Work of Love through the priests
Venerable Mother Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche – (1868 -1915),
a religious of the Visitation Order
Yesterday I was before the Blessed Sacrament, I was suffering and in that state of tired and painful spirit in which I had been for some weeks, when Jesus made Himself felt in my soul.
I was adoring Him, sweetly consoled by His presence, and praying to Him for our little novitiate, I asked Him to give me some souls to form for Him. Then He answered me: “I will give you souls of men”. Deeply surprised by these words, the meaning of which I did not understand, I remained silent, trying to explain them to myself. And Jesus continued: “I will give you souls of priests”. Even more surprised I asked Him, “My Jesus, how will you do it?” – “You will immolate yourself for my clergy,” He told me. “I want to instruct you during this octave; write whatever I tell you.”
I did not want to write any more, but I will obey Jesus.
Yesterday evening He said, “My priest is another Me; I love him, but he must be holy. Nineteen centuries ago, twelve men changed the world; they were not only men, they were priests; also now twelve priests could change the world”.
And this morning: “The priest is a being so vested in Christ that he becomes almost a God, but he is also a man, and he must be a man. He must feel the weaknesses, the struggles, the pains, the temptations, the fears and the rebellions of man; he must be miserable in order to be merciful, and he must also be strong, pure, holy in order to be a sanctifier.
“It is necessary for my priest to have a heart that is broad, tender, ardent, powerful to love.
“The priest must love so much! He must love Me, his Lord, his brother, his friend, his consoler, as I have loved him, and I have loved him to the point of confusing my life with his, to the point of making me obedient to his word. He must also love my Bride, his own, the Holy Church, and with what love! With an intense and zealous love, zealous for her glory, her purity, her unity and her fruitfulness.
“Finally, he must love souls as his own children. What father has so many children to love as the priest?”
“The heart of my priest must be a burning flame that burns and purifies. If my priest only knew the treasures of love that my Heart contains for him! Let him come to my Heart, let him take from it, let him be filled with love until it overflows from it and spills it over the world!
“Margaret Mary has shown my Heart to the world, show it to my priests, draw them all to my Heart”.
From the book: The Love and Service of God