VisitationSiste: How can we be certain to practice the devotion that is suitable for our state of life and not judge people for choosing a different way to practice devotion?
What can we learn from St. Francis about the word vocations? (Notice he does not use the word to refer only to priests and religious.)
When we live a life according to how God has designed us we will have a more joyful time living a life of devotion. How can we discover our true vocation and true devotion?
Feb 14 2016, 7:13 PM
6, 3:57 PM
Dawn L: Hello Sr Susan….I will be missing chat today
Feb 14 2016, 3:59 PM
Dawn L: Have read ch and questions. Thank you! Prayers for all. See you next week. Blessings!
VisitationSiste: Hi Lisa!
Feb 14 2016, 7:13 PM
Lisa C: Hi Mother
Feb 14 2016, 7:13 PM
VisitationSiste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWt_G3UfwGY&feature=youtu.be
Everyday Spirituality MOOC 2016: Lesson 2 – Devotion – YouTube
Feb 14 2016, 7:13 PM
VisitationSiste: Did you view the above?
Feb 14 2016, 7:13 PM
VisitationSiste: Hi Judy Dawn wont be here tonite she wrote
Feb 14 2016, 7:15 PM
Lisa C: Mother, do you have Seven Story Mountain
Feb 14 2016, 7:15 PM
VisitationSiste: Yes we have it and yes the video is on you tube
Feb 14 2016, 7:16 PM
VisitationSiste: Happy Valentines! We chose a Sr to pray for all year
Feb 14 2016, 7:16 PM
Judy K: Happy Valentine’s Day and greetings from frigid West Haverstraw. When I got up this morning it was -4. I’m not sure what it is now, maybe 13. B—r-r-r-r-r!
Feb 14 2016, 7:16 PM
VisitationSiste: it was 3 degrees here
PM
VisitationSiste: Dont want to find out tho
Feb 14 2016, 7:18 PM
Lisa C: I read it years ago and then I read it again over the summer, but I left out the last chapter, because I started reading something else. Today I had some revelations re what might be going on and I wanted to put the book away and I read the last chapter today and it was about exactly what I was discerning
Feb 14 2016, 7:18 PM
Judy K: Me either!
Feb 14 2016, 7:18 PM
VisitationSiste: Grace is working powerfully Lisa
19 PM
VisitationSiste: What was the main pt in Merton in the chapter
Feb 14 2016, 7:20 PM
Lisa C: I think if I had read it at the time it would not have been what I needed to hear then
Feb 14 2016, 7:20 PM
Lisa C: It was about everything
:20 PM
Lisa C: It was about solitude and silence and active vocations vs contemplative vocations
Feb 14 2016, 7:21 PM
Lisa C: Then when I finished I went back to St T of A
6, 7:20 PM
Lisa C: It was about solitude and silence and active vocations vs contemplative vocations
Feb 14 2016, 7:21 PM
Lisa C: Then when I finished I went back to St T of A
Feb 14 2016, 7:21 PM
VisitationSiste: Intense reading
, 7:21 PM
Lisa C: And she was talking about some things that are happening
Feb 14 2016, 7:21 PM
Lisa C: I had been on a hiatus from that book too
Feb 14 2016, 7:21 PM
Lisa C: HS timing
7:22 PM
Lisa C: It is like Thomas M was saying exactly what I had just fingered out
Feb 14 2016, 7:22 PM
VisitationSiste: The loving arms of the Lord
24 PM
Judy K: I am happy to report that my project of writing my meditations is working quite well. I am not falling asleep and having some meaningful reflections. My spiritual director is really pleased with my musings and he wants me to get them published because he feels that others could profit from them. Whew, I never expected that.
Feb 14 2016, 7:24 PM
VisitationSiste: Heavenly help for discernment
Feb 14 2016, 7:25 PM
VisitationSiste: Wonderful First the Litany and now meditations. Blessings!
, 7:27 PM
Lisa C: More good news…..I got my sister to promise to say a rosary every day
Feb 14 2016, 7:27 PM
Lisa C: It was not even hard to do it
Feb 14 2016, 7:28 PM
Judy K: Thank you Jesus!
Feb 14 2016, 7:28 PM
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Lisa C: I said Justice Scalia’s death was so horrible for the country and that she should say a rosary every day and if she would I would get her her favorite color rosary custom made by the Carmelite Sisters and what did she want as the center medal. She said, “The Sacred Heart”
Judy K: I was thinking this afternoon that St. Francis did not name his book “An Introduction to Devotionals” but rather “An Introduction to the Devout Life.” I take from that he considers all of life to be caught up in being devout. So it isn’t something that we add on to our “ordinary” lives, but rather is our life.
Feb 14 2016, 7:32 PM
Lisa C: I think we are all in a big time of tribulation…..maybe he will work more in heaven
:32 PM
VisitationSiste: Yes I agree.
VisitationSiste: Judy it is interesting you put it that way It’s how Fr Dailey expressed devotion in a lecture today in the onlne course
Feb 14 2016, 7:33 PM
Amy Cochran: hello
Feb 14 2016, 7:33 PM
Lisa C: Hi Amy and Guest
Feb 14 2016, 7:33 PM
VisitationSiste: Devotion is bigger than piety or praying a devotional. It is Living Life and Loving God
Feb 14 2016, 7:33 PM
VisitationSiste: Judy it is interesting you put it that way It’s how Fr Dailey expressed devotion in a lecture today in the onlne course
Guest2496 (guest): Hi, It’s Carol. I wanted to say hello and I wish I could be with you all today. It’s early enough in the evening here though that I still get to go out again,
VisitationSiste: Devotion is doing Gods will carefully promptly and frequently according to St Francis de Sales
36 PM
Amy Cochran: The hard part is discerning God’s will
Feb 14 2016, 7:36 PM
VisitationSiste: That is so!
Feb 14 2016, 7:36 PM
VisitationSiste: We will probably cover that in this course that is being given too. Takes much prayer and some common sense signs I think
Feb 14 2016, 7:37 PM
Lisa C: Sometimes I think we can’t know God’s will, but we can still do it by consenting to do it
016, 7:37 PM
Lisa C: God will make it happen6, 7:37 PM
Natacha (guest): Hi Michellee
Feb 14 2016, 7:38 PM
Lisa C: Our imagination and memory are suspended and our will is united with God and then we do it without knowing
Feb 14 2016, 7:38 PM
Lisa C: That is when it is truly His will
Feb 14 2016, 7:38 PM
Lisa C: That is what St. T of A says
VisitationSiste: But she also had locutions
Feb 14 2016, 7:38 PM
Judy K: Now to the devotion that is proper to our state of life. We need to know the characteristics of the various forms of devotion and which are compatible with out state in life. A spiritual director will be helpful in making a decision as to what is best for our state in life (single, married, clergy or religious, single consecrated), our personality, out strengths and weaknesses and our desires.
7:39 PM
Michelle P Olivier: If we do all with love of God – when situations arise that are difficult and we continue to accept them with love
Feb 14 2016, 7:39 PM
Natacha (guest): I think devotion is a deeply personal thing and one must follow one’s heart and let it lead us to what brings us closest to God
Feb 14 2016, 7:39 PM
Lisa C: Yes, sometimes, but other times it is not always known
Feb 14 2016, 7:39 PM
VisitationSiste: Yes a student is not a nun and vice versa so devotion in life will take different forms but the relationship with God constitutes the true devotion
:40 PM
Natacha (guest): I think we can all fall short of what true devotion is
Feb 14 2016, 7:40 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Hi Lisa , Amy , Michelle , Sister Susan , Guest ,And Natacha ! God Bless You All ! Brian
Natacha (guest): It is not the religious habit nor the posture of the laity that makes them devout
1 PM
Natacha (guest): I have been reading “Introduction to a devout life” seems to me St. Francis wants us to pray with our heart to a real person.
Feb 14 2016, 7:41 PM
VisitationSiste: Yes it is interior from the inside out
Feb 14 2016, 7:41 PM
Judy K: Because we are all different,no two people can have the exact form of devotion even if they share the same state in life. No one should be criticized for having a particular devotion. It must also be recognized and acknowledged that the Lord is very much involved in the life of devotion. He gives the inspiration to embrace a particular pattern. He may, for example prompt a wife and mother to add a more contemplative aspect to her life; or a retired man to add a greater dimension of service to his life.
, 7:42 PM
Natacha (guest): That is well said Judy
Feb 14 2016, 7:42 PM
Guest3197 (guest): I think that our relationship with God and our obedience to Him will allow God to guide us into the devotional life that He has for each one of us !
6, 7:42 PM
Judy K: Here the spiritual director can aid in discerning whether the individual is acting under divine inspiration or not. 14 2016, 7:42 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Very true Guest 3197, 7:43 PM
Natacha (guest): Yes. Each of us is unique therefore the same devotion done by two different people will have 2 different fragrance14 2016, 7:44 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Not everyone will have a Spiritual Director, but they can still lead a devout life7:44 PM
VisitationSiste: Spiritual friendships help too
Feb 14 2016, 7:44 PM
Natacha (guest): It is difficult to find a good spiritual director
6, 7:44 PM
Judy K: Quite true Michelle, but a spiritual is a great help!
Feb 14 2016, 7:44 PM
Judy K: Spiritual director
Feb 14 2016, 7:44 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Agreed
Feb 14 2016, 7:44 PM
Lisa C: Natacha pray for one
16, 7:44 PM
Natacha (guest): I have one2016, 7:45 PM
Natacha (guest): But I still find that the Blessed Sacrement teaches me better!!! 14 2016, 7:45 PM
Judy K: It has taken me years to find a good one. I am blessed with an exceptional one now. It was worth the wait!
45 PM
Guest3197 (guest): We are the Lords special force He places each of us into unique places with particular groups of people to have the most eternal impact and to help Him save as many souls as possible 1
Feb 14 2016, 7:46 PM
Lisa C: When I tried to figure out how to find one it did not work. When I prayed for one the perfect one was there
, 7:46 PM
Natacha (guest): One can not wait to find a good spiritual director in order to have devotion. Otherwise what does one do during all the years of waiting to find a good spiritual director? 7:47 PM
Amy Cochran: St. Catherine of Siena never had a spiritual director. She asked Jesus to be hers
Feb 14 2016, 7:47 PM
Lisa C: I did make some effort, but Divine Providence stepped in
Feb 14 2016, 7:47 PM
VisitationSiste: Sometimes a director is given for only a specific time of one’s life-
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Natacha (guest): This is how I personally feel about devotion: if I do it in a weak manner, God and Blessed Mother still look at it with love because it is coming from their child. Any mother would smile at a drawing of a 2 year old given to them in love even if that drawing makes no artistic sense.
Feb 14 2016, 7:48 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Every person God places in our lives is teaching us something when we pay attention !
Feb 14 2016, 7:48 PM
VisitationSiste: Following the magisterium in general matters keeps one safe in soul
PM
Judy K: No, one does no wait to embark on the devout life. We need to trust that the Lord is intervening in our lives and will direct us as He sees fit. If it is His will, He will provide adirector. 9 PM
Lisa C: Mother, that works if one knows what the magisterium says, but so many do not
Feb 14 2016, 7:49 PM
Natacha (guest): I agree with you Judy, sometimes God wants to guide us personally but we distrust that inner voice.
Feb 14 2016, 7:49 PM
VisitationSiste: Pious practices are not the same as devotion according to St Francis de Sales
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Michelle P Olivier: Yes, he points that out well with the examples he gae
Feb 14 2016, 7:50 PM
Natacha (guest): Devotion can be pious but pious practice can lack devotion
Feb 14 2016, 7:50 PM
Judy K: No, devotion embraces every aspect of life–devotionals, vocation, occupation, service, etc.
b 14 2016, 7:50 PM
Natacha (guest): Ohhh, you mean devotion as a way of life Judy?
Feb 14 2016, 7:51 PM
Judy K: Yes!
016, 7:51 PM
Amy Cochran: devotion is about Living Jesus
Feb 14 2016, 7:51 PM
Natacha (guest): That is interesting.
Feb 14 2016, 7:51 PM
Lisa C: Devotion to God is truly loving Him
, 7:51 PM
Lisa C: Having God as part of you so it manifests itself as real love toward others
Feb 14 2016, 7:51 PM
Natacha (guest): Yes, I can see what you mean, if you are deeply devoted to someone that person is never far from your mind
Feb 14 2016, 7:51 PM
Guest3197 (guest): True Sister at mass tonight Father Pat said that our heart can actually that when our actions become ritualistic our heart can turn cold .
Feb 14 2016, 7:52 PM
Natacha (guest): It like when someone ask :”how are you?” but you know they are not interested in the answer
Feb 14 2016, 7:52 PM
Natacha (guest): that is ritualistic prayer
6, 7:53 PM
VisitationSiste: Our heart needs to be involved and all our being
Feb 14 2016, 7:53 PM
Guest3197 (guest): True Natacha we can get that way in our service to God !
PM
Natacha (guest): How does one practice devotion when they are not feeling spiritual consolation?
Feb 14 2016, 7:54 PM
Judy K: I think that vocation for St. Francis embraces the varying components of life: state of life,occupation, talents, abilities and leanings; physical and intellectual limitations. One might thus be married with a comtemplative prayer style a practice of service in the Church or community-all of which whould enhance the rest of life, and not be an obstacle to it.
14 2016, 7:55 PM
VisitationSiste: St Jane was in dryness for 40 years but clung to the Lord5 PM
Natacha (guest): So it devotion does not depend on feelings?
Feb 14 2016, 7:55 PM
Guest3197 (guest): We learn to persevere in our relationship to God reguardless of how we feel or what circumstances surround us 1
Feb 14 2016, 7:55 PM
Judy K: Even times of desolation we can live the devout by keeping our eyes on the Lord and searching for Him with sincere hearts. We need to hang on to Him for dear life, especially during desolation.
Feb 14 2016, 7:56 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Amen Judy !
Feb 14 2016, 7:56 PM
Natacha (guest): I am closer to him when I am in desolation
Feb 14 2016, 7:56 PM
VisitationSiste: No not feelings
Feb 14 2016, 7:56 PM
Natacha (guest): I feel like I need him more during those times
6 PM
Judy K: Right, Natacha!
Feb 14 2016, 7:57 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Soo true Natacha !
Feb 14 2016, 7:57 PM
Judy K: And oddly enough, He is probably closer to you than you imagine.
Feb 14 2016, 7:57 PM
Michelle P Olivier: footprints in the sand
Feb 14 2016, 7:57 PM
Lisa C: I feel like I need Him no matter what
Feb 14 2016, 7:57 PM
Natacha (guest): He never leaves, he is always the same. but that is hard to relate too sometimes
8 PM
Guest3197 (guest): He is a lamp unto our feet and alight unto our path !
Feb 14 2016, 7:58 PM
Judy K: He is holding on to you as tightly as you are to Him so that you will not get lost. You might experience darkness, but the light continues to shine even if you cannot see it.
Feb 14 2016, 7:59 PM
Guest3197 (guest): His words show us through the greatest darkness !
Feb 14 2016, 7:59 PM
Natacha (guest): I feel that there is something special about being a consecrated person, because then everything you do is a prayer
PM
Lisa C: What do you mean by a consecrated person
Feb 14 2016, 7:59 PM
Natacha (guest): Like a nun or a priest
Feb 14 2016, 7:59 PM
Natacha (guest): even their clothing is a prayer
Feb 14 2016, 8:00 PM
Judy K: But that can apply to lay people as well. All of us can offer all of our actions as a prayer.
Feb 14 2016, 8:00 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Don’t you think what we do is a prayer
Feb 14 2016, 8:00 PM
Lisa C: Sr. Margaret Mary told us in grammar school that everything we do can be a prayer
16, 8:00 PM
Lisa C: I do not think you have to be a Priest or Nun for that to be so
Feb 14 2016, 8:00 PM
Judy K: It is the intention that counts
8:01 PM
VisitationSiste: I think there are different graces in different states of life depending on the mission God has for you
Judy K: That is kind of like thinking that holiness is for priests and nuns only. But Vatican II tells us that there is a universal call to holiness which will express itself differently in each of us.
Feb 14 2016, 8:02 PM
Natacha (guest): Yet when one is called, no aspect of lay life can satisfy
Feb 14 2016, 8:02 PM
Guest3197 (guest): There are places and people that only lay people would be able to reach ! God uses all of us to reach the lost
Feb 14 2016, 8:03 PM
Natacha (guest): No I do not mean this regarding the sanctity of the person, but more about the ability to have everything be willfully consecrated to God.
03 PM
Natacha (guest): That is true guest 3197
Feb 14 2016, 8:03 PM
Judy K: But that is possible for all of us. As I mentioned above, it is in the intention.
PM
Michelle P Olivier: with love
Feb 14 2016, 8:05 PM
Natacha (guest): Is devotion a response or a decision?
Feb 14 2016, 8:06 PM
Lisa C: It is a way of living
Feb 14 2016, 8:06 PM
Guest3197 (guest): John 17:21
Feb 14 2016, 8:06 PM
Natacha (guest): hmmmm
Feb 14 2016, 8:06 PM
VisitationSiste: A decision but the grace or initiative comes from God so in that way a response I think
Feb 14 2016, 8:06 PM
Michelle P Olivier: I think it involves a decision to do all with love of God
PM
Lisa C: It might be a habit and happens without really thinking after a while
Feb 14 2016, 8:07 PM
Natacha (guest): devotion turned into a habit is like a hug without love
Feb 14 2016, 8:07 PM
Judy K: Natacha, you use the phrase “To have everything be WILLFULLY consecrated to to God.” You can make that willful decision yourself. You can make your life a total dedication to the Lord. And I think that devotion is both a response and a decision. I think that the response is in the heart and the decision is in the will.
Feb 14 2016, 8:07 PM
Lisa C: No, it is ingrained
Feb 14 2016, 8:08 PM
Natacha (guest): I will ponder on that Judy
Feb 14 2016, 8:08 PM
Lisa C: You would not think of being mean
Feb 14 2016, 8:08 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Humility laying down our desires for God’s Holy Will !
8:09 PM8:09 PM
Natacha (guest): Like being trained to be devout?
Feb 14 2016, 8:09 PM
Lisa C: I feel like Mary sends that kind of grace
4 2016, 8:10 PM
Lisa C: She protects us from wanting to be evil, 8:10 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Question, does Mary send grace?
Feb 14 2016, 8:10 PM
Natacha (guest): Mary is the chalice through which God gives me grace to drink
10 online
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Lisa C: Michelle she asks God to send it to us
Feb 14 2016, 8:11 PM
Michelle P Olivier: yes, that was my thought when I asked the question
Feb 14 2016, 8:11 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: the Mediatrix, as she’s called, who intercedes for us
Feb 14 2016, 8:11 PM
Lisa C: Like the wedding when she asked him to help with the wine
6, 8:11 PM
Lisa C: Like the wedding when she asked him to help with the wine
Feb 14 2016, 8:11 PM
Lisa C: Him
Feb 14 2016, 8:11 PM
Natacha (guest): She is the dispenser of grace, the Gracious Treasurer of Grace
Feb 14 2016, 8:11 PM
Guest3197 (guest): God asks us to do difficult things at times we must be able to discern that it is His will !
Judy K: YOu are right about devotion turned into a habit, and I would say merely a habit, is like a hug without love. But there is an aspect of devotion that is habitual–we develop habits of prayer, habits of offering sacrifice, but we must be mindful of the relationship with the Lord that makes them more than merely habits. 6, 8:13 PM
Natacha (guest): You have a good way of describing thing Judy
Feb 14 2016, 8:13 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Amen Judy !
Feb 14 2016, 8:13 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: like falling in love: that love permeates and inspires everything we do
Feb 14 2016, 8:13 PM
Lisa C: I think a habit that comes via grace is entirely from love
Feb 14 2016, 8:13 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Amen Sister Mary !
Feb 14 2016, 8:13 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Habit because they are done frequently, but it is the loving response to grace that makes them a devotion
016, 8:14 PM
Judy K: Right on Michelle! 2016, 8:14 PM
Natacha (guest): Holy habits can be life saving. You do them because you know you need to do it and gain grace by that:14 PM
Lisa C: If it is not a habit it is not devotion, because it is not second nature
Feb 14 2016, 8:15 PM
Judy K: But it can be a habit without being devotion.
Feb 14 2016, 8:15 PM
Lisa C: You do not think twice before doing the best for your child
8:15 PM
Lisa C: It is part of your nature to do it
Feb 14 2016, 8:15 PM
Natacha (guest): I don’t see devotion as doing the same thing over and over again. I see it more as being present in the moment with whatever form of prayer I am doing at the moment
Feb 14 2016, 8:16 PM
Lisa C: Natacha I mean doing the right thing is a habit
Feb 14 2016, 8:16 PM
Natacha (guest): ahhh!
6, 8:17 PM
Lisa C: At least if you are conscious of it……sometimes we can do the wrong thing via oversight or something
Feb 14 2016, 8:17 PM
Judy K: But don’t forget that it is not only prayer. It is work, acts of service and charity and all done for the love of God.
Feb 14 2016, 8:17 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: As SFdS points out: “We offer ourselves to God so often, saying over and over again, Lord, I am yours, I give you my heart; and when it actually comes to the point we are so cowardly!” (letter of spiritual direction)
Feb 14 2016, 8:18 PM
Natacha (guest): that is true.
:18 PM
Guest3197 (guest): When my Father went home to be with the Lord in the ICU the only prayer I could say was the Our Father !
Feb 14 2016, 8:18 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: He continues: “How can we go on saying we belong to Him if we are not prepared to make our will fit in with His?”
8:19 PM
Natacha (guest): that is deep devotion, that is what she meant by instinctively hugging your child
Feb 14 2016, 8:19 PM
Lisa C: I am just saying we want to do the right thing and that should be a habit….we should want to avoid sin ….we can fail but the habit is to try
Feb 14 2016, 8:20 PM
Natacha (guest): Lisa, you mean that in my will i should be striving for good though I may fall, I am no less devoted because my will is straining towards God?
Feb 14 2016, 8:20 PM
Guest3197 (guest): We want to keep in deep communication with God and recognize when our communication is being disrupted 1
Feb 14 2016, 8:21 PM
Lisa C: I think everyone but Jesus and Mary and possibly St John the Baptist fails at times
M
Guest3197 (guest): We want to keep in deep communication with God and recognize when our communication is being disrupted 1
Feb 14 2016, 8:21 PM
Lisa C: I think everyone but Jesus and Mary and possibly St John the Baptist fails at times
Feb 14 2016, 8:21 PM
Natacha (guest): Don’t you think God even more touch after we fall and we run into his arms in the confession?
Feb 14 2016, 8:22 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: In the Intro SFdS says: “The one who does not observe all the commandments of God cannot be esteemed either good or devout.”
Feb 14 2016, 8:22 PM
Lisa C: St. Peter denied Him three times and He built His church on him
Feb 14 2016, 8:22 PM
VisitationSiste: Yes mercy abounds the more sin abounds
Feb 14 2016, 8:23 PM
Lisa C: All the goodness comes from God via grace so how can we take any merit for anything good we do
Feb 14 2016, 8:23 PM
Natacha (guest): I can not say that I fallow all the commandments all the time. I try but I fail
8:23 PM
Guest3197 (guest): God has brought us together in this chat to sharpen us for the battle ahead and He wants us to pray for each other .
Feb 14 2016, 8:23 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: and then he continues: “For to be good he must be possessed of charity and to be devout, in addition to charity, he must show a cheerfulness and alacrity in the performance of charitable actions.”
Natacha (guest): I need St Francis de Sales to really pray for me.
Feb 14 2016, 8:23 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: for me, that’s always been the catch: the need to do the good I try to do with ALACRITY!
Feb 14 2016, 8:24 PM
Judy K: Sister, that brings us back to St. Alphonsus’ conformity with versus uniformity with the will of God. Our goal should be to be in perfect uniformity with God’s will, that is that the will of God becomes our will. Conformity means that something is God’s and we accept it as His will. It’s like saying OK God, I’ll do it if you ask, but I don’t necessarily like it.
Feb 14 2016, 8:24 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: no hesitation – jumping to do it – gently, of course
Feb 14 2016, 8:24 PM
Natacha (guest): Uniformity with God brings inner peace
Feb 14 2016, 8:25 PM
Judy K: Amen, Natacha!
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Mary Roberta Viano: in the religious community, it means volunteering immediately for a task
Feb 14 2016, 8:25 PM
Natacha (guest): any task?
Feb 14 2016, 8:26 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: a task that Mother or another sisters asks us to do
Feb 14 2016, 8:27 PM
Natacha (guest): Sometimes I ask Jesus to please SUPER Size the grace he gives me
Feb 14 2016, 8:27 PM
Guest3197 (guest): When we say yes to God , all of God’s resources which are unlimited are behind us ! With God All Things Are Possibl
28 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: dragging our feet or showing reluctance to help are obstacles to doing God’s will perfectly
Feb 14 2016, 8:28 PM
Natacha (guest): In a community is not the Mother superior’s will the will of God?
:28 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Then obedience to God is show through obedience to Mother and the other sisters
Feb 14 2016, 8:29 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Yes Sister we hold back God’s hand with unbelief and inaction
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Natacha (guest): I think love would make everything easier. If we try to see God’s touch behind every request, than it would be easier to quickly say yes
Feb 14 2016, 8:30 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Love and humility
Feb 14 2016, 8:30 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: and, of course, SFdS well-known advice to SJFdC: “We must, if possible avoid making our devotion a nuisance. I have told you before, the less we live according to our own taste and the less personal choice there is in our actions, the better and the more solid is our devotion.”
Feb 14 2016, 8:30 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Love opens all the Doors !
Feb 14 2016, 8:31 PM
Lisa C: I think contemplation and pray of quiet without trying to manage things too much sends grace and the ability to see the opportunities right in front of me to help people
Feb 14 2016, 8:31 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: St Jane’s original devotion had been a real nuisance to her family – until she met and followed SFdS’s advice
2016, 8:32 PM
Natacha (guest): What do you mean Mary Roberta Viano?
Feb 14 2016, 8:32 PM
Lisa C: God comes in during quiet
3 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Amen Lisa !
Feb 14 2016, 8:33 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: and SFdS says: “If you desire to undertake a devout life, you must not only cease to sin, but you must also cleanse your heart from all affection for sin” – pull it out at the roots!
Feb 14 2016, 8:33 PM
Judy K: How can we discover our true vocation and true devotion is the 3rd question. Prayer and really listening to the voice of God within us and being more sensitive to His promptings. It might be like having our antennae always trained on the Lord’s “station.” And doing everything possible to eliminate static and any other type of interference. Self-examination is necessary to discover our true selves and then discernment to find the devotional path the Lord is marking out for us.
Feb 14 2016, 8:34 PM
Judy K: And I do not mean by that “devotionals” but rather that true devotion spoken of by St. Francis de Sales.
Feb 14 2016, 8:34 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: St. Jane’s devotion stopped everyone in her family from doing anything – they had to follow her in her own kind of devotion
Feb 14 2016, 8:34 PM
Guest3197 (guest): Pay attention to the people God is bringing into your life !
8:35 PM
Natacha (guest): I see, 8:35 PM
Natacha (guest): No one is in our live by accident
Feb 14 2016, 8:35 PM
Lisa C: Looking all over for God and trying everything to find Him is a distraction..paying attention to the world looking is a distration, being quiet lets me see Him in everything and that there is no need to look He is there
Feb 14 2016, 8:35 PM
VisitationSiste: Feedback from others regarding vocation needs to be carefully discerned too
Judy K: And the people He is permitting to enter your life. People may enter our lives to aid us in our journey, and others to present obstacles. We need to discern the difference between them
Feb 14 2016, 8:36 PM
Mary Roberta Viano: and now I’m off to help my sisters by getting music and breakfast ready for tomorrow…prayers for each of you. Please pray for me/us!
Feb 14 2016, 8:36 PM
Natacha (guest): Yes. It is in the quiet times with God that I discern my vocation
Feb 14 2016, 8:36 PM
Michelle P Olivier: Good night everyone – have blessed week.
Feb 14 2016, 8:37 PM
Natacha (guest): Good night. God bless!
Feb 14 2016, 8:37 PM
Guest3197 (guest): God Bless You All ! Many Prayers for you all ! Brian