ALIVE

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

Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Alive

Keep your desire for Me alive and be a living host for love. (Jesus) (April 17, 1962)

Today’s Readings: Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” (John 20)

Prayer Meditation- Lord today we honor the feast day of a saint that means a lot I think to all of us. Mary Magdalene had a past- we all have a past. And yet, she moved from death to life, from sin to repentance and became a disciple. She became one of Your most faithful disciples, never leaving You at the Foot of the Cross though others fled. And You rewarded her faithfulness by showing Yourself risen and alive so that she could tell the Apostles. Whoever is in You Lord is a new creation, the old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5). Lord, Mary Magdalene gives us the hope that no matter where we came from or what we have done there is mercy for every sin. And it is not how we started but how we finish that matters to You! Let us live today for You alive in us so that we can take You to others!

COME AWAY- THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD

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

Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time

Come Away- The Lord Is My Shepherd

My daughter, because you have given Me refuge so I can rest in your soul, I will radiate My love to you. Accept this as a great honor, because by this means you are honoring Me. Never deprive Me of this refuge. This depends only on you. I have gone to the extreme limits of My love. (April 8, 1962)

Today’s Readings: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
    In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
    he refreshes my soul. (Psalm 23)

For he is our peace (Ephesians 2)

He said to them,
“Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” 
People were coming and going in great numbers,
and they had no opportunity even to eat. 
So they went off in the boat by themselves to a deserted place.  (Mark 6)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord, we praise You, we thank You and we glorify You because in these Sunday Mass readings You speak to us of peace and rest. You ask us to come to You and rest- to come to that deserted place with You in our souls where You will quench our thirst with Your Living Water to refresh us! If we are disposed You do this for us at every Mass. But even outside of the Mass You do the same in prayer or when we are meditating on Your Word- but we have to come away from You and do this every day! And it is not a one way street, because the more time we spend with You and fall in love with You the more peaceful we become making our souls a place of refuge for You just like the home of Lazarus, Mary and Martha was during Your public life. It is a beautiful exchange, we breathe You in and we breathe out Your peace, joy, and happiness- the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5). Let us really dive into the Mass Readings this Sunday and let You live them through us all week- breathe in our breathing, think in our thinking, speak in our speaking for Your Glory and for mercy, salvation, and sanctification of souls.

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THE BRUISED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK

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

Saturday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time

The Bruised Reed He Will Not Break

With motherly love, I will await your arrival in Heaven. The drops of oil resulting from your sufferings will fall on the earth into the lamps that are either extinguished or barely flickering in the souls, and they will ignite at my Flame of Love. You, therefore, can take your place beside me until the end of the world.” (Mary) (Diary Page 92)

Today’s Readings: The bruised reed he will not break
And the smoldering wick he will not extinguish
Until judgment is made victorious.
In his name, the Gentiles will hope. (Matthew 12)

Prayer Meditation: Lord, how many souls there are who are bruised reeds and smoldering wicks. Some beat down by life, some stuck in patterns of sin and perhaps addiction with no way out, others who just struggle with discouragement and anxiety and who feel their hope fading. We are in dark times and the light of faith in so many is barely flickering. The culture we are in and the lockdowns make it even harder to find You in the midst of the storm. But the truth is Lord, You are in our boats and in our storms (Mark 4) and You are still in control! And You long to heal us and restore the lost and not to condemn us because there is no condemnation in You (Romans 8). Lord in these times, You have asked Your little ones, Mary’s Army or those consecrated to You through Her, to offer our prayers and sacrifices to save souls. There is more grace than ever though the Flame of Love and we are literally the little lifeboats You are sending out to spread this flame in the darkness. Lord, help us reach the lost through our words, deeds, and prayers- our spiritual acts of mercy because You want only to bring them back into the fold and there will be joy in Heaven for each lost soul who returns Home! (Luke 15).

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

The Hezekiah Plan

When I heard in my heart the date when I would die and be among the blessed, I felt deep gratitude. To be freed from earth will be an unimaginable pleasure. (Elizabeth) (January 1, 1965)

Today’s Reading: Then the word of the LORD came to Isaiah: “Go, tell Hezekiah:
Thus says the LORD, the God of your father David:
I have heard your prayer and seen your tears.
I will heal you: in three days you shall go up to the LORD’s temple;
I will add fifteen years to your life.
I will rescue you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria;
I will be a shield to this city.”

Prayer Meditation- O Lord, this one is deeply personal for me and I think many others so everyone hold on tight! Not many of us will be given the grace given to Elizabeth Kindelmann or King Hezekiah to know how much time we have been given. And it is interesting to hear the contrast, Elizabeth was ready to live with You in paradise free from the Earth right here right now. King Hezekiah pleaded for more time. Very few of us are in the first camp and most are in the latter with King Hezekiah. Everybody wants to go to Heaven but nobody wants to go now!  So where am I going with this, some of those reading and praying may know, some of you may not, that my husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma three years ago. When I learned of his diagnosis, of course like any wife I prayed but it was in Adoration that I prayed something pretty bold and very specific. I wanted the “Hezekiah Plan” if it was His Holy and Divine Will.  I actually used those words followed by Lord, please just more time. And we have had it, periods of intense treatment but so many blessings- trips to Florida, time with family and friends, but most importantly the realization that every day is a gift even if it is not guaranteed. We have grown closer to You Lord including praying the Family Rosary every night! We never did that together before. We have learned what matters most and what matters least. Lord I look at the responsorial psalm- “Those live whom the LORD protects;
yours is the life of my spirit. You have given me health and life.” Lord we have had Your protecting Hand every step of the way. Lord I know there are many who read these little devotionals each day who I do not know- who are walking through the valley right now of cancer or some other serious disease or any number of really hard things including depression, loneliness of old age, children off course, job and economic issues. And we cry and we plead and we wonder if we are heard. And yet Your Plan is always perfect and You hold all of our tears in Your Mighty Right Hand and collect them in a bottle (Psalm 56). You do not miss a thing! So let us look forward always not just to this life as beautiful as it is but come to You with empty hands  and deep gratitude as we fly to You always in Your Time and not ours!

REST FOR OUR SOULS

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

Thursday of the Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Rest for Our Souls

As the night was falling, I went to the Lord Jesus to receive some rest for my soul. Suddenly, the Spirit of Love overwhelmed me with a feeling that caused me to tremble. (Elizabeth) (October 23-24, 1963)

Today’s Readings: Jesus said: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” (Matthew 11)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, it seems sometimes we just have nothing left. It is so tiring to keep trying to do it all in our own strength. Without You, we just run around in circles- it seems like life gets more and more exhausting. Lord, this is not the life You want us to be living! Lord, let us go to You for rest for our souls- even in the trials Your Yoke is easy and You never leave us abandoned if we would but abandon ourselves to You like a little drop in the Ocean of Your Mercy!

REVEALED TO THE CHILDLIKE

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

Revealed to the Childlike

A mother is pleased to hear one of her children is recognized as being good. And you are my daughter, twice over.” (Mary) (November 19, 1962)

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 the childlike. (Matthew 11)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we make things so complicated, even in the spiritual life. Sometimes I think especially in the spiritual life. Our pride can so easily get in the way. Lord, help us come to You as a little child- docile to Your Holy Spirit so that we can truly hear Your Voice! Empty us of ourselves in humble trust so that we can depend entirely on You as Your little children sitting contentedly in the lap of Our Mother filled each day with Your Peace and Your Joy! We can do nothing without You!

WHOEVER DOES HIS WILL

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

Our Lady Of Mount Carmel

Whoever Does His Will

“Let us set out, my little Carmelite, together with Saint Joseph. You must walk with us along Bethlehem’s dark roads covered with mist. You have to seek a refuge for my Flame of Love which is Jesus Christ himself. You will receive strength and grace from us.” (Mary) (August 31, 1962)

Today’s Readings: “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”(Matthew 12)

Prayer Meditation- Lord today we honor Your Mother- the One who always did Your Will perfectly. Today Our Lady calls us to walk with Her in the darkness of this world covered with Her Mantle of strength and grace because in a special way She helps us to draw closer to You. She is the one who teaches us the meaning of Thy Will Be Done with her Fiat- Lord help us to imitate Her but more importantly rely on Her because She will always keep us walking straight on the broken road that leads to You!

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THE CROSS OF DIFFICULT TRIALS

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

Memorial of Saint Bonaventure

The Cross of Difficult Trials

Listen, my daughter, you are also the mother of a large family. Through your children you know all the pains and problems of a family. Many times you were close to falling beneath the cross of difficult trials, and you still experience many sorrows over your children. Bearing such ordeals is meritorious for you and for any mother. (Mary) (November 19, 1962)

Today’s Readings: Jesus said to his Apostles: Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s enemies will be those of his household. (Matthew 10)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, how many families today have conflict and today You promise us a sword- often our own “enemies” may be in our own household. Lord, You know all the pains and problems of a family and the sorrows that fill the hearts of so many mothers and fathers today over our children. The crosses of these difficult trials can threaten to overwhelm us and yet we know we do not carry our burdens alone! Lord, may our feet journey together as we take up our crosses confident that You will give us the rest we seek because Your yolk is easy and Your burden light! (Matthew 11). Mother Mary take us by the hand and place our families under Your Mantle so that the Flame of Love would be ignited in their hearts!

TO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY

The next day, I woke up thinking of how the saints give praise and adoration to God. Their homage and adoration filled my soul, I felt so small and miserable compared to them. I said to the Blessed Virgin: “My Mother, share with me your Flame of Love so I can continue to adore the Divinity in the company of the saints and Seraphims.” Meanwhile, the Lord spoke in my soul. I found this marvelous because He had never spoken to me in that tone of voice. Jesus: “You, little spark, no matter how small you are, were created by Me and from Me. Draw close to Me without fear. I give you My brilliance, and by enlightening one another, you will no longer notice the lackluster of your soul. Even great saints were My small sparks. (August 21, 1962)

Today’s Readings: In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ. 
In him you also, who have heard the word of truth,
the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him,
were sealed with the promised holy Spirit,
which is the first installment of our inheritance
toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory. (Ephesians 1)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, You have created us for the praise of Your Glory! In Heaven forever we will give You praise and adoration! We can feel so small when we compare ourselves to the great saints. Yet united to the hearts of Jesus and Mary, we can praise You right here and right now in all that we say and do if we are united to You! So let us draw close to You without fear because we are Your possession sealed with the promised Holy Spirit! Whether it is the Divine Office or praise and worship music let our praises ring for Your Glory and the mercy, salvation and sanctification of all souls!

SEND ME, SEND ME!

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

Saturday of the Fourteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Send Me, Send Me!

Our Lady said: “My little Carmelite, whatever the difficulty
confronting you, do not give up the fight. By virtue of my Flame of Love, which I now send
upon the earth, a new era of grace never known before begins on earth. Be my faithful
collaborator.” (Mary) (July 26, 1963)

Today’s Readings: He touched my mouth with it and said,
“See, now that this has touched your lips,
your wickedness is removed, your sin purged.”

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!” (Isaiah 6)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, so many of us when we heard about this great Grace cried eagerly, sign me up! Then as we work for You Lord, we realize that we have a great big target on our backs! Because if we are ready to serve You Lord, we are to be prepared for trials (Sirach 2). Yet, Lord every time we fall short we can run to the Sacraments for healing and mercy and then strengthened get back out there crying Lord send me, broken earthen vessels that we are! (2 Corinthians 4:7) Mother Mary, be a Mama to us and keep us on track!