L
littleone
Guest
Just what my heart needs to here or to read, thank you thank you thank you.Looking at the lives of the saints it would seem that the greatest source of peace comes from knowing that one is loved by God and sharing that knowledge with the world. This does not mean the use of words, though at times they may be necessary. More often than not it is imperative that we show that love through our actions of peace.
In his rule for the Secular Franciscans or Brothers and Sisters of Penance as is the original name, Francis states that we (Christians) are to see every person as our brother and sister. We are to accept everyone as they are, not as we want them to be. We are to lead them to the peace and joy that Christ gives us through our example and when necessary use words. Judging from his own life, we observe that he only used words to preach when he had to do so. What made him such a charismatic preacher were not his sermons, but his life. He embraced the saint and the sinner with the same love.
Another charismatic man who can teach us a great deal about peace is Vincent de Paul. Vincent is a very interesting man, because he had no patience for nonsense. It bothered him when people came to him with silly questions that did nothing to improve the lot of the poor on the streets of Paris. It bothered him when Christians were more concerned about their own “stuff” than showing the charity of Christ for the sick and poor or the orphans in Paris. He found peace and promoted peace through charity. In his letters to Louise de Marillac, the first Daughter of Charity, he constantly repeats the same theme as Francis of Assisi, humility and charity.
Then we have a saint like Elizabeth Ann Seton, the mother of five children who gave up everything to serve the poor. She even sacrificed her children’s comfort for the sake of the poor. She became one of them and through her example led her children to embrace the poverty of Christ. Two of her daughters ended up giving their lives for the poor. Anina died as a Sister of Charity and Catherine as a Sister of Mercy. Her youngest died of some rare bone disease as a child. Yet, Elizabeth could not find it in her heart to feel anything but peace. This does not mean that she did not feel the loss like any other mother. She buried two of her daughters and a husband. Loss and pain were part of her journey. But the most beautiful fact about her life was that loss and pain did not take away her peace. She was completely confident that God’s will was done as long as she remained a daughter of the Church as Vincent had written to Louise de Marillac and as Francis of Assisi had written almost 600 years before her.
Our peace comes from harmony with God. Our harmony with God comes from living in harmony with all people and every creature. Our mission is not to change the world, but to seek out ways to unite those around us. If each of us works on his corner of the world, then the world will be transformed. This peace can be taken from us when we bite more than we can chew. Often we want to change the entire world or the entire Church. No one can do this single handed. Each of us has his mission in his given circumstance. Our efforts must focus there.
What we can learn from Francis, Vincent and Elizabeth is to avoid nonsense preoccupations and to avoid the temptation to become the saviours of humanity. These great men and women worked on their souls and shared their light and joy with those around them. The rest happened through the grace of God. This brought them to the peace that only Christ could give, even when they suffered human losses and even serious health problems that eventually killed them.
Fraternally,.
JR
godbless
Nonsense preoccupations… We can’t expect the world to change unless we show the reasons why it should, and that can only be done by giving them Christ - showing them Christ - being Christ-like to others in our little corner of the world…