Indeed, the Offering to Merciful Love is not to offer oneself to divine Justice and its harsh punishments. Washington, DC 20002 U.S.A. wTvw.icspublications.org From General Correspondence Volume Two translated by John Clarke, O.C.D. Using the same 33-day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Therese of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. In times of darkness, when youre tempted to think theres no way you can become a saint remember that smile. Therese so strongly' wanted to make this point about Gods great mercy that, even after shed lost the strength to write, she basically pleaded with Mother Agnes to conclude the thought for her. Here is a king whose reign will last forever! Finally, I offer You, O Blessed Trinity! It provides us the opportunity, in the veiled form of Sacrament, to love God as he loves us, to actually love him perfectly. Of course, while its been passed on to us by the Pope, its also a gift that comes from on High, a gift that comes from God himself. Using the same 33-day preparation format 33 Days to Merciful Love. 31 4:18) and considered that God was able to raise up Isaac even from the dead. 82 St. Therese of Lisieux: By Those Who Knew Her ed. Trust in God, who is Love and Mercy itself. Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more (Rom 5:20). Abrahams whole walk with God was a walk of faith. Its a longing that prepares us for the martyrdom of love. The martyrdom of love is rhe sweet martyrdom through which little souls can hope that God will come for us at the very 122 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE end of our lives and manifest his love for us in such a way that it will cause us to die of love. Handmade at the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy with top-quality wood, canvas, and inks. This blood and water (which is his mercy) and this wonderful air (which is also his mercy) fill your soul. He doesnt need us. Were all sinners! In fact, w'e may even be congratulating ourselves: Oh, thank goodness Im not like those spiritually blind people. And because Therese believed she was the littlest soul, she, therefore, believed she could become one of the greatest of saints. Well, we have done something wrong and again, not just one thing, but lots of things. And we know she was blessed. And this is the very definition of mercy, which the parable of the Good Samaritan seems to reveal most clearly: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Let me explain. And because she was so little and trusted completely in Divine Mercy, she believed that Gods mercy would surely rush to the lowest place her little soul! Using the same 33-day preparation format, 33 Days to Merciful Love journeys with one of the most beloved saints of modern times, St. Thrse of Lisieux, and concludes with a consecration to Divine Mercy. Because she knew it was her littleness that at tracted Gods Merciful Love. Now, while its beautiful to have a compassionate heart, it does hurt. 63 Ibid., p. 113. And why not be joyful? However, I can suggest a way of renewing it with every breath. . 52 Ibid., p. 105. "download pdf 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Divine Mercy Consecration by Michael E. Gaitley on Kindle Full Edition. 48 Ibid., p. 27. Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of Gods law; it turns man away from God, who is his ultimate end and his beatitude, by preferring an inferior good to him. 2, p. 999. (428 pages.) Remain in me as in a tabernacle All our justice is stained in Your eyes. (We covered it in the reading for Day 9.) 197 Ibid., 1120. Why? I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am too small to 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 52 climb the rough stairway of perfection. 1 think its really important, Mike. Help us to accept your Sons mercy with your own openness of heart at the Annunciation. To die of love is a beautiful thing. And as Aristode righdy pointed out long ago, true friendship requires a kind of equality and mutuality it cant be one-sided.206 So, let me ask you: Have you ever had a friendship where you shared with your friend but he or she never shared with you? The first one is this: Does WEEK THREE: The Offering to Merciful Love 73 not Your Merciful Love need [victims] too? The implied answer is yes. So, whats a spiritual communion? Third, for the purpose of consoling Jesus. But when Marys Immaculate Heart was pierced, it became an instrument ofgrace that opens hearts to receive Gods mercy (see Lk 2:35). Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! Seraphim, it means praise and thanksgiving. It means to praise and thank God in all things. In fact, it becomes an act of perfect love, because perfect love, like perfect contrition, is concerned with the Lords Heart. And its not pride to hope for it.73 Rather, its humility. So, youll want to go over the daily reading each morning or the night before. The awareness of this plunges me into deep recollection, without the slightest effort on my part. So, not wanting to gather merits with downward facing, grasping hands, Therese wants to appear before the Lord with upward facing, poor, and empty' hands that are ready to receive Gods gift of himself. 115 Day 30: The Little Way. 117 Day 31: The Offering 120 Day 32: The Darkness 122 Day 33: Putting It All Together . 125 DAY OF CONSECRATION: The Happy Day .131 AFTER CONSECRATION: The Lens of Mercy . Pere de la Trinite, OCD, at www.fransciscan-sfb.org/ap/litftvrpu.htm (accessed January 10, 2012). 188 Story ofa Sottl, p. 180. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. God then directed his gaze to the multitude of stars in the sky and promised him, So shall your descendants be (Gen 15:5). And this easily can save the world. And so even now, in a wondrous yet true manner, we can and ought to console that Most Sacred Heart which is continually wounded by the sins of thankless men, since as we also read in the sacred liturgy Christ Himself, by die mouth of die Psalmist complains that He is forsaken by His friends: My Heart hath expected reproach and misery, and I looked for one that would grieve together with me, but there was none: and for one that would comfort me, and I found none (Ps 68:21) (13, emphasis added). And we believe her. Emphasis added. And how do we console him best? So, what about you? 141 APPENDIX ONE: Living the Offering. 153 APPENDIX TWO: Family Offering and Divine Mercy Image Enthronement 169 Endnotes 177 Resource Pages .. 203 In Gratitude First off, Id like to thank Fr. But a mother, who 42 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE is not God, can often win over such straying hearts. But perhaps we moved on too quickly from the worlds darkness to the light of mercy. If you have not yet made a Marian consecration, you may still include this clause. Specifically, would you pray the following prayer of St. Therese for us? Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. In the following two paragraphs, she explains why and, in the process, reveals the secret of her happiness: [The retreat] was far from bringing me any consolations since the most absolute aridity' and almost total abandonment were my lot. Why? Sin, especially if repeated, can lead to corruption, not quantitatively in the sense that a certain number of sins makes a person corrupt but rather qualitatively: habits are formed that limit ones capacity for love 192 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE and create a false sense of self-sufficiency. I also said, thanks to Fr. As I already mentioned, this retreat lasts for 33 days, but the idea is not to begin on just any day. In fact, its a beautiful longing of love, a longing that purifies us at every moment and deepens our life of prayer. But thats actually where things start to get interesting. (More on that tomorrow.) As you pause here in the ecce moment with empty lungs, the soldiers lance thrusts through Jesus side and into his Heart, causing blood and water to flow out and down like a waterfall, down into your heart and soul. Libraries. The titles of die retreat conferences were Hell, Judgement, Mortal Sin, The Necessity of Making a Good Confession, and Sacrilegious Communion {The Context of Holiness, p. 104). The word magnanimity comes from the Latin words magnus, meaning great, and animus, meaning soul. So, its a kind of great-souled-ness that moves a person to aim high in the spiritual life. So, with that in mind, 1 knew exactly what he was getting at regarding the Offering to Merciful Love. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. And thats a big deal. What should I fear then?188 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE 146 Again, Therese chose to see everything through the lens of mercy. Alright, so heres a most important question: Do you want to help save the world? Okay, so heres die secret: Therese realized that she could not compete with God. God put Abraham to the test. Of course, we know that at the Annunciation she believed Gods Word, hoping against hope that she w'ould become the mother of the Son of God through a virginal conception. The word magnificat comes from Marys exclamation in Latin, Magnificat anima mea Dominant, My soul magnifies the Lord. This is Marys song of praise when she went to her cousin Elizabeth after giving her fiat to the Lord (see Lk 1:46-55). Abrahams temptation clearly would have been to think that God is a liar, that he doesnt keep his promises. 110 Cited in ibid. 37 Conrad De Meester, OCD, With Empty Hands: The Message ofSt. That's the way to save the world through the power of Gods Merciful Love.160 WEEK FOUR: Into the Darkness 107 You know, it really is true. 81-83 to learn more about how she lived a spirituality of consoling Jesus.) To help heal our trust issues with God, on the initial day of this retreat, lets turn our attention to one of the great aposdes of mercy for our time, a kindred soul to St. Therese: St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. For example, when Thereses sister Celine said to the future saint, What I envy about you are your good works, Therese responded by quoting Johannes Tauler: If I love the good that is in my neighbour as much as he loves it himself', diat good is as much mine as it is his. Through this communion 1 can enrich myself with all the good that there is in heaven and on earth, in the angels, in the saints and in all those who love God (cited in the Study Edition of Story of a Soul, prepared by Marc Foley, OCD [Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2005], p. 107). More specifically, were going to reflect on the root of the worlds darkness and how it affected St. Therese. Specifically, her prayer of offering herself to Merciful Love caused Gods mercy to overflow from her little soul and out to the whole world. She was perhaps like some of us who see sins in the Church and die world, get angry, and want fire and brimstone to come down. Actually, according to Therese, God doesnt just want us to bypass purgatory; he wants us to stop talking about it as if it were nearly impossible to avoid. that the more Ton want togive, the more You make us desire. So, the difficulty is to reverse this tendency in ourselves and to trust. that the more You want togive, the more You make us desire. That is literally the deepest holiness! He was clothed in a dazzling robe, lais face gloriously bright, a cloud beneath his feet. JI jf'ARrs Three Words. For examples of how Jesus taught St. Faustina about the Offering to Merciful Love Faustina-style (which is virtually identical to the Offering Therese-style), see pages 73-74 of this book. I say that because the word distrust reminds us that we have a trust problem. 35 grasping that mystery in the midst of which they daily lived (see Lk 2:48-50). 33 Days to Merciful Love: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Consecration to Divine Mercy. Well, an exasperated St. Therese said to Sr. Febronie (and, perhaps, to us, too): My sister, ifyou look for the justice of God you will get it." And from her pierced Heart, we obtain the grace to have hearts that open up to receive the love and mercy pouring forth from the Sacred Heart of Jesus (see Lk 2:35). Its these kinds of ordinary sinners who often have to fight the temptation to doubt Gods tender love for diem and these are the fortunate ones! We saw how that love humbles us, making us realize that we cant compete, that we cant love God as he loves us, that we cant be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Yet hardly anyone has ever even heard of her Offering to Merciful Love! With or without Mass, after you recite your prayer of conse cration, I suggest that you sign it, date it, and keep it in a safe place. The Paschal mystery of Christ, by contrast, cannot remain only in the past, because by his death he destroyed death, and all that Christ is Endnotes 201 all that he did and suffered for all men participates in the divine eternity, and so transcends all times while being made present in them all. Of course, he told her a lie: [The serpent] said to the woman, Did God say, You shall not eat of any tree of die garden? And the woman said to the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; but God said, You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of die garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die. But the serpent said to the woman, Tou will not die. Yes, Faustina lived this way as well, and Id like to now conclude this section with a passage from her Diary that summarizes this attitude of perfect love: I know that I am under Your special gaze, O Lord. The heart-healing graces of die Offering to Merciful Love dont usually come all at once. Mk 3:21 -35) that day by day there was fulfilled in her the blessing uttered by Elizabeth at the Visitation: Blessed is she who believed.20 Alright, but what was it that Mary believed specifically as she lived under the same roof with Jesus and during his public life? I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly. In other words, people have already said through their words or actions that they dont want them. Dont worry. Includes more than 200 pages of bonus material. However, the idea of consoling Jesus (the Head of his body)194 sometimes causes difficulties for people. 12 Pope John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Redemptoris Mater [Mother of the Redeemer), March 25,1987, 12. After all, shes the greatest example of faith, its perfect embodiment,10 and its purest realization.11 And while Jesus, as true God, is the ob ject of our faith (the one we believe in), Mary is the supreme model of faith (the one who best shows us what it means to believe in God). Blessed is she who believed in the impossible. Were saying, Behold, Lord, here I am without your mercy, Ill collapse and die. Of course, when we present ourselves to the Lord like that, he rushes to us with his mercy, and we take a deep breath in. Therefore, Jesus, we the Family, offer ourselves to your Merciful Love and ask for the grace and mercy 172 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE that other families refuse. I don't know, but what I am certain about is that God's mercy will accompany her always.131 We now know how Therese's story came to an end. Published by Marian Press. Heres what he said: [L]isten to the voice of the Spirit that speaks to the whole Church in this our time, which is, in fact, the time of mercy. She hoped against hope, believing that, as the angel said, with God nothing will be impossible. Todays Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. The stirring sequel to Father Michael Gaitley's 33 Days to Morning Glory -- published just in time for the Jubilee Year of Mercy! Its the face of Christ in his Pas sion. And while the Mass truly does make present the sublime worship of heaven, our eyes remain blind to the myriad of angels praising the Lord, the countless throng of saints gathered around the altar, and die overwhelming glory of Our Savior giving himself over to our loving and merciful Father. Obscured text at back cover due to sticker. Amen. That moment is supercharged because, at the Mass, Jesus is giving himself Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity into our hands: literally, in the hands of the priest, and spiritually, in the hands of all the lay faithful who unite their own sacrifices to the offering of the priest at the altar. Inspired by Saints Therese and Faustina, its to borrow the infinite merits of Christ on the Cross and to offer them as a perfect sacrifice of mercy for the whole world. To combat this, we may take even more selfies or rush off to accomplish even greater tilings to make a name for ourselves, to be some body. But the ache comes back because we can never do enough to satisfy our craving for greatness and love, and our precious accomplishments and digital images fade away like so much dust and vanity (Eccl 1:2).152 Now, make no mistake: We are called to be great, very great beyond-our-wildest-imaginings great. 42 Story of a Soul, p. 98. Yes, it is as bad as that. 161 Story ofa Soul, p. 214. In other words, its to see the Eucharist (even spiritually received) as a channel through which Jesus can pour out on us the superabundance of his rejected mercy. But St. Therese of Lisicux, Doctor of the Church, has brought such devotional prayer to new and amazing heights. No. Its a way thats very straight because its entirely ver tical, very short because it avoids die spirals of the staircase,55 and totally new or at least it feels that way because it redis covers the heart of the Gospel, namely, Gods mercy for the litde and die lowly. Now what? Before we go further into diose three moments of breathing, let me say something about three words from Scripture. His goodness. 143-144). WEEK ONE: What Is Trust? 129 Story of a Soul, pp. Therese ofLisieux, trans. Its because weakness and wretchedness are precisely what attracts his Merciful Love. Susan Conroy (New York: Alba House, 1998), p. 12. Now, what if, as a special gift for the time of mercy, God wanted to make it easier than ever before to become a saint? Therese does, however, recognize that the practice of familiarity with Jesus isnt easy, acknowledging that we dont get to this in a single day (cited in Ahern, p. 167). Michael Gaitley, MIC, this 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat Companion goes even deeper than the book alone and explores new material on the heart of St. Thrse of Lisieux's Little Way, uncovering the power of trust in the face of personal darkness, inspiring participants to become great saints amid ordinary circumstances, and laying the . Thus, Mary is the New Eve who brings us to the New Adam on the new tree of life, the Cross, and encourages us not to eat forbidden fruit of disobedience and distrust but to drink from the blessed fountain of eternal life, the Fountain of Grace and Mercy. ISBN-13. Next week, were going to start learning about St. Therese and her spiritual doctrine, which builds on this weeks scriptural foundation. This offering seemed great and very generous to me, but I was far from feeling attracted to making it.w After reading these lines, one can almost hear the sighs of relief from all little souls. Most of all I imitate the conduct of Magdalene; her astonishing or rather her loving audacity which charms the Heart of Jesus also attracts my own. There are lots -ZX of reasons why people invite others into their homes. But I dont understand why. Well, read the following account of her death from Mother Agnes, and realize that St. Therese didnt die of tuberculosis. It is we who tire of asking his forgiveness.66 Of course, we need to be sorry for our sins and make a firm purpose of amendment. Michael Gaitley, MIC, this 33 Days to Merciful Love Retreat Companion goes even deeper than the book alone and explores new material on the heart of St. Thrse of Lisieuxs Little Way, uncovering the power of trust in the face of personal darkness, inspiring participants to become great saints amid ordinary circumstances, and laying the foundation for a personal consecration to Divine Mercy. I suggest the following formula for making a Family Offering to Merciful Love, which begins with Jesus words to St. Faustina, who, like St. Therese, lived this spirituality to the full: LEADER: Jesus, you said to St. Faustina: The flames of mercy are burning me. In fact, its perfect if H APPENDIX TWO: Family Offering & Image Enthronement 171 youre not perfect! Think of it! And the angel said to her, Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. "207 He goes on to call dris reality a fragment of lifes deep logic.208 But if Jesus doesnt need us, then how can there be a true and loving friendship between him and us? Finally, Therese ended the discussion by rather boldly stating, My sister, if you look for the justice of God you will get it. It is then that He particularly deserves mercy from the people to whom He has done good, and He does not receive it . The event of the Cross and Resur rection abides and draws everything toward life. This blind hope in your mercy, O Lord, is my only treasure. DAY 8 None More Lowly 1 just said that perhaps no one among sinful humanity is more lowly and little than Therese of Lisieux. All rights reserved. It destroys all the arguments of the thieves of hope and set me full sail upon the waves of confidence and love.80 But before I share it, I should first give a bit of background. why cant I tell all little souls how unspeakable is Your condescension? He commanded him to sacrifice his dearly beloved son, Isaac. Does this fact mean were unacceptable to the Lord? DAY 21 The Offering (Part Two) Yesterday, we covered the first four paragraphs of the text of the Offering to Merciful Love. Washington, DC 20002 U.S.A. wwTv.icspublications.org From With Empty Hands by Conrad de Meestcr, O.C.D. 44 Story of a Soul, p. 83. In other words, Febronie was perhaps like die sons of thunder in die Gospel, who wanted punishment and strict justice for sinners (see Lk 9:54). Thats why even today, after all he has done for us, people still avoid Jesus. 120 33 DAYS TO MERCIFUL LOVE DAY 31 The Offering Three words summarize what we learned about the Offering to Mercifiil Love: (1) Console, (2) The Catch, and (3) Purgatory. By means of this Image, I shall be granting many graces to souls; so let every soul have access to it (570). Book 2 of 2: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration . Read the Mercy Saints. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last Day carrying the scepter of Your Cross. She is in purgatory, surely because she had trusted too little in the mercy of the good Lord. While it was great to hear from him, I had to tell him I couldnt talk because I was rushing to meet a book deadline the next day. Because what is holiness but the Merciful Love of God poured into our hearts? Of course, you should try not to miss a day of reading, but if you do, dont worry. Ah, but after having rested for a brief time in the fiat moment, your heart and lungs are ready to release what youve just enjoyed. 13 The first blessing is the one we repeat when we pray the Hail Mary: Blessed are vou among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! (Lkl:42). But dont worry. Let it be a sign for you. But it Mil be wonderful. Rather, its based on the judgment of Almighty God, who alone is truly great. Hold it for a few moments and enjoy. 33 Days to Merciful Love is the stirring sequel to the international sensation, 33 Days to Morning Glory. He asked the Lord, Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then destroy' the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? (Gen 18:24). Wisdom & Works of Mercy; Stage 3. 18 Ibid. In other words, if we choose to treat others with strict justice, then God will be strict with us. And to an swer it, God himself would have to let us know by choosing someone with authority to announce it to us. And because of this blindness to their own sins, such people, even more than others, hear about Therese and say, I dont get her. Now, regarding this latter, more serious kind of darkness, die blindness to ones sins, well cover it tomorrow. Its to allow our hearts to become more like die heart of St. Francis of Assisi, who, in his great compassion for Jesus, went around weeping and crying out loud, Love is not loved! If we choose to be merciful to others, then God will be merciful with us. Well, when I saw that claim on the back of the book, I was sold. I Myself will defend it as My own glory (48). Did the mortal sickness that devoured Thereses poor lungs also affect her brain? This is one of the effects of original sin, one of its tragic consequences.7 And so, what the Catechism says about Adam and Eve, to one degree or an other, applies to us all: They become afraid of the God of whom they have conceived a distorted image .8 And w hat has become distorted about our image of God? My power is made perfect in weakness. In fact, he teaches us the essence of faith, which is to believe Gods Word, to believe that God is faithful to his prom ises, to believe that God is faithful even if it seems impossible. And, again, the death Therese implicitly says in the flight of her soul to God as makes this point a bit more Diary: of love allows one to bypass purgatory as text of the Offering when she describes the being without any delay. Saint Faustina explicit in the following passage from her Gods mercy sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious way. Tired of being on such a roller coaster of spiritual ups and downs, I decided to read just about everything St. Therese ever wrote, trying to find out if the Little Way really could help someone like me to become a saint. Really tell them, Mother, that if I had committed all possible crimes, I would always have the same confidence. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus garden.185 So, the diversity of authentic spiritualities within the Church is pleasing to Jesus. In other words, may it help us to trust Gods promises and even to hope against hope. Emphasis added. This blind hope in your mercy, O Lord, is my only treasure. 168 Catechism, 399. 29 See Catechism, 494. As Abraham had the stars and Mary had the words of Elizabeth, you have Thereses smile. But hers is not die unhealdiy preoccupation with suffering that marked her early religious life. 18! Amazon. I wish, then, to be clothed in Your own Justice and to receive from Your Love the eternal possession of Tour self. After all, the nature of love is to humble itself. And so, the Little Way is, in a certain sense, the best path for giving God the greatest glory. But where? (See pages 135-137 for the fall text.) Its to see that Jesus Heart aches because he wants to pour out his Mercifiil Love to sinners, but so many just dont want to receive it. Instead of becoming discour aged, I said to myself: God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. For the next eight days (the Introduction and Week One St. Louis de Montfort), we'll begin our time with this Retreat Companion with the Angelus. On the contrary, she saw humility as being what smacks magnanimitys horses in the rear, sending them racing to the moon! For now, we can reflect on the refreshing perspective from which the saint of Lisieux approached the idea of offering herself as a spiritual victim: How GOOD is the Lord, his MERCT endures forever! So, her humility didnt rein in her desires for holiness. Elsewhere in her writings, she makes this point clear: If the good God were to say to me: Ifyou die imme diately, you will obtain great glory; if you die at the age of eighty, your glory will be far less, but it will please me much more, then I would not hesitate to answer: My God, I want to die at eighty for I am not seeking my own glory, but only to please You.123 WEEK THREE: The Offering to Merciful Love 87 Now, having made that clarification, I suggest we go back and reread just the first four paragraphs of the Offering itself, pondering them in our hearts for the remainder of today. In other words, he waited until her foundation on Divine Mercy was rock solid. This book, like 33 Days to Morning Glory, is a 33-day do-it-yourself retreat in preparation for consecration thats based on heart-pondering prayer. I offer You, too, all the merits of the saints (in heaven and on earth), their acts of Love, and those of the holy angels. Krailsheimer [London: Penguin Classics, 1966], 136). His loving gaze is fixed on us night and day and we hardly look at him. I mean, with the Offering, you have the culmination of the central teaching of the greatest and most popular saint of modern times a Doctor of the Church, no less. Michael Gaitley has done is again. But I didnt know about the catch and all this talk about an increased longing for God and all that. Fr. So, youve made your consecration to Divine Mercy (your Offering to Merciful Love). Therese had responded, Yes! Second, its clear from the obituary that Sr. Marie had fallen under the influence of Jansenism, as we can tell from some of her anxious last words: I dont have enough merits, I must acquire more of them.87 (Those words would have made an impression on the saint of the Little Way, who did not want to lay up merits for heaven but wanted to work for love alone.) $14.95. So, we have a choice: severe justice or tender mercy. Anselm W. Romb, OFM, Cap. And while Therese begins her Offering to Merciful Love by expressing her desire to become a saint, she wants to become one specifically to console the Heart ofJesus, who longs to make us holy through his Mercifiil Love. Faith is a gift of grace. Chris Alar, MIC, and Mark Moran for reasons that will become clear in the introduction. Difficulties for people only treasure not to miss a Day of reading, but if you Do dont... 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