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Jan 13

1/13 The Book of Heaven and the Baltimore Catechism No.3

  • January 13, 2017

The Book of Heaven and the Baltimore Catechism No. 3

LESSON FIFTH: On our First Parents and the Fall – Part 1 of 3

  1. 233. Who were the first man and woman?

  2. The first man and woman were Adam and Eve.

Volume 12 – January 24, 1921

“My daughter, calm yourself – I choose whomever I please. However, know that I begin all of my works between Myself and one creature; and then they are spread. In fact, who was the first spectator of the FIAT of my Creation? Adam, and then Eve. It surely wasn’t a multitude of people. Only after years and years did crowds and multitudes of people become spectators of It. .

  1. 234. Are there any persons in the world who are not the descendants of Adam and Eve?

  2. There are no persons in the world now, and there never have been any, who are not the descendants of Adam and Eve, because the whole human race had but one origin.

Volume 20 – October 12, 1926

Don’t you know that, as long as Adam remained the firstborn son of my Will, having therefore primacy over everything, I visited him often? Because my Will reigned in him, I administered to him all the necessary manners in order to be with Me, as the son who forms the consolation of his Father. I spoke to him as to a son, and he to Me as to his Father. As he withdrew from my Will he lost his primacy, the rights of firstborn, and along with them he lost all of my goods. He no longer felt the strength to sustain my presence, nor did I feel drawn by a Divine force and Will to go to him. So, all his bonds with Me were broken; nothing was due to him by right any more, and he no longer saw Me unveiled, but in the midst of lightnings and eclipsed within my light – that light of my Will which he had rejected.

  1. 235. Do not the differences in color, figure, etc., which we find in distinct races indicate a difference in first parents?

  1. The differences in color, figure, etc., which we find in distinct races do not indicate a difference in first parents, for these differences have been brought about in the lapse of time by other causes, such as climate, habits, etc.

Volume 21 – March 10, 1927

“My daughter, you must know that, before sinning, Adam did his acts in the Divine Fiat. This meant that the Trinity

had given him possession of this Kingdom, because, in order to possess a kingdom, it takes one who forms it, one who  gives it, and one who receives it. The Divinity formed it and gave it; man received it. Therefore, in his first period of the creation, Adam possessed this Kingdom of the Supreme Fiat, and since he was the head of all human generations, all creatures received the right to this possession.

  1. 236. Were Adam and Eve innocent and holy when they came from the hand of God?

  2. Adam and Eve were innocent and holy when they came from the hand of God.

Volume 20 – December 12, 1926

“My daughter, in creating man, the Divinity placed him inside the Sun of the Divine Will, and all creatures in him. This Sun served as garment not only for his soul, but its rays were such as to cover also his body, in such a way as to serve as more than a garment for him, rendering Him so adorned and beautiful that neither kings nor emperors have ever appeared so adorned as Adam appeared, with this garment of most refulgent light. Those who say that, before sinning, Adam went naked are wrong. False, false. If all things created by Us are all adorned and clothed, he who was Our jewel, the purpose for which all things were created – was he not to have the most beautiful garment and the

most beautiful ornament of all? So, to him befitted the beautiful garment of the light of the Sun of Our Will; and since he possessed this garment of light, he had no need of material garments in order to cover himself. As he withdrew from the Divine Fiat, so did light withdraw from his soul and from his body; he lost his beautiful garment, and in seeing himself no longer surrounded with light, he felt naked. Feeling ashamed in seeing that he was the only one to be naked in the midst of all created things, he felt the need to cover himself, and he used superfluous things, created things, to cover his nakedness.

  1. 237. What do we mean by saying Adam and Eve “were innocent” when they came from the hand of God?

  1. When we say Adam and Eve “were innocent” when they came from the hand of God we mean they were in the state of original justice; that is, they were gifted with every virtue and free from every sin.

Volume 20 – December 12, 1926

“My daughter, during my Passion there is one lament of mine which came out, with immense sorrow, from the depth of my tormented Heart: they divided my garments and drew lots for my tunic. How painful it was for Me to see my garments being divided among my very executioners, and my tunic being gambled away. That was the only object I possessed, given to Me, with so much love, by my sorrowful Mama; and now, they not only stripped Me of it, but they make of it a game. But do you know who pierced Me the most? In those garments, Adam became present to Me, clothed with the garment of innocence and covered with the indivisible tunic of my Supreme Will. In creating him, the uncreated Wisdom acted as more than a most loving mother; more than with a tunic, It clothed him with the unending light of my Will – a garment which is not subject to be either disarranged, or divided, or consumed; a garment which was to serve man in order to preserve the image of his Creator and the gifts received from Him, and which was to render him admirable and holy in all his things. Not only this, but It covered him with the overgarment of innocence.

And Adam, in Eden, with his passions divided the garments of innocence, and he gambled away the tunic of my Will – a garment which is incomparable and of radiant light.

  1. 238. How was Adam’s body formed?

  2. God formed Adam’s body out of the clay of the earth and then breathed into it a living soul.

Volume 15 – May 29, 1923

.. in creating man, the first crafting, both in the soul and in the body, was done by my Divine Father. How much harmony, how much happiness did He not form with His own hands in the human nature? Everything is harmony and happiness in man. The mere external part – how many harmonies and happinesses does it not contain? The eyes can see, the mouth can express, the feet can walk, the hands can operate and take things where the feet have reached. But if the eyes could see, but man did not have the mouth to express himself; or if he had feet to walk but no hands to operate – would there not be unhappiness and disharmony in the human nature? And then, the harmonies and happinesses of the human soul – the will, the intellect, the memory – how many harmonies and happinesses do they not contain? It is enough to say that they are part of the happiness and harmony of the Eternal One.

239. How was Eve’s body formed?

  1. Eve’s body was formed from a rib taken from Adam’s side during a deep sleep which God caused to come upon him.

Volume 12 – January 24, 1920

“My daughter, if you knew how I desire, yearn for, and love the company of the creature! So much that, if in creating man I said, ‘It is not good for man to be alone, let Us make another creature similar to him, who may keep him company, so that one may form the delight of the other’, I said these same words to my Love before creating man: ‘I do not want to be alone, but I want the creature for my company. I want to create him in order to amuse Myself with him, to share all my contentments with him. With his company I will pour Myself out in Love.’ This is why I made him in my Likeness; and as his intelligence thinks of Me and is interested in Me, he keeps company with my Wisdom, and as my thoughts keep company with his, we amuse ourselves together. If his gaze looks at Me and at created things in order to love Me, I feel the company of his gaze. If his tongue prays or teaches what is good, I feel the company of his voice. If his heart loves Me, I feel the company of his love; and so with all the rest. But if he does the opposite I feel lonely, and like a destitute king. But, alas!, how many leave Me alone and neglect Me!”

  1. 241. Could man’s body be developed from the body of an inferior animal?

  2. Man’s body could be developed from the body of an inferior animal if God so willed; but science does not prove that man’s body was thus formed, while revelation teaches that it was formed directly by God from the clay of the earth.

Volume 24 – September 10, 1928

Now, you must know that, indeed, Adam possesses a glory in Heaven which is given to no one else, as holy as he may be, except for my Celestial Mama, because no one else possesses even one act in the unity of my Divine Will. It was just and decorous for Our Divine Majesty that the first creature that came out of Our creative hands possess more glory than all the others; more so, since the first period of his life was carried out as We wanted. One can say that it was Our life, Our Will and Our works that flew within him. How could We destroy this first period of the life of Adam, since it was more Ours than his? It is useless even to think about it; whatever is done in Our Divine Will remains untouchable – no one can touch it, because these acts enter the divine and infinite order. And even though Adam slipped and fell, his acts done up to that moment remained intact and beautiful, just as he did them. He was the one who remained wounded, ill, Our image disfigured in him, because Our Divine Will, which had taken on the commitment to keep him beautiful, fresh, strong, holy, completely in order with Us, just as We created him, was no longer in him, because Adam himself had rejected It. But his works done up to the moment in which he had the misfortune to fall, and which possessed the unity of Our Fiat, suffered no change, because We too were jealous of these acts which had glorified Us so much. They had put Us in feast, as We saw that man, Our son, elevated himself up to Us in order to absorb within him Our divine manners, Our likeness, and to bring Us joys, happinesses, the return and the smile of all created things in the unity of Our Will. We were enraptured in seeing Our dear son, the work of Our hands, live in Our Will as in Our home; taking from Our own, he was able to bring Us new happinesses and joys without end.

My daughter, the first period of the life of Adam is unforgettable for Us, for him, and for all Heaven. After he fell into sin, he remained like a blind person who, before losing his sight, has done so many beautiful works as to fill Heaven and earth. Who could ever say that those are not works done by him, only because he voluntarily lost his sight? And that, since he can no longer repeat them because he is blind, the ones he has done remain without value? Certainly no one. Or, if a person who applies himself to study science, in the middle of his studies no longer wants to continue, can anyone take away or destroy the good of the science he has acquired, only because he does not continue? Certainly not. If this happens in the human order, much more so, and with more validity and certainty, in the divine order.

So, by virtue of the first period of his life, innocent and carried out all in the unity of Our Fiat, Adam possesses such glory and beauty that no one can equal him. At the mere sight of him, all of the Blessed recognize how beautiful and majestic the creation of the first man was, enriched with so much grace. In looking at him, they can see, in him, the incalculable good of the Divine Will in the creature, and the joy and happiness that the creature can possess. In him alone, as though within a mirror, the Blessed can see how man was created, the exuberant love that We had for him, the abundance with which We enriched him. We gave him everything, as much as a creature could contain, to the point of overflowing outside and being able to flood the whole earth. If it were not so – if the whole magnificence of Our creative hands could not be seen in Adam – then the great things We did in the Creation, and that which the creature does and can do in Our Divine Will would not be known even in Heaven. It is Our love that demands this, and also Our justice that wants to keep, in Heaven, the reality of that image, as man was created – and not another man, but the very one who came out of Our creative hands, so that, if the earth does not know him, Heaven may know him. They look at their origin in Adam, and, grateful, they thank Me and pray that my Fiat may come to reign upon earth, and form more images, more beautiful than Adam, because he was not a complete work in my Divine Will, but a period of life. Only the Sovereign Queen possesses complete life and works in my Fiat, therefore there is no one who can equal Her. My Will wants to make more complete lives in It, so as to repeat what It did in the Creation, to make known to the earth the way and the order in which the creature was created, and the great, beautiful, holy things that my Divine Will can do in her.

  1. 242. Could man’s soul and intelligence be formed by the development of animal life and instinct?

  2. Man’s soul could not be formed by the development of animal instinct; for, being entirely spiritual, it must be created by God, and it is united to the body as soon as the body is prepared to receive it.

Volume 20 – February 6, 1927

Such was the state of Adam when he was created, until he sinned – that which was Ours, was his; the fullness of light centered in him, in view of the fact that his will was one with Ours, brought him the communion of Our goods. How We felt Our happiness redoubled – on the part of Creation, not because of anything else – as We saw Adam, Our son, happy of Our own happiness. In fact, since his will was one with Ours, Our Will could pour Our goods and Our happiness in torrents upon him; so much so that, unable to contain it all, because he did not have the capacity of his Creator, while being filled to the brim to the point of overflowing, he would make all the rest ascend to the One from whom he had received it. And what did he make ascend? His perfect love, which he had received from God; his sanctity, his glory, which he possessed in common with Us, so as to almost match Us with happiness, love and glory.

We gave him happiness – happiness he gave to Us; We gave him love, sanctity and glory – love, sanctity and glory he gave to Us. My daughter, to possess a Divine Will is something astonishing; the human nature cannot comprehend everything – it feels, it possesses, and knows not how to express.”

  1. 243. Did God give any command to Adam and Eve?

  2. To try their obedience, God commanded Adam and Eve not to eat of a certain fruit which grew in the garden of Paradise.

Volume 21 – April 8, 1927

“My daughter, Adam fell so low, because he withdrew from a Will expressed by his Creator, which enclosed the test in order to prove his faithfulness toward the One who had given him life and all the goods he possessed. More so, since after the so many goods He had given to him for free, God asked of him to deprive himself of one fruit alone of the many He had given him, for love of the One who had given him everything. And in this little sacrifice which God wanted from him, He had let him know that it was for nothing else but to be sure of his love and of his faithfulness. Adam should have felt honored that his Creator wanted to be certain of the love of His creature. Moreover, the one who attracted him and convinced him to fall, was not a being superior to him, but a vile serpent – his major enemy.

Permanent link to this article: https://luisapiccarreta.com/113-the-book-of-heaven-and-the-baltimore-catechism-no-3/

Jan 09

1/9 Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ

  • January 9, 2017

The Baptism
of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Baptism of Christ, window by Edward Burne-Jones

 

 With this Feast, Christmas ends liturgically, though it continues on in spirit and as a liturgical cycle until Candlemas when we recall Mary’s post-birth Purification and Our Lord’s Presentation in the Temple.

On this, the Octave of the Epiphany, we continue to focus on the Mysteries that entered our hearts on Twelfthnight and the Epiphany, but today more specifically with regard to the Baptism of Jesus by St. John the Baptist in the River Jordan. He Whose birth we just celebrated now shows us how to be born again or “born from above.”

The marvelling at the Theophany continues in pondering the meaning of His Baptism, a meaning made more apparent by the Gradual, Alleluia, Offertory, Preface, and Communion prayers of today’s Mass, all of which allude to the Magi and their recognition of Jesus as King and God. The Gospel reading comes from the first chapter of John, verses 29-34:

The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him Who taketh away the sin of the world. This is Scallop, a symbol of BaptismHe, of whom I said: After me there cometh a man, who is preferred before me: because He was before me. And I knew Him not, but that He may be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven, and He remained upon him. And I knew Him not; but He Who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: He upon Whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon Him, He it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and I gave testimony, that this is the Son of God.

St. John the Baptist, the prophet whom prophets foretold, heralded the Christ during Advent, and now, at the end of the liturgical Christmas season, gives testimony once again. He gives this witness not only by being in the spirit of Elias (IV Kings 1:3-8), but by the place he chose as the site of his baptisms: the River Jordan, where Elias (Elijah) was last seen before he was taken up to Heaven, and the waters of which were healed by Elias’s son, Eliseus (Elisha): IV Kings 2:11-19-22 And as they [Elias and Eliseus] went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Eliseus saw him, and cried: My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own garments, and rent them in two pieces. And he took up the mantle of Elias, that fell from him: and going back, he stood upon the bank of the Jordan, And he struck the waters with the mantle of Elias, that had fallen from him, and they were not divided. And he said: Where is now the God of Elias? And he struck the waters, and they were divided, hither and thither, and Eliseus passed over…

…And the men of the city said to Eliseus: Behold the situation of this city is very good, as thou, my lord, seest: but the waters are very bad, and the ground barren. And he said: Bring me a new vessel, and put salt into it. And when they had brought it, He went out to the spring of the waters, and cast the salt into it, and said: Thus saith the Lord: I have healed these waters, and there shall be no more in them death or barrenness. And the waters were healed unto this day, according to the word of Eliseus, which he spoke.

But more importantly than this witness, the Father Himself and the Holy Ghost give testimony. St. Matthew’s account of this Divine testimony is more explicit. From the third chapter of his Gospel:

And Jesus being baptized, forthwith came out of the water: and lo, the heavens were opened to him: and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him. And behold a voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

This revelation of His glory was predicted in Isaias 40:3-5: 3

The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see, that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken.

This Feast is like that of the Pentecost in its revelation of the Trinity, and even more is it like the Feast of the Transfiguration which commemorates the events that took place on Mt. Tabor, when Christ’s Divinity was evident in His glorious Light, when the bright cloud overshadowed Him, and when the words of the Father echoed what was heard at the River Jordan:

Matthew 17:1-5
And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart: And He was transfigured before them. And His Face did shine as the sun: and His garments became white as snow. And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with Him. And Peter answering, said to Jesus: Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles, one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. And as he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them. And lo, a voice out of the cloud, saying: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye Him.

This Divine manifestation helps explain why Jesus — the Sinless One, the Pure and Unspotted Lamb — would be baptized at all: so that He would be known for Who He is, so that He would be made manifest.

In addition to this reason, St. Thomas Aquinas (d. 1274), in his Summa Theologica, gives us three other reasons for the fittingness of St. John baptizing Christ. One is so that Christ might sanctify Baptism, a sentiment expressed by St. John Chrysostom (d. 407) when he wrote “In truth, Christ needed not baptism, neither his nor any other; but rather baptism needed the power of Christ.” Another is so that John, by baptizing, “might accustom men to the Baptism of Christ.” And the last is so that “by persuading men to do penance, he might prepare men to receive worthily the baptism of Christ.” Here he quotes the Venerable Bede:

…the baptism of John was as profitable before the baptism of Christ, as instruction in the faith profits the catechumens not yet baptized. For just as he preached penance, and foretold the baptism of Christ, and drew men to the knowledge of the Truth that hath appeared to the world, so do the ministers of the Church, after instructing men, chide them for their sins, and lastly promise them forgiveness in the baptism of Christ.

Permanent link to this article: https://luisapiccarreta.com/19-feast-of-the-baptism-of-our-lord-jesus-christ/

Jan 07

1/8 Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord

  • January 7, 2017

 

Feast of the Epiphany of The Lord

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(Click the following link for Home Blessing on Epiphany)
BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.
Traditionally celebrated on January 6th, In some dioceses it is celebrated this Sunday, January 8, 2017

What a beautiful time to pray the Rosary!

Joyful Mysteries

Luminous Mysteries

Sorrowful Mysteries

Glorious Mysteries 

The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will
Day Twenty-Three 

The Blessed Mother to the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta the Little Daughter of the Divine Will:

Now, My daughter, another Surprise: a new star shines under the vault of the heavens, and with its light, it goes in search of adorers, to lead them to recognize and adore Baby Jesus. Three individuals, each distant from the other, are struck by it, and invested by Supreme Light, they follow the star, which leads them to the grotto of Bethlehem, to the feet of Baby Jesus. What was not the astonishment of these Magi Kings, in recognizing in that Divine Infant the King of Heaven and earth—He who had come to Love and Save all? In fact, in the act in which the Magi were adoring Him, enraptured by that Celestial Beauty, the Newborn Baby made His Divinity Shine forth from His Little Humanity, and the grotto changed into Paradise; so much so, that they were no longer able to detach themselves from the feet of the Divine Infant—not until He again withdrew the Light of the Divinity within His Humanity. And I, exercising the Office of Mother, spoke at length of the Descent of the Word, and fortified them in Faith, Hope and Charity, symbolized by their gifts offered to Jesus; and, full of Joy, they withdrew into their regions, to be the first propagators.

The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will
Meditation Four

The Blessed Mother to the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta the Little Daughter of the Divine Will:

… Now, My blessed daughter, the Divinity, which can deny nothing to the one who Loves It, makes a New Star, more beautiful and luminous, arise under the azure heavens; and with its light, it goes in search of adorers, to say to the whole world, with its mute twinkling: “He who has come to Save you is Born. Come to adore Him and to know Him as your Savior.”

But—human ingratitude!—among many, only three individuals paid attention, and heedless of the sacrifices, put themselves on the way to follow the Star. And just as a star guided their persons along the journey, so did My Prayers, My Love, My Yearnings, My Graces—for I wanted to make known the Celestial Baby, the Awaited One from all centuries—descend into their hearts like many Stars, illumine their minds, guide their interiors, in such a way that, without yet knowing Him, they felt that they loved Him whom they were looking for, and they hastened their steps in order to reach and see Him whom they so much loved.

My dearest daughter (Luisa), My Heart of Mother (the Blessed Mother) rejoiced at the faithfulness, correspondence and sacrifice of these Magi Kings, to come to know and adore My Son (Jesus). But I cannot hide from you a secret Sorrow of mine: among many, only three. And in the history of the centuries, how many times is this Sorrow of mine and this human ingratitude not repeated! My Son (Jesus) and I (the Blessed Mother) do nothing but make Stars arise, one more Beautiful than the other, to call some to know their Creator, some to sanctity, some to rise again from sin, some to the heroism of a sacrifice. But do you want to know what these Stars are? A sorrowful encounter is a Star; a truth that one comes to know is a Star; a love unrequited by other creatures is a Star; a setback, a pain, a disillusion, an unexpected fortune, are as many Stars that shed light in the minds of creatures. And caressing them, they want to make them find the Celestial Infant, who fidgets with Love, and shivering with cold, wants a refuge in their hearts to make Himself known and loved. But, alas, I who hold Him in My arms, wait in vain for the Stars to bring Me creatures, in order to place Him in their hearts, and My Maternity is constrained, hindered. And while I am the Mother of Jesus, I am prevented from being the Mother of all, because they are not around Me, they do not look for Jesus; the Stars hide, and they remain in the Jerusalems of the world, without Jesus. What Sorrow, my daughter, what Sorrow! It takes correspondence, faithfulness, sacrifice, to follow the Stars; and if the Sun of the Divine Will rises in the soul—how much attention does it not take. Otherwise, one remains in the darkness of the human will.

Now, my daughter (Luisa), as the holy Magi Kings entered Jerusalem, they lost the Star, but in spite of this they did not stop looking for Jesus. However, as they (the Magi Kings) went outside the city, the Star reappeared and led them, festive, into the grotto of Bethlehem. I (the Blessed Mother) received them (the Magi Kings) with Love of Mother, and the Dear Baby looked at them with Great Love and Majesty, letting His Divinity shine forth from His Little Humanity. And so, bowing down, they knelt at His feet, adoring and contemplating that Celestial Beauty; they recognized Him as True God, and remained enraptured, ecstatic, while enjoying Him; so much so, that the Celestial Baby had to withdraw His Divinity into His Humanity, otherwise they would have remained there, without being able to move from His Divine Feet.

Then, as they (the Magi Kings) came round from their rapture, in which they offered the gold of their souls, the incense of their belief and adoration, the myrrh of their whole being and of any sacrifice He might want of them, they added the external offering and gifts, symbol of their interior acts: gold, incense and myrrh. But My Love of Mother was not yet content; I wanted to place the Sweet Baby in their arms, and—O! With how much love they kissed Him and pressed Him to their breasts. They felt Paradise in advance within them. With this, My Son bound all the gentile nations to the knowledge of the True God, and placed the Goods of Redemption, the return to Faith of all peoples, in common for all. He constituted Himself King of the rulers; and with the weapons of His Love, of His Pains and of His Tears, Ruling over everything, He called the Kingdom of His Will upon earth. And I, your Mama, wanted to be the first Apostle. I instructed them, I told them the story of My Son—His Ardent Love; I recommended that they make Him known to all, and taking the first place of Mother and Queen of all the Apostles, I blessed them, I had them Blessed by the dear Baby, and, happy and in tears, they departed again for their regions. I did not leave them; I accompanied them with Maternal Affection, and to repay them, I let them feel Jesus in their hearts. How Happy they were! You must know that only when I see that My Son has the Dominion, the Possession, and forms His Perennial Dwelling in the hearts that search for Him and love Him—then do I feel a True Mother.

Now a little word to you, My daughter: if you want Me to act as your True Mother, let Me place Jesus in your heart. You will make Him Happy with your love; you will nourish Him with the Food of His Will, because He takes no other food; You will clothe Him with the sanctity of your works. And I will come into your heart, I will raise My Dear Son again together with you, and will perform the Office of Mother for you and for Him; in this way I will feel the Pure Joys of My Maternal Fecundity. You must know that anything which does not begin from Jesus, who is inside the heart — be they even the most beautiful external works—can never please Me (the Blessed Mother), because they are empty of the Life of My dear Son.

The soul to her Celestial Mother:

Holy Mama, how I must thank You for wanting to place the Celestial Baby into my heart—how happy I am. O please! I pray You to hide me under Your mantle, that I may see nothing but the Baby who is inside my heart; and forming of all my being one single act of Love of Divine Will, I may make Him grow so much, to the point of filling myself completely with Jesus, and nothing may be left of me but the veil that hides Him.

Little Sacrifice:

Today, to honor Me (the Blessed Mother), you will come three times to kiss the Celestial Little One (Jesus), giving Him the gold of your will, the incense of your adorations, the myrrh of your pains; and you will pray Me (the Blessed Mother) to enclose Him (Jesus) in your heart.

Ejaculatory Prayer:

Celestial Mama, enclose me within the wall of the Divine Will, that I may nourish my dear Jesus.

Posted in g January 2012, Prayers, Novenas and Feast Days, The Divine Will of God

 

Blessing of the Home on the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord

20 C + M + B 17
May Christ bless this House…
All who dwell and pray in it…
And All Whom they Welcome in His Name

BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.  Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on January 6th. In some dioceses it is celebrated this Sunday, January 8, 2017

V. On entering the house the Magi found the child Jesus with Mary his mother.

R. They did him homage and presented to Jesus symbolic gifts: gold to the great king, incense to the true God, and myrrh as a foreshadowing of his suffering and death. Let us pray, God, our Father, by the guidance of a star, you revealed your only Son as the Savior of all nations. Grant that we who already know you by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of your glory in our heavenly home. We ask this through Christ your Son Our Lord. Amen.

All may recite the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The MAGNIFICAT) by which Mary praised God at the time of her Visitation to the house of Elizabeth. St. Luke’s Gospel Chapter 1, verses 46-55.

My soul glorifies the Lord, 
my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
He looks on His servant in her lowliness;
henceforth all ages will call me Blessed. 

The Almightly works marvels for me.
Holy is His Name!
His Mercy is from age to age,
on those who fear Him.

He puts forth His arm in strength
and scatters the proud-hearted.
He casts the mighty from their thrones
and raises the lowly.

He fills the starving with good things,
sends the rich away empty.

He protects Israel, His servant,
remembering His Mercy,
the Mercy promised to our fathers,
to Abraham and his sons forever. 

V. Be enlightened, O Jerusalem, and shine forth for your light has come.
R. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.
V. All nations shall walk in your light and kings in the splendor of your birth.
R. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.

Reading of the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord. St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 12

V. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has appeared and been revealed to the nations.
R. The prophets foretold his coming, and the angels and shepherds adored him.
V. The Magi rejoiced to find him and they lay their treasures before him.
R. All you nations and peoples, come and adore him.

All recite the OUR FATHER as the rooms of the house are sprinkled with holy water.

Let us pray.
Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have received all benefits.

Come, visit and bless + this house so that it may be a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, – and thanksgiving to God, – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

May the love and blessings of God, + The Father, and + The Son, and + The Holy Spirit, descend upon this house, all those who reside within it, and upon all those whom they welcome in the Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And may God’s grace and peace remain with all of them forever. Amen.

The initials of the names ascribed by tradition to the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), and the numerals of the current year are written with the blessed chalk upon the entry doors of the house in the following manner:

20 C + M + B 17

 

Some interpret the letters to stand for Christus Mansioni Benedicat! May Christ bless this house! 

Posted in g January 2012, Prayers, Novenas and Feast Days, The Divine Will of God

1/8 Feast of the Epiphany

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J_Wedding at Cana-JuliusSCHNORRVONCAROLSFELD-1819

(See the page on Twelfth Night first
for the basics of the meaning of this Feast)

As described on the page on Twelfthnight, this Feast — also known as the . “Theophany” or “Three Kings Day” — recalls Christ revealing Himself as Divine in three different ways: to the Magi, at His Baptism, and with His miracle at the wedding feast at Cana.

For families who practice traditions involving “the Magi” or “La Befana” leaving gifts for children, the day begins with the wee ones discovering what was left for them while they slept on Twelfth Night.

At today’s Mass, there will be a blessing of gold, frankincense, myrrh, Epiphany Water, and, after Communion, a blessing of chalk. Bring small special items of gold to have with you during the Mass, and they will be blessed if they are exposed as you sit in your pew with them (wedding rings, rosaries, an heirloom piece of gold jewelry, for example).

When Mass is over, you will take some of the blessed chalk, frankincense, myrrh, and Epiphany Water home with you, so it’s good to bring a container to transport Holy Water and one to put some grains of incense and a piece of chalk into. (Note: if you can, take and keep 5 pieces of blessed incense for your Paschal Candle this Easter),

When you get home, sprinkle some Epiphany water (otherwise and afterwards used as regular Holy Water) in the rooms of your house to protect it and bring blessings. This Holy Water recalls the waters of the Jordan, and is a visible reminder of Christ’s Divinity, of Jesus’s revealing Himself as God at His Baptism, when were heard the words from the Father: “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” This rite of blessing the home — led by a priest, if possible, or the father of the house if no priest is available — goes like this:

20 C+M+B 17

UPON ENTERING THE HOUSE:

Priest/Father:

Peace be to this house.

All:

And to all who dwell herein.

P/F:

From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.

During the Magnificat, the room is sprinkled with holy water and incensed.

All:

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. For He hath regarded the humility of His handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. For He that is mighty hath done great things to me, and holy is His Name. And His Mercy is from generation unto generations upon them that fear Him. He hath shewed might in His arm, He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away. He hath received Israel, His servant, being mindful of His mercy. As He spoke to our Fathers, Abraham and His seed forever.

After this is completed:

All:

From the east came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures they offered precious gifts: gold for the great King, incense for the true God, and myrrh in symbol of His burial.

P/F:

Our Father Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and  forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead and lead us not into temptation,

All:

But deliver us from evil.

P/F:

All they from Saba shall come

All:

Bringing gold and frankincense.

P/F:

O Lord, hear my prayer.

All:

And let my cry come unto Thee.

P/F:

Let us pray. O God, who by the guidance of a star didst on this day manifest Thine only-begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we who know Thee by faith may also attain the vision of Thy glorious majesty. Through Christ our Lord.

All:

Amen.

P/F:

Be enlightened, be enlightened, O Jerusalem, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee– Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.

All:

And the Gentiles shall walk in thy light and kings in the splendor of thy rising, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon thee.

P/F:

Let us pray. Bless, O Lord God almighty, this home, that in it there may be health, purity, the strength of victory, humility, goodness and mercy, the fulfillment of Thy law, the thanksgiving to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. And may this blessing remain upon this home and upon all who dwell herein. Through Christ our Lord.

All:

Amen.

After the prayers of the blessing are recited, walk through the house and bless each room by sprinkling with Epiphany water and incensing it.

Take the blessed chalk and first write the initials of the three Wise Men, connected with Crosses, over the inside of your front door (on the lintel, if possible). Then write the year, breaking up the numbers and the year so that they fall on both sides of the initials.

It should look like this:

20  C+M+B  17

with the “20 “being the millennium and century, the “C” standing for the first Wise Man, Caspar, the “M” standing for Melchior, the “B” standing for Balthasar, and the “14” standing for the decade and year. It is also popularly believed that the Kings’ initials also stand for “Christus mansionem benedicat” (“Christ bless this house”).

It is customary in some religious orders to choose a new patron Saint today for the coming year. Families can do this, too, choosing a new Saint by designating someone (e.g., father or mother, etc.) to select the new Patron, by determing by lots who will select the new patron, by having family members write down their choices and choosing at random, by allowing the person to choose who presents the best argument for a particular Patron, etc. It would be very beneficial if the person who chooses teaches the rest of the family about that particular Patron, perhaps looking up the Saint in Butler’s works, finding art work depicting the Saint, etc., and sharing it.

Posted in The Divine Will of God

Permanent link to this article: https://luisapiccarreta.com/18-eve-of-the-feast-of-the-epiphany-of-the-lord/

Jan 05

1/6 The Epiphany of Our Lord

  • January 5, 2017

January 6th , A.D. 2016 – The Epiphany of Our Lord

Calendar for the Traditional Roman Rite

Book of Heaven – January 6 A.D. 1901

Jesus communicates Himself to the three Magi through love, through beauty and through power. As I was outside of myself, I seemed to see the moment when the holy Magi arrived at the grotto of Bethlehem.

As they arrived in the presence of the Baby, He pleased to let the rays of His Divinity shine externally, communicating Himself to the Magi in three ways – through love, through beauty and through power – in such a way that they remained enraptured and engrossed in the presence of Little Baby Jesus; so much so, that if the Lord had not withdrawn the rays of His Divinity internally again, they would have remained there forever, unable to move any more. Then, as the Baby withdrew His Divinity, the holy Magi returned into themselves; they stirred themselves, stupefied, in seeing an excess of love so great, because through that light the Lord had let them understand the mystery of the Incarnation. Then they stood up and offered their gifts to the Queen Mother, and She spoke at length with them, but I am unable to say everything She said. I can only remember that She inculcated into them, strongly, not only their own salvation, but also taking to heart the salvation of their peoples, having no fear even to lay down their lives to obtain the intent.

After this, I withdrew inside myself and I found myself together with Jesus. He wanted me to tell Him something, but I saw myself so cattiva [bad] and confused that I would not dare to tell Him anything. Seeing that I was not saying anything, He Himself continued to speak about the holy Magi, telling me: “By having communicated Myself to the Magi in three ways, I obtained three effects for them, because I never communicate Myself to souls uselessly; rather, they always receive some profit for themselves. So, as I communicated Myself through love, they obtained detachment from themselves; through beauty, they obtained contempt for earthly things; and through power, their hearts remained all bound to Me, and they obtained the bravery to lay down their blood and lives for Me.” Then He added: “And you, what do you want? Tell Me – do you love Me? How would you want to love Me?” Not knowing what to say, as my confusion increased, I said: ‘Lord, I would want nothing but You, and if You say to me, ‘do you love Me?’, I have no words to be able to manifest it. I can only say that I feel this passion that no one may be able to prevail over me in loving You, and that I should be the first in loving You, above everyone, and no one may be able to surpass me. But this does not content me yet; in order to be content, I would want to love You with your own love, so that I may be able to love You as You love Yourself. Ah, yes! Only then would my concerns about loving You cease.’ Content, one could say, with my nonsense, Jesus clasped me so tightly to Himself, that I could see myself transmuted in Him, inside and out, and He communicated part of His love to me. After this, I returned inside myself, and it seemed to me that for as much love as I am given, so much do I possess my Good; and if I love Him little, I possess Him little.

Book of Heaven – December 25 A.D. 1910

Then came the Magi, but no priest showed up, while they should have been the first to form my cortege.

This morning blessed Jesus made Himself seen as a tiny Little One, but so gracious and beautiful as to enrapture me in a sweet enchantment. Especially, then, He rendered Himself more lovable because, with His tiny little hands, He took little nails and nailed me with a mastery worthy only of my always lovable Jesus. Then He filled me with kisses and with love, and so I did with Him.

Then, after this, I seemed to find myself in the grotto of my newborn Jesus, and my little Jesus told me: “My beloved daughter, who came to visit me in the grotto of my birth? Only shepherds were my first visitors – the only ones who kept coming and going, offering Me gifts and their little things. They were the first to receive the knowledge of my coming into the world and, as a consequence, the first favorites to be filled with my grace. This is why I always choose poor, ignorant, abject people, and I make of them portents of grace – because they are always the ones to be more disposed, the ones who more easily listen to Me and believe Me without raising so many difficulties, so many quibbles as, on the contrary, learned people do.

Then came the Magi, but no priest showed up, while they should have been the first to form my cortege. In fact, more than anyone else, according to the Scriptures which they studied, they knew the time and the place, and it was easier for them to come to visit me. But no one – no one moved; rather, while they indicated the place to the Magi, they did not move, nor did they trouble to take one step to follow the traces of my coming. This was a most bitter sorrow for Me at my birth, because in those priests the attachment to riches, to interest, to families and to exterior things was so great as to blind their sight like a glare, harden their hearts, and render their intelligence dazed to the knowledge of the most sacrosanct and most certain truths. They were so engulfed in the low things of the earth, as to never be able to believe that a God could come upon earth in the midst of so much poverty and so much humiliation.

And this, not only at my birth, but also during the course of my life. When I performed the most sensational miracles, no one followed me; on the contrary, they plotted my death, and killed Me on the cross. And after using all of my art in order to draw them to Myself, I put them into oblivion and chose poor and ignorant people as my apostles, forming my Church in them. I segregated them from their families, I released them from any bond of riches, I filled them with the treasures of my graces, and I rendered them capable of governing my Church and souls.

However, you must know that this sorrow of Mine is still lasting, because the priests of these times have banded together with the priests of those times. They have been holding hands in their attachments to families, to interest, to exterior things, and they care very little, or not at all, about that which is interior. Even more, some have degraded themselves so much as to make even secular people understand how unhappy they are with their state, lowering their dignity down to the bottom, and below the secular themselves. Ah! my daughter, what prestige can their word still have among the peoples? Even more, because of them, the peoples keep deteriorating in the faith and into abysses of worse evils, groping their way in darkness, because they see no more light in priests. This is the reason for the necessity of houses of reunion of priests, so that, freed from the mist of darkness by which he is invaded – families, interest, and cares for exterior things – the priest may give out light of true virtues, and the peoples may turn back from the errors in which they have fallen. These reunions are so necessary, that every time the Church has reached the bottom, this has almost always been the means in order to make Her rise again, more beautiful and majestic.”

On hearing this, I said: ‘My highest and only Good, sweet Life of mine, I compassionate your sorrow and I would like to soothe it with my love, but You know well who I am – how poor, ignorant, bad I am, and also extremely taken with my passion for hiddenness. I would love it if You could hide me so much within You, that no one might ever again believe that I existed; and You, instead, want me to speak about these things which so much grieve your most loving Heart, and which are so necessary for the Church. Oh! my Jesus, to me, speak of love, and go to other good and holy souls to speak about these things which are so useful for your Church.’

And good Jesus continued: “My daughter, I too loved hiddenness, but there is a time for everything. When the honor and the glory of the Father, as well as the good of souls, became necessary, I revealed Myself and I did my public life. So I do with souls: sometimes I keep them hidden, other times I manifest them; and you must be  different to everything, wanting only that which I want. Even more, I bless your heart and your mouth, and I Myself will speak in you, with my own mouth and with my own sorrow.” And so He blessed me, and He disappeared.

Fiat!!!

January 6. A.D. 2017 – The Epiphany of the Lord

20 C + M + B 17

May Christ bless this House…

All who dwell and pray in it…

And All Whom they Welcome in His Name

BLESSING OF A HOME AT EPIPHANY

Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ

Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.

Epiphany falls on, January 6. A.D. 2017

  1. On entering the house the Magi found the child Jesus with Mary his mother.

  2. They did him homage and presented to Jesus symbolic gifts: gold to the great king, incense to the true God, and myrrh as a foreshadowing of his suffering and death.

Let us pray,

God, our Father, by the guidance of a star, you revealed your only Son as the Savior of all nations. Grant that we who already know you by faith, may be brought to the contemplation of your glory in our heavenly home. We ask this through Christ your Son Our Lord. Amen.

All may recite the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary (The MAGNIFICAT) by which Mary praised God at the time of her Visitation to the house of Elizabeth. St. Luke’s Gospel Chapter 1, verses 46-55.

  1. Be enlightened, O Jerusalem, and shine forth for your light has come.

  2. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.

  3. All nations shall walk in your light and kings in the splendor of your birth.

  4. And upon you is risen the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ born of the Virgin Mary.

Reading of the Gospel for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of Our Lord.

St. Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 2, verses 1 to 12

  1. Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, has appeared and been revealed to the nations.

  2. The prophets foretold his coming, and the angels and shepherds adored him.

  3. The Magi rejoiced to find him and they lay their treasures before him.

  4. All you nations and peoples, come and adore him.

All recite the OUR FATHER as the rooms of the house are sprinkled with holy water.

Let us pray.

Blessed are you, Lord, God of all creation. Through your goodness we have received all benefits.

Come, visit and bless + this house so that it may be a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility,

goodness, mildness, obedience to the Commandments, – and thanksgiving to God, – The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.

May the love and blessings of God, + The Father, and + The Son, and + The Holy Spirit, descend upon this house, all those who reside within it, and upon all those whom they welcome in the Name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And may God’s grace and peace remain with all of them forever. Amen.

The initials of the names ascribed by tradition to the Magi (Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar), and the numerals of the current year are written with the blessed chalk upon the entry doors of the house in the following manner:

20 C + M + B 17

Some interpret the letters to stand for

Christus Mansioni Benedicat!

May Christ bless this house!

 

Permanent link to this article: https://luisapiccarreta.com/16-the-epiphany-of-our-lord/

Jan 04

1/4 The Preparation for Two Great Marian Anniversaries

  • January 4, 2017

 

The Preparation for Two Great Marian Anniversaries

 

Console Our Mother’s Immaculate Heart.
(Click here for website)

2017 is the year in which we will celebrate two important anniversaries: the 70th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin of Revelation at Tre Fontane, Rome, and the Centenary of the apparition of Our Lady of Fatima, in Portugal 1917.

What could be a better way to celebrate these anniversaries than by living more intensely the devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart and consoling her by offering reparation for the sins of the world just as she asked the children at Fatima?  “Do you want to offer yourselves to God, to endure all the sufferings which he will send you, in an act of reparation for the sins by which he is offended and of supplication for the conversion of sinners?” (Memoirs of Sister Lúcia, I, 162).

To live this devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate heart three things are necessary: the daily Rosary, the practice of the five first Saturday’s of the Month and then consecration to Our Lady’s Immaculate heart. 

Starting on the 7th January2017, there are exactly five first Saturdays before the 100th Anniversary that will be celebrated on the 13th May 2017.  In this way, the Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary can be celebrated on the actual anniversary of the apparition.  There can be no better means of consoling Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart than to follow her maternal spiritual plan of conversion and renewal.

BXVI at Fatima

In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI visited Fatima and reminded everyone that the message Our Lady’s messages to the little shepherds are more than ever relevant today.  The pontiff said: “We would be mistaken to think that Fatima’s prophetic mission is complete. […] At a time when the human family was ready to sacrifice all that was most sacred on the altar of the petty and selfish interests of nations, races, ideologies, groups and individuals, our Blessed Mother came from heaven, offering to implant in the hearts of all those who trust in her the Love of God burning in her own heart.”  By inspiring a fervent devotion to daily prayer and love of God, Our Lady’s call is ever new and ever relevant even in our own time.

It was the Pontiff’s wish that “The […] centenary of the apparitions hasten the fulfilment of the prophecy of the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity.”  When we follow Our Lady’s message we help to make the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart a reality in our lives and the more people who do the same the more Our Lady triumphs in the world!

May Our Lady, Queen of Peace bless your preparations!

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