Hours of the Passion

The Twenty-Four Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ

by the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta

Little daughter of the Divine Will

Fourth Hour:  From 8 to 9 PM The Eucharistic Supper

My Sweet Love, always insatiable in Your Love, I see that as You finish the legal supper together with Your dear disciples, You get up from the table, and united with them, You raise the hymn of thanksgiving to the Father for having given you food, wanting to repair for all the lack of thanksgiving of the creatures, and for all the means He gives us for the preservation of corporal life.  This is why You, O Jesus, in anything You do, touch or see, always have on Your lips the words, “Thanks be to You, O Father.”  I too, Jesus, united with You, take the words from Your very lips, and I will say, always and in everything, “Thank You for myself and for all,” in order to continue the reparations for the lack of thanksgiving.

The washing of the feet

But, O my Jesus, it seems that Your Love has no respite.  I see that You make Your beloved disciples sit down again; You take a basin of water, wrap a white tablecloth[1] around Your waist and prostrate Yourself at the apostles’ feet, with a gesture so humble as to draw the attention of all Heaven, and to make It remain ecstatic.  The apostles themselves stay almost motionless in seeing You prostrate at their feet.  But tell me, my Love, what do You want?  What do You intend to do with this act so humble?  A Humility never before seen, and which will never be seen!

“Ah, My child, I want all souls, and prostrate at their feet like a poor beggar, I ask for them, I importune them and, crying, I plot Love traps around them in order to obtain them!

“Prostrate at their feet, with this bucket of water mixed with My tears, I want to wash them of any imperfection and prepare them to receive Me in the Sacrament.

“I so much cherish this act of receiving Me in the Eucharist, that I do not want to entrust this office to the Angels, and not even to My Dear Mama, but I Myself want to purify them, down to the most intimate fibers, in order to dispose them to receive the fruit of the Sacrament; and in the apostles I intended to prepare all souls.

“I intend to repair for all the holy works and for the administration of Sacraments, especially those made by priests with a spirit of pride, empty of Divine Spirit and of disinterest.  Ah, how many good works reach Me more to dishonor Me than to honor Me!  More to embitter Me than to please Me!  More to give Me death than to give Me life!  These are the offenses that sadden Me the most.  Ah, yes, My child, count all the most intimate offenses that they give Me, and repair with My own Reparations.  Console My embittered Heart.”

O my afflicted Good, I make Your Life my own, and together with You I intend to repair for all these offenses.  I want to enter into the most intimate hiding places of Your Divine Heart and repair with Your own Heart for the most intimate and secret offenses, which You receive from Your dearest ones.  O my Jesus, I want to follow You in everything, and together with You I want to go through all the souls who are about to receive You in the Eucharist, enter into their hearts, and place my hands together with Yours, to purify them.

O please, O Jesus, with these tears of Yours and this water with which You washed the feet of the apostles, let us wash the souls who must receive You; let us purify their hearts; let us inflame them, and shake off the dust with which they are dirtied, so that, when they receive You, You may find in them Your satisfactions, instead of Your bitternesses.

But, my affectionate Good, while You are all intent on washing the feet of the apostles, I look at You, and I see another sorrow which pierces Your Most Holy Heart.  These apostles represent all the future children of the Church, and each of them, the series of each one of Your sorrows.  In some, weaknesses, in some, deceits; in one, hypocrisies, in the other, excessive love for interests; in Saint Peter the lack of firmness and all the offenses of the leaders of the Church; in Saint John the offenses of Your most faithful ones; in Judas all of the apostates, with all the series of great evils which they commit.

Ah, Your sorrow is suffocated by pain and by Love; so much so, that unable to contain it, You pause at the feet of each apostle and burst into tears, praying and repairing for each one of these offenses, and impetrating the appropriate remedy for all.

My Jesus, I too unite myself to You; I make Your Prayers, Your Reparations and Your appropriate Remedies for each soul, my own.  I want to mix my tears with Yours, that You may never be alone, but may always have me with You, to share in Your pains.

But, sweet Love of mine, as You continue to wash the feet of the apostles, I see that You are now at Judas’ feet.  I hear Your labored breath.  I see that You not only cry, but sob, and as You wash those feet, You kiss them, You press them to Your Heart; and unable to speak with Your voice because it is suffocated by crying, You look at him with eyes swollen with tears, and say to him with Your Heart, “My child, O please, I pray you with the voices of My tears—do not go to hell!  Give Me your soul, which I ask of you, prostrate at your feet.  Tell Me, what do you want?  What do you demand?  I will give you everything, provided that you do not lose yourself.  O please, spare this sorrow to Me, your God!”  And again, You press those feet to Your Heart.  But in seeing the hardness of Judas, Your Heart is cornered; Your Heart suffocates You, and You are about to faint.  My Heart and my Life, allow me to sustain You in my arms.  I understand that these are Your Loving devices, which You use with each obstinate sinner.

O please, I pray you, my Heart—as I compassionate You and repair for the offenses which You receive from the souls who are obstinate in not wanting to convert, let us go around the earth, and wherever there are obstinate sinners, let us give them Your tears to soften them, Your kisses and Your squeezes of Love to bind them to You, in such a way that they will not be able to escape, and therefore relieve You from the pain of the loss of Judas.

Institution of the Eucharist

My Jesus, my joy and delight, I see that Your Love runs, and runs rapidly.  You stand up, sorrowful as You are, and You almost run to the altar where there is bread and wine ready for the Consecration.  I see You, my Heart, assuming a look wholly New and never seen before.  Your Divine Person acquires a tender, Loving, affectionate appearance; Your eyes blaze with Light, more than if they were suns; Your rosy face is radiant; Your lips are smiling and burning with Love; Your Creative Hands assume the attitude of Creating.  I see You, my Love, all transformed; Your Divinity seems to overflow from Your Humanity.

My Heart and my Life, Jesus, this appearance of Yours, never before seen, draws the attention of all the apostles.  They are caught by a sweet enchantment and do not dare even to breathe.  Your Sweet Mama runs in spirit to the foot of the altar, to admire the portents of Your Love.  The Angels descend from Heaven, asking themselves, “What is this?  What is this?  These are true follies, true excesses!  A God who Creates, not heaven or earth, but Himself.  And where?  In the most wretched matter of a little bread and a little wine.”

But while they are all around You, O insatiable Love, I see that You take the bread in Your hands; You offer it to the Father, and I hear Your most sweet voice say, “Holy Father, thanks be to You, for always answering Your Son.  Holy Father, concur with Me.  One day, You sent Me from Heaven to earth to be Incarnated in the Womb of My Mama, to come and save Our children.  Now, allow Me to be Incarnated in each Host, to continue their salvation and be Life of each one of My children.  Do You see, O Father?  Few hours of My Life are left; who would have the heart to leave My children orphaned and alone?  Many are their enemies—the obscurities, the passions, the weaknesses to which they are subject.  Who will help them?  O please, I supplicate You to let Me stay in each Host, to be Life of each one, and therefore put to flight their enemies; to be their Light, Strength and Help in everything.  Otherwise, where shall they go?  Who will help them?  Our Works are Eternal, My Love is irresistible—I cannot leave My children, nor do I want to.”

The Father is moved at the tender and affectionate voice of the Son.  He descends from Heaven; He is already on the altar, and united with the Holy Spirit, concurs with the Son.  And Jesus, with sonorous and moving voice, pronounces the words of the Consecration, and without leaving Himself, Creates Himself in that bread and wine.

Then You communicate Your apostles, and I believe that our Celestial Mama did not remain without receiving You.  Ah, Jesus, the Heavens bow down and all send to You an act of adoration in Your new state of profound annihilation.

But, O sweet Jesus, while Your Love remains pleased and satisfied, having nothing left to do, I see, O my Good, on this altar, Hosts which will perpetuate until the end of centuries; and lined up in each Host, Your whole sorrowful Passion, because the creatures, at the excesses of Your Love, prepare for You excesses of ingratitude and enormous crimes.  And I, Heart of my heart, want to be always with You in each tabernacle, in all the pyxes and in each Consecrated Host which will ever be until the end of the world, to emit my acts of reparation, according to the offenses You receive.

O Jesus, I contemplate You in the Holy Host, and as though seeing You in Your Adorable Person, I kiss Your majestic forehead; but in kissing You, I feel the pricks of Your thorns.  O my Jesus, in this Holy Host, how many creatures do not spare You thorns.  They come before You, and instead of sending You the homage of their good thoughts, they send You their evil thoughts; and You lower Your Head again as You did in the Passion, receiving and bearing the thorns of these evil thoughts.  O my Love, I draw near You to share in Your pains; I place all my thoughts in Your Mind in order to expel these thorns that sadden You so much.  And may each one of my thoughts flow in each one of Your Thoughts, to make an act of reparation for each evil thought, and therefore console Your sad Mind.  Jesus, my Good, I kiss Your beautiful eyes; I see Your Loving Gaze toward those who come before Your Presence, anxious to receive the return of their gazes of love.  But how many come before You, and instead of looking at You and searching for You, look at things which distract them, and so deprive You of the pleasure You feel in the exchange of gazes of love!  You cry, and as I kiss You, I feel my lips wet with Your tears.  My Jesus, do not cry; I want to place my eyes in Yours to share in these pains with You, and to cry with You.  And wanting to repair for all the distracted gazes of creatures, I offer You my gazes, always fixed in You.

Jesus, my Love, I kiss Your Most Holy ears; I now see You intent on listening to what the creatures want from You, in order to console them.  But, instead, they send to Your ears prayers badly said, full of diffidence, prayers done out of habit; and in this Holy Host, Your hearing is molested more than in Your very Passion.  O my Jesus, I want to take all the Harmonies of Heaven and place them in Your ears to repair You, and I want to place my ears in Yours, not only to share these pains with You, but to offer You my continuous act of reparation, and to console You.

Jesus, my Life, I kiss Your Most Holy Face; I see it bleeding, bruised and swollen.  The creatures, O Jesus, come before the Holy Host, and with their indecent postures and evil discourses, instead of giving You honor, seem to send You slaps and spittle.  And You, just like in the Passion, receive them in all peace and patience, and You bear everything!  O Jesus, I want to place my face close to Yours, not only to kiss You and to receive the insults that come to You from Your creatures, but to share with You all Your pains.  And with my hands, I intend to caress You, wipe off the spit, and press You tightly to my heart; and of my being, to make many tiny little pieces, placing them before You, like many souls who adore You; and to turn my movements into continuous prostrations, to repair for the dishonors You receive from all creatures.

My Jesus, I kiss Your Most Holy lips; I see that in descending Sacramentally into the hearts of Your creatures, You are forced to lean on many cutting, impure, evil tongues.  O, how embittered You remain!  You feel as though poisoned by these tongues, and it is even worse when You descend into their hearts!  O Jesus, if it were possible, I would want to be in the mouth of each creature, to turn into praises all the offenses You receive from them!

My weary Good, I kiss Your Most Holy Head.  I see it tired, exhausted, and all occupied in Your crafting of Love.  Tell me, what do You do?  And You, “My child, in this Host I work from morning to evening, forming Chains of Love; and as souls come to Me, I bind them to My Heart.  But do you know what they do to Me?  Many wriggle free by force, shattering My Loving Chains; and since these Chains are linked to My Heart, I am tortured and become delirious.  Then, in breaking My Chains, they render My crafting useless, looking for the chains of the creatures.  And they do this even in My Presence, using Me in order to reach their own ends.  This grieves Me so much as to make Me faint and rave.”

How much compassion I feel for You, O Jesus!  Your Love is cornered, and I, in order to relieve You from the offenses You receive from these souls, I pray You to chain my heart with those Chains broken by them, in order to give You my return of love in their place.

My Jesus, my Divine Archer, I kiss Your breast.  The Fire You contain in it is such and so much that, in order to give a little vent to Your Flames and to take a little break from Your Work, You begin to play with the souls who come to You, shooting arrows of Love which come out from Your breast toward them.  Your Game is to form arrows, darts, spears; and when they strike souls, You become festive.  But many, O Jesus, reject them, sending You arrows of coldness, darts of lukewarmness, and spears of ingratitude in return.  And You remain so afflicted as to cry bitterly!  O Jesus, here is my breast, ready to receive not only Your arrows destined to me, but also those which the other souls reject; so You will no longer remain defeated in Your Love Game.  In this way, I will also repair for the coldness, the lukewarmness and the ingratitude, which You receive from them.

O Jesus, I kiss Your left hand, and I intend to repair for all the illicit or blameworthy touches, done in Your Presence; and I pray you always to hold me tightly to Your Heart!

O Jesus, I kiss Your right hand, and I intend to repair for all the sacrileges, especially the Masses badly celebrated!  How many times, my Love, You are forced to descend from Heaven into unworthy hands and breasts; and even though You feel nausea for being in those hands, Love forces You to stay.  Even more, in some of Your ministers, You find the ones who renew Your Passion, because, with their enormous crimes and sacrileges, they renew the Deicide!  Jesus, I am frightened at this thought!  But, alas, just as in the Passion You were in the hands of the Jews, You are in those unworthy hands, like a meek lamb, waiting, again, for Your death and also for their conversion.  O Jesus, how much You suffer!  You would like a loving hand to free You from those bloodthirsty hands.  O Jesus, when You are in those hands, I pray you to call me near You, and in order to repair You, I will cover You with the purity of the Angels, I will perfume You with Your Virtues to reduce the nausea You feel in being in those hands, and I will offer You my heart as escape and refuge.  While You are in me, I will pray for Priests, that they may be Your worthy Ministers.  Amen.

O Jesus, I kiss Your left foot, and I intend to repair for those who receive You out of habit and without the necessary dispositions.

O Jesus, I kiss Your right foot, and I intend to repair for those who receive You to offend You.  O please, when they dare to do this, I pray you to renew the miracle You made with Longinus.  Just as You healed him and converted him at the touch of the Blood that gushed forth from Your Heart, pierced by his lance, in the same way, at Your Sacramental touch, convert the offenses into love, and the offenders into lovers!

O Jesus, I kiss Your Most Sweet Heart, into which all offenses pour, and I intend to repair for everything, to give You return of love for all, and to share in Your pains, always together with You!

O Celestial Archer, if any offense escapes my reparation, I pray you to imprison me in Your Heart and in Your Will, so that I may repair for everything.  I will pray the Sweet Mama to keep me always with Her, in order to repair everything, and for everyone.  We will kiss You together, and keeping You sheltered, we will drive away from You the waves of bitterness that You receive from the creatures.  O please, O Jesus, remember that I too am a poor sinful soul.  Enclose me in Your Heart, and with the Chains of Your Love, not only imprison me, but bind, one by one, my thoughts, my affections, my desires.  Chain my hands and my feet to Your Heart, that I may have no other hands and feet but Yours!

And so, my Love, my prison will be Your Heart, my Chains will be made of Love; Your flames will be my Food, Your Breath will be mine, the fences preventing me from going out will be Your Most Holy Will.  So I will see nothing but Flames, I will touch nothing but Fire; and while they give me Life, they will give me death, like that You suffer in the Holy Host.  I will give You my life, and so, while I remain imprisoned in You, You will be released in me.  Is this not Your intent in imprisoning Yourself in the Host, in order to be released by the souls who receive You, becoming Alive in them?  And now, as a sign of Love, Bless me, give the mystical kiss of Love to my soul, while I remain clasped and clinging to You.

O my Sweet Heart, I see that after You have instituted the Most Holy Sacrament and have seen the enormous ingratitude and the offenses of the creatures at the excesses of Your Love, although wounded and embittered, You do not draw back; rather, You want to drown everything in the immensity of Your Love.

I see You, O Jesus, as You administer Yourself to Your apostles, and then You add that they too must do what You have done, giving them authority to consecrate; and so You ordain them priests and institute the other Sacraments.  Thus You take care of everything, and You repair for everything:  the sermons badly given, the Sacraments administered and received without disposition, and therefore without effects; the mistaken vocations of priests, on their part and on the part of those who ordain them, not using all means in order to discern the true vocations.  Ah, nothing escapes You, O Jesus, and I intend to follow You and to repair for all these offenses.

Then, after You have given fulfillment to everything, You gather Your apostles and set out for the Garden of Gethsemane, to begin Your sorrowful Passion.  I will follow You in everything, to keep You faithful company.

BOOK OF HEAVEN

 Our Lord Jesus Christ to the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta,

The Little Daughter of the Divine Will

 VOLUME 13

 October 9, 1921

 In the last Supper Jesus gave Luisa the place of honor between Himself and John. He gave Himself as food to all, in order to receive food from all. The will of man is that which makes him more like His Creator. The human will is the depository of all the works of man.

 I was thinking about the act in which Jesus had the Last Supper with His disciples, and my lovable Jesus told me in my interior: “My daughter(Luisa), while I was having supper with my disciples, I was surrounded not only by them, but by the whole human family. I had all creatures near Me, one by one; I knew them all, and I called them by name. I also called you (Luisa), and I gave you (Luisa) the place of honor between Me and John, constituting you (Luisa) the little secretary of my Will. And as I divided the lamb, in offering it to my Apostles, I gave it to all and to each one. That lamb, bled dry, roasted, cut to pieces, spoke about Me; it was the symbol of my Life and of how I was to reduce Myself for Love of all. And I wanted to give it to all as delicious food, which represented my Passion, because everything I did, said and suffered was converted by my Love into food for man. But do you (Luisa) know why I called everyone and gave the lamb to all? Because I too wanted food from them. I wanted everything they would do to be food for Me. I wanted the food of their love, of their works, of their words – of everything.”

And I: ‘My Love, how can it be that our works become food for You?’ And Jesus: “It is not on bread alone that one can live, but on everything to which my Will gives virtue of making one live. If bread nourishes man, it is because I want it so. Now, whatever the creature disposes with her will to make of her work – that is the form which it assumes. If with her work she wants to form food for Me, she forms food for Me; if Love, she gives Me Love; if reparation, she forms reparation. And if in her will she wants to offend Me, she makes of her work the knife to wound Me, and maybe even to kill Me.”

Then He added: “The will of man is that which makes him more like His Creator. In the human will I placed part of my Immensity and of my Power, and giving it the place of honor, I constituted it queen of the whole of man and depository of all of his works. Just as creatures have chests in which they keep their things to maintain them secured, the soul has her will in which to keep and secure all that she thinks, says and does. Not even one thought will be lost. What she cannot do with her eyes, with her mouth, with her works, she can do with her will – in one instant she can will a thousand goods and a thousand evils. The will makes her thought fly up to Heaven, to the farthest places and deep into the abysses. She might be prevented from working, from seeing, from speaking, but she can do all this in her will. Whatever she does and wants, forms an act which remains deposited in her own will. Oh, how the will can be expanded! How much good and how much evil can it not contain? This is why, among all things, I want the will of man: because if I have this, I have everything – the fortress is conquered.”

Bernhard Strigel, “Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet,” circa 1520

Mosaic in Basilica di San Marco in Venice, “Christ Washing the Feet of His Disiples,” circa 1210

Tintoretto, “Christ Washing the Disciples’ Feet,” 1548–1549

Start Good Friday, March 25, 2016

The Chaplet of The Divine Mercy Novena**

(1) say the novena prayer for the day

(2) then pray the Chaplet

Divine Mercy Novena Video Below

**How to pray the Chaplet: http://www.praydivinemercy.com/

OUR LORD’S PROMISES ATTACHED TO THE
PRAYING OF THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY
AS REVEALED TO ST. FAUSTINA KOWALSKA

1. “The souls that say this chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially at the hour of their death.” (Diary, 754)

2. “When hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one.” (Diary, 1541)

3. “When they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as a just Judge but as a merciful Savior.” (Diary, 1541)

4. “Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death.” (Diary, 687)

5. “Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation. Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy….I desire to grant unimaginable graces to those souls who trust in My mercy.” (Diary, 687)

6. “To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak.” (Diary, 1521)

7. “The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion for sinners. Know, my daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered.” (Diary, 1397)

8. “At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony….I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion.” (Diary, 1320; also, cf. Diary, 1572)

9. “Souls who spread the honor of My mercy…at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior.” (Diary, 1075)

10. “I promise that the soul that will venerate this image (of the Divine Mercy) will not perish.” (Diary, 48)….“The two rays denote Blood and Water….These two rays issued from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father.” (Diary, 299)

11. “I desire that the Feast of Mercy…be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter….The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion (in a state of grace on this day) shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.” (Diary, 699)

12. “Through this chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is compatible with My will.” (Diary, 1731)
Excerpts taken from the Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska, titled Divine Mercy in My Soul, ©1987, Congregation of
Marians of the Immaculate Conception, Stockbridge, MA 01263.

http://fathersofmercy.com/wp-content/uploads/Divine-Mercy-Chaplet-Promises-Attached-To.pdf

First Day:  Good Friday, March 25

Today bring to Me ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL SINNERS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me.
Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.

Second Day:  Holy Saturday, March 26

Today bring to Me THE SOULS OF PRIESTS AND RELIGIOUS, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind. Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard—upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.

Third Day:  Easter Sunday, March 27

Today bring to Me ALL DEVOUT AND FAITHFUL SOULS, and immerse then in the ocean of My mercy. The souls brought Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.
Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wonderous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.

Fourth Day:  EASTER MONDAY March 28

Today bring to Me THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN GOD AND THOSE WHO DO NOT YET KNOW ME. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

Fifth Day:  EASTER TUESDAY March 29

Today bring to Me THE SOULS OF THOSE WHO HAVE SEPARATED THEMSELVES FROM MY CHURCH,* and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church, My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion. Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy. 

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son’s Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.

Sixth Day  EASTER WED. March 30

Today bring to Me THE MEEK AND HUMBLE SOULS AND THE SOULS OF LITTLE CHILDREN, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is capable of receiving My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence.
Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, “Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart.” Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father’s favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.

Seventh Day:  EASTER THURSDAY March 31

Today bring to Me THE SOULS WHO ESPECIALLY VENERATE AND GLORIFY MY MERCY,* and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death. Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen.

Eighth Day:  EASTER FRIDAY, April 1 (also First Friday)

Today bring to Me THE SOULS WHO ARE DETAINED IN PURGATORY, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice. Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.

Ninth Day:  EASTER SATURDAY, April 2, also First Saturday and the eleventh anniversary of the death of St. John Paul II

Today bring to Me SOULS WHO HAVE BECOME LUKEWARM,* and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: ‘Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.’ For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy. Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls, who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.

Mary’s sorrows

Published 3/21/16 by the Official Website of Luisa Piccarreta

The wounds of Jesus and the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary grant the grace of making the human will rise again in God’s Will.

3/21/2016

From the Writings of The Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta

The Little Daughter of the Divine Will

The Seven Dolors (Sorrows) of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The seven dolors of the Blessed Virgin are the chief sorrowful events in the life of Our Blessed Lady. They are:

1. The circumcision of our Lord — when she saw his blood shed for the first time;
2. Her flight into Egypt — to save the life of the Infant Jesus, when Herod sought to kill Him;
3. The three days she lost her Son in Jerusalem;
4. When she saw him carrying the cross;
5. When she saw him die;
6. When His dead body was taken down from the cross;
7. When it was laid in the sepulchre or tomb.

First Sorrow – The circumcision of our Lord

Meditation 2 – The Queen of Heaven in the Kingdom of the Divine Will

Now, you must know that only eight days had passed from the birth of the Divine Infant. Everything was feast and happiness; the very Creation, taking a festive attitude, celebrated Its Baby Creator. But duty interrupted our joys, because in those times there was a law that all firstborn sons were to undergo the cruel cut of circumcision. My Heart of Mother bled with sorrow in having to submit my dear Son, my Life, my own Creator, to such a bitter pain. Oh, how I would have wanted to take His place! But the Supreme Volition imposed Itself on my love, and giving Me heroism, commanded Me to circumcise the Baby God. My child, you cannot comprehend how much it cost Me; but the Divine Fiat won, and I obeyed, united with Saint Joseph. In mutual agreement, we had my dear Son circumcised. At the painful cut, I felt my Heart being torn, and I cried. Saint Joseph cried too, and my dear Baby sobbed, and His pain was such that He shivered, and looking at me, He sought help. What an hour of pain and spasm for the three of us! It was such that, more than a sea, it engulfed all creatures, to bring them the first pledge and the very Life of my Son, to place them in safety. Now, blessed child, you must know that this cut enclosed profound mysteries: first, it was the seal that impressed in the little Humanity of the Celestial Baby His brotherhood with the whole human family; and the blood He shed was the first disbursement before Divine Justice in order to ransom all human generations. The dear Baby was innocent – He was not obliged by the law; but He wanted to submit Himself, first, to give the example; and then, to infuse trust and courage, saying to all: “Do not fear; I am your little brother, similar to you. Let us love one another, and I will place you all in safety. I will bring you all to my Celestial Father, as my dear brothers.” My child, what an example the Celestial Baby gives! He, Who is the Author of the law, obeys the law. He is born only eight days ago, yet He makes it a duty for Himself, submitting Himself to the cruel cut of circumcision; an indelible cut – as indelible as the union He came to form with degraded humanity. This says that sanctity is in doing one’s own duty, in the observance of the laws, and in fulfilling the Divine Will. Sanctity without duty does not exist. It is duty that places order, harmony, and the seal on sanctity.

 Second Sorrow – Her flight into Egypt

Day Twenty-four – The Queen of Heaven in the Kingdom of the Divine Will.

My dearest child, today the Heart of your Mama is swollen with love and with sorrow, so much so, that I cannot refrain from crying. You know of the coming of the Magi Kings, who caused rumor in Jerusalem, asking about the new King. And cruel Herod, for fear of being removed from his throne, has already given the mandate to kill my sweet Jesus, my dear life, together with all the other children. My child, what pain! The One who has come to give life to all, and to bring into the world the new era of peace, of happiness, of grace…they want to kill Him! What ingratitude! What perfidy! Ah, my child, to what extent the blindness of the human will reaches! To the extent of becoming ferocious, of tying the hands of the Creator Himself, and of making itself the owner of the One who created it. Give Me your compassion, my child, and try to calm the crying of the sweet Baby. He cries because of human ingratitude, because, only a newborn, they want Him dead; and in order to save Him, we are forced to flee. Dear Saint Joseph has already been advised by the Angel to leave for a foreign land. Accompany us, dear child; do not leave us alone, and I will continue to give you my lessons on the great evils of the human will. Now, you must know that as man withdrew from the Divine Will, he broke off with his Creator. Everything on earth had been made by God for him – everything was his; but man, by not wanting to do the Divine Will, lost all rights, and one could say that he did not know where to place his foot. So He became a poor exiled one, a pilgrim who could not have a permanent residence; and this, not only for the soul, but also for the body. All things became mutable for poor man; and if he did possess any fleeting thing, it was by virtue of the foreseen merits of this Celestial Baby. This, because the whole magnificence of Creation was destined by God for all those who would do His Will and live in Its Kingdom. All others, if they manage to take anything, are the true petty thieves of their Creator; and with reason: they do not want to do the Divine Will, but they want the goods which belong to It? Now, dear child, listen to how much this dear Baby and I love you: at the first dawn of His life, He goes into exile, and into a foreign land, in order to free you from the exile in which your human will placed you; to call you to live, not in a foreign land, but in your fatherland – the Kingdom of the Supreme Fiat – which was given to you when you were created. Child of my Heart, have pity on the tears of your Mother, and on the tears of this sweet dear Baby – crying, We ask you never to do your will. But We beg you, We implore you: come back into the bosom of the Divine Will, which so much longs for you! Now, dear child, in the midst of the sorrow for human ingratitude, and in the midst of the immense joys and happinesses that the Divine Fiat gave us and the feast that all Creation made for the sweet Baby, the earth became green and flowery again under our steps, to give homage to its Creator. The sun fixed on Him, and praising Him with its light, it felt honored to give Him its light and heat. The wind caressed Him; the birds, almost like clouds, alighted around us, and with their trills and songs, made the most beautiful lullabies for the dear Baby, to calm His crying and favor His sleep. My child, since the Divine Will was in us, we had power over everything. So we arrived in Egypt, and after a long period of time, the Angel of the Lord told Saint Joseph that we should return to the house of Nazareth, because the cruel tyrant had died. So we repatriated to our homeland.

Now, Egypt symbolizes the human will – a land full of idols; and wherever Baby Jesus passed, He would knock down these idols and cast them into hell. How many idols does the human will possess! Idols of vainglory, of self-esteem and of passion, which tyrannize the poor creature! Therefore, be attentive; listen to your Mama. I would make any sacrifice never to let you do your will; and I would also lay down my life, to give you the great good of living always in the bosom of the Divine Will.

 Third Sorrow – The three days she lost her Son in Jerusalem

Meditation 5 – The Queen of Heaven in the Kingdom of the Divine Will.

We continued to spend our lives in the quiet little house of Nazareth, and my dear Son grew in grace and in wisdom. He was charming because of the sweetness and the gentleness of His voice, the sweet enchantment of His eyes, and the loveliness of His whole person. Yes, my Son was truly beautiful, unsurpassingly beautiful! He had recently reached the age of twelve, when we went to Jerusalem according to custom, in order to solemnize the Passover. We set out on the journey – He, Saint Joseph and I. Very often, as we proceeded, with devotion and recollected, my Jesus would break the silence and speak to us now of His celestial Father, now of the immense love for souls which He felt in His Heart. Once in Jerusalem, we went directly to the temple, and as we arrived, we prostrated ourselves with our faces to the ground, adoring God profoundly, and praying for a long time. Our prayer was so fervent and recollected as to open the heavens, draw and bind the Celestial Father, and therefore hasten the reconciliation between Him and men. … After we had fulfilled our duty in the temple and celebrated the Passover, we prepared to return to Nazareth. In the confusion of the crowd, we were separated; I remained with the women, and Joseph joined the men. I looked around to see whether my Jesus had come with Me, but, not seeing Him, I thought He had remained with his father Joseph. But what was not the surprise and the concern I felt when, as we arrived at the place at which we were to reunite, I did not see Him at his side! Unaware of what had happened, we felt such fright and such pain that we both remained mute. Overcome with sorrow, we went back hurriedly, anxiously asking those whom we met: “O tell us if you have seen Jesus, our Son, for we can not live without Him!” Crying, we would describe His features: “He is all lovable; His beautiful azure eyes sparkle with light and speak to the heart; His gaze strikes, enraptures and binds; His forehead is majestic; His face is beautiful, of an enchanting beauty; His most sweet voice descends deep into the heart and sweetens all bitternesses; His hair, curly and like finest gold, renders Him striking and charming. All is majesty, dignity and sanctity in Him. He is the most beautiful among the sons of men!” But in spite of our searching, nobody was able to tell us anything. The sorrow I felt was so cruel as to make Me weep bitterly, opening, every instant, deep gashes in my soul, which caused Me true spasms of death. Dear child, if Jesus was my Son, He was also my God; therefore my sorrow was wholly within the divine order – that is, so powerful and immense as to surpass all other possible torments together. If the Fiat which I possessed had not sustained Me continuously with Its divine strength, I would have died of shock. Seeing that no one was able to give us information, I anxiously questioned the Angels who surrounded Me: “But, tell Me, where is my beloved Jesus? Where should I direct my steps in order to find Him? O, tell Him I can bear no more; bring Him into my arms on your wings! My Angels, have pity on my tears, help Me – bring Me Jesus!” In the meantime, as every search had turned out in vain, we returned to Jerusalem. After three days of most bitter sighs, tears, anxieties and fears, we entered the temple. I was all eyes and looked everywhere, when, finally, overcome with jubilation, I saw my Son in the midst of the doctors of the law! He was speaking with such wisdom and majesty as to make those who were listening remain enraptured and amazed. Just in seeing Him, I felt life come back to Me, and immediately I understood the secret reason of His being lost. And now, a little word to you, dearest child. In this mystery, my Son wanted to give to Me and to you, a sublime teaching. Could you perhaps assume that He was ignoring what I was suffering? On the contrary, my tears, my searching, and my cruel and intense sorrow, resounded in His heart. Yet, during those hours, so painful, He sacrificed to the Divine Will, His own Mama, the one whom He loves so much, in order to show Me how I too, one day, was to sacrifice His very Life to the Supreme Will.

 Fourth Sorrow – When she saw him carrying the cross

Hours of the Passion – The Eighteenth Hour

My Life, Jesus, making You suffer unheard-of spasms, your enemies have managed to put You on your feet, and as You walk, staggering, I hear your panting breath. Your Heart beats more strongly and new pains pierce It intensely. You shake your head in order to clear your eyes from the blood that fills them, and You gaze anxiously. Ah, my Jesus, I understood everything – your Mama, who is searching for You like a moaning dove, wants to tell You one last word, and receive your last gaze; and You feel Her pains, Her heart lacerated in Yours, moved and wounded by Her love and by Yours. You see Her pushing Her way through the crowd, wanting at any cost to see You, to hug You, to give You the last good-bye. But You are more transfixed in seeing Her mortal paleness, and all of your pains reproduced in Her by force of Love. If She lives, it is only by a miracle of your Omnipotence. You move your steps toward hers, but you can hardly exchange a glance! Oh, pang of your two Hearts! The soldiers notice it, and with blows and shoving prevent Mama and Son from exchanging the last good-bye. The torment of both is such that your Mama remains petrified by the pain, and is about to die. Faithful John and the pious women sustain Her, while You fall again under the Cross. Then, your sorrowful Mama does with Her soul that which She cannot do with Her Body, because She is prevented: She enters into You, makes the Will of the Eternal One Her own, and associating Herself in all your pains, performs the office of your Mother, kisses You, repairs You, soothes You, and pours the balm of Her sorrowful love into all your wounds! My suffering Jesus, I too unite with the pierced Mama. I make all your pains, and every drop of your Blood my own; in each wound I want to act as a mama for You, and together with Her, and with You, I repair for all the dangerous encounters, and for those who expose themselves to occasions of sin, or, forced by necessity to be exposed, remain entangled in sin.

 Fifth Sorrow – When she saw him die

Hours of the Passion – Twenty-second Hour

My dying Crucified, Jesus, You are now about to give the last breaths of your mortal life; your Most Holy Humanity is already stiffened; your Heart seems to beat no longer. With Magdalene I cling to your feet and, if it were possible, I would like to give my life to revive Yours. Meanwhile, O Jesus, I see that You open your dying eyes again, and You look around from the Cross, as though wanting to give the last good-bye to all. You look at your dying Mama, who no longer has motion or voice, so many are the pains She feels; and You say: “Good-bye Mama, I am leaving, but I will keep You in my Heart. You, take care of my children and yours.” You look at crying Magdalene, faithful John and your very enemies, and with your gazes You say to them: “I forgive you; I give you the kiss of peace.” Nothing escapes your gaze; You take leave of everyone and forgive everyone. Then, You gather all your strengths, and with a loud and thundering voice, You cry out: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit”. And bowing your head, You breathe your last. My Jesus, at this cry all nature is shaken and cries over your death – the death of its Creator! The earth trembles strongly; and with its trembling, it seems to be crying and wanting to shake up souls to recognize You as true God. The veil of the Temple is torn, the dead are risen; the sun, which until now had cried over your pains, has withdrawn its light with horror. At this cry, your enemies fall on their knees, and beating their breasts, they say: “Truly He is the Son of God.” And your Mother, petrified and dying, suffers pains harder than death. My dead Jesus, with this cry You also place all of us into the hands of the Father, because You do not reject us. Therefore You cry out loudly, not only with your voice, but with all your pains and with the voices of your Blood: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit and all souls.” My Jesus, I too abandon myself in You; give me the grace to die completely in your love – in your Will, and I pray that You never permit me, either in life or in death, to go out of your Most Holy Will. Meanwhile I intend to repair for all those who do not abandon themselves perfectly to your Most Holy Will, therefore losing or maiming the precious gift of your Redemption. What is not the sorrow of your Heart, O my Jesus, in seeing so many creatures escaping from your arms and abandoning themselves to themselves? Have pity on all, O my Jesus – have pity on me.

Sixth Sorrow – When His dead body was taken down from the cross

Hours of the Passion – Twenty-third Hour

My dead Jesus, I see that your disciples hasten to depose You from the Cross. Joseph and Nicodemus, who have remained hidden until now, with courage and without fearing anything, now want to give You an honorable burial. So they take hammers and pincers, to perform the sacred and sad unnailing from the Cross, while your pierced Mama stretches out Her maternal arms to receive You on Her lap. My Jesus, while they unnail You, I too want to help your disciples to sustain your Most Holy Body; and with the nails they remove from You, nail me completely to Yourself. With your Holy Mother, I want to adore You and kiss You, and then enclose myself in your Heart, never to leave again.

Seventh Sorrow – When it was laid in the sepulchre or tomb.

Hours of the Passion – Twenty-fourth Hour

Tormented Mama, I see You hasten, because those who surround You want to close the sepulcher. Almost flying, You take the Hands of Jesus between yours, You kiss them, You press them to your Heart; and placing your hands in His, You take for Yourself the pains and the piercings of those Most Holy Hands. Then You fly over the Feet of Jesus, looking at the cruel torture which the nails have made in them; and as You place your feet in them, You take for Yourself those wounds, and You offer Yourself to run toward sinners in the place of Jesus, in order to snatch them from hell. Anguishing Mama, I see You give the last good-bye to the pierced Heart of Jesus. Here You pause. It is the last assault to your Maternal Heart; You feel It being torn from your breast because of the vehemence of love and pain and, alone, It runs to place Itself in the Most Holy Heart of Jesus. And You, in seeing Yourself without a heart, hasten to take His Most Holy Heart into yours – His Love rejected by many creatures, His many ardent desires not fulfilled because of their ingratitudes, and the pains and piercings of that Most Holy Heart, which will keep You crucified for the rest of your life. In looking at the wide wound, You kiss it, You lap up the Blood; and feeling the Life of Jesus in Yourself, You have the strength to fulfill the bitter separation. Then You embrace Him, and You allow the sepulchral stone to close on Him.

Love is my perennial “Passion”

Published 3/16/16 by the Official Website of Luisa Piccarreta

The agony of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane (third part)

3/16/2016

 Jesus’ prayer to the Father and the conformation of the human will to the divine will.

Let’s go back to our story to continue with our meditation on the agony of Jesus. We have to make a little note to this story and it’s a kind of counterpoint that compares the attitude of the disciples with that of Jesus. These attitudes are put by Mark in opposition among them, to show how the acts of Jesus become the model that every disciple must follow. For example: the disciples were seated whereas Jesus fell prostrate on the ground, the disciples slept whereas Jesus stayed awake and prayed, the disciples were weak at that time, whereas Jesus found the strength to keep going. Around these opposing attitudes Mark shows how the disciples slept in the weakness of the flesh, closed in their will, whereas Jesus fell prostrate on the ground and stayed awake, He prayed in the power of the spirit, He opened to God’s Will and accomplished it. The gospel shows this difference not to humiliate the disciples, but to give strength to the action of Jesus and to emphasize the great scope of the event of the Passion.

Jesus came to this Hour, to this decisive hour in the history of man, that of faith. The real struggle is the struggle of man with God. After sin man continues to struggle with God, because he does not recognize Him as a father, but as a being to be feared, He is an antagonist to the man. If we recall the history of the people of Israel in the Old Testament we find the background of the ongoing struggle between God and his people, between God and man.

The people accused God of being a severe judge, a God who punishes, a God awful, whereas Jesus reveals to us a completely different face of God, the true face of God. But to discover this true face of God that Jesus reveals to us, we need faith. And faith, in this passage, is described precisely through the behavior of Jesus.

Faith is the passage from my will to the will of God. When can I fulfill the will of God? When I have faith in Him. Jesus has shown us the way to live this faith not with words, but rather with our life, abandoning ourselves fully to the Father, putting our life in his hands, accomplishing his will.

When does my will become the will of God? Luisa would say, when there is a complete and profound unity between the human and the divine will.

The agony of Jesus marks the moment when the wall between man and God was removed; “Happy is the night of our salvation, in which the Lord of life is immersed in all our nights, bringing the light of his name” (F. Silvano Fausti).  In the agony of the Garden Jesus worked for the salvation of man, if each of us brings our nights in the night of Jesus, our sufferings in the suffering of Jesus, our questions in the question of Jesus, He will offer them to the Father and by accomplishing His will, everything will become salvation for us.

But let us continue with our reading of this passage of the Gospel of Mark and get to the verse 36: “And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee. Take away this cup from Me; nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt “.

In this prayer of Jesus we can identify three important steps: the first is represented by the first words of Jesus – Abba! Father! – It is a doubling of the term. Jesus called God twice, with two different names: Abba, that was a common term that young children would use to address their fathers with filial confidence and moreover it emphasizes the unconditional abandonment into the hands of their own father. And then Jesus reveals who this “Abba” is : it is God the Father, it is not God the judge, it is not God the punisher, it is not God the avenger, but God the Father, the one who loves.

A second step is characterized by the awareness of Jesus about the omnipotence of the Father: “All things are possible to you.” And this introduces a request, where there is the drama of the human will because of death and evil: “Take away this cup from me”. As Jesus felt this weight, this bitterness, He didn’t know if He could. He addressed to God who is omnipotent, so that He took away that cup away from Him.

And finally, the third step of the prayer of Jesus, is the decisive one: the human will adheres to God’s will. “Yet not what I will, but what thou wilt.”

The Pope, again in the catechesis of February 1, 2012, said: “In the unity of the divine person of the Son, the human will finds its complete fulfilment in the total abandonment of the I to the You of the Father, called Abba.

St Maximus the Confessor says that ever since the moment of the creation of man and woman, the human will has been oriented to the divine will and that it is precisely in the “yes”(fiat) to God that the human will is fully free and finds its fulfilment. Unfortunately, because of sin, this “yes” (fiat) to God is transformed into opposition:

Adam and Eve thought that the “no” to God was the crowning point of freedom, of being fully themselves. On the Mount of Olives, Jesus brings the human will back to the unreserved “yes”(fiat) to God; in him the natural will is fully integrated in the orientation that the Divine Person gives it. Jesus lives his life in accordance with the centre of his Person: his being the Son of God. His human will is drawn into the I of the Son who abandons himself totally to the Father. Thus Jesus tells us that it is only by conforming our own will to the divine one that human beings attain their true height, that they become “divine”; only by coming out of ourselves, only in the “yes” (fiat) to God, is Adam’s desire — and the desire of us all — to be completely free. It is what Jesus brings about at Gethsemane: in transferring the human will into the divine will the true man is born and we are redeemed. (Pope Benedict XVI).

The human will doesn’t stop being human, Jesus does not want the human dimension to be canceled, but He wants it to be submerged in the divine will (living “for” God “with” God and in “God”), so that it can be transformed or rather, conformed to Him. The human will no longer exist not because it was destroyed but because it was joined with the divine will becoming one, it was deified, realizing God’s plan to deify man.

On January 4, 1924 Luisa was thinking about the words of Jesus in the Garden and Jesus, moving in her interior, told her that it was not because of the chalice of His Passion that He said to the Father: ‘Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me’ it was the chalice of the human will which contained such bitterness and fullness of vices, that his human will, united to the Divine, felt such repugnance, terror and fright, as to cry out: ‘Father, if it be possible, let this chalice pass from Me.’ How ugly is the human will without the Divine Will which, almost as within a chalice, enclosed Itself in each creature!

The bitter cup that Jesus drank wasn’t the physical suffering, but the inner suffering because of the human will that does not enter into the divine will. Jesus knew that man’s sin lies in his inability to surrender to the will of God because of his distrust; and for Jesus this is a bitter cup, because at that moment he was experienced fully his humanity and saw that men were far from living the divine will. He saw that man could deify in his humanity but because of his distrust towards God  he didn’t it.

He added as many as three times: ‘Non mea voluntas, sed Tua fiat (Not my will, but Yours be done) because He felt upon Himself the wills of creatures united together, all of their evils, and in the name of all He cried out to the Father: ‘May the human will be done on earth no more – but the Divine. May the human will be banished, and may the Divine Will reign.’ So, even from that time – and he wanted to do this at the very beginning of his Passion, because the calling upon earth of the Fiat Voluntas Tua on earth as It is in Heaven was the thing that interested Him the most and the most important one – he Himself said in the name of all: ‘Non mea voluntas, sed Tua fiat.’

In a certain sense Jesus wanted to take the human will and this is why He called with Him Peter, James and John as witnesses, and when it seemed that the human will wanted to get away from the divine will, because it was affected by suffering and had as its perspective the death and thus more distance from God, Jesus did an act of obedience and above all an act of love towards God, putting everything into his hands. He explained to each of us that it is possible, also at that time, to live this dimension. This is the redemptive value of suffering. Suffering does not redeem man because it makes him atone for his sins, but because it is experienced in the love that purifies sins. It is not the physical pain that cleanses us, but the inner struggle that the physical suffering makes us live.

Again the Pope in his catechesis, tried to transfer these theological reflections into the daily experience of the believer, and said: “Dear brothers and sisters, every day in the prayer of the Our Father we ask the Lord: “thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Mt 6:10). In other words we recognize that there is a will of God with us and for us, a will of God for our life that must become every day, increasingly, the reference of our willing and of our being; we recognize moreover that “heaven” is where God’s will is done and where the “earth” becomes “heaven”, a place where love, goodness, truth and divine beauty are present, only if, on earth, God’s will is done.

In Jesus’ prayer to the Father on that terrible and marvellous night in Gethsemane, the “earth” became “heaven”; the “earth” of his human will, shaken by fear and anguish, was taken up by his divine will in such a way that God’s will was done on earth.

And this is also important in our own prayers: we must learn to entrust ourselves more to divine Providence, to ask God for the strength to come out of ourselves to renew our “fiat” to him, to say to him “thy will be done”, so as to conform our will to his. It is a prayer we must pray every day because it is not always easy to entrust ourselves to God’s will, repeating the “yes” of Jesus, the “yes” of Mary.

The Gospel accounts of Gethsemane regretfully show that the three disciples, chosen by Jesus to be close to him, were unable to watch with him, sharing in his prayer, in his adherence to the Father and they were overcome by sleep” (Pope Benedict XVI).

In the gospel Jesus told his apostles: “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?” (verse. 41), but He did not said these words with bitterness, for their inability to stay awake, but for the inability to accept and face the dramatic moments of life. When man does not understand what is happening and this is too big for him here is that he takes refuge in sleep, to escape the events. Jesus said: “Are you still sleeping? ” because it was He, on behalf of all, who faced that drama and showed us how it is possible to live it in the right way,  so that we too, looking at Him, can live it in the same manner. The first one to imitate so deeply the behavior of Jesus was Luisa. It was her, his little newborn of his Will, his little daughter, who felt such repugnance and fright at her will that, trembling, she clung to Jesus and cried out with Him: ‘Father, if it be possible, let this chalice of my will pass from me.’ And, crying, she added with Him: ‘Non mea voluntas, sed Tua fiat’, because  at least one creature was needed in order to validate this contract with God.

We too, as Luisa and the three Apostles, are called to be witnesses of this “contract” because we too must learn to live it. Luisa lived it, the three apostles lived it after the resurrection when they re-read in the light of the resurrection of Jesus all his life and his Passion, and we too are called to take this path.

Perhaps the image of Jesus that the Gospel offers us is a bit different, but it is so true! The world is full of people who don’t accept the discourse that we are taking. People would like a different God and instead the beauty of it is that God manifested his face in this way: He shared our condition all the way, He shared our being before God and therefore our fear. The greatness of Christ is not in avoiding the human experience, but in living it. This is the face of God in Christianity, who says his greatness not distancing, but entering in the existence of man.

March 20 A.D. 2016 – Palm Sunday

 Palms are blessed on Palm Sunday. They remind us of Our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, when the people, wishing to honor Him and make Him king, strewed palm branches and even their own garments in

His path, singing: Hosanna to the Son of David.

Book of Heaven – March 31 A.D. 1901

 Inconstancy and volubility.

This morning, feeling all embittered, I saw myself still so bad, that I almost did not dare to go in search of my highest and only Good. But the Lord, looking not at my miseries, still deigned to come, telling me: “My daughter (Luisa), is it Me that you(Luisa) want? Well then, I have come to cheer you (Luisa) – let us be together, but let us remain in silence.”

After staying for some time, He transported me outside of myself, and I saw that the Church was celebrating the Day of the Palms; and Jesus, breaking the silence, told me: “How much volubility, how much inconstancy! Just as today they

cried out ‘Hosanna!’, proclaiming Me as their King, on another day they cried out ‘Crucify Him! Crucify Him!’ My daughter (Luisa), the thing that displeases Me the most is inconstancy and volubility, because this is the sign that the truth has

not taken possession of these souls. Even in things of religion, it may be that they find their satisfaction, their own convenience and interest, or that they just find themselves in that party; but tomorrow these things may be missing, or they may find themselves involved in other parties – and here is how they deviate from religion, and with no regret they give themselves to other sects. Indeed, when the true light of Truth enters a soul and takes possession of a heart, she is not subject to inconstancy. On the contrary, she sacrifices everything for love of It and to let herself be mastered by It alone; and with unconquered heart she despises everything else which does not belong to the Truth.” And while saying this, He cried over the condition of the present generation, worse than in those times, subject to inconstancy according to wherever the winds blow.

Book of Heaven – April 16 A.D. 1905

 Suffering is reigning.

Continuing in my usual state, my lovable Jesus made Himself seen for a little, with a nail inside His Heart; and drawing near my heart He would touch it with that nail, and I would feel mortal pains. Then He said to me: “My daughter (Luis), it is

the world that drives this nail deep inside my Heart, giving Me a continuous death. So, by justice, just as they give Me continuous death, I will allow that they give death among themselves, killing one another like many dogs.” And while

saying this, He made me hear the screams of the rebel, to the point that I remained deafened for four or five days. Then, as I was very much in suffering, He came back a little later and told me: “Today is the Day of the Palms in which I was

proclaimed King. All must aspire to a kingdom, but in order to acquire the eternal kingdom it is necessary for the creature to acquire the regime of herself through the dominion of her passions. The only means is suffering, because suffering is reigning; that is, through patience, man puts himself in his place, becoming king of himself and of the eternal kingdom”

Giotto di Bondone, “Entry into Jerusalem,” circa 1305