An UNDIVIDED HEART ~ written by Meryl Viola Bravo

The Consecrated Life, deeply rooted in the example and teaching of Christ the Lord, is A GIFT OF GOD THE FATHER to his Church through the HOLY SPIRIT. By the profession of the evangelical counsels the characteristic features of Jesus — the chaste, poor and obedient one — are made constantly “VISIBLE” in the midst of the world and the eyes of the faithful are directed towards the MYSTERY of the Kingdom of God already at work in history, even as it awaits its full realization in HEAVEN.

In every age there have been men and women who, obedient to the FATHER’S CALL and to the prompting of the Spirit, have CHOSEN this special way of following Christ, in order to devote themselves to him with an “UNDIVIDED” HEART (cf. 1 Cor 7:34). Like the Apostles, they too have LEFT EVERYTHING behind in order to be with Christ and to put themselves, as he did, at the service of God and their brothers and sisters. In this way, through the many CHARISMS of spiritual and apostolic life bestowed on them by the Holy Spirit, they have helped to make the MYSTERY and mission of the Church shine forth, and in doing so have contributed to the RENEWAL of society.  Supreme Pontiff John Paul II (1996) Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata.  Libreria Editrice Vaticana.

JMJ

CHRIST, in All His MAGNIFICENT SPLENDOUR, bestows on a SOUL the special GRACE of COMPLETE OBLATION to the Eternal Father through the Vow of Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience as a WITNESS of the GOSPEL of CHRIST in REFLECTION of His Divine Son poor, chaste and obedient.  How often CHRIST lived among the poor and was rejected by men for the TREASURE He HELD in His ETERNAL FATHER!  We as Christians CALLED by GOD to PROCLAIM to the ends of the EARTH of a KINGDOM that is to COME must LEAVE EVERYTHING to bring to the ALTAR a COMPLETE and TOTAL OFFERING of ourselves to the TRIUNE GOD most pleasing to the EYES of the FATHER!  In this OFFERING a PURIFICATION of the Heart is evermore brought to a RESPLENDANT DIAMOND chosen to be MERITED in the HEAVENLY COURTS for all ETERNITY! 

Created in His Image and Likeness, the SON bestows on HIS BRIDE, a GIFT, a GRACE known only to Man as ONE that is defiled and rejected, but to the ETERNAL FATHER as ONE MOST MERITED for the GLORY of HIS ETERNAL KINGDOM!  For what is it to the world to be poor.  It is NOTHING and to be DESPISED!  What is it to be chaste.  It is NOTHING and to be DESPISED!  What is it to be obedient.  It is NOTHING and to be DESPISED!  How AWESOME to KNOW that the MERITS of ETERNAL LIFE are considered as NOTHING and DESPISED all for the GLORY of GOD whose KINGDOM reflects a DIMENSION in Man that CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN CHRIST, poor, chaste and obedient!  For the KINGDOM began from a babe so LOWLY and so HUMBLE that the ANGELS of the HEAVENLY COURTS REJOICED and GLORIFIED the whole of HUMANITY to reach down and BRING to us THE DIVINE AND INFINITE GOD OF LOVE!  LOVE BEYOND all telling, is BORN for us so that those who have been rejected and despised might KNOW of the GLORY that is to COME for those who have been brought to the ALTAR with a LIVING OBLATION of SACRIFICE so pleasing to the Heart of the FATHER!  For it is in the HEART that the Eternal Father SEES ALL!

O UNDIVIDED HEART, loved for the SAKE of LOVE!  The WHOLE OF HUMANITY is at your beckoning so that the MANY SOULS that have been placed under your care may be LOVED for the sake of LOVE!  LOVE reflected in the HEART of the FATHER so that CHILDREN embraced by LOVE may know of the TRANSCENDANT GLORY that is to COME!  For the UNIVERSAL CHARACTERISTIC of the Heart of the Father is one that is UNDIVIDED yet so UNIQUE to each CHILD according to His PLEASURES and to that of the TRIUNE and INFINITE GOD!  For He speaks to each HEART and CHOOSES WHOM HE WILLS!

O WILL of the FATHER, UNITED to You in OBEDIENCE, the Undivided HEART becomes ever more RESPLENDANT in GLORY as she reveals to you her SECRETS and UNITES it to YOU in a CONTEMPLATION of DIVINE LOVE so pleasing to the HEART of YOUR SON!  For in the UNION of the WILLS we have been brought to an ATONEMENT OF LOVE so GRACIOUS and so BEAUTIFUL that the LOVE of the SON is ever more RENEWED and BROUGHT TO THE ALTAR ONCE AGAIN FOR AN OBLATION OF DIVINE UNION!

UNION only CHARITY can bring through a VOW made for the CHRIST, poor, chaste and obedient!  UNION with the ONE who is ALL LOVE so that all of MANKIND may know of this GRACIOUS and INFINITE GOD who wishes to be so INTIMATE with His CHILDREN! 

And yet, so often bring to Him a GIFT that is not always so FULL of HIS SPLENDOUR! 

And yet, what does He do, HE BRINGS to us HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON as MEDIATOR and VICTIM PRIEST to expiate what is lacking and receives HER GIFT and REFLECTS UPON HER THE AWESOMENESS of His DIVINE GOODNESS and brings her to the Altar to be evermore RENEWED and LOVED by the Heart of the Father! 

O AWESOME SACRIFICE of the Father, Your SON IS IN LOVE and wishes to BRING HIS BRIDE to the ALTAR for a UNION of DIVINE MYSTERY that only the SECRETS of HEAVEN can only be REVEALED to a HEART so PURE and UNDIVIDED for the ETERNAL SPLENDOURS of the KINGDOM!  For we merit HEAVEN only through the BLOOD of YOUR DIVINE SON so GENEROUSLY OFFERED to Man through His CHASTITY, Poverty, and OBEDIENCE!  O Splendour of the Father, bring forth to me a RESURGANCE of DIVINE VOCATIONS to the Evangelical Counsels of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience so that in IMITATION of Your Divine Son the whole CREATION may KNOW of the GLORY that is to COME for those that have been WILLFULLY CHOSEN for the KINGDOM of ETERNAL GLORY!  O IMMACULATE Mary, Mother of PRIESTS, pray for us who have recourse to thee.  Amen.