NEVER DESPAIR!
“The Lord is kind and merciful!”
“It is always possible to start all over, as long as
we allow Jesus to embrace and forgive us (Pope Francis).”
Dear brethren in Christ, as I was doing my spiritual reading on Pope Francis’ new book, “The Name of God is Mercy,” the following words caught my attention and which I would like to share with you so as to encourage everyone that while we are alive, we should not give into despair for our repeated falls, great or small. With untiring humility, let us get up daily and start all over again allowing Jesus to embrace and forgive us in the Sacrament of Confession whenever necessary.
“There are many humble people who confess their relapse. What is important in the life of every man and every woman is never to fall by the wayside. THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO ALWAYS GET UP AND NOT STAY ON THE GROUND LICKING HIS WOUNDS. THE LORD OF MERCY ALWAYS FORGIVES ME SUCH THAT HE GIVES ME THE POSSIBILITY TO ALWAYS START ALL OVER AGAIN. He loves me for what I am, He wants to lift me up, and offers me his hand. This is also a task of the Church: to make people know that there are no situations that one cannot get out from, that while we are alive, it is always possible to start all over, as long as we allow Jesus to embrace and forgive us (Pope Francis, ‘The Name of God is Mercy,’ translation from Spanish to English mine).”
Let us not forget these wonderful words of St. Josemaria:
“I am going to summarise your clinical history: here I fall and there I get up. The latter is what matters. So continue with that interior struggle, even though you go at the pace of the tortoise. Forward! You know well, my son, where you can end up, if you don’t fight: one depth leads to another and another (Furrow, n. 173).”
“The saints are those who struggle right to the end of their lives, who always get up each time they stumble, each time they fall, and courageously embark on their way once more with humility, love and hope (Furrow, n. 186).”
Cordially inviting you to visit and like our FB page in www.fb.com/CatholicsstrivingforHoliness or sign-up to our website,www.catholicsstrivingforholiness.com, so we can have a wider apostolic reach and thus help more people in their Christian life. Thanks! Fr. Rolly A., priest of Opus Dei.
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If you wish to HELP and DONATE for several causes, I would be very grateful. You may send your donation indicating the cause of your choice to the following PAYPAL link:
https://www.paypal.me/cs4h
The causes are as follows:
- Help, Health & Hope for Kids Socio-medical fundraising for Filipino sick, poor and street children.
For more info see: https://www.facebook.com/hhh4kids/ - Church in distress: Financial Help for Iglesia del Señor San José(Seville, Spain). http://www.iglsrsjose.org/
- The maintenance of this page.
Thanks and God bless you for your kindness and generosity.
Fr. Rolly Arjonillo
PHOTO SOURCE: http://www.godisreal.today/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/despair-youth.jpg