From An Easy Way to Become a Saint by Father Paul O’Sullivan, 1949

God Loves Us

There is still something more thrilling that should fill us to overflowing with love for God, viz., that God loves us with a personal, intimate, unbounded love.

This glorious truth escapes many otherwise good Catholics. Either they do not know it or they do not grasp it.

The certainty that the great God of Heaven and Earth loves me with a tender, affectionate love fills my soul with delight.

A husband finds immense happiness in the love of his dear wife. A friend prizes most highly the friendship of a true friend.

Were a powerful prince or king to offer us his friendship and esteem, we should look on ourselves as very fortunate.

But the Omnipotent God offers us His friendship and love, and we do not seem to accept it! What blindness, what appalling ignorance!

Our Lord offered Peter and John and Paul His love and friendship, and they accepted it. What happiness was not theirs! They became His great Apostles. He is offering it to us every day in the most pressing way. Why do we not accept it!? What happiness are we not losing?

Let us convince ourselves that God is our dearest Friend, our most loving Father. Let us try to bring home to ourselves this wonderful truth.

Has He not commanded us to call Him every day, “Our Father”?

He means it. He asks for our love. He does not wait to love us in Heaven; He loves us now on Earth and wishes to be loved in return by us.

IN A WORD

To love God is to be saint, and the more we love God, the greater saints we shall be.

There is nothing easier than to love the God of infinite goodness and sweetness, the God who loves us with a personal, intimate, infinite love.

We shall most certainly love God if in all our prayers we ask Him for His blessed love.

If we know God, we must love Him. Therefore, we must do all we can to know God and fully to understand all the wonderful things that He has done for us.

October – Month of the Holy Rosary…

The Ascension 

“Men of Galilee, why stand here looking heavenwards?“

The apostles stood on Olivet, eyes wide open, their gaze turned heavenward, their hearts beating hard. Jesus had just vanished from their sight above the silvery cloud that shimmered in the radiance of His glory. He had come to earth as a helpless Child; now He was returning to His Father’s house as the world’s Redeemer.

The little group on Olivet stood in silent, joyful prayer, their hearts ascending with Him. Heaven was reflected in their eyes – until an Angel’s chiding words brought them hurriedly down to earth.

Nothing succeeds like failure. Christ’s cross was the price of His glorious Ascension. That is why the angel sent the apostles back to the city – to suffer for Christ.

A lesson for me!