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Dear Readers,
In my last Letters of Gold of April 23, I suggested that you might want to keep a file of these Letters of Gold, etc.
I ended that I would explain in the next Letters of Gold, which is this one. I had to wait because it was almost midnight!
I suggested keeping a file of the forthcoming Letters of Gold, simply because over the past several months, when time allowed,
I did a lot of research for a book that someone might want to publish someday. I hope to share pieces of that research with you
in these Letters of Gold as long as the Providence of God permits.
Below is the Letters of Gold for this mailing with its Pearl of the New and Divine Holiness based on extracts from Luisa’s writings:
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Definitions of “ad intra” and “ad extra”:
ad intra: to or towards the inside, within, internally, not communicated externally
With reference to an action or characteristic of God which is not communicable to the world beyond the Persons of the Trinity. Opposed to ad extra.
Designating an action or characteristic of God that is not communicable beyond the Persons of the Trinity. Also more generally: designating an action that does not have an effect or result in the outside world; imperceptible, internal, interior. Opposed to “ad extra.”
ad extra: to or towards the outside, exterior, external
Designating or relating to an action or characteristic that has an effect or result in the outside world; exteriorized, perceivable, external. With reference to an action or characteristic of God which is communicable beyond the Persons of the Trinity. Opposed to “ad intra.”
Note: In the excerpts from the writings of Luisa Piccarreta we find that Jesus tells us that those who have the immense privilege of living in the Divine Will are able to participate “ad intra” operations of the Blessed Trinity while on earth—something not possible outside the life and possession of the Divine Will. This is one of the marvelous aspects of the “New and Divine” Holiness of the Third Christian Millennium.
Note also: It seems that, beginning with Volume 11 of Luisa’s Diary, Jesus frequently speaks of those who do His Will, with the understanding that He means those who do His Will the way It is done in Heaven (not simply the way persons have done His Will under the influence of actual grace, while lacking the Gift of the Divine Will.)
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Jesus to Luisa: “I urge you to practice the spirit of continuous prayer. This constant effort of the soul to speak with Me—be it with the heart, the mind, the mouth, or even with a simple intention—renders her so beautiful in My sight that the notes of her heart harmonize with those of My own heart. And I feel so drawn to converse with this soul that I not only manifest the “ad extra” external works of My Humanity, but I also show her some of the “ad intra” internal works which My Divinity did in My Humanity. Not only this, but the spirit of continuous prayer makes the soul so beautiful that the demon is left as though struck by lightning, and he is frustrated in all of his plans to harm this soul.”
One who does the Divine Will takes part not only in the external works of God “ad extra”, but also in the interior works “ad intra” of the three Divine Persons.
Luisa: As I continued in my usual state, my adorable Jesus kept showing Himself inside of me, so that I could see that I possessed all His limbs. He looked so happy that He hardly seemed able to contain His joy, and He said to me: “My daughter, the soul who does My Will takes part in the “ad intra” activity of the Divine Persons. This privilege is reserved only to one who does My Will: not only to take part in all of our works “ad extra” but to pass from these to the works “ad intra.”
“Not wanting to turn within, We play with her—all Three of Us together, making her Our own special jewel. This jewel—Our delight—is so dear to Us that We keep it with jealousy “ad intra,” in the most intimate part of Our Will; and when creatures embitter Us and offend Us, to cheer Ourselves up, We take Our jewel, and We enjoy Ourselves together.”
In the Divine Will souls take part in the interior “ad intra” and eternal works of God according to their little capacity and their love.
Luisa: After some people with authority read what is written on March 17 (that whoever does the Will of God takes part in the “ad intra” actions of the Divine Persons and so on), they said that it wasn’t like that, and that the soul does not enter into this sphere. I was concerned about this but I remained calm and convinced that Jesus would make the truth known.
Later, when I was in my usual state, an interminable sea opened before my mind, and I saw many objects within that sea. Some of them were small, others bigger; some floated on the surface of the sea, sprinkled with water; others sank down to the bottom, and became saturated; still others fell so far as to be lost in the depths of the sea. Now, while I was watching this, my ever adorable Jesus came and told me: “My beloved daughter, do you see? The sea symbolizes My immensity and the objects of various sizes represent the souls who live in My Will. Their different positions in the sea—some on the surface, some lower down, and some lost within Me—vary according to how they live in My Will: some in an imperfect way; some in a more perfect way; others to the point of being completely dissolved in My Will.
“Now, My daughter, My “ad intra” about which I spoke to you is precisely this: Sometimes I keep you united with Me, with My Humanity, and you take part in the pains, works and joys of My Humanity; but at other times, I draw you deep inside of Me, and I dissolve you in My Divinity. How many times have I not made you swim within Me, keeping you so much within Myself that you could not see anything but Me, in and around you? As I kept you within Me, you took part in My love, My joys, and all that I do, always according to your small abilities. In this way, although Our works “ad intra” are eternal, creatures can still enjoy the effects of those works in their lives, in proportion to their love.
Now why be surprised if I said that when the will of the soul is one with Mine, and I place her within Me and make her inseparable from Me (so long as she doesn’t withdraw from My Will)—she takes part in Our works “ad intra”? Besides, if they wanted to know the truth, they could have known very well the meaning of My “ad intra” works from My explanation, because the truth is light to the mind, and light reveals things as they really are. But if people don’t want to know the truth, their minds remain blinded and they cannot see things as they are; so they raise doubts and difficulties, and become even blinder than before. Moreover, My Being is always in one Act—It has no beginning and no end. I am old and new. Our works “ad intra” were, are and will always be in action. That is why the soul is already within Us through her intimate union with Our Will. She admires, contemplates, loves and enjoys. She takes part in Our love, in Our delights and in all that We do. So, why would it be inappropriate for Me to say that the soul who does My Will takes part in My actions “ad intra”?”
Jesus to Luisa: Well, then, the origin of My Will is eternal. Sorrow never entered into It. Among the Divine Persons this Will remained in the highest harmony; or, rather, It was one. In every act that It brought forth—both “ad intra” and “ad extra”—It gave Us infinite joys, new delights, and boundless happiness. And when We wanted to bring forth the machine of Creation—how much glory, honor and harmony It gave Us! As soon as the FIAT was sent forth, this FIAT diffused Our beauty, light, power, order, harmony, love, and sanctity—indeed, everything. And We remained glorified by Our own virtues, on seeing, through the FIAT, the blossoming of Our Divinity concealed in the whole universe. Swollen with love as It was, Our Will did not stop. It wanted to create man; and you know his story—so I will move on.
It is only fair that the little newborn of My Supreme Will should take part in the beatitudes, joys and happiness of the One who has brought you into the light. All of these flames that you see in the endless sea of My Will symbolize the beatitudes, joys and secret happiness that It contains. I say “secret” because I have not yet revealed the fullness of the knowledge that My Eternal Will contains—and souls do not yet have the right dispositions to receive this knowledge—all of these beatitudes remain “ad intra” within the Divinity, waiting to be sent forth to souls who must be born, who must live, and who must make their whole life in Our Will without interruption. In this way, when the will of the soul is one with Ours, all the divine doors are opened and Our most intimate secrets are revealed. Our joys and beatitudes are placed in common with the soul so that she can share in them as much as she possibly can. In this way, you see, My daughter, each thing that I reveal to you about My Will is a beatitude breathed forth from the bosom of My Divinity. And it not only delights you and disposes you mightily to live in My Will but also prepares you to receive new knowledge—and not you alone but the whole heavenly court becomes flooded by this new beatitude that goes forth from Our Bosom. O how grateful they are to you, and how they pray that I will continue to reveal My Will.
The human will closed up these beatitudes within Us; and each act of the human will blocks these heavenly beatitudes, not only in time but even in Eternity—because each act of My Will done on earth casts into the soul the seed of that beatitude that must be enjoyed in Heaven. Without the seed, it is useless to hope for the plant. That is why I want you to live ever more deeply in My Will.
—submitted by Thomas Fahy