For the Love of Jesus

"O my soul, love a God who is bound like a criminal for you;

a God scourged like a slave for you;

a God made a mocking for you;

a God, in short, dead upon a cross, as the vilest outcast for you!

Yes, my Savior, my God, I love You, I love You!

Bring continually to my remembrance, I beseech You,

All that You have suffered for me,

so that I may never more forget to love you.

O cords that bound my Jesus, bind me to Jesus;

thorns that crowned my Jesus, pierce me with the love of Jesus;

nails that transfixed my Jesus, nail me to the cross of Jesus,

that I may live and die united to Jesus.

O blood of Jesus, inebriate me with His holy love!

O death of Jesus, make me die to every earthly affection!

Pierced feet of my Lord, I embrace you."

From: The Practice of the Love of Jesus Christ by Saint Alphonsus Liguori, pg. 60-61

Pure, holy, true love is that like the Love of Jesus. He forgot Himself and only thought of His love for others. This love delivered Him to the cross to die a painful death. Where does our love take us? We must ask ourselves, do we love so much that we forget ourselves? Or, ironically, are we still so concerned over our own well being and comfort so that while thinking to love our life we actually deny ourselves of fully loving our Lord, who gives us life?

O Lord, may our love for you be pure, holy, and true. Help us to forget ourselves for love of you! Amen.

Growth in Silence

Since the start of advent our family has been more intentional about taking time out of our days to pause and reflect in silent prayer. In addition, we've been adding more time in our family prayers and devotions as well as our individual time with God. I'm not writing this in boastfulness but rather to encourage the practice because it has certainly been fruitful. The efforts to draw near to God are never in vain, as He promises to, in return, draw near to us (James 4:8). While circumstances and life's difficulties haven't and won't all disappear, instead we are receiving more grace in our daily living to triumph through uncertain or difficult times. Gods mercy is so abundant!!! 

Teá and I have been reading "Clare's Costly Cookie" by Julie Kelly. It's about a young girl as she develops a prayer life and grows closer to Jesus. Usually it is shortly after having gotten in trouble that she turns to Jesus in prayer for some conversation with Him. She tells Him whatever is in her heart and then she sits quietly and just listens. After listening and being silent, she begins her conversation with The Lord once again about what came to her mind and what she felt like Jesus was telling her. Her time of prayerful silence lead to a deeper understanding of Gods ways and how He would like her to live. It's really a beautiful book! Very fitting for us right now, too, since we've been trying to "sit quietly and listen" more often.

I also came across this lovely quote from Mother Teresa of Calcutta recently. 

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls."

~Mother Teresa of Calcutta~

"Be still, and know that I am God." 

~Psalm 46:10~