how to accept the grace of divine intimacy
"Into a soul that plots evil wisdom enters not, nor dwells she in a body under debt of sin." —Wisdom 1:4
If we wish to be close to God and to keep the faith rather than lose it, we must:
- not test God (Wis 1:2). God has already proved Himself on the cross and in millions of other ways. We need to be tested, not Him.
- not disbelieve God (Wis 1:2). Some doubts are steps toward faith, but others are a refusal to accept the gift of faith. These doubts must be dismissed, not entertained.
- repent of making perverse and senseless counsels (Wis 1:3, 5). We may have plans that we know are not of God. We either change these plans or separate ourselves from the Lord.
- repent of our sins and let Jesus pay our debt of sin (see Wis 1:4).
- not disdain the discipline of the Lord (see Wis 1:5; Heb 12:5).
The Lord wants to live in us. God Who is Love (1 Jn 4:8, 16) wants to be Love in us. He also wants us to live in Him and have an intimacy with us beyond anything we can imagine. He will do this miracle of love. All we need do is to cooperate with His grace by following His directions.
Prayer: Father, make every aspect of my life reflect my commitment to live for You alone.
Promise: "The apostles said to the Lord, 'Increase our faith,' and He answered; 'If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this sycamore, "Be uprooted and transplanted into the sea," and it would obey you.' " —Lk 17:5-6
Praise: St. Leo was noted for his faith not only by his insights on doctrinal issues, but by his faithfulness in simply carrying out his duties.
Rescript:
The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.
Nihil Obstat: Reverend Giles H. Pater, April 24, 2003
Imprimatur: †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, April 28, 2003