Love And Mercy

Hello friends!
Heavenly Father, thank you for your many blessings on our lives! Special prayers for those who "commend themselves to my poor prayers." In Jesus' name. Amen.
I do not believe in coincidences, so when my mom gave me a pamphlet entitled, "Live...The Holy Mass, The Testimony of Catalina." I knew God was talking to me. I didn't read it right away though, since I 'couldn't find the time,' but when I made it to Adoration recently, I did study it.

Catalina Rivas

First of all, the compilation was dictated to Catalina Rivas by Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
You might want to re-read that sentence again. *wink*
I had no idea what I thought when I realized Catalina was the vessel through which Christ and His Mother decided to impart these very important thoughts on the mass. I kept reading, though, because I knew the Holy Spirit was at work.

In the second paragraph of the document, Catalina states, and I'm paraphrasing, "...that they [priestly souls and religious souls] may break loose of the habit of receiving Him as a 'routine practice' [ie going to mass] and relive the amazement of the every day encounter with Love. And it is given so that my lay brothers and sisters the world over may live the greatest of Miracles, the celebration of the Holy Eucharist with their hearts." Parenthesis added, but the bolded and italicized words are directly from the publication, and this will be true throughout the blog entry.

The Blessed Mother gives Catalina a look into the mass from a physical as well as a spiritual vantage point. Catalina is a willing student and offers some profound thoughts on what she's learning. "What great ignorance about our Church and the Sacraments [we lay people have]! How much waste in trying to educate ourselves and becoming cultured about the things of the world, things which can disappear in one moment leaving us nothing, do not even serve us to prolong our existence by one single minute! And yet know nothing of what will obtain for us a little bit of Heaven on earth and eventually, eternal life. And we call ourselves cultured men and women...!"
As Catalina is watching the mass unfold, she is allowed to see some of the spiritual goings-on: "It was as if from the side of each person present in the Cathedral another person emerged, and soon the Cathedral became full of young beautiful beings. They were dressed in very white robes and started to move into the central isle, on their way to the Altar."

The Blessed Mother said, "Observe. They are the Guardian Angels of each one of the persons who are here. This is the moment in which your guardian angel carries your offerings and petitions before the Altar of the Lord."
[Catalina speaks again] "At that point I was completely astonished because these being had such beautiful faces, so radiant as one is unable to imagine. Their countenance was very beautiful, they had almost feminine faces; however, the structure of their body, their hands, their height were masculine. Their naked feet did not touch the floor, but rather they went as if gliding. That procession was very beautiful.

Some of them were carrying something like a golden bowl with something [inside] that shone a great deal with a golden white light. The Virgin Mary said: "Observe. They are the Guardian Angels of the people, who are offering this Holy Mass for many intentions, those who are conscious of the significance of this celebration, those who have something to offer to the Lord...[talking to Catalina, the Blessed Mother tells her], "Make your offering at this moment...Offer up your sorrows, your pains, your dreams, your sadness, your joys. Offer your petitions. Remember that the Mass has infinite value. Therefore, be generous in your offering and in your asking."

Behind the first Angels came others who had nothing in their hands; they were going empty handed. The Virgin Mary said, "Those are the angels of the people, who, in spite of being here, never offer anything. They have no interest in living every liturgical moment of the Mass, and their Angels have no offerings to carry before the Altar of the Lord."
At the end of the procession came other Angels who were rather sad, with their hands together in prayer, but with their eyes downcast. "These are the Guardian Angels of the people who are here, yet they are not here. That is to say, they are the people who have seen themselves forced to come, who have come here out of obligation but without any desire to participate in the Holy Mass. Their Angels go forth in sadness because they have nothing to carry to the Altar, except for their own prayers.

"Do not sadden your Guardian Angels...Ask for much. Ask for the conversion of sinners, for peace in the world, for your relatives, your neighbors, for those who commend themselves to your prayers. Ask for much, not only for yourselves, but also for all the others.
Remember that the offering which most pleases the Lord, is when you offer yourselves as a holocaust so that Jesus, upon His descent may transform you by His own merits. What do you have to offer the Father by yourselves? Nothingness and sin, but the offering of yourselves united to the merits of Jesus, is pleasing to the Father."

There is much more, of course, but you'll check out the website, won't you? *cute smile*
 Love and Mercy
"I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa