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130.1
First Point
This
saint excelled in her ardent love for God; from her earliest youth she
spoke only of God and devoted herself a great deal to prayer, convinced
that having been created only for God, there was nothing outside of him
that deserved her attention and affection. Her love for God and for what
concerned his service led her to withdraw from the world soon after making
her first Communion. She had taken the resolution to become a religious
and, although only ten years old at the time, she consecrated herself to
God by a vow of virginity.
You often have time set aside for prayer and have the happiness of
being able to converse with God. Are you careful to profit by this
opportunity? In your conversations with your Brothers, are you faithful to
speak only of God, what concerns him, and what can give you eagerness for
his holy love?
130.2
Second Point
The
great love she had for God led her above all to receive Holy Communion
often, so great was her desire to unite herself intimately with Jesus
Christ Our Lord. This is why, when she was still only a small child too
young to receive Communion, she would draw near to her mother when she had
communicated and not leave her all day long because of the pleasure she
had to be near and to touch a person who had received the precious Body of
Jesus Christ. Because of this her confessor allowed her to receive
Communion at the age of ten. When she became a religious she chose the
Order of Carmelites because the reception of Holy Communion was more
commonly practiced there than in many other orders.
Do you also make it a point to receive Communion often? This is an
advantage you enjoy in your Institute. Do you conform in this matter to
the established practice? Is it because of a tender affection for Holy
Communion that you receive it? Consider this the greatest advantage and
the greatest happiness you can enjoy in this world.
130.3 Third Point
This
saint also showed her great love for God by suffering very much for him.
Her deepest desire was to imitate in every way the life and passion of
Jesus Christ. When only twelve years old, she made a sort of crown with
very thorny orange branches, fixed it on her head, and spent the whole
night in very great pain. She often took the discipline with metal chains,
and she wore a very rough hair shirt with a girdle made of sharp points.
She also endured severe temptations and very great interior suffering.
Do you love to suffer this way for God? Know that what shows best
the love you have for him is when you take pleasure in suffering something
in order to be more like Jesus crucified and to please God. This is also
what will be most capable of drawing down God's abundant graces on you.
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