Magnificat Vol. LIX, No. 1 9 God, the true Almighty, inspired Saint Joseph and the Virgin Mary to obey that proud emperor. The Almighty manifests Himself to us at that moment. By obeying, He begins our salvation, our redemption. My brothers, my sisters, one good way of doing violence to ourselves – easy and accessible, but so costly to our nature – is to obey. Obedience is the wonderful way to do violence to ourselves. Joseph and Mary obeyed a pagan emperor far away in Rome. The Almighty comes in obedience, and that is how He manifests Himself, in the helplessness of a newborn child. But I hear your heart when someone speaks to you this way. You say: “Father, I have been a religious for five years, thirty years, fifty years, and I have been working at it. I renew this desire in me to do violence to myself.” Despite your efforts, you seem to be getting nowhere. Your heart is aching. Every day, my brother, my sister, my dear friend, every day, take up your cross and follow Jesus. God fills the hungry with good things In the depths of your heart, my brothers and sisters, desire, prefer the will of God, prefer this violence against yourself and all that is contrary to God. I know you suffer, my brothers and sisters, from not being successful in doing this. To Jesus, to our good Heavenly Father, say in your heart: “My Jesus, my God, I want this. I desire it. I want to do violence to myself, deny myself. I want to conform to Your will. I want Your kingdom to come on the earth. I believe in Your word, that the kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and that there is no other way for it to happen in me. I believe it, my God, I believe it.” Desire it with violence, with vehemence, with intensity. According to the book of Wisdom,8 the beginning of holiness – of the love of God, of that perfection to which God invites us – is to have a true and violent desire to obtain it. Have this violent desire, now, as you listen to these poor, somewhat austere words, so that the kingdom of God may finally be established. May we not be so foolish as to increase the lot of human folly on earth, but may we be fools with the folly of God, who is true Understanding and true Wisdom. On the subject of these difficult times, we could again quote the Gospel, which says to 8. Cf. Wisdom 7:7 – I wished, and understanding was given me. Desire to attain sanctity and suffer everything to please Jesus Christ; and if we do not have this desire, pray the Lord in His goodness to grant it to us, for without a true desire to sanctify ourselves, we will never make any progress in perfection. Two great means of sanctification: DESIRE and RESOLUTION… Resolution! Resolve! The devil does not fear irresolute souls... The one who, on the contrary, is truly resolved to give himself to God will not fail to overcome what seemed insurmountable. A determined will triumphs over everything. When a soul is thus resolved, the Lord makes it fly along the path of perfection. Saint Alphonsus Liguori
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