"Perfect Charity Through Union With Jesus"

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May 12, 1899 - Volume 2

Luisa writes,

This morning, continuing to make Himself seen afflicted, my adorable Jesus transported me outside of myself, and showed me the various offenses He was receiving. I began to pray again that He would pour His bitternesses into me. At the beginning Jesus did not pay attention to me, and He just told me: “My daughter, only then is Charity perfect when it is done for the sole purpose of pleasing Me; and only then is it called true Charity and is it recognized by Me, when it is stripped of everything.” 

Taking the occasion from His very words, I said to Him: ‘Jesus, my dear, it is precisely for this that I want You to pour your bitternesses into me – to be able to relieve You from so many pains; and if I pray You also to spare the creatures, it is because I remember well that on other occasions, after You had chastised the creatures, in seeing them suffer so much from poverty and other things, You too suffered very much. On the other hand, when I have been attentive and I have prayed You and importuned You to the point of tiring You, so much so that You were pleased to pour it into me, sparing them, afterwards You have been very content about it. Don’t You remember? Besides, are they not your images?’ 

Seeing Himself persuaded, Jesus told me: “Because of you, it is necessary to make you content – draw near Me and drink from my Side.” So I did; I drew near Him to drink from His Side, but instead of bitterness, I suckled a most sweet blood, which inebriated all of me with love and with sweetness. Yes, I was content, but this was not my intention; so, turning to Him, I said: ‘My dear Good, what are You doing? What comes out is not bitter, but sweet. O please! I pray You, pour your own bitternesses into me.’ And Jesus, looking at me benignly, told me: “Keep drinking, for the bitter will come afterwards.” 

                                                                                       – Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta

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Buddy Comfort – vocals and guitar from the album, ‘Brother Sun, Sister Moon’, http://www.buddycomfort.com, words and music by Donovan Leitch.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:06

If you want your dream to be, build it slow and surely. Small beginning, greater end heartfelt work grows pure.

SPEAKER_01 0:24

Welcome. This is David Russell and Your Faith Anew. Daily Reflections Guiding You to Live in the Divine Will. Today's reflection is from the Book of Heaven by the servant of God Louisa Picarata, may twelfth, eighteen ninety nine, volume two. Let us begin in the will and name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Lord Jesus, you who allowed Louisa to drink from your sacred side, teach us to seek not our own comfort, but only the fulfillment of your divine will. Strip our acts of all self interest so that every prayer, sacrifice, and work may be done solely to please you. Give us the grace to remain close to you in both sweetness and bitterness, trusting that everything permitted by your hand is an expression of divine love. May our hearts become meek and compliant like yours, and may our souls thirst only for union with you. Amen. Saint Paul writes in his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter one verses three to five. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in paragraph eighteen twenty seven The practice of all the virtues is animated and inspired by charity, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. It is the form of the virtues. It articulates and orders them among themselves. It is the source and the goal of their Christian practice. Before we enter into today's reading, we are invited to reflect upon a love that seeks nothing for itself, but only to console and please Jesus. Louisa teaches us that the soul united to Christ accepts both sweetness and bitterness as gifts flowing from the same divine heart. Louisa writes. I began to pray again that he would pour his bitternesses into me. At the beginning Jesus did not pay attention to me, and he just told me, My daughter, only then is charity perfect when it is done for the sole purpose of pleasing me. And only then is it called true charity, and is it recognized by me when it is stripped of everything. Taking the occasion from his very words, I said to him, Jesus, my dear, it is precisely for this that I want you to pour your bitternesses into me, to be able to relieve you from so many pains. And if I pray you also to spare the creatures, it is because I remember well that on other occasions, after you had chastised the creatures, and seeing them suffer so much from poverty and other things, you too suffered very much. On the other hand, when I have been attentive and I have prayed you and importuned you to the point of tiring you, so much that you were pleased to pour it into me, sparing them. Afterwards you have been very content about it. Don't you remember? Besides, are they not your images? Seeing himself persuaded, Jesus told me because of you, it is necessary to make you content. Draw near me and drink from my side. So I did. I drew near him to drink from his side, but instead of bitterness, I suckled a most sweet blood, which inebriated all of me with love and with sweetness. Yes, I was content, but this was not my intention. So turning to him, I said, My dear good, what are you doing? What comes out is not bitter but sweet. Oh please, I pray you, pour your own bitternesses into me. And Jesus, looking at me benignly, told me, Keep drinking, for the bitter will come afterwards. So I attached myself to his side again, and after the sweet kept coming for a while, the bitter also came. But who can say the intensity of the bitterness? After I was satiated from drinking, I got up, and looking at his head which had the crown of thorns, I removed it and drove it onto my head. Jesus seemed to be all compliant, while other times he had not permitted this. How beautiful it was to see Jesus after he had poured his bitternesses. He seemed almost disarmed, without strength, but all meek, like a humble little lamb, all compliant. I realized that it was very late, but since the confessor had come early in the morning to call me to obedience, it wasn't that I knew that I was to be called by obedience, for at the obedience Jesus leaves me free. So, turning to him I said, Most sweet Jesus, do not allow that I cause trouble to my family and bother to the confessor by having him come again. Oh please, I beg you, you yourself let me return into myself. Jesus told me, My daughter, today I do not want to leave you. And I too do not have the heart to leave you. But just for a little while to let my family see that I'm inside myself, and then we will return to be together. So, after a long differing, saying goodbye to each other, he left me for a little while. It was precisely lunchtime, and my family was just coming to call me. But even though I felt I was inside myself, I felt all full of suffering. My head would not hold up. That bitter and that sweet which I had drunk from the side of Jesus gave me such satiety and suffering together that it was impossible for me to take anything else. The word I had given to Jesus kept me on tenter hooks. So, with the pretext that my head was aching, I said to my family, let me be alone, for I don't want anything. So I was left free again, and immediately I began to call my sweet Jesus. And he, always benign, came back. But who can say what happened to me today? How many graces Jesus gave to my soul, how many things he made me understand? It is impossible to express it with words. Then, after staying for a long time, in order to calm my sufferings, Jesus poured sweet milk from his mouth, and then around evening, he left me, giving me his word that he would come back soon. So I found myself inside myself again, but a little bit more free of sufferings. Today's passage reveals the mystery of true charity in the divine will. Jesus explains that perfect charity is not measured by emotion, recognition, or even visible sacrifice. True charity exists when the soul acts only to please God. It is stripped of itself, purified of hidden motives, and united completely to divine love. Louisa desired to suffer not because suffering itself was attractive, but because she wished to console Jesus and spare souls. This is the language of the divine will, to love with the very intentions of Christ Himself. When Jesus first gave sweetness instead of bitterness, Louisa did not seek the consolation for herself. Her concern remained fixed upon relieving the heart of Jesus. In this we see the transformation of a soul emptied of self-interest. The spiritual life often contains both sweetness and bitterness. There are moments when prayer feels overflowing with peace and consolation, and there are moments of dryness, sacrifice, misunderstanding, and interior suffering. Yet both come from the same sacred heart. Jesus allowed Louisa to drink deeply from both because he was forming in her a love capable of remaining faithful in every condition. Notice also how Jesus appeared after pouring out his bitterness. Meek, gentle, and compliant like a lamb. The soul who willingly shares in the sufferings of Christ helps console the heart of Jesus and participates mysteriously in his redeeming work. This is not merely suffering for suffering's sake, it is love, entering into communion with divine love. For those living in the divine will, every circumstance becomes an opportunity to remain united to Jesus. Whether we experience joy or hardship, peace or struggle, we can say, Jesus, I accept this from your hands. May it become an act of love united to your divine will. In this way, ordinary life becomes transformed into a continual offering. Let us pray. Jesus, my sweetest love, draw me close to your sacred side. Teach me to drink not only the sweetness of your consolations, but also the bitterness that purifies my soul and unites me more deeply to your divine will. Strip my acts of self-seeking and hidden motives. May every prayer, sacrifice, word, and duty be offered solely to please you. When suffering enters my life, let me not run from it in fear, but embrace it with confidence, knowing that nothing reaches me unless it first passes through your loving heart. Lord, make my soul meek and compliant like yours. Let me console you through fidelity in little things, through trust in darkness, and through love that perseveres without counting the cost. May my life become a continual fiat, united to your own eternal fiat. And as I walk through both bitterness and sweetness, may I remain always near your heart, drinking deeply of your divine life. Amen. Thank you for joining your faith anew today. May we remember that true charity seeks only the pleasure of God and not our own comfort. Whether the Lord permits sweetness or bitterness, consolation or sacrifice, may we remain faithful and united to his divine will. Until tomorrow, stay in his will, and your faith will be made anew.

SPEAKER_00 15:32

If you want your dream to be, build it slow and surely. Small beginning, greater and heartfelt work grows pure.