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3/30 GOOD FRIDAY ALSO THE START OF THE NOVENA OF THE DIVINE MERCY

 

March 30 A.D. 2018– Good Friday

He was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins

 CCC: Q. 382. On what day did Christ die?

  1. Christ died on Good Friday.

 

Book of Heaven – October 16 A.D. 1921

 And do you know when I delivered them? I delivered them on the Cross, on the bed of my bitter pains, among atrocious spasms, in the last breath of my Life. As I died, they were born again to new life, all sealed and marked with the whole work of my Humanity. Not content with having given them new birth, I gave to each one everything I had done so as to keep them sheltered and safe. Do you see what sanctity man contains? The sanctity of my Humanity, which could never bring to light unworthy children, dissimilar from Me. This is why I love man so much: he is a birth from Me. But man is always ungrateful, and reaches the point of not recognizing the Father who delivered him with so much love and pain.”

 CCC: Q. 383. Why do you call that day “good” on which Christ died so sorrowful a death?

 We call that day good on which Christ died because by His death He showed His great love for man, and purchased for him every blessing.

 Hours of the Passion – Twenty-second Hour

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 The veil of the Temple is torn, the dead are risen; the sun, which until now had cried over your pains, has withdrawn its light with horror.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

 

  

Last Seven Words of Christ

From the Hours of the Passion

 From the Writings of

The Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta

The Little Daughter of the Divine Will

 From 12 to 3 PM

 The first word of Jesus

 My Crucified Good, I see You on the Cross, as on the Throne of your triumph, in the act of conquering everything and all hearts, and of drawing them so closely to You, that all may feel your superhuman power. Horrified at such a great crime, nature prostrates itself before You, and waits in silence for a word from You, to pay You honor and let your dominion be recognized.

The sun, crying, withdraws its light, unable to sustain your sight, too sorrowful. Hell is terrified and waits in silence. Everything is silence. Your pierced Mama, your faithful ones, are all mute; and petrified at the sight of your torn and dislocated Humanity – alas, too painful, they are silently waiting for a word from You. Your very Humanity is silent, lying in a sea of pains, among the harrowing spasms of agony; so much so that they fear You are going to die at each breath!

What more? Even the perfidious Jews and the ruthless executioners who, up to a little while ago, were offending You, mocking You, calling You impostor, criminal; even the thieves who were cursing You – everyone is silent, mute. Remorse invades them, and if they try to launch an insult against You, it dies on their lips.

But as I penetrate into your interior, I see that love overflows; it suffocates You and You cannot contain it. And forced by your love that torments You more than the pains themselves, with strong and moving voice, You speak as the God You are; You raise your dying eyes to Heaven, and exclaim: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing!” And, again, You close Yourself in silence, immersed in unheard-of pains.

Crucified Jesus, how can so much love be possible? Ah, after so many pains and insults, your first word is of forgiveness; and You excuse us before the Father for so many sins! Ah, You make this word descend into each heart after sin, and You are the first to offer forgiveness. But how many reject it and do not accept it; your love is then taken by follies, because You anxiously desire to give your forgiveness and the kiss of peace to all!

At this word, hell trembles and recognizes You as God; nature and everyone remain astonished; they recognize your Divinity, your inextinguishable love, and silently wait to see where it reaches. And not only your voice, but also your Blood and your wounds, cry out to every heart after sin: “Come into my arms, for I forgive you, and the seal of forgiveness is the price of my Blood.” O my lovable Jesus, repeat this word again to all the sinners which are in the world. Beseech mercy for all; apply the infinite merits of your most precious Blood for all. O good Jesus, continue to placate Divine Justice for all, and concede your grace to those who, finding themselves in the act of having to forgive, do not feel the strength to do it.

My Jesus, adored Crucified, in these three hours of most bitter agony, You want to give fulfillment to everything; and while, silent, You remain on this Cross, I see that in your interior You want to satisfy the Father in everything. You thank Him for all, You satisfy Him for all, You beseech forgiveness for all, and for all You impetrate the grace that they may never again offend You. In order to impetrate this from the Father You go through all of your life, from the first instant of your conception, up to your last breath. My Jesus, endless love, let me go through all your life together with You, with the inconsolable Mama, with Saint John, and with the pious women.

Let us go through the Life and the pains of Jesus.

My sweet Jesus, I thank You for the many thorns that pierced your adorable head, for the drops of Blood shed by It, for the blows You received on It, and for the hair they tore from You. I thank You for all the good You have done and impetrated for all, for the enlightenments and the good inspirations You have given us, and for all the times You have forgiven all of our sins of thought, of pride, of conceit and of self-esteem.

I ask your forgiveness in the name of all, O my Jesus, for all the times we have crowned You with thorns; for all the drops of Blood we made You shed from your most sacred Head; for all the times we have not corresponded to your inspirations. For the sake of all these pains suffered by You, I ask You, O Jesus, to impetrate for us the grace to never again commit sins of thought. I also intend to offer You everything You suffered in your most holy Head, in order to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, had they made good use of their intelligence.

O my Jesus, I adore your Most Holy Eyes, and I thank You for all the tears and the Blood they have shed, for the cruel pricks of the thorns, for the insults, the derisions and the contempts You bore during all of your Passion. I ask your forgiveness for all those who use their sight to offend You and insult You, asking You, for the sake of the pains suffered in your most sacred eyes, to give us the grace that no one may ever again offend You with evil gazes. I also intend to offer You all that You Yourself suffered in your Most Holy Eyes, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You if their gazes were fixed only on Heaven, on the Divinity and on You, O my Jesus.

I adore your Most Holy Ears; I thank You for all that You suffered while those wicked people on Calvary deafened them with shouts and mockeries. I ask your forgiveness in the name of all for all the evil discourses which are listened to, and I pray that the ears of all men may be opened to the eternal truths, to the voices of Grace, and that no one may offend You, ever again, with the sense of hearing. I also intend to offer You all that You suffered in your Most Holy Hearing, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, had they made holy use of this organ.

O my Jesus, I adore and I kiss your Most Holy Face, and I thank You for all that You suffered from the spit, the slaps and the mockeries received, and for all the times You allowed Yourself to be trampled by your enemies. I ask your forgiveness in the name of all, for all the times we have dared to offend You, asking You, for the sake of these slaps and this spit, to let your Divinity be recognized, praised and glorified by all. Even more, O my Jesus, I myself intend to go throughout the whole world, from the east to the west, from the south to the north, to unite all the voices of the creatures and change them into as many acts of praise, of love and of adoration. Also, O my Jesus, I intend to bring You all the hearts of the creatures, so that You may cast light, truth, love and compassion for your Divine Person into all. And

I adore your Most Holy Mouth, and I thank You for your first wails, for the milk You suckled, for all the words You said, for the ardent kisses You gave to your Most Holy Mother, for the food You took, for the bitterness of the gall and of the ardent thirst You suffered on the Cross, and for the prayers You raised to the Father. I ask your forgiveness for all the gossip and the evil and mundane discourses made by the creatures, and for all the blasphemies they utter. I intend to offer your holy discourses in reparation for their evil discourses; the mortification of your taste to repair for their gluttonies, and for all the offenses they have given You with an evil use of their tongue. I intend to offer You everything You suffered in your Most Holy Mouth, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, if non

O Jesus, I thank You for everything, and in the name of all, I raise to You a hymn of eternal and infinite thanksgiving. O my Jesus, I intend to offer You everything You have suffered in your Most Holy Person, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, had they conformed their lives to Yours.

I thank You, O Jesus, for everything You have suffered in your Most Holy Shoulders, for all the blows You have received, for all the wounds You have allowed them to open on your most sacred Body, and for all the drops of Blood You have shed. I ask your forgiveness in the name of all, for all the times in which, for love of comforts, they have offended You with illicit and evil pleasures. I offer You your painful scourging to repair for all the sins committed with all the senses, for love for one’s own tastes, for sensible pleasures, for one’s own self and all natural satisfactions. I also intend to offer You all that You have suffered in your shoulders, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, if they had tried to please You alone in everything, and to find shelter under the shadow of your divine prote

My Jesus, I kiss your left foot; I thank You for all the steps You took during your mortal life, and for all the times You tired your poor limbs, going in search of souls to lead to your Heart. Therefore, O my Jesus, I offer You all of my actions, steps and movements, with the intention of giving You reparation for everything and for everyone.

I ask your forgiveness for those who do not operate with righteous intention; I unite my actions to yours in order to divinize them, and I offer them united to all the works You did with your Most Holy Humanity, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, had they operated in a saintly way and with upright purposes.

O my Jesus, I kiss your right foot, and I thank You for all You have suffered and do suffer for me, especially in this hour, in which You are hanging on the Cross. I thank You for the excruciating crafting that the nails are making in your wounds, which rip open more and more at the weight of your most sacred Body. I ask your forgiveness for all the rebellions and disobediences committed by the creatures, offering You the pains of your Most Holy Feet in reparation for these offenses, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, had they been submitted to You in everything.

O my Jesus, I kiss your most holy left hand; I thank You for all that You have suffered for me, for all the times You have placated the Divine Justice, satisfying for everything! I kiss your right hand, and I thank You for all the good You have done, and You do, for all. In a special way, I thank You for the works of Creation, of Redemption and of Sanctification. I ask your forgiveness in the name of all, for all the times we have been ungrateful at your benefits, for our many works done without upright intention. In reparation for all these offenses, I intend to give You all the perfection and sanctity of your works, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, had they corresponded to all of these benefits.

O my Jesus, I kiss your Most Sacred Heart, and I thank You for all You have suffered, desired and yearned for, for love of all and for each one in particular. I ask your forgiveness for the many evil desires, and for the affections and tendencies which are not good – forgiveness, O Jesus, for many who place your love after the love of creatures. And to give You all the glory that these have denied You, I offer You everything that your most adorable Heart has done and continues to do.

 Second word on the Cross.

 My pierced Love, while I pray with You, the enrapturing power of your love and of your pains keeps my gaze fixed on You. But my heart breaks in seeing You suffer so much. You agonize with love and with pain, and the flames that burn your Heart rise so high as to be in the act of reducing You to ashes. Your constrained love is stronger than death itself; and wanting to pour it out, looking at the thief on your right, You steal him from Hell.

With your grace You touch his heart, and that thief is completely changed; he recognizes You; he professes You God, and all contrite, says:

“Lord, remember me when You are in your Kingdom.” And You do not hesitate to answer: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise”; making of him the first triumph of your love.

But I see that, in your love, You are not stealing the heart of that thief alone, but also that of many who are dying! Ah, You place your Blood, your love, your merits at their disposal, and You use all divine devices and stratagems in order to touch their hearts and steal them all for Yourself. But, also here, your love is hindered! How many rejections, how much lack of trust, how much desperation! And the pain is such that, again, it reduces You to silence!

 O my Jesus, I intend to repair for those who despair of the Divine Mercy at the point of death. My sweet Love, inspire trust and unlimited confidence in You for all, especially for those who find themselves in the grips of agony; and by virtue of your word, concede to them light, strength and help, to be able to die in a saintly way, and fly from this earth up to Heaven. O Jesus, enclose all souls – all of them, in your Most Holy Body, in your Blood, in your wounds. And by the merits of this most precious Blood of Yours, do not allow even one soul to be lost! Together with your voice, may your Blood cry out for all, again: “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

 Third word on the Cross.

 My Jesus, tortured Crucified, your pains increase more and more. Ah, on this Cross You are the true King of Sorrows. In the midst of so many pains, not one soul escapes You; even more, You give your own life to each one of them. But your love sees itself hindered, despised, neglected by the creatures, and unable to pour itself out, it becomes more intense – it gives You unspeakable tortures. In these tortures, it keeps investigating for what else it can give to man; and to conquer him, it makes You say: “Look, O soul, how much I have loved you. If you do not want to have pity on yourself, at least have pity on my love!” In the meantime, seeing that You have nothing else to give him, because You have given him everything, You turn your languid gaze to your Mama. She too is more than dying because of your pains; and the lo

Mother and Son – You understand each other, and You sigh with satisfaction and feel comforted in seeing that You can give your Mama to the creature; and considering the whole Mankind in John, with a voice so sweet as to move all hearts, You say: “Woman, behold your son”; and to John: “Behold your Mother.” Your voice descends into Her maternal Heart, and united to the voices of your Blood, it keeps saying: “My Mother, I entrust all of my children to You; feel for them all the love that You feel for Me. May all your maternal cares and tendernesses be for my children. You will save them all for Me.” Your Mama accepts. In the meantime, the pains are so intense that, again, they reduce You to silence.

O my Jesus, I intend to repair for the offenses given to the Most Holy Virgin, for the blasphemies and the ingratitudes of many who do not want to recognize the benefits You have granted, by giving Her to us as Mother.

How can we thank You for such a great benefit? O Jesus, we turn to your own source and we offer You your Blood, your wounds, the infinite love of your Heart! O Most Holy Virgin, how moved You are, in hearing the voice of good Jesus, leaving You to us as Mother!

We thank You, O blessed Virgin, and in order to thank You as You deserve, we offer You the very thanksgivings of your Jesus. O sweet Mama, be our Mother, take care of us, and do not allow us to offend You even slightly. Keep us always clasped to Jesus; with your hands bind us – all of us, to Him, that we may not escape Him, ever again. With your own intentions, I intend to repair for all, for the offenses given to your Jesus and to You, my sweet Mama!

O my Jesus, while You are immersed in so many pains, You plead even more the salvation of souls. But I will not remain indifferent; like a dove, I want to take flight onto your wounds, kissing them, soothing them, and diving into your Blood, to be able to say, with You: “Souls, souls!” I want to sustain your pierced and sorrowful Head, to repair and ask for mercy, love and forgiveness for all.

Reign in my mind, O Jesus, and heal it by virtue of the thorns that pierce your Head; and do not allow any disturbance to enter into me. Majestic Forehead of my Jesus, I kiss you; draw all of my thoughts to contemplate You and to comprehend You.

Most sweet Eyes of my Good, though covered with Blood, look at me – look at my misery, look at my weakness, look at my poor heart, and let it experience the admirable effects of your divine gaze. Ears of my Jesus, though deafened by the insults and the blasphemies of the wicked, and yet intent on listening to us – O please, listen to my prayers and do not disdain my reparations. Yes, O Jesus, listen to the cry of my heart; only then will it be calmed, when You have filled it with your love. Most beautiful Face of my Jesus, show yourself – let me see you, that I may detach my poor heart from everyone and from everything. May your beauty enamor me continuously, and keep me always enraptured within You. Most sweet Mouth of my Jesus, speak to me; may your voice always resound in me, and may the power of your word destroy all that i

O Jesus, I extend my arms around your neck in order to embrace You; and You, extend Yours to embrace me. Please, O my Good, let this embrace of love be so tight, that no human strength may be able to unbind us. And while we are embraced like this, I will place my face upon your Heart, and then, with trust, I will kiss your lips, and You will give me your kiss of love. So You will make me breathe your most sweet breath, your love, your Will, your pains, and all of your Divine Life. Most Holy Shoulders of my Jesus, always strong and constant in suffering for love of me, give me the strength, the constancy and the heroism to suffer for love of Him.

O Jesus, please, do not allow that I be inconstant in love; on the contrary, let me share in your immutability! Enflamed Breast of my Jesus, give me your flames; You can no longer contain them, and my heart anxiously searches for them through that Blood and those pains. It is the flames of your love, O Jesus, that torment You the most. O my Good, let me take part in them; does a soul so cold and poor in your love not move You to compassion? Most Holy Hands of my Jesus, you who have created Heaven and earth, are now reduced to being unable to move! O my Jesus, continue your creation – the creation of love. Create new life – Divine Life, in all my being; pronounce your words over my poor heart, and transform it completely into Yours. Most Holy Feet of my Jesus, never leave me alone; allow me always to run with you, and to take no

O my Jesus Crucified, I adore your most precious Blood; I kiss your wounds one by one, intending to lavish in them all my love, my adorations, my most heartfelt reparations. May your Blood be for all souls, light in darkness, comfort in sufferings, strength in weakness, forgiveness in guilt, help in temptations, defense in dangers, support in death, and wings to carry them all from this earth up to Heaven.

O Jesus, I come to You, and in your Heart I form my nest and my home. O my sweet Love, I will call everyone to You from within your Heart; and if anyone wants to draw near to offend You, I will expose my breast, and I will not permit him to wound You; even more, I will enclose him in your Heart; I will speak about your love, and I will make the offenses turn into love.

O Jesus, do not allow me ever to leave your Heart; feed me with your flames, and give me life with your life, that I may love You as You Yourself yearn to be loved.

 Fourth word on the Cross.

 Suffering Jesus, while I remain abandoned, clinging to your Heart and counting your pains, I see that a convulsive trembling invades your Most Holy Humanity. Your limbs are shaking, as if one wanted to detach from the other; and amid contortions, because of the atrocious spasms, You cry out loudly: “My God, my God, why have You abandoned Me?” At this cry, everyone trembles; the darkness becomes thicker; your Mama, petrified, turns pale and faints!

My Life! My all! My Jesus, what do I see? Ah, You are about to die; your very pains, so faithful to You, are about to leave You. And at the same time, after so much suffering, with immense sorrow You see that not all souls are incorporated in You. Rather, You see that many will be lost, and You feel the painful separation of them, as they detach themselves from your limbs. And You, having to satisfy Divine Justice also for them, feel the death of each one of them, and the very pains they will suffer in hell. And You cry out loudly, to all hearts: “Do not abandon Me. If you want more pains, I am ready – but do not separate yourselves from my Humanity. This is the sorrow of sorrows – it is the death of deaths; everything else would be nothing, if I did not have to suffer your separation from Me! O please, have pity on my Blood

My Love, how I grieve together with You! You are panting; your Most Holy Head drops on your breast – life is abandoning You.

My Love, I feel I am dying; I too want to cry out with You: “Souls, souls!” I will not detach myself from this Cross, from these wounds, so that I may ask for souls. And if You want, I will descend into the hearts of creatures, I will surround them with your pains, so that they may not escape me. And if it were possible, I would like to place myself at the gate of hell, to make the souls who are destined to go there, draw back, and to conduct them to your Heart. But You agonize and remain silent, and I cry over your nearing death. O my Jesus, I compassionate You, I press your Heart tightly to mine, I kiss It, and I look at It with all the tenderness I am capable of; and to give You a greater relief, I make the divine tenderness my own, and with it I intend to compassionate You, change my heart into rivers of sweetness an

I also pray You, O my Jesus, for the sake of this extreme abandonment, to give help to so many loving souls, whom You seem to deprive of Yourself, leaving them in the dark, to have them as companions in your abandonment. O Jesus, may their pains be like prayers that call souls near to You, and relieve You in your pain.

 Fifth word on the Cross.

 O my dying Crucified, clinging to the Cross, I feel the fire that burns all of your Most Holy Person. Your Heart beats so strongly that, pushing out your ribs, it torments You in such a harrowing and horrible way, that all your Most Holy Humanity undergoes a transformation which renders You unrecognizable. The love that enflames your Heart withers You and burns You completely; and You, unable to contain it, feel the intense torment, not only of the corporal thirst, but of the shedding of all your Blood – and even more, of the ardent thirst for the salvation of our souls. You would want to drink us like water, in order to place us all in safety within Yourself; therefore, gathering your weakened strengths, You cry out: “I thirst”. Ah, You repeat this voice to every heart:

“I thirst for your will, for your affections, for your desires, for your love. A water fresher and sweeter than your soul you could not give Me. O please, do not let Me burn. My thirst is ardent, such that I not only feel my tongue and my throat burn, to the point that I can no longer utter a word, but I also feel my Heart and bowels wither. Have pity on my thirst – have pity!” And as though delirious from the great thirst, You abandon Yourself to the Will of the Father.

Ah, my heart can no longer live in seeing the evil of your enemies who, instead of water, give You gall and vinegar; and You do not refuse them! Ah, I understand – it is the gall of the many sins, it is the vinegar of our untamed passions that they want to give You, which, instead of refreshing You, burn You even more. O my Jesus, here is my heart, my thoughts, my affections – here is all of my being, to quench your thirst and give a relief to your mouth, dried and embittered.

Everything I have, everything I am – everything is for You, O my Jesus. Should my pains be necessary in order to save even one soul alone – here I am, I am ready to suffer everything. I offer myself wholly to You – do with me whatever You best please.

I intend to repair for the sorrow You suffer for all the souls who are lost, and for the pain You receive from those who, while You allow sadnesses and abandonments, instead of offering them to You as relief for the burning thirst that devours You, abandon themselves to themselves, and make You suffer even more.

 Sixth word on the Cross.

 My dying Good, the endless sea of your pains, the fire that consumes You, and more than anything, the Supreme Will of the Father which wants You to die, no longer allow us to hope that You may continue to live. And I – how shall I live without You? Your strengths are now leaving You, your eyes become veiled, your face is transformed and covered with mortal paleness; your mouth is half-open, your breath is labored and interrupted, to the point that there is no more hope that You may revive. A chill and a cold sweat which wets your forehead, take over the fire that burns You. Your muscles and nerves contract more and more because of the bitterness of the pains and the piercings of the nails; the wounds rip open more; and I tremble – I feel I am dying. I look at You, O my Good, and I see the last tears descend from your eyes, bear

O my Jesus, You have now exhausted Yourself completely; You have nothing left – love has reached its end. And I – have I consumed myself completely in your love? What thanksgiving shall I not render to You? What shall my gratitude not be for You? O my Jesus, I intend to repair for all – repair for the lack of correspondence to your love, and console You for the offenses You receive from the creatures, while You are consuming Yourself with love on the Cross.

 Seventh word on the Cross.

 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.

I kiss your Head crowned with thorns, and I ask your forgiveness for my many thoughts of pride, of ambition and of self-esteem. And I promise You that every time a thought arises in me which is not completely for You, O Jesus, and that I find myself in occasions of offending You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

O Jesus, I kiss your beautiful Eyes, still wet with tears and covered with dried Blood, and I ask your forgiveness for all the times I have offended You with evil and immodest gazes. I promise You that every time my eyes are led to look at things of the earth, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

O my Jesus, I kiss your Most Sacred Ears, deafened by insults and horrible blasphemies up to the very last moments, and I ask your forgiveness for all the times I have listened to, or made others listen to discourses which move us away from You, and for all the evil discourses made by creatures. I promise You that every time I find myself in the occasion of hearing unseemly discourses, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

O my Jesus, I kiss your Most Holy Face, pale, bruised and bleeding, and I ask your forgiveness for the many scorns, offenses and insults You receive from us, most miserable creatures, with our sins. I promise You that every time I have the temptation of not giving You all the glory, the love and the adoration which is due to You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

O my Jesus, I kiss your Most Sacred Mouth, dry and embittered. I ask your forgiveness for all the times I have offended You with my evil discourses; for all the times I have contributed to embittering You and increasing your thirst.

I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of making discourses which might offend You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

O my Jesus, I kiss your Most Holy Neck, and I can still see the marks of the chains and ropes which have oppressed You. I ask your forgiveness for the many bonds and the many attachments of the creatures, which have increased the ropes and the chains around your most holy neck. And I promise You that every time I feel disturbed by attachments, desires and affections which are not for You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

My Jesus, I kiss your Most Holy Shoulders, and I ask your forgiveness for the many illicit satisfactions; forgiveness for the many sins committed with the five senses of our body. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of taking some pleasures or satisfactions which are not for your glory, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

My Jesus, I kiss your Most Holy Breast, and I ask your forgiveness for all the coldness, indifference, lukewarmness and horrendous ingratitude You receive from the creatures; and I promise You that every time I feel my love for You become cooler, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

My Jesus, I kiss your Most Sacred Hands. I ask your forgiveness for all the evil and indifferent works; for many acts rendered malicious by love of self and self-esteem. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of not operating only for love of You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

O my Jesus, I kiss your Most Holy Feet, and I ask your forgiveness for the many steps, the many paths covered without righteous intention; for many who move away from You to go in search of the pleasures of the earth. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of moving away from You, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, I commend my soul to You.”

O Jesus, I kiss your Most Sacred Heart, and I intend to enclose in It, with my soul, all the souls redeemed by You, so that all may be saved – no one excluded.

O Jesus, lock me in your Heart, and close the doors, that I may see nothing but You. I promise You that every time the thought comes to me of wanting to go out of this Heart, immediately I will cry out: “Jesus and Mary, to You I give my heart and my soul.”

  

‘The Kingdom of The Divine Will in the midst of creatures.  Book of Heaven.

The call of the creature to the Order, the Place and the Purpose for which he was created by God’

 The lamp of Grace. All the pains that Jesus suffered in His Passion were triple.

 

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

The Little Daughter of the Divine Will

 VOLUME 6

 September 26, 1904
The lamp of Grace. All the pains that Jesus suffered in His Passion were triple.

 As I was in my usual state, I heard a voice saying to me: “There is a lamp which is such that whoever draws near it can light as many little flames as he wants; and these little flames serve to form a crown of honor around the lamp, and to give light to the one who lit them.”  I said to myself:  ‘What a beautiful lamp this is; it has so much light and so much power, that while it gives to others as much light as they want, it remains always what it is, without being impoverished in light.  Who knows who possesses it!’  While I was thinking of this, I heard someone say:  “The lamp is Grace, and God possesses It.  Drawing near it signifies the good will of the soul to do good, because as many goods as one wants to draw from Grace, one can draw.  The little flames that are formed are the different virtues which, while giving glory to God, give light to the soul.”

Then, after this, I saw blessed Jesus for just a little, and He told me: “My daughter (Luisa)…” (and this, because I was thinking of how Our Lord let Himself be crowned with thorns, not once, but as many as three times; and since those thorns, broken, remained inside His head, as the crown of thorns would be driven in again the thorns which were already there would penetrate deeper.  And I said:  ‘My sweet love, why did You want to suffer this painful martyrdom as many as three times?  Was one time not enough to pay for our evil thoughts?’)  …So, making Himself seen, He said: “My daughter (Luisa), not only was the crowning with thorns triple, but almost all the pains I suffered in my Passion were triple.  Triple were the three hours of agony in the garden; triple was the scourging, as they scourged Me with three different types of lashes; three times did they strip Me, and as many as three times was I condemned to death:  at nighttime, early in the morning, and in broad daylight.  Triple were my falls under the Cross; triple the nails; three times did my Heart pour out blood:  in the garden by Itself; in the act of the crucifixion from Its very center, when I was stretched well on the Cross – so much so that my body was all dislocated and my Heart was smashed inside and poured out blood; and after my death, when my side was opened with a lance.  Triple were the three hours of agony on the Cross.  If one wanted to ruminate on everything – oh, how many ‘triples’ he would find!  And this was not by chance, but everything was so because of divine disposition, to render the glory due to the Father complete, as well as the reparation owed to Him by creatures and the good to be earned for creatures themselves.  In fact, the greatest good that the creature has received from God was being created in His image and likeness, and endowed with three powers – intellect, memory and will – and there is no sin that the creature commits in which these three powers do not concur.  So, she stains and disfigures the beautiful divine image that she contains within herself, using the gift to offend the Giver.  And I, in order to restore this divine image in the creature and to give God all the glory that the creature owed Him, concurred with all my intellect, memory and will, in a special way with these ‘triples’ suffered by Me, in order to render both the glory due to the Father and the good which was necessary for creatures complete.”

DIVINE MERCY NOVENA STARTS TODAY
(click here for link) 

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3/29 Holy Thursday, Oil of Healing

March 29, A.D. 2018 – Holy Thursday

Calendar for the Traditional Roman Rite

July 6, A.D. 1922

Blessing which Jesus gave to His Mama before His Passion. One who lives in the Divine Will is the depository of the Sacramental Life of Jesus.   I was thinking and accompanying Jesus in the Hour of the Passion when He went to His Divine Mama to ask for Her holy blessing; and my most sweet Jesus in my interior told me: “My daughter, before my Passion, I wanted to bless my Mama and be blessed by Her. But it was not only my Mama that I blessed, but all creatures, and not only those which are animate, but also the inanimate. I saw the creatures weak, covered with wounds, poor; my Heart had a throb of sorrow and of tender compassion, and I said: “Poor humanity, how decayed you are. I want to bless you, so that you may rise again from your decay. May my blessing impress in you the triple seal of the power, the wisdom and the love of the Three Divine Persons, and may it restore your strength, heal you and enrich you. And in order to surround you with defense, I bless all things created by Me, that you may receive them all blessed by Me. I bless for you the light, the air, the water, the fire, the food, so that you may remain as though submerged and covered by my blessings. And since you did not deserve it, I wanted to bless my Mama, using Her as channel in order to make my blessings reach you. And just as my Mama requited Me with Her blessings, so do I want creatures to requite Me with their blessings; but alas! instead of a requital of blessings, they requite Me with offenses and maledictions. Therefore, my daughter, enter into my Will, and rising upon the wings of all created things, seal all of them with the blessings that all should give Me, and bring the blessings of all to my sorrowful and tender Heart.”

Then, after I did this, as though to repay me, He said to me: “My beloved daughter, I bless you in a special way; I bless your heart, your mind, your motion, your word, your breath – I bless all of you, and everything in you.”

Then, after this, I followed the other Hours of the Passion, and while I was following the Eucharistic Supper, my sweet Jesus moved in my interior, and with the tip of His finger He knocked strongly within my interior, so much so, that I heard Him with my ears, and I said to myself: ‘What could Jesus want, that He is knocking?’ And He, calling me, told me: “It was not enough to knock so as to be heard, but also to call you so as to be listened to. Listen, my daughter:

while I instituted the Eucharistic Supper, I called everyone around Me, I looked at all generations, from the first to the last man, in order to give my Sacramental Life to all – and not once, but so many times for as many as he needs corporal food. I wanted to constitute Myself food for the soul, but I was very troubled at seeing that this, my Sacramental Life, would be surrounded by scorns, by neglects, and even by ruthless death. I felt ill, I experienced all the grips of the death of my Sacramental Life, so harrowing and repeated. I looked more closely, I made use of the power of my Will, and I called around Me the souls who would live in my Will. Oh! how happy I felt. I felt surrounded by these souls, whom the power of my Will kept as though submerged, and who had my Will as center of  their life. I saw my immensity in them, and I found Myself well defended from all; and to them I entrusted my Sacramental Life. I deposited It in them, so that they would not only take care of It, but requite Me for each consecrated Host with one life of theirs. And this happens naturally, because my Sacramental Life is animated by my Eternal Will, and the life of these souls has my Will as center of life; therefore, when my Sacramental Life is formed, my Volition, acting in Me, acts in them, and I feel their life in my Sacramental Life. They multiply with Me in each Host, and I feel I am given life for life.

Oh! how I exulted in seeing you as the first one – you, whom I called in a special way to form your life in my Will! I made in you the first deposit of all my Sacramental Lives, I entrusted you to the power and to the immensity of the Supreme Volition, that they might render you capable of receiving this deposit; and from that time you were present to Me, and I constituted you depository of my Sacramental Life, and, in you, all the other souls who would live in my Will. I gave you primacy over everything – and with reason, because my Will is not subject to anyone – and even over the Apostles and the priests. In fact, if they consecrate Me, they do not, however, remain as life together with Me; on the contrary, they leave Me alone and forgotten, not caring about Me; while these souls would be life within my own Life – inseparable from Me. This is why I love you so much – it is my own Will that I love in you.”

October 9, A.D. 1921

The will of man is that which most resembles His Creator. The human will is the depository of all the operating of man. I was thinking, in the act in which my sweet Jesus was having the Last Supper with His disciples; and my lovable Jesus, in my interior, told me: “My daughter, while I was having supper with my disciples, it was not only them that I had around Me, but the whole human family. One by one, I had them near Me, I knew them all, I called them by name. I also called you, I gave you the place of honor between Me and John, and I constituted you little secretary of my Will. And while 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 of 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, my love converted into food for man. But do you know why I called all and gave the lamb to all? Because I  too wanted food from them; each thing that they would do, I wanted 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 operating becomes food for You?’ And Jesus: “It is not on bread alone that one can live, but on that to which my Will gives the virtue of being able to make one live; and if bread nourishes man, it is because I want it so. Now, whatever the creature, with her will, disposes to make of her operating – that is the form it assumes. If with her operating she wants to form food for Me, she forms food for Me; if love, she gives Me love; if reparation, she forms for Me reparation. And if in her will she wants to offend Me, she makes of her operating the knife to wound Me, and maybe even to kill Me.”

Then He added: “The will of man is that which most resembles 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 operating. Just as creatures have chests in which to keep their things in order to hold them secure, so does the soul have her will in order to keep and secure everything 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 even into the abysses. She might be prevented from operating, from seeing, from speaking, but all this she can do in her will. But everything she does and wants, forms an act, which is left deposited in her own will. Oh! how the will can extend – how many goods and how many evils 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.”

 

3/19 Holy Thursday, Oil of Healing

Praying one with Luisa in the Divine Will, to repair and redo for all souls, past, present and future, echoing the Prayers of Luisa, especially in the 20th Hour of Our Lord’s Passion, Hanging on the Cross, all in +Jesus+

Twentieth Hour 12-1 p.m.(and Twenty-Second Hour 2-3 p.m.)

 Your Adorable Head – 

the Drops of Blood Shed by It, the blows You received on It, the Hair they tore; we have Crowned You with Thorns. 

I ask Your Forgiveness in the name of all, O my Jesus, for all the times we have crowned You with thorns; for all the drops of Blood we made You shed from your most Sacred Head; for all the times we have not corresponded to Your Inspirations.

 Your Most Holy Eyes – 

the Tears and Blood They Shed, the Cruel Pricks

I ask Your Forgiveness for all those who use their sight to offend You and insult You, asking You, for the sake of the pains suffered in Your Most Sacred Eyes, to give us the Grace that no one may ever again offend You with evil gazes.

Your Most Holy Ears – 

the shouts and mockeries, evil discourses

I ask Your Forgiveness in the name of all for all the evil discourses which are listened to, and I pray that the ears of all men may be opened to the Eternal Truths, to the Voices of Grace, and that no one may offend You, ever again, with the sense of hearing.

Your Most Holy Face – 

the spit, slaps, mockeries, trampling

I ask Your Forgiveness in the name of all, for all the times we have dared to offend You, asking You, for the sake of these slaps and this spit, to let Your Divinity be Recognized, Praised and Glorified by all.

  1. Your Most Holy Mouth – I ask Your Forgiveness for all the gossip and the evil and mundane discourses made by the creatures, and for all the blasphemies they utter.fire that burns all of Your Most Holy Person. (from 3rd Hour)Your Most Holy Person is all beaten up, and You cannot even help Yourself and clean Yourself, because You are bound. (from 13th Hour)I intend to offer You everything You have suffered in Your Most Holy Person, to give You all the glory that the creatures would have given You, had they conformed their lives to Yours.for all the blows You have received, for all the Wounds You have allowed them to open on Your Most Sacred Body, and for all the Drops of Blood You have shed. Your Left Foot – I ask Your Forgiveness for those who do not operate with righteous intention…
  2.  
  3. for all the times You tired Your poor Limbs, going in search of souls to lead to Your Heart.
  4. I ask Your Forgiveness in the name of all, for all the times in which, for love of comforts, they have offended You with illicit and evil pleasures.  I ask Your Forgiveness for the many illicit satisfactions; Forgiveness for the many sins committed with the five senses of our body.
  5.  Your Most Holy Shoulders – 
  6. irreverences to your Most Holy Person (from 18th Hour)
  7. Your Divine Person, trembling from head to foot  (from the 5th hour)
  8.  Your Most Holy Person 
  9. The bitterness of the gall, Ardent Thirst, Prayers Raised to the Father, for gossip, evil and mundane discourses, blasphemies, tastes and uses of tongue
  1. Your Right Foot – I ask Your Forgiveness for all the rebellions and disobediences committed by the creatures…for all that You have suffered for me, for all the times You have placated the Divine Justice, Satisfying for everything!for all the good You have done, and You do, for all…for the works of Creation, of Redemption and of Sanctification. Your Most Sacred Heart –I ask Your Forgiveness for the many evil desires, and for the affections and tendencies which are not good – Forgiveness, O Jesus, for many who place Your Love after the love of creatures.chains and ropes which have oppressed You.
  2. Forgive me for the many bonds and many attachments of the creatures, which have increased the ropes and chains around Your Most Holy Neck.
  3.  Most Holy Neck –
  4. for all You have Suffered, Desired and Yearned for, for Love of all and for each one in particular. 
  5. I ask Your Forgiveness in the name of all, for all the times we have been ungrateful at Your Benefits, for our many works done without upright intention.
  6.  Your Right Hand –
  7.  Your Most Holy Left Hand –
  8. for all You have Suffered and do Suffer for me, especially in this hour, in which You are hanging on the Cross. …for the excruciating crafting that the nails are making in Your Wounds, which rip open more and more at the weight of Your Most Sacred Body. 
  1. Most Holy Shoulders – Most Holy Breast – Most Sacred Hands – Most Sacred Feet – All with, in, and through Luisa the 3rd Eve, the Reformer and the Restorer FIAT!
  2. – V26 – 4.7.29
  3. Forgive me for the many steps, the many paths covered without righteous intentions; and for the times I move away from You and go in search of the pleasures of the earth.
  4. I ask Your Forgiveness for all the evil and indifferent works; for many acts rendered malicious by love of self and self-esteem.
  5. Forgive me for all the coldness, indifference, lukewarmness and horrendous ingratitude.
  6. Forgive me for the many illicit satisfactions; forgiveness for the many sins committed with the five senses of our body.

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3/28 On March 28, 1994, Cardinal Felici’s letter declared that on the part of the Holy See there was no impediment to the opening of the Cause for the Beatification of Luisa Piccarreta

3/28 – On March 28, 1994, Cardinal Felici’s letter declared that on the part of the Holy See there was no impediment to the opening of the Cause for the Beatification of Luisa Piccarreta

March 28, 1994 – Cardinal Felici’s letter from the Sacred Congregation of the Causes of the Saints to His Excellency Archbishop Carmelo Cassati.  The letter declared that on the part of the Holy See there was no impediment to opening the Cause for Luisa Piccarreta’s Beatification, and to therefore start the process.

November 20, 1994 – Feast of Christ the King: Archbishop Cassati officially opened the beatification cause of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta in the principal church of Corato, in the presence of a huge crowd of people, locals and foreigners.

In October 2005 at the end of the closure of Luisa’s cause by the Archdiocese of Trani, all official documents were packaged and sealed for shipment to Congregation for the Causes of the Saints – The dicastery, or department, of the Roman Curia responsible to the Holy Father for the investigations which lead to the beatification and canonization of holy men and women. On March 7, 2006 those packages were officially opened by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. Thus began the “Roman Phase” of Luisa’s Cause.

Roman Phase

The Congregation for the Causes of the Saints appoints a Relator from among its College of Relators. His task is to supervise the writing of the Positio, a complete biography containing the evidence for or against the candidate. When completed the Positio is judged by the Congregation’s consultors, and then by a panel of theologians, whose vote determines whether the Positio is presented to the Cardinals of the Congregation for their vote. If the Cardinals approve, the Cause goes to the Pope, whose positive judgment on the Heroic Virtues of the Servant of God permits the person to be called Venerable. This Decree on the Heroic Virtues, together with a Decree approving a Miracle, permits the person’s Beatification.

On March 7, 2006, three days after the 59th anniversary of Luisa’s passage to Heaven, Luisa’s cause was officially opened in Rome. The official seals on the cases containing the documents from the Archdiocese of Trani were broken and the cases opened by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. In attendance were Padre Bernardino Bucci and the Vicar General of Trani Msgr. Savino Giannotti.

Mass Reading for March 7, 2006
Matthew 6: 7 – 15

7  “And in praying do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that
they will be heard for their many words.
8   Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9   Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10   Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as It is in heaven.
11   Give us this day our daily bread;
12   And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors;
13   And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.
14   For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you;
15   but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your
trespasses.

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April 23, 2018: Archbishop D’Ascenzo’s first visit to Luisa Piccarreta

April 23 2018: Archbishop D’Ascenzo’s first visit to Luisa Piccarreta


Archbishop Monsignor Leonardo D’Ascenzo

(Click here for website)

On April 23, on the occasion of the anniversary of the birth of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, our Archbishop Monsignor Leonardo D’Ascenzo will visit, for the first time, the house of Luisa and will meet the Association Luisa Piccarreta Little Children of the Divine Will.

Our bishop will have the opportunity to know the reality of the sons and daughters of the Divine Will and it would be nice that in some way this visit can be shared also by all the brothers and sisters in Italy and in the world.

For this reason, those who have the opportunity to come to Corato can participate in the Celebration of Holy Mass at 7, 00 pm in the Church of Saint Mary the Greek and at the end take part in the meeting with the Archbishop.

However, for those who, can’t be present we ask to participate the same, first of all with the prayer and also with a photo or a video that you can send to the Association. Then they will merge into a video that we will show to the Archbishop in the evening of April 23rd.

It is a beautiful gesture to make him feel the presence of the great family of the children of the Divine Will in the world.

You can send your photos or videos to the email address of the association: info@luisapiccarretaofficial.org or pia.ass.luisalasanta@libero.it.

We look forward to meeting lots of youI

Fiat!

Associazione Luisa Piccarreta

 

What should I do with my blessed palms?

rint

Whatever you do, don’t throw them away!

After leaving church Sunday, you may have come home with several long palm branches from the celebration of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

You may be asking yourself, “Well, what should I do with these?”

Whatever you do, don’t throw them away!

According to the Code of Canon Law, blessed items are not to be discarded in a trash can, but treated with respect (cf. #1171). At Mass these palm branches were set apart by a blessing from the priest and made into a “sacramental,” an object that is meant to draw us closer to the celebration of the seven sacraments. Throwing them in the trash ignores their sacred purpose and treats them like any other object we no longer need.

The obvious question then becomes, “So if I can’t throw them away, what am I to do with all these branches?”

Decorate

Over the years many people have used palm branches to decorate their homes. It could be as simple as tucking them behind a religious painting or crucifix, or as complex as a making them into a palm rose. Lacy at CatholicIcing.com has some excellent ideas on what you can do with your old palm branches, and she provides step-by-step instructions anyone can follow.

The benefit of using them as decorative pieces in your home is that the palm branches will be a constant reminder of Palm Sunday and bring to mind the Passion narrative that was read at Mass. This is a perfect way to stay connected to Holy Week throughout the year and honor Christ as the Messiah who came to save us from sin and death.

Burn or bury

Most sacramentals, like palm branches for example, can be burned or buried in order to properly dispose of them. This type of disposal honors their sacred purpose and returns them to the earth in a dignified way. Anyone can do this, but if you don’t have the ability to burn or bury them, simply drop off your palm branches at the parish office.

Often priests will encourage the faithful to return palm branches to the church so that he can burn the branches and make ashes for Ash Wednesday. This way the liturgical year remains connected and nothing goes to waste.

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3/14 Fifty-Fourth Anniversary of the Ordination of Fr. Bernardino Bucci

3/14 Fifty-Fourth Anniversary of the Ordination of Fr. Bernardino Bucci

Padre Bernardino Bucci (second from right)
At the Opening of Luisa’s Cause
In Rome – March 7, 2006

In 1964 Father Bernardino Bucci was ordained to the Priesthood in the Capuchin Church of Triggiano by Archbishop Nicodemo of Bari.

Padre Bucci  was sent to the International College in Rome to specialize in Missionary Theology. When he returned to his Province, he was appointed Spiritual Director of the Seraphic Seminary of Scorrano. He studied for a licentiate and a doctorate, taking the course at the Ecumenical Faculty of St. Nicholas of Bari; where at the same time, in 1972, he acquired a degree in Literature.

As co-founder with Sr. Assunta Marigliano of the Association of the Divine Will, he spent many years as the spiritual adviser of the Association which was canonically erected in Corato on March 4, 1987. He is currently a member of the Tribunal for the cause for beatification of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarretta, which was opened on the Feast of Christ the King, 1994, in the main church of Corato by Archbishop Carmello Cassati, now emeritus, in his role as Promoter of the Faith.

A prophecy – taken from “Childhood Memories”

My family, deeply religious, wanted one of us boys to be a priest, given that my father’s branch of the family had been richly endowed with priests and a cousin of my mother’s was then Vicar General of the Diocese of Salerno, at the time of the famous Bishop Balducci Monterisi. My mother had kept up a correspondence with this cousin, with whom we were not personally acquainted. I only remember that she spoke enthusiastically of him.

The eyes of the family were focused on my brother Agostino, a tidy, well-educated, hard-working and reserved boy: in brief, a suitable type for an ecclesiastical career. Aunt Rosaria was very pleased when my brother expressed the wish to enter a seminary; the opinion of our parish priest, Fr. Cataldo Tota, of venerable and holy memory, was very flattering.

His clothes were prepared. My aunt prepared a cassock with lace borders. Everything was ready for my brother Agostino to enter the Seminary of Bisceglie. However, an unexpected event then occurred which upset everything, so that my brother never did enter the seminary. The cause of it all was Fr. Andrea Bevilacqua, who recommended that Agostino, his pupil in middle school, not be sent to the seminary, but wait until he had completed at least the fifth year of secondary school; he would then enter Molfetta Seminary directly without having been to the minor seminary, which Fr. Andrea did not think could guarantee an adequate formation. Aunt Rosaria was very upset at this event and one day complained to Luisa:

“After having spent so much, Agostino will not even be entering the seminary”.

It should be said that Luisa had already previously proved silent and indifferent to this plan. Although Agostino diligently visited her house and although she knew of his intentions, Luisa never gave him a word of encouragement as she had to other boys who had expressed the same wish. Luisa responded to my aunt’s complaints in my presence, by saying: “Rosaria, Rosaria…. You are trying to substitute God’s Will with your own! The Lord does not want him”, and turning her eyes to me, she said to her: “Look after this one! Because the Lord wants this one and not that one”.

Aunt Rosaria was amazed to hear the words of Luisa who said:

“Yes, this very one who is the rebel of the family!”.

In fact, I loved street life. I was very lively and surrounded myself with poor children. My companions systematically played truant from school, they went about barefoot, smelling of the hens, sheep and rabbits that were raised in their homes. Therefore I did not work very hard at school either, and was the despair of my middle-class family (my mother was a teacher and my father, a municipal employee).

I did not attach much importance to Luisa’s words; I was only in the fourth year of elementary school; there were big social problems; the collapse of Fascism, the German occupation; schools were closed and food was scarce. I completely forgot Luisa’s words. After Luisa’s death, on 4 March 1947, my Aunt Rosaria often thought of what Luisa had said and began to look at me inquiringly, as though she wanted to detect any signs of my inclination. Later, to the great wonder of all, Peppino, the rowdiest boy in the district of Via Andria, entered the seminary, not the diocesan seminary but the Seraphic Seminary of the Friars Minor Capuchin of Barletta. It was 1948. A year had passed since Luisa Piccarreta’s death. Many bet, given my character, that my stay in the seminary would not last long, and that I would be a nuisance there too. Many even criticized my mother for rashly having allowed me to enter it.

Time proved these inauspicious predictions wrong and the townspeople began to give credit to the words of my Aunt Rosaria, who proudly told everyone how Luisa had prophesied that I would be a priest. Aunt Rosaria would say with determination: “Peppino will succeed in becoming a priest. It is God’s Will, expressed by Luisa”.

Padre Bucci with his Aunt Rosaria and brother Agostino

 

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