Indescribable: In Your Will Is Our Peace

By Deacon Francis G. King Ph.D.

When I was blessed with the gift of divine peace at the top of Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, in 2010, I was told to write about it. How do I describe the indescribable? This book is the fruit of my submission to God’s will. It describes specifically how the three faculties of the soul: mind to know the truth, will to do good, and heart to love, are used to achieve such a peace.

Our mind is tasked to know God’s Truth that He loves us more than we can ever imagine and His Goodness to us is beyond measure. With this knowledge in our minds, we must decide to make known God’s glory of Goodness and Love. Supported by this rationale, our will acts to bring God’s Goodness to others by deeds and words so that they will come to know Him. When we can feel God’s unique and personal love in our hearts then we can let His love shine through our hearts to love others so that they can choose Him.

In this way, through His grace, we offer our soul (mind, will and heart) and body to do God’s will to save souls. We learn to seize His grace by making small acclamation of “yeses” to Him one decision at a time in our minds, one good act at a time in our will, one deed at a time from our heart for the love of God. These small “yeses” will grow to become habitual “yeses” as we progress towards abandoning our mind, will and heart totally to Him. When we conform our mind, will and heart to God’s will, we achieve peace in our soul. We can only do so if we let Christ live in us.

In His will is our peace! (Dante, Divine Comedy)

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 9, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664224575

Deacon Francis G. King Ph.D.

Reverend Doctor Francis King, ordained in 2012, is a Deacon at St. Regis Catholic Parish in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He is the President of the Chinese Catholic Society of Michigan. He received his Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California in Berkeley and Master’s Degrees in Theology and in Pastoral Studies from Sacred Heart Major Seminary. He worked at Ford Motor Company, Perkin Elmer Data Systems, and Fordham University. He holds seven patents. He published articles in the Encyclopedia of Robotics and NATO’s Advanced Science Institute Series, and books on “Process Improvement Simplified” and “Indescribable, In Your Will is Our Peace.” Francis and his wife, Lucy, have two children, Anthony, and Rebecca, and five grandchildren.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Deacon Francis G. King, Ph.D.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written

permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed

since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do

not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and

such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity

of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part

of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2456-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-2457-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021903339

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/08/2021

56236.png

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract

Introduction

Acknowledgements

1.     A Funny Thing Happened in Medjugorje

What is Medjugorje?

The invitation to go

Consecrate to Christ

My trip to Apparition Hill, Medjugorje

The blessing

Just let things happen

2.     We are His People

The soul’s three faculties

God calls to His people

3.     The Truth – God is Good

What is good?

The good within us

Ordering of good

Freedom for the god

4.     The Truth – God is Love

Happiness

God’s acclamation of yes to us

The privations of Christ

God’s Love does not end

God wants to be one with us

5.     God’s Unique and Personal Love for Us

God is everywhere

The hound of heaven

Saying yes to the call

6.     To Know God

Understand experience

Judge the experience

Decide: God is the painter

Potter of our lives

7.     The Need of Faith

Limit of human mind

Incorruptible bodies

Restoration of life

Miracles happen every day

8.   J  esus Thirsts for Us

Building bridge

The other end of the bridge

Fundamental choice

9.     Listen

Me-time and My-place

God always hears us

God speaks to us

Surrender to listening

Obstructions to listening

10.   Trust

Trust through abandonment

Just blindly say yes

Discernment

Jesus, I Trust in You

11.   Why Can’t We Say Yes to Obey?

Fear prevents us from saying yes

The unconditional gift of self

The selfless gift of self

The limitless gift of self

Gift of mind, heart, and will

12.   How Do We Say Yes to Obey?

Small yeses

Habitual yeses

Totus tuus (All or totally yours)

The Only thing that matters

Say yes to Jesus

13.   Transformation of Self – Our Minds

Know God’s hand in our lives

Goodness from failures

Actions speak louder than words

Rise to new life

14.   Transformation of Self – Our Will

Passion for accomplishments

Tyranny of unfulfilled happiness

Say yes to compassion and mercy

15.   Transformation of Self – Our Heart

Self-love

Overcoming self-centeredness

Pride

Kenotic transformation

16.   Divine Peace

Secular peace

Peace within oneself

The divine peace

Return to my Son

Let Christ live in me

Endnotes

ABSTRACT

36935.png

Through our good deeds, proclamation of His Truth, and love of others we serve God as His instruments of salvation. We can do so only through the grace of His Goodness, the advocacy of the Spirit of Truth, and the promptings of His love. Since His will is to save souls, we offer our soul (mind, will, and heart) and body to do His will.

Jesus emptied Himself to become human. Being a slave, He was obedient to death, even death on the cross. Since obedience is love, the only thing that matters to Jesus is His love for God the Father. When we learn to seize the grace to make small acclamation of yeses to Him in mind, will, and heart, we then repay God’s love by our love.

These small yeses will grow to become habitual yeses and we progress towards abandoning our mind, will, and heart to Him for the salvation of souls. We do so by letting Christ live in us. This road of leading others to salvation is also the road of peace for us as our mind, will, and heart follow the Truth, Goodness, and Love of God.

INTRODUCTION

36929.png

When I was at the top of Apparition Hill in Medjugorje, I was given the gift of divine peace. At that same instance, I was also told to write about it, to describe the indescribable. This book is my submission to the will of God.

Like John the Baptist, I know that I am not worthy to untie the sandals of Christ and, in this case, unworthy to put words on paper about divine peace. God discerns my thoughts from afar; (Ps 139:2) even before a word is formed, He knows it; (Ps 139:4); the sum of His thoughts is countless more than sand. (Ps 139:17-18)

Indeed, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isa 55:8-9) For five years, I knew not what or how to write.

But God was not idle during those years. He led me through my journey of faith. He opened my heart to listen, trust, and obey Him. It took another five years and many iterations before the book is finalized.

The purpose of the book is not a summary of a journey of faith nor does it provide some sort of resting point on that journey. A report on a journey of faith is superfluous since every journey of faith is unique. Rather the book is developed, with many examples from my life and lives of others, to look at forming a relationship with God.

God loves us first (1 John 4:19) with reckless abandonment and His love is forever faithful. He makes His acclamation of yes to us. We are called to love God with all our minds, hearts, souls, and strength. (Matt 22:37) I describe the soul as having three unique faculties: a will to do good, a mind to know the truth, and a heart to love. Hence, we love God with our minds, hearts, wills, and bodies.

To make our acclamation of yes to anyone is to abandon ourselves to the will of that person. An acclamation of yes to God involves listening, trusting, and obeying His will. His will is to save souls. And He calls us to be part of this great adventure. We transform our minds to know and proclaim the truth that He is Love and He is Good. We transform our wills to trust Him totally in making others know Him through our good deeds and lovable words. We transform our hearts to say yes to Him one decision at a time so that we can love others as He loves us. (John 15:12) Through His Love and Goodness reflected by our deeds and words, they may choose Him.

It was a series of small yeses to God that led me to the top of Apparition Hill in Medjugorje. Each chapter helps one to make an acclamation of yes to learn about God, one’s own self, and one’s relationship with Him. As we habitually seize His grace and mercy to make our acclamation of yes to Him, our lives become a life of abandonment to the will of God.

Our life, then, becomes a visible sign of His invisible grace, i.e., a sacrament. In obeying Him, He abides in us and we live in union with Christ. We do as He wills in mind, will and heart. Then we receive peace in our soul.

Let Thy will be done!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

36921.png

I thank God the Father for His very unique and personal love for me. I thank God the Son for granting me the gift of divine peace. And I thank God the Holy Spirit for leading me through my journey of faith.

I would like to thank all the professors and students at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in giving me the gift of knowledge, without which there would be no content for this book. There are numerous people who have provided me with inspirations and information for this book through an off-the-cuff remark, casual conversations, sermons, and/or spiritual directions. I cannot list them all for they are too numerous, nor can I remember them all. I just cannot thank them enough.

I would especially like to thank my beloved wife, Lucy, who unceasingly encourages me with love to work on the book at the expense of ignoring all else. My thanks to the various pastors at St. Regis who gave me the time and the support to write. Also, many thanks to Laura Manera who spent countless hours editing the manuscript giving me invaluable comments and corrections. Also, thanks to my brothers, Albert and Jim, who read earlier versions of the manuscript and provided me with helpful observations. Finally, without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the writing of this book would not be possible.

I continue to pray that the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of us as we continue to grow in our spiritual development and enrichment in the search of a closer relationship with our Triune God.

1. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED

IN MEDJUGORJE

27891.png

Blessed Mother

46161.pngindescribableImage1.jpg

Statue of Blessed Mother at

Apparition Hill in Medjugorje

46149.png

Her urgent message at

Medjugorje: "Return

to My Son."

While studying to be a deacon, one of the assigned texts was Benedict Groeschel’s book, There are No Accidents. ¹ Like all assigned reading, I had little interest in what he had to say about his car accident and how it changed his life. Now I have come up with my own sentence: there are no luck or coincidences when good things happen in life, only divine providence. It was divine providence that brought my wife and me to Medjugorje.

WHAT IS MEDJUGORJE?

Medjugorje is a little village of about 5,000 people in the southern region of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Specifically, it is in Herzegovina, a predominately Catholic region of the country where about 85% of the population are Catholics. On June 24, 1981, the Mother of God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, appeared to six children. On the next day, she spoke to four of the above children and two others, ranging in age from 10 to 17. The message from the Blessed Mother on the third day was: "Peace, peace, peace … and