Contemplative Haven

May 15 2009

Seek Only The Divine Will

6 responses so far

6 Responses to “Seek Only The Divine Will”

1. # Carolon 16 May 2009 at 1:28 am

   I like the analogy of the Divine Will as a stream of Light, and quite understand the reminder of turning our face to it over and over each day (”practice”). We are familiar with Jeremiah’s, “‘I know My plan for you,’ saith the Lord”, but here we hear a more particularized plan — a daily plan is ready for those who but say “yes” –and our “yes” to the Divine Will is not something we may defer, if ever we did. And one of us certainly did!

   I also like Dr. M’s analogy of the Lord’s or Heaven’s presence, to that of (our) spousal awareness. It is not shocking.. we are comfortably aware of a mutual presence.. this one seems the kind of greater reality one wakes to after a very woolly time.
2. # Carolon 16 May 2009 at 11:16 am

   None of the DFOT is new; it is simply more intense, a refresher course if you will, but more grace-filled than ever.

   Those who aren’t yet a little familiar with the Lay Apostles of Jesus Christ the Returning King should know that this deeper labor we enter with/in the grace of Heaven (the communion of saints –nothing new!) is not about us. (If it were, we could not adhere to one bit of it.) We’re ok, or at least we’ve (once we entered our faith relationship in a greater cooperation/maturity) ever had the potential to be fine, yet our souls will be blessed throughout, too. We hear that it is important to take care of one’s life, for it is indeed a holy vessel, but like Christ, we avoid overcare and trust in God, for the reality is that our life’s statement, like His most ardent followers’, must also become: “It is not I who live now, but Christ.” And Christ did indeed suffer *loss* of self for the greater good of others. “There is no greater gift than this..”

   As we ourselves embrace that seeming sacrifice more and more, we find that it’s really the opposite of a burden –it becomes a joyful participating in what one might almost call a reunion, even tho’ we never lose sight of the fact that, for the most part, any of us can only plant a seed: As always, it is the Lord of the Harvest Who harvests. We but lend Him our everything. That, which is under all our yearning, is the one thing we have asked all along, isn’t it? We have never wanted to go to Him alone, have we? He longs for us all. He prayed the Father, “That where I am, they may also be.” Could I stand before Heaven and leave behind others, or let others (not least of all MY others!) languish and languish and search and stumble and fall as I did, and all the while knowing it’s not okay with our Saviour? Well, not if I have a heart or faith at all. His others are treasured every bit as much as a Mother Teresa or a JP II or a John of the Cross. Every bit. Yet now it’s all made easier.

   “Lay Apostles of Jesus Christ the Returning King” is not a new term; it describes probably 90% of the Church for the past 2000 years. The laity are sent (apostle), from His every shared Sacrifice/Offering (Mass) to go and serve the Lord and one another. And if we don’t believe Jesus is “returning” (and certainly as already “King”), we’ve actually missed not just the Creed, but the Gospels from which the Creed took life.

   At any rate, this is how I understand it thus far. And though I am a foot-dragger of the first magnitude when it comes to evangelizing even to the point of mere duty and have acted as no exception in this, there have already been experiences in my own little sphere to substantiate that something marvelously more is indeed going on. The Lord is not just gracious and merciful –He is determined to round up His beloved.
3. # gabrielleon 16 May 2009 at 3:08 pm

   Carol, re your first comment, the attempt at describing the Divine Will also impacted me, and Anne’s conception of it as a place really resonated with me; I began to reflect more on it as a place, as in resting in the Divine Will, being in the Divine Will. Also, I must say this urging of us to have a daily plan (or rather, follow Jesus’ plans for us throughout the day) is something that quite quickly took effect in my own life after reading Vol. 1 once and then again, one or two messages every day. Dr. M’s comments at the end that you refer to I also thought were excellent, because one does experience an increase in this non-verbal communication as one practices throughout the day, day after day, this turning of the gaze back to God; the awareness of His presence increases and is a great comfort as we do all the things that need to be done.

   I agree totally with your second comment; you’ve raised so many good points. One thing I’d like to respond to is the fact that there is nothing new in the Messages, and that is true; in one video I remember Anne even saying so herself, and commenting to the effect that if there were anything new in the Messages, that would certainly be a cause for concern. What is new, however, as Anne says more than once, is the amount of grace and aid available to us during this time, and she emphasizes, as do the Messages, that this is one of the most important things for us to grab hold of – the fact that graces and help from the saints and angels and Mary and the Trinity are available to us now as never before in the history of mankind, and this is one of the things that I want to help people become aware of if I can.

   Thanks so much for all the thought you put into these comments, Carol, and for taking the time to watch the video.
4. # Carolon 17 May 2009 at 2:09 pm

   Ah, well.. whenever I open my mouth, I hear a donkey braying. Or a cruller expounding–and so should anyone else think that — but since the Church is indeed an eschatological Bride and has, as her Lord had, a time of consummation, it is not impossible at all that the veil of graces has especially been opened from Heaven’s side in these times, tho’ it has always been so for saints and mystics and the devout faithful to a degree.

   Jesus Himself said to nearly disregard rumor and more than rumor, saying instead that we would understand the signs in the same way we know a season is coming. The signs (as well as the rumors, and more than rumors) are rather suggestive of a shocking season of clarity coming. And we (like Simon Peter) are not to sleep through the sifting even now let alone then, but neither are we to be hyper-vigilant, lest we think God’s timing isn’t as good as ours and take matters into our own hands.. as if. As if there is or ever was anything mere man could do against satan’s wiles! While some of us are terrified and confused and distrusting even what our eyes see, others are confident that God has us firmly in the palm of His hand, as always (except when we jump off to go sin). But from either and all camps, those who know He has always invited help for His others, will also weigh and then know this offer, this avenue, this narrowing of the road is an invitation He believes in, even if we’re standing there braying. He loves His peoples; He cares what happens to them (all). And the King Who returned and Who Is returning, invites and deputizes His subjects as always, but now confers a spiritual knighthood, so to speak, on any (even crullers) who love Him and who wish to love others as He has loved us. As I see it, and this is too simple tho’ I can’t apologize for it, Heaven is home. The world is not. Home is speaking, louder, these days — and is giving Home-ly advice via us. And as the mystics and saints always told us, as did Jesus: we are Jesus’ hands and feet –and voice. The saints are speaking directly to us, now.. the only analogy I can come up with is like visiting prisoners; initally, one speaks through the glass or a phone. One day, however, two speak face to face.

   Also, I’ve watched many of the videos as well as read–if not studied– the Volumes, and tho’ I am not much of a video-person, they are far more helpful than I’d have guessed!
5. # Carolon 17 May 2009 at 2:17 pm

   PS.. if the above is too confusing or confounds where this thread needs to go by my darting here and there, please delete it — honest to God, I’ll have no problem with that.
6. # Gabrielleon 18 May 2009 at 1:56 pm

   Carol, thanks again for your input and insights. It’s very true what you say about not falling asleep, and re not being “hyper-vigilant” I’m sure, as you say, you are referring to not trying to impose our timing on God, who alone knows the time. Yet we are to be awake and alert and vigilant; the Messages stress a calm, alert approach to our lives, yet with a sense of urgency for our co-operation in Jesus’ saving of as many souls as possible. The time of clarity you mentioned is also very important, and clarity is one of the gifts that Jesus Christ the Returning King is offering to individuals now; I will probably post about that next, since it has come up here in the comments.

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