Calling All Souls! Please Help “Build a Wall” of Loving Prayers and Little Sacrifices to Save Souls!

“My heart is soft and forgiving. Like any good mother, I forget the mistakes of my children almost immediately. I can help poor sinners to forgive themselves and seek the forgiveness of my Son, a forgiveness that heals and strengthens. Sinners must not be afraid. They must simply close their eyes and say, ‘God, I have made mistakes. I’m sorry. I am Your child, though, and seek to be united to You.’ My child, all of heaven weeps for joy when even one soul makes this act of humility and love. How we rush in to assist this soul, and protect him from the attacks of the evil one. We nurture and guide this soul until he is back walking the path to Christ with confidence. Don’t be afraid, dear souls. You will find no recriminations. Only love. Be reconciled to the loving heart of my Son, who will lead you to the Father. What joy will be mine, to see you safely with Jesus.” -Our Blessed Mother Mary via “Anne” a Lay Apostle. Read more here: https://liveandliveon.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/handout-autorecovered-1.pdf

“I love you. I have forgiven you everything you have ever done against Me or against yourself. You are welcome in My arms and there is a place in My Heart for you. If you make the smallest movement toward Me, you will see Me act with great speed to pull you back into the safety of your Christian family. My child, will you answer your Jesus? It is My voice you hear calling out your name. Come to Me now. You will look back on your life someday and you will see this moment as very important for your eternity. Do not hesitate. Your time is over and Mine has begun. Fear nothing. Accept My joy and accept My light. In all quietness, turn your eyes to Mine.” -Jesus via “Anne” a Lay Apostle. Read more here: https://liveandliveon.files.wordpress.com/2019/06/handout-autorecovered-1.pdf

Truly, Jesus is All Mercy, All Kindness, and All Love, and His grace can heal and unlock even the most hurt and hardened hearts. A single act of humble yet courageous admittance of our faults and failures-“God, I’ve made mistakes, and I’m sorry. I am your child though, and I long to be united to you”– melts and moves His compassionate Heart to forgive and forget even a whole lifetime of sins in a single split second, just like He did for the repentant criminal on the Cross!

Yet our smallest prayers just might be the deciding factor as to whether a specific soul chooses everlasting life over eternal separation from God, and thus, from all Goodness, Beauty, Truth, Peace, Joy, and Love… That is because, like the adorable cooing and babbling of little babies in the arms of their parent, our heartfelt efforts in prayer and sacrifice utterly enamor, pierce, and ravish the Heart of our Father and Creator, causing Him to disarm His justice, open the floodgates of His Mercy, and unleash upon the whole world the torrents of grace necessarily for closed, callous hearts to sincerely turn to Him, even in their final moments! Truly, an unlimited supply of these conversion graces and the help of countless angels and saints is ever-abundantly available from the Throne of God, but in order to activate these graces and access this help, we here on earth must first ask, ask, ask, and thus pray, pray, pray! Jesus needs our help now more than ever before to pray for, indeed plead for His beloved souls, which are sadly choosing to willingly reject Him and His Commandments, and thus their place eternally prepared for them in the breathtakingly beautiful Kingdom of Divine Light.

Holy Love quote

Of course, this is just one of the many benefits of developing a deeper interior life of silence and prayer. After all, the more we pray, the more closely we will be united to Christ and the more clearly we will know His Will for us by the promptings He places in our hearts at every moment. The more we pray, the more of God’s love, joy, and peace will fill and flow through us to others, even and especially those hardest to love (who need it the most). The more we pray, the greater degree of brightness and beauty our soul will radiate throughout eternity, as Jesus raises our place in Heaven forever every time we merely look at Him in the Tabernacle/Eucharist with love! No wonder St. Padre Pio, the mystic and stigmatic, who was often able to see his guardian angel and even physically battled with the devil, is quoted as saying, “Prayer is oxygen for the soul.”

Yet what is the most perfect and pleasing prayer to the ears of Our Lord? Besides simply talking to Him as an intimate friend and offering Him all our little deeds of the day (like working, driving, eating, even sleeping!), the most beautiful of all prayers, and indeed greatest of all Commandments, is loving Him from the depth of our hearts! And that is exactly where the “Act of Love*” prayer comes in…

Act of Love Prayer

*Note: Although this was the original formula given to Sister Consolata Betrone of Italy in the early 1900’s, the prayer “Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I love You! Save souls!” as was revealed on July 16th, 2001, to visionary Edson Glauber in the Church-approved apparitions of the Holy Family in the Amazon. Through these as well as the approved messages of Our Lady of America and others, like https://www.mensajerosdivinos.org/en?p=1, St. Joseph has been revealing his Chaste Heart and its strong intercessory power in these latter times. Indeed, not only is he the highest in glory after Mary in Paradise (Immediately after the moment of his conception, God rendered him sinless by the future merits of Jesus’ Passion and inflamed his soul with a degree of love of God that surpassed even the highest seraphim), but he is “Terror of Demons” and the eternal representative of God the Father in the Three Hearts of the Holy Family-  the microcosm of the Holy Trinity- and indeed the spiritual father of all humanity whose Name alone also showers many blessings and graces down on those who implore it with devotion and trust! Therefore, I recommend adding him in the “Act of Love” prayer, whenever possible! Additionally, Jesus revealed an updated “New Act of Love” to the German mystic Justine Klotz (1888-1984) which recently received the Church imprimatur in 2011. Learn more here: https://liveandliveon.com/2019/05/31/to-save-1000-souls-the-power-of-a-single-act-of-love/

In Our Lord’s own words to Sister Maria Consolata Betrone, to who, He revealed this “Act of Love” prayer: “…tell souls that I prefer an act of love and a Communion of love over any other gift they could give Me.” “Tell Me, what prayer can anyone say that is more beautiful? ‘Jesus, Mary, I love You! Save souls!’ Love and souls, what would anyone want that would be more beautiful?” “This ‘Act of Love’ includes all souls; the souls in purgatory, the innocent, the suffering, the sinful, the dying, and even your own poor soul.” “Remember that an act of love on your part can decide the salvation of a soul, its eternal salvation. So see you don’t waste a single ‘Jesus, Mary, I love You! Save souls'” “If a creature of good will loves Me and wants to make his life an act of love (from the heart, as understood) from awakening to the moment of sleep, I will do enormous things with this soul.” “I will think of everything, even to the smallest details. You, think only of loving Me.”

Think about it… Every time the name of Jesus is pronounced from our lips and hearts, God receives infinite glory and showers untold grace, demons are forced to fearfully flee, and all of Heaven comes to our attention as we are covered in His protective Precious Blood! And of course, the devil absolutely HATES, abhors, and writhes not only at the mention of the Name of the King of the Universe, but also the powerful Name of the Queen of Heaven, the humble yet beautiful Woman clothed with the sun, the moon on her feet, and crowned with twelve stars (Revelation 12:1), Who crushes the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15), is Full of Grace (Luke 1:28) and thus free from sin, and and is indeed the Mother of God (Luke 1:43) and our own personal Mother, as Jesus gave Her to us all in His final words on the Cross (John 19:26). Though God could have brought about our salvation through any other vessel or means, He chose to take on human flesh and come into this world in and through the Virgin Mary and to redeem our souls by His Passion and Death alongside and even in the arms of His Beloved Mother, Who gave Him the necessary consolation and strength to carry His Cross every step of the way. This explains where the titles Mary has rightly received in the Catholic faith of Advocate, Co-Redemtrix, and Mediatrix of All Graces come from. St. Bernadine of Sienna explains that, “Every grace that is communicated to this world has a threefold course… it is dispensed from God to Christ, from Christ to the Virgin, from the Virgin to us.” Imagine a light bulb. If Christ is the Light of the world, Mary is the pure and spotless glass encasing Him, the Tabernacle of His living Presence in the Eucharist, and the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Who entirely and intimately overshadowed Her in the conception and incarnation of the living Son of God within Her Womb (Luke 1:35). Therefore, the closer we get to Mary, the closer we come to Jesus, and thus to the entire Trinity. And as our tender, kind, gentle, and loving Mother, that is all She really wants for us, for Her last words in Scripture really say it all: “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5). This is precisely why the late Father Edward Carter, SJ affirms that “the Heart of Jesus wishes to be venerated together with the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” For in Her own words to the three children of Fatima: “You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace.” If you’re still not convinced of Mother Mary’s role in our daily life and eternal salvation, I exhort you to watch the first 7 minutes of this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSfPRP4fyzo&t=314s and read the following words spoken by a St. Dominic, to whom Our Lady first revealed the extremely efficacious prayer of the most Holy Rosary for the conversion of the world:

“’Mary.’ Say her name throughout your day and she will nourish you as a
mother nourishes an infant. I speak now as your brother, who wants only what is best for you. If you do not have a devotion to this woman, I am beseeching you to seek one. Only holiness and peace come from the relationship with Mary. Only blessings and purity come from her. Joy and peace flow out from her to all she encounters. Families and vocations are restored. If you are in any way struggling today, seek Mary’s help. You will not be disappointed. If you are not struggling, be grateful to Mary because it is a given that she has helped you in the past. Jesus only blesses those who love His mother.” -St. Dominic via “Anne” a Lay Apostle, in “Heaven Speaks to Consecrated Souls” DirectionForOurTimes.com

As is plain to see from the above words concerning the “Act of Love,” the fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful (James 5:16). Yet, there is another weapon readily available to each one of us at nearly every moment of the day that can bring even more souls to salvation: sacrifice. In the words of Sister Lucia, the visionary of Our Lady of Fatima, “Putting up with any sacrifices that are asked of us in our day-to-day lives becomes a slow martyrdom which purifies us and raises us up to the level of the supernatural, through the encounter of our soul with God, in the atmosphere of the presence of the Most Holy Trinity within us. We have here an incomparable spiritual richness!” Indeed, the more we suffer here during this very short on earth, the greater will be our glory and the closer will be our resemblance to the Christ for all of eternity in Heaven! Jesus Himself, Who suffered everything imaginable, physically, emotionally, and spiritually for our salvation, tells us that “…suffering saves souls.” “You must begin to equate even your smallest crosses to so many souls rescued from darkness.” Wow! Just think about how many little pains, annoyances, inconveniences, disappointments, and misunderstandings we may experience on any given day. Talk about an opportunity to grow in holiness and help others get to Heaven! And yet, do we carry our cross in this life, which will our Crown in the next, as Jesus did, with resignation, humility, acceptance, love, and even joy?  Can we truly say, along we Saint Paul, “…for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10)? If you are like me and struggle to embrace the crosses in your life, listen to these words and consider taking up the following prayer, given to us by Our Divine Lord Himself:

“See how willingly I accept this cross? If My children, even just My chosen ones, would accept their small crosses and say, ‘I accept this cross in the name of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinners,’ I could save countless souls. Countless. The value of even a small thing offered to God is inestimable. You must understand that suffering will occur in every life. Use it for your holiness and for the good of your brothers and sisters.”       –Jesus via “Anne” a Lay Apostle in Volume 1: Thoughts On Spirituality, DirectionForOurTimes.com

Perhaps this is why the angels “envy” us human beings for two things: being able to suffer, as well as being able to receive Jesus’ Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity daily Holy Communion. As St. Therese of Lisieux put it, “When I think that, for a sorrow borne with joy, I shall be able to love You more for all eternity, I understand clearly that if You gave me the entire universe, with all its treasures, it would be nothing in comparison to the slightest suffering.” Truly, when it comes to the inevitable life experiences of pain, frustration and heartbreak, we have two options: we can either shove it all down or offer all it up. The former leads to bitterness and despair, the latter leads to holiness and freedom. Let us, therefore, endeavor not to waste a single once of our life’s sufferings, but generously and joyfully give them all to the God Who so lovingly measures and entrusts each and every one of them to us, knowing what can handle and what we really need, all for the greater benefit of our own souls and those we may never meet until eternity (Romans 8:28)! And let us begin by praying the following prayer, entitled, “The Offering of Past Crosses” which Jesus desires us to propagate as far and wide as possible (feel free to copy/paste, and text/email to family/friends!)…

Offering of Past Crosses

Beyond involuntary sufferings, making voluntary sacrifices can win us more grace and strength for our souls to overcome the immediate urges and selfish impulses of our bodies. As Our Lady revealed through the modern-day visionary Maureen Sweeny-Kyle of Holy Love Ministries, on June 8th, 1998, “When sacrifice is added to prayers, it is twice as strong.” The following are some ideas for little sacrifices to give to Jesus throughout the day to help bring souls to Him:

First and foremost, waking up (without hitting snooze!) and right away giving your whole day to the Lord and accepting with love all the crosses He sends your way that day in advance by uniting every moment to Jesus’ Sacrifice on the Cross, made present in all the Masses said throughout the world, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary…

Morning Offering.jpg

(Our Blessed Mother has revealed to her beloved children that if they simply give Jesus our day in the morning, He can use every moment of their day, even their recreation, to save souls! For a list of more morning prayers recommended from Our Lord, click here: https://liveandliveon.com/daily-prayers/).

Other ideas for little sacrifices include committing oneself to a more structured, scheduled prayer life, attending daily Mass (and staying after for at least 20 minutes to allow the Eucharistic Presence of Our Lord time to overflow His lasting Love into our souls: https://www.sofc.org/BLUEBKII/bb2_74.htm), forgoing desserts or sugary drinks (or choosing healthier options instead), intermittent fasting (such as the Medjugorje bread and water fast on Wednesday’s and Friday’s. Read more about the power of and urgent need for fasting from Jesus’ own words in God’s Blue Book 3 here: https://www.sofc.org/BLUEBK3/bb3_80.htm ), talking less and listening more intentionally to those God places on your path, smiling at strangers, taking a cold or cool shower (even for the duration of a few seconds or “Acts of Love”), choosing silence instead of the radio, exercising instead of watching TV/Netflix, reaching out to old friend, visiting a grandparent in a nursing home and recording their life advice/experiences, picking up a piece of trash (“To pick of a pen for love can convert a soul” -St. Therese), answering a text or email RIGHT AWAY, obeying a parent, boss, or authority figure quickly and joyfully without complaining, holding your tongue from a derogatory or unnecessary comment or joke, waiting a moment and prayerfully recollecting one’s self before having a conversation, detaching from the outcome of a game or another person’s opinion, taking a few minutes at the end of your day to examine your conscience to see the ways you could have loved God and neighbor more selflessly, forgiving an unkindness and even returning it for a kindness, sealing your lips and smiling at/praying for someone being unkind to you (this one is definitely NOT easy, but you being Christlike to them and loving the unloving could actually be their salvation! https://www.sofc.org/BLUEBKI/bb1_45.h… ) And the best possible sacrifice of all? Our Lord tells us on it is actually an internal sacrifice of heartfelt LOVE: “…the greatest and most perfect of all sacrifices is to live in Holy Love in every present moment. To do so dictates a total dying to self. This is the sum total of all I ask.” 

Remember, to never, ever, ever let yourself become discouraged if you find yourself struggling with making these little sacrifices or even in persisting in constant, loving prayer. We, as imperfect human beings, are subject to inconstancy and distraction, yet it is precisely our weakness and littleness that humbles us and draws Our compassionate Savior to help us all the more readily and tenderly. Over time, however, with God’s grace and our perseverance, building the selfless habits of prayer and sacrifice will become an easier and easier, even second nature to us! Therefore, there is no need to get frustrated or dismayed, for in the end, it is not in the success but the effort where true virtue lies, it is not in the great and heroic deeds but the hidden and humble tasks where saints are made, and it is not the cost of the sacrifice to the soul that God looks at, but the love in our hearts when we freely offer it to Him. Indeed, it is love alone that sanctifies us and makes even the smallest of our actions precious. In the 24 Hours of the Passion (the amazing book where Jesus promised He will give you a soul for every word you read!), Servant of God Luisa Picarreta goes as far as to say that, “Every little act, suffering and thought that we do united to Jesus can be used to grab souls, so that they may not fall into hell. United with Jesus, we will have His own power in our hands. But if we do not do our acts united with Jesus, they will not serve to prevent even one soul from going to hell.” Truly, the more we love Jesus in everything we say, think, and do, the more souls He will be able to rescue in and through us! No wonder Our Lord revealed to St. Gertrude the Great that every time one soul recieves Him in Holy Communion (in a state of grace, of course), something good happens to every soul in His Mystical Body, the Church, in Heaven, Purgatory, and Earth! And so the best thing we can do for all others is to truly love God more and more! In Jesus’ own words via God’s Blue Book 2:

Love Affair.jpg

To learn more about the Church’s teaching on and understanding of penance, visit: http://www.religious-vocation.com/penance_and_mortification.html#.XhaOU0dKjIU

And for more quotes from Our Lord and Our Lady about the power of prayer and sacrifice for atoning and consoling their United Hearts through the mystical “Church of Atonement,” which are overwhelmed by so much sin and evil in these urgent times, visit: http://www.holylove.org/files/med_1568741966.pdf

Finally, the following are a compilation of quotes from various sources to give you even more motivation to commit yourself to more prayer and sacrifice from the heart. Please prayerful consider one or two persons with whom you could share this post, so as to teach them this powerful prayer to incorporate throughout the little moments of their day and indeed life! I truly believe the souls saved because of it will thank you profusely and praise God eternally in Paradise! Thank you so much and may God bless you with all the Blessings of the United Hearts, the Anointing of St. Michael, and the Baptism of Truth! Mary, Refuge of Holy Love and Protectress of the Faith, pray for us and come to our aid!  Yours in the Infinite, Infinite Love of the Three Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

“Little Gregory”


“My brothers and sisters, tonight realize that your prayers offered with humility and heartfelt love ransom many souls from the path of perdition and onto the path of righteousness. Persevere, then, in heartfelt prayer, for many souls depend on your efforts. Do not be discouraged in any way, for this is Satan trying to dissuade you from the path of righteousness.” -Jesus on June 1st, 2007 via holylove.org

“In this hour of decision, the smallest prayer or sacrifice can mean the difference between life or death for a soul.” -Jesus on 4/5/1993, via holylove.org

“Dear children, do not be disheartened. No prayer is wasted but is meritorious at the moment it is said, and for all eternity.” -Blessed Mother on 11/7/2012, via holylove.org

No prayer, no sacrifice is too small or is ever ineffective.” “Take for instance one Hail Mary. If it is recited with a loving heart it brings with it the power to convert a soul, to stop a war, to deliver a soul from purgatory, even to change the future of the world. See then that the love in your heart when you pray determines the power of the prayer.” -Jesus via holylove.org

A Single Hail Mary...

The inner working of hearts and, indeed, the movement of the Cosmos itself, depends on a few just prayers offered daily in Holy Love. Often, you do not see the dramatic effects of your prayers; but I tell you, no prayer offered with love goes unheard. You have the power of your rosary in your hands to stop wars and thwart man made or natural disaster. The rosary is more powerful than any nuclear weapon when it is prayed with love. In trust, believe in Me.” -Jesus on 4/30/2013

When lovers are together, they spend hours and hours repeating the same thing: ‘I love you!’  What is missing in the people who think the rosary monotonous is Love; and everything that is not done for love is worthless.” -Sister Lucia, visionary Our Lady of Fatima

“I have come to tell each one of you that anything you do without love in your heart is wasted. Priests in particular must pray for love of prayer, sacrifice and penance, for this is the way of conversion for their flock that they have been entrusted with. Do not hesitate to ask me to intercede for you, whether you are a priest or lay person. This is a special grace to love penance, prayer and sacrifice. I will help you with it.”-St. Jean Vianney on July 14th, 2006, via holylove.org

“Satan knows that the Rosary is the weapon which will bring about his defeat. This is why he is desperate to discourage its use. Every time you recite a Hail Mary from the heart, the devil is weakened forever in some area and in some soul.” “You must never be discouraged, then, in praying the Rosary. When your heart is most filled with distraction, understand the adversary is frightened of your prayers.” -Jesus on 9/18/1999 via holylove.org

“My child, you must understand that when you come to Me in prayer, if only for a moment, I am consoled. My heart is comforted, which allows Me to give you untold graces, of course, but also, your prayer allows Me to soften My justice toward others who never seek Me. When you meet Me face to face, you will see clearly every happiness you have caused Me. I need you and so appreciate any fidelity offered to Me. If only for the sake of repayment you should come to Me often, as I reward each prayer, each glance, each petition even, beyond anything you might imagine.” -Jesus in Volume 2, Read more here: https://directionforourtimes.com/wp-c…

“Dear little children, Jesus has sent Me to ask of you extra prayers, as many prayers as you can offer, for such is the need of our Hearts. Every prayer you offer is already used up by My Son, whose Heart is greatly offended. Therefore, My little children, pray, pray, pray.” -Blessed Mother on 9/9/1993, via holylove.org

“Do not think that the merit of your prayer is based on how you feel when you are praying. You may feel nothing on some days, but you must persevere and believe me when I tell you that on those days, when you feel nothing, you are saving as many souls through your smallest prayers as on the days when all of heaven seems open to you. Smile now, and let everyone you meet see the smile of Jesus. You are a soul who is being held close to my heart. My child, my little one, how precious you are to me.” -Blessed Mother on 7/7/2003 via Anne a Lay Apostle

“…please understand that your prayer life is the mortar that holds the bricks of virtue in place. Without mortar, bricks crumble and fall. Without prayers, virtues are replaced with weaknesses and sin.” -St. Thomas Aquinas via holylove.org

From the moment you wake up, intercede for others. Claim sinners from Me. You cannot know the joy you would give Me. I died for them. It wasn’t illness that made Me die. I was struck down in the fullness of life. If you don’t help Me today, I won’t be able to save this soul or that one, and you know I love them. Then save them as though you were saving Me.” -Jesus to Blessed Gabrielle Bossis, “He and I”

“You don’t feel feel yesterday’s cold any more and you can’t yet feel the cold of tomorrow. So it’s only a question of this present moment. And what is a moment of discomfort in exchange for the salvation of a soul who will praise Me eternally?

“What you do for yourself will perish miserably. What you do for others, for the love of Me, will go on re-echoing throughout all eternity.” -Jesus to Blessed Gabrielle Bossis, “He and I”

“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death.” -1 John 5:14

Tribute to a Life Well Lived

On December 18th, 2019, my Grandmother, Elizabeth Perenich Weaver, took her last breath and, peacefully, painlessly, and surrounded by family, entered into the tender and loving embrace of Our Lord Jesus Christ forever. I had the incredible honor of delivering one of the eulogies at her funeral mass a few days later, and would like to share it with you now…

Grandma, you were a character. From “Somewheeeere over the Rainbow” to “Flyyyy me to the moon” to “The Hilllls are aliiiiive with the sound of muuusic,” you LOVED to sing…and dance! Oh, what a great joy and honor it was to hold your hands and spin you around at many a family birthday party, rosary gathering, or holiday celebration! You never ceased to put a smile on my face just by being yourself, like the time a few years back when we took you with us to see the movie “The Greatest Showman” starring the theatrical Hugh Jackman and afterward when we asked you how you liked it, you simply smiled and said, “I think I want a husband!

Grandma as a Young WomenDancing with Grandma Final.png

Grandma, you were an artist. Who could even begin to count all the many breathtaking scenes of nature or realistic portraits of your grandchildren that you captured on your canvases, each of which give us glimpses of what this world looked like through your beautiful bright blue eyes? Thank you for painting a watercolor Image of Christ holding out Himself hidden in the Eucharistic bread and wine for my First Holy Communion, for sculpting a moment of me and my little brother laughing on a rocking chair, and for all the other colorful creations you so thoughtfully brought to life and lovingly gave away throughout the masterpiece of your life.

Art By GrandmaGrandma's Painting of An Eagle

Grandma, you were a mother. I will never know just how you raised 9 kids, tirelessly cooking, cleaning, and caring for each and every one of them, and even warmly welcoming many a stranger from the streets, since for you, everyone really was always welcome and the more really was always the merrier! And though you were a human being with your flaws and failings just like the rest of us, somehow, you never seemed to complain, nor did your patience ever seem to run out. Indeed, who could forget your reaction the day when all the little grandchildren were running around the downstairs bedroom of your house covered in baby powder everywhere… “Oh, honey, that’s no big deal. Just vacuum it up. It’ll be fine…”
Even in your older years you would go through the list and pray for each and every one of your grandchildren by name. Your love for your children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and indeed all children, born and unborn alike, was why, even in your last years, you would still talk about putting an ad in the paper for mothers considering abortion, pleading, “Please, don’t get rid of your baby. Give him or her me. I will take care of it and it will grow up one day to thank you.” I don’t think it’s any coincidence that in your final hours on earth, you were moved to a room the pediatric unit in the hospital, considering your special love for the littlest ones among us.

Perenich Family Christmas

Grandma, you were, are, and always will be a lover of God, a friend of Jesus, and a child of Mary. You knew firsthand the intimate love, limitless forgiveness, and tender kindness of Our Lord and that is how you were able to radiate that same love, forgiveness, and kindness to others, even and especially to the unloving, unforgiving, and unkind. And with a rosary almost always in your hand, you were to us all a living reflection of the goodness, gentleness, and sweetness that can only come from a woman as holy and beautiful as Our Blessed Mother Mary.
Though you were a woman of faith throughout your whole life, it must have become increasingly clear to you that in the end of this life, in the face of death, in the light of eternity, nothing- not social recognition nor physical appearance nor worldly pleasures, riches, or achievements- nothing satisfies, lasts, or matters except loving God and saving souls, even in the littlest tasks and humblest duties of the day. Truly, I believe that right now, you are seeing from God’s eyes the fruits of all your selfless sacrifices, persistent prayers, kind words, and sweet smiles on the hearts and souls of so, so many. And because each one of your Hail Mary’s is saved and sealed into your eternal reward, I can only imagine your glowing crown of everlasting glory promised to and preserved in highest heaven for those who are faithful to their faith, their family, their duties, and of course, their daily rosary.
Mothers Day with GrandmaGrandma!
Grandma, you were a character, artist, mother, and -some might even say- living saint. I can’t wait for the day when you and I can sing, dance, laugh, and pray together again in Heaven someday. Yet in the meantime, I know you would want nothing more than for me, for all of us, to live lives like yours, lives of authentic holiness, of placing God above all else, putting aside our differences, picking up our crosses, and paying close attention to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. But because this process of personal holiness in the present moment is only possible through heartfelt prayer, and because a even single ‘Hail Mary’ prayed with a loving heart has the power to convert a soul, deliver a soul from purgatory, and change the future forever, I now turn to the Heart of the God of the Universe, which beats, burns, and bleeds for love of us in this and every Tabernacle around the world, and with all the angels and saints, and all of you who were touched by the one and only Elizabeth Perenich Weaver, I pray:
“Hail Mary
Full of Grace
The Lord is with Thee
Blessed art Thou among women
And Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb
Jesus
Holy Mary
Mother of God
Pray for us sinners now
And at the hour of our death.
Amen.”
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and perpetual light shine upon her. May the beautiful, prayerful, sweet, and loving soul of Elizabeth Perenich Weaver and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Infinite and Unfathomable Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.