TODAY’S BIBLE READING (JOB 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17)

(Week 26 of the year: Saturday)

HAVING SEEN YOU WITH MY OWN EYES, I RETRACT ALL I HAVE SAID.

Then Job answered the Lord, and said:

I know that thou canst do all things, and no thought is hid from thee.

Who is this that hideth counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have spoken unwisely, and things that above measure exceeded my knowledge.

With the hearing of the ear, I have heard thee, but now my eye seeth thee. Therefore I reprehend myself, and do penance in dust and ashes.

And the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning. And he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

And he had seven sons, and three daughters.

And he called the name of one Dies, and the name of the second Cassia, and the name of the third Cornustibii.

And there were not found in all the earth women so beautiful as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

And Job lived after these things, a hundred and forty years, and he saw his children, and his children’s children, unto the fourth generation, and he died an old man, and full of days.

V. The word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE READING (JOB 3:1-3, 11-17, 20-23)

(Week 26 of the year: Tuesday)

WHY GIVE LIGHT TO A MAN OF GRIEF?

After this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day,

And he said:

Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said: A man child is conceived.

Why did I not die in the womb, why did I not perish when I came out of the belly?

Why received upon the knees? why suckled at the breasts?

For now I should have been asleep and still, and should have rest in my sleep.

With kings and consuls of the earth, who build themselves solitudes:

Or with princes, that possess gold, and fill their houses with silver:

Or as a hidden untimely birth I should not be, or as they that being conceived have not seen the light.

There the wicked cease from tumult, and there the wearied in strength are at rest.

Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life to them that are in bitterness of soul?

That look for death, and it cometh not, as they that dig for a treasure:

And they rejoice exceedingly when they have found the grave.

To a man whose way is hidden, and God hath surrounded him with darkness?

V. The word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE READING (JOB 1:6-22)

(Week 26 of the year: Monday)

THE LORD GAVE, THE LORD HAS TAKEN BACK. BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD.

Now on a certain day when the sons of God came to stand before the Lord, Satan also was present among them.

And the Lord said to him: Whence comest thou? And he answered and said: I have gone round about the earth, and walked through it.

And the Lord said to him: Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a simple and upright man, and fearing God, and avoiding evil?

And Satan answering, said: Doth Job fear God in vain?

Hast not thou made a fence for him, and his house, and all his substance round about, blessed the works of his hands, and his possession hath increased on the earth?

But stretch forth thy hand a little, and touch all that he hath, and see if he blesseth thee not to thy face.

Then the Lord said to Satan: Behold, all that he hath is in thy hand: only put not forth thy hand upon his person. And Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

Now upon a certain day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their eldest brother,

There came a messenger to Job, and said: The oxen were ploughing, and the asses feeding beside them,

And the Sabeans rushed in, and took all away, and slew the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

And while he was yet speaking, another came and said: The fire of God fell from heaven, and striking the sheep and the servants, hath consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

And while he also was yet speaking, there came another, and said: The Chaldeans made three troops, and have fallen upon the camels, and taken them, moreover they have slain the servants with the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

He was yet speaking, and behold another came in, and said: Thy sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the house of their elder brother:

A violent wind came on a sudden from the side of the desert, and shook the four corners of the house, and it fell upon thy children and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell thee.

Then Job rose up, and rent his garments, and having shaven his head fell down upon the ground and worshipped,

And said: Naked I came out of my mother’s womb and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord.

In all these things Job sinned not by his lips, nor spoke he any foolish thing against God.

V. The word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

 

TODAY’S GOSPEL READING (LUKE 9:18-22)

(Week 25 of the year: Friday)

YOU ARE THE CHRIST OF GOD. THE SON OF MAN IS DESTINED TO SUFFER GRIEVOUSLY.

One day when Jesus was praying alone in the presence of his disciples he put this question to them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” And they answered, “John the Baptist; others Elijah; and others say one of the ancient prophets come back to life.” “But you,” he said, “who do you say I am?” It was Peter who spoke up. “The Christ of God” he said. But he gave them strict orders not to tell anyone anything about this.

“The Son of Man” he said “is destined to suffer grievously, to be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and to be put to death, and to be raised up on the third day.”

V. The Gospel of the Lord.
R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

 

“THY WILL BE DONE”

CONFORMITY TO THE WILL OF GOD

“We should bear patiently all the trial of life – infirmities, sufferings, reverses of fortune, family losses, affronts, persecutions, in a word, all adversities. Understand this well: the evils of this life are so many proofs that God loves us, and wishes to save us.

Let us understand also that involuntary mortifications, such as He Himself sends us, are more meritorious in the eyes of God than those which we undertake of our own choice.

Let us, then, be patient and resigned in sickness. This is the devotion of devotions. If we cannot meditate at such a time, let us look upon Jesus crucified, offering Him our sufferings in union with His own. And when we are warned of the approach of death, let us accept it calmly, in a spirit of sacrifice, that is, declaring that we are willing to die to please Jesus Christ. We should not desire to live longer in order to do penance. Let us accept death with perfect resignation; this is the best of all penances.”
– Laverty & Son (eds), 1905

 

MAKE THE LIFE OFFERING TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS THROUGH THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY TODAY!

“My Children! I am calling you to apostolic privilege…”

THE PRAYER OF THE LIFE OFFERING TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS THROUGH THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY:

“My dear Jesus, before the Trinity, Our Heavenly Mother, and the whole Heavenly Court, united with Your most precious Holy Blood and Your sacrifice on Calvary, hereby I offer my whole life to the intention of Your Holy Heart and to the Holy Heart of Mary.
Together with my life I place at Your disposal all the Holy Masses, all my Holy Communions, all my good deeds, all my sacrifices, and the sufferings of my entire life for the adoration and supplication of the Holy Trinity, for unity in our Holy Mother Church, for the Holy Father and the priests, for good priestly vocations, and for all the souls until the end of the world.
O my Jesus, please accept my life sacrifice and my offerings and give me Your grace that I may persevere obediently until my death. Amen.”

This life offering must be done with humble heart, firm resolution, and clear intent. All prayer, good deeds, suffering, and work done with pure intention has great merit, if it is offered together with the merits, the sufferings, and the blood of Jesus Christ.
It is recommended to do this life offering as soon as you feel ready, and renew it from time to time.

THE FIVE PROMISES OF OUR HEAVENLY MOTHER TO THOSE WHO OFFER THEIR LIVES TO HER:

1. Their names will be written in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, inflamed by love.

2. Their life offerings, together with the infinite merits of Jesus, can save many souls from damnation. All souls who will live until the end of the world will benefit from their life offerings.

3. None of their family members will go to hell, even if it seems otherwise, because they will receive in the depths of their souls the graces of sincere contrition before the soul departs from their bodies.

4. On the day they offer their lives, their loved ones suffering in Purgatory will be released.

5. I will be with them in the hour of their deaths. They will not know Purgatory. I will carry their souls straight to the presence of the Glorious Trinity, where they will live with me in a special place created by God and will rejoice forever.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE LIFE OFFERING:

Our Lady illustrates symbolically what her Holy Son is asking from us: Let us give our hearts completely to our heavenly Mother who will place them into the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist, into the centre of unity of love. Thus, through our total abandonment, we will be united with the sacrifice of Jesus, and in this way His work of redemption will be perpetually continued for our souls and for the glory of God.

The messages, prayers, and promises published in this Blog post were received by a privileged Hungarian nun, a consoling soul, who in her humility and obedience to her spiritual director wishes to remain anonymous. Mary, our Heavenly Mother, implores those who receive Holy Communion daily, or at least weekly, to offer their lives to the glory of God and to save souls, that the souls of sinners may not be damned but receive, at least in their last hour, the graces of eternal life.

WHAT TO DO NEXT:

OUR HEAVENLY MOTHER SPEAKS: “My children who offer your lives, make the act of contrition every day! Make it not only for yourselves but for all men. This will continually weaken the power of evil to tempt and will help all souls to free themselves from the slavery of sin. If you continually practise contrition for others, this will act as an antiseptic to arrest the spread of the “virus” of sin. It will stop the infection, illness and death of souls. See how great the force is in a deep contrition if it comes from the depths of the heart? It can heal, cleanse and save the life of the soul.
In addition to contrition for the whole humanity, unite yourself with my Immaculate Heart to petition with prayer, reaching to heaven, for the pardon of sins. Thus you will become united with me and become genuine and intimate helpers of Jesus as fishers of men.”

PRAYER OF CONTRITION:

“O my Jesus, I love You over and above everything!
For the love of You I am sorry for all my sins.
O merciful love, I ask pardon for all my sins and for all the sins of my brothers and sisters that have been and will be committed until the end of the world. My dear Jesus, united with Your Holy Wounds I offer my life to the Eternal Father according to the intention of the Sorrowful Mother.
Virgin Mary, Queen of the world, Mediatrix of humanity, our only refuge and hope, pray for us!”

OUR LADY’S MESSAGES TO THOSE WHO OFFER THEIR LIVES:

If the Eternal Father chooses a soul to the grace of being among the elect, He will order that soul to become similar to His Only begotten Son while on earth, but in what way should this soul be like His Son?

In love and acceptance of sufferings.

If you follow your Jesus in these two ways then the Eternal Father will recognise His Holy Son in you.

The souls chosen by the Eternal Father to offer their lives, must strive to save as many other souls as possible. This can be done through fervent prayer, through the practising of love, through meekness, humility and self denial, but above all through the patient acceptance of sufferings.
I believe that my motherly Heart will find among my children souls who love God with the love of the martyrs. “My children, even in the time of the greatest trials, hold my motherly hand with unbounded trust. Come together with me to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He is your strength in your earthly pilgrimage. Thus, strengthened by Him daily, you will march toward your eternal dwelling place of happiness where you will recognise each other in glorious ecstasy, you who sacrificed your lives for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Then my Holy Son will embrace you to His flaming Heart, and He will immerse you in the ectasy of the united love of the Trinity. In this state of eternal bliss you will rejoice forever together with those souls who were able to gain eternal life because of your selfless life sacrifice.”
“My children! Hope and love, because God is with you. My children, each offered life is pleasing to God. Therefore do not limit your sacrifice. This should be your life slogan: Give more and love better!”
The design of my Holy Son included the deeds of the elect. He is eagerly waiting to see if they fulfil His plan or cross it. He could realise His plan without them, but in His merciful goodness He wants them to participate in the distribution of the fruits of redemption throughout the world. Do you know why I am telling all this? Because I watch with great anguish the fight of the souls in the Church. It is very painful for my motherly Heart that there are many among even the elect who do not believe that God can do not believe that God can do whatever He wants! Unfortunately, they are using their knowledge not to increase faith and unity, but to encourage disbelief. You, however – my life offering children – you should believe with a living faith. You should strive to increase in your hearts the flame of faith, because when faith becomes stronger it will increase your hope and love too.

THE BENEFITS AND GRACE OF THE SUFFERINGS IN OUR LIVES

Once you surrender yourself to great sufferings of either body or soul, the experience can be a fountain of immeasurable grace. You can pay for the sins of your life, or for the things you have failed to do. Or if this has already been paid, then the merit of your patient sufferings can be applied to the conversion of hardened sinners. By that you can glorify God. The souls you save by your obedient acceptance of sufferings may even become saints.
When the weight of sufferings lies heavily on you, whether illness or suffering in the soul, think always that you are just a pilgrim on this earth. Beyond the grave there is a wonderful world that was prepared by God for His faithful children, where your happiness will be greater than that which your patient and obedient sufferings can possibly merit. As it is written: your soul will forever be immersed in such happiness that “eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, what things God has prepared for those that love Him” (1 Cor 2:9).
No matter how heavy your suffering on earth, it will last but a short time. Rejoice while you suffer, because you are proceeding toward a sure goal, and at the end of this road your Heavenly Mother is waiting for you to embrace you with the eternal love of the Trinity.

“My children! I am calling you to apostolic privilege. You are chosen to suffer martyrdom of the heart for the sins of others. And by this voluntary life sacrifice coming from your good heart – God will be able to pour out the flood of His mercy. Think about that!”

“My dear children! You should burn with fervour to help save those who suffer in the slavery of sin. In life, captivity often results in freedom and uplifting of the soul.
But most prisoners of sin are more pitiable than those in real prison because they are not aware that they are imprisoned by their depravity, and thus they do not even ask for freedom. The blindness of the soul, with its darkness, is more pitiable than anyone in a dark prison.
I would like to free these souls. Since they do not want to be set free in order that I may save them, I need the help of my faithful children and their life offering, the patient acceptance of sufferings, trials, that, combined with the treasures of my Holy Son, will enable me to save not only your loved ones but a multitude of souls from everlasting darkness, even those who will be born later, until the end of the world.”

“My children! Give everything to me and I will give everything to my Holy Son united with my interceding prayers. I am the woman who sets the slaves free.”

THE RELEVANCE OF THE LIFE OFFERING IN HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES, FOR THOSE SUFFERING IN THE COMMUNITY IN BODY OR SOUL:

“My children! Make sure that the great grace of the life offering will reach the souls who suffer greatly in body or in soul. It must reach the incurably sick, the physically handicapped, and the bedridden so that their suffering will not be in vain! This suffering can become a fund of gold for all humanity as well for yourselves, because in your hearts and souls you will receive peace, strength, relief, and satisfaction if you realise that patient acceptance of your sufferings will bring you great happiness in heaven!”

THE SEER: “I have obeyed this request of Our Lady and I communicated this request to sufferers. I can say from my own experience that their suffering was greatly lessened when they accepted the graces that accompanied the life offering. I visited the critically ill in hospitals, especially those who were neglected or ignored by their relatives and those who had no one. I saw the greatest suffering among cancer victims and others too sick even to get out of bed. Most of them knew there would be no cure for them, and they found their life and their suffering meaningless, believing no one needed them anymore.

But when they learned that they are the most precious children of Our Blessed Virgin Mother; that the Lord Jesus searches for companions, that Jesus calls them to unite their sufferings with His passion and sacrifice on the Cross as a continuation of His redemptive work; that they are the treasures of the Church; that by their suffering they can contribute to world peace; that by their sufferings they can pay for their sins and those of others; and that at their hour of death they will go straight to heaven without Purgatory: then the knowledge of this grace started to work in them immediately.
They started to cry for joy, because God and the Virgin Mary loved them so. Some had thought God was angry with them and was punishing them with sufferings, and there were atheists who wanted to commit suicide. But when they learned how great the grace is in the life offering, that a creature cannot give more to his or her Creator, they underwent a tremendous change. Their dispositions became so much better that even the nurses noticed it. They become hidden souls of the Lord and they persevered until the end on their live offerings. Some were cured, others departed quietly.

Every night I pray together with my good Heavenly Mother that this message will reach more and more suffering souls with the tremendous grace of the life offering that could mitigate their suffering and bring the strength, peace, and acceptance to bear their suffering on earth in the hope of everlasting happiness in heaven. Our Heavenly Mother prays for those, too, who have already received the grace of the life offering, that with a living faith they will persevere in it until death.”

 

11th MAY, BIBLE READING II (1 PETER 2:20-25)

A PRICELESS OPPORTUNITY TO DRAW CLOSE TO THE SUFFERING CHRIST.

The merit, in the sight of God, is in bearing punishment patiently when you are punished after doing your duty. This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered for you and left an example for you to follow the way he took.

He had not done anything wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth. He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when he was tortured he made no threats but he put his trust in the righteous judge. He was bearing our faults in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to our faults and live for holiness; through his wounds you have been healed. You had gone astray like sheep but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

V. The word of the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.

 

MEDITATION FOR PALM SUNDAY

“This poor meek King is mounted on an ass. Ah! let us not blush for it! I know well that the great ones of the world would ridicule so sorry and wretched an equipage; but Jesus did not come to please them, and whatever our foolish pride may think, this lowly equipment was well worthy of a poor King, who had come down to earth to teach us to despise empty honours.

LET US FOLLOW JESUS TO JERUSALEM

Let us follow Jesus to Jerusalem, and see how He Himself gives to His triumphal entry the character of death. It was His custom. Even on Tabor, when coming forth from that wonderful manifestation of glory, He speaks only of His death, because He wished us to understand well the way that we must follow, after Him, in order to arrive at Jerusalem and at glory.

HUMILIATION AND SUFFERING

Here Jesus wishes again to join humiliation and suffering with His triumph. ‘Now My soul is troubled.’ Here is the commencement of His agony, of the interior combat which He was to suffer in the garden of Olives, a torture so severe that He Himself said at its approach: ‘My soul is troubled.’

O JESUS, MY SOUL IS SORROWFUL FOR YOUR SORROW

O Jesus, my soul is sorrowful for Your sorrow. To whom shall we have recourse if You Yourself are troubled, You whom we call upon in our weakness. This is the mystery: Jesus Christ takes upon Him our nature; He transfers our sorrow into His own divine soul, our infirmity has passed into Him, and it is thus that He strengthens us by the example which He gives us, and by the grace which He merits for us.

BY THE GRIEF OF YOUR HOLY SOUL, HEAL THE SORROW OF MINE

O my Saviour, by the grief of Your holy soul, heal the sorrow of mine. Let us accustom ourselves, after the example of Jesus Christ, always to call to mind, in our triumphs as vividly as we can, the thought of death. Let us, by frequent meditation acquire the habit of associating these two ideas which seem so opposed to each other: earthly glory and pleasure, eternal confusion; the cross and mortification, eternal glory and delight.”
– Laverty & Sons (eds), 1905

 

WHEN SHALL WE FINALLY RESEMBLE JESUS CHRIST?

“When shall we resemble Jesus Christ? He knows, He sees, that we desire it, at least; and if our success is so slight or so slow, He knows our weaknesses, and takes count of our good desires.

Courage! The Master whom we have the happiness to love and serve is not like an earthly master.

He proved this when He was amongst us; He proves it still every day to well-intentioned souls, who attach themselves to Him sincerely and generously.

God does not take pleasure in seeing us suffer, but He takes pleasure in acts of submission, love, and patience which suffering gives us occasion to produce.

It pleases Him to see us purified by adversity; it pleases Him above all to count our sufferings, so that not one may go unrewarded.”
– Le Chemin du Ciel

 

“THERE IS NOTHING GREATER ON EARTH FOR A CHRISTIAN THAN SUFFERING FOR JESUS CHRIST”

Blessed be the cross of Jesus, from which we can climb to the highest thrones of paradise! Recognise then, via the sufferings of Jesus, the necessity and greatness of Christian suffering. After Jesus Christ, through His suffering, gave it such merit, there is nothing greater on earth for a Christian, than suffering with Jesus Christ and for Jesus Christ. After such an adorable God made pain holy, refusing suffering means not to understand the things of God.

Becoming one with the Heart of Jesus and suffer all things for love of Him. United to Him, even if you suffer lightly, you will have a great reward in Heaven, but far from Him, even were you to suffer the pain of all the martyrs, it would not avail you. Become one with the Heart of your Jesus, and see suffering as a treasure or a medicine, given to you out of love, treat each trial like a relic of His most holy passion. If you were truly united to Jesus, O, how you would prefer humiliation to honour and suffering to joy! You would no longer want to be without suffering for the God of love and your heart too would sublimely cry, O suffering, O death to the things and whims of this world!
– Mons. Nicola Tafuri