Learning To Listen

Posted byValerie Parisi January 13, 2024  EditLearning To Listen

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

Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Leaning to Listen

Let each word be like a seed planted so those listening produce an abundant harvest.” (Mary) (July 26, 1971)

Today’s Readings: When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we say so many words, we will give an account some day for every careless word that we say (Matthew 12). But how much are we really listening to You? We may even say, the Lord does not speak to me, maybe the prophets or people in the Bible or very holy saintly people hear from God, but not me. But we know that is not true because You told us that Your sheep hear Your Voice! (John 10). Lord, please help us to really listen to You- to pick up the Gospels each day and put ourselves in the scene, what are You saying to me today? And as we meditate, we will be led to mental and silent prayer where we speak to You from the heart just like the Friend that You are. Help us listen in the silence of our hearts to what You want to say to us! Lord, help us to take what limited time we may have to open our hearts and minds to Your Word and Your Presence in our time of prayer and even in Adoration or at Mass if we can get there each day!

Feeling Righteous?

Posted byValerie Parisi January 12, 2024  EditFeeling Righteous?

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

Saturday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Feeling Righteous?

My Elizabeth, I want you to pray so the number of repentant and grateful souls may grow from day to day.” (Jesus) (August 7, 1963)

Today’s Readings: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mark 2)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, who are we at this dinner party- who do we identify with as we meditate on this scene? Do we see ourselves as the sinners? Or are there days quite honestly when we act like the scribes and the Pharisees? Are we just part of some Christian/Catholic Club that prays the right prayers and spends time in our parishes with people like us in ministries where we preach to the choir? Do we get even righteously angry about the state of affairs in the Church and our world but spend our time on the Internet reading and not time in Adoration praying? Because I don’t know about you but I am feeling guilty as charged! Because Lord the truth is I was Matthew- I was all things unholy (St. Francis of Assisi) when You called me to follow You and anything good in me comes from You and You Alone! Lord the key I believe is to remember our littleness and helplessness in the light of Your Grace which reaches down to fill our souls with what we need in every moment of every day. And when we walk in that Grace, we can then extend that Grace to all that we meet and pray and sacrifice for them, not for ourselves. Then the number of repentant and grateful souls will grow from day to day because You have increased in us and we have decreased. (John 3:30)

He Saw Their Faith

Posted byValerie Parisi January 11, 2024  EditHe Saw Their Faith

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

Friday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

He Saw Their Faith

Jesus: “Oh, how this pleases Me! So few times have I enjoyed participating in such an intimate banquet. The souls that make reparation and faithfully follow My desires are so few. (Jesus) (October 18, 1962)

Today’s Readings: They came bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above him. After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying.

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2)

Prayer Meditation- Lord today we read in the Gospel about the persistence of four friends who would not take no for an answer- too crowded, no worries, let’s just open up the roof and break through! We all want friends like that and we all want to be friends like that because we know that while there may be many obstacles in the way, what our loved ones really need is You! So how are we doing with this? Because in these days it is very common to have even the closest family members away from faith- We say we want the best for our family. But do we really if we are not paying attention to their souls? Lord please help us- if we can’t do the merciful deed or say the merciful thing let us at least say the merciful prayers (Divine Mercy in My Soul) and make sacrifices so that our loved ones would respond to Your Grace! Thank You Lord for the means You are giving us in our times through the Flame of Love to blind Satan and bring everyone to safety on the Ark of Mary! So let’s raise the roof and let’s leave no one behind.

Drawing Close Without Fear

Posted byValerie Parisi January 10, 2024  EditDrawing Close Without Fear

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

Thursday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Drawing Close Without Fear

Jesus: “You, little spark, no matter how small you are, were created by Me and from Me. Draw close to Me without fear. (August 21, 1962)

A leper came to Him and kneeling down begged Him and said, “If You wish You can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out His hand, touched the leper, and said to him, ‘I will do it. Be made clean.” (Mark 1)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord, help us not to be afraid to come to You to be made clean- heal us of anything that is in the way of Your will for us no matter how broken we are. We are all Your little sparks, Your Children, created by You in love. Let us come without fear and in all humility with all of our sins, our weaknesses, and our failures without fear because You will always be moved by pity and mercy if we bring all that we are to You for forgiveness and healing!

Early To Rise

Posted byValerie Parisi January 9, 2024  EditEarly To Rise

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

Wednesday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Early to Rise

At the dawn prayer, while I was meditating, I saw again the penetrating glance of the Lord’s eyes. (Elizabeth) (January 14, 1963)

Today’s Readings: Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also.(Mark 1)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, You spent Yourself every day doing good during Your Public Ministry but You never failed to rest and to take time for prayer even if it meant getting up before everybody else. Lord, we all need our deserted places where we can pray each day- it can be just a small corner of a room but we need to go there each day and meditate on Your Word and pray, even for five minutes. Lord help us to imitate You each day and take time to pray and charge our batteries in the Silence of Your Sacred Heart so that when it is time to work, we can say with You let us go on to the nearby villages!

Quieting Our Souls

Posted byValerie Parisi January 8, 2024  EditQuieting Our Souls

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

Tuesday of the First Week of Ordinary Time

Quieting Our Souls

He also told me to maintain the quiet and peace of my soul because Satan wants to strip me of the grace of abandonment to God. (Elizabeth) (January 18-19, 1963)

Today’s Readings: All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” (Mark 1)

Prayer Mediation- Lord we try to maintain peace and quiet in our souls and to abandon ourselves to You, to be still and know that You are God (Psalm 46) But then life gets in the way and we easily forget to call out to You while the enemy of our souls prowls around and stirs us up! And there we are back in the chains of our own human will and human failings!  O Lord only You have the authority to set us free from whatever is in the way of You! Help us to quiet our souls- the enemy of our souls wants agitation but You bring true peace!

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

The Baptism Of The Lord

Put On Christ

“In Baptism, My heavenly Father gave all of you the most beautiful robe of sanctifying grace. In spite of this, you do not take care of it. Is there any father who has suffered more than I, so that this robe of sanctifying grace can regain its whiteness? I instituted the Sacrament of Penance, yet you make no use of it. For this, I have sweated blood. For this, I was crowned with thorns. I let Myself be nailed to the wood of the Cross. I endured unspeakable suffering.” (Jesus) (May 1962)

Today’s Readings: It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
On coming up out of the water he saw the heavens being torn open 
and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him.
And a voice came from the heavens, 
“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord You have given us the most beautiful baptismal gown- Your sanctifying grace! O Lord how we have let this white garment become stained yet in Your Mercy You let us come again and again to the Throne of Grace through the Sacrament of Confession. Let us never take Your Mercy for granted- we can never know the number of our days. Let us put on Christ each day through prayer, reading of Your Word, and the Sacraments!

We Three Kings

Posted byValerie Parisi January 6, 2024  EditWe Three Kings

“Reach beyond your limits. Look at the Three Wise Men, who made superhuman sacrifice. They left behind their limitations. First and foremost, this is what is expected of the clergy and others consecrated to God and all the believers. (Jesus) (January 1, 1981)

Today’s Readings: They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord are we ready to be like the Three Wise Men? Are we ready to leave behind our limitations and follow Your Star even though the journey be long and we may not know the way? Lord may we be overjoyed at finding You in Your House today and with the Blessed Mother may we open up the treasures of our hearts to You! Our talents and treasure, our prayer and worship, our sorrows and sacrifices- Lord we lay them down!

Let The Spirit Testify

Posted byValerie Parisi January 5, 2024  EditLet The Spirit Testify

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

Christmas Weekday

Let The Spirit Testify

The sweet Savior filled my soul with such an attraction for His Sacred Body and Precious Blood that for weeks I could only meditate on the Eucharist. It was His desire that He and I penetrate deeply into these inexhaustibly profound words: “He who eats My Body and drinks My Blood remains in Me and I in him.” (Elizabeth) (July 20, 1962)

Today’s Readings: This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and Blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, and the Spirit is truth. So there are three that testify, the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, and the three are of one accord. (1 John 5)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, You came to us to live among us! Through the waters of baptism You modeled our rebirth in You and the heavens were torn open as the Spirit descended like a dove. (Mark 1). You poured out Your Precious Blood for us and gave us as a Sacrament the Eucharist so that You would be with us in every tabernacle of the world until the end of time. Your Divine Mercy flows to us now more than ever through the Blood and Water that flowed from Your Pierced Side! Lord let the Spirit testify to the truth in accord with the Waters of Baptism and The Blood of Calvary that You are Lord and in You we have Eternal Life!

He Knows Our Names

Posted byValerie Parisi January 4, 2024  EditHe Knows Our Names

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

Memorial of Saint John Neumann

He Knows Our Names

“Again, I will speak of something from your past. Remember when you were still working in the factory. Besides your work, which you did with great fidelity and responsibility, you took a course on quality control. You were very tired when you studied, so you thought and knew that you would not pass the exam.

As a working mother with six children, burdened with a thousand preoccupations, you needed enormous effort to study. You surprised yourself by becoming the top student. Although you did not think of Me, My hand was upon you.” (Jesus) (November 10, 1962))

Today’s Readings: “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see the sky opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” (John 1)

Prayer Meditation- Lord there is not a time in our lives that You have not seen and there is not a thought, word, or deed You have not observed. You know our names! You know us inside and out and whether we realize it or not Your Mighty Hand is upon us every day our lives! This is so awesome to ponder, incomprehensible, but what is even more wonderful is what awaits us when we are united with You at last as no eye has seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love Him! (1 Corinthians 2:9)!