J.M.J.
V
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FORMATION PROGRAM #2
Second Apparition of the Angel - Summer 1916
Lucia Speaks: Accompanying
Commentary:
“What are you doing?” Are
we making good use of our time? or wasting it?
“Pray! Pray very much!” Form
a habit of prayer. Practice (be aware
of) the presence of God.
“The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have designs Jesus and Mary have a plan of mercy for EACH
of us. Prayer is necessary to prepare
and
of mercy on you.” dispose
us to receive the inspirations They wish to give us.
“Offer prayers and sacrifices constantly to the Prayer opens the heart
to God; sacrifices (acts of self-denial) dispose us to say “yes” to God,
Most High.” lest
we be selfish. Do these constantly so
that we will be ready to be used by God.
Lucia asks, “How
are we to make sacrifices?” This
is a good question. Are we expected to inflict punishment on ourselves or offer
difficult fasts?
Are
we expected to spend hours in prayer? Jesus told Sr. Lucia, “The sacrifice
required of
every
person is the fulfillment of his duties in life and the observance of My
law. This is the pen-
ance that I now seek and require.”
“Make of everything
you can a sacrifice...” There
is, or can be, a sacrifice in everything we do:
persevering and perfecting our
daily work
despite
its drudgery, putting another’s preferences before our own, forgiving or over-
looking
something done to us that was unkind, striving against our anger to obtain
peace, etc.
“...and offer it to God as an act of reparation Our sacrifices are
to be united with Christ’s daily life, Who spent His every moment living this
for the sins by which He is offended...” First Great Commandment. God loves, but is so little loved in return.
“...and in supplication
for the conversion of In
offering a sacrifice, it obtains mercy from God’s consoled Heart for those who
willfully
sinners.” not
to give, not to love; who stubbornly choose to be selfish. In this way, Christ lived the
Second
Great Commandment.
“You will thus draw down peace upon your ALL have something to give. ALL are able
to sacrifice. But it begins with the willingness of a
country.” few:
the rich have money to help meet the needs of the poor, the poor have talents
to enrich others
from
the blessings God has given them, the sick can offer their sufferings as a
share in Christ’s redemptive Passion to save souls, the healthy can make good
use of their time in the service of others.
Sacrifices, seen or unseen, whether they show mercy to body or soul,
will draw down peace on those around us. The mountains made low, the valleys
filled in: Peace will come when we remove the extremes of selfishness.
“I am its Angel Guardian, the Angel of From this it can be reasoned
that every city, country, parish, and family has its own Guardian
Portugal.” Angel. Keeping this in mind, we can pray with them.
They intercede for and with us for peace.
Their prayers are powerful.
“Above all,
accept and bear with submission MOST
IMPORTANT SACRIFICES. Recognize them as from God. We don’t choose these.
For
the suffering which
the Lord will send you.”
example: sudden
sickness or death of a loved one, disappointments or misfortune, things we
didn’t expect or plan for, or that which we cannot change. These are tailor made by God for the good of
souls: ours and others. God knows what is best for our growth in holiness if we
trust Him and if we accept these as coming from His love for us. His desire is
to be loved by the sacrifice of our offering. This mutual love obtains the
conversion of sinners.
REFLECTION & RESOLUTION:
Sacrifice-
self denial- is indeed the most difficult, the most ignored or refused part of
the Message of Fatima because of the natural repugnance we have for them. Even if we choose to give up something, there
are other things that we refuse to sacrifice. Complete conversion to Christ
requires a total gift of self in imitation of Christ Who gives Himself
completely to us. We can’t do it by
ourselves. We need His help; we even need
help to have the DESIRE to do it!
Let us slow
down our thoughts and bring to our awareness that we live in His Presence. Let
us reflect before Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and ask His help.
At each moment we have a choice: either to please God by offering the
sacrifice of the present moment, or to please ourselves by avoiding what is
difficult or inconvenient. It is at that moment, our feelings can get in
the way and make our choice difficult.
We want to please God, but we recoil from the sacrifice it
entails. What can we do to overcome our
natural aversion to suffering when we find our will power to love God is not
strong enough? Only practical experience will convince you of this truth: Turn to Mary and give Her your
feelings! Ask Her help! Her Immaculate Heart will take your heart and
remove the feelings that cause the difficulty.
With your feelings of repulsion removed, you will then be freed to make
your choice.
It will work
the same for you whether it is a physical, mental, or emotional suffering. Simply surrender your thoughts and/or your
feelings of complaint, anger, stress, hurt, or anxiety, and place them in Our
Lady’s Heart (“it is Yours now, Mary, not mine”). Take a deep breath and relax your whole
being; turn your thoughts to a similar situation in the life of Christ or His
Mother and unite yourself to Their sentiments. In that surrender, make a gift
of yourself to God through Her. You will
find that you can be as a tree that stands tall, even holding its branches high
as the cold wind passes through it.
[Brief period of silent reflection]
Discussion
Examination of last month’s resolutions
Apostolic resolution
Resolution in brief: Consciously surrender personal difficulties to
Our Lady by renouncing your will in surrender and prayer, making everything you can a
sacrifice.
Act of Consecration