LOVE GOD AND DO WHATEVER YOU PLEASE - ST AUGUSTINE

    St. Augustine once said "Love God and do whatever you please". This statement seems to be confusing because one will wonder, can one be justified if one loves God and still live a life not worthy of a child of God? Can we say that all that is needed to be holy is simply to love God? Yet this seems to be what St. Augustine is implying. Does it mean that if I love God, then I can fornicate, lie, steal, kill, commit abortion and I am safe? To better understand this confusing statement, I think its better to understand what it means to Love God. 

St. Mary Magdalene - On my bed at night I sought the man whom my heart loves: I sought but could not find him!

    "Draw me in your footsteps, let us run. The king has brought me into his room; you will be our joy and our gladness. We shall praise your love more than wine; how right it is to love you." (Sgs. 1:4). Yes, how right it is to love you with an everlasting love, love the strongest force in the world. Anyone who does not yet understand love may be surprised at the actions carried out when possessed by its force. One will only need to pass through the road of true love to be able to understand what is inside. True love of which the author of Song of songs cried out "Love no flood can quench, no torrent drown. Were a man to offer all his family wealth to buy love, contempt is all that he would gain" (Sgs. 8:7) and in another place "Beloved set me as a seal on your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is strong as death. (Sgs. 8:6). It was this love that captured the heart of the repentant sinner: St. Mary Magdalene.

ST LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI - There is a spiritual life that we share with the angels in heaven.

    "Those who are learned will be as radiant as the sky in all its beauty; those who instruct the people in goodness will shine like the stars for all eternity" (Daniel 12:3). It is the case most times, however unfortunate, that intelligence and much acquisition of knowledge leads to unnecessary pride and  a feeling of contempt for others. This wasn't the case with the Holy doctor St. Lawrence of Brindisi, who was exceptionally intelligent, proficient in about seven languages yet so humble and down to earth.

Joyful Self-abasement - The truthfulness of Humility

 

  When I shared my blog post on Friday, which I wrote on St. Crispin of Viterbo. I noticed that in the introductory paragraph, I had in mind to write "The life of a true Christian" but ended up writing "The life of a through Christian." This, however, was made known to me by one of my brother. I was really disturbed because I had already shared the post to many social media platforms. Even though i corrected it in the various platforms, I was still disturbed because of the persons that would have read it. Thus, I shared my plight with my brothers, some of whom sympathized with me but one made a comment that got me thinking. He said, "You are disturbed because you think you are beyond mistakes but you are not God." This statement sent me to meditation and I began to think about myself.

ST. CRISPIN - "One doesn't get to heaven on a taxi"

“The life of a true Christian is a perpetual strive against self”, said St. Maria Faustina, and so it is. Every good Christian knows that he ought to continually strive against his natural inclinations, in other to be that which God wills for him. This fact was not unknown to St. Crispin Fioretti of Viterbo. Despite his weak constitution, he made every possible effort to live a life of total dedication to God and he succeeded unto eternal life.

Born at Viterbo, Italy on the 13^th of November, 1668. He was named Peter. His Father, Ubald died when he was still very young and left his upbringing, with that of his step-sister, in the hands of the poor mother, Marsha. His mother dedicated him to Mary when he was still small and told him “this is your mother too. I have made you a gift to her”, Crispin never forgot those words. Because of their poor condition, his uncle provided for his schooling. He, also, worked as a cobbler for his uncle. At the age of 25, he applied to the Capuchins, after the example of St. Felix of Cantalice. He was accepted but met with oppositions, both from the family and from the novice master himself. To the glory of God, he overcame the oppositions. In the Order, he took the name Crispin after the example of St. Crispin, patron of Cobblers. However, he never served the Order as a cobbler. After his vows on the 22^nd of July, 1694, he worked as a cook, orchard keeper, infirmarian and finally, questor for 38years.