"Come, all you who pass by the way, look, and see whether there is any suffering like My suffering,"
-Lam 1:12
JESUS AND MARY, THE GREATEST MENTORS OF SUFFERINGS.
THE UNSURPASSABLE SUFFERINGS OF JESUS: THE SORROWFUL MYSTERIES
1. THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN
2. THE SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR
3. THE CROWNING OF JESUS WITH THORNS
4. THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS
5. THE CRUCIFIXION AND DEATH OF JESUS ON THE CROSS AT CALVARY
THE UNSURPASSABLE SUFFERINGS OF MARY: THE SEVEN SORROWS OF MARY
1. THE PROPHECY OF SIMEON
2. THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT
3. THE THREE DAYS' LOSS OF JESUS
4. THE MEETING WITH JESUS CARRYING HIS CROSS
5. MARY AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS
6. MARY RECEIVES JESUS IN HER ARMS
7. THE BURIAL OF JESUS
"I LOOKED FOR ONE THAT WOULD COMFORT ME, AND I FOUND NONE."
THE FIFTEEN SECRET TORTURES OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
((Revealed to the pious, God-loving Sister Mary Magdalen of the Sancta Clara Order, Franciscan, who lived, died and was beatified in Rome).
Jesus fulfilled the wish of this Sister who desired ardently to know something about the secret tortures which He endured the night before His death.
"The Jews considered Me as the most wretched man living on earth so that is why:
1. They fastened My feet with a rope and dragged Me over the stepping stones of the staircase, down into a filthy, nauseating cellar.
2. They took off My clothing and stung My body with iron joints.
3. They attached a rope around My body and pulled Me along the ground, from end to end.
4. They hanged Me on a wooden piece with a slipknot until I slipped out and fell down. Overwhelmed by this torture, I wept bloody tears.
5. They tied Me to a post and pierced My body with various instruments.
6. They struck Me with stones and burnt Me with blazing embers and torches.
7. They pierced Me with awls; sharp spears tore My skin, flesh and arteries out of My body.
8. They tied Me to a post and made Me stand, barefoot on an incandescent metal sheet.
9. They crowned Me with an iron crown and wrapped My eyes with the dirtiest possible rags.
10. They made Me sit on a chair covered with sharp pointed nails, causing deep wounds in My body.
11. They poured on My wounds liquid lead and resin and, after this torture, they pressed Me on the nailed chair, so the nails went deeper and deeper into My flesh.
12. For shame and affliction, they drove needles into the holes of My uprooted beard. Then they tied My hands behind My back and led Me walking out of prison with strikes and blows.
13. They threw Me upon a cross and attached Me so tightly that I could hardly breath anymore.
14. They beat My head as I lay on the earth, and they stepped on Me hurting My breast.
15. They poured into My mouth the most immodest excretions, as they uttered the most infamous expressions about Me.
Then Jesus added:
My daughter, I desire that you let everyone know these FIFTEEN SECRET TORTURES, in order that every one of them be honored."
Anyone who daily offers Me, with love one of these sufferings and says with fervor the following prayer, will be rewarded with eternal glory on the day of judgment."
PRAYER
My Lord and My God, it is my unchangeable will to honor You in these FIFTEEN SECRET TORMENTS when You shed Your Precious Blood. As many times as there are grains of sand around the seas, as grains of wheat in the fields, as blades of grass in the meadows, as fruits in the orchards, as leaves on the trees, as flowers in the gardens as stars in the sky, as angels in heaven, as creatures on earth: so many thousands of times may You be gorified, praised and honored, O most love-worthy
Lord Jesus Christ-Your Holiest Heart, Your Precious Blood, Your Divine Sacrifice for mankind, The Holiest Sacrament on the altar, The Most Holy Virgin Mary, the nine glorious choirs of Angels and
the Blessed Phalanx of the Saints, from Myself and everyone, now and forever, and in the eternal age."
(With ecclesiastical approval)
Monastery of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
745 St. John's Place Brooklyn, N.Y. 11216
AMONG MY FAVORITE SAINTS
St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face opposed to the proud rationalism
of her day the little way of spiritual childhood, but she also expiated it by terrible
temptations against Faith. Her cry, "I will Believe!" is well known. (Reference:
St. Padre Pio by Rev. Fr. Jean, OFM., Cap.)
Her suffering from tubercolosis was really a big matter to consider because in those days
this disease had no cure.
THE SECRET OF THE LITTLE WAY (from the writings of St. Therese):
"My little way is the way of SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD, the way of TRUST and ABSOLUTE SELF-SURRENDER."
SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD
"Never be discouraged at your faults, for little children often fall, but they are too small to do themselves any harm. The weaker we are and the more wretched, the better material we make for God's consuming and transfiguring fire."
TRUST
"If my conscience were burdened with all the sins it's possible to commit, I would still go and throw myself into the Lord's arms, my heart all broken up with contrition: I know what tenderness He has for any prodigal child of His that comes back to Him."
LOVE
"Our Lord doesn't ask for great achievements, only for self-surrender and for gratitude."
"Love purifies my soul and leaves no trace of sin there, till all my fear of purgatory is lost."
"If you have an unshakable trust that He will purify you at every moment of His love and will leave no trace of sin in you, then you can be quite sure that you will not go to purgatory."
SELF-SURRENDER
"If you wish to be a saint, and it will not be hard, keep only one end in view: ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING IN ORDER TO PLEASE GOD."
HUMILITY
"I implore You to look down in mercy on a whole multitude of souls that share my littleness; to choose for Yourself a whole legion of victims, so little as to be worthy of Your love."
Padre Pio was born to a poor family and had been suffering from poor health when he was young.
He suffered from his detractors when he had his stigmata, being stripped of his faculties except for the saying of holy mass in private.
"Padre Pio lived sick but died healthy, with the stigmata healed."
INTERIOR TRIALS
"St. Padre Pio, like St. Therese the little flower, had to undergo an almost unbearable
series of crisis of scruples, which tormented him for three years followed by a night of
the soul which lasted for dozens of years, with only occasional glimmers of light."
"Padre Pio also experienced violent and prolonged temptations against Faith, as his
letters to Fr. Agostino testify:
"Blasphemies cross my mind incessantly, and even more false ideas of infidelity and
unbelief. It happens continuously."
"I live in a perpetual night. I find myself troubled by everything and I do not know
if I act well or ill. I can see that it is not a scruple but the doubt I feel about whether
or not I am pleasing the Lord crushes me. And this anxiety recurs to me everywhere,
at the altar, in the confessional, everywhere."
"His only way of overcoming these terrible trials is by following what had been taught
him in the novitiate: perseverance in prayer, mortification of the senses, unshakable
fidelity to the demands of one's duty of state, and perfect obedience to the priest in
charge of his soul."
"Love is more beautiful in the company of fear, because it is in this way that it
becomes stronger. The more one loves God, the less one feels it."
LOVE OF GOD
"Only one thing is necessary: to lift up your spirit and love God."
"Always live under the eyes of the Good Shepherd and you will walk unharmed through evil pastures."
"Many sins are forgiven you because you have loved much."
"Let us follow the advice of David: "Raise your hands in the holy places during night and bless the Lord." Yes, children let us bless Him always and let us pray that He will always be our guide, ship, and our port."
"Often kiss Jesus with affection and you will recompense Him for the sacrilegious kiss of the unfaithful Apostle, Judas."
CHARITY
"He who lives in charity lives in God, because God is charity, as the Apostle says."
"Charity which has not truth and justice for its foundation is faulty."
"To fail in charity is like wounding God in the pupil of His eye."
"To fail in charity is like failing against nature."
RESIGNATION TO GOD'S WILL
"Walk in the way of the Lord with simplicity and do not torment your spirit. You must hate your defects, but with a quiet hate, not troublesome and restless."
"Lean on the Cross of Jesus as the Virgin did and you will not be deprived of comfort."
"Mary as if paralyzed before Her crucified Son, but one cannot say that she was abandoned by Him. Rather, how much more did she love Him when she suffered and could not even weep?"
Be comforted with this divine thought that your spiritual and physical pains are the test of the Divine Will."
"All lovers of Jesus must conform themselves always more to this divine and eternal model."
"You should rather humble yourself before God than be distressed if He reserves for you the sufferings of His Son, and makes you experience your weakness."
"You should feel at home with the sufferings which it pleases Jesus to send you, since you always have to live with them. Acting thus you think less of being freed from them. Jesus will comfort you by infusing courage into your soul."
"Let us ascend Calvary, burdened with the Cross but without tiring. And let us be convinced that our ascent will lead us to the heavenly vision of our sweetest Savioor."
"When you are exposed to any trial, be it physical or moral, bodily and spiritual, the best remedy is to think of Jesus who is our life and not to think of the trial without joining it to the thought of Jesus."
"Don't draw back, and worse still, don't stop going up the Calvary of life. Jesus will extend His hand to steady you."
"The thought of the sustaining grace of God and the prize that Jesus has reserved for you will be a sweet comfort."
PRAYER AND MEDITATION
"Prayer is the best weapon we possess, the key that opens the heart of God."
"The person who meditates and turns his thoughts to God who is the mirror of his souls, seeks to know his defects and tries to correct them, moderates himself in his impulses and puts his conscience in order."
"Go with your mind to Calvary and think and meditate on the victim who offers Himself to divine justice, absorbing the price of your redemption."
"While assisting at holy Mass renew your faith, have your mind elevated to the mystery that is happening before your eyes."
"If you want to assist at Mass with devotion and with fruit, think of the Sorrowful Mother at the feet of Calvary."
"When there is no time for both, meditation is to be preferred to vocal prayer, because it is more fruitful."
TEMPTATION
"Do not fear. Jesus is more powerful than all hell. At the invocation of His name every knee
in heaven, on earth and in hell must bend before Jesus. This is the consolation of the good and the terror of the evil ones."
"The best means of guarding yourself against temptation are the following: watch your senses to save them from dangerous temptation, avoid vanity, do not let your heart become exalted, convince
yourself of the evil of complacency, flee away from hate, pray whenever possible."
Blessed Mo. Teresa and Blessed Pope John Paul II joyfully bore their sufferings and their difficult
mission.
As I watched Blessed Pope John Paul II on TV, I noticed his hand shaking which touched
me so much. SEEING SUCH SUFFERING YET CONTINUING HIS DUTIES AS POPE
made me reflect on how to accept sufferings in my own life. By his good example, I am,
inspired to carry my cross patiently for the love of God. Through his example, I find hope.
I heard about her mission and visited the Missionaries of Charity in their convent one day.
I was so impressed by their enthusiasm in caring for those babies and children of different ages.
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta is a very good model to follow may be by our own little ways of
caring for those in need in our homes or community wherever we may be.
St. Paul the Apostle suffered imprisonment, scourging, stoning, shipwreck, and endured
persecutions of every kind in order to the Saviour Jesus Christ known to the farthest bounds of the world. ((Reference: In the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul pp 49-50).
I'm so inspired by his zeal in writing letters to make Jesus Christ known to us all. I think I
can make my legacy by sharing the works of St. Paul to others and by practicing them in my
daily life so that I can say with St. Paul: "I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me."
(Gal 2:20).
Mrs. Bella Regular Ching, who died last October 8, 2012, was wheelchair bound and needed
assistance for activities of daily living due to an operation on the spine. She suffered from
it since her late fifties till she died at the age of 77. I was wondering how she could live
in such state of health that long.
Everytime I had health problems, I would consult her and she has a way of consoling me which made me feel all right, otherwise, she'd advise me to see a doctor.
By her presence, her patience, her long sufferings, I am encouraged to accept
my daily little crosses in life.
She died in the grace of our Lord. May she rest in peace.
Amen.
My parents were my first teachers in accepting suffering. They were the ones who first
taught me the Story of Jesus, Mary's Holy Rosary, catholic catechism until their last moment
on earth. I witnessed how they bore the burdens of everyday life with poor health and with
meager income: my mother, as an elementary school teacher, and my father as a maintenance
capataz in the Bureau of Public Highways in Camotes, Cebu, Philippines.
My mother suffered so much from asthma since she was 2 years of age till her death.
Frequently she had hard breath. There was no cure for asthma. I admired her dedication to service
because even when she was sick she would do her daily duties with so much care and
deligence.
My father suffered from arthritis, diabetes, lung cancer in his old age.
Although only an elementary school graduate, he won the case defending a poor land owner
against the town mayor regarding land problems. He did not accept payment for that
due to his compassion for the poor. He forgave his attacker who struck him on his head
with a spade while they were in the field at work. He managed to obtain for all his
men the retirement benefits for their services in the Bureau of Public Highways. It was
a very dangerous trip going back and forth to Cebu City for that matter because of the
rough seas and the frail boats (banca), and the junk trucks that he had to take as there were
no other means of transportation. Before his conversion to the faith, he would hinder my
elder sisters to join any activity in the parish church. Thanks to my mother's patience
and perseverance in prayers, she obtained for him the grace of conversion. Since then,
he urged us to pray the holy rosary with the whole family every day at dawn or before
bedtime. He would go to mass everyday which made me wonder (as if he was a priest).
He allowed us to join all the activities in our parish church. When the bishop visit our
parish, he would encourage us to go see the bishop and kiss his ring. He lent money
from the little he had even when he himself was in need.
Both died in the grace of the Lord. May they rest in peace. Amen.
REFLECTION
When you see these pictures of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, the Secret Sufferings of Jesus, the saints (stigmatists or not), do you try to imitate their generosity by accepting the cross God sends you?
When afflictions come to you do you seek refuge in spiritual thoughts, seeking the help of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament? Or at least seeking God's help in prayer, say, contemplating on Psalm 23?
PSALM 23: THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD (From: Songs of Praise. Rex Printing Co. Inc.#211)
The Lord is my Shepherd
He is Lord and I am His guest.
Fresh and green are the pastures
Where He leads me to my rest.
Near peaceful waters He leads me
To cheer up my cheerless heart
He guides me on the safe path.
He will always do His part.
Refrain: If I should ever walk
In the valley of darkness
No evil would I fear
You are there to show the way.
If I should ever walk
In the valley of darkness
Your crook and Your staff
They will lead me to the day.
You prepared a banquet
In the sight of my foes.
You pour my head with oil
And my cup now overflows/
Surely goodness and kindness
Will be with me all the way
The Lord's house for my dwelling
I will thank Him everyday. (Ref.)
//Glory be to the Father
Glory to His only Son
Glory be to the Spirit
Glory, glory everyone//2X (Fin)
FOR THE LOVE OF THE LORD NEVER DIES (From: Songs of Praise #634)
Refrain: For the love of the Lord never dies, never dies
He will carry me home in His arms.
1. Oh, the Lord is my Shepherd and I shall not want
In green pastures He gives me repose. (Ref.)
2. To clear waters He leads me, refreshing my soul
And He guides me along lighted paths. (Ref.)
3. Though I walk in dark valleys, I feel no alarm
For the Lord ever stays at my side. (Ref.)
4. With His rod and His staff He has given me strength
And a banquet He spreads out for me. (Ref.)
5. He anointed my head with the oil of His might,
And my cup overflows with His joy. (Ref.)
6. Only goodness and mercy are mine all my life,
As I dwell in the house of my God. (Ref.)
Yes, Lord, carry me home in Your arms especially in my dying moment. This I ask in Your most
Holy Name: Jesus. Amen.
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