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DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20240109
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DTSTAMP:20260513T061513
CREATED:20240107T012839Z
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UID:11459-1704758400-1704844799@laycisterciansofgethsemani.org
SUMMARY:Vigils Reading
DESCRIPTION:PERFECT TRUST IN GOD \nFrom “Unseen Warfare” by St Theophan the Recluse3 \n◊◊◊ \nIt is very important not to rely on our own efforts in this unseen warfare. At \nthe same time\, if we merely give up all hope of ourselves and despair of ourselves \nwithout having found another support\, we are certain to flee immediately from the \nbattlefield or to be overcome and taken prisoner by our enemies. Therefore\, \ntogether with complete renunciation of ourselves\, “we should plant in our heart a \nperfect trust in God and a complete confidence in Him. In other words we should \nfeel with our whole heart that we have no one to rely on except God\, and that from \nHim and Him alone can we expect every kind of good\, every manner of help\, and \nvictory. Since we are nothing\, we can expect nothing from ourselves\, except \nstumblings and falls\, which make us relinquish all hope of ourselves. On the other \nhand\, we are certain always to be granted victory by God\, if we arm our heart with \na living trust in Him and an unshakable certainty that we will receive His help… \nThe following thoughts will help you to be grounded in this hope and\, \nthereby\, to receive help: 1) God is Omnipotent and can do all that He chooses\, \nand therefore can also help us… 2) God\, being Omniscient and Wise\, knows all \nin the most perfect manner\, and therefore knows fully what Is best for the salvation \nof each one of us… 3) God is infinitely Good and comes to us with ineffable love\, \nalways desirous and ready…from moment to moment to give us all the help we \nneed for complete victory in the spiritual warfare which takes place in us\, as soon \nas we run with firm trust to the protection of His arms. \nAnd how is it possible that our good Shepherd\, Who for three years went in \nsearch of sheep that had gone astray\, calling so loudly that His throat became \nparched\, and following ways so hard and thorny that He shed all His blood and \ngave up His life; how is it possible\, I repeat\, that now\, if His sheep follow Him\, turn \nto Him with love and call for His help with hope\, He should fail to turn His eyes to \nthe lost sheep\, take it into His divine arms and\, placing it among the heavenly \nangels\, make a welcoming feast for its sake? If our God never ceases to search \ndiligently and lovingly for the blind and deaf sinner (like the woman for the piece \nof silver in the Gospels)\, how is it possible to suppose that He would abandon him \nnow when\, like a lost sheep\, he cries out calling for his Shepherd? And who will \never believe that God\, Who\, according to the Revelation\, constantly stands at the \ndoor of a man’s heart\, and knocks\, wishing to come in and sup with him\, and \nbestow His gifts upon him\, who will believe that this same God should remain deaf \nand refuse to enter if a man opens to Him the door of his heart and invites Him in? \nAnd the fourth method of maintaining a lively trust in God and of attracting \nHis speedy help is to review in our memory all the instances of speedy divine help \ndescribed in the Scriptures. These instances\, which are so numerous\, show us \nclearly that no one\, who put his trust in God\, was ever left confounded and without \nhelp. \nArmed with these four weapons\, enter the battle with courage…and wage \nwar watchfully with the full conviction that victory will be granted you. For with \ntheir help you will most certainly acquire perfect trust in God\, and this trust will \nnever fail to attract God’s help… These two together will in the end make \ncomplete distrust of yourself deeply rooted in you… Without any self-reliance\, led \nonly by your trust in God\, take care always to preserve an attitude in which the \nconsciousness and feeling of your weakness always precede in you the \ncontemplation of God’s omnipotence\, and let both alike precede your every action. \n  \n3 Theophan the Recluse. Unseen Warfare. Accessed online:7 \n  \n 
URL:https://laycisterciansofgethsemani.org/event/vigils-reading-149/
CATEGORIES:Vigils Readings
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