Excerpt from The Life of St. Juliana of Cornillon "God's ways are not as our ways, neither are His thoughts as our thoughts." What the world despises and casts aside as worthless, that He often uses as an instrument for the accomplishment of His greatest works. There are many examples which prove this. When He had determined to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage, not Aaron who was eloquent, but Moses who was slow of speech, was chosen to be the leader of His people. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1873 edition. Excerpt: ... and as He wills. Instead, then, of being inclined to disbelieve, because the one He chose for the work appears a contemptible instrument, (I mean appears so in the eyes of worldlings, ) let us rather give thanks to Him because He is "wonderful in His saints," and because "He has hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and hath revealed them to the little ones." CHAPTER V. THE SUPERNATURAL GIFTS BESTOWED UPON ST. JULIANA. What we have hitherto related of the Blessed Juliana, may be termed the history of her hidden life, in which, being unknown to the world, she was occupied solely with the things of God, and practising all the virtues of the contemplative life with the greatest perfection. We have, however, seen above, that, in spite of her love of silence, solitude, and retreat, she could not altogether remain unknown. Now, as those who had already made her acquaintance were so edified by what they had observed in her, they everywhere spread the fume of her sanctity; and thus it was that she was obliged to hold communication with the exterior world. But, although compelled to converse with creatures, her heart was always with God, and so, with whomsoever she conversed, she sought not to please and natter them; but always studied so to speak and act that God might he glorified, and souls benefited. It is true she spoke but few words; however, few as they were, her hearers could not fail to discover the sacred lire which God had enkindled in her soul; when discoursing upon divine things especially, this sacred fire was so manifest and visible, that the hearts of her hearers became all inflamed with love of God. Almighty God bestowed upon her many supernatural graces, by which, in her intercourse with others, she was the better...

Fasting An Exceptional Human Experience Since prehistory, fasting has been used in various ways as a means of transformation. As a spiritual practice, it is the oldest and most common form of asceticism and is found in virtually every religion and spiritual tradition. In psychology, studies have suggested that fasting can alleviate the symptoms of some psychiatric conditions, including depression and schizophrenia. In medicine, fasting is one of the most promising therapies, with research suggesting that fasting can cause certain drugs, such as chemotherapy, to work better while reducing drug side-effects. Hunger striking, sometimes called political fasting, may be the most powerful application of fasting. Proof of this occurred in 1948 when Gandhis hunger strike caused millions of Hindus and Muslims in India to cease their fighting. As a practical guide, Randi Fredricks, Ph.D. provides detailed information on the different types of fasting, where people fast, the physiological process of fasting, and the contraindications and criticisms of fasting. Using existing literature and original research, Dr. Fredricks focuses on the transformative characteristics of fasting in the contexts of psychology, medicine, and spirituality. The relationship between fasting and transpersonal psychology is examined, with a focus on peak experiences, self-realization, and other exceptional human experiences. Dr. Fredricks demonstrates how fasting can be profoundly therapeutic, create global paradigm shifts, and provide personal mystical phenomena.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1873.