154 Cited in Ahern, p. 52. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last Day carrying the scepter of Your Cross. After all, we know that as he suffered on the Cross, the God-Man knew and loved us each and all.203 But why? How can it be true friendship if were the only ones in need? Using the same 33-day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Thrse of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. I fainted from fright, and even though I know the depth of Gods mercy, I was surprised that God allows humanity to exist. It focuses on the twin and mutually complementary themes of love and luminosity- the core of Islamic mysticism. But Mary leads us and brings us to that source of grace, the Fountain of Mercy. It reveals that when we compare Gods infinite love for us with our own pitiful love for him, our love is really nothing. And as weve learned from St. Faustina, this image truly' is living and grace-filled.221 Moreover, when you display' it in your home in a place of honor where youll see it daily, it becomes a continual, concrete, physical reminder of die solemn invitation (offering) you and your family have made. 404-8). Still, in his loving mercy, the Lord waited until she was ready. Jesus also wants us to speak this word, fiat, after we present ourselves to him. DAY 6 Mary's Song of Faith Yesterday was a bit heavy and dark. 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat Companion is a six-week retreat and falls within Stage Three* of the Hearts Afire Program. Copyright 2002 by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road N.E. Consoling the Heart of Jesus Prayer Companion by Michael E. Gaitley, 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Divine Mercy Consecration, by Father Michael Gaitley, Murano Glass Bead Rosary Bracelet ZBLTMOSA, St. Michael Statue Cold-Cast Bronze Lightly Hand-Painted 10" SR-74997, 10" Cherry Holy Verse Cross, Our Father Prayer Pewter Plaque, 10" Cherry Holy Verse Cross, John 3:16 Pewter Plaque. But thats not what she teaches. She describes thefeeling: Ah! Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. It is then that He particularly deserves mercy from the people to whom He has done good, and He does not receive it . Prophets & Kings__1890__the Seventh Day Adventist Bible study. Its the Good News that Jesus didnt come for the righteous but for sinners. After all, she lived in the same convent as Therese. Of course, that may be hard to believe. (400 pages. ) Surely [we] know whether his father can love him as much as the other and treat him with the same indulgence (cited in ibid., pp. 83-4. Their extraordinary faith and hope is to believe in Gods promise of mercy and to hope that he will bring them to the heights of holiness, even if neither they nor anyone else sees it in this life. But it Mil be wonderful. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC Marian Joi presS STOCKBRIDGE MA 01263 2016 Copyright 2016 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. web pages 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy 2016930904, 9781596143456. Also, if you do get an Image of Divine Mercy', you may want to consider enthroning it in your home. Yet hes wrapped in swaddling clothes and resting in a poor manger? I say that because, during his homily for the dedication of the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow Lagiewniki, Poland, on August 17, 2002, the Pope entrusted the whole world to Divine Mercy and included a passage from the Diary of St. Faustina that speaks of the Lords final coming: Today, therefore, in this Shrine, I wish solemnly to entrust the world to Divine Mercy. Second, its clear from the obituary that Sr. Marie had fallen under the influence of Jansenism, as we can tell from some of her anxious last words: I dont have enough merits, I must acquire more of them.87 (Those words would have made an impression on the saint of the Little Way, who did not want to lay up merits for heaven but wanted to work for love alone.) For the next eight days (the Introduction and Week One St. Louis de Montfort), we'll begin our time with this Retreat Companion with the Angelus. Its that moment at Mass when, in spiritual union with the priest at the altar, all the baptized can hold up Christs perfect sacrifice of love to the Father as their own sacrifice. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You. In other words, its a setting of oneself apart for God for the purpose of becoming an instrument of his mercy through Mary, the Mother of Mercy. Using the same 33day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Therese of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness. Its like this. In her visions at Fatima, Our Lady asked (first) for the consecration of Russia to her. [I prove my love for God] by all the smallest things and doing them through love (Ibid., p. 196). Please make our home a place where your mercy can rest and where we, too, can find rest in your mercy. To me He has granted His infinite Mercy, and through it I contemplate and adore the other divine perfections! Second, too many people think its enough simply to be a good person. Well, its not enough! I feel that the Lord really7 wants it. It was clear to me that the Lord had spoken to Fr. In fact, I believe that it is in the context of the offering of the Mass that we can best understand the following words of St. Therese (especially draw me, we shall run) that reveal how she found a simple way of inter ceding for others: Since I have two brothers and my little Sisters, the novices, if I wanted to ask for each soul what each one needed and go into detail about it, the days would not be long enough and I fear I would forget something important. 56 Catechism, 1846. These are the ones who at least recognize their sins. Seraphims answer is very interesting. If you are feeling nothing, then good be happy! Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Michael Gaitley MIC this 33 Days to Morning Glory Group Retreat goes more deeply into understanding and living Marian consecration than the book alone. Its to trust that he will make us into great saints, even if we dont see it happening, even if we struggle with the same sins day after day, even if we have to wait for the grace of great holiness until the very end of our lives. Also, I cant help but think of his frightening words from the Book of Revelation: So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth (3:16). It reminds us of what went wrong and helps us recognize the path to making things right. Maybe its just the big way wrapped in a sugar-coated crust and a flowery rhetoric. And with that, Id get discouraged. [emailprotected] Yes. Therese so strongly' wanted to make this point about Gods great mercy that, even after shed lost the strength to write, she basically pleaded with Mother Agnes to conclude the thought for her. When we say, Let it be done to me, were allowing Gods Merciful Love to come pouring down into our weak, sinful souls. 22 Redemptoris Mater, 18. that the more You want togive, the more You make us desire. When we give it, look out! After all, it was the devil himself who said to St. John Vianney, If there were three upon earth like you, my kingdom would be destroyed.156 Just three! In fact, thats really the most amazing part: Jesus need is to show mercy and to save us. Michael Gaitley shows us the power of just such an offering to Merciful Love in the lives of the greatest saints of our time, methodically prepares us to follow their lead, and reveals what it can mean to us and the men and women of our time if and when we do. Moved by this merciful perspective, Therese comes up with a spiritual victimhood thats based on mercy not justice, on love and not fear, on tenderness and not severity. We find that part of Thereses teaching in her response to one of her novices, Sr. Marie of the Trinity, who was concerned about her chances of avoiding purgatory. Based on the book, 33 Days to Merciful Love, by Fr. Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity! 71-83. The bold petition is remarkable: Therese asks the Lord not only to take away her freedom to sin but to cleanse her from the stain of any fails as they happen. Now, compassion means to suffer with, and such suffer ing, by its very nature, is other-directed. Then, beginning tomorrow, well spend one foil week in an Advent-like time of hope-filled darkness before reviewing everything weve learned and then actually' making the Offering. Because Mary is the New Eve.26 As we learned on Day 1, die old Eve brought about the wound of original sin, a wound that causes us to have a distorted image of God, a wound that causes us to doubt Gods goodness, a wound that causes us to tend to hide from God. See also The Power of Confi dence, pp. That is the greatest light of faidi, which shines amid die deepest darkness. 148 Story of a Soul, pp. The fifth day (day 33 of the preparation) is reserved for reviewing the prayer of consecration that will be recited the following day, the Marian Feast, the "34th" day. Its to ignore the thieves of hope and to believe in Gods promise of mercy. Then if this child asks his father to punish him with a kiss, I doubt that the heart of the happy father will be able to resist the childlike confidence of his son, of whose sin cerity he is sure. These exercises and routines will help you shape yourself the, Acclaim for 33 Days to Merciful Love Within the pages of 33 Days to Merciful Love lies an earthshattering insight, certifying its place among the most important books of our generation. Through our suffering, lovingly united with Christs, we can obtain for people the grace to accept lais gift of salvation. Based on the book, 33 Days to Merciful Love, by Fr. Bless us with your mercy when we leave our home and bless us again when we return. Its also something that gets to the heart of who were called to be. To put it differently, Therese teaches us that when we clearly see the reality of Gods passionate love for us, it makes us realize we cant compete! May we not be afraid to pray, Lire, here I am, O Lord. May we not give in to the lie that says were ugly to the Lord. Customers who read this book also read. Oonagh Stransky, (New York: Random House, 2016), Pope Francis explains why God might allow someone to fall into sin: At times I have surprised myself by thinking that a tew very rigid people would do well to slip a little, so that they could remember that they are sinners and thus meet Jesus. 33 days to morning glory retreat companion pdf 33 Days to Merciful Love is the stirring sequel to the international sensation, 33 Days to Morning Glory. As long as I love Jesus, and He and Therese are pleased, nothing else matters to me (Cited in ibid,, p. 51). I dont see that we are advancing toward the summit of the mountain since our journey is being made underground, but it seems to me that we are approaching it without knowing how.154 Todays Prayer: Come. 26 That Mary is the New Eve is derived from Sacred Scripture, taught by the early Fathers of the Church, and faithfully held throughout the Tradition of the Church. It doesnt seem to make any sense, right? Here is the Son of God! If we can do that, then well be living in one single act of perfect love, like St. Therese and St. Faustina. She does not wait for the wounded to knock on her doors, she looks for them on the streets, she Endnotes 183 gathers them in, she embraces them, she takes care of them, she makes them feel loved. 152 For a powerful example of this sentiment, watch the YouTube video of Johnny Cashs rendition of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly. We stop feeling its rays. My first recommendation is to read books about mercy from people who have chosen the path of mercy, who have done the work of mercy, and who saw through the lens of mercy. M. Verda Clare, CSC (Chicago: Fides Publishers Association, 1953), p. 25. 44 Story of a Soul, p. 83. Naturally, notes of tolerance and 'Suleh-e-kul' (equal respect and peace for . No. In her Letter 197, she powerfully expresses this idea: [T]he weaker one is, without desires or virtues, the more suited one is for the workings of this consuming and transforming Love [B]ut we must consent to remain always poor and without strength, and this is die difficulty Ah! Great. 53-54,75, 81-83, 87. So whether you want to deepen your . I mean, she lived her contact with the truth about her Son in the darkness of faith, a faith that was linked with a sort ofnight of faith.17 In other words, her pilgrimage of faith came with a particular heaviness of heart,18 because it had to be lived under a kind of veil,19 a veil that prevented Mary (and Joseph) from fully WEEK ONE: What Is Trust? Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. There must be a path for little souls like her: a straight, short, and totally new way. So, whats a spiritual communion? Ah, yes. How could the world be blessed through a dead son? You, at least, come to Me 74 33 DAVS TO MERCIFUL LOVE as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. o o O O O xo o O u O O O bro bro bro o o O o O o 0 O O O o o O o u o o o . On top of that, she also felt rejected by God because of her sinfulness. So, her humility didnt rein in her desires for holiness. Michael Gaitlev, MIC. biv to Make the Invitation (Ottering). Oh, how beyond compre hension is Gods mercy! In order to live in one single act of perfect Love, 1 OFFER MYSELF AS A VICTIM OF HOLO CAUST TO YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE, asking You to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within You to overflow into my soul, and that thus I may become a martyr of Your Love, O my God! Is Your disdained Love going to remain closed up within Your Heart? I shared in the introduction that when I first learned about the Little Way, it filled me with hope that maybe even someone like me could become a saint. "download pdf 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Divine Mercy Consecration by Michael E. Gaitley on Kindle Full Edition. 255-283. In fact, she even sees Gods justice through the lens of mercy, a lens that transforms the harshness of divine Justice, as Sr. Marie of Jesus had put it, into a justice thats clothed in love." Wheres the call to recognize the darkness of our littleness? It just takes you and me and maybe one other person. Because while the sins of the world are finite, the mercy that flows from the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is infinite. He made me understand these words of the Canticle of Canticles: DRAW ME, WE SHALL RUN after you in the odor ofyour ointments (1:3). But Therese doesnt leave us hanging. And while Therese begins her Offering to Merciful Love by expressing her desire to become a saint, she wants to become one specifically to console the Heart ofJesus, who longs to make us holy through his Mercifiil Love. We follow that with a week focused on self-knowledge then a week focused on knowledge of Mary and finally a week focused on knowledge of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus, we the Family, offer ourselves to your Merciful Love and ask for the grace and mercy 172 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE that other families refuse. Rather, I mean its easy to bypass purgatory and go straight to heaven, like the saints do. Maybe we think Therese is being too indulgent. Now, may I ask you to pray for me, my community (The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception), and all the Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy? First, Therese Martin grew up in a France that was deeply affected by the Jansenist heresy, a heresy that teaches a joyless moral rigorism, emphasizing fear and justice, punishment and severity, judgment and condemnation. Lens of Mercy. And this firm belief stemmed from her insight into Gods amazing mercy. O my God! For, from the ecce moment, we eventually move to the fiat moment. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC' Provincial Superior The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province January 1, 2016 Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2016930904 ISBN: 978-1-59614-345-6 Layout and page design: Kathy Szpak St.Therese of Lisieux (1873-97) 1928 (w/c on paper), Maxence, Edgar (1871-1954) 2015 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York ZADAGP, Paris; Private Collection/Archives Charmet/Bridgcman Images. This becomes clear through her letters of the time. A: Pray for us. And this is the very definition of mercy, which the parable of the Good Samaritan seems to reveal most clearly: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. In other words, seeing the over whelming beauty' of Gods love, our souls will be so attracted to him that they wont be able to resist jumping into the embrace of his Merciful Love. Home. For example, a Carmelite nun (like St. Therese) makes religious vows so as to be set apart for God and to love and serve him through a life of contemplative prayer. To learn more about the Popes devotion and his white roses, see The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making ofa Radical Pope by Austen Ivereigh (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2014), pp. Why? *Groups can decide to go through the 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat Companion and the Divine Mercy in the Second Greatest Story series without going through Stages One and Two of the Hearts Afire Program. Well, if we can discover the secret to her littleness, then well discover the secret to her sanctity. That seems more like a pastoral or clinical relationship. Because Marys suffering at Cavalry was the suffering of compassion. But how do we console him? For instance, do you see the essence of the Offering reflected in the last main paragraph? In other words, because the ideal of poverty held such a high place in Francis conscience, his conscience would convict him of sin regarding things that probably wouldnt convict us. For instance, God had called Abraham (who was then named Abram) from lais home country: Go from your country and 30 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE your kindred and your fathers house to die land that I will show you. Michael Gaitley, MIC, 33 Days to Merciful Love. This book, like 33 Days to Morning Glory, is a 33-day do-it-yourself retreat in preparation for consecration thats based on heart-pondering prayer. (2) Keep trying to grow in holiness and do little things with great love. I desire, in a word, to be a saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God! Its the truth that God loves us, that God loves you, no matter what. Going back to the beginning, back to Day 1, we learned that sin comes from a lack of trust in Gods goodness, a lack of faith in God and his Word. I know that without Him, I could have fallen as low as St. Mary Magdalene.46 Thanks be to God, the Lord showed amazing mercy on this littlest of souls by actually preserving her ahead of time from a life of grave sin by removing the obstacles that would have caused her to fall.47 Now, Therese was painfully aware of all the weakness just described and more so dont even try to tell her that shes 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 50 not a little soul! 89 Story ofa Soul, p. 180. Were sinners who would die of terror if we fully realized our selfishness and sin. Its as if Jesus were saying to us, Would you please have mercy on my Heart by letting me save you, love you, and make you happy? Heres the full citation from John Paul on mercy as a bilateral reality' (which, again, applies even to God having mercy on us in Christ): We must also continually purify' all our actions and all our intentions in which mercy is understood and practiced in a unilateral way, as a good done to others. 138 Story ofa Soul, p. 259. After all, while hes joyfully reigning on high in his resurrected glory, I still have to trod along in this valley of tears. It was explicit in [the year] 2000, but it was something that had been maturing in [John Pauls] heart for some time. Ah! She had to stand and consent to the immolation of die victim.21 She had to remain there in faith, hoping against hope. 85 Cited in The Power of Confidence, p. 167. I know this because in my travels, when Ive given talks about the Offering, Ive often begun by asking, Who here has ever heard of the Offering to Merciful Love? Truth be told, Ive never seen more than about 5 percent of the people raise their hands. So, behold, O Lord, I come here to console you, even as you are about to die. This humble confidence consoles Jesus right at the moment he breathes his last. Remember that Gods Merciful Love is like water: It rushes to the lowest place and Therese knew this. And what does our heavenly mother do when she wins such hearts? 1 think its really important, Mike. And that experience set St. Thercse happily on fire with Merciful Love. So, imagine if at least three more of us lived the Offering to Merciful Love to the full! Father Mike, do we have a consecration to Divine Mercy? No. You can, then, in one instant prepare me to appear before You. 1 do so with the burning desire that the message of Gods merciful love, proclaimed here through Saint Faustina, may be made known to all the peo ples of the earth and fill their hearts with hope. Please forgive us our sins. So, what may seem to us like a hopeless case for instance, a person stuck in die cycle of addiction or someone with an insufferable temperament may in fact be a hidden saint, particularly loved by God because of their humility and unseen efforts.
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33 days to merciful love retreat companion pdf
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154 Cited in Ahern, p. 52. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last Day carrying the scepter of Your Cross. After all, we know that as he suffered on the Cross, the God-Man knew and loved us each and all.203 But why? How can it be true friendship if were the only ones in need? Using the same 33-day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Thrse of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. I fainted from fright, and even though I know the depth of Gods mercy, I was surprised that God allows humanity to exist. It focuses on the twin and mutually complementary themes of love and luminosity- the core of Islamic mysticism. But Mary leads us and brings us to that source of grace, the Fountain of Mercy. It reveals that when we compare Gods infinite love for us with our own pitiful love for him, our love is really nothing. And as weve learned from St. Faustina, this image truly' is living and grace-filled.221 Moreover, when you display' it in your home in a place of honor where youll see it daily, it becomes a continual, concrete, physical reminder of die solemn invitation (offering) you and your family have made. 404-8). Still, in his loving mercy, the Lord waited until she was ready. Jesus also wants us to speak this word, fiat, after we present ourselves to him. DAY 6 Mary's Song of Faith Yesterday was a bit heavy and dark. 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat Companion is a six-week retreat and falls within Stage Three* of the Hearts Afire Program. Copyright 2002 by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road N.E. Consoling the Heart of Jesus Prayer Companion by Michael E. Gaitley, 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Divine Mercy Consecration, by Father Michael Gaitley, Murano Glass Bead Rosary Bracelet ZBLTMOSA, St. Michael Statue Cold-Cast Bronze Lightly Hand-Painted 10" SR-74997, 10" Cherry Holy Verse Cross, Our Father Prayer Pewter Plaque, 10" Cherry Holy Verse Cross, John 3:16 Pewter Plaque. But thats not what she teaches. She describes thefeeling: Ah! Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. It is then that He particularly deserves mercy from the people to whom He has done good, and He does not receive it . Prophets & Kings__1890__the Seventh Day Adventist Bible study. Its the Good News that Jesus didnt come for the righteous but for sinners. After all, she lived in the same convent as Therese. Of course, that may be hard to believe. (400 pages. ) Surely [we] know whether his father can love him as much as the other and treat him with the same indulgence (cited in ibid., pp. 83-4. Their extraordinary faith and hope is to believe in Gods promise of mercy and to hope that he will bring them to the heights of holiness, even if neither they nor anyone else sees it in this life. But it Mil be wonderful. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC Marian Joi presS STOCKBRIDGE MA 01263 2016 Copyright 2016 Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. web pages 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy 2016930904, 9781596143456. Also, if you do get an Image of Divine Mercy', you may want to consider enthroning it in your home. Yet hes wrapped in swaddling clothes and resting in a poor manger? I say that because, during his homily for the dedication of the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow Lagiewniki, Poland, on August 17, 2002, the Pope entrusted the whole world to Divine Mercy and included a passage from the Diary of St. Faustina that speaks of the Lords final coming: Today, therefore, in this Shrine, I wish solemnly to entrust the world to Divine Mercy. Second, its clear from the obituary that Sr. Marie had fallen under the influence of Jansenism, as we can tell from some of her anxious last words: I dont have enough merits, I must acquire more of them.87 (Those words would have made an impression on the saint of the Little Way, who did not want to lay up merits for heaven but wanted to work for love alone.) For the next eight days (the Introduction and Week One St. Louis de Montfort), we'll begin our time with this Retreat Companion with the Angelus. Its that moment at Mass when, in spiritual union with the priest at the altar, all the baptized can hold up Christs perfect sacrifice of love to the Father as their own sacrifice. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You. In other words, its a setting of oneself apart for God for the purpose of becoming an instrument of his mercy through Mary, the Mother of Mercy. Using the same 33day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Therese of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness. Its like this. In her visions at Fatima, Our Lady asked (first) for the consecration of Russia to her. [I prove my love for God] by all the smallest things and doing them through love (Ibid., p. 196). Please make our home a place where your mercy can rest and where we, too, can find rest in your mercy. To me He has granted His infinite Mercy, and through it I contemplate and adore the other divine perfections! Second, too many people think its enough simply to be a good person. Well, its not enough! I feel that the Lord really7 wants it. It was clear to me that the Lord had spoken to Fr. In fact, I believe that it is in the context of the offering of the Mass that we can best understand the following words of St. Therese (especially draw me, we shall run) that reveal how she found a simple way of inter ceding for others: Since I have two brothers and my little Sisters, the novices, if I wanted to ask for each soul what each one needed and go into detail about it, the days would not be long enough and I fear I would forget something important. 56 Catechism, 1846. These are the ones who at least recognize their sins. Seraphims answer is very interesting. If you are feeling nothing, then good be happy! Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Michael Gaitley MIC this 33 Days to Morning Glory Group Retreat goes more deeply into understanding and living Marian consecration than the book alone. Its to trust that he will make us into great saints, even if we dont see it happening, even if we struggle with the same sins day after day, even if we have to wait for the grace of great holiness until the very end of our lives. Also, I cant help but think of his frightening words from the Book of Revelation: So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of my mouth (3:16). It reminds us of what went wrong and helps us recognize the path to making things right. Maybe its just the big way wrapped in a sugar-coated crust and a flowery rhetoric. And with that, Id get discouraged. [emailprotected] Yes. Therese so strongly' wanted to make this point about Gods great mercy that, even after shed lost the strength to write, she basically pleaded with Mother Agnes to conclude the thought for her. When we say, Let it be done to me, were allowing Gods Merciful Love to come pouring down into our weak, sinful souls. 22 Redemptoris Mater, 18. that the more You want togive, the more You make us desire. When we give it, look out! After all, it was the devil himself who said to St. John Vianney, If there were three upon earth like you, my kingdom would be destroyed.156 Just three! In fact, thats really the most amazing part: Jesus need is to show mercy and to save us. Michael Gaitley shows us the power of just such an offering to Merciful Love in the lives of the greatest saints of our time, methodically prepares us to follow their lead, and reveals what it can mean to us and the men and women of our time if and when we do. Moved by this merciful perspective, Therese comes up with a spiritual victimhood thats based on mercy not justice, on love and not fear, on tenderness and not severity. We find that part of Thereses teaching in her response to one of her novices, Sr. Marie of the Trinity, who was concerned about her chances of avoiding purgatory. Based on the book, 33 Days to Merciful Love, by Fr. Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity! 71-83. The bold petition is remarkable: Therese asks the Lord not only to take away her freedom to sin but to cleanse her from the stain of any fails as they happen. Now, compassion means to suffer with, and such suffer ing, by its very nature, is other-directed. Then, beginning tomorrow, well spend one foil week in an Advent-like time of hope-filled darkness before reviewing everything weve learned and then actually' making the Offering. Because Mary is the New Eve.26 As we learned on Day 1, die old Eve brought about the wound of original sin, a wound that causes us to have a distorted image of God, a wound that causes us to doubt Gods goodness, a wound that causes us to tend to hide from God. See also The Power of Confi dence, pp. That is the greatest light of faidi, which shines amid die deepest darkness. 148 Story of a Soul, pp. The fifth day (day 33 of the preparation) is reserved for reviewing the prayer of consecration that will be recited the following day, the Marian Feast, the "34th" day. Its to ignore the thieves of hope and to believe in Gods promise of mercy. Then if this child asks his father to punish him with a kiss, I doubt that the heart of the happy father will be able to resist the childlike confidence of his son, of whose sin cerity he is sure. These exercises and routines will help you shape yourself the, Acclaim for 33 Days to Merciful Love Within the pages of 33 Days to Merciful Love lies an earthshattering insight, certifying its place among the most important books of our generation. Through our suffering, lovingly united with Christs, we can obtain for people the grace to accept lais gift of salvation. Based on the book, 33 Days to Merciful Love, by Fr. Bless us with your mercy when we leave our home and bless us again when we return. Its also something that gets to the heart of who were called to be. To put it differently, Therese teaches us that when we clearly see the reality of Gods passionate love for us, it makes us realize we cant compete! May we not be afraid to pray, Lire, here I am, O Lord. May we not give in to the lie that says were ugly to the Lord. Customers who read this book also read. Oonagh Stransky, (New York: Random House, 2016), Pope Francis explains why God might allow someone to fall into sin: At times I have surprised myself by thinking that a tew very rigid people would do well to slip a little, so that they could remember that they are sinners and thus meet Jesus. 33 days to morning glory retreat companion pdf 33 Days to Merciful Love is the stirring sequel to the international sensation, 33 Days to Morning Glory. As long as I love Jesus, and He and Therese are pleased, nothing else matters to me (Cited in ibid,, p. 51). I dont see that we are advancing toward the summit of the mountain since our journey is being made underground, but it seems to me that we are approaching it without knowing how.154 Todays Prayer: Come. 26 That Mary is the New Eve is derived from Sacred Scripture, taught by the early Fathers of the Church, and faithfully held throughout the Tradition of the Church. It doesnt seem to make any sense, right? Here is the Son of God! If we can do that, then well be living in one single act of perfect love, like St. Therese and St. Faustina. She does not wait for the wounded to knock on her doors, she looks for them on the streets, she Endnotes 183 gathers them in, she embraces them, she takes care of them, she makes them feel loved. 152 For a powerful example of this sentiment, watch the YouTube video of Johnny Cashs rendition of Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly. We stop feeling its rays. My first recommendation is to read books about mercy from people who have chosen the path of mercy, who have done the work of mercy, and who saw through the lens of mercy. M. Verda Clare, CSC (Chicago: Fides Publishers Association, 1953), p. 25. 44 Story of a Soul, p. 83. Naturally, notes of tolerance and 'Suleh-e-kul' (equal respect and peace for . No. In her Letter 197, she powerfully expresses this idea: [T]he weaker one is, without desires or virtues, the more suited one is for the workings of this consuming and transforming Love [B]ut we must consent to remain always poor and without strength, and this is die difficulty Ah! Great. 53-54,75, 81-83, 87. So whether you want to deepen your . I mean, she lived her contact with the truth about her Son in the darkness of faith, a faith that was linked with a sort ofnight of faith.17 In other words, her pilgrimage of faith came with a particular heaviness of heart,18 because it had to be lived under a kind of veil,19 a veil that prevented Mary (and Joseph) from fully WEEK ONE: What Is Trust? Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. There must be a path for little souls like her: a straight, short, and totally new way. So, whats a spiritual communion? Ah, yes. How could the world be blessed through a dead son? You, at least, come to Me 74 33 DAVS TO MERCIFUL LOVE as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. o o O O O xo o O u O O O bro bro bro o o O o O o 0 O O O o o O o u o o o . On top of that, she also felt rejected by God because of her sinfulness. So, her humility didnt rein in her desires for holiness. Michael Gaitlev, MIC. biv to Make the Invitation (Ottering). Oh, how beyond compre hension is Gods mercy! In order to live in one single act of perfect Love, 1 OFFER MYSELF AS A VICTIM OF HOLO CAUST TO YOUR MERCIFUL LOVE, asking You to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within You to overflow into my soul, and that thus I may become a martyr of Your Love, O my God! Is Your disdained Love going to remain closed up within Your Heart? I shared in the introduction that when I first learned about the Little Way, it filled me with hope that maybe even someone like me could become a saint. "download pdf 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Divine Mercy Consecration by Michael E. Gaitley on Kindle Full Edition. 255-283. In fact, she even sees Gods justice through the lens of mercy, a lens that transforms the harshness of divine Justice, as Sr. Marie of Jesus had put it, into a justice thats clothed in love." Wheres the call to recognize the darkness of our littleness? It just takes you and me and maybe one other person. Because while the sins of the world are finite, the mercy that flows from the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross is infinite. He made me understand these words of the Canticle of Canticles: DRAW ME, WE SHALL RUN after you in the odor ofyour ointments (1:3). But Therese doesnt leave us hanging. And while Therese begins her Offering to Merciful Love by expressing her desire to become a saint, she wants to become one specifically to console the Heart ofJesus, who longs to make us holy through his Mercifiil Love. We follow that with a week focused on self-knowledge then a week focused on knowledge of Mary and finally a week focused on knowledge of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus, we the Family, offer ourselves to your Merciful Love and ask for the grace and mercy 172 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE that other families refuse. Rather, I mean its easy to bypass purgatory and go straight to heaven, like the saints do. Maybe we think Therese is being too indulgent. Now, may I ask you to pray for me, my community (The Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception), and all the Marian Missionaries of Divine Mercy? First, Therese Martin grew up in a France that was deeply affected by the Jansenist heresy, a heresy that teaches a joyless moral rigorism, emphasizing fear and justice, punishment and severity, judgment and condemnation. Lens of Mercy. And this firm belief stemmed from her insight into Gods amazing mercy. O my God! For, from the ecce moment, we eventually move to the fiat moment. Kazimierz Chwalek, MIC' Provincial Superior The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy Province January 1, 2016 Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2016930904 ISBN: 978-1-59614-345-6 Layout and page design: Kathy Szpak St.Therese of Lisieux (1873-97) 1928 (w/c on paper), Maxence, Edgar (1871-1954) 2015 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York ZADAGP, Paris; Private Collection/Archives Charmet/Bridgcman Images. This becomes clear through her letters of the time. A: Pray for us. And this is the very definition of mercy, which the parable of the Good Samaritan seems to reveal most clearly: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. In other words, seeing the over whelming beauty' of Gods love, our souls will be so attracted to him that they wont be able to resist jumping into the embrace of his Merciful Love. Home. For example, a Carmelite nun (like St. Therese) makes religious vows so as to be set apart for God and to love and serve him through a life of contemplative prayer. To learn more about the Popes devotion and his white roses, see The Great Reformer: Francis and the Making ofa Radical Pope by Austen Ivereigh (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2014), pp. Why? *Groups can decide to go through the 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat Companion and the Divine Mercy in the Second Greatest Story series without going through Stages One and Two of the Hearts Afire Program. Well, if we can discover the secret to her littleness, then well discover the secret to her sanctity. That seems more like a pastoral or clinical relationship. Because Marys suffering at Cavalry was the suffering of compassion. But how do we console him? For instance, do you see the essence of the Offering reflected in the last main paragraph? In other words, because the ideal of poverty held such a high place in Francis conscience, his conscience would convict him of sin regarding things that probably wouldnt convict us. For instance, God had called Abraham (who was then named Abram) from lais home country: Go from your country and 30 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE your kindred and your fathers house to die land that I will show you. Michael Gaitley, MIC, 33 Days to Merciful Love. This book, like 33 Days to Morning Glory, is a 33-day do-it-yourself retreat in preparation for consecration thats based on heart-pondering prayer. (2) Keep trying to grow in holiness and do little things with great love. I desire, in a word, to be a saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God! Its the truth that God loves us, that God loves you, no matter what. Going back to the beginning, back to Day 1, we learned that sin comes from a lack of trust in Gods goodness, a lack of faith in God and his Word. I know that without Him, I could have fallen as low as St. Mary Magdalene.46 Thanks be to God, the Lord showed amazing mercy on this littlest of souls by actually preserving her ahead of time from a life of grave sin by removing the obstacles that would have caused her to fall.47 Now, Therese was painfully aware of all the weakness just described and more so dont even try to tell her that shes 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 50 not a little soul! 89 Story ofa Soul, p. 180. Were sinners who would die of terror if we fully realized our selfishness and sin. Its as if Jesus were saying to us, Would you please have mercy on my Heart by letting me save you, love you, and make you happy? Heres the full citation from John Paul on mercy as a bilateral reality' (which, again, applies even to God having mercy on us in Christ): We must also continually purify' all our actions and all our intentions in which mercy is understood and practiced in a unilateral way, as a good done to others. 138 Story ofa Soul, p. 259. After all, while hes joyfully reigning on high in his resurrected glory, I still have to trod along in this valley of tears. It was explicit in [the year] 2000, but it was something that had been maturing in [John Pauls] heart for some time. Ah! She had to stand and consent to the immolation of die victim.21 She had to remain there in faith, hoping against hope. 85 Cited in The Power of Confidence, p. 167. I know this because in my travels, when Ive given talks about the Offering, Ive often begun by asking, Who here has ever heard of the Offering to Merciful Love? Truth be told, Ive never seen more than about 5 percent of the people raise their hands. So, behold, O Lord, I come here to console you, even as you are about to die. This humble confidence consoles Jesus right at the moment he breathes his last. Remember that Gods Merciful Love is like water: It rushes to the lowest place and Therese knew this. And what does our heavenly mother do when she wins such hearts? 1 think its really important, Mike. And that experience set St. Thercse happily on fire with Merciful Love. So, imagine if at least three more of us lived the Offering to Merciful Love to the full! Father Mike, do we have a consecration to Divine Mercy? No. You can, then, in one instant prepare me to appear before You. 1 do so with the burning desire that the message of Gods merciful love, proclaimed here through Saint Faustina, may be made known to all the peo ples of the earth and fill their hearts with hope. Please forgive us our sins. So, what may seem to us like a hopeless case for instance, a person stuck in die cycle of addiction or someone with an insufferable temperament may in fact be a hidden saint, particularly loved by God because of their humility and unseen efforts.
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