Divine Will
in
Practice
(Book) Forming Divine Will Habits
This is the first of my books on Divine Will. It consists of fifty chapters of inspirational writings which I have been receiving for many years and which have taken on a more public instructional slant since my introduction to Divine Will in 2014. Reading through the chapters gradually leads one to a more conscious awareness of how to live in Divine Will on a day to day basis, and it is now available both as an ebook and a paperback on Amazon.
If you would like a signed copy please contact me here
To view the book on the USA Amazon site, click here:
Or for the UK Amazon Site please click here:
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If you wish to order it from your local bookshop, just give them the name of it and the book number,
ISBN: 978-1-0683437-0-4 and they will be able to source it for you.
The book is also available from a third party seller on Amazon.ie for Irish readers, but I would advise against buying it from there. The price is greatly exaggerated compared to my own price of €15 plus €3 postage.
Sample Writings from my Book
1. Discernment
Some months ago, I was asking the Lord to draw me deeper into living in the Divine Will. In my spirit I saw two Words; “Respond” and “React.” He then revealed that this was a simple way to discern if we are trying to live in Divine Will or not.
For instance, when He wants us to alleviate His suffering in some way, and may allow a situation or a person to rattle our cage. What is our initial comeback?
Do we (in Divine Will) respond in awareness, acceptance and peace, with our focus on Him, uniting our little disturbance with His suffering and reparations?
Or do we (in our human will) react by becoming annoyed, indignant, irritable, judgemental etc. with our focus on ourselves?
So, in a nutshell, do we respond or react? Our responses will bring us peace, our reactions will bring unease.
“My daughter, one who chooses his own self, even for one instant, represses Grace, becomes the master of himself, and renders God a slave. Then He added: The Will of God makes one take the Divine possession, but obedience is the key to open the door and enter this possession.”
Vol 8. Oct 3, 1907
2. Awareness
In striving to live in the Divine Will, and while at mass a few years ago, I sensed the Lord prompting me to stop observing people in Church. Whether they genuflected in front of Him or not was none of my business. He wanted me to close my eyes, and focus only on Him. So I did. This developed over time to closing my eyes to all distractions in Church.
Later again I sensed His prompt to stop observing people in general, no matter where I was. One glance was enough to know they were there, so as not to drive over them if I was in the car. And to offer any subsequent glances to Him in sacrifice and reparation for all the ways in which we sin with our eyes.
This practice over the years, and which is still ongoing, has had a huge impact on my life for the better and has developed into a much deeper awareness of what I look at, listen to, speak about… the second glance, the eager ear, or the loose tongue is what does the damage, leading to desire and judgement.
Our Lady offers us little sips of Divine Will for our souls. We in turn can offer her and Jesus little sips of mortification of our human wills.
An awareness of our senses can be a means of constant mortification and reparation, and can gradually overflow into every area of our lives, our thoughts, words, works and also our eating/drinking. By this I don’t mean whole days of fasting, but little things like not taking salt on our favourite meals, one less spoon of sugar in our coffee, you get the idea! Once you start you will see lots of little opportunities for mortification, and they will remain hidden, just between you and the Lord.
I found that some of the fruits of mortification was less focus on oneself and more on the Lord and others. After a few months of these little mortifications in Divine Will, I discovered I was much more inclined to be attentive to the Lord especially when in conversations and seemed to be able to listen with two ears, one to the person, the other to the Lord.
Mortification is not to be done though to make us feel better about ourselves but rather with purity of intention, to be done out of pure love for God, by fusing with Divine Will.
"I want you to be always upright in your actions – with one eye look at Me, and with the other eye look at what you are doing. I want creatures to disappear from you completely… So, with your eye fixed in Me, you will not judge anyone, you will not look at whether the thing is painful or enjoyable – whether you can do it or not. Closing your eyes to all this, you will open them to look at Me alone; you will take Me with you, thinking that my gaze is fixed on you, and you will say to Me: ‘Lord, for You alone I do this; for You alone I want to work – no longer a slave of the creatures.’ So, if you walk, if you work, if you speak – in anything you do, your only aim must be that of pleasing Me alone. Oh! how many defects you will avoid, if you do this." BoH, Vol 1.
11. Jesus Rests
In scripture, Jesus speaks of us entering our private room and shutting ourselves in, so as to pray. Mt 6:6 NJB
When I invite Jesus into my heart, He comes and makes my heart his home.
Every home has rooms, and Jesus may take one of my rooms as his private place in which to pray and rest.
As I write this, I see him entering his private room in my heart. He usually closes the door, but this time He left it slightly ajar. After a little while, I become curious and take a peek inside. He is sitting on his favourite chair with his back to me. He appears to be looking at something on his lap, and every so often I hear him sigh.
After a little while, He becomes quiet, and I realise He must be sleeping. I gain more courage and enter into the room. He is indeed asleep. His hands folded over his Heart and with a peaceful, yet tearful look on his face. I look at his lap to see what had him so preoccupied.
Lots of photos of my life. Some black and white from my childhood, some coloured ones from recent years. All of different scenes, happy and sad.
He moves a little in the chair and I find my eyes drawn to a small photo enclosed in his hands. I wonder what is so special that He has chosen this one to rest upon his Heart as He sleeps. I gently draw it out.
What do I see?
Is there one thing in life that I have always struggled with, that many of my poor choices in life have resulted from?
What is it that causes me so much pain and that I would really love to be free from but wouldn't wish upon another soul?
What is it that every so often trips me up and for which a probable cause is never found?
Could it be the pain… of loss….. of abuse… of rejection…. of a broken heart….. of regret…. of loneliness….. of abandonment….. of…?
Out of all the photos, the Lord has chosen this one to take his rest on, and the greater the pain, the deeper He draws me into his Heart.
Jesus stirs. Realising He is about to awake; I replace the photo between his hands and Heart and silently exit the room.
In Divine Will, the Lord offers us the tremendous gift and grace of entering his Heart through our wounds, especially that one wound which every so often breaks us. We in turn, only by seeing our sufferings as being sent by him, and by fusing in him, can console him in a divine way.
"What I recommend to you is to look at the Divine Will in all things, both the favourable and the adverse – painful, sorrowful ones – and in the contrasts of life which no one lacks; rather, blessed Jesus allows them in order to form the little rocks on which to raise the building of sanctity within us since without the Cross we would lack the primary element to become saints." From the Letters of Luisa; Letter #13