Greetings Prayer Warriors,
Many things inspire me in my daily walk with God and my desire to become holy; prayer, scripture, saints, and sometimes it’s a special Servant of God. One of my favorites when it comes to inspiration in my marriage is Elizabeth Leseur. Becoming a Servant of God is the first step in 4 necessary steps to sainthood. What made her so extraordinary is that while she was a Catholic, she had an atheistic husband who would mock her religion. Rather than shooting figurative arrows back at him, she would offer up each slight and offense for his conversion. She kept a diary of this. When she died, her husband found and read her journal, and was so moved by it, he converted and became a priest! Now that is inspirational!
A few insights gleaned:
She did not focus on what was wrong with her marriage, but on the Lord.
She atoned for her sins and those of her husband.
She embraced suffering and prayer.
She remained gentle and kind.
She prayed for peace in her soul.
She practiced thinking less about her faults and more about Christ’s love.
She reflected the light of Christ to everyone she came in contact with.
Rather than focusing on her loneliness, she made Jesus the companion of her solitude.
Thus, by becoming Christ-like, and mirroring his love and mercy, the Lord was able to convert a precious soul (and most likely, more)! Praise God!
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved. Ephesians 1:3-6
Lord, we have much to aspire to, but help us to focus on you versus our shortcomings, for you always stand in the gap and give us all the graces we need . Help us to love purely and completely, in good times and in bad, with gentleness and kindness. May we be an oasis of your mercy and your love, grounded in peace for our spouse and all those we meet. Thank you for being our Beloved, and seeing the belovedness in each of us. May our praise of You never cease! Amen.
Peace, Joy, and Love,
Janet
The path to holiness begins with prayer. Pass it on!
