“Not so, for one who doesn’t possess him as life, but only as virtue and effect, everything is difficulty and she feels the good by time and circumstances, the circumstance ceases and she feels the void of the good, and this void produces inconstancy, variety of character, tiredness, she feels the unhappiness of the human volition, she neither enjoys peace, nor does she know how to give peace to anyone, she feels in herself the good as if she might feel dislocated limbs or partly detached that she is not mistress with them serving her, and she must be subject to the others in order to make herself serve, not living of my Will is making oneself enslaved and to feel the whole weight of slavery.”
Showing posts with label Trinity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Trinity. Show all posts
Sunday, March 9, 2025
In the Shadow of the Almighty
Psalm 91
You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress;
my God, in whom I trust.”
For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
and from the deadly pestilence;
he will cover you with his pinions,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
You will not fear the terror of the night,
or the arrow that flies by day,
or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.
You will only look with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
Because you have made the Lord your refuge,
the Most High your dwelling place,
no evil shall befall you,
no scourge come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the adder,
the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
Those who love me, I will deliver;
I will protect those who know my name.
When they call to me, I will answer them;
I will be with them in trouble,
I will rescue them and honor them.
With long life I will satisfy them,
and show them my salvation.
In the Bible, specifically in the Psalms, there are several mentions of being under the shadow of God. In the Volumes there are also these types of references. In one reading I had been telling God that I really didn't understand the idea of the shadow that Luisa talks about in Vol. 16, March 22, 1924. I told Him that I'd do my best at the round, but I didn't get the part about the shadow.
Finally, after long struggling, I found myself inside myself, in my bed; and my sweet Jesus, who continued to moan because He was suffering very much, stretching out His arms to me, told me: “My daughter, give Me a little rest for I can take no more.” And leaning His head upon my breast, He seemed to want to sleep. But His sleep was not a peaceful one; and I, not knowing what to do, remembered about His Most Holy Will, in which there is full rest, and said to Him: ‘My Love, I lay my intelligence in your Will in order to find your uncreated intelligence, so that, by laying mine within yours, I may shade all created intelligences, in such a way that You may feel your shadow placed before all created minds, and You may find rest for the sanctity of your intelligence. I lay my word in your Fiat, in order to place the shadow of that omnipotent Fiat before the human voices, so that your breath and your mouth may be able to rest. I lay my works in yours, to place the shadow and the sanctity of your works before the works of creatures, so as to give rest to your hands. I lay my little love in your Will, to place You in the shade of your immense love, which I place before the hearts of all, to give rest to your weary Heart.’ As I kept saying this, my Jesus calmed Himself and fell into a sweet sleep. Then, after some time, He woke up, but He was calm, and pressing me to Himself, He told me: “My daughter, I was able to rest because you surrounded Me with the shadows of my works, of my Fiat and of my love. This is the rest I spoke about after I created all things. And since man was the last to be created, I wanted to rest in him – that is, by virtue of my Will acting in him, which formed my shadow in him, I was to find my rest and the fulfillment of my works. But this was denied to Me, because he did not want to do my Will; and until I find someone who wants to live of my Will, which overshadows my image in the soul, not finding my shadow, I cannot rest, because I cannot complete my works and give the last divine brush stroke to all Creation. This is why the earth needs to be purged and renewed – but with strong purges, such that many will lose their lives. And you, have patience, and always follow my Will.
Vol. 16, March 22, 1924
So I did understand the general idea that the union of the Divine Will in the creature is the completion of his work, the seventh day where He finds His rest, but it really seemed like I was missing something big. At mass the next day there was the gospel of Luke 1: 26-38. It was this line that caught my attention mainly after reading a meditation on it in my daily missal.
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
I've never given that line much thought before other than the face value of it. In the meditation however instead of using the word overshadow it used the phase "...the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow..." what a difference a turn of the phrase makes! It seemed to me that God was telling me that the shadow that Luisa speaks of in this round is the same shadow that overshadowed Mary. The power of the Holy Spirit, the active Volition, the same Spirit which overshadowed Mary bringing about the Incarnation now reaching out through all creatures in the round of Luisa uniting all acts in the Divine Will, making them complete in this union and giving Jesus the rest He so craves. The Incarnation of Jesus is from the mutual Fiat of Mary and God formed in the Divine Will and in the round of Luisa it is once again the mutual Fiat which joins the Divine with the human, causing the incarnation of a new Divine Life in each act completing the act as God wants, the seventh day of Creation where God takes His rest as His work is now complete.
In the Volumes it states that before the fall, Adam lived under the continuous Divine Paternity that overshadowed him, loving him from all sides. He lived in a continuous state of love and rest in his Creator and I dare say God rested in the love of His creature as well.
..one who enters in Him, finds in act all that which innocent Adam did in Him, his love, his tenderness of son toward his Celestial Father, the Divine Paternity that overshadowed his son from all sides in order to love him,
Vol. 32, October 30, 1933
Luisa, when she became overwhelmed, was also given rest by Jesus in the shadow of the Divine Will, the breath of His Volition.
He placed His hand on my forehead and added: “I leave you the shadow of my Will, the breath of my Volition. Sleep.”
And I fell asleep.
Vol. 12, May 23, 1918
He came more than once, and I seemed to see Him as a Child, as though surrounded by a shadow. He said to me: “My daughter, don’t you feel the freshness of my shadow? Rest in it, for you will find refreshment.” And it seemed that we rested together in His shadow, and I felt all reinvigorated being close to Him.
Vol. 6, July 31, 1904
So the shadow of God is rest for the soul but the earthly shadow of the creature is our attachments, our human will that blocks the action of the Divine shadow. God wants to overshadow all creatures in order to communicate all of Himself to them but because of sin most reject Him, blocking Him from doing any good.
one day He said to me: “Everything that is of the earth, everything – everything you must remove, not only from your heart, but also from your body. You cannot understand how harmful are the slightest earthly shadows, and how much they hinder love.” Immediately I said to Him: ‘If I have something else that must be removed, tell me, for I am ready to do it.’ But as I was saying this, I myself realized that I had a gold ring on my finger, portraying the image of the Crucifix; and immediately I said to Him: ‘Holy Spouse, do you want me to take it off?’ And He told me: “Since I Myself will give you a more precious, more beautiful ring, which will have my living image impressed on it, and every time you will look at it your heart will receive new arrows of love - this one is not necessary.” And I promptly removed it.
Vol. 1, Last preparations and the Mystical Marriage.
Then He added: “I feel an irresistible force to spread Myself toward the creatures. I would like to spread my beauty to make them all beautiful; but the creature, dirtying herself with sin, rejects the divine beauty and covers herself with ugliness. I would like to spread my love, but, loving what is not mine, they live numb with cold, and my love is rejected. I would like to communicate all of Myself to man, overshadow him completely within my own qualities, but I am rejected; and in rejecting Me, he forms a wall of division between Me and him, to the point of breaking any communication between creature and Creator. But in spite of this, I continue to spread Myself - I do not withdraw, in order to find at least someone who would receive my qualities. And if I find him, I double my graces for him - I increase them a hundredfold; I pour all of Myself into him, to the point of making of him a portent of grace.
Vol. 12, April 16, 1918
Knowledge of self is key to breaking down the walls that separate the creature from the Creator. When someone acknowledges their nothingness they can then reach for the infinite power of the Divine Will. The more the creature empties herself the more the Divine can fill her.
...not your will but mine alone must be in you. It must be there and rule as a king in his royal palace. Otherwise, the disagreements of an unsatisfactory love will make themselves heard at once, from which dark shadows will appear, giving rise in you to those discords and that dissimilarity of actions unacceptable to the mutual nobility which absolutely must reign between you, my spouse, and me. This nobility will reign in you if, from time to time, you try to enter your nothingness, that is, if you come to the perfect knowledge of yourself – but not to remain there. Once you have known your nothingness, without delay you must do everything in your power to enter into the infinite power of my Will. From there you will draw all the graces you need in order to raise yourself up into me and do everything with me, with no regard to yourself; for I want you to completely disappear in me.”
Vol. 1, Jesus gives four rules of life to the soul.
The more the soul is empty and humble, the more the divine light fills her and communicates its graces and perfections to her.
As I was in my usual state, I saw little Baby Jesus with a fistful of light in His hand, and rays flowing out through His fingers. I remained enchanted, and He told me: “My daughter, perfection is light, and one who says he wants to reach it acts just like one who would want to clasp a body of light in his hand: as he tries to clasp it, the light itself flows out through his fingers; except, his hand remains immersed in that light. Now, the light is God, and God alone is perfect, and the soul who wants to be perfect does nothing but seize shadows - the little drops of God; and sometimes she does nothing but live in the light alone, that is, in the Truth. And just as the light penetrates deeper and occupies more space the greater the void it finds, and the deeper the place is - in the same way, the more the soul is empty and humble, the more the divine light fills her and communicates Its graces and perfections to her.”
Vol. 6, December 22, 1904
This Divine shadow not only can fill us but keeps us with Him to penetrate everywhere and everything concealed within Himself so that we are not only filled on the inside but in Him we embrace everything, everywhere, in all time.
in one instant, He made Himself seen all of a sudden, and told me: “I keep you in the shadow of my Charity; and since a shadow penetrates everywhere, my love keeps you concealed everywhere and in everything. What do you fear then? How can I leave you while I keep you so sunken within my love?” While Jesus was saying this, I wanted to ask Him why He was not making Himself seen as usual, but Jesus disappeared from me immediately, and did not give me the time to tell Him even one word. Oh God, what pain!
Vol. 2, April 5, 1899
Don’t you feel Me within you? Don’t you hear the echo of my prayer in your interior, as I embrace everything, letting no one escape Me, since all things and all generations are like one single point for Me, and for all do I pray, love, adore and repair? And you, echoing my prayer, feel as if you were holding everyone and everything in your power, and you repeat what I do. Is it perhaps you who does this, or your capacity? Ah! no, no - it is I present in you; it is my Will that makes you hold everyone and everything as though in your power, and follows Its course within your soul.
Vol. 17, April 26, 1925
Although being in the shadow of Jesus' love allows one to go anywhere and penetrate everything if there is even the shadow of an earthly attachment it prevents the soul from entering His Heart. Only complete unity can allow us to rest in Him and He in us.
“My daughter, what will happen to so many works, even good, done without purity of intention, out of habit and self-interest? What shame will not fall upon them on the Day of Judgment, in seeing so many works, good in themselves, but made rotten by their intention, such that, their very actions, instead of rendering honor to them, as they would to many others, will give them shame? In fact, I do not look at the greatness of the works, but at the intention with which they are done. Here is all my attention.”
...Then Jesus continued, saying to me: “Yet, it is so. See, my Heart is so very large, but the door is very narrow. No one can fill the void of this Heart but souls who are detached, naked and simple. In fact, as you see, since the door is small, any hindrance, even the slightest – that is, a shadow of attachment, an intention which is not upright, a work done without the purpose of pleasing Me – prevents them from entering to delight in my Heart. Much love of neighbor enters my Heart, but it must be so united to mine as to form one single love, in such a way that one cannot be distinguished from the other. But as for the other love of neighbor which is not transformed into my love – I do not look at it as something that belongs to Me.”
Vol. 2, May 7, 1899
We can not come to truly know ourselves on our own. The grace to know oneself is given by God and thereby the soul comes into a greater knowledge of both herself and also God. By truly knowing that we are nothing we realize that we are also totally dependent on God for everything. Then we can let go of any attachments that we might have to ourselves. We have no abilities outside of God and without His light even the shadow of our very being would disappear.
my most sweet Jesus wanted to let me touch my nothingness with my own hands. In the act in which He made Himself seen, the first words with which He addressed me were: “Who am I, and who are you?” In these two words I saw two immense lights: in one I comprehended God, in the other I saw my misery, my nothingness. I saw I was nothing but a shadow, just like the shadow formed by the sun in illuminating the earth: it is dependent on the sun, and as the sun moves from it to other places, the shadow ceases to exist outside of its splendor. The same for my shadow – that is, my being: it is dependent on the mystical Sun, God, who can dissolve this shadow in one simple instant. What to say, then, about how I have deformed this shadow which the Lord has given me, which is not even my own? The mere thought of it was horrifying; it was stinking, putrid, all full of worms. Yet, in such a horrifying state I was forced to stand before a God so holy. Oh, how content I would have been, had I been allowed to hide in the darkest abysses!
After this, Jesus told me: “The greatest favor I can do for a soul, is to make her know herself. The knowledge of self and the knowledge of God go together; the more you know yourself, the more you know God. When the soul has known herself, as she sees that she can do nothing good by herself, her shadow, her being, transforms her in God, and it happens that she does all of her operations in God. It happens that the soul is in God and walks beside Him, without looking, without investigating, without speaking – in a word, as if she were dead. In fact, knowing the depth of her nothingness, she dares to do nothing by herself, but she blindly follows the trajectory of the operations of God.”
Vol. 2, June 2, 1899
Jesus uses the cross to reveal to the soul all it's imperfections and defects which makes her turn her gaze more and more to God and less upon herself. He says that tribulations are necessary in order to keep the soul who would live in His shadow from being infected with earthly things.
Then He turned to me and told me: “The cross communicates such splendor to the soul as to render her transparent. Just as one can give all the colors he wants to an object which is transparent, in the same way, with its light the cross provides all features and the most beautiful shapes that can possibly be imagined, not only by others, but by the very soul who experiences them. Furthermore, on a transparent object one can immediately detect dust, little stains, and even a shadow. Such is the cross: since it renders the soul transparent, it immediately reveals to the soul the little defects, and the slightest imperfections, so much so, that there is no hand of master more capable than the cross in keeping the soul prepared, to make of her a residence worthy of the God of Heaven.”
Vol. 2, July 22, 1899
Tribulations are necessary for one who lives in the shadow of Jesus. (... to keep infectious air away.)
As I was all oppressed, I saw my adorable Jesus for just a little, and looking at me, He told me: “My daughter, for one who lives in my shadow it is necessary that the winds of tribulations blow, so that the infectious air around her may not be able to penetrate into her, even under my shadow. So, by always agitating this unhealthy air, the continuous winds keep it always far away, and make flow a most pure and salutary air.” Having said this, He disappeared, and I comprehended many things about this, but it is not necessary to explain myself because I believe it is easy to comprehend the meaning.
Vol. 4, December 29, 1901
Only in those who live in the sanctity of the Divine Will does God see the shadow of His own sanctity. Those who give without clamor, without notice, give to everyone without prejudice, give with no attachments to things of the earth or other creatures but live wholly supported by God alone. They give with the power of His own Will demonstrating His attributes. This is the sanctity of sanctities and is the closest to God. He refers to it as a shadow of Himself.
“In this Sanctity I see my shadows, my images, hovering over the whole earth, in the air and in Heaven. This is why I love and will love the world: because I am waiting for my Sanctity to have Its echo over the earth, and for my rays to come out to the light and to give Me complete glory, returning to Me the love and the honor which the others have not given to Me. However, just like the sun, they will be the most unobserved, without clamor at all. And if anyone wants to look at them, my jealousy will be such that they will run the risk of remaining blinded, and will be forced to lower their eyes in order to regain their sight. Do you see how beautiful is the Sanctity in my Will? It is the Sanctity closest to your Creator. This is why It will have primacy over all other sanctities. It will enclose within Itself all other sanctities together, and will be life of all other sanctities.
Vol. 13, November 12, 1921
True virginity is the Divine shadow, virgin by nature, affections, heart, and thoughts. It is in such unknown souls that God finds His Divine shadow where He can accomplish His greatest works. Mary was such a soul, the first of the two virgins destined to aid mankind. Luisa is the second.
I was thinking to myself: ‘If Jesus loves so much that this way of living in the Divine Will be known - since It will be a new epoch that must bring so much good as to surpass the very goods of His Redemption - He could have spoken to the Pope who, as the Head of the Church, having the authority, could immediately influence the members of the whole Church by making known this celestial doctrine, and bringing this great good to the human generations. Or to some authoritative people - to them it would be easier; but to me, poor ignorant one, unknown - how can I make this great good known?’ And Jesus, sighing and squeezing me more tightly to Himself, told me: “Daughter so very dear to my Supreme Volition, it is my usual way to do my greatest works in souls that are virgin and unknown; and not only virgin of nature, but virgin of affections, of heart, of thoughts, because true virginity is the divine shadow, and only in my shadow can I fecundate my greatest works. During the times when I came to redeem there were also pontiffs and authorities, but I did not go to them, because my shadow was not there. Therefore I chose a Virgin, unknown to all, but well known to Me; and if true virginity is my shadow, it was divine jealousy that, choosing Her unknown, wanting Her all for Myself, kept Her unknown to all others. But even though this Celestial Virgin was unknown, I made Myself known, by making my way in order to make Redemption known to all.
The greater the work I want to do, the more I cover the soul with the appearance of the most ordinary things. Now, since the people you mention are well-known people, the divine jealousy could not keep its watch; and the divine shadow – oh! how hard it is to find it. And besides, I choose whomever I please. It is established that two Virgins must come to the aid of Humanity - one to make man saved, the other to make my Will reign upon earth, so as to give man his terrestrial happiness, to unite the two wills, the Divine and the human, and make them one, so that the purpose for which man was created may have its complete fulfillment. I Myself will take care of making my way in order to make known what I want. What I most care about is to have the first creature in whom to centralize this Volition of Mine, and that my Will may have life in her on earth as It does in Heaven; the rest will come by itself. This is why I always say to you: ‘Your flight in my Will’ - because the human will contains weaknesses, passions, miseries, which are veils that prevent one from entering into the Eternal Volition; and if they are grave sins, they are barricades that are formed between one and the other. And if my Fiat ‘on earth as It is in Heaven’ does not reign upon earth, this is precisely what prevents It from doing so. Therefore, to you is it given to tear these veils, to knock down these barricades, and to make of all human acts as though one single act in the power of my Will, engulfing them all, and bringing them to the feet of my Celestial Father, as though kissed and sealed by His very Will; so that, in seeing that one creature has covered the whole human family with His Will, attracted, pleased, He may through her let His Will descend upon earth, making It reign on earth as It does in Heaven.”
Vol. 15, April 20, 1923
With the Fiat of Mary, God overshadowed her to incarnate the Divine Word within her womb communicating to her the divine fecundity so that she now overshadows all creatures and created things. This is what makes her Queen and Mother of all. Now God, with the second Fiat of Luisa, overshadows the second virgin soul.
Then He added: “I asked the first ‘yes’ in my Fiat, of my dear Mama, and – oh, the power of Her Fiat in my Will! As soon as the Divine Fiat met with the Fiat of my Mama, the two became one. My Fiat raised Her, divinized Her, overshadowed Her, and with no human intervention, conceived Me, the Son of God. Only in my Fiat could She conceive Me. My Fiat communicated to Her immensity, infinity, fecundity, in a divine manner, and therefore the Immense Eternal Infinite One could be conceived in Her. As soon as She said, ‘Fiat Mihi’, not only did She take possession of Me, but She overshadowed all creatures and all created things. She felt within Herself the life of all creatures, and from that moment She began to act as the Mother and Queen of all. How many portents does this ‘yes’ of my Mama not contain – if I wanted to tell them all, you would never stop listening.”
“Now, I asked a second ‘yes’ in my Will, of you; and you, though trembling, pronounced it. This ‘yes’ in my Volition will accomplish its portents – it will have its divine fulfillment. You – follow Me, plunge yourself more deeply into the immense sea of my Will, and I will take care of everything. My Mama did not think about how I would manage to incarnate Myself in Her; She just said, ‘Fiat Mihi’, and I took care of how to be incarnated. So you will do.”
Vol. 12, January 10, 1921
The first Fiat poured forth billions and billions of stars in Creation. With the second Fiat, united to Mary's Fiat Mihi, billions and billions of acts of grace, running to infinity, poured forth to give themselves to man forming the Redemption. With the third Fiat, united to Luisa's, so will pour forth billions and billions of acts again, in every instant even to infinity. Acts that tie together all of Creation and Redemption that will bring about Sanctification. Acts which should have been done by innocent man now fallen. Acts which will complete all the acts that man should have given back to God. These three Fiats blend together and have equal value which can only be credited to God Himself. Such is the creative power of the Divine Will in His complete act when He overshadows a creature who has given their Fiat.
“All this will seem astonishing and incredible to some; in this case they would have to doubt about my creative power. And besides, when it is I who want it, and who give this power, every doubt ceases. Am I perhaps not free to do whatever I want, and to give to whomever I want? You - be attentive; I will be with you, I will overshadow you with my creative power, and I will accomplish what I want upon you.”
Vol. 12, February 2, 1921
Creation is an overflowing of the images of God which carry the shadows of His attributes. Man is God's image and one who lives in the Divine Will lives within the womb of God. So man does not just carry the shadows of God's attributes but shares in the act of bringing forth new images of God, which then continue to fill all of Heaven and earth. Luisa is the first copy of the daughter of the Divine Will from which all other copies are to come forth.
“Now, do you know what Our Divine Life is? We amuse Ourselves very much in issuing from Us new images of Ourselves. We are in continuous act of forming Our images, so much so, that Heaven and earth are filled with Our images - their shadows flow everywhere. The sun is Our image, and Its light is the shadow of Ours, which covers all the earth. The heavens are Our image, which extend everywhere and carry the shadow of Our own immensity. Man is Our image, who carries Our power, wisdom and love within himself. So, We do nothing other than continuously produce Our images, which resemble Us. Now, one who must live in Our Will, living in Our womb, must form many other copies of Ourselves together with Us; she must be with Us in Our work; she must let copies and shadows of Us come out of herself, filling the whole earth and Heaven.
“Now, in creating the first man, We formed him with Our hands, and breathing over him, We gave him life. Once We made the first, all the others take origin from the first, and are copies of the first. Our power, flowing through all generations, reproduces copies of him. Now, since We constitute you firstborn daughter of Our Will, it is necessary that you live with Us in order to form the first copy of the soul who lives in Our Will, so that, as she lives in Us, she may receive Our attitude, and may learn with Our power to operate according to Our way. Once We have made of you the first copy of the soul who lives in Our Will, more copies will come.
“The road of Our Will is extremely long - it embraces Eternity. And while it seems that one has navigated the road, much remains to do and to receive from Us in order to learn Our ways, and to form the first copy of the soul who lives in Our Will. This is the greatest work We must do; therefore We must give you much, and it is necessary to dispose you much so that you may receive. This is the reason for my repeated questions: it is to dispose you, to enlarge you and to elevate you in order to accomplish my designs. I care so much about it, that I would leave everything aside to reach my purpose. Therefore, be attentive and faithful.”
Vol. 14, April 13, 1922
In an outpouring of love I issued the Creation; everything that can be seen in the whole universe was all inside of Me. Love made the shadow of my light overflow from my interior, and I created the sun; the shadow of my immensity and of my harmonies, and I stretched out the heavens, harmonizing them with many stars and celestial spheres. These and other things which I created were nothing other than shadows of mine which I issued from Myself; and my love had its outpouring, and I took great delight in seeing what was contained in Me, spread out in little particles hovering over all Creation.
Now, what will my joy be in manifesting my truths, which are not shadows of mine that come out of Me, but the substance of the goods that I contain within Me; and which speak of Me, not in a mute language like all created things do, but with clear, sonorous and eloquent voice; and which, since my word is creative, like a new creation create in the soul the truths that I manifest? If with one Fiat I created many things, in manifesting my truths it is not just one Fiat that I pronounce, but as many words for as many as are needed in order to manifest and to have souls comprehend that which I want them to understand. Imagine, then, what my contentment is in manifesting my truths to the soul who, not in a mute language, but with speaking voice, will manifest my goods, my truths, to others, in order to infuse in others the good she has received. Therefore, in manifesting my truths, my love finds its outpouring and becomes festive, and I greatly love one who is willing to listen to Me.”
Vol. 15, July 1, 1923
So the call to live in the Divine Will is to all of us. Jesus will do everything to bring to completion this union of the human will with the Divine. The creature becomes the shadow of Jesus which covers Him as He covers her, not of her own doing but all the Divine Will.
Vol. 16, November 10, 1923
God's love for the acts done in the Divine Will makes Him overshadow the creature with His light so that the act of the creature and His may be one. The Divine Will becomes life and motion of each of these acts. This is the triumph of the Divine Will and man does not have the ability to comprehend the enormity of this.
My beloved daughter, I love so much these acts done in my Will, that as soon as the soul enters into It in order to act, the shadow of my light surrounds her; and I run, so that my act and hers may be one. And since I am the prime act of all Creation, without my prime motion all created things would remain paralyzed, without strength and incapable of the slightest motion. Life is in the motion; without it, everything is dead. I am the prime motion, and I give life and attitude to all other motions; so, at my first motion Creation begins to revolve. It happens as to an engine: at the touch of first motion of the first wheel, all other little wheels begin to spin. See then, how it is almost natural for one who operates in my Will to move in my prime motion; and by operating in my motion, she comes to find herself and she operates in the motion of all creatures. And as the creature flows in my own motion, I see her and I feel her in all motions of creatures, giving Me as many divine acts for as many offensive human acts as others do; and this, only because she has operated in my prime motion. This is why I say that one who lives in my Will substitutes for all, defends Me from all, and places my motion – that is, my very Life - in safety. And this is why to operate in my Will is the prodigy of prodigies, but without clamor, without human acclamations. It is my true triumph over all Creation; and since it is a triumph fully divine, what is human remains silent, and has no equivalent words with which to acclaim the triumph of my Supreme Will.”
Vol. 15, April 9, 1923
God and all of Heaven are enraptured by the acts done in the Divine Will as each, in turn, is a copy of the Eternal Divine Will which possesses the seed of Divine Life. These acts are each jealously guarded by thousands of Angels until they are ripened and taken as food by creatures who appreciate them and make them their own to further the Kingdom of the Divine Will.
“My daughter, just as the sun does not leave the plant, but caresses it with its light, fecundates it with its heat until it produces fruits and flowers - and then, jealous, it makes them mature, it keeps them with its light, and when the farmer picks it to make of it his food, only then does it leave the fruit - the same for the acts done in my Will: my love, my jealousy toward them is such that grace caresses them, my love conceives them, fecundates them and matures them. I place thousands of Angels as custodians of one single act done in my Will. In fact, since these acts done in my Will are seeds in order that my Will may be done on earth as it is in Heaven, everyone is jealous of these acts. Their dew is my breath; their shadow is my light. The Angels remain enraptured by them and, reverent, they adore them, because in these acts they see the Eternal Will, which deserves all their adoration. Only when I find souls who, picking them as divine fruits make of them food for their own souls, then are these acts left. Oh, fecundity and multiplicity of these acts! The creature herself who does them cannot count them.”
Vol. 14, April 25, 1922
Repeated acts water and mature each virtue and with repetition grow the virtue into a beautiful plant that will produce it's fruit. However by not processing the source of the life of all the virtues, that is the Divine Will, they are subject to the changes of circumstances and inconstancy. When a soul lives in the Divine Will, however, God Himself takes on the initiative to overshadow her and repeat His Fiat over her in such a way that he kneads His Divine Life into her so that all the virtues spring forth naturally from His life within her. She feels that He has given Himself into her power. Because of the Divine Will that she possesses, she feels Him as her own little one and raises him with His own love and adoration. He keeps her as absorbed in Himself with such fullness of love even to the point that she can not contain it and she longs to give the Divine Will to everyone as life to share in her joy. Only in this way can God form His little Paradise in the creature where He can take his rest.
“My daughter, aren’t you happy that none of the ‘I love You’s’ that come out of you go lost, but all remain impressed in Me? And then, do you know what good comes to you by repeating them? You must know that when the soul decides to do some good, to exercise a virtue, she forms the seed of that virtue. By repeating those acts, she forms the water with which to water that seed in the earth of her heart; and the more often she repeats them, the more she waters that seed, and the plant grows beautiful and green, in such a way that it quickly produces the fruits of that seed. On the other hand, if she is slow in repeating, many times the seed remains suffocated; and if it comes out at all, it grows thin and never gives fruit. Poor seed, without enough water in order to grow. My Sun does not rise over that seed, to give it fecundity, maturity and a beautiful color to its fruits, because it is not fecund. On the other hand, by always repeating those same acts, the soul contains much water with which to water that seed; my Sun rises over that seed every time It sees it being watered; and It delights so much, knowing that it has much strength in order to grow, that It makes its branches reach up to Me; and in seeing its many fruits, I pick them with pleasure, and I rest under its shadow.
Vol. 18, October 4, 1925
The Sky, the Sun, the sea, the wind and everything, narrate He who has created them, they show us, they make us known, they glorify us, but they don’t give us one of our lives, nor do they form for us another Paradise of ours, rather they serve she or he, that our Paternal goodness has taken the pledge to form our life in her, and it costs us so much, that our Fiat uses his working and repetitive virtue of his continuous Fiat over his fortunate creature in order to overshadow her with his power, in a way that one Fiat doesn’t await the other, in a way that if he blows on her he says Fiat, if he touches her he repeats Fiat, if he embraces her he uses his working Fiat and goes molding her and as kneading in her his divine life. One can say that with his breath he forms his life in the creature and with his creative virtue regenerates her and forms there his Little Paradise, and what don’t we find in Her? It is enough to tell you that we find all that which we want, and this is everything for us. You see therefore the great difference that there is between the Divine Will as life, and that as effect; as life all the goods, the virtues, the prayer, the love, the sanctity, they convert themselves in the creature into nature, they are risings that form in her, that always rise in a way that she feels in herself the nature of love, of patience, of sanctity, as she naturally feels the mind that thinks, the eye that sees, the mouth that speaks, (with) not one effort in this, because God has given them in (her) nature, and she feels herself mistress to do with them whatever use she wants. Thus with possessing the Divine Will as life, everything is holy, everything is sacred, the difficulties finish, the inclinations to evil don’t exist anymore, and in spite that she changes action, and now does one thing, and now another, the unitive virtue of my Will unites them together and they form one act alone, with the distinction of so many varied beauties for how many acts she has done, and she arrives to feel that her God is all hers, even to feel that in the excess of his love he has given himself into the power of the creature, in virtue of the Divine Will that she possesses as life, she feels him as her birth and raises him with such finesse of love and profound adoration, that she remains as naturally absorbed in her Creator, that is already all hers, and such is the fullness of love, the happiness that she feels, that not being able to contain it she would like to give the Divine Will to everyone as life in order to render everyone happy and holy.
Vol. 32, October 15, 1933
The Creation has taken it's form from the shadows/attributes of God. But the life that vivifies everything in Creation are not His shadows, but His Will, which is His life. His Will is the foundation, support, life and preservation of everything. The Divine Will is also the life, support, foundation and preservation of all and every act of the Redemption. The Redemption is the tree, the Divine Will the root from which the tree is formed. Now it must produce it's fruit of life. Here is the image of the Trinity and each work gives a hand to the other so the triumph and the glory belongs to all three but all of these works are eclipsed by the Divine Will who reigns over all and is life of the Tree of Life.
In Creation, the Divinity issued from Itself the shadows of Its light, the shadows of Its wisdom, of Its power; It touched the whole Creation lightly with Its whole Being. So, the beauty, the harmony, the order, the love, the goodness of God, which can be seen in the whole Creation, are divine similes – shadows of the Supreme Majesty. On the other hand, my Will – not a simile or a shadow of Ours – came out into the field of Creation as the life of all created things; and so It is life, foundation, support, vivification and preservation of everything that came out of Our creative hands. Therefore, everything is owed to the Supreme Will; my Redemption Itself bent Its knees before It, to implore that It would constitute Itself life of each act, heartbeat and suffering of mine - and even of my breathing, so as to let vital aids flow within the creatures in order to save them. My Redemption can be called the tree, whose root is the Divine Will; and since It has produced the trunk, the branches, the leaves, the flowers of all the goods which are present in the Church, It must therefore produce the fruit of life, which the root of this tree contains. Moreover, the Creation came out from Ourselves with the only purpose that Our Will be known and loved more than life itself; and therefore Our Will constituted Itself life of everything, so as to be fulfilled. All the other things created by Us, and even Redemption Itself, were given as aids in order to facilitate Our purpose. So, if We do not obtain Our primary purpose, how can We obtain Our complete glory, and how can the creature receive the good established by Us?
“Furthermore, Creation, Redemption and the Fiat Voluntas Tua on earth as It is in Heaven, symbolize the Sacrosanct Trinity. In fact, just as the Divine Persons are inseparable from one another, so these works are inseparable from one another: each one gives the hand to the other; each one helps the other – the triumph, the glory, belongs to all three of them. And since Our Will has held the primary place in all Our works, Creation and Redemption remain eclipsed and as though dissolved within the immensity and the endlessness of the Supreme Will. Our Will envelops everything and keeps the very things done by Us as Its throne, from which It reigns and dominates. So, if Our Will is everything, why are you surprised that It will produce greater fruits than Our other works? And man will receive that Life which he has, but does not know, because he keeps It as though compressed, drowned, weakened, while It moans and sighs, because It wants to carry out Its Life, but It is not allowed to do so.
Vol. 19, March 19, 1926
The Divine Will is reestablishing of the tree of Life which will produce it's fruit of life to be given to all who will receive it with Good Will. For Redemption God needed a Virgin Mother, pure and holy without the shadow of original sin. Now for the epoch of the Kingdom of the Divine Will God needs a second mother but now in the order of grace. She is chosen from common stock but raised so high in the order of grace such that there is not a single earthly infected shadow remaining in her so that the Life of God's Will reigns. Just as the Humanity of Jesus, which came from the Virgin Mary, now gives Himself to all who want Him for salvation so will the Life of God's Will, formed in Luisa, give Itself to all who want the Kingdom of His Will to reign in them. The Redemption served to plant the tree of the Divine Will which was watered by His blood, cultivated with His innumerable pains and fertilized with the Sacraments so that this tree would mature, bloom and bear fruit. All of this time and effort was needed to not only allow this tree to mature but to dispose creatures so that they return to their origin. So by fully knowing the evils of their will acting separate from the Divine Will they will banish them and eat of the Celestial fruit of the Divine Will which will remove all the disordered passions of her will, and give dominion to the Divine Will.
“Now, in order to form Redemption I needed a Virgin Mother, conceived without the shadow of original sin, because, having to take on human flesh, it was decorous for Me, Eternal Word, not to take an infected blood to form my Most Holy Humanity. Now, in order to make my Will known, so that It might reign, I do not need to have a second mother according to the natural order, but rather, I need a second mother according to the order of grace. In fact, in order for my Will to reign, I have no need of another Humanity, but to give such knowledge of It that, drawn by Its prodigies, by Its beauty and sanctity, and by the immense good that comes to them, creatures may submit with all love to Its dominion. Therefore, in choosing you for the mission of my Will, I took you from the common stock according to the natural order, but for the decorum of my Will I had to raise you so high according to the order of grace, that not one infected shadow might remain in your soul, because of which my Will might feel reluctant to reign in you. Just as the pure blood of the Immaculate Virgin was needed to form my Humanity, to be able to redeem man, so was the purity, the candidness, the sanctity, the beauty of your soul needed to form in you the Life of my Will. And just as by forming my Humanity in the womb of my Mama, this Humanity gave Itself to all – it is understood, to those who want It – as means of salvation, of light, of sanctity; in the same way, this Life of my Will which has been formed in you, will give Itself to all, to make Itself known and to acquire Its dominion.
“Had I wanted to free you of original sin as I did with my Celestial Mama, so that my Will might take life in you, no one would have given a thought to letting my Will reign within himself. They would have said: ‘One needs to be a second Mother of Jesus and to have Her privileges so that the Life of the Supreme Will might reign in us.’ On the other hand, by knowing that you are from their stock, conceived just like them, if they want it, helped by their own good will they too will be able to know the Supreme Will – what they must do to let It reign within them, the good that comes to them, the terrestrial and celestial happiness prepared in a distinct way for those who will let my Will reign. My Redemption was to serve to plant the tree of my Will which, watered with my Blood, cultivated and hoed with my sweats and unheard-of pains, fertilized with the Sacraments, first would make the tree develop, then would make the flowers bloom, and finally would make the celestial fruits of my Will mature. And in order to make these precious fruits mature, the course of my thirty-three years was not enough, nor were the creatures prepared and disposed to receive a food so delicate, all of Heaven, which I was giving. Therefore I contented Myself with planting the tree, leaving all possible means to make it grow, beautiful and gigantic; and at the appropriate time, as the fruits are about to mature and so that they may be picked, I chose you in a way all special, to make known to you the good it contains, and how I want to raise the creature back to her origin. Banishing her will, the cause for which she descended from her happy state, she will eat of these precious fruits, which will give her such taste as to remove from her all the infection of passions and of her own will, and give back the dominion to my Will. Embracing everything as though in one single embrace, my Will will unite everything together: Creation, Redemption, and the fulfillment of the purpose for which all things were created - that is, that my Will be known, loved and done on earth as It is in Heaven.”
Vol. 19, June 6, 1926
God extends His shadow over his creature and she finds rest in it but God wants more. To be in the Shadow of the Almighty is to be wrapped in the glory of the Holy Spirit and all the attributes of God. It is safety, protection, sanctification, rest, nourishment, light. It is home. It is that same love that innocent Adam was wrapped in continuously. But God also wants to find His own rest and that can only be found in a complete act, as in the seventh day of Creation where God took His rest. When we live and act in the Divine Will the union of the human with the Divine becomes the complete act. This is the purpose for which God created all the universe and man in particular. Here is where God can finally find His rest.
God's purpose is the perfect union with His beloved creature, sin from the human will is the only obstacle that can stop even God. Only when the creature fully knows herself and her nothingness and comes to know her God as well and how He creates her and holds her in His love and maintains her all for love, only then can she fully embrace the Divine Will and let go of her own. The overshadowing of the Virgin Mary brought forth the Incarnation of Jesus, the second person of the Trinity. We are all called to an intimate union with God. This total union of man with God forms the complete act which results in copies of His Divine Lives - not a simple shadow of His attributes but His full Image which shares in His fecund act to bring forth new images of God. These acts penetrate and bind all Creation and all creatures of all times. All epochs are bound together like a tree, root, tree and fruit and the creature nourishes herself on it's fruit. This tree is the image of the Trinity, the tree of Life and it's fruit are Divine lives which carry with them the gift of the life of God and all His attributes which spring forth form this life. It is only in the shade of this tree, this Image all His own which springs from the union of the human will and the Divine Will that now God takes His rest.
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Monday, February 17, 2020
Don't get Discouraged
I had been feeling rather discouraged. Nothing seemed to be working or going right and everything that could go wrong seemed to go wrong and there was no clear path ahead that anything would go right again in the near future. I felt paralyzed. So I did a little research on the topic. In the old Testament it speaks of not being afraid or discouraged you will not suffer disgrace or shame. I was given the insight that perhaps my discouragement was more based on my own perception of myself and what I thought I should be able to do instead of focusing on God's Will in all things. Ashamed of "bearing bad fruit" I'd become discouraged.
Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.
Isaiah 54:4
Jesus tells St Faustina how anxiety and discouragement are the greatest obstacle to holiness and are the result of self-love rather than loving God wholly and trusting in him.
Jesus: My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue. All temptations united together ought not disturb your interior peace, not even momentarily. Sensitiveness and discouragement are the fruits of self-love. You should not become discouraged, but strive to make My love reign in place of your self-love. Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy.
Divine Mercy in my Soul, n.1488
Jesus describes discouragement as an infection which invades the whole person destroying it's beauty and withering them. The remedy comes from watering the soul with the contrary humor, confidence. Discouragement is so dangerous because it disguises itself as a type of companion that sympathizes and comforts the soul all the way to death.
He told me: “Discouragement is an infectious
humor, which infects the most beautiful flowers and the most pleasant fruits,
and penetrates down to the bottom of the root, in such a way that, by invading
the whole tree, that infectious humor renders it withered and squalid.
And if one does not remedy it by watering it with a contrary humor, since the
bad humor has infiltrated deep into the root, it will make the root wither and
the tree fall to the ground. So it happens to the soul who becomes soaked
with this infectious humor of discouragement.”
In spite of all this, I still felt discouraged, all
huddled within myself, and I saw myself as so bad that I did not dare to fling
myself toward my sweet Jesus. My mind was occupied with the thought that
it was useless for me to hope for His continuous visits as before, for His
graces, for His charisms – everything was over for me. And He, almost
scolding me, added: “What are you doing? What are you doing?
Don’t you know that lack of confidence renders the soul moribund?
Thinking that she has to die, she no longer thinks of anything - neither of
gaining anything, nor of making it circulate, nor of embellishing herself more,
nor of remedying her sicknesses - she thinks of nothing else but that
everything is over for her.”
Ah, Lord, I imagine seeing this specter of the lack
of confidence - squalid, emaciated, fearful and all trembling; and all of his
mastery, with no other ingenuity but fear alone, leads souls to the tomb.
But what is more, this specter does not show himself as an enemy so that the
soul may sneer at his fear, but he shows himself as a friend, and infiltrates
so sweetly into the soul, that if the soul is not attentive, seeing him as a
faithful friend who agonizes with her and even dies together with her, she will
hardly be able to free herself from his artificious mastery.
Vol. 3, February 4, 1900
Jesus reaffirms that discouragement kills the soul and even calls it a vice, killing more souls than all the other vices. The countermeasure to discouragement is courage which has the power to revive the soul renewing hope and thereby undoing herself and redoing herself in God.
He told me: “My daughter, don’t you know that discouragement kills souls more than all other vices? Therefore, courage, courage, because just as discouragement kills, courage revives, and is the most praiseworthy act that the soul can do, because while feeling discouraged, from that very discouragement she plucks up courage, undoes herself and hopes; and by undoing herself, she already finds herself redone in God.”
Vol. 6, September 8, 1904
Vol. 6, September 8, 1904
But how does one gain courage/confidence? Humility is the key. Only true Humility produces confidence. If there is no confidence accompanying it then it is false. True Humility must be invested with the spirit of Faith otherwise it is not true and will do harm instead causing one to become discouraged and paralyzed. Knowledge of oneself is only good when balanced with knowledge of God so that in knowing the first, one will lean on God for all things.
Finally, Jesus
showed Himself a little more clearly, and in seeing me so annihilated, He told
me: “If you knew how much I like humility… Humility is the littlest plant
that can be found, but its branches are so high as to reach Heaven, wind their
way around my throne, and penetrate deep into my Heart. This little plant
is humility, and the branches which this plant produces, are confidence; so,
there cannot be true humility without confidence. Humility without
confidence is false virtue.” From the words of Jesus it shows that my
heart was not only annihilated, but also a little discouraged.
Vol, 2, April 3, 1899
My good Jesus, always benign with this miserable sinner, came and told
me: “Contempt of yourself is praiseworthy when it is well invested with
the spirit of Faith; but when it is not invested with the spirit of Faith,
instead of doing you good, it can harm you. In fact, in seeing yourself
as you are, unable to do anything good, you will be discouraged, disheartened,
without daring to take one step on the path of good. But by leaning on Me
– that is, by investing yourself with the spirit of Faith – you will come to
know and despise yourself, and at the same time, to know Me, confident of being
able to do anything with my help. And here is how, by acting in this way,
you will walk according to the truth.”
How much good these words of Jesus have done to my soul! I
understood that I must enter into my nothingness and know who I am, but I must
not stop there. Rather, immediately after I have known myself, I must fly
into the immense sea of God, and stop there, to draw all the graces that my
soul needs; otherwise, nature becomes weary and the devil will look for means
in order to cast it into discouragement. May the Lord be always blessed,
and may everything be for His glory.
Vol. 2, May 26, 1899
Faith also produces fortitude which allows one to remain strong in sufferings keeping one united with God.
This morning I was feeling all discouraged and embittered because of the loss of my adorable Jesus; and while I was in this state, He let His most sweet voice be heard, saying to me: “My daughter, all things take origin from Faith. One who is strong in Faith is strong in suffering; Faith makes one find God in every place, it makes one see Him in every action, touch Him in every movement, and every new occasion that presents itself is a new divine revelation that one receives. Therefore, remain strong in Faith, for if you are strong in it, in all states and circumstances, Faith will administer fortitude to you, and will make you be always united with God.”
Vol. 6, March 20, 1904
And Hope keeps one at peace throughout all things. With obsessing over imagined difficulties and misfortune one can actually bring about that reality.
“My daughter, do
not be disturbed – Hope is peace. And just as I, in the very act in which
I make justice, remain in the most perfect peace, you too, by immersing
yourself in Hope, must remain at peace. The soul who is at peace, by
wanting to afflict herself, become disturbed or lose trust, would run into the
misfortune of one who, though possessing millions upon millions of coins, and
even being queen of various kingdoms, keeps fantasizing and lamenting,
saying: ‘What shall I live on? How shall I clothe myself? Ah,
I am dying of starvation! I am so unhappy! I will be reduced to the
meagerest misery and I will end up dying.’ And while she says this, she
cries, sighs and spends her days in sadness and squalor, immersed in the
greatest melancholy. But this is not all; the worst thing about her is
that if she sees her treasures, if she walks within her properties, instead of
rejoicing, she afflicts herself more, thinking of her nearing end; and if she
sees food, she does not want to touch it to sustain herself. And if
anyone tries to persuade her by letting her touch her riches with her own
hands, showing her that it cannot be that she will be reduced to the meagerest
misery, she is not convinced, she remains dazed, and cries even more over her
sad lot. Now, what would people say about her? That she is crazy,
that it shows that she has no reason, that she has lost her brain. The
reason is clear, it cannot be otherwise.
Yet, it can
happen that she may run into the misfortune over which she keeps
fantasizing. But in what way? By going out of her kingdoms,
abandoning all of her riches, and going into foreign lands in the midst of
barbarian people, where no one will deign to give her a crumb of bread.
Here is how the fantasy has become reality – what used to be false, is now
true. But who has been the cause of it? Who should be blamed for a
change of state so sad? Her perfidious and obstinate will. Such is
precisely the soul who is in possession of Hope: her wanting to become
disturbed or discouraged is already the greatest madness.”
Vol. 2, October 14, 1899
So to avoid the pitfall of discouragement Faith and Hope are required. Now these 2 can never be far from Charity, the three theological virtues, veiling of the Trinity.
“Faith and Hope give way to Charity, and Charity connects all the rest of the other two together, in such a way as to make them one, while they are three. And here It is, oh my spouse, veiled in the three theological virtues, the Trinity of the Divine Persons.”
“If Faith makes one believe, and Hope makes one hope, Charity makes one love. If Faith is light and serves as the sight of the soul, and Hope, which is the nourishment of Faith, provides the souls with courage, peace, perseverance and all the rest - Charity, which is the substance of this light and of this nourishment, is like that most sweet and fragrant ointment which, penetrating everywhere, relieves and soothes the pains of life. Charity makes suffering sweet, and makes one reach the point even of desiring it. The soul who possesses Charity diffuses fragrance everywhere; her works, all done out of love, give off a most pleasing odor. And what is this odor? It is the odor of God Himself. The other virtues render the soul solitary and almost unrefined with creatures; Charity, on the other hand, being substance that unites, unites the hearts. But where? In God. Being a most fragrant ointment, Charity spreads everywhere and with everyone. Charity makes one suffer the most ruthless torments with joy, and one reaches the point of not being able to be without suffering. And when she sees herself deprived of it, she says to her spouse Jesus: “Sustain me with the fruits, which is suffering, because I am languishing with love; and where else can I show You my love other than in suffering for You?” Charity burns, consumes all other things, even the virtues themselves, and turns them all into itself. In sum, it is like a queen who wants to reign everywhere, and does not want to surrender to anyone.”
Vol. 1, Jesus prepares Luisa for the renewal in heaven of the Mystical Marriage, with the approval of the Blessed Trinity; so he speaks to her of the three theological virtues.
So discouragement is the natural state of the soul that attempts to work by itself and it ends in first the immobilization of the soul and then it's death. The soul can only climb out of this by focusing on God and being imbued with the three Cardinal Virtues of Faith, Hope and Love. These fortify, pacify and sweeten the soul allowing it to continue it's course regardless of it's circumstances. Because now instead of focusing on it's path it now focuses on God.
In conclusion Luisa wrote several letters where she would encourage people. Here they are in review to continue their work and encourage us too.
In conclusion Luisa wrote several letters where she would encourage people. Here they are in review to continue their work and encourage us too.
In Luisa's letters she consoled the General Superior Fathers and the Daughters of the Divine Zeal over the loss of M. Gesuina.
Therefore,
all we can do is to say "Deo gratias" for the fortunate M. Gesuina,
and "Fiat" for ourselves who have lost her, and this "Fiat"
will remedy everything. So, let us not get discouraged by sorrow and losses;
they are always bearers of graces, light, and most surprising aids. We have an
omnipotent Will with us; therefore there is nothing to fear. This Divine
Volition will change hearts in order to form the ones who are needed. Blessed
Jesus and our Celestial Mama will be together with you, to guide you and
dispose all things according to their adorable Will.
1.
To the General Superiors of the Rogationist Fathers and of the Daughters of the
Divine Zeal.
February
24, 1932
Look
at what a beautiful gift the operating Divine Will is sending you, as It wants
to make of you a saint. Do not get discouraged; these are works that It wants
to do, and when It is determined to do them, It won’t listen to reason: if It
does not finish Its work, It is not content.
Therefore,
my daughter, be at peace, rest in Its arms like a little baby. I repeat the
greetings of the "Fiat".
5.
J.M.J.
Send
everything - pains, bitterness, strains - into the Divine Will; tell Him from
the heart that you want nothing but His Will, and look at all things as bearers
of a Will so holy, and you will see that the Fiat will defend you. Don’t get
discouraged, do not fear, do not lose peace, abandon yourself more than ever in
the arms of the Divine Will, and be tranquil, waiting in full confidence for
the helps and means which are necessary to you.
My
good daughter, how bad did your words sound to me, "I am afraid to be
lost"! Don’t you know that sufferings are the certainty, the seal, of our
salvation? Sufferings form the carriage which brings us to Heaven, and the more
the sufferings, the faster it will go. So, each additional pain is a faster
ride which takes us soon and straight to Heaven.
Therefore, courage, courage. All other things
are left; while sufferings are brought to Heaven, and form our most beautiful
throne and never ending glory.
Corato,
January 5, 1935
18.
To Mrs. Costanza Benedetta Pettinelli from Siena
My
good daughter in the Divine Volition,
Let us thank from the heart the Lord and the Celestial Queen for having
consoled you. This is why we should never get discouraged or lose peace, when
we are not answered immediately. When there is prayer, the hour of the Lord
will come and He will give us more than we ask for. Our part must be to remain
always in our place, to always do the Divine Will, because this is the greatest
of miracles, and Our Lord will provide and take care of everything; more than
that we ourselves would not do. If we always do the Divine Will, our names will
be written in Heaven and our salvation, our sanctity, will be secured. Jesus
will be all ours; and what will He not give to us? Everything. Therefore, think
about making yourself a saint, and the rest will come by itself.
31.
J.M.J.
My
good daughter,
I received your letter and with sorrow I learned of the state of your health. Patience, my daughter, dear Jesus wants to make you mature more in sanctity, and His Divine Volition wants to hasten Its life in your soul. Crosses are firewood: the more the wood, the more the fire grows; or like the sun to the plants, which caresses the plants with its light and heat, matures them, and gives them sweetness and taste. Without a cross we are like unripened fruits - like sterile plants, which do more harm than good. However, my daugther, remove the sadness from your soul; do not get discouraged or disturbed; hold peace as the greatest treasure. Jesus is good, He won’t harm you, but will dispose everything for your good.
I received your letter and with sorrow I learned of the state of your health. Patience, my daughter, dear Jesus wants to make you mature more in sanctity, and His Divine Volition wants to hasten Its life in your soul. Crosses are firewood: the more the wood, the more the fire grows; or like the sun to the plants, which caresses the plants with its light and heat, matures them, and gives them sweetness and taste. Without a cross we are like unripened fruits - like sterile plants, which do more harm than good. However, my daugther, remove the sadness from your soul; do not get discouraged or disturbed; hold peace as the greatest treasure. Jesus is good, He won’t harm you, but will dispose everything for your good.
39.
To Sister Remigia
My
good daughter in Jesus Christ,
Do not get discouraged, never lose trust. What I recommend is that you look at your crosses as many visits from Jesus, Who brings you the life of the Divine Will, to make It reign in you and to give you all His love as food; to make you grow in His likeness within His arms, and to make of you such a rare beauty as to enrapture even Himself. If you do the Will of God, you will feel a strength in all your sufferings; you will feel an invisible hand which helps you, guides you, and does whatever you do within you. In fact, when one does the Will of God, the work is more of God than ours. Therefore, I wouldn’t know what else to say: do the Divine Will - live in It, and you can be sure that you will make yourself a saint. You will feel the bond and the association with the Divine Family. What is Theirs will be yours. So, banish fear and fright, and all the most painful circumstances will bring you the kiss, the strength – the life of the Divine Will, embalmed by Its love and joy.
85.
To Mrs. Mazari, from BariDo not get discouraged, never lose trust. What I recommend is that you look at your crosses as many visits from Jesus, Who brings you the life of the Divine Will, to make It reign in you and to give you all His love as food; to make you grow in His likeness within His arms, and to make of you such a rare beauty as to enrapture even Himself. If you do the Will of God, you will feel a strength in all your sufferings; you will feel an invisible hand which helps you, guides you, and does whatever you do within you. In fact, when one does the Will of God, the work is more of God than ours. Therefore, I wouldn’t know what else to say: do the Divine Will - live in It, and you can be sure that you will make yourself a saint. You will feel the bond and the association with the Divine Family. What is Theirs will be yours. So, banish fear and fright, and all the most painful circumstances will bring you the kiss, the strength – the life of the Divine Will, embalmed by Its love and joy.
My
good daughter in the Divine Volition,
I recommend that you do not lose peace, and that you live so abandoned in the Divine Will as to feel It as your own life. If you do so, this Will so holy will take you upon Its maternal knees, more than a tender mother; It will hold you tightly to Its Divine Heart; It will raise you as Its beloved daughter. So, in all your pains, you will feel your Mama near you, assisting you, guiding you and changing your little pains into a Sun and into little coins for Heaven. In each pain, dear Jesus will give you a kiss, a hug, and will adorn your soul with most refulgent gems. Therefore, courage, my daughter; never lose heart; never get discouraged. It is Jesus that wants His daughter similar to Himself; aren’t you happy? So, do not care about anything else but to live abandoned in His arms. With this you will feel a new strength, and you will no longer feel alone; sufferings will turn for you into sanctity and into celestial joys. Dear Jesus will give you His pains as courtship, strength and company.
I recommend that you do not lose peace, and that you live so abandoned in the Divine Will as to feel It as your own life. If you do so, this Will so holy will take you upon Its maternal knees, more than a tender mother; It will hold you tightly to Its Divine Heart; It will raise you as Its beloved daughter. So, in all your pains, you will feel your Mama near you, assisting you, guiding you and changing your little pains into a Sun and into little coins for Heaven. In each pain, dear Jesus will give you a kiss, a hug, and will adorn your soul with most refulgent gems. Therefore, courage, my daughter; never lose heart; never get discouraged. It is Jesus that wants His daughter similar to Himself; aren’t you happy? So, do not care about anything else but to live abandoned in His arms. With this you will feel a new strength, and you will no longer feel alone; sufferings will turn for you into sanctity and into celestial joys. Dear Jesus will give you His pains as courtship, strength and company.
108.
To Teresa
And when we need to we can unite ourselves in Jesus' Hours of the Passion where he specifically makes reparation for discouraged souls and obtains the antidote for them.
At your dignified words everyone trembles. But, oh, what wickedness! Wanting to honor Annas, a servant with an
ironclad hand comes up to you and slaps you so hard that you stagger, and your
most holy face turns livid.
My gentle life, now
I understand why you woke me. You were
right. Who was going to hold you up in
this moment when you were about to fall?
Your enemies burst
out in satanic laughter, in hisses and clapping, applauding such an unjust
act. Meanwhile, you stagger, having no
one to lean on.
My Jesus, I embrace
you. I even want to form a wall with my
being [for you to lean on]. And I
courageously offer you my cheek, ready to support any pain for your love. I sympathize with you for this outrage; and
together with you I make reparation for the timidity of so many souls that
easily become discouraged, for those that out of fear do not tell the truth,
for the lack of respect due to priests, and for murmurings.
The Hours of the Passion, From 2 A.M. to 3 A.M. Jesus Is Presented
to Annas
Nothing escapes your gaze. You
forgive everyone and say good-by to all.
Then, gathering all your strength, with a powerful and resonant voice
you cry:
"Father, into
your hands I commend my spirit!"
And bowing your
head, you die....
...
My dead Jesus, with this cry you put all of us as well into the hands of
the Father so that he won't reject us.
So, you not only cry out with your voice, but with all your pains and
with the voices of your blood as well:
"Father, into
your hands I place my spirit and all souls."
My Jesus, I too
abandon myself in you. Give me the grace
to die completely, in your love and in your Will. I pray you never to permit me, neither in
life nor in death, to go out of your Most Holy Will.
Meanwhile, I intend
to make reparation for all those who do not abandon themselves perfectly to
your Most Holy Will, thus losing or diminishing the precious fruit of your
redemption. What sorrow your heart
feels, O my Jesus, to see so many creatures escape from your arms and become
discouraged! Have pity on everyone, O my
Jesus! Have pity on me!
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