Author Topic: Meditation on life's crosses (Read 1264 times)

Matthew · « **on:** February 01, 2007, 09:16:26 AM »

Written by St. Francis de Sales:

The everlasting God has, in his wisdom,
foreseen from eternity the cross
that He now presents to you
as a gift from His inmost heart.

This cross He now sends you
He has considered with His all-knowing eyes,
understood with His loving mind,
tested with His wise justice,
warmed with His loving arms,
and weighed with His own hands,
to see that it be not one inch too large
and not one ounce too heavy for you.

He has blessed it with His holy name,
anointed it with His grace,
perfumed it with His consolation,
taken one last glance at you and your courage,
and then sent it to you from Heaven,
a special greeting from God to you,
an alms of the all-merciful love of God.

Magdalene · « **Reply #1 on:** February 02, 2007, 11:44:20 PM »

Thanks! I know just who to send this to.

Ancilla_Indigna · « **Reply #2 on:** February 08, 2007, 05:05:25 PM »

5 of My (Current) Favorite Things to Meditate Upon Regarding Crosses (in no particular order):

1.) The Stations
2.) The 7 Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary
3.) Crux Fidelis (the poem by Venantius Fortunatus) -- I love the chant
4.) Recollecting my own sins
5.) Thinking about, "blessed are the poor..." The truly poor will eat what ever is given to them. Sometimes the food tastes sweet, some days the food they have to eat that day is bitter, and some days it has no flavor at all. But, whatever they are given, they are truly grateful, because it's food! It nourishes and feeds their craving of hunger. Do we hunger for Christ? Do we desire him like a constant hunger? Are we poor in spirit? Do we give him thanks always?

Ancilla_Indigna · « **Reply #3 on:** February 10, 2007, 04:31:04 PM »

Oh, I forgot a few others:

This is a good meditation on lifes's crosses, or rather, to help put life's crosses into perspective:

Regular practice of praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

If you are devoutly praying for them, the real suffering of even those that will eventually make it into Heaven, but are suffering tremendously now will help you grow in sorrow for your sins (this along with frequent Confession -- -at least once every week to two weeks max). This will make you more honest with yourself, I think.

I got into this after making a promise to a friend who had this devotion and was leaving to enter a cloister. She used to visit a cemetary once a week, sprinkle graves with holy water, and give them things, like prayers, devotions, etc. She would implore our Lord to release the souls there, and as many souls as possible. These souls can't pray for themselves. I used to go with her, but have since taken over her role. You can ask the souls in purgatory to pray for you and for others, but they can't pray for themselves, including others among them also in purgatory.

What I've found from this practicing this devotion, along with praying for them at every meal, and a few other times with other prayers throughout the day, is that I've begun to recognize how much I don't want to end up there, or at least, not add more time there, for sure. While I do wear The Brown Scapular, I certainly don't want to add to the intensity of my stay, either, and a weekly devotion to the Poor Souls definitely reminds me of this. It keeps one a bit more humble when they are going through struggles.

Author Topic: Meditation on life&#039;s crosses (Read 1264 times)

Author Topic: Meditation on life's crosses (Read 1264 times)