May love raise us to exhibit the true fruit of an unselfish love through our goodwill, surrender, and yearnings of our Lord Jesus Christ. May we remember what God’s servant St. Paul wrote: “Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends.”
Make us ready that we may shed a mirrored gleam of that light. May we accept and return God’s tenderness and mercy so that we may fully love our fellowman according to your will in this indifferent world.
May we mirror our Lord’s example of laying down his life, listening to his calling to live our lives with a real love for others.
More than all else love provides a way out of the difficulties of our life. It is the foremost blessing imparted by God to his children. In the devotion to God may our beings be enabled to show compassion to all we are associated with. Our actions will be evidence of our surrender to his will. “Happy are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” May mankind have a compassion that is of the tenderness, devotion and serenity of our Lord Jesus.
Lord, may we use our gifts as branches to your vine of love that undertakes in the building of your kingdom on earth. May we give to the needy, fulfilling your will from heaven. Lord Jesus you started this work on earth and you rely on your companions to carry this on until you return to your earthly kingdom.
Lord, give us the miraculous fruit of the Holy Spirit love, to empower us to naturally give that real love and so have your promised peace on earth, that we shall have eternally in your heavenly home. Amen.
JOY
Lord, just as you enfold your companions in the fruit of the Holy Spirit love, so those who truly know you and follow you are imparted with joy. Their unselfish will is contrary to the self-will and principles of the worldly ways that only create weariness and unhappiness. In our own efforts we can descend into despair and disappointment, we can even become weary of life. The yearning for joy in this world can only be truly satisfied by the Holy Spirit in our soul.
The companions of Christ who go to God in the condition of a trusting child are enabled to have this fruit of the Holy Spirit in their temporal life. When, as a trusting child we recognise the darkness and limit of self-will we desire the gift of light in our soul, this light is God our endless day.
Throughout the generations Christ’s companions have been able to keep the spirit of joy throughout the darkest hour of trial and tribulation. They ascend above earth’s vain sorrows, turning their suffering into a service to glorify him who lives in them, our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we have this fruit of joy it manifests itself in the joy we impart through mercy and the true unselfish love we give to others. This joy speaks of God’s joy that is eternally in heaven. In our temporal life we will transcend whatever situation we may find ourselves in, or whatever emotions well up in us. The fruit of joy is at the centre of our true being that is touched by the spirit of God.
The way of life of self-will dies and we start to truly live and we are transformed to the gift of the light of God in our soul through the union of our will with God’s will. This joy enfolded in love brings peace that the world cannot give.
In this joy living in the light, love and life of God that is shared with others, this in turn draws them to the inborn longing in their soul for their maker, keeper and lover, God. Amen.
PEACE
Lord Jesus, in your earthly ministry you said, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.” Our earthly mother bears us into pain and death. The world cannot impart peace because there is no true peace in the world. The consequences of self-will, self-love is all around us.
Lord Jesus, in your grace you impart the fruit of your Holy Spirit peace to your companions who put their confidence in you, repenting of their iniquity, who have compassion for your Holy Passion that you suffered for them and who have a wilful longing to behold you through the union of their will with God’s. Our inborn selfish nature can be subdued and die and we can have your true peace which passes all understanding. It is beyond our understanding as its manifestation is a divine providence in a soul that has come into union with God’s will and his property of inward light. In that inward light of peace if we focus our minds on you Lord then the troubles of this world are dissolved in our mind. We rise above earth’s vain sorrows, serene peace and goodwill remains. In this peace our minds are replenished giving us the enlightenment that all we need is God’s love.
For Lord, anything in our selfish nature that is contrary to your wrath free nature will never bring us peace. Lord, you are all power, all sovereignty, all wisdom, but you are also our homely loving true Mother. The pains of your Holy Passion have born us into bliss and everlasting life. Just as you had the power to calm the waves on the Sea of Galilee so you have the power to calm the waves of desire in our selfish nature that continually swell through our minds and emotions. Dissolve the hell that we create within ourselves by the fruit of your Holy Spirit, that your life may grow in us and so your peace enfolded in your love. In giving us the teaching of your inward light and giving us true peace you give us true rest, for there is no rest in anything below you.
In that peace and rest may we have the true measure of virtue. May our undertakings be true acts of charity in your broken world. In that charity may we live in the grace of the present moment serving you, and so have the full measure of perfect peace. Lord, you said we will still have trial and tribulation but we don’t need to fear, for nothing on earth can separate us from your unquenchable love and our salvation.
You can give us that inflaming divine seed of your perfect power that can flourish in a perfect soul. Your servant David said, “The light of your countenance, O Lord, is like a seal stamped on our soul.”
Lord, in the benefit of that inmost light of your Holy Spirit, in that peace and rest continually guide us in that spiritual enlightenment of your divine nature, that our true acts of charity may help to build your kingdom on earth. Amen.
PATIENCE
Lord, we live in such a fast paced, stressful age which leads to impatience for others. This has led to many problems in the world. In our impatience we often turn away from you. In our own selfish nature we feel the least desire to offer patience to others and in turn we do not offer forgiveness. Rather than a virtue patience is the fruit from the source of all patience, your wrath free and longsuffering nature towards us through our Lord Jesus Christ. Your desire is for us to rest our weary impatient souls in you.
Lord Jesus, you gave us the example of patience by your infinite, unfathomable divine patience in your suffering and in fulfilling your Father’s will. May we turn from our own temporal impatience and appropriate the fruit of supernatural patience from the Holy Spirit, reflecting your divine nature Lord.
In that patience may we continue to do your will, to give unconditional patience to difficult people, not complaining at their shortcomings. May we never be provoked to anger or retribution.
As we walk with you Lord Jesus may we in our trusting and obedient heart grow in patience in our trials and tribulations for righteousness sake. May we remain steadfast in patient trust of your love even when we do not perceive it. Transform us in your grace, mercy, truth and loving-kindness to patient longsuffering.
In our longsuffering may our patience turn from lack of forgiveness of others to sorrow for their sin and our patience grow in our compassion for them, and may it be fulfilled by our patient longing for them to turn to you.
Lord, in our transforming patience may we be quiet before you, listening for your still small voice. May we find the purpose of our life in the patient fulfilling of your will, becoming the true person you always desired us to be. Amen.
GENTLENESS