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DIVINE WILL SNIPPET
(Extracts from the Book of Heaven by Luisa Piccarreta)
Compiled by Ann Ellison
March 3, 2021
POINT # 11 (GRATITUDE FOR EVERYTHING)
RAPID GROWTH IN THE DIVINE WILL
Dear Divine Will Family,
This I think is my favorite subject. Gratitude!! How much we owe to God for all that He has done for each of us. Did you know that when He foresaw the fall of Adam, He almost decided not to create us at all! What was the use of creating a creature as a constant companion who would not love Him enough to remain a constant companion, but would turn his back on God shortly after creating him?? But, and this is the only way I can explain this in my words, Jesus said to His Father, “Father, it will be alright. I will go and redeem this sin, and look, Father, look into the future, You will have the time with your creatures that You want so badly. Your Kingdom will come and it will be as You always planned! The creatures will be fully in Your Will and they will be Your constant companions filled with Your love and gratitude always!”
So, we owe God gratitude for going ahead and creating all of us. And being His legitimate children through the Gift of Living in His Holy Will, we certainly owe Him an immense amount of gratitude! So many called and yet so few chosen! We are the few! How can we not constantly be thanking Him that we are a part of the few? And I believe that these few are the remnant that Our Lady speaks about in Her messages to Fr. Gobbi! So many messages She gave to Fr. Gobbi contained information about the Kingdom of God coming, which will be the Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart!
Thank Him constantly for this immense Gift, and for all that He does to rise us to the sanctity that He has already deigned for each of us individually. It may cause a lot of suffering, or pains, or humiliations, but these are nothing compared to the reward we will receive if we persevere! Those who will suffer the most pains and humiliations will probably be the most holy, but either way, it is the only way to become another humanity for Jesus on earth and to be like Him.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So, we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:15-16
I think that says it all!! We love you all so much and keep each of you in our daily prayers! May God grant you the immense grace of gratitude flowing from your hearts at every moment of every day!
Ann Ellison
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Volume 4
September 4, 1901
The ardor of Jesus’ heart for the glory of the Divine Majesty and for the good of souls
Adorable Jesus continues to come. As soon as He appeared this morning, I felt anxious to ask Him if He had pardoned my sins. So, I said to Him:
“My sweet Love, how I long to hear You say that You have pardoned my many sins.”
Jesus drew close to my ear and He seemed to scrutinize my entire interior with his gaze and said to me:
I have pardoned everything; I forgive them. Nothing remains but a few defects that you produced hastily and inattentively. These, too, I forgive.
Afterwards, blessed Jesus seemed exhausted because of me and I said to Him:
“My sweet life, I am the reason You are tired, isn’t it true?”
And He answered: Yes, but at least be grateful for the graces I am giving you, because gratitude is the key to opening the treasures of God at will. Nevertheless, I want you to know that what I have done will preserve you from corruption, strengthen you, and prepare your soul and body for eternal glory.
Volume 5
June 6, 1903
Jesus teaches Luisa how she must behave in the state of abandonment and suffering.
After going through bitter days of privations and of sufferings, this morning I found myself outside of my body with Baby Jesus in my arms. As soon as I saw Him, I said: “Ah, dear Jesus, how could You leave me alone? At least teach me how I must behave in this state of abandonment and suffering.” And Jesus answered: “My daughter, offer everything you suffer in your arms, in your legs and in your heart together with the sufferings of my members by reciting five Glory be’s; and offer it to divine Justice to satisfy for the works, the steps and the bad desires of the heart which creatures commit continuously. Unite it, then, to the sufferings caused by my thorns and to those of my shoulders, with the recitation of three Glory be’s. Offer them for the satisfaction of the three powers of man, which are so disfigured that I can no longer recognize my image in them; and try to keep your will always united to Me and in an attitude of continuous love for Me. Let your memory be the bell that rings continuously within you, reminding you of all I have done and suffered for you, and of how many graces I have given to your soul, so that you thank Me and show gratitude to Me—because gratitude is the key that opens the divine treasures. Let your intellect think of nothing, and occupy itself with nothing but God. If you do this, I will rediscover my image in you, and I will find the satisfaction that I cannot receive from other creatures. And you must do this continuously, because if the offense is continuous, continuous must be the satisfaction.
June 16, 1903
What renders the soul more dear, more beautiful, more lovable and more intimate with God is her perseverance in working to please Him alone.
Jesus: “My daughter, when I give a soul the bitterness of tribulation, if the soul conforms to my Will with gratitude, thanks Me for it, and offers it to Me as a gift, her is bitterness and suffering changes for Me into sweetness and refreshment. But what cheers and pleases Me the most is to see that the soul, whether she works or suffers, seeks to please Me alone, with no other purpose or reward. However, what renders the soul even more dear, more beautiful, more lovable, more intimate with the Divine Being, is her perseverance in this way of living, which makes her immutable like God. Indeed, if today she does something and tomorrow, she doesn’t; if at one moment she has one purpose and at another moment a different one; if today she tries to please God and tomorrow creatures—she is the image of one who today acts like a queen and tomorrow like a most miserable servant; who today nourishes herself with delicious foods, and tomorrow feeds on rubbish.
Volume 7
January 5, 1907
True sanctity consists in receiving all that may happen to us as a gift of divine love.
After reading about a soul who had scruples about everything and who was afraid that everything might be a sin, I was thinking to myself: “What about me? How lax I am! I, too, would like to think that everything might be a sin. Then I would be more careful not to offend the Lord.” Then, when blessed Jesus came to see me, He said to me: “My daughter, this is nonsense—and such a soul remains bogged down on the path of sanctity. True and solid sanctity consists in receiving everything that happens to her and all that she does—even the most indifferent things—as special gifts of divine love, just as if she received food that was enjoyable or food that was disgusting. The soul should recognize God’s special love in enjoyable food, thinking that Jesus puts that enjoyment there and that He loves her to the point of giving her pleasure even in material things. And the soul should recognize God’s special love in repulsive food, by reflecting that He loves her so much that He gives her that feeling of disgust to make her like Himself in mortification, giving her, with his own hands, little alms that she can offer to Him. Indeed, it is a special gift of divine love if she is humiliated or exalted, healthy or infirm, poor or rich. Her breathing, sight, and speech are special gifts of love—indeed, everything, everything. And, just as she must receive everything — everything! — as a gift of divine love, she must give everything back to God as her own special gift of love. In this way, she must receive the wave of God’s love and return the wave of her love to Him. O what a sanctifying bath this wave of love provides! It purifies her, sanctifies her, and makes her advance, without even realizing it, forming a life more heavenly than earthly.
This, then, is what I want from you. Sin, and the thought of sin, must not exist in you.