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Basic aspects of Ivan Merz's, God's Servant, spirituality
Damjan Damjanović
Abstract
This review is the result of intense reading of the original writings of Ivan Merz, God's Servant.
Merz lead a systematic spiritual life since his secondary school days. He aimed persistently at the highest degree of evangelic perfection possible, as witnessed by his DIARY. — Despite of the unfavourable circumstances in which he had been living and in which his personality had been developing, Ivan had been methodially widening his knowledge of religion thus growing in grace and virtue. He always paid special care to chastity and in the end he took his vows to live in celibacy the remainder of his life. — In the course of time he achieved a high degree of contemplation. Ivan lead a life filled with prayer, the soul of which was the Eucharistie Sacrifice. He excercised self-denial and extensive bodily mortification. — Contemplation was the base and source of Ivan's redundant apostolate. He loved the Blessed Virgin Mary with childlike affection, ardently propagated her cult, paying due honour to the saints and imitating their virtues. His energy and abundant abilities, Ivan Merz devoted all to apostolic work with youth. He wrote for them and talked to them extensively and he set an example for them in every field with his irreproachable evangelic life.
The spirituality of Ivan Merz had a very emphatic significance. It was evangelic, eucharistie, liturgie, apostolic, ecclesial and charismatic.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
55258
URI
Publication date:
20.8.1979.
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