Day 15 – 2 hours      495 to go

OK – this is it!  Everything changes from this day forward - this is what I read yesterday in Divine Intimacy
God has entrusted to each one of us a share in the great redemptive work of Jesus. As consecrated souls, we are especially called to cooperate in Christ’s work.  First of all, we must cooperate with grace, so that the fruits of the redemption can be fully applied to our souls.  This is the work of our personal sanctification.
up to here, good stuff we have heard before -  now it goes to another level
We are called to sanctify ourselves in order to be able to bring others to sanctity.  Each one of us has a mission to fulfill for the good of others and for their sanctification.  We must collaborate with Christ in extending the fruits of the Redemption to as many souls as possible.  This work is entrusted to us by the heavenly disposition of Christ: a total, generous, exclusive dedication, a dedication capable of making even the greatest sacrifices.
let’s stop here for a second – is this saying that it is not just the mission of our priests, deacons, and religious to save souls, but all of ours?  & here’s that word sacrifice again – it goes on
All actions are of value only insofar as they help toward the accomplishment of this work. – HERES THE SENTENCE THAT KNOCKED SOME SENSE INTO ME – Anything that does not contribute to our own sanctification or to the sanctification of others is USELESS, a waste of time, and should be courageously eliminated.
wait a minute – is this saying that I should eliminate most of what I do all day? – watching some of the senseless movies and TV I fill my days with could probably be used for better purposes? – saving my money to go on frivolous vacations and holidays or for the latest electronic gadgets could be replaced with using that money to help, let’s say, the people in Haiti (oh, here comes the sacrifice stuff again) - the time spent mindlessly surfing the net, maybe would be better spent reading some of the countless books I have in my library on our faith.
Ah – the metanoia I mentioned in earlier postings
that chapter ended with these two sentences.
In all our actions we, too, should be able to say, “I do nothing by myself, I act according to God’s inspiration, in order to do what is most pleasing to Him.”  Any work, no matter how exalted, which deviates from this line of conduct is, from a supernatural point of view, VAIN and STERILE.
And to place an exclamation point on this revelation, the reading from James 1:2-8 during Evening prayer says this:
But if any of you lacks wisdom, 4 he should ask God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and he will be given it. 6 But he should ask in faith, not doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed about by the wind.
7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, 8 since he is a man of two minds, unstable in all his ways.
I’ve never been so scared, yet so psyched for what lies ahead as I continue this journey.

My chaplet was for the relief workers in Haiti and my rosary was for the priests of our diocese, especially for Father Perkins, Monsignor LaRocque, and Father Brian who were honored at a dinner last evening celebrating their priesthood.  May the Lord bless them and keep them, may His face shine upon them, & may His Peace be with them today & forever!

Peace