Just as your mercy is depicted in this image as going forth from your pierced Heart, surround our home with the rays of your mercy. Okay, so what do you need to do? I am certain, then, that You will grant my desires; I know, O my God! Its like this: Jesus suffers from a terribly painfill heart condition, so hes written for himself a prescription for medication that will relieve him of his agony. Well, I was losing that hope and felt tempted to give up. Well, everything. (See also ibid.) And so should you.'" More specifically, what is Divine Mercy? Maybe youre not quite ready. "37 Yes, singing is in order for in rediscovering the Gospel, Therese had also rediscovered the joy of the Gospel. For example, I once spent a year studying in a foreign country and had nowhere to go for Christmas. Well learn the reasons for diat during Week One of this retreat which brings me to die structure of this book and how it works. 3. 144 The whole citation is as follows: You see what you are of yourself, but do not be frightened at this. And diat may be die text youd like to use and pray with, even daily. Consider this: Jesus once told St. Faustina Saint Faustina If I were to reveal to you the whole misery that you are, you would die of terror.144 Now, I hesitate to bring up that quote, because 1 dont want little souls to begin beating themselves up and tailing into discouragement. Download Free PDF. Thereses advice is something weve already heard: Keep trying (As soon as you try to please Him in everything ). If this bilateral and reciprocal quality' is absent, our actions are not yet true acts of mercy, nor has there yet been fully completed in us that conversion to which Christ has shown us the way by His words and example, even to the Cross, nor are we yet sharing fully in the magnificent source of merciful love that has been revealed to us by Him (14). Login to YUMPU News Login to YUMPU Publishing And for this I had no need to grow up, but rather I had to remain little tend become this more and more.54 Question: When you read the lives of the saints, do they seem like eagles soaring on die heights while youre just a little bird that cant fly? 41 Cited in ibid., p. 42. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Although God does not need us, he chose to become one of us out of love: God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son (Jn 3:16). May we not be afraid to pray, Lire, here I am, O Lord. May we not give in to the lie that says were ugly to the Lord. It is this: As an age, with a river of heinous sin overflowing the banks of humanity, we have quite simply exhausted our reparative capacity to sate the demands of Divine Justice. Mother Agnes recalled the occasion during an interview: When she asked me this, her face was all lit up, as ifshe were on fire with love. I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am too small to 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 52 climb the rough stairway of perfection. For this is the Little Way of surrender, acceptance, and childlike trust taught by St. Therese of Lisicux. Specifically, I think I had in mind one of my favorite passages from her autobiography: Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude. 48 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE It teaches that few are saved, that you have to be perfect to go to Jesus, and that you must earn his love, especially by multiply ing great works and painful sacrifices. 25 Story ofa Soul, p. 188. Michael Gaitley)-Consecration to Merciful Love Certificate -Prayer of Consecration to Merciful Love prayer card-St. Thrse card (limite As we learned earlier, Thereses way is not that of merit but of mercy and of love. All of these perfec tions appear to be resplendent with love-, even His Justice (and perhaps this even more so than the others) seems to me clothed in love. I offer them to You with gladness, begging You to look upon me only in the Face of Jesus and in His heart burning with Love. Rather, I mean its easy to bypass purgatory and go straight to heaven, like the saints do. Seraphims answer is very interesting. It was about trusting amid the darkness of not seeing the goal, not desiring the goal, and not feeling the slightest bit of joy at the thought of the goal. When we say, Let it be done to me, were allowing Gods Merciful Love to come pouring down into our weak, sinful souls. Blessing Recall that, according to St. John Paul II, a kind of'key' unlocks for us the innermost reality of Mary. That key is the blessing of Elizabeth at the Annunciation: Blessed is she who believed that w hat was spoken to her by the Lord w'ould be fulfilled (Lk 1:45). All that rejected mercy will soon be yours. Nor did she hear about the Child Jesus going around town changing water into apple juice and multiplying cookies. But for now, today, lets console Jesus and live out our trust in Gods mercy by making a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving with Mary. For instance, after years of not going to Confession, people say things like, Look, Father, Im a good person. In odier words, 1 encourage them, with their families, to solemnly invite Jesus, die King of Mercy, to reign in their homes and then to use die image as a sign, symbol, and reminder of this invitation. The most obvious one is the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday. So, blame Abraham! Her Divine Son, my Beloved Spouse, told us in the days of His mortal life: What soever you ask the Lather in my name he will give it to you!" 4.9 out of 5 stars . Mary' said, Behold (Ecce), I am the handmaid of the Lord (Lk 1:38). One more thing regarding the last objection: When we take the graces that others dont want, were actually giving them a second chance to receive those graces. According to Fr. Thats why Jesus asked St. Faustina to paint an image of Divine Mercy with the signature, Jesus, I trust in you.78 Its because in this present WEEK TWO: The Little Way 63 time of mercy, Jesus wants to work the great miracle of forming the littlest of souls into the greatest of saints. My power is made perfect in weakness. Yet Abraham was ready to go through with it. For example, a Carmelite nun (like St. Therese) makes religious vows so as to be set apart for God and to love and serve him through a life of contemplative prayer. Be happy like Therese, who believed that He will undoubtedly awaken before my great eternal retreat. Be happy like Therese, who, despite feeling far from being a saint, trusted that God would eventually make her into a great one. In this way you will console My Heart.169 The Catch Alright, but if we offer ourselves to Merciful Love, whats the catch? Copyright 1982 by Washington, Province of Discalced Carmelites ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E. Its basically where we turn to the Lord and, feeling sorry for him, invite him to come in. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, author of the popular book Consoling the Heart of Jesus, comes an extraordinary 33-day journey to Marian consecration with four giants of Marian spirituality: St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II. Maybe its just the big way wrapped in a sugar-coated crust and a flowery rhetoric. And with that, Id get discouraged. Well, consider the following. The Letter to the Hebrews expresses it best: By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only-begotten son, of whom it was said, Through Isaac shall your descendants be named. He considered that God was able to raise men even from the dead (Heb 11:17-19). Of course, as weve already learned, St. Therese helps us with this. (2) It doesnt clearly highlight all of the teachings weve covered during this retreat. What should I fear then?188 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 146 Again, Therese chose to see everything through the lens of mercy. What about your family?213 In die next section, Ill explain how you and your family can invite Jesus, the Divine Mercy, into your home and, then, how you can enthrone the Image of Divine Mercy there as well. 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. An Age of Divine Mercy. That was St. Thereses intention in making it, and it should be our intention as well. For, from the ecce moment, we eventually move to the fiat moment. Well, what I mean by solemnly inviting Jesus, the Divine Mercy, into our homes is somewhat similar. In other words, like most of us, she not only knew herself to be weak and imperfect (more on that in the next point), but she knew what it was like to live in an age of secularism and doubt. Your soul will draw more profit from it than if, carried by grace, you would accomplish with enthu siasm heroic actions that would fill your soul with per sonal satisfaction and pride.64 ii In sum, then, the Little Way is often a little way of darkness. Were all sinners! In fact, w'e may even be congratulating ourselves: Oh, thank goodness Im not like those spiritually blind people. It doesnt seem to make any sense, right? And this is the very definition of mercy, which the parable of the Good Samaritan seems to reveal most clearly: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Well, shortly after entering the seminary, I began to feel that even S Introduction 17 the quickest and easiest path was not enough for me, which was a problem. And also, In one instant the Lord gave me a knowledge of the sins committed throughout the whole world during these days. I further recommend concluding such a prayer by praying a Divine Mercy Chaplet. Celine chose one item that pleased her. station19.cebu In other words, now is the time of mercy. But know that your decision is going to cost you some work. I suggest that the answer comes from what we learned on Day 6 of this retreat. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. Why dont you just leave great holiness to the great souls? Youll be purified by love and, if you live die Litde Way and die Offering, you need have no fear of purgatory.180 Moreover, your heart will receive healing graces that will make it more sensitive and compassionate to die suffering of others. However, I can suggest a way of renewing it with every breath. O my Jesus, let me be this happy victim; consume Your holocaust with the fire of your Divine Love!91 From this beautiful prayer, we begin to arrive at the essence of the Offering to Merciful Love. 38-39. In fact, she even told the Lord, [H]ere on earth, I cannot conceive of a greater immensity of love than the one which it has pleased You to give to me freely, without any merit of my part. How do we do it? Jesus is so fatigued with always having to take the initiative and to attend to others that He hastens to take advantage of the repose I offer to Him. They sincerely dont realize that theyre sinners. There, Marys Immaculate Heart was pierced with a sword as she beheld the agony of her Son. But thats why I called. I asked him what he meant. We dont have to be perfect to go to him. Read the latest magazines about 33-Days-to-Merciful-Love-A- and discover magazines on Yumpu.com XX English Deutsch Franais Espaol Portugus Italiano Romn Nederlands Latina Dansk Svenska Norsk Magyar Bahasa Indonesia Trke Suomi Latvian Lithuanian esk Unknown Okay, but why? Of course, theres a big catch when it comes to the offering to Divine Justice: lots of suffering! Pope Francis calls this sinful situation corruption: Corruption is die sin which, rather than being recognised as such and rendering us humble, is elevated to a system; it becomes a mental habit, a way of living. The Little Way is about the compassion of Jesus (heart), who sees rhe suffering of little souls who long to attain the heights of holiness but who are too little to climb the rough stairway of perfection. Its about the action of Jesus (arms), who reaches down out of pity and picks up trusting little souls to place them on the heights. Will you accept the rejected mercy that burns his Heart? I desire that these souls distin guish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. 170 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE Because Jesus was so moved by St. Thereses ardent love for him, he gave her a beautiful insight into the mystery of his Heart. 68 Cited in ibid., p. 222, 69 Cited in ibid., p. 93. And as I mentioned earlier, he wants us to be on fire with love. Also, keep in mind that the alternative is terrible: a cold, hard, and distant heart that resists suffering with others, that resists being part of the Christian life of love. We give it back to God as an exhaled magnificat. Without me, you are nothing. 65 Wlekti-irle. JI jf'ARrs Three Words. But there arc other days that have a special connection to Divine Mercy diat would also be appropriate as 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 22 consecration days. The retreat book, 33 Days to Morning Glory, is . Capture a web page as it appears now for use as a trusted citation in the future. But maybe youre looking for something even more compact. Although Therese certainly felt capable of committing grave sin, she believed diat Gods mercy had preserved her from it.135 Also, one could easily 94 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE conclude chat her venial sins were not deliberate. Sec die full quote, which refers to the Paschal mystery, but has to do with all that [Christ] did: His Paschal mystery is a real event that occurred in our history, but it is unique: all other historical events happened once, and then they pass away, swallowed up in the past. Its the truth that God loves us, that God loves you, no matter what. Handmade at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy with top-quality wood, canvas, and inks. I choose to remain always little, not relying on my own merits but solely on yours, dear Lord, and those of the Blessed Mother. We give him what we can, and hes happy with that. Remember Sr. Febronie? I want to give myself to souls and to fill them with My love, but few there are who want to accept all the graces My love has intended for them. (After all, how could someone be fully human without desiring to be loved?) So, when we keep trying and keep trusting, God purifies [us] every moment in His love and He lets no sin remain. Okay, so that covers two of our three things for living the Little Way that we learned on Day 11: Keep trying and keep trusting. In other words, do they seem like towering mountains while youre just a small grain of sand? Then, perhaps, when the son was ready to speak, he spoke. But why couldnt he work the big ones? But if that's not enough, then please consider Thereses own words about making the Offering to Merciful Love as a little soul: I am only a child, powerless and weak, and yet it is my weakness that gives me the boldness of offering myself as VICTIM of Tour Love, 0 Jesus! When, on one occasion, instead of interior prayer, I took up a book of spir itual reading, I heard these words spoken distinctly and forcefully within my soul, You will prepare the world for My final coming. So, behold, O Lord, I come here to console you, even as you are about to die. This humble confidence consoles Jesus right at the moment he breathes his last. 41 DAY 7 New Eve of Light and Life This week, weve been looking at the meaning of trust, the heart of which comes through the examples of Abraham and Mary, who were blessed because they believed that what God had promised diem would be fulfilled. 91 Ibid., pp. trans. Then, tomorrow, well reflect on the rest of the Offering. faithful by numerous Popes. Clearly, our world needs saving. Fourth, my thanks go out to all those who prayed for this work, particularly Sr. Mary John Paul Asemota, O. Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it (1854-1855). 76 Niels Christian Hvidt, Christian Prophecy: The Post-Biblical Tradition (Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press, 2007), p. vii. And now I am simply resigned to see myself always imperfect and in this I find my joy. 147 Ibid., p. 256. Seraphim, it means praise and thanksgiving. It means to praise and thank God in all things. John Clarke, OCD, 3rd ed. By this, I mean that when you make the Offering, you could also solemnly put up an Image of Divine Mercy' in a place of honor in your home (if D 174 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE you dont already have an image there). Whats the word he speaks as he knocks at the heart of every man? He pours out his life for us in his Passion and Death and we complain about a headache. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in hisgoodness6 So, according to the Catechism, its all about trust. There, we need to accept all 10, without exception. Now, dont worry. Of course, we know that at the Annunciation she believed Gods Word, hoping against hope that she w'ould become the mother of the Son of God through a virginal conception. 219 Ibid., 1017. As we learned on Day 13, in many ways were living in a time of unprecedented dark ness and evil. Well talk about Marys song of faith and praise tomorrow. The elevator which must raise me to heaven is Your arms, O Jesus! Yes. Its about accepting diat we are to put up with ourselves with all the darkness of our weakness, brokenness, and sin widiout getting discouraged. 109 Cited in van Dijk. In other words, its a setting of oneself apart for God for the purpose of becoming an instrument of his mercy through Mary, the Mother of Mercy. Y26-SGSBK book Y26-EBSGSBK Divine Mercy in the Second Greatest Story (DVD and Guidebook) New! Her loving confidence in our Lord made her extraordinarily daring in the things she asked him for. (Then, ifyoud like, you can pray St. Thereses text ofthe Offering to Merciful Love on your own.) 177 See Ahern, p. 84. And so, the Lord sometimes permits that little souls remain in the dark ness of certain vices or sins so they wont fall into worse ones, like die sin of pride. Well, thats when Fr. Download/Read PDF 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Divine Mercy Consecration Full Edition by Michael E. Gaitley. Michael Gaitley and based on his bestselling book The Second Greatest Story Ever Told. In fact, in a sense, its sometimes better that little souls arent successful. Yes, in the midst of an ordinary, mundane life, she had extraor dinary faith, hope, and love that are accessible to us all. 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