VICTIM SOUL, A RESPONSE OF LOVE
When Love crucified touches us in the inner most part of our being and we experience His gaze, His tears, His precious blood flowing out from His holy body, His tender hands pierced through with nails, His bruised face, the thorns penetrating His holy head, the thorns embedded deep in His Sacred Heart, His bleeding tortured Heart … a soul only desires to respond to such love by loving Jesus the way that He has loved us. To be touched by Love crucified awakens in the heart a consuming desire to love in the same way. This is the call, the awakening in the heart, to love as a victim soul.
The call to be a victim soul is the desire to love to the extreme of the Cross, because that is how our Beloved has loved us. “Love Me as I have loved you, in My interior Cross, after the very first moment of My Incarnation. Love Me in suffering and in sacrifice out of love. Love Me for I am God and solely to please Me. It is toward this love that I aspire, the love I desire.” (Conchita, Diary, Sept. 11, 1900)
We immediately see that we are incapable of such love. We understand that the sacrifices of our daily lives are impure and worthless, but here lies the gift of the Cross. Our daily sacrifices, prayers, sufferings and tears united to Love crucified , through Mary, are purified through His precious blood. Our sacrifice is made holy and acceptable to the Father in Jesus crucified. This is the power and wisdom of the Cross. Our sacrifices no longer have the stench of sin but become a pure and holy fragrance.
After the waters resided and Noah’s Ark was on land, Noah and his family came out of the ark and built an altar and offered their sacrifices to God. The Book of Genesis tells us that their sacrifice was a “sweet odor” to God and God was pleased with their offerings. (Gen 8:21) Our lives blessed, broken and united to Jesus crucified become a sweet fragrance that rises to the Father. Our small and insignificant daily sacrifices become grace through Jesus, with Jesus and in Jesus for the world.
This is the “hidden power” that will sweep through the world sanctifying, purifying and saving souls. This is the “hidden power” that will aid in the renewal of the priesthood and help raise up an army of holy priests.”Offer yourself as a victim for My priests. Unite yourself to My sacrifice for gaining them graces.” (Conchita, Diary, Sept. 24, 1927)
We are honored and humbled to have been chosen to participate in the work of redemption, for none of us deserve such a precious gift from our Lord. Therefore, we must embrace this gift by responding fully with great zeal, courage, total abandonment and love.
“It is a great honor for souls when the Father calls them to associate them with the Redemption; with the coredemption uniting them with Me and Mary; with the Apostolate of the Cross, that is, with that of innocent suffering, of sorrow full of love and pure, expiatory and salvific sorrow on behalf of the culpable world.” (Conchita, Diary, June 23, 1918)
The participation of lay people in Christ's priestly office
901 "Hence the laity, dedicated as they are to Christ and anointed by the Holy Spirit, are marvellously called and prepared so that even richer fruits of the Spirit maybe produced in them. For all their works, prayers, and apostolic undertakings, family and married life, daily work, relaxation of mind and body, if they are accomplished in the Spirit - indeed even the hardships of life if patiently born - all these become spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. In the celebration of the Eucharist these may most fittingly be offered to the Father along with the body of the Lord.
902 In a very special way, parents share in the office of sanctifying "by leading a conjugal life in the Christian spirit and by seeing to the Christian education of their children."can. 835 # 4.
I want victims of My love
Jesus to Mother Teresa of Calcutta:
"Wilt thou refuse? When there was a question of thy soul I did not think of Myself but gave Myself freely for thee on the cross and what about thee? Wilt thou refuse? I want Indian nuns victims of My love, who would be Mary and Martha, who would be so very united to Me as to radiate My love on souls. I want free nuns covered with My poverty of the Cross. - I want obedient nuns covered with My obedience on the Cross. I want full of love nuns covered with My charity of the cross. - Wilt thou refuse to do this for me?"
"You have become My Spouse for My love - you have come to India for me. The thirst you had for souls brought you so far. - Are you afraid now to take one more step for your Spouse - for Me - for souls? Is your generosity grown cold? Am I a second to you? You did not die for souls - that is why you don't care what happens to them. - Your heart was never drowned in sorrow as was My Mother's. - we both gave our all for souls - and you? You are afraid, that you will lose your vocation - you will be wanting in perseverance. No - your vocation is to love and suffer and save souls and by taking the step you will fulfill My Heart's desire for you."
La participación de los laicos en la misión sacerdotal de Cristo -Catecismo 901-902
