SIRACH 30: 21–23
“Do not give in to sadness, or torment yourself deliberately. Gladness of heart is the very life of a person, and cheerfulness prolongs his days. Distract yourself and renew your courage.”
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PICCARRETA:
Mar. 24. “Do not afflict yourself with what you feel in the depth of your soul; these are works that Jesus does in order to accomplish His great designs.”
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BOH VOL 36 May 15, 1938
After this, I was thinking to myself: how miserable I am; I feel like I haven’t done anything for Jesus, for all the graces He gave me; who knows how much I should love Him. Instead, I am so cold. It’s true that I can’t love anyone other than Jesus, but I should be all on fire, and I’m not. As I was thinking that, He came back and, reproaching me sweetly, said:
“My daughter, what are you doing? Do you want to waste time? Don’t you know that all you should care about is knowing whether or not a state is in my Will, and doing it?
In my Will, everything is love, breathing, heartbeat, motion; even the human will wants nothing other than to love me. My Will, jealous of the creature, surrounds her with an air of love, so that I breathe only that love.
Your Jesus never looks at what the creature feels, because many times feelings can deceive her. I look at her will and what she really wants. That’s all I take. How many things there are which she feels but does not do; but, if she wills, all is done.
Further, in my will nothing gets lost. For whoever lives in It everything is counted:
breaths, heartbeats, the little “I love you‟; all things done in It remain written with indelible characters of light and form the very life of my Will.
Often the gifts I have given to the creature as well as her acts, remain hidden as her property in the depth of her will. She feels as if she has not done anything. But that is not true. At the right time these acts will show their light inside that soul – brighter than the Sun – and sanctity is there in its place of honor; virtues are all there ready to act heroically in case of need.
My Will knows how to maintain harmony and its divine order. Wherever It reigns and whatever It does acquires the seal of Eternity. Therefore live in It and do not worry about anything. My Will will take care of you better than you would yourself.”
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PRAYER OF THE DAY:
“My Jesus, may I be worked by Your divine hands, as Your Humanity let Itself be worked. May I take everything that happens within myself, which is not sin, as divine crafting, a crafting of love.”
Adapted from
The Hours of the Passion, 5th Hour, Reflections and Practices