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What does it mean to be a servant of God? Jesus taught us that we should relate to God as Father. God is Our Father. Yet, we are to surrender to God, we are to serve God. Discover with our chatters what this means, and how our patron saints can be our sure guides in teaching us how to serve God by serving others, even in spite of dry spells in our spiritual life.
Our latest chat installment stems from a letter by St Francis de Sales counseling a woman who is going through a time of spiritual coldness. We have all experienced this in one way or another. Enter into this experience with our chatters and learn how we can lean on God in these times and that God is with us no matter how we feel.
Visitation Sister: Welcome, everyone! Our first question to discuss: St. Francis mentions two kinds of spiritual coldness: That which is caused by a slackening of good resolutions, and that which is due simply to weariness and heaviness. Can the second type lead to the first? How?
I can say for myself that weariness can lead to a slackening. And it is spiritually dangerous.
Cindy: I have certainly been living that out myself...and physical isolation creates added challenges.
Visitation Sister: Overwork too. A way to avoid it is internal and frequent prayer. And aspirations.
Cindy: When I was teaching religious ed. and working in the Sacristy, it was easier to "pick myself up." Just passing by the chapel, Our Lord would "reach out and grab" my heart... And YES, now I am more reliant on "touch stones" at home that are reminders and bring me back to prayer throughout the day.
Visitation Sister: That's a good witness for us all!
Visitation Sister: Question 2: How can we help/reach out to someone who has a "cold heart"?
Cindy: Gently listening... And sharing...sometimes sharing little "treasures," like a prayer card, for example... That might become a sort of " touch stone" for them.
Visitation Sister: Yes, warming their heart with little touches and glimpses of care or concern.
Cindy: Or sometimes sharing a little piece of my own experience.
Visitation Sister: Question 3: Why is it OK that God allows us to go through times like this without consolation?
Caroline: He wants to teach us to rely only on Him.
Visitation Sister: Consolations are not everything – faith is.
Cindy: This is how we practice fidelity.
Visitation Sister: Fidelity is a concept very misunderstood these days.
Caroline: It is like in the Cloud of Unknowing: He is always there, but sometimes it is better for us not to see.
Visitation Sister: Great book!
Cindy: I don't know that one, I’ll look it up.
Visitation Sister: Yes, it is one that really touches the soul.
Visitation Sister: Question 4: St. Francis talks about the woman's "feast day," which no doubt is the feast day of the saint after whom she was named. Can we expect to have a special relationship with our patron saint? Should we ask for and expect special graces by way of that saint on his or her feast day?
Caroline: I think we should. Sometimes our given name is not for a Saint, but our confirmation name always is. We should be choosing the person who conquered our weakness and ask for help.
Visitation Sister: I was just thinking about this today. Do I connect enough with my patrons?
Caroline: I should connect more. Mine won a great battle through prayer: Genevieve.
Cindy: I'm not sure about "expecting," in the sense of feeling entitled in any way, but we can certainly cultivate a relationship with patron (and other) Saints and be open to signs/assistance/blessings. I like your suggestion, Caroline, of asking one who has conquered our weakness for help.
Caroline: Whatever we are facing, someone in heaven has beaten it.
Cindy: Absolutely!
Visitation Sister: We should ask for special graces on their Feast Day and every Feast!
Cindy: I'm glad to know that wouldn't be considered "self-centered." I question myself sometimes about whether it's o.k. For me to ask for grace for myself.
Caroline: It is also encouraging to think about the vast number of saints that are in heaven. It is possible!
Visitation Sister: Question 5: What does it mean to be a servant of God?
Cindy: To renounce our own will and abandon ourselves to His Providence as we strive to make ourselves useful to others.
Caroline: We do not belong to ourselves. We belong to God. We were created for a specific purpose, and we will not be happy unless that's what we are doing.
Visitation Sister: To be a creature is to be a servant in a way. Then also servants of God are also those on the way to beatification.
Caroline: We did not create ourselves. Just as a work of art belongs to the artist who created it, we belong to God. We do have free will and sometimes we get so caught up in that that we forget we are not in control.
Cindy: Nice analogy, Caroline.
Caroline: Except Jesus doesn't sell us the way an artist sells his work. We sold ourselves to sin and He bought us back.
Cindy: Amen!
Visitation Sister: Yes!
Cindy: I think in this particular letter, Holy Father was also referring to the importance of accepting our weaknesses and "starting again" ...and again... and again... As a means of being a servant of God.
Visitation Sister: All the saints were servants of God each in his or her own way and inspired by the Spirit. The courage needed to always start over!
Caroline: Yes, because when you make the same mistake for the ninety-millionth time...
Visitation Sister: I also like the idea of being that "child servant" of God, not taking all in our own hands but depending on Him in our service.
Cindy: And the gift and grace of Reconciliation to enable us to do so! "Child servant" of God, I like that.
Visitation Sister: I was thinking of St Therese and her little way.
Caroline: We accept everything from God's hand as a child, and like a child, we obey without question. Well, most of the time!
Visitation Sister: That's a goal!
Caroline: Thinking that children obey their parents without self-will, that comes later.
Visitation Sister: Sometimes even toddlers or infants have that gleam of mischievousness in their eyes. Innocence though!
Visitation Sister: I am glad you both showed up tonight and I hope the others will return soon!
Visitation Sister: I have to leave now. Many blessings!
Caroline: Thank you, Sister.
Caroline: Have a blessed week, Cindy.
Cindy: I suppose that our "child- like" obedience to God is a form of simplicity.
Caroline: It is.
If you liked the chat above, check out the Living Jesus Chat Room of the Visitation Sisters. Join us at 7:30 p.m. ET each Sunday!
Kevin J. Banet is a journalist and publicist. He provides marketing for religious communities, non-profits and healthcare services. Kevin and his family live in the Chicago area. His website is VocationPromotion.com.
