The Power of the Memory

In "The Memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection"  Father Cajetan Cuddy, O.P. wrote:

"When we hear the word 'memory' we naturally tend to think of mental activity - like the act of recalling an event or conversation from yesterday.  When we recall such events, however, we do not have actual contact with the previous day.  The past remains truly past.  We have, rather, an idea or an impression that reminds in our mind.

When the Church 'keeps he memory' of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection (CCC 1163), however, the situation is quite different.  She does have real contact with the Lord.  Indeed, Christ's saving works 'become in a certain way present and real' in the Church's liturgy (CCC 1363).  This is why the Catechism describes the Mass as a Eucharistic 'Memorial" (CCC 1409).  The Eucharist is a real memorial of the Lord's saving work.  Why?  The Eucharist is the same Savior who sacrificed himself for our sins and rose again for our salvation.

The Church alone is able to keep the memory of the Lord in this real and sacramental way.  The Church is the ride of Christ - a bride always united to her heavenly Bridegroom.  And her Bridegroom always remembers his Passion and Resurrection.  Indeed, our Lord remembers all of this so profoundly that his ver humanity bears the marks of his sacrificial love.  The very glorified body of Christ memorializes his Passion, for even in his glorified state in heaven, Jesus' resurrected body still retains the wounds of his love.

Through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, our Lord's glorified body is made really present.  The Church does not recall Jesus or his Passion in an airy or fanciful manner.  The divine Savior truly comes at every Mass - and, in his resurrected body, so do the Passion and the Resurrection he underwent.  The Body and Blood really present on the altar are the Body and Blood of the same Savior who suffered, die, and rose again 'for us men and for our salvation.'

How then do Catholics regard and enter into the memorial of the Lord's Passion at Mass?  The first and most important step is to be present with the Real Presence - to attend Mass at church on Sunday, the 'Lord's Day.'  Sunday is the sacred day on which the Church 'keeps the memory of the Lord's resurrection' (CCC 1163).  Jesus does not withhold himself from the Church - neither two thousand years ago on Calvary nor today, here and now, in the sacraments.  And all Catholics are called to avail themselves of the sacraments through with we truly encounter our loving Savior.

Second, Catholics apply their mins to the sacred mysteries commemorated through the Mass.  We do this by embracing Jesus with our loving thoughts and affections.  Thus, not only are we physically present at Mass, but we are also spiritual and prayerfully present at Mass.  We meditate upon the sacred mysteries present before us in the sacraments with a spirit of love and gratitude.

Third, we draw consolation from the fat that the Church never forgets the Bridegroom.  This is one of the reasons the Church is so precious for Catholics.  The Mystical Body of Christ is bigger than her members.  Even if a Catholic forgets - or even if many Catholics forget - about Jesus, the Church always remembers.  She makes up for our frailties.  Moreover, she is always happy to receive us when we recall how much we need our Savior - even if after many years.

In sum , the Church's Eucharistic memorial helps individual Catholics themselves to remember what she never forgets:  Jesu suffered, died, and rose again - for us."

I've heard it said by Fr. Robert that the memory is one of the least understood abilities of man.  That the memory often is simple regarded as reminiscing over the past but empty of any substance.  Therefore since beginning on this topic of the three powers of man I wanted to use a post to explore in the Volumes what the power of the memory consists in.

Luisa was taught early in the Volumes the power of the memory in overcoming temptation.

Jesus Christ taught me that the most effective means for the soul to be freed of every vain apprehension, of every doubt, of every fear, was to protest before Heaven, earth and the very demons, that she does not want to offend God, even at the cost of her life, and that she does not want to consent to any temptation of the devil.  And this, as soon as the soul feels the coming of the temptation, in the act of the battle, if she can, and as she begins to feel free - and also during the course of the day.  By doing this, the soul will not waste time in thinking about whether she has consented or not, because the mere memory of her promise will already give her peace; and if the devil tries to disturb her, she will be able to answer that if she had the intention of offending God, she would not have protested the opposite.  In this way, she will remain free of any concern.

Vol. 1,     Jesus teaches Luisa how to drive away the infernal spirits, thus overcoming the test she was subjected to.



So memory serves in this case to renew and reaffirm a promise.  And here, also in Vol. 1, Jesus teaches Luisa that the memory is meant to be centralized in Him.  His presence is to be brought to mind which will nurture a growing love of Him in the creature.  So that all things and people are looked at only through the lens of Jesus.

So, I say that first of all Jesus directed me to totally detach myself from all creation, and even from my own self, almost as though I was to live in perfect forgetfulness of all things.  With this, my interior would become disposed to have his sweet memory ever present to me, and a living and beating affection of love toward him, so that, being pleased with all my acts, he might form his permanent dwelling in my heart.  Outside of him, he said, I was no longer to know anyone:  not friends, not even my own self.  Only in him was the memory of everything and of everyone to be reawakened, since the creature necessarily can be found in him.  To achieve this, he added that I was always to act with holy indifference, mindless of what may be happening around me.  In other words, I was always to act uprightly and with the greatest simplicity, not keeping account of the pros and the cons of creatures.

Vol. 1,      Jesus gives four rules of life to the soul.

 

But memory is more than renewing a promise, nurturing love of God and shielding the creature from unholy attachments and judgments.  Here Jesus tells Luisa how memory gives the beginning to a good in making it her own.   Remembering Jesus' life leads to taking the fruits of those acts for oneself.  And these goods, when acquired, continue into the next life as a fount of goods which overflow from the soul for the good of others.

‘My daughter, how much great good does the memory of Me and of everything I did, suffered and said in my Life, procure for the soul. By compassionating Me and making my intentions her own, and by remembering, one by one, my pains, my works, my words, she calls them into herself and places them in neat order within her soul, in such a way as to come to take the fruits of what I did, suffered and said.     ....

The memory is the beginning of a good. The memory forms many sips for the soul in order to give her life. When some good - when things are forgotten, they lose the vital virtue for the soul, they lose their attractiveness, the gratitude, the correspondence, the esteem, the love, the value. And not only does this memory produce the origin of every good in life, but after one’s death also it produces the origin of glory. Have you not heard your late confessor – how he delighted in speaking about the graces I have given you? This is because during his life he cared about hearing them, he remembered them, and his interior remained filled with them to the point of overflowing outside. And now, how much good did this not procure for him in the next life? It is for him like a fount of good which overflows for the good of others. So, the more the soul remembers what belongs to Me, my graces, the lessons I have given her, the more the fount of my goods grows within her, to the point that, unable to contain them, they overflow for the good of others.”

Vol. 16, June 1, 1924

 
By remembering the acts done by the Saints and by Jesus, which are conserved in His Will, we participate in this fount by renewing the goods accomplished in these acts.   Not only do we renew the glory that was obtain through these acts but we double it for God and for the one who worked it and for the benefit of those still on the earth.

“My daughter, there is no thing suffered and worked by all the saints in the story of the world, in which my Will has not had his part doing as actor and concurrent with strength, with help, with support, with that sacrifice or work that they have done.  Now the soul offering them to God as homage of glory, recalls the memory of that sacrifice and work, and my Divine Will recognizes that which he has put forth of his in such acts and he gives the virtue to double the glory of that sacrifice, for God and for the one who has had the good of sacrificing themselves and of working in order to complete my Divine Will.  True good never ceases, neither in Heaven nor in earth, one creature who remembers and offers them is enough he renews the glory in Heaven and the effects of that good descend in earth to the benefit of creatures.  Therefore the life of true good is not subject to die.  In fact who is the life of my Church?  Who feeds her and acts as Teacher, if not the brief course of my life down here?  I can say that it is my sufferings that sustain her, it is my doctrines that teach her.  So that all the good that I did didn’t die, but remained with the fullness of life and life that vivifies, conserves, feeds and grows continually, and gives itself to whoever wants it.  And as the creature remembers, she already puts herself in rapport with my goods, and as she goes offering them, thus they double themselves in order to give themselves to her, and I feel the glory doubled of that which I did for love of creatures. 

Vol. 29,  March 2, 1931



With remembering all the acts of the past and using them to call anew the Kingdom of the Divine Will we renew them, honor them and we also act as a guard to them to protect them, but not only this but they in turn act as a guard to us to protect us.

“My daughter, when the creature remembers, honors, glorifies that which her Creator and her Redeemer has done for her love in order to put her in safety, and (that) all the saints have done, she becomes protectress of all these acts.  The sky, the sun and all the creation feel protected by the creature.  My terrestrial life down here, my sufferings, my tears feel sheltered in her and they find their protectress; the saints not only find protection in her memory, but the acts of them vivified, renewed in the midst of creatures, in short they feel life re-given in their acts.

“Oh, how many beautiful works and virtues remain as buried in the base world, because there is no one who remembers and honors them!  The memory recalls the works of the past and makes them as present.  But do you know what happens?  An exchange happens:  the creature becomes protectress with her memory; all our works, the creation, the redemption and all that which the saints have done, they make themselves protector of their protector.  They put themselves around Her in order to protect her, to defend her, they do as sentinel, and while they shelter themselves in her in order to be protected, every work of ours, all my sufferings and all the works and virtues of my saints, make competition giving the exchange to make (an) honor guard for her, so that she remains defended by everything and by everyone.  And then there is no greater honor that you can give when you make use of them to ask for in every act the Kingdom of the Divine Will.  They feel called and put themselves to do as messengers between heaven and earth to a kingdom so holy.  You should know that (the) past, present and future, all must serve to the Kingdom of the Divine Fiat.  Now [with] your memory, asking for this kingdom through means of our works, virtues and acts of everyone, all feel put to the service of Him and they take their office and post of honor.  So that your turning is necessary, because it serves to prepare the Kingdom of the Divine Will.  Therefore be attentive and continuous.”

Vol. 30, Feb. 24, 1932




Where the Divine Will reigns he brings with Him all that which belongs to Him and this includes all the lost and forgotten acts of the past saints and all his own unknown acts.  Only one who lives in the Divine Will has the ability to bring to the present again all these lost and unknown acts. 

And in all things he turns around her, and it seems that he says to her:  ‘look at me it is I, know me, I come in order to form my life in you’; and doing as (an) assailant to her he assails her inside and outside, in a way that one who pays attention, feels my Divine Will regurgitate inside and outside of herself, that is forming the prodigy of his divine life which is not given to them to resist his power, and do you know what this Divine Will of mine does? he re-gives life, recalls everything to life, makes arise in this life all that which he has done, and what has been done of good by all creatures, he arouses the sweet remembrance of his works, as present and in act, as if he might repeat them, nothing escapes from this life, she feels the fullness of everything, and oh! how the creature feels happy, rich, powerful, holy, she feels outfitted with all the good acts of the others, and she loves for all, glorifies the Divine Fiat as if they might be hers, and my Volition feels his works re-given to him by her, hence the love, the glory of his divine works, and repeats with the memory the glory and the love of the other creatures.  Oh! how many works put in oblivion, how many sacrifices, how many forgotten heroic acts, that have been done by the human generations, that they don’t think of anymore and hence there is neither the continuous repetition of the glory, nor one who renews the love of those acts, and my Divine Will forming his life in the human littleness, makes arise the memory of everything, in order to give and in order to receive everything, centralizes everything in her and forms his divine encampment.  Therefore be attentive to receive these waves of my Volition, they re-pour themselves over you in order to change your fate, and if you receive them, you will be his fortunate creature.”

Vol. 32,  Sept. 17, 1933



The power of the memory working in concert with the intellect and the will of the creature living in the Divine Will is much more than a simple reminiscence of past events.  The memory has the power to renew past promises and intentions, re-strengthening these bonds.  When centered on God it focuses the love of the creature in God.  Memory allows the creature to make it's own the goods that it sees both in the Creation and in the acts of others.  And in remembering these acts the creature redoubles the glory of God and of the Saint whom had the great benefit of preforming the act.  These in turn then go and act as a shield and protector to the creature.  It seems to me that our time here on earth is so short we should take advantage of it to use the power of our memory to win eternal founts of good.  How often I know I've used it instead to dwell on past hurts and judgments and idle day dreams.  When I see in the world all the people who become robbed of their memory through disease and accidents it is always a reminder to me of how little time we might actual have to put this power to use to do good.  And to know that we have the power to make a feast for all, the saints, those creatures still on the earth, the holy souls in Purgatory, all of Creation and a feast for God himself, it overwhelms me how great is the potential of the memory in a creature living in the Divine Will.  In conclusion I wanted to end with a reading where Jesus talks to Lusia about his great joy in seeing the creature remember the love with which she was created and the great gifts that he makes to her.

“Blessed daughter, the sweetest memory that I enjoy more immensely is when the creature remembers my love in the Creation, in a special way that of man; our love eviscerated itself more than a mother when she puts forth her dear child to the light.  Our love raced, raced, in order to enclose it in Himself, so that wherever, inside and outside of himself, he might be able to find the knoll of our love that says to him:  ‘I love you, I love you.’  The sweet sound of our love whispers to the ear, beats in his heart, resounds strongly and kisses ardently the lips, tightly embraces (him) in our Paternal arms, as triumph of our love, that at whatever cost wants to love the creature.  So that there is nothing more sweet, more pleasant, than remembering with how much love we created man and all things.  And so much is our pleasure, that the fortunate creature that comes before our Adorable Majesty, in order to remember this love of ours so great, we redouble our loving bonds with her, we give her new graces, new light and we call her the repeater of our feast, because in the Creation everything was feast for us and for everyone.  And the creature with remembering that which we did in the Creation puts in feast our love, our power, our creative wisdom, that had created the whole universe with so much inimitable mastery, and then the mastery in creating man, that exceeds everything.  Hence all our Divine qualities celebrate, and the creature looking, has put in feast with her memory and with her little exchange of love, she makes competition between them and some double the love, some the goodness, some the sanctity, in short every single Divine quality of ours wants to give of his, in order to repeat with her that which we did in the Creation.

“Therefore repeat often the sweet memory of our insuperable love, that we had in the Creation, it was a creature of ours, one of our images, one child of ours that we put forth to the light, and therefore we showed off so much in love, and to feel the remembering of it we feel (ourselves) love her more.  So that all the Creation is none other than a display of our loving Will toward the creature, and in his loving display he goes repeating:  ‘Fiat, Fiat’, in order to pearl all the Creation with his display of love.

Vol. 29,  June 8, 1931