In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2 Quotes

“Draw strength from your divine filiation. God is a Father – your Father! – full of warmth and infinite love. Call him Father frequently and tell him, when you are alone, that you love him, that you feel proud and strong because you are his sons.[630] God is the rest and strength we need. 98.2”
― Francisco Fernández-Carvajal, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“Even though you see something very bad about your neighbour, says Saint Bernard, don’t jump immediately to conclusions, but rather make excuses for him interiorly. Excuse his intention, if you cannot excuse his action. Think that he may have acted out of ignorance, or by surprise, or accidentally. If the thing is so blatant that it cannot be denied, even so, believe it to be so, and say inwardly: the temptation must have been very strong.[455]”
― Francisco Fernández-Carvajal, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“The person who is practising frequent Confession must be specially watchful about neglected duties (even if, often, they are only little things), about neglected inspirations and graces, about opportunities to do good left unused, about time wasted, about failure to show charity to the neighbour. He must excite himself to a deep and sincere contrition for these omissions and to a firm resolve to strive earnestly against even the smallest sins of omission that are in any way deliberate.”
― Francisco Fernández-Carvajal, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“We have to behave as God’s children towards all of God’s sons and daughters. Our love has to be a dedicated love, practised every day and made up of a thousand little details of understanding, hidden sacrifice and unnoticed self-giving. This is the good ‘fragrance of Christ’ that made those who lived among our first brothers in the faith exclaim: ‘See how they love one another!’ [641”
― Francisco Fernández-Carvajal, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“There is no deeper joy than that of the child of God who abandons himself in the hands of his Father, even when he is surrounded by want and emptiness, because there is nothing comparable to the infinite richness of being a member of God’s family, one of his children. This supernatural joy, closely linked to the Cross, is the great secret of Christians.[637] A child of God never loses his peace, not even in the darkest of moments; consciousness of his divine filiation frees him from interior tension, and moves him to return contritely and confidently to his Father’s house if he has gone astray out of weakness.”
― Francisco Fernández-Carvajal, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“member of God’s family, one of his children. This supernatural joy, closely linked to the Cross, is the great secret of Christians.[637] A child of God never loses his peace, not even in the darkest of moments; consciousness of his divine filiation frees him from interior tension, and moves him to return contritely and confidently to his Father’s house if he has gone astray out of weakness. Divine filiation is also the foundation of Christian fraternity, which lies far above the human bond of solidarity.[”
― Francisco Fernández-Carvajal, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“In his long years as a tradesman in Nazareth, Our Lord teaches us the redemptive value of work and calls us to attain the greatest possible prestige in our profession or area of study. He asks us to work without slovenliness, with intensity and methodically, while at the same time being courteous and considerate with those around us – our colleagues, our clients, our superiors or those in our charge. We must also show Christ’s teaching in the supernatural way we try to put up with illness or unexpected reverses, in the way we spend our leisure time, in our manner of coping with financial difficulties, or with the way we handle professional success if Our Lord allows it, in the way we enjoy ourselves and in our habitual cheerfulness even when it is very hard to smile. For a Christian, Christ is the greatest reason for him to be happy always. That joy – springing from our peace of soul – will be a convincing sign to others, causing them to feel moved to seek him.”
― Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“The ways by which Providence ransoms and saves its elect are unforeseeable. At times, our enemy becomes a friend; at times he is despoiled of the capacity for evil that made him fearsome; at times he auto-destructs, or, without desiring it, produces beneficial effects and simply vanishes without leaving a trace. Generally, the Church does not have to do anything but persevere with peace and confidence in the fulfilment of its tasks, remain serene, and await salvation from God.[”
― Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“Sadness does a good deal of harm to the soul. Like a moth in clothing, or a maggot in wood, sorrow gnaws at the human heart,[205] and predisposes one to evil. We have to react right away if at any time sadness should come over our soul: Delight your soul and comfort your heart, and remove sorrow far from you, for sorrow has destroyed many, and there is no profit in it.[206] From”
― Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“A person employed in a workshop, in a university or in a commercial business would not be acting in accordance with justice if he were not to carry out his job conscientiously, in a professionally competent way, while taking good care of the tools, equipment and other property of the company (or library, hospital, workshop etc.) he works for, or of the house in the case of domestic employees. Students would be lacking in justice towards society and towards their families, at times seriously, if they didn’t make good use of the time during which they are supposed to be studying. In general, examination marks can be a good source of material for examination of conscience. Very often poor application to one’s studies can be the cause of afterwards not being professionally competent and of not giving value for money to one’s employers through lack of adequate preparation. These are points on which we ought to examine ourselves often, if we are to carry out conscientiously, before God and men, our duties to our neighbour, thereby fulfilling the requirements of justice, mercy and faith in agreements, contracts and promises. Let us ask Our Lady for this rectitude of conscience, so that we can contribute to making the society in which we live a worthy place for the sons and daughters of God to live together in harmony.”
― Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“Mary, harbour of the shipwrecked, consolation of the world, ransom of captives, joy of the sick,[385]”
― Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“A traveller in an unknown land takes care to read a map, asks people who know the way and follows the signposts, and does so willingly because he wants to get to his destination. In no way does he consider that his freedom is being restricted, nor does he consider it a humiliation to have to depend on maps, signposts or guides to get where he is going. If he is unsure, or begins to feel lost, the signposts he meets are for him an occasion of reassurance and relief.”
― Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23

“The degree of effort our Lord asks to keep his disciples afloat in the face of a difficult situation may vary from time to time, but the remedies are the same for all throughout history: intensify prayer; be more sincere and docile in spiritual direction; flee from dangerous occasions; obey promptly and with docility of heart; together with prayer, use the human means – however small – we have available ... With Christ, in all battles, we will emerge victorious, but we need to have complete confidence in him. Pray resolutely, using the words of the Psalmist: ‘Thou Lord, art my refuge and my strength. I trust in thee.”
― Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God – Volume 4 Part 2: Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23