Merciful Love

October 22, 2024

“For me to love you as you love me, I would have to borrow your own love.”

St. Therese of Lisieux

I am rereading 33 Days to Merciful Love. This book was a source of hope to me when I needed hope the most.

33 Days to Merciful Love was written by Fr. Michael Gaitley, the same author of 33 Days to Morning Glory. Both books have impacted my life and have transformed my heart in unexplainable ways.

Today I renew my consecration to Merciful Love on this Feast of St. Pope John Paul II; who is one of my top five favorite saints.

I wrote down what stood out to me after rereading this book.

From the book 33 Days to Merciful Love:

“What attracts me to the homeland of heaven is the Lord’s call, the hope of loving Him finally as I have so much desired to love Him.” St. Therese of Lisieux

“She was absolutely confident that God would allow her to borrow his own divine love. According to St. Therese only in heaven will we love God perfectly with his own divine love. It’s when we participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass."

The Mass is, as it were, heaven on earth.

“I want, O my Beloved, at each beat of my heart, to renew this offering to you, an infinite number of times, until the shadows having disappeared I may be able to tell you of my love in an eternal Face to Face.” St. Therese of Lisieux

Through him, and with him, and in him, O God, almighty Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours forever and ever. Amen.

At the Mass, Jesus is giving himself Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity into our hands, literally, in the hands of the priests, and spiritually, in the hands of all those who unite their own sacrifices to the offering of the priest at the altar.

“Then, together, each in his own way, we offer Jesus’ infinite sacrifice of love to the Father and ourselves along with it. That’s the moment when Jesus’ sacrifice becomes our sacrifice, when Jesus’ love becomes our love, when Jesus’ offering becomes our offering of ourselves. So, in that moment, we love God perfectly with his own divine love. More specifically, we love the Father, with the perfect love of the Son in the unity of the Holy Spirit.”

Through him, with him and in him.

Immerse yourself in his Merciful Love today.

“Merciful Father, in the name of our lovable Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, I ask You to set me on fire with your Spirit of Love and to grant me the grace of making You deeply loved.” St. Therese of Lisieux

33 Days to Merciful Love book to buy

Painting by Erin McAtee