GOD's LOVE

IN  LOVE

To come to know the Thirst in the Heart of Jesus, for me personally is the single greatest gift God can give.

It gives Supreme meaning to even the smallest details of my life, for it reveals a God who is Fully in Love with me.

The Lord’s Thirst to love me and be loved by me is something Real and Alive and Powerful

BEEN A FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN

In fact, the first two of the Ten Commandments  (Exodus20), deal directly with our being faithful to God. "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God...." These are the words given directly from God to Moses for all people, for all time.

Since God assumes a covenant relationship with His people, He is declaring that He will not tolerate unfaithfulness and competition with anything else. An idol can be in the form of anything that you might place in a higher priority over God. This includes false images of worship or placing anything in our lives that has preeminence over God.  God is very faithful to all of us, and it is by His faithfulness that we can continue living as His sons and daughters in this world. For our part, we should strive to be as faithful as we can be to Him who loves us. And although it is admittedly hard to do, given our weaknesses and limitations not to mention our hard-headedness and stubbornness at times, we can still be faithful to Him in our own little ways.

For many Christians today Christianity has to do with an emotional experience, which has its roots in self-love. There is no willingness to agree with God or to conform to His way of life, thus Christianity is reduced to an intellectual experience without any transformation of character, for there is no willingness to be obedient to Jesus. More and more many of those who profess to be Christians display attributes very much different from that of the Christ they profess to follow, obviously not caring that they "are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you of of darkness into His marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9)

 We are told that only "Few have that genuine faith which works by love and purifies the soul. But all who are accounted worthy of everlasting life must obtain a moral fitness for the same. I pray today that whosoever reading this will learn from it and become more faithful to God in all his or her ways Amen
(This post was written by my good friend Donald Johnson Thanks so much Donald, God bless you Glory)

ST AUGUSTINE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

St Augustine was born on November 13th, 354, in Tagaste (modern Algeria) in Africa. Despite the good example of his mother St Monica, became a Manichean and fathered an illegitimate child. He was converted at the age of thirty-three and baptised by St Ambrose in Milan. St Augustine became Bishop of Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria) and wrote and preached energetically in defence  of the faith, making him one of the most influential Doctors of the Church. His principles concerning the religious life continue to inspire Augustinian canons, friars and nuns. St Augustine died on August 28th 430.

QUOTES FROM CONFESSIONS OF ST AUGUSTINE:  CONFESSIONS IS AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WORK, CONSISTING OF 13 BOOKS, BY AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. IT WAS WRITTEN IN LATIN BETWEEN AD 397 AND 400
" O Lord, ...have mercy upon me according to thy great mercy, for thy name's sake. And do not, on any account whatever, abandon what thou hast begun in me. Go on, rather, to complete what is yet imperfect in me."
   Book 10 Chapter 4

" I still thought that it is not we who sin but some other nature that sins within us. It flattered my pride to think that I incurred no guilt and, when I did wrong, not to confess it...I preferred to excuse myself and blame this unknown thing which was in me but was not part of me. The truth, of course, was that it was all my own self, and my own impiety had divided me against myself. My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think myself a sinner."

 

" In my public life I was striving after the emptiness of popular fame, going so far as to seek theatrical applause, entering poetic contests, striving for the straw garlands and the vanity of theatricals and intemperate desires"  (book 4, chapter 1)

In Greek the love of wisdom is called "philosophy", and it was with this love that that book inflamed me. There are some who seduce through philosophy, under a great, alluring, and honorable name, using it to color and adorn their own errors. And almost all who did this, in Cicero's own time and earlier, are censored and pointed out in his book"   (book 3 Chapter 4)

I did not keep the moderate way of the love of mind to mind - the bright path of friendship.   (book 2 chapter 2)
I had entreated chastity of thee and had prayed,"Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet". For I was afraid lest thou shouldst hear me too soon, and too soon cure me of my disease of lust which I desired to have satisfied rather than extinguished." (book 8 Chapter 7,p.139) 

 

VENERABLE CARLO ACUTIS

" Jesus is my great friend and the Eucharist my highway to Heaven"

Carlo Acutis was born in London on 3rd May 1991. His parents, Andrea and Antonia, were there on business. They returned home in September to Milan, Italy.  Carlo's mother often heard that her son was special from the parish priest, teachers, classmates, and even the porter of their building on Via Ariosto, where they moved in 1994. the boy's exceptional qualities were due to a very special friendship. Out of nowhere it seemed, as Carlo's family did not regularly attend church,  Carlo developed a great friendship with Jesus.
Carlo's mother, Antonia Acutis, recalls how little Carlo could not pass in front of a church without asking to go in and greet Jesus. She was surprised to discover her son reading saints' biographies and the Bible, and even more surprised when her son began asking questions of such depth and profundity that she was unable to answer: "I was perplexed by his devotion. He was so small and so sure. I understood that it was his thing, but that he was also calling me. So I began my journey of rapprochement with faith. I followed him".
 At the age of seven and quite on his own, Carlo asked to receive First Holy Communion. After questioning the precocious boy, the priest attested to his maturity and level of Christian formation. However, he made a single recommendation: the celebration should take place in a place free from distractions. One the 16th June 1998 Carlo received the Eucharist in the silence of the Bernaga Monastery, near Lecco. "As a little boy, especially after his First Communion, he never missed his daily appointment with the Holy Mass and the Rosary, followed by a moment of Eucharistic Adoration," recalls Carlo's mother.

UNITED  TO  THE EUCHARIST  FROM  A  YOUNG  AGE
Carlo first attended school with the Marcelline Sisters. He received his secondary education at the hands of the Jesuits. Ever since boyhood and especially following that First Communion, Carlo's life revolved around a fixed point: daily Mass. "The Eucharist " he said, "is my highway to Heaven". He also frequently received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As a adolescent, he added to his spiritual schedule a daily Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration. He spoke thus of Eucharistic Adoration: "If we get in front of the sun, we get sun-tans....but when we get in front of Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints".
SCHOOLDAYS
Carlo was convinced that he would not grow old. "I will die young", he often repeated. This is perhaps why he filled his days with such a whirlwind of activity, teaching the boys from the Catechism, feeding the poor at the Caritas Cafeteria, and spending time with the children of the Oratory. While still achieving excellent grades in high school and between all his charity work, Carlo still found time to play the saxophone, play football and design computer programmes.
He was naturally inclined towards computer science and was even considered brilliant by practicing engineers who encountered his technical intuition and savvy. Carlo's interests ranged from computer programming to editing films, from creating websites to writing periodicals.
His classmates looked to him, not only for advice or help, but also because of his way of putting people at ease. Carlo seemed to have a way with people from all backgrounds.
Carlo's friendly face was a common sight in his neighbourhood. He befriended everybody, included the gatekeepers, janitors, and people that worked in his neighbourhood. These workers were often non-Europeans with Muslim and Hindu backgrounds. Carlo told everybody about his love for Christ, and people couldn't help but listen and share in his joy. One such foreign worker was Rajesh, a Hindu. A friendship developed between Rajesh and Carlo. The friendship was of such a profound nature that Rajesh converted to Catholicism. This is what Rajesh had to say about his friend, Carlo; "He told me that I would have been happier if I had approached Jesus. I was baptized Christian because it was he who so affected me with his profound faith, his charity, and his purity. I have always considered it out of the ordinary because a boy so young and so hansome normally prefers to have a different life".
Carlo was careful never to waste money. He was known to donate sleeping bags to the homeless on his way to mass. He also donated to the Capuchins for the service of meals to the homeless.
Carlo never hid what made him most happy, he was always inviting his friends to go with him to Mass. It was his great source of joy when his friends became reconciled to God. Carlo wrote the following in his journal: "Sadness is the gaze turned towards oneself, happiness is the gaze turned towards God. Conversion is nothing but moving the gaze from the bottom to the top. A simple movement of the eyes is enough."

     
HIS  SPIRITUAL  LIFE  AND  DEVOTIONS
Holiness was his true goal, but not for him alone. To all, he pointed to his route to sainthood: daily Mass, Communion, Rosary, Scripture, Eucharistic Adoration, weekly Confession, and the willingness to give up something for others. Carlo also regularly offered up his sacrifices and prayed for the reparation for sins and offenses committed against the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he felt alive and throbbing in the Consecrated Host. Carlo often prayed for the Pope, then John Paul 11, with a degree of passion that astonished his parish priest. Those who met the young man were left with an indelible impression that Jesus is the only one who can satisfy the heart of man. Carlo had a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother. He was fascinated by the apparitions in Lourdes and Fatima, and often spoke about Saint Bernadette Soubirous  and the little Shepherds of Fatima. Our Lady's messages of conversion, penance, and prayer - all this was lived concretely in his daily life. In a world hardened against the great truths of the Faith, Carlo shook consciences and invited us to look towards Heaven. In the family, in the school, in the midst of society, Carlo was a witness to eternity. To quote Carlo: "Our aim has to be the infinite and not the finite. The Infinite is our homeland. We have always been expected in Heaven".
MISSIONARY  OF  NEW  MEDIA
Carlo created several notable websites, one dedicated to young saints. He had a keen interest in those who were able to achieve holiness quickly. His efforts were that of a true missionary: to reach as many people as possible and to introduce them to the beauty and joy of friendship with Jesus. Carlo took as his model St Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, who committed himself to bring the Gospel to every corner of the globe even to the point of martyrdom. He was inspired by the works of fellow Italian Blessed James Alberione, who was himself also inspired by the Apostle Paul. Blessed James was the Founder of the Paulines and the Daughters of St. Paul. Both Blessed James and the religious societies he founded are recognized for putting new forms of media at the service of the Gospel.  
 EXHIBITION - WEBSITE ON EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES
Carlo stated; "All people are born as originals but many die as photocopies". To move towards this destination and not "die as photocopies," he said that our compass has to be the word of God. The Eucharist was his true north. He put the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the centre of his life and he called it, "my highway to Heaven." In 2002, when he was eleven, he accompanied his parents to listen to a priest friend speak at a presentation of the Little Eucharistic Catechism. He was fascinated by what he learned  and had an idea, he would create an exhibition on Eucharistic Miracles. He said "They must be able to see." Carlo wanted people to understand that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist by showing the moments throughout history when the Eucharist visibly became flesh and blood. This was the confluence of all of Carlo's great loves: He wanted people to encounter the Eucharist and be reconciled to God renewing the Miracle of the True Presence. Carlo wanted to show people that the Eucharist truly is his great friend Jesus. He immediately set to work by documenting the Eucharistic Miracles. He began dragging his parents across Europe to gather photographs of the miracles. After two and a half years, the exhibition was ready. He had catalogued all the Eucharistic Miracles. Immediately, dioceses across the world began requesting the exhibit(see www.miracolieucaristici.org)
Carlo had reached over 136 Eucharistic Miracles that occurred over the centuries in different countries around the world and have been acknowledged by the Church and collected them into a virtual museum. He created not only a website to house this virtual museum, but panel presentations , as well, that have travelled around the world. Carlo's exhibit soon crisscrossed the globe. It would reach all the places that he would never get to visit in life.
ILLNESS AND DEATH
In early October 2006, Carlo fell ill and was brought to the hospital of San Gerardo in Monza, Italy, a hospital founded by Saint Gerald Majella himself.  Carlo soon received his diagnosis. Crossing the threshold of the hospital, Carlo said to his mother:"From here I do not go out anymore!" The diagnosis was acute promyelocytic leukaemia. A few days earlier, Carlo told his parents "I offer what I will have to suffer to the Lord for the Pope and for the Church, to skip Purgatory and go straight to Heaven." Shortly after receiving his diagnosis, Carlo died on 12th October 2006. The doctor treating him asked him if he was suffering much pain and he responded: "There are people who suffer much more than me." He was buried in Assisi in accordance with his wishes. He died with a radiant smile on his face and offering his life for the Pope and for the Church. He said "I am happy to die because I lived my life without wasting even a minute of it on anything unpleasing to God."

 


THE IMPACT OF A LIFE
He was buried in Assisi, the city of St Francis. On the day of his funeral, the Church and the Churchyard were flooded with his many friends and admirers. His mother describes the scene: "I have never seen people like this before." People filled the grieving mother's ears with stories about what Carlo had done, stories she had never heard.
Having already reached so many through his international exhibit and internet ministry, Carlo's death had an immediate impact. Thousands of letters and emails reached the family. Carlo's exhibit of Eucharistic Miracles has reached the ends of the earth, presented in Russia, Latin America, and even China. In the United States, thanks to the help of the Knights of Columbus, it has been hosted by thousands of parishes and hundreds of universities.
What was so special about Carlo? He welcomed and loved Jesus as a friend, while still living deeply immersed in the world of today, mastering computer programming, film editing, and website creation by the age of 15. Despite being immersed in media so fraught with temptation, the Gospel thrived at his touch and to such an extent that he will probably become the Patron of the Internet.
A multitude of people took part in his funeral. Whoever knew him acknowledged that they met a special teenager. Self-confident, lively, passionate about sports and a computing expert, Carlo had an ability to make himself close to those who suffer, friends or acquaintances, in each he saw the face of the One who is the centre of his affection.   
Carlo remains an inspiration, especially to teenagers who struggle to be both holy and 'normal', while remaining unique as an individual.

  


 (Taken from The Way of The Immaculate Heart Newsletter June 2019)