Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Friday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time

I Don’t Want To Gain The Whole World And Lose My Soul

Many times I was walking around with teary eyes. My love for

the Lord Jesus filled my eyes with tears of repentance. I did not

want to turn my eyes towards the world ever again. I sought only silence

so I could continually hear the Lord’s voice, because from

that day on, He was the One speaking to me. (Elizabeth) (1961-1962)

Today’s Readings: Jesus summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to them,
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?
What could one give in exchange for his life? (Mark 8)

Prayer Meditation-O Lord, how we all want to hold onto the things of this world. To save our lives- to live out our best lives right here and right now because we think that what we have here on this Earth and all we are striving for is all that there is. We want it all and Heaven too! But that is not what You have asked of us- You have asked us not to save our lives, but to lose them for Your sake- not to gain the whole world but to save our souls and have the true and abundant life You want us to have in You (John 10).  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world (1 John 2:16). But if we repent, which really just means turn around, and keep our eyes on You and not the world, and really seek Your Voice we will hear You speaking this real life into our souls! Lord, Lent is coming- it is not about chocolate or caffeine or too much wine, though if we are slaves to any of this it would be wise to fast from it, but it really is about us holding on to the little pebble of our wills for dear life when what You really want to give us is Your Divine Life reigning in us! So let us examine ourselves- what would it take for us to say on Easter Sunday, it is no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me? (Galatians 2)? Let us ask You today in prayer to show us that little narrow path forward this Lent that You have for us as we take up our crosses and follow You, the God who loves us and has given everything for us!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time

Who Do You Say That I Am

I am your way and your life. Everything passes away, only your work for souls remains (Jesus) (January 18, 1964)

Today’s Readings: And he asked them,

“But who do you say that I am?”

Peter said to him in reply,

“You are the Christ.”(Mark 8)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord, You ask us right here right now the same question- Who Am I to you? And the question can stop us in our tracks because we realize so often that we don’t always give that question enough thought. Or we rattle off the right words but we know that our hearts and our lives do not always show that You are our Everything! Lord help us today to be still and sit with You as we let You ask us this question- let us keep our eyes on You and look full in Your Wonderful Face and meditate on what these words really mean- Prince of Peace, Good Shepherd, Light of the World, Lamb of God, Bread of Life, Savior, Redeemer, Messiah, King! Everything else is passing!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Wednesday of the Sixth Week of Ordinary Time

The Goodness of God

“How good of You to come! Truly, You do not despise me. Because I am a sinner, You double Your strength in me. What goodness, what limitless compassion You have for a repentant sinner.” (Elizabeth) (November 22, 1962)

Today’s Readings: How shall I make a return to the LORD

for all the good he has done for me?

The cup of salvation I will take up,

and I will call upon the name of the LORD.(Psalm 116)

Prayer Meditation- Lord how can we make a return to You who are all good and deserving of all of our love! You are our ever -present help in time of trouble and our refuge and strength! Lord let us take up the cup of salvation and call Your Holy Name in praise and thanksgiving today! Let us seek You in Your Word and in Your Sacraments. You told St. Teresa of Avila that she could thank You by attending one Mass- let us come to Daily Mass with a heart full of praise and thanksgiving! Lord we will sing of the goodness of God!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius

A Little Story About Our Daily Bread

On one occasion, when Elizabeth needed bread, Jesus did her a special favor. Jesus said, “Leave now. You must get bread for your family.”

When I entered the bakery, I remembered that it …was Saturday and I asked, “Do you still have bread?” They said, “No.” I was scared. What will happen now? When I was about to leave, I heard them call me. They had reserved a bread, but the one for whom they had set it aside did not come to get it. At once, I said, “My adorable Jesus.” He said, “I am that one. Do you see? The time you spend with Me should not harm your family.” (Elizabeth/Jesus) (February 14, 1965)

Today’s Readings: When he became aware of this he said to them,

“Why do you conclude that it is because you have no bread?

Do you not yet understand or comprehend?

Are your hearts hardened? (Mark 8)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord today I wanted to meditate on the little story of Elizabeth and how You made sure her need for bread was met- just like You did for the disciples. Just like You do for us every day! Yet like the disciples we forget even when You multiply our meager resources to feed the five thousand! Lord help us to remember and to not let our hearts harden in fear or anxiety- You have us in the palm of Your Hands and You provide for us if we are faithful! Lord help us remember our own little stories of Your Goodness to us!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

Seeking Signs

Jesus said, “I will leave you with the feeling of My presence. In the great sufferings that I will pour out on you now, the Flame of Love of Our Mother will give you great strength. She is the one who forces Me not to deprive you of the feeling of My presence. Be also grateful to her for that.” (Jesus) (December 1, 1962)

Today’s Readings: He sighed from the depth of his spirit and said,

“Why does this generation seek a sign?

Amen, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” (Mark 8)

Prayer Meditation: O Lord how often, just like the Pharisees, do we demand signs and wonders because of our lack of faith and hardness of heart. Lord You do not honor such demands but instead leave us the gift of silence so that we can examine our hearts and come to You with true humility. But Lord, when our hearts are grateful and full of trust- not loving the gifts but loving the Gift Giver in all circumstances You never abandon us and we can look back at how You carry us. In all things we can see Your Mighty Hand in all of it! Thank You Jesus!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Short Fuse

“Your bad temper will go on, but from this evil nature, I will accomplish a masterpiece if you agree to submit to My Divine Hand.  Simply surrender to Me like the grapes that are pressed and transformed into wine, which will become My Precious Blood.” (Jesus) (September 24, 1963)

Today’s Readings: But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother

will be liable to judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raqa,’ will be answerable to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. (Matthew 5)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, how often we fall into anger with our words, actions, and deeds. We are so easily offended- we have a short fuse and a long memory filled with unforgiveness. But the fruits of the Spirit are gentleness and self- control yet so often we do not see it in our lives. So many of us struggle with anger and the need for control- we want to walk on the water in faith but we drown in our own humans will stuck in self -reliance. Lord help us to surrender with humble trust in Your Mercy and bring to You all that is hurting us because we are all hurting people- only You can make a masterpiece of Grace out of our souls but we need to surrender and let you break us so You can heal us! Transform us with the wine of Your Spirit!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

With Her Dainty Little Heel

Our Lady of Lourdes

She places the healing power of her maternal goodness at the

root of evil. She did not want to perform a spectacular miracle as

does occur in the large famous sanctuaries of the world, giving rise

to great admiration. She wants every family to be a sanctuary, a

wonderful place where, in union with you, she works miracles in

the depth of hearts. Going from heart to heart, she places in your

hands the Flame of Love of her heart. Through your prayers and

sacrifices, it will blind Satan who wants to rule over families.” (Jesus) (January 17, 1964)

Today’s Readings: I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
He will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord how interesting and providential that on this Feast Day of Our Lady of Lourdes, the first Reading talks about how it all went south, original sin, and the aftermath. You always have a plan and a purpose and You will bring us back to the order, the place, and purpose for which we were created! And the plan involves The Woman, Our Blessed Mother, who You allow through her little children, the saints of these times,  to crush the head of Satan.  (True Devotion- St. Louis de Montfort). And we are those saints because She is going from home to home and from heart to heart to save us and our families with the healing power of Her Maternal Goodness! Lord we come to You today, through Our Blessed Mother, with all the ways we are hurting and need healing-physical, emotional and spiritual because it is to You we come, burdened and heavy laden so that we can find peace, rest, and healing for ourselves and those that we love! (Matthew 11).

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of Saint Scholastica

Confessing Our Faults

“Many, many times, I experienced the repentance that the Lord’s mercy brought forth in my soul. I want to repent for my sins like no one ever has repented until now.” She would pray, “I want to love You like no converted sinner has ever loved You until now.” (Elizabeth) (Compendium Page 62)

Today’s Readings: Then I acknowledged my sin to you,

my guilt I covered not.

I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,”

and you took away the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord You have washed us in Your Blood and You offer Yourself to us every day in Your Word and Your Sacraments. O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us we trust in You! Lord help us not to hold anything back from You today because we owe You our lives- let us return love for the Love You have poured into our hearts!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

When God Seems Quiet

Since I never received an answer from the Lord, I suffered much. (Elizabeth) (August 22, 1963)

Today’s Readings: She replied and said to him,

“Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children’s scraps.”

Then he said to her, “For saying this, you may go.

The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed

and the demon gone. (Mark 7)

Today’s Readings: Lord there are times when we feel so desperate, like the woman in the Gospel. We ask, we plead- but we don’t seem to get an answer! Lord this can be so hard- this waiting to hear from You! But like the Canaanite woman when we persist and persevere- when we don’t hold back, when we come boldly to the Throne of Grace refusing to give up until we hear from You this increases our faith and our trust! Lord help us to be bold in our prayers- let us pray with faith and confidence knowing how You reward lively faith and that You will always answer us in Your time for our good!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Filled with Good Things

For a long time, He allowed me to feel His presence filled with goodness and majesty. As an insignificant person, really less than nothing, I felt great emotion. I could only babble: “Depart from me, O Lord, I am a great sinner.” (Elizabeth) (August 16, 1962)

Today’s Readings: All creatures look to you

to give them food in due time.

When you give it to them, they gather it;

when you open your hand, they are filled with good things .(Psalm 104)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord we thank You and praise You because You always provide for our needs if we trust in You! You fill us with good things- not only for our temporal needs but You give us exactly what our souls need on a daily basis. Lord we are so unworthy of Your many gifts- let us always be filled with a spirit of gratitude and praise because You alone have done great things and Holy is Your Name!