The Heart of St Philip’s Apostolate is Beating Strong Half a Millennium after his Birth

Five hundred years ago today, on July 21 1515, St Philip Neri, the founder of the Oratorians was born in Florence. It is an anniversary that is dear to my heart, because a key reason I moved to London was to be near the London Oratory and be in a position to assist at Mass there. When the London Oratory was first opened in 1884, the Brompton Road location was thought to be removed from the centre of town, an idea that surely makes St Philip chuckle in Heaven today!

St Philip spent 60 years in the Eternal City, and is known as the Apostle of Rome. He would spend whole nights in deep prayer in the Catacombs and during the day he would visit the sick in hospital. St Philip is often called the founder of a religious order, but this is not true, because The Oratorians are not a religious order at all. They are a group of secular priests living in a community under a rule. But each Oratorian does not lead the life of a secular priest – they are not moved from church to church by their bishop. A man who feels called to be an Oratorian enters a particular Oratory with the intention of remaining there all his life. But each priest is not bound to the Congregation of the Oratory by a vow or promise, and is free at any time to leave and join a religious order. What is the bond that binds them? They are united by a bond of love, which is fitting because their founder is the patron saint of joy. Every house of the Oratory governs itself and is independent of the others.

The very beginning of the Congregation of the Oratory was in around 1552 when St Philip would gather groups of young laymen for prayer, discussion and reading. Over time, these meetings were moved from St Philip’s private quarters to “an oratory” (which simply means a place of prayer). In the first instance, they found a place in the church of San Girolamo. The Congregation grew from these very prayer meetings, and one of St Philip’s favourite expressions was, “give me ten truly detached men and I do not despair of converting the world with them.”

For modern Catholics, the Oratory signifies loyalty to Rome, while having remarkably reverent liturgies. Nowadays attending the Oratory (perhaps in the Oxford Oratory or in the Brompton Oratory) has become synonymous with a desire to worship in a pre-Vatican II way. But down through the years, I’ve known Catholics of all stripes who love to pray there because there is a time of silence before and after Mass, which allows the brain to become quiet, freeing it from noisy distractions that might divert our attention from raising our hearts and minds to God. The odd time I have seen a celebrity a few pews away, but never have I seen someone interrupt them when they are praying. The Oratory is a selfie-free zone.

The heart of St Philip’s apostolate, bringing people together in prayer in “an oratory”, is still beating strong and is a source of spiritual lifeblood to the many who attend the Oratories all over the world. St Philip was canonised in 1622 on the same day as St Teresa of Avila, St Ignatius and St Isidore. The joke that went round Rome was, “today they canonised three Spaniards and one saint”.

From the Book of Heaven

V10 – 1.17.11 – “Daughter, what you wrote about the Reunions of Priests is nothing but a process that I AM making with them. If they listen to Me – fine. But if they don’t, since the leaders of the ecclesiastics will not listen to Me because they too are bound by the laces of interest, and are slaves of human miseries, almost lapping them up – instead of dominating over those miseries, of interest, of high positions and the like, the miseries dominate them; therefore, since they are deafened by what is human, I will be neither understood nor listened to – I will turn to the civilian leaders, who will listen to Me more easily. Because of their desire to see the priest humiliated, and also because maybe these are a little more stripped than the ecclesiastics themselves, My Voice will be more listened to; and what they do not want to do out of love, I will make them do by necessity and by force, and I will make the government take away what is left to them.”

And I: ‘My Highest and only Good, what will be the name to be given to these Houses, and what the Rules?’

And He: “The name will be: The Houses of the Resurrection of the Faith. As for the Rules, they can use the same Rules as the Oratory of Saint Philip Neri.”

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The Portiuncula Indulgence is a grace not to be missed

Make this special plenary indulgence known to those on your email list!

Please make plans to attend Holy Mass, receive Communion, and then go to the Sacrament of Confession –  eight days before or after Aug. 2

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

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

Sacramental Confession to be in God’s grace (during eight days before or after.) …

Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist …

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.

http://dcsfo.org/portiuncula_indulgence_pamphlet.pdf  read more

The Portiuncula Indulgence

Mark your calendar for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels beginning on the First of August to August 2.

Saint Francis of Assisi and Great Pardon Known as the The Portiuncula Indulgence

 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 of 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.”

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 of the first of August until sundown 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 who devoutly and faithfully seek to gain the indulgence by completing its requirements.

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

—    Sacramental Confession to be in God’s grace (during eight days before or after.)

—    Participation in the Holy Mass and Eucharist

—    Recitation of The Apostles Creed, Our Father and a prayer for the Pope’s Intention.

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

Mark your calendar for the Feast of Our Lady of the Angels beginning on the First of August to August 2.

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

 In the words of St. Francis: O my Brothers and Sisters, I want you all to go to Heaven!

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From the Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will:

“…the poor, the ignorant, are more simple, they are less attached to their own judgment, and therefore more favored, more blessed, and preferred by my dear Son; so much so, that He chose poor fishermen as Apostles and pillars of the future Church.”

An exhortation to despise this world; and the short prosperity of the wicked; and to trust in Providence.

Psalm 36 – Douay-Rheims Bible

[1] A psalm for David himself. Be not emulous of evildoers; nor envy them that work iniquity. [2] For they shall shortly wither away as grass, and as the green herbs shall quickly fall. [3] Trust in the Lord, and do good, and dwell in the land, and thou shalt be fed with its riches. [4] Delight in the Lord, and he will give thee the requests of thy heart. [5] Commit thy way to the Lord, and trust in him, and he will do it.

[6] And he will bring forth thy justice as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. [7] Be subject to the Lord and pray to him Envy not the man who prospereth in his way; the man who doth unjust things. [8] Cease from anger, and leave rage; have no emulation to do evil. [9] For the evildoers shall be cut off: but they that wait upon the Lord shall inherit the land. [10] For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: and thou shalt seek his place, and shalt not find it.

[11] But the meek shall inherit the land, and shall delight in abundance of peace. [12] The sinner shall watch the just man: and shall gnash upon him with his teeth. [13] But the Lord shall laugh at him: for he foreseeth that his day shall come. [14] The wicked have drawn out the sword: they have bent their bow. To cast down the poor and needy, to kill the upright of heart. [15] Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bow be broken.

[16] Better is a little to the just, than the great riches of the wicked. [17] For the arms of the wicked shall be broken in pieces; but the Lord strengtheneth the just. [18] The Lord knoweth the days of undefiled; and their inheritance shall be for ever. [19] They shall not be confounded in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be filled: [20] Because the wicked shall perish. And the enemies of the Lord, presently after they shall be honoured and exalted, shall come to nothing and vanish like smoke.

[21] The sinner shall borrow, and not pay again; but the just sheweth mercy and shall give. [22] For such as bless him shall inherit the land: but such as curse him shall perish. [23] With the Lord shall the steps of a man be directed, and he shall like well his way. [24] When he shall fall he shall not be bruised, for the Lord putteth his hand under him. [25] I have been young, and now am old; and I have not seen the just forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.

[26] He sheweth mercy, and lendeth all the day long; and his seed shall be in blessing. [27] Decline from evil and do good, and dwell for ever and ever. [28] For the Lord loveth judgment, and will not forsake his saints: they shall be preserved for ever. The unjust shall be punished, and the seed of the wicked shall perish. [29] But the just shall inherit the land, and shall dwell therein for evermore. [30] The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom: and his tongue shall speak judgment.

[31] The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted. [32] The wicked watcheth the just man, and seeketh to put him to death, [33] But the Lord will not leave in his hands; nor condemn him when he shall be judged. [34] Expect the Lord and keep his way: and he will exalt thee to inherit the land: when the sinners shall perish thou shalt see. [35] I have seen the wicked highly exalted, and lifted up like the cedars of Libanus.

[36] And I passed by, and lo, he was not: and I sought him and his place was not found. [37] Keep innocence, and behold justice: for there are remnants for the peaceable man. [38] But the unjust shall be destroyed together: the remnants of the wicked shall perish. [39] But the salvation of the just is from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble. [40] And the Lord will help them and deliver them: and he will rescue them from the wicked, and save them, because they have hoped in him.

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The upcoming time of the RENEWED Man on the RENEWED Earth—Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven!
By: Glenn Dallaire

WITH EXCERPTS FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

ADDRESS OF POPE EMERITUS BENEDICT XVI TO CARDINAL DZIWISZ AND ACADEMIC AUTHORITIES OF TWO POLISH UNIVERSITIES

4 JULY 2015

Castelgandolfo

Your Eminence!

Your Excellencies!

Distinguished Rectors!

Eminent Professors!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

At this time I can do none other than express my great and most heartfelt gratitude for the honor that you have given me in awarding me the doctorate honoris causa. I thank the dear Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, Lord Chancellor, and the academic authorities of both universities. I am especially delighted by the fact that, in this way, my bond with Poland, with Krakow, with the homeland of our great Saint John Paul II, has become even stronger. Indeed, without him, my spiritual and theological development is not even imaginable. By his living example he showed us how the joy of great sacred music can go together with the task of common participation in the sacred liturgy, just as grandiose joy can accompany the simplicity of a humble celebration of faith.

In the post-conciliar years, a very ancient conflict about this point arose with renewed passion. I myself grew up in the region of Salzburg, marked by the great tradition of that city. There it went without saying that feast day Masses accompanied by a choir and orchestra were an integral part of our experience of faith in the celebration of the liturgy. It remains indelibly impressed on my memory how, for example, no sooner than the first notes of the Mozart Coronation Mass sounded, the heavens practically opened and one experienced the Lord’s presence very profoundly. (And my thanks also to you, who arranged for me to listen to Mozart, and also to the choir: some great pieces!)

Still, together with this, the new reality of the Liturgical Movement was also already present – above all, via one of our chaplains who later became vice regent and then rector of the major seminary of Freising. Later, during my studies in Munich, I entered in a much more concrete way into the Liturgical Movement by means of the classes of Professor Pascher, one of the most important experts of the Council in liturgical matters; and above all I entered in via the liturgical life of the seminary community. Thus, bit by bit, the tension between participatio actuosa true to the liturgical spirit and the solemn music that enfolded the sacred action became perceivable, even if I did not yet notice it so strongly.

In the Constitution on the Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council it is written very clearly: “The patrimony of sacred music is to be conserved and built up with great care” (114). On the other hand, the text stresses as a fundamental liturgical category the participatio actuosa of all the faithful in the sacred action. Those things which, in the Constitution, were still peacefully together, were thereafter, in the reception of the Council, often seen in a relationship of dramatic tension. Significant circles of the Liturgical Movement held that, in the future, only concert halls could accommodate the great choral works and even orchestral Masses, not the liturgy. Here, rather, there could only be space for the common singing and prayer of the faithful. What’s more, there was dismay for the cultural impoverishment of the Church that would necessarily follow from this. In what way, then, could the two sides be reconciled? How could the Council be carried out in its entirety? These were the questions that weighed down upon me and on many other faithful – from ordinary people to those having a theological formation.

Perhaps it is appropriate at this point to pose the fundamental question: What, in reality, is music? Where does it come from and what is its aim?

I think that we can pinpoint three “places” from which music originates.

One of its first sources is the experience of love. When men were seized by love, another dimension of being opened up to them – a new greatness and breadth of reality. And this led even to a new mode of expression. Poetry, song, and music in general were born from this being struck, from this being awakened to a new dimension of life.

A second origin of music is the experience of sadness – of being touched by death, by pain, and by the depths (abysses) of life. Also in this case, new dimensions of reality opened up in opposite directions; new dimensions which cannot find expression in discourse alone.

Finally, music’s third place of origin is in the encounter with the divine which, from the beginning, is a part of that which defines the human reality. It is this encounter of man with the totally other and the totally great that elicits even more so new ways of expression. As a matter of fact, perhaps it could be said that even in the other two areas – love and death – the divine mystery touches us and, in that sense, it is the fact of being touched by God that constitutes the origin of music, all told. I find it moving to observe how in the Psalms, for example, singing alone does not suffice: appeal is made to all instruments. In this way the hidden music of all creation – its mysterious language – is aroused. With the Psalter, in which the motifs of death and love are also operative, we find ourselves right at the origin of the sacred music of the Church of God. One can say that the quality of music depends upon the purity and the greatness of the encounter with the divine, with the experience of love and of pain. The purer and truer this experience is, the purer and greater also will be the music that is born and develops from it.

At this point I would like to share an idea that lately has increasingly caught my attention, especially as the various cultures and religions become more interconnected. In different cultures and religions there is present a great literary corpus, great architecture, great paintings, and great sculptures. And everywhere, there is also music. But in no other cultural setting is there music of equal greatness to that which arose from the environment of the Christian faith: from Palestrina to Bach, to Handel – all the way to Mozart, Beethoven, and Bruckner. Western music is something unique that has no equal in other cultures. And this – it seems to me – should make us think.

Certainly, western music goes far beyond the religious and ecclesial environments. But, in any case, it finds its most fundamental origins in the liturgy and the encounter with God. In Bach, for whom the glory of God represents the ultimate end of all music, this is quite evident. The great and pure response of western music grew within the encounter with that God who, in the liturgy, makes himself present to us in Christ Jesus. To me, such music is a demonstration of the truth of Christianity. In order for such a response to have developed there was an encounter with truth, with the world’s true Creator. For this reason, great sacred music is a reality of theological rank and of permanent significance for the faith of all of Christendom, even if it is not at all necessary that it should be performed always and everywhere. However, it is also clear that it cannot disappear from the liturgy and that its presence can be an entirely special way to participate in the sacred celebration, in the mystery of faith.

If we call to mind the liturgy celebrated by St. John Paul II on every continent, we see the full breadth of possibilities for expressing the faith in the liturgical event; we see also how the great music of the western tradition is not foreign to the liturgy but is born and developed in it. In this way, it can contribute anew to shaping the liturgy. We do not know the future of our culture and of sacred music. But one thing seems clear to me: wherever the encounter with the living God – who, in Christ, comes to us – really takes place, there is born and grows anew also the response, the beauty of which comes from the truth itself.

The activity of the two universities that have bestowed upon me this doctorate honoris causa – for which I again offer wholehearted thanks – represents an essential contribution so that the great gift of music that comes from the Christian faith tradition might remain alive; also so that it might help to preserve the creative force of the faith even into the future. For this, I thank you all from my heart, not only for the honor you have given me, but also for all the work that you undertake in the service of the beauty of the faith. The Lord bless you all.

Feast of the Visitation

Instituted in 1385 by Pope Urban IV

FROM THE VIRGIN MARY IN THE KINGDOM OF THE DIVINE WILL

(c) Wesley House, University of Cambridge; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

MEDITATION 1

My child, give Me your hand now, and follow Me, as I continue to give you my lessons.

So I departed from Nazareth, accompanied by Saint Joseph, facing a long journey, and crossing mountains to go visit Elisabeth in Judea, who, in her advanced age, had miraculously become a mother.

I went to her, not to make a simple visit, but because I burned with the desire to bring her Jesus. The fullness of grace, of love and of light that I felt within Me, pushed Me to bring, to multiply – to increase a hundredfold the life of my Son in creatures.

Yes, my child, the love of Mother which I had for all men, and for you in particular, was so great that I felt the extreme need to give my dear Jesus to everyone, that all might possess Him and love Him. The right of Mother, given to Me by the Fiat, enriched Me with such power as to multiply Jesus as many times as there are creatures who want to receive Him. This was the greatest miracle I could perform: to have Jesus ready to give to whomever desired Him. How happy I felt!

How I wish that you too, my child, in approaching and visiting people, would always be the bearer of Jesus, capable of making Him known, and yearning to make Him loved.

After many days of travel, finally I arrived in Judea, and I hastened to the house of Elisabeth. She came toward Me in feast. At the greeting I gave her, marvelous phenomena occurred. My little Jesus exulted in my womb, and fixing little John in the womb of his mother with the rays of His Divinity, He sanctified him, gave him the use of reason, and made known to him that He was the Son of God. And John leaped so vigorously with love and with joy that Elisabeth was shaken. Touched by the light of the Divinity of my Son, she too recognized that I had become the Mother of God; and in the emphasis of her love, trembling with gratitude, she exclaimed: “Whence comes to me so much honor, that the Mother of my Lord would come to me?”

I did not deny the highest mystery; rather, I humbly confirmed it. Praising God with the song of the Magnificat – sublime canticle, through which the Church continuously honors Me – I announced that the Lord had done great things in Me, His servant, and that because of this, all peoples would call Me blessed.

My child, I felt devoured with the desire to pour out the flames of love that consumed Me, and to reveal my secret to Elisabeth, who also longed for the Messiah to come upon earth. A secret is a need of the heart which is revealed, irresistibly, to persons who are capable of understanding each other.

Who can ever tell you how much good my visit brought to Elisabeth, to John, and to their whole household? Everyone was sanctified, filled with gladness, felt unusual joys, and comprehended things unheard-of. John, in particular, received all the graces which were necessary for him, to prepare himself to be the Precursor of my Son.

Dearest child, the Divine Will does great and unheard-of things wherever It reigns. If I worked many prodigies, it was because It had Its royal place in Me. If you let the Divine Will reign in your soul, you too will become the bearer of Jesus to the creatures – you too will feel the irresistible need to give Him to all!

The soul:

Holy Mama, how I thank You for your beautiful lessons! I feel that they have such power over me as to make me yearn continuously to live in the Divine Will. But so that I may obtain this grace – come, descend into my soul together with Jesus; renew in me the visit you made to St. Elisabeth and the prodigies You worked for her. Ah, yes, my Mama, bring me Jesus – sanctify me. With Jesus I will be able to do His Most Holy Will.

Little Sacrifice:

To honor Me, you will recite the Magnificat three times, in thanksgiving for the visit I made to St. Elisabeth.

Ejaculatory Prayer:

Holy Mama, visit my soul, and prepare in it a worthy dwelling for the Divine Will.

RAINBOWS OF PEACE

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

Vol. 12 – March 2, 1921 – Jesus Changes the State of Victim of Luisa, in order to Prepare the Era of His Will.

As I was in my usual state, my Always Lovable Jesus Came and Told me: “My daughter, the Third FIAT – My ‘Fiat Voluntas Tua, on earth as it is in Heaven’ – will be like the rainbow which appeared in the sky after the deluge, which, as Rainbow of Peace, assured man that the deluge had ceased. So will the Third FIAT be. As It Comes to be Known, Loving and Disinterested souls will Come to Live in My FIAT. They will be like Rainbows – Rainbows of Peace – which will Reconcile Heaven and earth, and Dispel the deluge of so many sins which inundate the earth. These Rainbows of Peace will have the Third FIAT as their own Life; therefore My ‘Fiat Voluntas Tua’ will have Its Completion in them. And just as the Second FIAT Called Me upon earth to Live among men, the Third FIAT will call My Divine Will into souls, and It will Reign in them ‘on earth, as in Heaven’.”

Then, since I was sad because of His absence, He added: “My daughter, be Cheered – Come into My Divine Will. I Chose you, Luisa, among thousands and thousands, so that My Divine Will May Have Full Completion in you, Luisa, and so that you May be like a Rainbow of Peace which, with Its Seven Colors, Attracts others to Live in My Divine Will. Therefore, let us leave the earth aside. Up until now I have Kept you. Luisa, with Me in order to Appease My Justice and Prevent greater chastisements from being poured upon the earth. Now, let us allow the current of human evil to run; I Want you, Luisa, with Me, in My Volition, to be Occupied with Preparing the Era of My Divine Will.

As you Move Forward on the Path of My Volition, the Rainbow of Peace will Form, which will Form the Link of Connection between the Divine Will and human will. From it, My Will shall Have Life on earth, and this shall Begin the Fulfillment of My Prayer, and the Prayer of the whole Church: ‘Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done, on earth as It is in Heaven’.”

Fiat!!

‘Our works are of no VALUE if they be not United to the MERITS of Jesus Christ.’

~ St. Teresa of Ávila ~

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

V11 – 8.14.12 – Now, one day I was working and I thought to myself: ‘How is it possible that Jesus works in me while I work? Does He really want to do this work?’ And Jesus: “Yes I do. My fingers are in yours and they work. My daughter, when I was on earth, didn’t My Hands lower themselves to work the wood, hammer the nails, and help My foster Father Joseph in the smithing work? While I was doing that, with those very hands and with those fingers, I created souls and called other souls to the other life; I Divinized all human actions; I sanctified them, giving a Divine MERIT to each one of them. In the movements of My Fingers I called in sequence all the movements of your fingers and those of others; and if I saw that they were doing them for Me, or because I wanted to act within them, I continued My life of Nazareth in them, and I felt cheered by them for the sacrifices and the humiliations of My hidden Life, giving them the MERIT of My Own Life.

Daughter, the hidden Life that I conducted in Nazareth is not taken into account by men, when in fact, after the Passion, nothing could benefit them more. By lowering Myself to all those little actions and those acts which men exercise during their daily life, such as eating, sleeping, drinking, working, starting the fire, sweeping, etc. – all acts which no one can do without – I made flow inside their souls a tiny Divine Coin of Incalculable Price. Therefore, if My Passion Redeemed them, My hidden Life provided each human action, even the most insignificant one, with Divine MERIT and with Infinite VALUE.

Do you see? As you work – working because I Want to work – My Fingers flow within yours, and as I work in you with My creative hands, in this very instant, how many am I giving to the light of this world? How many others am I calling? How many others do I sanctify, correct, chastise, etc.? Now, you are with Me creating, calling, correcting and so forth; therefore, just as you are not alone, neither am I alone in My work. Could I ever give you greater honor?”

V13 – 1.20.22 – “Wanting to have one’s own MERITS is of servants, of slaves – not of children. What belongs to the father, belongs to his children. Besides, what are all the MERITS that you could acquire compared to one single act of My Will? All MERITS have their own little VALUE, weight and measure; but who could ever measure one single act of My Will? No one – no one. And then, what are your MERITS compared to Mine? In My Will you will find them all, and I make of you the owner. Aren’t you happy?”

V16 – 5.19.24 – “My daughter, My Will is Eternal, and only for one who Lives in It, Embracing Eternity – all her acts, from the tiniest to the greatest, being Animated by an Eternal Will, Acquire the VALUE, the MERIT, the Shape of Divine and Eternal Acts. The Divine Will empties those acts of all that is human, and filling them with Its Will, Makes them Its Own and places on them the seal, Making of them as many Eternal and Divine Acts.”

V31 – 11.6.32 – “Now, one who works even good with her human will, as she finds herself passing her way in time, one can say that everything she does are temporary works, subject to a thousand miseries. They will always be human works of minimum VALUE, because she lacks the Gold Thread of the Light of My Will. On the other hand, one who works in It, will have the Gold Thread in her power, and not only this, but she will have her Creator Operating in her act; she will not have time, but Eternity in her power. Therefore there is only difference between the Divine Will and the human, there is no comparison that holds up between the One and the other. To Live in My Will is exactly this: It has the Prime and Operating Act in the creature. My Will acts as a teacher who wants to develop the theme that he has given to his student. He gives her the paper, he places the pen in her hand, he puts his hand over the same hand of the disciple and he develops the theme, the hand of the teacher and that of the student writing together.

            “Now, couldn’t one say that the teacher has been working, and has put in that theme his science, his beautiful writing in a way that no one can find a shadow of defect? And yet the student has not gone out of place, she has undergone the work of the teacher, she has let her hand be conducted without any resistance. On the contrary, she is happy in seeing the beautiful ideas, the precious concepts in which she feels enraptured. Now, couldn’t one say that the fortunate disciple possesses the VALUE and the MERIT of the work of her teacher? The same happens to one who Lives in My Will. The creature must undergo the Act that My Volition wants to make, It must not be put aside, and It must place the necessities befitting Its Divine Act. And Our Goodness is so much, that We make her Possessor of Our same Acts.”

V32 – 9.24.33 – “Look at Me, how I keep everything enclosed in Me, and this brings Me to Love him doubly in every act that he does. By Incarnating Myself in the Womb of the Immaculate Queen, I formed this Humanity of Mine, and I constituted Myself the Head of the human family in order to unite all creatures with Me, and make them My Members. Therefore everything that they do is Mine. In the Sanctuary of My Holy Humanity I enclosed everyone. I watch over the little good as well as the great, but do you know why? Passing through Me I give them the VALUE as if they were My Works, Prayers and Sacrifices. The Virtue of the Head descends into the members, makes a mixture of everything, and I give to them the VALUE of My MERITS, such that the creature finds himself in Me, and I as Head find Myself in them.”

V33 – 11.19.33 – “Daughter, so great is the act of disposing oneself to doing My Will, that My Life itself, My MERITS, form the paper, the characters, and your Jesus makes the signature in order to make it known and to give her free entrance. One can say that the whole of Heaven runs to the help of one who wants to do My Will. And I feel so much Love, that I take a place in the fortunate creature and I feel Loved by her with My own Will.

“…These acts done in My Will are centuries that enclose Incalculable MERITS and Goods, because there is the Divine Motor that moves them, which has so much speed that in the minutes it encloses the centuries. And it renders the creature so rich, Beautiful, and Holy, as to let Us boast before the whole Celestial Court, pointing her out as the Greatest Prodigy of Its Creative Art.”

V33 – 3.4.34 – “…The instants, the littlest Acts done in It, embrace centuries; and since they are Divine, they are invested with such Power that what one wants to do with them—everything he can do and everything he can obtain. The Divine Being remains bound in these Acts, because they are His Acts, and He must give them the VALUE that they MERIT. Besides this, you must know that the Acts done in My Will form the ways that must serve souls in order to let them enter into It, and they are so very necessary that if heroic souls do not first come forth to Live in It in order to form the principal ways of Its Kingdom, the generations, not finding the ways, will not know what to do in order to enter into My Divine Will.”

V34 – 7.12.37 – “Now, I want to tell you another consoling surprise. So much is Our Pleasure when the creature decides with immovable firmness to Live in Our Volition, that what We must do at the point of death, of Confirming her in the Good in which she finds herself, because you must know that everything that she has done in life—prayers, virtue, sufferings suffered, good works—these serve to form Our little Divine Life in her soul, not one Blessed enters into Heaven if she does not possess this Divine Life, according to the good that they have done, and if they have Loved Me and fulfilled My Will more, so they will have It, some lesser, some greater, because the True Happiness, the True Joys, must be possessed within. In fact, each one will have inside and outside of them their God, who will always give them New Joys, so much so that if souls, dying, are not filled up even to the brim with Love and with My Will, I Confirm them, yes, but they do not enter into Heaven. I send them to Purgatory to fill these voids of love and of My Divine Will by way of sufferings, of anxieties, and of longings. And when they are filled with everything, in a way that one sees in them that they are already completely Transformed into My Love and into My Will, then they take flight toward Heaven.

“Now, for one who does not want to do her will anymore but only Mine, We do not wait for that point. With an Irresistible Strength Our Love brings Us to anticipate the Confirmation of the Good, and to convert into nature Our Love and Our Will, so that she will feel that My Love, My Volition, is hers. She will feel My Life more than her own, but with the difference that of those who are Confirmed at the point of death, they will not grow anymore in good, their MERITS are finished. On the other hand, in these My Life will always grow, the MERITS will never end, rather, they will have the Divine MERITS. As they continue to admire and to Live of My Will, so they will know Me more, and I Love them more and increase their Glory. I can say that I run in her every act in order to give her My kiss, My Love, in order to Recognize her, that she is Mine, and give her the VALUE, the MERIT as if I were to have done it. Ah! you cannot understand what We feel for one who Lives in Our Volition, how We Love her. We want to make her content in everything, because in her We find the Purpose of Creation Realized and all the Glory that all things must give Us Centralized. And then, Our Completed Will is everything for Us.”

V36 – 11.26.38 – “…the pilgrim soul has not yet completed her day. If she wants to Live in Our Will she can make Prodigies of Grace and Light for the whole world, and Prodigies of Love for her Creator. Therefore, all Our Attention is on the traveling soul, because her work is still in process and is not yet finished. If she is disposed, We can do works never done before, so Beautiful as to Astonish Heaven and earth. Our Pain is Great when We find the traveling soul not disposed to letting Us perform Our Most Beautiful Works. How many of Our Works have been started and not finished, with others shattered at their peak moment. Only in Our Will and for those who Live in It, can We accomplish Our Works with Their Unreachable Beauty, since Our Will provides the adaptable materials to do anything We want. Outside of It, We cannot find sufficient Light, nor a rising Love, nor Divine Materials; We are forced to fold Our arms, because We just can’t move forward with any of those who don’t Live in Our Will!

“Furthermore, for the soul on her journey, We Circulate the Coin of MERIT. Our Divine Image is Coined on each of her acts Animated by Our Will. These Coins have Infinite VALUE, so whenever she wants, she has the Money to pay Me for anything she wants. Therefore, Our Concern and Interest is for the souls on their journey, because this is the time for Conquest, while there are no Conquests in Heaven, but only Joy and Happiness.”

FROM THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

• Paragraph 2007 – III. Merit
  2007 With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part
  of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable …
• Paragraph 2008 – III. Merit
  2008 The merit of man before God in the Christian life arises from the fact that
  God has freely chosen to associate man with the work of his grace. …
• Paragraph 2009 – III. Merit
  … us partakers by grace in the divine nature, can bestow true merit on us as … of
  obtaining “the promised inheritance of eternal life.” 60 The merits of our …
• Paragraph 2011 – III. Merit
  … of our acts and consequently their merit before God and before men. The saints
  have always had a lively awareness that their merits were pure …
• Paragraph 2025 – IV. Christian Holiness
  2025 We can have merit in God’s sight only because of God’s free plan to
  associate man with the work of his grace. … Man’s merit is due to God.
• Paragraph 2026 – IV. Christian Holiness
  2026 The grace of the Holy Spirit can confer true merit on us, by virtue of our
  adoptive filiation, and in accordance with God’s gratuitous justice. …

FROM THE DOUAY-RHEIMS BIBLE

Ecclesiasticus 16:15
All mercy shall make a place for every man according to the merit of his works, and according to the wisdom of his sojournment.

Ecclesiasticus 38:18
And make mourning for him according to his merit for a day, or two, for fear of detraction.

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