Madly in Love

[Lady_Love]

The more I focus on the person of Jesus, the more I long for our final consummation. Everything, although it speaks of Jesus, although it gives me a glimpse, is not enough. I long to see His face, to see His smile, to touch His cheeks and kiss His lips. I cannot wait to hold His hand, to smell Him, and to die a thousand deaths of love.

He has loved me, I have tasted it and like an addict I am consumed with longing to be with Him forever.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

All I con suggest is to see God in everyone and everything. Let yourself be in absolute awe over the things of His creation. If you’re not already in the kingdom, pray for your eyes to be opened.

I long for deeper and deeper spiritual satisfaction, and CAF does a wonderful job online but I craved more in-person experience with other people who took their faith as seriously as CAF posters and were kind and spiritually deep. So yesterday I joined the Secular Franciscans; after 27 months of formation I can be eligible to profess. Maybe that’s something to look into? You can call your diocese office and ask if there is a chapter there.

You will never lose this longing, but while you are waiting for “the big one” you are sure to find consolations coming to you from all different parts of God’s creation.

Edit: Your enthusiasm and hunger for the love of God reminds me a bit of the character of St. Clare of Assisi in the movie about St. Francis that I just watched yesterday.

Alan

 

[Luminous7]

Pardon me sorry to interrupt but how does one post a new message from scratch rather than a reply to another thread. Sounds simple enough but can’t find it

 

[Anthony_V]

The more I focus on the person of Jesus, the more I long for our final consummation. Everything, although it speaks of Jesus, although it gives me a glimpse, is not enough. I long to see His face, to see His smile, to touch His cheeks and kiss His lips. I cannot wait to hold His hand, to smell Him, and to die a thousand deaths of love.

He has loved me, I have tasted it and like an addict I am consumed with longing to be with Him forever.

You should read up on St. Alphonsus de Liguori! He has written some amazing and beautifully moving works on the love of God… He is one of the doctors of the Church as well, and is my spiritual reading at the moment.

To quote him:

Let us then accustom ourselves to deal with God as with our most affectionate and dear friend who loves us more than anybody else. My God!
Confidence in the Divine mercy

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Pardon me sorry to interrupt but how does one post a new message from scratch rather than a reply to another thread. Sounds simple enough but can’t find it

You mean start a new thread? Go to the forum index; for this forum it’s here. Then near the top, right above the list of threads in the forum, there is a “New Thread” button.

Alan

 

[nagyszakall]

The more I focus on the person of Jesus, the more I long for our final consummation. Everything, although it speaks of Jesus, although it gives me a glimpse, is not enough. I long to see His face, to see His smile, to touch His cheeks and kiss His lips. I cannot wait to hold His hand, to smell Him, and to die a thousand deaths of love.

He has loved me, I have tasted it and like an addict I am consumed with longing to be with Him forever.

So, now all you need is to meet a rotting, stinking leper and see Christ in him, and kiss him. That’s what St Francis, Damien of Moloka’i, Mother Theresa and so many others did.

 

[Lady_Love]

So, now all you need is to meet a rotting, stinking leper and see Christ in him, and kiss him. That’s what St Francis, Damien of Moloka’i, Mother Theresa and so many others did.

That would be easy. What is harder is finding Jesus in those who hate me, reject me, and hurt me. Loving someone who rejects your love is the hardest thing to do because it breaks my heart.

 

[Aussieman88]

That’s beautiful to hear. So now go out and do the things Jesus said you could do. Cast out devils, Cleanse the leppers, raise the dead and heal the sick. When you pray for someone with your whole heart, Jesus will heal them.

 

[Joy2day]

That would be easy. What is harder is finding Jesus in those who hate me, reject me, and hurt me. Loving someone who rejects your love is the hardest thing to do because it breaks my heart.

Don’t worry about those who reject you - they’re too puffed up & selfish. Pray for them. I find it is their example that Jesus uses to highlight Himself more strongly as the only One who truly loves you - you wont find anyone who can match Him. And then He will take you to poor souls who really do need you to share His love with them - there are many of these souls, & He wants you to bring Him to them - because they are truly in need.

 

[AlanFromWichita]

Don’t worry about those who reject you - they’re too puffed up & selfish. Pray for them. I find it is their example that Jesus uses to highlight Himself more strongly as the only One who truly loves you - you wont find anyone who can match Him. And then He will take you to poor souls who really do need you to share His love with them - there are many of these souls, & He wants you to bring Him to them - because they are truly in need.

But if we want to be absolute in our love, we are called to do exactly that.

Matt 5:46-48
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Lady Love,

One thing to keep in mind is in the Beatitudes. When others persecute us for the sake of our faith, we are amply blessed and our reward is great in heaven. So instead of looking at these obnoxious people as being curses to you, look at them as the sources of blessings that they are. All you have to do is accept them as that and they will be that. It’s very simple, but elusive to us who were taught to be wary and suspicious and all that. Nothing wrong with having eyes open and avoiding problems, but when people put you down, rejoice!

Matt 5:11-12
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.h Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Act 5:40-41
After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

Alan

 

[nagyszakall]

That would be easy. What is harder is finding Jesus in those who hate me, reject me, and hurt me. Loving someone who rejects your love is the hardest thing to do because it breaks my heart.

I don’t think is that easy, not for me at least. But if it is for you, you might as well give it a try before trying the harder one. Moreover, the poor and the leper can also reject you. St Vincent de Paul spoke about the poor forgiving you for giving them bread… Probably they didn’t so readily forgive him every time. That’s why he knew it.