The condition of following Christ (III)...finding Life

----continuing

God is inviting us to experience His Life, a life with a perfect communion of Love. And He told us "the only way" to have it. It is by "giving out Love". And we give Love with little sacrifices.

This is what St. Therese taught us about Loving.

How shall I show my love is proved by deeds? Well - the little child will strew flowers...she will embalm the Divine Throne with their fragrance, will sing with silvery voice the canticle of love.

Yes, my Beloved, it is thus that my life's brief day shall be spent before Thee. No other means have I of proving my love than to strew flowers; that is, to let no little sacrifice escape me, not a look, not a word, to avail of the very least actions and do them for Love. I wish to suffer for Love's sake and for Love's sake even to rejoice; thus shall I strew flowers. Not one shall I find without shedding its petals for Thee...and then I will sing, I will always sing, even if I must gather my roses in the very midst of thorns - and the longer and sharper the thorns the sweeter shall be my song.

Story of A Soul, Chapter XI

How beautiful it is to Love. It is by Loving that we find ourselves.

For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
(Mat 16:25)

If we lose our self by giving sacrifices, by loving, then we will find our "life".

In the scripture, the word "life" or "soul" that is used means the entire human person. It refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is the greates value in him, that by which he is most especially in God's image. (CCC 363)

By following Him, we enter into a beautiful relationship with God. And with this, we find our life, our true self, our inmost self that is created in the image of God.

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
(Joh 10:10)

What will we find in this inmost self?

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
(Gen 1:27)

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.
(Gen 1:31)

We will find that we are "very good". Have we lost this image? Have seen ourselves differently? not beautiful? not good? Follow Him, and we will find that we are "very good", ... very good and beautiful.

Behold, you are beautiful, my love, behold, you are beautiful! ...
(Son 4:1)

Closing: Story of Elizabeth Lesseur

Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam
-For the greater glory of God-

your brother in His love,
oka