23 Ibid., 19. She tells us that Gods love for us is so great that he allows us to borrow his own love. For, indeed, the face is the window to the soul and, in a certain sense, most reveals the person. Journey with St. Therese of Lisieux and discover 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy, the stirring sequel to the Fr. 108 Cited in The Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux on Purgatory by Hubert van Dijk, ORC, trans. In fact, its a beautiful longing of love, a longing that purifies us at every moment and deepens our life of prayer. 201 Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose central desire was to quench the thirst of Jesus and console his Heart, expresses this idea best in her I thirst letter, which you can find in 33 Days to Morning Glory, pp. Theyre spiritually blind. Pages : 202 pages. In other words, it shows us what we are of our own sinful selves: empty, weak, and on the verge of passing out. I want no other Throne, no other Crown but Tou, my Beloved! But this greatness is not whats usually thought of as greatness. What? And while we find this key in words spoken about Mary at the time of the Visitation, the words themselves refer back to her response to the angel at the Annunciation. WEEK ONE: What Is Trust? Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Amen. They become possessed. Here, St. Therese is asking to become possessed by God. xl After my friend Mark called and told me that my next book needed to be on the Offering to Merciful Love, I knew what I had to do: Eat some humble pie. And his greatness is revealed in the fact that what most attracts him are the little souls: the humble, the weak, and the broken. Download Free PDF. Emphasis added. I offer You, too, all the merits of the saints (in heaven and on earth), their acts of Love, and those of the holy angels. However, if you trust in Jesus for the purpose of consoling him, then trust becomes an act of love. 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. An Age of Divine Mercy. Reverend Michael Gaitley's book, 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration, begins with a promise to disclose a "secret" form of knowledge based on Gnosticism. Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because 1 pour all the treasures of My graces into them. There are several other passages like this from the Diary of St. Faustina (see 635, 848,965,1160,1588,1146). 9 Diary, 731. What should I fear then?116 Good question. Tune into your breathing 4 or 5 times during the day, and be mindful of one or two full . Therefore, hes looking for families who will invite him into their homes and allow him to give them the love that so many other families reject. Emphasis added. 117 Ibid., p. 180. Retreat Coordinator; Small-group Leader; Stages . For instance, in the Church, the consecrated life refers to those who make vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience for the purpose of serving God according to the charism of a religious community. But more than a spiritual genius which she certainly is St. Therese is a prophet. In this way you will console My Heart. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Yes, it is as bad as that. Remember that image? Offering to Merciful Love by St. Therese of Lisieux O My God! Savor it for a moment before you let it go. But what does wound Jesus, Therese explains, is only when his friends, ignoring their continual indelicacies, make a habit out of them and dont ask forgiveness for them (cited in ibid., p. 189). The stirring sequel to Father Michael Gaitley's 33 Days to Morning Glory -- published just in time for the Jubilee Year of Mercy! An appropriate prayer for such an enthronement, which could be prayed after making the Offering and in front of the Image of Divine Mercy, is as follows: LEADER: Jesus, you said to St. Faustina: I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. Unveil for me the mystery at the heart of the Gospel, the mystery of the Heart of Christ: his tender mercy for sinners. ISBN-13 : 9781596143456 In other words, after he flattens us with his overwhelming love, God then lifts us up and fills us with his love so we actually can love him as he loves WEEK FOUR: Into the Darkness 99 ns. We can be set on fire. Let it be a sign for you. You can either use die Prayer of Consecration to Merciful Love, Thereses own Offering to Merciful Love, or botii.182 Whichever you use, I recommend that you recite die prayer after attending Mass or even after receiving Holy Communion (if theres time). Rather, its based on the judgment of Almighty God, who alone is truly great. Now, as our father in faith, Abraham is the complete opposite of our mother in doubt: Eve. In other words, whats most characteristic of humanity? Address: Be the first to receive exclusive offers and the latest news on our products and services directly in your inbox. that the more Ton want togive, the more You make us desire. 130 Ibid.,p. In the next para graph, its clear why she doesnt worry about merits: (7) In the evening of this life, I shall appear before You with empty hands, for I do not ask You, Lord, to count my works. Login to YUMPU News Login to YUMPU Publishing His brother, on the contrary, throws himself into his fathers arms, protesting that he is sorry for hurting him, that he loves him, and that to prove it he will be good from now on. Isnt that enough for you, given how weak and little you are? And when we dont fully believe that God is good, then we dont fully trust in him and thats a problem. 217 Ibid., 367. I suggest that the answer comes from what we learned on Day 6 of this retreat. Its realizing, widiout despairing, that WEEK TWO: The Little Way 57 they may be with us till our dying day. Celine chose one item that pleased her. Marv Seymour (Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2002), p. 45. 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. In other words, our acceptance of Christs gift of mercy and salvation is also a gift that we give to him. This Participant Packet is designed for those who would like to join a 33 Days to Morning Glory Small Group Retreat. Will Your Justice alone find souls willing to immolate themselves as victims? (See Appendix One.) Its diat simple. Father Michael masterfully summarizes their teaching, making it easy to grasp, and simple enough to put into . DAY 27 Therese's Darkness (Part One) Yesterday, we focused on the worlds darkness and the ways that we can help save the world through Divine Mercy. Lets begin by reviewing that scene: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgins name was Mary. Youre ready to breathe back out to the Lord your love and mercy, your praise and thanks. Why? 73 Therese believed she would become a great saint, but her faith and hope in this regard was not based on pride but, rather, humility, as is clear from the following passage: I considered that I was born for glory and when I searched out 182 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE the means of attaining it, God inspired in me the sentiments I have just described. I think back to the words of Gods servant John Paul I, who during a Wednesday audience said, The Lord loves humility so much that sometimes he permits serious sins. 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy 2016930904, 9781596143456. Finally, I believe, my God, that you can and will make me into a saint, even if I w'ont see it, even if I have to struggle all my life against vice and sin, even if I have to wait until the very end. But before I connect those dots for you, let me introduce a third friend. Alright, so how do we live that act of perfect love always as one act? Its to praise and thank God in all circumstances, because while we may not always understand his ways, we know and believe the love God has for us (1 Jn 4:16). I mean, it seems that Jesus is the one who needs to console me, not the other way around. (After all, thats part of our littleness.) Radier, its about finding happiness amid such dryness. Really tell them, Mother, that if I had committed all possible crimes, I would always have the same confidence. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. As we also learned on Day 13, St. Therese is a prophet w ho teaches us that in the present time of mercy, God w ants to work some of the greatest miracles of his mercy in the history of the WEEK FOUR: Into the Darkness 105 world. Its all about remaining little and then arriving at the heights of holiness through the descending mercy of Jesus. And so, she bore both of those temptations, and not just for a day but for more than a year. 165 See Story of a Soul, p. 270. When we give it, look out! All our justice is stained in Your eyes. Consoling the Heart of Jesus, and the new book 33 Days to Merciful Love. Based on the book, 33 Days to Merciful Love, by Fr. Why? That is why Abraham truly is our father in faith. I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly. Perhaps its influence came through her mother, Zelie, whose own mother was severely Jansenistic and used to hound her poor daughter with the litany, Thats a sin, thats a sin, thats a sin.33 But leaving aside the question of exacdy how Therese fell under Jansenisms influence, we can say this much: It affected her at a very young age. 166 Cited in Gaucher, p. 191. And this consoling love can make us into saints, even great saints. John Clarke, OCD, vol 2, 1890-1897. Francis choice of poverty affected rhe way his conscience judged him. So, whether you want to deepen your love of Divine Mercy or have a devotion to St. Therese, 33 Days to Merciful Love is the book for you. Emphasis added. Rather anticlimactically, its called Letter 197 in Thereses collected letters, and it offers some of the most consoling words Ive ever read. In this life, its a sweet longing and a particularly good thing. About the time the temptations to leave the seminary were the worst, I started reading Story of a Soul., the spiritual autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux. It was June 9, 1895 Trinity Sunday. 1511 The spirituality of offering ourselves along with Christ during the Through him, and with him, and in him supercharged moment of the Mass also provides us with an opportunity to simplify our prayer for others. In fact, the other school kids bullied her and made fun of this girl who didnt know how to join in their games and couldnt even comb her own hair.45 In the midst of her extreme loneliness and sensitivity, Therese deeply longed to be loved. As soon as you try to please Him in everything and have an unshakable trust He purifies you every moment in His love and He lets no sin remain. Its these kinds of ordinary sinners who often have to fight the temptation to doubt Gods tender love for diem and these are the fortunate ones! 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! In fact, St. Therese believed that for little souls who live the Little Way and make the Offering to Merciful Love, purgatory can easily he avoided. Lord, You know it, I have no other treasures than the souls it has pleased You to unite to mine; it is You who entrusted these treasures to me (Story ofa Soul, p. 254). It goes to the lowest place and raises up. God bless you. Christo pher OMahony. Using the same 33day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Therese of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. Its the Good News that Gods love is like water, which always goes to the lowest place. Again, as St. Therese said to the Lord, For me to love you as you love me, I would have to borrow your own love." But for that very reason, in a sense, God is giving us unprecedented grace. Go ahead. Love will not wear out the veil of my life. For instance, apart from what we cov ered on Day 7, why does St. Therese, the greatest saint of modern times, see herself as being such a little soul? And, actually, Therese is smiling at you now. Remember that Gods Merciful Love is like water: It rushes to the lowest place and Therese knew this. The awareness of this plunges me into deep recollection, without the slightest effort on my part. Indeed, her time in the convent truly was a hidden life full of the daily darkness we all experience. Its like this: We invite Jesus to come into our homes, and then, with die Image of Divine Mercy', diere he is! So, in times of darkness, when youre tempted to discouragement because of your own weakness, brokenness, and sin remember that smile. However, wed also be guilty of doing wrong because we hadnt taken the time and made the effort to form our conscience properly. During Mass, the young nun received the inspiration and burning desire to offer herself to Merciful Love. Rather, its a self-offering to God (a setting of oneself apart for God) dtat anyone can make whether the person is a member of die clergy, consecrated religious, or laity and they do it for the specific purpose ofglorifying Gods mercy. [I]f 1 had an infirmity such as hers, and so defective a spirit, Endnotes 181 I would not do any better than she does, and then I would despair (cited in The Context of Holiness, p. 44). ortege Friend: A Sequel to Marian Consecration. Its to hope against hope that the Lords Merciful Love goes out to us not because were perfect, strong, and without sin, but because were imperfect, weak, and sinful. I often communicate with persons who are dying and obtain the divine mercy' for them. 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