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Friday, December 31, 2010

One Love For All

This most wonderful gift of Divine Love is still available to each of us. I believe every declared Saint had it. I also believe we can each gain the same graces the Saint's were bestowed with and become Saints as well.

The Spirit of Gertrude excerpts from Book

It must be observed here, that the soul is purified from the stain of sin principally in two manners : first, by the bitterness of penance, which is represented under the figure of a bath; and secondly, by the sweet embrace of Divine love, which is figured by the garden.



JESUS CHRIST once appeared to the Saint, and, showing her His Heart, said to her: " My beloved, give Me your heart:" and as she presented it to Him with profound respect, it seemed to her that He united it to His by a canal which reached to the ground, through which He poured forth abundantly the effusions of His infinite grace, saying to her : " Henceforth I shall use your heart as a canal through which I will pour forth the impetuous torrents of mercy and consolation which flow from My loving Heart on all those who shall dispose themselves to receive it, by having recourse to you with humility and confidence."


Two angels of the choir of Seraphim then presented her to the Holy Spirit, who penetrated the three powers of her soul. At the first Kyrie eleison, He illuminated her reason with the glorious light of Divine knowledge, that she might always know His will perfectly. At the second Kyrie eleiscn, He strengthened the irascible* part of her soul to resist all the machinations of her enemies, and to conquer every evil. At the last Kyrie eleison, He inflamed her love, that she might love God with her whole heart, with her whole soul, and with her whole strength.

Saint Gertrude gains the grace of Divine Love

I have been on a mission. A mission from God. I am seeking to connect the dots between the special graces I have received with the bestowal of God's Divine Love and the paths and practices of the Church declared Saints.

This information just arrived. How exciting. It has been said so many ways but it is the same truth. Hidden in plain sight. The wonderful mystical gift of God's Divine Love. Saint Gertrude understands this special grace much the same as I. There is a difference she notes between the ordinary love and this special bestowal of love from God's Divine Heart. The most Sacred Heart. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door will be opened.

Just below is an excerpt from the book Spirit of St. Gertude and following it is the book online.


SPIRIT OF SAINT GERTRUDE
CHAPTER X.
OF A MYSTIC TUBE BY WHICH WE MAY DRAW EVERY GRACE FROM THE HEART OF JESUS.


The Lord appeared to St. Gertrude, full of sweetness and grace, breathing forth a holy vivifying odour, and pouring forth from the august throne of His glory the influences of His love for the sweet Feast of His Nativity.

Then, the Saint having prayed Him to enrich all who had been recommended to her prayers with special grace, He said to her : " I have given to each a tube of pure gold; of which such is the virtue, that by it they may draw forth all they need from my Sacred Heart." By this mystic tube she understood that good will by which men may acquire all the spiritual riches which are in heaven and on earth. For example: if any one, burning with the fire of pure and holy desires, endeavours to give God as much thanks and praise, and as many testimonies of service and fidelity as certain of His saints have rendered to Him, the infinite goodness of God regards this good will as if it had really been effected. But this tube becomes more brilliant than gold when men thank God for having given them so noble and elevated a will, that they might have acquired infinitely greater advantages by it than the whole world could bestow. She knew, also, that all her sisters who surrounded Jesus Christ received Divine grace by similar tubes. Some appeared to receive it directly from the Heart of Jesus Christ, others from His Hands; but the further from His Heart they drew these graces, the more difficulty they had in obtaining them; whereas those who drew them from His Divine Heart obtained them more easily, more sweetly, and more abundantly. Those who drew directly from His Sacred Heart represented those persons who conform themselves entirely to the Divine will, who desire above all things that this will should be accomplished in them, both in regard to spirituals and temporals. And these persons touch the Heart of God so powerfully, and render it so favourable to them at the time that God has determined, that they receive the torrent of Divine sweetness with as much abundance and pleasure as they have abandoned themselves perfectly to His holy will. But those who endeavoured to draw their graces from the other members of the Body of Jesus Christ, represent those persons who endeavour to acquire virtue according to their natural inclinations; and the fear and difficulty they experience is proportionate to the extent to which they have relied on their own judgment, and have failed to abandon themselves to Divine Providence.



Thursday, December 30, 2010

A few things I've learned this year



I don't need everything I have.
I have everything I need.
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Whatever I do I need to do it with an attitude of loving grace.The best attitude to have as I approach anything and everything I do is is enthusiastic joy but even if I may not be overjoyed (can one really be overjoyed?) about a task I can approach it with a smile and often end up find joy in the experience. Then there are those things that appear as drudgery those not so fun things that we all have to get done. An attitude of acceptance is all that is required here. Most likely as the task nears completion my attitude will again be joyful as I can cross that once dreaded item of my list. Now here is the biggest lesson of all for me, if I can't find a way to be at minimal accepting of a situation I won't do it not at all. At least not then.

Doing "good" while thinking "bad" is not good for anyone. Instead I'll work my attitude about it. Seeking to find some acceptance of the situation and so I will be able to neutrally deal with it. If I can't do that I'll either skip it and forget it or hire it out or hand it on. I now understand that attitude is really everything and if I approach anything with any bit negativity, I am doing more harm than good. I have found that putting myself and keeping myself in the right frame of mind is  important work in its self.
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It takes two to tango and two to tangle.
It really does. Just because someone throws something at me doesn't mean I have to catch it and throw it right back. I've learned it's more fun and quite satisfying to have the self control to let things bounce off of me and with a thud hit the ground. Such a non reaction reaction is often unsettling to the other who began "the game". It's like playing fetch once with a dog. If the dog fails to bring the ball back then the game is over.


A note of thanks

My kitty Harry is so loving. He just gives and gives to me. No judgment. Just pure love. Yes, I do believe what our pets give to us is love. Love in its purest form. Selfless love, from their pure spirit.

Animals don’t have egos. Thank God. I really mean that. Thank you Glorious Creator for not giving the animals of this world a sense of self. Thank you for not installing the door as you did in humans. I’m talking about the door we as humans have to knock on to access our God qualities, the door we can only fully open when we put aside our self and become selfless.

Thank you for creating all of your other creatures as selfless beings. Their selfless love shows us “thinkers” that we don’t have to be “stinkers” and that there is a better more fulfilling way to live and give.

My Thoughts

The true movers and shakers of this world have all had to have a deeper connection with the POWER – THE ONE which is in all and thus available to all. Amazing feats of science, art, music and other innovations never came from anyone’s little mind. They originate in DIVINE MIND, whether the individual is aware of this fact or not.

When an individual opens oneself to SOURCE as a free flowing conduit, the amazing is possible. But when one begins to understand the source of the POWER and the laws that guide and direct it, a miraculous life is lived.

Living somewhere between the two, between the ecstasy of creative expression and the agony of real life is the cycle that has caused many a creative genius to insanity! There seems to be no midpoint here. A creative genius either plays the part of martyr or saint, depending on his own self-realization, as a result of soul searching.

As an artist, a creative genius, I can tell the world that one of my kind has plenty of time to soul search, to contemplate. We live in our own little worlds of our imaginations. Trying our best to keep up with the flow of new ideas. Lot’s of time in solitude is necessary to create. We ponder and pause. Stepping back from the rush of the world.

I know for myself that for many years the only time I felt “whole” was when I was painting. I now understand that being “in the flow” was the reason, the reason for my joy, the reason for my feelings of health and peace.

At one time I told my father that all I really wanted to do was paint. Painting was my drug, my escape. I still have my painting but now I have more, so much more. I have a full life of joy. The same flow that I once only knew while standing at my easel now directs my entire life. The more I understand it, the more I am comfortable to release my grip on life and instead go with the flow.

I can see it but I don’t have to be it.

Some say I’m in denial. Some say I need to realize. Realize the awful condition of the world. Realize how bad things are. Some say this to me in response to my general positive disposition and outlook on life. What I realize is that I have the power to create my reality. I have the power to change what it is to what I desire it to be. I do this by focusing my desires and planting seeds of joyful thoughts in the cosmos.

My reality is very real. I pretend, as I intend, what I do tend. I live in a wonderful place, a joyful soul. As a joyful soul I can be physically anywhere and be content. I’ve been living this way for sometime now and can tell you truly it’s not all talk. Something happens, a real shift, spiritual, mental and physical, gradual but continual, accelerating and exhilarating.

I realize the power of my words. I realize the power of what I give attention too. I realize that whatever I focus on becomes my reality. So I look for and celebrate the good. I deny power to any other thoughts.

Yes, I live in denial. It’s a wonderful place. Come visit sometime. I bet you’ll want to stay.

Composers- Poets - Painters - Sages - Saints - Inventors - Philosophers

I understand why certain people of the past and are celebrated in our history for their deeds and words, were known for carrying and constantly writing in their small personal journals. These men and women were drawn to record and take note of the incessant stream of inspiration that flowed to and through them.

I have the same responsibility, as Divine Wisdom flows to me. It trickles in actually. The more I record and express it by my words and my art the more I am given. I believe that as I have shown willingness to listen, heed, share and record, I have been entrusted with more and more to give, as more is given to me.

I find that I cannot be with out a journal. Such as the noise of this inspiration demands to be acknowledged as such. Much the same as I have been drawn to express through my paintings. When I have expressed an idea, I am allowed to move on and move up the ladder. Is it Jacob’s ladder? I think of the song. “We are climbing Jacob’s ladder... Every round goes higher, higher… soldiers of the cross”.