Emphasis added. Also, according the spiritual theologian, Jordan Aumann, OP, it is necessary to distinguish between venial sins committed out of weakness, surprise, or lack of advertence and deliberation, and those that are com mitted coldly and with complete awareness that one thereby displeases God (Spiritual Theology [Huntington, Ind. Emphasis added 58 Pope Pius XII stated that St. Therese rediscovers the Gospel on tire occasion of the consecration of the Basilica ofLisieux on July 11, 1954 (AAS46 [1954], pp. Elsewhere in her writings, she makes this point clear: If the good God were to say to me: Ifyou die imme diately, you will obtain great glory; if you die at the age of eighty, your glory will be far less, but it will please me much more, then I would not hesitate to answer: My God, I want to die at eighty for I am not seeking my own glory, but only to please You.123 WEEK THREE: The Offering to Merciful Love 87 Now, having made that clarification, I suggest we go back and reread just the first four paragraphs of the Offering itself, pondering them in our hearts for the remainder of today. Rom 11:33)! But then Id go back to Thereses writings and find hope again and then Id listen to the thieves of hope again. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. When the prodigal son returned home, I dont think his father told him: You, sit down and listen: what did you do with the money? No! Moreover, such a martyrdom is very sweet171 and purifies the soul completely, leaving no trace of sin or punishment, which means it will not have to pass through the fire of purgatory. 126 Therese understood well the power of Gods grace to cleanse her in one instant. For example, as we learned on Day 8, when she was 14 years old, she experienced the grace of her Christmas conversion, which immediately Endnotes 189 gave her die strengdi to overcome the deep, emotional sensitivity that had dogged her since her early childhood. For instance, one can simply pray: Lord Jesus, I long to receive you in Holy Communion, but because I cant do so now, I ask you to come into my heart through spiritual communion. According to one of the greatest theologians in the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, this kind of prayer can be amazingly powerful. After earths Exile, I hope to go and enjoy You in the Fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. Undoubtedly this stemmed from my cowardliness, for I could have, like Celine, found a thou sand ways of making myself suffer. The distinction between mortal and venial sin, already evident in Scripture, became part of the tradition of the Church. Amen. (After all, how could someone be fully human without desiring to be loved?) This fire of mercy needs to be passed on to the world. (When I renew my consecration annually, I like to recite the prayer from the original copy and then sign and date it again.) In fact, this freedom of choice is part of the beautiful diversity of the Christian life, and its something that St. Therese very much appreciated. Rather, ideally, you should begin your preparation 33 days before an appropriate feast day. Recognizing the darkness that comes from being little, helpless, and weak. She believes it will be only at the moment of her death, when she hopes to be a martyr of Gods Love. Don't forget!] To address such difficulties, I dedicated a whole section of the book Consoling the Heart ofJesus to the question, How can I console Jesus if hes happy in heaven?195 Since that time, however, Ive reflected even more deeply on this topic, and here Id like to share some insights that both complement that earlier writing and help summarize the theology of consoling the Heart of Jesus (in three points). I hear confessions. What is this Offering to Merciful Love, this consecration to Divine Mercy around which Thereses whole life revolved? Remember, the Little Way is based on St. Thereses deep rediscovery of the heart of the Gospel, namely, Gods mercy for sinners, Gods love that goes out especially to the weak, broken, and sinful. The Eternal Father Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world. Like Therese, Faustina also chose to see everything through the lens of mercy.190 In fact, the two saints are amazingly similar in their message and, in my opinion, are the best guides for helping people to see everything through a lens of mercy. 28 See 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-YourselfRetreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration (Stockbridge: Marian Press, 2011), pp. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC Marian Joi presS STOCKBRIDGE MA 01263 2016 Copyright 2016 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. As you might have guessed, the ocean I just described is the ocean of Gods Merciful Love. I desire to accomplish Your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory You have prepared for me in Your Kingdom. My first recommendation is to read books about mercy from people who have chosen the path of mercy, who have done the work of mercy, and who saw through the lens of mercy. Its a masterpiece, especially the later chapters. There, we read that its all about consoling Jesus. In other words, its all about loving Jesus with perfect love, the kind of love where we dont seek to console ourselves but, rather, seek to console him. But, of course, we cant just sit back, relax, and enjoy such happiness. Copyright 1982 by Washington, Province of Discalced Carmelites ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E. But where? Instead of this I allowed myself to be wrapped in cotton wool and fattened up like a little bird that needs no penance. Numbers to each paragraph added. And what did he tell her? Our Father 4. So, if youre feeling maybe too weak to make the Offering, thats a good thing. When we give it, look out! And if we exist simply to glorify God, then it seems that little souls enable God to manifest his glory even moreso than other souls. Of course, for a Marian consecration, such a day would be any Marian feast and the same thing goes for a Divine Mercy consecration. Of course, theres a big catch when it comes to the offering to Divine Justice: lots of suffering! Otherwise, we cannot hope for mercy (see Mt 5:7, 18:21-35).112 The second potential objection to making the Offering to Merciful Love has to do with those who have begun to feel that theyre in a bit too deep with this Offering stuff. . Yes, I feel it; even though I had on my conscience all the sins that can be committed, I would go, my heart broken with sorrow, and throw WEEK TWO: The Little Way 55 myself into Jesus arms, for I know how much He loves the prodigal child who returns to Him.9 Are you beginning to breathe in the perfume of Jesus mercy, which is the very heart of the Gospel? 166 Cited in Gaucher, p. 191. Obscured text at back cover due to sticker. What youve just experienced (inhaling) illustrates what happens when we say fiat." The flames of mercy are burning Me. So, in a sense, compassionate suffering is easier to bear and less scary than physical suffering. Whats its concrete expression in your daily living? I was stumped. How? 170 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE Because Jesus was so moved by St. Thereses ardent love for him, he gave her a beautiful insight into the mystery of his Heart. 1,1877-1890. According to Therese, she went to pur gatory, where she was delivered up to die full justice of God, which doesnt sound very comforting. 168 Catechism, 399. In other words, it shows us what we are of our own sinful selves: empty, weak, and on the verge of passing out. And I myself can attest to that fact. Actually, if youre making the consecration at home with your family, theres one more option. 89 Story ofa Soul, p. 180. What? But for that very reason, in a sense, God is giving us unprecedented grace. Rather, he judges the heart. Seraphims answer is very interesting. As the first drops of this blood and water touch your face, you take a deep breath in, fiat. That means well be moved to pray for the conversion of hardened sinners die very same ones who rejected die graces of mercy that well be receiving. 213 While Im using the word family here in the traditional sense, other groups of people who live together (without being in the state of sin) could also make this offering. On the other hand, I am sad when souls ask for little, when they narrow their hearts (1577 1578). I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. Well, thats when Fr. Yet our rulers were just seeking to stone him? I want to work for Tour Love alone with the one purpose of pleasing You, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally. We can be perfect. Yes. Even though she writes like one of the thieves of hope, I thank God for Marie. Yes, and thats why the Chaplet is so mighty. It means being sorry for our sins, making a firm resolution not to sin again, and never making a truce with sin. Help me to believe in God and bis love for me, even when life seems meaningless, routine, and empty. But hers is not die unhealdiy preoccupation with suffering that marked her early religious life. 276-77. Later, in his book The Name of God is Mercy, the Pope further elab orates on these comments on the plane: Yes, I believe that this is a time for mercy. The word magnificat comes from Marys exclamation in Latin, Magnificat anima mea Dominant, My soul magnifies the Lord. This is Marys song of praise when she went to her cousin Elizabeth after giving her fiat to the Lord (see Lk 1:46-55). My explanation of the next word will say more about this. What should we fear? Again, we should do it through Scripture and Church teaching. What? First, imagine that the heavens above are an infinite ocean. Prophets & Kings__1890__the Seventh Day Adventist Bible study. After all, to think such a thing (not to mention collecting relics of yourself) is certainly pride, right? Still, in his loving mercy, the Lord waited until she was ready. Making the Family Offering to Mercifill Love is rather simple. Also, in his book The Name of God Is Mercy: A Conversation with An drea Tornielli, trans. WEEK TWO: The Little Way 61 In the Church today, theres a lot of talk of the time of mercy, a time of great grace and blessing. Itll just be an act of the will in the depths of our hearts and thats just fine with Jesus. Iff had listened to you I would not be here now.111 So, the moral of the story is that we can choose the path of justice or that of mercy. Moreover, such holiness is not a human work but, rather, Gods work, a work of Divine Mercy rushing down to the lowest place. It was there, in the midst of die most terrible darkness, that we paradoxically sec the luminous blessing of Elizabedi shine fordi with ever-greater glory: Blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled! Yes, blessed is she who believed at the foot of the Cross. Truly, its the secret to happiness in this life. One expert on Carmelite spirituality contrasted these two paths (that of merit and that of mercy) as follows: [God] brings about [our sanctification] by the diffusion of grace which He gives according to our merits, or simply to satisfy the need ofhis mercy.91 I dont know about you, but I choose the latter path! Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity! (2) Due to die wound of original sin, we already tend to distrust God, so when he draws close to us, we often run and hide. Really tell them, Mother, that if I had committed all possible crimes, I would always have the same confidence. In other words, were probably numbered 102 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE among the ordinary people. If that describes you, then thank the Lord. For example, when Thereses sister Celine said to the future saint, What I envy about you are your good works, Therese responded by quoting Johannes Tauler: If I love the good that is in my neighbour as much as he loves it himself', diat good is as much mine as it is his. Through this communion 1 can enrich myself with all the good that there is in heaven and on earth, in the angels, in the saints and in all those who love God (cited in the Study Edition of Story of a Soul, prepared by Marc Foley, OCD [Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2005], p. 107). Touched by grace, the sinful woman followed the Saint into the desert to perform a rigorous penance. Yes, it is as bad as that. If that sounds like crazy talk, dont blame me blame the devil! I desire to pour them out upon human souls. See all formats and editions . Are you beginning to love Thereses way of humble confidence in Divine Mercy? JI jf'ARrs Three Words. I know that this whole multitude of sins would be lost in the twinkling of an eye like a drop of water cast into a burning furnace. Its a choice to walk the path of spiritual childhood. Book 2 of 2: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration . 109 Cited in van Dijk. In short, she discovered her Little Way, and then her faith was tested, and then she passed the test every day, to the very end. Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure and St. Claude de la Colombiere and translated by Paul Garvin (Rockford, Ill.: TAN Books and Publishers, 1984), we read the following, which also ties in with Thereses idea that well learn on Day 21, namely, that the Offering to Merciful Love causes one to become a martyr of love: [I ]t is the teaching of great masters of the spiritual life that a person who, at the point of death, makes an act of perfect conformity to the will of God [i.e., an expression of unshakable trust] will be delivered not only from Hell but also from Purgatory, even if he has committed all the sins in the world. I want to work for Your Love alone widi the one purpose of pleasing You, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally. For instance, she wrote: I am far from being on the way of fear (Story of a Soul, p. 173). But how can this be? The catch is that our hearts will begin to become more as they should be: deeply moved by the suffering of others. Michael Gaitlev, MIC. To put it differently, Therese teaches us that when we clearly see the reality of Gods passionate love for us, it makes us realize we cant compete! Let no soul, even the most miserable fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of Gods grace. For simple souls there must be no complicated ways; as I am of their number, 194 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE one morning during my thanksgiving, Jesus gave me a simple means of accomplishing my mission. Thankfully, Therese herself gives us such an option through a prayer she asked a dearly beloved friend to pray for her during the last months of her life. And as I mentioned earlier, he wants us to be on fire with love. And thats really whats going on with the Little Way and its famous elevator. 154 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE Now, on this topic of God not needing us, Id say that Exodus 3:14 puts it best. Actually, according to Therese, God doesnt just want us to bypass purgatory; he wants us to stop talking about it as if it were nearly impossible to avoid. "With one servant, I set out on the 500-mile trip. 1. Now; at this point, many of us may be enthusiastically agreeing, Thats right! See also The Power of Confi dence, pp. Now what? Maybe youre saying to yourself, That sounds wonderful, but whats the catch? In other words, Whats it going to cost me? Great question. Yes, I believe. It proclaims not the Good News of Gods mercy for sinners but its own bad news of Gods consuming wrath for whoever dares to commit the slight est infraction against what it sees as his many oppressive rules. Lets visit this humble nun and listen to her advice, as one of her own religious sisters once did: On the initial day of the retreat, I was visited by one of the sisters who had come to make her perpetual vow s. She confided to me that she had no trust in God and became discouraged at WEEK ONE: What Is Trust?