Opera Omnia

10. THE APOSTOLATE CHOSEN IN THIS WORLD IS ETERNALIZED IN HEAVEN

Rome, Feast of St. Scholastica, February 10, 1947

In that year when your special mission had its beginning, on the Feast of St. Scholastica, God's designs over the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master were very clear.
The various events have been for God's greater glory and for your greater sanctification.

Today's resolution: to be ever more each day, the Pious Disciples, conformed to Mary, confidantes of Jesus Host, active members in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church, in this life and in eternity.

Our life does not end with death. Vita mutatur non tollitur;¹ with death, our life is not destroyed but is changed. As long as the body is sound, it gives hospitality to the soul. When the soul can no longer be given hospitality by the body, it is given hospitality by God, in Heaven. Dissoluta terretris huius incolatus domo, aeterna in caelis habitatio comparatur² (When the body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we gain an everlasting dwelling place in heaven). When this earthly dwelling is destroyed, the soul is welcomed in eternity.

What shall we do in Paradise? What has been started doing in this world is continued: the same mission, the same pursuits. In Paradise, we shall possess the same degree of holiness that we have achieved in this life. How we die, so shall we remain forever.

Be quick to gain merits! Some persons stop only to smell the flowers instead of gathering the fruits. There are the devils who tempt the sisters just to smell the flowers. I am pleased when you decorate the Church, the altar with flowers, which can symbolize your virtues, your holy desires. Holy desires are meritorious. For example, if you would have this desire as you go to bed in the evening: I wish that tonight all the holy souls in purgatory may be freed from their sufferings, so as to rest in Paradise; such holy desire is meritorious. To consent to bad desires is sinful.
There are persons who waste their life smelling flowers, they spend their life in yearning. In springtime, you admire the cherry blossoms, however, you look forward to the fruits that are to follow after. It is likewise for us, as far as we are able, we try to produce fruits from our desires.

Do not look for too many changes, too many methods; do not run after one thing and then another, but look for fruits, a lot of fruits. Our life, as far as it depends on us, must be fruitful. On one's deathbed, the soul reaps what was sown¹ and in eternity, it rests with that degree of grace, merit and holiness which the soul has at the last moment of life. The person's glory in heaven shall be in proportion to all of this.

There will be no change of apostolate in heaven. A person chooses her apostolate down here and this choice is not only for this life but for eternity.
What does St. Theresa¹ do in Paradise? She prays for the mis-sionaries. What is St. Aloysius² doing? He is obtaining for the young people the grace of chastity, a virtue which was well observed by him in this life. What are the Popes doing? They are praying for the Church.

In Paradise, you will pray for the apostolate of the press, radio, cinema.
In Paradise, you will pray for the honor of Eucharistic Jesus, for the Priests, for the Sisters. You will pray to the Divine Master so that his wish - Venite ad me omnes,¹ - (Come to me all of you) may be fulfilled; so that all men shall know, follow and love him.
In Paradise, the Pious Disciples are to fulfill what they must do while still on earth: contemplation of God, vision of the Eucha-ristic mystery, of the Most Holy Trimity.

Every mystery is concentrated in the Eucharist: the Most Holy Trinity. It rests in the eucharistic heart of Jesus the Divine Master. Our eyes cannot perceive this mystery, but praestet fides supplememtum, sensuum defectui ¹ (faith, our outward sense be-friending makes the inward vision clear). In Paradise, our eyes shall be fixed on God: videbimus eum sicuti est ² (we shall see him as he really is), not only in a vision as what St. Margaret M. Alacoque³ had, but the whole Trinity, all of Heaven, in Jesus Christ the Master. The whole Church is assembled and it is the mystical Body of Christ.

Our life in Heaven shall be an imitation of the Divine Master's life.
Have you followed Jesus on earth? Well then, in Heaven you will be in that band of elected souls who sequuntur Agnum quocumque ierit¹ (follow the Lamb wherever he goes).

Mary Most Holy always followed Jesus: in Nazareth, during his public life, on Calvary, to the sepulcher, up to the day when she saw him ascend to the Father. Then, she followed him to Heaven.

In Paradise, you will join Jesus Master to spread the truth, to make the Father known: haec est autem vita aeterna, ut cognoscant te solum Deum verum et quem misisti: Iesum Christum.¹ You will join the Divine Master in bringing about the salvation of humanity. He wants that all men may be saved.²

That which you ought to fulfill here on earth, namely, to find in the Eucharist all your delight, pleasure and joy, you will do and possess it also in Heaven. Up there, the joy shall not only be virginal but beatific; an immense joy, different from that you can experience in this world. Jesus shall manifest himself as though in a monstrance, big like Heaven and you will be gathered around to adore him, to love him, to sing his praises. Make it an appointment up there, with all your Family around the big monstrance, with the Blessed Virgin, Mary Most Holy, the first Pious Disciple. She shall intone the Magnificat,¹ the eternal canticle, which you are to echo in a perpetual and blessed youthfulness.
Sometimes, beautiful rays with engraved figures of angels in adoration around the Sacred Host are seen (in monstrances). Do you want to substitute them? This is your place, your joy, your vocation: to be around the Eucharistic Jesus both on earth and in Heaven. To choose one's calling in life means to choose it for eternity.

Now, something for the Adoration. During the few days that I was on the plane, I had to make the Visit during the flight, spending the hour in the spiritual presence of the Eucharist and of the Most Holy Trinity. Then I put St. Paul¹ in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and I obliged him to present all of you and me, in adoration before the Divine Master. Oh, how St. Paul's heart was completely caught up in Jesus! Jesus had a preferential love for him, not given to others. He himself explained the Gospel to St. Paul since the latter was not with the other Apostles. St. Paul let himself be taught and he corresponded.
When you feel weary during the Adoration, put St. Paul in front of Jesus to adore and implore Him, so that he may obtain especially holy Priests, holy religious; so that they may be an increase of vocations for the Pious Disciples.

The Lord did not let to happen by chance the turmoil that had overtaken you.¹ He allowed it to happen especially for three reasons:
1. so that you would be more devout Pious Disciples, that is, more eucharistic, silent, recollected and in conformity with your institute.
2. so that you would renew your life.
Let there be no tepid persons among you, but may everyone be fervent, zealous.
3. so that you would have your own house and thus bring about an early increase in your number. This is a renewal of life and not an interment. It is to help you become better and not to lose your way, to heighten your desires and aspirations, to help you look after your garden so as to make it more beautiful and more holy, but without being envious of your neighbor's plot... Each one has the graces for her own holiness

During the Adoration on Tuesdays, unite yourselves to the adoring souls in Purgatory. They are all in adoration and offer up their flames of sorrow and love, in union with your prayers and intentions. If you entrust to St. Paul to ask for Priests, ask the holy Souls for the grace of a delicate conscience, so that you can present yourselves unblemished before God. No stain either on your tongue or on your hands; may there be nothing to be washed away, so that after death, you may immediately go to Paradise. Always have the desire to offer suffrages.
For my part, I ask Jesus to make applicable to you the blood that flowed from his right and left hands, the slap on the cheek, the crowning with thorns, the wounds of his feet, so that each time you come to the end of your two-hour Visit, a group of souls may enter Paradise. This will be a consolation for the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.

On Wednesdays, be in Adoration with St. Joseph. One of the most beautiful statues of St. Joseph that I have seen, is that one in our crib in Rome. St. Joseph is kneeling before the Child Jesus, enraptured in love as he looks and contemplates him. This is adoration. St. Joseph was the first adorer after Our Lady; he is the model of the adorers.
You are to ask St. Joseph for vocations, vocations for you. He is the Custos Virginum (guardian of virgins); may he guard all of you and make you holy.

In the Adoration, be in the company of the Guardian Angels, all the Angels of Paradise: the Seraphims, Cherubims, the Powers, Dominations, Thrones, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels, Angels. Put yourselves in the midst of these Angels and look for your place. Recite many acts of contrition in order to find your place, because it requires a very pure heart, so as to be with the Angels.
The Angels shall help to spread Jesus' teaching here on earth. More than a billion men and women have no knowledge of the Lord. The Angels shall also help you in your ministry of prayer, adoration, devotion.

Be in adoration especially with Mary Most Holy! What wonderful prayers and adoration were hers, here on earth and now in Heaven! Unite yourselves to Mary Most Holy and with her, through her, in her, adore, thank the Lord; pray and make satis-faction. Say to Mary Most Holy: I place your intentions, I pray with you, in you; I let my prayer pass through your most pure hands.
Praying this way in the Adoration, you will not be simply a few persons, but hundreds and thousands.

May every Visit to the Most Blessed Sacrament be for you a new devotion and renewal of vows.
Adore, thank, propitiate Jesus Divine Master present in the Eucharistic mystery, with a pious and generous devotion.

Make reparations for the sins committed by the press, radio, movies; for the offenses and the coldness of heart of the persons consecrated to God, of those in power and those who teach.

Implore the Divine Master to draw all men to his school of truth, goodness and grace.

May there be an increase in number and holiness of Priests, men and women religious, and persons with apostolic heart. May their ministry bear abundant and lasting fruits.

Always have the intentions and dispositions of Mary prior to the Incarnation of the Son of God, in her life with him in Nazareth, as she accompanies him in the public ministry, during the passion, death and glorious resurrection, in Heaven. During the Mass, have the intentions of Jesus' Heart, the Pope's intentions, the needs of all those who had fallen away from the truth.

May souls find their way to the Eucharistic Master; may liturgical worship be always in harmony with the spirit of the Church; may eternal rest be granted to the souls of Priests, men and women religious.
Always improve the living out of the religious, eucharistic and liturgical life.

You desire a wonderful eternity. As each day passes by, we tear off a leaf from the calendar and this day returns no more. But you have chosen a vocation that has no end and in death, the manner of fulfilling it will be changed into something better. It shall be of another form, another way, but if you have corres-ponded well to your vocation here on earth and have been eucharistic souls, the more you will continue to be so in Heaven, wherein the bond shall be more intimate, the vision more profound. Love shall be more intense, the joy more similar to that of Jesus himself. Intra in gaudium Domini tui¹ (Enter into the joy of your Master).

Make your devotion also perceptible. The Blessed Virgin clasped Jesus to her heart; the words concupiscit anima mea¹ (my soul is filled with longing), are for you as well. This makes more understandable your wish, even in a literal sense, to go closer to Jesus during the Adoration.
If people were allowed to be envious (but they must not) of the grace that others have, everyone ought to be envious of your luck as Pious Disciples. However, you, Pious Disciples bear a great responsibility if you do not correspond (to your calling).

I am always a little bit afraid that there are those who enjoy simply the fragrance of the flowers, without putting enough effort to look for fruits and that someone considers herself so much, and takes delight vainly of the gifts and graces she has. You are not to let your left hand know what your right hand is doing;¹ and St. Joseph Cottolengo² used to say: and I wish that neither my right hand would know what it is doing.
Examine: if you are corresponding (to your calling), if you are united to Jesus, if you are growing in this union with him, if your Adorations are well made.

The hours of Adoration are not only your prime undertaking, but the center of your day to which all the other works must be directed and from which all of your interior life and exterior activities are to draw strength and comfort.

Rekindle in you today all the grace of your institution, of your Profession, of your devotion to the Divine Master
1. Configuration to Mary, Mother of Jesus and Woman Apostle.
2. To live in union with Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life, present in the Eucharistic Mystery.
3. To feel as living and active members¹ in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, which is the Church.

You will do well to sing a beautiful Magnificat¹ to God and a beautiful Magnificat anima mea Mariam.²