(Download) "Jesus Appeals to the World" by Lorenzo Sales * eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Jesus Appeals to the World
- Author : Lorenzo Sales
- Release Date : January 15, 2016
- Genre: Christianity,Books,Religion & Spirituality,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 348 KB
Description
Sister Mary Consolata, in the world Pierina Betrone, was born on April 6th, 1903 at Saluzzo, Piedmont, and in the following year her family moved to Turin. While she was making her thanksgiving after Communion on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1916 — she was then 13 years old — she heard for the first time an inner Voice which asked, Do you wish to be entirely Mine? Without comprehending the full implications of the question, she replied, “Yes, Jesus!” To belong entirely to Jesus meant for her to become a nun. She strove hard for her vocation and for a time was even subjected to a painful spiritual trial, but finally, on April 17th, 1929, the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, she was able to realize her ardent aspirations and was received into the Capuchin convent of Turin.
Ten years later Sister Consolata passed over to the new convent at Moriondo (Testona), which had been founded to take care of the greatly increased community, and there she crowned her short but intense life with a holy death on July 18th, 1946, at the age of 43. Her earthly remains are interred in the cemetery of Moncalieri.
Although Sister Consolata was favored by God with great spiritual gifts, these nevertheless passed unobserved in her small community; nor did they ever cause her to relax her earnest striving for the summit of sanctity. Every step on the way to perfection cost her self-denial, and to the very end of her life she had to struggle valiantly against her own shortcomings; nor were all manner of violent temptations spared her; but she was outstanding for generosity, tenacity, and zeal as a combatant, and her dedication to God and neighbor knew no bounds.
Sister Consolata was given a particular mission and vocation by God like that of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, whose glorious disciple she was. Her mission, for the fulfillment of which she offered herself as a victim-soul in response to a divine request, was for the benefit of all those men and women whom she liked to call her Brothers and Sisters — the souls of priests and Religious who had gone astray; and most consoling are the promises which Jesus made to her in this regard.
Sister Consolata’s particular vocation was one of love, to round out, so to speak, the Little Flower’s doctrine of the Little Way of Love by giving it a concrete form which could be practiced and achieved by all souls who feel themselves called to it. This doctrine or way of love may be summed up in the following three points which are the nucleus of Our Lord’s instructions to Sister Consolata:
1. To offer an unceasing act of love from the heart,
2. To have a smiling “yes” for everyone; to see and treat Jesus in everyone,
3. To have a grateful “yes” for everything (for every divine request).
These three points are also frequently expressed in this formula: “Never omit one act of love, one act of charity, or one sacrifice from one Communion to the next.”
Here then is a veritable program of spiritual training which takes in the duties of the soul toward God, her neighbor, and herself. And it must be noted that, according to Our Lord’s own assurances, it is the faithfulness with which the soul maintains the unceasing act of love that makes it easy for her to be always ready with a “yes” for everyone and everything. This unceasing act of love, therefore, constitutes the essential purpose of this new and merciful manifestation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and so this book will concern itself exclusively with the unceasing act of love. Our own part in this work has consisted merely in compiling and arranging the material in a logical sequence; we have added only what seemed necessary in order to tie the various parts together and to offer certain short explanations and reflections.
Sister Consolata’s style was plain and unaffected. We would not know how to improve upon it; and even if we could, we would not dare to cross God’s designs, for it is our conviction that Jesus chose, for the purpose of revealing this doctrine, the least adapted instrument, so that it would be all the more apparent that it was He who was doing and is still doing everything. In this way also it would not be possible for man’s frequently confused interpretations to distort His simple and clear doctrine, each word of which is light, truth, and life.
Ought one to consider that this book, or rather the doctrine it contains, is intended for everyone? In our opinion one must distinguish between a life of love in general and the practice of the life of love according to a definite method. Under the first aspect these pages are beyond doubt meant for everyone, for the great commandment to love God applies to all; the divine instructions contained in this book are in substance nothing but an insistent appeal to observe that commandment, and that concerns not only love but the perfection of love.
The case is different, however, in regard to the practice of the life of love in accordance with the method which Jesus taught to Sister Consolata. These divine lessons, though most useful to everyone under certain aspects, are quite evidently addressed to a rather limited number of souls, that is to those religious or lay-people who are favored with a particular vocation to love, and therefore with an attraction to the life of love, and who wish to live it in all its perfection.
In any case, one thing appears certain: nothing contained in this book can in any way interfere with the spirit which is the peculiar feature of every religious congregation, whether contemplative or active. On the contrary, it is likely to prove a great aid in maintaining it in vigor and making it flourish again by leading souls to the perfect exercise of the love of God, of neighborly charity, and of Christian mortification, which are the three essential requisites of the religious life and of perfection; and all this is in addition to the divine promises which we will relate. Jesus desires the spiritual renovation of the world, and He desires it to come about through a more vigorous renewal of the supernatural life in souls, and particularly in those souls who are consecrated to Him. These are to form the divine leaven which will cause the mass to ferment.
Through the Immaculate Heart of Mary we entrust this modest work to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and ask a blessing upon it, that Christ’s reign of love may spread throughout the world.
Fr. Lorenzo Sales, IMC
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