To Despise the World and Serve God is Sweet

THE DISCIPLE
NOW again I will speak, Lord, and will not be silent. I will speak to the hearing of my God, my Lord, and my King Who is in heaven. How great, O Lord, is the multitude of Your mercies which You have stored up for those who love You. But what are You to those who love You? What are You to those who serve You with their whole heart?
Truly beyond the power of words is the sweetness of contemplation You give to those who love You. To me You have shown the sweetness of Your charity, especially in having made me when I did not exist, in having brought me back to serve You when I had gone far astray from You, in having commanded me to love You.
O Fountain of unceasing love, what shall I say of You? How can I forget You, Who have been pleased to remember me even after I had wasted away and perished? You have shown mercy to Your servant beyond all hope, and have exhibited grace and friendship beyond his deserving.
What return shall I make to You for this grace? For it is not given every man to forsake all things, to renounce the world, and undertake the religious life. Is it anything great that I should serve You Whom every creature is bound to serve? It should not seem much to me; instead it should appear great and wonderful that You condescend to receive into Your service one who is so poor and unworthy. Behold, all things are Yours, even those which I have and by which I serve You. Behold, heaven and earth which You created for the service of man, stand ready, and each day they do whatever You command. But even this is little, for You have appointed angels also to minister to man -- yea more than all this -- You Yourself have condescended to serve man and have promised to give him Yourself.
What return shall I make for all these thousands of benefits? Would that I could serve You all the days of my life! Would that for but one day I could serve You worthily! Truly You are worthy of all service, all honor, and everlasting praise. Truly You are my Lord, and I am Your poor servant, bound to serve You with all my powers, praising You without ever becoming weary. I wish to do this -- this is my desire. Do You supply whatever is wanting in me.
It is a great honor, a great glory to serve You and to despise all things for Your sake. They who give themselves gladly to Your most holy service will possess great grace. They who cast aside all carnal delights for Your love will find the most sweet consolation of the Holy Ghost. They who enter upon the narrow way for Your name and cast aside all worldly care will attain great freedom of mind.
O sweet and joyful service of God, which makes man truly free and holy! O sacred state of religious bondage which makes man equal to the angels, pleasing to God, terrible to the demons, and worthy of the commendation of all the faithful! O service to be embraced and always desired, in which the highest good is offered and joy is won which shall remain forever!

For your thoughtful and prayerful meditation and response.

1 posted on 10/26/2007 8:42:57 AM PDT by Salvation

To: nickcarraway; sandyeggo; Lady In Blue; NYer; ELS; Pyro7480; livius; Catholicguy; RobbyS; ...

Imitation of Christ Devotional Ping!

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2 posted on 10/26/2007 8:44:25 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

The Religion Moderator gave me permission to copy the rules from the Chambers' thread (with a few alterations) which I think are applicable. Thank you to the RM!

Come to these threads as you are; leave with what you have discovered.

Absolutely no flaming! These daily threads are intended to be devotional in nature. If a particular day's offering says nothing to you, please just go on and wait for the next day. Consider these threads a DMZ of sorts, a place where a perpetual truce is in effect and a place where all other arguments and disagreements from other times and places are left behind.

I can attest from personal experience (Salvation's) that reading from Imitation of Christ daily will almost certainly change - not one's faith - but one's perspective of his/her own faith, and open up new vistas in your spiritual life. If - when - this happens to a reader of these threads, and they choose to share what has happened within them - we are treading on hallowed ground. Be respectful.

- Religion Moderator

3 posted on 10/26/2007 8:45:26 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Christ In The Garden Of Gethsemane art print by Heinrich Hofmann

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

BY
THOMAS KEMPIS
A very powerful spiritual guidance for the soul who seeks to imitate Jesus Christ.

Learn from me, because I am meek and humble of heart. Mat. 11:29

4 posted on 10/26/2007 8:46:10 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Attending the funeral of a friend’s father. Back later.

5 posted on 10/26/2007 8:47:25 AM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

It is a great honor, a great glory to serve You and to despise all things for Your sake.

...A little confused.

The world is God's. It's to us to do the Good, and make the world worthy of it's maker.

6 posted on 10/26/2007 9:38:08 AM PDT by onedoug

Prayer for your friend’s father.

7 posted on 10/26/2007 9:49:29 AM PDT by onedoug

I believe the reference is to Philippians 3:7-9

7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Now I'm confused. Where did this com from?:

It's to us to do the Good, and make the world worthy of it's maker.

8 posted on 10/26/2007 9:52:21 AM PDT by P8riot (I carry a gun because I can't carry a cop.)

I guess it’s mine.

9 posted on 10/26/2007 1:20:48 PM PDT by onedoug

10 posted on 10/26/2007 9:47:00 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

11 posted on 10/26/2007 9:54:36 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

To: P8riot; onedoug

Isn’t aKempis trying to say that no matter what we have to suffer and go through, it will be sweet in the end for us, if we abandon the current secular world with all its magnets and instead serve God above all things?

Or am I misreading this — or maybe not understanding what you want to say?

12 posted on 10/26/2007 9:59:35 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)

Though why should God want us to abandon the secular world when our sustained involvement might yet affect it for the better?

But that's the Jewish influence of my Judeo-Christian approach to religion: Hebrew in focus with agnosticism toward Jesus' divinity, yet cognizant that America could never have been founded without his influence.

(My translation of a Kempis [Richard Whitford circa 1530, Edited with Introuction by Harold C Gardiner SJ 1955] seems slighly different, though says essentially the same thing.)

All Good from God....

13 posted on 10/27/2007 8:13:24 PM PDT by onedoug

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To Despise the World and Serve God is Sweet

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

A very powerful spiritual guidance for the soul who seeks to imitate Jesus Christ. Learn from me, because I am meek and humble of heart. Mat. 11:29

A very powerful spiritual guidance for the soul who seeks to imitate Jesus Christ.

Learn from me, because I am meek and humble of heart. Mat. 11:29