By Sr. Peggy Kucera
Marian Sisters
In the Incarnation, the love story of the New Testament started and God shows forth His great thirst for us. He desires to enter our lives for us to be able “to touch” Him, to see Him in a tangible way. This thirst was manifested throughout the 33 years that He walked on this earth.
From the cross, Jesus continues to cry out, “I thirst” (John 19). His thirst is for souls, even as He is there dying and alone. At Calvary, Jesus is dying out of love for us. Who of us will console His thirst, His heart with our every act of love for Him and His Mystical Body?
As the Samaritan woman, (John chapter 4), and saints like Margaret Mary, Mother Teresa, Faustina and many others, Jesus shares His deep thirst for a drink of love from each of them. This invitation from Jesus is also given to each one of us. He wants and desires our love, just as He wants to satiate our thirst for Him.
This kind of language of consoling His Heart and satiating His thirst is calling forth a language of a personal prayer relationship with Jesus, a heart-to-heart with He who is our Lord and Savior.
Father Michael Gailey, MIC in his book, “Consoling the Heart of Jesus,” quotes sections from the diary of St. Faustina in which we find the words of Jesus in the Novena to the Divine Mercy. For example, on day two of the novena, Jesus dictated to Sister Faustina, “Today bring to Me the souls of priests and religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me strength to endure My bitter passion.”
On day three, He asks, “Today bring to Me all the devout souls and faithful souls and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought Me consolation on the way of the cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.” Jesus allows our acts of love, even now, to be a consolation to Him during His passion and death. His generosity and kindness in allowing us poor sinners to be there for Him shows forth the greatness of God’s love and desire to be in relationship with us.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux said, “A lack of confidence offends Jesus and wounds His Heart.” So this Lent, let us renounce any actions that offend Jesus and wholeheartily ask for His divine grace to help us console Him and all those who God places in our lives.
Let us renounce gossip, and proclaim His Truth; let us renounce selfishness and live compassion toward others; let us renounce judging others and see the light/life of Christ in them; let us renounce resentment and embrace forgiveness; let us renounce complaining and embrace a heart full of gratitude. Let us renounce pride and walk humbly with our God; let us renounce any doubts of being loved and rejoice that we are greatly loved by Jesus.
On a more personal note, my brother, Greg, was a beautiful witness of consoling the heart of Jesus during his own life, and especially during the time he was suffering from cancer. Donna, a friend, and I went to see Greg close to the end of his life to pray with him. When we arrived at Greg’s home, we found him suffering and in much pain. Greg was not one to complain. When I asked him how long had he been in pain, he said for quite a while, but he then turned our attention to Jesus.
“Do you see that man on the cross?” he asked. “He suffered so much for us, so I can do my part.”
Greg chose gratitude over complaining. Was Greg consoling God’s heart? Oh, most definitely, he had found the reason, the purpose, and the value of his life; to give worship, honor and glory to God. And God was responding, consoling and receiving Greg’s love. It was that day that I learned in a deep way from my brother, Greg, the personal prayer relationship that he had with Jesus. When Donna and I prayed with Greg that day, God’s presence was very tangible as Greg experienced a tremendous heat throughout his whole body. We all praised God for His abiding presence and love that He gave us that day!
Let us also turn to Mary, as our Mother of how to console Jesus’ heart this Lent, and let us receive in a new way His desire to console our hearts too. With Mary by our side, let us listen to Him who cries out, “I thirst” today and respond with compassionate love to Jesus, and everyone we encounter.
