St. Thomas a Kempis Painting on Mount Agnes by an unknown 17th c. painterLet me begin by stating utterly and clearly that I am the most wretched of sinners. BUT - I do love the Lord and rely completely on His Mercy to uphold me, otherwise quickly a slave of hell - do I become.
I find it profitable to read holy writings. Among the best are many of the "classics" such as Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence , Imitation of Christ , The Blessed Virgin Mary, Divine Mercy in my Soul, Secret of the Rosary - I have also a great debt of thanks to pay to the writers of St Bernadette Soubirous, The Last Four Things, and most especially, Purgatory Explained by Fr. Schouppe - now this book irrevocably changed my life and started me down the path of devotion to the holy souls.
In my feeble attempts to become a better Catholic, I have been reading little excerpts of a beautiful old 1925 edition of Imitation of Christ, except that its called instead "Following of Christ" also "translated from the original Latin by Rev. R. Challoner, in accordance with recent Pontifical decrees." Oddly enough this english book was publised in Czechoslovakia and bears the Imprimatur if Patrick Cardinal Hayes, Archbishop, New York. I find the old beauty of the languange in this version to be superb and helps to lift my soul to God rather than remain tethered here in the banal language of most modern books. Here starts a new series of excerpts from this book, which I've heard by some was dictated to Thomas a Kempis by Jesus. That may or may not be true, but if I were to find this was true, I would not be a bit surprised.
That the Grace of God is not Communicated to the Earthly Minded.
"Son, My grace is precious; it suffereth not itself to be mingled with external things nor with earthly consolations."
"Thou must, therefore, cast away every obstacle to grace, if thou desire to receive its infusion."
"Choose for thyself a retired place; love to dwell with thyself alone; seek not to be talking with any one, but rather pour forth devout prayer to God, that thou mayst keep thy mind in compunction, and they conscience pure."
Source: The Following of Christ by Thomas a Kempis, Book III, chapter LIII. New York, 1925.
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6 comments:
You won't beleive this but there is a copy of it in the sacristy of my chapel from about the same year. and I was contemplenting redoing it in four individual books but decided against it since there is a version of it, i would say on sale at tan books..So i went and did Jesus Live in Me based on St. Therese which you recieved today.. strange timing
Richard Kornhaus
Those who say they have not sinned make a liar out of God and His Word is not in them. Amen?
We don't confess often because we are righteous. But because we are not.
Sweetheart, I was citing 1 John 1:8-10: "If we say, "We are without sin," we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. If we say, 'We have not sinned,' we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."
Kindly exercise some humility. You cannot improve upon God's Word.
hhmmmm, I can't say I understand what happened here but I'll remove your link as you've asked Marilena.
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