Make Yourself a Saint

“God’s invitation to become saints is for all, not just a few. Sanctity therefore must be accessible to all. In what does it consist? In a lot of activity? No. In doing extraordinary things? No, this could not be for everybody and at all times. Therefore, sanctity consists in doing good, and in doing this good in whatever condition and place God has placed us. Nothing more, nothing outside of this.”

– Blessed Louis Tezza (1841 – 1923)

FROM THE LETTERS OF THE SERVANT OF GOD, LUISA PICCARRETA

Letter #2  To Sister Giovannina.

Fiat

To my dear Sister M. Giovannina, in memory of her vows, always with Jesus.

The mind toward Heaven, the gaze to the Cross, the heart loving Him, the arms always in the act of hugging Him, the steps calling Him, the words saying always “Fiat”.  In each thing never escape from acquiring a degree of sanctity.  Make yourself a saint; Jesus wants it, make Him content.

The little daughter of the Divine Will

Corato, May 14, 1932

Letter #17 – Patience, trust, courage, is the bread of the strong, the heroism of martyrs.  Therefore, courage!  Those who think of the past lose the present.  The Lord has disposed everything:  crosses, illness, state of marriage; in a word – everything.  The Lord had to prepare the material in order to make of you a saint; and He has prepared enough of it.  So, all you have to say and do is this:  “The Heart of Jesus wants me a saint:  I must become a saint!”  Have we understood each other?

Now I assure you of my prayers for your children; then the Lord will console you even more.  I leave you in the Divine Volition to become a saint.  Never get disturbed in anything; rather, give all to Jesus, so that He may change it into flames of love.  Pray for me.  With a thousand regards, I say,

Letter #23 –So, I recommend to you:  make yourself a saint.  If Jesus gives you the means, the raw materials of sanctity, which are crosses, abandonments, humiliations – all raw materials to make us holy – take advantage of it, do not reject such a great good…

GOD THE FATHER AND THE DIVINE WILL

“Our Father…..Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven”

It is ironic that over the last two thousand years Christians have faithfully prayed this prayer given to us by Jesus, but the majority still do not know or love God the Father as He desires.

To pray “without the sentiment of love in [our] hearts weakens the prayer, making it less worthy”. (1) And therefore less effective.

In fact for most Christians “the Father is not known; one does not pray to Him, one does not think of Him……Many Christians turn away from the Father because they see Him as a fearful judge. They prefer to turn to the humanity of Christ and many ask Jesus to protect them from the wrath of the Father!” (2) “This paralyzing fear of God is one of the great human tragedies.” (3)

God the Father was glorified when He created the universe. The first to withdraw from the Divine Will was Satan. He then succeeded in getting Adam and Eve to doubt the goodness of God their Father: “That’s not true; you will not die. God said that, because he knows that when you eat it you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad”. (Genesis 3:4)

From the moment of doing his own will instead of the Divine Will, Adam immediately lost intimacy with God as his Father, instead becoming fearful and frightened of Him. “That evening they heard the Lord God walking in the garden, and they hid from him among the trees. But the Lord God called out to the man ‘Where are you?’ He answered, ‘I heard you in the garden; I was afraid and hid from you, because I was naked.’ ‘Who told you that you were naked?’ God asked. ‘Did you eat the fruit that I told you not to eat?’ ” (Genesis 3:8-11)

In comparison Our Lady, who always remained in the Divine Will, revealed to Luisa Piccarreta: “I did nothing else than bring Myself upon the knees of my Celestial Father. I was tiny, not yet born; but the Divine Volition, whose Life I possessed gave Me free access to my Creator. For Me all the doors and the ways were fully open; nor was I frightened nor fearful of Him. The human will above all causes fright, fear, distrust and distances the poor creature from Him who loves it so much and who wants to be surrounded by his children. Thus, if the creature is frightened and fearful and does not know how to be as a child with its father to its Creator, it is a sign that the Divine Will does not reign in her and, thus, the creature experiences the tortures, the martyrdom of the human will.” (4)

“[The] whole mission [of Jesus] on earth is to make the Father known to men and so he ends his preaching on the kingdom saying ‘I made known to them thy name, and I will make it known, that the love which thou has loved me may be in them, and I in thee ‘ (Jn 17:26).” (5)

Thus Jesus tells Luisa: “My daughter, on earth I did nothing but give Myself into the mercy of the Will of the Father. Thus if I thought, I thought in the mind of the Father. If I spoke, I spoke in the mouth and with the tongue of the Father. If I worked, I worked in the hands of the Father. Even my breath breathed in Him……I was the carrier of the Father, for completely enclosed in His Will, I did nothing by Myself. My only thought was the Will of the Father.” (6)

Even as a small infant, Jesus was focused on the Father “Look at Me here, when, in My infantile state of two or three years, I withdrew from My Mamma; and down on My knees with My arms open in the form of a cross, I prayed to the Heavenly Father that He would have pity on mankind; and in My open arms I embraced all generations. My position was agonizing; so little, down on My knees with My little arms open to cry and pray.” (7)

The institution of the Eucharist was the fulfillment of Christ’s work on earth: ” ‘Holy Father, You sent Me upon the earth one day from Heaven to incarnate Myself in the womb of My Mother in order to save Our children…..Permit Me to incarnate Myself in each Host to continue their salvation and to be the Life of each of My children.’ The Father is moved at the tender and affectionate voice of the Son. He descends from Heaven. Now He is upon the altar united with the Holy Spirit to concur with the Son. Jesus pronounces the words of the Consecration with a resounding and moving voice; and, without leaving Himself, He creates Himself in that bread and wine.” (8)

As the Body of Christ, the Church continues His work on earth through the celebration of Holy Mass. Unfortunately, most Catholics participate at the Eucharist without fully comprehending that, “in the liturgy, Jesus is consistently directing us to the Father.” (9 ) The climax of every Mass occurs when, through the priest, we offer the Son back to the Father in the Doxology – “Through Him, with Him, in Him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is Yours, Almighty Father, forever and ever.” Our acclamation of “AMEN!” is an act of Divine Will par excellence.

Now at this time in history, God the Father, Himself, has expressed His desire to reclaim His rights as Father of His children. “This is the time of grace, foreseen and awaited for all eternity!…..I am telling you all this now so that you realize that through this Work of Love, I have come to give you powerful help to free you from the tyrannical slavery which imprisons your souls and prevents you from tasting true freedom from which true happiness is derived…..Raise yourselves to this true dignity of children of God and learn to respect your greatness and I shall be more than every your most loveable and merciful FATHER.” (10)

The Father will be truly glorified when the Divine Will is done on earth as it in Heaven. “These are the times of the great return…..These are the times of the great mercy. The Father thrills with ardor and wills to pour out upon this poor humanity the torrents of his infinite love. The Father wants to mold with his hands a new creation where his divine imprint will be more visible, welcomed and received and his fatherhood exalted and glorified by all. The breath of this new creation will be the breathing of the love of the Father who will be glorified by all….And Jesus will reign………Jesus, who has taught you the prayer to invoke the coming of the reign of God upon earth, will at last see fulfilled this prayer of his, because He will restore his reign.” (11)

It is widely recognized that Saint John Paul was “the spark [from Poland] that will prepare the world” for the return of Jesus. (12)

He believed that the Great Jubilee Year 2000 would be a turning point – a “crossing of the threshold” for the Church and a sign of hope for the Third Millennium. By proclaiming the Year of God the Father in 1999, he sought to encourage Christians to understand that “Christian life is like a great pilgrimage to the house of the Father”.(13) The solemn opening of “The Holy Door” at the beginning of the Great Jubilee represented the words of Jesus: “I am the door” (Jn 10:7). This was in order to make it clear that no one can come to the Father except through Jesus. “The Jubilee, centered on the person of Christ, thus becomes a great act of praise to the Father”.(14) And the special Jubilee indulgence throughout the Jubilee Year was an important element disclosing the fullness of the Father’s mercy.

Saint Pope John Paul also understood that intimately connected with the coming of God’s Kingdom was Christ’s petition to the Father “that they may all be one.” “This is the great task which the Catholic Church must accomplish.”(15) As such it was central to the Jubilee. “‘Ecumenical’ prayer discloses this fundamental dimension of brotherhood in Christ, who died to gather together the children of God who were scattered, so that in becoming ‘sons and daughters in the Son’ (Eph 1:5) we might show forth more fully the mysterious reality of God’s fatherhood.” (16)

Saint Pope John Paul II was deeply aware that the divisions existing between Christians are contrary to Christ’s prayer at the Last Supper and that this has a world-wide effect . “In a certain sense the future of the world is at stake. The future of the Kingdom of God in the world is at stake.”(17)

The Divine Will of the Father is the Unity of all His children. “The Father’s great plan is for the gathering of the human race into one family united in love……..Everything must be subjected to the supreme power of the Father, so that He may penetrate and definitively transform humanity and the universe. That is the ultimate destiny of the world, the triumph of the Father’s love.”…(18)

In a singular way God the Father chose Mother Eugenia Ravasio for the mission to work and pray for this unity. One day she opened the Gospel randomly at John Chapter 17 – the Priestly Prayer of Jesus. ” ‘I read it more carefully than at other times and when I came to the part, ‘Holy FATHER, may we all become ONE’, I stopped. It seemed that everything was contained in those words: why Jesus became man and the purpose of His coming. Impulsively, I found myself responding: “Yes FATHER.” It was now clear what the FATHER wanted from me.” She then offered her life together with Jesus for this great ideal: “that all children in Jesus may be united with the FATHER, and that with Jesus, they may be the Glory of the FATHER.”(19)

In a sign that that Unity is central to the reign of the Divine Will on Earth, the Diocese of Trani was chosen as the birthplace of Luisa. It was here in 1054 that the first great schism took place in Christianity – between the Roman and Orthodox Churches with mutual excommunications. “God destined the site of the schism to become the birthplace of Luisa and the Divine Will that will unite the traditions of eastern and western Church in the Kingdom of the Divine Will.”( 20)

“The life and writings of the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta exemplify these elements [of Eastern Christian spirituality], enrich the spiritual traditions of East and West, and illuminate the path to unity.” (21)

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, “the young man being embraced by the Father is no longer just one repentant sinner, but the whole of humanity returning to God. The broken body of the prodigal becomes the broken body of humanity……it becomes the summary of the history of our salvation.” (22)

The feast in the parable of the prodigal son can be seen as an analogy of the great rejoicing of the Father with the prophetic fulfillment of the “Our Father” in the Era of the Divine Will. This is prefigured by a feast specifically desired by God the Father in our times – The Feast of God our Father. He revealed to Mother Eugenia: “I desire to be known, loved and honored through a special devotion….I desire only this: that one day may be consecrated to honoring Me in a particular way, under the title of Father of all mankind….the first Sunday in August [or the 7th of August].” (23)

The father in the parable desires the feast and is impatient for it to take place. His exuberant joy is obvious: “The word ‘Quick’ with which the father exhorts his servants to bring his son the robe, ring, and sandals, expresses much more than a human impatience. It reveals the divine eagerness to inaugurate the new Kingdom that has been prepared from the beginning of time.” (24)

Likewise the Father rejoices when a soul who lives in the Divine Will unites with Him in His works. Luisa writes: “To live in the Divine Volition means to live inseparably, to do nothing by oneself, because, before the Divine Volition, the soul feels incapable of anything….Thus, she does all that the Father does. If the Father thinks, she makes hers the thoughts of the Father and does not have any other thoughts than those of the Father…….She does not live outside but inside of the Father so that she is the reflection and perfect likeness of the Father.” (25)

In this manner “[she] finds the little epoch of innocent Adam and she together with him, gives Me his innocent embraces, his chaste kisses, his love as child, and I oh, how happy I feel that I see My Paternity recognized, loved and honored, oh, how beautiful it is to see Myself Father and as such to feel Myself loved by My children, and I reciprocate (with) My kisses, My paternal embraces and I give them as right of (her) property, the infinite joy of My Paternity. What won’t I give to My children after I have been loved and recognized as Father.” (26)

Jesus declared to his disciples: “My food is to do the Will of Him who sent me and to complete His Work”. (John 4:34) And God the Father declares: “In truth My children, the Church, this society which I entrusted My Son to establish, will complete His Work by honoring the One who is its Author: your FATHER and Creator” [through the institution of a feast].(27)

“Feasts are a living catechesis and today there is an urgent need for a living catechesis on the Father…”(28) Souls who truly know God as their Father are more likely to ask Him earnestly for His Kingdom to come “as it is in Heaven”, rather than fear a loss of freedom through Its establishment on earth.

In turn the philosophical lie of Deism would be overthrown – a 17th century attack on God as Father which sought to turn Him into a cold, distant creator. It is a mindset that remains today: “The majority of the unfaithful, the impious and those of various separatist groups, remain in their wickedness and unbelief because they believe that I am asking the impossible of them; they think they have to submit to My commands like slaves to a tyrannical master who remains enveloped in his power and pride which keeps him distant from his subjects, forcing them to pay him respect and devotion. No, no, My children!” (29)

The Reign of the Divine Will on earth will be the end of the great rebellion – the rebellion of Adam and all his descendants.

” ‘Then the end will come, when He’ll deliver the kingdom to his God and Father (1 Cor 15:24) …..the Church must deepen her awareness of having come forth from the Father and of advancing toward Him. The liturgical feast of God the Father would express this awareness with greater clarity…..The liturgical cycle enables Christians to relive the unfolding of the mystery of salvation in its various stages and in its most important events. The Father is at the origin and at the conclusion of the mystery. The entire work of sanctification results from his paternal love and tends to produce, as its ultimate fruit, the return of humankind to him. His paternal role which is absolutely primordial and decisive, deserves to be recognized and venerated by a special feast.”(30)

Summary:

The Reign of the Divine Will on earth will continue to build within individual souls but will be complete only when the Father is universally known, loved and honored by all His children – perhaps through a special Feast.

The Unity of Christians will be central to the Reign of the Divine Will. “Christians would undoubtedly give great joy to the heart of the risen Lord if they managed to realize this project ‘ecumenically’; that is if all the churches agreed to celebrate together a Feast for the Father on the same day.”(31)

“Would such a feast not….draw souls towards a simple spirituality and a filial life with the Father through the confidence and abandonment to the Divine Will?” (32)

This total abandonment to the Father is absolutely necessary to live in the Divine Volition: “your full abandonment in the arms of our Celestial Father, no longer feeling your own life – is the image of the living in my Will.”(33 )

Footnotes:

1. Words of Jesus to Maureen Sweeney-Kyle Sept. 18, 1999.
2. Mother Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio, ‘Life for the Glory of the Father – The Message of God our Father given to Mother Eugenia Elisabetta Ravasio’ , translated from Italian text: La Vita per la Gloria del Padre by Catherine Loft (Anzio: Missionarie “Unitas in Christo ad Patrem”; Distributor: Divine Mercy Publications Australia), p 72 – Bishop Alexander Caillot’s testimony of support.
3. Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming (London: Darton, Longman and Todd 1992) p.121
4.Luisa Piccarreta,’The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will.’ Book of Heaven: The Call to the Creature to Return to the Order, to the Place, and to the Purpose for Which It was Created by God.’ English edition endorsed by Archbishop Carata (Jacksonville: The Center for the Divine Will 1996) p. 34,35 – Day Eight
5. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. CAP, Life in the Lordship of Christ: A Spiritual Commentary on the Letter to the Romans, trans. Frances Lonergan Villa (London: Darton, Longman and Todd, 1992) p. 97
6. Luisa Piccarreta ‘Book of Heaven: The Call to the Creature to Return to the Order, to the Place, and to the Purpose for Which It was Created by God.’ English edition endorsed by Archbishop Carata (Jacksonville: The Center for the Divine Will 1996) Vol. 12. August 14, 1917
7. (ibid) Vol 19 June 6, 1926
8. Luisa Piccarreta The Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Jacksonville: The Center for the Divine Will 1996) 8pm
9. Statement by Father Peter Dwyer: “In the Holy Mass, Jesus is consistently directing us to the Father. The Opening Prayer (the Collect) always begins with an invocation that is addressed to the Father and we are directed in the penitential Rite to ‘ask the Father’s forgiveness [for our sins], for he is full of gentleness and compassion.’ Every Preface of the Mass, no matter what season of the year, begins by addressing the Father – ‘Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, etc’, and then acknowledges that thanks is given through Jesus.”
10. Ravasio, ‘Life for the Glory of the Father’ p, 119
11. Don Stefano Gobbi ,’To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons’ (Milan: Centro Internationale del M.S.S., 1997 – 11th Oceania Edition) p. 559 July 3rd, 1987
12. Faustina Kowalska, ‘Divine Mercy in My Soul – the Diary of the Servant of God Sister M. Faustina Kowalska’ (Stockbridge: Marian Press 1987) p. 612; Diary Entry 1732
13. John Paul II,’The Third Millennium’ (Australian Edition – Homebush: St. Paul’s 1994)n.49; p.73
14. (ibid) p.74
15. John Paul II, ‘That They May All Be One’ (Australian Edition – Homebush: St. Paul’s 1995)n.61;
p.72
16. (ibid) n.25; p.33
17. John Paul II, ‘Crossing the Threshold of Hope” (London: Random House 1994) p.151
18. Galot, Abba Father, We Long To See Your Face: Theological Insights into the First Person of the Trinity, trans. M. Angeline Bouchard (New York: Society of St. Paul, 1992) p. 225,226
19. Ravasio ,’ Life for the Glory of the Father’ p 39,40
20. The Pious Universal Union for the Children of the Divine Will – Newsletter No. 108 May 1st, 2011
21. Hugh Owen,Thy Kingdom Come – The Life and Mission of Luisa Piccarreta (Caryville:The Luisa Piccarreta Center for the Divine Will, 2007) Appendix i
22 Nouwen,The Return of the Prodigal Son’ p. 58
23. Ravasio, ‘ Life for the Glory of the Father’ p.97
24. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son’ p. 112
25. Piccarreta, Book of Heaven’ Vol. 12. August 14, 1917
26. (ibid) Vol. 33 February 10, 1934
27. Ravasio, ‘Life for the Glory of the Father’ p.109
28. Cantalamessa, ‘Life in the Lordship of Christ’ p.116
29. Ravasio,’Life for the Glory of the Father’ p.115
30. Galot, ‘Abba Father we long to see Your Face’ p.225,226
31. Cantalamessa, ‘Life in the Lordship of Christ’ p.116
32. Ravasio, ‘Life for the Glory of the Father ‘ p. 74 Bishop Alexander Caillot’s testimony
33. Piccarreta’ Book of Heaven’ Vol. 19 April 16, 1926

 The Portiuncula Indulgence

http://wdtprs.com/blog/2012/08/2-august-until-midnight-portiuncula-plenary-or-partial-indulgence/

Plenary indulgence goes from noon on August 1 until midnight August 2.  Two Masses during the All Night Vigil will cover each day! 

 On a hot July evening in the year 1216 Saint Francis of Assisi at prayer devoured by his love for God and a thirst to save souls was visited upon by Our Blessed Savior and Our Blessed Mother. Our Lord spoke to him “Francis you are very zealous for the good souls. Ask me what you want for their salvation.” Francis answered that he wanted an indulgence to all those who enter this church,(The Portiuncula)  who are truly contrite and have confessed their sins. Our Lord consented to Francis’ wish, but only after he received approval from Pope Honorius III. The pope granted this petition, and this indulgence has been extended to all parish churches throughout the world from noon August 1 until midnight on August 2.

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

* Sacramental confession (during eight days before or after the dates below)

* Participation in the 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 be missed, not only for yourself but for the many souls suffering in purgatory.

The dates are from noon on August 1 until midnight on August 2, the feast of Our Lady of the Angels.

FEAST DAY OF SAINTS JOACHIM AND ANN

PARENTS OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

FROM THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IN THE KINGDOM OF THE DIVINE WILL

Day 13

Now, my child, listen to Me. I had just turned three years old when my parents let Me know that they wanted to consecrate Me to the Lord in the temple. My heart rejoiced in hearing this – about consecrating Myself and spending my years in the house of God. But beneath my joy there was a sorrow: the privation of the dearest persons one can have on earth – my dear parents. I was little, I needed their paternal cares; I was depriving Myself of the presence of two great saints. Moreover, I saw that as the day approached on which they were to deprive themselves of Me, who rendered their lives full of joy and of happiness, they felt such bitterness as to feel they were dying. But though suffering, they were disposed to make the heroic act of taking Me to the Lord.

My parents loved Me in the order of God, and considered Me a great gift, given to them by the Lord. This gave them the strength to make the painful sacrifice. Therefore, my child, if you want to have an invincible strength to suffer the hardest pains, let all of your things be in the order of God, and hold them as precious gifts given to you by God.

 Day 15

Now listen to Me, my child; I arrived at the Temple only to live of Divine Will. My holy parents delivered Me to the superiors of the temple, consecrating Me to the Lord; and while they were doing so, I was dressed up in a festal manner, and hymns and prophecies were sung, which regarded the future Messiah. Oh, how my Heart rejoiced!

Afterwards, with courage, I said good-bye to my dear and holy parents; I kissed their right hands, and I thanked them for the care they took of my childhood, and for having consecrated Me to the Lord with so much love and sacrifice. My peaceful presence, without crying and courageous, infused so much courage in them, that they had the strength to leave Me and to depart from Me. The Divine Will ruled over Me and extended Its Kingdom in all of these acts of mine. Oh, power of the Fiat –You alone could give Me the heroism to separate myself from those who loved Me so much, even though I was so little and I saw that they felt their hearts break in separating themselves from Me!

Feast Day of Saint Camillus Of Lellis

July 18

The story and history of Saint Camillus Of Lellis. The early years of Camillus gave no sign of sanctity. At the age of nineteen he took service with his father, an Italian noble, against the Turks, and after four years’ hard campaigning found himself, through his violent temper, reckless habits, and inveterate passion for gambling, a discharged soldier, and in such straitened circumstances that he was obliged to work as a laborer on a Capuchin convent which was then building. A few words from a Capuchin friar brought about his conversion, and he resolved to become a religious. Thrice he entered the Capuchin novitiate, but each time an obstinate wound in his leg forced him to leave. He repaired to Rome for medical treatment, and there took St. Philip as his confessor, and entered the hospital of St. Giacomo, of which he became in time the superintendent. The carelessness of the paid chaplains and nurses towards the suffering patients now inspired him with the thought of founding a congregation to minister to their wants. With this end he was ordained priest, and in 1586 his community of the Servants of the Sick was confirmed by the Pope. Its usefulness was soon felt, not only in hospitals, but in private houses. Summoned at every hour of the day and night, the devotion of Camillus never grew cold. With a woman’s tenderness he attended to the needs of his patients. He wept with them, consoled them, and prayed with them. He knew miraculously the state of their souls; and St. Philip saw angels whispering to two Servants of the Sick who were consoling a dying person. One day a sick man said to the Saint, “Father, may I beg you to make up my bed? it is very hard.” Camillus replied, “God forgive you, brother! You beg me! Don’t you know yet that you are to command me, for I am your servant and slave.” “Would to God,” he would cry, “that in the hour of my death one sigh or one blessing of these poor creatures might fall upon me!” His prayer was heard. He was granted the same consolations in his last hour which he had so often procured for others. In the year 1614 he died with the full use of his faculties, after two weeks’ saintly preparation, as the priest was reciting the words of the ritual, “May Jesus Christ appear to thee with a mild and joyful countenance!”

Camillus was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in the year 1742, and canonized by him four years later in 1746.

Popularly, Camillus is the patron saint of the sick, hospitals, nurses and physicians. His assistance is also invoked against gambling.

His mortal remains are located in the altar in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Rome, along with several of his relics. Also on display is the Cross which allegedly spoke to Camillus, and asked him, “Why are you afraid? Do you not realize that this is not your work but mine?” which has become the motto associated with St. Camillus, as well as healthcare workers who were inspired by him.

The Congregation of the Servants of the Sick of St Camillus, the Daughters of St Camillus, the Secular Institutes of Missionaries of the Sick Christ Our Hope, of the Kamillianische Schwestern (Camillan Sisters) and of the Lay Camillian Family, were born later of the charism and spirituality of St. Camillus.

St. Camillus’ feast day was originally inserted in the General Roman Calendar in 1762 for celebration on 18 July, since 14 July, the day of his death, was at that time taken by the feast of Saint Bonaventure. It was then given the rank of Double, later it was changed in 1960 to that of “Third-Class Feast”^[5] and in the liturgical changes of 1969 to that of an obligatory “Memorial“, when it was also moved to the anniversary of his death, 14 July. In the U.S.A. it is currently an optional Memorial celebrated on 18 July, because on 14 July there is the obligatory Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.

FEAST DAY OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

JULY 16

Since the 15th century, popular devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel has centered on the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel also known as the Brown Scapular, a sacramental associated with promises of Mary’s special aid for the salvation of the devoted wearer. Traditionally, Mary is said to have given the Scapular to an early Carmelite named Saint Simon Stock. The liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is celebrated on 16 July.^[1]

The solemn liturgical feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was probably first celebrated in England in the later part of the 14th century. Its object was thanksgiving to Mary, the patroness of the Carmelite Order, for the benefits she had accorded to it through its rocky early existence. The institution of the feast may have come in the wake of the vindication of their title “Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary” at Cambridge, England in 1374. The date chosen was 17 July; on the European mainland this date conflicted with the feast of St. Alexis, necessitating a shift to 16 July, which remains the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel throughout the Catholic Church. The Latin poem Flos Carmeli (meaning “Flower of Carmel”) first appears as the sequence for this Mass.^[2]

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is known to many Catholic faithful as the “scapular feast,” associated with the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, a devotional sacramental signifiying the wearer’s consecration to Mary and affiliation with the Carmelite Order. A tradition first attested to in the late 14th century says that Saint Simon Stock, an early prior general of the Carmelite Order,^[3] had a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in which she gave him the Brown Scapular which formed part of the Carmelite habit, promising that those who died wearing the scapular would be saved.^[4]

That there should be a connection in people’s minds between the scapular, the widely popular devotion originating with the Carmelites, and this central Carmelite feast day, is surely not unnatural or unreasonable.

Prayer to the Blessed Mother of Mount Carmel

“Oh most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh Star of the Sea, help me and show me you are my Mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Sweet Mother I place this cause in your hands. Amen.

IMPORTANCE OF THE CROSS

“It is to the Cross that the Christian is challenged to follow his Master: no path of redemption can make a detour around it.”
― Hans Urs von Balthasar, Unless You Become Like This Child

FROM THE YEARNINGS OF SANCTITY

By the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta

O please! You Yourself, O Lord, make me comprehend how easily I can become holy, if only I embrace with love that daily cross which your love offers me; if only I do, as best I can, the daily actions which duty or charity require of me.

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

V1 –“Holy Spouse, give me suffering, give me crosses.  From this alone will I know whether You Love me – if You content me with crosses and with sufferings.”

V2 –“Yes, my Jesus, I yearn for nothing but the cross.”

V3 – “Ah, Lord, I pray You to keep me always nailed to the cross, so that, having this Divine Mirror ever before me, I may clean all my stains and embellish myself ever more in Your Likeness.”

V3 – “My Beloved, who can say to You what the Cross is?  Your mouth alone can speak worthily of the sublimity of the Cross; but since You want me to speak, I will do it.

“The Cross, suffered by You, freed me from the slavery of the devil, and espoused me to the Divinity with an indissoluble bond.  The Cross is Fecund and gives birth to Grace in me.  The Cross is Light, It disillusions me of what is temporal, and reveals to me what is eternal.  The Cross is Fire, and reduces to ashes all that is not of God, to the point of emptying my heart of the tiniest blade of grass that might be in it.  The Cross is Coin of inestimable Value, and if I have, O Holy Spouse, the fortune of possessing it, I will be enriched with Eternal Coins, to the point of becoming the richest in Paradise, because the currency that circulates in Heaven is the Cross suffered on earth.  The Cross, then, makes me know myself; not only this, but It gives me the Knowledge of God.  The Cross grafts all Virtues into me.  The Cross is the Noble Pulpit of the uncreated Wisdom, that teaches me the highest, the finest and most sublime doctrines.  So, only the Cross will reveal to me the most hidden Mysteries, the most secret things, the most perfect Perfection, hidden to the most erudite and learned of the world.  The Cross is like Beneficent Water that purifies me; not only this, but It administers to me the nourishment for the Virtues, It makes them grow, and only then does It leave me, when It brings me back to Eternal Life.  The Cross is like Celestial Dew, which preserves and embellishes for me the beautiful Lily of Purity.  The Cross is the nourishment of Hope.  The Cross is the Beacon of Operating Faith.  The Cross is like Hard Wood, which preserves the Fire of Charity, keeping it always lit.  The Cross is like dry wood, which dispels and puts to flight all the smokes of pride and of vainglory, producing the humble violet of humility in the soul.  The Cross is the most Powerful Weapon that offends the demons, and defends me from all of their claws.  Therefore, the soul who possesses the Cross is the envy and admiration of the very Angels and Saints, and the rage and indignation of the demons.  The Cross is my Paradise on earth, in such a way that if the Paradise of the Blessed up there, is of delights, the Paradise down here is of sufferings.  The Cross is the Chain of most Pure Gold that connects me to You, my Highest Good, and forms the most intimate union which can possibly be given, to the point of making my being disappear.  And It transforms me in You, my Beloved, to the point that I feel lost within You, and I Live from Your very Life.”

V6 – O please! do not permit, after You have suffered so much, that I look at the things of this earth as anything other than dung and mud, that I take any other pleasure but in You alone, and that all my honor be anything else but the Cross.”

V8 – O please, my Love, I don’t have the heart to leave You alone – I want to share the weight of the Cross with You; and to relieve You from the weight of sins, I cling to Your Feet.

My Jesus, let me place my shoulder under the Cross to relieve You and repair with You for all hidden sins.

FROM THE TWNETY-FOUR HOURS OF THE PASSION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

Hour 19 – 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!

FROM THE BOOK OF HEAVEN

V14 – 3/3/22 – Then He seemed to take a little rest, and afterwards He added: “My daughter, now it is appropriate that I get down to work again – to work the soil of your soul, so as to be to able sow the seed of my word with which to feed you. I act like a farmer when he wants to sow in his field: he forms little trenches, makes the furrows, and casts the seeds into them; then he again covers with earth the little trenches and furrows in which he has sown the seeds, so as to keep them sheltered and give them the time to germinate, to then harvest them increased a hundredfold, and make of them his food. But he is careful not to put in too much earth, otherwise he would cause his seeds to suffocate and die under the earth, and he would run the risk of remaining on an empty stomach. Now, so I do: I prepare the little trenches, I form the furrows, I enlarge the capacity of her intelligence to be able to sow my divine word, and therefore form the food for Me and for her; then I cover the little trenches and the furrows with earth – which is humility, nothingness, the annihilation of the soul, and some little weakness or misery of hers. This is the earth, and it is necessary that I take it from her because I lack this earth; and so I cover everything and I wait for my harvest with joy. Now, do you want to know when too much earth is placed over the seed? When the soul feels her miseries, her weaknesses, her nothingness, and she afflicts herself. She thinks about it so much as to waste time, and the enemy uses this in order to throw her into disturbance, discouragement and despondency. All this is earth in excess over my seed. Oh, how my seed feels like dying – how it struggles to germinate under this earth! Many times these souls tire the Celestial Farmer, and He withdraws. Oh, how many are the souls like these!”

And I: ‘My Love, am I one of these?’ And He: “No, no; one who does my Will is not subject to forming earth that suffocates my seed; rather, many times I find not even humility in her, but only her nothingness, which produces little earth, so I can place just one layer over my seed. And the Sun of my Will soon fecundates it, and it germinates; and I make great harvests, to then quickly return to sow my seed again. Besides, you can be sure of this; don’t you see how often I return to sow new seeds of truths into your soul?”

V28 – 9/30/30 – “See, then, in all Our works, directed for the good of creatures, We want to find a shelf, a place, a little ground in which to lay Our work and the good We want to give to creatures. Otherwise, where do We put it? In the air?—without one at least who would know it and would draw Us with her acts, forming her little ground; and We, as the Celestial Sower, sowing the good We want to give? If this were not so—that on both sides, Creator and creature, they feel drawn together: she, preparing herself to receive with her little acts; and God, by giving—it would be as if We did, or wanted to give, nothing to the creature. So, the acts of the creature prepare the ground for the Divine Sower. If there is no soil, there is no sowing to hope for; no one goes to sow if he does not have a little ground; much less does God, Celestial Sower, cast the seed of His Truths, the fruit of His works, if He does not find the little ground of the creature. The Divinity, in order to operate, first wants to place Itself in agreement with the soul; after We have agreed together and We see that she wants to receive that good, to the point of praying Us and forming for Us the ground in which to lay it—then, with all love, We give it. Otherwise, it would be like exposing Our works to uselessness.”

V30 – 11/16/31 – “See then, each act is a committing of Ourselves to give greater Graces, and a Correspondence that you open between Heaven and earth, and a Game in which you call your Creator to be with you. More so, since each Act done by the Divine Will in the act of the creature is a Divine Seed that Germinates in her; the act prepares the soil in which My Will sows Its Seed, to make it Germinate into a Divine Plant. In fact, according to the seed that is sown into the womb of the earth, that is the plant that is born: if the seed is of flowers, the flower is born; if the seed is of fruit, the fruit is born.

“Now, My Divine Will sows a distinct Seed in each act of creature: in some It sows the Seed of Sanctity, in some the Seed of Love, in others the Seed of Goodness, and so forth. The more acts she does in It, the more soil she prepares in which My Will prepares Its Distinct Seed, to fill the earth with these human acts. So, one who lets herself be dominated by My Divine Will is Beautiful, is Striking; each of her acts, containing the variety of the Divine Seeds, is a note of her Creator: one act says Sanctity, another Mercy, others Justice, Wisdom, Beauty, Love. In sum, a Divine Harmony appears, with such order, that it shows the Finger of God Operating in her.

“Do you see, then, the necessity of the act of the creature in order for Us to be able to find the soil in which to enclose Our Divine Seed? Otherwise, where to sow it? As for Us, We have no soil; therefore she must form it for Us with her acts, so that, with Our Seeds, We may Germinate Our Divine Being in the creature. Therefore, one who does and Lives in Our Divine Will can be called she who Reproduces her Creator and Hosts within herself He who Created her.”

V30 – 7/14/30 – “Blessed daughter, it is I who form the Celestial Atmosphere inside and outside the creature. In fact, as soon as she enters into My Divine Volition, I place Myself as Guard of the act that she is doing, and she forms the soil with her acts, and I form the Divine Seed, to cast it into the act of the creature. So, her acts serve as soil; and I, Celestial Farmer, by filling her with My Seeds, use this in order to reap the harvest of the works that are done in My Will. Do you see, then, what the continuation of the acts done in My Divine Will is for? It serves to give Me the Work and the occasion never to leave the creature, because she gives Me always something to do, and I do not want to, nor can I leave a soil so precious, formed in My Will and exposed to the vivifying Rays of the Divine Sun, empty. Therefore, It calls you to work in My Volition, and you call Me, and—O! how sweet it is to work together in My Fiat. It is a Work that does not tire; on the contrary, it is Bearer of Rest and of the Most Beautiful Conquests.”

PRAYERS OF GENEROSITY

FROM

YEARNINGS FOR SANCTITY

By Luisa Piccarreta, the Little Daughter of the Divine Will
At the beginning of her mystical life

Teach me – I will say to You with Saint Ignatius – to be generous unto heroism, to serve unto sacrifice, to give without measuring, to fight without being afraid of the wounds, to consume myself without lamenting.

O Jesus, by your infinite Mercy, make me holy!

O my Love, who will give me enough to repay You and to satisfy You if not Yourself?  O please, reign, You alone, in this heart of mine, so meager.  May I love You alone, O Jesus, and may I love You equally, when your love caresses me and when it scourges me.  May my spirit rest in You alone, O Jesus.  And when the whirlwind of my passions or the breath of your tests put my soul in agitation, even then, let it be, O Jesus, that each beat of my heart be a praise, a thanksgiving, an adoration for your Divine Heart.  Let is be that, any tie being broken, I may once and for all make a generous leap, and immerse myself inside your Crucified Heart, divine center of charity, of zeal, of purity, of annihilation and of most perfect abnegation….

O Jesus, by your infinite Mercy, make me holy!

PRAYER FOR GENEROSITY

(St. Ignatius of Loyola)

LORD TEACH ME TO BE GENEROUS

TEACH ME TO SERVE YOU AS YOU DESERVE;

TO GIVE AND TO TO COUNT THE COST,

TO FIGHT AND NOT TO HEED THE WOUNDS,

TO TOIL AND NOT TO SEEK FOR REST,

TO LABOR AND NOT TO ASK FOR REWARD,

SAVE THAT OF KNOWING THAT I DO YOUR WILL.