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Dedicated to helping people to become open to the power of God that can transform and enhance all our lives |
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LIVING IN JESUS ASSOCIATION
Would you like a living relationship with Jesus?
Would you like to walk hand in hand with Him through each day?
Would you like to become His hands and His voice in today’s
world?
If you answered ‘yes’ to the above questions, then the ‘Living in Jesus Association’ (LIJA) could help you realise your dreams. Its purpose is to help people to live in union with Jesus.
LIJA is operated in full accordance with Canon 298 and Canon 299
ß1 of the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church.
Six Stages
The Living In Jesus Association has six different stages, giving people the opportunity to start with a relatively small commitment and to then move up through the stages by degrees. In this way the words of St. Paul are fulfilled, “We are being transformed from one degree of likeness to Jesus to another.” 2 Cor 3:18.
Stage One
We begin to pray for the grace to
live a life of deep union with Jesus; that our hearts will be
united with His heart, that our thinking and our attitudes will
be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, and that we will
be His hands, His feet, His eyes, His ears and His voice in our
daily lives. Recognising that this will not happen by chance, we
make a commitment to at least an average of 15
minutes of prayer daily.
Not all prayer leads to transformation. Nicodemus was a man of
prayer, yet Jesus told him that he needed to be born again. Jesus
called religious people whose hearts had not been transformed,
whitewashed sepulchres and hypocrites. The type of prayer
that counts is prayer that leads to inner transformation.
It is not about saying extra prayers, but about having one's life
transformed through prayer.
Many find my booklets helpful. “To Pray With The
Voice Of Jesus” is specifically written for those
who are willing to embrace this way of life. However if there are
deep hurts in one's life, it is important to take the proper
steps to express one's hurt and one's anger, and to come into
healing, before one attempts SOME of the prayers in "To
Pray With The Voice Of Jesus" which are based on
heroic forgiveness. Because of that, some might find "A
Shower of Blessings" or "Dear Lord,
I'm Desperate" more helpful. Many also find “The
Miracle Rosary” very helpful.
Confession is another of the special gifts given
to us by God to lead us into inner transformation. Those on stage
one should aim towards monthly Confession, and should seek to get
into the practice of making a frank and real Confession. You may
find my booklet, “Confession - a journey into
healing, self-discovery and God's love” helpful.
In this stage, while praying for the grace to be the hands, feet,
eyes, ears and voice of Jesus, one starts by reflecting on what
it is to be the hands and feet of Jesus in one’s daily life.
Jesus spent 30 years as an ordinary person, so we too can be His
hands and feet in all the ordinary things of daily life. One then
moves on to reflecting on what it is to be the eyes and ears of
Jesus.
Stage Two
On the one hand we are growing in
our capacity to spend time with Jesus and to relax with Him. On
the other, we are becoming aware of the level of inner
transformation that is required if we are to live a life of deep
union with Him.
Even being the eyes and ears of Jesus has many implications:-
what we read, what we watch, what we listen to, having an eye for
the needs of others, having a listening ear, developing a love
for spiritual reading, learning to be guided by God in one's
decisions, etc.
One of the ways in which we need our eyes and ears opened is to
the word of God. If you are into reading at all, get a New
Testament and start regularly dipping into it. A chapter a day is
recommended. We also seek to have our eyes opened to the real
presence of Jesus in the Sacred Host. The two disciples who met
the risen Jesus on the road to Emmaus only recognised Him when He
"broke the bread". Then "their eyes were opened
and they recognised Him." Luke 24:31.
Having our eyes opened to the needs of those around us is also
vital - being able to see the people around us as real human
beings with needs and feelings. This in turn challenges us to
break free from self-absorption. Then there is learning to listen
to the prompting of the Holy Spirit as regards one's decisions.
That is quite a process:- a process which should be approached
with great humility, knowing that we will sometimes get it wrong.
So be willing to be guided.
Those on Stage Two are encouraged to spend 30 minutes a day in
prayer. This may sound a lot, but as you develop a spirit of
prayer, it comes very easily - part of your prayer time can be as
you walk, drive, work, lie in bed etc. One is also asked to get
into the habit of going face to face to the priest to Confession
when possible, and to go approximately monthly, making a full and
frank confession.
Stage Three
For many dedicated Christians
seeking to become the voice of Jesus requires enormous change:-
an end to vulgar, bitter, hurtful, judgemental, negative,
long-winded or boring talk; an end to falsehoods and gossip; an
end to self-preoccupation in one's talking. It also requires
setting oneself the target of using one's speech for expressing
love, and for encouraging others.
Being the voice of Jesus also involves evangelisation.
For the housebound and for contemplatives,
evangelisation consists of ongoing prayer for evangelisation and
seeking to be the presence of Jesus to those around you. For parents,
the primary place for evangelisation is in the home and seeking
to promote the Gospel in the school and parish. For a
person with big work commitments, being the hands and
voice of Jesus in the workplace will be central.
Those on Stage Three are asked to spend at least an average of 45
minutes a day praying, though again part of one’s prayer
time can be as one walks, drives, works, lies in bed etc.
One’s prayer time should normally include reading a chapter
of the New Testament each day.
From stage three on, one should seek to have a regular confessor,
go to Confession about once a month, and share frankly and
honestly what needs to be brought into the open. One should also
briefly bring to one's Confessor all major decisions.
Stage Four
As we continue to seek to be the
hands, feet, eyes, ears and voice of Jesus, one becomes more and
more aware that for this to happen, our heart needs to be deeply
united with the heart of Jesus. The Bible contains 781 references
to the heart, including,
"I will give you a new heart." Ez 11:19
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Mt.
5:8
"A humble and contrite heart, You will not spurn, O
Lord." Ps. 51:17
"Out of their hearts shall flow streams of living
water." John 7:38
"You shall love the Lord, your God with all your mind, with
all your heart, with all your soul and with all your
strength." Luke 10:27
We can only become the heart of Jesus when we truly fall in love
with Jesus. The first step is coming to a living relationship
with Jesus; then coming to love Him; then coming to have Him as
one's best Friend; then surrendering one's life to Him and to His
will; then seeking the entire transformation of one's heart.
The Bible warns, "The heart is more devious than any other
thing, perverse too" Jeremiah 17:9. Jesus further warned
that it is from the heart that all sorts of evil desires come,
and that to even look lustfully at a woman is to commit adultery
with her in one's heart.
At some stage in life, most people will be faced with a
choice:- am I going to renounce the desires of my heart
and be guided by Jesus, or am I going to be guided by the desires
of my heart and adapt the teaching of Jesus to fit my lifestyle.
The transformation of one's heart requires embracing a positive
life of self-giving love; seeking to get rid of all bitterness,
all selfishness, all inner anger, all judgementalism, all
meanness, all envy, all jealousy; developing a thirst for
spiritual things, and for leading others to Jesus. It requires
also an end to self-seeking and to self-promotion, and a real
surrender to God's plan for one's life. It requires seeking to
break all links with what would be unworthy of Jesus.
If one's heart is united with the heart of Jesus, one will have a
spirit of prayer, praise and thanksgiving, plus a love for Mass,
the Scriptures and holy things. Those on Stage Four are asked to
spend at least an average of an hour daily in prayer, though
again this can include talking to Jesus as one walks, drives,
works, lies in bed etc.
Stage Five
The closer we come to Jesus, the
more aware we become of how much our thinking needs to change.
Having "the mind of Jesus", 1 Cor 2:16, requires a
"complete make-over of our minds," Romans 12:2. It
requires for one's mind, one's attitudes and one's emotions to be
penetrated by the healing, cleansing and delivering power of the
Holy Spirit. It requires an end to worrying; an end to negative
thinking; an end to bitter, vengeful and judgemental thoughts; an
end to sexual fantasising; an end to acting on every impulse; an
end to self-seeking.
It requires for one's mind to be surrendered to the guidance and
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, so that one's thoughts will
spring from the thoughts of Jesus, and one's prayers from the
prayers of Jesus. It requires not just seeking to do the will of
God in all things, but seeking to have the mind of Christ
concerning all things.
Those on stage five are asked to seek the guidance of the Holy
Spirit as to the length of time over and above stage four that
they are to spend in prayer, taking into account their work and
family commitments. Where family and work commitments make it
possible, it is not unusual for people on stage five to spend an
average of three hours in prayer daily. But where there are
children to be cared for, or heavy work commitments, it may not
even be God’s will that you spend more than an hour in
prayer.
Stage Six
One seeks to live a life of such
total union with Jesus that one actually becomes Jesus. “You
are called to become the body of Christ, His own flesh and
blood,” Pope Benedict told the youth (WYD 2005). St. Paul
reached the stage of being able to say, “It is no longer I
who live but Christ who lives in me.”
One's top ambition becomes to live in total union with Jesus, to
become His living presence in the world. While seeking to live
this life of total union with Jesus, we realise that the fit will
never be total. In our case, the caterpillar never fully turns
into the butterfly. St. Paul calls the bit that isn't fully
transformed "the old self". This too keeps us humble;
keeps us realising that this life can only be lived in total
dependence on Jesus. When we fall, regardless of which
stage we are on, let us start again with total trust in God's
love for us.
Enrolment
By formally enrolling in the
Living in Jesus Association, one is,
1. Making a definite commitment to this way of life.
2. Setting oneself definite targets.
3. Giving oneself the opportunity for real spiritual development.
4. Becoming united in spirit with the other members.
5. Responding to the desire of Jesus for the New Springtime.
Start living the principles of "Living in
Jesus", and you are part of the New Springtime!
For those thirty or over one starts with a commitment for a year. After the year there will be the opportunity to take it on as a lifelong commitment. There is also the opportunity to progress up through the stages when one is ready.
Younger People
Jesus was thirty when He began His public ministry. Before that He lived the hidden life as a carpenter.
In union with Jesus the young carpenter, pre-Confirmation children under the guidance of their parents are welcome to join at stage one. Those who are confirmed but who are under eighteen, are welcome to join at stages one to three, and to make the commitment initially until they are 18 when they will be invited to renew.
Those between eighteen and thirty are welcome to join like other adults, to renew their commitment after one year, and to again renew it for life once they reach thirty, being, of course, free to move up through the stages at any time they feel ready.
Enrolment Prayer
Lord Jesus, I do desire a living
relationship with You. I do desire to be part of the New
Springtime. I now desire, with Your help, to start living in You.
I will start at stage ..... and will then seek to grow.
I make this commitment for one year initially, and pray that
after the year I may be able to renew it for life.
Enrolment Form (Block Capitals Please)
(The enrolement form is also in a separate place on the website, just click here if you wish to print it off on its own without having to print off the full article.)
Name
........................................................................................
Address
.........................................................................................
...................................................................................................
...................................................................................................
................................................. Phone
number.........................
Enrolling at Stage ............ Age, if under 29, ..........
Or you can write the details on a separate sheet. Send to Fr.
Thady Doyle, Shillelagh, Arklow, Co Wicklow, Ireland.
A small donation towards correspondence and the
printing of literature for Living in Jesus would be welcome with
your enrolment. Copies of this brochure in colour print are
available free on request.
2008 Booklet: By Oct 2008, I hope to have a new booklet specially on living in Jesus. It will be the same price as Confession booklet.
See how much Jesus depends on us!
Jesus said “I am
the vine, you are the branches.”
It is the branches that bear the fruit, not the vine.
That means that Jesus is totally dependent on us to be the
bearers of His fruit:- to be His hands and His voice in
today’s world. Jesus said that it is when we learn to
‘live in Him’, that we will bear much fruit and see
mighty answers to prayer. (See Jn. 15:1-8)
Daily Prayer
First thank Jesus that He is offering you the opportunity to live this day in deep union with Him. Pause for a moment to reflect on this. Then pray,
Lord for this day,
May my heart be Your heart,
May my thoughts be Your thoughts,
May my hands be Your hands,
May my feet be Your feet,
May my eyes be Your eyes,
May my ears be Your ears,
May my voice be Your voice,
And may my face be Your face.
Now relax a moment, and allow the
presence of Jesus within you to flow through you.
Click
Here for Enrolment Form for Living in Jesus Association
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