God calls us to holiness

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Trishie

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No effort, prayer, insight or writing can engender goodness or love, but we hope that God will form us into loving wholeness, so that each of us becomes the image of God creates us to be.
Each person is a unique image of divine love intended for communion with God, the angels and each other.
God’s word assures us that God loves us unconditionally and that we each are chosen, however we regard ourselves.
To each of us, these words are addressed:

“You are God’s beloved called to be saints.” [Romans 1:7]
Therefore our God: “Open to me the gates of holiness, I will enter and give thanks. This is the Lord’s own gate where the just may enter. I will thank You, for You have answered and You are my Saviour.” [Psalm 118:19-21] “It is God’s will that you grow in holiness.” [1Thessalonians 4:3]

“I have in mind for you…plans for peace, not disaster, reserving a future full of hope for you. Then when you will call to me, and come to plead with me, I will listen to you. When you seek me you shall find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” [Jeremiah 29:11-14] _
“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]

Jesus, in Your desire for our personal and communal holiness in living the gospel, You taught us, “Your light must shine in the sight of others, so that, seeing your good works, they may give the praise to your Father in heaven.” [Matthew 5:16] You desire us not to obscure Your light in us. Therefore, to allow Your light to shine out from our lives does not represent a display of pride. The light of Your love most clearly manifests in humble hearts that joyfully acknowledge that all goodness—all loving kindness—comes from You.
“If anyone wants to boast, let him boast about the Lord” [Jeremiah 9:22]

We may feel doubtful and discouraged regarding our call to be saints, knowing how far from the reality we seem to others and to ourselves, yet most of us have little experience of how God perceives us. Therefore Jesus, give us trust to respond fully to the Spirit that shines through us before others. You encourage us to allow this radiant presence of the Spirit, saying, “If anyone declares himself for me in the presence of individuals, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven.” [Matthew 10:32]

In accepting Your call to wholeness, we choose to love You above all and other persons as ourselves. This call requires us to take up our personal cross and follow You in love, prayer, and service of others. Therefore, it is not arrogant to seek sanctity, for to be truly holy means to be genuinely human. What is truly human is our creation in God’s image. Sin and indifference injures the fullness of our humanity, therefore we all ask forgiveness, and the grace to live according to Your loving will.
 
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when I pray the Lord’s prayer, I have attached a mental note to the part about “tresspasses” – this is a commitment to love others as God loves us. It seems that even well-intentioned people act cold and distant.It is a challenge to focus on loving others.
 
It’s just a meditation from my journal, Rick. I’m sorry if it seems to you to be cold and distant, a preface )built around the scriptures) for a chapter of my book. It’s just some thoughts shared that may interest no one, or interest just one person.
People who use a study form of language suited to a book, also may pray in many other ways, including simple heartfelt. God understands each of us, and what may seem cold to one person may be inspired by love in another.

Charity might include not judging others eg as cold and distant, so we all may need to be mindful. 😀

However I apologize if people find me distant and cold.

It’s wonderful that you pray with such heartfelt response to Jesus’ own prayer.
There is no better prayer than this one from the heart of Jesus Himself.
 
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“The Our Father is a whole rule of life. 😃”

Barb, your post made it worthwhile that I posted this thread!
It earned me being called ‘cold and distant’,
but it gave you the opportunity to say something so beautiful and profound,
something really worth meditating about
 
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“Consider the lively examples set us by the saints, who possessed the light of true perfection and religion, and you will see how little, how nearly nothing, we do. What, alas, is our life, compared with theirs? The saints and friends of Christ served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold and nakedness, in work and fatigue, in vigils and fasts, in prayers and holy meditations, in persecutions and many afflictions. How many and severe were the trials they suffered– the Apostles, martyrs, confessors, virgins, and all the rest who willed to follow in the footsteps of Christ! They hated their lives on earth that they might have life in eternity.” (Imitation of Christ, 1, 18)
 
There are two aspects to the perception of the fact: consideration and assent. Trishie brings up the fact that we are called to heroic virtue. Many consider it, very few assent to it.

There are two orders within the appetite: order of intention and order of execution. The former is convicted by pleasure, the latter by love.

S. Theresa of Avila in her life says that the Lord gives much grace to assent on the dramatic event when the Lord sees that his gift is being exercised, vis., the magnificent energy we place to mortify ourselves. By that abundance of energy to go against the grain, if those grains are the multi-habits we have to chase pleasure - the mortification will provide the gift of God to bring better order for execution and thus assent to be a saint. Rather, then mere considerations.
 
Trishie,
I don’t think Rick was calling you cold and distant, just some people.

I didn’t find your post cold or distant - just the opposite…it was warm and intimate. Thank you.

Be at peace.
 
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