Coldness
by Charles Reed
(Editorial of Reflections, January 2005)
“And because iniquity has abounded,
the charity of many shall grow cold.” -- Matthew 24, 12
“Puritanism is only a paralysis.” -- GKC
The title of this editorial refers to a defect or sin that is frequent and that causes great harm. It also has the names of: indifference, negligence, selfishness, unkindness, harshness and frigidity. The opposite virtue is charity, kindness, warmth, affection, amiability. One is symbolized by something cold, the other by something warm, such as a flame or the sun.
The Greatest Sin
Theologians have often debated what is the greatest sin. It is almost impossible to answer. The worst sin is the sin that has the worst effect. All sins have bad effects, but one of the worst is coldness. From what Christ said about the last judgment in Matthew, Ch. 25, one gets the impression that the reprobate were condemned because of their coldness, because of not showing kindness when God wanted them to show it. “I was hungry, and you did not give me to eat, etc.” And they received the sentence that coldness deserves: “Depart from me, ye accursed, etc.”
Do not let coldness enter in
A holy French abbot said, shortly before his death: “My dear children, never forget the last advice and testament of your most loving father. I implore you in the name of our divine Saviour always to love one another, and never to permit the least coldness toward any brother to be for a moment in your breasts, or anything by which perfect charity may suffer any harm in your souls. You have borne the yoke of penance and are grown old in the exercise of religious duties in vain, if you do not sincerely love one another. Without this, martyrdom itself cannot make you acceptable to God. Fraternal charity is the soul of a religious house.” Having spoken these words, he happily surrendered his soul into the hands of the Creator (from life of St. Aichardus).
The saint’s advice is good, not only for religious, but for all men and women, in any family, group, organization, club or gathering. One of the worst effects of coldness is that it makes worthless other actions, for example, prayer. It is inconsistent to pray “Thy will be done,” and then to do the opposite of what God wants: He does not want people to treat others with coldness. “Without this (charity, kindness) martyrdom itself cannot make you acceptable to God.”
Obstacles
Sometimes people show coldness to their neighbors from negligence, indifference and even from cruelty. Sometimes people would like to show kindness and admiration to their neighbors, but cannot because of lack of experience and timidity… and sometimes because they live in an English-speaking country. (See article “They would like it to happen” in this issue). Coldness is like a paralysis that prevents people from showing kindness when it should be shown. There are people who do not want to be unkind or cruel and they have kind sentiments in their minds and hearts, but they cannot express what they feel. A stupid coldness prevents them. Even when they have good intentions, their silence and omission of kind actions often causes coldness and sadness in the lives of others.
A Legion of Victim Souls
In this issue there is an article about how the legion of victim souls is growing. When there are more victim souls, there will be less injustice, less coldness and less unkindness in the world. God wants us to show kindness, in any way, with a smile, a kind word, a kind action, affection, warmth, being polite when you do not feel like it. Any action, even a small one, might help to spread a little kindness in our world, that is now so selfish and indifferent. But the greatest kindness is to offer our lives to help save our brethren. The greatest kindness and generosity is to have the same sentiments that Christ had, and to do something similar to what he did, when he offered his life to save the world. The greatest kindness is to do something similar to what St. Paul did: “and I fill up those things that are wanting of the sufferings of Christ, in my flesh, for his body, which is the church.” The more people get involved in the legion of victim souls, the more kindness and happiness there will be in this sad, selfish world.
May it be for the glory of God
The Vergel (Garden) of the Immaculate Virgin of Guadalupe
January 6, 2005 • Feast of the Epiphany
"All those who yield themselves to my cross and to suffering, will be blessed for all eternity.” -- April 23, 1969
Writings of Charles Reed -
Essays in Reflections
Essays not in Reflections
Novel. Mount Zion Revisited.
Anthologies
Translations
Note about Mount Zion Revisited
The character named Little Bear in ch. 13, is based on three persons, in order to condense much informtion into a small space. The face of one of them bore no resemblance to the face of a bear. (He is now deceased, probably in Paradise with his mother). The other two, still living, have the face of a teddy bear. This is not an exaggeration.
Mt. Zion is a narration of a shipwreck that was not total. Just as Robinson Crusoe and Man Friday came of their shipwreck alive and kicking, so these precious little souls came out of the crucible of sorrow, shining like gold (Job 19), and at least two of them are now praising God forever, in the heavenly Zion.
And the redeemed of the Lord will come into Zion with praise.
Sorrow and mourning will flee away,
And everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.
Isaiah 35
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Similarity with other novels.
Brideshead Revisited, by E. Waugh. The effects of grace, on a group of characters.
Robinson Crusoe, by Defoe. What to do when a shipwreck happens, and everything disintegrates, falls apart, and you are faced with a chaotic situation.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Followng His Footsteps
by Anselmo del Álamo
Chapter 8. Crosses
|
|
38. What is it that most pleases Jesus? Suffering. The most sorrowful moments are always the most blessed. O Jesus, I accept as many pains and afflictions as you want to send me, for they will always be less than what I deserve. As a gift of your mercies, o my Jesus, I will accept the pains and afflictions that you lay upon me. O Jesus, if you wish, add even more: I will always kiss your hand. Behold, O Jesus, this sorrow shakes all the fibers of my heart, and it inspires in me the resolution of not offending you any more. St. Gemma Galgani
39. I love the flowers of the field, the little birds and every new suffering; it is a variation that pleases me, but what I love above everything else is Jesus Christ, our beloved Savior. Theresa Neumann
40. If you were flooded with spiritual consolations and you overflowed with love, you would not gain as much as suffering dryness and the trials that I send you. Live, therefore, in peace, with the certainty that you will not perish under the cross. It is easier for ten souls to fall into sin, who enjoy the delights of grace, than only one soul that is in affliction: the enemy has no power against those who sigh under the cross. Even if you were the first doctor of the world and the wisest theologian of my Church, and even if you could speak about God with the tongues of angels, you would be less holy to my eyes and less amiable, than a soul that is subject to my crosses. I grant my graces to the good and to the evil, but I reserve my crosses for my elect. Affliction separates a man from the world, and brings him near to God. The more his friends on earth abandon him, the more my grace is increased in him, and it raises him and makes him divine. From the Cross proceed humility, purity of conscience, fervor of spirit, peace, tranquility of soul, discretion, recollection, charity and all the benefits that this produces. Our Lord to Blessed Henry Suso
41. You cannot form an idea of how happy I am. In spite of your sorrows? Because of them. Eva Lavalliere
42. As the usurer does not lose any occasion of making a small sum of money, I also will not consent that the smallest movement of your little finger, done in my name, remains without fruit, and without its concurring to my greater glory and your eternal salvation. Our Lord to St. Gertrude -
A Report from Pennsylvania
My name is Bro. Paul Wilson, of Erie, Pennsylvania. I have been a victim soul for 23 years, under the spiritual direction of Rev. Francis S. Duchala, O.F.M., Pittsburgh, PA, 63 years a priest. He went to heaven on March 2, 2002.
First when I approach someone that I feel would be a good person to be a victim soul, I look for one with the holy smile of Jesus on their face, united with the suffering of Jesus in their eyes –very easy to see, if you truly realize the joy of suffering united to the suffering of Jesus on the cross.
I always ask for the help of St. Therese, the Little Flower, and she never fails me.
A. I usually find these people in church or through a good friend, or another victim soul. We now have 96 victim souls in the U.S.A. Sometimes I get no response, so I just let it go, but I do give them my phone no., and 6 out of 10 do call me back, and I just plant the seed.
B. Usually when I present the victimhood to a person, this is what they say:
“This is what I have been praying and searching for.”
“I have done consecrations to Our Blessed Mother and Jesus, in many forms, but this is truly giving myself completely to Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, and thank you, Blessed Mother.”
Then I give them the book on victimhood and tell them to read it and pray about it. Usually within 2 weeks they call me on the phone and say to me “Thank you, Bro. Paul. I just gave myself totally to Jesus. Thank you, Jesus.”
Below is a consecration of victimhood written by Rev. Fr. Francis S. Duchala, O.F.M. and myself, combining the one of the Portavoz and Berthe Petite, a victim soul of 50 years.
May God bless you. ---
Brother Paul -- 814-440-0492 --- P.O. Box 692, Fairview, PA 16415 USA
P.S. May the love of Jesus and Our Blessed Mother be always in your heart.
Consecration of Victimhood
“Lord, my God, you have asked everything of your little servant: take and receive everything, then. This day I belong to you without any reservations, forever. O Beloved of my soul! It is you only whom I want, and for your love I renounce all.
“O God of Love! Take my memory, and all its memories, take my intelligence so that it will act only for your greatest glory; take my will entirely, so that it will forever be drowned in your own; never again what I want, O most sweet Jesus, but always what you want; receive me, guide me, sanctify me, direct me; to you I abandon myself.
“O God of goodness, take my body and all its senses, my spirit and all its faculties, my heart and all its affections; O adorable Savior, you are the sole owner of my soul and of all my being; receive the immolation, that every day and every hour, I offer you in silence, deign to accept it and change it, into grace and blessing for all those I love, for the conversion of sinners, and for the sanctification of souls.
“O Jesus! Take all of my little heart; it begs and sighs to belong to you alone; hold it always in your powerful hands, so that it will surrender and pour itself out to no other creature.
“Lord, take and sanctify all my words, all my actions, all my desires. Be for my soul its good and its all. To you I give and abandon it.
“I accept with love all that you send me: pain, sorrow, joy, consolation, dryness, shame, desertion, scorn, humiliation, work, suffering, trials, everything that comes to me from you, everything that you wish, O Jesus.
“I submit humbly to the glorious control of your providence in supporting me solely by the help of your immense goodness; I promise you the most sincere fidelity. O Divine Savior, as a victim for the salvation of souls, I surrender and abandon myself to you.
“I implore you to accept all of my offering, and I will then be happy and trusting. Alas! It is all too little, I know, but I haven’t any-thing else; I love my extreme worthlessness, because it will obtain for me your mercy and all your paternal solicitude.
“My God, you know my frailty and the bottomless abyss of my weakness. If, one day, I were to be unfaithful to your sovereign will, if I were to recoil before suffering and the cross, and to stray from your path of love, fleeing the tender protection of your arms, Oh! I beg and implore you for the grace of dying at that instant. Pardon me, O Sacred Heart of my Saviour, forgive me by your most sweet name of Jesus, by the sorrows of Mary, by the intercession of Saint Joseph, and by the love that you had in doing your Father’s will.
“O God of my soul! O Divine Sun! I love you, I bless you, I praise you, I abandon myself completely to you. I take refuge in you; hide me in your bosom, for my being shudders under the burden of the cruel afflictions that crush me on all sides –and I am always so alone.
“My Beloved, help me, take me with you. In you alone I wish to live, so that in you alone I may die.”
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =