A 16th Sunday after Pentecost Thought About How Love Instpires Universal Detachment - Continued

This 16th Sunday after Pentecost brings a final round of thoughts about how love inspires universal detachment. Our instructor remains our old friend, Father Joseph Schryvers.

Right away, Father refers to "generous souls." Are we generous? If so...well, he lays out what should follow. But we must be generous if we are to understand and learn what Father is teaching us here.

Now, for most of us, being generous with God may be a hit or miss thing. We like to reserve something for ourselves, no? 

It could be some sin we find hard to give up. We may fight hard to resist temptation in all other areas, but this particular thing resists our resistance. It's been with us all our lives. We know it's wrong, but it's kind of a "go to" source for "self" and self won't give it up - just yet. As such, it can serve as self's "lifeline" to avoid being replaced by the New Man, Christ. St. Paul talks about this. But let's not digress. Father has a lot to say today, so let's get to it. 

    “Generous souls find occasions, everywhere, of satisfying their thirst for mortification. In eating and drinking, in their manner of sitting, of lying in bed, of dressing, and in their relation with others. Imitate these holy souls: give all to Jesus without counting the cost. The more you sacrifice for His sake, the more you will see that there are still sacrifices to be made; the more you give yourself up to your divine Master, the more He will exact…Love will strip you of all, and you will be happy in your despoilment, for you will be clothed with Jesus, and admitted into His intimacy. As a matter of fact, without these little sacrifices, there are no heart to heart relations with Jesus. Without the wood of the Cross, the fire of love dies out; this is a law of the supernatural life. Jesus is good towards all, but He is goodness without measure to those who give without measure. He has told us so Himself: ‘With what measure you have measured, it shall be measured to you again.’ How could Jesus use reserve towards a soul who strives without ceasing to please Him, and to please Him at her own cost? How could He allow Himself to be surpassed in generosity by His little creature – He Who is goodness itself? If miracles were necessary in order to prove His love to a generous soul, He would not hesitate to work them; but He has a thousand other ways of making the soul feel how much He loves her. And if He does not give her this intimate conviction, it is because He wishes to furnish her with a new occasion of sacrifice.

    “At the end of her short life, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus said to her Mother Prioress: ‘I feel that my mission is soon to begin: my mission to make others love God as I love Him…to teach souls my little way.’ ‘And what is this little way that you would teach to souls?’ ‘Mother, I want to point out to them the means that I have always found so perfectly successful; to tell them that there is but one thing to do here below: we must offer Jesus the flowers of little sacrifices, and win Him by a caress. This is how I have won Him; that is why I shall be made so welcome.’ Truly, this child of Carmel was well instructed in the ways of the spiritual life. She had had only one Master – Jesus.

    “Listen to her, you also, dear soul. She will teach you to make little sacrifices for Him and to immolate yourself unceasingly to His love. And if you do not feel, as yet, the strength to lead this life of little privations, beg the Master to draw you by the charm of His Cross, for the Cross exercises a charm, and those, who have not been fascinated by it, understand nothing of its attractions and disdain its delights.” (Fr. Joseph Schryvers, C.SS.R.)
  

Happy 16th Sunday after Pentecost!