Therese said, “You make me think of a little child that is learning to stand but does not know how to walk. In his desire to reach to top of the stairs to find his mother, he lifts his little foot to climb the first step. It is all in vain, and at each renewed effort he falls.” “Well, be like that little child. Always keep lifting your foot to climb the ladder of holiness, and do not imagine that you can mount even the first step. All God asks of you is good will. From the top of the ladder, He looks lovingly upon you, and soon, touched by your fruitful efforts, He will Himself come down, and taking you in His arms, will carry you to His Kingdom never again to leave Him."

 

[Trishie]

To another novice, Therese said, “**You want to climb the mountain, whereas God wishes you to descend it. He is awaiting you in the valley of humility.” “It seems to me that humility is truth (honesty).” “If the greatest sinner should repent at the moment of his death, and draw his last breath in an act of love, neither the many graces he had abused, nor the multiplied crimes he had committed, would stand in his way. Our Lord would see nothing, count nothing, but the sinner’s last prayer, and without delay He would receive him into the arms of His mercy.” **

Therese Martin has inspired generations of individuals to live the gospel way of spiritual childhood, including her family. In Celine Martin’s “Counsels and Reminiscences”, we note that while Therese died a saint at twenty-four, Celine strove against her imperfections until her holy death in her ninetieth year. Celine remained pupil of her young sister.

When Therese, as her novice mistress, warned Celine what form her spiritual struggle would take, she might have been speaking any of us. “You must never believe, when you don’t practice virtue, that it is due to some natural cause like illness, time, or grief. You must draw a great lesson in humility from it and take your place among the little souls, since you are able to practice virtue only in such a feeble manner.” Therese added, **“What is necessary for you now is not to practice heroic virtues but to acquire humility. For that, your victories must of necessity always be mixed with failures, so that you cannot take any pleasure in thinking about them.” **

 

[water]

Thanks, Trishie. They are very valuable indeed.
I’ve subscribed to this site for probably more than a year, and I’ve found it so important to me.

littleflower.org

 

[St_Gabriel]

Hello Epistemes

I’m writing to you today to encourage you to stick with Christ and the Church.

Very recently I heard a very holy priest speak on EWTN about how each one of us is like an iceberg. 20% of the iceberg can be seen above the surface of the water by everyone. The other 80% is hidden below. Similarily, the world sees only 20% of who we are and the remaining 80% is hidden. Of that 20% they may only see a very small percentage (what we chose to show) The Lord, on the other side sees the whole 100%. He knows our failings as well as our sucesses. He knows our desires, our memory, our intellect, what we are capable of and what we can accomplish.

My understanding (from what you posted) is that you have very strong desire to follow Him but need some courage and something to strengthen you. The answer is the Sacraments. Eucharist and Reconcilliation. Don’t give up!

 

[the_phoenix]

“I have chosen you, not rejected you, do not be afraid for I am with you; stop being anxious and watchful for I am your God. I give you strength, I bring you help, and I uphold you with my victorious right hand.” [Isaiah 41:9-10]

Wow … earlier today I remembered part of this verse and wished I knew where to look it up. It was hanging on the wall at a Bed & Breakfast where I’d stayed earlier this spring, and I wanted to see these words again.

You’re not alone, Epistemes … There are many of us that need support at times.

And look how we can help each other … Trishie, by posting to help you, has also helped **water ** and myself.

~~ the phoenix

 

[Ted_in_Charlott]

Hello Epistemes,

When I used to go to the gym to work out several years ago I started out as a big fat blob of jelly.

I went every morning before work.

I didn’t do alot, but I would get on the treadmill for 30 - 45 minutes.

I had good days and bad days, and made some progress.

But one day, I had a beautiful rock hard athlete type come up to me and tell me: “You know, you inspire me to get up and come every day no matter how I feel.”

WOW, this person relies on ME.

This is especially true in our spiritual life.

How many people, some we will never know, look at us every day and get a little motivation to be a better person because they see us how we act.

So, quit just thinking about yourself and be a good Christian in order to be a good inspiration to others.