Resurrection, Acts 10:34-43, Psalms 118, John 20:1-9, Pope Francis's Easter Urbi et Orbi, Hymn of the Week - Pange Lingua Glorioso, Our Lady of Medjugorje's Monthly Message, Easter, The Hour of Divine Mercy, Divine Mercy Novena, Mystical City of God Book 6 Chapter 9-11 The Resurrection, Catholic Catechism - Part Three - The Life of the Christ - Article 3 Mans Freedom, RECHARGE: Heaven Speaks to Young Adults
JESUS I TRUST IN YOU (Year of Mercy). "Always Trust in Jesus, He the beacon of light amongst the darkest clouds" ~ Zarya Parx 2016
JESUS I TRUST IN YOU (Year of Mercy). "Always Trust in Jesus, He the beacon of light amongst the darkest clouds" ~ Zarya Parx 2016
"Where There is a Will, With God, There is a Way", "There is always a ray of sunshine amongst the darkest Clouds, the name of that ray is Jesus" ~ Zarya Parx 2014
The world begins and ends everyday for someone. We are all human. We all experience birth, life and death. We all have flaws but we also all have the gift of knowledge, reason and free will, make the most of these gifts. Life on earth is a stepping stone to our eternal home in Heaven. The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, wonder and awe (fear of the Lord) , counsel, knowledge, fortitude, and piety (reverence) and shun the seven Deadly sins: wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony...Its your choice whether to embrace the Gifts of the Holy Spirit rising towards eternal light or succumb to the Seven deadly sins and lost to eternal darkness. Material items, though needed for sustenance and survival on earth are of earthly value only. The only thing that passes from this earth to the Darkness, Purgatory or Heaven is our Soul...it's God's perpetual gift to us...Embrace it, treasure it, nurture it, protect it...~ Zarya Parx 2013
"Raise not a hand to another unless it is to offer in peace and goodwill." ~ Zarya Parx 2012
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2016 - YEAR OF MERCY
Pope Francis has declared an Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. This Holy Year of Mercy began December 8, 2015, the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 50th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council. It will close November 20, 2016, the Feast of Christ the King. This year’s motto is “Merciful Like the Father.”
Sometimes, when we think of the word mercy, we picture someone throwing themselves on their knees before a cruel villain, pleading to be spared some punishment. This is not our understanding of God’s mercy. We do not ask for God’s mercy because we are afraid of incurring his wrath as punishment for our sins. Rather, when we call on God to have mercy, we are calling on God in the only way we know him—as one who responds with compassion to those in need. When we show mercy to others, we are responding as God responds, with compassion.
Liturgical Cycle: C - Gospel of Luke - Easter
Daily Rosary
(MON, SAT) - Joyful Mysteries
(TUES, FRI) - Sorrowful Mysteries
(WED,SUN) - Glorious Mysteries
(THURS) - Luminous Mysteries
(MON, SAT) - Joyful Mysteries
(TUES, FRI) - Sorrowful Mysteries
(WED,SUN) - Glorious Mysteries
(THURS) - Luminous Mysteries
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Hymn of the Week
Contents
**Copyright Disclaimer - Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research under the term "fair use", which is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, and personal use also tips the balance in favor of fair use.
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Our Lady of Medjugorje Monthly Messages
March 25, 2016 message from our Lady of Medjugorje:
“Dear children! Today I am carrying my love to you. God permitted me to love you and, out of love, to call you to conversion. You, little children, are poor in love and you still have not comprehended that my Son Jesus, out of love, gave His life to save you and to give you eternal life. Therefore pray, little children, pray so that in prayer you may comprehend God‘s love. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“Dear children! Today I am carrying my love to you. God permitted me to love you and, out of love, to call you to conversion. You, little children, are poor in love and you still have not comprehended that my Son Jesus, out of love, gave His life to save you and to give you eternal life. Therefore pray, little children, pray so that in prayer you may comprehend God‘s love. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
March 18, 2016 message from our Lady of Medjugorje:
Dear children,
With a motherly heart filled with love for you, my children, I desire to teach you complete trust in God the Father. I desire for you to learn by an internal gaze and internal listening to follow God's will. I desire for you to learn to boundlessly trust in His mercy and His love, as I always trusted. Therefore, my children, cleanse your hearts. Free yourselves from everything that binds you to only what is earthly and permit what is of God to form your life by your prayer and sacrifice—so that God´s Kingdom may be in your heart; that you may begin to live proceeding from God the Father; that you may always strive to walk with my Son. But for all of this, my children, you must be poor in spirit and filled with love and mercy. You must have pure and simple hearts and always be ready to serve. My children, listen to me, I speak for your salvation. Thank you. ~ Blessed Mother Mary
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Papam Franciscus
(Pope Francis)
Pope Francis Catechesis:
March 27, 2016
MESSAGE
OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
EASTER URBU ET ORBI 2016
OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS
EASTER URBU ET ORBI 2016
Vatican City, 27 March 2016 (VIS) –
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever” (Ps 135:1)
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter!
Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God’s mercy, out of love for us, died on the cross, and out of love he rose again from the dead. That is why we proclaim today: Jesus is Lord!
His resurrection fulfils the prophecy of the Psalm: God’s mercy endures for ever; it never dies. We can trust him completely, and we thank him because for our sake he descended into the depths of the abyss.
Before the spiritual and moral abysses of mankind, before the chasms that open up in hearts and provoke hatred and death, only an infinite mercy can bring us salvation. Only God can fill those chasms with his love, prevent us from falling into them and help us to continue our journey together towards the land of freedom and life.
The glorious Easter message, that Jesus, who was crucified is not here but risen (cf. Mt 28:5-6), offers us the comforting assurance that the abyss of death has been bridged and, with it, all mourning, lamentation and pain (cf. Rev 21:4). The Lord, who suffered abandonment by his disciples, the burden of an unjust condemnation and shame of an ignominious death, now makes us sharers of his immortal life and enables us to see with his eyes of love and compassion those who hunger and thirst, strangers and prisoners, the marginalized and the outcast, the victims of oppression and violence. Our world is full of persons suffering in body and spirit, even as the daily news is full of stories of brutal crimes which often take place within homes, and large-scale armed conflicts which cause indescribable suffering to entire peoples.
The risen Christ points out paths of hope to beloved Syria, a country torn by a lengthy conflict, with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord. To the power of the risen Lord we entrust the talks now in course, that good will and the cooperation of all will bear fruit in peace and initiate the building of a fraternal society respectful of the dignity and rights of each citizen. May the message of life, proclaimed by the Angel beside the overturned stone of the tomb, overcome hardened hearts and promote a fruitful encounter of peoples and cultures in other areas of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, Yemen and Libya. May the image of the new man, shining on the face of Christ, favour concord between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, as well as patience, openness and daily commitment to laying the foundations of a just and lasting peace through direct and sincere negotiations. May the Lord of life also accompany efforts to attain a definitive solution to the war in Ukraine, inspiring and sustaining initiatives of humanitarian aid, including the liberation of those who are detained.
The Lord Jesus, our peace (Eph 2:14), by his resurrection triumphed over evil and sin. May he draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world, as in the recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire. May he water the seeds of hope and prospects for peace in Africa; I think in particular of Burundi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, marked by political and social tensions.
With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death. His son Jesus is the door of mercy wide open to all. May his Easter message be felt ever more powerfully by the beloved people of Venezuela in the difficult conditions which they are experiencing, and by those responsible for the country’s future, that everyone may work for the common good, seeking spaces of dialogue and cooperation with all. May efforts be made everywhere to promote the culture of counter, justice and reciprocal respect, which alone can guarantee the spiritual and material welfare of all people.
The Easter message of the risen Christ, a message of life for all humanity, echoes down the ages and invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees – including many children – fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice. All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance. May the forthcoming World Humanitarian Summit not fail to be centred on the human person and his or her dignity, and to come up with policies capable of assisting and protecting the victims of conflicts and other emergencies, especially those who are most vulnerable and all those persecuted for ethnic and religious reasons.
On this glorious day, “let the earth rejoice, in shining splendour” (cf. Easter Proclamation), even though it is so often mistreated and greedily exploited, resulting in an alteration of natural equilibria. I think especially of those areas affected by climate change, which not infrequently causes drought or violent flooding, which then lead to food crises in different parts of the world.
Along with our brothers and sisters persecuted for their faith and their fidelity to the name of Christ, and before the evil that seems to have the upper hand in the life of so many people, let us hear once again the comforting words of the Lord: “Take courage; I have conquered the world! (Jn 16:33). Today is the radiant day of this victory, for Christ has trampled death and destruction underfoot. By his resurrection he has brought life and immortality to light (cf. 2 Tim 1:10). “He has made us pass from enslavement to freedom, from sadness to joy, from mourning to jubilation, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption. Therefore let us acclaim in his presence: Alleluia!” (Melito of Sardis, Easter Homily).
To those in our society who have lost all hope and joy in life, to the elderly who struggle alone and feel their strength waning, to young people who seem to have no future, to all I once more address the words of the Risen One: “See, I am making all things new… To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life” (Rev 21:5-6). May this comforting message of Jesus help each of us to set out anew with greater courage to blaze trails of reconciliation with God and with all our brothers and sisters.
(2016-03-27 Vatican Radio) “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever” (Ps 135:1)
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Happy Easter!
Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God’s mercy, out of love for us, died on the cross, and out of love he rose again from the dead. That is why we proclaim today: Jesus is Lord!
His resurrection fulfils the prophecy of the Psalm: God’s mercy endures for ever; it never dies. We can trust him completely, and we thank him because for our sake he descended into the depths of the abyss.
Before the spiritual and moral abysses of mankind, before the chasms that open up in hearts and provoke hatred and death, only an infinite mercy can bring us salvation. Only God can fill those chasms with his love, prevent us from falling into them and help us to continue our journey together towards the land of freedom and life.
The glorious Easter message, that Jesus, who was crucified is not here but risen (cf. Mt 28:5-6), offers us the comforting assurance that the abyss of death has been bridged and, with it, all mourning, lamentation and pain (cf. Rev 21:4). The Lord, who suffered abandonment by his disciples, the burden of an unjust condemnation and shame of an ignominious death, now makes us sharers of his immortal life and enables us to see with his eyes of love and compassion those who hunger and thirst, strangers and prisoners, the marginalized and the outcast, the victims of oppression and violence. Our world is full of persons suffering in body and spirit, even as the daily news is full of stories of brutal crimes which often take place within homes, and large-scale armed conflicts which cause indescribable suffering to entire peoples.
The risen Christ points out paths of hope to beloved Syria, a country torn by a lengthy conflict, with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord. To the power of the risen Lord we entrust the talks now in course, that good will and the cooperation of all will bear fruit in peace and initiate the building of a fraternal society respectful of the dignity and rights of each citizen. May the message of life, proclaimed by the Angel beside the overturned stone of the tomb, overcome hardened hearts and promote a fruitful encounter of peoples and cultures in other areas of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, Yemen and Libya. May the image of the new man, shining on the face of Christ, favour concord between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, as well as patience, openness and daily commitment to laying the foundations of a just and lasting peace through direct and sincere negotiations. May the Lord of life also accompany efforts to attain a definitive solution to the war in Ukraine, inspiring and sustaining initiatives of humanitarian aid, including the liberation of those who are detained.
The Lord Jesus, our peace (Eph 2:14), by his resurrection triumphed over evil and sin. May he draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world, as in the recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Côte d’Ivoire. May he water the seeds of hope and prospects for peace in Africa; I think in particular of Burundi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, marked by political and social tensions.
With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death. His son Jesus is the door of mercy wide open to all. May his Easter message be felt ever more powerfully by the beloved people of Venezuela in the difficult conditions which they are experiencing, and by those responsible for the country’s future, that everyone may work for the common good, seeking spaces of dialogue and cooperation with all. May efforts be made everywhere to promote the culture of counter, justice and reciprocal respect, which alone can guarantee the spiritual and material welfare of all people.
The Easter message of the risen Christ, a message of life for all humanity, echoes down the ages and invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees – including many children – fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice. All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance. May the forthcoming World Humanitarian Summit not fail to be centred on the human person and his or her dignity, and to come up with policies capable of assisting and protecting the victims of conflicts and other emergencies, especially those who are most vulnerable and all those persecuted for ethnic and religious reasons.
On this glorious day, “let the earth rejoice, in shining splendour” (cf. Easter Proclamation), even though it is so often mistreated and greedily exploited, resulting in an alteration of natural equilibria. I think especially of those areas affected by climate change, which not infrequently causes drought or violent flooding, which then lead to food crises in different parts of the world.
Along with our brothers and sisters persecuted for their faith and their fidelity to the name of Christ, and before the evil that seems to have the upper hand in the life of so many people, let us hear once again the comforting words of the Lord: “Take courage; I have conquered the world! (Jn 16:33). Today is the radiant day of this victory, for Christ has trampled death and destruction underfoot. By his resurrection he has brought life and immortality to light (cf. 2 Tim 1:10). “He has made us pass from enslavement to freedom, from sadness to joy, from mourning to jubilation, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption. Therefore let us acclaim in his presence: Alleluia!” (Melito of Sardis, Easter Homily).
To those in our society who have lost all hope and joy in life, to the elderly who struggle alone and feel their strength waning, to young people who seem to have no future, to all I once more address the words of the Risen One: “See, I am making all things new… To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life” (Rev 21:5-6). May this comforting message of Jesus help each of us to set out anew with greater courage to blaze trails of reconciliation with God and with all our brothers and sisters.
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2016 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed - 03/27/2016
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Monthly Intentions by Pope Francis: 2016
Vatican City, Winter 2016 (VIS)
The following is the English text of the intentions – both universal and for evangelization – that, as is customary, the Pope entrusted to the Apostleship of Prayer for 2016.
February 2016
Universal: Care for Creation - That we may take good care of the gift of creation and our biosphere cultivating and protecting it for future generations.
Evangelization: Asia - That opportunities may increase for dialogue and encounter between the Christian faith and the peoples of Asia.
Reference:
- Vatican News. From the Pope. © Copyright 2016 - Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Accessed 2/28/2016.
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resurrection res·ur·rec·tion [rez-uh-rek-shuh
n]
Origin: 1250–1300; Middle English (< Old French ) < Latin resurrēctiōn- (stem of resurrēctiō ) the Easter church-festival, equivalent to resurrēct ( us ) (past participle of resurgere to rise again; see resurge) + -iōn- -ion
noun
1. the act of rising from the dead.
2. ( initial capital letter ) the rising of Christ after His death and burial.
3. ( initial capital letter ) the rising of the dead on Judgment Day.
4. the state of those risen from the dead.
5. a rising again, as from decay, disuse, etc.; revival.
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Today's Old Testament Reading - Psalms 118:1-2, 16-17, 22-23
1 Alleluia! Give thanks to Yahweh for he is good, for his faithful love endures for ever.2 Let the House of Israel say, 'His faithful love endures for ever.'
16 Yahweh's right hand is victorious, Yahweh's right hand is triumphant!'
17 I shall not die, I shall live to recount the great deeds of Yahweh.
22 The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
23 This is Yahweh's doing, and we marvel at it.
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Today's Epistle - Acts 10:34, 37-43
34 Then Peter addressed them, 'I now really understand', he said, 'that God has no favourites,37 You know what happened all over Judaea, how Jesus of Nazareth began in Galilee, after John had been preaching baptism.
38 God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, Jesus went about doing good and curing all who had fallen into the power of the devil.
39 Now we are witnesses to everything he did throughout the countryside of Judaea and in Jerusalem itself: and they killed him by hanging him on a tree,
40 yet on the third day God raised him to life and allowed him to be seen,
41 not by the whole people but only by certain witnesses that God had chosen beforehand. Now we are those witnesses -- we have eaten and drunk with him after his resurrection from the dead-
42 and he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people and to bear witness that God has appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead.
43 It is to him that all the prophets bear this witness: that all who believe in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name.'
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Today's Gospel Reading - John 20, 1-9
To see in the night and believe for love
John 20, 1-9
John 20, 1-9
1. Let us invoke the Holy Spirit
Lord Jesus Christ, today your light
shines in us, source of life and joy. Send the Spirit of love and
truth, so that, like Mary Magdalene, Peter and John, we too may
discover and interpret in the light of the Word, the signs of your
divine presence in our world. May we welcome these signs in faith that
we may always live in the joy of your presence among us, even when all
seems to be shrouded in the darkness of sadness and evil.
2. The Gospel
a) A key to the reading:
For John, the Evangelist, the
resurrection of Jesus is the decisive moment in the process of his
glorification, indissolubly linked with the first phase of this
glorification, namely his passion and death.
The event of the resurrection is not described in the spectacular and apocalyptic details of the synoptic Gospels. For John, the life of the Risen One is a reality that asserts itself silently, in the discreet and irresistible power of the Spirit.
The fact of the faith of the disciples is announced, "While it was still dark" and begins through the vision of the material signs that recall the Word of God. Jesus is the great protagonist of the story, but he does not appear personally.
The event of the resurrection is not described in the spectacular and apocalyptic details of the synoptic Gospels. For John, the life of the Risen One is a reality that asserts itself silently, in the discreet and irresistible power of the Spirit.
The fact of the faith of the disciples is announced, "While it was still dark" and begins through the vision of the material signs that recall the Word of God. Jesus is the great protagonist of the story, but he does not appear personally.
b) The text:
1
Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb
early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken
away from the tomb.
2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head , not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."
3 Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. 4 They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; 5 and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, 7 and the napkin, which had been on his head , not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.
8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; 9 for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.
c) A subdivision of the text for a better understanding:
Verse 1: introduction and events prior to the description of the situation;
Verse 2: Mary’s reaction and the first announcement of the newly discovered fact;
Verses 3-5: the immediate reaction of the disciples and the interaction among them.
Verses 6-7: verification of the event announced by Mary;
Verses 8-9: the faith of the other disciple and its relationship with the Sacred Scriptures.
Verse 2: Mary’s reaction and the first announcement of the newly discovered fact;
Verses 3-5: the immediate reaction of the disciples and the interaction among them.
Verses 6-7: verification of the event announced by Mary;
Verses 8-9: the faith of the other disciple and its relationship with the Sacred Scriptures.
3. A moment of interior and exterior silence
to open our hearts and make room within for the Word of God:
- A slow re-reading the whole passage;
- I too am in the garden: the empty sepulchre is before my eyes;
- I allow Mary Magdalene’s words to echo within me;
- I too run with her, Peter and the other disciple;
- I allow myself to be immersed in the joyful wonder of the faith in Jesus Christ, even though, like them, I do not see him with my bodily eyes.
- A slow re-reading the whole passage;
- I too am in the garden: the empty sepulchre is before my eyes;
- I allow Mary Magdalene’s words to echo within me;
- I too run with her, Peter and the other disciple;
- I allow myself to be immersed in the joyful wonder of the faith in Jesus Christ, even though, like them, I do not see him with my bodily eyes.
4. The gift of the Word to us
* Chapter 20 in John: this is
quite a fragmented text where it is clear that the editor has
intervened several times to put the stress on some themes and to unify
the various texts received previously from preceding sources, at least
three sources.
* The day after the Sabbath: it
is "the first day of the week" and, in Christian circles, inherits the
sacredness of the Jewish Sabbath. For Christians it is the first day
of the new week, the beginning of the new time, the memorial day of the
resurrection called "the day of the Lord" (dies Domini). Here and in verse 19, the Evangelist adopts an expression that is already traditional for Christians (e.g.: Mk 16: 2 e 9; Acts 20: 7) and is older that the expression that later became characteristic of the first evangelisation: "the third day" (e.g.: Lk 24: 7 e 46; Acts 10: 40; 1Cor 15: 4)
* Mary Magdalene: This is the
same woman as the one present at the foot of the cross with other women
(19: 25). Here she seems to be alone, but the words in verse 2 ("we do not know") show that the original story, worked on by the Evangelist, told of more women, as is true of the other Gospels (cfr Mk 16: 1-3; Mt 28: 1; Lk 23: 55-24, 1).
However the synoptics (cfr Mk 16: 1; Lk 24: 1), do not specify the reason for her visit to the sepulchre, seeing that it inferred that the rite of burial had already been carried out (19: 40); perhaps, the only thing missing is the funereal lamentation (cfr Mk 5: 38). In any case, the fourth Evangelist reduces to a minimum the story of the discovery of the empty sepulchre so as to focus the attention of the reader on what comes after.
However the synoptics (cfr Mk 16: 1; Lk 24: 1), do not specify the reason for her visit to the sepulchre, seeing that it inferred that the rite of burial had already been carried out (19: 40); perhaps, the only thing missing is the funereal lamentation (cfr Mk 5: 38). In any case, the fourth Evangelist reduces to a minimum the story of the discovery of the empty sepulchre so as to focus the attention of the reader on what comes after.
* Early, while it was still dark: Mark (16:
2) says something different, but from both we understand that it was
the very early hours of the morning, when the light is very weak and
still pale. Perhaps John stresses the lack of light in order to contrast
symbolically the darkness-lack of faith and light-welcoming of the Gospel of the resurrection.
* The stone had been taken away from the tomb: the Greek work is generic: the stone had been "taken away" or "removed" (different from: Mk 16: 3-4). The verb to "take away" recalls Jn 1:
29: the Baptist points Jesus out as " Lamb who takes away the sin of
the world". Perhaps the Evangelist wishes to recall the fact that this
stone "taken away", flung away from the sepulchre is the material sign
that death and sin have been "taken away" by the resurrection of Jesus?
* So she ran and went to Peter and the other disciple: Mary
Magdalene runs to those who share her love for Jesus and her suffering
for his atrocious death, now made worse by this new discovery. She
turns to them, perhaps because they were the only ones who had not run
away with the others and remained in contact with each other ( cfr 19:
15 e 26 - 27 ). She wants to share at least with them this final pain
of the outrage committed against the body. We see how Peter and
the "beloved disciple" and Magdalene are characterised by a special
love that unites them with Jesus: it is indeed reciprocal love that
makes them capable of sensing the presence of the loved person.
* The other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved:
is someone who appears only in this Gospel and only beginning with
chapter 13, when he exhibits great intimacy with Jesus and deep
understanding with Peter (13: 23-25). He appears at every
decisive moment of the passion and of the resurrection of Jesus, but
remains anonymous and many theories have been advanced on his identity.
He is probably the anonymous disciple of the Baptist who follows Jesus
together with Andrew (1: 35.40). Since the fourth Gospel never speaks
of John the apostle and keeping in mind that this Gospel of recounts
details clearly known to an eyewitness, the "disciple" has been
identified with John the apostle. The fourth Gospel has always been
attributed to him even though he may not have materially written it, yet
the origin of this particular tradition is that this Gospel and other
writings are attributed to John. This also explains why he is someone
who is somewhat idealised.
"The one whom Jesus loved": It is clear that this is an addition not from the apostle, who would not have dared boast of having such a close relationship with the Lord, but from his disciples who wrote most of the Gospel and who coined this expression after reflection on the clearly privileged love between Jesus and this (cfr 13: 25; 21: 4. 7). Where we read the simpler expression "the other disciple" or "the disciple", obviously the editors did not make the addition.
"The one whom Jesus loved": It is clear that this is an addition not from the apostle, who would not have dared boast of having such a close relationship with the Lord, but from his disciples who wrote most of the Gospel and who coined this expression after reflection on the clearly privileged love between Jesus and this (cfr 13: 25; 21: 4. 7). Where we read the simpler expression "the other disciple" or "the disciple", obviously the editors did not make the addition.
* They have taken the Lord out of the tomb:
these words, which recur in verses 13 e 15, show that Mary was afraid
that body-snatchers had taken the body, a thing common then, so much so
that the Roman Emperor had to promulgate severe decrees to check this
phenomenon. In Matthew (28:11—15), the chief priests use this
possibility to discredit the fact of the resurrection of Jesus and,
eventually, to justify the lack of intervention on the part of the
soldiers who guarded the tomb.
* The Lord: the title "Lord"
implies an acknowledgement of divinity and evokes divine omnipotence.
That is why this term was used by Christians for the risen Jesus.
Indeed, the fourth Evangelist uses this term only in Paschal stories
(see also 20: 13).
* We do not know where they have laid him: these words recall what happened to Moses, whose place of burial was unknown (Dt
34: 10). Another implicit reference is to the words of Jesus himself
when he says that it is impossible to know where he was going (7: 11.
22; 8: 14. 28. 42; 13: 33; 14: 1-5; 16: 5).
* They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter…but he did not go in: This passage shows the anxiety that these disciples were living through The fact that the "other disciple" stopped, is more than just a
gesture of politeness or respect towards someone older, it is the tacit
acknowledgement that Peter, within the apostolic group, held a place of
pre-eminence, even though this is not stressed. It is, therefore, a
sign of communion. This gesture could also be a literary device to move
from the event in terms of faith in the resurrection to the following
and peak moment in the story.
* The linen cloths lying and the napkin…rolled up in a place by itself:
although the other disciple did not go in, he had already seen
something. Peter, crossing the entrance of the sepulchre, discovers the
proof that no theft of the body took place: no thief would have wasted
time to unfold the body, spread the cloths in an orderly fashion (on the ground would
be translated better by "spread out" or "laid carefully on the floor")
and then to roll up the napkin in a place by itself. Such an operation
would have been complicated also because the oils with which the body
had been anointed (especially myrrh) acted like glue, causing the
cloths to stick perfectly and solidly to the body, almost as what
happened to mummies. Besides, the napkin is folded; the Greek verb can
also mean "rolled", or it could indicate that that piece of light cloth
had, in large part, preserved the form of the face over which it had
been placed, almost like a mortuary mask. The cloths are the same as
those cited in Jn 19:40. Everything is in order in the sepulchre,
even though the body of Jesus is not there, and Peter was well able to
see inside the sepulchre because the day was breaking. Different from
Lazarus (11: 44), then, Christ rises abandoning completely his funerary
trappings. Ancient commentators note that, in fact, Lazarus had to use
the cloths again for his definitive burial, while Christ had no
further use of them because he was not to die again (cfr Rm 6, 9).
* Peter…saw…the other disciple…saw and believed:
at the beginning of the story, Mary also "saw". Although some
translations use the same verb, the original text uses three different
verbs (theorein for Peter; blepein for the other disciple and Mary Magdalene; idein,
here, for the other disciple), allowing us to understand that there is
a growth in the spiritual depth of this "seeing" that, in fact,
culminates in the faith of the other disciple. The anonymous
disciple had certainly not seen anything other than that which Peter
had observed. Perhaps he interprets what he sees differently from
others because of the special relationship of love he had with Jesus
(Thomas’ experience is emblematic, 29: 24-29). In any case, as
indicated by the tense of the Greek verb, his is still an initial
faith, so much so that he cannot find ways of sharing this experience
with Mary or Peter or any of the other disciples (there is no further
reference to this). However, for the fourth Evangelist the double
"see and believe" is quite meaningful and refers exclusively to faith
in the resurrection of the (cfr 20: 29), Because it was impossible to
believe truly before the Lord had died and rose (cfr 14: 25-26; 16:
12-15). The double vision-faith, then, characterises the whole of this
chapter and "the beloved disciple" is presented as a model of faith who
succeeds in understanding the truth about God through material (cfr
also 21: 7).
* As yet they did not know the Scripture:
this obviously refers to all the other disciples. Even for those who
had lived close to Jesus, then, it was difficult to believe in Him, and
for them, as for us also, the only gateway that allows us to cross the
threshold of authentic faith is knowledge of the Scriptures (cfr Lk 24: 26-27; 1Cor 15: 34; Acts 2: 27-31) in the light of the events of the resurrection.
5. A few questions to direct our reflection and its practice
a) What, in the concrete, does it mean
for us "to believe in Jesus the Risen One"? What difficulties do we
encounter? Does the resurrection solely concern Jesus or is it really
the foundation of our faith?
b) The relationship that we see between Peter, the other disciple and Mary Magdalene is clearly one of great communion in Jesus. In what persons, realities, institutions do we today find this same understanding of love and the same "common union" founded on Jesus? Where can we read the concrete signs of the great love for the Lord and "his own" that inspired all the disciples?
c) When we look at our lives and the reality that surrounds them, both near and far, do we see as Peter saw (he saw reality, but holds on to them, that is, to the death and burial of Jesus) or do we see as the other disciple saw (he sees facts and discovers in them signs of new life)?
b) The relationship that we see between Peter, the other disciple and Mary Magdalene is clearly one of great communion in Jesus. In what persons, realities, institutions do we today find this same understanding of love and the same "common union" founded on Jesus? Where can we read the concrete signs of the great love for the Lord and "his own" that inspired all the disciples?
c) When we look at our lives and the reality that surrounds them, both near and far, do we see as Peter saw (he saw reality, but holds on to them, that is, to the death and burial of Jesus) or do we see as the other disciple saw (he sees facts and discovers in them signs of new life)?
6. Let us pray asking for grace and praising God
with a hymn taken from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians (paraphrase of 1: 17-23).
The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,
may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation
in the knowledge of him,
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power
in us who believe, according to the working of his great might
which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead
and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in that which is to come;
and he has put all things under his feet
and has made him the head over all things for the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills all in all.
may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation
in the knowledge of him,
having the eyes of your hearts enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,
what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power
in us who believe, according to the working of his great might
which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead
and made him sit at his right hand in the heavenly places,
far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,
and above every name that is named,
not only in this age but also in that which is to come;
and he has put all things under his feet
and has made him the head over all things for the church,
which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills all in all.
7. Closing prayer
The liturgical context is of great
importance in praying this Gospel and the event of the resurrection of
Jesus, which is the hub of our faith and of our Christian life. The
sequence that characterises the Eucharistic liturgy of today and of the
whole week leads us to praise the Father and the Lord Jesus.
Christians, to the Paschal Victim
Offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled
has sinners to his Father reconciled.
Death with life contended:
Combat strangely ended!
Life’s own Champion, slain,
Yet lives to reign.
Tell us Mary:
say what you see upon the way.
The tomb the living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!
The angels there attesting;
Shroud with grave-clothes resting.
Christ, my hope, has risen:
He goes before you into Galilee.
That Christ is truly risen from the dead
we know.
Victorious king,
your mercy show.
Offer sacrifice and praise.
The sheep are ransomed by the Lamb;
and Christ, the undefiled
has sinners to his Father reconciled.
Death with life contended:
Combat strangely ended!
Life’s own Champion, slain,
Yet lives to reign.
Tell us Mary:
say what you see upon the way.
The tomb the living did enclose;
I saw Christ’s glory as he rose!
The angels there attesting;
Shroud with grave-clothes resting.
Christ, my hope, has risen:
He goes before you into Galilee.
That Christ is truly risen from the dead
we know.
Victorious king,
your mercy show.
We may conclude our prayer also with this lively invocation by a contemporary poet, Marco Guzzi:
Love, Love, Love!
I wish to feel, live and express all this Love,
Which is a joyful commitment in the world
and a happy contact with the others.
Only you free me, only you release me.
And the snows fall to water
the greenest of valleys in creation.
Love, Love, Love!
I wish to feel, live and express all this Love,
Which is a joyful commitment in the world
and a happy contact with the others.
Only you free me, only you release me.
And the snows fall to water
the greenest of valleys in creation.
Reference: Courtesy of Order of Carmelites, www.ocarm.org.
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Saint of the Day: Easter
Feast Day: March 27
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Today's Snippet I: The Hour of Divine Mercy
Jesus asked Saint Faustina, and through her us, to celebrate this Hour of Great Mercy, 3 o'clock,
promising tremendous graces to those who would, both for themselves and on behalf of others.
At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy ... In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion. (Diary 1320).
As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it, invoke it's omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners, for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world - mercy triumphed over justice.
The three o'clock hour has always held a special significance for us in our faith. It is the hour Our Lord gave His precious life up for our sins. It is the hour that witnessed the greatest miracle the world will ever see - the offering of the Son of God for the salvation of the world.
On the cross, blood and water flowed from His side, an image intentionally reflected in the Divine Mercy image. Now, a fountain of mercy flows over us. Jesus gave St. Faustina special instructions for this hour...
How did Jesus instruct St. Faustina to pray in this hour?...
Few of us will find ourselves near the Blessed Sacrament everyday at 3 pm. However, many of us do have the opportunity to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at this time and most of us can take a moment, even just a few seconds, to reflect on Our Lord's sacrifice and His great Love and Mercy towards us.
Three O'clock Prayer to the Divine Mercy:
You expired, O Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. Amen.
"Good Friday. At three o'clock, I saw the Lord Jesus, crucified, who looked at me and said, I thirst. Then I saw two rays issue from His side, just as they appear in the image. I then felt in my soul the desire to save souls and empty myself for the sake of poor sinners. I offered myself, together with the dying Jesus, to the Eternal Father, for the salvation of the whole world. With Jesus, through Jesus and in Jesus is my communion with You, Eternal Father. On Good Friday, Jesus suffered in His soul in a way which was different from [His suffering on]Holy Thursday." (Diary, 648).
On the cross, blood and water flowed from His side, an image intentionally reflected in the Divine Mercy image. Now, a fountain of mercy flows over us. Jesus gave St. Faustina special instructions for this hour...
"At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for poor sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will allow you to enter into My mortal sorrow. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion... " (Diary, 1320)
How did Jesus instruct St. Faustina to pray in this hour?...
"My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant. I claim veneration for My mercy from every creature, but above all from you , since it is to you that I have given the most profound understanding of this mystery." (Diary, 1572)
Few of us will find ourselves near the Blessed Sacrament everyday at 3 pm. However, many of us do have the opportunity to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at this time and most of us can take a moment, even just a few seconds, to reflect on Our Lord's sacrifice and His great Love and Mercy towards us.
Three O'clock Prayer to the Divine Mercy:
You expired, O Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. Amen.
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Today's Snippet II: Divine Mercy Novena
Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom
He said:
"These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.' The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy."
In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:
"On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy ... On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls."
The different souls prayed for on each day of the novena are:
DAY 1 (Good Friday) - All mankind, especially sinners
DAY 2 (Holy Saturday) - The souls of priests and religious
DAY 3 (Easter Sunday) - All devout and faithful souls
DAY 4 (Easter Monday) - Those who do not believe in Jesus and those who do not yet know Him
DAY 5 (Easter Tuesday) - The souls of separated brethren
DAY 6 (Easter Wednesday) - The meek and humble souls and the souls of children
DAY 7 (Easter Thursday) - The souls who especially venerate and glorify Jesus' mercy
DAY 8 (Easter Friday) - The souls who are detained in purgatory;
DAY 9 (Easter Saturday) - The souls who have become lukewarm.
During the Solemn Novena leading to Divine Mercy Sunday, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy should be offered each day for the day's intentions.
First Day
"Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me."
Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.
Second Day
"Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious,
and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."
Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service,* that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard -- upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.
* In the original text, Saint Faustina uses the pronoun "us" since she was offering this prayer as a consecrated religious sister. The wording adapted here is intended to make the prayer suitable for universal use.
Third Day
"Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."
Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Fourth Day
"Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me,
I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."
Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.
*Our Lord's original words here were "the pagans." Since the pontificate of Pope John XXIII, the Church has seen fit to replace this term with clearer and more appropriate terminology.
Fifth Day
"Today bring to Me the Souls of those who have separated themselves from My Church*,
and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart, that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church My wounds heal and in this way they alleviate My Passion."
Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Church. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart; but bring it about that they, too, come to glorify the generosity of Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who have separated themselves from Your Son's Church, who have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in His Most Compassionate Heart. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great mercy for endless ages. Amen.
*Our Lord's original words here were "heretics and schismatics," since He spoke to Saint Faustina within the context of her times. As of the Second Vatican Council, Church authorities have seen fit not to use those designations in accordance with the explanation given in the Council's Decree on Ecumenism (n.3). Every pope since the Council has reaffirmed that usage. Saint Faustina herself, her heart always in harmony with the mind of the Church, most certainly would have agreed. When at one time, because of the decisions of her superiors and father confessor, she was not able to execute Our Lord's inspirations and orders, she declared: "I will follow Your will insofar as You will permit me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus " I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice with which You speak to me" (497). The Lord confirmed her action and praised her for it.
Sixth Day
Today bring to Me the Meek and Humble Souls and the Souls of Little Children,
and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who will keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence.
Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, "Learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart." Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father's favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly sing out a hymn of love and mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek souls, upon humble souls, and upon little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Seventh Day
Today bring to Me the Souls who especially venerate and glorify My Mercy*,
and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over my Passion and entered most deeply into My spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate Heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death.
Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy; and united to You, O Jesus, they carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this life.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of deeds of mercy, and their hearts, overflowing with joy, sing a canticle of mercy to You, O Most High! I beg You O God:
Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who said to them that during their life, but especially at the hour of death, the souls who will venerate this fathomless mercy of His, He, Himself, will defend as His glory. Amen.
*The text leads one to conclude that in the first prayer directed to Jesus, Who is the Redeemer, it is "victim" souls and contemplatives that are being prayed for; those persons, that is, that voluntarily offered themselves to God for the salvation of their neighbor (see Col 1:24; 2 Cor 4:12). This explains their close union with the Savior and the extraordinary efficacy that their invisible activity has for others. In the second prayer, directed to the Father from whom comes "every worthwhile gift and every genuine benefit,"we recommend the "active" souls, who promote devotion to The Divine Mercy and exercise with it all the other works that lend themselves to the spiritual and material uplifting of their brethren.
Eighth Day
"Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."
Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.
Ninth Day
"Today bring to Me the Souls who have become Lukewarm,
and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: 'Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.' For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy."
Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.
Divine Mercy Litany
As St. Faustina writes, "The Love of God is the flower - Mercy the fruit. Let the doubting soul read these considerations on Divine Mercy and become trusting."
Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, fount gushing forth from the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the Incarnate Word, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the Heart of Jesus, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and especially for sinners, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the founding of Holy Church, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to Saints, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of God, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, crown of all of God's handiwork, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, I trust in You.
+ Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
+ O incomprehensible and limitless Mercy Divine, To extol and adore You worthily, who can? Supreme attribute of Almighty God, You are the sweet hope for sinful man.
Into one hymn yourselves unite, stars, earth and sea, and in one accord, thankfully and fervently sing of the incomprehensible Divine Mercy. (Diary, 949)
Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, fount gushing forth from the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the Incarnate Word, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the Heart of Jesus, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and especially for sinners, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the founding of Holy Church, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to Saints, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of God, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, crown of all of God's handiwork, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, I trust in You.
Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, I trust in You.
+ Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.
+ O incomprehensible and limitless Mercy Divine, To extol and adore You worthily, who can? Supreme attribute of Almighty God, You are the sweet hope for sinful man.
Into one hymn yourselves unite, stars, earth and sea, and in one accord, thankfully and fervently sing of the incomprehensible Divine Mercy. (Diary, 949)
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Works of Mercy
Corporal Works of Mercy
Feed the HungryGive Drink to the Thirsty
Clothe the Naked
Shelter the Homeless
Visit the Sick
Ransom the Captive
Bury the Dead
Spiritual Works of Mercy
Admonish the SinnerInstruct the Ignorant
Counsel the Doubtful
Comfort the Sorrowful
Bear Wrongs Patiently
Forgive Injuries
Pray for the Living and the Dead
In St. Faustina's diary, Christ spoke to her about the importance of mercy - not just celebrating the feast, but living God's Mercy in our lives...
Later, St. Faustina describes her understanding of Christ's words to her...
But it wasn't just in honor of the Feast that Christ spoke about His desire for acts of mercy...
"...Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works." (Diary, 742)
"My daughter, if I demand through you that people revere My mercy, you should be the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in My mercy. I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.(Diary, 742)
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first - by deed, the second - by word, the third - by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works." (Diary, 742)
Later, St. Faustina describes her understanding of Christ's words to her...
"The Lord gave me knowledge of His will under three aspects, so to speak, but it all comes down to one:
The first is that souls separated from the world will burn as an offering before God's throne and beg for mercy for the whole world... and by their entreaties they will obtain blessings for priests, and through their prayers prepare the world for the final coming of Jesus.
The second is prayer joined to the act of mercy. In particular, they will defend the souls of children against the spirit of evil. Prayer and merciful deeds are all that will be required of these souls, and even the poorest persons can be admitted to their number. And in this egoistic world they will try to rouse up love, the mercy of Jesus.
The third is prayer and deeds of mercy, without any obligation of taking vows. But by doing this, these persons will have a share in all the merits and privileges of the whole [congregation]. Everyone in the world can belong to this group. A member of this group ought to perform at least one act of mercy a day; at least one, but there can be many more, for such deeds can easily be carried out by anyone, even the very poorest.
For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then pray - that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy. And when the Last Day comes, we shall be judged from this, and on this basis we shall receive the eternal verdict." (Diary 1155-1158)
But it wasn't just in honor of the Feast that Christ spoke about His desire for acts of mercy...
"October 1, 1937. Daughter, I need sacrifice lovingly accomplished, because that alone has meaning for Me. Enormous indeed are the debts of the world which are due to Me; pure souls can pay them by their sacrifice, exercising mercy in spirit.
I understand Your words, Lord, and the magnitude of the mercy that ought to shine in my soul. Jesus: I know, My daughter, that you understand it and that you do everything within your power. But write this for the many souls who are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy." (Diary, 1316-7)
References
- Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul by Faustina Kowalska 2003 ISBN 1-59614-110-7
- Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. http://www.sisterfaustina.org/
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Featured Item from Litany Lane
St Anne and St Joachim Education of Mary Notebooks
by LitanyLane
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FEATURED BOOK
THE MYSTICAL CITY OF GOD
Mystical City of God, the miracle of His omnipotence and the abyss of His grace the divine history and life of the Virgin Mother of God our Queen and our Lady, most holy Mary expiatrix of the fault of eve and mediatrix of grace. Manifested to Sister Mary of Jesus, Prioress of the convent of the Immaculate Conception in Agreda, Spain. For new enlightenment of the world, for rejoicing of the Catholic Church, and encouragement of men. Completed in 1665.
THE DIVINE HISTORY AND LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER OF GOD
Venerable Mary of Agreda
Translated from the Spanish by Reverend George J. Blatter
1914, So. Chicago, Ill., The Theopolitan; Hammond, Ind., W.B. Conkey Co., US..
IMPRIMATUR: +H.J. Alerding Bishop of Fort Wayne
Translation from the Original Authorized Spanish Edition by Fiscar Marison (George J. Blatter). Begun on the Feast of the Assumption 1902, completed 1912.
This work is published for the greater Glory of Jesus Christ through His most Holy Mother Mary and for the sanctification of the Church and her members.
Book 6, Chapter 9
MARY
THE HEIRESS OF THE MERITS OF CHRIST
Of many of the sacraments and
mysteries connected with the doings of Christ our Savior on the Cross
the Evangelists make no mention; and we as Catholics can only form
prudent conjectures founded upon the infallible certainty of our
faith. But among those which have been manifested to me in this
history, and concerning this part of the Passion, is a prayer, which
Christ addressed to his eternal Father before speaking the seven
words on the Cross recorded by the Evangelists. I call it a prayer
because it was addressed to the Father; but in reality it was a last
bequest or testament, which He made as a true and most wise Father in
order to consign his possessions to his family, that is, to the whole
human race. Even natural reason teaches us, that he who is the head
of a family or the lord over many or few possessions, would not be a
prudent dispenser of his goods, and inattentive to his office or
dignity, if at the hour of his death he would not make known his will
in regard to the disposition of his goods and his estate, in order
that each one of his family may know what belongs to him and may
possess it justly and peacefully without recourse to lawsuits.
Although earthly things could not disturb our Savior, since He
neither possessed them, nor, if He had possessed any, could He be
embarrassed by them in his infinite power; yet it was fitting, that
He should in that hour dispose of the spiritual riches and treasures
which He had amassed for mankind in the course of his pilgrimage.
Of these eternal
goods the Saviour made his last disposition on the Cross,
distributing them and pointing out those who should be legitimate
heirs and those who should be disinherited, and mentioning the
reasons for the one as well as the other. All this He did in
conference with his eternal Father, as the supreme Lord and most just
Judge of all creatures; for in this testament are rehearsed the
mysteries of the predestination of the saints and of the reprobation
of the wicked. It was a testament hidden and sealed for mankind; the
blessed Mary understood it, because, in addition to her being
informed of the operations of the divine Soul of Christ, She was also
to be the universal Heiress of all creation. As She was the
Coadjutrix of salvation She was also to be the testamentary
Executrix. For the Son placed all things in her hands, just as the
Father had assigned the whole creation to Him. She was to execute his
will and she was to distribute all the treasures acquired and due to
her Son as God on account of his infinite merits. This understanding
has been given me as part of this history for the exaltation of our
Queen and in order that sinners might approach Her as Custodian of
all the treasures gained by her Son our Redeemer in the sight of his
eternal Father. All help and assistance is in the hands of most holy
Mary and She is to distribute it according
to her most sweet kindness and liberality.
When the holy wood
of the Cross had been raised on mount Calvary, bearing aloft with it
the incarnate Word crucified before speaking any of the seven words,
Christ prayed interiorly to his heavenly Father and said: “My
Father and eternal God, I confess and magnify Thee from this tree of
the Cross, and I offer Thee a sacrifice of praise in my Passion and
Death; for, by the hypostatic union with the divine nature, Thou hast
raised my humanity to the highest dignity, that of Christ, the
Godman, anointed with thy own Divinity. I confess thee on account of
the plenitude of the highest possible graces and glory, which from
the first instant of my Incarnation Thou hast communicated to my
humanity, and because from all eternity up to this present hour Thou
hast consigned to me full dominion of the universe both in the order
of grace and of nature. Thou hast made Me the Lord of the heavens and
of elements (Matth. 28, 18), of the sun, the moon and the stars; of
fire and air, of the earth and the sea, of all the
animate and inanimate creatures therein; Thou hast made Me the
Disposer of the seasons, of the days and nights, with full lordship
and possession according to my free will, and Thou hast set Me as the
Head, the King and Lord of all angels and men (Ephes. 1, 21), to
govern and command them, to punish the wicked and reward the good
(John 5, 22); Thou hast given Me the dominion and power of disposing
all things from highest heavens to deepest abysses of hell (Apoc. 20,
1). Thou hast placed in my hands the eternal justification of men,
the empires, kingdoms and principalities, the great and the little,
the rich and the poor; and of all that are capable of thy grace and
glory, Thou hast Me made the Justifier, the Redeemer and Glorifier,
the universal Lord of all the human race, of life and death, of the
holy Church, its treasures, laws and blessings of grace: all hast
Thou, my Father, consigned to my hands, subjected to my will and my
decrees, and for this I confess, exalt and magnify thy holy name.”
“Now, at
this moment, my Lord and eternal Father, when I am returning from
this world to thy right hand through this death on the Cross, by
which I completed the task of the Redemption of men assigned to Me, I
desire that this same Cross shall be the tribunal of our justice and
mercy. Nailed to it, I desire to judge those for whom I give my life.
Having justified my cause,
I wish to dispense the treasures of my coming into the world and of
my Passion and Death to the just and the reprobate according as each
one merits by his works of love or hatred. I have sought to gain all
mortals and invited them to partake of my friendship and grace; from
the first moment of my Incarnation I have ceaselessly labored for
them; I have borne inconveniences, fatigues, insults, ignominies,
reproaches, scourges, crown of thorns, and now suffer the bitter
death of the Cross; I have implored thy vast kindness upon all of
them; I have watched in prayer, fasted and wandered about teaching
them the way of eternal life. As far as in Me lay I have sought to
secure eternal happiness for all men, just as I merited it for all,
without excluding any one. I have established and built up the law
grace and have firmly and forever established the Church in which all
human beings can be saved.”
“But in our
knowledge and foresight We are aware, my God and Father, that on
account of their malice and rebellious obstinacy not all men desire
to accept our eternal salvation, nor avail themselves of our mercy
and of the way I have opened to them by my labors, life and death;
but that many will prefer to follow their sinful ways unto perdition.
Thou art just my Lord and Father, and most equitable are thy
judgments (Ps. 68, 137); and therefore it is right, since Thou hast
made Me the Judge of the living and the dead, of the good and the bad
(Act 10, 3), that I give to the good the reward of having served and
followed Me, and to sinners the chastisement of their perverse
obstinacy; that the just should share in my goods, and the wicked be
deprived of the inheritance, which they refuse to accept. Now then,
my eternal Father, in my and thy name and for thy glorification, I
make my last bequest according to my human will, which is conformable
to thy eternal and divine will. First shall be mentioned my most pure
Mother, who gave Me human existence; Her I constitute my sole and
universal Heiress of all the gifts of
nature, of grace and of glory that are
mine. She shall be Mistress and Possessor of them all. The gifts of
grace, of which as a mere creature She is capable, She shall actually
receive now, while those of glory I promise to confer upon Her in
their time. I desire that She shall
be Mistress of angels and men, claim over them full possession and
dominion and command the service and obedience of all. The demons
shall fear Her and be subject to Her. All the irrational creatures,
the heavens, the stars, the planets, the elements with all the living
beings, the birds, the fishes and the animals contained in them,
shall likewise be subject to Her and acknowledge Her as Mistress,
exalting and glorifying Her with Me. I wish also that She be the
Treasurer and Dispenser of all the goods in heaven and on earth.
Whatever She ordains and disposes in my Church for my children, the
sons of men, shall be confirmed by the three divine Persons; and
whatever She shall ask for mortals now, afterwards and forever, We
shall concede according to her will and wishes.”
“To the holy
angels, who have obeyed thy holy and just will, I assign as
habitation the highest heavens as their proper and eternal abode, and
with it the joys of eternal vision and fruition of our Divinity. I
desire that they enjoy its everlasting possession together with our
company and friendship. I decree, that they recognize my Mother as
their legitimate Queen and Lady, that they serve Her, accompany and
attend upon Her, bear Her up in their hands in all places and times,
obeying Her in all that She wishes to ordain and command. The demons,
rebellious to our perfect and holy will, I cast out and deprive of
our vision and company; again do
I condemn them to our abhorrence, to eternal loss our friendship and
glory, to privation of the vision of my Mother, of the saints and of
my friends, the just. I appoint and assign to them as their eternal
dwelling place most remote from our royal throne, namely the infernal
caverns, the centre of the earth, deprived of light and full of the
horrors of sensible darkness (Jude 6). I decree this to be their
portion and inheritance as chosen by them in their pride and
obstinacy against the divine Being and decrees. In those eternal
dungeons of darkness they shall be tormented by everlasting and
inextinguishable fire.”
“From the
multitudes of men, in the fullness of my good will, I call, select
and separate all the just and the predestined, who through my grace
save themselves by imitating Me, doing my will and obeying my holy
law. These, next to my most pure Mother, I appoint as the inheritors
of all my mysteries, my blessings, my sacramental treasures, of the
mysteries concealed in the holy Scriptures; of my humility, meekness
of heart; of the virtues of faith, hope, and charity of prudence,
justice, fortitude and temperance; of my divine gifts and favors; of
my Cross, labors, contempt, poverty and nakedness. This shall be
their portion and inheritance in this present and mortal life. Since
they must choose these in order to labor profitably, I assign to them
the trials I have chosen for Myself in this life, as a pledge of my
friendship, in order that they may undergo them with joy. I offer
them my protection and, defense, my holy inspirations, my favors and
powerful assistance, my blessings and my justification, according to
each one’s disposition and degree of love. I promise to be to
them a Father, a Brother and a Friend, and they shall be my chosen
and beloved children, and as such I appoint them as the inheritors of
all my merits and treasures without limitation. I desire that all who
dispose themselves, shall partake of the goods of my holy Church and
of the Sacraments; that, if they should lose my friendship, they
shall be able to restore themselves and recover my graces and
blessings through my cleansing blood. For all of them shall be open
the intercession of my Mother and of the saints, and She shall
recognize them as her children, shielding them and holding them as
her own. My angels shall defend them, guide them, protect them and
bear them up in their hands lest they stumble, and if they fall, they
shall help them to rise” (Ps. 90, 11, 12).
“Likewise it
is my will that my just and chosen ones shall stand high above the
reprobate and the demons, that they shall be feared and obeyed by my
enemies; that all the rational and irrational creatures shall serve
them; that all the influences of the heavens, the planets and the
stars shall favor them and give them life; that the earth, its
elements and animals, shall sustain them; all the creatures, that are
mine and serve Me shall be theirs, and shall serve also them as my
children and friends (I Cor. 3, 22; Wis. 16, 24), and their blessing
shall be in the dew of heaven and in the fruits of the earth (Genes.
27, 28). I wish to hold with them my delights (Pros. 8, 31),
communicate to them my secrets, converse with them intimately and
live with them in the militant Church in
the species of bread and wine, as an earnest and an infallible pledge
of the eternal happiness and glory promised to them; of it, I make
them partakers and heirs, in order that they enjoy it with Me in
heaven by perpetual right and in unfailing beatitude.”
“I consent
that the foreknown and reprobate (though they were created for
another and much higher end), shall be permitted to possess as their
portion and inheritance the concupiscence of the flesh and the eyes
(John 1, 2–16), pride in all its effects; that they eat and be
satisfied with the dust of the earth, namely, riches; with the fumes
and the corruption of the flesh and its delights, and with the vanity
and presumption of the world. For such possessions have they labored
and applied all the diligence of their mind and body; in such
occupations have they consumed their powers, their gifts and
blessings bestowed upon them by Us, and they have of their own free
will chosen deceit, despising the truth I have taught them in the
holy law ( Rom. 2, 8). They have rejected the law which I have
written in their hearts and the one inspired by my grace; they have
despised my teachings and my blessings, and listened to my and their
own enemies; they have accepted their deceits, have loved vanity (Ps.
4, 3), wrought injustice, followed their ambitions, sought their
delight in vengeance, persecuted the poor, humiliated the just,
mocked the simple and the innocent, strove to exalt themselves and
desired to be raised above all the cedars of Lebanon in following the
laws of injustice” (Ps. 36, 35).
“Since they
have done all this in opposition to our divine goodness and remained
obstinate in their malice and since they have renounced the rights of
sonship merited for them by Me, I disinherit them of my friendship
and glory. Just as Abraham separated the children of the slave,
setting aside some possessions for them and reserving the principal
heritage for Isaac, the son of the freedwoman Sarah (Gen. 25, 5),
thus I set aside their claims on my inheritance by giving them the
transitory goods, which they themselves have chosen. Separating them
from our company and from that of my Mother, of the angels and
saints, I condemn them to the eternal dungeons and the fire of hell
in the company of Lucifer and his demons, whom they have freely
served. I deprive them forever of all hope of relief. This is, O my
Father, the sentence which I pronounce as the Head and the Judge of
men and angels (Eph. 4, 15; Col. 2, 10), and this is the testament
made at my Death, this is the effect of my Redemption, whereby each
one is rewarded with that which he has justly merited according to
his works and according to thy incomprehensible wisdom in the equity
of thy strictest justice” (II Tim. 4, 8). Such was the prayer
of Christ our Savior on the Cross to his eternal Father. It was
sealed and deposited in the heart of the most holy Mary as the
mysterious and sacramental testament, in that through her
intercession and solicitous care it might at its time, and even from
that moment, be executed in the Church, just as it had before this
time been prepared and perfected by the wise providence of God, in
whom all the past and the future is always one with the present.
Book 6, Chapter 10
THE
VICTORY OF CHRIST OVER HELL
The hidden and venerable mysteries of
this chapter correspond to many others scattered through the whole
extent of this history. One of them is, that evil one and his demons
in the course of the life and miracles our Savior, never could
ascertain fully whether the Lord was true God and Redeemer of the
world, and consequently what was the dignity of the most holy Mary.
This was so disposed by divine Providence, in order that the whole
mystery of the Incarnation and the Redemption of the human race might
be more fittingly accomplished. The evil one, although knowing that God
was to assume human flesh, nevertheless knew nothing of the manner
and the circumstances of the Incarnation. As he was permitted to form
an opinion of this mystery in accordance with his pride, he was full
of hallucinations, sometimes believing Christ to be God on account of
his miracles, sometimes rejecting such an opinion on account of
seeing Him poor, humiliated, afflicted and fatigued. Harassed by
these contradicting evidences, he remained in doubt and continued his
inquiries until the predestined hour of Christ’s Death on the
Cross, where, in virtue of the Passion and Death of the sacred
humanity, which he had himself brought about, he was to be undeceived
and vanquished by the full solution of these mysteries.
Lucifer and his
demons, as soon as they saw the Lord taking the Cross upon his sacred
shoulders, wished to fly and cast themselves into hell; for at that
moment they began to feel with greater force the operations of his
divine power. By divine intervention this new torment made them aware
that the Death of this innocent Man, whose destruction they had
plotted and who could not be a mere man, threatened great ruin to
themselves. They therefore desired to
withdraw and they ceased to incite the Jews and the executioners, as
they had done hitherto. But the command of the most blessed Mary,
enforced by the divine power, detained them and, enchained like
fiercest dragons, compelled them to accompany Christ to Calvary. The
ends of the mysterious chain that bound them were placed into the
hands of Mary, the great Queen who, by the power of her divine Son,
held them all in subjection and bondage. Although they many times
sought to break away and raged in helpless fury, they could not
overcome the power of the heavenly Lady. She forced them to come to
Calvary and stand around the Cross, where She commanded them to
remain motionless and witness the end of
the great mysteries there enacted for the salvation of men and the
ruin of themselves.
Lucifer and his
infernal hosts were so overwhelmed with pains and torments by the
presence of the Lord and his blessed Mother, and with the fear of
their impending ruin, that they would have felt greatly relieved to
be allowed to cast themselves into the darkness of hell.
As this was not permitted them, they fell upon one another and
furiously fought with each other like hornets disturbed in their
nest, or like a brood of vermin confusedly seeking some dark shelter.
But their rabid fury was not that of animals, but that of demons more
cruel than dragons.
The time had now
come for this ancient dragon to be
vanquished by the Master of life. As this was to be the
hour of his disillusionment, and as this poisonous asp was not to
escape it by stopping his ears to the voice of the Enchanter (Ps. 57,
5), the Lord began to speak the seven words from his Cross, at the
same time providing that Lucifer and his demons should understand the
mysteries therein contained. For it was by this disclosure that the
Lord wished to triumph over them, over sin and death, and despoil
them of their tyrannous power over the human race. The Savior then
pronounced the first word: “Father, forgive them, for they know
not what they do!” (Luke 23, 34). By these words the princes of
darkness came to the full conviction, that Christ our Lord was
speaking to the eternal Father, that He was his natural Son and the
true God with Him and the Holy Ghost, that He had permitted death in
his most sacred and perfect humanity, united to the Divinity for the
salvation of the whole human race; that now He offered his infinitely
precious merits for the pardon of the sins of all those children of
Adam, who should avail themselves thereof for their rescue, not
excepting even the wretches that crucified Him. At this discovery
Lucifer and his demons were thrown into such fury and despair that
they instantly wished to hurl themselves impetuously to the depths of
hell and strained all their powers to accomplish it in spite of the
powerful Queen.
In the second word
spoken by the Lord to the fortunate thief: “Amen I say to thee,
today thou shalt be with Me in paradise,” the demons understood
that the fruits of the Redemption in the justification of sinners
ended in the glorification of the just. They were made aware that
from this hour the merits of Christ would commence to act with a new
force and strength, that through them should be opened the gates of
Paradise, which had been closed by the first sin and
that from now on men would enter upon eternal happiness and occupy
their destined heavenly seats, which until now had been impossible
for them. They perceived the power Christ to call sinners, justify
and beautify them, and they felt the triumphs gained over themselves
by the exalted virtues, the humility, patience, meekness and all the
virtues of his life. The confusion and torment of Lucifer at seeing
this cannot be explained by human tongue; but it was so great, that
he humiliated himself so far as to beg the most blessed Virgin to
permit them descend into hell and be cast out from her presence; but
the great Queen would not consent, as the time had not yet arrived.
At the third word
spoken by the Lord to his Mother: “Woman, behold
thy son!” the demons discovered that this heavenly Lady was the
true Mother of the Godman, the same Woman whose likeness and
prophetic sign had been shown to them in the heavens at their
creation, and who was to crush their head as announced by the Lord in
the terrestrial paradise. They were informed of the dignity and
excellence of this great Lady over all creatures, and of her power
which they were even now experiencing. As they had from the beginning
of the world and from the creation of the first woman, used all their
astuteness to find out who this great woman that was announced in the
heavens could be, and as they now discovered Her in Mary, whom they
had until now overlooked, these dragons were seized with
inexpressible fury; their having been thus mistaken crushed their
arrogance beyond all their other torments, and in their fury they
raged against their own selves like bloodthirsty lions, while their
helpless wrath against the heavenly Lady was increased a
thousandfold. Moreover, they discerned that saint John was appointed
by Christ our Lord as the angel guardian of his Mother, endowed with
the powers of the priesthood. This they understood to be in the
nature of a threat against their own wrath, which was well known to
saint John. Lucifer saw not only the power of the Evangelist, but
that given to all the priests in virtue of their participation in the
dignity and power of our Redeemer; and that the rest of the just,
even though no priests, were placed under the special protection of
the Lord and made powerful against hell. All this paralyzed the
strength of Lucifer and his demons.
The fourth word of
Christ was addressed to the eternal Father: “God, my God, why
hast Thou forsaken Me?” The evil spirits discovered in these
words that the charity of God toward men was boundless and
everlasting; that, in order to satisfy it, He had mysteriously
suspended the influence of the Divinity over his most sacred
humanity, thus permitting his sufferings to reach the highest degree
and to draw from them the most abundant fruits; that He was aware and
lovingly complained of his being deprived of the salvation of a part
of the human race; how ready He was to suffer more,
if such would be ordained by the eternal Father. Man’s good
fortune in being so beloved by God increased the envy of Lucifer and
his demons, and they foresaw the divine Omnipotence following out
this immense love without limitation. This knowledge crushed the
haughty malice of the enemies and they were made well aware of their
own weakness and helplessness in opposing this love, if men
themselves should not choose to neglect its influence.
The fifth word of
Christ, “I thirst,” confirmed Christ’s triumph over
the devil and his followers; they were filled with wrath and fury
because the Lord clearly let them see their total overthrow. By these
words they understood Him to say to them: If what I suffer for men my
love for them seem great to you, be assured that my love for
them is still unsatiated, that it continues to long for their eternal
salvation, and that the mighty waters of torments and sufferings have
not extinguished it (Cant. 8, 7). Much more would I suffer for them,
if it were necessary, in order to deliver
them from your tyranny and make them powerful and strong against
malice and pride.
In the sixth word
of the Lord: “It is consummated!” Lucifer and his hordes
were informed that the mystery of the Incarnation and Redemption was
now accomplished and entirely perfected according to the decree of
divine wisdom. For they were made to feel that Christ our Redeemer
had obediently fulfilled the will of the eternal Father; that He had
accomplished all the promises and prophecies made to the world by the
ancient Fathers; that his humility and obedience had compensated for
their own pride and disobedience in heaven in having not subjected
themselves and acknowledged Him as their Superior in human flesh; and
that they were now through the wisdom of God justly humbled and
vanquished by the very Lord whom they despised. The great dignity and
the infinite merits of Christ demanded that in this very hour He
should exercise his office and power of Judge over angels and men,
such as had been conceded to him by the eternal Father. He now
applied this power by hurling this sentence at Lucifer and all his
followers, that, being condemned to eternal fire, they instantly
depart into the deepest dungeons of hell. This very sentence was
included in the pronouncing of the seventh word: “Father, into
thy hands I commend my spirit!” (Luke 23,
46.) The mighty Queen and Mother concurred
with the will of her Son Jesus and united with his her command that
Lucifer and all demons depart to the infernal depths. In virtue of
these decree of the supreme King and of the Queen, the evil spirits
were routed from Calvary and precipitated to deepest hell more
violently and suddenly than a flash of light through the riven
clouds.
The rout of Lucifer and his angels
from Calvary to the abyss of hell was more violent and disastrous
than their first expulsion from heaven. Though, as holy Job says (Job
10, 21), that place is a land of darkness, covered with the shades of
death, full of gloomy disorder, misery, torments and confusion; yet
on this occasion the chaos and disorder was a thousandfold increased;
because the damned were made to feel new horror and additional
punishments at the sudden meeting of the ferocious demons in their
rabid fury. It is certain that the devils have not the power of
assigning the damned to a place of greater or lesser torment; for all
their torments are decreed by divine justice according to the measure
of the demerits of each of the condemned.
As soon as Lucifer
was permitted to proceed in these matters and arise from the
consternation in which he remained for some time, he set about
proposing to his fellow–demons new plans of his pride. For this
purpose he called them all together and placing himself in an
elevated position, he spoke to them: “To you, who have for so
many ages followed and still follow my standards for the vengeance of
my wrongs, is known the injury which I have now sustained at the
hands of this Mangod, and how for thirty–three years He has led
me about in deceit, hiding his Divinity and concealing the operations
of his soul, and how He has now triumphed over us by the very Death
which we have brought upon Him. Before He assumed flesh I hated Him
and refused to acknowledge Him as being more worthy than I to be
adored by the rest of creation. Although on account of this
resistance I was cast out from heaven with you and was degraded to
this abominable condition so unworthy of my greatness and former
beauty, I am even more tormented to see
myself thus vanquished and oppressed by this Man and by his Mother.
From the day on which the first man was created I have sleeplessly
sought to find Them and destroy Them; or if I should not be able to
destroy Them, I at least wished to bring destruction upon all his
creatures and induce them not to acknowledge Him as their God, and
that none of them should ever draw any benefit from his works. This
has been my intent, to this all my solicitude and efforts were
directed. But in vain, since He has overcome me by his humility and
poverty, crushed me by his patience, and at last has despoiled me of
the sovereignty of the world by his Passion and frightful Death. This
causes me such an excruciating pain, that, even if I succeeded in
hurling Him from the right hand of his Father, where He sits
triumphant, and if I should draw all the souls redeemed down into
this hell, my wrath would not be satiated or my fury placated.”
“Is it
possible that the human nature, so inferior to my own, shall be
exalted above all the creatures! That it should be so loved and
favored, as to be united to the Creator in the person of the eternal
Word! That He should first make war upon me before executing this
work, and afterwards overwhelm me with such confusion! From the
beginning I have held this humanity as my greatest enemy; it has
always filled me with intolerable abhorrence. O men, so favored and
gifted by your God whom I abhor, and so ardently loved by Him! How
shall I hinder your good fortune? How shall I bring upon you my
unhappiness, since I cannot destroy the existence you have received?
What shall we now begin, O my followers? How shall we restore our
reign? How shall we recover our power over men? How shall we overcome
them? For if men from now on shall not be most senseless and
ungrateful, if they are not worse disposed than we ourselves toward
this Godman, who has redeemed them with so much love, it is clear
that all of them will eagerly follow Him; none will take notice of
our deceits; they will abhor the honors which we insidiously offer
them, and will love contempt; they will seek the mortification of the
flesh and will discover the danger of carnal pleasure and ease; they
will despise riches and treasures, and love the poverty so much
honored by their Master; and all that we can offer to their appetites
they will abhor in imitation of their true Redeemer. Thus will our
reign be destroyed, since no one will be added to our number in this
place of confusion and torments; all will reach the happiness which
we have lost, all will humiliate themselves to the dust and suffer
with patience; and my wrath and haughtiness will avail me nothing.”
“Ah, woe is
me, what torment does this mistake cause me! When I tempted Him in
the desert, the only result was to afford him a chance to leave the
example of this victory, by following which men can overcome so much
the more easily. My persecutions only brought out more clearly his
doctrine of humility and patience. In persuading Judas to betray Him,
and the Jews subject Him to the deadly torture of the Cross, I merely
hastened my ruin and the salvation of men, while the doctrine I
sought to blot out was only the more firmly implanted. How could One
who is God humiliate Himself to such an extent? How could He bear so
much from men who are evil? How could I myself have been led to
assist so much in making this salvation so copious and wonderful? O
how godlike is the power of that Man which could torment and weaken
me so? And can this Woman, his Mother and my Enemy, be so mighty and
invincible in her opposition to me? New is such power in a mere
creature, and no doubt She derived it from the divine Word, whom She
clothed in human flesh. Through this Woman the Almighty has
ceaselessly waged war against me, though I have hated Her in my pride
from the moment I recognized Her in her image or heavenly sign. But
if my proud indignation is not to be assuaged, I benefit nothing by
my perpetual war against this Redeemer, against his Mother and
against men. Now then, ye demons who follow me, now is the time to
give way to our wrath against God. Come all of ye to take counsel
what we are to do; for I desire to hear your opinions.”
Some of the principal demons gave their answers to
this dreadful proposal, encouraging Lucifer by suggesting diverse
schemes for hindering the fruit of the Redemption among men. They all
agreed that it was not possible to injure the person of Christ, to
diminish the immense value of his merits, to destroy the efficacy of
the Sacraments, to falsify or abolish the doctrine which Christ had
preached; yet they resolved that, in accordance with the new order of
assistance and favor established by God for the salvation of men,
they should now seek new ways of hindering and preventing the work of
God by much the greater deceits and temptations. In reference to
these plans some of the astute and malicious demons said “It is
true, that men now have at their disposal a new and very powerful
doctrine and law, new and efficacious Sacraments, a new Model and
Instructor of virtues, a powerful Intercessor and Advocate in this
Woman; yet the natural inclinations and passions of the flesh remain
just the same, and the sensible and delectable creatures have not
changed their nature. Let us then, making use of this situation with
increased astuteness, foil as far as in us lies the effects of what
this Godman has wrought for men. Let us begin strenuous warfare
against mankind by suggesting new attractions, exciting them to
follow their passions in forgetfulness of all else. Thus men, being
taken up with these dangerous things, cannot attend to the contrary.”
Acting upon this
counsel they redistributed the spheres of work among themselves, in
order that each squadron of demons might, with a specialized
astuteness tempt men to different vices. They resolved to continue to
propagate idolatry in the world, so that men might not come
to the knowledge of the true God and the Redemption. Wherever
idolatry would fail, they concluded to establish sects and heresies,
for which they would select the most perverse and depraved of the
human race as leaders and teachers of error. Then and there was
concocted among these malignant spirits the sect of Mahomet, the
heresies of Arius, Pelagius, Nestorius, and whatever other heresies
have been started in the world from the first ages of the Church
until now, together with those which they have in readiness, but
which it is neither necessary nor proper to mention here. Lucifer
showed himself content with these infernal counsels as being opposed
to divine truth and destructive of the very foundation of man’s
rescue, namely divine faith. He lavished flattering praise and high
offices upon those demons, who showed themselves willing and who
undertook to find the impious originators of these errors.
Some of the devils
charged themselves with perverting the inclinations of children at
their conception and birth; others to induce parents to be negligent
in the education and instruction of their children, either through an
inordinate love or aversion, and to cause a hatred of parents among
the children. Some offered to create hatred between husbands and
wives, to place them in the way of adultery, or to think little of
the fidelity promised to their conjugal partners. All agreed to sow
among men the seeds of discord, hatred and vengeance, proud and
sensual thoughts, desire of riches or honors, and by suggesting
sophistical reasons against all the virtues Christ has taught; above
all they intended to weaken the remembrance of his Passion and Death,
of the means of salvation, and of the
eternal pains of hell. By these means the demons hoped to burden all
the powers and the faculties of men with solicitude for earthly
affairs and sensual pleasures, leaving them little time for spiritual
thoughts and their own salvation.
Lucifer heard these different suggestions of the
demons, and answering them, he said: “I am much beholden to you
for your opinions: I approve of them and adopt them all; it will be
easy to put them into practice with those, who do not profess the law
given by this Redeemer to men, though with those who accept and
embrace these laws, it will be a difficult enterprise. But against
this law and against those that follow it, I intend to direct all my
wrath and fury and I shall most bitterly persecute those who hear the
doctrine of this Redeemer and become his disciples; against these
must our most relentless battle be waged to the end of the world. In
this new Church I must strive to sow my cockle (Matth. 14, 25), the
ambitions, the avarice, the sensuality, and the deadly hatreds, with
all the other vices, of which I am the head. For if once these sins
multiply and increase among the faithful, they will, with their
concomitant malice and ingratitude, irritate God and justly deprive
men of the helps of grace left to them by the merits of the Redeemer.
If once they have thus despoiled themselves of these means of
salvation, we shall have assured victory over them. We must also
exert ourselves to weaken piety and all that is spiritual and divine;
so that they do not realize the power the Sacraments and receive them
in mortal sin, or at least without fervor and devotion. For since
these Sacraments are spiritual, it is necessary to receive them with
well–disposed will, in order to reap their fruits. If once they
despise the medicine, they shall languish in their sickness and be
less able to withstand our temptations; they will not see through our
deceits, they will let the memory of their Redeemer and of the
intercession of his Mother slip from their minds. Thus will their
foul ingratitude make them unworthy of grace and so irritate their
God and Savior, as to deprive them of his helps. In all this I wish,
that all of you assist me strenuously, losing neither time nor
occasion for executing my commands.’’
It is not possible
to rehearse all the schemes of this dragon and his allies concocted
at that time against the holy Church and her children, in order that
these waters of Jordan might be swallowed up in his throat (Job 40,
18). It is enough to state that they spent nearly a full year after
the Death of Christ conferring and considering among themselves the
state of the world up to that time and the changes wrought by Christ
our God and Master through his Death and after having manifested the
light of his faith by so many miracles, blessings and examples of
holy men. If all these labors have not sufficed to draw all men to
the way of salvation, it can be easily understood, that Lucifer
should have prevailed and that his wrath should be so great, as to
cause us justly to say with saint John: “Woe to the earth, for
satan is come down to you full of wrath and fury!’’ But
alas! that truths so infallible and so much to be dreaded and avoided
by men, should in our days be blotted from the minds of mortals to
the irreparable danger of the whole world! Our enemy is astute, cruel
and watchful: we sleepy, lukewarm and careless! What wonder that
Lucifer has intrenched himself so firmly in the world, when so many
listen to him, accept and follow his deceits, so few resist him, and
entirely forget the eternal death, which he so furiously and
maliciously seeks to draw upon them? I beseech those, who read this,
not to forget this dreadful danger. If they are not convinced of this
danger through the evil condition of the world and through the evils
each one experiences himself, let them at least learn this danger by
the vast and powerful remedies and helps, which the Savior thought it
necessary to leave behind in his Church.
For He would not have provided such antidotes if our ailment and
danger of eternal death were not so great and formidable.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN
The Virgin Mary
speaks to Sister Mary of Agreda, Spain
This close
imitation and living reproduction of Christ, confronting the demons
in the first children of the Church, they feared so much, that they
dared not approach and they precipitously fled from the Apostles and
the just ones imbued with the doctrines of my divine Son. In them
were offered up to the Almighty the first fruits of grace, and of
Redemption. What is seen in the saints and
in perfect Christians in those times, would happen in the present
times with all the Catholics if they would accept grace and work with
it instead of permitting it to go to waste, and if they would seek
the way of the Cross; for Lucifer fears it as much now as in the
times thou hast been writing of. But soon the charity, zeal and
devotion in many of faithful began to grow cold and they forgot the
blessings of the Redemption; they yielded to their carnal
inclinations and desires, they loved vanity and avarice and permitted
themselves to be fascinated and deceived by the false pretenses of
Lucifer, obscuring the glory of their Savior and inveigling them into
the meshes of their mortal enemies. This foul ingratitude has thrown
the world into the present state and has encouraged the demons to
rise up in their pride against God, audaciously presuming to possess
themselves of all the children of Adam on account of this
forgetfulness and carelessness of Catholics. They presume to plot the
destruction the whole Church by the perversion of so many who
have fallen away from it; and by inducing those
who are in it, to think little of it, or by hindering them from
producing the fruits of the blood and death of their Redeemer. The
greatest misfortune is, that many Catholics fail to recognize this
great damage and do not seriously think of a remedy, although they
can presume that the times, of which Jesus forewarned the women of
Jerusalem, have arrived; namely, those in which the sterile should be
happy, and in which many would call upon the mountains and the hills
to cover and fall upon them, in order not to see the devastation of
wickedness cutting down the sons of perdition, the dried trees,
barren of all the fruits of virtue.
Book 6, Chapter 11
THE
RESURRECTION
The fullness of wisdom in the soul of
our great Queen and Lady amid all her sorrows permitted no defect or
remissness in noticing and attending to all the duties of each
occasion and at all times. By this heavenly foresight She met her
obligations and practiced the highest and most eminent of all the
virtues. As I have said, the Queen retired, after the burial of
Christ, to the house of the Cenacle. Remaining in the hall of the
last Supper in the company of saint John, the Marys, and the other
women who had followed Christ from Galilee, She spoke to them and the
Apostle, thanking them in profound humility and abundant tears for
persevering with Her up to this time throughout the Passion of her
beloved Son and promising them in his name the reward of having
followed Him with so much constancy and devotion. At the same time
She offered Herself as a servant and as a friend to those holy women.
All of them with Saint John acknowledged this great favor, kissed her
hands and asked for her blessing. They also begged her to take some
rest and some bodily refreshment. But the Queen answered: “My
rest and my consolation shall be to see my Son and Lord arisen from
the dead. Do you, my dearest friends, satisfy our wants according to
your necessities, while I retire alone with my Son.” In her
retirement during this evening the great Lady contemplated the doings
of the most holy soul of her Son after it left the sacred body. For
from the first the blessed Mother knew that the soul of Christ,
united to the Divinity, descended to limbo in order to release the
holy Fathers from the subterranean prison, where they had been
detained since the death of the first just man that had died in
expectance of the advent of the Redeemer of the whole human race. By
the presence of the most holy Soul this obscure cavern was converted
into a heaven and was filled with a wonderful splendor; and to the
souls therein contained was imparted the clear vision of the
Divinity. In one instant they passed from the state of long–deferred
hope to the possession of glory, and from darkness to the
inaccessible light, which they now began to enjoy. All of them
recognized their true God and Redeemer, and gave him thanks and
glory, breaking forth in canticles of praise saying: “The Lamb
that was slain is worthy to receive power and Divinity, and wisdom,
and strength, and honor, and glory and benediction. Thou hast
redeemed us, Lord, in thy blood, out of every tribe, and tongue, and
people, and nation; and hast made us to our God a kingdom and
priests, and we shall reign on the earth (Apoc. 59, 12). Thine is, O
Lord, the power, thine the reign, and thine is the glory of thy
works.” Then the Lord commanded the angels to bring all the
souls in purgatory, and this was immediately done. As if in earnest
of the human Redemption they were absolved then and there by the
Redeemer from the punishments still due to them, and they were
glorified with the other souls of the just by the beatific vision.
Thus on that day of the presence of the King were depopulated the
prison houses of both limbo and purgatory.
The divine soul of
Christ our Redeemer remained in limbo from half past three of Friday
afternoon, until after three of the Sunday morning following. During
this hour He returned to the Sepulchre as the victorious Prince of
the angels and of the saints, whom had delivered from those nether
prisons as Spoils of His victory and as an earnest of His glorious
triumph over the chastised and prostrate rebels of hell. In the
sepulchre were many angels as its guard, venerating the sacred body
united to the Divinity. Some of them, obeying the command of their
Queen and Mistress, had gathered the relics of the sacred blood shed
by her divine Son, the particles of flesh scattered about, the hair
torn from his divine face and head, and all else that belonged to the
perfection and integrity of his most sacred humanity. On these the
Mother of prudence lavished her solicitous care. The angels took
charge of these relics, each one filled
with joy at being privileged to hold the
particles, which he was able to secure. Before any change was made,
the body of the Redeemer was shown to the holy Fathers, in the same
wounded, lacerated and disfigured state in which it was left by the
cruelty of the Jews. Beholding Him thus disfigured in death, the
Patriarchs and Prophets and other saints adored Him and again
confessed Him as the incarnate Word, who had truly taken upon Himself
our infirmities and sorrows (Is. 53, 4) and paid abundantly our
debts, satisfying in his innocence and guiltlessness for what we
ourselves owed to the justice of the eternal Father. There did our
first parents Adam and Eve see the havoc wrought by their
disobedience, the priceless remedy it necessitated, the immense
goodness and mercy of the Redeemer. As they felt the effects of his
copious Redemption in the glory of their souls, they praised anew the
Omnipotent and Saints of saints, who had with such marvelous wisdom
wrought such a salvation.
Then, in the
presence of all those saints, through the ministry of those angels,
were united to the sacred body all the relics, which they had
gathered, restoring it to its natural perfection and integrity. In
the same moment the most holy soul reunited with the body, giving it
immortal life and glory. Instead of the winding–sheets and the
ointments, in which it had been buried, it was clothed with the four
gifts of glory, namely: with clearness, impassibility, agility and
subtility (John 19, 40). These gifts overflowed
from the immense glory of the soul of Christ into the sacred body.
Although these gifts were due to it as a natural inheritance and
participation from the instant of its conception, because from that
very moment his soul was glorified and his whole humanity was united
to the Divinity; yet they had been suspended in their effects upon
the purest body, in order to permit it to remain passable and capable
of meriting for us our own glory. In the Resurrection these gifts
were justly called into activity in the proper degree corresponding
to the glory of his soul and to his union with the Divinity. As the
glory of the most holy soul of Christ our Savior is incomprehensible
and ineffable to man, it is also impossible entirely to describe in
our words or by our examples the glorious gifts of his deified body;
for in comparison to its purity, crystal would be obscure. The light
inherent and shining forth from his body so far exceeds that of the
others, as the day does the night, or as many suns the light of one
star; and all the beauty of creatures, if
it were joined, would appear ugliness in comparison
with his, nothing else being comparable to It
in all creation.
The excellence of
these gifts in the Resurrection were far beyond the glory of his
Transfiguration or that manifested on other occasions of the kind men
mentioned in this history. For on these occasions He received it
transitorily and for special purposes, while now He received it in
plenitude and forever. Through impassibility his body became
invincible to all created power, since no power can ever move or
change Him. By subtility the gross and earthly matter was so
purified, that it could now penetrate other matter like a pure
spirit. Accordingly He penetrated through
the rocks of the sepulchre without removing or displacing them, as He
had issued forth from the womb of his most blessed Mother. Agility so
freed Him from the weight and slowness of matter, that it exceeded
the agility of the immaterial angels, while He himself could move
about more quickly than they, as shown in his apparitions to the
Apostles and on other occasions. The sacred wounds, which had
disfigured his body, now shone forth from his hands and feet and side
so refulgent and brilliant, that they added a most entrancing beauty
and charm. In all this glory and heavenly adornment the Savior
now arose from the grave; and in the presence of
the saints and Patriarchs He promised
universal resurrection in their own flesh and body to all men, and
that they moreover, as an effect of his own Resurrection, should be
similarly glorified. As an earnest and as a pledge of the universal
resurrection, the Lord commanded the souls of many saints there
present to reunite with their bodies and rise up to immortal life.
Immediately this divine command was executed, and their bodies arose,
as is mentioned by saint Matthew, in anticipation of this mystery
(Matthew 27, 52). Among them were saint Anne, saint Joseph and saint
Joachim, and others of the ancient Fathers and Patriarchs, who had
distinguished themselves in the faith and hope of the Incarnation,
and had desired and prayed for it with greater earnestness to the
Lord. As a reward for their zeal, the resurrection and glory of
their bodies was now anticipated.
Of all these
mysteries the great Queen of heaven was aware and She participated in
them from her retreat in the Cenacle. In the same instant in which
the most holy soul of Christ entered and gave life to his body the
joy of her immaculate soul, which I mentioned in the foregoing
chapter as being restrained and, as it were, withheld, overflowed
into her immaculate body. And this overflow was so exquisite in its
effects, that She was transformed from sorrow to joy, from pain to
delight from grief to ineffable jubilation and rest. It happened that
just at this time the Evangelist John, as he had done
on the previous morning, stepped in to visit and console Her in her
bitter solitude, and thus unexpectedly, in the midst of splendor and
glory, met Her whom he had before scarcely recognized on account of
her overwhelming sorrow. The Apostle now beheld Her with wonder and
deepest reverence and concluded that the Lord had risen, since his
blessed Mother was thus transfigured with joy.
In this new joy and under the divine
influences of her supernatural vision the great Lady began to prepare
herself for the visit of the Lord, which was near at hand. While
eliciting acts of praise, and in her canticles and prayers, She
immediately felt within Her a new kind of jubilation and celestial
delight, reaching far beyond the first joy, and corresponding in a
wonderful manner to the sorrows and tribulations She had undergone in
the Passion; and this new favor was different and much more exalted
than the joys overflowing naturally from her soul into her body.
Moreover She perceived within Herself another third and still more
different effect, implying new divine favors.
The blessed Mary
being thus prepared, Christ our Savior, arisen and glorious, in the
company of all Saints and Patriarchs, made his appearance. The ever
humble Queen prostrated Herself upon the ground and adored her divine
Son; and the Lord raised Her and drew Her to Himself. In this
contact, which was more intimate than the contact with the humanity
and the wounds of the Savior sought by Magdalen, the Virgin Mother
participated in an extraordinary favor, which She alone, as exempt
from sin, could merit. Although it was not the greatest of the favors
She attained on this occasion, yet She could not have received it
without failing of her faculties, if She had not been previously
strengthened by the angels and by the Lord himself. This favor was,
that the glorious body of the Son so closely united itself to that of
his purest Mother, that He penetrated into it or She into his, as
when, for instance, a crystal globe takes up within itself the light
of the sun and is saturated with the splendor and beauty of its
light. In the same way the body of the most holy Mary entered into
that of her divine Son by this heavenly embrace; it was, as it were,
the portal of her intimate knowledge concerning the glory of the holy
soul and body of her Lord. As a consequence of these favors,
constituting higher and higher degrees of ineffable gifts, the spirit
of the Virgin Mother rose to the knowledge of the most hidden
sacraments. In the midst of them She heard a voice saying to Her: “My
beloved, ascend higher!” (Luke 18, 10). By the power of these
words She was entirely transformed and saw the Divinity clearly and
intuitively, wherein She found complete, though only temporary, rest
and reward for all her sorrows and labors. Silence alone here is
proper, since reason and language are entirely inadequate to
comprehend or express what passed in the blessed
Mary during this beatific vision, the highest She had until then
enjoyed. Let us celebrate this day in wonder and praise,
with congratulations and loving and humble thanks for what She then
merited for us, and for her exaltation and joy.
For some hours the
heavenly Princess continued to enjoy the essence of God with her
divine Son, participating now in his triumph as She had in his
torments. Then by similar degrees She again descended from this
vision and found Herself in the end reclining on the right arm of the
most sacred humanity and regaled in other
ways by the right hand of his Divinity (Cant. 2, 6). She held
sweetest converse with her Son concerning the mysteries of his
Passion and of his glory. In these conferences She was again
inebriated with the wine of love and
charity, which now She drank unmeasured from the original fount. All
that a mere creature can receive was conferred upon the blessed Mary
on this occasion; for, according to our way of conceiving such
things, the divine equity wished to compensate the injury (thus I
must call it, because I cannot find a more proper word), which a
Creature so pure and immaculate had undergone in suffering the
sorrows and torments of the Passion. For, as I have mentioned many
times before, She suffered the same pains as her Son, and now in this
mystery She was inundated with a proportionate joy and delight.
WORDS OF THE QUEEN
The Virgin Mary
speaks to Sister Mary of Agreda, Spain
Each of these
gifts are correspondingly augmented in him who in the state of grace
performs the least meritorious work, even if it be no more than
removing a straw or giving a cup of water for the love of God (Matth.
10, 42). For each of the most insignificant works the creature gains
an increase of these gifts; an increase of clearness exceeding many
times the sunlight and added to its state of blessedness an increase
of impassibility, by which man recedes from human and earthly
corruption farther than what all created efforts and strength could
ever effect in resistance separating itself from such infirmity or
changefulness; an increase of subtility, by which he advances beyond
all that could offer it resistance and gains new power of
penetration; an increase of agility, surpassing all the activity of
birds, of winds, and all other active creatures, such as fire and the
elements tending to their centre. From this increase of the gifts of
the body merited by good works, thou wilt understand the augmentation
of the gifts of the soul; for those of the body are derived from
those of the soul and correspond with them. In the beatific vision
each merit secures greater clearness and insight into the divine
attributes and perfections than that acquired by all the doctors and
enlightened members of the Church. Likewise the gift of apprehension,
or possession of the divine Object, is augmented; for the security of
the possession of the highest and infinite Good makes the tranquility
and rest of its enjoyment more estimable than if the soul possessed
all that is precious and rich, desirable and worthy of attainment in
all creation, even if possessed all at one time. Fruition, the third
gift of the soul, on account of the love with which man performs the
smallest acts, so exalts the degrees of functional love, that the
greatest love of men here on earth can never be compared thereto; nor
can the delight resulting therefrom ever be compared
with all the delights of this mortal life.
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Catholic Catechism
PART THREE - THE LIFE OF THE CHRIST
SECTION ONE - MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE SPIRIT
CHAPTER ONE - THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
ARTICLE THREE - MANS FREEDOM
- Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts.27
1731 Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.
1732 As long as freedom has not bound itself definitively to its ultimate good which is God, there is the possibility of choosing between good and evil, and thus of growing in perfection or of failing and sinning. This freedom characterizes properly human acts. It is the basis of praise or blame, merit or reproach.
1733 The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to "the slavery of sin."28
1734 Freedom makes man responsible for his acts to the extent that they are voluntary. Progress in virtue, knowledge of the good, and ascesis enhance the mastery of the will over its acts.
1735 Imputability and responsibility for an action can be diminished or even nullified by ignorance, inadvertence, duress, fear, habit, inordinate attachments, and other psychological or social factors.
1736 Every act directly willed is imputable to its author:
Thus the Lord asked Eve after the sin in the garden: "What is this that you have done?"29 He asked Cain the same question.30 The prophet Nathan questioned David in the same way after he committed adultery with the wife of Uriah and had him murdered.31
An action can be indirectly voluntary when it results from negligence regarding something one should have known or done: for example, an accident arising from ignorance of traffic laws.
1737 An effect can be tolerated without being willed by its agent; for instance, a mother's exhaustion from tending her sick child. A bad effect is not imputable if it was not willed either as an end or as a means of an action, e.g., a death a person incurs in aiding someone in danger. For a bad effect to be imputable it must be foreseeable and the agent must have the possibility of avoiding it, as in the case of manslaughter caused by a drunken driver.
1738 Freedom is exercised in relationships between human beings. Every human person, created in the image of God, has the natural right to be recognized as a free and responsible being. All owe to each other this duty of respect. The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in moral and religious matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of the human person. This right must be recognized and protected by civil authority within the limits of the common good and public order.32
II. HUMAN FREEDOM IN THE ECONOMY OF SALVATION
1739 Freedom and sin. Man's freedom is limited and fallible. In fact, man failed. He freely sinned. By refusing God's plan of love, he deceived himself and became a slave to sin. This first alienation engendered a multitude of others. From its outset, human history attests the wretchedness and oppression born of the human heart in consequence of the abuse of freedom.
1740 Threats to freedom. The exercise of freedom does not imply a right to say or do everything. It is false to maintain that man, "the subject of this freedom," is "an individual who is fully self-sufficient and whose finality is the satisfaction of his own interests in the enjoyment of earthly goods."33 Moreover, the economic, social, political, and cultural conditions that are needed for a just exercise of freedom are too often disregarded or violated. Such situations of blindness and injustice injure the moral life and involve the strong as well as the weak in the temptation to sin against charity. By deviating from the moral law man violates his own freedom, becomes imprisoned within himself, disrupts neighborly fellowship, and rebels against divine truth.
1741 Liberation and salvation. By his glorious Cross Christ has won salvation for all men. He redeemed them from the sin that held them in bondage. "For freedom Christ has set us free."34 In him we have communion with the "truth that makes us free."35 The Holy Spirit has been given to us and, as the Apostle teaches, "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom."36 Already we glory in the "liberty of the children of God."37
1742 Freedom and grace. The grace of Christ is not in the slightest way a rival of our freedom when this freedom accords with the sense of the true and the good that God has put in the human heart. On the contrary, as Christian experience attests especially in prayer, the more docile we are to the promptings of grace, the more we grow in inner freedom and confidence during trials, such as those we face in the pressures and constraints of the outer world. By the working of grace the Holy Spirit educates us in spiritual freedom in order to make us free collaborators in his work in the Church and in the world:
- Almighty and merciful God,
in your goodness take away from us all that is harmful,
so that, made ready both in mind and body,
we may freely accomplish your will.38
IN BRIEF
1743 "God willed that man should be left in the hand of his own counsel (cf. Sir 15:14), so that he might of his own accord seek his creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him" (GS 17 § 1).
1744 Freedom is the power to act or not to act, and so to perform deliberate acts of one's own. Freedom attains perfection in its acts when directed toward God, the sovereign Good.
1745 Freedom characterizes properly human acts. It makes the human being responsible for acts of which he is the voluntary agent. His deliberate acts properly belong to him.
1746 The imputability or responsibility for an action can be diminished or nullified by ignorance, duress, fear, and other psychological or social factors.
1747 The right to the exercise of freedom, especially in religious and moral matters, is an inalienable requirement of the dignity of man. But the exercise of freedom does not entail the putative right to say or do anything.
1748 "For freedom Christ has set us free" (Gal 5:1).
26 GS 17; Sir 15:14.
27 St. Irenaeus, Adv. haeres. 4,4,3:PG 7/1,983.
28 Cf. Rom 6:17.
29 Gen 3:13.
30 Cf. Gen 4:10.
31 Cf. 2 Sam 12:7-15.
32 Cf. DH 2 § 7.
33 CDF, instruction, Libertatis conscientia 13.
34 Gal 5:1.
35 Cf. Jn 8:32.
36 2 Cor 17.
37 Rom 8:21.
38 Roman Missal, 32nd Sunday, Opening Prayer: Omnipotens et misericors Deus, universa nobis adversantia propitiatus exclude, ut, mente et corpore pariter expediti, quæ tua sunt liberis mentibus exsequamur
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RE-CHARGE: Heaven Speaks to Young Adults
To all tween, teens and young adults, A Message from Jesus: "Through you I will flow powerful conversion graces to draw other young souls from darkness. My plan for young men and women is immense. Truly, the renewal will leap forward with the assistance of these individuals. Am I calling you? Yes. I am calling you. You feel the stirring in your soul as you read these words. I am with you. I will never leave you. Join My band of young apostles and I will give you joy and peace that you have never known. All courage, all strength will be yours. Together, we will reclaim this world for the Father. I will bless your families and all of your relationships. I will lead you to your place in the Kingdom. Only you can complete the tasks I have set out for you. Do not reject Me. I am your Jesus. I love you...Read this book, upload to your phones/ipads.computers and read a few pages everyday...and then Pay It Forward...
Reference
- Recharge: Directions For Our Times. Heaven Speaks to Young Adults. recharge.cc.
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