By the Publisher,
Love One Another! 7/2006 → True Love Waits - Pure Hearts
During his May 27, 2006 meeting outside of Krakow with over 600,000
of Poland’s youth, the Holy Father, Benedict XVI, urged his
audience not to give up seeking a robust, happy, and successful
life. “In giving young hearts a great longing for happiness,
our Creator does not abandon them in the painstaking building of
the house which we call life….How to build this house?
Jesus …tells us to build it on a rock. For only then will
the house not fall….Building on a rock means building on
Christ and with Christ … on a foundation that we call crucified
love….Building on Christ means basing all our desires, longings,
dreams, plans, and aspirations on His will. It means telling yourself,
your family, friends, the whole world, and above all Christ Himself:
‘Lord, I do not wish to do anything in my life that goes against
You, for You know what is best for me. Only You have the words of
eternal life’ (cf. John
6:68).
“What does building on a rock mean? It means building wisely….For
it is foolish to build on sand when you can build on a rock that
will enable the house to withstand every storm. It is foolish to
build a house on foundations that cannot guarantee the stability
of a house in difficult times. Who knows, perhaps it is easier to
base one’s life on the quicksand of one’s own vision
of the world. Maybe it is easier to build without and even against
the word of Jesus. But the person who builds this way is not prudent,
for he tells himself and others that no storm will break out in
his life and that no waves will beat upon his house. To be wise
is to know that the stability of a house depends on the choice of
foundations. Do not be afraid to be wise, that is, do not be afraid
to build on a rock!” Such is Benedict XVI appeal to all of
us.
Every day there are more and more people who want to build the
house of their life on Christ. They resolutely reject Satan’s
propaganda for building on sand. They wish to learn from Christ
how to love with a pure heart and to achieve perfect happiness;
that is why they join the Movement of Pure Hearts.
Jesus invites everyone to join MPH. No one is excluded. He
invites all of us to undertake the adventure of a lifetime. At stake
is the crown of maturity in love; the prize – the gift of
a pure heart. Of course Satan and his minions are doing their damnedest
to discourage you and convince you of the futility of fighting for
the gift of a pure heart. In joining MPH you pledge to pick yourself
up every time you fall into sin by going to Confession and renewing
your prayer of consecration. If you fall yet again, do not become
discouraged. Redouble your efforts. Persevere in your daily quest
for a pure heart. The day will come when you will finally triumph
– thanks to Christ who gives you His strength through prayer
and the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist.
MPH is also a “clinic for pure hearts.” It is here
that Jesus heals us of every spiritual ailment, wound, addiction
or dependency. There are no incurable cases. All we have to do is
trust in Jesus and pledge ourselves to the daily effort of walking
in faith. To live in faith every day we need to exercise self-discipline.
We need to make concrete demands of yourself, commit ourselves to
daily prayer, solid study, work, and rest. Above all, our daily
schedule needs to include time for prayer. It is vital that we set
aside regular times for saying the rosary, the Chaplet of Divine
Mercy, scripture reading, Holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and
other forms of prayer. The point is to have set times for talking
with God at least once in the morning, during the day, and in the
evening. By the same token, we need to make time for study, work,
and rest, and keep to this timetable with all resolve we can command.
To make a daily plan is one thing; to put it into action is another.
Our greatest obstacle here is our own sloth and self-will. No doubt
Satan further undermines our will to carry out our plan. But it
is precisely in these ordinary, everyday moments when we must make
concrete decisions that the decisive battle for our future, our
character, and purity of heart is played out. We proceed to action
by an act of the will. It is precisely when we least “feel
like it” that we need to will to act. There is no other way
of breaking through our sloth and disinclination. It is not what
I feel like doing that I do but what I have earlier decided is genuinely
good for me. Here, then, is a concrete way of mastering the unruly
ego and striking out in faith with Christ. We need to remember that
time is an invaluable gift. We cannot afford to waste it through
idle T.V viewing, surfing the net, or other useless activities.
We also need to learn the art of rest. Most people require eight
hours of sleep. We should strive to rise early, at a regular time,
and go to bed at a suitably early hour. Recreation and regular physical
exercise are also very important: gymnastics, sports (preferably
outside) and contact with natural beauty.
Above all, we must put effort into everything we do. Feelings and
state of mind do not determine the value of our prayer, work, or
study. Regardless of how we feel at the present moment we make a
free decision to carry out the duties planned for the given day:
i.e. we always pray, study, work, train, rest, etc. to the best
of our ability. It is precisely this attitude that has the greatest
value in God’s eyes. Only in this way can we grow in love
and become the persons that God wishes us to be.
If you are interested in becoming a member of MPH, first go to
Confession, then, after receiving Holy Communion, say the following
prayer of consecration:
The Prayer of Pure Hearts
Lord Jesus, I am thankful that You love me with
a love that rights the greatest wrongs and heals the most hurtful
wounds. I offer You my memory, my mind, my soul, my body, my sexuality.
I promise not to engage in sexual acts until I am united with
my spouse in the Sacrament of Marriage. From this day on, I will
not read, buy, or watch pornographic materials. I solemnly promise
to meet You every day in prayer, scriptural meditation, frequent
reception of Holy Communion and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
I also pledge to avail myself regularly of the Sacrament of Penance,
not to give in to discouragement, and to pick myself up immediately
after every sin. Dear Jesus, teach me to work systematically on
myself, to control my sexual desires and emotions. Give me the
courage to go “against the current” in my daily walk
through life. Help me avoid everything that weakens and enslaves
the will: nicotine, alcohol, and drugs. Teach me to place love
at the center my life. Mary, my Mother, guide me in faith, to
the very source of Love, to Jesus, that I may trust and believe
in Him alone. After the example of Servant of God, John Paul II,
I desire to entrust myself entirely to you: Totus Tuus, Mary!
Blessed Karolina, procure for me the gift of a pure heart. Amen!
We encourage you to inform us in writing of this great event. Send
us your address, date of birth, and also the date that you joined
the MPH community. We, in turn, will send you a special blessing
and enroll you in our Book of Pure Hearts, which will serve as living
monument in honor of John Paul II.
Write down and send us your testimonies. It is Christ’s wish
that you help others in this way to embark on a life of faith and
join the fight for a pure heart. Let us remember each other in our
daily prayers.
The article was published with the permission from "Love One Another!"
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