“Doubt Me Not…”

“Doubt Me Not…”

By: Eric Gajewski 

                         From the work, "Fortress of the Soul"

Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe… And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Jesus cometh, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said: Peace be to you. Then he saith to Thomas: Put in thy finger hither, and see my hands; and bring hither thy hand, and put it into my side; and be not faithless, but believing.  JN 20: 25-27

And on the eight day Jesus cometh. Objectively, faith stands for the sum of truths revealed by God in Scripture and tradition and which the Church  presents to us in a brief form in her creeds, subjectively, faith stands for the habit or virtue by which we assent to those truths. It is with this subjective aspect of faith that we are here primarily concerned.  "Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe." St. Augustine  If I believe only what I see carnally than I am faithless; if I see with the inner eye of the soul I am but an eagle soaring far above the sea of reason.  On this day let us pause to reflect interiorly to see if we act more like Thomas or more like the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thomas responded and needed “to see” but the Virgin Mary “already saw”.  Let us be more like Mary in our own daily lives “seeing” before the fact and relying upon Divine Providence to “work things to our advantage”.  The number eight marks a “new beginning” and thus we see in the Old Testament circumcision taking place on the eight day; we see only 8 survivors aboard the Ark during the Flood and now can transfer this understanding to the New Testament.  The number 8 symbolizes circumcision of the heart (Baptism of Desire) through Christ and the receiving of the Holy Ghost (Romans 2:28 - 29, Colossians 2:11 - 13). Those in Christ are becoming a new creation, with godly character being created by the power of God's Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:10; 4:23 - 24).  God seemingly "hides" in Selfless Love's game of the soul only to "show Himself" later on

Verily, it was the Apostles who had to “hide” with Mary from the Church’s enemies and thus we hide in two ways: (1) in a literal sense (soon) until that time comes to reveal ourselves yet again (in what I call the Day of Restoration of which I will announce publicly).  Secondly, by “hiding’ in and with, Mary, this Ark of Salvation for our soul.  How can we doubt the Blessed Virgin Mary participates in the Plan of Redemption as Co-redemptrix?  O Mary, Mary, bearer of the fire of love, and dispenser of mercy! Mary, Co-redemptrix of the human race, when you clothed the Word with your flesh, the world was redeemed. Christ paid its ransom with His Passion and you paid it with the sorrows of your body and soul. St. Catherine of Siena  Yea, although God was present all along amongst the Apostles it was not until the eight day that He revealed Himself! And so to as we enter this Great Storm when it shall appear as if the Living God is dead. Therefore, on behalf of heaven I announce to you that this Great Test is meant to further your soul in virtue.  God is making Eagles in His Army; He is waiting for you to spread your wings in Faith and Hope and for you to take off from the cliffs of “self”. 

“You look but do not see,
For ye are stricken with self-love blindly
Yet this wilst not takest away
My Sacred Heart’s victr’y…
For far past the Great storm
Up ahead is the 8th day rainbow of true renewal
Announced by all those traveling safely
Upon the Immaculate Ark of My Mother, Mary
Into the true  "new age" where ye shall hide no more
And thy finger shall point & probe no more in haste
O’ eagles! Where Her Heart shall be crowned amongst the nations
And when I shall descend and speak to men in the great Day of Restoration.

Furthermore,  let us examine our own lives so that we may root out self-love altogether.  Self-love is the archenemy of the soul because the devil is limited in his power to tempt but it is only YOU who can “give in” to the tempter!  Fear, doubt, and worry are often the result of self-love. A self-love which keeps young eaglets grounded on the cliffs when they were meant to fly. Harken to heareth an Eagle speak; Spread your wings in Faith and Hope and keep your Eyes wide in charity and be free in these bright blue skies where grace resides and where my heart’s home is absorbed in the Holy Trinity.   Doubt not His Great victorious Plan that He has for your individual lives but also on the macro-level concerning His Plan for the Church and world.  Storms cometh and go but only His Heart is able to endure and rise above every supposed “problem”. Yea, these are not problems my good friends they are opportunities! These are opportunities for you to grow in Selfless Love.  For the more you are absorbed in the Divine Fire and Light the more you can be of service to the Living God. 'To conquer himself is the greatest victory that man can gain.' - St. Ignatius of Loyola

Nevertheless, we must exercise our faith.  Either we succumb to self-love or we ascent in faith further in and to His Sacred Heart. An eagle does not fly until his wings are first spread and so too with the Christian.  A Christian does not fly first without exercising his faith (subjectively) which is rooted only in the (objective) Catholic Faith.  "I believe though I do not comprehend, and I hold by faith what I cannot grasp with the mind." St. Bernard  The Will of God is perfect, therefore, what God allows for your life was/is only meant to move you further unto Him, our End.  If you lose your home you gain Christ’s humility who was not even born “in an earthly home”. If you lose your finances you gain Christ’s poverty for He chose to go “without”.  Look at the occurrences of your life with the “inner eyes of Faith” not with your carnal eye (which deceives on the surface) and then you will begin to see. Those in false religions and sects “do not fly!” but rather crash and burn. So what shall we say of this Vatican II New Religion of Man?  Hold firmly that our faith is identical with that of the ancients. Deny this, and you dissolve the unity of the Church.  St. Thomas Aquinas  Shall it also not crash and burn…?  Yea Rome will split thrice and burn!  

In reality it does not take a lot of faith in a God who cannot let you down. This, of course, ought to be understood, in the sense that you understand that God is always working for the benefit of your soul’s eternal salvation which often we overlook. Therefore, let us not complain, grumble, murmur as the Jews but let us carry onward with smile thru this great storm ahead and continue to be the “light and salt of the world”.  When a heart stops 'exercising' it is liable to "disease" and so to does this apply in your own interior lives! Exercise your Faith this day so you do not form spiritual blood clots due to self-love!  By your Faith you shall win over the faithless; by your faith you shall win over the confused and lost; by your faith shall you find that one lost sheep that God Himself still searches for, Ave Maria!

“Doubt Me Not…”
No storm to great, no word to sharp
To break an Eagle’s Wings of Hope and Faith
No day to long, no night to dark
For an Eagle to lose His Way
No valley to low, no light to harsh
Which purifies the soul, these blue skies sayeth
No sky to high, no flame to faint to re-spark
For an eagle does not succumb to the notion of “doomed fate”
But self-love will sayest:
I am but a seemingly isolated flower
In this modern world's rotting vast lot
When I hear the King’s Voice echo back triumphantly
“I AM Love, I AM HERE, therefore, DOUBT ME NOT…”

Bible
•    The eight beatitudes of the sermon on the mountain. (Mt 5,3-11)
•    The eight sentences of the Magnificat or Hymn of Mary. (Lk 1,46-56)
•    Jesus was circumcized eight days after his birth, according to the law established. (Lv 12,3; Gn 17,12 and 21,4; Lk 2,21)
•    The eight steps of the staircase leading to the external square of the Ezekiel's temple. (Ezk 40,26)
•    The eight creative words of God in six days, in Genesis chapter 1, verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24, 26.
•    The eight persons who were saved from the Flood in Noah's Ark. (Gn 7,13)
General
•    Saint Joseph endured during eight years various great sufferings before to die, according to visions of Mary Agreda.
•    The number 8 is used 73 times in the Bible.
http://drbo.org/cgi-bin/s?t=0&q=eight+days&b=drb

Act of Faith
O my God, I firmly believe
that you are one God in three divine Persons,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I believe that your divine Son became man
and died for our sins and that he will come
to judge the living and the dead.
I believe these and all the truths
which the Holy Catholic Church teaches
because you have revealed them
who are eternal truth and wisdom,
who can neither deceive nor be deceived.
In this faith I intend to live and die.
Amen.

Act of Hope
O Lord God,
I hope by your grace for the pardon
of all my sins
and after life here to gain eternal happiness
because you have promised it
who are infinitely powerful, faithful, kind,
and merciful.
In this hope I intend to live and die.
Amen.

Act of Love
O Lord God, I love you above all things
and I love my neighbor for your sake
because you are the highest, infinite and perfect
good, worthy of all my love.
In this love I intend to live and die.
Amen.

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