Posts Tagged: holy willfulness

“BEYOND HOLY WILLFULNESS: LOVING GOD BECAUSE GOD LOVES ME”

On June 23, 2017 by Dteb With 0 Comments - down to earth believer

Richard Rhor wrote some much-needed words for me in a post I read of his this morning.  (Okay!  So perhaps Rhor did have me particularly in mind, but it feels that way!)

In the Franciscan reading of the Gospel, there is no reason to be religious or to “serve” God except “to love greatly the One who has loved us greatly,” as Saint Francis said. . . .  Religion is not about heroic will power or winning or being right. This has been a counterfeit for holiness in much of Christian history. True growth in holiness is a growth in willingness to love and be loved and a surrendering of willfulness, even holy willfulness (which is still “all about me”).

Yes, I fear—and more than half suspect— that even my “holy willfulness” . . .  is still all about me.  So, is my willfulness really even holy?  The question answers itself.

Many years ago, my mom said to me, “Sometimes, I think that you think too much about improving yourself, and not enough about other people!”

I have heard it said that, if you throw a brick at a bunch of dogs and one of them yelps, it means you hit it.  When Mom said that, I definitely yelped.  (I am not advocating, by the by, throwing bricks at dogs!)

I am going to let Rohr have the last word.  “Doing anything and everything solely for God is certainly the most purifying plan for happiness I can imagine. It changes the entire nature of human interaction and eliminates most conflict.”  (For his entire meditation, see his website and the meditation for June 22, 2017, accessed 06-22-2017.)

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