In order to come to the Light and abide in it, we can not be fully dependent on our own ‘resources’, our own mind and will.
Fr. Jacques Nouet writes, “Saul had received the Spirit of the Lord, but he sought to rule Him according to his own pleasure, and to subject Him to his will, instead of obeying Him. Therefore, “He departed from him,” and “from that day forward He came upon David” (1 Kg 16:13, 14), whom He found more submissive, more obedient, and more “after His own heart” (1 Kg 13:14). Wilt thou have the Spirit of Jesus abide ever with thee? Obey Him ever; let Him reign in thine heart, and let the spirit of the world and of the flesh find no place there.”
An interesting ‘side thought’ … ‘profane’ means ‘not sacred’ … the secular. and ‘to profane’ means to treat with irreverence or disrespect. It’s essentially ‘the spirit of the world’ which as Christians we are called to abandon, and instead cling to the sacred, see God in all things…at all times.
To lack the vision to see the sacred is the ultimate form of blindness. We have been entrusted as members of the Body of Christ to constantly intercede for each other.
“Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power in its effects.
My brethren, if any one among you wanders from the truth and some one brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” – James 5:16, 19-20
I’ve recently been feeling a call toward the ‘Holy Face’ devotion, as well as doing the First Five Saturdays. Things that have certainly been within my grasp for quite some time and yet the fervor and grace to fully commit and persevere have been lacking. Since I’m only just now uniting myself to those on this journey of reparation, there’s still so much to learn so I’m a bit reticent of putting my feeble and rambling thoughts into words just yet. But suffice it to say that it seems to me that this is the ultimate intercessory path of healing for the world at large.
“Remember that I alone can provide everything you need for soul and body.
Indeed I lavish my gifts on you in direct proportion to the hope that you place in me.” -Set Aside Every Fear (Catherine of Siena)
It’s all Him… but as Christians that are part of His Body, we become vehicles and conduits of this Amazing Grace… we get to Cooperate with Him and be used by Him, in a way more powerful and beautiful than we can imagine. Just as electricity is everywhere, but through the right wiring it can light up a room when properly connected. We too, when united to the font of grace Himself, can bring His Light to dark places.
The most perfect example of this being Our Blessed Mother. She gave us Jesus… and as one who was already perfectly united to the Holy Trinity, is now where we aspire to be some day. However her role of distributing graces is not finished, and as we consecrate ourselves to her, we become part of her cohort … and her mission is now ours.