THERE IS JOY IN SUFFERING

Last year on October 21, I vividly envisioned Jesus. His hands were on each side of His Heart. It was such an experience. I envisioned the statue in the front of Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church of the Sacred Heart as being alive and glistening in light. I recall an experience in Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church under the 12th station.

Mary wept outside the tomb of her beloved Son for her children in our world today. Little children are murdered. Little children are taught vileness and sex at such an early age. Her Son was slaughtered. Children, today, are slaughtered. Their minds are being slaughtered. Pray the Stations, mediate on the sufferings of her Son in the Stations here. As we meditate on His Passion and death, our hearts will deepen in such love with Him. We must pray. We must go to Their Hearts and find strength to continue our battle against the evil world. We are His apostles He is sending into the world armed with hearts of love. Let us hear Him. What you do with your life will help many to save their souls.

I prayed in front of the tabernacle for the grace I needed most and was led to beg the Father that we could have retreats in the Holy Cross-Immaculata Catholic Church for priests and nuns, pray the rosary here and people could be out on the steps and hear the rosary. Many would pray the Stations here. I wish we could have our meetings here and pray in front of the Lourdes Grotto. In all the sorrow I feel her immense joy under the cross. I saw this all morning. She had joy for souls that would be saved by His Blood!

At the Mass of the Virgin, the readings talked about Eve and how she was tricked by the serpent. Then at the Psalm: Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit and cried out the Magnificat. Then at the Gospel: Mary was under the cross. Jesus gave us His Mother under the cross. Mary is the New Eve, Jesus is the New Adam.

"…My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord" (Lk. 1:46)

See Jesus on the cross and John below. This same sacrifice is sacramentally made present in the Mass. The heart of Mary has joy and pain. There is joy in immense suffering. Mary saw her Son die. Mary saw Him covered with blood. She screams out in the suffering. I understand some of the mystery. There is joy in sufferings. Mary's heart was torn within her to watch her Son die, but she knew of all who would be saved by His blood.

Mary saw her Son, under the cross, covered with blood. She knew her children that would die and knew those that would be saved. In horror she cries out - in joy she weeps her tears for her children that will be saved. The sufferings of the heart are indeed many-faceted. Our bodies too will be glorified, as Christ's body, in the Resurrection. I see so much all through the mysteries of the rosary. Heaven and earth meet in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Jesus comes and saves us from our sins. Eve is the mother of the living; Mary is our spiritual Mother!

When I look at the rosary windows at Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, I see Mary above the Apostles when the Holy Spirit descends upon them. She is the Queen of the Apostles. We are called Apostles today to spread the devotion of the two Hearts. We must go to our Mother Mary for help.

A quote explains this well:

As no other creature does, man's nature embraces a spiritual element as well as a physical one. Made up of spirit and body, we are at one and the same time immortal and mortal. We are the lowest of the spiritual creatures and the highest of the physical creatures. Through the goodness of God, we can also participate in the divine life of the Creator. When this participation occurs, the soul becomes Christ-like, the Holy Spirit dwells within the soul. Man then becomes truly the image and likeness of God.³⁹

Notes: He wants us to be happy. We crave God, we cannot be attached to any person, place, or thing. We must live all things according to His will.

God is our Source. God is our goal.

What will make us happy is to know and love God. God so loved the world, He gave His only Son. Adam sinned, God provided a Redeemer. He kept His promise while He prepared men.

God gave His Son, incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Mother, this is His great gift to us. Jesus came to show us how to live and love. He left a perfect Sacrifice to offer to God - in which He is Victim and Priest - He left His Body and His Blood!

The Holy Spirit works in the Church today, continuing the Incarnation in the Church, and in us.

St. Augustine says: "The kingdom of heaven, O man, requires no other price than thyself, the value of it is thyself; give thyself to it and thou shalt have it."⁴⁰ "…the most exquisite happiness consists in praising, adoring, loving, and being loved in return by a Being who is so great and good."⁴¹

Love is emptying of self. I must empty myself and make room for Him.

I must love God and love all His creatures as He commands me to do.

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Copyright © 1997 Shepherds of Christ Ministries
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact Shepherds of Christ Publications
First Printing: September, 1997