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The Way of Love for the Lord
Chapter 54. The woman who persecuted me was my benefactor. (September 3, 1982)
Not long after I started to work as a volunteer for the charismatic movement, many people came to have a good feeling for me, even complimenting me. Then a woman, whom I had followed and liked so much, began to change her attitude towards me. She became displeased with all that I did. Every time she was displeased with me, I thanked her wholeheartedly, for I thought that she was my benefactor who gave me a whipping of love in order to make me more humble. Some volunteers could not tolerate her bullying me, so they said to me, “She has gone too far. How dare she criticize you even for the way you wear your dress?” I promptly replied, “No, it is not a criticism but the love of the Lord who guides me with love. She is my benefactor who leads me on the way of humility.” Then they said, “That’s preposterous. What are you talking about? We can’t possibly understand your words.” The look in their eyes showed that they thought I was talking nonsense. I thought that we all were brothers and sisters in the love of the Lord, so I loved them all with a pure heart. Furthermore, she was the only woman that I thought of as my elder sister for the first time since I was born. As days went by, she persecuted me more severely. The more she persecuted me, however, the greater love I felt from the Lord. I thought that the Lord was leading me on the way of humility through her. So, whenever I met her, I always bowed to her politely out of gratitude. “O Lord! You love me so much that You are leading me to humility. I am grateful to You. Praise and glory to You forever and ever! You alone can do all of this. If I were always commended by people, I would become proud. But You who do work through humans have tempered me through her so that I can become lower by crushing myself unceasingly and can walk towards humility. I am truly grateful to You.” “My beloved little soul! When many people were swept away by angry waves of selfishness and distorted love, you did not hesitate but pushed forward vigorously, even regarding an obstacle to salvation as a gift of accumulating holy virtues. That was possible due to My fervent love dwelling in you.”
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