1/19 The evils of pride.

Book of Heaven
11/19/99 – Vol. 3

My adorable Jesus continues to come, and since before He came, my mind was thinking about certain things which Jesus had told me in the past years, and which I do not remember so well, almost to remind me He told me:  “My daughter, pride corrodes grace.  In the hearts of the proud there is nothing but a void all full of smoke, which produces blindness.  Pride does nothing but render oneself an idol, and so the proud soul does not have her God with her.  By sin, she has tried to destroy Him in her heart, and raising an altar within her heart, she places herself on it, and she adores herself.”

Oh, God, what an abominable monster this vice is!  It seems to me that if the soul is attentive not to let it enter into herself, she is free of all other vices; but if, to her misfortune, she lets herself be dominated by it, since it is a monstrous and wicked mother, it will deliver all of its naughty children for her, which are the other sins.  Ah, Lord, keep it away from me!

1/18 There is no sacrifice without denying oneself, and sacrifice and denying oneself give rise to the most pure and perfect love.

11/16/03 – Vol. 6

This morning, as I was outside of myself, I found myself with Baby Jesus in my arms, and with a virgin, who laid me on the ground to make me suffer the crucifixion – not with nails, but with fire, placing a charcoal of fire on my hands and feet. Blessed Jesus was there assisting me while I was suffering, and said to me: “My daughter, there is no sacrifice without denying oneself, and sacrifice and denying oneself give rise to the most pure and perfect love. And since sacrifice is sacred, it happens that it consecrates the soul to Me, as a sanctuary worthy of Me to make of it my perpetual dwelling. So, let sacrifice work in you to render your soul and body sacred, so that everything may be sacred in you; and consecrate everything to Me.”

1/17 The soul gives Jesus a dwelling in time, and He gives it to the soul in Eternity.


Little Daughter of the Divine Will, Luisa Piccarreta

11/12/06 – Vol. 7

Continuing in my usual state, I was saying to blessed Jesus: ‘Oh, how I wish to love You, to be loved more by You!’

And He, in my interior, told me: “I love you so much that I never leave you, and I dwell in you continuously.”

And I: ‘Thank You for your benignity in dwelling in me, but I am not so content; I would be more content and would feel safer if I could dwell in You.’

And He (Jesus): “Ah, my daughter, in time you give a dwelling to Me (Jesus), and in Eternity I will give it to you; and be well content and sure that the One who dwells in you has the power to maintain your dwelling fortified and free of any danger.”

1/16 Historical Feast Day of Our Lady Refuge of Sinners

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Today in the pre-1955 Traditional Catholic Missal is the Mass in Some Places (pro aliquibus locisof Our Lady Refuge of Sinners.

The Refuge of Sinners Madonna is a painting by the Italian artist Luigi Crosio. It was painted in 1898 originally for the Kuenzil Brothers of Switzerland. In 1964 the Swiss province of the Schoenstatt Sisters purchased the original painting. It was then also called the Mother Thrice Admirable Madonna.

Collect Prayer:

O Almighty and merciful God, Who in the Blessed Virgin Mary hast given sinners a refuge and a help, grant us, who are protected by her, the forgiveness of all our sins and the blessings of Thy mercy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

TAKEN FROM THE GLORIES OF MARY, CHAPTER 3, PART 2
by St. Alphonsus Liguori
Redemptorist Fathers, 1931
with Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur

There are three sources for our knowledge of and devotion to Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners:

St. John Bosco was given a vision wherein it was revealed that Our Lady is the resort of sinners and also the Lady of the Blessed Eucharist.

St. Alphonsus Liguori had a tremendous devotion to the Mother of God and suffered from scruples. He is known as the Doctor  of the Church who has promoted devotion to Our Lady as the hope or refuge of sinners and in his book, the Glories of Mary, he has several pages devoted to her as that refuge; the pages are scattered throughout, almost as a running theme within the overall theme.

There are specific devotions and feast days associated with our Lady of Refuge and or Our Lady of Confidence. The first is known as Our Lady of Montserrat [Spain]. The other is closely associated with Montserrat and Our Lady of Guadalupe and is a main devotion in Mexico. We have obtained a copy of the most famous of all of the Refuge images, that of the artist, Joseph de Paez. The image there is not quite as dark as Our Lady of Montserrat. All images of Our Lady of Refuge have her wearing the same crown as Our Lady of Confidence and also Jesus in her arms with His crown also, again just like the image of Confidence. So Our Lady must want sinners to also have confidence in her. While our Lady appears differently depending on the culture of the time, she really looks just like herself; thus, there is some resemblance in all her appearances and it is as if she is showing us all as we need to see her yet being herself physically speaking. I do not think it is a coincidence that her image as Refuge and Confidence are so similar. This presentation will focus on what St. Alphonsus instructs us regarding confidence in Mary as the refuge of sinners.

People outside the Church cannot endure our calling Mary our hope. They say that God alone is our hope, and that he curses those who put their trust in creatures according to Jeremiah the prophet in chapter 17, verse 5. They argue that since mary is a creature, she cannot be our hope. Yet, despite of this, the Church recommends that all priests and religious raise their voices every day in the name of the faithful and call mary by the sweet name of “Our Hope.”

St. Thomas Aquinas says that we can place our hope in a person in two ways—–as a a principle cause and as a mediate cause. Thus, those who expect something from a king put their trust in him as their sovereign, and in his ministers or his favorite intercessors. When the favor is granted, it really comes from the king, though the favorite is the intercessor or intermediary. hence the petitioners have a right to call this intermediary through whom they received the favor, their “hope.”

The King of Heaven, being infinite Goodness, desires in the highest degree to enrich us with His graces. But because confidence is a necessary condition for being heard, and because He wants to increase our confidence, He has given us His own mother as our Mother and intercessor, and granted her all power to help us. Those who put their trust in creatures alone, apart from God, as sinners are tempted to do, and who do not hesitate to outrage the Divine Majesty, just to gain the friendship and patronage of another human being, are certainly cursed by god in the sense intended by Jeremiah.

But those who place their trust in Mary, who [being the Mother of God] is able to secure grace and eternal life for them, are truly blessed and acceptable to the heart of God. he desires to see this greatest of all His creatures honored, since she honored and loved Him in this world more than all human beings and Angels together.

St. Bernard expounds the reason behind this when he says: “See the designs of God—–designs which make it possible for Him to dispense His mercy more abundantly. For, desiring to save the whole human race, He has laid the full price of redemption in Mary’s hands, letting her dispense it at her pleasure.”

And who needs this special intercessor and Mediatrix of all graces more, than the sinner, especially one tempted by despair? Mary does not know how to refuse compassion, she does not let the comfortless go away uncomforted, and she will persuade her Son to pardon the penitent and grieving sinner.

1/14 Attentiveness is the way to knowledge

Vol. 15 – 1/5/23
Attentiveness is the way to knowledge. 

(Jesus)  …”My Will must be like the air that one breathes which, while it cannot be seen, can be felt.  It cannot be seen, and it gives life; it penetrates everywhere, even into the most intimate fibers, to give life to each beat of the heart.  Wherever it enters – into darkness, into the abysses, into the most secret receptacles – it constitutes itself life of everything.  In the same way, my Will will be more than air within you, which, coming out of you, will constitute Itself life of everything.  Therefore, be more attentive, and follow the Will of your Jesus, because attentiveness will make you know where you are and what you are doingKnowledge will make you appreciate and esteem more the divine royal palace of my Will.  Suppose that someone finds himself in the royal palace of a king, and that he does not know that that residence belongs to the king.  He will have no appreciation; he might even walk distractedly, talking, laughing; nor will he dispose himself to receive the gifts of the king.  But if he knew that that is the royal palace of the king, he would look at things with attention, and would appreciate them; he would walk on tiptoe, speak in a low voice, be all eyes to see whether the king comes out of some room, and would put himself as though in waiting, to receive great gifts from the king.

“See, attentiveness is the way to knowledge, and knowledge changes a person, as well as things, disposing him to receive great goods.  So, by knowing that you are in the royal palace of my Will, you will always receive, and will take so much as to be able to give to all of your brothers.”

1/13 The soul gives Jesus a dwelling in time, and He gives it to the soul in eternity.

11/12/06 – Vol. 7

Continuing in my usual state, I was saying to blessed Jesus: ‘Oh, how I wish to love You, to be loved more by You!’ And He, in my interior, told me: “I love you so much that I never leave you, and I dwell in you continuously.” And I: ‘Thank You for your benignity in dwelling in me, but I am not so content; I would be more content and would feel safer if I could dwell in You.’ And He: “Ah, my daughter, in time you give a dwelling to Me, and in eternity I will give it to you; and be well content and sure that the One who dwells in you has the power to maintain your dwelling fortified and free of any danger.”