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MarysLittleFlower

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MarysLittleFlower

I had a friend who has since passed away. She was an artist and drew pictures of Jesus. When I knew her I was a Protestant and then a new Catholic and she introduced me to this idea of staying unmarried and living a celibate life for God. She wasnt a nun but a lay person in the world. I remember feeling drawn to this so much but kind of terrified!

Anyway she had a ministry in a way of helping people understand things about Jesus that aren't well known. For example she talked about how Jesus thirsts for our love. On St Valentines Day she would go around and give women roses, and tell them about Jesus' love for them.

Well at one point, we were both posting on a forum I don't go to now, and she made a thread called "Beloved Jesus", that was just about Jesus. That is where I first learned about a sort of bridal approach to Jesus and it was the first step in my discernment. The thread did so much good for many people.

I have been thinking for a while that what I'm really missing on this forum is just speaking of Our Lord. I considered making this thread in Open Mic but I wanted it to feel like a really safe thread and other forums can turn to debates. I also thought the topic just somehow relates to discernment, since it did for me, and I think for my friend.

 Of course everyone is welcome to post. It would be so boring if its just me :) I thought it could just be sort of an ongoing thread for anyone who wants to take a break from everything else here, and talk or read about Our Lord. I think this is why I came here but I never found such a thread.

I don't know if it would work to be honest, or if others are interested, but basically ...this is just a thread about Jesus being the Beloved of our souls, and how we have a relationship with Him :)

So the first thing I wanted to share is a question :) I have been thinking about how Our Lord told Gabrielle Bossis that He is very sensitive and little things touch Him deeply. Do you think that is so? This is an idea that's rarely discussed. How can it help us in our vocation? 

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I had a friend who has since passed away. She was an artist and drew pictures of Jesus. When I knew her I was a Protestant and then a new Catholic and she introduced me to this idea of staying unmarried and living a celibate life for God. She wasnt a nun but a lay person in the world. I remember feeling drawn to this so much but kind of terrified!

Anyway she had a ministry in a way of helping people understand things about Jesus that aren't well known. For example she talked about how Jesus thirsts for our love. On St Valentines Day she would go around and give women roses, and tell them about Jesus' love for them.

Well at one point, we were both posting on a forum I don't go to now, and she made a thread called "Beloved Jesus", that was just about Jesus. That is where I first learned about a sort of bridal approach to Jesus and it was the first step in my discernment. The thread did so much good for many people.

I have been thinking for a while that what I'm really missing on this forum is just speaking of Our Lord. I considered making this thread in Open Mic but I wanted it to feel like a really safe thread and other forums can turn to debates. I also thought the topic just somehow relates to discernment, since it did for me, and I think for my friend.

 Of course everyone is welcome to post. It would be so boring if its just me :) I thought it could just be sort of an ongoing thread for anyone who wants to take a break from everything else here, and talk or read about Our Lord. I think this is why I came here but I never found such a thread.

I don't know if it would work to be honest, or if others are interested, but basically ...this is just a thread about Jesus being the Beloved of our souls, and how we have a relationship with Him :)

MLF, While I totally understand your need to talk about your Beloved (doesn't one always feel this way when they first fall in love?), for me the relationship has matured over time and become too deep to talk about it a lot. Words now fail to do justice to just what is happening between my soul and Jesus, and although I can occasionally talk about some aspects of my relationship with Jesus, in general it would be like trying to talk about the most intimate details of a marriage - too personal to share.

I hope you find some other people on here though who want to discuss this with you, because you seem to have a great need to 'talk' a lot (judging by the sheer volume of posts that you make). It would be good if you had a friend or relative or SD or someone with whom you could share these things, but since you are here, I do hope you find the companionship you need here.

One suggestion that I might make however, is that you channel some of this love and devotion into simply being with Jesus in silence and letting there be a conversation between you two in silence. Because really, sometimes words just fail.....

 

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MarysLittleFlower

Oh yea for sure! And actually I don't post (or talk in real life) about what goes on in prayer between Jesus and me. This was meant to be more about ideas and no one is obligated to share personal stuff. There's much that I would never ever share because its best kept secret....

It's also true that often I just want to talk about Jesus (and its not very easy for me in real life) - but the reason I made this thread is more for anyone who is new to these ideas or just wants to go deeper into some spiritual writings. It wasnt for myself as much. I'm hoping for anyone to feel safe to post not just me. (In fact, I do feel I post too much and I'm planning on cutting out a lot of my posting time and limiting it to specific topics.):)

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Oh yea for sure! And actually I don't post (or talk in real life) about what goes on in prayer between Jesus and me. This was meant to be more about ideas and no one is obligated to share personal stuff. There's much that I would never ever share because its best kept secret....

It's also true that often I just want to talk about Jesus (and its not very easy for me in real life) - but the reason I made this thread is more for anyone who is new to these ideas or just wants to go deeper into some spiritual writings. It wasnt for myself as much. I'm hoping for anyone to feel safe to post not just me. (In fact, I do feel I post too much and I'm planning on cutting out a lot of my posting time and limiting it to specific topics.):)

I hope you didn't read that as I think you post too much. Not at all. If you have the time and the inclination to do so, by all means, go ahead. It's just that prayer needs a little time and space and silence as well, as I'm sure you know.

This forum is particularly about vocations though, so perhaps a discussion on relationships between Jesus and the individual might go better in the Transmundane Lane forum? Just an idea. That's where all the theological deep stuff goes on when there isn't any debate (Debate Table for that) - just deep philosophical and spiritual thoughts! LOL

 

BTW - when do you ever sleep? It's only dinner time here but it must be midnight or after in Canada?

 

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MarysLittleFlower

I do think I post too much lol so I'm hoping to only post in certain threads.

Transmundane lane is an idea too... Not sure how it could be moved though. I'll see if people prefer TM forum 

(As for sleep my sleeping schedule gets basically destroyed when I visit home in the summer and I get insomnia. :sad:During the year I'm on a tight schedule. I actually miss it). 

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I do think I post too much lol so I'm hoping to only post in certain threads.

Transmundane lane is an idea too... Not sure how it could be moved though. I'll see if people prefer TM forum 

(As for sleep my sleeping schedule gets basically destroyed when I visit home in the summer and I get insomnia. :sad:During the year I'm on a tight schedule. I actually miss it). 

I forgot you guys are having summer! We are cold and wet here, but I am sitting in front of a cozy gas fire and my kitty cat is sleeping on the chair next to me, so all is good! :) 

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MarysLittleFlower

Just wanted to share this poem!

Juan de la Cruz - The Spiritual Canticle

 


(First redaction: CA)

 

 

Songs between the soul and the Bridegroom

Bride


1. Where have you hidden,
Beloved, and left me moaning?
You fled like the stag
after wounding me;
I went out calling you, but you were gone.

2. Shepherds, you who go 
up through the sheepfolds to the hill,
if by chance you see
him I love most,
tell him I am sick, I suffer, and I die.

3. Seeking my love
I will head for the mountains and for watersides;
I will not gather flowers,
nor fear wild beasts;
I will go beyond strong men and frontiers.

4. O woods and thickets
planted by the hand of my Beloved!
O green meadow,
coated, bright, with flowers,
tell me, has he passed by you?

5. Pouring out a thousand graces,
he passed these groves in haste;
and having looked at them,
with his image alone,
clothed them in beauty.

6. Ah, who has the power to heal me?
Now wholly surrender yourself!
Do not send me
any more messengers;
they cannot tell me what I must hear.

7 All who are free
tell me a thousand graceful things of you;
all wound me more
and leave me dying
of, ah, I-don't-know-what behind their stammering.

8. How do you endure 
O life, not living where you live, 
and being brought near death
by the arrows you receive
from that which you conceive of your Beloved?

9. Why, since you wounded 
this heart, don't you heal it?
And why, since you stole it from me,
do you leave it so,
and fail to carry off what you have stolen?

10. Extinguish these miseries,
since no one else can stamp them out;
and may my eyes behold you,
because you are their light,
and I would open them to you alone.1

11. O spring like crystal!
If only, on your silvered-over faces,
you would suddenly form
the eyes I have desired,
that I bear sketched deep within my heart.

12. Withdraw them, Beloved,
I am taking flight!

Bridegroom
 

- Return, dove,
the wounded stag
is in sight on the hill,
cooled by the breeze of your flight.

The Bride
 

13. My Beloved, the mountains,
and lonely wooded valleys,
strange islands,
and resounding rivers,
the whistling of love-stirring breezes,

14. the tranquil night
at the time of the rising dawn,
silent music,
sounding solitude,
the supper that refreshes, and deepens love.

15. Our bed is in flower,
bound round with linking dens of lions,
hung with purple,
built up in peace,
and crowned with a thousand shields of gold.

16. Following your footprints
maidens run along the way;
the touch of a spark,
the spiced wine,
cause flowings in them from the balsam of God.

17. In the inner wine cellar
I drank of my Beloved, and, when I went abroad
through all this valley,
I no longer knew anything,
and lost the herd that I was following.

18. There he gave me his breast;
there he taught me a sweet and living knowledge;
and I gave myself to him,
keeping nothing back;
there I promised to be his bride.

19. Now I occupy my soul
and all my energy in his service;
I no longer tend the herd,
nor have I any other work
now that my every act is love.

20. If, then, I am no longer
seen or found on the common,
you will say that I am lost;
that, stricken by love,
I lost myself, and was found.

21. With flowers and emeralds
chosen on cool mornings
we shall weave garlands
flowering in your love,
and bound with one hair of mine.

22. You considered 
that one hair fluttering at my neck;
you gazed at it upon my neck 
and it captivated you;
and one of my eyes wounded you.

23. When you looked at me
your eyes imprinted your grace in me;
for this you loved me ardently;
and thus my eyes deserved
to adore what they beheld in you.

24. Do not despise me;
for if, before, you found me dark,
now truly you can look at me
since you have looked
and left in me grace and beauty.

25. Catch us the foxes,
for our vineyard is now in flower,
while we fashion a cone of roses
intricate as the pine's;
and let no one appear on the hill.

26. Be still, deadening north wind; 
south wind come, you that waken love,
breathe through my garden,
let its fragrance flow,
and the Beloved will feed amid the flowers.

Bridegroom
 

27. The bride has entered
the sweet garden of her desire,
and she rests in delight,
laying her neck
on the gentle arms of her Beloved.

28. Beneath the apple tree:
there I took you for my own,
there I offered you my hand,
and restored you,
where your mother was corrupted.

29. Swift-winged birds,
lions, stags, and leaping roes,
mountains, lowlands, and river banks,
waters, winds, and ardors,
watching fears of night:

30. By the pleasant lyres
and the siren's song, I conjure you
to cease your anger
and not touch the wall,
that the bride may sleep in deeper peace.

Bride
 

31. You girls of Judea,
while among flowers and roses
the amber spreads its perfume,
stay away, there on the outskirts:
do not so much as seek to touch our thresholds.

32. Hide yourself, my love;
turn your face toward the mountains,
and do not speak;
but look at those companions
going with her through strange islands.

Bridegroom
 

33. The small white dove
has returned to the ark with an olive branch;
and now the turtledove
has found its longed-for mate
by the green river banks.

34. She lived in solitude,
and now in solitude has built her nest;
and in solitude he guides her,
he alone, who also bears
in solitude the wound of love.

Bride
 

35. Let us rejoice, Beloved,
and let us go forth to behold
ourselves in your beauty,
to the mountain and to the hill,
to where the pure water flows,
and further, deep into the thicket.

36. And then we will go on
to the high caverns in the rock
which are so well concealed;
there we shall enter
and taste the fresh juice of the pomegranates.

37. There you will show me 
what my soul has been seeking,
and then you will give me,
you, my life, will give me there
what you gave me on that other day:

38. the breathing of the air,
the song of the sweet nightingale;
the grove and its living beauty
in the serene night,
with a flame that is consuming and painless.

39. No one looked at her,
nor did Aminadab appear;
the siege was still;
and the cavalry,
at the sight of the waters, descended.


Copyright ICS Publications. Permission is hereby granted for any non-commercial use, if this copyright notice is included. Maintained by the Austrian Province of theTeresian Carmel
 
http://promethee.philo.ulg.ac.be/engdep1/download/bible/song of songs/canticle.htm
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orapronobis

That canticle is gorgeous! 

I agree with Nunsense when she says that sometimes our relationship with the Beloved is so beautiful and personal that words completely fail us.

I agree with you that if we can express our love for him then we should and in that way this thread is a VERY good idea (like so many of the things you share with the phorum) but I think that people may be hesitant to discuss their relationship with the Lord. 

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MarysLittleFlower

It doesn't have to be anything personal :) I wouldn't share something like that either. It can just be sharing on what the Saints said or Scripture or anything - not necessarily anyone's experience of His love, which people usually just tell an SD :) the whole idea was that maybe someone new could read and be edified - not necessarily about others experiences but just the topic, like the Spiritual Canticle that is always beautiful to read :) 

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MarysLittleFlower

I'm thinking could we get a Moderator to move this thread to the Transmundane Lane? :) who is the moderator here?

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I'm thinking could we get a Moderator to move this thread to the Transmundane Lane? :) who is the moderator here?

Ash.

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MarysLittleFlower

Here is a blog post i once wrote.. I just wanted to share :) blessed be Jesus for His Mercy!

“After these things was a festival day of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is at Jerusalem a pond, called Probatica. In these lay a great multitude of sick, of blind, of lame, of withered; waiting for the moving of the water. And an angel of the Lord descended at certain times into the pond; and the water was moved. And he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water, was made whole, of whatsoever infirmity he lay under. And there was a certain man there, that had been eight and thirty years under his infirmity. When Jesus had seen him lying, and knew that he had been now a long time, he saith to him: Wilt thou be made whole? The infirm man answered him: Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pond. For whilst I am coming, another goeth down before me. Jesus saith to him: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk. And immediately the man was made whole: and he took up his bed, and walked. And it was the sabbath that day. The Jews therefore said to him that was healed: It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for thee to take up thy bed” (John 5: 1-10, Douay-Rheims).

This Bible passage has been on my heart after trying to deal with some feelings of loneliness in my life. I wanted to explore the message that Jesus was trying to articulate. Once I did I realized that I, too, am the man who cannot walk. I am crippled by my own human weakness, events in the past that continue to affect me, and most of all a seeming impossibility of solving the problem myself. Sometimes we go through things that we don’t know how to explain to another person and experience a type of loneliness in suffering. Thankfully, Jesus does not wait for us to become strong enough by ourselves, and wants us to turn to Him as the source our healing and strength.

Just like this man, sometimes we come to a place where we feel completely alone. It doesn’t even have to be something exterior like an illness. It can be an internal trial that we feel we can’t share with others, and wonder if anyone would really understand. Or it may be a mental illness, like depression, anorexia or bipolar disorder that can be misunderstood by others – this can bring much loneliness and feelings of being judged and uncared for.

One Sunday, as I thought about this Gospel passage at Mass, I realized some things about this man that I didn’t notice before. He was in a place with a lot of other sick people. Yet for such a long time (38 years!) he couldn’t receive the healing that he longed for. He was so close! He was right beside the pond, and all he had to do was go into it, but he couldn’t even do that. Was he tempted to believe that God had forgotten him? That He didn’t care? After all, it was God’s Angel who brought the healing – why to everyone else and not to him? Maybe if there was someone to help him get into the pond, he could be healed. But he didn’t even have that. No one would take pity on him and do the simple act of carrying him into a pond that was so near. Every time he tried, he didn’t have enough time and someone else always got there first. How frustrating and discouraging that must be!

I don’t know for sure what it was like for this man, but he must have felt forgotten, alone and like no one cared enough to help him. It was like he was the smallest, most forgotten person in society. Even in his need, no one took pity. There are many people like this and how does Jesus respond to them? How does He see the poor old woman wearing a curtain for a skirt, that I saw one day in the city? Or the man on the street who feels ignored by everyone as he begs for a few cents? Or people who try really hard but feel cast aside by society, and someone always gets ahead of them? Maybe we are not in such situations but there are times we can feel very helpless too – when we can’t help ourselves, and we wonder if others understand.

As a young girl, I struggled with feelings of loneliness and didn’t tell anyone because I didn’t know how. I struggled with feeling unloved and thought I couldn’t be loved. Sometimes I feel like that little girl in middle school despite being in my late 20s. Little sufferings compared to these others, but even the littleness of them could be discouraging – “no one would understand why this is a big deal to me, but it is, so I’ll stay silent”. How much in us always stays in our heart, unknown to all others? Maybe you can relate.

What is Jesus’ response to all this? Is it the response we fear from the rest of the world? “It is not a big deal. Deal with it”. Or just blind indifference? Does He see the depth of the heart that we can’t communicate to others, – the part of the heart that no one will ever know? It’s so comforting to read this passage because we see that He does care. He understood everything about this man. He saw him as a priceless person whom He created and gave an immortal soul to. He saw the hope He has for this man – a life of eternal glory and the beatific vision of God in Heaven. He saw his childhood and his whole life, all his experience of life that remained unknown to others. He saw his sins. He saw his anguish at being near this pond for thirty eight years, not being able to enter there on time and having no one to help him.

And He came to the man Himself. He didn’t just ask another person to help him and carry him to the pond. He didn’t see all the other people first. He came to the MOST helpless man there, almost like He sought him out, and came to that place just for him! Though this man was forgotten by everyone else, He was the one Jesus chose. Our Lord healed him simply by willing it – “Arise, take up thy bed, and walk”. If you feel like you are alone, dealing with a situation that you can’t easily talk about or express and if you feel like you don’t have a friend to help you or if you feel overcome with unworthiness and too sinful to approach God, remember that there is never such fear with Jesus. He looks deep into our hearts and understands everything in an instant. He hears our prayers when we don’t have words to express what we need. And even for the most miserable person in the whole world – Jesus would seek them out.

 

 

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MarysLittleFlower

Once Jesus heals us interiorly, we can consider His suffering. How can we console Jesus? Another reflection about this.. If we could see Jesus, what would we do?

+JMJ

A Reflection on the Holy Face of Jesus

“Look at My face, Josefa, it is sin that has thus disfigured it. The world precipitates itself into pleasures of all kinds; such a multitude of sins are committed that My soul is drowned in bitterness and grief… Where shall I find relief for My sorrow? I come here seeking shelter and love in order to forget for awhile the ingratitude of men.” (Way of Divine Love).

Looking upon Our Lord must be an unimaginable joy of the saints in Heaven. Once we look upon God…how could we want to look away, and not love Him? Forever, for all eternity… everything: His Holy Face, His eyes, Sacred Heart, the wounds that He bore for us with infinite love – all inflame our hearts to love Him more and more, the longer we spend gazing upon Him. Here on earth, people find joy in looking at those they love, and we hear of a person memorizing the face of their beloved. How beautiful to memorize His Face, to memorize every detail. After a thousand years, it would not be enough, every moment would be like the first time, that first moment and joy of knowing that we are His, forever and ever, resting in His embrace.

But to see Him looking back at us? God, our Creator, looks at us… with infinite compassion, love, and mercy in His eyes. Who are we, that we can look into His Face, His eyes. And if we can behold not a Judge, but a Merciful Savior, who says “your sins are forgiven, go in peace”. How can we hope, that He would smile at us… we cannot deserve this. It is only His Mercy, His love… such amazing love. We do not comprehend. What can we do in return? Nothing would be enough… not any of our good works, not any suffering, can be enough, it is only in Mercy that God accepts them. We can spend eternity lovingly thanking Him, kissing His holy wounds, thinking of the pain He endured to redeem us. He could have suffered much less and still saved us… He gave everything, everything He had, He suffered like no one has ever suffered, before or since. His love is such that even for one person, He would do this… His love is such that He would be ready to go through torments thousands of times. He died and rose again and now lives forever and ever. His love is infinite.

How can it be, that God not only accepts our love but delights in it? What is our love? It is only what we have received from Him… and our cooperation, is often so weak, so lukewarm. He gives us the power to love, and we love so feebly, so little, and still we find this is like a treasure to Him, which He delights to look at, which brings joy to His Heart. It is His love that makes it so… our love is less than an atom compared to an ocean. His Heart is an abyss of love. He takes us into His Heart and unites us with Him, and our poor little hearts are consumed in His love.

Do we let Him?

Behold Jesus as He suffers… how much we want to see Him happy, joyfully speaking to His disciples, His friends… but He is all alone. Longingly, He looks at the people gathered around Him… would any comfort Him? He healed them of illnesses, cast out demons from them, with God’s power He helped them all… earnestly, He prayed to the Father for His disciples, for all who would follow Him. But He sees so many cold looks in return. There’s a hatred in their eyes, and for what? Gladly, He would give His life for them… they strike Him, and spit in His Face. One who was among those counted as His own – comes up to Him and kisses Him… but it is not a kiss of love, but of betrayal. Is there not one who would comfort Him? He prayed in the Garden and His sweat became drops of Blood. He saw the many souls throughout the ages, rejecting Him, persisting in sin, rejecting the gift that He is about to make for them, the gift of His own life… going into the darkness, ignoring His hand stretched out to rescue them, ignoring His pleas to turn their hearts towards His, even for an instant (9). Even if they show a little willingness, He could give them grace and do what they cannot (2)… but they refuse repentance, turn away and fall down into the dark abyss forever. Each soul, unique and unrepeatable, a soul made in the image and likeness of God, that can give God something no other soul can – is now forever set against Him, unable to love.

Our Lord’s love is met only with scorn, laughter… they pierce His Head and mock Him. The King of all and Creator of the universe, through whom all things were made, who is one with the Father in eternity – is crowned in mockery with thorns, a purple robe put around His shoulders… and so many souls throughout time join, mocking His kingship, ignoring His laws, preferring to make ones of their own over already set by the Father. So many not believing Him, denying God’s existence, blaspheming…

Shortly before, He is scourged. His pure and divine Body is cut, over and over, till His Blood covers the ground. They laugh and mock as they scourge Him. Why do they not have compassion? Their faces are only full of fury and hatred for Him. They strike over and over, His back, chest, shoulders… His flesh is torn off and you can see the bones and still they do not stop. He offers this suffering to the Father… and once again so many souls though out time, join to scourge Him as they commit sins of impurity, and prefer ‘a moment of enjoyment to His love’ (1).

“What struck me most was the expression of His tortured eyes – those eyes usually so beautiful and so expressive… to-day they were closed, swollen and filled with blood, especially the right eye” (Sr Josefa Menendez, Way of Divine Love – describing her vision).

Jesus falls and the only response from others is to hit Him harshly, and yell at Him to get up. His Blood is flowing from His many wounds… and as He carries His Cross, He falls again and again. He is trying to find the strength to raise Himself up, though it means more suffering, but He is ready to give it all… and the Creator of everything is on the ground, His wounds made more painful by repeated blows. (7)

He struggles to stand up again, and as He once again carries the weight of the Cross – and the weight of our sins – it wounds His shoulder and causes unknown anguish… how often do we think of this wound?

The Roman soldier bends down beside Jesus. Jesus looks at him… this is a man that He created. One day he was born, and lived as a child. Jesus sees everything about this man. If only he would turn, would meet His eyes, and understand the love shown there… but neither does he respond to Love, and – holding the nail to His hand, raises the hammer… a pain like thunderbolts goes through His Body. The other arm… then the feet… Jesus raises His eyes to the Father. Abba!

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!”

The soldiers cast lots for His garments.

Jesus looks into the eyes of His Mother, standing near the Cross… He beholds her suffering, as she sees her Son’s Body so torn, as to shreds, as she sees Him nailed to a cross before her, His Precious Blood flowing down… the Sorrowful Mother, and she weeps and her grief is as none can describe. How dear she is to Him. Mother and Son both suffering, her heart and her pain joined to His.

Incredible thirst overtakes Jesus. Not just thirst for water… but thirst for compassion, and for souls. How many would come to Him? How many would be willing to become one with Him, as He is one with the Father?

A darkness covers the whole earth… and Jesus looks to the Father but His Face cannot be found. “Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachtani”?

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MarysLittleFlower

How can we console Jesus today?

Cars and people pass by a church. People are running errands, shopping, meeting friends… everyone is so busy. How many know that Jesus waits for them? How many know that He is not only spiritually, but physically, substantially, present in the Blessed Sacrament? There, in the Church, within the Tabernacle… He is alone. Would any visit Him, even greet Him from outside? If only they would… He longs to meet this soul that just walked past. Or this other soul who just drove past quickly thinking of other things. How many thoughts are worthless, not about eternal things, but of the world, entertainment, fashions, temporary enjoyment… If only they would come in, and pour out to Him all their troubles and worries and heartache and weariness. He longs to give them grace… to have them recognize His love, – and this is like a thirst, which nothing else can quench.

He longs immeasurably for them to finally receive His love, and His Mercy burns Him because He is forced to keep it within His Heart, and souls would not accept it (2). Blindly, they continue on the road that leads to the dark abyss… blind and not hearing His calling. Some, aided by the prayers of the Blessed Mother, the Saints, and other Christians, turn towards Him, and are enfolded in His Mercy… but so many are lost, and fall one after another into hell (4).

He calls to souls: “Dearly loved son, I am Jesus, which name signifies Saviour! why else are My hands transfixed with nails which fasten them to a cross? On it, for love of you, I died. My feet are wounded, My Heart wide open, riven by the lance after death… Thus do I stand before you that you may know who I am and what My love is. But do not fear – My law is one of love… and in knowing Me you will find peace and joy. It is sad to live as an orphan: come, My sons, come to Your Father”. (Jesus’ words in “Way of Divine Love”, written down by Sr Josefa Menendez).

If someone walks into the church… do they think of Jesus? Do they recognize Him, waiting for them on the Altar? Jesus spoke to Sr Josefa Menendez of waiting for a chosen soul: “Still, I wait all night and watch in the tabernacle for that soul… fervently hoping that she will come and receive Me… that she will converse with Me with all the trust of a bride (…) Yet when she receives Me in Holy Communion she barely says a word to me (…) she is indifferent, bored… wishes it were time to go… Is it thus that you receive Me, O soul whom I have chosen and for whom I have watched with the impatience of love throughout the livelong night? Yes, I earned for her coming that I might rest in her share her anxieties.. I had prepared fresh graces for her, but she does not want them…” (Way of Divine Love).

Though these words were spoken about His brides, the religious, it shows the strength of His love and longing. All night, He waited for the soul, knowing she would come… looking at all her troubles, wishing to consume them all in His love, and to bring grace, peace, and perfect joy… all night He thought of this, and waited for her arrival (1).

When souls come to visit Him… would they say a word to Him? Would they come close and say “I love You Jesus..”. How much He earns to share this love with them, to hear these words from them. To hold them in His arms and bring them to the Father. How much it would hurt Him, if after such love, they would receive Him out of habit… or worse, in a state of mortal sin… or would come only to admire the architecture of the church and not think of Him at all… but still He is patient, longing, welcoming them, loving and waiting for them… So many Angels worship and prostrate themselves before the Holy Eucharist, giving their love and adoration to their Creator, yet He is there for us.. and so often, forgotten, and abandoned. Such humility on the part of God… that He would hide His own glory, the glory for which all things were made, and stay hidden under the appearance of a little Host.. and in this Host, His Heart is beating just as it does in Heaven. (3).

Then it is night… most cannot come and visit. It is dark in the church. Jesus has no one to comfort Him. It moves His Heart with love if someone remembers Him at home, and spends some time in prayer, wishing that they could visit and console Him in the Blessed Sacrament. He delights in their love if they seek to offer reparation for so many sins done throughout the night.

IF WE COULD SEE JESUS….

Then we would not want to ever look away. Can we come to Him in His suffering? We have come to adore His beautiful eyes, so kind and welcoming, but now filled with tears. We kiss His Face… but it is unrecognizable, covered in Blood and dirt… Judas gave a kiss of betrayal and others scorned Him, hit His Face, even spit at Him… when we lean to kiss Him, not as Judas did, but with love, do we feel the thorns? When we lean to embrace Him as Our Savior, do we feel the scourging, and when we are close to Jesus, do we feel the spear that pierced His Heart…(5). When Jesus is ignored and mocked, do we listen lovingly to His words, do we come close and listen to every beat of His Heart? Do our hearts beat for Him? Can we with humility lie down beside Him as He is on the ground when He fell, unable to get up; do we help to carry His Cross like Simon of Cyrene, or show Him compassion as St Veronica did when she wiped His Face with her veil. How can we shield His Face from those who want to hurt Him further, blaspheme, commit terrible sacriliges… (6,7)

We are nothing, and He is everything. How incredible it is that something that we, mere creatures, can do – could actually console Jesus, or bring Him joy… Jesus said that when we say the Golden Arrow prayer, we “wound His Heart delightfully” in reparation for blasphemy (11). Our Lord also said to St Gertrude that turning to Him with strong confidence, amidst temptations, moves Him to help this soul. Actually, Jesus used incredibly strong words to describe this, which are so moving and beautiful: “Anyone suffering from human temptations, who flees to My protection with firm confidence, belongs to those of whom I can say: ‘One is My dove, My chosen one out of thousands, who has pierced My Heart with one glance of her eyes.’ And this confidence wounds My Heart so deeply that were I unable to relieve such a soul, it would cause My Heart a sadness which all the joys of heaven could not assuage . . . The confidence that I truly have the power, the wisdom and the goodness to aid a soul faithfully in all her miseries, is the arrow which pierces My Heart, and does such violence to My love that I can never abandon her.” (8). He also said of St Gertrude, that He takes pleasure in gazing at her because she desires the perfection of every virtue, in her heart (8). How incredible is this!

If we could see Jesus, we would look at Him with so much love, but when we look at the Host, Jesus is looking at us. So amazing – Jesus is looking at us! If we could see Jesus looking at us, such love would pierce our hearts, and we could never forget Him. What joy it is to kneel before Him in the Blessed Sacrament, at Holy Mass or Adoration, and look at smile at Him, – knowing that He sees this and it somehow, despite our unworthiness, delights His Heart.

Jesus told Sr Josefa Menendez: “I love souls and I look for a response of love. What is so wounding to My Heart is that often instead of love I meet with indifference. Give Me love and give Me souls… unite all your actions to My Heart. Stay with Me who am with you. I am Love and desire only love. O! if souls only realized how I wait for them in mercy. I am the love of all loves, and it is My joy to forgive”. (Way of Divine Love).

Sources

1. Way of Divine Love by Sr Josefa Menendez
2. Divine Mercy in My Soul by St Faustina
3. He and I by Gabrielle Bossis
4. Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima
5. St Gemma Galgani:http://www.therealpresence.org/eucharst/tes/a7.htmlhttp://www.lovecrucified.com/saints/gemma/gemma_crucifix.html
6.http://godisatworkinyou.blogspot.ca/2013/03/kissing-sacred-face-of-jesus-profoundly.html
7.http://godisatworkinyou.blogspot.ca/2013/06/a-prayer-during-holy-communion-while_8.html
8.http://www.tanbooks.com/doct/gertrude_great.htm
9. Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, by Bl. Anne Catherine Emmerich
10. “I thirst for you”, by Bl. Mother Teresa,http://www.osv.com/OSV4MeNav/BlessedMotherTeresa/SecretFireGuidedMeditation/tabid/6864/Default.aspx
11. GOLDEN ARROW PRAYER:http://www.catholicplanet.com/catholic/arrow.htm

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@MarysLittleFlower I just read this and thought you might like it.

When going to the Holy Mysteries, go with simplicity of heart, in full faith that you will receive the Lord within yourself, and with the proper reverence towards this. What your state of mind should be after this, leave it to the Lord Himself. Many desire ahead of time to receive this or that from Holy Communion, and then, not seeing what they wanted, they are troubled, and even their faith in the power of the Mystery is shaken. The fault lies not with the Mystery, but with superficial assumptions. Do not promise yourself anything. Leave everything to the Lord, asking a single mercy from Him -- to strengthen you in every kind of good so that you will be acceptable to Him. The fruit of Communion most often has a taste of sweet peace in the heart; sometimes it brings enlightenment to thought and inspiration to one's devotion to the Lord; sometimes almost nothing is apparent, but afterward in one's affairs there is a noted a great strength and steadfastness in the diligence one has promised.

- St. Theophan the Recluse, The Spiritual Life: And How to Be Attuned to It

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