What does Heaven say about atheism? Suffering? Forgiveness? Food? Find out via this compilation of mystical messages and feel free to text/email to family/friends!
3 Ways to Help Save Souls (PDF)
Your love affair with God Himself awaits and it is the greatest gift you can give this world! Try these 3 steps for 1 week and see for yourself the JOY of being His Beloved!
Pregnant? Scared? Here are a Few Things You Should Know (VIDEO)
Click to watch a YouTube video that provides important information for pregnant mothers, as well as a variety explanation of your options and resources, such as local pregnancy centers and other support groups/services!
(Amazing) Love Letters from the Lord
Click on any one to hear His words to you personally! Jesus calls these Letters a "recipe for intimacy" with Him and promises they would save many souls! Try to read one a day and share with any/all!
To The Priests (PDF)
Please lovingly share this PDF with priests, and remember to pray for them often, for they are all so beloved by Christ, and indeed His Vessels of Love and Mercy on our earth!
A Word of Warning About the New COVID-19 Vaccine and “Booster Shots”
A compilation of research which includes recent data on deaths and injuries from the vaccine in the US and abroad, as well as scientific studies, words from trusted medical professionals, and safe and healthy alternatives...
In biology, we learned that a single seed— a plant embryo —can take hundreds and even thousands of years to germinate, remaining in its dormant state and surviving off its own internal food supply, or endosperm. In life, sometimes when we say a prayer or make a sacrifice of love, we may wonder whether it has any real and lasting impact in the world…
Yet God, being all-knowing and all-loving, and indeed outside the parameters of time and space, can order His angels and saints to collect these selfless, sacrificial acts of ours and await the precious, perfect moment when a soul who needs them most will be most open to receiving their efforts and effects.
For some, the conditions for their true conversion of heart might be a certain tragedy or failure in their life, such as loss or addition. For others, it may be a victory or blessing, such as holding their firstborn child or finally finding a lifelong prayer answered. But regardless, no prayer, no sacrifice, no labor of love of ours, no matter how small or slight, is never lost! Our Lord eagerly awaits, eternally saves, and eventually uses each and every one.
Like a single seed that can someday become a tall tree and bear the most abundant, delicious fruit for years and even centuries to come, we truly will only know what difference we made in this world, in this life, until the next world, the next life. But until then, we must truly strive, like the generous sower, to keep planting seeds of love, all while staying rooted in the good soil of trust, having the faith of a mustard seed to be able to move mulberry trees, and indeed, mountains! Though the heavenly workers may be few and earthly rewards, far between, the harvest will be abundant in the Kingdom of God for all, and indeed, for all eternity!
So if you have yet to see or feel the fruits of joy and peace of your own prayers and sacrifices, don’t get down or give up! Like Our Mother and Queen, whom we celebrate today, on this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, never, ever stop loving and listening, giving and forgiving, believing in the Good and, indeed being Goodness Itself, and soon, very soon, you too will see the astonishingly amazing things God is doing for your own soul, as well as those of your friends and family, throughout all of the universe and for all of history, in and through your simple, subtle “yes” answers to Him, again and again!
For as St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta once famous put it, “The fruit of silence is prayer; the fruit of prayer is faith; the fruit of faith is love; the fruit of love is service; and the fruit of service is peace.”And in the words of God the Father Himself recently revealed to a modern—day visionary:
“Children, do not allow the spirit of discouragement to overshadow your prayers. Be united – good against evil. Victory is still within your grasp if you continue to pray. satan’s real victory is in stopping your prayers and aborting your faith in prayer. Every ‘Hail Mary’ makes a difference and weakens satan. He does not want you to comprehend this.
This is why I tell you, as long as you pray, you are chipping away at Satan’s overall scheme of things and winning many small victories. Often you do not see the effects your prayers have upon evil efforts. If you pray your whole life and save just one soul, your life is victorious. However, I tell you, many rosaries save many souls – souls you will not meet until the next life.”
Every time, it seems, that I have the audacity to judge someone, even if only interiorly and ever so slightly, it isn’t long- give it maybe a week or so- before I myself experience a similar struggle, insecurity, or weakness. Indeed, God really knows how to humble me! And He is constantly reminding me that even though with Him, anything and everything is possible, without Him, the Source and Summit of All Life and Love, Goodness and Grace, Power and Perfection, I am and can do absolutely nothing.
This became ever more abundantly clear to me, when yesterday, I ended up cutting my right index finger on accident, causing it to bleed quite quickly and profusely. Yet of course, after washing it off and wrapping it up with plenty a paper towels, I couldn’t help but reflect upon the fact that just a few days before, I had witnessed someone else inadvertently cut their finger with a pocket knife while trying to open a bag of- of all things- mac and cheese! (The Lord really does have a sense of humor, doesn’t He?)
But believe it or not, it gets better. Or rather crazier. Just a few hours before my “incident” or “injury,” I actually was ironically just teaching a biology lesson about how blood, specifically the red and white blood cells (and even platelets, which help with clotting, and may be imputed in individuals with hemophilia) therein, are produced in the bone marrow of our skeletal system! And to top it all off, when I went to Mass yesterday, the Gospel just so happened to be about the woman who was hemorrhaging blood for 12 years before simply yet boldly reaching out to touch the cloak of Jesus, upon which she was finally, fully healed and her flow of blood immediately, entirely dried up!
Now, call me crazy (I probably am, at least somewhat!), but all of this sounds like more than mere coincidence. To me, it’s just one of the many, “mini” miracles all around us- such as the essentially perfect conditions that allow for life to exist in the cosmos, in our galaxy, and on our planet- and indeed within us- like the constant steady stream of fresh, oxygenated blood our hearts are tirelessly pumping into every blood vessel and even cell of our incredible complex yet simply beautiful bodies for us to even “live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Perhaps the problem is not that there’s any shortage of proof of the supernatural in every present moment for all of us, it’s that we’ve become too skeptical, cynical, and ultimately, self-absorbed to simply stop and rally recognize and even rejoice in all of it, much less praise and proclaim it to the rest of the world.
But…why? Why can’t we be like little children who seem to be endlessly enchanted and “foolishly” fascinated by every little detail of both our universe as a whole and our day, with all the people and places and possibilities it holds, from the smallest centipede scooting down the sidewalk to the Dora the Explorer band aids that somehow make any “boo boo” feel much better and heal much faster? In other words, why can’t we accustom ourselves to becoming active contemplates, everyday mystics, and above all, child-like, grown-ups, by increasingly developing an inner disposition of awe and wonder toward all of life’s numberless wonders, no matter how supposedly insignificant, seemingly incidental, or surprisingly inconspicuous? Why can’t we truly and totally trust that the same God Who created and carefully sustains everything that we see (and everything we don’t, from the hairs on our heads and cells in our bodies to the experiences of our lives and the emotions in our hearts), descended to our Earth as one of us and even died on a Cross because of us, so as to ransom and redeem every one of us…not withholding even every last beat of His Heart and drop of His Precious Blood?
Albert Einstein once famously said that there are two ways of looking at the world. One is as if nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is… I don’t know about you, but especially after yesterday, I hope and pray that everyday, I can start to see and believe that everyone and everything is not a random coincidence, or worse, useless nuisance, but rather, as divine incidence, heavenly gift, and even “mini” miracle…even if it means needing a band aid every now and then!
Verse:
“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”
-Romans 8:28
Quote:
“I have designed your life in such a way that you can live it in each moment with me. I have all that you need for every moment of time.”
-Jesus to Anne, Apostle of the Returning King
Prayer: “Eternal Father, I trust in Your loving Will for me.”
“Do not be quick to question circumstances and events of the day, but see My Will in every present moment. Carry in your heart and upon your lips, the ejaculation, ‘Eternal Father, I trust in Your loving Will for me.’ This little prayer carries with it- peace. I send an angel to assist you when you believe.” “I, your Eternal Father, desire this be made known and be made popular.” -God the Father (see: holylove.org)
“The fulfillment of all desire is to always be filled with more and more ardent desire for the One Who alone can fulfill all of our desires!”
JMJ
Dear family and friends!
Greeting and Happy “Mary Monday!” I hope this email finds you well! As some of you may already know, I just got back from an AMAZING mission trip to Costa Rica a few days ago and wanted to share with you my life changing experience! The organization I traveled with was called “Pater” founded and lead by the incredible, hilarious, gracious Father Pablo, who travels around the world with Sister Briege McKenna, giving healing retreats for priests! This summer Father brought a group of about 50 MISSIONARIES from SPAIN (and one from Portugal !) and together, along with my fellow American missionary Josie Grchan, we traveled throughout Costa Rica, from Limon to Barra Colorado to San Carlos, to spread the love of Christ to the indigenous peoples there through the sacraments, the Rosary, and a whole lot of fun!
The following is a little sentimental speech I wrote (in both English and Spanish!) along with some pictures from the trip! Enjoy and May God bless you, Mother Mary keep you, and all the angels and saints surround you always!
Yours in Christ Our King and Mary Our Mother,
Greg (AKA “Gregorio”)
“We Made It”
Wowwwww! (as Greg always says)
We made it… to the very end!
We’ve seen SLOTHS, monkeys, iguanas, a dolphin, and cute little turtles…
We have faced MANY mosquitoes, bugs, cockroaches, and all kinds of spiders, even a tarantula in my room in Bajo Quin (shoutout to Chema for taking him out and releasing him as the “Steve Erwin Safari Crocodile Hunter” without fear)…
We have eaten INCREIBLE dinners (Thanks to MIREYA and all the amazing chefs!), snacks in the middle of gas stations, and a lot of rice (and for dessert… rice pudding!) …lol
We have gone to beautiful forests, wonderful beaches, tropical forests, clear rivers (¡CLAROOOO!) and houses sometimes without electricity or wifi but always full of love and joy…
We have sung ADELE, HAKUNA, HILLSONG, KATY PERRY, EMINAM, and who can forget, “¡SÁLVANOS SEÑOR!”
Yes my friends… my fellow missionaries…
We made it…
Thanks be to God, to Mary, and to all of you you!
Truly, thank you for all the smiles, FISTBUMPS, SELFIES, moments of fun and friendship…
I have seen you guys working so hard, helping each carry heavy planks of wood, encouraging and cheering on one other, giving so much of your energy and effort playing with cute but inexhaustible children, and swinging like TARZAN with so much courage!!!
I also have to apologize…
Im sorry for praying Avemaria after Avemaria in the car (Aye Gregggg!) when you were trying to listen to music, or for asking you like a thousand times “What has been your FAVORITE PART of the trip???” when you were probably trying to rest…
Sorry for the delays in the stops to the supermarkets when I was trying to give away yet another prayer card, for being late sometimes, for my SPANGLISH, and for BAILANDOOOO a little crazy sometimes (¡ALABAREEEEEE, ALABAREEEE, ALABARÉ A MI SEÑOR!)
But on a more serious note, I ask you only one thing of you…
Look…
The bracelets that look so beautiful in you… please don’t just let them be nice ornaments…
Use them… because they have the power to be such powerful weapons in our spiritual battle between good and evil that is going on all around us and deep within us every day…
We are the future of the Church and the world and the future of the Church and the world is (literally) in our hands…
If you saw a child in a lake drowning, I have no doubt that you would jump immediately to save him…
But think of all souls around the world near death at this very moment, souls who otherwise could be lost forever without our prayers, our efforts, our love…
All of them need you…
I need you….
Your Mother Mary needs you…
Your God, Jesus Chris, needs you…
And as He Himself tells us, “…if you knew the power of the Rosary you have in your hands and pray with your hearts, you would never let go. It would always be with you and prayers would always be on your lips…” and also, “…you never know what one more Hail Mary will bring. A Hail Mary prayed with a loving heart has the power to stop wars…to convert a non-believer, to save a vocation, to free a soul from Purgatory, and to change the future forever. Think, then of the power of a whole Rosary said with love.”*
Indeed, I promise you that if you start with only 20 minutes dedicated to the Holy Rosary every, the Blessed Virgin will personally take you by the hand and day after day, you will find God’s Will in your life, and come to experience an inner peace and heavenly happiness beyond your “WILDEST DREAMMMS” as Taylor Swift says!!!
I’ll finish with this:
At the end of his life, the sinner says, “I could have had more…”
But a saint, on his bed of death says, “I could have given, prayed, sacrificed, and most of all, loved more…and more…and more…and more…”
Note: I know that many of you have the opportunity to go to Daily Mass in your universities in Spain… please, I exhort you, GO!!! Because, after all, every Holy Communion you receive with faith and love practically obliges the living and loving Heart of Jesus to reign down so many graces, blessings, and mercies around the entire universe, especially upon your families and loved ones to protect them, inspire them, and strengthen them! (Just think: Your decision to wake up a little early in the morning to start your day with Jesus in the Eucharist literally can impact the lives of MILLONES of people…!) In the words of the mystic Marthe Robin, “Our glory in Heaven will be proportional to the fervor we put in our Holy Communions on earth.” And in the words of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, “The time you spend with Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament is the best time you spend on earth. Every moment you spend with Jesus will make your union deeper with Him and transform your souls to be eternally more glorious and beautiful in Heaven, and will also help to achieve peace eternally here on earth.”
WOWWW
“Hemos llegado”
¡Wowwwww! (como siempre dice Greg)
HEMOS LLEGADO… ¡hasta el final!
Hemos visto PEREZOSOS, monos, iguanas, un delfín, y tortugas tan chiquititas…
Hemos enfrentado MUCHOS mosquitos, bichos, cucarachas, y todo tipo de arañas, incluso una tarantula en mi cuarto en Bajo Quin (shoutout a Chema por sacarlo y liberarlo como el “Steve Erwin Safari Crocodile Hunter” sin miedo)…
Hemos comido cenas INCREÍBLES (Gracias a MIREYA a los otros CHEFES ASOMBROSOS), chucharías en medio de estaciones de gas, y mucho, mucho, mucho arroz (y de postre…¡arroz con leche!)…
Hemos ido a bosques bonitos, playas maravillosos, selvas tropicales, rios claros (CLAROOOO) y casas sin electridad o wifi a veces pero lleno de amor y alegría…
Hemos cantado ADELE, HAKUNA, HILLSONG, KATY PERRY, EMINAM, y quien puede olvidar, “¡SALVANOS SEÑOR, despiertos, protégenos mientras dormimos, para que velemos con Cristo y descansemos en paz!”
Y de hecho…¡Él nos salvó!
Sí mis amigos… mis compañeros misioneros…
Hemos llegado…
Gracias a Dios, gracias a María, y¡ gracias a TODOS DE USTEDES!
De veras, gracias por todas las sonrisas, los FISTBUMPS, los SELFIES, los momentos de divertido y amistad…
Yo les he visto trabajando tan duro, ayudándoles a cargar Láminas bien pesadas, esfuerzando y animando uno a otro, dando tanto energía jugando con niños lindos pero inagotables, y tirando como TARZAN con tan curaje… (te veoooooo… ¡tirandoooo!)
También tengo que pedir perdón…
Perdón por haber rezado Avemaria después de Avemaria en el coche con Greg (¡Aye Gregggg!) cuando estaban tratando de escuchar música, o por preguntarle cómo mil veces “¿¿¿CUÁL FUE TU PARTE FAVORITO del viaje???” cuando trataban de descansar…
Perdón por los atrasos en las parados al supermercados cuando intentaba regalar otra espampita, por ser tarde a veces, por mi SPANGLISH, y por BAILANDOOOO un poco loco a veces (¡ALABARÉ, ALABARÉ, ALABARÉ A MI SEÑOR!)
Pero en una nota más seria, os digo que os pido sólo una cosa de vosotros…
Mira…
Las pulsuras que parecen TAN BELLÍSIMAS en ustedes… por favor, no simplemente quedanlas como adornos…
Usanlas… porque tienen el poder de ser armas tan poderosos en nuestra batalla spiritual entre el bien y el mal que está pasando a nuestro alrededor y en muestreo ser cada día…
Somos el futuro de la isglesia y del mundo y el futuro de la iglesia y del mundo está (literalmente) en nuestras manos…
Si ustedes habieran visto un niño en un lago ahogándose, no tengo dudas de que saltarían inmediatamente para salvarlo…
Pero piensa en todas las almas alrededor del mundo cerca de la muerte ahorita, almas que de lo contrario podría perderse para siempre sin nuestras oraciones, nuestros esfuerzos, nuestro amor…
Todos de ellos os necesitan…
Yo os necesito….
Tu Madre María os necesita…
Tu Dios Jesús os necesita…
Y como Él Mismo nos dice, “…si conocieran el poder del Rosario que ustedes tienen en sus manos y que rezan con sus corazones, nunca lo soltarían. Estaría siempre con ustedes y las oraciones estarían siempre en sus labios…” y también, “…nunca sabes lo que traerá un solo Avemaría más. Un Avemaría rezado con un corazón amoroso, tiene el poder de detener guerras…de convertir a un no creyente, de salvar una vocación, de liberar a un alma del Purgatorio, y de cambiar el futuro para siempre. Piensa, entonces, en el poder de un Rosario completo rezado con amor.”*
Y os prometo que si ustedes empiecen con solo 20 minutos cada día dedicado al Santo Rosario, La Santísima Virgen les llevará de la mano y día tras día, encontrarán La Voluntad de Dios en tu vida, y experimentarán un paz interior y un felicidad celestial más allá que sus “WILDEST DREAMMMS” como dice Taylor Swift!!!
Termino con esto:
Al fin de su vida, el pecador dice, “Yo podría haber ganado más…”
Pero un santo, en su lecho de muerte dice, “Yo podría haber dado, rezado, sacrificado, y más que nada, amado más…y más…y más…”
Nota: Sé que muchas de ustedes tienen la oportunidad de ir a Misas cotidianas en sus universidades en España… por favor, les exhorto, APROVÉCHALA porque ¡cada Santa Eucaristía que recibes con fe y amor obliga El Corazón viviente y enamorado de Jesús a demarrar tantas gracias, bendiciones, y misericordias alrededor del universo entero, especialmente a tus familias y seres queridos para protegerles, inspirarles, y esforzarles! (¡Tu decisión de despertarte un poco más temprano en la mañana para empezar tu día con Jesús en La Eucaristía literalmente puede impactar las vidas de MILLONES de personas…!) En las palabras de la mística Marthe Robin, “Nuestra gloria en el cielo será proporcional al fervor que pongamos en nuestras Sagradas Comuniones en la tierra.” Y en las palabras de Santa Madre de Tereza de Calcutta, ““El tiempo que ustedes pasen con Jesús en el Santísimo Sacramento es el mejor tiempo que pasaran en la tierra. Cada momento que ustedes pasan con Jesús hará más profunda su unión con Él y transformara sus almas para ser eternamente más gloriosas y hermosas en el Cielo, asimismo ayudara a lograr la paz eternamente aquí en la tierra.”
“Come back to Me now, My little lost soul, and I will lift all punishment due you. Repent and throw yourself into My arms.… I am here, in the tabernacle. Come to Me here and I will forgive all sin.I will make you as pure as if you had never sinned.”
“Please remember My love. My love overcomes any guilt that you may feel. I did not die for you because you would be perfect on earth, but because you would make mistakes and take actions harmful to yourself or other people. I knew this and I loved you perfectly in this reality. I did not want you to be overcome by your mistakes. I knew you would need to recover, again and again, in My love. I knew you would need to be freed from your guilt and so I absorbed every bit of it in my body on the day they crucified Me. Please understand that this was my great joy…”
Greetings Family and Friends and Happy Divine Mercy Sunday! (And Orthodox Easter! “Christos Anesti!” as we say in my Greek hometown, Tarpon Springs!)
I hope you all have had a beautiful, blessed Lent and glorious Easter season thus far, filled with faith, family, friends, feasting, and fun!
In the weeks leading up to the Paschal Triduum last week, some parishes in here in the St. Petersburg diocese in Florida had been hosting penance services offering the Sacrament of Reconciliation or Confession, so as to allow as many as possible to receive Our Risen Lord’s Body and Blood in Holy Communion on Easter Sunday in a state of grace!
If you haven’t had your Confession heard in a while, there’s never been a better time to go than now! In fact, if you go to Confession and Communion within the next 20 days, you will be able to receive the special Divine Mercy Sunday grace of not only complete forgiveness of all past sin, but also full remission from any future punishment due to sin (aka wiping away purgatory time!), as promised by Our Lord through Saint Faustina, in her Diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul (699).
Honestly, I know it can often times feel nerve-racking or intimidating, but please realize that, really, there is nothing to be afraid of! Because at the end of the day, it is actually Jesus Himself who awaits you in this deeply healing Sacrament! Yes, Jesus Christ, through the words of absolution the priest, who is acting “In persona Christi”– is the One Who fully, freely forgives all your faults and failures in the flaming fires of His fathomless, fervent love for you and you alone!
And it is this RADICAL, unconditional Love, this boundless, indeed scandalous Mercy of His that ultimately allows us to be loving and merciful towards others…especially those who have hurt and harmed us, knowingly or unknowingly.
As C.S. Lewis once put it, “To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you.”
The following is a contemporary version of the “Act of Contrition” and an “Examination of Conscience” to pray through beforehand, in case you might need a refresher/guide!
I personally like to spend some time jotting down a list of my recent sins and imperfections on a note in my phone as a kind-of Love/Apology Letter to the Lord, just so I don’t forget anything, even the seemingly “little things” that might start small but can really add up (like moments of laziness and lateness, impatience and impulsiveness, pride and perfectionism, and as many of you sadly aware, delay and disorganization in getting back to others via calls or texts…my apologies family and friends!)…
It’s always a good feeling afterward to be able to SWIPE-DELETE this long list of my many past mistakes and start afresh in striving to live out a life of Christlike kindness, selflessness, obedience, gentleness, prayerfulness, and above all love, through the abundantly available yet unceasingly unique grace of God in each precious present moment!
Indeed, I can almost guarantee that if you don’t let yourself overthink it and simply just step in to honestly open up and courageously pour out your heart, you will step out feeling a tremendous weight lifted! (I’m not kidding, I’ve literally “jumped for joy” like a giddy little child on Christmas morning after receiving absolution once! …Yet why am I sensing that some of you might not be surprised…? 🙂
And speaking of which, I have some exciting news!
FINALLY…it is finished!
After writing this poem at the end of 2020, I was, by the abundant grace of God, the powerful prayers of many, and the timely help of a few, finally able to create and upload the following VIDEO of “Confession“…
Enjoy and feel free to share, share, share! (maybe just with one person who the Holy Spirit puts on your mind to reach out to!)
Indeed, perhaps the best part about “stepping out” of the Confessional is having your heart purified and prepared to rightly, readily “step in” to the Communion line at Mass! if you can receive Our Lord physically, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in Holy Communion, even just once more during the week, it will literally mean more the WORLD to Him!
Feel free to find (Sunday and daily) Mass and Confession times in your own area using the amazing MassTimes.org website!
Note: Divine Mercy Image and quotes from Saint Faustina’s Diary belong to the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Wanna Join Me in Prayer?
Monday, April 17th @ 9:00pmEastern,
I will be praying the Rosary and would love to have you join me on a Conference Call, even if only for a decade or two! The more the MARY-er! lol 🙂 Simply dial:
(719) 820-9402
May God bless you, Mother Mary keep you, and all the angels and saints surround you and your families in this glorious Easter season!
Yours in the infinite, intimate Love of Christ, Our Condemned and Crucified yet Risen and Resurrected King!
Greg O. Perenich
ALSO… HUGE shoutout to Lynn, Dan and Joa for all they do to bring Christ’s love and mercy to this world, in amazing and artistic ways, (such as their Youth Ministry work and YouTube channel!)
…and for their help in making this video, this vision, a reality! 🙂
Please, please, please…keep their family in your heartfelt prayers! They are very much in need of them in this time…
John Paul II, the beloved pope, called it his “favorite prayer” and firmly believed that by fervently praying it, one could change the course of human history. Padre Pio, the humble miracle-worker, called it his “weapon” against the devil, who would occasionally attack him in his sleep. Mother Teresa, the tireless missionary, exhorted her sisters to cling to it, and could often be seen doing so in the slums of Calcutta’s busy streets. Maximilian Kolbe, the heroic martyr, claimed it was the “secret” to all that he succeeded in doing, until he finally gave his life for another man in the concentration camps of the Nazis.
If you are a cradle Catholic or a convicted convert, you may have already guessed what “it” is: the Rosary. Yet though it is often overlooked and underutilized, Our Lady’s Rosary is among the most powerful, protective, precious means to bring down hell’s destructive ploys, bring together earth’s human family, and bring about the new era of Heaven’s love, joy, and peace. And because God makes the most extraordinary, supernatural masterpieces out of the most ordinary, natural means, only He could make a sword against the snares of Satan, a solution for the sadness of sin, and a safeguard to the serenity of the soul’s sanctity, out of the small, simple set of Rosary beads…
Personally speaking, I can’t even put into words how much happiness, hope, and healing this prayer has brought me since the day I decided to pray it daily. Addictions and anxieties which I never thought I could overcome have essentially become little nothings. Wounds and worries which I never thought I would recover from have slowly become distant memories. And a degree of interior discipline and divine intimacy beyond my wildest dreams have miraculously begun to inspire and imbue my most humble duties and hidden deeds, genuinely opening my eyes to all the many golden opportunities to intentionally yet effortlessly share with all those around me this inner yet otherworldly feeling that, through the Holy Rosary, both consumes and ennobles yet embalms and consoles my whole soul and being, ever generously yet gently!
Indeed, this little, loving prayer has matured in me the courage and vitality of the man I was made to be, and at the same time it has restored to me the goodness and purity of my inner child, Hail Mary after Hail Mary. Of course, I still fail, falter, and fall short constantly, as a feeble, fallen human being. Yet like the countless struggling saints turned sublime saints from ages past, I have the certainty if I refuse to let go of the Rosary, I will be assured the victory over every defeat, in the Name of the Lord and by the Blood of the Lamb: Jesus Christ, my Life, my Love, my Everything.
And so, I ask you, in all sincerity: Are you willing to embark upon a journey into the innermost depths of your being, to arrive at the uncomprehensible mysteries, the uncontainable miracles, the uncountable merits, and ultimately, the unconditional mercies, of the universe’s Queen and King? Are you ready to travel with Them through Judea’s hill country, meditate with Them in the Garden of Gethsemane, and walk with Them along the Via Dolorosa, the Way of the Cross, the road to Calvary? Are you prepared to witness the most meaningful moving, moments and scenes of He by Whose birth, life, death, and resurrection, you have been redeemed? From His upbringing with the Holy Family, His suffering for every last human being, His preaching during the three years of public ministry, and His rising in the glory of the Blessed Trinity… through the pure eyes and pondering heart of His Mother who knew Him and loved Him the most intensely yet intimately? Finally, are you eager to be accompanied, not only by Our Lord and Our Lady, but also by Their invisible, invincible army of angels and saints, oh so holy and heavenly, to guard and guide you, to protect and prompt you, and to generously provide for your every need, physically, emotionally, and spiritually… all while peacefully giving you insights into your own life’s joyful, sorrowful, glorious, and luminous mysteries?
If your answer is, “Yes, please!” then simply take a breath, take out your Rosary, and take the time this day, to see why this prayer will allow you to open your heart, transform your life, and fulfill your eternal destiny… For undoubtedly, there is no surer, shorter, sweeter way to greatness, to gladness, to God Himself than through His daughter immaculately conceived, His mother dearly loved and deeply lauded universally, and His spouse of pure and perfect perpetual virginity: the Woman that Scripture has been ceaselessly yet steadily revealing, clothed with the sun and crowned by the stars, crushing the head of the serpent, our adversary and enemy, under her feet.
Truly, no matter who you are or what you’ve done, Mary is your Mother, and She loves you immeasurably. Close your eyes and see her bright beautiful smile, as She looks upon you with such warmth and receptivity. Open your hands and feel her timeless, tender touch, as She hands you the Most Holy Rosary. Finally, quiet your heart and hear her soft, sweet voice, calling you by name and making known Her presence, Her plan, Her plea:
“My child,” She whispers, “My little baby… Do not be afraid of Me. For I am right here beside you, ready to help you, hold you, heal you entirely. I have been watching you carefully, awaiting this day, this moment, most eagerly. Trust my voice, take my hand, and today and every day, try your best to pray My Rosary. And I promise that you, little dove, that you and your loved ones, will finally be able to rest safe and sound in your Mother’s Immaculate Heart, in the Father’s Universal Kingdom, and in my Son’s All-Forgiving Embrace, for all eternity. I love you. Yours lovingly, Mary, The Handmaid of the Almighty and Mother of all humanity. The Lady of the Rosary and the Queen of Peace.”
Part 1: Translations of the “Offering of Past Crosses” Prayer to Share Worldwide!
Do you or does anyone you know speak any of the following languages? If so, pray the Holy Spirit for the gift of Spiritual Discernment and Holy Boldness, to share one or more of the following images with them, Lord-willing! They can be easily copied and pasted to be texted and email to family and friends, as well as posted on various social media platforms! Note: To print English prayer cards of this powerful prayer, to spread/leave in churches, adoration chapels, restaurants (especially to workers/waiters), schools, hospitals, nursing homes…(even staple them to telephone poles if the Spirit so calls! For as Our Lord told ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King’: “Use My words, dear little apostles. Spread them everywhere.”*), click here:
Remember, this prayer is SO IMPORTANT to help save so many souls, marriages, and vocations in this time of so much sin and confusion! Thus, let us endeavor to unite our holy and heavenly efforts and fight back against the great tide of evil surging through the internet, for the glory of the God we will one day see Face-to-face in awe and all humility, and the salvation of struggling, suffering souls we may never meet until eternity!
After all, as Our Lord has stated on November 5th, 2006:
“As more and more souls relinquish to Me all their past crosses–great and small–I am opening wide the First Chamber of Our United Hearts, the Heart of My Mother, which is Holy Love.”“As more and more souls turn to Me by merit of the powerful force of this offering of past crosses, Satan’s attacks upon this Mission of Our United Hearts will be more easily discerned and readily thwarted.”
PER MARIAM ET JOSEPH AD JESUM!
English:
Video: “The Inestimable Value of Even the Slightest Suffering…” Feel free to share!
Do you know of any family, friends, and loved ones who may be struggling mentally, emotionally, or spiritually during this time? If so, please consider sharing the following words/videos of grace and consolation, so that they may know that, no matter what they’re going through, they are not alone, but are entirely surrounded and aided and endlessly accepted and cherished, by their vast and beautiful heavenly family who eagerly awaits them in an eternity of joy, love, peace and adventure, beyond their wildest imagination.
(The following is a translation in Chinese of one of my favorite Messages on the power of a Single Hail Mary! Here it is with the English translation! I hope it motivates many souls in China to take up the powerful weapon of the Holy Rosary!
The following are translations I simply ran through Google Translate, without yet having a native speaker proofread/edit them. Thus, feel free to let me know if you see the need for any corrections! (My email is gpstar100@gmail.com) 🙂
Part 2: Book Excerpt (On the Spirituality of Suffering and the Science of Sacrifice)
Love Endures All Things: Having a Grateful “YES” to Everything
“Transform any disagreeable thing you meet in your daily walk into a bouquet of flowers. Gather them with love, and offer them to Me with love. Gifts? This is how I appreciate them: when they are given with all possible love. This is how even your most insignificant actions become precious.”
How else will other hearts catch fire to Love unless my own heart becomes a little more enflamed with the burning Love of God Himself, Love’s Source? For the more my heart draws near to Christ’s irresistible Heart of endless fire, the more other hearts will be irresistibly drawn along by Love’s outgoing, ongoing, perpetual, perpetuating force.
Christianity is not a religion of pain; it is a religion of love. Christ Himself assured us of this fact in His words to Sister Consolata on September 24th, 1936: “Remember, Consolata, that I am kind; do not distort this fact! You see, the world likes to represent sanctity by pictures of austerities, flagellations, chains… But it is not like that. If sacrifice and penance do enter into the life of a saint, they are not on that account the whole of his life. The saint, or the soul who gives herself to Me with generosity, is the most fortunate being on earth, for I am kind, altogether kind.” It is true that the holier we become, more the Our Lord “spoils us” so to speak, lavishing us with His gifts and graces, as He relates to St. Margaret of Cortona: “All the time I was on earth, My body had not one completely happy day, nevertheless while My friends are here below I intoxicate them with the joys of Heaven and give them rest and peace.” Yet by the same token, Jesus has also revealed in Volume 2: Conversations with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, that from a heavenly perspective, the words “love” and “sacrifice” are nearly interchangeable… How is this so?
Well, for one thing, sacrifice enables the human heart to be emptied of self-love and expands it to encompass the divine love of God. Every opportunity to lovingly sacrifice in thought, word, and deed- that is, to die to self- is really a golden opportunity to love and thus win all the more grace for one’s self and others. In other words, every time one willingly chooses to die to self- that is, to one’s own will- to do the Will of God, that person is really effecting a new birth of grace into the world, for at least one other soul that her or she may never meet until eternity. “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat,” Jesus tells us in John 12:24, “but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” No wonder religious sisters and priests are known and understood as spiritual mothers and spiritual fathers! For by denying, depriving, and disciplining their bodies, minds, and wills, through prayer, penitence, and penance, they are really bolstering, burgeoning, and blossoming their hearts, souls, and spirits, and with them, all their many other “spiritual children” whose lives have been benefited in some major or even slight way by their sacrificial love. Think, for example of the great spiritual Father, St. Padre Pio, who in Volume 5: Jesus the Redeemer, tells us that he is the “saint of heavenly service,” because he not only said “yes” to everything the Lord sent him, but would actually actively search out more ways to suffer and sacrifice for God and souls: “During my time on earth I had the greatest of love for the will of Jesus Christ in my life. I tried to embrace His will in everything, even the smallest of things. There were times when Jesus would tell me that I was being granted a respite, and truly, I tell you, I would feel disappointment. I took the greatest of comfort to think I was suffering, both to console Jesus, and to save the souls of my fellow men who would otherwise be lost. I focused so completely on accomplishing these things that I experienced joy in suffering. This concerned me at times because I wondered if suffering could be called suffering when one enjoyed it. But let me clarify and say that I did not enjoy it in my humanity, but in my spirituality, which had been blessed with the greatest of gifts from Jesus Christ, my God and my all….Come to me and ask for my help as this pleases God. I send you my very best wishes and every heavenly blessing that is within my power to obtain…. I am available to you and wish to help, so do not waste my offer.”
This, however, does not imply that we should seek to harm ourselves or jeopardize our health with severe mortifications and strict fasts, which are often done out of self-will and are thus outside of the Divine Will. Rather, it consists in simply and lovingly accepting all the Good God sends our way, on each and every day, trusting that He has our best interest at heart. “The nicest prayers are the prayers of humble acceptance,” Our Lady tells us in Volume 1:Thoughts on Spirituality, “Acceptance moves you closer to God in a swift and beautiful manner.” This acceptance, of course, may sound easy enough in theory, but in practice it means bearing the good, the bad, and the ugly in the people around us and the situations involving us, “first with patience, then willingly, without raising any difficulties and finally with joy” as St. Maximilian Kolbe proposes.
“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.” These words of little St. Therese remind us that no matter how difficult it may be in this passing present moment, immediately upon our entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, we will truly rejoice in every last little suffering that we tried to secretly and silently yet eagerly and enthusiastically accept from, for, and with Jesus! Still, how many of us fail to see the many the crosses we may come across daily as true treasures of grace which hold incomparable richness for our soul’s holiness and perfection, and our heart’s happiness and peace! The following prayer, given by St. Martin de Porres, encompasses a variety of these everyday hardships, annoyances, and seemingly “unfair” circumstances, which are really the greatest of all gifts from Heaven! He promises that if prayed in the morning, the great and small sacrifices that one may have forgotten to offer the Lord have already been given to Him:
“Dear Jesus, Divine and Beloved Savior, today I surrender to You every pain—physical, spiritual or emotional. I will not complain about inconveniences, demands upon my time, breaches of privacy or the rudeness of those You put in my life today. With Your help, I will accept each present moment with Holy Love. Amen.”
Similarly, Our Lord reveals the following short and simple but penetrating and potent prayer as a sure means for helping Him claim more and more souls for the Heavenly Father and helping us become more and more confirmed to Him, the Suffering Servant: “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.” Likewise, in other messages to ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King,’ Jesus tell us that, “…suffering saves souls,” that, “You must begin to equate even your smallest crosses to so many souls rescued from darkness,” that, “All of your crosses, each one, obtain merit for your soul and salvation for others. The more unpleasant the cross, the more merit and salvation obtained,” and that, “You will not regret your sufferings. You will only regret the times you failed to love.”
On earth, we truly have no idea how unconceivably powerful our sufferings are before God. Imagine a mother who is forced to watch her newborn baby receiving a lifesaving yet painful shot, such as a vaccine. Though she knows that this child of hers would immediately forget and even eventually thank her for the injection, would the sound of her precious little one’s heartbreaking cries in that difficult moment not bring her to tears herself? In the same way, though the experience of suffering might last a lifetime, it is truly short in the long run and grand scheme: the drop of a pin, the blink of an eye, the shot of a needle and then we’re Home, safe and sound in the embrace of our loving family, never to struggle, strain, or sorrow ever again, for all eternity!
And yet, Our Blessed Mother, Whose love for us is infinitely greater than the love of all other mothers throughout human history combined, can barely stand to see us undergo suffering of any kind. Her heart breaks, melts, and nearly stops at the sight of it, just like it did during the excruciating hours at the foot of the Cross, when Her Son, Her Baby, Who despite being pure Love and Innocence Incarnate, willingly took on the human guilt of us all and underwent the divine justice of God. Yet despite Her agony, She was sustained by God’s grace, and with His help, was able to submit Her will to His and even fully forgive those killing Her Lord and Her Love, believing with all Her Heart that God’s Plan was infinitely greater and grander than She could ever fathom or foresee. “Behold the Blessed Virgin at the foot of the Cross.” Jesus once told Sister Consolata, “She suffers, yes; but what dignity in her suffering! Can you see her? …in a sea of anguish, not one lament! She does not become despondent or discouraged; nothing of the kind! …She accepts and suffers, she offers it all up with calmness and strength, even to the ‘consummatum est.’ That is the way I wish you to be in the days of sorrow; the virginal purity of your love will help you to be so!”
Christ Himself, with Arms outstretched and Blood outpoured suffering and suffocating, on the Cross, also looks upon us in our moments of sadness and loneliness, heartbreak and dejection, gloom and grief. And if He sees us looking back at Him, doing our best to carry our own cross, His Heart is immensely consoled and comforted, for He is no longer alone. Our pain becomes joined to His and, through the Immaculate Hands and Heart of Mary, is offered to the Father as an eternal currency, by which we can purchase the restoration of sick bodies, the consolation of troubled minds, and ultimately, the salvation of lost souls. “Whenever a soul receives with faith and love any occasion of suffering,” Jesus once revealed to Sister Benigna Consolata Ferrero, “it is as if she received Me in her arms when taken down from the Cross; the two arms with which the soul receives Me are resignation and love for My divine Will.” This unfathomable closeness, indeed Oneness, with Our Lord, and thus Our Lady at the Foot of the Cross, is truly only made possible by refusing to complain about suffering, and instead intimately sharing it with Them alone, as Jesus explains in God’s Blue Book 3: “Life is a bittersweet symphony, My child. You have a mixture of suffering and pleasure. The way to Me is the cross, to relinquish your life here and live it totally for Me. Suffering suffered for Me lasts forever. It is the crown I wore that won your salvation. It is in your suffering you will help to save souls. You are not here for momentary pleasures. I ask you to carry crosses, to carry the burdens that I place on you. It is through these burdens you are drawn closer to Me. Accept your suffering with joy. It is in this joy that you will find the true joy of everlasting happiness…. Such sorrow, such joy, joy to be united, sorrow to suffer the pain. It is in sweet surrender you are joined to Our Hearts. You accept all I have given you, you consecrate yourselves to our hearts, a total surrender of yourself to the Hearts of Mary and Jesus.”
In her locutions to ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King,’ St. Margaret Mary Alacoque explains the potential that physical, emotional, and spiritual affliction can have in allowing us to become co-creators with the Father, co-redeemers with the Son, and co-sanctifiers with the Holy Spirit. To all those who suffer, even to the point of being tempted to end their life, she promises: “If your situation requires a miracle from Heaven, you should ask for one. Miracles are not impossible when you keep company with saints. Saints, indeed, are all about obtaining miracles from God. God gives us these things, these miracles, because we suffered with Him while we were on earth. You will be a saint if you suffer with Jesus. And then you will be able to obtain powerful graces, also. You will say, ‘God, please help this person.’ God will do so when He sees that you are making the smallest effort to accept your suffering with Jesus.” Indeed, though it is true that pain is God’s megaphone to us, as C.S. Lewis points out, if offered back to Him in a spirit of acceptance and love, pain can also be our megaphone to God, utterly disarming Him to withhold the Arm of His justice, deeply moving Him to unleash the torrents of His grace, and practically forcing His Paternal Heart to grant the innermost intentions of our hearts, on behalf of those we love. “Remember, sacrifice is what strengthens your prayers,” God the Father reveals in the Messages of Holy and Divine Love, “When you offer Me sacrifices, I see your efforts and am moved to answer your prayers. Sacrifice brings you deeper into My Heart.”
Yet while the topic of suffering and sacrifice can sound daunting and downright dismaying, let us not be afraid! For if Our Lord will never assign to us anything beyond our capabilities or devoid of His help, as Saint John of the Cross explains in “Heaven Speaks to Those Who Have Rejected God”: “Possibly you are fearful of what God will ask of you. This is short-sighted because anything that God asks of you becomes easy when you embark upon it with Him.” Besides, if He didn’t require anything extraordinary of His victim soul, He certainly will not require it of us…save of course, extraordinary love! “No, Consolata no! Jesus does not demand heroic acts from you, but merely trifles,” He once told her, “only they must be offered with all your heart!” Indeed, as followers of Christ, the First and Greatest of all, Who made Himself the least and littlest of all, we must dare to dream big, but remember to think small. “It takes so little to make you climb one degree higher,” Jesus encourages us through His words to Bl. Gabrielle Bossis in He and I, “And degree by degree you come to a deeper knowledge of God. You climb for others as well as yourself.” In the spiritual life, one degree can really make a world of difference! For St. Faustina once said that she would suffer all the torments of the martyrs combined if only to attain but one more degree of glory with, knowledge of, and resemblance to Christ in Heaven…and I’m sure all of the saints, who now fully see, know, and enjoy God in all His greatness, goodness, and grandeur would easily say the same! After all, listen to how St. Thomas Aquinas, in the Messages of Holy and Divine Love, describes the most sublime and sweet, perfect and pleasing, happiest and highest level in Heaven, the Sixth Chamber of the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary- the very Heart of God the Father- reserved for the greatest saints: “The saints in the Sixth Chamber earned this coveted place while on earth. It is such a jewel of a Chamber that not even every saint is admitted to its sanctuary. There are martyrs and other saints who are in the highest place in the Fifth Chamber–for there are certain priority levels within each Chamber–all according to merit. Yet, these saints, while standing very close to the Sixth Chamber, are not allowed entrance. You cannot understand this unless you comprehend that every present moment counts towards your eternal reward. In God’s Mercy, which is one with His Love, sins are forgiven when the heart is contrite. Punishment is also obliterated through certain plenary indulgences. However, it is how deeply the soul immerses his heart and becomes one with the Divine Will while on earth, that determines admission to the Sixth Chamber.”
In order to receive all from Jesus, we must truly give Him everything. Yet even the weakest effort we exert to overcome ourselves can merit the necessary grace for raising the degree of our soul’s eternal brightness, beauty, and bliss. “I, who find all My joy in you,” Our Lord once told Saint Gertrude, “do not intend to allow even your least thought, nor a single movement of your finger, which you have done for love of Me, to pass by without using it for My glory and your eternal welfare.” Additionally, the littlest things can go the longest of ways when it comes to rescuing, ransoming, and releasing other souls from the clutches of the enemy, as ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King’ reminds us of this in her book Mist of Mercy, wherein the Lord made her understand that, “our prayers, our offering of our day to Jesus, and then our little teeny sacrifices accepted for Christ, as well as our greatest pain and sufferings offered for Christ, can actually help make the difference between a soul choosing Christ or casting himself away from Him into hell.” “A word here, a smile there, a kindness there, an act of humility when pride would be tempting,” God the Father assures us in Volume 3: God the Father Speaks to His Children, “these small acts bring souls back to the family and I can then bring them to heaven.”
In case one still might be skeptical of the surprising salvific power of even our smallest, slightest prayers, the following is a story told by Maria Simma (1915-2004), from Austria who was able to see souls in purgatory. She relates… “One day, I was on a train and in my compartment there was a man who didn’t stop speaking evil of the Church, of priests, even of God. I said to him: ‘Listen, you don’t have the right to say all that, it’s not good.’ He was furious at me. Afterwards, I arrived at my station, I got down from the train, and said to God: ‘Lord, do not let this soul be lost.’ Years later, the soul of this man came to visit me; he told me that he had come very close to Hell, but he was saved simply by this prayer I had said at that moment!”
The interviewer of Maria goes on to write, “Yes, it’s extraordinary to see that just one thought, one impulse of the heart, a simple prayer for someone can prevent them from falling into Hell. It is pride which leads to Hell. Hell is to stubbornly say “NO” against God. Our prayers can elicit an act of humility in the dying, a single instant of humility, however small, which can help them to avoid Hell.”
WOW! Just think of how many souls are at death’s door in every present moment, unprepared to face their judgement and unwilling to repent of their sins… Their guardian angels stop at nothing to petition heaven and earth for the prayers and sacrifices necessary to obtain a deathbed conversion for the soul they’ve been assigned to and entrusted with by God from all eternity! No wonder St. Therese didn’t fear entering Purgatory, as she was far too focused on obtaining Heaven for others, whose fate was weighing in the balance: “If I had been rich, I could not have seen a poor person hungry without giving him something to eat. That is what I do in my spiritual life: as soon as I acquire something, knowing that there are souls on the point of falling into Hell, I give them my treasures and I have not yet had a minute to say, ‘Now I am going to work for myself…’ I do not know whether I shall go to Purgatory. Nor am I worried.” “If I do go to Purgatory, then I shall be very content to do so; I shall do like the three young men, sing the song of love as I am being transformed in the furnace. How happy I should be if by these means I could save other souls, and suffer in their place.”
Indeed, the Little Flower, who used to make thousands of small sacrifices during her days on earth continues offer us guidance and instruction concerning her “Little Way” from Heaven! The following are a few excerpts of her various messages as given to Maureen Sweeney-Kyle of Holy Love Ministries: “My little way is a fortress against evil. Begin at once to offer many small sacrifices daily. You will be given deeper insight between good and evil in your moment-to-moment decisions.” “Every present moment holds a bounty of sacrifices to be offered to God. These little sacrifices combine to become great graces for the soul and for humanity in general. Ask me and I will help you to discover these small sacrifices. Offer them with love.” “Many little, humble sacrifices amount to much in God’s Eyes. Never allow Satan to convince you otherwise. Each sacrifice is as valuable as the depth of Holy Love in the heart when it is offered. That is what God looks at, not the cost of the sacrifice to the soul.”
Sister Consolata, who was so inspired by St. Therese’s life and writings, aimed not to miss a single sacrifice she felt compelled to make, from one Communion to another! Yet this third point of the “Littlest Way” is only made possible through the internal unceasing act of love itself: “Consider St. Peter: alone, he had fished all night and hadn’t caught a thing; with Me, he had barely thrown in the nets before they were full of fish. In the same way, if you remain in Me, with each inspiration for mortification that I send you, you will throw in the nets and I will pull them in, full of souls which you will only know in Paradise.” Of course, Jesus made it very clear to her that external acts, devoid of a spirit of love toward and union with Him, no matter how costly or impressive are worth nothing in His Eyes and have no efficacy for saving souls: “When the heart is very sick, it makes even a robust person inactive. Thus, if the heart does not belong to Me, I do not know what to make of the soul, no matter how much she is adorned with virtues.” On the other hand, when a soul is first saturated, submerged, indeed “supercharged” with supernatural love from spending time sincerely, silently, and secretly sitting, soaking, and even snuggling in Christ’s Presence, everything, including the most seemingly strong, scary, and sophisticated struggles, sufferings, and sacrifices become surmountable, simple, and somehow, even sweet! For as Jesus Himself revealed to Sr. Josefa Menendez, “I would like them to know how much I desire their perfection, and that it consists in doing their ordinary actions in intimate union with Me. If they once grasped this, they could divinize their life and all their activities by this close union with My Heart… When a soul is burnt up with desire to love, nothing is a burden to her, but if she feels cold and spiritless everything becomes hard and difficult.”
Because grace builds on nature, it may be very profitable for the “Littlest Ones” to study the “science of sacrifice,” so as to learn about and be on the lookout for all the thousands of hidden opportunities for self-denial during the day, each of which, like splinters to a flame, add intensity and immensity to the ongoing, outgoing yet intimate, inner song of one’s love for the Lord. “Be ingenious in mortifying yourself and in breaking your own will,” the religious soul in Purgatory exhorts her fellow sister on earth in An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory. And in the more recent words from God the Father Himself in the Messages of Holy and Divine Love, “The soul who is completely converted looks for ways to sacrifice in order to please Me. With a wise heart he asks for My assistance in discovering ways to sacrifice, in carrying out each sacrifice and in keeping each sacrifice between Me and himself. Every sacrifice given with a sincere heart strengthens the soul’s conversion and his relationship with Me.” Thus, the following tables give a list of different ideas for small sacrifices, as well as some of the benefits and blessings, both seen and unseen, that may come with each one!
Sleep Rising earlier than necessary to pray in the morning; getting up right away instead of going back to bed.
“You could help Jesus save somebody’s soul by getting out of bed the moment your alarm goes off… You’re saying no to the senses and becoming a free person. You are listening to the Holy Spirit. and you are worshipping God by offering this sacrifice and you are redeeming the world by uniting that moment of sliding out of bed to the Cross of Jesus Christ.” -Fr. Mike Schmittz
Food Fasting (on bread and water, for instance) 1-2 days a week; choosing healthier, leftover, or less desirable foods and drinks; only eating during set or scheduled mealtimes; eating slowly or interspersing prayers or conversation between bites; finishing meal slightly hungry; forgoing desserts.
“…a servant of God performed eight acts of mortification in eating an egg, and it was afterwards revealed to her that, as the reward of her self-denial, eight degrees of grace and as many degrees of glory were bestowed upon her.” -St. Alphonsus Liguori “Fasting is the support of our soul: it gives us wings to ascend on high, and to enjoy the highest contemplation!” -St. John Chrysostom “Besides the ordinary effect of fasting in raising the mind, subduing the flesh, confirming goodness, and obtaining a heavenly reward, it is also a great matter to be able to control greediness, and to keep the sensual appetites and the whole body subject to the law of the Spirit; and although we may be able to do but little, the enemy nevertheless stands more in awe of those whom he knows can fast.” -St. Francis De Sales
Health If undergoing sickness, seeking help and allowing Jesus to work through the medicine and doctors, but accepting as God’s Will a cure or no cure.
“If you are ill, particularly, spend your days with Me and I can show you heights of holiness that will leave you breathless. I work with great energy in the soul of someone who suffers physically. Trust Me, please, with everything, for I am caring for you lovingly.” -Jesus via ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King’ “Do not be too preoccupied about your health. God will always give you sufficient strength to serve Him properly.” –Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory
Posture Sitting or standing up straighter; kneeling or even prostrating oneself during private prayer.
“When you kneel before an altar, do it in such a way that others may be able to recognize that you know before whom you kneel.” -St. Maximillian Kolbe “A Christian can see more when he’s on his knees than he can when he’s on his feet.” -John Hagee
Little Social Sacrifices
“The Lord may ask us when we see Him, ‘Do you remember this person who was standing next to you for an hour…for thirty minutes…for five minutes? This person needed your love and your prayers. Did you notice her, or was she another passing shadow? Did she mean nothing to you because you were so into yourself?’” -Marino Restrepo (a revert to the faith, hailed as a St. Paul of our century, who actually met the Lord face-to-face an illumination of conscience experience and shocking life review).
Practical Examples
Spiritual Effects
Kindness Viewing opportunities to serve, assist, or console others as requests directly from the Throne of God and responding graciously and immediately; being generous with one’s time, talent, or treasure; showing gratitude and affection; gifting kind notes and compliments.
“It usually costs little to bring joy to another’s heart. All it takes is a little good will, a trifling exertion for the sake of your neighbor, a cheering gift, a few words, and sometimes just a smile.” “When you have entered into eternity, you will be amazed on realizing what a wonderful kingdom of joy you might have set up around you on earth by means of mere trifles.” -Fr. Lawrence Lovasik “When someone knocks at our door, or when we are rung for, we must practice mortification and refrain from doing even another stitch before answering. I have practiced this myself, and I assure you that it is a source of peace.” -St. Therese of Lisieux “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 Bl. Gabrielle Bossis
Humility Remaining in the background as much as possible to commune with God, but reaching out to others in sincerity and simplicity; focusing on and discussing the positive qualities of others and any shared commonalities.
“If there is a disagreement and you make peace, even if you are not at fault, all of Heaven will applaud you. Blessed are the peacemakers, my children… Bring peace everywhere with you and you will be a faithful apostle of my beautiful son, Jesus.” -Blessed Mother via ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King’ “If you are a sign of humble love in the world, people will be drawn to you. Always affirm the good in people and let your demeanor preach Holy Love for you. In this example of Holy Love, people can be convicted in their hearts of their errors, rather than you preaching to them. Always defend the Truth, however, even in the face of opposition.” -Blessed Mother via holylove.org
Meekness Being a good and attentive listener; giving others’ opinions or preferences primacy; giving no resistance or reply when insulted or ignored; holding back an unnecessary or unkind word or joke.
“My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice, these are my invincible arms; they can move hearts far better than words, I know it by experience.” “It is better to leave each one in his own opinion than to enter into arguments.” -St. Therese of Lisieux “You must never take any notice of what will be said of you. The real merit of a person consists not in accepting with patience rebukes which she has merited more or less, but in accepting patiently those she has not merited, especially if she has done her utmost to do good and is then reproached for it.” -Unpublished Manuscript of Purgatory
Courage Praying to have one’s spiritual eyes open so as to always be prepared to evangelize; speaking Jesus’ Name lovingly in conversation; standing up for the Church or the Truth, offering to pray together with someone.
“You are to speak freely of Me. If a soul rejects Me, hold no malice for that soul. Simply pray for them and move along, seeking out another. Often you are like a farmer sowing seeds. I, Myself, must reap the harvest.” -Jesus via ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King’ “You will need to use the truth as a weapon. When someone speaks the truth, people listen. They may become angry, they may deny the truth, and they may then try to hide the truth, but they will hear you. And then they must make a choice.” -St Ignatius of Loyola via ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King’
Little Mental Sacrifices
“Dearest little children, place your petitions in My Motherly Heart, which is your protection and trust in the provision of My Son’s Heart. Your every need is already in My Heart. Every concern must be your joy, for it helps to turn souls towards God.” -Our Lady of Mount Carmel, via Holy Love Ministries
Practical Examples
Spiritual Effects
Joy Accepting trials, inconveniences, disappointments, and bad news with cheerful resignation to the Will of God; refusing to complain about one’s sufferings, so as confide them only to Jesus.
“…when something painful or disagreeable happens to me, instead of a melancholy look, I answer by a smile. At first I did not always succeed, but now it has become a habit which I am glad to have acquired.” -St. Therese of Lisieux “You are this light that shines in the darkened world. If I give you sufferings and you complain, your light does not shine… If you accept your cross, you should carry it, not give the burden to others… This develops intimacy with Me and our eyes meet and we know the suffering, as the suffering between My mother and Me!” -Jesus in God’s Blue Book 3
Diligence Doing your daily duties thoroughly and promptly, despite any feelings of fatigue or boredom; avoiding procrastination or diversions; prioritizing and finishing necessary tasks before allowing one’s self a break; practicing being attentive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings to do the Will of God in the present moment.
“Watch your time. Write it down-how you spent it in useless ways!… Don’t rob Me of My time. I am telling you, you will be accountable for your time and how you use it. I lent it to you to do My work…to serve Me.” -Jesus in God’s Blue Book 1 “It matters – the disposition of the heart – in the very smallest of matters. If the smallest and most insignificant thing is given to Me with great love, it becomes great in My Eyes. This is how the boredom of routine can become a great vehicle of conversion for many. It is likewise how the smallest inconveniences can save souls and turn hearts back to Me.” -Jesus via holylove.org “Find Me in your soul in each moment you are questioning your role in the Kingdom. I will direct you.” -Jesus via ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King’ “In every situation think more about loving than about working.” -St. Maximilian Kolbe
Holy Indifference Quickly replacing any vain, impure, selfish, judgmental, or useless thoughts with prayers; avoiding instantly and incessantly checking our mail or messages; mortifying curiosities about others’ affairs; peacefully entrusting any past regrets or future worries to Jesus’ infinitely merciful love.
“Focus! This is your focus, Jesus Christ! Constant union with Me in your thoughts. …. I must be so close to you that you wander not one second in your thoughts from our union.” -Jesus in God’s Blue Book 2 “What is left of all the earthbound thoughts you have cherished? And what would your treasure not be today if they had all been transformed into upsoarings to Me.” -Jesus to Bl Gabrielle Bossis “I permit this assailing battle of thoughts which oppresses you because it glorifies Me and gives Me souls. Offer Me these undesired thoughts at every instant with this ejaculation: ‘For You and for souls!’ I will transform these thoughts which come to you from morning to night, and which hinder your love, into graces and blessings for souls.” -Jesus to Sr. Consolata Betrone
Perseverance Persisting in prayer (especially the Rosary) when experiencing dryness or restlessness; seeking out a few more minutes of silence in the day; making visits to the Blessed Sacrament and Spiritual Communions.
“When you do not have peace in your heart, stop what you are doing and pray. I will restore peace to your soul and you will then be happier and more effective.” “…your own little priceless soul…becomes more and more beautiful through prayer and silence.” “In those prayer times when you feel less, you are gaining more, believe Me, please.” -Jesus via ‘Anne, apostle of the Returning King’ “Be prayerful and silent as often as possible. In this way we can help Jesus fill you with peace.” -St. Anthony via ‘Anne, apostle of the returning King.”
It must be stated that the greatest of all sacrifices is an internal one of love. “Do not wonder what type of sacrifice to offer Me; for the greatest and most perfect of all sacrifices is to live in Holy Love in every present moment,” Jesus reassures us in the Messages of Holy and Divine Love. “To do so dictates a total dying to self.This is the sum total of all I ask.” Our Lord makes this especially clear to Sister Consolata in revealing to her His desire to be loved deeply and ardently. “Consolata, henceforth we must not merely strive to avoid defects,” He tells her, “but our efforts must aim at loving Jesus even to the extremes of folly!” His words in God’s Blue Books have the same effect: “I want an intimate, on-fire love relationship with each soul. My Heart is a burning fire. It is an abyss of fervent love, a furnace on fire for the love of you.” “Love is embracing, love is entwined, love is vibrant and forceful, love is burning, love is longing, love is wanting, love is thinking about the other and talking about that person at all times. Love is an active force. It is on fire.” “…My love within you should be a force mightier than any explosion. It is a force that can never be contained.”
Because “our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29), those throughout history who persisted in pursuing Him throguh prayer and the sacraments, namely, His saints, became like burning flames. Pope St. John Paul II, for example would immerse and exert himself so intensely and attentively during prayer that he was actually heard audibly groaning before and during Mass and was even called “the old lion” by Fr. Maciej Zieba and other of his contemporaries. St. Aloysius Gonzaga once appeared before Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta with a love so dazzling, flaming, and great that it seemed “to be able to burn the whole world to ashes.” Jesus then told her, “Look how beautiful Aloysius is; but the greatest thing in him, which distinguished him on earth, was the Love with which he operated. Everything was love in him- love occupied him interiorly, love surrounded him externally; so, one can say that even his breath was love. That is why it is said of him that he never suffered distraction- because Love inundated him everywhere, and with this love he will be inundated eternally, as you see.” St. Gemma Galgani experienced a mysteriously sweet yet burning sensation in her heart after receiving Jesus in Holy Communion, and once cried out to the Him in ecstasy, “You are on fire, oh Lord, and I burn. Oh pain, oh infinitely happy love! Oh sweet fire! Oh sweet flames! And would You wish my heart to become a flame? …. Come then, Oh Jesus! Your heart is a flame and you wish mine to be turned into a flame as well…. Jesus, I feel I must die when you are throbbing so in my heart.”
Above all, Our Blessed Mother, the “Heavenly Phoenix,” loved God more intensely and intimately than all the seraphim and cherubim, virgins and martyrs combined. As the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, Who overshadowed Her soul by Her Fiat at the Incarnation and enshrouded the whole Church by her intercession at Pentecost, how could She not be utterly and entirely forged and transfigured by and eventually and ultimately fused and transformed into the very Breath and Fire of the everlasting love and desire between the Father and Son? Indeed, by the end of her life on earth, She had become “a devouring flame and conflagration of immense activity” as Mary Agreda describes her in Mystical City of God. “…The flame of her most pure love, with irresistible flight, pressed upward to her proper sphere, that is, the Divinity.” Indeed, let us always remember that while Sister Consolata is the model for the “Littlest Way” of continual, pure, and intense love, Our Blessed Mother Mary is the Model “par excellence.”
“The true measure of loving God,” St. Bernard teaches, is to love Him without measure.” Indeed, we are commanded in the Holy Bible to love the Lord with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength, and we are advised in An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory, to “have no other desire than to love God always more and more.” Still, since His desire for our love is truly infinite and eternal, no amount of love for God on our part could ever really be enough. Yet it is precisely because of true love’s infinite and eternal essence that, in loving God and thus uniting with Christ, we ourselves, and thus our every thought, word, and deed, become divinized. Yes! The more we love our Infinite and Eternal Lord and Savior, even to the point of folly, the more all our actions, even the littlest and least, become infinitely and eternally valuable! In other words, it is by repeatedly renewing, redirecting, and redoubling of one’s efforts toward internally burning up, beaming out, and blazing forth one’s love for Jesus that all our deeds, dispositions, and even desires become illuminated, invigorated, and immortalized, both in time on earth and throughout eternity in Heaven! As the soul in undergoing her purgation in An Unpublished Manuscript explains: “It is only recollected souls who will have any influence for good around them. Things done differently have no value.” “Try to be as recollected in your actions as you are during your thanksgiving after Holy Communion.” “There must be a little sacrifice in each one of them, something that costs you an effort. Without that there is no merit.”
Additionally, with love, suffering ceases to cause one suffer, and if this love is powerful and prodound enough, it can even turn and transform suffering into the joy and consolation of the mind, the peace and refreshment of the heart, and the life and “daily bread” of the soul. “…when Jesus really reigns over your will and you allow Him to be absolute master of your whole being, then, no matter how heavy the crosses are, you will not feel their weight,” we are told by this same soul of a religious sister in An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory. Indeed, “Love will absorb everything…” Sister Consolata herself attests that amazingly, “The unceasing act of love keeps the soul always in peace. I believe that it has a strong ascendency over suffering and helps one to suffer joyfully… The act of love is stronger than any pain.” Finally, this ever-intensifying inner flame within us is what ignites many other hearts with love and allows them to catch fire. Luisa Piccerreta proposes an inward examination, when in The Twenty-Four Hours of the Passion, she writes, “In all that we do – prayers, actions and other things – do we always have the intention of absorbing new love within ourselves, so as to give everything back to Him? We must absorb it in order to give it, so that everything we do may carry the seal of the works of Jesus. When the Lord gives us fervor, light and love, do we use them for the good of others? Do we try to enclose souls in this light and in this fervor, so as to move the Heart of Jesus to convert them; or do we selfishly keep His graces for ourselves alone?” And in God’s Blue Book 2 Jesus Himself warns us why continually fanning and fueling the fires of this love within ourselves, to shine on and warm up, and energize and thus evangelize all those we encounter is so crucial: “Souls are at stake. Their eternal life depends on the ardent love you are developing in your heart. You can only speak of My love with fire when you are on fire yourself. Be on fire with love of Me. Be about your love affair.”
It’s important to understand, however, that fervent love will not always be accompanied by warm, fuzzy feelings. In fact, as Fr. Lorenzo Sales explains, one can “love God with a perfect and intense love, even with an icy heart, even while experiencing disgust or aversion. To love God with an act of perfect love, it’s enough to want to love Him in that way. In these circumstances, the act of love can be even purer, more generous, and therefore more meritorious and agreeable to God.” These words are confirmed by those of Our Blessed Mother in Volume 1: Thoughts on Spirituality: “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.” Yes, it is true! Though at times, it may seem, look, or feel like nothing, loving God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength can cause the angels and saints to resound, the eternal reward that awaits us compound, and the glory of the King of the Universe to abound! After all, in one of my personal favorite Messages of Holy and Divine Love, Jesus promises that, truly, “…your smallest effort in prayer, sacrifice or fasting does not remain small but affects the entire cosmos–the whole universe; therefore, do not be discouraged in the least little effort, for I take it and make it great.”
“Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:11).
My Uncle Carlton with his beautiful little granddaughter Layton 🙂
“You Watched Me”
You watched me grow up big strong,
and you wanted nothing but for me to live a life that was happy and long
You watched me as I caught my first fish that all began with one tug…
I’ll never forget how proud you were, giving me that famous big bear hug
I watched you work, play, laugh, and pray, helping others in every way,
Teaching me to share the love, joy, and peace of Christ, moment by moment, day by day
I watched you grow older, never losing the vivaciousness from your younger years
But even as you moved on to a better, brighter place, my eyes filled with tears
Yet now I can live my life the way you wanted, through all I learned and saw
Knowing that you and our divine Lord and Savior are watching over us all.
Eternal rest grant to Him, O Lord; and let perpetual light shine upon him. May the soul of Doyle Carlton Smith (1928-2013) and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace.
Written and Delivered By Gregory O. Perenich, June 1st, 2013
Today we pay our respects to a man who changed all of our lives forever. A man of courage, of simplicity, of love. A man who will live on in all of us until we at last rest with him up above.
Carlton lived more than a great life; he built a legacy, completed a journey and fulfilled his purpose on Earth. Of course, he was always happy. I never once saw him with anything but a smile on his face as he would teach me how to catch my first bass…okay my first minnow. Or the look of excitement on his face as he brought a skinned succulent fish inside to cook and share with all of us. Or even the look of contentment on his face as he would just sit back and enjoy the beauty of everything unfolding right in front of him. He would just sit and watch, at peace with the lake, the world, and himself. Simply watching, never taking even the smallest things for granted.
My Uncle Carlton with his sweet, loving, wonderful wife Mary Smith, who made him oh so happy!
And that was the thing about Uncle Carlton. As diligent, disciplined, and determined of a man he was, at the end of the day, after all the work was done, he wanted nothing more than to watch the glowing, golden sunset God gave him over the glorious lake he had grown his seeds off of. He would watch his plants that were finally blossoming, his flowers that were finally blooming, his little saplings which were becoming great trees, bringing shade, brushing against breezes, bearing fruits. And that’s exactly what he saw in each of us. Little seeds that were growing in the world, extending our branches upward to the sky, and eventually, letting our fruit fall back to the ground where we once came from. And you can bet the that he is gonna be there to soak up the sun under our shade. For he planted each of our seeds, and placed us all in this garden together. And I have to thank him for that. Because there’s not a single one person in this room who I wouldn’t want to grow in this garden of life, laughter and love with.
I know that he is watching us today, with that old grin and glimmer in his eyes, knowing that his lifelong journey is finally over, his seeds finally planted, his saplings grown, his trees producing fruit, his garden complete and his purpose fulfilled. And now he hands the orchard over to us. So that no matter how tough times are, how many obstacles we face, or how many cold winters plague our pastures, we may remember our Uncle Carlton and persevere, persist, and prosper through passion, praise, and pure love, just as he did.
My Uncle Carlton standing beside his sister Jeannie! He was the “baby,” the youngest of 2 sisters and 9 brothers!
His soul is now in a place of peace. He looks out upon all he has created and cultivated…us. And he awaits us on the day our own lives have been lived, our own seeds planted, our own purposes fulfilled, to join him in the eternal resting place with God, looking back on the setting sun and the shinning world that each of us, like Carlton, made just a little bit brighter.
Verse:
“Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” -Mark 4:18-20
Quote:
“Today I wish to speak to My children about heaven. Heaven is real, dear ones. It is a place and I am there. Most of your deceased family members are here along with all of the saints and many others whom you have not met. There is great fellowship in heaven, particularly among souls who served Me in similar ways. You will feel no pain or fatigue here, but, at times, you will rest in ideas and concepts so that you can learn them. You see, My children, your learning continues and the quenching of the thirst for knowledge is a part of heaven because everyone is able to learn about any topic that sparks their curiosity. You can then build on that and graduate to even deeper levels of knowledge and knowing. This does not feel like school. It is joy and wonder. It is innocence and love. It is coming into the mystery of your universe in such a way that you then help to direct the universe. My children, because of your limited understanding, which is necessary while you remain on earth, I cannot tell you everything. But I wanted to share this glimpse of heaven with you and I will continue to part the curtains, as it were, so that you understand where you are going. It is good to know your destination so that you know how to prepare. I, your Jesus, am helping you prepare. If you listen to Me and prepare well, you will be ready for heaven when it is time to come here. In this way, the day of your earthly death will be the best day of your life. Believe Me, My children, when I tell you that all of Us here in heaven await your coming.”
-Jesus on August 27th, 2003 to Anne, a lay apostle in Volume 2: Conversations with the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus
Though the thoughts that we fill our minds with are often fleeting and fading, the love that we outpour from our hearts goes and grows onward and outward forever and ever.
I am reminded of this timeless, transcendent truth when I re-watch this video of my grandfather Guy Nicholas Perenich, aka “Pappy” or “Papster,” who was called home to the Heavenly Kingdom on May 11th, four years ago.
Towards the end of his 93-year-long life, he suffered from severe dementia that caused him to forget even the names of his own children and grandchildren. Yet there were two things that he never forgot: the Notre Dame fight song and the Hail Mary.
Indeed, those little prayers we learned as children are more than just simple words… If recited frequently and fervently, they have the power and potential to rearrange the dendrites of our synapses, refresh the depths of our spirits, and ultimately redirect the very destiny of our souls.
After all, what else could infuse consolation, inspire compassion and ignite conviction deep within one’s innermost being? How else could those sparkling eyes and earnest smiles of my amazing Pappy spring up amidst his otherwise seemingly somber circumstances, if not from another otherworldly, sublime, supernatural Source?
And so, in honor of the life and legacy of my Pappy that continues to live and live on, I cheerfully challenge you…
Pray unceasingly.And never underestimate the importance of your profound prayers:
“When you pray with love in your hearts, your prayers are eternal in value and affect souls, world conditions, and the propensity of God’s Mercy. The love in your heart when you pray lights up the world with the Spirit of Truth, making all things new.”*
Serve unreservedly.And never underestimate the influence of your selfless service:
“Each moment is your chance to store up treasures for eternity… How you loved will never be forgotten…. Love gives and doesn’t stop giving. On the day of judgment it will be found in the hearts of those you touched.”**
Love unconditionally.And never underestimate the impact of yourlimitless love:
“Human connections of love and affection and care are permanent. Those connections create permanent light which lives on in the next world… Create many, many connections of love and affection because those will live forever.”***
Eternal rest grant unto him, Oh Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
And may the soul of Guy Nicholas Perenich, and the souls of all our beloved family members and friends, through the infinite Forgiveness of Christ and tender Mercy of God, rest in Peace.
I’ll never forget some of your classic catch-phrases like, “Oye Ve!” “Bill’s in the mail” and “Better than yesterday, not as good as tomorrow!” Whether it was warning us about the infamous “itchy scalp” or explaining to us that “Nina is as Nina does” you always knew how to make us happy, Pappy. Even up until your last few years, as your Alzheimer’s progressed, you never forgot the words “Hail Mary, full of grace” as we would pray the rosary or “Cheer Cheer for Old Notre Dame” as we would clap and sing the fight song together. And surrounded by those you deeply loved, you never lost that spark in your eyes, that glow in your face, that warmth in your smile. Though you couldn’t always remember the right words to say, you never forgot how to make us laugh.
Yes indeed, Pappy you were a character.
Pappy and Grandaddy togeher…wow! What a joy!
Pappy, you were a fighter.
From the tennis court to the courtroom, you had an intensity, a relentlessness, a fire within you, down to the your very core. Your humble, “5-foot-nothing, 100-and-nothing-pound” stature didn’t stop you from serving in the Navy for 2 years during WW2, surviving even a Torpedo attack on your ship in the Pacific. Though you were just like your strong-willed, hardworking Italian family growing up in New York during the Great Depression, you were also a Fighting Irish.
Yes, Pappy you were a fighter.
As a trial lawyer, Guy pioneered the practice of personal injury law dedicated to representing injured claimants out of his Clearwater office in his law firm alongside Frank Muscarella and then later Robert Carroll.
Pappy, you were a giver.
I’ll never forget the “check wars” that used to ensue after a meal at Carrabba’s or Longhorn Steakhouse when you would insist that my dad to use your American Express card to pay. (Here, I should probably apologize for all the times your grandchildren used your credit card to buy snacks at Innisbrook. But somehow I know you would’ve been disappointed if we hadn’t.) Still, your generosity wasn’t limited to just your finances: you were generous most of all with your time… with your love. Truly, your 9 children, 27 grandchildren, 4 great grandchildren and the joy they brought you are living proof of that timeless truth, “Give and it shall be given unto you.” Even my own life, my own tennis career, my own extroverted and theatrical personality, and next week, my own graduation from the university of Notre Dame would never have been made possible without you.
Yes, Pappy, you were a giver.
A Christmas photo of Guy with Elizabeth Perenich and all 9 of their children! It’s one big, Catholic, Italian family!
Pappy, you were, like all of us, a human being.
And the story of your life is not the story of God’s perfection, but of God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness, and God’s love. Indeed, the Image of the Divine Mercy, which hung over your bed and upon your wall for the final years of your life says it all. It is an image of Christ holding up His hand not in angry punishment, but in gentle blessing. The inscription simply reads: “Jesus I trust in You.”
Yes Pappy, you were a character, a fighter, a giver, a father, and grandfather to us and a beloved son of God. We love you and we’re going to miss you but now we entrust you to God’s Infinite Love and Mercy until the day our sorrow becomes joy and we are together again in Paradise, as we pray: Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.
RIP Guy Nicholas Perenich March 24th, 1925-May 11th, 2018
“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”
-John 16:20-22
Eternal rest grant unto him, Oh Lord, and perpetual light shine upon him. And may he and all the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
“I am light. I am peace. I am happiness and joy and love. I am hope and delight. You, my beloved, fill me with hope and delight, just as you are right now. Only I have the eyes to fully recognise what is beautiful and heavenly in you. I look at you and see an infinite ability to spread peace through your trust in me. You cannot see this because you cannot see the effect of even one action of love from you to another. Only I can see the effects that blow into the world through the trust that you offer to me. Come. Let us, together, introduce many origins of love which can move then out into the world from one person to another. Today, we will spread my love, together.”
-Jesus on May 17th, 2020 via ‘Anne, Apostle of the Returning King”
An Easter PrayerDear God,
Our Gentle Father and Friend...
Thank You!
Thank You
for the absolutely beautiful and sublime gift
of this and every precious present moment,
with all its billions of blessings,
both seen and unseen!
Thank You
for the inexhaustible power
and inexpressible peace
that continuously calls out to us
from the lowly manger
of Your Joyful Birth!
Thank You
for the unconquerable hope
and uncontainable happiness
that freely flows out to us
from the bloody Cross
of Your Sorrowful Passion!
Thank You
for the endless possibilities
and ever-new potential
that boundlessly bursts out to us
from the empty tomb
of Your Glorious Resurrection!
Thank You
for the Greatest Gift of all:
Your Son, Our Savior,
Your Love, Our Lord,
Your All and Only,
Our Alpha in Omega:
Jesus Christ!
Who comes to us
as but a helpless baby, a homeless fisherman,
a restless servant, reckless lover,
a speechless victim, a spotless lamb,
and, today, a risen, resurrected, and righteous King!
“For God so loved the world...”
Dear Mary,
Our Blessed Mother and Queen,
Thank You
for Your all-embracing and all-encompassing “YES”
which was the beginning of our unending life
in the Holy Trinity!
Help us to continue to grow that divine life
-in our hearts and in each other-
through our humble “yes” answers,
today and everyday,
until that very last day
of our little lives of hidden, heartfelt
service, surrender, and sacrifice...
when the Lord Himself will finally fully take us
from the trials of earth
to the Triumph of Heaven,
where our uniquely prepared place awaits us
in perfect Paradise...
whispering those words which will be
pure bliss to our aching ears
as we draw our dying breath:
“Well done,
My precious and beloved child,
My good and faithful servant!
Since you were faithful
in small moments and simple matters,
I will give you glorious rewards and great responsibilities!
Come now and enter into your Master’s everlasting glee!”
Amen! Alleluia!
Happy Easter!
Jesus is RISEN!
Jesus is King!
He is ALIVE
...in you and in me! 🙂
May He,
Whom the whole of creation
ceaselessly celebrates and sings,
hold you and all your friends and families,
all your desires and dreams,
and yes, even all of your wounds and worries,
ever closer and closer to His beating, burning
Sacred, Eucharistic Heart
of intimate, intimate
Love and Mercy
...now and for all of eternity!
Love,
"Little Gregory"
Wanna Join Me in Prayer?
Monday, April 18th at 9:00pmEastern, I will be praying a Rosary and would love to have you join me on a Conference Call! 🙂 Simply Dial:
(319) 527-4608
“Form an army of prayer within your families and amongst your friends. Never believe that this will not be enough to overcome any evil. Very often, it is the only thing that will be decisive enough to bring evil to its knees.” -God the Father on March 1st, 2022, in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict via holylove.org
(and one from Portugal 
!) and together, along with my fellow American missionary Josie Grchan, we traveled throughout Costa Rica, from Limon to Barra Colorado to San Carlos, to spread the love of Christ to the indigenous peoples there through the sacraments, the Rosary, and a whole lot of fun! 
For the Love of God and the Life of Souls 
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