TLH

If you don't recognize what "TLH" stands for, then you probably didn't grow up as a member of the Wisconsin Evanglical Lutheran Synod. It stands for "The Lutheran Hymnal", the very simple name of the book of worship used from the early 1940s until, I understand, a few years ago when a new hymnal took its place. As I left the WELS when I was about 20, I haven't kept up with what's in the pews there these days.

But just recently, I did purchase a used copy of TLH. I had two others (they both belonged to my grandparents), but one I lost while planning my wedding (STILL hitting myself over the head about that one) and the other, well, I believe it to be in the house somewhere, I just have no idea where.

So, what would a Catholic need with a Lutheran hymnal, you may ask.

There are lots of reasons I picked it up. Strong sentimental reasons, for one. Maybe I was a weird kid, but I was deeply attached to my hymnal growing up. I spent most sermons looking through it, studying over the pages we never used during services. I practiced piano by playing all the hymns, and singing, for hours on end.

My early prayer life was developed using the more obscure (per my WELS experience) prayers, which included Matins, Vespers, chanted psalms, the Sufferages (the prayers Catholics use on Good Friday), and Scripture readings geared toward every day of the year, by the liturgical year. It doesn't take a whole lot of thinking to realize that the hidden liturgical stuff in that hymnal all feels extremely Catholic.

There are some great hymns in it. And I mean GREAT! One of my favorites (now) is Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones. (Sung to the tune of All Creatures of our God and King -- sing it with me!)

Ye watchers and ye holy ones,

Bright seraphs, cherubim and thrones,

Raise the glad strain, Alleluia!

Cry out dominions, princedoms, powers

Virtues, archangels, angel choirs

Alleluia....

O higher than the cherubim

More glorious than the seraphim

Lead their praises, Alleluia

Thou Bearer of th' eternal Word

Most gracious, magnify the Lord

Alleluia...

There are two more verses (of course), about the rest of the saints in heaven, but if you haven't figured it out, verse two is directed at Mary. I don't remember singing this particular hymn often in church, but there is it, right in a Lutheran hymnal!

Sure, there are other hymns that basically bemoan the evil Catholics who are trying to supress the Word of God and all that. If nothing else, they make for an interesting historical study.

Many of the hymns I now sing at Mass I learned from this hymnal as a kid. Although I do instinctively sing them with the "original" King Jamesish wording...

My absolute favorite thing of all time is the version of the Te Deum this hymnal has. It is a pity that I have never used this chant in any liturgical setting as a Catholic. There is much about Catholic liturgical music that is at a low point, and that is said by someone who enjoys guitar Masses and the like.

Today We Kneel

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation (one day late, due to the 25th falling on a Sunday). The part of the Mass which I love so madly is when we get down on our knees and say "by the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man".

You'd have to know my conversion story to know why this is so powerful to me, and perhaps sometime I will have the opportunity to post about it. But the punchline is that the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass was pivotal. The reality of Jesus becoming man -- a truth which I'd believed in my head for over two decades at that point -- exploded in my heart and life with all its implications and ramifications. Sacraments. Church. Morality. Grace. Power!

So I think there is a special grace just for me on Christmas Eve and on the Annunciation, when we kneel down to acknowledge the Incarnation, and hail It with all humility. And so poignant -- what do we say right after we stand up again? "He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was buried." The most beautiful, sublime act of humility on the part of our Infinite, Beautiful, All-Holy God is greeted by His creation with crucifixion.

It moves me to tears nearly every time.

Volume Three, Part Two Direction For Our Times

Part Two of Volume Three is now available at this link: http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1006

To read Part One of this volume, click here

More Fr. Lovasik

Irritability is immaturity of character. If you are subject to being cross and unpleasant with others for no apparent reason, you need to come face-to-face with the fact that you are thinking too much of yourself. After all, your feelings are not the most important thing in this world.

Lawrence G. Lovasik

Totus Tuus of Pope John Paul II

TOTALLY YOURS

Immaculate Conception, Mary, my Mother.

Live in me. Act in me. Speak in and through me.

Think your thoughts in my mind. Love, through my heart.

Give me your dispositions and feelings.

Teach, lead and guide me to Jesus.

Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior.

Possess my soul. Take over my entire personality and life.

Replace it with yourself.

Incline me to constant adoration and thanksgiving.

Pray in me and through me.

Let me live in you and keep me in this union always.

– Pope John Paul II

Another Winning Quote from Fr. Lovasik

“Selfishness…because of love of comfort, of self, or of possession… often causes a loosening of family morals, a yielding to worldly and sinful practices, and thus allows paganism to creep into the Christian home….Therefore the sublime and difficult task of child-rearing demands that you be willing to embrace self-sacrifice and self-discipline… Cultivate inexhaustible patience, deep faith and trust in God, devotion to duty, prayerfulness and a right reverence for your children’s human dignity.”

Lawrence G. Lovasik
The Catholic Family Handbook, Sophia Institute Press

Mary, Our Mother

I was thinking again the other day about my experience of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Part of my Lenten journey this year is preparing for a consecration for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, thanks to friend Pam from the Catholic-Fertility yahoo list.

Years ago, before I was a Catholic, I was so painfully ignorant about why Catholics honor Mary. I remember one episode that occurred when I worked at a Christian bookstore. For some stupid reason I was reading through the microfische (yes, in the days before computerized records, at least at that store). I was noting all of the "supposedly Christian" books about Mary. I was reading off the titles out loud, scoffing about Mary This and Mary That. Even my two co-workers, one a former Catholic, were looking at me a bit weird, as if to ask why I had such an axe to grind about her. Just then a customer came to the check out, and as I went to place an order for her, she gave her name as Sister Mary So and So. I remember feeling a bit embarrassed that she'd heard me, but I didn't regret what I'd said.

I have a feeling Sister Mary So and So went back home and prayed a rosary for me.

Flash ahead just a few years: I was wrestling with Catholicism, and really wrestling with what to do with Mary. While wrestling, I was driving through West Allis residential streets, and unexpectedly came across a shrine statue of Our Lady of Fatima, with the three children kneeling in front of her. In my state (and in my ignorance), I saw what appeared to but a HUMONGOUS, godlike statue of Mary with three people bowing down before her. It was almost enough to make me cry in panic that God seemed to be calling me to a Church that espoused something that looked so idolatrous. But God spoke to me right then, saying "they see her as an example". That is, the children of Fatima were not kneeling down to worship Mary, but seeing in her the holiness to which God was calling them.

By the way, I went back to the shrine later, and realized that the statue was not 50 stories tall, as it appeared to me that night. I guess I was just in shock when I saw it.

Flash ahead again. Bill Clinton was elected president, and I decided it was time for me to buy a rosary and learn to pray it. That was so hard. When I first started praying it, I prayed "Holy Jesus, Son of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death." I knew the first half of the Hail Mary was simply Scripture, but it was just so hard to say the words.

Flash way ahead. I was Catholic, I was in Japan, life was not going so well. I felt I was surrounded by Mary. Everywhere I turned, Mary seemed to be there. I had very realistic dreams where I saw her and practically had my breath knocked out of me by how beautiful she was. She was desperately trying to show me I needed to get out of the situation I was in and walk forward with her.

Then I came to Steubenville (Thank you, Blessed Mother! You succeeded!). I was a bit put off by the many people I met who seemed so personally in love with Mary. I think we all feel that way when we get that outside-looking-in feeling. My first semester in grad school I took Dr. Mark Miravalle's Mary in the Modern World class, and also made my first Marian consecration that November 21st. I remember distinctly how powerful that was.

So now it's about 10 years since I made that first consecration. The Lord has just been nudging me back towards the Mother, more and more since taking up the commitment of a lay apostle (see the label "Direction For Our Times"). This consecration for the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart dovetails perfectly with the messages of Anne, a Lay Apostle.

To love Mary is all about wanting God's perfect and holy will in one's life. To desire all that God wants, and only that which God wants. To desire to be completely taken up by the Holy Spirit, to see the Father's will be done, to be united in heart with Jesus' most sacred heart.

Ave Maria!

Was

A follow up to last Saturday's post, just because I should finish the story if I start.

The operative word is "was". I was pregnant. Unfortunately we were in the 50% for whom early spotting ends in miscarriage.

We decided to call the baby Mary Olivia. It is a consolation to know that she is in Jesus' care, there to pray for her Mama, Papa, brother and sister, until we too can join her.

A Raw Post

Ok, I know I have edit power over this blog, so if I decide I want to delete this entry, I can.

I am not in a "naru hodo" moment. I am in the stuff that naru hodo moments some other day are made of. I had a positive pregnancy test this morning, but I've been spotting all day long. And it's been getting progressively heavier.

Spotting is pretty normal; happens about 30% of the time, I read, and 50% of those turn out ok. The other 50% go on to be miscarriages.

I felt pregnant for several days already this week. On my way to Eucharistic Adoration Wednesday night, I specifically asked the Lord when I should test. I ask the Lord lots of things without getting specific answers, but this time I got an immediate, specific answer. Test in three days. (That made it today.) So, I did. And almost immediately the spotting started.

Oh yeah, I should mention although the test had a glaring positive, I didn't get the "valid test" line at all. I *know* I was/am pregnant, but the test was not very helpful, after all.

So, there's not much else I can do but wait.

Here's what I know and understand now. God loves me regardless of the outcome. The Lord has good purposes and plans for all things He ordains. Life is one, and for some reason, testing today was another. Outcomes are not based on "how well I learn my lessons." This morning in my bargaining with God stage I told him "Even if this baby doesn't make it, I still might not 'get' the lesson of surrendering my children and my family entirely to You." And I realized, yeah, I know I might not. It's not about how much I suffer or how intensely I feel things or how long I think about things. It is all about the grace of God. In fact, all that other stuff can just clog up the way. What matters in life is how much I know my dependency on the grace of God. I'm just dust and ashes with God's breath of life in my nostrils. He could call my number right now, today, and that'd be it. And that wouldn't even be a bad thing, well, except for my children and husband.

This Lent I am preparing for the consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart. In the preparation, there is a lot of talk of how to the degree we are open and desirous of graces, to that degree will we who consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart receive graces. I know that sometimes it takes something completely out of the normal run of things to open our hearts farther, because there is only so far one can open oneself (if that makes any sense). I know that all these things are factors in what is happening now. If one child's entire vocation to draw her family to holiness can be accomplished in roughly 13 days on earth, then that is a life well lived. I will not begrudge God the full authority to give to my children whatever vocation He chooses. At the same time, I know He knows and understands our longing for children and our sadness at the thought of losing a precious little one so soon. God is good, that much I absolutely know. I doubted, wondered, found hard to believe for so long when we struggled with infertility before finally conceiving our daughter. I knew God's love in my head, like I knew that Germany was in Europe, but in my heart I struggled. I know it in my heart now to the extent that it hurts me deeply to even think about questioning it.

But I'm a little pile of ashes, you know. I love, so I hurt. That's the way it's supposed to be, and it's healthy.

So, it's all good, right?

Ok, everything but how it feels.

God the Father Speaks to His Children

This post includes Part One of Volume Three of Direction for our Times, as given to Anne, a lay apostle. These powerful messages are from God the Father.

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Volume Three
Part One: God the Father Speaks to His Children


December 17, 2003
God the Father

Greetings to you, little soul who seeks to do My will. I am with you and thank you for your beautiful prayers from the heart. It is My intention to speak with you and have you also record My words. Anne, I intend to give you messages for the world. All of this is My work. Jesus, who guides you so specifically and carefully, is united to My plan. It is this plan I intend to reveal to you in greater detail and from the unique perspective that only the Father of All Creation can share with His children. Anne, do not be afraid. When We are finished with these few words, I want you to describe My Voice for your brothers and sisters, so that they can come to know their God. What will you say? Listen to My Voice, little servant of heaven. Are you frightened of Me? Why do you want to cry? Is it because you fear my justice?

Me: “No. I want to cry because His Voice, which is male, is so kind and loving. It does not sound persuasive, as Jesus sometimes does. It does not sound entreating or a little frustrated, as our Blessed Mother sometimes does. It sounds quiet and authoritative. You get the feeling that He has no questions if you know what I mean. All is clear to Him. He could be speaking at a million times higher level but stoops to speak our humble, limited language so this small, small being, me, can understand. He is being careful not to frighten me. He is being careful to speak clearly so that I can record for Him. He has authority. There is no question. He carries it with no effort. It rolls off Him and into His words. It makes me cry because He is so good and I am not. Being confronted with this incredible source of love and goodness, I wish so badly that I was better, more worthy, that I brought more to this table of the divine. Oh my dear brothers and sisters, I’ve just gotten a taste of what it is going to feel like when we die and meet God. It’s going to break our hearts if we have nothing to offer this wonderful, sweet, kind Father. Do not delay. Serve now, at this moment, in this day. The tears stream down my face as He is not a God of justice at this moment, but a God of love. This is how He is looking at you this moment, as you read this. Serve now. Delay no longer. Please believe that you will only be eternally grateful for anything you do for this God of Love.”

God the Father: “Anne, My creature, whom I created to serve, do not cry. You have characterized Me accurately in a few words. How many can say that? Be consoled that if you do nothing else for Me while you live, you have done that. You must stop crying now for a moment while We work and then I will comfort you.
“Anne, every soul was created to serve in My Kingdom. Each has glorious qualities that will flourish when they follow Me. Souls think they have little to offer. That is because they are not doing My will, but their own. When they ask Me for guidance, they will get it. I will guide the soul to their rightful role in My Kingdom and their gifts will explode into development under My watchful and guiding eye. Souls feel undernourished spiritually. They are actually starving, My little one, and that is because they do not come to Me four nourishment. They seek worldly nourishment which leaves them terribly unwell because they think they should be fed and wonder why the hunger pangs continue. They hunger for Me. Well, as I have been from the beginning of time, I am here. I am here, dear little children. Your God loves you with a love that will set you to sobbing in joy, as this little soul has done. Do not fear Me. You need only fear Me if you are My enemy. And if you are My enemy, you will lose everything. So do not be My enemy. You were created to be My friend and to have everything that I have to offer. In the days to come, We will discuss what it is I offer you, My children. Your inheritance is too glorious to deal with in a few pages. It will take time. But My little recording soul has graciously agreed to allow Me to write through her so We will proceed. This work is My Christmas gift to your world. You see that your God participates in all on earth. In this season of giving, I also give. Be at peace now, little souls of the world. I am here.”

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December 18, 2003
God the Father

It is I, the Father of All, who speaks to this small soul. I wish to give My children both notice and direction. If you are following Me, continue to follow Me, but in a more dedicated fashion. Ask yourself on this day, what can I do for My Father in heaven? I will put the answer in your heart, little souls, and you will have My request. Then you must step out in faith and complete the task I have asked of you. Through this first step, you will discover how I am going to work through you. Ask Me for direction, and in an enhanced way, you will be directed.

For those souls who are not following Me, but who understand that they must change, being by prayer. Pray the Lord’s Prayer, as given to you by My son. Pray this prayer often because through it you are acknowledging My dominion over this world. You are giving Me the praise that justly belongs to Me. This, little soul, is an act of humility and a good first step. Do this now and your God will stoop down to you and collect you. Do not be afraid. I am not to be feared at this time. Pray this prayer and all will be well.

Souls who are working against Me, I speak to you now with the greatest of gravity. You know who you are and you understand that you have pitted yourself against all that is Light. You must cease now. This time is quickly approaching when you will be compelled to abandon all hope. Read the words of My Son in this series of revelations. He wants to rescue you. I have willed it. I have willed that you, in all your sinfulness, should repent and join Me in heaven forever. You see, dear little sinner, I love you. Sinners with far blacker souls than yourself have repented, been washed clean, and reside here in heaven with the greatest of saints. That is what I want for you. You will not be reproached. You will be loved and it will be difficult for you to accept this love but it will cleanse you. You are Mine, like it or not. Come back to Me. Do not reject Me this time as I seek your salvation. Your pain is My personal business and I will eradicate it. That is My promise to you.

Souls, who have waited for this time, your wait is nearly over. You have struggled valiantly. Continue to do so for the moment, knowing that your God is grateful. How happy you will be that you served heaven while you remained on earth. I cannot reveal all of heaven’s secrets because your humanity would not withstand such knowledge and truly, you would insist on coming home immediately. But I would reveal some of the joys that await you. It is My will to do this because in this time, souls on earth doubt the very existence of heaven. This spiritual starvation has left many without hope, so in response, I have willed that Jesus, Mary, his mother, and many saints, give you both guidance and heavenly information. I, Myself, am speaking to you now to give you the path or map to these times. I will not leave souls abandoned in such darkness. I have always provided My children in earthly exile with prophets and I do so now, in many areas of the world. You must see with your eyes, dear souls. Do not turn away from My heavenly direction as through it I give the extra help that many need. If you are called upon to assist with the spreading of these words, do so in all joy. Your reward will not disappoint you.

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December 19, 200
God the Father

My little ones feel great joy in communicating with Me. That is the smallest foretaste of heaven. In heaven, you will have instant and constant communication with Me. We will take such joy in each other, dear children. There is a complete absence of want in heaven. You will search in vain for the poor, the troubled, and the sick. Everywhere you look you will view another tableau of peace and serenity. Souls will seek knowledge and find it. Souls will seek wisdom and obtain it. Souls will seek understanding from others and others will instantly understand them. Such sympathetic listening will take place in heaven, My children. You will know nothing of anxiety for loved ones in heaven because all will be well and all will be decided. There will be no uncertainty in the hearts of My children. Dear ones, this is your destiny. This is your inheritance for which you were created. Your time on earth is a small capsule of time designed to give you the opportunity to obtain your place in heaven. Use the gifts I have given you and you will find no limit to what you can achieve on earth. All heavenly help is available. But we cannot see it, reply My children in their poor little hearts. Dear children, as you have been told, you cannot see the wind, but you see the power of the wind and you see the beautiful things that can be achieved when you harness that power. I am the same. How does one harness God? Simply by praying. As you are My servants, I am also your servant, in the sense that a Father wants all for His children and gives all to His children. If a child continually refuses a gift from His Father, the Father knows to stop forcing the gift on that child. The wise father knows that the child cannot be given the gift until the child is ready to see the value of the gift and accept it. This may not be the father’s wish. The father wishes to give the child every gift available and every gift that is valuable to that child. But the wise father waits for the opportunity to direct the child and that opportunity comes when the child begins to listen. Listen to Me, children. I have many graces to give you that you require for your salvation. How sad for Me that My graces are refused and rejected as though they are worthless. I created your world for your pleasure and edification. I did not create your world so that you could sin against each other and sin against Me. Look carefully into your life now. Say to Me, God, my Father, help me to understand. I will not refuse this prayer, dearest child, destined to be held against My heart. I will not refuse you. I will help you to understand exactly what keeps you from Me. And together, with all of the assistance of heaven, We will bring you to your rightful place. My courage is boundless and I give you a share of that courage. The world will pass away, dear ones, but you will be with Me.

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December 19, 2003
God the Father

My children, as your Father, I retain a certain amount of authority over you. It is good when you acknowledge this and bow before Me. I do not want souls to bow before Me because they have been forced. I prefer My children to serve Me from motives of love and loyalty. Loyalty to God is something that has fallen by the wayside in your world. I gaze upon My creatures, looking for faces that look up to Me in love, and I find so few in this time. Many of you have been caught up in the noise of your current world. I do not speak of the natural noises of wind through the trees, water from streams, lakes and oceans, and the noises of animals as they serve their God in all their busyness. I speak of the artificial noise that you surround yourself with, in an effort to feel safe. Sit in silence, please. Remove this clamour from your life. I say this with all authority and understanding of the needs of the creatures I have created. Your spirits suffocate under the attack of all of this noise. In silence comes peace, the peace within which I would speak to you. Dearest little ones, destined for heaven, you will not know how to conduct yourself in the next world with its beautiful quiet. There will be sound in heaven, but beautiful, organized sounds, destined to bring joy to the spirits of My little ones. How you will weep for joy at the sound of the angels as they combine their voices to praise Me and entertain the saints. And you will all be saints, dear ones, if you listen to My Voice within you. There are also the beautiful sounds of My creation. Children, if there is a sound that gives you joy, you will experience it in heaven in the most profound way that you can imagine. Indeed, you can not imagine it, but you can dream about it and every so often I will give you a sample of heavenly sound in your life. Watch for these little experiences, children. You will find them on your earth. Because of your limited vision, which is My will for you at this time, you cannot experience heaven in its fullness. But your God often visits you with a portion of your inheritance. When you experience these things, look to Me in joy, and truly, you will find Me looking back at your in all love and tenderness. Thank Me for these gifts. They are intended to encourage you. Children, close your eyes for a moment. Open them. That is how quickly it will seem to you that you and I will meet. Your life is but a blink in time compared to eternity. Will you not give Me the smallest bit of credit? Look up to Me now and tell Me you love Me. Perhaps you are uncomfortable because you do not feel you know Me. I want you to remember that I know you, little one. I have always now you because I created you. I chose to send you to earth now. I had reasons for My choice of your birth time and those reasons still exist. So serve, little one. Serve. I will reveal Myself to you if you invite Me. Tell Me you would like to know Me better. I will not refuse such a request. You will become My intimate friend if you make such a prayer to Me with your heart. Even if you have the smallest interest in knowing Me, I will come to you. I love you. I see your soul in all its future beauty. You can not imagine what you are capable of doing for the heavenly kingdom if you will allow Me to work through you. In this time of peace, allow Me to put My love in your soul. You will not regret coming to know Me. Such a thing is not possible. You will only thank Me for coming to you. So do not delay, little child. Come to your Father, who wants only your happiness and welfare.

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December 20, 2003
God the Father

My children of the world, look for Me. Look for the signs in your world that I am present. Some would have you believe that I am no longer actively directing the outcome of this time. Children, can you believe that I would lovingly lead My children for centuries, since the beginning of the world, and then leave? Would I really turn away from My precious creatures? This idea is fooling many souls today. They proceed in their lives as though I do not exist and as though there will be no reckoning for decisions against Me, against others, and at times, even against nature, as I created nature. I see all. I will judge every action. I will reward every decision made by one soul for the benefit of another. In the same way, I will challenge every decision made by one soul to the detriment of another. Children, all is being recorded. You will account for your life. I am merciful. I am merciful to a degree that will astound you. But you must allow Me to be merciful. You must accept My mercy. You cannot scorn My mercy, child. Allow Me to exercise My mercy in your life. How must we do that, Father, you ask. I will tell you. You must say this to Me:

“God, my Father in heaven, You are all mercy. You love me and see my every sin. God, I call on you now as the merciful Father. Forgive my every sin. Wash away the stains on my soul so that I may once again rest in complete innocence. I trust you, Father in heaven. I rely on You. I thank You. Amen.”

I am acting as the merciful Father in these days, children. Pray this prayer to Me and I will respond in mercy. Your soul will be washed clean. Little children of My church on earth, you must not neglect the sacraments. Experience the sacramental graces of the confessional, and say this prayer. In this way the residue of sin will be removed from your souls painlessly. Trust My words, children. Do as your Father says. The wise one understands that a Father acts only in the best interest of His children. And so I act at this time.

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December 20, 2003
God the Father

My children of the earth, remain in the awareness that I am with you. You should always know that God, your heavenly Father, is present. In every action, know that I am with you. In every joy and in every suffering, I am with you. I am not just watching, dear ones. I participate with you if I am allowed. To clarify, I live your life on earth intimately united with you if I am welcomed. What benefits does this union with God give you? You make holy and wise decisions. You treat other souls justly. You keep to the path that leads you to spiritual advancement. And most mercifully, for you, you serve the Kingdom of God and obtain eternal benefit for your soul. My presence in your life does not guarantee that you will not suffer. Suffering is part of your experience in exile. It means though that you view suffering with clarity and wisdom. You view suffering as transient, understand that it passes and you should be at peace with every earthly experience, even the experiences that cause you pain. Children, a reality that you should grasp is that suffering does not pull you away from Me. It can pull you closer if you are far from Me because it pulls you away from things of this world. I created this world for your joy, as I have told you. But the misuse of My gifts can confuse you and lead you away from your path to Me. It is then that I allow suffering for some souls. Do not be angry with Me when you suffer. Unite your suffering to the suffering of My Son and you will find that your ascent to holiness is swift and consoling. Children of God, children of the Light, you are Mine. All that occurs in your life has a heavenly purpose. If you do not see the purpose in what you are experiencing now, it is a good sign that you are far from Me and not in communication with Me. Come back to Me and I will explain all of these experiences for you. I want you to have faith, it is true. But I will reveal Myself to you in such a way as to help you to understand what I am attempting to do through you. I am a fair and just God. I will treat all with divine wisdom and mercy if I am asked.

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December 21, 2003
God the Father

My children, you await union with Me, even though you do not realize this. There is always something lacking, something you are longing for, while you remain on earth. Those who are close to Me, and who attempt to serve Me in their daily lives, feel less of the emptiness. Those who are far from Me, particularly those who once knew Me and then moved away from Me, feel it to a greater degree. I do not care how you have tried to fill the void you are experiencing. Souls close to Me, I refer to you too. I want to renew you. Souls far from Me, turn to Me, pray to Me, and I will fill you with such gladness that you will not regret your decision against the false gods the world uses to distract you. Souls undecided, I gently call out to you. Do you hear Me? Do you hear the Voice of your Creator within your soul? It is I. Have faith, little ones. I am calling out to you all. To some I call gently and quietly. To some I call with a thunderous command. What do I say? I say turn away from insulting your God. Turn away from sin. Come back to Me now, while I can salvage your earthly experience. Soon your time here will run out and you will have made your decision. Do you want Me? Truly, I want to be with you. I want to rejoice in you, My little one. I want to give you great joy, great peace, great security and safety. There is no substitute for the one true God and I am He. I have given you instruction on how to return to Me. My son has explained how you fall away, how you stay away, and how you must eradicate habits that lead you away. Your heavenly mother, Mary, shows you nothing but love and care. She has brought many souls to heaven and will bring legions of them now in these times. Follow these lights. Follow these words. Follow this call and come to Goodness. Children, please, your Father wants each and every one of you. I want you to be with Me. I can say this no differently. When you turn to Me, I will give you a sample of My love. To many I have already done so. This is the very tip. This is the very beginning. I do not reprimand you. Because of the Sacrifice of my Son, your sins will be forgiven. They will be forgotten. I am issuing you a pardon from your sins, little ones. That is the kind of Father I am. I have a short memory, particularly for these current struggling souls who have contended with a time of great darkness. So there is nothing left to consider except the love that I have for you. There is nothing standing in the way of you, My beloved child, and Me, your merciful Father.

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December 21, 2003
God the Father

My children of the Light, how filled with joy I will be when I welcome you home to your reward. It is always My will that you return to Me. Children, you will be struck by how comfortable you feel in heaven. You will feel as though you are in your true home for the first time. Once you follow Me and become My servant, you have an advanced awareness that the earth holds no true home for you. My servants must be prepared to serve in whatever place I call them. They must serve whatever people I require them to serve. My servants may be called at any time to do whatever the Kingdom requires. This is the way it is in a family. You are in My family. As members of the heavenly family, you are to be interested in the welfare of the other members, your brothers and sisters. Children of the Light, consider each and every soul on this earth your brother and sister. Your concern should be how to bring each soul on earth home to heaven with you. This is far too big, Father, you say. Well, dear little one, that is My goal. And because it is My goal, it must be your goal. A good child, an obedient child, always looks out for the interests of his Father. And that is what My servants must do. Now instead of finding this a frightening, overwhelming task, I want you to say, this task will be an easy thing, because My Father will do all of the work. All I need do is rise each day with a spirit of willingness. If I do that, My Father, along with the Son and the Holy Spirit, and all of the inhabitants of heaven, will work through me in a miraculous way and souls will be saved. A word here, a smile there, a kindness there, an act of humility when pride would be tempting, these small acts bring souls back to the family and I can then bring them to heaven. My dearest little ones, your Father is calling out to you in hope and in love. Hear My Voice on this day, this day when mercy is being extended to your world. The sacrifices of many of your brothers and sisters are what obtained this day of mercy when only justice was called for. I, your heavenly Creator, wish you to make the fullest possible use of this time of grace. Join Me now, join the saints, join the spirits of the just on earth, and Together, all united, We will bring the souls of many back to My heart before the time of upheaval.

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December 21, 2003
God the Father

I wish to speak to My children about heaven. The coming of My Kingdom is the coming of heaven or the expansion of heaven to earth. This is part of My plan and this is what the future holds for My children. Can you see it, dear ones? True happiness can be found only in the union of a soul’s will to the Divine. When your will is united to the Divine Will, there is no conflict, no struggle. Only a very few find such union on earth. The seeking of this union is the path to holiness that you follow in your obedience to My commandments. You are making decisions. You are moving forward on the road. You are making corrections. This is the process. At times in the history of mankind, most souls on earth were moving in the general direction of heaven. At this time, most souls are languishing along the way. Many are wasting their time on earth and are not coming in this direction at all. In this way, souls are lost. As a God of mercy, I send all manner of signs and warnings. In this time, however, most of My signs are being ignored. Such is the level of distraction, that My souls no sooner see a sign and experience My call, then they allow themselves to be distracted and pulled back into the world. Children, pay attention. You must focus on Me and on your path. You must be disciplined if you are to remain on the path to salvation. And believe Me when I say that all other roads lead nowhere. My children belong with each other, loving Me. Hear My call of love, now, while I can offer you a soft and gentle transition to holiness. There is coming a time, as you have been told, where the transition will only be possible with violence. It will be a shock to you if you do not respond now. Children, if you are not following My words, if you are not united with Me, if you do not acknowledge and respect My dominion over both you and your world, you are going to be uncomfortable and frightened. Your times are over. My time is coming. There will be gladness, it is true. It is what My children have prayed for. But change is difficult for those without a firm understanding and belief in the next world. If you were asked to hand your life to Me this day, and account for it fully, how would you feel? Would you feel calm? Would you feel confident that while you have made mistakes you have done your best and can offer Me a fair trade for your eternal reward? Could you even say, God, I have wasted much of My time here on earth but I see that you are the Creator and I bow before You? That is all that is necessary for your salvation, child, but you are going to wish that you had a small bit of something to give Me. You might give Me your years parenting your children. You might offer Me your service in your job or your obedience and respect for your parents. You might give Me your patience with sickness or depression. You might say, God, I have risen every day and tried not to be dishonest or hurtful to others, despite my pain and misery. To all of these things, and to nearly every life that holds dignity and some measure of effort to be honest, I will say, “Welcome. Well done. It is over now and you are safe and loved.” I will hold you against Me and heal all of your wounds and pain. You will be lovingly prepared to enter into the Kingdom. Children, do not be afraid of leaving this world and entering the next. I will be there, waiting to receive each one of you.

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December 22, 2003
God the Father

All children of this earth, hear My call. Your God communicates with you in all majesty. I will do anything to save a soul and I have great power. The only thing I cannot overturn is your free will. If a soul chooses darkness over Me, there is nothing I can do, for your free will is My gift to you and the Father will never take back a gift once given. It would be alien to the very nature of God. But you will return to Me. Return now, in your heart. I am speaking to you in this way because I want you to be in heaven with Me for your eternity. Is anything above this as a priority? Could there possibly be anything more important? No. There is nothing more important than this one simple thing, to gain heaven. Put aside all else right now. Sit with Me as I minister to your heart and prepare you to meet Me. I want only your salvation. I am sending the greatest graces through My words to you and as God I would have you back in My heart from this moment on. Will you remain with Me, dearest soul? Do not go away from Me again. You have sampled the world’s offerings and you have been left unloved and in darkness. I offer you all that is light and good. I offer you safety and confidence. I will nourish you in times of hunger and console you in sadness. You need nothing, only Me. So there is no reason to languish. Your God has called you by name. Come to Me.


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December 22, 2003
God the Father

My child, for so long I have watched you. In some deep area of your soul, you knew I was there with you. I choose to be more active in your life now. I choose to lead you more directly, if you will allow Me. I want My children to be united with Me, but also with each other. I require a legion of souls who are living in union with Me, their God, and who are responding to My directives. Children, along with My Son, and Mary, his mother, I am giving you every assurance of your welcome. You are being guided in an unprecedented fashion and this guidance will continue. We will shepherd you through all difficulties. Many souls thing that they do not have to return to Me now because they will have time later. They procrastinate. Children, this is not what I want. This is not what I am asking you. I say, Enough. Come to Me now. In order to enter heaven, you must accept Jesus, My Son. You know this. Do this now. Do I ask this of you so that I will have greater glory? Am I a selfish God who seeks My own comfort? Children, surely you know this is not the case. If your God is calling out to you, if your God is sending all manner of signs and warnings, you must assume and understand that your God is trying to spare you difficulty and upset. I want My children at peace. I want My children to be detached from the world, understanding that the heavenly kingdom is their home and their destination. If you are on a journey, a long journey, and suddenly you arrive at your destination, do you not celebrate? Of course you do, children. You do not say, no thank you, we do not wish to arrive at our goal, we prefer to continue travelling. The longer and more difficult the journey, the more relieved you feel at its end. Such celebration greets the end of a journey. Can you imagine, children, what celebration will be waiting for you when you reach the end of your journey on earth and arrive home in Our Kingdom? You will not be disappointed. Your God, I, your Father, have prepared the most glorious banquet with everything that is beautiful in creation. Children, earthly delights are nothing in comparison. Do not cling to the things of this earth. You will leave them eventually. Your humanity dictates that your time on earth is finite. Dearest, the earth itself is finite. Only I am infinite. So if you are to choose Me eventually, choose Me now. If somewhere in your heart you recognize that I am your God and you are My creature, come to Me now. I want your soul to be preserved and protected.

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December 22, 2003
God the Father

Children of the world, you are precious to Me. Each one of you was created with infinite forethought and love. Each one of your characteristics is an act of My mercy. My God, you may say, not all of my characteristics are loveable. I know that, My child. You have certain flaws to overcome. Do you think I love you less for them? Is not a favoured plaything often marked? Does it not bear the signs of a child’s love and interest? Children, I love you in all of your imperfection. I love you with all of the scars and marks you carry as the result of your flaws and mistakes. They mean nothing to Me in the sense that I did not make you to be perfect. I made you to overcome your weaknesses, and, utilizing your free will, to choose Me. I made you to assist each other. I created you to adorn heaven and little one, I want you here with Me. There is a place I have prepared. It is for only you. You have a home here forever and I would have you prepare to complete your journey. Do I frighten you? I do not intend to frighten you and it is not to frighten that I come. On the contrary, dear ones, I come to explain to each of you that you are always one breath away from eternity. It is the same for each soul who has ever been on earth. From this moment to the next, your journey may be complete. I will decide. In times past, souls would remind themselves of this fact and use those thoughts to keep themselves detached from the world. Because of the many gifts and advances I have given and allowed, My children delude themselves into thinking I am passé and that My time has gone. Dear ones, have you ever heard of anything so absurd and arrogant? You may say surely not, God. No soul breathing the air You have given us would think that way. And yet they do. If you are a soul who things you have no need for your divine Creator, pause for a moment. Stop breathing. I want you to realize that at any time, I can will this. Such is My power. Do not think you are independent of Me. If not for Me, you would cease to exist. I am God. I am omnipotent. My own know Me. You are My own and I want your allegiance.

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December 22, 2003
God the Father


My children, I have called you. I have pleaded with you. I have explained to you why you must return to Me. You should come back to My heart and remain with Me now in the spirit of loyalty and love. If you have a difficult time and feel pulled by the world, know that this conflict is your portion. You are earning your heaven by your detachment from the earth. You are showing Me that you are trying to become worthy of heaven and that you are preparing yourself. Children, the smallest efforts on your part will be rewarded in a truly unprecedented manner. The children of the world have been led far astray at this time but I come now to bring them back. I do not judge you at this time. I love you. I come to you in all patience and understanding. Come to Me in the spirit of obedience and you will move swiftly on a straight path that leads directly to holiness. No fear now My children. I have only good intentions for you. Be at peace in everything. Your God will protect you and preserve you.

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(Please post a comment if you happen to catch a typo, so I may correct it. Thank you!)