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If you want your dream to be, build it slow and surely. Small beginning, greater and heartfelt work grows purely.

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Welcome, this is David Russell and your faith anew, daily reflections guiding you to live in the divine will. Today's reflection is from the Book of Heaven by the servant of God Louisa Picarotta, july eleventh, nineteen hundred, volume three. Let us begin in the will and name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, you revealed your greatest love through the suffering and sacrifice of your Son. Grant us the grace to unite our own trials to His passion, trusting that every suffering offered in your divine will can become a channel of mercy for the world. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. From the letter of Saint Paul to the Colossians, chapter one verse twenty four. Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in Paragraph nine oh one. Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvelously called and prepared, so that even richer fruits of the Spirit may be produced in them, for all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit, indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born, all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist, these may most fittingly be offered to the Father along with the body of the Lord. And so worshiping everywhere by their holy actions, the laity consecrate the world itself to God, everywhere offering worship by the holiness of their lives. Today's passage reveals how God can draw mercy for others through souls who willingly unite themselves to Christ's passion. Let us now listen to today's passage from the Book of Heaven. Louisa writes This morning, having received communion and continuing in the same state of confusion, I was all huddled within myself when I saw my adorable Jesus coming toward me all in a hurry, saying My daughter, break my fury a little bit, otherwise and I, all frightened, said, What do you want me to do to break your fury? And he by calling my sufferings into yourself, you will come to placate my fury. At that moment I saw as if he were calling the confessor by sending a ray of light, and immediately he placed the intention of having me suffer the crucifixion. The blessed Lord promptly concurred, and I found myself in so many sufferings that because of the intensity of the pains I felt my soul go out of my body. When I thought I was about to breathe my last and I was content that Jesus would receive my soul, I saw the confessor who, by saying, Enough, enough was calling me back into myself. Then Jesus said to me, Obedience is calling you. And I Oh Lord, I want to come and Jesus, what can I do? Obedience keeps calling you. And so it seems that this new obedience did not allow the sufferings to go further, but indeed, a cruel obedience for me, because while I seemed to seize the harbor, I was flung outside to navigate the way. Then, afterwards, even though I was left in suffering, I no longer felt that thing of being about to die, and my benign Lord continued, My daughter, if today you had not broken my fury, I had reached such a limit that I would have destroyed not only plants but also men. And if the confessor himself had not intervened by calling my suffering into you, I would have had no regard even for him. It is true that chastisements are necessary, but every now and then when my fury advances, it is necessary that you break it. Otherwise, my daughter, how many more scourges I would send? And while he was saying this, I seemed to see him all tired, saying, while moaning My daughter or my children, poor children of mine, how reduced I see you and to my surprise, he made me understand that after he had calmed down a little bit, he was to resume his fury to continue the chastisements, and that this had only served not to make him rage too much against the people. Ah, Lord, placate yourself and have mercy on those whom you yourself call my children. Today's passage can be difficult to understand if we view suffering only through human eyes. Jesus reveals to Louisa that her willingness to participate in his sufferings became an instrument through which his justice was tempered by his mercy. While God alone governs the world with perfect wisdom, he freely chooses to invite his children to cooperate in his saving work. This cooperation reaches its highest expression in the passion of Christ. Jesus accomplished our redemption once for all upon the cross. Nothing can be added to the infinite value of his sacrifice. Yet in his love, he allows members of his mystical body to share in its fruits by offering their own sufferings in union with his. This is what Saint Paul expresses when he speaks of completing what is lacking in Christ's afflictions, not because Christ's sacrifice is insufficient, but because he invites his church to participate in its application throughout history. Notice also the role of obedience in today's reading. Louisa desires to remain with Jesus, yet obedience recalls her. Although this causes her interior pain, she immediately submits. This reminds us that the greatest sacrifice is not always physical suffering. Often, it's rendering our own desires in order to embrace God's will, as it is revealed through legitimate authority and the ordinary duties of our vocation. Most of us will never experience mystical crucifixion, yet every day presents opportunities to participate in Christ's redemptive love. We encounter illness, disappointments, misunderstandings, family difficulties, financial concerns, aging, and countless hidden sacrifices. These moments can either become occasions for resentment or opportunities for grace. Living in the divine will transforms these ordinary sufferings. Rather than merely enduring them, we intentionally unite them with Jesus and allow him to offer them to the Father for the salvation of souls, for peace in the world, for the conversion of sinners, and for the sanctification of the church. This perspective changes everything. Suffering no longer appears meaningless, even the smallest inconvenience, embraced with love and surrendered to Jesus becomes part of his work of redemption. Today, whenever you encounter something difficult, pause for a moment and simply pray Jesus, I unite this with your passion. May your divine will accomplish whatever glory you desire through this offering. In doing so, we discover that even our crosses become instruments of mercy in the loving hands of God. Let us pray. Lord Jesus, you transform the cross into the greatest victory in history. Teach us never to waste our sufferings, but to unite them lovingly with yours in the divine will. Grant us generous hearts that willingly accept today's sacrifices for the glory of God, the salvation of souls, and the coming of your kingdom. May your mercy flow through every offering we place into your hands. Amen. Thank you for joining your faith anew today. Whatever cross you carry, remember that when it's united with the passion of Christ in the divine will, it becomes an instrument of grace far beyond what we can see. Until tomorrow, stay in his will, and your faith will be made anew.