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

Wednesday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Going To The Lost Sheep

“I first entrusted to you the abundance of my graces. Only a mother can

truly share my sorrows. I am the Mother of Sorrows, I suffer greatly because of the souls being

lost. (Mary) (November 19, 1962)

Today’s Readings: Jesus sent out these Twelve after instructing them thus,

“Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan town.

Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” (Matthew 10)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, in our vocations we have all been given a mission. To seek the lost and to proclaim the Kingdom. It is not reserved for just priests or missionaries. We are now being called, in these critical times, in our vocations as mothers and fathers and lay people to pray, sacrifice, and intercede for others in union with You and the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary! Lord may we answer Your Call- Come Holy Spirit, Come by the means of the power of the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

Wrestling With God

Posted byValerie Parisi July 10, 2023  EditWrestling With God

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

Memorial of Saint Benedict

Wrestling With God

I felt that immersing myself in the Most Holy Trinity was the only way to avoid giving up forever the exhausting struggle, which despite everything I did, refused to leave my soul. (Elizabeth) (October 23-24, 1963)

Today’s Readings: The man then said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” The man asked, “What is your name?” He answered, “Jacob.” Then the man said, “You shall no longer be spoken of as Jacob, but as Israel, because you have contended with divine and human beings and have prevailed.” (Genesis 32)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we all have our times when we feel like we have gone a few rounds with You in the ring of our lives. We all strive for holiness and perfection- a lot of times that is the problem because we are trying to do it all in our own strength. And so, we struggle and we wrestle- our wills continually trying to prevail in a match we will never win. Lord, help us to surrender to You and to rest in You because this continual struggle is just exhausting. Because You are the God who will hold us and keep us steady even as we strive mightily to wriggle away. As in the Gospel of today (Matthew 9), Your heart is moved with pity for us, You are nothing but love and mercy! Lord help us not to give up in our struggles but like Jacob let us come boldly to You asking blessing from the God who is Our Father who loves us without limit!

Courage

Posted byValerie Parisi July 9, 2023  EditCourage

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

Monday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Courage

Jesus said, “My little one, take courage and gaze at Me. May our eyes look at each other and our glances melt in one another.” (Jesus) (January 14, 1963)

Today’s Readings: Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. (Matthew 9)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we can feel so afraid, like the woman with the hemorrhage for twelve long years in today’s Gospel, to approach You and yet like her, we know You are our only hope. And You invite us, not turning us away, but calling us closer and closer saying to us courage, your faith has saved you! Like the Psalm today, You gather us under the shadow of Your Wings, You are our refuge and fortress, Our God in whom we trust! (Psalm 91). Let us come boldly to the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4) with courage and trust!

Revealed To The Little Ones

Posted byValerie Parisi July 8, 2023  EditRevealed To The Little Ones

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

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Revealed to Little Ones- “Little One” Sunday

Mary: “Do not be passive about my Sacred Cause. It will be through the few, the little ones, and the humble that must begin this great outpouring of graces that will shake the world. None of those called must excuse themselves or refuse my invitation. All of you are my little instruments.” (Mary) (December 2, 1963)

Today’s Readings: At that time Jesus exclaimed:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to little ones.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. (Matthew 11)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, I am so thankful to You. Because not only is it Mary’s time but it is our time if we are the little ones. And who are we the little ones? We are the ones who pray and sacrifice- not in some big prideful way, but quietly, with each Rosary, each Holy Hour, each little form of fasting or self denial no matter how small, each choice  to walk and pray in unity with You as we do our duties rather than to worry and give in to anxiety! Our Mother is Mary- we are consecrated to You through Her! Our sisters are St. Therese and St. Faustina as well as Elizabeth Kindelmann- they reveal to us Your tender merciful Heart, the Heart of the Gospel for our times. We are the little saints under Mary’s Mantle and with Her we will crush the head of the evil one (St. Louis Marie de Montfort). We have all been called to Your fighting force and like Gideon’s little army we will shake the world even if we may not see it individually in our lifetimes. Because each choice to gather those five smooth stones (Bible, Fasting, Confession, Rosary, Mass) is one choice closer to the giants that seem so big right now crashing to the ground! Lord thank You that You have revealed Your Divine Will to the little ones and we are all little ones if we surrender to You in humble trust! So let us celebrate today- it is “little one” Sunday!

Are You Ready For The New Wine?

Posted byValerie Parisi July 7, 2023  EditAre You Ready For The New Wine?

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

Saturday of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Are You Ready For The New Wine?

Jesus: “I make you feel this way to prove to you that it is I who speak. Do not discard My request with a scorn. This disrespectful attitude causes indescribable sorrow. Take to heart My anguished and important desire, and that each one enters into himself and begins a new life. Draw from Me the strength to do that. (Jesus) (August 8, 1962)

Today’s Readings: The disciples of John approached Jesus and said, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast much,
but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.” (Matthew 9)

Prayer Meditation: Lord, we thank You, we praise You and we adore You for Your Word today and this Gospel about the new thing (Isaiah 43:19)You have done in Redemption and what You are doing in Sanctification because You told Elizabeth Kindelmann on August 8, 1962 that the coming of the Kingdom should be our only purpose in life. It is so easy to get used to the way things have always been done. The Pharisees fasted a certain way and had over 600 laws about all aspects of life which were no longer necessary because You had come not to abolish the law but fulfill it (Matthew 5:17) and to fill us with the new wine of the Holy Spirit! You have called us all to new life in You but it is a constant process of dying and rising as we give You everything! At first it is giving up sins and then working on faults and developing virtue but even in those who have been walking with You a while there can be so many attachments, even to good and holy things, which may no longer be Your Will for us because You always have something new and something better! May we draw from You the strength to allow You to pour the wine of Your Spirit into our nothingness, fresh wineskins filled with all that You are longing to give us!

Of Sinners And Pharisees

Posted byValerie Parisi July 6, 2023  EditOf Sinners And Pharisees

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

Friday of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Of Sinners and Pharisees

“My little one, work hard so that many sinners come to Me. Cry and repent for their sins also.” (Jesus) (January 14, 1963)

Today’s Readings: The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” He heard this and said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”( Matthew 9)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, I have to admit it, it is so easy to sit back from my comfortable perch, looking at the evil in the world, and just get right into that Pharisee mode. Sinners are those “others” that like the proud Pharisee in prayer (Luke 18: 9-14) we condemn and proceed to thank You that we are not like “them”. Who am I kidding? Because You know where I came from and who I was before You picked me up from the dirt and told me to sin no more! Lord, I needed You to heal me then and I still do- Lord heal us of the disease of self -righteousness that causes us not to see others as You see them. Break our hearts for what breaks Yours!

Paralyzed No More

Posted byValerie Parisi July 5, 2023  EditParalyzed No More

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

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Paralyzed No More

I am the sole Donor of blood in the whole world. Permeate yourself with My love, My almighty
love. Meditate on that now in the light of My holy brightness. Can’t you feel this Precious
Blood? My Precious Blood warms up and sets into motion the frozen, paralyzed energy of your
souls.” (Jesus) (January 16, 1964)

Today’s Reading: Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.” (Matthew 9)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we thank You for Your Word today and this Gospel Reading! Lord, we are all like this man in many ways. Yes, we may all struggle with physical infirmities in our lives but that is not the true paralysis. As a rehabilitation nurse I have been blessed to know many who may be broken in body but not in spirit. But the real paralysis Lord is the presence of sin in our lives- that is where we need healing! Lord call us to repentance and to the sacrament of reconciliation so that our frozen, paralyzed souls will be warmed and healed by Your Precious Blood!

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Set Me Free

Posted byValerie Parisi July 4, 2023  EditSet Me Free

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

Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Set Me Free

“My little one, I am the country’s beggar. They refuse to give Me work. All forms of begging are forbidden in this country. I alone keep on begging. I wander without eating or drinking, from street to street, from house to house and from village to village, in the cold winter and in the heat, in the howling wind or in the heavy rain. (Jesus) (May 2, 1962)

Today’s Readings: Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district. (Matthew 8)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord, You could do so much good in us if we would only let You- You could set us free of all that makes us captive, just like the demoniacs. We are all in chains, tied to  something! And even when we see the good You have done in ourselves and others; we let whatever has us in chains run us off the cliff like the swine in the Gospel. Maybe it is fear of loss of the material like the townspeople or maybe like the Prodigal son we have just not come to our senses- we are not ready for full deliverance and healing! Yet Lord You never give up on us- we beg You to leave but You beg us to open the doors of our hearts and let You in so that You can set us free!

Why Are You Terrified?

Posted byValerie Parisi July 3, 2023  EditWhy Are You Terrified?

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

Tuesday of the Thirteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Why Are You Terrified

Jesus: “Tell Me, little sister, why do you consider yourself alone since I am the One leading you? Have no fear, I will not let go of you. Come, let us go together and let there be no other moment when you would feel alone.” (Jesus) (January 25, 1966)

Today’s Gospel: They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us!  We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm. (Matthew 8)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we all know there is much to be anxious or even terrified about these days. To the question You asked the Apostles we may feel like saying are You kidding Lord- have You seen the news? But the truth is, You not have only seen the news, You hold the future and for You being outside of time, You already know what happens. No need for You to follow some 24/7 news cycle. So really why are we so terrified- why is our faith so small when You are so big! Bigger than anything that may be happening in our world today and You are still in control! So let us have no fear- You will never let us go even when the waves, the winds, and the sea threaten to drown us. Let us have faith and trust that You will rebuke the winds and the sea even if it just in our own souls and with You there will be great calm always if we keep our eyes fixed on You!

Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen

Posted byValerie Parisi July 2, 2023  EditBlessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen

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

Feast of St. Thomas, Apostle

Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen

“Even now, adorable Jesus, I cannot grasp this miracle.’ (Elizabeth) (April 9, 1966)

Today’s Readings: Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.” (John 20)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, if we are honest, we will admit we; even we who call ourselves faithful, have had our moments of doubt when it is hard to believe. It could be moments of grief or it could just be the weariness of life or fear as we get older. Lord, You do not turn away from us in those moments. Just as with St. Thomas You come to us and You admonish us to not be unbelieving but to believe. Lord, help us to know that we know that we know that You are there whether we “see” You or not! There is much we will not grasp this side of Heaven but may we be those who have not seen and have believed even when it is dark and difficult.