He and I

"He and I" is the title of a book I am now reading for the third time. Years ago a friend gave me this book and reading it opened the door to a deeper and more personal understanding of who Jesus Christ is and how much He loves us.

Amazon.com has this lovely product description of the book, “In this timeless spiritual testament, readers enter into the intimate, interior conversations between Jesus and Gabrielle Bossis, a French nurse and playwright. Recorded in her diary from 1936 to 1950, their tender exchanges capture Jesus' enduring presence in our daily lives, his insistence on kindly serving others, and his encompassing love for humanity--and show that ordinary individuals can experience an intimacy with Christ.” 

During my first reading I thought, how fortunate Gabriele was to have this long and intimate relationship with Jesus. This time, when reading the book I noticed the message from Jesus,” Each soul is My favorite… I choose some only to reach the others.” This time I am read the book and realized that the book was written for me and for you. The message is universal and this is how Jesus feels about each and every one of us. The tender words of Jesus bring comfort to the soul and will fill your heart with joy. This book has been an incredible blessing to me and probably the most powerful spirit filled reading I have ever experienced. I just read a couple of pages a day because the reading is so deep, you have to take it slow to soak up the awesome feeling of Jesus to talking to you!

Excerpts

“Treat Me as the most intimate One who not only excuses the sins confided to Him but who takes them upon Himself in order to obtain the Father’s pardon” (pg. 78)

G.” Lord, can we always make amends, even for the faults that we are not aware of, but that Your sensitivity sees?”

Jesus. “Don’t you know that because of My compassion a single act of perfect love atones for a whole lifetime? that one humble and tender look from you pierces My heart with love? that I am sensitive to every cry of your hearts?” (pg. 95)

“Don’t get the idea that it is the greatest number of prayers that touches your God. It’s the way you speak to Him. Be irresistible in love, abandonment and humility. “ (pg.103)

December 15, 1949 - Holy hour. Coming back from Mass in the dark at 7am in the freezing rain. "This too, Lord, may I offer for Your sinners in this Marian year?

"I take all sufferings little and big, and place them in the treasury of the Church - the treasury used for the making of saints. You forget your past sufferings, but they continue to bear fruit in My sight. You have already forgotten your travel weariness, weather annoyances, desert thirst, the fears, exile in distant countries, the slow journeys back, the long tests of endurance, times of illness. But remember that you offered Me everything and that I've kept everything.” (pg. 363)

The book has an imprimatur, an official license by the Roman Catholic Church to print an ecclesiastical or religious book.

HE and I, Gabrielle Bossis, translated and condensed by Evelyn M. Brown, Imprimatur: Msgr.Jean-Marie Fortier, Archbishop Sherbrooke, Nov. 14, 1969, Editions MEDIASPAUL,QC

Sins of the Spirit

I am a big fan of the late Father Leo Clifford and always enjoy his “reflections” on EWTN. His reflections are 5-10 minutes stories that teach biblical lessons. I was thrilled to see videos of his reflections pop up in my YouTube menu. My first selection was this reflection on sins of the spirit or respectable sins. It is a very humbling reflection and a good examination of the conscience.

Father Leo begins by telling the story of the prodigal son to point out the sins of the “good” brother. He makes comparisons of what we normally consider bad sins, the crimes in the daily news, and those other “respectable” sins that are far greater in number and worse in the eyes of God. These are the sins of the spirit: pride, selfishness, coldness, indifference, haughtiness, and condescending attitude.

Fr. Leo quotes Dickens, “There is so much bad in the best of us, and so much good in the worst of us, that it ill becomes any of us to speak about the rest of us.”

Pray for Pope Francis

We pray for the Holy Father that the heavenly Mother intercedes for him and protects him in his ministry:

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among
women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of
God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Weep not for what you have lost, fight for what you have.

Weep not for what is dead, fight for what was born in you.

Weep not for the one who abandoned you, fight for who is with you.

Weep not for those who hate you, fight for those who want you.

Weep not for your past, fight for your present struggle.

Weep not for your suffering, fight for your happiness.

With things that are happening to us, we begin to learn that nothing is
impossible to solve, just move forward.

In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ
Amen