The Way of Divine Love

[Stone]

CHAPTER VIII - THE LENT OF 1923

TUESDAY IN HOLY WEEK Simon of Cyrene March 27th, 1923


“When a soul loves truly, she neither measures what she does nor weighs what she suffers.” (Our Lord to Josefa)

ON Tuesday morning in Holy Week Our Lord resumed the dictation that had been interrupted the day before.

Before beginning, Jesus required of Josefa an act of conformity to the Divine Will, and in the silence of her little cell she repeated after Him the offering He deigned to teach her.

“My Lord and my God, behold me here in company with Thy Divine Son, who in spite of my unworthiness is also my Bridegroom. I submit my will to Thine and I deliver myself over to do and to suffer whatsoever Thou wilt ask of me, with the one intent of giving glory to Thy infinite Majesty and cooperating in the salvation and sanctification of souls. Receive then for this intention the merits of the Heart of Jesus Christ Thy Son who is my Saviour, my Father and my Beloved.”

Josefa then kissed the ground and took up her pen in readiness.

“And now,” said He, “let us carry on our work.

“Contemplate Me on the way to Calvary loaded with My heavy Cross, watch Simon carrying it behind Me and consider two things; though he was a man of good will, yet he was mercenary, and if he carried My Cross, it was for pay. So when he began to tire, he allowed the weight to bear more and more on Me, and that is how I fell twice.

“Secondly, this man helped Me to bear part of My Cross, but not the whole of it.

“There are many souls following in My footsteps who accept to help Me carry My Cross but they are troubled about their own rest and comfort. . . . Many consent to come after Me, and for that reason embrace a perfect life, but they do not give up all self-interest, which still in some cases remains their chief interest. They hesitate and let My Cross fall when it weighs too heavily on them. They try to avoid suffering, count the cost of abnegation, turn away from humiliation, work or fatigue whenever they can. They look back regretfully at what they have given up and try to obtain at least certain pleasures. In a word, their souls are so egotistical and selfish that they follow Me more for their own sake than for Mine. They accept only what they cannot avoid, or what is of strict obligation . . . and so carry only a small part of My Cross and in such a way as barely to acquire the merit indispensable for salvation. In the next world they will see how far behind they lagged.

“On the other hand, there are many souls who, urged on by the hope of salvation but still more by the motive of love, are resolute in their determination to follow Me in the Way of the Cross. They eagerly embrace the perfect life and devote themselves to My service in order to carry, not part of the Cross, but the whole of it. Their one desire is to relieve and comfort Me. They offer themselves for all My Will may ask and seek out all that may give Me pleasure. They think neither of reward nor of their own merits, nor of the fatigues and sufferings that may accrue to them, their one object being to show Me their love and console My Heart.

“If My Cross comes to them in the shape of illness, if it is hidden under some employment that goes against the grain or is little adapted to their talents . . . if it has all the appearance of being the result of forgetfulness or opposition from those around them, they recognize and accept it with all the submission of which their will is capable.

“Sometimes it happens that, urged by greater love and zeal for souls, they have done what seemed to them best in such or such a circumstance and things turn out differently from their expectations and there follows a whole train of humiliations and trials. These souls, moved solely by love, joyfully accept these unexpected consequences of their action, for in them they see My Cross; they worship it, offer it up, and use it to procure My greater glory.

“These are the souls that truly bear the Cross after Me. Their interests and their gain are none other than love. These are they who repose and glorify My Heart!

“Be persuaded that if your self-denial and suffering bear fruit but late or bear no fruit at all, they have not been in vain or useless. Some day you will bear abundant sheaves and reap a great reward.

“When a soul loves truly, she neither measures what she does nor weighs what she suffers; never looking for reward, and seeking only what she believes to be for God’s greater glory, she never says ‘enough’ when labor or fatigue are in question . . . and because of the purity of her aim, whatever the result, she neither excuses herself nor protests her good intentions; her motive being love, her efforts and sufferings always give glory to God. She is not troubled nor does she lose her peace of mind if she meets with contradiction or persecution or humiliation, as her sole motive is love and she leaves results in Love’s hands.

“These souls are not mercenary; they only want Me to be consoled; they desire only My rest and glory. That, too, is why they have shouldered the whole of My Cross and carry its full weight.”

Jesus wants generous and devoted souls to help Him carry His Cross, and their love must be loyal and disinterested.

If He has deigned to delineate the kind of cooperation His Heart loves is it not perhaps to reawaken the love of many such as were described by Saint Teresa, “one whom you know belongs wholly to you” . . . souls totally abandoned to Him, ready to follow Him whithersoever He goes . . . even to the death of the Cross . . . resolute souls, who will carry His Cross after Him, never letting its full weight fall on Him. . . .

That night, when silence reigned in Les Feuillants, Jesus brought His Cross once more to Josefa. She was awaiting His coming in the tribune where she had gone to make her Holy Hour.

“Josefa! are you there? . . . Come, stay with Me. . . .” and Jesus handed her His Cross. “Come quite close to Me to defend Me from the insults and outrages to which I was subjected in the presence of Herod.”

“Contemplate the shame and the confusion with which I listened to the railleries and derision poured on Me by that man. . . .

“Josefa, give Me constantly loving proofs of your adoration and reparation.

“Adieu. Keep My Cross. . . . Tomorrow I shall prepare you for the great day of Love.”

The night ended for Josefa in diabolic persecutions. Our Lord had taught her once again to recognize His Cross and help Him carry it, no matter under what aspect it was presented. She trusted His love in all these sufferings.