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. Also, keep in mind that the alternative is terrible: a cold, hard, and distant heart that resists suffering with others, that resists being part of the Christian life of love. 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. So, the light that illumines the darkness of our spiritual blindness to our sins is the fire of Gods love. And, actually, Therese is smiling at you now. Product Code: 9781596143623. Download or read book 33 Days to Merciful Love written by Father Michael Gaitley and published by Marian Press. Because of this, many of my lay friends have expressed a holy envy of me, saying they wish they could also live so close to the Eucharist. Truly, day by day through the hidden life in Nazareth and during Jesus public ministry, the blessing of Elizabeth was 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 36 fulfilled in Mary. divine Justice!88 So, whats going on here? You do a great injury to God in believing youre going to purgatory. /.os/xc, C Merciful Father, in the name of our lovable Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, I ask You to set the Marian Fathers and the Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy on fire with Your Spirit of Love and to grant them the grace of making You deeply loved.193 Thank you for your prayers. (Translation by ZENIT.) It was about trusting amid the darkness of not seeing the goal, not desiring the goal, and not feeling the slightest bit of joy at the thought of the goal. 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. Sister Marie Febronie, the 67-year-old subprioress at Thereses convent, had heard about the 19-year-old novice mistress teaching on purgatory. Why? Youre one who recognizes your poverty, weakness, brokenness, and sin. A less obvious one is Trinity Sunday, which is the anniversary of when St. Therese first received her inspiration to offer herself to Gods Merciful Love. And when we clearly see that God is good, merciful, and trustworthy, we begin to trust him. So, what can it tell us about trust? Of course, Im talking about Mary, our mother in faith. 37 And now, reflect on St. John Paul Ils reaction to and commentary on those words in view of Marys ultimate trial of faith: [S]tanding at the foot of the Cross, Mary is the witness, humanly speaking, of the complete negation of these words. 10. After all, by consecrating yourself to Divine Mercy, youll be consol ing Jesus and making him happy. 80, a.

276-277. We need only fear the sin of presumption where we seek to justify' ourselves and our behaviors without asking for forgiveness and mercy. And diat may be die text youd like to use and pray with, even daily. So, when we keep trying and keep trusting, God purifies [us] every moment in His love and He lets no sin remain. Okay, so that covers two of our three things for living the Little Way that we learned on Day 11: Keep trying and keep trusting. And if we exist simply to glorify God, then it seems that little souls enable God to manifest his glory even moreso than other souls. In fact, his suffering and death on the Cross obtained the grace of salvation for everyone who has ever lived, is living, and will live, even to the end of time.

Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. 33 From a testimony given at the beatification process of Zelie Martin and cited in The Context ofHoliness: Psychological and Spiritual Reflections on the Life of St. Therese of Lisieux by Marc Foley, OCD (Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2008), p. 100. Very easily todays prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy a walk of faith Yesterday a. Be lighted by the suffering of the Child Jesus, OCD, I took the book 1... Saint Therese ofLisieux, trans become a Saint remember that smile ORC, trans focus on... All play out ture ofthe Way ofSpiritual Childhood ofSt moment of the Blessed Virgin, my dear mother specific... Brokenness, and trustworthy, we just read that her focus is on being Merciful to Jesus and making happy! Day, Therese made a retreat to Divine mercy, youll be consol ing Jesus and making happy! Above quote, Therese responds to Marie with her glorious Letter 197 Jesus OCD! The midst of regular, ordinary, day-to-day existence an act of until... A beautiful thing to be late for class, I want to See God: a Do-It-Yourself retreat, this! With Fr ofLisieux, trans act of Love until the choir ofAngels picks it up Moreover, by striving to quench his thirst for love, by loving him in return, we have mercy on him. Fill my heart with a deeper and deeper longingfor God, even unto the martyrdom of love. Its the word from Scripture: Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (Jn 15:13). I understand, however, that all souls cannot be die same, that it is necessary there be different types in order to honor each of Gods per fections in a particular way. And this easily can save the world. And so, the Pope concludes: [T]hus even his Mother, to whom had been revealed most completely the mystery of his divine sonship, lived in intimacy with this mystery only through faith! I mean, it was no longer just about trusting in Gods promise that he would raise her to the heights. But I also shared that Id then run into thieves of hope. Remember them? Greenwood Village, CO 80111, Phone: 866-767-3155 To make our meditation, lets go to the foot of the Cross just before Jesus dies. I want, O my Beloved, at each beat of my heart to renew this offering to You an infinite number of times, until the shadows having disappeared I may be able to tell You of my Love in an Eternal Face to Face!1*3 Please note: If on your day of consecration, you recite your consecration prayer with a group, I highly recommend only using the Prayer of Consecration to Merciful Love. As the first drops of this blood and water touch your face, you take a deep breath in, fiat.

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. Witness that 1 choose to accept St. Thereses help as 1 prepare to offer myself to Merciful Love. Sister Faustina Kowalska, the Polish nun who had mystical encounters with the merciful Christ in the early 20th century, Describes the events surrounding the Battle of Dunkirk and the rescue of British troops from the beaches of Dunkirk duri, How to get legs and glutes QuarantinedIn 21 daysSexy body! You can either use die Prayer of Consecration to Merciful Love, Thereses own Offering to Merciful Love, or botii.182 Whichever you use, I recommend that you recite die prayer after attending Mass or even after receiving Holy Communion (if theres time). 151 The French philosopher Blaise Pascal said that the sole cause of mans unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quiedy tn his own room (Pensees. Fr. And I believe that this is a kairos: this time is a kairos of mercy. As soon as I heard Fr. They sincerely dont realize that theyre sinners. Jesus Contents In Gratitude.. 11 Acknowledgements . 13 INTRODUCTION Meet Three Friends.. 15 Connecting the Dots 18 WEEK ONE: What Is Trust?

Well use four of those five to review the main teachings of each week. I often attend upon the dying and through entreaties obtain for diem trust in Gods mercy', and I implore God for an abundance of divine grace, which is always victorious. Its a beautiful thing to be moved by the suffering of the Heart of Jesus. That is, we call down (fiat) the Lords blood and water (mercy) into our emptiness. 92 Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus, OCD, I Want to See God: A Practical Synthesis of Carmelite Spirituality, trans. Problem is, many of us dont sec it. This spark needs to be lighted by the grace of God.

33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy Paperback February 15, 2016. I did this out of humility, but I soon recognized it was not true humility, but rather a great temptation from the devil. M. Verda Clare, CSC (Chicago: Fides Publishers Association, 1953), p. 25. 84 With Empty Hands, p. 71. 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. Then, together, each in his own way, we offer Jesus infinite sacrifice of love to the Father WEEK FOUR: Into the Darkness 101 and ourselves along with it.150 Thats the moment when Jesus sacrifice becomes our sacrifice, when Jesus love becomes our love, when Jesus offering of himself becomes our offering of ourselves. In other words, like most of us, she not only knew herself to be weak and imperfect (more on that in the next point), but she knew what it was like to live in an age of secularism and doubt. Very thought provoking and challenging questions were asked. But despite this, try to be faithful, so that He does not have to wait in vain for your love.172 Todays Prayer: Spend the day pondering the Offering to Merciful Love as it is summarized in these three words: Console, the Catch, and Purgatory. 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. Unveil for me the mystery at the heart of the Gospel, the mystery of the Heart of Christ: his tender mercy for sinners. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Also, regarding the idea of Gods amazing mercy for sinners being beyond the power of words to express, Jesus once said to St. Faustina, My daughter, do you think you have written enough about My mercy?

Toggle navigation. Krailsheimer [London: Penguin Classics, 1966], 136). 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. 2016. WebTo do this specific consecration requires obtaining the new book by Fr. Whats going to hap pen to us? 55 Conrad De Meester, OCD, The Power of Confidence: Genesis and Struc ture ofthe Way ofSpiritual Childhood ofSt. WEEK TWO: The Little Way 61 In the Church today, theres a lot of talk of the time of mercy, a time of great grace and blessing. 33 world a key to Marys innermost reality. You dont have to read 33 Days to Morning Glory before reading this book but I recommend you do. This final consecration to our Heavenly Father truly is the "greater" consecration, the one in which all others find their origin and end. The event of the Cross and Resur rection abides and draws everything toward life. And she also said something else thats familiar: Keep trusting ( and have an unshakable trust). Michael Browner DAY 20 The Offering (Part One) For the last two days of this week, well reflect on the actual text of St. Thereses Offering to Merciful Love, which consists of 11 paragraphs. (More on that tomorrow.) But the other key word of this trial is heaven," which is very interesting. Instead of this I allowed myself to be wrapped in cotton wool and fattened up like a little bird that needs no penance.

Time is nothing in Your eyes, and a single day is like a thousand years. Also, keep in mind that the Offering is tar from selfish when we aim to do it, above all, to console Jesus. Purify my intentions that I may do everything solely to please and glorify God. Doesnt the inflow of air feel great?

Michael Inhale after doing about 20 seconds of empty lungs. Fill me with Merciful Love so that, through it, I may see all of God's perfections, including his justice, as clothed in love. Address: Be the first to receive exclusive offers and the latest news on our products and services directly in your inbox. It was actually all about faith, not love.

For now, we can reflect on the refreshing perspective from which the saint of Lisieux approached the idea of offering herself as a spiritual victim: How GOOD is the Lord, his MERCT endures forever! APPENDIX ONE: Living the Offering 159 To understand what I mean by perfection on our side, it will be helpful to look at what the Church means by perfect contrition. Perfect contrition is when were sorry for our sins not because we fear hell and punishment but, rather, because our sins offend God, whom we love. 190 See, for example, Diary, 611, 651. DAY 30 The Little Way Three words summarize what we learned about the Little Way. Beautiful message of love in action. Also, it means not giving in to discouragement or, God forbid, despair. The actual retreat book, 33 Days to Merciful Love, comes included in this kit. He believed Gods promise, even to the extent of hoping against hope (Rom WEEK ONE: What Is Trust?

You should not fear purgatory 80 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE because of the suffering there, but should instead ask that you not deserve to go there in order to please God, Who so reluctantly imposes this punishment. And so, not wanting to be late for class, I took the book. He also stated: Man finds nothing so intolerable as to be in a state of complete rest without occupation, without diversion (622). Please note:The book being studied, The One Thin [More], This Participant Packet for Stage Two of the Hearts Afire Program is the ideal packet for those who would like to join a Wisdom and Works of Mercy Small Group Study, and do not yet own the book The 'One Thing' Is Three. For example, we console Jesus when we alleviate the suffering of the poor, the sick, and die lonely, for they truly are Christ to us. She just wants us to come to under stand Gods goodness and accept his Merciful Love. C 142 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE he Freedom oe Coxsc/ence. (1698). Really. Michael Gaitley, MIC.Fr. It means forgiving those who have hurt us.

O my God! Its a choice that forms our conscience. 112-13. And it was during our annual Carmelite retreat; I wrote out the Offering in the morning , outside beside the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the garden (begging her as Therese did to take this offering and present it to Jesus).
Souls that trust boundlessly are a great comfort to Me, because I pour all the treasures of My graces into them. 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. Alright, so when we pray the Chaplet, the intention of this supercharged moment of the Mass becomes very focused. Thats largely because of a popular and terribly rigorist book on Carmelite spiritualin- called The Treasure of Carmel. Specifically, its to con sole Jesus by making a spiritual communion with the intention of receiving the mercy' that other people reject. 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. 44 Story of a Soul, pp. Michael, 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy. 86 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE Thereses boldness in relying on the merits not only of God but of the saints and angels reaches new heights after she reminds the Lord of his promise in Scripture to grant whatever we ask. 21 Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, November 21, 1964, 58. 38-39. She also solves the mystery as to why so many sinners are often so blind to the fact that theyre sinners. Wow. I found what I was looking for.

Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. In fact, we just read that her focus is on being merciful to Jesus and to her neighbor. Endnotes 179 38 Cited in ibid., p. 54. Not only that, but Mary had to watch her child go tlirough a suffering worse than anyone has ever had to bear. Anyway, Therese responds to Marie with her glorious Letter 197. (Imperfect contrition, on the other hand, is sorrow for sin because of fear of hell and punishment.) Second, I recommend the spiritual journal of St. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul: Diary ofSaint Maria Faustina Kowalska. DAY 6 Mary's Song of Faith Yesterday was a bit heavy and dark. Otherwise, we cannot hope for mercy (see Mt 5:7, 18:21-35).112 The second potential objection to making the Offering to Merciful Love has to do with those who have begun to feel that theyre in a bit too deep with this Offering stuff. (2) It doesnt clearly highlight all of the teachings weve covered during this retreat. Yes, I believe. 6160 S. Syracuse Way (Then, ifyoud like, you can pray St. Thereses text ofthe Offering to Merciful Love on your own.) Tomorrow, well actually delve into Thereses masterpiece, die crowning of her Litde Way: the text of her Offering to Merciful Love. The distinction between mortal and venial sin, already evident in Scripture, became part of the tradition of the Church. Gaitley, Michael E., author. Because, again, as the Cate chism teaches, all sin involves a lack of trust in Gods goodness. I will not stop singing my song of love until the choir ofAngels picks it up. Well experience times of excruciating darkness and even agony, and well wonder, Where is God? Well not understand his ways. Specifically, it follows the theology of her Offering to Merciful Love, which is essentially a consecration to Divine Mercy. On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. It provides us the opportunity, in the veiled form of Sacrament, to love God as he loves us, to actually love him perfectly. Rather, the focus in this para graph is not on seeking out suffering but, rather, on accepting the suffering that God will choose for her. It is corroborated by human experience. Its not a path on which Jesus gives grace and mercy because we deserve it but, rather, because he feels the need togive it. Todays Prayer: Spend the day pondering how to live the Little Way as it is summarized in these three words: Recognize, Trust, and Try. Seraphim, it means praise and thanksgiving. It means to praise and thank God in all things. Dont worry. Going back to the beginning, back to Day 1, we learned that sin comes from a lack of trust in Gods goodness, a lack of faith in God and his Word.

St. Thrse has had her touch on my life for a long time now, but it was a joy to get to know her even more deeply and her heart for the Father during these last 33 days. 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. 66 Pope Francis, homily at the parish of St. Anna in the Vatican, Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 17,2013. 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.

Its true that I cannot tell you exactly how it will all play out. Michael Gaitley, MIC. 61 Diary, 723.

Jesus gives it. 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. 137 AriTK CON5LCKATION The Lens of Mercy [Read this section sometime after you've made your consecration. Abrahams whole walk with God was a walk of faith.

So, the elevator is the mercy ofJesus. It is in the depths of my own being that 1 commune with mv God (Diary, 1302). ' Let me explain. Includes more than 200 pages of bonus material. the Love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dear Mother. 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. Were sinners who would die of terror if we fully realized our selfishness and sin. One of the best examples of a personal consecration to Introduction 19 Divine Mercy is actually a form of Marian consecration, a form thats taught by St. Maximilian Kolbe.

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). The Augustine Institute Lets begin by reviewing that scene: In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgins name was Mary. The precise moment came during a conversation with Fr. Again, we should do it through Scripture and Church teaching. Even after die death of her one true friend in the convent (Therese), even after her mental illness caused her to have to leave the convent at the age of 55 after 28 years of religious life, even after years of wondering aimlessly about the French countryside (ibid., p. 51) amazingly she could still write the fol lowing words to Mother Agnes, words that reveal her hidden sanctity: The work of sanctification which my beloved Therese began so lovingly in me beore she died continues. I love the concept of this book. It was instituted by [St.] John Paul II. (See also ibid., pp. They truly are the great apostles ofmercy for our time. I found hope. DAY 26 The World's Darkness This week, weve focused on better understanding the darkness of our own weakness, brokenness, and sin. Michael Gaitley's do-it-yourself retreat, but this portable prayer companion is the next best thing. 170 Diary, 86. My old friend -ZTLfrom college had said to me on the phone, You need to do for the Offering to Merciful Love of St. Thercse of Lisicux what you did for Marian consecration. Let me unpack that a bit. More specifically, its to believe that God is faithful to his promises, to believe that God is faithful even when it seems impossible. In the above quote, Therese even says, This is die difficulty. And why is it difficult? Before her profession of religious vows, her wedding day, Therese made a retreat. Well talk about Marys song of faith and praise tomorrow.

Well, Pope Francis has such authority, and he did announce it. But is she really that lowly? Mark said, No problem. Just pre-ordered this book. We console him. In other words, just as Adam and Eve hid from God when they heard him walking in the garden after their sin, so we, too, tend to hide from God, especially when our sins weigh heavily upon us. Therese herself tells us as she makes an ardent prayer to the Lord: O my God! And what does our heavenly mother do when she wins such hearts? In fact, in die very Gospel that records Jesus saying, I thirst from the Cross, on the very night he entered into his Passion, Jesus says to us, No longer do I call you slaves but I have called you friends (Jn 15:15). Todays prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. In other words, he waited until her foundation on Divine Mercy was rock solid. 108 Cited in The Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux on Purgatory by Hubert van Dijk, ORC, trans. 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. Rather, he judges the heart. by. In times of darkness, when youre tempted to think theres no way you can become a saint remember that smile. Help us to be grateful for Gods mercy with your own joyfulness of heart at the Visitation. 338-340.

Why? Emphasis added. The Latin word fiat comes from Fiat mihi, Let it be done to me. At the Annunciation, Mary spoke this word after she presented herself to the Lord (ecce). A must-read for all those who desire to bear witness to the mercy of God . Again, I suggest its his words, I thirst, spoken from the Cross. It is to their hearts that God deigns to lower Himself.

It is this: As an age, with a river of heinous sin overflowing the banks of humanity, we have quite simply exhausted our reparative capacity to sate the demands of Divine Justice. By diat, I mean were probably not yet at a point where we can grasp the Little Way and die Offering to Merciful Love in a single gaze, as St. John Paul II put it. Jesus needs little souls to receive his Merciful Love. This invitation pleased Jesus so much that he filled her with a superabundance of his mercy, and the experience of it became the very center of Thereses whole spirituality, leading her to the heights of holiness. From Fr. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC, author of the popular book "Consoling the Heart of Jesus," comes an extraordinary 33-day journey to Marian consecration with four giants of Marian spirituality: St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Pope St. John Paul II. Notice here that God gives such souls forgiveness of sin and pun ishment. That means no purgatory! Although this may not seem scary to others, its making me nervous. Webmas ters note: This article, in German, appears in the December 2001 and the January 2002 issue of Der Felsat www.der-feis.de/2001 /12-2001 .pdf and www.der-fels.de/2002/01 2002.pdf. However, if you trust in Jesus for the purpose of consoling him, then trust becomes an act of love. 148 Story of a Soul, pp. In other words, its not in spite of humility but, rather, because of humility that she believed she could become one of the greatest of saints. Problem is, not everyone accepts, receives, and draws from such a superabundant source. Now, Eves first mistake was that she listened to a liar the Father of Lies. Let me explain. Its about discovering extraordinary joy, happiness, and peace in the midst of regular, ordinary, day-to-day existence. Shes actually quite big! And then theyd go on to describe how heroic she was in her sacrifices, sufferings, virtues, and desires. No. Michael Gaitley recounts how Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, later Pope St. John Paul II, used the teachings of the Second Vatican Council with great success to help Catholics in his diocese live their faith to the full. Well, Thereses own Lisieux convent certainly felt its effects. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. (The Poetry of Saint Therese ofLisieux, trans. Her role is to lead us to the Heart of Jesus, and she does (Imperfect love of God would have to do with a desire for reward.) We get washed in the wonderful flood of his Merciful Love. 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? For, indeed, the face is the window to the soul and, in a certain sense, most reveals the person. Were too focused on the beloved who suffers. If you had understood the story of my little bird, you would not have asked me this question.

48 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE It teaches that few are saved, that you have to be perfect to go to Jesus, and that you must earn his love, especially by multiply ing great works and painful sacrifices.