"Your Faith Anew!"

"Nothing Given to God Is Ever Lost"

David Russell

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7/24/1909 – Vol. 9

Luisa writes,

I was thinking of the misery of my present state, and I said to myself: ‘How everything is over for me! How good Jesus has forgotten about everything! He no longer remembers my hardships, the sufferings I have gone through for love of Him during many years of bed.’ And so my mind kept going back to some specialties of suffering, and the gravest ones, which I have gone through. At that moment, blessed Jesus told me: “My daughter, everything that is done for love of Me enters into Me and is transformed into my own works; and since my works are for the good of all – that is, for the pilgrim, the purging and the triumphant souls – everything you have done and suffered for Me is present in Me and does its office for the good of all, just as my works. Would you rather take them back into yourself?” 

I answered: ‘May it never be, O Lord!’ But in spite of this I continued to think about it, being a little distracted from my usual interior work; and good Jesus repeated: “You don’t want to stop it? I am going to make you stop it.” And He placed Himself in my interior, praying in a loud voice and saying all that I was supposed to say. On seeing this, I remained confused and I followed good Jesus; and when He saw that I was no longer paying attention to anything else, then He kept silent; and I remained alone, doing what I am used to doing.

                                                                                                          – Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta

Buddy Comfort – vocals and guitar from the album Brother Sun, Sister Moon, www.buddycomfort.com, words and music by Donovan Leitch.

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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 Picaretta, july twenty fourth, nineteen oh nine, volume nine. Let us begin in the will and name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, thank you for every grace you have poured into our lives, even those we no longer remember. Teach us never to measure our lives by what we see, but by your faithful love that never wastes a single act offered to you. May every prayer, sacrifice, hidden duty, and act of love be united with Jesus in your divine will for the salvation of souls and the glory of your name. Keep our hearts from discouragement. Strengthen us in perseverance, and help us to trust that you are accomplishing far more than our eyes can perceive. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Hebrews, chapter six, verse ten. For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work, and the love you have demonstrated for his name by having served and continuing to serve the holy ones. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in paragraph two thousand and five. Since it belongs to the supernatural order, grace escapes our experience and cannot be known except by faith. We cannot therefore rely on our feelings or our works to conclude that we are justified and saved. However, according to the Lord's words, thus you will know them by their fruits. Reflection on God's blessings in our life and in the lives of the saints offers us a guarantee that grace is at work in us and spurs us on to an ever greater faith and an attitude of trustful poverty. A pleasing illustration of this attitude is found in the reply of Saint Joan of Arc to a question posed as a trap by her ecclesiastical judges. Asked if she knew that she was in God's grace, she replied If I am not, may it please God to put me in it. If I am, may it please God to keep me there. May today's Book of Heaven reading invite us to see our hidden acts through the eyes of eternity rather than through the limits of human memory. Louisa writes I was thinking of the misery of my present state, and I said to myself How everything is over for me. How good Jesus has forgotten about everything. He no longer remembers my hardships, the sufferings I've gone through for love of him during many years of bed. And so my mind kept going back to some specialties of suffering, and the gravest ones which I have gone through. At that moment blessed Jesus told me, My daughter, everything that is done for love of me enters into me and is transformed into my own works, and since my works are for the good of all, that is, for the pilgrim, the purging, and the triumphant souls, everything you have done and suffered for me is present in me, and does its office for the good of all, just as my works. Would you rather take them back into yourself? I answered, May it never be, O Lord. But in spite of this I continued to think about it, being a little distracted from my usual interior work. And good Jesus repeated You don't want to stop it? I'm going to make you stop it. And he placed himself in my interior, praying in a loud voice and saying all that I was supposed to say. On seeing this, I remained confused, and I followed good Jesus. And when he saw that I was no longer paying attention to anything else, then he kept silent. And I remained alone, doing what I'm used to doing. One of the greatest temptations in the spiritual life is believing that our efforts have accomplished very little. We look back and wonder whether our prayers mattered, whether our sacrifices made any difference, or whether our quiet acts of fidelity simply disappeared into the past. Human memory fades, but God's love does not. What is offered to him with a sincere heart is never forgotten. Living in the divine will invites us to exchange visible results for supernatural trust. We often desire confirmation that God is working, yet He frequently chooses to work beneath the surface where faith can mature. The seed hidden beneath the soil appears inactive, but it's already preparing for new life. So too are the countless hidden acts of love we offer throughout each day. Perhaps you've cared for a loved one without recognition, forgiven someone who never apologized, remained faithful through illness, or quietly fulfilled ordinary duties when no one noticed. These moments may seem small by earthly standards, but in God's kingdom they become opportunities for grace. When united to Jesus, even the smallest act participates in his redeeming love. This is why we should never become discouraged by what we cannot measure. Holiness is not built upon extraordinary achievements, but upon extraordinary fidelity in ordinary circumstances. Every opportunity to love, every decision to forgive, every prayer whispered in faith becomes another invitation to let Christ continue his work through us. Living in the divine will frees us from constantly evaluating our spiritual progress. Instead of asking, Am I accomplishing enough? We begin asking, Lord, how can I love you more in this present moment? That simple shift transforms anxiety into peace. We stop carrying the burden of producing results and instead embrace the joyful freedom of cooperation. Today, let us place every forgotten prayer, every unnoticed sacrifice, every silent act of charity, and every offering of love into the hands of Jesus. Nothing entrusted to him is ever wasted. In his divine will, even the smallest yes echoes into eternity. Let us pray. Lord Jesus, I enter into your divine will and place into your sacred heart every prayer I've prayed, every sacrifice I've offered, every act of love I've performed, and every hidden cross I've carried. Purify all that has been imperfect, and unite everything completely with your perfect offering to the Father. Keep me from discouragement when I cannot see the fruit of my efforts, and fill me instead with peaceful confidence in your providence. Teach me to live each moment with generosity, trusting that every act done in union with you serves your kingdom in ways beyond my understanding. May I seek only to love you, to glorify the Father, and to faithfully let Jesus do in every circumstance. Amen. Thank you for joining your faith anew today. May you walk through this day with renewed confidence that every loving act entrusted to God has eternal value, even when its fruits remain hidden from your eyes. Until tomorrow, stay in His will, and your faith will be made anew.