medjugorje a diary of prayer

8/8/2019 Medjugorje a Diary of Prayer

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Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Medjugorje, Yugoslavia

19 September 1985Dear children, today I i nvite you to live in humility all the messages I am giving you .Do not glorify yourself when living the messages. For it is not necessary to speak it is necessary to live and witness by your lives.

25 February 2004Dear children also today as neve r up to now I call you to open your hearts to my messagesFrom the bottom of my heart,I call you to be mine with all of your heartand then you will see that your God is great because He will give you an abundance of blessings and peace.

25 September 2006Imitate the lives of saints and may they be an example for you; and I will inspire you as long as the Almighty permits me to be with you.


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We are Gods children .

1 John 3, 1 -2See what love the Father has b estowed on us that we may be called children of GodBeloved, we are Gods children now

Matthew 6, 9 Christ teaches us to pray: Our Father in heaven hallowed be your name

All of Marys messages to us from Medjugorje begin: Dear children


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Section 2

Live my messages in humility. May, 2005

Live my messages is at the heart of Our Ladys

appearances in Medjugorje, which began June 24, 1981. Marys first messages were directed to the people, native to Medjugorje. On March 1, 1984 Mary began giving weekly messages to the world. Then on January 25, 1987 her messages to the world became monthly. Again, all messages have been translated from Croatian.

Below, in Marys words, are some abbreviated weekly messages. These first messages educat e us to why she is appearing.All messages should ultimately be read in their full context.

1 Mar 1984 I want everyone to be mine.

5 Apr 1984 Unceasingly adore the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. I am always present when the faithful are adoring.

5 Apr 1984 This evening I pray, you especially to venerate the Heart of my Son Jesus.

19 Apr 1984 Dear children, sympathize with me: Pray, pray, pray.

26 Jul 1984 Today also I wish to call you to persistent prayer and penance.

4 Aug 1984 fast strictly on Wednesday and Friday;and every day to pray at least one rosary: the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries.

16 Aug 1984 Dear children, I beseech you to live my messages andconvey t hem to others

20 Sept 1984 Dear children, today I call you to begin fasting with the heart.

8 Nov 1984 Dear children, you are not conscious of the messages which God is sending you through me.He is giving you great graces and you do not compreh end them. Pray to the Holy Spirit for enlightenment.If you only knew how great are the graces God is granting you, you would be praying without ceasing.

14 Feb 1985 I want you dear children, to listen to me andto live my messages .Every family must pray and read the Bible.


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2 May 1985 Dear children, today I call you to pray with the heart and not just from habit. I wish to warn you like a mother,pray that prayer prevails in your hearts in every moment.

16 May 1985 I am calling you to more active prayer and attendance at Holy Mass. I wish your mass to be an experience of God.

27 Jun 1985 Today I am giving you a message through whichI desire to call you to humility.

25 Jul 1985 Dear children, I desire to lead you but you do n ot wish to listen to my messages. Today I am calling you to listen to the messages and

then you will be able to live everything which God tells me to convey to you.

8 Aug 1985 Dear children today I call you to advance against Satan with prayer. with the Rosary in your hand, defeat him!

12 Sept 1985 Dear children put the cross at the center of your life. Pray especially before the cross from which great graces are coming.

19 Sept 1985 Dear children today I invite you to live in humility a ll the messages I am giving you. Do not glorify yourselves when living the messages. For you, it is not necessary to speak it is necessary to live and witness by your lives.

26 Sept 1985 Especially live the fast, because by fasting you will achieve, and cause me joy for the fulfillment of all Gods plans here in Medjugorje.

3 Oct 1985 Dear children learn to give thanks in little things and then you will be able to give thanks also in the big things.

10 Oct 1985 Dear children if you live the messages ,you are living the seed of holiness .I as the mother, I wish to call you all to holiness, so that you can bestow it on others.


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24 Oct 1985 Dear children listen to and live my messages. I wish to guide you.

21 Nov 1985 What I wa nt from you is to show me your love by coming to mass. The Lord will reward you abundantly.

19 Dec 1985 Dear children, today I wish to call you to love of neighbor.The more you will love your neighbor, the more you will experience Jesus, especially on Christmas Day.

30 Jan 1986 Dear children, today I call you all to pray

that Gods plan for us may be realized and also everything that God desires through you. Help others to be converted especially those who are coming to Medjugorje.

13 Feb 1986 Lent is a special incentive for you to change. Start from this moment. Turn off the television and renounce various things that are of no value. Dear children I am calling you individually to conversion.

20 Feb 1986 renew prayer before the cross. Reflect on Jesus passion andin your life be united with Jesus.

27 Feb 1986 In humility live the messages which I am giving you.

20 Mar 1986 You wish to live everything I am telling you but you are not succeeding because you are not praying .Prayer will be your joy. If you start, it will not be boring to you because you will be praying out of joy.

3 Apr 1986 I wish to call you to a living of the Holy Mass. Sense the beauty of the Holy Mass. Jesus gives you His graces in the Mass. Come to Mass with love and make it your own.


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17 Apr 1986 Dear children you are absorbed with material things, but in the material you lose everythingthat God wishes to give you.I call you to pray for the gifts of the Holy Spiritwhich are necessary for you nowin order to be able to witness to my presence here andto all that I am giving you. Do not be absorbed with material things.

1 May 1986 Dear children let every family be active in prayer, for I wish that the fruits i n the family be seen one day.

Only in this way shall I give you all, like petals, as a gift to Jesusin fulfillment of Gods plan.

8 May 1986 You are the ones responsible for the messages.The source of grace is here, but you, dear children,are the vessels which transport the gifts. I am calling you to do your job with responsibility.Each one shall be responsible according to his own ability. I call you to give the gifts to others with love, and not to keep them for yourselves.

Thank you for having responded to my call.15 May 1986 Dear children today I call you to give me your heart

so I can change it to be like mine. You are talking but you are not doing.I call you to do everything that I am telling you. That way I will be with you.

22 May 1986 Today I wish to give you my own love. In various ways I wish to show it to you but you dear children, do not recognize it. You do not understand my words with your heart and neither are you able to comprehend my love.Dear children accept me in your life so you will be able to accept all I am saying to you and to which I am calling you.


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29 May 1986 Today my call to you is that in your life you live love toward God and neighbor.

Without love dear children yo u can do nothing. start loving from today with ardent love, the love with which I love you.

5 Jun 1986 Today I am calling on you to decide whether or not you wish to live the messages which I am giving you. I wish you to be active in living an d spreading the messages. Especially dear children, I wish you to be the reflection of Jesus, which will enlighten this unfaithful world. Walking in darkness live the light with your own life.

12 Jun 1986 Today I call you to begin to pray the Rosar y with living faith. That way I will be able to help you.You wish to obtain graces, but you are not praying. I call you to pray the Rosary and that your Rosary be an obligation which you shall fulfill with joy. That way you shall understand th e reason I am with you so long.

17 Jul 1986 reflect upon why I am with you this long. I am the mediatrix between you and God .

I desire to call you to live, always out of love, all that God desires of you. For that reason, in your own humility, live all the messages which I am giving you.

24 Jul 1986 Dear children let your family be a place where holiness is birthed.Help everyone to live in holiness, especially your own family.

11 Sept 1986 Pray that you may be able to accept sickness and suffering with love the way Jesus accepted them. Only in that way will I be able with joy to give you the graces and healing which Jesus is permitting me to give.


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9 Oct 1986 I do not desire to force you to observe the messages. But rather this long time that I am with you is a signthat I love you immeasurably and what I desire of each individual is to become holy.

6 Nov 1986 Today I wish to call you to pray daily for the souls in purgatory.For every soul, prayer and grace i s necessary to reach God and the love of God. By doing this dear children, you obtain new intercessorswho will help you in life to realize

that all the earthly things are not important for you, only heaven is that for which it is necessary to strive. Pray without ceasing to help yourselves and others to whom your prayers will bring joy.

25 Jan 1987 I want to call you to start living a new life as of today. I want you to comprehend that God has chosen each one of you in order to use youin His great plan for the salvation of mankind .You are not able to comprehendhow great your role is in Gods design.

pray so that in prayer you may be able to comprehend. I am with you to bring (Gods plan) about in all its fullness.

J anuary 25, 1987 was the first of Marys monthly messages.


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Section 3

These thoughts and prayers are focused on one mans journey to live Marys messages

in humility. Free will and grace provide each of us with our own way to the God of Love.This pa th is meant to be illustrative of one travelers use of Marys Medjugorje messages asChrists path for him.

1 Nov 2004 We begin with some thoughts on Our Lady Queen of Peace message of September 25, 2004

Dear children, also today I call youto be love where there is hatred andfood where there is hunger.Open your hearts, little children and let your hands be extended and generous,so that through you every creature may thank God the Creator. Pray little children and open your heart to Gods love, but y ou can not if you do not pray. Therefore pray, pray, pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.

I call you to be love where there is hatred

I perceive that to be a call to spiritualityi.e. love where there is hatred. But it could also be a call to love in action thus a literal response. More prayer is required to fully understand.

But the second half of Marys call i.e. I call you to be food where there is hunger I take that literally. From yesterdays homily, Sunday, came the statement that all of us are merely stewards of Gods riches which are allocated and loaned, to us upon this earth.

That means to me that I have been given the opportunity to manage anothers assets. Those assets in my account are not mine to keep. I am an I nvestment Manager of sort,a fiduciary of the Lords account.


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So my wonderful wife and I will start by tithing 10% of our net income.

- a certain amount from our personal account - the rest from; I do not know where.

Again, September 2004 message: Ope n your hearts, little children and let your hands be extended and generousso that through you, every creature may thank God the Creator.

When the Cardinal of New York City askedMother Teresa, how she would fund her nuns

when they came to open a mission in the South Bronx, Mother answered, Is God bankrupt in New York City? I must think that way too. May God direct my way.

Today is All Saints Day and Marys October 25 th

message gives us guidance.

October 2004 Our Lady Queen of Peace: Medjugorje

Dear children, this is a time of grace for the family and

therefore, I call you to renew prayer. May Jesus be in the heart of your family. In prayer, learn to love everything that is holy. Imitate the lives of the saints so they may bean incentive and tea chers on the way of holiness .May every family become a witness of love in this world without prayer and peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.


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November is my month of Thanksgiving (October Petition)

Thanksgiving: Imitation of C hrist

1. Be meek: Those who know how to suffertheir neighborChrist has to suffer us; His neighbors. He does it with love. We humans, to be meek, have to suffer both our neighbors and ourselves.

2. Be mine: Pray for Marys i ntentions. That is, how to be mine.

Be humble as Mary is humble of heart. Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord.May it be done to me according to thy word. Lk 1,38

3. Be love where there is hatred: Spiritual Be food where there is hunger: Materi al

Again, tithe 10% of net per month.

2 Nov 2004 I showed tithing thoughts of November 1 st to Lois and in her love, she reminded me of our current contributions to family and church and charity. But continue to press on Jim, Ten percent is our

obj ective; Marys objective for you too.Be food for the hungry: Pray daily for the answer to that request of Marys and for courage to comply.

Jim believe that simple prayer works miracles: Believe, Believe.

3 Nov 2004 Caretaker, custodian, manager, steward, trustee, are all words meaning one who oversees or takes care of property that does not belong to him.

I am a custodian for my Lord, a steward a trustee, a manager, etc.


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Not just a custodian of my Lords assets, property,

but a custodian of the minds and hearts of my wife and children: They are not mine; They are Gods human souls thatI merely shepherd through life, oversee through life. I can only influence through my love for them and myexample to do right, to do good, as our HeavenlyFathe r asks of my stewardship of family and friends.

We are Our Lords caretakers of the spiritual as well as of the material. Thus we must use the talents loaned to us during our short lifetime. Invest the assets given to our care. Return to our loving God

the highest return of which we are capablefor both spiritual and material assets, which are placed under our care during our life span on earth.

Jim, that wish, that prayer above, is one of Marys intentions ,for which I pray, one of her prayers for us, f or she is our mother whose primary objective in being is to point the way to her Son, Our Lord and our God, Jesus Christ; who loves each of us eternally!! TBTG

4 Nov 2004 St. T. of Avila

All the beginner in prayer has to do, and you mustnot forget this, for it is very important , is to: 1. Labor and be resolute (Perseverance) and 2. Prepare himself with all possible diligence

to bring his will into conformity with the will of God.

Thought 1. Labor and be Resolute i.e. be persistent: I have been giv en the grace to be persistent.

2. Conform my will to the will of God: For this I must beg.Mary, guide me.


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Conformity of my will to Gods will; I pray. 1. Mary guide my heart. Be mine I pray for your intentions. 2. Holy Spirit: Help me to believe that simple prayer

works miracles: Perseverance. Give me the graces to recognize your will Lord to understand your will for me and thenthe courage to Do; The courage to conform my will.

This prayer time for a friend who is dying, is spent in The Sacred Heartchurch in Bay Head.

I pray: To conform my will to the will of God through The Immaculate Heart of Mary to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

5 Nov 2004 Teresa of Avila is saying that my very important duty is First, Not to try to conform my will to the will of God myself, for I am not capable. I do not have human capacity to completethat spiritual task. Only God, using His grace of the Holy Spirit through the Immaculate Heart of Mary Mary guide my heart can accomplish that task.

Remem ber Jim, without me you can do nothing. Jh 15,5 Rather, what St. Teresa is asking of me is: To Prepare mysel f (All a beginner in prayer has to dois to prepare himself.) with all possible diligenceMy job is to prepare myself with all possible dili gence Gods job is to bring my will into conformity with the will of God.

I prepare the ground and plan the seed (that Maryhas brought to me). It is Gods job to grow that seed, to die that seed that it may grow into wheat. Wheat for His Eucharisti c bread: Grow my will. Conform my will to the will of God TBTG. TB to Mary: guide my heart; Please, Lady of Perpetual Help.


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6 Nov 2004 St. Teresa of Avila

All the beginner in prayer has to do, and you must not forget this for it is very i mportant, is to - Labor and be resolute and- Prepare himself with all possible diligence

to bring his will into conformity with the will of God.

Jim pray over and meditate upon these lines: for it is very important All the beginner in prayer has to do

is to labor and be resolute (work, pray, persistently), and prepare himself with all possible diligence (To prepare himself: diligence in preparing himself is all that a human has in his/her capacity; plow that field, cultivate th at soil, prepare for the miracle that is a seedgrowing into grain for wheat. Only God creates the miracle of growth, from seed to mature grain. Humans can only prepare; work to prepare soil. to bring my will into conformity with the will of God.

Tho ught Our lifes total effort is all we have the human capacity to

accomplish. Remember, on this earth we are merelystewards, trustees of Gods riches Stewards to prepare the soil of our life -farm to the best of our ability. We prepare with continuou s human- style effort for the miracle of seed dying and growth. Seed when combined with water, soil and sun has the capacity, with Gods growth miracle, to mature into grain: grain to feed the hungry. Jim, be love where there is hatred and food where th ere is hunger. Be the food of the Eucharist to the hungry :Key, I believe Our Lady of Medjugorje is asking me To Be the food where there is hunger.I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my heart with this thought, and remember Jim keep it simple, as Our Lord keeps things simple for us.

Me Lord? Be the Eucharistic food to the Spiritually hungry .


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7 Nov 2004 Is Our Lady asking me, through her messages; to bring Eucharistic food to the spiritually hungry?

I call you to be food where there is hunger.

you to be food But only the Eucharist is the food; so my Lord through my Lady, how am I to be food where there is hunger? I pray to understand this message to me. TBTG

Is bringing the Eucharist to those who are hungry for Godwhat my Mother is asking be food The transporter of the Eucharist becomes more closely united tothe Eucharist food he brings? Humility can not

allow me to even think of that subject. Thus infusion by my Lord can be my only source of information.

My God may be reminding me of my proximity to the Eucharistic host when I bring that food to those hungry for God at the nursing homes and thus my need to become His most reverent transporter.

Lord please show me what is important to me, if anything, other than the need to be most reverent, in this thought process.

8 Nov 2004 Per St. T of Avila Interior Castle To move from the first mansion to the second, one is to: 1. live humility, 2. be constant in prayer and 3. live an orderly lifestyle 4. with a sincere desire to improve in your love of God.

9 Nov 2004 St. T. of A. have humility and again humility! Pg. 83 -84 It is by humility that the Lord allows Himself

to be conquered so that He will do all that we ask of Him.

Pg. 84 -85JVs interp. Total d etachment (from things) that is humility in action.

Not enough merely to possess humility of thought, humility within the mind, rather one must strive for humility of action.


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St. T. of A Let nothing trouble you,Contd. let nothing frighten you:

Ev erything passes,

only God never changes.Be patient, for patience obtains all. Whoever has God, wants for nothing. God alone is enough.

Live: Meek and humble of heart Meek = Turn the other cheek Learn to take it for Christs sake. Humble = Be Mine. Pray for Marys Intentions: Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to Thy word.

of heart = Prayer of the heart: Soft eyes; Kindness. Marys prayer at Medjugorje.

10 Nov 2004 Christopher and Jody are having Gods baby June 18 th . TBTG

Oct 2004 Dear children, this is a time of grace for the family! Therefore, I call you (Jim) to renew prayer.

May 2003 If you convert, Jim, all those around you will also be renewed

and prayer will be a joy for them. Oct 2004 May Jesus be in the heart of your family. Chris and Jody

Simple: Holy Spirit, teach me to pray; through the Immaculate Heart of Mary Prayer of - prayer of the heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus prayer the heart of the heart .

Oct 2002

Believe (Faith of the Heart), that by simple prayer miracles can be worked. Remember Jim: Prayer is asking Gods intervention in human life; Usually to change my mind, not to have God change His way. All prayers are answered Believ e, faith of the heart. Since all prayers are answered, we pray for Gods intervention in human life. So keep in mind that all prayers are answered and the definition of a miracle is Gods intervention in human life. Thus by simple prayer miracles can be worked.


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Stanza 1 -34 St. John of the Cross The Living Flame of Love

it is characteristic of God to take to Himself, before their time, souls that love Him ardently, perfecting them in a short while by means of that love, which in any event they would have gained at their own pace.

It is vital for individuals to make acts of love in this life so that in being perfected in a short timethey may not be detained long, either here on earth, or in the next life (purgatory), before seeing God.

11 Nov 2004 When I re -read my April 21, 2004 notes I found:

The shortcut; my edge, to Peace and Joy here and hereafter is 1. Express your love to the Crucified i.e. Jesus and Neighbor 3/2004 2. From the bottom of my heart (Mary says to me: 2/2004)

I call you to be mine with all your heart (How?) Pray for my intentions.

3. we can not be sure if we are loving God, although we may have good reason for believing that we are,

but we can know quite well if we are loving our neighbor. (because we can love our neighbor as we love ourself: thus the knowing.) St. T. of Avila Pg. 115.

October 2004

Imitate the lives of saints so that they may be an incentive and teachers on th e way of holiness.

13 Nov 2004 Three hours of combined prayer per day might be changed to (thought) three hours of direct prayer plus other Corporal activities.

Maybe start with one and a half, 90 minutes, of holy hour: plus mass to total 2 hours. Then one more hour of personal prayer: Plus Corporal works Now 60: minutes holy hour; 30 min. Mass; 40 min. of Rosary = 2 hours plus.


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13 Nov 2004

Stations of the Cross Plus Prayer at Stained Glass Windows

1st Station Jesus is condemned by Pilot: Prayers to George, Ed, Tom, Dick, Pat/Peg; Mom and Dad, John and Marie, Children and Family.

2nd Station Jesus made to carry His cross: Pray for: Lois, MaryEllen, Marg, Jane, LeoJanet, Greg, et al.

3rd Station Jesus falls the first time: Prayer for my deceased Protestant friendsBob, Jim, Larry et al.

Window after

3rd

Station I will be a saint means: I will despoil myself of all that is not God. I will strip my heart of all created things. I will live in poverty (poor in spirit) and detachmen t. I will renounce my will, my whims, my fancies that I may live Gods will for me and my neighbor.

4th Station Jesus meets His mother: Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary I consecrate myself, my wife and my family to you today. Prayer for a happy death for Lois and I and family: Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us: Brown Scapular.

Window Jesus the Good Shepard

Prayer for Italians and Irish For religious ferver: Michael F. Prayer for all Jewish people: Belief in God; Belief in Eternity: Howard.

5th Station Jesus is helped by Simon We adore thee O Christ and we praise thee because bythy Holy Cross thou hast redeemed the world.

Window Last Supper Thank you Lord and Our Lady, for making the Eucharist the center of my life.

6th Station Jesus meets Veronica Lord I am not worthy that thou should come under my roof. Only say the word and thy servant will be healed. For Lois and Marg.

7th Station Jesus falls the second time True sorrow for my sins, that have caused my Lord this pain.

Window Crucifixion: Be merciful Lord


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St. T of A

Pg. 159 Keep trying all the time to realize our poverty and wretchedness, and to reflect that we possess nothing that we have not been given.

Thought Reflect that we possess nothing that we have not been given. Think material value: Example being merely stewards on earth of Gods assets; how we handle those assets turns neutrality into a positive or into a negative value, spiritually. Secondly we possess nothing that we have not been given: of spiritual value too, graces. We effectuate

those spiritual values by love of God and love of neighbor. We can also miss the opportunity to use these spiritual graces, these gifts of God. A missed opportunity is a lost grace to grow closer to Him.

Negative thoughts, anti -God thoughts, which can be manifested as anti -neighbor thoughts, are permitted by God to test our courage to resist. These thoughts are not given to us by our loving Lord, they are permitted by Him to strengthen our will, to increase our ability to deny and thus to increase our love of God and neighbor.

Therefore we say again with St. Teresa th at we possess nothing that

we have not been given. Or that God has not directly permitted for our better good and His greater honor and glory.

All thought and things flow through or are permitted by our Loving God, so that each of us is able to live up to our God -given potential for holiness.

Spiritual growth is our constant objective, every moment of every day, as steward or trustee of things, as implementer of our Lords spiritualgraces motivating positive thoughts. Also, in so far as t houghts are concerned, rejecting for our greater good, denying negative thoughts permitted by God.

Thanks Be to God


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14 Nov 2004 St. T. of A.

There are three things in particular which it (the soul), enjoys to

a very high degree: (Within the 5th

Mansion)

1. Knowledge of the greatness of God. The more we see of this the more deeply we are conscious of it.

2. Self -knowledge; Humility: At realizing how a thing like the soul,so base by comparison with one who is the Creator of such greatness, has dared to offend Him and dares to raise its eyes to Him.

3. Supreme contempt for earthly things;Save those which can be employedin the service of so great a God.

Remember Jim, you are a steward of Go ds Assets.

Thought To live a long life in praise and glory of my God. vs.

To die to be with my Savior as soon as He allows.

My answer to this my dilemma, Teresa posed some time back.

St. Teresas thoughts on the above subject is: I could live one thousand lifetimesin the praise and love of the Crucified, if I did not fear that my baseness would lose my soul and thus lose my eternity of loving my good and generousLord and Majesty.

Not my will be done but thy will be done. P. 162 +/ -

October 2004

16 Nov 2004 In prayer, learn to love everything that is holy.Imitate the lives of saints so that they may be an incentive and teacher on the way of holiness.


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18 Nov 2004 October is Peti tion: #3 comes from Sept. 25 message.

November is Thanksgiving:

1. Imitation of Christ

2. Be mine: From the bottom of my heart I call youto be mine with all of your heart.

How to Be mine: Pray for Marys intentions, as she asks.Feb. 2004

3. Be love where there is hatred,Be food where there is hunger. Oct. 2004? Be food?

Prayer for friends.

Thanks Be to God for my October petitionand Novemb er Thanksgiving

Help me Lord with new December Petition / January Thanksgiving

19 Nov 2004 December Petition: - Be food where there is hunger - Pray for Marys intentions: Be mine; Imitate Christ

20 Nov 2004 Lois and I went to Washington, DC. We went to moms church Sat. A.M., Annunciation, where our Lady and Our loving Lord revealed the following to me: Novena pamphlet to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

Listen !! Jim; Listen to Our Lord through Our Lady. 15 minutes each day afterEucharistic Holy Hour. Catherine Laboure prayer embodies the concept of listening .I found this devotional pamphlet in the pew of Moms Annunciation Church.


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St. Catherine Laboure:

Whenever I go to chapel, I put myself in the presenceof our good Lord, and I say to Him, Lord, I am here. Tell me what you would have me to do.

If He gives me some task,I am content and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him as I do not deserve

to receive anything more than that.

And then I tell God everything that is in my heart.

I tell Him about my pains and my joys, and then I listen .

If you listen, God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord,

you have to both speak and listen .

God always speaks to you

when you approach him plainly and simply. Amen

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who haverecourse to thee.

Feast: Nov. 27 Our Lady of the Miraculous Me dal Nov. 28, St. C. Laboure.

21 Nov 2004 At this time, the end of November, my prayer of thanksgiving month:

1. Imitation of Christ 2. Pray for Marys intentions; Be mine 3. Be love where there is hatred

Be food wh ere there is hunger.


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I have been given the grace to understand the concept Be food where there is hunger.

At morning Mass on Saturday, at the Church of the Annunciation in DC Be it done unto me according to thy word; I am the handmai d of the Lord. Annunciation, was my mothers church:My good God, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, gave me the graces to understand St. Catherine Laboures prayer of the previous page. And Our Ladys September message:

I am the hungry on e Mary talked about in her September message food for me is St. Catherines prayer showing me that I must accept, be the food for my shut -ins. Be food where there is hunger.

1.

Place myself in the presence of Our Good Lord.2. Lord, I am here. Tell me what you would have me to do .3. If he gives me some task, or not, I am content to thank Him. 4. I then tell God everything that is in my heart.

Key 5. Then I listen .

For with the Good Lord, you have to both speak and listen .

To continue my thought:

First I receive food for my own hunger, which is to both

speak and listen . to our God. Then, somehow, that I do not understand yet, I must become this spiritual food for the hungry that Mary asks of me.

Thanks Be To God

Do Gods task today for me: To write my thoughts on the graces I have Task been just given. Then to place those thoughts in order in my mind,

I write:

Thanks Thanks be to my Most Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

The above w riting is what is in my heart now; with joy (Simple)

Then Listen For the next 15 minutes

Thanks Be to God


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22 Nov 2004 - I place myself in the presence of my loving God. - What to do Lord? To write a note to accompany Story of a Soul?

- Thank you My Lord through my Lady. - My joys and my sorrows; Joy with Lois on Sunday;- Sorrow for my dying friend and spouse. - Listen now Jim.

23 Nov 2004 Listen!! Am following the morning direction of Catherine Laboure

- Place myself in the presence of our loving Lord.- Ask Our Lord what task He desires of me today.- Thank Him for task or for no task given. - Tell Him my pains and joys of my heart.

-

Then listen to His reply: Speak, then listen.

My friend is dying. Notes on dying with dignity.Dignity is generated from within. Dignity does not evolve from what other people think or do, to or for us. Think of the indignity of Christs death, the inner dignity of that God -man. Christs love for others and His teaching, show his interior dignitythat has guided humans to emulat e His way of life, through the centuries.

24 Nov 2004 Bill died at Allendale Nursing Home:

Bill died in the past few days. I will miss him and pray to him as one of my Lords saints. He had a difficult life of sickness and he lived it as a hero. TBTG

Now dear Lord, through the Immaculate heart of Mary, take to your own, the saintly Father M. Remove his loving soul from that pain filled body; Please my Lord, my Lady.

Also trapped in a body of which only her eyes and her mouth move, to receive your Eucharist, is Helene. Take her too Lord, Please.

Listen Could it be that my Lord is asking me (Listen Jim) to inviteJim Elizabeth to our home on Christmas? If so Lord, also give me Listen the courage to act. TBTG


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27 Nov 2004 Listening: Prayer for Bill. Asking him to pray for my friends who are on the path to eternity. That they may die with dignity as another friend asks. Dignity defined as having

run the good race, reaching the finish line with a forgiving soul; i.e. suffering both neighbor and suffering self. That equates to accepting the grace to be meek, with a humble heart: Humility; Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it done unto me acco rding to thy word.

Dying with dignity. End -term dignity as defined by St. Paul, having run the good race Being proud in the last hours: Being meek ; suffering neighbor and suffering self; With a humble heart: Father forgive them for they know not w hat they do.

28 Nov 2004 More thoughts on dying with dignity

To die with dignity is his wish. That grand concept gave me pause. I have spent many years visiting Nursing Homes, watching, while the sick and infirmed grow physically weaker before they die. I can see that death from sickness is not noble.There is little dignity when the body deteriorates from illness. Yet, St. Paul had some inspiring words on this subject.

2 Tim. 4, 6 -8 the time of my departure is at hand. I have competed well; I have finished the race; from now on a crown of righteousness awaits me

That sounds like dying with dignity to me. But there has tobe more than human pride behind those lines. PossiblyTeresa of Avila can develop Pauls concept o f a crown of righteousness when she defines having a meek andhumble heart. Meek she defines as suffering neighbor andsuffering self, or loving neighbor as oneself.

Having a humble heart, can be understood whenMary the mother of Jesus sai d, Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it done unto me according to Thy word.


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Thus, when a sick person dies, weakened physically, the dignity, is the person saying with St. Paul: I have competed well, - that is, fairly and justly in this w orld; I have finished the race for the good of friends and family.

A crown of righteousness awaits me for I at last have learned a new definition of being humanly successful, namely suffering neighbor and harder still, sufferingself. And one of lifes most difficult efforts, learning acceptance which is learning humility: be it done unto me according to thy word.

Question:

Is humility synonymous with dignity?Should we all be wishing to die with humility?

Note: My friend died before this letter was sent. But as usual, more was learned by the writer, in the writing.

29 Nov 2004 November 2004 Our Lady Queen of Peace, Medjugorje

Dear children at this time I call you allto pray for my intentions. (This is how to; Be mine!)

Especially little children pray for those who have not yet come to know the love of God and do not seek God the Savior.

You little children, be my extended hands Be mineand by your example draw them closer to my heart and the Heart of my Son.

God will reward you Yes Lord; but no reward forwith graces and every blessing. me Lord. Rather reward is Thank you for h aving responded to my call. to be directed as prayer for

Marys intention. Be mine !


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My rewrite of Marys November 2004 message.

Now, I call you all to pray for my intentions. Be my extended hands; by your example and prayer; draw those who have not yet come to know the love of God and do not seek God the Savior. God will reward you with grace and every blessing. Thank you.

Dear children (Jim) at this time I call you all to pray for my intentions.

Prayer To pray for my (Marys) intentions equates to Be mine;

and I pray with all of my heart to become an instrument of love in this world where there is hatred and food where there is both material and spiritual hunger: through the Immaculate Heart of Mary to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

And you Be mine Jim, by praying with great love, smiling eyes, for mymust (Marys) intentions, that you wil l become love; you will become food; listen!!! you will glorify the Father through the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

That you will live up to your God -given potential for holiness. Amen

Thought What more can you ask of life Jim but to live up to

your God -given potential for holiness? To suffer neighbor, suffer self and live up to potential, which includes both loving God and loving neighbor.

1 December Advent Preparation for Christmas December Petition; January Thanksgiving

Petition: 1. Pray f or my (Marys) intentions Nov 2004 Imitation of Christ

Nov. 2004 2. Especially pray for those who

have not yet come to know the love of Godand do not seek God the Savior .

3. Listen!; C. Laboures way: For the ability to learn: No Wine for Advent.


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3 Dec 2004 My Lord through my lady within her Medjugorge messages, has

asked me to become a spokesperson, to distribute His love to a world without love. If I should become embarrassed because of standing for my God get over it; you are 70 years old; be a man; Courage!

Nov 2004 You little children be my extended hands and by your example draw them closer to my heart and the Heart of my Son.

4 Dec 2004 We are not placed upon this world to succeed,

rather to live every moment of every day to our God -given potential for holiness. The way, is the object. The goal is not the object.

Little children be my extended hands. (Pray for the intentions of Mary) And by your example (living to our God -given pot ential for holiness,) draw them (others) closer to my heart and the Heart of my Son.

Thought My thrill is to be asked by Mary, the mother of God,Christs dearest human being, to pray for her personal intentions, that is beyond any joy this poor human could ask for.

Think of being asked by the Queen of Heaven and Earth to please help her; to pray to Our Lord and Savior, her Son: God.Imagine my thrill to believe, that Mary believes that I could be of any prayerful help: O joy, O joy to be chosen; even for the smallness, of my maximum effort. Yes Mary my Mother, I will pray for your intentions, with persistence, to the very best of my limited human ability. TBTG

New thought: To know the love of God and to pray for those who do not seek God the Savior .


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How does Jim seek God the Savior Maybe my answer comes from C. Laboure prayer. 1. Listen and

2. Plain and Simple, Prayer.

5 Dec 2004 Pray to Be mine. What it means to B e mine.1. Pray, with all of my heart, for Marys intentions: Be mine! 2. Simple prayer ;

a. That all come to know the love of God.b. That all seek God the Savior.

November 2004 Be my extended hands; and by your example, draw them (others)

closer to my heart and the heart of my Son Jesus.

3. ListenI place myself in the presence of God

Lord, I am here. Tell me what you would have me do.Thank Him: To Do or Not to Do, Thank you God.

I tell Him everything that is in my heart. I tell Him about my pains and my joys

and then I listen. If you listen, God will also speak to you.

Approach Him plainly and simply.

Thought My pain is the inadequacy of my prayer, as I see it. My joy is my prayers adequacy, as Mary sees it.

Prayer I do belie ve Lord Help my unbelief. Holy Spirit teach me to pray from the bottom of my heart. Mary; Help me to believe that a simple prayer works miracles. Be mine, Mary asks Jim; Pray for my intentions. November 2004

Lord help me to live up to my G od -given potential for holiness. And, to do the little things in life with love and smiling eyes.

St. John of the Cross; Doctor of the Church; Listen Jim, to him.


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7 Dec 2004 1. Pray; To Be mine How: Pray for Marys intentions which arein fact Jesus intentions through the conformity of Marys will to the will of her Son.

2. Simple Prayer Believe that simple prayer works miracles.

3. Listen: To Him Silence: Listen; do not speak.

Teresa of Avila; Christ re -presented within her; Christ in her. Think and Do, as Christ would, at all times, with everything in me.

Tell me what you would have me do, Lord.My Lord answers me today:Think and Do as I would; For I am living within you this day. Practice Simple Prayer: Be Mine

9 D ec 2004 Listen: 1. Pray for the intentions of the Blessed Mother today.

Jim 2. Pray to know the love of God; 3. Seek God the Savior.

10 Dec 2004 1. Be mine: Pray for my intentions 2. Imitation o f Christ: Know the love of God; Seek God the Savior. 3. Listen: Daily prayer

Thought: Thank you Lord; for my accountants direction to pay my year end Partial tax bill. No anxiety Jim: Seek God the Savior. Does this mean: Ans to Seek God the Savi or of all. He is our eternal life. He is our everything.

Seek God So why can He not solve a tax issue that you yourself could not solve? the Savior Seek God the Savior of both the Spiritual life as well as the Savior of material life. (Beginning of thought of answer.)

The salvation of our lives in the Spirit, requires prayer- effort on our part, and further, salvation is our reason for being. God will resolve our material anxiety without effort; His effort. Our anxious moments are truly a was te of our energy. So our prayer life should be before all else. Material life is resolved effortlessly by our loving and Almighty Lord.

Break through, GraceThought Seek God the Savior: This may mean in part; To seek God the Savior

of both my Spiri tual Life as well as my mundane, day to day life in a material world.


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11 Dec 2004 Seek God the Savior. 11/2004

St. Therese of Lisieux Jesus has no need of books or teachers to instruct souls.

He teaches without the noise of words. Nev er have I heard Him speak but I feel He is within me at each moment.

(Seek God the Savior) He is guiding and inspiring me with what I must say and do. I find, just when I need them, certain lights that I had not seen until then, and it is not most frequently during the hours of prayer that these are most abundant, but rather in the midst of my daily occupations.

St. T of L. Just when I need them, I find certain lights that I had not seen until then.

Thought Plain and Simple, seek God the Savior Listen to Him; & Prayer for just when you need light, certain lights unseen til then, appear.

Listen: God is the Savior of both the spiritual and the material for me!

Pray to know the love of God and to seek the light of His grace.

T. of Avila God lives deep within us

Tape Spiritual Marriage: Life of the Trinity. Chapt. 2 of the 7th

Dwelling 12 Dec 2004 1. Be mine ; Pray for my intentions.

2. Imitation of Christ; Seek God the Savior.

3. Listen; God lives within us; Walk with me Lord every moment.

Thought More lights come as I pray over the concept: Seek God the Savior. 11/2004

Seek God the Savior; He lives within me; He walks with me;He accompanies me each step of my day, watching every contact with neighbor.

Catherine Laboure1. In the presence of our good Lord 2. What to do: Pray I learn to understand: Seek God the Savior.3. Thank you Lord 4. Tell God everything that is in my heart: pain and joy 5. Then Listen: Plain and Simple


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Listen Seek God the Savior - Seek God my Savior Seek, Seek perseverance, moment by moment and pray for Marys intentions, she always points to her Son; I seek and Mary points,God is my Savior: Thanks be to God!!

13 Dec 2004 God will reward you with graces (That I seek and find within me. That I act as I would having my God within me) and every blessing.11/2004

Prayer My prayer for Every blessing for my ill friends: Every blessing Please Lord, I pray for their joy of eternal life with you, and the joy to live the rest of their earthly life in the loving happiness that i s being with you. Provide for us humans. Provide the joy of prayer Lord, the joy that is prayer.

14 Dec 2004 Listen

To live to my God -given potential for holiness by seeking God the Savior within me.

Be mine, with all of your heart; Pray for my intentions.

Wow Seek God the Savior within me: And you willlive to your God -given potential for holiness!!

Conversion : Seek, with the grace of God, through prayer, for Marys intentions. Marys intentions are God the Saviors intentions, who is within me. You will then be able to live to your God -given

potential for holiness. Objective And those around you will also be renewed and prayer will become a joy for them. 5/2003 (My reason for being: but notnecessarily to succeed but to be faithful along the way.)

Thought: My Lord is asking me to spend an additional hourin Eucharistic Adoration each day, to Listen to follow the way to conversion: Above.

Remember Jim, lifes objective (goal) is not success.Rather, lifes objec tive, is to be faithful along the way. On the way, Jim, we need an additional hour from you, from today on!

Listen A woman asked me to stay an extra half hour today at Eucharistic Adoration while she attends 6:30 mass that is being said for h er husband. I believe this to be gentle persuasion, by the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to direct me to spend an additional hour


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with my Lord every day. My mentors did Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul. With my Lords grace and strength, I can too.

No big deal Jim: Living up to potential is merely doing minimum job requirements. Not being heroic, just living up to God- given

potential.

After all, our loving Lord gave you the answer to living today: see abov e, under the heading Conversion.

Coincidence? Today is the feast day of John of the Cross Doctor of the Church: He emphasizes the theology of listening.

The Precautions by John of the Cross

#2 It should be noted, that all the harm the soul receives

is born of its enemies,

the world the devil and the flesh.

The world is the enemy and is the least difficult to conquer;The devil is the hardest to understand; but the flesh is the most tenacious, and its attacks continueas l ong as the old self lasts.

#3 To gain complete mastery over any of these three enemies,one must vanquish all three of them; and in the weakening of one, the other two are weakened also. When all three are overpowered, no further war remains for the soul.

15 Dec 2004 1. Be mine; Pray for my intentions. 2. Imitation of Christ; Seek God the Savior of both material and

spiritual life.3. Listen; God the Savior lives within me. TBTG

We love because He loved us first John s gospel. God, who lives within, is the Savior of both the material andspiritual life.

16 Dec 2004 Be mine ; Pray for my intentions. 5:03 AM Imitate Christ : Seek God the Savior; Come to know the love of God. 1.5 hrs. Listen: To our Savior spiritu ally and materially for He dwells within us.

Luke 9,35 This is my chosen Son; listen to him.


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Nov 2004 Pray (to) come to know the love of God

Pray to seek God the Savior.

17 Dec 2004 I place myself in the presence of my Lord. Q. Here I am Lord, I have come to do your will: What to do for you? Ans. Complete your Advent duty Jim. Run over the bag.

A. Be mine; Pray for my intentions B. Imitate Christ; Seek God the SaviorC. Listen to Him; Walk with God within me.

If you convert Jim, all those a round you will also be renewed

and prayer will be joy for them. 5/2003

TBTG

Again, death with dignity: as per Leo But; We are not put on this earth to become successful, we are here to be faithful to the way.

It is not whether you win or lose, it is how you play the game!!

Christs death was a death with dignity; to believers. Also, Christs life was lived with dignity the way; to believers: Believe.

Do the little things of the day, with great love. An unexpected smile, or hello to a stranger is a success.A touch, a word to the lonely; another mini success: Not agame -breaker success, but a faithful to the way success.

A mountain of small wins is vastly superior, and more humble, than one heroic, well documented success.

Showing up for pr actice every day, quietly, is success, verses winning one for the Gipper; Showing up only for the game.

Daily unobserved, sometimes unrealized continuous acts of love by a mother for a child, creates the mountain. Not the quality time once -in -a- while ,mother child relationship.


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Our loving Lord does not have to be told when we love our neighbor as ourselves. But a human, a third party, has to be told, if human recognition is our desire. Also, if prideful human recognition is our desire, ourneighbo r might have to be told too; He/she can not always be expected

to get it, our self sacrifice, our pride, that is. Again, God need not be told true love verses self love.

Christs demonstration of dying with dignity may have been missed by His enemies at the foot of His ignominious cross: Father forgive them. But the humble dignity of the dying human person can be cause for that persons eternal glory.

TBTG

18 Dec 2004 Q: Lord in your presence: Tell me what you would have me do.

A: Praise God!! With all His angels and saints, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This is holy ground; I am walking on holy ground,

for the Lord is present and where He is, is holy.

I am listening Lord; please speak to me in my heart.All prayer is answered. Listen quietly Jim. - Be mine: Pray for my intentions. - Imitate Christ: Seek God the Savior.- Listen: To God the Savior within you; Walk with Him.

Confession today Jim 12:45 St. Lukes Listen and hear: Simple Glory be! Gl ory be! Glory be to God! Through His loving mother.

- Simple prayer works miracles. TBTG - Live up to your God -given potential for holiness. No extra points for

living up to potential So do it Jim. That is called Conversion and if y ou convert Jim: Then all those around you will also be renewed and prayer will be a joy for them. Thus, the result of living to your potential. Living to potential is being faithful to your way. (Not whether you win or lose but how you play the game.)

The reward for completion of the standard or, conversion by acceptance of Gods grace is: All those around you will also be renewed and prayer will be a joy for them. Marys word to me is, if I convert i.e. I live to my grace filled po tential; then my wife and family will be renewed and prayer will be a joy for them. Listen; Jim: To Plain & Simple words from my heart; from God the Savior, within me.


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Nov 2004 God will reward you with graces and every blessing. Be my extended hands and by your example draw them closer to my heart and the heart of my Son.

19 Dec 2004 I tell Him everything that is in my heart.Sunday I tell Him about my pains and my joys, 6:20 7:50 and then I listen.

Yesterday, whi le listening, my Lord invited me to go to St. Lukes to confession. I did. It was a group ceremony. I left. I now regret leaving. I now regret refusing my invitation to listen to a grace from our Lord, speaking to me. Today; no to do as yet, no hearing.

When you are given a chance to get into the game, Jim, why would you refuse that opportunity? Listen and Do.

Sorry Lord: Please give me another chance. I want to love you as you wish to be loved; Not as I wish to love you.

Now y ou are listening Jim. Now my Lord speaks to you through our Lady. TBTG Not as I wish Lord, but as thy will be done!!

20 Dec 2004 To Do : My Lord is giving me a second chance to obtain the grace of confession: Mon/Tues/Wed evening at 7:30 at St. Elizabeths.

I place myself in the presence of my Lord What would you have me do?

Not as I will Lord, but as Thy will

Listen :From the bottom of my heart, I call you to be mine with all your heart.

Nov 2004

21 Dec 2004 Confession last evening at St. E. TBTG5:12 6:25

Please Lord return those who may have strayed, to know your love and to seek God the Savior.


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20 Dec 2004 From Ascent of Mount Carmel; Jh of the Cross Chap 7 2

#2 How narrow is the gate and constricting the way that leads to life! And few there are who find it. Mt 7:14

We must also note that first, he says the gate is narrow to teach that entrance through this gate of Christ (the beginning of the journey) involves a divestment and narrowing of the willin relation to all sensible and temporal objects, by loving God more than all of them. This task belongs to the night of sense, as we have said.

#3 Next he asserts that the way (that is of perfection) is constricting, in order to teach that the journey along this way involves not only entering through the narrow gate,a void of sense objects, but also constricting oneself through dispossession and the removal of obstacles in matters relatingto the spiritual part of the soul.

We can apply then, what Christ says about the narrow gate

to the sensitive part of the human person, and what He says about the constricting way to the spiritual or rational part .Since He proclaims that few find it, we ought to note the cause. Few there are with the knowledge and desireto enter into this supreme nakedness and emptiness of spirit.

As this path on the high mount of perfection is narrow and steep,it demands travelers who are neither weighed down by the lower part of their nature nor burdened in the higher part.

This is a venture in which God alone is sought and gained thus only God ought to be sought a nd gained.

Mk 8, 34 -35 (Jh of the Cross bible quote) If anyone wishes to follow my way let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.For whoever would save his soul , will lose it, but whoever loses it for me will gain it.


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Mk 8, 34 -35 (N ew Am. Bible) Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospelwill save it.

#5 (Seeking oneself in God vs. Seeking God in oneself) This is what loving God means .A genuine spirit seeks rather the distasteful in God than the delectable. Leans more towards suffering in God than towards consolation, more towards going withouteverything for G od than towards possessions. (Leans) towards dryness and affliction than towards sweet consolation.

22 Dec 2004 To continue: Jh of the Cross #5 It knows that his is the significance of following Christ and denying self. That the other method is perha ps a seeking of self in God something entirely contrary to love. Seeking oneself in God is the same as looking for the caresses and the consolations of God.Seeking God in oneself entails not only the desire to do without these consolations for Gods sake, but also the inclination to choose, for love of Christ, all that is most distasteful whether in God or in the world;

and this is what loving God means .Meaning? To Seek God the Savior / My heart exults in the Lord,

Wow ! my Savior (Re sponsorial) 1. To do without consolations for Gods sake. 2. To choose, for the love of Christ, all that is most distasteful

whether in God or in the world: And this is what loving God means .

23 Dec 2004 When I go to the Chapel (Eucharistic Adoration)

1. I put myself in the presence of our good Lord, and I say to Him,

2. Lord I am here. Tell me what you would have me do.

3. If He gives me some task, I am content and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him. Since I do not deserve to receive anything more than that.

4. And then I tell God everything that is in my heart. I tell Him about my pains and my joys and then I listen.


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5. If you listen, God will also speak to you, for with the good Lord you have to both speak and listen.

God always speaks to you

when you approach Him plainly and simply. Catherine Laboure

#1 Reply to above 5 Prayer Positions. I pray for the intentions of my Blessed Mother.

OLQofPBe Mine: From the bottom of my heart I call you to be minewith all of your heart! 2/2004 I call you all to pray for my intentions draw them (souls) closer to my heart and the Heart of my Son. 11/2004

#2 He g ave me this writing today #3 Thank you Lord #4 Tell Him #5 Then Listen: God always speaks to you

24 Dec 2004 Christmas Eve: With friends and family. TBTG

December Petition / January Thanksgiving = 60 Days as per Mo. TeresaBe mine; 2/2004 Pray for my intentions 11/2004 Majesty: is using the graces God has given me to pray,

for the intentions of the Blessed Mother. And ; that she would ask me is most astounding. From the bottom of my heart I call you tobe mine with all of your heart 2/2004

Ascent 7 -9 John of the Cross

1. A person makes progress only by imitating Christ ,who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one goes to the Father but through Him as He states Himself in (John 14:6).Elsewhere He says: I am the door; anyone who entersby me shall be saved (Jh 10:9) Accordingly, I would not consider any spirituality worthwhile that wants to walkin sweetness and ease and run from the imitation of Christ .

2. Imitating Christ: Seek God the Savior, From without; self sacrifice, without is exterior sensory death, humility. Do little things with great love.

Therese of Lisieux

3. Listen: Seek God the Savior, within is self sacrifice, interior spiritual death of the cross, humility.


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John of the Cross

John uses the term in Bk2, 7:11 annihilation of themselves (self) for God

in the sensory and spiritual parts of their souls.Cont Bk2 My Q Is annihilation synonymous with self sacrifice ?7:11 When they are reduced to nothing,

the highest degree of humility ,the spiritual u nion between their souls and God will be an accomplished fact.This union is the most noble and sublime state attainable in this life. The journey then does not consist in consolations, delights and spiritual feelings, but inthe living death of the cros s,sensory and spiritual, exterior and interior . (Perfect Humility)

Ascent of Mt. Carmel Bk2 7:11The Journey does not consist in consolations, delights and spiritual feelings, but inthe living death of the cross (i.e.) sensory (death of the cross) a nd spiritual (death of the cross) both exterior (world, flesh and the devil) and interior (spiritual living death of the cross which at this point I am still trying to understand: Listen and hear Gods grace of wisdom on just what is, spiritual interior death of the cross.)

Prayer Thanks be to my loving God for His coming to this earthto redeem His fallen humans; Glory be to God through The Immaculate Heart of Mary. I dedicate myself, my wife, my family and friends, this joy filled day, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.Thank you Lord; Thank you Lord; Thank you Lord.

Here I am Lord I have come to do your will! In your presenceYour will: I Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Praise God! Praise God!

Praise God! I pray for the intentions of the Blessed Mother: Thank you my mother for asking me to pray for your intentions my very great privilege.

Listen: Bidden or not bidden, God is present.


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26 Dec 2004 Christmas at home was a joy of t his world. Please my Lord, pray for all family and friend who joined with us.

26 Dec 2004 Just heard that an old friend is dying. My prayer to our Lady Evening for a happy death. Friend from my youth. Age 21 71 = 50 yrs.

Thought: From previous pag e: Jh of the Cross: Re: Interior; Spiritual death of the Cross. The will i.e. Humility of the will , is interior, is spiritual, is living death of the cross.

To control the will; Sacrifice is required to control the will; Humility is sacrifice. The will is interior, Spiritual humility is living death of the cross.That is what spiritual denial means: Humility. Thank you Lord for this grace to initiate thought.

Exterior: Humility of World, Flesh and the Devil Interior: Humility of the wi ll. (Spiritual Denial)

27 Dec 2004 Now I must pray to understand the difference: My willis interior and the world, flesh and the devil are exterior. Yet it is my will, with Gods grace, that controls and humblesmy desire for worldly things, for comforts of the flesh and appetites: From the devil comes excesses; pride, power, envy, money.

I can hide those assets for myself and leave them

at lifes end without return to the Lord; as in the gospel. I can invest half of them in other people f or a 50% effort or invest all of the Lords assets under my stewardshipin the hungry as our Lady asks of me in September 2004 for a 100% effort. 10 talents invested earning another 10 as the gospel says.

A grace My human will and intelligence is no match for the Satanic intelligence, the will of a fallen angel. Thus it is Gods graces given me, that combats the world, flesh and devil. My will and grace can keep me away from the near occasions of sin i.e. the world, flesh and devil. B ut only prayer for the applicable grace can defend against my fall into sin NOT my human will alone, which is puny in comparison to satanical will.

28 Dec 2004Fred died last night at 11:00 PM. Funeral mass Thursday 10:00.Lois and I to fly down Wednesday back Thursday.

Gods presence: What to do; Thanks; What is in my heart pains and joys; listen.


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30 Dec 2004 My Dad died 12/30 too, years ago, that was the day dad entered glory;At friends funeral TBTG, the priest quoted a Spanish saying, asgrandchildren brought up roses to the altar after mass. Lois and I should have that rose procession done by our grandchildren too. For recognition

of the grandchildren, that is.

It is not the rose that has thorns, it is the thorns that have roses. Think Jim

1 Jan 2005 Thanks be to God

A life without love of God is as a branch of thornswithout the rose. Humans without Gods grace, or rather non -compliance with the gift of graces given by God, are a branch of thorns without roses. TBTG

Life has thorns but lived to Gods grace filled potential, life has magnificent times of roses too. TBTG

Q. So: in the presence of my God I ask what I can do for Him. A. Pray for the intentions of Mary, which are her Sons intentions too,

for Mary is the Mother of Jesus Christ.

Thought Thanks Be To God for the gift given me of discovering and practicing Carmelite Theology as espoused by three Doctors of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux, St . Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross.

Prayer May I live my life under their theological mantle; living Marysmessages spoken for me from Medjugorje; keeping Marys gift to me, the Eucharist as the center of my life. TBTG

Restated Prayer May I live Marys messages, spoken to me from Medjugorje. And keep

her gift to me, the Eucharist, as the center of my life. Follow the Carmelite theology daily espoused by St. Therese of Lisieux,St. Teresa of Avila a nd St. John of the Cross; Doctors all of the church.

Conversion Gods way for me, through grace! Listen, Jim!!

My Journal of a Soul: Is Imitating Christ; Praying for Marys intentions; living Marys Medjugorjes messages to me; Making the Euchar ist the center of my life and Carmelite daily theology (St. T of L, St. T of Avila, St. Jh of the Cross). For How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. Jh 7,14


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This prayer for conversion is my reason for being.For if you convert (Jim), all those around you will also be renewed and prayer will be a joy for them. May 2003

Thank you my God, for explaining to me, above, this page. This isthe reason for my being. Hand in hand with my loving Lois, myother self, we two, now in one flesh, thanks to your sacrament, we

Prayer strive for conversion, for renewal of those around us and, that prayer will be a joy for family and friends.

2 Jan 2005 - Imitating Christ: Exterior and Interior Strategic - Praying for Marys intentions: Be mine practice - Living Marys Medjugorje messages

- The Eucharist is the center of my life - Daily: theology of Carmel

Tactical practice Three hours per day of prayer: Includes; Mass, one hour and a half of

Eucharistic Adorati on, three decades of the Rosary. Fast two days per week; Constant prayer and listen; Live up to your God -given potential for holiness.

Einstein commenting on his so called genius --- I work longer on a problem Lord that I too may pray longer.

St. T. of L or Avila commented upon the free will of humans.

Thus, humans are able to praise God (or not) in an ever increasing voice, throughout their life. But, neither angels or saints have free will any longer, thuscan not increase nor decrease, their everl asting love of God. Only the living human being can grow in the love and praise of God.Thanks Be to God. Praise God.

Teach me to pray, Holy Spirit

3 Jan 2005 To Do :Conversion/Holy Spirit shows me way/TBTG through IH of Mary / Petition/Thanksgiving/Adoration/ Sorrow for Sin = PrayerIn the Presence of God Here I am Lord, I have come to do your will.


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Prayer isContrition, Adoration, Thanksgiving, Petition. Thank you my Lord and my God / For giving me a job or no job. For Prayer, Adoration, Eucharist, Marys messages to and for me, to do.

Tell of my pains and my joys.Pain: Jh. Joy: The joy of daily prayer and study, and my Lois and children.

ListenAdoration is Freewill, used to adore my God: To live up to my God -given potential

for holiness/conversion. If you convert Jim, those around you will also be renewed and prayerwill be a joy for them May 2003

Petition is - Holy Spirit teach me to pray: Then, I pray for intentions of Mary- Help me to believe that simple prayer works miracles.

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Convert and live up to your God- given potential for holiness convert- To Do the little things of life with great love. Seek God the Savior, the Crucified: In my neighbor.

Thanksgiving Thank you Lord for the grace to understand as little as I do understand.

Sorrow for sin As little as I do understand Because of my sinful nature, which clouds my vision.

Seek God the Savior: Lord help me to overcome The world, the flesh and t he devil.

Exterior/Interior Plain and Simple is a Lifestyle of Prayer and Eucharist.

4 Jan 2005 Humans, with their free will, can come ever closer to God by prayer and works, applying grace given; using any talent that humans possess personally. F or we can do nothing without Our Lords gifts.

Thought First, our free will gives our loving God a chance to work through us: To love our neighbor. To bring Gods will into the world through us to mankind.

Secondly, what I understand less, is the i nterrelationship of our free will, and Gods grace, and our co -operation with grace. Somehow this cooperationis beyond our personal ability to co -operate, for we can do nothing without Gods help. We use those three elements, free will, grace and our co-operation, to love God and express that love in simple prayer. But the interrelationshipis beyond me.

Another difficulty I have to understand fully, is that the angels and saints,who no longer have free will in heaven, they have attained their individual capacity to praise and thank our good God. We humans still have free will during our lifetime. We have not yet reached our human capacity, and that is wonderful!


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6 Jan 2005 The question my Lord places in my mind for prayer is as follows:

If I can do nothing without Him i.e., nothing without

His grace, how does my free will and my human intellect and intelligence come into play?

Is it my persistence, courage, love, desire to please God, to pray for Marys intentions as she has as ked of me, or is it Gods grace working through me (which I believe in faith to be true) or do all these capabilities apply?

Then, if it be Gods grace working through me, and in faith it is, then what is my human contribution? Is it me that prays t omake myself available for God to work through me,

to do His will, or is it Gods grace too that bringsme to prayer not human persistence or human will. Again, my dilemma that I pray to understand: Gods grace brings me to prayer. Prayer fe rtilizes my soul to do His will in this world. Prayer seeks Gods grace to do His will. Human pride believes it is human effort that gets the job done human persistence for God; human courageto do Gods will. So what does Christ mean when He says Without me you can do nothing. Without His grace; Yes Lord I do believe that but what is my human contribution,

without human pride, that my loving Lord through my Lady wants of me? (7/2/06 It took a year and a half to findit is huma n patience. Human patience is our input to humility; Impatient No humility. And even then prayer is required for grace to be patient around again.)

7 Jan 2005 John of the Cross Ascent of Mt. Carmel Ch. 11,11

Spiritual persons ought to de ny all apprehensionsand the temporary delight of the exterior senses if they desire to cut off the first and the second heads of the beast and thereby enter the first room (mansion) of love. The second (mansion) is living faith. (Jim has experience d the first room of love for mankind as demonstrated by grace given, to love Lois with all of my heart: Be careful, Jim, the sensual that comes with that love. But with Gods grace I am moving towards living faith. I think I pray for I desire Gods grace comes first, then human courage and tenacity.) They should not want to grasp for sensory communicationsor weigh themselves down with these, since doing sois what derogates from faith.


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Thought The gratification of love of neighbor, thefirst mansion, carries with it for me an increased gratification of love of my wonderful wife, Gods giftto me. The danger of this demonstration of love is St. Johns

sensory communication. That sensual effect can distract or deterone from the spiritual concept of Gods gift of love to me for neighbor.

The second mansion is living faith. The first love.

I may have been given a grace filled realization at this time:

1. I am to move from the first mansion to the second: Ready or n ot!! Recognizing and trying to place under submission external appetite, gratification. Per John of the Cross, whether those appetite gratifications, come from God or not. For if they come from God,

they will come again in the future in another fa shion.

2. Answer to Question: If I can do nothing without Him i.e. nothing without His grace, again, how does human free will and my intellect come into play.

Answer: Grace comes first before use of free will. Free will is the reactionto graces given by God. Grace gives us the desire to do Gods will on earth for we can do nothing (of Gods will for us) without Him. We must react, with free will -- and intelligence and courage and persistency and tirelessness to His graces given . Tha t is First graces are given , without being

deserved in any way by the human being, then, then, human nature and freewill come into action, to react in unification with those gifts, those graces.

8 Jan 2005 And so the joy of spiritual discovery continues Listen Jim First: Gods graces points the way to Gods will for me in life.

I can pray, beg, for my Lady to assist me to understand His way for me. I can beg that pride does not direct me toward a worldly goal obstructing Gods grace, Gods w ay for me.

Prayer Patience Jim. The Sacred Heart of Jesus through the ImmaculateHeart of Mary will guide your life, if you allow, but will not force your direction. Listen Jim, Listen and Pray.

Grace will come; After which you can use your human facilities to pursue that way, Gods way for your life on earth with Lois and family. Prayer.

9 Jan 2005 Another thought; If you Listen Jim, God will speak to you: Listen! I place myself in the presence of my God asking what He wouldlike me to do. God always speaks to you when you approach Himplainly and simply .


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Thought First I am given grace to pray and I pray with all of my human heart. & prayer - That prayer, is the human response to grace the gift to prayer. WeSimple Jim till th e soil for Gods gift of seed; His direction for me; His will for me.

His will for the moment, the day and/or my lifes work. His will be done

seed not my will be done. Next we observe, that because of human effort in response to Gods grace, the soil is prepared by prayer for Gods loving seed of direction for me. Only God can grow a seed without me you can do nothing. Humans can water and fertilize and aerate soil for seed, but onlyGod can grow a seed into a plant without me you can do nothing.

Ongoing prayer of the heart is needed at this point and additional grace to foster human free choice, free will, courage, effort and perseverance. We must pray to receive additional graces to till soil thusallow Gods seed to gr ow in our life. Furthermore, to have the wisdom to

understand Gods will for us, and then the courage and perseverance, to accept and do His will in our life. That makes us an instrument. An instrument of His love for us and for our neighbor. Not, hum an will my way, which is human pride! We strive to us our talents to potential to assist God.

Summary: The relationship between humble human free will and Pray - and Gods grace, without which we can do nothing.then listen Pray with all your heart for grace of direction.

Pray for the wisdom to understand that grace, that direction. Pray for the grace of courage to do His will for me.

Understand that living up to my God -given potential for holiness is standard and not heroic. Merely doing what is ordinary for me.

11 Jan 2005 Be mine; Imitation of Christ: Listen

- Pray for the grace of wisdom to understand the plain and simple. - Pray for the grace to accept the plain and simple. - Pray for the grace of courage to do the plain an d simple in my life. - Pray for the grace of humility when doing the

plain and simple in life: Gods will for me. - Pray for the grace to thank God, through the Immaculate

Heart of Mary for the gift of those graces, for Without me you can do nothing. Jh 15,5

- Pray for the understanding that living up to your God -given potential for holiness is standard, not heroic procedure.

- And, if you do the above with all of your heart Jim, you will be converted, and as Our Blessed Mother promised you Jim; all those around you will also be renewed and prayer will be a joy for them. June 03


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- That is my lifes work: My conversion for renewal. When my conversion happens, the joy of prayer will begin for family and friends and acquaintances; joy filled prayer to Our Loving God,for now and for eternity .

Mary guide my heart.

Mary pray the H oly Spirit teaches me to pray with intensity, that is, with the heart: The phrase you use, Mother, at Medjugorje.

Summary Prayer, with the heart for: The grace to listen to Gods, plain and simple plan for me:The wisdom to understand, and then To accept, thenThe courage to do. Followed by Humility when doing and grace to thank God for

living up to my God -given potential: which is Conversion. Because without me you can do nothing Jh, 15,5Conversion Blessing: The joy of prayer a nd renewal for family and friends for now and for eternity.

IF even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest. Lk 12,26

12 Jan 2005 January 2005 Free will and grace

without me you can do nothing. Jh 15,5

Free will is free choice. Because human nature possesses free will, one can choose to pray. But grace is a gift, a gift from the Divine.Pray for that gift, the grace to listen. Listen to Gods plain and simple plan for you. Pray for the wisdom to understand, the free will to accept, and then the courage to do His plan, His will for you.While doing; pray continuously for the gift to be humble and thankful. Ask only to live up to your God -given potential for holine ss. This living to potential is called conversion. Our conversion carries a blessing. The Mother of God promises renewal, for self, for family and friends, and that prayer will be a joy for them now and for eternity.


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If you convert, all tho se around you will also be renewed and prayer will be a joy for them.

Medjugorje Message, May 2003

And He said, What is impossible for human beingsis possibl e for God. Lk, 18,27

14 Jan 2005 January; Thanksgiving Month

1. Be mine. 5/2004 Pray for my intentions 7/2004 And I urge you to consecrate yourselves to my heart and to the heart of my son Jesus. Only in this way, will you be mine more eac h day. 5/2004

2. Imitation of Christ. Seek God my Savior: With grace, overcome externals:

The World / Flesh / Devil: Sacrifice, controls appetites. Money/ Sensual / Pride.

3. Listen: Seek God my Savior Overcome my internals; Spiritual control and spiritual distractions: Bury your pride with the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Design of a perfect Week:

3 hours of Prayer per day: Mass/Eucharistic Adoration/Rosary/Corporal works of mercy.

Time M T W Th . F Sat / Sun3:30 AM Arise 4:00 AM E. Ad 4:40 Arise Arise Arise Arise 5:00 E. Ad E. Ad E. Ad E. Ad Arise 6:30/7:00 Mass Mass Mass Mass Mass E. Ad 7:00* Br/Ex/ Br/Paper Br/Paper Br/Ex Br/Ex

Paper8:30 Work Work Work Work Work Mass 10:30** E. Min E. Min Golf 12:00 Office Office 2:00 Prayer Prayer Prayer 3:00*** Wk/Pl Wk/Pl Wk/Pl Wk/Pl Wk/Pl Lois/Prayer6:30 Lois Lois Lois Lois Lois 9:30 Slee p Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep Sleep

* Breakfast, Exercise, Shave & Shine** Eucharistic Minister; Bring Holy Communion to nursing home patients. ***Work or Play (Golf)


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Perfect Day Results in Hours :

Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri Sat SunPrayer HoursSpiritual/Corporal 3 hrs. 3 3 3 3 3 3

Work/Play hours 9 hrs. 9 9 9 9 0/4 0/4

Family/Lois 3 hrs + 3+ 3+ 3+ 3+ 8+ 8+

Sleep 7 7 7 7 7 8 8

Exercise

Fast, Mon & Tues; 3 Rosaries per Day; Mass Daily; Eucharistic Ador. 1 hrs per Day;Corporal, Euch Minister 2 Days

15 Jan 2005 To seek God the Savior (what does Savior mean?)

Listen: seek God the Savior (meaning?) Meaning? Internal sacrifice, control; Turn Pride into Humility;

or does Internal = Spiritual = Poverty of Spirit

Imitation of Christ: To seek God the Savior? External : Sacrifice, control The World/The flesh/The devil Riches to Poverty of Spirit or does External = Control of Pride = Humility?

Pride/Wealth, its abuse vs. poverty of spirit and humility.Listen: Is Control of appetites the answer?

Is all in moderation an answer?I am listening Lord, give me the grace of wisdom to understand.

Elements to understand Gods will for me: Moment by Moment 1. To seek God the Savior? 2. External Discipline W orld / Flesh / Devil 3. Internal Discipline Spiritual Harness; Control4. Humility controls Pride: Poor in Spirit controls money and more,

for one can not serve two masters, God and money.

Listen Jim; How do the above elements fit together for me.


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A thought: Listen Be mine (by) praying for Marys intention and

Consecration to the Heart of Jesus/Mary.

Imitation of Christ:With Gods grace overcome externals Appetites? The World: Money The Flesh: Appetite control anger, i mpatience, food & clothingThe Devil: Pride

Listen: Internal Spiritual Control Becoming Poor in Spirit; To Perfect Humility, Pray for grace.

Prayer Thanks be to God; Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Back to St. Jh: The Ascent of Mt. Carmel

13,1 Discursive Meditation = Work through images, forms and figures: Imagination, intellect, wisdom.

12,3 Meditation is the work of these two faculties (imagination and fantasy) since it is a discursive (the senses) act built on forms,figures and images, imagined and fashioned by these senses. For example: imagining Christ crucified

Johns The soul will have to empty itself of these images and leave

concept as this sense in darkness if it is to reach divine union .Doctor of For thes e images, just as the corporeal objects of the Church exterior senses, can not be an adequate, proximate

means to God.

(Jim, without the grace of God you could never move your prayer life from Discursive i.e. Meditation to Contemplativewhich h as yet to be defined by John other than in the negative as not based upon ones senses. 1/27 To be in Contemplation).

12,4 The reason for this is that the imagination cannot fashionor imagine anything beyond what it has experienced through the exterior senses, that is seen with the eyes,heard with the ears and so on But such imitationsdo not reach a greater being or even as much being as that of the objects of the external senses Example imaginemountains of gold.


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Those who i magine God through some of those figures (as an imposing fire or as brightness or through any other forms) and think that He is somewhat like them, are very

far from Him. These considerations, forms and methods of meditation are necessary to beginners, that the soul may be enamored and feed through the senses They are suitable as the remote means to union with God Yet, these means must not be so used that one always employs them andnever advances, for then one would never achieve the g oal (divine union) Accordingly, St. Paul teaches in the Acts of the Apostles: We should not consider or esteem the divinity to be like gold or silver, or sto

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