In other words, as we learn from Sacred Scripture, in times of great evil, God gives even greater grace'. Second, I feel deep gratitude to Fr. Make the Sign of the Cross 2. She was actually quite big. And then theyd go on about Thereses impressive virtues, desires, sacrifices, and sufferings such that Id think to myself: Well, maybe the Little Way is too big for me. Togive us this more refined focus, for each week ofthe retreat, Ive chosen three words that summarize a given weeks teaching. Go ahead. Really, I am far from being a saint, and what I have just said is proof of this; instead of rejoicing, for example, at my aridity, I should attribute it to my little fervor and lack of fidelity; I should be desolate for having slept (for seven years) during my [Holy Hours] and my thanksgivings after Holy Communion; well, I am not desolate. But theres something else. Finally, it is to he worried about nothing, and not to he set on earning our living. 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. Yes, I believe everything that God promised about Jesus will be fulfilled, even if everything about him is a sign of contradiction (Lk 2:34). But how do we console him? This introduction is not part of the 33 days of preparation. 1 View; When he was once criticized for doing too much, he responded, "If you have too much to do, with God's help you will find time to do it all.". 177 See Ahern, p. 84. Remember how he spoke with God about Sodom and Gomorrah? Wonderful. 1 see very well how rarely souls allow Him to sleep peacefully within 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. Its that moment at Mass when, through him, with him, and in him, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ is offered up to the Father as a perfect sacrifice of love. So what do they see that we dont? 10? 20 Ibid. He waited until after she had discovered her Little Way and had offered herself to Merciful Love. God made himself vulnerable in Jesus Christ he put himself in need of our love and mercy for the sake offriendship. Moreover, while were in the ecce moment, we normally dont feel like praising and thanking, and thats all right. The Church is a mother, and she must travel this path of mercy and find a form of mercy for all. Michael Gaitley MIC this 33 Days to Morning Glory Group Retreat goes more deeply into understanding and living Marian consecration than the book alone. Why not? 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. He wants to save the world through a legion of little souls inspired by saints like Therese of Lisieux. (More on this later.) I suggest that we can do so by living our lives with the one purpose of consoling Jesus through our attitude of trust, which means praising and thanking God in all things and in all circumstances. 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. I clearly see my sins. But do we? I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am too small to 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 52 climb the rough stairway of perfection. And, in fact, the line that follows this paragraph makes it even clearer: Oh! So, with that in mind, 1 knew exactly what he was getting at regarding the Offering to Merciful Love. Its no human work. Let it be a sign for you. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. And so the test was really all about love, right? Recall that one of -L VI. Be happy like Therese, w'ho knew that good doctors, when they perform op erations, put their patients to sleep. In other words, be happy that if you keep living the Litde Way, God will especially be working through you even in the midst of your daily darkness and aridity. Join us for a 6-week small-group retreat in preparation for the Consecration to Divine Mercy. Problem is, Marie didnt like the story. Well, the Offering to Merciful love is all about helping us grow in compassion, and it begins with having compassion for Jesus. 1. Now, of course, it doesnt give us freedom to choose when it comes to something like the Ten Command ments. 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.) For instance, I can pray and sacrifice for you, and it makes a differ ence. That sounds scary! Its the mercy of Jesus in action, the compassion of Jesus reaching out to lift up the lowly. 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. I desire to accomplish Your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory You have prepared for me in Your Kingdom. It reminds us that trust does not come naturally to us. Marv Seymour (Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2002), p. 45. Jesus was sleeping as usual in my little boat; ah! Therefore, Jesus, we the Family, offer ourselves to your Merciful Love and ask for the grace and mercy 172 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE that other families refuse. He pours out his life for us in his Passion and Death and we complain about a headache. web pages 197 Ibid., 1120. 54 Ibid., pp. . if'i',,11' K lr Mi.in.I Giiil. 196 Diary, 244. The Bible says that even the just man sins seven times a day (Prov 24:16). to be Yourself my Sanctity! How you grieve me! For instance, while its true that we should always follow our conscience, sometimes thats all people ever hear about it. 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. Next, imagine that this ocean is held back from emptying out onto the earth by a giant floodgate. 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. DAY 33 Putting It All Together For the last four days, weve been reviewing die last four weeks of our retreat. Its to see that Jesus Heart aches because he wants to pour out his Mercifiil Love to sinners, but so many just dont want to receive it. Finally, I remember that: The Lord knows our weakness, that he is mindful that we are but dust and ashes. Then, that fiat moment eventually leads to magnificat, to praise and thanks. In this way you will console My Heart (367). Therese is saying to us, Yes! And thats the beauty of Thereses path. Well, I say that because Jesus is God, and again, our wound has to do with God. 217 Ibid., 367. Alright, so, lets spend today reflecting on the six para graphs of the Offering that we covered today. All he could do was small miracles, like maybe healing somebodys ingrown toenail. When coming down in this way, God manifests His infinite grandeur.186 Did you catch the revolutionary thinking thats hidden in this passage? Reverend Michael Gaitley's book, 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration, begins with a promise to disclose a "secret" form of knowledge based on Gnosticism. Uncategorized; 27. First, for die purpose of consoling the Heart of Jesus, invite the Lord to give you and your family die mercy that other families reject. Youre not attractive. Based on the book, 33 Days to Merciful Love, by Fr. Final Fivt Days Synthesis and Review For four weeks, weve been reflecting on what a consecration to Divine Mercy (St. Therese-style) is all about and weve covered a lot of material. Will you be, as St. Therese put it, his happy victim by letting him pour into your soul his waves of infinite tenderness? Even though she writes like one of the thieves of hope, I thank God for Marie. (When I renew my consecration annually, I like to recite the prayer from the original copy and then sign and date it again.) 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. Having lost her biological mother to cancer at the age of 3 and her adopted mother to Carmel at the age of 9, she became an emotional mess who would cry at the slightest provocation. The precise moment came during a conversation with Fr. Its called the Spiritual Communion of Merciful Love. So, her aim is to love God with his own perfect love. While our prayer program ofdaily pondering the text has helped us digest some of the information, we can still go deeper. My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. When she thought of his all-powerful love, she had no doubts about anything (By Those Who Knew Her, p. 46). However, while I do recom mend privately praying Thereses actual prayer at least once (preferably on your consecration day), I dare say that there are two difficulties with using it under other circumstances: (1) Its rather long, and so it may not be practical for everyone to use as a daily prayer. Remember Sr. Febronie? 132 Story ofa Soul, p. 181. 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. 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). Therese herself tells us as she makes an ardent prayer to the Lord: O my God! Bless everyone we meet with the mercy you pour into our hearts. That's the way to save the world through the power of Gods Merciful Love.160 WEEK FOUR: Into the Darkness 107 You know, it really is true. Well, in a certain sense, yes, because it in creases our longing for God. I desire that these souls distin guish themselves by boundless trust in My mercy. 71 Story ofa Soul, p. 256. Login to YUMPU News Login to YUMPU Publishing 62 Cited in With Empty Hands, pp. Copyright 1982 by Washington, Province of Discalced Carmelites ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E. He wants us to be on fire with his love, and anything less WEEK FOUR: Into the Darkness 97 is not enough for him. It reveals that when we compare Gods infinite love for us with our own pitiful love for him, our love is really nothing. DAY 22 The Darkness of Sin One difficulty people often have with embracing die Litde Way is that Therese wasnt much of a sinner. W'Ho knew that good doctors, when they perform op erations, put patients... Comes to something like the Ten Command ments sacrifice for you, and not to he set on earning living. Travel this path of mercy for the last four weeks of our retreat of... 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E week ofthe retreat, Ive chosen three words that a... Difficulty people often have with embracing die Litde Way is that Therese much. 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