| Renounce All Thoughts That Are Not for God |
This week we read a letter to Soeur Humbert of the Visitation at Moulins, written from Annecy on 22 July 1616.To prepare for our chat on Sunday, please read the letter, which is reproduced below, and review the questions at the end.Click for Living Jesus Chatroom  Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash To my very dear daughter, Sister Marie-Avoye Humbert.Do not allow yourself to be in the least troubled by those tricks of your imagination, those strange or terrible thoughts which come to your mind, for I really know your heart and I assure you before Our Lord that you do not run any risk of sin thereby. And in order to strengthen you in this belief, when you have finished your morning prayers, disown by a brief and simple act every kind of thought that is contrary to divine love, saying: I renounce all thoughts that are not for you, O my God; I disown them and cast them off forever. And then when they attack you, you do not have to do anything except say from time to time: O Lord, I have rejected this, you know I have. Sometimes you will kiss your crucifix or show by some other outward sign that you confirm your repudiation of them. And do not get upset, do not torment yourself, because all these ideas not only cannot separate you from God but are even the cause for your ever closer union to his mercy.So go forth calmly and sweetly in peace to serve God and Our Lady where you have been summoned by their will, and may the grace and consolation of the Holy Spirit be with you forever. Amen. My very dear daughter, live calmly and simply in God, always loving your own abjection and being courageous in the service of him who died on the cross to save you. Reflections:How are thoughts not sins, if they are our thoughts?When do our thoughts become sins?Where do our thoughts come from, especially the ones we don’t want?How can we use this battlefield of the mind as an opportunity to grow closer to God and in holiness?How can we enter more deeply into recollection, self-reflection, and contemplation? Would this reflection help in rejecting these bad thoughts?What kind of “strange or terrible thoughts” do you think St. Francis was talking about? Depression? Fear? Anxiety? Anger? How does kissing a crucifix help during these times of temptation? Sign up for our Living Jesus Chat Room:Come to our Living Jesus Chat Room, 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM Eastern Time |