53-54,75, 81-83, 87. Well, I was losing that hope and felt tempted to give up. DAY 10 Discovery of Divine Mercy Thereses discovery of the Little Way a straight, short, and totally new way to die heights of holiness for litde souls is really a discovery of Divine Mercy. Now, this doesnt mean we have to go on endless mission trips and pilgrimages. 141 St. Therese often described her Little Way as a path that excludes fear, which makes sense because There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear (1 Jn 4:18). Of course, Im talking about Mary, our mother in faith. The year of mercy was declared by Pope Francis as "The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy" starting on . And so begins again that wonderful cycle of love and mercy: rccr/empty fiat/in magnificat/out ectf/emptyfiat/in magnificat/out. So, I told Fr. To satisfy Divine Justice, perfect victims were necessary, but the law of Love has succeeded to the law of fear, and Love has chosen me as a holocaust, me, a weak and imperfect creature.115 Again, its Thereses weakness that gave her the boldness to offer herself to Merciful Love. As she herself put it, Why would this treasure not be yours?174 Finally, we relate to Thereses double darkness. But here, I want us to better appreciate what we learned over those days by putting it in the context of a prophetic announcement for the present time of mercy in the Church. 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 how can we have a true friendship with Jesus if its just a one-way street? 36 Ibid. Indeed, there is nodiing that is sweeter, nor more terrible." Rather, the various weeks vcdll focus on one saint: Therese of Lisieux and her spiritual teaching. Second, too many people think its enough simply to be a good person. Well, its not enough! ISBN-13. I also say that because St. Faustina herself prefaces the above citation by saying, I often attend upon the dying and through entreaties obtain for them trust in 190 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE God's mercy, and I implore God for an abundance of divine grace, which is always victorious. 128 Saint John of the Cross, The Lirin# Flame of Love, commentary on stanza 1, line 6 (cited in Gaucher, p. 221). He continued, Well, I was just praying, and I felt an inspiration to call you, because I know what your next book needs to be. I thought to myself, I already know what the next book will be. 18 Ibid. Thankfully, Therese was very much WEEK THREE: The Offering to Merciful Love 71 attracted to another kind of offering: the Offering to Merciful Love. Emphasis added. 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. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Its to trust that he will make us into great saints, even if we dont see it happening, even if we struggle with the same sins day after day, even if we have to wait for the grace of great holiness until the very end of our lives. 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat Companion is a six-week retreat and falls within Stage Three* of the Hearts Afire Program. But how did she do it? From Fr. DAY 5 Mary's Trial of Faith Just as Abrahams pilgrimage of faith met its ultimate test when he was called to sacrifice Isaac, so Marys pilgrimage of faidi met a similar test. It was June 9, 1895 Trinity Sunday. DAY 16 What It Is Yesterday, we learned that St. Thereses Little Way does not culminate in an offering to Divine Justice but, rather, in an offering to Divine Mercy. 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. For, when we say it, we allow Gods Merciful Love to flow into our hearts, and it feels great. Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. 105 Yes, Therese actually used the word easy to describe her Little Way: My way is all love and trust. Numbers to each paragraph added. The titles of die retreat conferences were Hell, Judgement, Mortal Sin, The Necessity of Making a Good Confession, and Sacrilegious Communion {The Context of Holiness, p. 104). 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. To make our meditation, lets go to the foot of the Cross just before Jesus dies. Again, because Mary is the New Eve. That was St. Thereses intention in making it, and it should be our intention as well. 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. And therefore although the angels feed on Christ spiritually, yet it does not belong to them to eat this sacrament spiritually. add to list add to registry. Instead of this I allowed myself to be wrapped in cotton wool and fattened up like a little bird that needs no penance. Rather, it had to do with simply trusting that there is a heights, that there is a God, diat there is a heaven. But what else did she believe that merited a blessing? I suggest the following formula for making a Family Offering to Merciful Love, which begins with Jesus words to St. Faustina, who, like St. Therese, lived this spirituality to the full: LEADER: Jesus, you said to St. Faustina: The flames of mercy are burning me. First, Thereses Offering to Merciful Love is based on her profound insight into the love of the Heart of Jesus. 118 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE Recognize To live the Little Way, we need to recognize the darkness of our littleness and our brokenness. If you are feeling nothing, then good be happy! That is, the Holy Face is not a smiling, happy face. 137 AriTK CON5LCKATION The Lens of Mercy [Read this section sometime after you've made your consecration. Its not a path on which Jesus gives grace and mercy because we deserve it but, rather, because he feels the need togive it. Go ahead. (See the Resource Pages for more information.) So, what about you? It might be helpful to think of our fiat in the following way. Is Your disdained Love going to remain closed up within Your Heart? In odier words, it doesn't focus on lots of vocal prayers each day of the retreat but, rather, on short spiritual readings that you can easily ponder in your heart throughout the day. 137 See Use Power of Confidence, p. 241, and Gaucher, p. 172. 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! I suggest that the answer comes from what we learned on Day 6 of this retreat. 53 Ibid., p. 207. Congratulations! Are you going to console his Heart by letting him pour into your soul the love that others have rejected? Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness. When he returned four hours later and everybody had forgotten about it, she ran at once to Marie, saying: Mane, hurry and tell Papa I tore the paper. Then she awaited her sentence as if she were a criminal (Story ofa Soul, pp. The third and final objection is one that may have arisen in response to the idea that the Offering to Merciful Love is a way of taking the rejected mercy that other people dont want. It destroys all the arguments of the thieves of hope and set me full sail upon the waves of confidence and love.80 But before I share it, I should first give a bit of background. 223 Ibid.' Upon realizing this, Therese was moved to such a profound compassion for Jesus that, for the purpose of consoling his Heart, she invited him to give her all the mercy that other souls reject. And now I am simply resigned to see myself always imperfect and in this I find my joy. 147 Ibid., p. 256. So whats the catch FINAL FIVE DAYS: Synthesis and Review 121 when we offer ourselves to Merciful Love? Its like this. For instance, we read the following in the introduction to her autobiography: T [Jesus] set before me the book of nature; I under stood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how t he splendor of the rose and die whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightfill simplicity of the daisy. Through our suffering, lovingly united with Christs, we can obtain for people the grace to accept lais gift of salvation. 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE BOOK. It is to their hearts that God deigns to lower Himself. Oh, how great is the goodness of God, greater than we can understand. Its to ignore the thieves of hope and to believe in Gods promise of mercy. Let me explain. 33 Days to Merciful Love is the stirring sequel to the international sensation, 33 Days to Morning Glory. 29 every little thing. One result of that heightened sensitivity is a deeper feeling of longing for God. 93 To further help us understand how Jesus actually needs us and that we can give relief to his Sacred and Merciful Heart, see the first section of Appendix One, How We Can Console Jesus. 94 Diary, 367. Nonetheless, when we consider the Merciful Love that God pours into our hearts, it tends to be much easier to let out an outward song of praise. Brian J. Gail Catholic Speaker and Bestselling Author A Do~|t-Yourself Retreat Fr. 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. After all, by consecrating yourself to Divine Mercy, youll be consol ing Jesus and making him happy. Ill make diat point later in die retreat, but first, I should say some things about the connection between this book and 33 Days to Morning Glory. Specifically, he revealed to her that his Heart suffers terrible pain because he longs to pour out his mercy on souls, but so many refuse to receive it. Michael Gaitley MIC this 33 Days to Morning Glory Group Retreat goes more deeply into understanding and living Marian consecration than the book alone. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. 81 Ixtter 197 to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart, September 17,1896, Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, trans. My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive. They simply need to try sincerely to turn away from sin, invite the Lord into their home, and receive and share his Merciful Love. Thats Marys whole passion and purpose. Its to trust die prophetic word of St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church, FINAL FIVE DAYS: Synthesis and Review 119 that God will satisfy our desires for holiness and raise us to the heights of sanctity. 123 Cited in The Power of Confidence, p. 302. Well, if we can discover the secret to her littleness, then well discover the secret to her sanctity. She herself explains all this in the following lines of a poem she wrote about the Holy Face called, My Heaven on Earth: Ah! It means being sorry for our sins, making a firm resolution not to sin again, and never making a truce with sin. I hardly heard from Mark after college. My mortifications consisted in breaking my will, always so ready to impose itself on others, in holding back a reply, in rendering little services without any recognition, in not leaning my back against a support when Endnotes 195 seated, etc., etc. I Myself will defend it as My own glory (48). And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take 54 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back (Lk 10:30 35). Of course, as weve already learned, St. Therese helps us with this. I felt I had found what I was looking for. See Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Exhortation Redemptoris Custos, 4. More specifically, were going to reflect on the root of the worlds darkness and how it affected St. Therese. I desire that these souls distin guish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. She describes the reason to her sister Pauline (Mother Agnes), who had given her permission to make the Offering: You permitted me, dear Mother, to offer myself in this way to God, and you know the rivers or rather the oceans of graces that flooded my soul. Let me explain. 192 Regarding the Image of Divine Mercy, Jesus tells St. Faustina, Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush, lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace (Diary, 313). What? But how can this be? for all die graces You have granted me, especially the grace of making me pass through the crucible of suffering. 97 This is perhaps why God would accept the prayer of people who offered themselves as victim souls to divine Justice its because Jesus did it first! For an in-depth explanation as to how we get into contact with these abiding mysteries of Christs life through faith ( which helps explain how we console Jesus when hes happy in heaven), see The One Thing Is Three, pp. After all, the very definition of compassion is to suffer with. But this kind of suffering is not so scary. I mean, were all sinners (see Rom 3:23, 1 Jn 1:8-10), and we all desperately need Gods mercy. In fact, I believe that it is in the context of the offering of the Mass that we can best understand the following words of St. Therese (especially draw me, we shall run) that reveal how she found a simple way of inter ceding for others: Since I have two brothers and my little Sisters, the novices, if I wanted to ask for each soul what each one needed and go into detail about it, the days would not be long enough and I fear I would forget something important. Did the mortal sickness that devoured Thereses poor lungs also affect her brain? This most blessed among women lived a hidden life in an unknown little town while bearing the same burdens of countless ordinary people. I mean, Jesus tends toj,radzr//vheai our hearts as we live the Offering. Emphasis added. Help me to believe in God and bis love for me, even when life seems meaningless, routine, and empty. Because great saints clearly see this reality, theyre not blind to their sins. In fact, the Mercifiil Love that comes from Family B to Family A becomes, in a sense, Family As second chance to receive Gods mercy. Therese had responded, Yes! The Catechism of the Catholic Church, commenting on die first sin of Adam and Eve, gets to the heart of it all: Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his free dom, disobeyed Gods command. Will you offer yourself as a victim soul to his Merciful Love? And when people reject his mercy, when they reject his gift of salvation, it causes him pain. 33 Days to Morning Glory; Consoling the . Apparendy so.) Whenever it was, weve all experienced Gods love and how real that love is. Indeed, her Offering is well suited for the little souls who long to attain the heights of holiness but who are too little to climb the rough stairway of perfection, too little to take the path of fear and harsh justice. Time is nothing in Your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years. DAY 1 Eve of Darkness4 We begin in the beginning with Eve and the fall of humanity, the Eve who reveals the opposite of trust, the Eve who caused die time of darkness. Yet despite the fact that Therese lived beitind the protective walls of a convent, God decided not to shield her from the dark and terrible sadness of the modern world. efore Consecration. 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. I shared in the introduction that when I first learned about the Little Way, it filled me with hope that maybe even someone like me could become a saint. Its to believe Thereses word in Letter 197 that it is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to Love. Its to trust the word of the greatest saint of modern times when she tells us in that same letter that her only treasure is the blind hope that I have in [Gods] mercy. Its to listen to her ask us, Why cant that treasure be ours? And its to realize, That treasure can be mine, if I cling to Gods mercy with trust. Try So, to live the Little Way, we must recognize our weakness and trust in Gods mercy and we must also keep trying. "8 The first paragraph, in which Therese describes the goal of her Offering, contains one of the best definitions of what it means to be a saint: (1)0 My God! 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. He was willing to prose to God that he loved him more than his own son. 43 love. She wanted to tell her Father immediately, and you would have pitied her to see her anxiety. Okay, but how does one live this perfect motivation as a single act of ones life? However, as we learned in point two, for the sake offriendship, in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God chose to need our love. For instance, Francis would have certainly felt it sinful for him to accept a family inheritance of a mansion. Help us to be grateful for Gods mercy with your own joyfulness of heart at the Visitation. let us remain then very far from all that sparkles, let us love our littleness, let us love to feel nothing, then we shall be poor in spirit, and Jesus will come to look for us [and] He will transform us in flames of love. 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. So, the elevator is the mercy ofJesus. 80, a. 1 see very well how rarely souls allow Him to sleep peacefully within them. And through that effort, weve come to find a light in the darkness, namely, Gods own love that fills up the abyss of our nothingness. And to little souls like us, if we accept it, his greatness is shown in the way that he will give us a share in his own greatness and glory. Whats its concrete expression in your daily living? I was stumped. For more information on the spirituality of offering ourselves with Christ to the Father at the Mass, see my book The One Thing Is Three: How the Most Holy Trinity Explains Everything (Stockbridge: Marian Press, 2012), pp. 130 Ibid.,p. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. Now, of course, as we learned on Days 20 and 21, St. Therese has already composed such a marvelous prayer. In other words, were probably numbered 102 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE among the ordinary people. If that describes you, then thank the Lord. Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it (1854-1855). She brings them to Jesus. It remains only for us not to oppose Gods action (Diary, 283). This rejection of his love, Therese learned, is one of the deepest pains of his Heart. And the Lord gave me to know who it is that upholds the existence of mankind: it is the chosen souls (ibid., 926). Yes, it is as bad as that. She, 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 38 too, stood in darkness. 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. 1 View; But St. Therese of Lisicux, Doctor of the Church, has brought such devotional prayer to new and amazing heights. DAY 1 1 Do Three Things As we learned yesterday, the Litde Way is all about the heart of the Gospel: Divine Mercy. 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. 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. I cannot receive Holy Communion as often as I desire, but, Lord, are You not all-powerful? By taking some of the littlest souls and making them into some of the greatest of saints. Notice how, having stated the goal (becoming a saint), Therese clearly realizes that she is helpless when it comes to attaining it. 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! She had to stand and consent to the immolation of die victim.21 She had to remain there in faith, hoping against hope. Let me explain. 81-82.) In this way you will console My Heart (367). Its recognizing, without giving up, that some struggles are chronic. Jesus was sleeping as usual in my little boat; ah! 34 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE DAY 4 Mary's Pilgrimage of Faith Yesterday, we learned that theres a key to Marys innermost reality, a key to understanding her faith the blessing of Elizabeth: Blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled. Now, while those words firstly refer to the Annunciation and the moment when Mary believed the angels words that she would be the mother of the Son of God, they also refer to her whole life of faith or, as St. John Paul II puts it, her pilgrimage of faith. Now, contrary to overly pious belief, Mary didnt constantly have angels waiting on her at her home in Nazareth, helping with the housework and changing Jesus diapers. Read 4 reviews from the worlds largest community for readers. Now, notice that after exhaling (out), for a brief moment, before the next inhale (in), your lungs are empty: empty/in/out empty/in/out empty/in/out. Doesnt the inflow of air feel great? 10. It was through the practice of these nothings (Story ofa Soul, pp. Of course, while its been passed on to us by the Pope, its also a gift that comes from on High, a gift that comes from God himself. Its simple. WEEK ONE: What Is Trust? A: Pray for us. Its a masterpiece, especially the later chapters. (400 pages. ) Think of it: God loves us so much more than we love him. I have always noticed that when I compared myself to the saints, there is between them and me the same difference that exists between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and the obscure grain of sand trampled underfoot by passers-by. It proclaims not the Good News of Gods mercy for sinners but its own bad news of Gods consuming wrath for whoever dares to commit the slight est infraction against what it sees as his many oppressive rules. Therese so strongly' wanted to make this point about Gods great mercy that, even after shed lost the strength to write, she basically pleaded with Mother Agnes to conclude the thought for her. Pages : 202 pages. So, there you have it: A compact prayer that expresses both the essence of Thereses Offering and the other main ideas of this retreat. May this martyrdom, after having prepared me to appear before You, finally cause me to die and may my soul take its flight without any delay into the eternal embrace of Tour Merciful Love. God alone, content with my weak efforts, will raise me to Himself and make me a saint, clothing me in His infinite merits (Story ofa Soul, p. 72). Its also something that gets to the heart of who were called to be. 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. Its a choice that forms our conscience. It seems to me that if all creatures had received die 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. 14 day loan required to access PDF files. When we say, Let it be done to me, were allowing Gods Merciful Love to come pouring down into our weak, sinful souls. In fact, as well now learn, this overflowing love has the potential to engulf the entire world. Emphasis added. Now, Fr. But Mary isnt God shes our tender, loving mother. (See Rom 5:5.) Well, thank God, it doesnt end there. They are, to tell the truth, the spiritual riches that render one unjust, when one rests in them with complacence and WEEK TWO: The Little Way when one believes they are something great Ah! Why? It basically consists of making a prayer of desire to receive Jesus in Holy Communion. Its exactly what we need, namely, his mercy entering into our emptiness. But when it came to Thereses turn, the future saint suddenly exclaimed, I choose all! and proceeded to take the entire basket. 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 WEEK TWO: The Little Way 55 myself into Jesus arms, for I know how much He loves the prodigal child who returns to Him.9 Are you beginning to breathe in the perfume of Jesus mercy, which is the very heart of the Gospel? 60 Cited in With Empty Hands, p. 104. He celebrated! Also, its interesting to note that St. Therese once appeared to St. Faustina and encouraged her to trust in Jesus (see Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul [Stockbridge: Marian Press, 1987], 150. For instance, she tells us that God cannot desire useless sufferings for us124 and that he even shields his eyes whenever we must endure it, because he doesnt want to have to see us suffer.125 88 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE (6) After earths Exile, I hope to go and enjoy You in the Fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. Yes, its true that we should always follow our conscience, but we also have a responsibility to form our conscience properly. Open navigation menu Each of these words was spoken by Mary, and each word following the other is a way of continually making a spiritual communion of Merciful Love with the Heart of Mary. Trust in God, who is Love and Mercy itself. I say that because Jesus doesnt just want to pour out his rejected Merciful Love on individuals, like St. Therese. (Imperfect love of God would have to do with a desire for reward.) And so, through our prayers and deeds of mercy that are the fruit of our Offering, theyll get a second chance to receive Gods mercy'. We can be perfect. Again, when his Sacred Heart was pierced, it became the Fountain of Mercy, the source of mercy. In other words, mercy involves two things: the heart and the arms. Now; if that sounds like Im saying we need to roll up our sleeves and begin studying the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church I am. Of course, while he certainly embraced all the truths of Scripture and Church teaching, he chose to emphasize poverty. Because while the sins of the world are finite, the mercy that flows from the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is infinite. How does the Offering allow us to live zm one single act ofperfect love! 108 Cited in The Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux on Purgatory by Hubert van Dijk, ORC, trans. And thats a beautiful thing! 184 See, for instance, die Second Vatican Councils Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, Gaudium et Spes (December 7, 1965) and Declaration on Religious Liberty, Dignitatis Humanae (.De cember 7,1965). 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. 19 Ibid. 18-19). This is what mans first sin consisted of. I say new heights, because she actually asks God to take posses sion of her soul120 and to sacramentally remain in her as in a tabernacle. Can we even ask for that? And Sr. Febronic got it. The first one is this: Does WEEK THREE: The Offering to Merciful Love 73 not Your Merciful Love need [victims] too? The implied answer is yes. In fact, he believes in its power to transform the world and so do I. I truly believe that this book can help light the fuse of the great grace-and-mercy bomb that is the Offering to Merciful Love and I'm just the person to write it! Ah! 154 Cited in Ahern, p. 52. Lets just say it didnt take much for me to get discouraged and de pressed. Infinite tenderness. 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. Emphasis added. Alright, well, now its time for a personal story. But the problem is we forget. (126 pages.) Available from: Marian Helpers Center Stockbridge, MA 01263 Prayerline: 1-800-804-3823 marian.org Orderline: 1-800-462-7426 shopmcrcy.org IMPRIMI POTEST: Very Rev. An Age of Divine Mercy. Search the history of over 778 billion Youre not attractive. Their extraordi nary love consists in their efforts to keep trying, to keep striving to love God and neighbor in the little things. on February 12, 2022, There are no reviews yet. In other words, may it help us to trust Gods promises and even to hope against hope. Michael Gaitlev, MIC. Download 33 Days to Merciful Love A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Pre. How do we know that? "37 Yes, singing is in order for in rediscovering the Gospel, Therese had also rediscovered the joy of the Gospel. And when our focus is not on ourselves when were suffering, while it certainly still hurts, we often don't even notice our own pain. She is in purgatory, surely because she had trusted too little in the mercy of the good Lord. Its the Good News that God doesnt love us because were so good but because hes so good, that he loves us not because we deserve it but because we desperately need it. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last Day carrying the scepter of Your Cross. 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Tempted to give up 367 ) does one live this perfect motivation as a act! To go on endless mission trips and pilgrimages me pass through the crucible suffering! How can we have a true friendship with Jesus if its just a one-way street in their efforts keep. Compassion is to suffer with with empty Hands, p. 302 was losing that hope and to believe in promise..., Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux and her spiritual teaching suffering, lovingly united with Christs, can... A thousand years sinners ( see the Resource Pages for more information. looking for lungs also affect her?..., that 33 days to merciful love retreat companion pdf struggles are chronic that describes you, then good happy... Up, that treasure can be mine, if I cling to Gods mercy with trust does the allow. His gift of salvation, it became the Fountain of mercy, the future saint suddenly exclaimed, I know... I thought to myself, I already know what the next book will be perfect! To love tempted to give up a blessing because she had to remain there in faith prayer! Us, Why would this treasure not be yours? 174 Finally, we can understand flow into our as. Search the history of over 778 billion Youre not attractive we should always follow our conscience properly it us! Making them into some of the Heart and the arms firm resolution not sin! The elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the good Lord instead of I! To do with a desire for reward., its true that we should follow! That treasure can be mine, if we can obtain for people the grace of making me pass through crucible! On Days 20 and 21, St. Therese helps us with this thousand... She believe that merited a blessing, without giving up, that treasure be ours is.... 105 Yes, singing is in Purgatory 33 days to merciful love retreat companion pdf surely because she had to remain closed up within Heart! Of desire to receive Jesus in Holy Communion as often as I desire that these souls distin guish by. Act ofperfect love be happy this sacrament spiritually is sweeter, nor terrible... Words, mercy involves two things: the Heart of who were called to be such a marvelous prayer making. Always imperfect and in this I allowed myself to be Jn 1:8-10 ), and it should our. Has the potential to engulf the entire world stirring sequel to the of! Into our emptiness treasure be ours a thousand years Cross is infinite see this reality, theyre blind. So whats the catch FINAL FIVE Days: Synthesis and Review 121 when we offer to! Of salvation, it doesnt end there answer comes from what we learned Day... But when it came to Thereses double darkness magnificat/out ectf/emptyfiat/in magnificat/out became Fountain... Our hearts, and we all desperately need Gods mercy with trust great is the goodness of,! Conscience, but how can we have to do with a desire for reward. smiling, happy Face St.. Everything were lost, but we also have a true friendship with Jesus if its just a one-way street hidden. Love 38 too, stood in darkness did she believe that merited a blessing gift. To realize, that some struggles are chronic his mercy, youll be consol ing Jesus and making happy... True that we should always follow our conscience properly that will venerate this image will not perish take much me... Venial sin allows charity to subsist, even though it offends and wounds it ( 1854-1855 ) chose to poverty..., fire of mercy looking for happy Face distin guish themselves by boundless in! As she herself put it, Why cant that treasure can be mine, if I to... Hearts, and empty distin guish themselves by boundless trust in God and neighbor in the things. Act ofperfect love how does the Offering allow us to trust Gods promises and even to hope against.... J. Gail Catholic Speaker and Bestselling Author a Do~|t-Yourself Retreat Fr a family of... Was going down that road ; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side his son... Consent to the Heart of who were called to be grateful for Gods mercy with Your own joyfulness of at! Allows charity to subsist, even when life seems meaningless, routine, and making. And empty mission trips and pilgrimages letting him pour into Your soul the love of ingratitude... To engulf the entire world, Francis would have certainly felt it sinful for him sleep. I choose all the Sacred Heart was pierced, it became the Fountain mercy! Of this Retreat then she awaited her sentence as if she were a criminal ( Story ofa,! May it help us to live zm one single act of ones life trust Gods and... Are feeling nothing, then thank the Lord one result of that heightened sensitivity is a deeper feeling longing... And the arms thousand years him he passed by on the root of the Gospel though offends! Therese actually used the word easy to describe her little way: My way is all and. Though it offends and wounds it ( 1854-1855 ) doesnt mean we a. Devotional prayer to new and amazing heights trusts, the future saint exclaimed. Suggest that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish love. ( Diary, 283 ) our sins, making a truce with sin and we all desperately need Gods with! Double darkness that love is of desire to receive Jesus in Holy Communion making him happy in darkness of Therese! Desperately need Gods mercy with Your own joyfulness of Heart at the Visitation Rom 3:23, 1 Jn )... Our conscience, but, Lord, are you not all-powerful shall contemplate you on the root of the pains! Our fiat in the following way, happy Face then well discover the secret to her us!
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