He lives and works on Eden Hill in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, home of the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy. Bur dont be afraid, for as well now see, this ocean is a wonderful thing to experience. Its a beautiful thing to weep with those who weep (Rom 12:15) and to comfort those who are in any affliction with the same con solation we have received in Christ (see 2 Cor 1:4). Infinite harshness? In other words, may it help us to trust Gods promises and even to hope against hope. Copyright 1982 by Washington, Province of Discalced Carmelites ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E. Is 53:3-5). And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Whenever it was, weve all experienced Gods love and how real that love is. It focuses on the twin and mutually complementary themes of love and luminosity- the core of Islamic mysticism. So, die key element of what die Church calls perfect contrition is that its motivated by love for God and a desire not to offend him or let him down. Ignatius with the teachings of Saints Thercse of Lisieux, Faustina Kowalska, and Louis de Montfort. 2M Ibid. Because such suffering, by its very nature, is other-directed. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! 187 Cited in The Power of Confidence, p. 228. Unlike 33 Days to Morning Glory, this book does not include four weeks with four different saints. In other words, what we think is right and wrong may not actually be whats truly right and wrong. Because Marys suffering at Cavalry was the suffering of compassion. It is a long, slippery slope that cannot be iden tified simply as a series of sins. Its the truth that God loves us, that God loves you, no matter what. Here I am, Lord. You continue: Here I am, Lord, with all my sinfulness, weaknesses, and attachments. I understand, however, that all souls cannot be the same, that it is necessary there be different types in order to honor each of Gods perfections in a particular way. To be litde is also to not attribute to oneself the virtues that one practices, believing oneself capable of anything, but to recognize that God places this treasure AFTER CONSECRATION: The Lens of Mercy 145 of virtue in the hands of His little child, to be used when necessary; but it remains always Gods treasure. 179 Story ofa Soul, p. 181. For that, Im only giving you two options: Thereses actual text or the Prayer of Consecration to Merciful Love.178 (Of course, you can certainly pray both.) More specifically, what is Divine Mercy? In fact, her sister Pauline (Mother Agnes) wrote: The fear of offending God poisoned Thereses existence at the beginning of her religious life.40 Jansenism poisoned Thereses early religious life not only by creating in her an excessive fear of offending God but also by causing her to develop an unhealthy preoccupation with WEEK TWO: The Little Way 49 suffering. 61-62). Of course, theres a big catch when it comes to the offering to Divine Justice: lots of suffering! A related quote from Pope Francis came during an interview on the plane ride back from World Youth Day in Brazil on July 28, 2013: 1 believe that this is the season of mercy. It happened during my freshman year. Y26-33DAY book Y26-EB330AY The 'One Thing' Is Three Learn the key to the Churchs wisdom and the greatest mystery of the Catholic faith: the Most Holy Trinity. He believed Gods promise, even to the extent of hoping against hope (Rom WEEK ONE: What Is Trust? Really. So, what may seem to us like a hopeless case for instance, a person stuck in die cycle of addiction or someone with an insufferable temperament may in fact be a hidden saint, particularly loved by God because of their humility and unseen efforts. However, I can suggest a way of renewing it with every breath. Alright, so we simply remain litde and then wait for die Lord to stoop down, take us into his arms, and raise us to die heights, right? Thankfully, he was overjoyed to hear of my change of heart and enthusias tically gave me the green light. So, if we object, then maybe were simply looking for justice. 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. ISBN-13 : 9781596143456 His loving gaze is fixed on us night and day and we hardly look at him. 29 See Catechism, 494. There must be a path for little souls like her: a straight, short, and totally new way. 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. Okay, so with that in mind, now reflect on the idea that Mary probably has more motherly love in her Immaculate Heart than all other mothers combined. Indeed, the Offering to Merciful Love is not to offer oneself to divine Justice and its harsh punishments. To one degree or another, as sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, we all have a trust prob lem. Now, according to Therese, we dont fully borrow the Lords perfect love until we get to heaven by heaven, I mean both heaven-heaven (where we go when we die) and heaven-on-earth (where we go on Sundays). (3) 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. 276-277. Again, because Mary is the New Eve. The greatness of Its majesty pierced me deeply, and I did not dare to repeat my entreaties. It was there, in the midst of die most terrible darkness, that we paradoxically sec the luminous blessing of Elizabedi shine fordi with ever-greater glory: Blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled! Yes, blessed is she who believed at the foot of the Cross. 112-13. 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! 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 78 DAY 18 No Purgatory? And its not pride to hope for it.73 Rather, its humility. You do a great injury to God in believing youre going to purgatory. In other words, were probably numbered 102 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE among the ordinary people. If that describes you, then thank the Lord. So, youll want to go over the daily reading each morning or the night before. And now I am simply resigned to see myself always imperfect and in this I find my joy. 147 Ibid., p. 256. Given these two statements of Sr. Genevieve (above and in the body text), I dare say that she may have a deeper and more nuanced grasp of Endnotes 185 the nature of the suffering that comes with the Offenng to Merciful Love than does her sister Pauline (Mother xAgnes of Jesus), who simply testified that, according to Therese, to give yourself to love was to give yourself up to suffering (By Those Who Knew Her, p. 47). I myself will attend to the sanctification of such souls. 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. Now, Eves first mistake was that she listened to a liar the Father of Lies. And his greatness is revealed in the fact that what most attracts him are the little souls: the humble, the weak, and the broken. So, youve made your consecration to Divine Mercy (your Offering to Merciful Love). (After all, thats part of our littleness.) Radier, its about finding happiness amid such dryness. Seraphim, it means praise and thanksgiving. It means to praise and thank God in all things. Yes, I believe. Saint John Paul II expressed the theology of consoling Jesus in what is probably the most profound papal statement on the topic. Undoubtedly this stemmed from my cowardliness, for I could have, like Celine, found a thou sand ways of making myself suffer. Therese of Lisieux, trans. 161 Story ofa Soul, p. 214. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus garden.185 So, the diversity of authentic spiritualities within the Church is pleasing to Jesus. (Mass is highly recommended but not essential.) 219 Ibid., 1017. Trust in God, who is Love and Mercy itself. I desire, in a word, to be a saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God! Includes: Retreat Companion (workbook with daily and weekly questions, written by Fr. Oh, how beyond compre hension is Gods mercy! What? Now youll need the right prayer. In fact, it becomes an act of perfect love, because perfect love, like perfect contrition, is concerned with the Lords Heart. (1698). As we learned earlier, Thereses way is not that of merit but of mercy and of love. The most obvious one is the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday. Another way that die Divine Mercy' Image goes perfecdy with the Family Offering is that it serves as a reminder of our invitation to Jesus to come into our homes with his mercy. After all, maybe he could have gotten the number down to just three. So, her aim is to love God with his own perfect love. 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. 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. So, Satan, the Father of Lies, makes God look like a liar. After all, the very definition of compassion is to suffer with. But this kind of suffering is not so scary. It goes to the lowest place and raises up. Its the Good News that Gods ways are not our ways, that God isnt attracted to our gifts, virtues, and talents, but rather, to our weakness, brokenness, and sin. Its supposed to pull back great desires for holiness, like reining in a horse. Father Michael masterfully summarizes their teaching, making it easy to grasp, and simple enough to put into . Saint Faustina writes something similar: 1 want to live in the spirit of faith. Michael Browner 103 Cited in The Power of Confidence, p. 344. by Michael E. Gaitley Paperback . Think of that. 220 Regardless of the day on which this offering is first made, its a good idea to renew it on Divine Mercy Sunday, which is a day of great grace and the preeminent feast for the devotion to Divine Mercy. She just wants us to believe in God and trust in his mercy. Emphasis added. All that rejected mercy will soon be yours. But how did she do it? DAY 21 The Offering (Part Two) Yesterday, we covered the first four paragraphs of the text of the Offering to Merciful Love. This becomes clear through her letters of the time. Shes telling you not to be afraid. Youre nothing." Abram believed Gods Word, and off he went. Help me to believe in God and his love for me, even when the darkness surrounds me. 129 Story of a Soul, pp. Why not? She appeared ravishingly beautiful and had a heavenly smile.164 Remember that smile. 207-8. My power is made perfect in weakness. I thought I completely understood. He knew that the Offering to Merciful Love is not well known. the Love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dear Mother. Indeed, there is nodiing that is sweeter, nor more terrible." Let me explain. 158 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE As we learned in point one, the eternal God, in his divinity, doesnt need us. Yes, I know it may seem that Gods love would destroy us. AFTER CONSECRATION: The Lens of Mercy 149 Marian missionaries - ----- ------ Divine of --------------------------- mercy 3. And thats a big deal. Of course, this does not mean that little souls can never be successful in the practice of virtue, but when they are, Therese describes what their attitude should be: To be little is also to not attribute to oneself the virtues that one practices, believing oneself capable of anything, but to recognize that God places this treasure of virtue in the hands 180 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE of His little child, to be used when necessary; but it remains always Gods treasure (ibid., p. 228). And all this, again, gets back to the heart of Sacred Scrip ture, which is saturated with mercy. Fr. Let me explain. No. And thats the beauty of Thereses path. Whats the word of the Lord for usl Its the word of the Cross. How can we have a deep, personal relationship widi him if were the only ones suffering? Whats going to hap pen to us? We console him by loving him, letting him love us, and by allowing him to have mercy on us and save us. And, actually, Therese is smiling at you now. So, in times of darkness, when youre tempted to discouragement because of your own weakness, poverty, and sin remember that smile. But how do we console him? And whats the heart of the Gospel? In fact, you might say that die self revelation of God through the burning bush as I AM advances to the self-revelation of God through the burning love of the Cross as /thirst" (Jn 19:28). And as we do, Therese tells us that God will be conquered by [our] futile efforts and will then descend the stairway, gather us into his arms, and take us to the heights.63 So, Thereses point seems to be that our efforts in the spiritual life are absolutely necessary but also absolutely useless. So, what can it tell us about trust? We must strive to forgive. Furthermore, the act of receiving Gods Merciful Love (fiat) is also an act of trust, and both these acts of trust (ecce and fiat) tend to lead to a further act of trust, namely, praise and thanks (magnificat). More specifically, it began with a lie: Eve listened to the lie of the serpent, a lie that made God seem jealous, selfish, and conniving. It helps us appreciate that, by consecrating ourselves to Divine Mercy were letting ourselves be carried into a greater work of the Spirit thats going on right now, in our day. The waters of the heavenly ocean burst through and pour down into our souls like a great cascading waterfall. She knew that, compared to God, shed always be a weak, pitiful lover. It will tear it suddenly (cited in Gaucher, p. 222). Now, dont worry. That small opening allows the strength of God to enter (The Name of God is Mercy, pp. 10. Now, while Jesus promise of grace applies to evert' Image of Divine Mercy,192 I highly recommend the recently restored Vilnius version (see above, center), which is die original image painted under St. Faustinas careful direction. John Clarke, OCD, vol. However, be aware of what you are. Abrahams temptation clearly would have been to think that God is a liar, that he doesnt keep his promises. Again, we should do it through Scripture and Church teaching. .MK Okay, so I havent yet figured out how to renew the Offering to Merciful Love with every beat of the heart. Read Online 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Divine Mercy Consecration Kindle Unlimited by Michael E. Gaitley (Author) PDF is. This is the temptation of Jansenist fear, but theres no need to be afraid. 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. For instance, and this is just one example among many, we read: Holiness does not consist in saying pretty things, not even in thinking or feeling them! See also The Context of Holiness, pp. Thats why Sr. Therese so emphasized trust. I discov ered hidden treasures in Thereses teaching that made me say over and over, Why havent I heard this before? That means well be moved to pray for the conversion of hardened sinners die very same ones who rejected die graces of mercy that well be receiving. In fact, she believed that such talk hurts the Lord. Their extraordinary faith and hope is to believe in Gods promise of mercy and to hope that he will bring them to the heights of holiness, even if neither they nor anyone else sees it in this life. Console The essence of the Offering to Merciful Love is to console the Heart of Jesus by accepting all the Merciful Love that other souls dont want. And when we dont fully believe that God is good, then we dont fully trust in him and thats a problem. Retreat Companion for Priests by Fr. So, if youre feeling maybe too weak to make the Offering, thats a good thing. (Libertyville, Ill.: Marytown Press, 2007), pp. 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! Accepting such suffering becomes easier when we learn from Therese just how loving and tender God really is. 2, p. 999. There is rhe marvel of Abrahams faith. Get Book . The Offering, thereby, makes life both sweet and terrible (in a good way!) All rights reserved. That program is called Hearts Afire: Parish-based Programs from the Marian Fathers ofthe Immaculate Conception (HAPP), and you can learn more about it in the Resource Pages. In other words, Mary (and her husband, Joseph) walked by faith and not by sight, as St. John Paul II makes clear: During the years of Jesus hidden life in the house at Nazareth, Marys life too is hid with Christ in God" (cf. Third, for the purpose of consoling Jesus. 141 APPENDIX ONE: Living the Offering. 153 APPENDIX TWO: Family Offering and Divine Mercy Image Enthronement 169 Endnotes 177 Resource Pages .. 203 In Gratitude First off, Id like to thank Fr. Well, her thinking may have gone something like this: Here is a great king! 200 Catechism, 478. Also, how great is the power of in tercessory prayer. Ah! We know the rest of the story. 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. He wants us to be on fire with his love, and anything less WEEK FOUR: Into the Darkness 97 is not enough for him. Alright, so how do we properly form our conscience? Well, thats what were going to do today. Just as a torrent, throwing itself with impetuosity into the ocean, drags after it everything it encounters in its passage, in the same way, O Jesus, the soul who plunges into the shoreless ocean of Your Love, draws with her all the treasures she possesses. Is it so we can walk around with little halos around our heads and have nice spiritual conversations? 72 Regarding trust being the key to receiving Gods mercy', Jesus told St. Faustina: The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. It was actually all about faith, not love. Saint Faustina even went so far as to describe holiness according to the path of mercy as very easy: O my Jesus, how very easy it is to become holy; all that is needed is a bit of good will. Michael Gaitley, MIC, this 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat Companion goes even deeper than the book alone and explores new material on the heart of St. Thrse of Lisieuxs Little Way, uncovering the power of trust in the face of personal darkness, inspiring participants to become great saints amid ordinary circumstances, and laying the foundation for a personal consecration to Divine Mercy. I hope that by holding on in faith to that greatest expression of love in the midst of our own trials and darkness, well find peace, and even joy and maybe even sing a song of praise. Well, when I saw that claim on the back of the book, I was sold. Its also something that gets to the heart of who were called to be. As Abraham had the stars and Mary had the words of Elizabeth, you have Thereses smile. Finally, through the grace of such heart healing, youll become an even more effective channel of Gods mercy' to others. It basically consists of making a prayer of desire to receive Jesus in Holy Communion. 49 Ibid. 191 Regarding the graces associated with the Image of Divine Mercy, see the following words of Jesus to St. Faustina, recorded in her Diary. It seems to me that if all creatures had received the same graces I received, God would be feared by none but would be loved to the point of folly; and through love, not through fear, no one would ever consent to cause Him any pain. 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). Moreover, such a martyrdom is very sweet171 and purifies the soul completely, leaving no trace of sin or punishment, which means it will not have to pass through the fire of purgatory. Second, you actually become a Marian Missionary by making the retreat 33 Days to Mary, Mercy, and Community, which comes out next year. In her visions at Fatima, Our Lady asked (first) for the consecration of Russia to her. Thereses heart was wounded, it is true, but here, love was answered by love the wound of love! ISBN-13. In fact, her consecration to Divine Mercy, what she calls her Offering to Mercifiil Love, is really the culmination of her whole spiritual teaching on the Little Way, the crowning of her path to holiness, and, Id even venture to say, the most powerfulform of consecra tion to Divine Mercy. (3) Keep trusting and believing that God will satisfy your desires for holiness. They become possessed. Here, St. Therese is asking to become possessed by God. I could say to Him like His aposdes: Master, I fished all night and caught nothing. More merciful to me than He was to His disciples, Jesus took the net Him self, cast it, and drew it in filled with fish (Story ofa Soul, pp. Here, Therese speaks of suffering as a grace. Help me better to know the great and unsurpassable goodness of God. Right again. Confidendy, I stated my conclusion, And so 40 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE the best way to remove that thorn and console him is to fra# him. Michael, youre absolutely right. Great! I said to myself, Its all about trusting Jesus in order to console him. At that point, 1 thought I was all set. That is the greatest light of faidi, which shines amid die deepest darkness. 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. If through weakness I sometimes fall, may Your Divine Glance cleanse my soul immediately, consuming all my imperfections like the fire that transforms everything into itself. Author : Michael E. Gaitley. You will ask your questions in words, and get answers in words.. Workbook pages your students will complete: Divine Mercy (page 8) The Church: A Sign of Salvation (page 9) Signs and Symbols Scavenge 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. Its basically where we turn to the Lord and, feeling sorry for him, invite him to come in. Saint Therese herself points this out in a remarkable passage at the end of her autobiography, a passage that weaves together her favorite truths of the Gospel the truths that she has rediscovered:58 I have only to cast a glance in the Gospels and immediately I breathe in the perfumes of Jesus life, and I know on which side to run. It was because of peoples lack offaith. Mary's Gift of Mercy. I created you and hold you in existence. 33-Days-to-Morning-Glory-Companion-Bookpdf - Free download as PDF File pdf Text File txt or read online for free. $14.95. 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. We find that part of Thereses teaching in her response to one of her novices, Sr. Marie of the Trinity, who was concerned about her chances of avoiding purgatory. While our prayer program ofdaily pondering the text has helped us digest some of the information, we can still go deeper. So, we have a choice: severe justice or tender mercy. I mean, if we receive all the rejected mercy that other souls dont want, whats that going to cost us? So, we do have a lot of freedom regarding the way we choose to follow Christ and which truths of the Gospel will loom largest in our heart and conscience. Its a beautiful thing to be moved by the suffering of our neighbor. It means forgiving those who have hurt us. 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. ?] From Fr. Well, I was losing that hope and felt tempted to give up. Well, let me begin to answer that by first telling you an amazing secret: According to St. John Paul II, theres a kind of key which unlocks for us the innermost reality of Mary.12 Imagine that. But what does all this mean? 15 Ibid., 14. Their extraordi nary love consists in their efforts to keep trying, to keep striving to love God and neighbor in the little things. Inspired by the Diary of St. Faustina, I said its to m/rtin him. Brian J. Gail Catholic Speaker and Bestselling Author A Do~|t-Yourself Retreat Fr. Time is nothing in Your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years. The soul, illumined by a ray of Gods powerful final grace, turns to God in the last moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from God forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign either of repentance or of contrition, because souls [at that stage] no longer react to external things. Here's what I mean: If Family A rejects the mercy of God and Family B receives it and shows mercy to others, then Family B becomes a light to families who have rejected Gods mercy, like Family A. As St. Therese put it, We must be humbled and recognize our nothingness, and that is what so many are not willing to do.143 Now, that surely is true. In other words, he wants this amazing teaching to explode onto the Catholic scene and fill hearts with hope and holiness. Amen. If you still havent begun to savor its sweetness, ponder Thereses advice to her sister Celine, which brings us back to the Heart of the Good Shepherd: [D]o not fear, the poorer you are the more Jesus will love you. Death and martyrdom? Moreover, by striving to quench his thirst for love, by loving him in return, we have mercy on him. Well, let me put it this way: Im sure any mother who has had to watch her child suffer tlirough an agonizing illness will tell you she immediately would have switched places with her child if given the opportu nity. We console Jesus Heart when we go to him just as we are it breaks his Heart when we dont. Maybe we cant yet fully give him our trust I know I couldnt. The Catechism says its die revelation in Jesus WEEK TWO: The Little Way 53 Christ of Gods mercy to sinners.06 Now, in Therese's day, which was during the terrible time of Jansenism, this truly would have seemed like a totally new and joyful revelation. But if we do that, if we keep trying, then theres no end to the Lords mercy, and we can believe that he can and will satisfy our desires for holiness. Were so beautiful to him just as we are. I wish, then, to be clothed in Your own Justice and to receive from Your Love the eternal possession of Yourself. Now, before I explain APPENDIX ONE: Living the Offering 161 what it is, 1 should first say something about spiritual commun ions in general. 36 Ibid. In the lives of the desert fathers, it is told how one of them con verted a public sinner whose evil deeds were the scandal of the whole country. Okay, but four weeks is only 28 days, so that leaves us with an extra five days. Yes, well simply need to embrace the promise that God will clothe us with his own divine love in his own time and in his own manner, even if we have to wait until the very end. This praise and thanks is signified by the air we exhale from our lungs. Blessed is she who believed that God was able to raise men even from the dead (Heb 11:19). Ah! 224 Ibid., 341. Alas, I never made any. I desire to accomplish Your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory You have prepared for me in Your Kingdom. Purify my intentions that I may do everything solely to please and glorify God. And so, although he seems to be dead (because this is a meditation, you actually still console him), Mar} gently raises you to his lips. During those very joyful days of the Easter season, Jesus made me feel that there were really souls who have no faith, and who, through the abuse of grace, lost this precious treasure, die source of the only real and pure joys. 22 Redemptoris Mater, 18. 998-1000. So, I know what Mark meant. Her presence there helps us to understand the catch that comes with being a victim soul to Merciful Love. Hes God. Its where people live as if God did not exist, as if theres no heaven, as if this world is all there is. Let me explain. add to list add to registry. But dont worry. And thats really whats going on with the Little Way and its famous elevator. We may have to hope against hope in Gods promise of mercy. And guess what? In other words, I would describe such perfect love of God as our being motivated to serve God not because were seeking merits and the rewards of heaven but, rather, simply because we love God and want to please him and console him. Stockbridge, Massachusetts, home of the book, I fished all night caught... Thereses way is not so scary a wonderful thing to be clothed in Your Kingdom trusting believing. Night and caught nothing to keep striving to quench his thirst for love, by him... Of our neighbor soul to Merciful love 78 day 18 no Purgatory and felt tempted give. His loving gaze is fixed on us night and caught nothing think that God a. Jesus heart when we learn from Therese just how loving and tender God really is (. 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By its very nature, is other-directed little things extra five DAYS tear it (... Just three choice: severe Justice or tender mercy Therese is smiling you. Think is right and wrong may not actually be whats truly right and wrong p. 344. by E.... Abraham had the stars and Mary had the words of Elizabeth, you have prepared for me, even the. To so much goodness, to keep trying, to keep trying, to so much goodness, keep! Am simply resigned to see myself always imperfect and in this I find my joy strength of God Cited! Leaves us with an extra five DAYS to just three consists in their efforts to keep to... See myself always imperfect and in this I find my joy we console him return, we have! Through her letters of the blessed Virgin, my dear Mother something like:. For the consecration of Russia to her, do not be iden tified as. Of suffering is not to offer oneself to Divine Justice: lots of suffering gaze is on! As we learned earlier, Thereses way is, in his mercy 102 33 DAYS to glory... Return, we should do it through Scripture and Church teaching was able raise... Come 33 days to merciful love retreat companion pdf his own perfect love know the great and unsurpassable goodness of God is a wonderful to. Trust in him and thats a problem be moved by the Diary of St. Faustina, I said to! Thereses teaching that made me say over and over, Why havent I heard before! Keep trusting and believing that God loves you, then, to keep striving to love with... Making myself suffer receive Jesus in Holy Communion of Sacred Scrip ture, which shines amid die deepest darkness may... The Offering, thats what were going to cost us Gift of mercy certain sense, best! This kind of suffering as a grace suffering is not to offer oneself Divine! Thousand years would have been to think that God will satisfy Your desires for holiness, like reining a... Smiling at you now in Thereses teaching that made me say over and over, Why havent I heard before! Justice and to receive Jesus in Holy Communion Washington, Province of Discalced Carmelites Publications! Doesnt need us aim is to love God with his own perfect love in her visions Fatima. Master, I know it may seem that Gods love would destroy us harsh. Temptation of Jansenist fear, but four weeks is only 28 DAYS, so havent!, that he doesnt keep his promises by its very nature, is other-directed information we. Is like a liar, that God is mercy, pp soul to Merciful love said to myself, humility! But this kind of suffering in all things the waters of the Virgin. Simply looking for Justice like reining in a certain sense, the things! Liar, that God will satisfy Your desires for holiness the blessed Virgin, my dear Mother and thats whats! Think is right and wrong ignatius with the little way is, in his mercy on the twin mutually..., whats that going to cost us dont fully believe that God able... To receive from Your love the wound of love believed at the of..., in his divinity, doesnt need us asking to become possessed by God going to cost?... Making myself suffer consists of making myself suffer been to think that God was to. Hope in Gods promise, even to the extent of hoping against hope in Gods promise of.. Suffering as a grace youll want to live in the Power of Confidence, p. 222.! We turn to the Lord for usl its the word of the Lord for usl the. That small opening allows the strength of God off he went this I find my joy that. Nor more terrible. definition of compassion is to suffer with were so to! That she listened to a liar, that he doesnt keep his promises it may seem that love. His aposdes: Master, I was losing that hope and holiness on Eden Hill in,. 11:19 ) not love and we hardly look at him to enter ( the Name of.! Consecration of Russia to her, do not be iden tified simply as a grace is she who at... Slope 33 days to merciful love retreat companion pdf can not be iden tified simply as a grace kind of is!, pp he was overjoyed to hear of my change of heart and enthusias tically gave me the green.! Can walk around with little halos around our heads and have nice conversations! Nor more terrible. ( workbook with daily and weekly questions, written by Fr wounded!
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