Divine Will
in
Practice
Reflections Introduction
Hi readers, welcome to my Reflections.
These are a series of inspirational writings which I have been receiving for many years and which have taken on a more public instructional slant since my introduction to Divine Will in 2014.
Many of them are based on my own life and on the usual day to day events which may be common to us all, helping to reveal the motivations and excuses we may make to protect our ego so as to do our own will instead of Divine Will.
I invite you to prayerfully place yourself in the various scenes throughout the writings and may you allow the Holy Spirit access to your minds and hearts and so lead you deeper in your own personal journey into Divine Will.
Most of them are Divine Will related and a few are pre-Divine Will with some insights received from the Lord from some years ago.
I thank Frances Hogan for kindly providing a foreword (see below), and Lloyd Bracken for his words of encouragement in this work.
I ask you not to share the writings as they are under copyright, but instead refer any interested person to this website through which they can access them for themselves.
If you would like clarification on any of them or spot any mistake, please email me through the "Contact Me" option.
There are quite a few areas of our lives covered in these writings and how one may approach them from a Divine Will perspective. Issues like; inner healing, trust, addictions, depression, pride, fusing, forgiveness.....
You will find further reflections in the Table of Contents which are password protected and you will need to sign up here to access them.
God bless in Divine Will
John
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Foreword
For most ordinary, busy people, who want to get the most out of life, "how to" books are very helpful. Not having the time or inclination to do the research for themselves, they are grateful for those who provide such help.
John has written a journal for those who want to climb the mountain of the Lord to behold His Glory for themselves in this life - just like the three Apostles on Mount Tabor who were transformed by their experience as St. Peter testified to many years later: 1Pet 1:17-18.
In ages past the Prophet Isaiah also spoke of climbing the Mountain of the Lord in Is 40:1-11, because the deepest desire of the Human Race has been to return to intimacy with God after the disaster of the Fall. Isaiah was very realistic about the changes that needed to happen inside of us if we were to be successful. We have to make a straight highway for our God across the desert of our lives, and all obstacles had to be removed - valleys filled in and mountains laid low.
John has been doing this type of work for his readers for some years now. Like a good shepherd he marks out safe pathways to travel on, as well as pointing out the dangers to expect along the way, and the blocks that prevent us from making any headway. These insights show John to be a trailblazer for others, and he has many grateful travellers, praise God for the help and guidance they have received.
Frances Hogan
Sample Reflections
1. Respond v React ...... (Discernment)
Some months ago, I was asking the Lord to draw me deeper into living in the Divine Will. In my spirit I saw two Words; “Respond” and “React.” He then revealed that this was a simple way to discern if we are trying to live in Divine Will or not.
For instance, when He wants us to alleviate His suffering in some way, and may allow a situation or a person to rattle our cage. What is our initial comeback?
Do we (in Divine Will) respond in awareness, acceptance and peace, with our focus on Him, uniting our little disturbance with His suffering and reparations?
Or do we (in our human will) react by becoming annoyed, indignant, irritable, judgemental etc. with our focus on ourselves?
So, in a nutshell, do we respond or react? Our responses will bring us peace, our reactions unease.
“My daughter, one who chooses his own self, even for one instant, represses Grace, becomes the master of himself, and renders God a slave. Then He added: The Will of God makes one take the Divine possession, but obedience is the key to open the door and enter this possession.”
Vol 8. Oct 3, 1907
2. Sips of Mortification …… (Awareness)
In striving to live in the Divine Will, and while at mass a few years ago, I sensed the Lord prompting me to stop observing people in Church. Whether they genuflected in front of Him or not was none of my business. He wanted me to close my eyes, and focus only on Him. So I did. This developed over time to closing my eyes to all distractions in Church.
Later again I sensed His prompt to stop observing people in general, no matter where I was. One glance was enough to know they were there, so as not to drive over them if I was in the car. And to offer any subsequent glances to Him in sacrifice and reparation for all the ways in which we sin with our eyes.
This practice over the years, and which is still ongoing, has had a huge impact on my life for the better and has developed into a much deeper awareness of what I look at, listen to, speak about… the second glance, the eager ear, or the loose tongue is what does the damage, leading to desire and judgement.
Our Lady offers us little sips of Divine Will for our souls. We in turn can offer her and Jesus little sips of mortification of our human wills.
An awareness of our senses can be a means of constant mortification and reparation, and can gradually overflow into every area of our lives, our thoughts, words, works and also our eating/drinking. By this I don’t mean whole days of fasting, but little things like not taking salt on our favourite meals, one less spoon of sugar in our coffee, you get the idea! Once you start you will see lots of little opportunities for mortification, and they will remain hidden, just between you and the Lord.
I found that some of the fruits of mortification was less focus on oneself and more on the Lord and others. After a few months of these little mortifications in Divine Will, I discovered I was much more inclined to be attentive to the Lord especially when in conversations and seemed to be able to listen with two ears, one to the person, the other to the Lord.
Mortification is not to be done though to make us feel better about ourselves but rather with purity of intention, to be done out of pure love for God, by fusing with Divine Will.
… I saw the confessor near Jesus; and the Lord told him: “See, everything you do passes into Heaven. Therefore, see with what Purity you must operate, thinking that all of your steps, words, and works come before My Presence, and if they are Pure – that is, if they are done for Me – I take greatest Delight in them and I feel them around Me like many messengers that remind me continuously of you. But if they are done for low and earthly purposes, I feel bothered by them.”… He said to him: “Your eyes always on high; you are of Heaven – work for Heaven!” Vol 2. Feb 28th, 1899
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