April 18, 2020 Reflection – Saturday of Easter Week, Divine Mercy Novena Day 9

April 18, 2020
Saturday of Easter Week

Divine Mercy Novena – Day 9

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we pray for all souls who are lukewarm. These are souls who barely care about God and who live their lives in a forgetful fog. They do not know where they are going or why, because they do not recognize God as God, and do not desire Him. They are indifferent to everything spiritual. We could say that our materialistic, hedonistic cultures create such souls, by distracting them from their true destiny, and convincing them that this life is all that matters.

Our Lady spoke about such souls in this message:

November 20, 1986 “Dear children! Today also I am calling you to live and follow with a special love all the messages which I am giving you. Dear children, God does not want you lukewarm and undecided, but that you totally surrender to Him. You know that I love you and that out of love I long for you. Therefore, dear children, you also decide for love so that you will long for and daily experience God’s love. Dear children, decide for love so that love prevails in all of you, but not human love, rather God’s love. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Our Lady offers a way to heal our indifferent and lukewarm hearts in this message. Her messages are a helping hand into the real world of faith and love. She is with us to guide us into the true reality of life with God! No more indifference for us!

Jesus spoke to St. Faustina about lukewarm souls as well:

367. + On one occasion, Jesus gave me to know that when I pray for intentions which people are wont to entrust to me, He is always ready to grant His graces, but souls do not always want to accept them: My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces.

Indifference and lukewarm faith are rampant in our time. This last day is a plea for prayer for countless souls who have no idea what road they are on. To be lukewarm is to deny the future, to deny eternal life and the reality of Heaven and Hell. To be lukewarm is worse than being dead. As Jesus said in scripture:

“`I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing; not knowing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, that you may be rich, and white garments to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and chasten; so be zealous and repent. (Rev 3:15-19)

Divine Mercy is the source of all those things we lack – gold, garments, and salve. Divine Mercy can make up for all we lack in holiness and fervor for the Lord. We need to turn to God’s mercy and surrender completely to Him now, before it is too late.

Divine Mercy Novena, Day Nine:

Today bring to Me SOULS WHO HAVE BECOME LUKEWARM and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: ‘Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.’ For them, the last hope of salvation is to run to My mercy.

Most compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love, let these tepid souls, who, like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love, and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross: Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy. Amen.

Tomorrow is the great Feast of Divine Mercy! May we celebrate this day with all our hearts! It is the Day of Mercy for all souls.