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

The Little Daughter of the Divine Will

  VOLUME 18

 October 10, 1925

Exchange of wills between the Celestial Father and the Most Holy Virgin, and Luisa.  The Most Holy Virgin repeats for the soul who lives in the Divine Will that which She did for Her Son.

As I was in my usual state, my poor mind found itself within an extremely high atmosphere.  I seemed to see the Divinity, and upon one knee of the Celestial Father, the Queen Mama, dead, as if She had no life.  Surprised, I thought to myself:  ‘My Mama is dead; but what a happy death – to die on the knees of our Creator!’  But, looking more closely, I saw Her will as though detached from Her body, held in the hands of the Divine Father.  Amazed, I looked, and I could not give myself a reason for what I was seeing; but a voice coming from the divine throne said:  “This is the elect among all the elect; She is the all beautiful; She is the only creature who gave Us Her will as gift, and left it, dead, upon Our knees, in Our hands.  And We, in exchange, gave Her the gift of Our Will.  Greater gift We could not give Her, because by acquiring this Supreme Will, She had the power to make the Word descend upon earth, and to have the Redemption of mankind be formed.  A human will would have no power nor attraction over Us; but a Divine Will, given by Ourselves to this incomparable creature, won over Us, conquered Us, enraptured Us; and unable to resist, We surrendered to Her petitions to make the Word descend upon earth.  Now We are waiting for you(Luisa) to come to die upon Our other knee, giving Us your will; and We, in seeing it dead in Our hands, as if it no longer existed for you (Luisa), will give you(Luisa) the gift of Our Will, and through you(Luisa) – that is, through this Will of Ours given to you (Luisa) – Our Fiat will return to live upon earth.  These two wills, dead upon Our knees, will be the ransom for many rebellious wills, and We will keep them as a precious pledge, which will repay Us for all the evils of the other creatures, because with Our Will they will be able to satisfy Us.”

The voice could no longer be heard, and I found myself on the other paternal knee, in the act of breathing my last, and dying.  But at that moment I found myself inside myself, but I am unable to say what I felt within me; only, I prayed from the heart that my will might never again enter into me, but only the Divine might have life in me.  Ah! It alone is the bearer of all goods and the repeater of Jesus within souls; and echoing the Fiat of Creation, It embraces everything and everyone as though in one breath, and requites God for the work of Creation, Redemption and Sanctification.  The Divine Will operating in us can do anything; It is the true Queen who reigns and rules over everything.    

Then, afterwards, I saw my Celestial Mama with Baby Jesus in Her arms, as She kissed Him and placed Him to Her breast to give Him Her most pure milk; and I said to Her:  ‘My Mama, and what about me – don’t You give anything to me?  O please! allow me at least to place my ‘I love You’ between your mouth and that of Jesus while You kiss, so that my little ‘I love You’ may run within everything You do.  And She said to me:  “My daughter (Luisa), please do, place your little ‘I love You’, not only in the mouth, but in all the acts that pass between Me and my Son.  You must know that everything I did toward my Son, I intended to do toward those souls who were to live in the Divine Will, because, being in It, they would be disposed to receive all the acts I did toward Jesus, and I would find sufficient space in which to place them.  So, if I kissed my Son, I kissed them, because I found them together with Him in His Supreme Will.  They were the first to be as though lined up within Him, and my maternal love pushed Me to let them partake in everything I did to my Son.  Great graces were needed for those who were to live in this Holy Will, and I placed all my goods, my graces, my sorrows, at their disposal, as their help, as defense, as strength, as support and as light; and I felt happy and honored with the greatest honors, to have, as my children, the children of the Will of the Celestial Father, which I too possessed; and therefore I looked at them also as births from Me.  Even more, it can be said of them what is said about my Son:  that the first generations found salvation in the merits of the future Redeemer.  In the same way, these souls, these future daughters, by virtue of the Divine Will operating in them, are the ones who incessantly implore salvation and graces for the future generations.  They are with Jesus, and Jesus is in them; and they repeat together with Jesus that which Jesus contains.  Therefore, if you (Luisa) want Me to repeat for you(Luisa) what I did for my Son, let Me always find you (Luisa) in His Will, and I will be generous with my favors toward you(Luisa).”

Cure of Saint John Damascene

October 9: Miraculous Cure of Saint John Damascene by Our Lady (723) (restored severed hand)

The Abbot Orsini wrote: “In the year 723, in the night following the day when the prince of the Saracens had unjustly ordered the hand of Saint John Damascen to be cut off, Our Lady reunited it miraculously to his wrist, after this faithful servant had prayed to her for it with the design of continuing to write in defense of holy images.”

Saint John of Damascus (645-749), also known as Saint John Damascene, was a priest and Doctor of the Church, who is sometimes also referred to as the Doctor of the Assumption, as he wrote on the Assumption of Mary into heaven. During the time of the iconoclasm in the east, Saint John Damascene also wrote in defense of holy images.

According to tradition, a Muslim caliph unjustly ordered that Saint John’s right hand should be cut off and hung up for public display. Some days after this despicable act took place, Saint John prayed for the restoration of his hand. Saint John had an icon of the Blessed Virgin before which he fervently prayed, and soon his hand is said to have been miraculously restored. To recognize the miracle, and in appreciation for the return of his right hand, Saint John had a replica of his restored hand produced in silver, which he then placed at the bottom of the icon. Those who came after him, and saw the third hand on the icon, subsequently named it “Three-handed,” or Tricheirousa.

The Bogorodica Trojerucica is considered the most important icon of the Serbian Orthodox Church. It is currently located in a monastery of Hilandar on Mount Athos, Greece. The portrait is of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Divine Child in her right arm. It is thought to have possibly been painted by Saint John Damascene himself, but however that may be, it is the very same image before which he prayed for the restoration of his severed hand.

“Gratitude for the benefits received at the hands of the Lord is a virtue so noble, that by means of it we may preserve our intercourse and correspondence with God Himself: He, as rich, generous and powerful conferring upon us his gifts; we, as poor, humble and aware of our needs, returning for them our thanks. He desires to give us plentifully, but at the same time He wishes us to be grateful, rendering Him the glory, honor and praise contained in gratitude.” *

*from The City of God, by Ven. Mary of Agreda

Icon of the Mother of God of “the Three Hands”

Commemorated on June 28

The Icon of the Mother of God, “Of the Three Hands”: In the eighth century during the time of the Iconoclasts, St. John of Damascus (December 4) was zealous in his veneration of holy icons. Because of this, he was slandered by the emperor and iconoclast Leo III the Isaurian (717-740), who informed the Damascus caliph that St. John was committing treasonous acts against him. The caliph gave orders to cut off the hand of the monk and take it to the marketplace. Towards evening St. John, having asked the caliph for the cut-off hand, put it to its joint and fell to the ground before the icon of the Mother of God. The monk begged Our Lady to heal the hand, which had written in defense of Orthodoxy. After long prayer he fell asleep and saw in a dream that the All-Pure Mother of God had turned to him promising him quick healing.

Before this the Mother of God bid him toil without fail with this hand. Having awakened from sleep, St. John saw that his hand was unharmed. In thankfulness for this healing St. John placed on the icon a hand fashioned of silver, from which the icon received its name “Of Three Hands.” (Some iconographers, in their ignorance, have mistakenly depicted the Most Holy Theotokos with three arms and three hands.) According to Tradition, St. John wrote a hymn of thanksgiving to the Mother of God: “All of creation rejoices in You, O Full of Grace,” which appears in place of the hymn “It is Truly Meet” in the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

St. John Damascene accepted monasticism at the monastery of St. Sava the Sanctified and there bestowed his wonderworking icon. The Lavra presented the icon “Of Three Hands” in blessing to St. Sava, Archbishop of Serbia (+ 1237, January 12). During the time of an invasion of Serbia by the Turks, some Christians who wanted to protect the icon, entrusted it to the safekeeping of the Mother of God Herself. They placed it upon a donkey, which without a driver proceeded to Athos and stopped in front of the Hilandar monastery. The monks put the icon in the monastery’s cathedral church (katholikon). During a time of discord over the choice of igumen, the Mother of God deigned to head the monastery Herself, and from that time Her holy icon has occupied the igumen’s place in the temple. At the Hilandar monastery there is chosen only a vicar, and from the holy icon the monks take a blessing for every obedience.

In Slavic usage, this Icon is commemorated on July 12.

Our Lady of Gifts

October 8: Church of Our Lady of Gifts, Avignon France (1st Century) founded by St. Martha

Saint Martha of Bethany was the sister of Lazarus and Mary. She it was who is mentioned in the New Testament waiting on Jesus “troubled about many things.” According to the Golden Legend, after Jesus’ death and resurrection, she left Judea with her brother and sister “in a ship without sail, oars, or rudder.” This occurred in about the year 48 AD.

Their boat was conducted on its way by Our Lord from heaven. Martha went first to the territory of Aquenese or Aix, a region now known as Provence, France. After converting the people to the True Faith, she and her siblings then travelled on to settle in Avignon.

There is a tradition that attributes the foundation of the church of Our Lady of Gifts, or “Our Lady of Doms,” at Avignon, to Saint Martha, and this while Our Lady was still alive! This church was built over what remained of a pagan temple atop a hill called “Le Rocher des Doms.” It is reported that this church was visibly consecrated by Our Lord Himself. Later in history the church was demolished by the Saracens, and was repaired by the Emperor Charlemagne.

The Golden Legend also details another event involving Martha.

“There was at that time upon the river of Rhone, in a certain wood between Arles and Avignon, a great dragon, half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than a horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side; head like a lion, tail like a serpent, and defended him with two wings on either side, and could not be beaten with cast of stones nor with other armor, and was as strong as twelve lions or bears; which dragon lay hiding and lurking in the river, and perished them that passed by and drowned ships. He came thither by sea from Galicia, and was engendered of Leviathan, which is a serpent of the water and is much wood, and of a beast called Bonacho, that is engendered in Galicia. To him Martha, at the prayer of the people, came into the wood, and found him eating a man. And she cast on him holy water, and showed to him the cross, which anon was overcome, and standing still as a sheep, she bound him with her own girdle, and then was slain with spears and glaives of the people.”

Also known as Avignon Cathedral, and the Cathedrale Notre-Dame des Doms d’Avignon in French, the church at the present location was constructed in the 12th century in the Romanesque style. The seat of the Archbishop of Avignon, it is also a national monument in France. Atop the western tower is the large gilded statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary shown above.

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

The Little Daughter of the Divine Will

 VOLUME 15

 July 14, 1923

Expectation of a new era.  The surest sign that it is near.

 As I was in my usual state, my good Jesus came, but all afflicted.  It seemed to me that He could not detach from me, and, all goodness, told me:  “My daughter (Luisa), I have come to make you suffer.  Don’t you(Luisa) remember when I wanted to chastise man and you (Luisa) did not want Me to, wanting to suffer yourself in their place, and in order to make you (Luisa) content, I told you (Luisa) that instead of doing ‘ten’, for love of you (Luisa) I would do ‘five’^[]?  Now the nations want to fight against one other, and those which believe themselves to be the most powerful are taking up arms to their teeth in order to destroy the weak nations.  This is about total destruction, my daughter.  This is why I have come to make you (Luisa) suffer – to give you (Luisa) that ‘five’ which I promised you.  My justice will give to fire and water the power of the office which they contain, in order to destroy peoples and entire cities; therefore, a little bit of your suffering is necessary in order to reduce the chastisements by half.” 

Now, while He was saying this, He moved in my interior, as though holding many instruments in His hands; and as He moved them, sufferings and pains were formed, with such tearing of all my members that I don’t know how I remained alive.  And when He would see me moaning and shivering because of the intensity of the pains, with the air of one who has triumphed over everything, Jesus would say to me:  “You (Luisa) are my Life, and with my Life I can do whatever I want.”  And He would continue His crafting to make me suffer.  May everything be for the glory of God, for the good of my soul, and for the salvation of all.

Then, afterwards, He added:  “My daughter (Luisa), the whole world is upside down, and everyone is awaiting changes, peace, new things.  They themselves gather to discuss about it, and are surprised at not being able to conclude anything and to come to serious decisions.  So, true peace does not arise, and everything resolves into words, but no facts.  And they hope that more conferences may serve to make serious decisions, but they wait in vain.  In the meantime, in this waiting, they are in fear, and some prepare themselves for new wars, some hope for new conquests.  But, with this, the peoples are impoverished, are stripped alive, and while they are waiting, tired of the sad present era, dark and bloody, which enwraps them, they wait and hope for a new era of peace and of light. 

The world is exactly at the same point as when I was about to come upon earth.  All were awaiting a great event, a new era, as indeed occurred.  The same now; since the great event, the new era in which the Will of God may be done on earth as It is in Heaven, is coming – everyone is awaiting this new era, tired of the present one, but without knowing what this new thing, this change is about, just as they did not know it when I came upon earth.  This expectation is a sure sign that the hour is near.  But the surest sign is that I am manifesting what I want to do, and that turning to a soul, just as I turned to my Mama in descending from Heaven to earth, I communicate to her my Will and the goods and effects It contains, to make of them a gift for the whole of humanity.

Our Lady of All Help

October 6: Our Lady of All Help, (1640)

This shrine of Our Lady dates back to the year 1640, although the statue had been in the same abbey for probably two centuries before any miraculous occurrence was noticed. As the statue was rather faded, it was not thought stylish enough to be displayed in the chapel. It was therefore placed under a staircase near the infirmary, where its most frequent visitor was the old lay sister who had charge of sweeping the corridor.

One day as the sister was busy about her work, the statue spoke to her and told her to hurry up to the infirmary because one of the sisters needed her right away. The sister the statue named was not one of the patients, but was actually the nurse who cared for them. The lay sister thought the nurse had seemed perfectly well a short time before, and saw no particular reason to think that she was in any danger of dying. Still, she went as she was told and found the nurse as she was dying. She had arrived just in time to summon the priest to administer the last rights to the dying nurse.

Shortly after this miracle became known, there was a second one just as remarkable. There was a community benefactor whose son was at death’s door with a high fever. Invoking Our Lady before this same statue the man saw his son instantly cured.

After this second incident the statue was moved into the chapel, and there were many miracles that followed. One miracle was worked in favor of a sister who had been terribly burned; she was instantly cured. A priest, falsely accused of a crime, was acquitted after special prayers to the “miracle lady.” The statue had had no name before this, but the parishioners decided now to call her Our Lady of All Help, Quick Help, or Our Lady of Good Remedy.

At the time of the French Revolution and during the accompanying Reign of Terror, the abbey was destroyed. A pious lady took the statue of Our Lady of All Help and safeguarded it until the trouble was over. After her death the statue was restored to the community. The statue of Our Lady of All Help has survived several wars since.

The statue itself is only about two feet tall. The Blessed Virgin Mary is crowned, and holds her Infant Son in one arm, and a scepter in the other.

There is a short and very lovely prayer which for centuries has been associated with this statue. It is, “Oh, Mother of All Help, say but one word in our behalf to Thy Divine Son, for he cannot refuse thee any favor. Amen.”

Post by Fr. Don Miller, OFM