Reflections on the Cross
Excerpts from the Hours of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ
The Eighteenth Hour
From 10 AM to 11 AM
Jesus takes up the Cross and walks toward Calvary, where He is stripped.
My Jesus, insatiable love, I see that You give Yourself no peace, I feel your fidgets of love, your pains. Your Heart beats strongly; in every heartbeat I feel bursts, tortures, violences of love; and unable to contain the fire that devours You, You pant, moan, sigh, and in each moan I hear You say: "Cross!" Each drop of your blood repeats: "Cross!" All your pains, through which You swim as though in an interminable sea, repeat among themselves: "Cross!" And You exclaim: "O Cross, beloved and longed for, You alone will save my children, and I concentrate in You all my Love!"
Second Crowning with Thorns.
Meanwhile, your enemies take You back into the Praetorium, and remove the purple mantle, wanting to clothe You again with your own garments. But, alas, how much pain! It would be sweeter for me to die than to see You suffer so much! The garment remains snagged to the crown, and they are unable to pull it off. So, with cruelty never seen before, they tear off everything together garment and crown. At the cruel tearing, many thorns break, remaining stuck inside your Most Holy Head. Blood pours down in torrents, and your pain is such that You moan. But the enemies, heedless of the tortures, clothe You with your own garment, and then put the crown back, pushing it violently upon your Head. The thorns are driven into your eyes, into your ears there is not one part of your Most Holy Head that does not feel their piercing. Your pain is such that You stagger under those cruel hands, shivering from head to foot; You are about to die among atrocious spasms of pain, and with your languishing eyes, filled with blood, You look at Me, with difficulty, asking for help in so much pain!
My Jesus, King of Sorrows, let me sustain You and hold You tightly to my heart. I would want to take the fire that devours You to burn your enemies to ashes and rescue You; but You dont want it, because your yearnings for the Cross become more ardent, and You quickly want to immolate Yourself on It - also for your enemies! But as I hold You tightly to my heart, You, holding me to Yours, tell me: "My child, let Me pour out my love; and together with Me, repair for those who do good and yet dishonor Me. These Jews clothe Me with my own garment in order to discredit Me even more before the people, to convince them that I am a criminal. In appearance, the action of clothing Me was good, but in its essence it was evil. Ah, how many do good works, administer Sacraments or attend them, with human, and even evil purposes. But good, done badly, leads to hardness; so I want to be crowned for the second time, with pains sharper than the first time, in order to shatter this hardness, and with my thorns, draw them to Myself. Ah, my child, this second crowning is much more painful. I feel my head swimming in the midst of thorns; at every movement I make, or blow they give to Me, I suffer many cruel deaths. In this way I repair for the malice of the offenses; I repair for those, who, in whatever mood they find themselves, instead of thinking of their own sanctification, waste and reject my grace, giving Me back more piercing thorns; while I am forced to moan, to cry tears of blood, and to sigh for their salvation.
Ah, I do everything to love them, and the creatures do everything to offend Me! You, at least - do not leave Me alone in my pains and reparations."
Jesus embraces the Cross.
My tortured Good, with You I repair, with You I suffer. But I see that your enemies hurl You down the stairs; the people await You with fury and eagerness; they make You find the Cross ready, which You long for with many sighs. And You - with love You gaze on It, and with firm step You approach It and embrace It. But, before that, You kiss It, and as a shiver of joy runs through your Most Holy Humanity, with highest contentment You gaze on It again, measuring Its length and breadth. In It, already, You establish the portion for each creature. You dower them all, enough to bind them to the Divinity with a bond of marriage, and make them heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. Then, unable to contain the love with which You love them, you kiss the Cross again, and say: "Adorable Cross, finally I embrace you. You were the longing of my Heart, the martyrdom of my love. But you, O Cross, have delayed until now, while my steps were always toward you. Holy Cross, you were the goal of my desires, the purpose of my existence down here. In you I concentrate my whole being, in you I place all my children, and you will be their life, their light, defense, custody and strength. You will assist them in everything, and will bring them gloriously to Me in Heaven. Oh Cross, Pulpit of Wisdom, you alone will teach true sanctity; you alone will form the heroes, the athletes, the martyrs, the Saints. Beautiful Cross, you are my Throne, and since I have to leave the earth, you will remain in my place. To you I give all souls as dowry keep them, save them; I entrust them to you!"
In saying this, eager, You let It be placed upon your Most Holy Shoulders. Ah, my Jesus, the Cross is too light for your love, but the weight of our sins adds to that of the Cross - enormous and immense, as the expanse of the Heavens. And You, my wearied Good, You feel crushed under the weight of so many sins. Your soul is horrified at their sight, and feels the pain of each sin. Your sanctity remains shaken before so much ugliness, and as the Cross weighs upon your shoulders, You stagger, You pant, and a mortal sweat creeps through your Most Holy Humanity. I beg You, my Love - I dont have the heart to leave You alone - I want to share the weight of the cross with You; and to relieve You from the weight of sins, I cling to your feet. I want to give You, in the name of all creatures, love for those who do not love You, praises for those who despise You, blessings, thanksgivings, obedience on behalf of all. I promise that in any offense You receive, I intend to offer You all of myself in reparation, to do the acts opposite to the offenses the creatures give You, and to console You with my kisses and continuous acts of love. But I see that I am too miserable; I need You to be able to really repair You. Therefore I unite myself to your Most Holy Humanity, and together with You I unite my thoughts to yours in order to repair for the evil thoughts mine, and of all; unite my eyes to yours, to repair for the evil glances; my mouth to yours, to repair for the blasphemies and the evil discourses; my heart to yours, to repair for the evil tendencies, desires and affections. In a word, I want to repair everything that your most holy Humanity repairs, uniting myself to the immensity of your love for all, and to the immense good You do to all. But I am not yet content. I want to unite myself to your Divinity, and I dissolve my nothingness in It, and in this way I give You everything. I give You your love to quench your bitternesses; I give You your Heart to relieve You from our coldness, lack of correspondence, ingratitude, and the little love of the creatures. I give You your harmonies to cheer your hearing from the deafening blasphemies It receives. I give You your beauty to relieve You from the ugliness of our souls, when we muddy ourselves in sin. I give You your purity to relieve You from the lack of righteous intention, and from the mud and rot You see in many souls. I give You your immensity to relieve You from the voluntary constraints into which souls put themselves. I give You your ardor to burn all sins and all hearts, so that all may love You, and no one may offend You, ever again. In sum, I give You all that You are, to give You infinite satisfaction, eternal, immense and infinite love.
The Painful Way to Calvary.
My most patient Jesus, I see You take the first steps under the enormous weight of the Cross. I unite my steps to yours, and when You, weak, bled dry and staggering, are about to fall, I will be at your side to sustain You; I will place my shoulders beneath It, so as to share its weight with You. Do not disdain me, but accept me as your faithful companion. Oh Jesus, You look at me, and I see that You repair for those who do not carry their crosses with resignation, but rather, they swear, get irritated, commit suicide, and commit murders. And for all You impetrate love and resignation to their Crosses. But your pain is such that You feel crushed under the Cross. You have taken only the first steps, and You already fall under It. As You fall, You knock against the stones; the thorns are driven more into your head, while all your wounds are embittered, and pour out new blood. And since You do not have the strength to get up, your enemies, irritated, try to make You stand with kicks and blows.
My fallen Love, let me help You to stand, let me kiss You, dry your blood, and repair together with You for those who sin out of ignorance, fragility and weakness. I pray You to give help to these souls.
My Life, Jesus, making You suffer unheard of spasms, your enemies have managed to put You on your feet, and as You walk, staggering, I hear your panting breath. Your Heart beats more strongly and new pains pierce It intensely. You shake your head in order to clear your eyes from the blood that fills them, and You gaze anxiously. Ah, my Jesus, I understood everything - your Mama, who is searching for You like a moaning dove, wants to tell You one last word, and receive your last gaze; and You feel her pains, her heart lacerated in yours, moved and wounded by her love and by yours. You see her pushing her way through the crowd, wanting at any cost to see You, to hug You, to give You the last good-bye. But You are more transfixed in seeing her mortal paleness, and all of your pains reproduced in Her by force of Love. If She lives, it is only by a miracle of your Omnipotence. You move your steps toward hers, but you can hardly exchange a glance!
Oh, pang of your two Hearts! The soldiers notice it, and with blows and shoving prevent Mama and Son from exchanging the last good-bye. The torment of both is such that your Mama remains petrified by the pain, and is about to die. Faithful John and the pious women sustain Her, while You fall again under the Cross. Then, your sorrowful Mama does with her soul that which She cannot do with her Body, because She is prevented: She enters into You, makes the Will of the Eternal One her own, and associating Herself in all your pains, performs the office of your Mother, kisses You, repairs You, soothes You, and pours the balm of her sorrowful love into all your wounds!
My suffering Jesus, I too unite with the pierced Mama. I make all your pains, and every drop of your Blood my own; in each wound I want to act as a mama for You, and together with Her, and with You, I repair for all the dangerous encounters, and for those who expose themselves to occasions of sin, or, forced by necessity to be exposed, remain entangled in sin.
Meanwhile, You moan, fallen under the Cross. The soldiers fear that You may die under the weight of so many martyrdoms, and from the shedding of so much Blood. In spite of this, by lashes and kicks, with difficulty, they manage to put You on your feet again. And You repair for repeated falls into sin, for mortal sins committed by every class of people, and You pray for obstinate sinners, shedding tears of blood for their conversion.
My Love, overcome with pain, while I follow You in these reparations, I see You stagger under the enormous weight of the Cross. You are shivering all over. At the continuous shoving You receive, the thorns penetrate more and more into your Most Holy Head. The Cross, with its heavy weight, digs into your shoulder, to the extent of forming a wound so deep that the bones are exposed. At every step, it seems that You are dying, and unable to move any further. But your love, which can do everything, gives You strength, and as You feel the Cross penetrate into your shoulder, You repair for the hidden sins; those which, not being repaired, increase the bitterness of your spasms. My Jesus, let me place my shoulder under the Cross to relieve You and repair with You for all hidden sins.
But your enemies, for fear that You may die under It, force the Cyrenean to help You carry the Cross. Unwilling and complaining, he helps You not out of love, but by force. Then all the complaints of those who suffer, the lack of resignation, the rebellions, the anger and despising in suffering, echo in your Heart. But You remain even more pierced in seeing that souls consecrated to You, whom You call to be your help and companions in your suffering, escape You; and if You hug them to Yourself through suffering ah, they wriggle free from your arms to look for pleasures, and so they leave You alone, suffering,!
My Jesus, while I repair with You, I beg You to hold me in your arms, but so tightly that there may be no pain that You suffer in which I do not take part, so as to be transformed in them and make up for the abandonment of all creatures. My Jesus, overcome with weariness, all bent over, You can hardly walk; but I see that You stop and try to look. My Heart, what is it? What are You looking for? Ah, it is Veronica, who, fearless and courageous, with a cloth dries your Face all covered with blood, and You leave your Face impressed on it, in sign of gratitude. My generous Jesus, I too want to dry You, but not with a cloth; I want to expose all of myself to relieve You, I want to enter into your interior and give You, O Jesus, heartbeat for heartbeat, breath for breath, affection for affection, desire for desire. I intend to dive into your Most Holy Intelligence, and making all these heartbeats, breaths, affections and desires flow in the immensity of your Will, I intend to multiply them to infinity. I want, O my Jesus, to form waves of heartbeats, so that not one evil heartbeat may resound in your Heart, and so soothe all your interior bitternesses. I intend to form waves of affections and desires to cast away all evil affections and desires, which could, even slightly, sadden your heart. Still more, O my Jesus, I intend to form waves of breaths and thoughts, to cast away any breath or thought that could slightly displease You. I will be on guard, O Jesus, so that nothing else may afflict You, adding more bitterness to your interior pains. O my Jesus, please, let all of my interior swim in the immensity of yours; in this way I will be able to find enough love and will, so that no evil love may enter your interior, nor a will which may displease You.
O my Jesus, to be more certain, I beg you to seal my thoughts with Yours, my will with Yours, my desires with Yours, my affections and heartbeats with Yours; so that, being sealed, they may take no life but Yours. I ask You, again, O my Jesus, to accept my poor body which I would want to tear to shreds for love of You, and reduce it to tiny little pieces, to place over each one of your wounds. On that wound, O Jesus, which gives You pain from so many blasphemies, I place a little piece of my body, wanting it constantly to say to you: "I bless You". On that wound that gives You so much pain from the many ingratitudes, I intend, O Jesus, to place a portion of my body, to prove my gratitude to You. On that wound, O Jesus, which makes You suffer so much from coldness and lack of love, I intend to place many little bits of my flesh, to say to You constantly: "I love You, I love You, I love You!" On that wound which gives You so much pain from the so many irreverences to your Most Holy Person, I intend to place a piece of myself, to tell You always: "I adore You, I adore You, I adore You!" O my Jesus, I want to diffuse myself in everything, and in those wounds embittered by the many misbeliefs, I desire that the shreds of my body tell You, always: "I believe - I believe in You, O my Jesus, my God, and in your Holy Church, and I intend to give my life to prove my Faith to You!" O my Jesus, I plunge myself into the immensity of your Will, and making It my own, I want to compensate for all, and enclose the souls of all in the power of your Most Holy Will. O Jesus, I still have my blood left, which I want to pour over your wounds as balm and soothing liniment, in order to relieve You and heal you completely. Again, I intend, O Jesus, to make my thoughts flow in the heart of every sinner, to reprimand him continuously, that he may not dare to offend You. And I pray to You with the voice of your Blood, so that all may surrender to my poor prayers. In this way I will be able to bring them into your Heart! Another grace, O my Jesus, I ask of You: that in everything I see, touch and hear, I may see, touch and hear always You; and that your most holy image and your most holy Name, always be impressed in every particle of my poor being.
In the meantime, the enemies, disapproving of this act of Veronica, flog You, push You, and shove You on the way! A few more steps and You stop again. Even under the weight of so much suffering, your love does not stop, and on seeing the pious women weeping because of your pains, You forget Yourself and console them, saying: "Daughters, do not weep over my pains, but over your sins and over your children". What a sublime teaching, how sweet is your word! O Jesus, with You I repair for the lack of charity, and I ask You for the grace of making me forget myself, to remember nothing but You alone.
On hearing you speak, your enemies become furious, they pull You by the ropes, and push You with such rage as to make You fall. As You fall, you knock against the stones: the weight of the Cross crushes You, and You feel like dying! Let me sustain You, and protect your Most Holy Face with my hands. I see You touch the ground and gasp in your Blood. But your enemies want to make You stand; they pull You by the ropes, they lift You by your hair, they kick You - but all in vain. You are dying, my Jesus! What pain - my heart breaks for the pain! Almost dragging You, they take You up to Mount Calvary. As they drag You, I hear You repair for all the offenses of the souls consecrated to You, which weigh upon You so much that, as much as You try to stand, You cannot! And so, dragged and trampled upon, You reach Calvary, leaving behind You the red trace of your precious Blood.
Jesus is stripped and crowned with thorns for the third time.
But new sufferings await You here. They strip You again, tearing off both garment and crown of thorns. Ah, You groan in feeling the thorns being torn from inside your Head. And as they pull your garment, they tear also the lacerated flesh attached to it. The wounds rip open, your Blood flows to the ground in torrents; the pain is such that, almost dead, You fall.
But nobody is moved to compassion for You, my Good! On the contrary, with bestial fury they put the crown of thorns on You again. They beat it on well, and the torture they cause You because of the lacerations and the tearing of your hair clotted in the coagulated blood, is such that only the Angels could tell what You suffer, while, horrified, they turn their celestial gaze away, and weep!
My stripped Jesus, allow me to hold You to my heart to warm You, as I see that You are shivering and an icy mortal sweat invades your Most Holy Humanity. How I would want to give You my life my blood to take the place of yours, which You have lost to give me life!
In the meantime, barely looking at me with His languishing and dying eyes, Jesus seems to tell me: "My child, how much souls cost Me! This is the place where I wait for everyone in order to save them, where I want to repair for the sins of those who arrive at degrading themselves lower than beasts, and are so obstinate in offending Me as to reach the point of not being able to live without committing sins. Their minds remain blinded, and they sin wildly. This is why they crown Me with thorns for the third time. And by being stripped, I repair for those who wear luxurious and indecent clothing, for the sins against modesty, and for those who are so bound to riches, honors and pleasures, as to make of them a god for their hearts.
Ah, yes, each one of these offenses is a death that I feel; and if I do not die, it is because the Will of my Eternal Father has not yet decreed the moment of my death!"
My stripped Good, while I repair with You, I beg You to strip me of everything with your Most Holy hands, and not to allow that any bad affection may enter into my heart. Watch over it; surround it with your pains; fill it with your love. May my life be nothing but the repetition of Yours; strengthen my stripping with your blessing; bless me from your Heart, and give me the strength to be present at your sorrowful crucifixion, to remain crucified with You!
Reflections and Practices
Jesus carries the Cross. The love of Jesus for the Cross, His anxious ardor to die on It for the salvation of souls, are immense! And we - do we love suffering like Jesus? Can we say that our heartbeats echo His divine heartbeats, and that we too ask for our cross?!
When we suffer, do we have the intention of becoming companions of Jesus in order to relieve Him from the weight of His Cross? How do we accompany Him? As He receives insults, are we always ready to give Him our little suffering as relief for His pain?
In working, in praying, and when we feel the hardship of our suffering under the weight of interior pains, do we let our pain fly to Jesus, which, like a veil, may dry up His sweat and cheer Him, as we make His hardship our own?
All: O my Jesus, call me always to be close to You, and remain always near me, so that I may comfort You always with my pains.
The Nineteenth Hour
From 11 AM to 12 AM
Jesus is Crucified.
First Part: The Crucifixion.
My Love, Jesus, You have already been stripped of your garments; your Most Holy Body is so lacerated that You look like a skinned lamb. I see You all shivering, and my heart breaks with pain in seeing You dripping Blood from all parts of your Most Holy Body! Your enemies, tired, but not satiated with tormenting You, in stripping You, tear the crown of thorns off of your head, to your unspeakable pain, and then again they drive it onto You, making You feel unheard-of spasms, as they add new more painful wounds to the first.
Ah, my Jesus, in this third crowning, You repair for the perfidy of man, and for his obstinacy in sin!
My Jesus, if love had not wanted You to suffer greater pains than these, You would certainly have died from the sharpness of the pain You suffered in this third crowning with thorns. But now I see that You can no longer bear that pain, and with your eyes covered with Blood, You look to see whether one, at least, would come close to You to sustain You in so much suffering and in such great confusion.
My sweet Good, my dear Life, here You are not alone as You were last night. There is your sorrowful Mama, who, heart pierced by intense sorrow, suffers as many deaths for as many pains as You suffer! There also, are loving Magdalene and faithful John, who are mute with sorrow at the sight of your pains. Tell me my Love, who do You want, to sustain You in so much pain? Oh, please, let me come to You I, who more than anyone else, feel the need to be near You in these moments. Dear Mama and the others give me their place, and here I am, O Jesus, I come to You. I hug You, and I pray You to lean your head upon my shoulder, to let me feel the piercings of your thorns, in order to repair for all the offenses of thought that creatures commit. My Love, please, hold me to Yourself; I want to kiss, one by one, the drops of Blood which flow down your Most Holy Face, and I pray You that each one of these drops may be light for every mind of creature, so that no one may offend You with evil thoughts.
Meanwhile, my Jesus, You look at the Cross that your enemies are preparing for You. You hear the blows of the hammer with which your executioners are forming the holes into which they will drive the nails that will hold You crucified. And your Heart beats, more and more strongly, jumping with divine inebriation, yearning to lay Yourself upon that bed of pain, to seal with your death the salvation of our souls. And I hear You say: "Please, O Cross, receive Me soon into your arms, I am impatient of waiting! Holy Cross, upon you I shall come to give completion to all. Hurry, O Cross, fulfill the burning desire that consumes Me, to give life to souls. Delay no more; I anxiously yearn to lay Myself upon you in order to open the Heavens to all my children.
Oh Cross, it is true that you are my martyrdom, but in a little while you will also be my victory and my most complete triumph; and through you I will give abundant inheritances, victories, triumphs and crowns to my children."
As Jesus is saying this, His enemies command Him to lay Himself upon it; and promptly He obeys, to repair for our disobedience.
My Love, before You lay Yourself on the Cross, allow me to hold You more tightly to my heart, and to kiss your loving and bleeding wounds. Hear me, O Jesus, I do not want to leave You; I want to come with you, to lay myself on the Cross and remain nailed to It with You. True love does not tolerate separation, and You will forgive the daring of my love. Concede that I be crucified with You. See, my tender Love, I am not the only one to ask this of You, but also your sorrowful Mama, inseparable Magdalene, faithful John: we all say to You that it would be more bearable to be nailed with You to Your Cross, than to see You crucified alone! Therefore, together with You I offer myself to the Eternal Father - identified with your Will, with your Heart, with your reparations and with all your pains.
Ah, it seems that my adored Jesus says to me: "My child, you have anticipated my love; this is my Will: that all those who love Me be crucified with Me. Ah, yes, come and lay yourself on the Cross with Me; I will give you life with my life, I will hold you as the beloved of my heart."
And now, my sweet Good, You lay Yourself on the Cross, looking with so much love and with so much sweetness at your executioners - who already hold nails and hammers in their hands ready to pierce You - as to make a sweet invitation to hasten the crucifixion. Indeed, with inhuman fury, they grab your right hand, hold the nail on your palm, and with blows of the hammer, make it come out the opposite side of the Cross. The pain You suffer is so great that You shiver, O my Jesus; the light of your beautiful eyes eclipses, and your most holy Face turns pale and looks like death.
Blessed right hand of my Jesus, I kiss you, I compassionate you, I adore you and I thank you for myself and for all. For as many blows as you receive, so many souls do I ask You to free, at this moment, from eternal damnation. As many drops of Blood as You shed, so many souls do I beg You to wash in this most precious Blood of Yours. O my Jesus, for the bitter pain You suffer, I ask You to open the Heavens to all, and to bless all creatures. May your blessing call all sinners to conversion, and all heretics and unbelievers to the light of the Faith.
Oh Jesus, my sweet Life, your torment has only begun, and here your executioners, having finished the nailing of your right hand, with unheard-of cruelty grab your left hand, and in order to make it reach the mark of the hole, with violence, pull it so much that the joints of your arms and shoulders are dislocated, and by the force of the pain, your legs too, are contracted and convulsed. Then, with untiring fury, they nail it to the Cross as they did with the right one.
Left hand of my Jesus, I kiss you, I compassionate you, I adore you, I thank you, and, for the blows you receive and for the bitter pains You suffer while they drive the nail through, I ask you to concede, at this moment, liberation from Purgatory to the purging souls. Yes, O Jesus, for the Blood You shed from this hand, I beg You to extinguish the flames that burn these souls. May this Blood be refreshment and a healthy bath for all, such as to purge them from any stain and dispose them to the beatific vision. My Love and my all, for this sharp pain You suffer I ask You to close hell to all souls, and to hold back the lightenings of divine Justice irritated, unfortunately, by our own sins! O Jesus, let divine Justice be appeased, so that the divine chastisements may not pour down upon the Earth, and so treasures of divine Mercy may be open for the benefit of all. My Jesus, I place the world and all generations into your arms, and I beg You, O my sweet Love, with the voices of your own Blood, to deny no one your forgiveness, and by the merits of your most precious Blood, to concede to all the salvation of their souls! Do not exclude anyone, O Jesus!
My Love, Jesus, your enemies are not yet content. With diabolical fury, they grab your most holy feet, contracted by the great pain suffered in the tearing of your arms, and they pull them so much that your knees, your ribs and all the bones of your chest, are dislocated. My heart cannot sustain this, my dear Good; I see your beautiful eyes eclipsed and veiled with Blood, for the intensity of the pain. Your livid lips contort, your cheeks hollow, your teeth chatter, while your chest pounds rapidly. Ah, my Love, how willingly would I take your place to spare You so much pain! I want to place on every part of You a relief, a kiss, a comfort, a reparation for all.
My Jesus, they put your feet one on top of the other, and drive a nail without a point through them. Blessed feet of my Jesus, I kiss you, I adore you, I thank you; and for the most bitter pains you suffer, for the tearing and for the Blood you shed, I beg you to enclose all souls in your most sacred wounds.
O Jesus, do not disdain anyone! May your nails nail our powers, so that they may not move away from You; may they nail our hearts, so that they may always be fixed in You alone; may they nail all our feelings, so that they may have no taste which does not come from You. Oh my crucified Jesus, I see You all bleeding, as though swimming in a bath of Blood, which asks continuously for souls. By the power of this Blood, I ask You, O Jesus, that not one of them may escape You ever again!
Oh Jesus, I come close to your tortured Heart; I see that You cannot take any more, but Love cries out more loudly: "Pains, pains, more pains".
My Jesus, I hug You, I kiss You, I compassionate You, I adore You and I thank You for myself and for all. Jesus, I want to place my head upon your Heart, to feel what You feel in this painful Crucifixion. Ah, I hear every blow of the hammer echoing in It; everything is centered in It from It do your pains begin, and in It do they end. Ah, if it were not already decreed that a lance would rip your Heart, the flames of your love would open their way, and would make It explode! These flames call loving souls to find a happy residence in your Heart, and I, O Jesus, for the sake of your most precious Blood, ask You for sanctity for these souls. O please, do not allow them ever to go out from your Heart, and with your grace, multiply the vocations of victim souls, who may continue your life upon Earth. You wanted to give a distinct place in your Heart to the loving souls; let them never lose this place. Oh Jesus, may the flames of your Heart burn me and consume me; may your Blood embellish me; may your love keep me always nailed to It through suffering and reparation.
O my Jesus, the executioners have now nailed your hands and feet to the Cross, and turning It over in order to bend the nails, they force your adorable Face to touch the ground, soaked with your own Blood; and You, with your divine lips, kiss it. With this kiss, O my sweet Love, You intend to kiss all souls and bind them to your love, placing a seal on their salvation. O Jesus, let me take your place, and while your executioners pound on the nails, let these blows wound me as well, and nail me completely to your love.
My Jesus, as the thorns are driven more and more into your head, I want to offer You, O my sweet Good, all my thoughts, that like loving kisses, they may console You and soothe the bitterness of your thorns.
O Jesus, I see that your enemies are not yet satiated with insulting You and deriding You, and I want to comfort your divine gazes with my gazes of love.
Your tongue is almost attached to your palate because of the bitterness of the bile and the ardent thirst. In order to quench your thirst, O my Jesus, You would want all the hearts of creatures overflowing with love, but not having them, You burn more and more for them. My sweet Love, I intend to send You rivers of love, to soothe in some way the bitterness of the bile and your ardent thirst. O Jesus, I see that at every movement You make the wounds of your hands rip open more and more, and the pain becomes more intense and sharp. My dear Good, to relieve and soothe this pain I offer You the holy works of all creatures. O Jesus, how much You suffer in your most holy feet! It seems that all the movements of your most sacred Body pound in them, and nobody is near You to sustain You, and somehow soothe the bitterness of your sufferings! My most sweet Life, I would want to reunite the steps of creatures of all generations, past, present and future, and direct them all to You, to come to console You in your hard pains.
O my Jesus, alas, how tortured is your poor Heart! How to comfort so much pain? I will diffuse myself in You; I will place my heart in Yours, my ardent desires in Yours, so that any evil desire may be destroyed. I will diffuse my love in Yours, so that by means of your fire, the hearts of all creatures may be burned up, and the profaned loves destroyed. Your most sacred Heart will be comforted, and from now on I promise You, O Jesus, always to remain nailed to this most loving Heart, with the nails of your desires, of your love and of your Will.
O my Jesus Crucified You; crucified me in you. Do not allow me, even slightly, to unnail myself from You, but let me always be nailed to You to be able to love You and repair for all, and to soothe the pain which the creatures give You with their sins.
Second Part: Jesus Crucified. With Him we disarm Divine Justice.
My good Jesus, I see that your enemies lift the heavy wood of the Cross and let It drop into the hole they had prepared; and You, my sweet love, remain suspended between Heaven and earth. In this solemn moment, You turn to the Father, and with weak and feeble voice, You say to Him: "Holy Father, here I am, loaded down with all the sins of the world. There is not one sin which does not pour upon Me; therefore, no longer unload the scourges of your divine Justice upon man, but upon Me, your Son. O Father, allow Me to bind all souls to this Cross, and to plead forgiveness for them with the voices of my Blood and of my wounds. O Father, do You not see how I have reduced Myself? By this Cross, by virtue of these pains, concede true conversion, peace, forgiveness and sanctity to all. Arrest your fury against poor humanity, against my children. They are blind, and know not what they are doing. Look well at Me, how I have reduced Myself because of them; if you are not moved to compassion for them, may You at least be softened by this Face of mine, dirtied with spit, covered with Blood, bruised and swollen by the so many slaps and blows received. Have pity, my Father! I was the most beautiful of all, and now I am all disfigured, to the point that I no longer recognize Myself. I have become the abject of all; and so, at any cost, I want to save the poor creature!"
My Jesus, how is it possible that You love us so much? Your love crushes my poor heart. Oh, I would want to go into the midst of all creatures to show this Face of Yours, so disfigured because of them, to move them to compassion for their own souls and for your Love; and with the light that your Face emanates, and with the enrapturing power of your love, make them understand Who You are, and who they are, who dare to offend You, so that they may prostrate themselves before You, to adore You and glorify You.
My Jesus, adorable Crucified, the creature continues to irritate Divine Justice, and with her tongue, she makes resound the echo of horrible blasphemies, voices of curses and maledictions, and evil discourses. Ah, all these voices deafen the earth, and penetrating even into the Heavens, while deafening the divine hearing, they curse and ask for revenge and justice against her! Oh, how Divine Justice feels pressed to hurl Its scourges! Oh, how the many horrendous blasphemies ignite Its fury against the creature! But You, O my Jesus, loving us with highest love, face these deadly voices with your omnipotent and creative voice, and shout for mercy, graces and love for the creature. In order to appease the indignation of the Father, all love, You say to Him: "My Father, look at Me once again, do not listen to voices of the creatures, but to Mine; I am the One Who satisfies for all. Therefore I beg You to look at the creature, and to look at her in Me; if You look at her outside of Me, what will happen to her? She is weak, ignorant, capable only of doing evil, and full of miseries. Have pity pity on the poor creature. I answer for her with my tongue embittered by bile, parched by thirst, dried and burned by love."
My embittered Jesus, my voice in Yours wants to face all these offenses, all the blasphemies, in order to change all human voices into voices of blessings and praises.
My Crucified Jesus, at so much love and pain of yours, the creature does not yet surrender; on the contrary, she despises You and adds sins to sins, committing enormous sacrileges, murders, suicides, duels, frauds, deceits, cruelties and betrayals. Ah, all these evil works weigh on the arms of your celestial Father; so much so, that unable to sustain their weight, He is about to lower them and pour fury and destruction upon the earth. And You, O my Jesus, to snatch the creature from the divine fury, fearing to see her destroyed - You stretch out your arms to the Father, You disarm Him, and prevent Divine Justice from taking Its course. And to move Him to compassion for miserable Humanity and to soften Him, You say to Him with the most persuasive voice: "My Father, look at these hands, ripped open, and the nails that pierce them, that nail them together with all these evil works. Ah, in these hands I feel all the spasms that these evil works give to Me. Are You not content, O my Father, with my pains? Am I perhaps not capable of satisfying You? Yes, these dislocated arms of Mine will always be chains to hold the poor creatures tightly, so that they may not escape from Me, except for those who wanted to struggle free by live force. These arms of mine will be loving chains that will bind You, my Father, to prevent You from destroying the poor creature. Even more, I will draw You closer and closer to her, that You may pour your graces and mercies upon her!"
My Jesus, your love is a sweet enchantment for me, and pushes me to do what You do. So, together with You, at the cost of any pain, I want to prevent divine Justice from taking Its course against poor Humanity. With the Blood that pours out of your hands I want to extinguish the fire of sin that ignites It, and to calm Its fury. Allow me to place in your arms, the sufferings and the torments of all men, and the many hearts, grieving and oppressed. Allow me to go among all creatures and press them all into your arms, so that all of them may return to your Heart. By the power of your creative hands, allow me to stop the current of so many evil works, and to hold everyone back from doing evil.
My adorable crucified Jesus, the creature is not yet content in offending You. She wants to drink, to the bottom, all the filth of sin, and she runs almost wildly along the path of evil. She falls from sin to sin, disobeys all of your Laws, and denying You, rebels against You - almost out of spite, she wants to go to hell. Oh, how indignant becomes the Supreme Majesty! And You, O my Jesus, triumphing over all, even over the obstinacy of creatures, in order to appease the Divine Father, show Him all your Most Holy Humanity, lacerated, dislocated, tortured in a horrible way. You show your Most Holy Feet, pierced, twisted by the atrocity of the spasms, and I hear your voice, more moving than ever, as though in act of breathing its last, wanting to win over the creature by force of love and pain, and to triumph over the Paternal Heart: "My Father, look at Me, from head to foot; there is not one part of Me which is left whole, I do not know where else to let them open more wounds and to procure more sufferings. If You do not placate Yourself at this sight of love and suffering, who will ever be able to appease You? O creatures, if you do not surrender to so much Love, what hope remains for you to convert? These wounds and Blood of Mine will be voices that constantly call from Heaven to earth, graces of repentance, forgiveness and compassion for you!"
My Jesus, Crucified lover, I see that You can take no more. The terrible tension that You suffer on the Cross, the continual creaking of your bones that dislocate more and more at every tiny movement, your flesh that rips more and more, the ardent thirst that consumes You, the interior pains that suffocate You with bitterness, pain and love - and, in the face of so many martyrdoms, the human ingratitude that insults You and penetrates, like an impetuous wave, into your pierced Heart, oppress You so much that your Most Holy Humanity, unable to bear the weight of so many martyrdoms, is about to end, and raving with love and suffering, cries out for help and pity! Crucified Jesus, is it possible that You, Who rule everything and give life to all, ask for help? Ah, how I wish to penetrate into each drop of your most precious Blood, and to pour my own in order to soothe each one of your wounds, to lessen and render less painful the pricks of each thorn, and into every interior pain of your Heart to relieve the intensity of your bitternesses. I wish I could give You life for life. If it were possible, I would want to unnail You from the Cross and put myself in your place; but I see that I am nothing and can do nothing - I am too insignificant. Therefore, give me Yourself; I will take life in You, and in You, I will give You Yourself. In this way You will satisfy my yearnings. Tortured Jesus, I see that your Most Holy Humanity is ending, not because of You, but to fulfill our Redemption in everything. You need divine aid, and so You throw Yourself into the Paternal arms and ask for help and assistance. Oh, how moved is the Divine Father in looking at the horrible torture of your Most Holy Humanity, the terrible crafting that sin has made upon your Most Holy Members! And to satisfy your yearnings of love, He holds You to His paternal Heart, and gives You the necessary helps to accomplish our Redemption; and as He holds You tightly, You feel again in your Heart, more intensely, the blow of the nails, the lashes of the scourging, the tearing of the wounds, the pricking of the thorns. Oh, how the Father is struck! How indignant He becomes in seeing that all these pains are given to You, up into your inmost Heart, even by souls consecrated to You! And in His sorrow, He says to You: "Is it possible, my Son, that not even the part chosen by You is wholly with You? On the contrary, it seems that these souls ask for refuge and a hiding place in your Heart in order to embitter You and give You a more painful death. And even more, all these pains they give to You, are hidden and covered by hypocrisy. Ah, Son, I can no longer contain my indignation at the ingratitude of these souls, who grieve Me more than all the other creatures together!"
But You, O my Jesus, triumphing over all, defend even these souls, and with the immense love of your Heart, form a shield to the waves of bitternesses and piercings that these souls give You. And to appease the Father, You say to Him: "My Father, look at this Heart of mine. May all these pains satisfy You; and the more bitter they are, the more powerful may they be over your Heart of Father, to plead graces, light and forgiveness for them. My Father, do not reject them; they will be my defenders who will continue my life upon earth."
My Life, Crucified Jesus, I see You still agonizing on the Cross, because your love is not yet satisfied in order to give completion to all. I too, yes, agonize together with You. And all of you, Angels and Saints come to Mount Calvary, to admire the excesses, and the follies of the love of a God! Let us kiss His bleeding wounds; let us adore them; let us sustain those lacerated limbs; let us thank Jesus for the accomplished Redemption. Let us turn our gaze to the pierced Mother, who feels pains and deaths in Her Immaculate Heart, for as many pains as She sees in Her Son God. Her own clothes are soaked with His Blood; Mount Calvary is all covered with It. So, all together, let us take this Blood, let us ask the sorrowful Mother to unite Herself to us; let us divide ourselves throughout the whole world, and let us go to the help to all. Let us help those who are in danger, that they may not perish; those who have fallen, that they may stand up again; those who are about to fall, that they may not fall. Let us give this Blood to the many poor blind, that the light of truth may shine in them. In a special way, let us go into the midst of the poor soldiers, to be their vigilant sentries, and if they are about to be struck by the lead of the enemy, let us receive them into our arms, to comfort them. And if they are abandoned by all, if they are desperate with their sad destiny, let us give them this Blood that they may be resigned, and the atrocity of the pain lessened. And if we see that there are souls who are about to fall into hell, let us give them this divine Blood, which contains the price of Redemption - let us snatch them from Satan! And while I hold Jesus tightly to my heart in order to defend Him and shelter Him from everything, I will hold everyone to this Heart, so that all may obtain effective grace of conversion, strength and salvation.
Meanwhile, O Jesus, I see that your Blood flows in torrents from your hands and from your feet. The Angels, weeping, surrounding You like a crown, admire the portents of your immense love. I see your sweet Mama, pierced by pain, at the foot of the Cross; your dear Magdalene, beloved John all taken by ecstasy of awe, love and pain! O Jesus, I unite myself to You and I cling to your Cross; I take all the drops of your Blood and I pour them into my heart.
When I see your Justice irritated against sinners, I will show You this Blood in order to appease You. When I want the conversion of souls obstinate in sin, I will show You this Blood, and by virtue of It You will not reject my prayer, because I hold its pledge in my hands. And now, my Crucified Good, in the name of all generations, past, present and future, together with your Mama and with all the Angels, I prostrate myself before You and say: "We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You, because by your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world."
Reflections and Practices
Crucified Jesus obeys His executioners. He accepts with love all the insults and pains which they give Him. Jesus found in the Cross His bed of rest for the great love which He felt for our poor soul. And we - do we rest in Him in all our pains? Can we say that we prepare a bed for Jesus in our heart with our patience and with our love?
While Jesus is being crucified, there is not one interior or external part of Him which does not feel a special suffering. Do we remain completely crucified to Him, at least with our main senses? When we find our enjoyment in a futile conversation or in some other similar amusement, then it is Jesus that remains nailed to the cross. But if we sacrifice that same taste for love of Him, then we remove the nails from Jesus, and pierce ourselves.
Do we always keep our mind, our heart and all of our being as nailed with the nails of His most holy Will? While being crucified, Jesus looks at His executioners with love. Do we look with love at those who offend us, for love of Him?
All: My crucified Jesus, may your nails be driven into my heart, so that there may be no heartbeat, affection or desire which does not feel their pricking; and may the blood which this heart of mine will shed, be the balm that soothes all your wounds.
* * * * *
Excerpts from Volume 1
Going back to the beginning, when Jesus deigned to come, He spoke to me very often about His Passion and took care in disposing my soul to the imitation of His life and of His sufferings, telling me that beyond the marriage which is mentioned above, we had one more left to do and this was the marriage of the cross.
I remember that He said: "My Spouse, the virtues become weak if they
are not strengthened and fortified by the grafting of the cross. Before my coming upon
earth, pains, confusions, disgraces, calumnies, sufferings, poverty, illnesses, and
especially the cross, were considered dishonors. But from the moment they were borne by
Me, they remained all sanctified and divinized by my contact. They all changed their
appearance, becoming sweet and pleasing; and if the soul receives the good of having some
of them, she is honored - this, because she has received my own uniform as Son of God.
Only those who look, and stop at the surface of the cross, experience the contrary;
finding it bitter, they are disgusted by it, they complain, as if someone had done wrong
to them. But those who penetrate into it, finding it enjoyable, form in it their happiness
* * * * *
If you knew what good the cross contains in
itself, how precious it renders the soul, and what a gem of inestimable value one
acquires, who has the good of possessing sufferings! It is enough to say only that, in
coming upon earth, I did not choose riches or pleasures, but I cherished as dear and
intimate sisters, the cross, poverty, sufferings and ignominies
* * * * *
Jesus: "My beloved, do you want to be beautiful? The cross will give you the most beautiful features that could possibly be found, both in Heaven and on earth; so much so, as to enamor God, Who contains all beauties in Himself."
Jesus continued: "Do you want to be filled with immense riches, not for a short time, but for all eternity? Well then, the cross will administer to you all kinds of riches - from the most tiny cents, which are the little crosses, up to the greatest amounts, which are the heavier crosses. Yet, men are so greedy to earn a temporal penny, which they soon will have to leave, but do not give a thought to earning one eternal cent. And when I, having compassion for them, in seeing their carelessness for all that regards eternity, kindly offer them the opportunity - instead of cherishing it, they get angry and offend Me. What human madness it seems that they understand it upside down.
My beloved, in the cross are all the triumphs, all the victories, and
the greatest gains. You must have no aim other than the cross, and it will be enough for
you, in everything. Today I want to make you content; that cross which until now has not
been enough to lay you on and crucify you completely, is the cross that you have carried
up to now. But since I have to crucify you completely, you need new crosses which I will
let descend upon you. The cross you have had until now, I will bring to Heaven, to show it
to the whole celestial court as pledge of your love, and I will let another one descend
from Heaven a larger one, to be able to satisfy the ardent desires I have upon
* * * * *
Jesus: "My beloved, the cross allows one to distinguish the reprobates from the predestined. Just as on the day of judgment, the good will rejoice upon seeing the cross, even now it can be seen whether one will be saved or lost. If, as the cross presents itself to the soul, she hugs it, carries it with resignation and patience, kissing and thanking the hand that is sending it here is the sign that she is saved. If, on the contrary, as the cross is presented to her, she gets irritated, despises it, and even reaches the point of offending Me you can say that thats a sign that the soul is heading on the way to hell. So will the reprobates do on the day of judgment: upon seeing the cross, they will grieve and curse. The cross tells everything; the cross is a book that, without deception and in clear terms, tells you and allows you to distinguish the saint from the sinner, the perfect from the imperfect, the fervent from the lukewarm. The cross communicates such light to the soul that, even now, it allows one to distinguish not only the good from the evil, but also those who are to be more or less glorious in Heaven those who are to occupy a higher or a lower place. All other virtues remain humble and reverent before the virtue of the cross, and grafting themselves to it, they receive greater glory and splendor "
May 16 1899 Volume 2
The Cross purifies, detaches from earth, and unites the soul to God. A devoted life, without stripping oneself of ones own will in order to be dominated by the Divine, is false.
Jesus continued for some more days to manifest Himself in the same way not wanting to detach Himself from me. It seemed that those little sufferings He had poured into me attracted Him so much as to be unable to remain without me. This morning He poured a little more of bitterness from His mouth into mine, and then He said to me: "The cross disposes the soul to patience. The cross opens Heaven and unites Heaven and earth God and the soul. The virtue of the cross is powerful, and when it enters into a soul, it has the virtue of removing the rust of all earthly things. Not only this; it causes boredom, bother and disdain for the things of the earth. On the other hand, it provides the flavor and the enjoyment of the celestial things. However, the virtue of the cross is recognized by few; therefore many despise it."
Who can say how many things I understood of the Cross while Jesus was speaking? The speaking of Jesus is not like ours, in which one understands only as much as is said. Rather, one single word leaves an immense light, and to meditate well on it one could remain occupied the whole day in most profound meditation Therefore, if I wanted to tell everything I would be too long, and I would also lack the time to do it.
After a while, Jesus came back again, but a little more afflicted. I soon asked the reason for it, and Jesus showed me many devoted souls, and told me: "My daughter, what I look at in the soul is when she strips herself of her will. Only then does my Will invest her, divinize her, and make her all Mine. Take a look at these souls who call themselves devoted, as long as things go their way. One little thing if their confessions are not long enough, if the confessor does not satisfy them is enough for them to lose peace. Some come to the point of no longer wanting to do anything. This says that it is not my Will that dominates, but their own. Believe, my daughter, that they took the wrong way, because when I see that they really want to love Me, I have many ways to give my Grace."
How pitiful it was to see Jesus suffer for this sort of people! I tried to compassionate Him as much as I could, and so it ended.
July 22, 1899 Volume 2
The Cross renders the soul transparent and shining. In order not to fall into the abyss and to reach Heaven, one must look only at Jesus.
This morning my adorable Jesus made Himself seen with a golden cross, all shining, hanging from His neck, and in looking at it, He was immensely pleased. In one instant the Confessor was present, and Jesus said to him: "The sufferings of these past days have increased the splendor of the cross; so much so, that in looking at it, I take great delight."
Then He turned to me and told me: "The Cross communicates such splendor to the soul as to render her transparent. Just as one can give all the colors he wants to an object which is transparent, in the same way, with its light the Cross provides all features and the most beautiful shapes that can possibly be imagined, not only by others, but by the very soul who experiences it. Furthermore, on a transparent object one can immediately detect dust, little stains, and even a shadow. Such is the Cross. As it renders the soul transparent, it immediately reveals to the soul any little defect, and the slightest imperfection, to the extent that there is no hand of a master more capable than the Cross in keeping the soul ready, in order to make of her a residence worthy of the God of Heaven.
Who can tell all that I understood of the Cross, and how enviable is the soul who possesses it?
After this, He carried me outside of myself, and I found myself at the top of a most high staircase. There was a precipice under it, and whats more, the steps of this staircase were movable and so narrow that one could barely put the tips of the foot on it. What terrified the most was the precipice around, and the fact that one could find no support whatsoever; on the contrary, in trying to cling to the steps, they would break off. The sight of other people, almost all of them falling, made ones bones shiver. Yet, there was no way other than going up those stairs. So I tried. But after I did just two steps, or three, in seeing I was in great danger of falling into the abyss, I started to call Jesus, to come to my aid Not knowing how, I found Jesus close to me, and He told me: "My daughter, what you have seen is the way all men pass through this earth. The movable steps, on which they cannot even lean to find support, are the human supports the earthly things; and if men try to lean on them, instead of providing help, they give them a push to fall sooner into hell. The safest way is to climb, almost flying, without touching the ground, by force of ones arms; with the eyes all fixed on oneself - without looking at others, and by keeping them all intent also on Me, in order to receive help and strength. In this way one can easily avoid the precipice."
December 2, 1899 Volume 3
Jesus, adorned with many little bells of gold, which speak of His Love for Luisa, clothes her with His own little bells. In this way Luisa speaks to Him on the sublimeness of the Cross.
As I was very afflicted about certain things - which it is not right here to say - adorable Jesus, wanting to relieve me from my affliction, came with a completely new look. He seemed to be dressed in pale blue, all adorned with tiny little bells of gold, which, in touching one another, resounded with a sound never heard before.
At the appearance of Jesus and at that gracious sound, I felt enchanted and relieved in my affliction, which departed from me like smoke. I would have stayed there in silence, so much did I feel the powers of my soul astonished and stupefied, if blessed Jesus had not broken my silence, saying: "My beloved daughter, all these little bells are many voices that speak to you about my love, and call you to love Me. Now let me see how many little bells you have, that speak to Me about your love and call Me to love you."
And I, all blushing, said to Him: What are You saying, Lord? I have nothing; I have nothing but defects.
So, Jesus, compassionating my misery, continued: "You have nothing, it is true. Well then, I want to adorn you with my own little bells, so that you may have many voices to call Me and show Me your love." And He seemed to surround my waist with a belt adorned with these little bells.
After this, I remained in silence, and He added: "Today I take pleasure in spending time with you. Tell Me something." And I: You know that all my contentment is in being with You; and in having You, I have everything. In possessing You, it seems I have nothing else to desire, or to say.
And Jesus: "Let Me hear your voice, that cheers my hearing. Let us converse together a little. I spoke to you many times about the Cross; today let Me hear you speak of the Cross."
I felt all confused; I didnt know what to say. But as He sent me a ray of intellectual light, in order to make Him content, I began to speak: My Beloved, who can say to You what the Cross is and what the Cross does? Your mouth alone can speak worthily of the sublimeness of the Cross. But since You want me to speak, I will do it.
The Cross suffered by You, Jesus Christ, freed me from the slavery of the devil, and married me to the Divinity with an indissoluble bond. The Cross is fecund and gives birth to Grace in me. The Cross is Light; It disillusions me from what is temporal and reveals to me what is eternal. The Cross is Fire, and reduces to ashes all that is not God, to the extent of emptying my heart of the tiniest blade of grass that might be in it. The Cross is Coin of inestimable value, and, O Holy Spouse, if I have the fortune of possessing it, I will be enriched with eternal coins, to the point of becoming the richest in Paradise, because the currency that circulates in Heaven is the Cross suffered on earth. The Cross, then, makes me know myself; not only this, It gives me the knowledge of God. The Cross grafts all virtues into me. The Cross is the noble pulpit of the uncreated Wisdom, that teaches me the highest, the finest and most sublime doctrines. Only the Cross will reveal to me the most hidden mysteries, the most secret things, the most perfect perfection, hidden to the most erudite and learned of the world. The Cross is like beneficent water that purifies me. Not only this; it provides me with the nourishment of the virtues, making them grow; and only then does it leave me, when it brings me back to Eternal Life. The Cross is like celestial dew, which preserves me and embellishes the beautiful lily of purity. The Cross is nourishment of Wisdom. The Cross is the torch of operating Faith. The Cross is like dry wood, that preserves the fire of charity, keeping it always lit. The Cross is like dry wood, that dispels and puts to flight all the smokes of pride and vainglory, producing the humble violet of humility in the soul. The Cross is the most powerful weapon that offends the demons, and defends me from their claws. Therefore, the soul who possesses the cross is the envy and admiration of the very Angels and Saints, and the rage and indignation of the demons. The Cross is my Paradise on earth, in such a way that, if the Paradise of the Blessed, there, is of delights, the Paradise here is of sufferings. The Cross is the chain of most pure gold that connects me to You, my Highest Good, and forms the most intimate union which can possibly be given; to the point of making my being disappear. It transforms me into You, my Beloved, to the point of feeling lost in You - living from your own Life.
After I said this I dont know whether its nonsense my adorable Jesus was all delighted in listening to me, and taken by enthusiasm of love, kissed me all over, and said to me: "Brava, brava, my beloved! You said well. My Love is fire, but not like the terrestrial fire, that, wherever it penetrates, makes things sterile and reduces everything to ash. My fire is fecund, and makes sterile only that which is not virtue. To all the rest it gives life, making beautiful flowers bloom, delicious fruits mature, forming the most delightful celestial garden. The Cross is so powerful, and I communicated so much grace to It, as to render It more effective than the very Sacraments. And this, because in receiving the Sacrament of my Body, the disposition and free participation of the soul are needed in order to receive my grace, and many times these may be lacking; while the Cross has the virtue of disposing the soul to grace."
April 21, 1900 Volume 3
Our bodies are sacred vessels in which God dwells; therefore He needs to dust them off at times. The Cross seals the union between God and the soul more surely than the Eucharist.
As I was in my usual state, or rather, with some concern about a personal thing, my sweet Jesus came and told me: " And they are sacred vessels, and every once in a while it is necessary to dust them off! Your bodies are as many sacred vessels, in which I dwell. So it is necessary that I do some dusting at times that is, to visit them with some tribulation, so that I may remain always in them with more decorum. Therefore, calm yourself."
Later, after I received Holy Communion, having renewed in me the sufferings of the Crucifixion, He added: "My daughter, how precious is the Cross! See: in giving Itself to the soul, the Sacrament of my Body unites her with Me, It transforms her, to the point that she becomes one with Me. But as the species is consumed, the union - really established, ceases. Not with the Cross. The Cross takes God, and unites Him with the soul forever, and It places Itself more surely as a seal. Therefore, the Cross seals God in the soul, in such a way that there is never separation between God and the crucified soul."
May 1, 1900 Volume 3
On not fearing suffering. The Eucharist and the Cross.
After I received Holy Communion, my sweet Jesus made Himself seen all affability; and as it seemed that the Confessor was giving the intention of the crucifixion, my nature felt almost repugnance to submit itself. My sweet Jesus, to cheer me up, told me: "My daughter, if the Eucharist is the deposit of the future glory, the Cross is the disbursement with which to purchase it. If the Eucharist is the seed which prevents corruption like those aromatic herbs that prevent decomposition when applied to cadavers and gives immortality to soul and body, the Cross embellishes and is so powerful that if debts have been contracted, it becomes their guarantor, and it more surely obtains the restitution of the debts deed. And after it has satisfied every debt, it forms for the soul the most refulgent throne for the future glory. Ah, yes, the Cross and the Eucharist alternate, and one operates more powerfully than the other."
Then He added: "The Cross is my flowery bed, not because I did not suffer harrowing pains, but because by means of the Cross I delivered many souls to Grace, and I could see many flowers bloom, which would produce many celestial fruits. So, in seeing so much good, I kept that bed of suffering as my delight, and I delighted in the Cross and in suffering You too, my daughter - take sufferings as delights, and delight in being crucified on my Cross. No, no, I dont want you to fear suffering, almost wanting to be a sluggard. Up, courage! Be brave, and dispose yourself to suffering."
As He was saying this, I saw my good Guardian Angel ready to crucify me; I stretched my arms by myself, and the Angel crucified me. Good Jesus delighted in my suffering. How content I was, that a miserable soul could give pleasure to Jesus. It seemed a great honor for me to suffer for love of Him.
May 3, 1900 Volume 3
The Feast of the Cross in Heaven.
This morning I found myself outside of myself, and I saw all of Heaven studded with crosses some small, some large, some medium; some which were larger, emanated more light. It was a most sweet enchantment to see all these crosses adorning the firmament, more radiant than suns. Then, it seemed that Heaven opened, and one could see and hear the feast that the Blessed were making for the Cross. Those who had suffered more, were celebrated more on that day. One could distinguish in a special way the Martyrs and those who had suffered in a hidden way. Oh, how in that blessed residence was the Cross esteemed according to how much more one had suffered.
As I was seeing this, a voice resounded through the whole of Heaven, saying: "If the Lord did not send the crosses to earth, He would be like a father who has no love for his own children - who wants to see them poor and dishonored, instead of honored and rich."
The rest that I saw during this feast, I have no words to describe. I
can feel it within me, but I am unable to express it; so I remain silent.
June 14, 1900 Volume 3
The Cross absorbs the Divinity into the soul, renders her similar to the Humanity of Jesus, and reproduces His works in her.
As I was a little in suffering, my adorable Jesus came, showing great compassion for me, and said: "My daughter, what is it, that you suffer so much! Let me relieve you a little." But Jesus was suffering more than I was. He kissed my soul, and being crucified, He drew me outside of myself, placing my hands within His, and my feet within His. My head was leaning on His head, and His upon mine. How happy I was, to find myself in that position! Though the nails and the thorns of Jesus gave me sufferings, yet, they were pains that gave me joy, because they were suffered for my beloved Good. In fact, I would have wanted them to be greater.
Jesus too seemed to be happy with me, keeping me so drawn to Himself. It seemed to me that Jesus was relieving me, and that I was relief for Him. Then, we went out in that position, and having found the Confessor, I soon prayed to Him for his needs, asking the Lord to allow the Confessor to hear how sweet and gentle His voice is. To make me content, Jesus turned to him and spoke of the Cross, saying: "The Cross absorbs the Divinity into the soul, renders her similar to my Humanity, and reproduces my own works in her."
Then we continued to wander around for a little while, and oh,
what painful sights, such as to pierce the soul through!: the grave iniquities of men, who
do not bow even before Justice - on the contrary, they hurl themselves with greater fury,
as though wanting to render double wounds for wounds; and the great misery that they are
preparing for themselves. Then, with great sorrow, we withdrew. Jesus disappeared, and I
found myself inside myself.
December 25, 1900 Volume 4
The prodigy of the birth of Jesus. Luisa is called to hold Jesus after His Mama. Purpose of the Cross of Jesus from His very Incarnation and birth.
As I was in my usual state, I found myself outside of myself; after wandering around, I found myself in a cave, and I saw the Queen Mama giving birth to Little Baby Jesus. What a wonderful prodigy! It seemed that both Mother and Son were transformed into most pure light. But in that light one could see very clearly the human nature of Jesus containing the Divinity within Itself, and serving as a veil to cover the Divinity; in such a way that, in tearing the veil of human nature, He was God, while covered by that veil, He was man. Here is the prodigy of prodigies: God and Man, Man and God! Without leaving the Father and the Holy Spirit - because true love never separates - He comes to live in our midst, taking on human flesh,. Now, it seemed to me that Mother and Son, in that most happy instant, remained as though spiritualized, and without the slightest difficulty Jesus came out of the Maternal womb, while both of them overflowed with excess of Love. In other words: those Most Pure bodies were transformed into light, and without the slightest impediment, Light Jesus came out of the Light of the Mother, while both One and the Other remained whole and intact, returning, then, to their natural state.
Who can tell of the beauty of the Little Baby, who, in the moment of His birth, transfused, also externally, the rays of the Divinity? Who can tell of the beauty of the Mother, who remained all absorbed in those Divine rays? It seemed to me that Saint Joseph was not present at the act of the birth, but remained in another corner of the cave, all absorbed in that profound Mystery. And if he did not see with the eyes of the body, he saw very clearly with the eyes of the soul, because he remained enraptured in sublime ecstasy. Now, as the Little Baby came to light, I would have wanted to fly and take Him in my arms, but the Angels stopped me, saying that the honor of holding Him first belonged to the Mother.
The Most Holy Virgin, as though shaken, returned into Herself and from the hands of an Angel received the Son into Her arms. In Her ardor of love, She held Him so tightly that it seemed that She wanted to draw Him into Herself once again. Then, wanting to let Her ardent love pour out, She let Him suckle from Her breast. In the meantime, I remained completely annihilated, waiting to be called, so as not to be scolded again by the Angel. Then the Queen said to me: "Come, come and take your Beloved; enjoy Him, and pour out your love with Him." As She was saying this, I went over by Mama, and She gave Him to me - into my arms. Who can tell of my contentment, my kisses, my squeezes, and tendernesses? After I poured myself out a little, I said: My Beloved, You have suckled the milk of our Mama share it with me.
And He, all condescending, poured some of that milk from His mouth into
mine, and then told me: "My Beloved, I was conceived united to suffering, I was born
to suffering, and I died in suffering. With the three nails with which they crucified Me,
I nailed the three powers - intellect, memory and will - of those souls who yearn to love
Me, keeping them all drawn to Me, because sin had rendered them ill and apart from their
Creator - without control." As He was saying this, He gazed at all the world and
began to cry over its miseries. On seeing Him cry, I said: Adorable Baby, do not
sadden with your tears a night so happy, for the ones who love you. Instead of pouring out
in crying, let us pour out in singing. So I began to sing, and He stopped crying.
Then, as I finished my verse, He sang His own, with a voice so strong and harmonious that
all other voices disappeared at the sound of His most sweet voice. Afterwards, I prayed to
Baby Jesus for my Confessor, for those who belong to me, and then for everyone, and He
seemed to be fully condescending. At that moment He disappeared, and I returned into
March 8, 1901 Volume 4
Only the Cross reveals God to the Soul, and whether the Soul is really of God. The Cross of Suffering and the Cross of Love.
This morning, as the silence of Jesus continued, and as I was oppressed more than ever, He came and told me: "My Daughter, not my works, nor my preaching, and not even the power of my miracles, made Me known clearly as God. But when I was placed on the Cross and lifted up upon it, as though on my throne, then was I recognized as God. The Cross alone revealed to the world and to all of hell, Who I really was; then all were shaken and recognized their Creator. Therefore, it is the Cross that reveals God to the soul, and whether the soul is really of God. One can say that the Cross flows through the most intimate parts of the soul, and reveals who she is to God and to men."
Then He added: "On two Crosses I consume souls: one is of suffering, and the other is of love. In Heaven all nine Angelic Choirs love Me, but each one has its distinct office as the special office of the Seraphim is love, their Choir is positioned more in front of Me, to receive the reflections of my Love; to the extent that my love and theirs, darting through each other, are in continuous contact. In the same way, I give distinct offices to souls upon earth some I make martyr of suffering, some of love, since both of them are skillful masters in sacrificing souls, rendering them worthy of my delights"
September 2, 1901 Volume 4
Only through the Cross will the Church re-acquire Her full vigor.
This morning my Adorable Jesus made Himself seen together with the Holy Father, and He seemed to say to him: "The things suffered up to now are nothing other than everything I went through from the beginning of my Passion until I was condemned to death. My son, there is nothing left for you but to carry the Cross up to Calvary."
As He was saying this, it seemed that Blessed Jesus took the Cross and placed it upon the shoulders of the Holy Father, helping him to carry it. In doing this, He added: "My Church seems to be dying, especially with regard to the social conditions, which anxiously wait for Her cry of death. But, courage, my son; after you have reached the top of the mountain, as the Cross is lifted up, all will be shaken, and the Church will lay down Her look of a dying one, and will re-acquire Her full vigor. The Cross alone is the means for it. Just as the Cross was the only means to fill the void which sin had made and to unite the abyss of infinite distance existing between God and man; in the same way, in these times the Cross alone will make my Church raise her head with courage and splendor, so as to confuse and put to flight the enemies." Having said this, He disappeared.
After a little while, my Beloved Jesus came back all afflicted, and continued: "My daughter, how much I grieve for the present society! They are my members, and I cannot help loving them. It happens to Me as to one who had an arm, or a hand, infected and wounded. Does he perhaps hate it? Does he abhor it? Ah, does he not, rather, lavish all his care upon it, such that, who knows how much he spends to be healed? This sick limb of his is the cause for his whole body to ache, and be oppressed; until he manages to obtain the intent of seeing himself healed. Such is my condition. I see my members infected and wounded, I feel suffering and sorrow, and because of this I feel more drawn to love them. Oh, how different is my love from that of the creatures! I am forced to love them because they are my own, but they do not love Me as their own; and if they love Me at all, they love Me for their own benefit."
After this He disappeared, and I found myself inside myself.
April 25, 1902 Volume 4
How the Cross is Sacrament.
This morning I found myself outside of myself, and after searching for my sweet Jesus, I found Him, but in such a pitiful state as to break my heart. He had His hands wounded, contracted because of the sharpness of the pain; so much so, that one could not touch Him, so as to extend His fingers and heal His wounds. I couldnt do it, because Blessed Jesus was crying for the strong pain. Then, not knowing what to do, I squeezed Him to myself and said to Him: My Loving Good, it has been a while since You shared with me the sufferings of your wounds; maybe thats why they are so embittered. I beg you to let me share in your pains, so, as I suffer, your sufferings may lessen.
As I was saying this, an Angel came out with a nail in his hand, and pierced my hands and feet. As he was driving the nail into my hands, the fingers of my Dear Jesus loosened, and His wounds were healed. While I was suffering, the Lord told me: "My daughter, the Cross is Sacrament. Each one of the Sacraments contains Its special effects one removes sin, another confers grace; while the Cross alone unites all these effects together, producing them in the soul with such effectiveness as to render her, in a very short time, similar to the origin from which she came"
After this, as though wanting to take some rest, He withdrew into my interior.
July 27, 1906 Volume 7
How Jesus endows souls from the Cross.
This morning, as my adorable Jesus made Himself seen embracing the
Cross, I thought in my interior: What were His thoughts in receiving the
Cross? And He said to me: "My daughter, when I received the Cross, I embraced
It as my most dear treasure, because in the Cross I dowered souls and married them to Me.
Now, upon looking at the Cross at Its length and breadth I rejoiced, because
I could see in It sufficient dowries for all my spouses; and no one could fear not being
able to marry Me, because I held in my own hands in the Cross the prize of
their dowry. But with this condition: that if the soul accepts the little gifts I send to
her - which are the crosses - as the pledge of her acceptance of Me as her Spouse, the
wedding is signed and I give her the gift of the dowry. But if she does not accept the
gifts that is, if she is not resigned to my Will everything is undone, and
even if I want to dower her, I cannot, because in order to form a marriage, it takes
always the will of both sides; and since the soul does not accept my gifts, it means that
she does not want to accept the marriage."
August 11, 1906 Volume 7
The Cross is a Treasure.
Finding myself in my usual state, I saw my adorable Jesus with a cross
in His hand, filled with white pearls. He offered it to me as a gift, placing it on my
breast, and this cross penetrated into my heart as though inside a room. Then He told me:
"My daughter, the cross is a treasure, and the safest place in which to keep this
valuable treasure, is ones own soul; that is, man is safe when his soul is disposed
to receive this treasure with patience, with resignation and with the other virtues. In
fact, the virtues are as many keys, which keep it in safe custody so as not to waste it or
expose it to thieves. But if the soul does not find, especially, the gold key of patience,
this treasure will find many thieves, who will steal it and waste it."
October 8, 1906 Volume 7
The cross is to man as the rein to the horse.
As I was in my usual state, Blessed Jesus came and told me: "My
daughter, the cross is to the creature as the rein to the horse. What would happen to the
horse if man did not use the rein? It would be untamed, unrestrained, and would but go
from precipice to precipice, to the point of becoming fierce and noxious to man and to
itself. Instead, with the rein it can be conducted, becomes tame, walks straight, serves
the needs of man as a faithful friend, and stays safe from any precipice, because man
keeps it and protects it. Such is the cross to man. The cross tames him, restrains him,
arrests the course of his falling into the paths of passions, which he feels within
himself, and which devour him like fire. So, instead of raging against God and hurting
himself, the cross subdues him, softens him, leads him, and serves the glory of God and
his own salvation. Oh, if it wasnt for the cross, which by mercy Divine Providence
holds as a rein in order to restrain man oh, into how many more evils would we see
poor humanity lay!"
November 14, 1906 Volume 7
If resignation is the sign of predestination, the cross expands the boundaries of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Oh, how I struggled and suffered because of His privation! Then, after a long time, He made Himself seen, just in passing, and told me:
"My daughter, if perfect resignation is the certain and sure sign
of predestination, the cross expands the boundaries of the Kingdom of Heaven." And He
disappeared like a flash.
October 4, 1907 Volume 8
The Exaltation of the Cross. Preciousness and richness of the Cross.
Continuing in my usual state of privation, and therefore with little suffering, I was saying to myself: "Not only of Jesus am I deprived, but also the good of suffering is taken away from me. Oh, God! So, You want to put me to fire and the sword, and touch the things which are most dear to me, and form my own life: Jesus and the Cross! If I am abominable to Jesus because of my ingratitude, He is right in not coming But you, O Cross what have I done to you, that you left me so barbarously? Ah, did I perhaps not welcome you when you came? Did I not treat you as my faithful companion? Ah, I remember that I loved you so much that I could not be without you, and sometimes I even preferred you to Jesus. I didnt know what you had done to me, that I could not be without you. Yet, you left me! It is true that you gave me many goods; you were the way, the door, the room, the secret, the light in which I could find Jesus. This is why I loved you so much. And now, everything is over for me!
While I was thinking this, as blessed Jesus came, He told me: "My daughter, the Cross is the door to Life, and only one who does not love his own life, does not love the Cross; because it was only with the Cross that I grafted the Divinity into lost humanity. Only the Cross continues Redemption in the world, grafting anyone who receives It into the Divinity. One who does not love It, knows nothing of virtues, perfection, love of God, and true Life. It happens as to a rich man, who has lost his riches and is presented with the means to reacquire them again - and maybe even more. How much does he not love this means? Does he, perhaps, not put his own life into this means in order to find life again in his riches ? Such is the Cross. Man had become extremely poor, and the Cross is the means not only to save him from misery, but to enrich him with all goods. Therefore, the Cross is the richness of the soul."
Then He disappeared, and I remained more embittered, thinking of what I
February 16, 1908 Volume 8
The sign of true love for Jesus is the cross carried with patience and resignation.
As I was in my usual state, I thought to myself: "Why does the cross alone reveal whether we really love God, when there are many other things virtues, prayer, Sacraments which could reveal to us whether we love the Lord?
While I was thinking this, blessed Jesus came and told me: "My
daughter, it is exactly so. Only the Cross is what makes one know whether one really loves
the Lord but the Cross carried with patience and resignation, because where there
is patience and resignation in the crosses, there is Divine Life. Since nature is so
reluctant to suffer, if there is patience, it therefore cannot be a natural thing, but
Divine; and the soul loves God, no longer with her love alone, but united with the Love of
the Divine Life. Therefore, what doubt can she have as to whether she loves or not, if she
comes to love Him with His own Love? On the other hand, in other things, and even in the
Sacraments, it may be that she loves - that she contains this Divine Life within herself -
but these cannot give the certainty of the Cross
The Divine Life may or may not be
in her, for lack of disposition. One can very well make a Confession, but if the
disposition is lacking, she certainly cannot say that she loves and that she received this
Divine Life into herself. Another receives Communion - yes, she receives the Divine Life -
but can she say this Life stays within her, if she did not have the true disposition? In
fact, one can see that some receive Communions or make Confessions, but when the occasion
comes up, the patience of the Divine Life does not appear to be in them. And if patience
is lacking, love is lacking, because love is known only through sacrifice and there
come the doubts; while patience and resignation are fruits produced only by the Cross,
Grace, and love."
November 18, 1913 Volume 11
When the human will and the Divine Will are opposed, one forms the cross of the other.
I was thinking about my poor state, and how even the cross has been banished to me. In my interior, Jesus told me: "My daughter, when two wills are opposed to each other, one forms the cross of the other. So it is between Me and the creatures: when their wills are opposed to Mine, I form their cross and they form Mine. I am the long bar of the cross, while they are the short one, and crossing each other, they form the cross. Now, when the will of the soul unites with Mine, the bars remain no longer crossed, but united; therefore, the cross is no longer a cross. Have you understood? Furthermore, I sanctified the Cross; it wasnt the cross that sanctified Me. The Cross does not sanctify; rather, the resignation to my Will sanctifies the Cross; therefore, even the Cross can do good as long as it is connected with my Will. Not only this. The Cross sanctifies and crucifies part of the person, while my Will does not spare anything; It sanctifies everything, crucifying thoughts, desires, will, affections, heart - everything. Being light, my Will shows to the soul the necessity of this sanctification and complete crucifixion, in such a way that she, herself, incites Me to accomplish the crafting of my Will upon her.
Therefore, the Cross and the other virtues are content as long as they get something; and if they can pierce the creature with three nails, they celebrate triumphantly. Instead, my Will, which does not know how to do incomplete works, is not happy with just three nails, but with as many nails for as many acts of my Will which I dispose for the creature."
December 30, 1916
"My daughter, the executioners were able to lacerate my Body, to insult Me, to trample Me underfoot, etc., but they were neither able to touch my Will nor to touch my Love. I desired that they be free, so that like two currents, they might run, run, without anyone being able to impede their flight, pouring Myself out for the good of everyone, even for these very enemies. Oh, how my Will and Love triumphed in the midst of enemies! They struck Me with whips, whereas I struck their hearts with my Love and chained them with my Will. They pierced my head with thorns, whereas my Love enflamed their light of reason, thereby exposing Myself to their minds; they opened my wounds, whereas my Love healed the wounds of their souls; they handed Me over to death, whereas my Love restored life to them, so much so, that as I breathed forth my last breath on the Cross, the blazings of my Love, wherein touching their hearts, compelled them to fall prostrate before Me and confess that I am the true God. Never was I so glorious and triumphant as when I was in pains during the course of my mortal Life here below.
June 16, 1919 Volume 12
The pains which the soul suffers in the Divine Will are participation in the sufferings of Jesus.
I was thinking in my interior: Where are the pains my sweet Jesus had told me He would let me share in - while I am suffering almost nothing? And my always adorable Jesus told me: "My daughter, how you deceive yourself! You calculate the physical pains; I calculate physical and moral pains. How many times, deprived of Me, it was a death that you felt, and I felt I was being repaired for the many deaths which creatures give themselves through sin - and you took part in the many deaths which I suffered. When you felt cold - that was another little death you felt as you shared in the coldness of the creatures who would want to cool my Love. But my Love, triumphant over their coldness, absorbs it into Me, to feel the death of their coldness; and I give to them more ardent love. And so with all your other pains: they were evils opposite those of the creatures; and like many little deaths, they made you share in my deaths.
And then, dont you know that my Justice suspends your pains, when it
is forced by the evil of peoples to pour out new chastisements? Evils will be so grave as
to be horrifying. I know that this is a suffering for you, but I too had the same pain. I
would have wanted to free creatures from all pains, both in time and in Eternity, but this
was not granted to Me by the Wisdom of the Father, and I had to resign Myself. Would you
perhaps want to surpass my own Humanity? Ah, my daughter, no kind of sanctity is without
its Cross. No virtue can be acquired without union with pains. However, know that I will
repay you at usurious interest for all my privations, and even for the pains that you
would want to suffer, and you dont."


Class 2 were lucky enough to have a lovely sunny day for their walk to St Mary’s Church today. We all enjoyed the fresh air, not to mention the biscuit when we arrived! Reverend Roden was there to meet us and told the children all about the church.
At first the children had a look around, while Reverend Roden told them facts and regaled them with stories about the church. All the children were keen to both ask and answer questions about the things they could see. Afterwards the children completed their worksheets before heading outside to see the signs of a church from the outside. They were fascinated by the gargoyles, particularly when Reverend Roden told them that there was a very new gargoyle with the face of a previous vicar!
We all had a wonderful morning.


Ever heard the phrase “bear fruit” or “the fruit of the Spirit”? What does it mean to bear fruit? What kind of fruit? What if I don’t like fruit (said no one ever !!) Starting July 3rd, we will take an in depth look into the fruits of the Spirit as laid out in scripture by Paul in his letter to the Galatians.
Each week, we will dissect one of the fruits: what is it? What does scripture say about it? What does that look like in my life? How can I display it? How can it transform me into the image of Christ? And because I am not the end all be all of exegesis of the scriptures (big words: exegesis), I will be linking other sources to help us (yes, us) dig deeper into these apples, oranges and bananas.
There was an album that was released a few years back entitled B3AR Fruit which features a song with each fruit mentioned. There is also a She Reads Truth (don’t worry guys…if there are any, you can still read this too) bible study that was written about the fruits that I will reference from time to time and I encourage you to check it out.
One thing that I did want to echo that Jon mentioned in this video is that the fruits of the spirit are not things that arrive at; moreover they are things that are cultivated within us as we abide in Jesus. For example: God did not try to reach for love, rather God is love. It’s His nature. Trees don’t try really hard to produce fruit. Rather, it’s who the tree is.
Jesus said in John 15:2 that the Father will prune us that we may bear more fruit (so count it ALL JOY) (look at that, a fruit, mentioned in James 1). John 15:1- 8 is a great passage for us to start off with before we jump into our main portion of scripture, which is Galatians 5:22-23. In the post preceding the next fruit, I will give you scriptures to read that will lead into that fruit. I encourage you to do what you need to in order to understand what the scripture is saying and to become familiar with it. read it, pray before reading, pray while reading, pray after reading (yes, pray and pray often), color in your bible, get highlighters, write it down, read it in a few translations, talk to you friends about it. Do what you need to in order to rightly divide the word of truth.
So: what are the fruits? According to Galatians 5:22-23, in the Englush Standard Version, they are
💚Self – control
I can’t wait to go on this journey together. It will certainly be exciting and cause growth!
So again, July 3rd is when you will see the first post, which will be on the first fruit, love. I want this to be interactive so please please PLEASE comment below on what the Lord is saying to you through His Word. And tell as many people as you can.
Here are some scriptures to reflect on before next Monday:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
1 John 4:7-11
These are just a few that we will dig into in next week’s post! I’m so excited to do this thing with you all ! ❤
Grace and peace
https://youtu.be/qF3ne5-Wd1E < Jon’s video


As the holiday season approaches, a rosy-cheeked, white-bearded figure in a red suit takes center stage in the festivities, spreading joy and generosity to children around the world. This beloved character, known as Santa Claus, has deep historical roots that trace back to the legendary figure of Saint Nicholas. In this article, we embark on a journey through time and folklore to unwrap the origins of Saint Nick and discover how this revered saint evolved into the iconic symbol of Christmas we know today.
The Historical Saint Nicholas:
The story of Saint Nicholas begins in the third century in the bustling coastal city of Myra, located in what is now modern-day Turkey. Born around 270 AD, Nicholas was raised in a wealthy Christian family and orphaned at an early age. Legend has it that he inherited a substantial fortune, which he decided to use to help those in need.
Acts of Kindness and Generosity:
Becoming the Bishop of Myra:
The Evolution of Saint Nicholas:
Over the centuries, the veneration of Saint Nicholas spread across Europe, and various cultures incorporated his stories and legends into their own traditions. The Dutch Sinterklaas, the Germanic figure of Kris Kringle, and the English Father Christmas all have roots in the historical Saint Nicholas.
Transformation in America:
Global Adoption of Santa Claus:
As cultural exchange and global communication increased, Santa Claus became a universal symbol of Christmas, transcending national and religious boundaries. While his appearance and name may vary, the essence of Santa as a benevolent figure who brings gifts to children is a common thread in celebrations around the world.
Different Names, Same Spirit:
Incorporation into Christmas Traditions:
The journey from the historical Saint Nicholas to the modern-day Santa Claus is a tale rich with cultural exchange, folklore, and the enduring human desire for generosity and goodwill. Saint Nick's transformation into the universally beloved figure we know today is a testament to the power of storytelling and the ability of traditions to evolve over time.
As families around the world prepare for the holiday season, the image of Santa Claus embodies the spirit of giving, kindness, and joy. Whether he's known as Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas, or Santa Claus, the essence of this iconic figure continues to transcend borders, bringing warmth and magic to the hearts of children and adults alike. The legacy of Saint Nick serves as a reminder that, in the spirit of the season, the greatest gift is the joy of sharing and the generosity of the human spirit.