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Lourdes - Revelation of Heaven
As we mark the 160th anniversary (1858-2018) of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s apparitions in Lourdes, we consider the significance of this series of great events for St. Maximilian Kolbe’s apostolate for the Immaculata.
For this saint of Mary, the month of February was the month commemorating Our Lady’s apparitions in the humble grotto of Massabielle. Hence St. Maximilian urged all Knights of the Immaculata to be particularly conscious of their noble mission in life, that is, to dedicate their lives entirely to the Immaculata and Her service in order to combat the world, the flesh and the devil.
Although Our Lady’s apparitions in Lourdes do not add anything new to Church dogma, Her humble declaration to St. Bernandette that She IS the Immaculate Conception (conceived without any stain of sin) reflects the unchangeable reality that Her Immaculate Conception provides us the essential means to overcome sin and temptation, especially in the latter times.
Our Lady’s apparitions in Lourdes in the 19th century provide a prelude to Her great apparitions in Fatima in the 20th, for Her message is fundamentally the same; that sinners repent and turn back to God before they fall into the bottomless pits of Hell.
In Lourdes, we experience Our Lady’s role as the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix for sinners. Similarly, in Fatima, we are reminded that Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart is THE MEANS that leads us sinners back to God.
Hence, the Most Holy Virgin Mary’s pleas for prayer and penance in both Lourdes and Fatima makes the Militia Immaculatae even more relevant as the latter’s very mission is to help snatch souls from the devil in order to win them for Mary Immaculate.
For this saint of Mary, the month of February was the month commemorating Our Lady’s apparitions in the humble grotto of Massabielle. Hence St. Maximilian urged all Knights of the Immaculata to be particularly conscious of their noble mission in life, that is, to dedicate their lives entirely to the Immaculata and Her service in order to combat the world, the flesh and the devil.
Although Our Lady’s apparitions in Lourdes do not add anything new to Church dogma, Her humble declaration to St. Bernandette that She IS the Immaculate Conception (conceived without any stain of sin) reflects the unchangeable reality that Her Immaculate Conception provides us the essential means to overcome sin and temptation, especially in the latter times.
Our Lady’s apparitions in Lourdes in the 19th century provide a prelude to Her great apparitions in Fatima in the 20th, for Her message is fundamentally the same; that sinners repent and turn back to God before they fall into the bottomless pits of Hell.
In Lourdes, we experience Our Lady’s role as the Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix for sinners. Similarly, in Fatima, we are reminded that Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart is THE MEANS that leads us sinners back to God.
Hence, the Most Holy Virgin Mary’s pleas for prayer and penance in both Lourdes and Fatima makes the Militia Immaculatae even more relevant as the latter’s very mission is to help snatch souls from the devil in order to win them for Mary Immaculate.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2007
2 people are currently reading
14 people want to read
About the author
Karl Stehlin
15 books12 followersRev. Fr. Karl Stehlin was born on 30th January 1962 in Ettenheim, South Germany. He discovered the treasure of Catholic tradition when he was 16 years old through a traditional Catholic youth movement. Fascinated at seeing young people helping one another to grow in faith and virtue and desiring to dedicate his whole life to the conversion of souls, he discerned his vocation to the priesthood.
Ordained on 29th June 1988 in Econe by Archbishop Lefebvre (the day before the episcopal consecrations of the four bishops of the SSPX), his first posting was as a missionary in Gabon where he had spent some time as a deacon. He remained in Gabon for a total of 8 years before being made the first superior of the autonomous house in Warsaw, Poland where he was sent to found the mission of Eastern Europe.
After 20 years in this post, and after marvellous growth of the mission, Fr. Stehlin was appointed District Superior of Asia on 15th August 2014. His vision is to bring all people of good will to Our Lord by being the instrument of the Immaculata.
Ordained on 29th June 1988 in Econe by Archbishop Lefebvre (the day before the episcopal consecrations of the four bishops of the SSPX), his first posting was as a missionary in Gabon where he had spent some time as a deacon. He remained in Gabon for a total of 8 years before being made the first superior of the autonomous house in Warsaw, Poland where he was sent to found the mission of Eastern Europe.
After 20 years in this post, and after marvellous growth of the mission, Fr. Stehlin was appointed District Superior of Asia on 15th August 2014. His vision is to bring all people of good will to Our Lord by being the instrument of the Immaculata.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 26, 2022
The writing is a bit clunky, but the message of the book is important, and I came away inspired to be a better son of Mary.
March 27, 2025
Loved the parts of the book that were from St. Maximilian Kolbe’s writings. The parts in between from the author were at times a bit of a drag to read and often just rewording what Kolbe said. Overall a really good book about my favorite Saint and the Blessed Mother!
July 7, 2025
Middle school, learning about WWII from YA fiction... The nature (the question) of good and evil. Much later, a seminar course on the time of Nazi Germany, its philosophy, literature and art. The banality of evil (Arendt); the rejection of personal responsibility. The line between good and evil crossing within every human heart (Solzhenitsyn). The roots of shadow & suffering that are transformed into life and fruits; the collective unconscious & how we must do our work (Jung). This is where it all begins. With WWII & Nazis. And as it turns out, Jesus and Mary, Mother and Child, are present here too -- with faith, hope & love.
And okay my mind is blown -- St. Montfort is connected to Kolbe, through their Consecration to Mary. And Kolbe is connected to BOTH Our Lady of Lourdes and of Fatima. St. Maximilian Kolbe established the Militia Immaculata (MI) on Oct 16, 1917 (3 days after the last Fatima apparition).
I've been learning also about Legion of Mary this past month! Esp as it's associated with members giving out Miraculous Medals (MMs). "The Apostolic works of the Legion of Mary are categorized into what it calls as the 3 C's – Conversion, Conservation and Consolation." MMs help with all 3! And here too, there's a connection: Kolbe learned of the power of MMs in conversion of souls, and this gave him renewed fervour (much as it does for me!) before he established the MI.
Google AI says, "The Legion of Mary and the Militia Immaculata are both Catholic lay organizations dedicated to Mary, but they have different focuses and structures. The Legion of Mary emphasizes active participation in the Church's evangelization efforts, while the Militia Immaculata focuses on total consecration to the Virgin Mary and spreading devotion to her as a means of conversion and sanctification." some similarities, some differences :)
Also, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe is Polish, and literally the one place I wanna go on pilgrimage currently is to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa (Poland)!
--
"The day came when Brother Maximilian Kolbe attained his childhood dream of becoming a priest, and he was ordained on the 28th of April 1918. The next day he celebrated his first Mass in Rome in the Basilica of St. Andrea delle Fratte at the “Altar of the Miracle”, the place where the Blessed Virgin Mary had appeared to the Jew Ratisbonne, who was instantly converted after having agreed to wear a Miraculous Medal to humour his friend." (26)
"Such was his devotion that when he was so physically exhausted that he could hardly stand, he would ask two friars to support him while he celebrated Holy Mass." (27)
-- reminds me of Padre Pio
"Here, at the very threshold of his ambition, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis which was so severe that his physicians declared that he had, at the most, “three months more to live.” One lung had collapsed altogether and the other was damaged. His condition deteriorated to the stage where his superiors took him off his teaching duties and restricted him to hearing confessions and preaching a few sermons." (27)
-- which reminds me of, Be Thankful for Your Crosses and Never Lose Hope
"Debilitating though his illness was, he saw his heaviest burden as the apathy, indeed the antagonism, the indifference, the mockery amongst his fellow friars towards his efforts to promote his new apostolate. Despite this, and the prognosis of having only three months left to live, Fr. Kolbe refused to lose his trust in the Immaculate. Help was at hand.
On the Feast of the Holy Rosary on the 7th of October 1919, his trust was rewarded when six friar-clerics together with their master, Father Keller, signed their names during recreation that evening in the book that would serve for enrolments in the Militia Immaculatæ.
From that point onwards, the apostolate began to grow. Despite his condition, Fr. Kolbe organised meetings and conferences, and founded Marian circles which quickly spread in communities and family homes throughout Kraków." (28)
-- So 2 years between Oct 16, 1917 and Oct 7, 1919, without much activity. Mostly pregnant silence. Love for his mission gestating.
"Certainly there were setbacks. [...] but he remained steadfast in his determination to build a Militia to offset the growing influence of the Freemasons." (28)
-- 1919-10 to 1920-06?
"He fell victim to a fever and delirium [...] transferred to the sanatorium at Zakopane in June of 1920 where he spent eighteen months taking in the mountain air. [...]
There was so much to be done and here he was, confined to the sanatorium. Nie ma problemu! (No problem!) Unable to go out into the town, he put his efforts into talking individually to the other patients in the sanatorium, and was soon organising groups [...], all the time handing out Miraculous Medals to all who would accept them.
The sanatorium had a reputation as a stronghold for atheists, perhaps for obvious reasons, but nevertheless the Immaculate Virgin rewarded his efforts with numerous conversions to the
faith. [...]
Refreshed, indefatigable and full of zeal, he went back to work in earnest." (28-30)
-- 1920-06 to 1921-12?
"how would he finance even a modest first issue? Could the Order help? [...]
no financial support. His dreams lay in his own hands — and those of the Immaculata!" (32)
-- 1922-01; 1st issue, aim of 5k copies
-- Again, reminds me of Pio and his dream to build the best hospital!
-- 2nd issue: 10k copies, sometime in 1922 (32)
**"For these early issues, Fr. Kolbe wrote the whole of the text using simple and clear expressions aimed at the level of those with only moderate schooling. He succeeded in teaching them, encouraging them, and moving them towards a knowledge and love of the Immaculate Virgin." (33)
-- 1922-10: his superior moves him from Kraków to Grodno (33)
-- 50k copies per issue; brought publishing in-house (bought his own print machinery)
-- in Grodno, Fr. Kolbe declares (1924-09-12):
“To conquer the whole world, all hearts and each person individually, for the Queen, not only of Heaven, but also of Earth. To give true happiness to those poor unfortunates who seek it in the ephemeral pleasures of this world, this is our aim”. (34)
-- so 1917-10 to 1924-09: 7 years
-- St. Mary of the Angels in Hrodna. Kolbe stayed from 1922 until November 1927 (35)
-- Residence in City of the Immaculata, Niepokalanów, begins 1927-11-21. Fr. Koble, 6 friars & 12 candidates move in full-time. (36)
"The statue of the Immaculata [...] placed at the entrance to welcome all comers." (36)
-- "Madonna House Apostolate, a Catholic Christian community founded by Catherine Doherty, who drew inspiration from St. Maximilian Kolbe's life and work."
"Absolutely everyone had to demonstrate unmeasured generosity in which all had to offer up their whole lives in sacrifice and satisfy every call upon them. He wanted Niepokalanów to be a model of religious life for everyone.
It is this modus operandi which nourished the apostolate and upheld the remarkably zealous apostolic activity of the City of the Immaculata." (37)
"Not only was Fr. Kolbe achieving his wish to bring the Immaculata to the attention of a great number of souls through his printing press, but he was also attracting religious vocations from amongst those souls. The results of both activities brought him great happiness and cause to rejoice." (38)
-- 100k+ copies per issue
-- By 1929, 762 inhabitants of the City: 13 priests, 18 novices, 527 brothers, 122 boys in the junior seminary and 82 candidates for the priesthood. From 1917 (an inspiration, 6 brothers) to 1927 (~20 people) to 1929 (760 people).
"Fr. Kolbe had a wish to encircle the world with Cities of the Immaculata, and even prophesied that one day a statue of the Immaculata would surmount the Kremlin, where she would be Queen of a converted Russia. He also had in mind visits to India, Latvia, Syria and Turkey, such was his infatuated, zestful love for the Immaculata." (40-41)
-- Our Lady of Fatima is back! July 13, 1917 request.
-- "At the formal request of the Episcopal Conference of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops, the Holy See announced on 15 March 2022 that Pope Francis would consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on 25 March 2022 at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. The 25 March date is the same date as when John Paul II consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart in 1984." Wikipedia
-- May 1930: Month of Mary. Kolbe & 4 friars set off on a mission to Japan. Pope Pius XI made an appeal at missions/ evangelization, and Franciscans passed it along to their friars "with the necessary experience and zeal to take up assignments in other lands." (40)
-- Nagasaki.
"The friars had no funds, no knowledge of the Japanese language, and no accommodation awaiting them, but they set off to find the Cathedral where they came across a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the churchyard. Fr. Kolbe was quick to exclaim that: “If we have found her, all goes well.” What other sign did they need that the Immaculata was looking after them?" (41-42)
"first Japanese version of the Knight of the Immaculata, which he called Seibo no Kishi" (42)
-- By 1936, 65k copies per issue
-- Nagasaki, Mugenzai no Sono (Garden of the Immaculate): a flourishing Marian community, a second City of the Immaculata. (44)
"This immense level of activity was beginning to take its toll on his health at 38 years of age, and Fr. Kolbe returned to Poland in 1936, leaving Japan for the last time." (45)
-- Then WWII begins. 1939 Sep, Poland is invaded. 800 of the friars & residents had to leave. Remaining 37 are taken by SS to a concentration camp Sep 19, 1939. (48)
"Fr. Kolbe, trusting as ever in the protection of the Immaculata observed to his companions that maybe it was her way of founding a new City in Germany through them.
Love always knows how to turn something evil to good." (48)
"These little acts of mercy [in the camps: sharing food, blankets] may have had their origins in the privations that Fr. Kolbe had undergone earlier in his life, and also being buoyed up by his trust that the Immaculata would make up any shortfall for him." (49)
"On two occasions, but only two, Fr. Kolbe was able to celebrate Holy Mass which was strictly forbidden there. At other times, to symbolically and reverently commemorate Holy Communion, he used to take his portion of bread, bless it, and give a little piece of it to each one. St. Francis of Assisi had done the same with his friars a few days before his death." (56)
"Mary's receptivity and fruitfulness did not end with the Conception and Birth of Christ. Now in Heaven, Mary remains the living, human conduit for the graces that the Holy Ghost distributes to us." (75)
-- The process continues until Heaven
"We must love absolutely everybody — he used to say often. Our love to our neighbour is proven in our desire and actions taken for salvation of their souls.
"Loving one's neighbour, not because he is 'nice', worthwhile, wealthy, influential, or just because he is grateful. For such would be very petty reasons, unworthy of the Knight of the Immaculata. Genuine love rises above the creature and plunges itself into God. In Him, for Him and through Him it loves everyone, be they good or bad, friends or foes."" (113)
"For St. Maximilian her simple spirituality was his model and the way of spiritual progress. She took a special care of the saint, when he went on his mission to the Far East."
""At that time, [in Colombo], the tangle of troubles was such that I had lost all hope. So, I started to pray, and even to complain a little to St. Therese, and concluded my prayers with these words: ‘let’s see if you remember.’ I was thinking of the ‘pact’ we made even before [...] Suddenly, a small flower dropped onto the little table below the statue. The fact impressed me, but I exercised self-control and told myself, ‘let us see if it means anything.’ From then on, all troubles seemed to vanish one after the other, as if touched by a magic wand."" (115-116)
--And it even ends with St. Therese of Lisieux! Wonderful.
And okay my mind is blown -- St. Montfort is connected to Kolbe, through their Consecration to Mary. And Kolbe is connected to BOTH Our Lady of Lourdes and of Fatima. St. Maximilian Kolbe established the Militia Immaculata (MI) on Oct 16, 1917 (3 days after the last Fatima apparition).
I've been learning also about Legion of Mary this past month! Esp as it's associated with members giving out Miraculous Medals (MMs). "The Apostolic works of the Legion of Mary are categorized into what it calls as the 3 C's – Conversion, Conservation and Consolation." MMs help with all 3! And here too, there's a connection: Kolbe learned of the power of MMs in conversion of souls, and this gave him renewed fervour (much as it does for me!) before he established the MI.
Google AI says, "The Legion of Mary and the Militia Immaculata are both Catholic lay organizations dedicated to Mary, but they have different focuses and structures. The Legion of Mary emphasizes active participation in the Church's evangelization efforts, while the Militia Immaculata focuses on total consecration to the Virgin Mary and spreading devotion to her as a means of conversion and sanctification." some similarities, some differences :)
Also, St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe is Polish, and literally the one place I wanna go on pilgrimage currently is to the Black Madonna of Częstochowa (Poland)!
--
"The day came when Brother Maximilian Kolbe attained his childhood dream of becoming a priest, and he was ordained on the 28th of April 1918. The next day he celebrated his first Mass in Rome in the Basilica of St. Andrea delle Fratte at the “Altar of the Miracle”, the place where the Blessed Virgin Mary had appeared to the Jew Ratisbonne, who was instantly converted after having agreed to wear a Miraculous Medal to humour his friend." (26)
"Such was his devotion that when he was so physically exhausted that he could hardly stand, he would ask two friars to support him while he celebrated Holy Mass." (27)
-- reminds me of Padre Pio
"Here, at the very threshold of his ambition, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis which was so severe that his physicians declared that he had, at the most, “three months more to live.” One lung had collapsed altogether and the other was damaged. His condition deteriorated to the stage where his superiors took him off his teaching duties and restricted him to hearing confessions and preaching a few sermons." (27)
-- which reminds me of, Be Thankful for Your Crosses and Never Lose Hope
"Debilitating though his illness was, he saw his heaviest burden as the apathy, indeed the antagonism, the indifference, the mockery amongst his fellow friars towards his efforts to promote his new apostolate. Despite this, and the prognosis of having only three months left to live, Fr. Kolbe refused to lose his trust in the Immaculate. Help was at hand.
On the Feast of the Holy Rosary on the 7th of October 1919, his trust was rewarded when six friar-clerics together with their master, Father Keller, signed their names during recreation that evening in the book that would serve for enrolments in the Militia Immaculatæ.
From that point onwards, the apostolate began to grow. Despite his condition, Fr. Kolbe organised meetings and conferences, and founded Marian circles which quickly spread in communities and family homes throughout Kraków." (28)
-- So 2 years between Oct 16, 1917 and Oct 7, 1919, without much activity. Mostly pregnant silence. Love for his mission gestating.
"Certainly there were setbacks. [...] but he remained steadfast in his determination to build a Militia to offset the growing influence of the Freemasons." (28)
-- 1919-10 to 1920-06?
"He fell victim to a fever and delirium [...] transferred to the sanatorium at Zakopane in June of 1920 where he spent eighteen months taking in the mountain air. [...]
There was so much to be done and here he was, confined to the sanatorium. Nie ma problemu! (No problem!) Unable to go out into the town, he put his efforts into talking individually to the other patients in the sanatorium, and was soon organising groups [...], all the time handing out Miraculous Medals to all who would accept them.
The sanatorium had a reputation as a stronghold for atheists, perhaps for obvious reasons, but nevertheless the Immaculate Virgin rewarded his efforts with numerous conversions to the
faith. [...]
Refreshed, indefatigable and full of zeal, he went back to work in earnest." (28-30)
-- 1920-06 to 1921-12?
"how would he finance even a modest first issue? Could the Order help? [...]
no financial support. His dreams lay in his own hands — and those of the Immaculata!" (32)
-- 1922-01; 1st issue, aim of 5k copies
-- Again, reminds me of Pio and his dream to build the best hospital!
-- 2nd issue: 10k copies, sometime in 1922 (32)
**"For these early issues, Fr. Kolbe wrote the whole of the text using simple and clear expressions aimed at the level of those with only moderate schooling. He succeeded in teaching them, encouraging them, and moving them towards a knowledge and love of the Immaculate Virgin." (33)
-- 1922-10: his superior moves him from Kraków to Grodno (33)
-- 50k copies per issue; brought publishing in-house (bought his own print machinery)
-- in Grodno, Fr. Kolbe declares (1924-09-12):
“To conquer the whole world, all hearts and each person individually, for the Queen, not only of Heaven, but also of Earth. To give true happiness to those poor unfortunates who seek it in the ephemeral pleasures of this world, this is our aim”. (34)
-- so 1917-10 to 1924-09: 7 years
-- St. Mary of the Angels in Hrodna. Kolbe stayed from 1922 until November 1927 (35)
-- Residence in City of the Immaculata, Niepokalanów, begins 1927-11-21. Fr. Koble, 6 friars & 12 candidates move in full-time. (36)
"The statue of the Immaculata [...] placed at the entrance to welcome all comers." (36)
-- "Madonna House Apostolate, a Catholic Christian community founded by Catherine Doherty, who drew inspiration from St. Maximilian Kolbe's life and work."
"Absolutely everyone had to demonstrate unmeasured generosity in which all had to offer up their whole lives in sacrifice and satisfy every call upon them. He wanted Niepokalanów to be a model of religious life for everyone.
It is this modus operandi which nourished the apostolate and upheld the remarkably zealous apostolic activity of the City of the Immaculata." (37)
"Not only was Fr. Kolbe achieving his wish to bring the Immaculata to the attention of a great number of souls through his printing press, but he was also attracting religious vocations from amongst those souls. The results of both activities brought him great happiness and cause to rejoice." (38)
-- 100k+ copies per issue
-- By 1929, 762 inhabitants of the City: 13 priests, 18 novices, 527 brothers, 122 boys in the junior seminary and 82 candidates for the priesthood. From 1917 (an inspiration, 6 brothers) to 1927 (~20 people) to 1929 (760 people).
"Fr. Kolbe had a wish to encircle the world with Cities of the Immaculata, and even prophesied that one day a statue of the Immaculata would surmount the Kremlin, where she would be Queen of a converted Russia. He also had in mind visits to India, Latvia, Syria and Turkey, such was his infatuated, zestful love for the Immaculata." (40-41)
-- Our Lady of Fatima is back! July 13, 1917 request.
-- "At the formal request of the Episcopal Conference of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops, the Holy See announced on 15 March 2022 that Pope Francis would consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on 25 March 2022 at Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome. The 25 March date is the same date as when John Paul II consecrated Russia to the Immaculate Heart in 1984." Wikipedia
-- May 1930: Month of Mary. Kolbe & 4 friars set off on a mission to Japan. Pope Pius XI made an appeal at missions/ evangelization, and Franciscans passed it along to their friars "with the necessary experience and zeal to take up assignments in other lands." (40)
-- Nagasaki.
"The friars had no funds, no knowledge of the Japanese language, and no accommodation awaiting them, but they set off to find the Cathedral where they came across a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the churchyard. Fr. Kolbe was quick to exclaim that: “If we have found her, all goes well.” What other sign did they need that the Immaculata was looking after them?" (41-42)
"first Japanese version of the Knight of the Immaculata, which he called Seibo no Kishi" (42)
-- By 1936, 65k copies per issue
-- Nagasaki, Mugenzai no Sono (Garden of the Immaculate): a flourishing Marian community, a second City of the Immaculata. (44)
"This immense level of activity was beginning to take its toll on his health at 38 years of age, and Fr. Kolbe returned to Poland in 1936, leaving Japan for the last time." (45)
-- Then WWII begins. 1939 Sep, Poland is invaded. 800 of the friars & residents had to leave. Remaining 37 are taken by SS to a concentration camp Sep 19, 1939. (48)
"Fr. Kolbe, trusting as ever in the protection of the Immaculata observed to his companions that maybe it was her way of founding a new City in Germany through them.
Love always knows how to turn something evil to good." (48)
"These little acts of mercy [in the camps: sharing food, blankets] may have had their origins in the privations that Fr. Kolbe had undergone earlier in his life, and also being buoyed up by his trust that the Immaculata would make up any shortfall for him." (49)
"On two occasions, but only two, Fr. Kolbe was able to celebrate Holy Mass which was strictly forbidden there. At other times, to symbolically and reverently commemorate Holy Communion, he used to take his portion of bread, bless it, and give a little piece of it to each one. St. Francis of Assisi had done the same with his friars a few days before his death." (56)
"Mary's receptivity and fruitfulness did not end with the Conception and Birth of Christ. Now in Heaven, Mary remains the living, human conduit for the graces that the Holy Ghost distributes to us." (75)
-- The process continues until Heaven
"We must love absolutely everybody — he used to say often. Our love to our neighbour is proven in our desire and actions taken for salvation of their souls.
"Loving one's neighbour, not because he is 'nice', worthwhile, wealthy, influential, or just because he is grateful. For such would be very petty reasons, unworthy of the Knight of the Immaculata. Genuine love rises above the creature and plunges itself into God. In Him, for Him and through Him it loves everyone, be they good or bad, friends or foes."" (113)
"For St. Maximilian her simple spirituality was his model and the way of spiritual progress. She took a special care of the saint, when he went on his mission to the Far East."
""At that time, [in Colombo], the tangle of troubles was such that I had lost all hope. So, I started to pray, and even to complain a little to St. Therese, and concluded my prayers with these words: ‘let’s see if you remember.’ I was thinking of the ‘pact’ we made even before [...] Suddenly, a small flower dropped onto the little table below the statue. The fact impressed me, but I exercised self-control and told myself, ‘let us see if it means anything.’ From then on, all troubles seemed to vanish one after the other, as if touched by a magic wand."" (115-116)
--And it even ends with St. Therese of Lisieux! Wonderful.
December 10, 2019
93/100 (= 5.5/6) ≈ 5 Stars
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews