"All souls cannot be alike.
They must differ so that each divine perfection
may receive special honor.
To me He has manifested His infinite mercy,
and in this resplendent mirror
I contemplate his other attributes.
There each appears radiant with love."
They must differ so that each divine perfection
may receive special honor.
To me He has manifested His infinite mercy,
and in this resplendent mirror
I contemplate his other attributes.
There each appears radiant with love."
+St. Therese of Lisieux, The Story of a Soul
During this Jubilee Year, should we be surprised to realize that infinite mercy is the key to St. Therese's "Little Way" of spiritual childhood?
Following a special moment of grace at Mass, this most beloved saint of the past century penned an "Act of Oblation to Merciful Love." Her joyful self-offering to the Lord, the showering of roses upon those who ask her intercession, and her promise to "spend her heaven doing good on earth"--indeed, all of her teachings as the youngest Doctor of the Church--center on becoming a conduit of God's merciful love.
If we want to allow this divine perfection to continue transforming our souls, and thereby our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and world, we need to look for ways to enter more deeply into the mystery. Thanks to the Marians of the Immaculate Conception (the "Divine Mercy" priests), there is a new "do-it-yourself retreat" rooted in St. Therese's profound insights about God's mercy. Its goal is to prepare participants for consecration to Divine Mercy on the second Sunday of Easter, and here are the details:
- Through March 1st, 33 Days to Merciful Love can be ordered for the cost of a good-will donation, plus $5.25 for shipping (800-462-7426).
- From March 1st through April 3rd, the the text will walk us through Lent to Divine Mercy Sunday, a pinnacle of the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
After all, as the Lord reminded St. Faustina, the time of mercy is now. Matthew 25 pointedly reminds all Christians that the time of justice will follow: We will all be judged on whether we have shown much merciful love to the hungry, the stranger, the naked, the sick, and the imprisoned.
St. Therese had utter confidence in being prepared for her day of judgment, not because of her merits, but because she was able to cry out, "Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to Love You and make you Loved, to work for the glory of Holy Church by saving souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory"!
May St. Therese, St. Faustina, and all Martyrs of Divine Mercy intercede on our behalf--
DDS
