(More on this tomorrow.) Using the same 33-day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Thrse of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. Spiritual blindness extends even to those w'ho recognize that theyre sinners. Saint Therese describes this choice in the following para graph, which, in my opinion, is die best description of what it means to be a litde soul: To remain litde is to recognize our nothingness, to expect everything from God (as a litde child expects everything from its father; it is to be not too distressed by its faults). After our fiat, after weve experienced the power of Gods Merciful Love, we, too, will want to give praise to God. In fact, as well now learn, this overflowing love has the potential to engulf the entire world. And what did he tell her? During her life, she wasnt famous or well known. It is we who tire of asking his forgiveness.66 Of course, we need to be sorry for our sins and make a firm purpose of amendment. And because she was so little and trusted completely in Divine Mercy, she believed that Gods mercy would surely rush to the lowest place her little soul! Let no soul, even the most miserable fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of Gods grace. Its a masterpiece, especially the later chapters. I aim to keep before my eyes my poverty, weakness, brokenness, and sin, trusting that my littleness and contrite heart will attract your Merciful Love. Today, I have come to understand many of Gods mysteries. Yes, Faustina lived this way as well, and Id like to now conclude this section with a passage from her Diary that summarizes this attitude of perfect love: I know that I am under Your special gaze, O Lord. My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. Also, in a Regina Caeli message for Divine Mercy' Sunday, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI stated, Indeed, mercy is the central nucleus of the Gospel message; it is the very name of God, the Face with which he revealed himself in the Old Covenant and fully in Jesus Christ, the incarnation of creative and redemptive Love. 57 Story ofa Soul, p. 208. All rights reserved. And so begins again that wonderful cycle of love and mercy: rccr/empty fiat/in magnificat/out ectf/emptyfiat/in magnificat/out. ivine Mercy Image Enthronement. For instance, its to hope against hope, like Abraham did when he was called to sacrifice Isaac, believing in the impossible, namely, that God could even raise Isaac from the dead. But if you dont, I will. But when they let him love them and let him have mercy on them (such as by making the Offering to Merciful Love), they, thereby, console him. And, again, the death Therese implicitly says in the flight of her soul to God as makes this point a bit more Diary: of love allows one to bypass purgatory as text of the Offering when she describes the being without any delay. Saint Faustina explicit in the following passage from her Gods mercy sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious way. the Love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dear Mother. Yet our rulers were just seeking to stone him? Yet she hoped against hope, trusting that God does exist and that he would make her into a great saint. Seraphims answer is very interesting. She knows that all our justice, that is, all our own efforts, are stained in Gods eyes. -- Week two: The little way -- Week three: The offering to merciful love -- Week four: Into the darkness -- Final five days: Synthesis and review Theyre spiritually blind. When I became conscious of this grace, I was instantly snatched up before the Throne of God. And this consoling love can make us into saints, even great saints. Become a Marian Missionary ofDirinc Mercy. And the essence of faith is to believe Gods Word. But tlacn, eventually, Id read something in Thereses writings that would give me hope. On the first night of the journey, before even reaching the place of her retreat, the vehemence of her love and sorrow broke the ties binding her to earth, and at the same moment the holy man saw her soul carried by angels to Gods 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 96 bosom. After your soul has filled, after your lungs have filled, you linger at the end of the fiat moment as you simply enjoy and take delight in his Merciful Love. The Chaplet is a kind of extension of the prayer of the Mass. On this same topic, St. Faustina wrote the following about herself: There is no soul more wretched than 1 am, as I truly know myself, and I am astounded that divine Majesty stoops so low (440). We saw how the Mass is our way of anticipating and partici pating in the perfect love of God for himself, and thereby, a way to become perfect ourselves. Its to see that Jesus Heart aches because he wants to pour out his Mercifiil Love to sinners, but so many just dont want to receive it. Therese had often heard of such victim souls to Gods justice, and she was deeply impressed with their generosity. In order to live in one single act of perfect Love, 1 OFFER MYSELF AS A VICTIM OF HOLO CAUST TO YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE, asking You to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within You to overflow into my soul, and that thus I may become a martyr of Your Love, O my God! Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to Love You and make You Loved, to work for the glory of WEEK THREE: The Offering to Merciful Love 85 Holy Church by saving souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory. Exciting 10-part series with DVD and workbook hosted and written by Fr. Alright, so, lets spend today reflecting on the six para graphs of the Offering that we covered today. How can it be true friendship if were the only ones in need? For, from the ecce moment, we eventually move to the fiat moment. Of course not! Instead of this I allowed myself to be wrapped in cotton wool and fattened up like a little bird that needs no penance. We no longer feel the need for forgiveness and mercy, but we justify ourselves and our behaviours. Saint John Paul II expressed the theology of consoling Jesus in what is probably the most profound papal statement on the topic. Why? Open the eyes of my heart with your love that I may see my need for your Merciful Love. Its all about remaining little and then arriving at the heights of holiness through the descending mercy of Jesus. There are several other passages like this from the Diary of St. Faustina (see 635, 848,965,1160,1588,1146). On Calvary, Marys Heart was pierced with a sword, as Simeon had foretold (see Lk 2:35). Language : ISBN-10 : 1596143452. and trans. What Is Trust? 158 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE As we learned in point one, the eternal God, in his divinity, doesnt need us. since the happy day, it seems to me that Love penetrates and surrounds me, that at each moment this Merciful Love renews me.179 Now, my prayer for you is that you also will experience such joy on your consecration day. Also, die image itself becomes a concrete realization of the invitation. On the same page, Foley goes into further detail about Zelies excessive fear and what it was like for her, growing up in a home that was dominated by a certain atmosphere of austerity, constraint and scrupulosity. 34 Full quote: She becomes emotional very easily. 110 Cited in ibid. Thats the moment when the priest at the altar takes the Body and Blood of Christ into his hands and offers it up to God the Father with these words: Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours forever and ever. And Abraham was willing to do it. Does this fact mean were unacceptable to the Lord? In other words, Febronie was perhaps like die sons of thunder in die Gospel, who wanted punishment and strict justice for sinners (see Lk 9:54). In odier words, its a rediscovery of die very heart of die Gospel. So, Satan, the Father of Lies, makes God look like a liar. Shes one of the most important people in my life because she saved my priestly vocation and gave me hope. 24 As well learn in Week Three of this retreat and elsewhere, consoling Jesus is an important part of St. Thereses spirituality. Seraphim interrupted my contentment: And how do you live trust? May this 196 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE message radiate from this place to our beloved homeland and throughout the world. So dont believe the voices of the world that say, Youre not important! Washington, DC 20002 U.S.A. wwTv.icspublications.org From With Empty Hands by Conrad de Meestcr, O.C.D. He will undoubtedly awaken before my great eternal retreat, but instead of being troubled about it this only gives me extreme pleasure. Help me to do three things: (1) recognize the darkness of my littleness, (2) keep trying to grow in holiness, and (3) keep trusting in your mercy. Okay, but in another sense, I think it could have something to do with perfection on our side. Anyway, Therese responds to Marie with her glorious Letter 197. She did so at the end of her autobiography with words we already read on Day 10, words that are worth repeating: Yes, I feel it; even though I had on my conscience all the sins that can be committed, I would go, my heart broken with sorrow, and throw myself into Jesus arms, for I know how much He loves the prodigal child who returns to Him.138 All the sins that can be committed. Think about that: That's a lot of sin. But we have to be willing to accept the cross of an ordinary life and cat the bread of daily darkness. In fact, in die very Gospel that records Jesus saying, I thirst from the Cross, on the very night he entered into his Passion, Jesus says to us, No longer do I call you slaves but I have called you friends (Jn 15:15). In fact, if most of our moral education comes from Hollywood and CNN and not from Sacred Scripture and Church teaching, then weve not formed our consciences properly, and what our conscience tells us will likely be wrong. Its recognizing, without giving up, that some struggles are chronic. Will you accept the rejected mercy that burns his Heart? I mean, look at who you are. She is therefore blessed, because she has believed, and continues to believe day after day during the years of the hidden life at Nazareth.16 So, the hidden life of the Holy Family all that time from Jesus childhood and adolescence that we hear almost nothing about in Sacred Scripture was not only hidden from us but, in a certain sense, was hidden from Mary, too! Maybe we think Therese is being too indulgent. Now what? RIEST FRIEND: A CONSECRATION TO DIVINE MERCY. This is one of the effects of original sin, one of its tragic consequences.7 And so, what the Catechism says about Adam and Eve, to one degree or an other, applies to us all: They become afraid of the God of whom they have conceived a distorted image .8 And w hat has become distorted about our image of God? 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