Amidst the dog days of summer, our hearts, souls, and minds can seek the shelter and shade of our Heavenly parents. That is because this month has traditionally been dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, which has been honored since the 16th Century. This devotion draws our attention to our Blessed Mother's virtue and Her ability to love and care for all of Her children on earth. We are called to imitate her, and to honor this devotion on at least Five First Saturdays, to help make amends for the offenses committed against her heart by the blasphemies and ingratitude of men as she revealed in her messages at Fatima. More attention and focus will be given to that soon. But I want to mention, a lesser known devotion, one that is gaining strength and momentum as the faithful recognize the importance of honoring our Heavenly Father. In these times where division and hatred, along with rampant sins against life and God's creation spiral out of control, it is imperative that we look to the Alpha and Omega of all the universe. Not only must we recognize and honor God in His omnipotence and Glory, which is beyond our human comprehension, but we must look to His Divine Paternal Merciful Heart and snuggle up to Him in order to find the freedom and love of being His adopted children through Jesus Christ. This is explained more fully in the work written by Mother Eugenia Ravasio who reported that God the Eternal Father appeared to her on two separate occasions. The first time was on July 1, 1932. The second time was on August 12, 1932. After a ten year investigation, the Church approved the apparition.
On July 1st, 1932, the Feast of the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ, Our Heavenly Father communicated to Sr. Ravagio as follows: "I have already told you and now I say again: I cannot give My beloved Son another time to prove My love for men! I am now coming among them in order to love them and to make them know this love, assuming their image, their poverty. Look, now I am putting aside My crown and all My glory to take on the appearance of an ordinary man!"
"Peace and salvation," He said, "to this house and to the whole world! May My power, My love and My Holy Spirit touch men's hearts, so that all mankind may turn to salvation and come to its Father, Who seeks it, to love and to save it!
I have chosen this day to begin My work among men because today is the feast of the Precious Blood of My Son Jesus. I intend to bathe in this Blood the work I am beginning, so that it may bear great fruit among all mankind.
This is the real purpose of My coming:
1. "I am coming to banish the excessive fear that My creatures have of Me, and to show them that My joy lies in being known and loved by My children - that is, all mankind, present and future.
2. I am coming to bring hope to men and nations. How many have long since lost it! This hope will make them live in peace and security, working for their salvation.
3. I am coming to make Myself known just as I am, so that men's trust may increase together with their love for Me, their Father. I have but one concern to watch over all men and love them as My children. The painter delights in contemplating the picture he has painted. In the same way, it is My pleasure and delight to come among men, the masterpiece of My creation! Time presses. I wish men to know as soon as possible that I love them and that I feel the greatest happiness in being with them and talking with them, like a father with his children. See http://www.pdtsigns.com/mothereugenia.html for more information on this.
I want to share with you that I was so blessed to visit the Carmel in Jerusalem known as Pater Noster. It is the place where Our Lord Jesus taught His disciples the Lord's Prayer, the prayer par excellence. This is the very prayer that St. Teresa provides an extensive commentary on in The Way of Perfection and remarks that this prayer contains every perfection and all Divine Wisdom and all that we need to ask and do in relation to Our Heavenly Father. The Pater Noster Convent located on the Mt. of Olives consists of beautiful tiles of the Our Father prayer in over 140 languages of the world. Its very walls speak of the universality of the Our Father prayer, and how He invites and unites His children to be one human family under His protective wing. As Carmelites, we must seek to find the connection with each individual person and build upon this in order to build and foster the Kingdom of God. This convent does this in a very special way and reminds us that it is through common ground and the practice of the Beatitudes that peace and unity can be fostered. May we seek to honor our Father in a special way this month, and to draw closer to Him while encouraging others to get to know our Heavenly Father, to trust Him, and to realize His tender care, mercy, and love for each one of us. Amen.
