Next week, were going to start learning about St. Therese and her spiritual doctrine, which builds on this weeks scriptural foundation. )187 These words speak for themselves. 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. I found hope. Divine Mercy in My Soul Paperback Y26-NBFD Compact edition Y26-DNBF Deluxe LeatherBound Edition Y26-DDBURG Audio Diary Mp3 Edition Y26-ADMP3 DivineMercyArt.com Top Quality Religious Art at Merciful Prices! Remember Sr. Febronie? My love discovers die charms Of your Face adorned with tears. All our justice is stained in Your eyes. After all, the nature of love is to humble itself. And so, the Little Way is, in a certain sense, the best path for giving God the greatest glory. Did the mortal sickness that devoured Thereses poor lungs also affect her brain? 29 every little thing. A.J. Now, as our father in faith, Abraham is the complete opposite of our mother in doubt: Eve. 137 See Use Power of Confidence, p. 241, and Gaucher, p. 172. 198 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 160 Regarding the power of little souls to save the world, Jesus told St. Faustina: For your sake I will withhold the hand which punishes; for your sake I bless the earth (Diary, 431). Although this may not seem scary to others, its making me nervous. But when Marys Immaculate Heart was pierced, it became an instrument ofgrace that opens hearts to receive Gods mercy (see Lk 2:35). So, imagine if at least three more of us lived the Offering to Merciful Love to the full! We give ourselves to you and ask you to share with us your Immaculate Heart. Of course, we know the rest of the story. During Mass, it hit me like a ton of bricks that we need a consecration to Divine Mercy7, and I think you should write it. Nothing has ever hit me so strongly. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows he was despised, and we esteemed him not: as one destroyed (cf. (See the Resource Pages at the back of this book for more informa tion.) Alright, so when it came time for me to write my licentiate thesis (a big research paper for a degree in theology that most people have never heard of), I decided to take it as an opportunity to get off the roller coaster. I say that because the word distrust reminds us that we have a trust problem. Now, before I explain APPENDIX ONE: Living the Offering 161 what it is, 1 should first say something about spiritual commun ions in general. Its that moment at Mass when, in spiritual union with the priest at the altar, all the baptized can hold up Christs perfect sacrifice of love to the Father as their own sacrifice. Thats what we regoing to explore this week. Recall that in the France of Thereses day, the heresy of Jansenism had a deep influence on Catholic spirituality. From Gods perspective, though, the truly great souls are the little souls, because they allow Gods greatest attribute, his mercy, to shine forth most fully. But if you dont, I will. Having said that, I will also include some of the teach ings of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, another great saint of mercy whose mission was closely related to that of St. Therese? And if we exist simply to glorify God, then it seems that little souls enable God to manifest his glory even moreso than other souls. So really, the lack is on the side of sinful humanity but we can help make up for that. Finally, Mary, protect and preserve our family in love, so that one day, we may rejoice togedier with you and all the saints in the communion of the eternal Family of Love Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I mean, if we receive all the rejected mercy that other souls dont want, whats that going to cost us? In fact, this freedom of choice is part of the beautiful diversity of the Christian life, and its something that St. Therese very much appreciated. Put differently, we just need to remember to do three things: (1) Recognize, (2) Trust, and (3) Try. In this way you will console My Heart.169 The Catch Alright, but if we offer ourselves to Merciful Love, whats the catch? What if he wanted to give us a special gift of holiness in our day? The Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy (MMDM) is for people who really want to get into mercy as a spirituality. For instance, God had called Abraham (who was then named Abram) from lais home country: Go from your country and 30 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE your kindred and your fathers house to die land that I will show you. I mean, even if we have plenty of accomplishments and beautiful selfies, there will still be that self-accusing ache that creeps in and says, Youve not attained a destiny of greatness. Get Book . Quite the contrary', in fact. First, Therese Martin grew up in a France that was deeply affected by the Jansenist heresy, a heresy that teaches a joyless moral rigorism, emphasizing fear and justice, punishment and severity, judgment and condemnation. But then, when we have to endure the torture of being quiet and alone in our own rooms,151 we realize that in the eyes of the world, were not so important or attractive. It doesnt seem to make any sense, right? Also, according the spiritual theologian, Jordan Aumann, OP, it is necessary to distinguish between venial sins committed out of weakness, surprise, or lack of advertence and deliberation, and those that are com mitted coldly and with complete awareness that one thereby displeases God (Spiritual Theology [Huntington, Ind. All of these perfections appear to be resplendent with love-, even His Justice (and perhaps this even more so titan the others) seems to me clothed in love. Well learn more about that tomorrow. Let me put it this way. And therefore although the angels feed on Christ spiritually, yet it does not belong to them to eat this sacrament spiritually. How can such a seemingly unimportant woman be so amazingly blessed? Indeed, her time in the convent truly was a hidden life full of the daily darkness we all experience. At that very moment I felt in my soul the power of Jesus grace, which dwells in my soul. 81-83 to learn more about how she lived a spirituality of consoling Jesus.) And he goes on to make God look jealous, selfish, and conniving: For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God . In short, Satan casts doubt on Gods goodness, making him look evil and untrustworthy. We also have to keep trying to grow' in holiness. And I believe that this is a kairos: this time is a kairos of mercy. Describing diis grace, she writes: The work I had been unable to do in ten years was done by Jesus in one instant, contenting himself with my good will which was never lacking. She remembers the experience as folloyvs: What [the priest] told us was frightening. Todays Prayer: Spend the day pondering the Offering to Merciful Love as it is summarized in these three words: Relate, See, and Smile. Ah I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire, but, Lord, are You not all-powerful'! I want to work for Your Love alone widi the one purpose of pleasing You, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally. Itll just be an act of the will in the depths of our hearts and thats just fine with Jesus. Let me explain. 172 Cited in van Dijk. Simply recall what Therese had told her novice, Sr. Marie of the Trinity, who had asked if even she could hope to get to heaven right away after dying. 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. Search the history of over 778 billion That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You (327). The word magnanimity comes from the Latin words magnus, meaning great, and animus, meaning soul. So, its a kind of great-souled-ness that moves a person to aim high in the spiritual life. Make the Sign of the Cross 2. 77 Saint Louis de Montfort also taught that God would raise up in our time, from among the weak and broken, great saints, who shall surpass most of the other saints. See 33 Days to Morning Glory, pp. 570. He spoke about mortal sin, and he described a soul in the state of sin and how much God hated it. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Now youll need the right prayer. Amen. 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 72 Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Really. But don't worry if this is your first group retreat from Hearts Afire and you haven't gone through Stages One and Two you can still do . Journey with St. Therese of Lisieux and conclude with a consecration to Divine Mercy in a 33 day preparation retreat--Includes bibliographical references (pages 177-202) Week one: What is trust? Knowing that we all have a distorted image of God as a result of original sin (see Day 1), Jesus wants to heal that distortion by giving us a true image of his mercy for our time. Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of Gods law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him. Its simple. God made himself vulnerable in Jesus Christ he put himself in need of our love and mercy for the sake offriendship. After all, she lived in the same convent as Therese. 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. Then, beginning tomorrow, well spend one foil week in an Advent-like time of hope-filled darkness before reviewing everything weve learned and then actually' making the Offering. 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. I mean, it doesnt take that many people to save the world. Using the same 33-day 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. Is Your disdained Love going to remain closed up within Your Heart? It focuses on the twin and mutually complementary themes of love and luminosity- the core of Islamic mysticism. Carmelite Sisters of New York of Conscils et Souvenirs (Rock ford, Hi. Yes, in the midst of an ordinary, mundane life, she had extraor dinary faith, hope, and love that are accessible to us all. Whats the word he speaks as he knocks at the heart of every man? The most obvious one is the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday. But when we get too big in other words, when we dont fully and confidently abandon ourselves to God in this life then we have to endure useless sufferings, we have to endure the fire of purgatory. But Therese wants us to avoid it, and she believes that God wants us to avoid it, too. Christo pher OMahony. But hers is not die unhealdiy preoccupation with suffering that marked her early religious life. And what happens next? 61-62. Also, dont worry if your family is not perfect. At the same time, it consoles her. 219 Ibid., 1017. [Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1982], p. 114). Therese had responded, Yes! Yet hes silently nursing at my breast? And thats the beauty of Thereses path. (See Rom 5:5.) 222 Diary, 327. Specifically, he appeared to St. Faustina and told her to paint an image of himself with the words Jesus, I trust in you at the bottom. But here God was calling on Abraham to sacrifice Isaac! 115 Day 30: The Little Way. 117 Day 31: The Offering 120 Day 32: The Darkness 122 Day 33: Putting It All Together . 125 DAY OF CONSECRATION: The Happy Day .131 AFTER CONSECRATION: The Lens of Mercy . So, for what its w'orth, my own testimony is that die Offering to Merciful Love, the Little 132 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE Way of mercy, the rediscovery of the Gospel that St. Therese shares with us truly is a formula for happiness even amid great darkness. Its the truth that God loves us, that God loves you, no matter what. 149-150). If God grants my desires, my heaven will be spent on earth until the end of time. Shop now. I mean, it was no longer just about trusting in Gods promise that he would raise her to the heights. WetkTwo The Little Way Last week, we covered the biblicalfoundation ofSt. Before we get to that, heres something that may be even more shocking: As St. Therese was dying, because she believed what she taught, because she believed that she would be a great saint, she herself collected the clippings of her nails and invited her sister Pauline (Mother Agnes) to take them, presumably to 58 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE be used as relics!67 Also, she encouraged the other sisters to keep the rose petals that had touched her crucifix, saying, They will help you perform favors later on; dont lose one of them.68 What? 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 Y26-SGOVD For our complete line of books, prayercards, pamphlets, and more, visit ShopMercy.org or call 1-800-462-7426. Obscured text at back cover due to sticker. However, the idea of consoling Jesus (the Head of his body)194 sometimes causes difficulties for people. Its basically where we turn to the Lord and, feeling sorry for him, invite him to come in. Its to allow our hearts to become more like die heart of St. Francis of Assisi, who, in his great compassion for Jesus, went around weeping and crying out loud, Love is not loved! So, what about Marys faith? Moreover, by striving to quench his thirst for love, by loving him in return, we have mercy on him. Self publishing . Good for St. Therese. Divine Mercy Consecration in General. Specifically, like Sr. Marie of Jesus, they would often come down with some illness that would cause terrible suffering and an agonizing death. First, the Image of Divine Mercy' speaks directly to the main purpose of the Offering, which is to console or have mercy on the Heart of Jesus. Hes looking for families who want to receive his gifts of mercy, love, peace, and joy. After all, only the merciful will be shown mercy (see Mt 5:7, 18:2135). As she herself put it, compared to Gods love for her, her love for him is not even a drop of dew lost in the ocean!145 And the deeper she delved into the mystery of Gods love for her, the more she realized she couldnt compete.146 She clearly understood that she couldnt love God as he loved her. 123 Cited in The Power of Confidence, p. 302. They sincerely dont realize that theyre sinners. Its truly amazing. Well, it was only after I discovered the Litde Way and offered myself to Merciful Love more than 15 years ago diat I began to experience true peace and joy a peace and joy diat remain with me even to diis day. May they show us that in the light of Gods Merciful Love, the darkness of sin (repented sin) is not so dark after all. He will know how He can come and get you. He can get Sr. Marie, St. Therese, and all little souls by preparing us in one instant to appear before him.126 And so, without any fear, Therese comes to the Offering itself: WEEK THREE: The Offering to Merciful Love 89 (9) In order to Live in one single act of perfect Love, I OFFER MYSELF AS A VICTIM OF HOLOCAUST TO YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE, asking You to con sume 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! Were sorry for our sins, and we ask for the grace to be merciful to one another in our deeds, words, and prayers. Its a beautiful thing to be moved by the suffering of our neighbor. Still, having said that, traditional Catholic spiritual wisdom teaches that the virtue of humility is supposed to keep magnanim ity in check. For the next eight days (the Introduction and Week One St. Louis de Montfort), we'll begin our time with this Retreat Companion with the Angelus. I say that because, while she was not physically crucified at Calvary, she did suffer a kind of spiritual crucifixion. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. You breathe into him your praise and thanks, the love and mercy that his blood and water have given you. 169 Diary, 367. It means not settling for complacency or mediocrity or the attitude that says, Well, thats just who I am. In other words, it means striving to be faithful to examining our consciences every day. To help heal our trust issues with God, on the initial day of this retreat, lets turn our attention to one of the great aposdes of mercy for our time, a kindred soul to St. Therese: St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Well, thats where St. Therese comes in as a prophet. Yes, Jesus wants us to receive the grace that makes us holy, and when we do, it consoles him, as he told St. Faustina: I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. However, at this point, perhaps some of us are experiencing at least something of St. Faustina Kowalskas own sentiments: It seems to me as though Jesus could not be happy without me, nor could I, without Him. I also promise victory over (its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. This moment in feels great, especially if weve held empty lungs for 10 to 20 seconds. May the binding promise of the Lord Jesus be fulfilled: from here there must go forth the spark which wall prepare the world for his final coming (see Diary, 1732). In fact, their aim is to do little things withgreat love. Jesus doesn't just want good people he wants saints. 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. Although the reality' of Gods mercy for sinners is beyond the power of words to express, St. Faustina does try to lift the veil of the mystery in the following passages from her Diary. 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33 days to merciful love retreat companion pdf