I am loving this book ("Abandonment to Divine Providence" by Jean-Pierre de Caussade) that a dear friend from St. Agnes gave to Mike for Christmas. I often struggle to have patience for tasks I undertake, for finishing projects (which often get partway done before I move on!), having patience with people, the list of which patience is connected to is endless, really. Since I was the youngest sibling in my family, I was constantly looking forward to exciting privileges and stages in life that I saw older siblings encounter.
This book calls a person to be fully aware of the present moment and what the Lord has for you. He presents every single moment as an opportunity to learn, a call to holiness, and a submission to the abandonment to Divine Providence. One thing I have fully embraced the past few years is that I am not in control of what life brings my way! So it is absolutely pointless to worry about the past, to worry about the future or try in any way to shape people and events by pure will or control apart from prayer and humility to the Lord's omnipotence.
Really, this mentality is freeing and quite exciting. Of course, God's plan for us are greater than we can possibly imagine. How wonderful and liberating!
Here are a few good quotes from the book:
"The present moment is an every-flowing source of holiness."
"The duties of each moment are shadows which hide the action of the divine will." (love this one!)
"In reality, holiness consists of one thing only: complete loyalty to God's will."
"You are seeking for secret ways of belonging to God, but there is only one: making use of whatever he offers you."
"The truly faithful soul accepts all things as a manifestation of God's grace, ignores itself and thinks only of what God is doing."
"The more God takes from the abandoned soul, the more he really is giving it...the more he strips us of natural things, the more he showers us with supernatural gifts."
"God continues to write his word in our hearts, but the characters will not be seen until the day of judgment."
"Only God's activity can make us holy, for it alone can make us imitate the perfection of our Lord."
It is a concise book in which every line is powerful and and thought provoking. He couches all his insights in Scripture, the sacraments, and lives of the saints. He reminds us that we daily ask for the Lord's will to be done in the "Our Father", but are we truly meaning that and open to it? He points to the Annunciation with Mary and her 'Fiat', her "Let it be done unto me according to thy will". It is a book that creates a new excitement and invigoration for each day.
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