ABIDE IN MY LOVE
After instituting the Sacrament of His Love on Holy Thursday, Our Lord commanded His Apostles, and by them, us,
“Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love … This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you”.
In Anne Catherine Emmerich, The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. (TAN Books) In Section III, Chapter 1, she recounts the following prophecy which was part of the agonies experienced by Our Lord in the Garden of Olives.
After describing satan and his legions attacking Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Garden, and the multitude of men, who appeared as though blinded, who attacked Our Lord, Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich related,
“it was made known to me that these apparitions were all those persons who in divers ways insult and outrage Jesus, really and truly present in the Holy Sacrament. I recognised among them all those who in any way profane the Blessed Eucharist. I beheld with horror all the outrages thus offered to Our Lord, whether by neglect, irreverence, and omission of what was due to Him; by open contempt, abuse, and the most awful sacrileges …
After a bit more describing the offenses to Our Lord in His Sacrament of Love, Blessed Anne says,
“I saw many others in which worldly, tasteless, unsuitable ornaments had replaced the magnificent adornments of a more pious age. I saw that often, the poorest of men were better lodged in their cottages than the Master of heaven and earth in His churches. Ah, how deeply did the inhospitality of men grieve Jesus, who had given Himself to them to be their Food! … In consequence of all this, I saw the weak scandalized, the Adorable Sacrament profaned, the churches deserted and the priests despised. This state of impurity and negligence extended even to the souls of the faithful, who left the tabernacle of their hearts unprepared and uncleansed when Jesus was about to enter them, exactly the same as they left His tabernacle on the altar. …
“I saw irreverent Christians, sacrilegious priests, crowds of tepid and unworthy communicants, wicked soldiers profaning the holy vessels, and servants of the devil making use of the Holy Eucharist in the frightful mysteries of hellish worship. Among these bands, I saw a great number of theologians, who had been drawn into heresy by their sins, attacking Jesus in the Holy Sacrament of His Church, and snatching out of His Heart, by their seductive words, a number of souls for whom He had shed His blood.”
To those who are devoted to the Faith, it often seems clear that those among the hierarchy who are undermining the Faith, are filled with malice against Our Lord, and that makes us, to an extent, bitter enemies of them. However, St. Paul is a perfect example for us in these chaotic and confused times. He urged the Jews to kill St. Stephen, but he was ignorant at that time, and when he was confronted with Christ, he adored Him and surrendered his will and his life to serving Our Lord Jesus Christ in the most exemplary manner, in the fullness of love. St. Paul became, as His Master, a holocaust of love.
NOTE WELL: Hatred and malice cannot be defeated by hatred and malice! But only by the infinite love of our Lord Jesus Christ and we are called to return love for love, that is to say, total surrender of our will to His precious will.*
We must obey Our Lord’s words at this time in history! From the Cross, He gives us His example, as He prayed for those who brutally crucified Him, and still crucify Him today,
“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
He still commands us, “Abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love … This is My commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you”. Now, we need also remember the associated verses, 11-13:
In this quote, we understand that we must live our total Consecrations to Jesus through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, His most pure Mother in the fullness of love, which can mean no less than with our whole heart, and our whole soul, and our whole mind, even to the entirety of our lives, and this love must overflow into our dealings with others. As Saint John of the Cross teaches, we must put aside our own way and learn to love as God loves. Yes! Even to laying down our lives.
Now this certainly precludes the hateful attitude that many of us struggle with regarding those we see dismantling the dogma and practice of our Faith, promoting all manner of sacrilege and heresy. Our Lord promises us in Matthew, “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice: for they shall have their fill.” You see, He does not promise us that we can work justice, but that we will be filled, thus put aside your own will and submit to His will, which is sufficient for us.
Now, I assure you that no matter how great we think our self important deeds are, unless we totally surrender our will to Our Lord Jesus Christ,we have done nothing of value.
Nothing. of. value.
He demands love. Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Him.
In that order.
And so, once we get that lesson, we are ready to understand the best way to deal with the betrayers of Christ who have usurped His Church and now seek to eradicate the Holy Sacrifice.
We need, all of us, to pray for these poor men, our Pope, Bishops and Cardinals, who have decided on a false obedience instead of the true loving affirmation of Christ’s own truth, the dogma of the faith entrusted to them for the spiritual nourishment of their flocks. True loving and humble obedience serves Our Lord Jesus Christ, it does not betray Him in His own Church.Those prelates who fail to correct the pope in his errors do not do so from loving obedience but from craven fear. They do not serve Our Lord Jesus Christ, but Judas, Luther and the other enemies of Christ.
One of the first and most important messages of Our Lady of the Rosary at Fatima was that there is indeed a place which is hell, and many, many souls go there. Think on this. Think . And pray . and do penance.
*Love is the act of the will towards God, the only good. If I love those who persecute me, I will God’s will for them, which is always for their salvation. In no way does this mean that I impose my will on them, which obviously precludes my wishing them my own brand of “justice” or any harm.
Pray the Rosary and confound the devil!
Remember – Our Lady needs us to obey: First Saturdays of Reparation, daily rosary, at least 5 mysteries, wear her brown scapular and live your Total Consecration to her Immaculate Heart, offering our daily duties in reparation and for the conversion of poor sinners.
Open your hearts to the Lord and serve Him only: and He will free you from the hands of your enemies. With all your heart return to Him, and take away from your midst any strange gods” (I Kings 7:3)
✝︎ Immaculate Heart of Mary, Queen of our hearts, Mother of the Church, do thou offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, for the conversion of poor sinners, especially our Pontiff.
✝︎ Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thy kingdom come! Viva Cristo Rey!
✝︎ St. Joseph, protect us, protect our families, protect our priests.
✝︎ St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.
~ by evensong for love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, King.
Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O Sacred Virgin! Give me strength against thine enemies!