Love transforms our actions into prayer

We are called to sanctify our daily actions with custody of heart and purity of intention. A very effective means to achieve this is the practice of frequent or even continual acts of love taught by Sister Consolata Betrone (1903-1946), who was declared venerable by Pope Francis on April 6, 2019. 

Sister Consolata was inspired by Jesus to practise acts of continual love expressed in the words: “Jesus, Mary, I love you! Save souls!” Regarding this prayer, our Lord said, “Tell me, what more beautiful prayer do you want to offer me? – Jesus, Mary, I love you! Save souls! – Love and souls! What more beautiful prayer could you desire?”

Jesus told her the prayer “encompasses everything: the souls in Purgatory and the souls in the Militant Church; the innocent soul and the guilty soul; the dying, the atheist … Do not lose time; remember that every act of love is a soul. Of all the gifts, the best gift you can offer me is a day full of love. I desire an uninterrupted ‘Jesus, Mary, I love You, save souls!’ from when you get up in the morning till when you go to bed at night.”

In order to practise frequent or even continual acts of love, recollection and interior silence are necessary. Silence and purity are inseparable. Father Lorenzo Sales, the spiritual director of Sister Consolata, wrote: “According to the divine teaching, this virginal purity comprises a threefold silence: that of the thoughts (purity of mind), that of words (purity of speech), and that of interests (purity of heart).”

Regarding silence of thoughts, Our Lord said, “You must think only of loving me! I will think of everything else, even to the smallest details!” Sister Consolata had to struggle against useless thoughts. Our Lord encouraged her: “I permit this assailing battle of thoughts which oppresses you, because it glorifies Me and gives Me souls. Offer Me these undesired thoughts at every instant with this ejaculation: ‘For You and for souls!’ I will transform these thoughts which come to you from morning to night, and which hinder your love, into graces and blessings for souls.”

Regarding silence of words, Our Lord told Sister Consolata in 1935: “Keep silence always. Be miserly even with necessary words. Instead, give everyone a smile in exchange, and always keep a smiling countenance.” 

In the following year, Our Lord said, “When you are in doubt as to the choice of one of two activities, then always choose the one in which you will be more by yourself, where you will be better able to keep silence, and so will be better able to love. This is My wish.”

Regarding silence of interests, Our Lord said, “What is it that keeps you from loving Me, Consolata? It is useless thoughts and being interested in others!” 

On another occasion, Our Lord said, “You see, Consolata, in heaven every choir of angels attends to the fulfillment of its own office without envying or desiring the office of another. Thus, in a community each one must attend to her own mission without envying or longing for something which pertains to another soul. In your community, in choir, and everywhere, you must be my little Seraph, and therefore you must attend solely to loving without envying or desiring the mission of your other Sisters!”

 We can transform all our actions into prayer by doing them with love. Our Lord told Sister Consolata the following:

“Rather than with diligence you should strive to do everything with much love. Whether you are working, eating, drinking, or sleeping, do everything with a great deal of love, for I thirst for love. Love is what I look for in every work.”

“Fix all your attention upon your task of the moment so as to accomplish it with all possible love.”

“Transform everything disagreeable that you meet with into little roses; gather them with love and offer them to me with love.”

Father Lorenzo Sales has written a beautiful book about the messages of Our Lord to Sister Consolata entitled Jesus Appeals to the World.

愛把行動轉化為祈禱

我們被召叫以固守心靈和純正意向去聖化我們每天的的行動。一個十分有效的方法去達到這目標是實踐經常，甚至不斷的康索拉塔（1903-1946）修女教導的發愛德，她在2019年4月6日為教宗方濟各宣認為『可敬』。

康索拉塔修女為耶穌啟發去實踐不斷的發愛德表達於語言中：『耶穌，瑪利亞，我愛你們！請救靈魂！』有關這祈禱，我主說：『告訴我，有什麼更美麗的禱文你可以獻給我呢？—耶穌，瑪利亞，我愛你們！請救靈魂！』—— 愛和靈魂！你還想要什麼更美麗的禱文呢？』

耶穌告訴她這禱文『包括所有的一切：煉獄的靈魂和戰爭中教會的靈魂；純潔的靈魂和有罪的靈魂，垂死的，無神論的…不要浪費時間；要記得每一發愛德都是一個靈魂。在所有的禮物中，你能奉上最好的禮物，就是充滿愛的一天。我切望一個不停的「耶穌，瑪利亞我愛你們！請救靈魂！』」由你早上起牀的時候到你晚上上牀的時候。』

要能實行經常的或不斷的發愛德，收斂心神和內心的寧靜是必需的。寧靜和純潔是不能分開的。康索拉塔修女的神師，洛倫佐神父寫道：『根據神聖的教誨，童貞的純潔包含三重的寧靜：思想的（思想的純潔），語言的（言辭的純潔），和興趣的（內心的純潔）。』

關於思想的寧靜，主說：『你應該只想去愛我！我會想及所有的事，甚至最細少的仔細！』康索拉塔修女要為對象無用的思想而掙扎。主鼓勵她說：『我允許這種壓迫你的激烈思想鬥爭，因為它光榮我，也給我靈魂。每次都把這些不想要的思想以短禱奉獻給我：「為祢和為靈魂」我會把你由早上到夜晚獻給我的思想轉化，那些阻礙你的愛的思想，轉化成為靈魂的祝福和聖寵。』

關於言辭的寧靜，在1935年，主告訴康索拉塔修女說：『時常保持靜寂。甚至有需要時也保持寡言。取而代之是跟他人交換微笑，並經常保持笑容。』隨後的一年，主說：『在兩個活動的選擇中當你疑惑要作取捨時，時常選擇那個更近乎你的，那活動你更容易可以保持靜默，由此更容易去愛。這是我的願望。』

關於興趣的寧靜，主說：『康索拉塔，什麼可以把你對我的愛分開？是那些無用的思想並把興趣放於其他事物！』在另一時況下，我主說：『康索拉塔，你見到，在天堂上，每一品位的天使都參與和滿全他們的職務，不會羨慕或渴求其他的職務。所以在一個團體中，每一個人都要參與她自己的使命，而不要羨慕或渴求一些，涉及其他靈魂的使命。在你團體中，在唱經中，在所有的地方，你應該是我的小色辣芬，所以你應該只是參與去愛，不要羨慕或渴求你們其他修女們的使命！  』

以愛去做我們的一切行動，可以把行動轉化為祈禱。我主告訴康索拉塔修女說了以下的話：

『寧願以更多的關愛去做每件事比勤奮去做更好。無論你是在工作，飲食或睡眠，做每一件事都以大量的愛，因為我渴望愛。我在每一件工作中尋找愛。』

『對你當時所作的事投入所有的注意力，好能以所有可能的愛去完成它。』

『將你遇到每一不合意的事，都轉化成少少的玫瑰花；以愛去收集它們，並籍著愛將它們奉獻給我。』

洛倫佐神父寫了一本美麗的書關於主給康索拉塔修女的訊息，書名為『耶穌向世界的呼籲 Jesus appeals to the world』