COURAGE, DO NOT FEAR

EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

“My blessed daughter, Courage, banish every fear from your heart; this is the weapon that either kills or wounds love and makes you lose familiarity with your Jesus;…”

“…Blessed Jesus placed His arm behind my neck, and leaning His head on my shoulder, He placed Himself in the act of wanting to take rest.  While He was resting, I felt I was in a place in which there were many movable tiles, and underneath them, the abyss.  Fearing I might fall, I woke Him up, invoking His help, and He said to me:  “Do not fear, this is the path that all cover.  It takes nothing but all of one’s attention; and since the majority walk carelessly, this is why many fall into the abyss and few are those who reach the harbor of salvation.”

“My daughter, courage, do not fear; love will make up for everything. Besides, since you have set your will of truly doing what I want, even if sometimes you should fail, I will make up for you – therefore, do not fear.

“In fact, how can one who loves Me ever fear, if she feels my whole Being flow within her and form her very life? Can she ever fear my Sanctity, if she takes part in Sanctity Itself?”

in all your pains and privations, never forget that I love you very much, so as to never forget to love Me; and as Daughter of Our Will, you have the task to love Me for all. In this way, you will remain in order and you will fear nothing.”

“…do not fear, but rather, abandon yourself like a little newborn in Our Arms, that you may feel Our Support and the protection of your very acts.”

“My daughter, why do you fear? Don’t you know that the thing which the infernal snake knows the least about Me is my Will? Because he did not want to do It, and by not doing It, he did not know It nor love It. And even less did he penetrate into the secrets of my inscrutable Volition in order to know the effects and the value of my Will; and if he does not know them, how could he speak about them? Even more, the thing which he abhors the most is that the creature do my Will. He does not care whether the soul prays, goes to Confession, goes to Communion, does penance or makes miracles; but the thing which harms him the most is that the soul do my Will, because as he rebelled against my Will, then was hell created in him – his unhappy state, the rage that consumes him. Therefore, my Will is hell for him, and every time he sees the soul being subject to my Will and knowing Its qualities, value and Sanctity, he feels hell being redoubled, because he sees the paradise, the happiness and the peace he lost, being created in the soul. And the more my Will is known, the more tormented and furious he is…”

“…be attentive, and when some fear assails you, think that you are not alone, but that you have my whole Life as help to form this Kingdom of mine within you; and continue your flight, constantly, in the unity of the supreme light of the Divine Will.  It is there that I await you, to give you my surprises in return – to give you my lessons.”

“…courage, wait for Me and do not fear.”

FROM DOUAY-RHEIMS BIBLE

2 Kings (2 Samuel) 10:12 – Be of good courage, and let us fight for our people, and for the city of our God: and the Lord will do what is good in his sight.

Tobias (Tobit) 5:13 – And the young man said to him: Be of good courage, thy cure from God is at hand.

Daniel 10:19 – And he said: Fear not, O man of desires, peace be to thee: take courage and be strong. And when he spoke to me, I grew strong: and I said: Speak, O my lord, for thou hast strengthened me.

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Paragraph 1805 – I. The Human Virtues
… “If anyone loves righteousness, [Wisdom’s] labors are virtues; for she teaches
temperance and prudence, justice, and courage.”

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

V6 – 9.2.04 – Being in my usual state, I was feeling all oppressed, with the addition of the fear that my poor state might be all a diabolical work, feeling my soul and body being consumed. Then, He came for just a little and told me: “My daughter, why do you trouble yourself so much? Don’t you know that if all the diabolical forces would unite together, they could not enter into a single heart and take dominion of it, unless the soul herself, of her own will, would let them in? Only God has this Power of Entering into the hearts and Dominating them as He pleases.” And I: ‘Lord, why do I feel my soul and body being Consumed when You deprive me of Yourself? Is this not the diabolical breath that has penetrated into my soul and torments me like this?’ And He: “On the contrary, I tell you that it is the Breath of the Holy Spirit which, Blowing Continuously into you, Keeps you Always Ignited and Consumes you for Love of Him.”

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

V17 – 9.22.24 – I continue: while I was writing what is written above, I saw my Sweet Jesus placing His Mouth at the point of my heart, and Feeding me the Words I was writing. At the same time, I heard a horrible din from afar, as if people were beating each other, and roaring with such clamor as to strike fear. And I, turning to my Jesus, said to Him: ‘My Jesus, my Love, who is making all this din? They sound like furious demons. What is the matter, that they rage so much?’

And Jesus: “My daughter, it really is them. They would want you not to write about My Divine Will, and when they see you write more Important Truths on Living in My Divine Will, they suffer a double hell and they torment the damned even more. They fear so much that these Writings on My Divine Will be Manifested because they see that they lose their kingdom upon earth, which they acquired when man, withdrawing from the Divine Will, gave free step to his own human will… Ah, yes, it was exactly then that the enemy acquired his kingdom on earth; and if My Will Reigns upon earth, My enemy, by himself, will shut himself up into the deepest abysses. This is why they wrestle with so much fury: they feel the Power of My Will in these Writings, and at the mere thought that they may be Manifested, they fly into a rage and try anything they can in order to hamper a good so Great. You, however, do not pay attention to them, and learn from this to Appreciate My Teachings.”

The Call of St. Matthew

the Tax Collector

“…we must realize that Matthew not only gave a banquet for the Lord at his earthly residence, but far more pleasing was the banquet set in his own heart which he provided through faith and love…”

 The Venerable Bede

This excerpt from a homily on the call of Saint Matthew, the Tax Collector, by Saint Bede the Venerable (Hom. 21: CCL 122, 149-151) is used in the Roman Catholic Office of Readings for the Feast of St. Matthew, apostle and evangelist on September 21 (observed on this day at least from the 8th century).  Matthew, originally called Levi and the son of Alpheus, was, as a publican, excommunicated from the life of the synagogue and shunned in Jewish society.  The fathers of the Church find a figure of the four evangleists in the four living creatures mentioned by Ezechiel and in the New Testament book of Revelation, and Matthew is seen symbolized by the man, since he begins his gospel with the human genealogy of Jesus.  St. Bede the Venerable was one of the earliest and most important Christian writers from Britain.  This homily on the gospel story of St. Matthew the Tax Collector become apostle (Matthew 9:9-13), was first given by St. Bede in the early 8th century.

Jesus saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him: Follow me. Jesus saw Matthew, not merely in the usual sense, but more significantly with his merciful understanding of men.

He saw the tax collector and, because he saw him through the eyes of mercy and chose him, he said to him: Follow me. This following meant imitating the pattern of his life – not just walking after him. St. John tells us: Whoever says he abides in Christ ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

And he rose and followed him. There is no reason for surprise that the tax collector abandoned earthly wealth as soon as the Lord commanded him. Nor should one be amazed that neglecting his wealth, he joined a band of men whose leader had, on Matthew’s assessment, no riches at all. Our Lord summoned Matthew by speaking to him in words. By an invisible, interior impulse flooding his mind with the light of grace, he instructed him to walk in his footsteps. In this way Matthew could understand that Christ, who was summoning him away from earthly possessions, had incorruptible treasures of heaven in his gift.

As he sat at table in the house, behold many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. This conversion of one tax collector gave many men, those from his own profession and other sinners, an example of repentance and pardon. Notice also the happy and true anticipation of his future status as apostle and teacher of the nations. No sooner was he converted than Matthew drew after him a whole crowd of sinners along the same road to salvation. He took up his appointed duties while still taking his first steps in the faith, and from that hour he fulfilled his obligation and thus grew in merit. To see a deeper understanding of the great celebration Matthew held at his house, we must realise that he not only gave a banquet for the Lord at his earthly residence, but far more pleasing was the banquet set in his own heart which he provided through faith and love. Our Savior attests to this: Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

On hearing Christ’s voice, we open the door to receive him, as it were, when we freely assent to his promptings and when we give ourselves over to doing what must be done. Christ, since he dwells in the hearts of his chosen ones through the grace of his love, enters so that he might eat with us and we with him. He ever refreshes us by the light of his presence insofar as we progress in our devotion to and longing for the things of heaven. He himself is delighted by such a pleasing banquet.

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

V35 – 12.14.37 – “How beautiful is the beginning of the Day of one who Lives in Our Fiat. It is the enchantment of all the Heaven. If the Celestial Court were subject to envy, It would envy the one who is so fortunate as to possess, within her soul—while still living in time—the beginning of the Eternal Day—the precious Day in which God begins to Live His Life together with the creature.

“Now, as soon as she begins the second act in the Divine Volition, the Sun of My Eternal Will Rises. The Fullness of Its Light is such as to Invest the whole of earth, visiting all hearts and bringing the ‘good morning’ of Light and New Joys to all the Celestial Court. This Light is crammed with Love, Adoration, Thanksgiving, Gratitude, Glory and Benediction—but whom do these belong to? To the creature who, with her act in My Will, made the Sun Rise that shines over all, so that all may find the one who loved God for them—the one who adored Him, thanked Him, blessed Him and glorified Him. Everyone finds the thing that he was supposed to do for God. She compensates for everyone. One Act in My Will must enclose everything. It has the Power and the Capacity to make up for everyone and to do Good to all; otherwise It could not be called ‘Act, done in My Will.’ These Acts are full of Unheard-of Prodigies, Worthy of Our Creative Work.

“Now, as she turns to her third act in Our Will, the Full Afternoon of Our Eternal Sun is formed within the creature. Do you know what she gives Us with this Full Afternoon? She prepares a banquet for Us. And do you know what she gives Us for food? The Love We have given to her—Our Divine Qualities. Everything carries the mark of Our Beauty and of Our Chaste and Pure Perfumes. We like it so much that We eat Our fill; and even if something may be missing for Our Status, since the creature is in Our Will, she is the owner of all Our Goods; she takes from Our Treasure whatever is needed, and prepares for Us the most beautiful banquet, Worthy of Our Supreme Majesty. And We invite all the Angels and the Saints to sit at this Celestial banquet, so that they may take and eat with Us, of the Love that We received from the creature who Lives in Our Will. Now, after We’ve banqueted together, the other acts that she does in Our Will serve—some to form for Us Celestial melodies, some Loving chants, some the most Beautiful scenes; some others repeat Our Works, which are always in action. In sum, she keeps Us always busy. And when she has given course to all her actions in Our Will, We give her rest, resting together with her. After the rest, We begin the Work, starting another Day, and so forth.

“Many times, this loyal daughter of Ours—since true loyalty consists in Living in Our Divine Will—seeing that her brothers and sisters are about to be struck by the deserved chastisements for their sins, doesn’t close her Day, but prays and suffers to beseech Graces for their souls as well as for their bodies. The Life of one who Lives in My Divine Will is New Joy and Glory for Heaven, and Help and Graces for the earth.”

The Message of Our Lady of La Salette

click image for the Message of Our Lady of La Salette

“Our Lady’s Apocalypse”

Delivered by Our Lady to

MELANIE CALVAT and MAXIMIN GIRAUD

The message was approved by the Catholic Church and was published in its entirety at Lecce. France, on November 15, 1979 with the imprimatur of Bishop Zola.

Published by the Shepherdess of La Salette with Imprimatur by Mgr. Bishop of Lecce.

“Well my children you will pass this on to all of my people.”

Simple reproduction without commentary or controversy of the original edition of Lecce in 1879.

APPARITION of the BLESSED VIRGIN on the Mountain of

LA SALETTE the 19th of September, 1846

“Contemplating the beauty of creation inspires us to recognize the love of the Creator, that Love which “moves the sun and the other stars”. (Message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace. 1 January, 2010)”
― Pope Benedict XVI

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

V31 – October 9, 1932 – “Now, one who goes around in Our Will, as she finds Our Works that were prepared in order to then Create man, she sounds the little bell to call all creatures to recognize this Love of God toward man. And its sweet sound calls Our Attention, Our Love reawakens, and makes arise again in Us Our Ecstasies of Love toward her. Ecstasies mean total Re-Pouring toward whom one Loves, and one who comes into Our Will has the strength to make Us undergo Our Ecstasy of Love so that We pour Ourselves out again in her. And with Our Power, We put the creature into Ecstasies for Us, so that nothing remains for her, and everything re-pours into Our Supreme Being.

“A mutual re-pouring occurs, the one into the other, because there is nothing that pleases Us more, then seeing the creature in that same Will in which she was Created. To contemplate Our Works, know them, and feel the pulsations of Our Love that each created thing possesses, was the Garment that We prepared and gave to man in Creating so many things and the whole of Creation. Now, who receives the life of the good that created things contain? One who makes use of this Garment so splendid, and with Right knows them. Knowing them she finds Our Palpitating Love, Our Operating Will, and she loves them and loves in them that Supreme Being who Loves her so much. Therefore be attentive and constant in going around in Our Works, so that We give each other a hand in Loving each other, take turns placing ourselves in Ecstasy, and with utility you will make use of the great Garment that with so much Love your Creator has given you.”

V34 – 6.28.37 – “My daughter, do not marvel because of what I have told you, rather, I will tell you more surprising things yet, but how much I would want that everyone would listen in order to make everyone decide to Live in My Volition. Listen, how consoling and Beautiful is what My Love pushes Me to tell you. So much is My Love, that I feel the need of telling you where We reach for one who Lives in Our Volition. Now, you must know that as the soul decides repeatedly and firmly to live no more of her will but of Ours, her name becomes written in Heaven with Indelible characters of Light, and she becomes enrolled in the Celestial Militia as Heiress and Daughter of the Kingdom of the Divine Will.

“But this is not enough for Our Love. We Confirm her in Good in a way that she will feel such horror for every least sin, that she will not be capable anymore of falling. Not only this, but she will remain Confirmed in the Goods, in the Love, in the Sanctity, etc., of her Creator. She will be invested by the Prerogative of reclaimed part, she will no longer be looked at as exiled, and if she will remain on earth, she will be as officiating of the Celestial Militia, not as exiled. She will have all the Goods at her disposition. She will be able to say: ‘His Will being mine, what is of God is mine.’ Rather, she will feel herself Possessor of her Creator.

“And since she no longer operates with her will, but with Mine, all the barriers are broken that impeded her from hearing her Creator, the distances have disappeared, the dissimilarity between her and God does not exist anymore. She will feel herself so Loved by He who has Created her, as to feel her heart burst with Love in order to Love He who Loves her. And feeling herself Loved by God is the greatest joy, honor, and glory for the creature. My daughter, do not marvel. They are Our Goals, the Purpose for which the creature was Created—to find in her Our Life, Our Reigning Will, Our Love, in order to be Loved and to Love her. If this were not so, all Creation would be a work unworthy of Us.”

FROM THE NINETEENTH HOUR OF THE TWENTY-FOUR HOURS OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Meanwhile, my Jesus, You look at the Cross that your enemies are preparing for You. You hear the blows of the hammer with which your executioners are forming the holes into which they will drive the nails that will hold You crucified. And your Heart beats, more and more strongly, jumping with divine inebriation, yearning to lay Yourself upon that bed of pain, to seal with your death the salvation of our souls. And I hear You say:

“Please, O Cross, receive Me soon into your arms, I AM impatient of waiting! Holy Cross, upon you I shall come to give completion to all. Hurry, O Cross, fulfill the burning desire that consumes Me, to give life to souls. Delay no more; I anxiously yearn to lay Myself upon you in order to open the Heavens to all My children.

Oh Cross, it is true that you are My Martyrdom, but in a little while you will also be My Victory and My most complete Triumph; and through you I will give abundant inheritances, victories, triumphs and crowns to My children.”

As Jesus is saying this, His enemies command Him to lay Himself upon it; and promptly He obeys, to repair for our disobedience.

My Love, before You lay Yourself on the Cross, allow me to hold You more tightly to my heart, and to kiss your loving and bleeding wounds. Hear me, O Jesus, I do not want to leave You; I want to come with You, to lay myself on the Cross and remain nailed to It with You. True love does not tolerate separation, and You will forgive the daring of my love. Concede that I be crucified with You. See, my tender Love, I am not the only one to ask this of You, but also your sorrowful Mama, inseparable Magdalene, faithful John: we all say to You that it would be more bearable to be nailed with You to Your Cross, than to see You crucified alone! Therefore, together with You I offer myself to the Eternal Father – identified with your Will, with your Heart, with your reparations and with all your pains.

Ah, it seems that my adored Jesus says to me: “My child, you have anticipated My Love; this is My Will: that all those who love Me be crucified with Me. Ah, yes, come and lay yourself on the Cross with Me; I will give you Life with My Life, I will hold you as the beloved of My Heart.”

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

V9 – Sept. 11, 1910 – “My daughter, justice and mercy are in a continuous fight, and the victories of mercy are more than those of justice. Now, when a soul is perfectly united with my Will, she takes part in my actions ad extra, and as she satisfies with her sufferings, mercy obtains its most beautiful victories over justice. And since I delight in crowning all of my attributes with mercy, even justice itself, in seeing Myself being importuned by the soul united with Me, in order to content her, I surrender to her, because she has surrendered all of her things in my Will. This is why I do not come when I do not want to surrender – because I don’t trust that I can resist without surrendering. So, what is your doubt?”