~ January 8, 2021 ~
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood,
Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son,
Our Lord, Jesus Christ,
in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
Heavenly Father,
we entrust the United States of America to your care.
You are the solid rock on which this nation was founded.
You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness.
Reclaim this land for your glory and dwell among your people.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
Jesus, I Trust in You!
Amen.
“A Retreat for Little Souls”
~ St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716) ~
Except from the Book of Fr Michael Gaitley:
“Consoling the Heart of Jesus”
Like Lanteri, de Monfort had a burning desire to become a saint. Also like Lanteri, he saw himself as a weak soul who needed to find an extraordinary powerful way to sanctity. He believed he found such a way in a new form of Marian spirituality he famously describes in his classic work, True Devotion to Mary. De Monfort predicted a couple of interesting things about his book. First, he said that after his death, angry demons would come to hide the unpublished manuscript so no one could ever read it – and, in fact, the manuscript was lost for over a century after his death. He went on to say that it would eventually be discovered and published and that its Marian spirituality would help form some of the greatest saints in the history of the Church.
De Montfort’s prediction wasn’t just about a few people… We are supposed to be those saints, that we are the ones meant to full the ranks of that army, and that we truly can be those saints. When I put it like this, it probably sounds ridiculous, especially when our weakness and littleness come to mind.
What’s our weakness and littleness? …Does the idea that you can become a great saint seem more like a joke than a real possibility… [Do you think of yourself} as being too selfish, sinful, prideful, lazy, busy, greedy, rich, poor, mean, jaded, cold, indifferent, fun loving, lustful, gossipy, angry, uninterested, bored, confused, distracted, envious, smart, stupid, sophisticated, stylish, unfaithful, uncaring, wounded, brokenhearted, rebellious, rational, addicted, worldly, wimpy, normal, scared, aggressive, superficial, modern, old fashioned, good looking, ugly, plain, twisted, loud, quiet, famous, unknown, violent, vindictive, passive, depressed, crazy, imbalanced, inconsistent, insincere, young, or old to be a saint? If so, if you think you’re too something to be a saint (let alone one of the great saints de Monfort mentioned), then, like me, you’re probably a “little soul”. If this sounds depressing, don’t worry. It’s not. In fact it’s good news.
Personal Response: Daily Journal
What’ aspect of the Divine Mercy message is the most attractive to you and why? In your opinion, which aspect seems to be the most challenging to modern Catholics?
Private comments, reflections, and thoughts are welcomed. Click here.