Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:6-7

I have a lot to say about the state of the church which I will hopefully post about soon.  But for now something is on my heart;  keeping focused on Christ and living his love in our families.  With that in mind I have a guest post today from my friend Kristine Bruce who has an Apostolate for Prodigals.

BY: KRISTINE BRUCE

It all started simply enough on November 11, 2018.  While in morning prayer, I read the daily meditation in the Magnificat.  My life changed that day.  Let me explain.

The culture we live in today is dastardly.  It is a vacuum sucking in our loved ones like never before.  Statistically, the “nones” (that is, people with no religious affiliation) currently constitute 23% of the United States population.  This brings it virtually to a tie with Catholics and Evangelicals who each claim the same percentage. 

My husband and I have siblings, nieces, nephews, and even two of our own children who have turned their backs on Jesus and His Church.  Like you, we are heartbroken. We grieve for all those who have wandered away from our Good Shepherd. That’s why this passage dramatically grabbed my attention and rocked me to my core.  Simply stated, it had me at “how you are to rescue souls.”   

In this passage Jesus was talking directly to St. Faustina (paragraph 1767).  He gave her everything she needed to know to rescue souls, and now He was presenting it to me.

This is what Jesus communicated to her.

My daughter, I want to instruct you on how you are to rescue souls

through sacrifice and prayer. 

You will save more souls

through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through

his teachings and sermons alone. 

I want to see you as a sacrifice of living love, which only then carries weight before me.

You must be annihilated, destroyed, living as if you were dead

in the most secret depths of your being.  

You must be destroyed in that secret depth where the human eye has never penetrated; then will I find in you a pleasing sacrifice,

a holocaust full of sweetness and fragrance.

And great will be your power for whomever you intercede.

Outwardly, your sacrifice must look like this:

silent, hidden, permeated with love, imbued with prayer.

I demand, my daughter, that your sacrifice be pure and

full of humility, that I may find pleasure in it.

I will not spare my grace, that you may be able to fulfill

what I demand of you. I will now instruct you on what

your holocaust shall consist of, in everyday life, so as to

preserve you from illusions.

You shall accept all sufferings with love.

Do not be afflicted if your heart often experiences repugnance

and dislike for sacrifice.  All its power rests in the will, and so

these contrary feelings, far from lowering the value of the

sacrifice in my eyes, will enhance it.

Know that your body and soul will often be in the midst of fire.

Although you will not feel my presence on some occasions,

I will always be with you. Do not fear; my grace will be with you.  

Since that day in November, I have prayed this passage. I thank Jesus for his generosity, and I ask him to help me do as he requests.  It is this message that has led me to begin this apostolate. It is THE GUIDE to rescue souls.

I encourage you to take this with you to prayer every day.  Let us thank Jesus for giving us the gift of helping Him rescue souls and for being with us during the sacrifice and prayers.  Let us also ask Him to help us accomplish that which He asks for.

Kristine Bruce is the co-founder of www.PrayingForOurProdigals.com, an apostolate of encouragement, support, and prayer for Catholics who have loved ones who have left the faith.