call for holiness - Part 2

Study with devotion.  Fr. Ho gave gave some recommendable books to start like "Conversations with God" by St. Jose Maria Escriva, "Divine Intimacy" 4 volumes Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene (the Ignatius Press).

3. ENERGY/ PRAYER.  Find time to pray and meditate. Pray the rosary and mediate on the mysteries asking our Blessed Mother to pray for us "NOW" and in the "HOUR" of our death.  This is the bigger challenge we need to face, to take time to sit STILL, mediate, pray and converse with GOD.

​Find time to do meditation, to know God in the morning and do examination of conscience in the evening for all  our sins of commission and our sins of omission. What is my vice to correct, my virtue to improve?  (Sin is a habit so is virtue.)  Is my will aligned to HIS will, so HIS will be done on earth as it is in heaven?   Pray persistently, pray consistently knowing GOD is our father. 

4. Our MEANS should be practical.  He gave an acronym PATH to easily remember them.  PATH stands for P - Perseverance A - Attention T - Trust  H - Humility.   The means is our vehicle to saving our soul and others, to doing the will of the Father.   

Fr. Ho mentioned about these means as 1. Council (as advised to do),  2. Commandments (as fundamental Law)  3. Circumstance (as not to go against the will of God for us and when we find meaning to our suffering, to our daily cross). He said, there are levels of council, first he advised to pray, lead pious practice and if possible hear mass on weekdays. Second level where we need more spiritual guidance, but some saints went on extreme activity of being a hermit with diet solely on bread and water. Highest council is the call for religious life.     

Fr. Ho stressed that we should always remember that our suffering is like a practice of virtue, to strengthen our will and have the grace to be saved and be holy.  Faith, in suffering, not negative in suffering to increase our spiritual maturity.  Do our ACTS - Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving and Supplication, to ask God for grace.
​
All these tips are meant to help us with our interior life, very timely during this pandemic. And it is also exciting to look forward on what Fr. Ho's tip's on our exterior life, the means for spiritual direction on sanctification. He hopes to discuss these next times he visits us.  Mark this down on your calendar and hope to see you for the continuation hopefully when meet again in the next PPPG.

‘Til we meet again.... hopefully sooner....   

For those taking down notes too, please feel free to comment and add to these tips as most likely I missed to jot them.  Should I consider taking lessons on stenography? Just thinking....  Leave your comments, most appreciated.

​By A Spiritual Daughter of Saint Padre Pio