IN THE PASTURES OF THE FATHER

After the Resurrection of our Good Shepherd, the sheep often feed on the fat pastures of their Shepherd without knowing how to continue the Lenten efforts and sometimes even wondering if it is necessary to continue them… because after all, this n is no longer Lent! this is how the herd descends again into the ravine and intertwines its coat in thorns and brambles.

So what food to choose, dear sheep, in order to keep our fleece always beautiful and sparkling clean? Food is already familiar to us since it is the same as that of the Pastor: doing the will of the Father. But for the sheep which are still in the womb, let us run towards the divine Shepherdess, towards the Immaculate One who will nourish us with the will of the Father.

This will of the Father, real substantial nourishment, consists of a delicious dish of which the Father Himself delights, namely, the humble and hidden virtues. Yes, our Father, our Good Shepherd and our divine Shepherdess love and cherish the humble and hidden virtues. What does it mean?

The degree of holiness to which we are called is acquired not by inner torments centered on ourselves, neither in exorbitant amounts of prayer, nor even in outbursts of generosity which are never without a trace of self-esteem… no, Holiness, perfection, God Himself is only achieved by very simple means:

Listen, dear sheep, and see what the humble and divine Shepherdess of your soul did, the Very Pure and All Immaculate Virgin Mary when she was on earth and practice imitating, following and chasing her of your desires for union:

1. Never say a word to my own praise.
2. Often keep a word, a gesture, a look: overcoming a movement of empathy, listening to what is boring me ...
3. Love silence, love to go unnoticed, never say a useless word.
4. Be kind with a gentle and joyful gravity, patient to the point that no one realizes that I am being patient, patient to the point that no one can read on my face if something bothers or annoys me.
5. Be so good that nothing can darken my face when I am disturbed.
6. Be so charitable that the smallest criticism never leaves my lips, that I never listen with satisfaction to a spicy word. To be charitable and kind to accept the ideas of others, to tidy up so I think otherwise.
7. Always be ready to forgive, to forget, and to help.
8. Be so simple that no one notices me…
9. Strive to do well, at the present moment, the thing that makes me busy, as if I only had it in the world, and then no exaggerated worry, nor eagerness or haste that makes lose the peace of soul.
10. Do everything without attachment so that I can act without harming the divine union and the Pastor's rest.
11. Have a desire to do better but not worry or trouble.
12. No small practice but a burning and concrete desire to imitate the Pastor in his humiliations and renunciations ...

The Good Shepherd also said to one of his sheep: "Make little noise by acting, say few words while speaking, submit your will whenever you can without failing to do homework, take the advice of others with condescendance… and persevere."

Perseverance will be the touchstone of your holiness because it is difficult to continue this ascent to the top of the mountain to reach the greenest pasture. Because this path is narrow and also because these virtues so small and so ignored by all, are not rewarded with any kind of approval from men.

Ave Maria