He and I, 'Reading about My passion is not enough. Make it part of your very self.' COMMENTS:

On Tuesday, 11 March 2014, 16:48, 

William  wrote:

Dear Father Donald,

What a telling sign to see the avenue Stations of the Cross so uprooted... I knew that this was inevitable, but never imagined that I would experience it.... thank you, for sharing it with me.

But how well they will look on 5th Sunday of Lent around the parameter of the Abbey lawns - whichever route is chosen, it will be later appreciated by the Brethren who maybe couldn't attempt the long avenue, and by one pilgrim who hopes, DV, to come on retreat in May.  

I have often pondered before Fr Gabriel's etchings of the Passion which hang in the Church.... as prayerful for him I am sure as icon 'writing'. Such a blessing for them to there remain, undisturbed.

"He and I" .... such evocative expressions of love and desire stir our hearts as we encounter her prayer journal:

<<  If you have nothing to say to me, come and look at Me in the secret tabernacle of your heart.

<<  You will come with your hunger, and I`ll read this need - look of yours and satisfy it.

<<  Over and above all that you ask or think.

<<  If you don't know what to say, just remain at My feet like Mary Magdalene and I’ll read your silence.

There are indeed times when explicit prayer fails me, desire in my mind 'refuses' to conceive or express itself, and thought vaporizes, and I just want to 'gaze' in silence... before the Blessed Sacrament... which is perhaps why iconography draws me so deeply.

I hope that you experienced the glorious Spring sunshine today as you drove Fr Thomas into Edinburgh for his eye appointment; may it have been too lovely for you not to have taken a circuitous route home through the countryside!

My vigil continues for the Community as the 25th March approaches. My thoughts rise each morning with you.

With my love in Our Lord,

William

+++++++

Dear William,

An extract from HE AND i below, ‘Reading about My passion is not enough ...’ seems more eloquent than the Parish Church Notice, ‘A pleanary is available who devotedly make the Way of the Cross’.

The English translation is the usual prosaic type layout. The original French language has the creative punctuation, using the LEFT POINTING DOUBLE ANGLE QUOTATION MARK.

The tables contrast the styles – the difference of the paragraphs compressed into tin-can spaghetti prose and the poetic free flow.

At the background, the Stations of the Cross (Fr. Gabriel) hang in the Church. The external Stations of the avenue have been uprooted and will be re-located in time for the 5^th Sunday of Lent for the pilgrimage from the parishioners.

God bless.

Donald.

P.S.

Tomorrow, to drive Fr. T. to the Eye Pavilion.

Presently commence the Lent Reading and the Novena of St. Joseph.

1943 HE AND i, Garielle Bossis

Holy Saturday -  Le Fresne church. <<Rise from the dead. Rise with Me to a new life, a better one, to a life nearer to Me. Always nearer to Me.  Beg Me to help you, and be sure that I shall.>> Easter -  Le Fresne church.  -  During the Benediction I said, <<My poor Love, risen from the dead>>. <<My love has never died. At every moment I have loved you.>> May - 20 -  Ingrandes church. <<  Fan the flames of your love. <<  Fan the flame <<  Don't stand still. <<  Never cease to go forward. <<  Enter ever deeper and deeper into My heart. <<  Reading about My passion is not enough. <<  Make it part of your very self. <<  Wherever you are, take My sufferings. <<  Sufferings desired, willed, expected... <<  They are My love for My children  -  for you. <<  When one has suffered so, what can one refuse? <<  Ask Me to give you the grace to respond to this love of your God and I'll light new fires in you that will amaze you. <<  You will realize that it is not of your doing. <<  'It is from Him', you will say, and this will be the truth. <<  You know how utterly weak you are. <<  Tell Me about it so that I can help you. <<  If you saw an invalid content to be ill, you wouldn't try to heal him, would you? But if he cried out to you to help him, you would do your best for him. <<  And if he thanked you, you would hold him to your heart. <<  Open the secret tabernacle of your heart to Me so that we may speak together of our new love. <<  The words may be the same, but what an added weight of love! You will wonder how a single moment could ever pass by without Me. <<  Where your treasure is, there is your heart. <<  How long My desire has kept watch for you! Ask that I be all in all to you... <<  and that you be wholly Mine. <<  You remember  how at Corte you told Me that you wanted it to be like that? Now is the time to translate your wish into your daily living for Me. <<  If you have nothing to say to me, come and look at Me in the secret tabernacle of your heart. <<  You will never have to wait, for I shall already be there. <<  You will come with your hunger, and I`ll read this need - look of yours and satisfy it. <<  Over and above all that you ask or think. <<  If you don't know what to say, just remain at My feet like Mary Magdalene and I’ll read your silence. <<  I'm keeping such sweet joys for you, so be waiting in your secret shrine. <<  I haven't many shrines like this on earth." (...)

Holy Saturday -  Le Fresne church.  "Rise from the dead. Rise with Me to a new life, a better one, to a life nearer to Me. Always nearer to Me. Beg Me to help you, and be sure that I shall." Easter -  Le Fresne church. -  During the Benediction I said, ' 'My poor Love, risen from the dead".  "My love has never died. At every moment I have loved you." May - 20 -  Ingrandes church.  "Fan the flames of your love. Fan the flames. Don't stand still. Never cease to go forward. Enter ever deeper and deeper into My heart. Reading about My passion is not enough. Make it part of your very self. Wherever you are, take My sufferings. Sufferings desired, willed, expected... They are My love for My children  -  for you. When one has suffered so, what can one refuse? Ask Me to give you the grace to respond to this love of your God and I'll light new fires in you that will amaze you. You will realize that it is not of your doing. 'It is from Him', you will say, and this will be the truth. You know how utterly weak you are. Tell Me about it so that I can help you. If you saw an in valid content to be ill, you wouldn't try to heal him, would you? But if he cried out to you to help him, you would do your best for him. And if he thanked you, you would hold him to your heart. Open the secret tabernacle of your heart to Me so that we may speak together of our new love. The words may be the same, but what an added weight of love! You will wonder how a single moment could ever pass by without Me. Where your treasure is, there is your heart. How long My desire has kept watch for you! Ask that I be all in all to you... and that you be wholly Mine. You remember  how at Corte you told Me that you wanted it to be like that? Now is the time to translate your wish into your daily living for Me. If you have nothing to say to me, come and look at Me in the secret tabernacle of your heart. You will never have to wait, for I shall already be there. You will come with your hunger, and I`ll read this need - look of yours and satisfy it. Over and above all that you ask or think. If you don't know what to say, just remain at My feet like Mary Magdalene and I’ll read your silence. I'm keeping such sweet joys for you, so be waiting in your secret shrine. I haven't many shrines like this on earth." (...)

The Way of the Cross in the Church

Holy Saturday -  Le Fresne church.

<<Rise from the dead. Rise with Me to a new life, a better one, to a life nearer to Me.

Always nearer to Me.  Beg Me to help you, and be sure that I shall.>>

Easter -  Le Fresne church.  -  During the Benediction I said, <<My poor Love, risen from the dead>>.

<<My love has never died. At every moment I have loved you.>>

May - 20 -  Ingrandes church.

<<  Fan the flames of your love.

<<  Fan the flame

<<  Don't stand still.

<<  Never cease to go forward.

<<  Enter ever deeper and deeper into My heart.

<<  Reading about My passion is not enough.

<<  Make it part of your very self.

<<  Wherever you are, take My sufferings.

<<  Sufferings desired, willed, expected...

<<  They are My love for My children  -  for you.

<<  When one has suffered so, what can one refuse?

<<  Ask Me to give you the grace to respond to this love of your God and I'll light new fires in you that will amaze you.

<<  You will realize that it is not of your doing.

<<  'It is from Him', you will say, and this will be the truth.

<<  You know how utterly weak you are.

<<  Tell Me about it so that I can help you.

<<  If you saw an invalid content to be ill, you wouldn't try to heal him, would you? But if he cried out to you to help him, you would do your best for him.

<<  And if he thanked you, you would hold him to your heart.

<<  Open the secret tabernacle of your heart to Me so that we may speak together of our new love.

<<  The words may be the same, but what an added weight of love! You will wonder how a single moment could ever pass by without Me.

<<  Where your treasure is, there is your heart.

<<  How long My desire has kept watch for you! Ask that I be all in all to you...

<<  and that you be wholly Mine.

<<  You remember  how at Corte you told Me that you wanted it to be like that? Now is the time to translate your wish into your daily living for Me.

<<  If you have nothing to say to me, come and look at Me in the secret tabernacle of your heart.

<<  You will never have to wait, for I shall already be there.

<<  You will come with your hunger, and I`ll read this need - look of yours and satisfy it.

<<  Over and above all that you ask or think.

<<  If you don't know what to say, just remain at My feet like Mary Magdalene and I’ll read your silence.

<<  I'm keeping such sweet joys for you, so be waiting in your secret shrine.

<<  I haven't many shrines like this on earth." (...)