Matt C. Abbott
The Divine Mercy and 'A Mother's Plea'
By Matt C. Abbott
Jesus, I trust in you.
A simple yet profound prayer, one at the heart of The Divine Mercy devotion.
From EWTN.com:
Father Bus has authored a book titled A Mother's Plea: Lifting the Veil in Sanctuary. Below is the text of the book's preface. I thank Father for allowing me to reprint this excerpt. Click here to purchase a copy of the book.
Preface
When I began to write A Mother's Plea, it was neither my intention to write a book, nor did I anticipate the sharing of my personal quest for union with God. The writing began as a mere response to a request by Archdiocesan personnel, that I should write a justification for wanting to build a sanctuary on parish property.
Having been pastor of this poor parish for just over four years, I realized how absurd my vision of the sanctuary must have seemed since the parish barely had the funds to make ends meet from one month to the next. In addition to this, the church and school needed millions of dollars for repair. Even so, I trusted a voice within that beckoned me to open the doors to sanctuary while, at the same time, calling me to give myself unreservedly to Jesus Christ.
Not quite sure how to articulate the call, the moment I sat down to write, it was as if I had been suddenly infused with the grace of a single-hearted purpose to be unabashedly true to the Spirit moving through my soul. I had a keen sense that no matter how suspect my discernment may be perceived, the message was not only for my personal transformation, but also that others would be assisted in their own journey towards the light of the often imperceptible, but ever abiding presence of God.
Now, as I look back, I am utterly amazed at the ease with which I conveyed the words that Our Lady spoke to me nearly five years ago when she asked that I give her the parish and make her its Mother and Queen. I am amazed because normally I would have kept such an experience to myself for fear of ridicule and rejection. Such a claim is viewed with an almost scrupulous skepticism in the climate of the modern world and like most human beings I, too, want to be accepted.
I am also amazed at the ease with which I speak of Satan and the spiritual warfare that permeates my life and, indeed, all sectors of society where loyalty to God is a serious concern. The devil and his adversaries, with the ensuing battle waged against God and his disciples, were lightly treated in the formative years of my preparation for the priesthood. If the topic would surface from time to time, it seemed a cause for embarrassment as some sort of barnacle of an outdated theology or demonology still clinging to the hull of the Church.
After all is said and done, though, popular theological speculation and inquiry yields to the sacred magisterium, that is, the teaching authority of the Church whose mission is the preservation of Christian dogma and doctrine. The sacred magisterium enjoys the charism of Divine protection from teachers who tickle the ears, leading the faithful to the fantasy of fable no matter how sophisticated the whim may be. That the Blessed Virgin Mary shares in the redemptive work of her Son and that the devil wages war on her children are dogmatic and doctrinal truths of the Catholic faith.
Our Lady's solicitous concern for the salvation and sanctification of humanity is woven throughout this diary of personal reflections. While the unfolding story contains intriguing twists and turns interlaced with the repetition of complementary themes, it remains a diary whose chapters were not premeditated nor written in view of preceding chapters. The stirrings of the Spirit compelled me to write, giving me no rest until the thoughts milling through my mind were put to paper. Any barriers to the free flow of words were lifted only when I turned my eyes away from myself and looked to the Holy Mother of God. Through her heart, her thoughts were heard and, indeed, constitute the story of A Mother's Plea.
If the Blessed Virgin Mary shows a particular concern for an Anawim, that is, the little flock of simple believers, there is no reason to believe that the remnant cannot encompass the whole world. Reflectively and prayerfully read, I hope this book will inspire the reader to recognize a similar stirring of God's Spirit already active in his or her own soul, or perhaps open the soul to the invitation to embark on the adventure of a gracious God, ever active in the lives of His people. This is certainly the longing and the yearning of the grieving Mother.
Our Lady's example 2,000 years ago when she walked the earth has shown that we should never underestimate the sacred power that emanates from a people whose lives are entrusted to the mysterious design of God's action in the world. The ramifications of their lived faith ripple through history. We are the fruit of their lived faith and the same seed of faith germinates in our souls to ensure the possibility for the interior peace of our children. Without God there can be no genuine peace — the two are synonymous.
Click here to visit the website of the Sanctuary of The Divine Mercy.
© Matt C. Abbott
January 13, 2012
Jesus, I trust in you.
A simple yet profound prayer, one at the heart of The Divine Mercy devotion.
From EWTN.com:
-
'The message and devotion to Jesus as The Divine Mercy is based on the writings of Saint Faustina Kowalska, an uneducated Polish nun who, in obedience to her spiritual director, wrote a diary of about 600 pages recording the revelations she received about God's mercy. Even before her death in 1938, the devotion to The Divine Mercy had begun to spread.
'The message of mercy is that God loves us — all of us — no matter how great our sins. He wants us to recognize that His mercy is greater than our sins, so that we will call upon Him with trust, receive His mercy, and let it flow through us to others. Thus, all will come to share His joy.' (Click here to read more about The Divine Mercy devotion.)
Father Bus has authored a book titled A Mother's Plea: Lifting the Veil in Sanctuary. Below is the text of the book's preface. I thank Father for allowing me to reprint this excerpt. Click here to purchase a copy of the book.
When I began to write A Mother's Plea, it was neither my intention to write a book, nor did I anticipate the sharing of my personal quest for union with God. The writing began as a mere response to a request by Archdiocesan personnel, that I should write a justification for wanting to build a sanctuary on parish property.
Having been pastor of this poor parish for just over four years, I realized how absurd my vision of the sanctuary must have seemed since the parish barely had the funds to make ends meet from one month to the next. In addition to this, the church and school needed millions of dollars for repair. Even so, I trusted a voice within that beckoned me to open the doors to sanctuary while, at the same time, calling me to give myself unreservedly to Jesus Christ.
Not quite sure how to articulate the call, the moment I sat down to write, it was as if I had been suddenly infused with the grace of a single-hearted purpose to be unabashedly true to the Spirit moving through my soul. I had a keen sense that no matter how suspect my discernment may be perceived, the message was not only for my personal transformation, but also that others would be assisted in their own journey towards the light of the often imperceptible, but ever abiding presence of God.
Now, as I look back, I am utterly amazed at the ease with which I conveyed the words that Our Lady spoke to me nearly five years ago when she asked that I give her the parish and make her its Mother and Queen. I am amazed because normally I would have kept such an experience to myself for fear of ridicule and rejection. Such a claim is viewed with an almost scrupulous skepticism in the climate of the modern world and like most human beings I, too, want to be accepted.
I am also amazed at the ease with which I speak of Satan and the spiritual warfare that permeates my life and, indeed, all sectors of society where loyalty to God is a serious concern. The devil and his adversaries, with the ensuing battle waged against God and his disciples, were lightly treated in the formative years of my preparation for the priesthood. If the topic would surface from time to time, it seemed a cause for embarrassment as some sort of barnacle of an outdated theology or demonology still clinging to the hull of the Church.After all is said and done, though, popular theological speculation and inquiry yields to the sacred magisterium, that is, the teaching authority of the Church whose mission is the preservation of Christian dogma and doctrine. The sacred magisterium enjoys the charism of Divine protection from teachers who tickle the ears, leading the faithful to the fantasy of fable no matter how sophisticated the whim may be. That the Blessed Virgin Mary shares in the redemptive work of her Son and that the devil wages war on her children are dogmatic and doctrinal truths of the Catholic faith.
Our Lady's solicitous concern for the salvation and sanctification of humanity is woven throughout this diary of personal reflections. While the unfolding story contains intriguing twists and turns interlaced with the repetition of complementary themes, it remains a diary whose chapters were not premeditated nor written in view of preceding chapters. The stirrings of the Spirit compelled me to write, giving me no rest until the thoughts milling through my mind were put to paper. Any barriers to the free flow of words were lifted only when I turned my eyes away from myself and looked to the Holy Mother of God. Through her heart, her thoughts were heard and, indeed, constitute the story of A Mother's Plea.
If the Blessed Virgin Mary shows a particular concern for an Anawim, that is, the little flock of simple believers, there is no reason to believe that the remnant cannot encompass the whole world. Reflectively and prayerfully read, I hope this book will inspire the reader to recognize a similar stirring of God's Spirit already active in his or her own soul, or perhaps open the soul to the invitation to embark on the adventure of a gracious God, ever active in the lives of His people. This is certainly the longing and the yearning of the grieving Mother.
Our Lady's example 2,000 years ago when she walked the earth has shown that we should never underestimate the sacred power that emanates from a people whose lives are entrusted to the mysterious design of God's action in the world. The ramifications of their lived faith ripple through history. We are the fruit of their lived faith and the same seed of faith germinates in our souls to ensure the possibility for the interior peace of our children. Without God there can be no genuine peace — the two are synonymous.
Click here to visit the website of the Sanctuary of The Divine Mercy.
© Matt C. Abbott
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