10/4 Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi (1181 – 1226)

St. Francis loved God, all creatures – great and small, and all God’s Creation

Book of Heaven
The Call of the Creature to the Order, the Place and the Purpose
for which He was Created by God

Volume 17 – April 15, 1925

The mission of the Divine Will is Eternal, and it is precisely the mission of Our Celestial Father.

I [Luisa] write only to obey, and to my great repugnance.  After a holy priest had read my writings, he had let me know that in certain chapters blessed Jesus was exalting me too much, to the point of telling me that He placed me near His Celestial Mama, that She be me my model.  On hearing this, I felt confused and troubled; I remembered that I had written this only to obey, and to my great repugnance, and that I was connected to the mission of making the Divine Will known.  And I lamented to my Jesus for having told me this, while I
am so bad, and He alone knows all my miseries.  This confused me and humiliated me so much, as to give me no peace.  I felt such distance between me and the Celestial Mother, as if there was an abyss of distance between me and Her.  Then, while I was so troubled, my lovable Jesus came out from within my interior, and clasping me tightly in His arms to infuse peace in me, told me:  “My daughter, why do you trouble yourself so much?  Don’t you know that peace is the smile of the soul, it is the azure and serene sky in which the Divine Sun makes Its light blaze more vividly, in such a way as to let no cloud arise above the horizon, which might occupy the light?  Peace is the beneficial dew which vivifies everything and bejewels the soul with an enrapturing beauty, and attracts the continuous kiss of my Will upon her.  And besides, what is it that opposes the truth? Where is this exalting you too much?  Only because I told you that I placed you near my Divine Mother; because, She having been the depository of all the goods of my Redemption, as my Mother, as Virgin, as Queen, I placed Her at the head of all the redeemed ones, giving Her a distinct, unique and special mission, which no one else will be given.  The very Apostles and the whole Church depend upon Her and receive from Her; there is no good which She does not possess – all goods come from Her; it was right that, as my Mother, I was to entrust everything and everyone to Her maternal Heart.  Embracing everything, and being able to give everything to everyone, was only of my Mother.

Now, I repeat to you that just as I placed my Mama at the head of all, and I deposited in Her all the goods of Redemption, so I chose another virgin, whom I placed near Her, giving her the mission of making my Divine Will known. And if Redemption is great, my Will is even greater; and just as for Redemption there was a beginning in time, not in eternity, in the same way, for my Divine Will, though It is eternal, there was to be the beginning in time of Its making Itself known.  Therefore, because my Will exists in Heaven and on earth, and is the sole and only one which possesses all goods, I was to choose a creature to whom I was to entrust the deposit of the knowledges about It, making known to her, as to a second mother, the qualities, the value, the prerogatives of It, that she might love It and jealously keep the deposit of It.  And just as my Celestial Mother, true depository of the goods of Redemption, is generous with whomever wants of them, so will this second mother be generous in making known to all the deposit of my teachings, the sanctity of it and the good that my Divine Will wants to give, how It lives unknown in the midst of creatures, and how, from the beginning of the creation of man, It years, It prays, It supplicates that man return to his origin – that is, into my Will – and that the rights of Its sovereignty over creatures be given back to It.  My Redemption was one, and I made use of my dear Mother in order to carry It out.  My Will also is one, and I was to make use of another creature; and placing her as though at the head, and forming the deposit in her, she was to serve Me to make my teachings known and to fulfill the designs of my Divine Will.  So, where is this exalting you too much?  Who can deny that the Redemption and the fulfillment of my Will are two unique and similar missions, such that, as they hold each other’s hand, my Will will make the fruits of Redemption be completed, and the rights of Creation be given back to Us, placing the seal on the purpose for which all things were created? This is why this knowledge of the mission of Our Will interests Us so much – because nothing else will do so much good to creatures as it will; it will be the fulfillment and the crowning of all Our works.

Furthermore, of David it was said that he was an image of Me, so much so, that all of his psalms reveal my person; of Saint Francis of Assisi, that he was a faithful copy of Me.  It is said in the Holy Gospel:  ‘Be perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect’ – no less; it is also added that no one will enter the Kingdom of Heaven if he is not similar to the image of the Son of God; and many other things.  About all these, no one says that they have been exalted too much, and that these are things not conforming to truths spoken by my very mouth.  Only because to you I said that I wanted to compare you to the Virgin – to make you Her faithful copy, I have exalted you too much?  So, comparing those to Me was not exalting them, nor did anyone raise any doubt or difficulty; but then, comparing to the Virgin – that’s too much exaltation.  This means that they have not understood well the mission of the knowledge of my Will.  Indeed, I repeat to you that I not only place you near Her as Her little daughter, on Her maternal lap, that She may guide you, instruct you on how you must imitate Her, to become Her faithful copy by always doing the Divine Will; so that, from Her lap, you may pass onto the lap of the Divinity.  In fact, the mission of my Will is eternal, and it is precisely the mission of Our Celestial Father, who wants, commands, expects nothing else but that His Will be known and loved, that It be done on earth as It is in Heaven.  So you, making this eternal mission your own and imitating the Celestial Father, must want nothing else for yourself and for all but that my Will be known, loved and fulfilled.  And besides, when it is the creature who exalts herself, one should think about it; but when she remains at her place and I exalt her, all is permissible to Me – making one reach wherever I want, and the way I want.  Therefore, trust Me and do not be concerned.”

***

Volume 29 – February 13, 1931

How the Creation is mute, while the creature is speaking creation.

… Then, I [Luisa] was continuing my little acts of adorations, of love, of praises, of blessings in the Divine Fiat for my Creator; and as I emitted my acts, the Divine Volition extended them everywhere and in every place where the Divine Will was present, which is such that there is not one point in which It is not present. And my always lovable Jesus added: “Dearest daughter of My Will, you must know that My Volition knows not how to do acts by half, but complete ones, and with such fullness as to be able to say: ‘Wherever there is My Will there is My Act.’ And Our Divinity, seeing the adoration, the love of Its creature laid within Our Divine Will, finds Its support within Its Immensity, at whatever point It wants to lean. So, We feel Our profound adoration that the creature has placed for Us in Our Will, and We lean upon it and We rest; We feel that she loves Us everywhere, and We lean within her love; and so with her praises and blessings. So, the creature in Our Will becomes Our support and Our rest; and there is nothing that delights Us more than finding Our rest in Our creature—symbol of the rest that We took after having created the whole Creation.

 Furthermore, Our Divine Will is present everywhere, and Heaven and earth, and everything, are filled with It up to the brim. So, all are veils that hide It, but mute veils; and if in their muteness they eloquently speak of their Creator, it is not them, but My very Divine Will, hidden in the created things, speaks by way of signs, as if It did not have speech. It speaks in the sun by way of signs of light and of heat; in the wind, giving penetrating and ruling signs; in the air It gives mute signs, such as to make Itself breath of all creatures. Oh! if the sun, the wind, the air and all other created things had the good of the word, how many things they would say to their Creator. But, who is the speaking work of the Supreme Being? It is the creature. In creating her, We loved her so much, that We gave her the great good of the word. Our Will wanted to make Itself word of the creature, It wanted to leave the muteness of created things, and forming in her the organ of the voice, It formed the word so as to be able to speak. Therefore, the voice of the creatures is speaking veil in which My Will speaks eloquently, wisely; and since the creature does not say or do always the same thing—as the created things, that never change their action; they are always at their place, doing that same action that God wants from them—therefore My Will maintains the continuous attitude of the multiplicity of the ways that are in the creature. So, it can be said that It speaks not only in the voice, but It renders Itself speaking in the works, in the steps, in the mind and in the heart of creatures. But what is not Our sorrow in seeing this speaking creation making use of the great good of the word to offend Us; making use of the gift to offend the giver and prevent the great prodigy that I can make, of graces, of love, of Divine Knowledges, of the sanctity that I can form in the speaking work of the creature? But for one who lives in My Will, I am voice that speaks, and—oh! how many things I keep manifesting to her; I am in continuous motion and attitude, I enjoy the full freedom to do and say surprising things, and I perform the prodigy of My Will speaking, loving and operating in the creature. Therefore, give Me full freedom, and you will see what My Will can do in you.” …

9/23 Tomorrow is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Ransom (Our Lady of Mercy)

Tomorrow is the Feast Day of

Our Lady of Ransom
(also known as Our Lady of Mercy)

Please check out the following web sites here and here
for more information on today’s Feast 

***

Volume 16 – January 14, 1923

The Divine Will was everything for man, and with It he needed nothing. Before the scourging, Jesus wanted to be stripped, in order to give back to the creature her royal garments.

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

I was contemplating the mystery of the Scourging, compassionating my sweet Jesus in the moment when He saw Himself so confused in the midst of enemies – stripped of His garment, under a storm of blows. And my adorable Jesus, coming out from my interior in the state in which He found Himself when He was scourged, told me: “My daughter, do you want to know the reason for which I was stripped when I was scourged? In every mystery of My Passion, first I occupied Myself with adjusting the fracture between the human will and the Divine, and then with the offenses which this fracture produced.

“When man in Eden broke the bonds of the union between the Supreme Will and his will, he stripped himself of the royal garments of My Will, and clothed himself with the miserable rags of his will – weak, inconstant, incapable of doing any good. My Will was a sweet enchantment for him, which kept him absorbed within a most pure light, which made him know nothing but His God, from Whom he came, and which gave him nothing else but immeasurable happiness. And he was so absorbed by all that his God gave him, that he gave no thought to himself. Oh, how happy man was, and how the Divinity delighted in giving him so many particles of His being for as many as the creature can contain, in order to render him similar to Himself. So, as soon as he (Adam) broke the union of Our Will with his, he lost the royal garment; he lost enchantment, light, happiness. He looked at himself without the light of My Will, and in looking at himself without the enchantment which kept him absorbed, he knew himself and felt ashamed. He was afraid of God, to the extent that nature itself felt its sad effects: he was cold, felt his nakedness, and felt the strong need to cover himself. And just as Our Will kept him in the harbor of immense happinesses, so did his will put him in the harbor of miseries.
Our Will was everything for man, and in It he found everything. It was fair that, having been delivered by Us and living in Our Will as Our tender child, he would live of It. And this Will was to make up for all that he needed. Therefore, when he wanted to live of his will, he needed everything because the human will does not have the power to make up for all needs, nor does it contain the source of good within itself. So, he was forced to earn with hardship the necessary things of life.

See, then, what it means not to be united with My Will! Oh, if all knew It, how they would have one single yearning: that my Will come to reign upon earth!

Therefore, had Adam not withdrawn from the Divine Will, also his nature would have had no need of clothing; he would not have felt the shame of his nakedness, nor would he have been subject to suffer cold, heat, hunger, weakness. But these natural things were almost nothing; they were, rather, symbols of the great good which his soul had lost.

So, My daughter (Luisa), before being tied to the column to be scourged, I (Jesus) wanted to be stripped in order to suffer and repair the nakedness of man, when he stripped himself of the royal garment of My Will. I felt such confusion and pain within me in seeing Myself stripped in the midst of enemies who were making fun of Me, that I cried over the nakedness of man and I offered my nakedness to My Celestial Father, so that man might be clothed once again with the royal garment of My Will. And as ransom, so that it would not be denied to Me, I offered My Blood, My flesh torn to shreds, and I let Myself be stripped not only of my garment, but also of My flesh, to be able to pay the price and satisfy for the crime of nakedness of man. I poured so much Blood in this mystery that in no other did I pour so much of it – so much as to be enough to cover him with a second garment, a garment of Blood; to cover him again and therefore warm him and wash him, to dispose him to receive the royal garment of My Will.”

On hearing this, surprised I said: “My beloved Jesus, how can it be possible that, because he withdrew from Your Will, man felt the need to clothe himself, was ashamed, was afraid…? And then, You always did the Will of the Celestial Father, You were One with Him, and your Mama never knew her Will – yet, You felt the needed of clothing, of food, and You suffered cold and heat…”

And Jesus added: “Yet, My daughter, it is exactly so. If man felt ashamed of his nakedness and was subject to many natural miseries, it was exactly because he lost the sweet enchantment of My Will; and even though the evil was done by his soul, not by his body, the body, however, was an indirect accomplice in the bad will of man. His nature remained as though profaned by the bad will of man; therefore both one and the other had to feel the pain of the evil done. As far as Myself, indeed I always did the Supreme Will, but I did not come to find an innocent man, a man before sin; rather, I came to find a man sinner and with all his miseries. And so I had to join him, taking upon Myself all the evils of man, and subjecting Myself to all the necessities of life, as if I were one of them. However, in Me there was this prodigy: if I wanted, I would need nothing, either clothing, food or other things. But I did not want to use it out of love for man. I wanted to sacrifice Myself in everything, even in the most innocent things created by Me, in order to prove him My ardent love. Even more, this served to beseech My Divine Father, so that, out of regard for Me and for My will completely sacrificed to Him, He would give back to man the noble royal garment of Our Will.”

9/15 Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows

Santa Maria Greca Church, Corato, Italy

Book of Heaven
The Call of the Creature to the Order, the Place and the Purpose
for which He was Created by God
Volume 6 – September 17, 1905

How one can participate in the sorrows of the Queen Mama

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

Having been in much suffering because of the privation of my most sweet Jesus, this morning, the day of the Sorrows of Mary Most Holy, after I struggled in some way, He came and told me:  “My daughter, what do you want, that you so much yearn for Me?”

And I:  “Lord, what You have for Yourself – that is what I yearn for myself.”

And He:  “My daughter, for Myself I have thorns, nails and cross.”

And I:  “Well then, that is what I want for myself.”  So He gave me His crown of thorns and shared with me the pains of the cross.

Then He added:  “Everyone can share in the merits and in the goods produced by the sorrows of My Mother.

The one who, in advance, places herself in the hands of Providence, offering herself to suffer any kind of pains, miseries, illnesses, calumnies, and everything which the Lord will dispose upon her, comes to participate in the first sorrow of the prophecy of Simeon.

The one who actually finds herself amid sufferings, and is resigned, clings more tightly to Me and does not offend Me, it is as if she were saving Me from the hands of Herod, keeping Me safe and sound within the Egypt of her heart – and she participates in the second sorrow.

The one who feels downhearted, dry and deprived of my presence, and remains yet firm and faithful to her usual practices – even more, she takes the opportunity to love Me and to search for Me more, without tiring – comes to participate in the merits and goods which my Mother acquired when I was lost (third sorrow).

The one who, in any circumstance she encounters, especially in seeing Me gravely offended, despised, trampled upon, tries to repair Me, to compassionate Me, and to pray for the very ones who offend Me – it is as if I encountered in that soul My own Mother who, if She could have done it, would have freed Me from My enemies; and she participates in the fourth sorrow.

The one who crucifies her senses for love of My crucifixion, and tries to copy the virtues of My crucifixion within herself, participates in the fifth one.

The one who is in a continuous attitude of adoring, of kissing My wounds, of repairing, of thanking etc., in the name of all mankind, it is as if she were holding Me in her arms, just as my Mother held Me when I was deposed from the Cross – and she participates in the sixth sorrow.

The one who remains in My grace and corresponds to it, giving a place to no one else but Me within her heart, it is as if she buried Me in the center of her heart – and she participates in the seventh one.”

9/14 Feast Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

 

The Exaltation of The Holy Cross

   We adore You O Christ and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world!

The faithful bow, venerate and devoutly kiss The Holy Cross.

“Come, all you faithful, let us adore the Life-giving tree, upon which Christ the King of glory willingly stretched out His arms and raising us up, restored us to that original happiness, the enemy stole from us in the past, seducing us by vain pleasures so that we became estranged from God.
Come, all you faithful, let us bow down before the tree, through which we have become worthy to crush the heads of invisible enemies.
Come, all you nations, let us extol the Cross, perfect salvation of fallen Adam.
Our most faithful kings glory in you, for by your power they overcame their enemies.
Today we Christians with awe kiss you, we glorify the crucified God upon you and say,
‘O Lord, crucified on the Cross, have mercy on us, for you are good and you love mankind.’”

To arouse ourselves to a greater veneration and love for The Holy Cross, let us frequently call to mind those profound thoughts expressed by the great venerator of The Holy Cross, St. Ephrem the Syrian (+373) in the following hymn:

The Cross is – the Resurrection of the dead.
The Cross is – the Staff of the lame.
The Cross is – the Consolation of the poor.
The Cross is – the Dethronement of the proud.
The Cross is – the Hope of the hopeless.
The Cross is – the Helm of those who sail.
The Cross is – the Harbor of the storm-tossed.
The Cross is – the Father of orphans.
The Cross is – the Comfort of the afflicted.
The Cross is – the Protector of youth.
The Cross is – the Glory of men.
The Cross is – the Crown of the aged.
The Cross is – the Purity of virgins.
The Cross is – the Bread of the hungry and the fountain of the thirsty.

… Therefore, let us make the sign of this Life-Giving Cross on our forehead, lips and breast…
Let us not do anything without it, but whether we are going to sleep, or getting up; whether we are eating or drinking, whether we are traveling on land, sailing the sea, or crossing rivers, we should adorn all the members of our body with the sign of the Life-Giving Cross.”

On this day The Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta receives the last bond with Jesus in “the Marriage of the Cross”

Fiat!

Feast Day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

The Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, Little Daughter of the Divine Will, receives the last bond with Our Lord Jesus Christ:  the Marriage of the Cross

Book of Heaven
The Call of the Creature to the Order, the Place and the Purpose
for which He was Created by God
Volume One

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

One morning – it was the day of the Exaltation of the Cross – my sweet Jesus transported me to the holy sites; and first, He told me many things about the virtue of the cross. I don’t remember all, but just a few things: “My beloved, do you
want to be beautiful? The cross will give you the most beautiful features that
can possibly be found, both in Heaven and on earth; so much so, as to enamor
God, who contains all beauties within Himself.”

Jesus continued: “Do you want to be filled with immense riches – not for a short time, but for all eternity? Well then, the cross will administer to you all kinds of riches – from the tiniest cents, which are the little crosses, up to the greatest amounts, which are the heavier crosses. Yet, men are so greedy to earn a temporal penny, which they soon will have to leave, but do not give a thought to earning one eternal cent. And when I, having compassion for them, in seeing their carelessness for all that regards eternity, kindly offer them the
opportunity – instead of cherishing it, they get angry and offend Me. What
human madness – it seems that they understand it upside down. My beloved (Luisa), in the cross are all the triumphs, all the victories, and the greatest gains. You must have no aim other than the cross, and it will be enough for you, in everything. Today I want to make you content; that cross which until now has not been enough to lay you on and crucify you completely, is the cross that you have carried up to now. But since I have to crucify you completely, you need new crosses which I will let descend upon you. So, the cross you have had until now, I will bring to Heaven, to show it to the whole celestial court as pledge
of your love, and I will make another one descend from Heaven – a larger one,
to be able to satisfy the ardent desires I have upon you.”

While Jesus was saying this, that cross which I had seen the other times made itself present before me. I took it and I laid myself on it. As I was in this way, the
Heavens opened and Saint John the Evangelist came down, carrying the cross that Jesus had indicated to me. The Queen Mother and many Angels, when they arrived near me, lifted me from that cross and placed me over the one which they had brought me, which was much larger. Then, an Angel took the cross I had before and took it to Heaven with him. After this, with His own hand, Jesus began to nail me to that cross; Queen Mama assisted me, while the Angels and Saint John were handing the nails. My sweet Jesus showed such contentment, such joy in crucifying me, that just to be able to give that contentment to Jesus, I would have suffered not only the cross, but yet more pains. Ah! it seemed to me that Heaven was making new feast for me, in seeing the contentment of Jesus. Many souls were freed from Purgatory and took flight toward Heaven, and quite a few sinners were converted, because my Divine Spouse let everyone participate in the good of my sufferings. Who can tell, then, the intense pains I felt while being stretched so well over the cross, and pierced through by the nails in my hands and feet? But especially the feet – the atrocity of the pains was such that they cannot be described. When they finished crucifying me and I felt I was swimming in the sea of pains and sufferings, Queen Mama said to Jesus:  “My Son, today is a day of grace – I want You to let her share in all of
Your pains. There is nothing left but to pierce her heart through with the lance, and to renew for her the crown of thorns.” So, Jesus Himself took the lance and pierced my heart through; the Angels took a crown of thorns, well thickened, and handed it to the Most Holy Virgin – and She Herself drove it into my head.

What a memorable day that was for me – of sufferings, yes, but of contentments; of unspeakable pains, but also of joy. It is enough to say that the intensity of the pains was such, that for that entire day Jesus did not move from my side, but remained close to me in order to sustain my nature, which was failing at the liveliness of the pains. Those souls from Purgatory who had flown up to Heaven, descended together with the Angels and surrounded my bed, cheering me with their canticles, and thanking me affectionately because through my sufferings I had freed them from those pains.

It happened, then, that after five or six days of those intense pains, to my great regret, they began to diminish, and so I would solicit my beloved Jesus to renew the crucifixion. And He, sometimes quickly, and sometimes with some delay, would be pleased to transport me to the holy sites and to let me share in the pains of His Sorrowful Passion… now the crown of thorns, now the scourging, now the carrying of the cross to Calvary, now the crucifixion – sometimes one mystery per day, and sometimes everything in one day, as He pleased. This would be of highest pain and contentment for my soul. But it would become very bitter for me when the scene would change, and instead of I being the one who suffered, I would be the spectator, watching most loving Jesus suffer the pains of His Sorrowful Passion. Ah! how many times I found myself in the midst of the Jews together with Queen Mama, seeing my beloved Jesus suffer. Ah! yes, it is indeed true that it is easier for one to suffer himself, than to see the beloved suffer.

Other times, I remember that, in renewing these crucifixions, my sweet Jesus would say to me: “My beloved (Luisa), the cross allows one to distinguish the reprobates from the predestined. Just as on the day of judgment, the good will rejoice upon seeing the cross, so even now it can be seen whether one will be saved or lost. If, as the cross presents itself to the soul, she embraces it, carries it with resignation and patience, kissing and thanking that hand which is sending it – here is the sign that she is saved. If, on the contrary, as the cross is presented to her, she gets irritated, despises it, and even reaches the point of offending Me – you can say that that’s a sign that the soul is heading on the way to hell. So will the reprobates do on the day of judgment: upon seeing the cross, they will grieve and curse. The cross tells everything; the cross is a book that, without deception and in clear notes, tells you and allows you to distinguish the saint from the sinner, the perfect from the imperfect, the fervent from the lukewarm. The cross communicates such light to the soul that, even now, it allows one to distinguish not only the good from the evil, but also those who are to be more or less glorious in Heaven – those who are to occupy a higher or a lower place. All other virtues remain humble and reverent before the virtue of the cross, and grafting themselves to it, they receive greater glory and splendor.”

Who can tell what flames of ardent desires this speaking of Jesus would cast into my heart? I felt devoured by hunger for suffering, and in order to satisfy my yearnings – or rather, to say it better, in order to satisfy that which He Himself infused in me – He would renew the crucifixion.

I remember that sometimes, after renewing these crucifixions, He would say to me:
Beloved of My Heart (Luisa), I ardently desire not only to crucify your soul and to communicate the pains of the cross to your body, but also to mark your body with the mark of my wounds; and I want to teach you the prayer in order to obtain this grace. This is the prayer: ‘I present myself before the supreme throne of God, bathed in the Blood of Jesus Christ, praying Him, by the merit of His most luminous virtues and of His Divinity, to concede to me the grace of being crucified’.”

However, I (Luisa) have always had an aversion for anything that might appear externally – and I still do – but in the act in which Jesus was saying that, I would feel such yearnings being infused in me to satisfy the desire that He Himself was expressing, that I would yet dare to ask Jesus to crucify me in the soul and in the body. And sometimes I would say to Him: “Holy Spouse, I would rather not have external things; and if sometimes I dare to ask for that, it is because You Yourself tell me to, and also to give a sign to the confessor that it is You who operates in me. But for the rest, I would like nothing but those= pains which You make me suffer when You renew the crucifixion. If only they were permanent – I would rather not have that diminution after some time. This alone is enough for me. As for the outward appearance, the more You (Jesus) can keep me (Luisa) hidden, the more You will make me content.’

The Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, Little Daughter of the Divine Will outside
at the St. Anthony Orphanage in Corato, Italy. 

Normally invisable, the stigmata Luisa received can be seen
in her hand holding the Holy Rosary,

it looks like a line.

9/8 The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Maria Bambina

About 15 B.C. was The Nativity of the Blessed  Virgin Mary
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU BLESSED  MOTHER!
On this day in 1889 the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta receives the Gift of the Divine Will; Mystical Marriage renewed in Paradise; Jesus presents Luisa the ring with three precious stones: white, red, green.
Book of Heaven
The Call of the Creature to the Order, the Place and the Purpose
for which He was Created by God
Volume One
The Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta, Little Daughter of the Divine Will:
“After this, on that morning (Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary), in order to dispose my heart more, Jesus spoke about the annihilation of myself. He also spoke of the immense desire which I was to excite within me in order to dispose myself to receive that grace. He (Jesus) told me  (Luisa) that desire makes up for the lacks and imperfections that may be in the soul; it is like a mantle that covers everything. But this was not a simple speaking – it was an infusion in me of that which He was saying.While my soul was exciting itself with ardent yearnings for receiving the grace that Jesus Himself wanted to give me, Jesus came back and transported me outside of myself, up to Paradise. And there, in the presence of the Most Holy Trinity and of all the Celestial Court, He renewed the marriage. Jesus put out the ring adorned with three precious stones, white, red and green, and He gave it to the Father, who blessed it and gave it back to the Son again. The Holy Spirit took my right hand and Jesus placed the ring on my ring finger. Then I was admitted to the kiss of all the Three Divine Persons, and each of Them blessed me.Who can tell my confusion when I found myself before the Most Holy Trinity? I will just say that as soon as I found myself in Their presence, I fell flat to the ground, and I would have remained there if it wasn’t for Jesus, who encouraged me to go into Their presence, so much was the light, the sanctity of God. I am only saying this; the other things I will leave out, because I remember them confusedly.”

Book of Heaven
The Call of the Creature to the Order, the Place and the Purpose
for which He was Created by God
Volume 26 – September 8, 1929

The birth of the Virgin was the rebirth of all humanity.

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

My poor mind was wandering in the immense Sea of the Divine Fiat, in which everything is in act, as if there were no past and no future, but everything present and everything in act.  So, whatever thing it wants to find of the works of its Creator in the Divine Will, my little soul finds it as if It were just doing it, in act.

And since I (Luisa) was thinking about the birth of my Celestial Mama, to give Her my poor homages, and I was calling all Creation together with me to sing the praises of the Sovereign Queen, my sweet Jesus told me:  “My daughter, I too, together with you and with all Creation, want to sing the praises of the birth of the
height of My Mama.  You must know that this birth enclosed within itself the rebirth of the whole human family, and all Creation felt reborn in the birth of the Queen of Heaven.  Everything exulted with gladness—they felt happy to have their Queen.  Up to that moment, they had felt like a people without its Queen, and in their muteness
they were waiting for that happy day in order to break their silence, and say:  ‘Glory, love, honor to She who comes into our midst as our Queen.  We shall no longer be without defense, without anyone who dominates us, without feast, because She has arisen, who forms our everlasting glory.’

This Celestial Baby Girl, by keeping Our Divine Will intact within Her soul, without ever doing Her own, reacquired all the rights of Adam innocent before Her Creator, and the sovereignty over all Creation.  Therefore, all felt themselves
being reborn in Her, and We saw in this Holy Virgin, in Her little Heart, all the seeds of the human generationsSo, through Her, humanity reacquired the rights lost, and this is why Her birth was the most beautiful, the most glorious birth. From Her very birth, She enclosed within Her maternal little Heart, as though in-between two wings, all generations, as children reborn in Her virginal Heart, so as to warm them, keep them sheltered, and raise them and nourish them with the blood of Her maternal Heart.

This is the reason why this tender Celestial Mother loves creatures so much—because all are reborn in Her, and She feels the life of Her children within Her Heart.  What can Our Divine Will not do wherever It reigns and has Its life?  It encloses everything and everyone, and makes one the provider of good to all. So, all feel, under Her blue mantle, the maternal wing of their Celestial Mother, and they find in Her maternal Heart their little place in which to take cover.

“Now, My daughter, the one who lives in My Divine Will renews her rebirth and redoubles the rebirths for all human generations.  When My Supreme Will live inside a heart and lays the fullness of Its endless light within it, It centralizes everything and everyone, It does everything, It renews everything, It gives back all that, for
centuries upon centuries, It has not been able to give through the other creatures.  So, this creature can be called the dawn of the day, the daybreak that calls the sun, the sun that gladdens all the earth, illuminates it, warms it, and with its wings of light, more than tender mother, embraces everything, fecundates everything; and with its kiss of light, it gives the most beautiful tints to flowers, the most delicious sweetness to fruits, maturity to all plants.  Oh! if My Divine Will reigned in the midst of creatures, how many prodigies would It not operate in their midst?

“Therefore, be attentive; everything you do in My Divine Fiat is a rebirth that you have in It; and to be reborn in It means to be reborn in the Divine order, to be reborn in the light, to be reborn in the sanctity, in the love, in the beauty. And in each act of My Will, the human will undergoes a death, dying to all evils, and it lives again to all goods.”

7/30 The Portiuncula Indulgence (that we can gain every year from vespers ( noon) of the first of August until midnight on the second of August, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels. )

THE PORTIUNCULA INDULGENCE

(THE PARDON PRAYER OF SAINT FRANCIS)

FROM VESPERS (NOON) OF AUGUST 1st
UNTIL MIDNIGHT
OF AUGUST 2nd,
THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE ANGELS 

In the words of Saint Francis:

“O my brothers and sisters, I want you all to go to Heaven!”

 

The Portiuncula Indulgence is a grace not to be missed – not only for yourself but for the many suffering souls in Purgatory.

The conditions to obtain the Plenary Indulgence of the Forgiveness of Assisi (for oneself or for a departed soul) is as follows:

  1. Sacramental Confession: to be in God’s Grace (the Sacramental Confession can be done during the eight days before or after).
  2. Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist.
  3. Recitation of the Apostles Creed, Our Father and also a prayer for the Pope’s Intention (such as an Our Father, Hail Mary, etc.).

Mark your calendar for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels beginning at Vespers (Noon) on the First of August to August 2nd at Midnight.

Tell everyone of the magnitude of this gift. Once again, we see the unfathomable Divine Mercy of God.

DISTINGUISHING THIS INDULGENCE FROM OTHERS:

*On the day (August 2nd) on which it is granted, it can be gained not only once, but oftener. You can gain other indulgences only once on the same day, but the Portiuncula
Indulgence you can gain on the first Sunday of August, and that, too, as often
as on that day you visit a church of the Franciscans, or the parish church,
(you may go out of the church and re-enter as many times as you wish) and there
pray according to the intention of the Holy Father. The Congregation of the
Council has twice confirmed the Indulgence on July 17, 1700 and again on
December 4, 1723.

Again, the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences on February 22, 1847 reaffirmed the Indulgence and noted that Communion did not have to be received only in a Franciscan Church. Pope Pius IX confirmed these decisions by a decree dated July 12, 1849. It is indeed true that on one day we can gain a plenary indulgence for ourselves only once,
but this does not interfere with the doctrine that the Portiuncula Indulgence
can be gained more than once on the same day, for we may apply it to the souls
in purgatory, if we gain in the second and the third time, etc. A question
arose if a visit was made on the second Sunday if the indulgence still applies,
and the visit repeated the answer by the Congregation of Indulgences on Feb.
22, 1847 was in the affirmative.

*(excerpted from: http://friarsminor.org/sermons/portiuncula.html)

NOTE: A review of the meaning of the above with a retired provincial of the Holy Name Province, of the Franciscan Order, and in consultation with the Franciscan Ordo, states that this indulgence may only be transferred to Sunday as a special concession to
remote areas of the world where Mission Chapels are not usually open during the
week. Otherwise, the normal rules for August 2nd apply.

 

As we honor Our Lady of the Angels, may we find inspiration for our own growth and development  in the Gospel way of life that Saint Francis embraced and lived so completely.

 

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI AND THE PORTIUNCULA INDULGENCE

(THE GREAT PARDON)

by Susan Tassone

 

The Portiuncula (small portion) refers to the land in Assisi, Italy, that belonged to the
Benedictines. On this land was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of
God but abandoned.

The great St. Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly and repair it. He heard that the angels often visited it, so that it was called St. Mary of the Angels.

The Benedictines wanted to give Francis the church but in order to remain faithful to lady Poverty, Francis rented it from them with the annual compensation of a basket of fish from the Tescio River. Here is where Francis began his service to Christ and
His Church.

Here Francis founded his Order, received Clare as his spiritual daughter, and where he died commending this spot above all others to the friars.

St. Francis had great love and compassion for everyone.

On a night in July, 1216, Francis was praying in the little church of the Portiuncula devoured by love for God and a thirst to save souls. He prayed for the forgiveness of sins of mankind.

Suddenly a brilliant light shone all around. In great splendor Jesus and Mary appeared in the midst of a dazzling cloud surrounded by a multitude of radiant angels.

Out of fear and reverence, St. Francis adored Our Lord prostrate upon the ground.

Then Jesus said to him: Francis you are very zealous for the good of souls. Ask me what you want for their salvation. St. Francis was rapt in ecstasy before Jesus.

When he regained his courage he said: “Lord, I a miserable sinner beg You to concede an indulgence to all those who enter this church, who are truly contrite and have confessed their sins. And I beg Blessed Mary, Your Mother, intercessor of man, that She intercede on behalf of this grace.”

Our Lady at once began to beseech Her Son on behalf of Francis. Jesus answered: “It is a very great thing that which you ask Me, but you are worthy of even greater things, Friar Francis, and greater things you will have. So I accept your request, but I want you to go to My Vicar, to whom I have given the power to bind and loose in Heaven and on earth, to ask him on My behalf for this indulgence.” (ed. Note: Matthew 16:19).

With one of his companions, Francis hastened to Pope Honorius III and prostrate implored him to proclaim that every one visiting the church and confessing their sins with a contrite heart would be as pure from all sin and punishments as he was immediately after baptism. The Pope granted this petition. This indulgence has been extended to all parish churches throughout the world.

The date was set from vespers (noon) of the first of August until midnight on the second of August, the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels. It is said that St. Francis was given this day by Our Lord because the Feast of the Chains of St. Peter celebrated on August first is the day Peter was released from prison and his chains removed.

This is an extraordinary demonstration of God’s Mercy in removing the chains of sin from those whodevoutly and faithfully seek to gain the indulgence by completing its requirements.

 

1/2 – Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord

FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY

Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles.  Epiphany is traditionally celebrated on January 6th. 

V3 – 1.6.00 –This morning I received Communion, and as I found myself together with Jesus, the Queen Mama also was there, and – oh! marvel – I looked at the Mother and I could see Her Heart Transmuted into Baby Jesus; I looked at the Son and I could see the Mother in the Heart of the Baby. In the meantime, I remembered that today is the Epiphany, and on the example of the Holy Magi, I was to offer something to Baby Jesus, but I saw myself as having nothing to give Him. So, in seeing my misery, the thought came to me of offering my body as Myrrh, with all the sufferings of the twelve years in which I had been in bed, ready to suffer and to remain there as long as He Pleased; as Gold, the pain I feel when He deprives me of His Presence, which is the most painful and sorrowful thing for me; as Incense, my poor prayers, United to those of the Queen Mama, so that they might be more Acceptable to Baby Jesus. So I made the offering, with all the confidence that the Baby would Accept everything.