But before we begin, let me first connect the various dots that have come up as Ive introduced you to my three friends. (Thus, she says in the text of the Offering that she wants God himself to be her Sanctity and wants God to look upon her only in the Face of Jesus and in His Heart burning with Love.") In fact, the other school kids bullied her and made fun of this girl who didnt know how to join in their games and couldnt even comb her own hair.45 In the midst of her extreme loneliness and sensitivity, Therese deeply longed to be loved. Of course, regarding that latter heaven, Im talking about the Mass, which is where we can love God the Father through, with, and in the Sons own perfect love (and even see that love in Sacrament). I choose to see through the lens of mercy. In fact, we may have to fight depression, discouragement, and even despair. DAY 9 Discovery of the Little Way Yesterday, we learned that Therese Martin was a little soul, indeed. The reason, says St. Alphonsus, is that he who accepts death with perfect resignation acquires similar merit to that of a martyr who has voluntarily given his life for Christ, and even amid the greatest sufferings he will die hap pily and joyfully (pp. Shes saying, I do not regret having offered myself to Love and neither will you!165 And shes asking you to let her do good for you and to fulfill her mission in you, a mission that she expressed shortly before her death: I feel especially that my mission is about to begin, my mission to make God loved as I love him, to give my little way to 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. Thrse of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. In other words, it shows us what we are of our own sinful selves: empty, weak, and on the verge of passing out. After all, if they were suddenly to see themselves bounding up die rough stairway of perfection widi great strides, it might go to their heads, and theyd be too big for Jesus to lift. She appeared ravishingly beautiful and had a heavenly smile.164 Remember that smile. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. 163 For a fuller explanation of the dynamic between consolation and desolation and how to remain faith filled and joyful, see The Rules for the Discernment of Spirits for Little Souls in Appendix One of Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat Inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola (Stockbridge: Marian Press, 2010). I beg You to cast Your Divine Glance upon a great number of little souls. 1. 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. He waited until after she had discovered her Little Way and had offered herself to Merciful Love. Its when we receive the rays of his love and mercy and say the prayer, Jesus, I trust in you for this truly con soles his Heart. 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! For most of my life, I wasnt a very happy person. Oh, how' beyond comprehension is Gods mercy! St. Therese asked the Lord to pour into her little soul all the rejected mercy that 20 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE others dont want and he gave it to her. 201 Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, whose central desire was to quench the thirst of Jesus and console his Heart, expresses this idea best in her I thirst letter, which you can find in 33 Days to Morning Glory, pp. Its to ignore the thieves of hope and to believe in Gods promise of mercy. Help me to embrace the Little Way with all my heart. Well, in that case, wed just be disagreeing widi Therese and siding with Sr. Febronie. Let me explain with an image that Therese herself used. And as Aristode righdy pointed out long ago, true friendship requires a kind of equality and mutuality it cant be one-sided.206 So, let me ask you: Have you ever had a friendship where you shared with your friend but he or she never shared with you? Yes, shes a great saint, but her standout sanctity is that she did little things with great love. After all, thats what mercy does. According to the greatest pope of the 20th century, theres a secret that reveals the mystery of Mary! This desire could certainly appear daring if one were to consider how weak and imperfect I was, and how, after seven years in the religious life, I still am weak and imperfect. And diat may be die text youd like to use and pray with, even daily. The Mass is, as it were, heaven on earth. Good for St. Therese. For those on the Little Way, the success part isnt whats most important. Lens of Mercy. Chris Alar, MIC, and Mark Moran for reasons that will become clear in the introduction. ?] But her pilgrimage of faith had not yet met its ultimate test. Finally, because Jesus wants to bring us home to the Father, we arrive at 33 Days to Greater . Do you see him there, all bloody, bruised, and broken? Conrad de Meester explains Thereses teaching on this point: Therese knew how God's life could lie hidden below the sur face of a human psyche and temperament, and that some souls were much closer to God than might be apparent if they were judged merely by their struggles and inhibitions. Anyway, diat covers three potential objections diat may' be coming to mind as we prepare to make the Offering. If you have not yet made a Marian consecration, you may still include this clause. Not by necessity but by his free choice, God allowed himself, in Jesus Christ, to feel a need for our love. The Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy (MMDM) is for people who really want to get into mercy as a spirituality. Fill us with your mercy, Lord. 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. On top of that, she also felt rejected by God because of her sinfulness. 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. So, this book truly is a consecration to Divine Mercy but in the style of St. Therese of Lisieux. I dont hasten to the first place but to the last; rather than advance like the Pharisee, I repeat, filled with confidence, the publicans humble prayer. Gailtley's 33 Days to Morning Glory. Why go to Confession when weve not done anything wrong? But, of course, we cant just sit back, relax, and enjoy such happiness. Please read it slowly and prayerfully: Dear Sister, How can you ask me if it is possible for you to love God as I love Him? Emphasis added 58 Pope Pius XII stated that St. Therese rediscovers the Gospel on tire occasion of the consecration of the Basilica ofLisieux on July 11, 1954 (AAS46 [1954], pp. Living side by side with her Son under the same roof, and faithfully persevering in her union with her Son, she advanced in her pilgrimage offaith" And so it was during Christs public life too (cf. Therese doesnt seem to have a problem with it.121 After all, isnt God all-powerful? Im adapting it slightly, particularly so we can pray it in the first person. To help us understand, listen to what the Lord himself said to St. Faustina about the rejected grace and mercy of his Heart:93 I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. Inspired by Saints Therese and Faustina, its to borrow the infinite merits of Christ on the Cross and to offer them as a perfect sacrifice of mercy for the whole world. Please give me such trust in Gods Word that I might even hope against hope. And so begins again that wonderful cycle of love and mercy: rccr/empty fiat/in magnificat/out ectf/emptyfiat/in magnificat/out. Of course, theres a big catch when it comes to the offering to Divine Justice: lots of suffering! As seen on EWTN. Just as St. Francis chose to see Christ through the lens of poverty, so St. Therese chose to see him and everything else dtrough the lens of 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. One of the great gifts of the Second Vatican Council is the emphasis it gave to conscience, that voice of God that speaks to our hearts about loving, doing good, and avoiding evil.184 Now; unfortunately, since the Council, theres been a lot of confusion about this topic. 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. Okay, but why? Todays Prayer: Spend the day pondering the Offering to Merciful Love as it is summarized in these three words: Relate, See, and Smile. The Good Samaritan, as it says later, is the one who showed mercy (v. 37). Brian J. Gail Catholic Speaker and Bestselling Author A Do~|t-Yourself Retreat Fr. Product Key Features. Eve disobeys God and leads Adam along the same path. Actually, I think we need more dian just a statement. Were sinners who would die of terror if we fully realized our selfishness and sin. And what is the Gospel? 98 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE God wants us to love him as he loves us. But what else did she believe that merited a blessing? (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. Endnotes 179 38 Cited in ibid., p. 54. Will you let her give you the gift of the Little Way and her Offering to Merciful Love? Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times) Holy God, Holy Mights' One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Of course, that may be hard to believe. After all, I figured that only the "quickest and easiest" path could help someone like me to become a saint. Its especially good because it not only opens our hearts to deeper prayer and can make life more joyful, but it also keeps us front having to go to the real purgatory in the next life. It changed my life, because Thereses spiritual doctrine (called the Little Way) gave me hope that even someone like me could become a saint. The Word Became Flesh. Now; at this point, many of us may be enthusiastically agreeing, Thats right! "She believed God's Word, even when it seemed impossible. Listen to what Therese herself said to one of her novices who often failed in the practice of virtue: And if die good God wants you weak and helpless like a child do you believe that you will have less merit? So, because I believe her teaching. The Offering to Merciful Love sounds great: For the purpose of consoling Jesus, we would ask for and accept all the rejected love and tender mercy that other souls dont want. 109 Cited in van Dijk. Based on the book, 33 Days to Merciful Love, by Fr. Well, because she knows this about God: (8) Time is nothing in Your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years. Spiral-bound, 130 pages. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC' Provincial Superior The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province January 1, 2016 Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2016930904 ISBN: 978-1-59614-345-6 Layout and page design: Kathy Szpak St.Therese of Lisieux (1873-97) 1928 (w/c on paper), Maxence, Edgar (1871-1954) 2015 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York ZADAGP, Paris; Private Collection/Archives Charmet/Bridgcman Images. I dont know. His answer changed my life: T&r way you live trust is by praise and thanksgiving, to praise and thank God in all things, Thats what the Lord said to St. Faustina. We stop feeling its rays. 9 Diary, 731. 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! In short, hes looking for families to make a Family Offering to Merciful Love. Let me explain. A story from her childhood helps us understand this a story she calls a summary of my whole life.48 One day, Thereses older sister Leonie had decided shed outgrown some of her playthings. Well, that story of the pitiful little bird with the heart of an eagle was actually Thereses attempt to explain her Little Way to her sister Marie. God kept me from committing mortal sin, but thats not why I feel such confidence in going to him. So, she tries to explain by a very simple example, how much Jesus loves even very imperfect souls, who trust in Him: Im thinking of a father who has two children who are mis chievous and disobedient, and when he comes to punish them he sees one who trembles and draws away from him in fright, knowing in the bottom of his heart that he deserves to be punished. We must strive to forgive. Her Divine Son, my Beloved Spouse, told us in die days of His mortal life: What soever you ask the Father in my name he will give it to you!" The Lord Jesus himself 200 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE tells us this in Sacred Scripture, Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me (Mt 20:25). 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. Why? I try to con sole them by inviting diem to get an Image of Divine Mercy, which, in my opinion, is die next best thing. I say that because, while the Divine Mercy' Image is certainly not a Sacrament, it is an extraordinary image of grace.212 Actually, I tell my friends not just to get a Divine Mercy Image for their homes but to enthrone it in their homes. One day, Fr. Abrahams temptation clearly would have been to think that God is a liar, that he doesnt keep his promises. 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). Of course, such passages do not mean we know the day or the hour of the Lords coming, but they do give a greater sense of urgency to the present time of mercy. 1,472 300 . The letter speaks for itself, so let it speak to you. For instance, she wrote: I made a resolution to give myself up more than ever to a serious and mortified life. Finally, Therese ended the discussion by rather boldly stating, My sister, if you look for the justice of God you will get it. An act of merciful love is only really such when we are deeply convinced at the moment that we perform it that we are at the same time receiving mercy from the people who are accepting it from us. 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