AND SAY A HUNDRED TIMES AS YOU KISS HIS CHEST,

"THIS IS MY HOPE, THE LIVING SOURCE OF MY HAPPINESS;

THIS IS THE HEART OF MY SOUL;

NOTHING WILL EVER SEPARATE ME FROM HIS LOVE."

THE MORE YOU ARE AFFLICTED, THE MORE YOU OUGHT TO REJOICE,

BECAUSE IN THE FIRE OF TRIBULATION THE SOUL WILL BECOME PURE GOLD, WORTHY TO BE PLACED AND TO SHINE IN THE HEAVENLY PALACE.

OUR LORD SOMETIMES MAKES YOU FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THE CROSS.

THIS WEIGHT SEEMS UNBEARABLE

BUT YOU CARRY IT BECAUSE IN HIS LOVE AND MERCY,

THE LORD HELPS YOU AND GIVES YOU STRENGTH.

AS LONG AS YOU RECEIVE JESUS IN THE BLESSED SACRAMENT EVERY MORNING,

YOU MUST CONSIDER YOURSELF EXTREMELY FORTUNATE.

JESUS PERMITS THE SPIRITUAL COMBAT AS PURIFICATION, NOT AS PUNISHMENT.

THE TRIAL IS NOT UNTO DEATH BUT UNTO SALVATION.

IF WE ARE IMITATORS OF JESUS CHRIST AND FACE UP TO ALL LIFE'S BATTLES,

WE TOO WILL SHARE IN HIS VICTORIES.

JESUS HIMSELF WANTS MY SUFFERINGS; HE NEEDS THEM FOR SOULS.

IN THIS LIFE JESUS DOES NOT ASK YOU TO CARRY THE HEAVY CROSS WITH HIM,

BUT A SMALL PIECE OF HIS CROSS, A PIECE THAT CONSISTS OF HUMAN SUFFERING.

YOU CAN MEDITATE ON JESUS PRAYING IN THE GARDEN OF OLIVES ,

SWEATING BLOOD KNOWING WHAT SUFFERINGS MEN WERE PREPARING FOR HIM

AND THE INGRATITUDE OF MEN WHO WOULD NOT MAKE USE OF HIS MERITS.

YOU CAN MEDITATE ALSO ON JESUS BEING DRAGGED

AND LED TO THE TRIBUNAL, FLAGELLATED AND CROWNED WITH THORNS,

THE COURSE HE CLIMBED TO CALVARY LADEN WITH THE CROSS,

HIS CRUCIFIXION AND FINALLY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS

WITH ALL THE SUFFERING OF SEEING HIS MOST SORROWFUL MOTHER.

THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS A SPIRIT OF PEACE. EVEN IN THE MOST SERIOUS FAULTS

HE MAKES US FEEL A SORROW THAT IS TRANQUIL, HUMBLE,

AND CONFIDENT. THIS IS PRECISELY BECAUSE OF HIS MERCY.

WHEN IT PLEASES HIM TO PLACE US ON THE CROSS BY CONFINING US TO A BED OF SICKNESS,  LET US THANK HIM AND CONSIDER OURSELVES LUCKY TO BE HONORED IN THIS WAY.

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME; I ONLY KNOW ONE THING FOR CERTAIN,

THAT THE LORD WILL NEVER FALL SHORT OF HIS PROMISES.

"DO NOT FEAR, I WILL MAKE YOU SUFFER, BUT I WILL ALSO GIVE YOU THE STRENGTH TO SUFFER,

" JESUS TELLS ME CONTINUALLY.

"I WANT YOUR SOUL TO BE PURIFIED AND TRIED BY A DAILY HIDDEN MARTYRDOM". . .

"HOW MANY TIMES," JESUS SAID TO ME A LITTLE WHILE AGO,

"WOULD YOU HAVE ABANDONED ME, MY SON, IF I HAD NOT CRUCIFIED YOU."

PLACE YOUR HEART GENTLY IN OUR LORD'S WOUNDS.

HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN HIS MERCY FOR HE WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU.