Sep
21
2005
0
By Anonymous (not verified)
My brother told me some time ago about a friend who had cared for her father for five years, and the rest of the brothers and sisters had done nothing. When the will was read, the inheritance was divided evenly among the family, and she was very upset. She went to her priest, who asked her, "Why did you care for your father? Was it out of love, or so you could get more inheritance money?"
While reflecting on the episode, I was thinking about why we sometimes do the things we do, and what St. Therese called "The Little Way." In today's discussion, I want to share with you some thoughts that came to mind regarding purity of intention, as well as the similarities in spirituality of St. Faustina, St. Therese of the Child Jesus ("The Little Flower"), and Mother Teresa.
On one wall in our small office in Tampa we have a picture of St. Faustina, and next to that a picture of Mother Teresa. On the opposite wall, we have a picture of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. All three are interrelated to the spirituality that we profess as Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy; each loved Our Lord in the Eucharist, and each understood the importance of prayer and works of mercy. In fact, St. Faustina saw St. Therese once in a dream, and recorded this in her spiritual diary.
St. Therese's ideal was simple: "I want to be a saint." She wrote about the Little Way, that is, that the little things done out of love of God are what is important. This "Little Way" concept dramatized the truth that great love, not great deeds, is the essence of sanctity. She wrote in her memoirs that we should not be afraid of God even though we sin; we should stumble to our feet and continue our advance to God. The Little Flower wrote that she wanted to "start extolling now the mercies of the Lord - which I shall go on doing throughout eternity."
Like St. Faustina, she realized that to become a saint one must suffer a great deal. She wrote in her memoirs, "How will the story of a little white flower end? I don't know. But I am sure of this - the mercy of God will be with me always."
Most think of Mother Teresa as the living saint of our time who saw Jesus in the poor, and remember her for her great works of comforting the poor and lonely dying souls worldwide, particularly in India. Few understood her love of the Eucharist, her close relationship with Mary, the Mother of God, and her deep commitment to daily prayer, especially Eucharistic Adoration. She called herself a "pencil in God's hands." Her spiritual life showed the importance of balancing the contemplative life with the practical one of loving action. Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament gave her strength, and she felt that the rapid increase in vocations to her Order was because of her prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. She loved the poor, and said "they are the ones who have nothing to prove or to protect; no posing, no posturing before people or before God. When all you've got is all you've got, all that is left is to be yourself and you can only receive. That is why the poor are blessed; they know what really matters."
Like Mother Teresa, St. Faustina loved Jesus in the Eucharist and added to her name, "Of the Most Blessed Sacrament." She knew that living the mercy of God was paramount in her life, and doing all things out of love of God was what really mattered. St. Therese of the Little Flower never traveled to distant lands, yet is the Patroness of all Missionaries. St. Faustina, like St. Therese, stayed in Poland, yet this uneducated nun is known the world over as the "Great Apostle of Divine Mercy."
Lastly, why do we do the things we do? Are intentions pure, or is there an underlying motive? Doing things out of love, and striving to do all things in His Will is paramount. Our Lord told St. Faustina, "My daughter, let three virtues adorn you in a particular way: humility, purity of intention and love" (Diary, 1779).
Oh Lord, give us today a deeper appreciation of the need to do all things out of love and with purity of intention. Give us a deeper love of You in the Eucharist. Allow us to see Your Face more clearly in the marginalized of today - the rejected, the lonely, the disabled, the elderly, and the dying. Help us to be icons of mercy to a hurting world.
While reflecting on the episode, I was thinking about why we sometimes do the things we do, and what St. Therese called "The Little Way." In today's discussion, I want to share with you some thoughts that came to mind regarding purity of intention, as well as the similarities in spirituality of St. Faustina, St. Therese of the Child Jesus ("The Little Flower"), and Mother Teresa.
On one wall in our small office in Tampa we have a picture of St. Faustina, and next to that a picture of Mother Teresa. On the opposite wall, we have a picture of St. Therese of the Child Jesus. All three are interrelated to the spirituality that we profess as Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy; each loved Our Lord in the Eucharist, and each understood the importance of prayer and works of mercy. In fact, St. Faustina saw St. Therese once in a dream, and recorded this in her spiritual diary.
St. Therese's ideal was simple: "I want to be a saint." She wrote about the Little Way, that is, that the little things done out of love of God are what is important. This "Little Way" concept dramatized the truth that great love, not great deeds, is the essence of sanctity. She wrote in her memoirs that we should not be afraid of God even though we sin; we should stumble to our feet and continue our advance to God. The Little Flower wrote that she wanted to "start extolling now the mercies of the Lord - which I shall go on doing throughout eternity."
Like St. Faustina, she realized that to become a saint one must suffer a great deal. She wrote in her memoirs, "How will the story of a little white flower end? I don't know. But I am sure of this - the mercy of God will be with me always."
Most think of Mother Teresa as the living saint of our time who saw Jesus in the poor, and remember her for her great works of comforting the poor and lonely dying souls worldwide, particularly in India. Few understood her love of the Eucharist, her close relationship with Mary, the Mother of God, and her deep commitment to daily prayer, especially Eucharistic Adoration. She called herself a "pencil in God's hands." Her spiritual life showed the importance of balancing the contemplative life with the practical one of loving action. Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament gave her strength, and she felt that the rapid increase in vocations to her Order was because of her prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. She loved the poor, and said "they are the ones who have nothing to prove or to protect; no posing, no posturing before people or before God. When all you've got is all you've got, all that is left is to be yourself and you can only receive. That is why the poor are blessed; they know what really matters."
Like Mother Teresa, St. Faustina loved Jesus in the Eucharist and added to her name, "Of the Most Blessed Sacrament." She knew that living the mercy of God was paramount in her life, and doing all things out of love of God was what really mattered. St. Therese of the Little Flower never traveled to distant lands, yet is the Patroness of all Missionaries. St. Faustina, like St. Therese, stayed in Poland, yet this uneducated nun is known the world over as the "Great Apostle of Divine Mercy."
Lastly, why do we do the things we do? Are intentions pure, or is there an underlying motive? Doing things out of love, and striving to do all things in His Will is paramount. Our Lord told St. Faustina, "My daughter, let three virtues adorn you in a particular way: humility, purity of intention and love" (Diary, 1779).
Oh Lord, give us today a deeper appreciation of the need to do all things out of love and with purity of intention. Give us a deeper love of You in the Eucharist. Allow us to see Your Face more clearly in the marginalized of today - the rejected, the lonely, the disabled, the elderly, and the dying. Help us to be icons of mercy to a hurting world.
