Praying with Luisa Piccarreta
in the divine will
NOVENA FOR HOLY CHRISTMAS
The Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta first prayed these meditations in preparation for Christmas at the tender age of seventeen. The meditations on the Excesses of Love of the Most Holy Trinity can be prayed over nine days, nine weeks, or nine months.
The Hours of the Passion and The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will are beautiful books of prayer in the Divine Will, dictated to Luisa by Jesus and Mary. These books are suitable for faithful souls just learning about the Holy Divine Will. They are also prayed by thousands year after year, and many pray with them daily. The Hours of the Passion has been granted the imprimaturs listed below.
In Italian: The first four editions were published by Saint Annibale Maria di Francia:
+First edition:
Revisione Arcivescovile: Napoli, February 20, 1915
Nihil Obstat: Francesco Sorrentino (Revisore eccl.)
Imprimatur: A. Can. Laviano V.G.+Second edition:
Revisione Arcivescovile: Napoli, 1916
Nihil Obstat: Francesco Sorrentino (Revisore eccl.)
Imprimatur: A. Can. Laviano V.G.+Third edition:
Reimprimatur: Francesco Sorrentino (Revisore eccl.)+Fourth edition:
Nihil Obstat: D. Prestifilipo, S.J. Messina, July 8, 1924
Reimprimatur: Can. P. Giardini, V.G. July 14, 1924The fifith edition was published by Don Benedetto Calvi, Luisa’s confessor from 1924 until her death:
+Fifth edition:
Nihil Obstat y Reimprimatur:
Curia archiespicopale Taranto, August 8, 1934
Delegado dal arcivescovo, Giuseppe BlandamuraIn German: The two editions were translated and edited by Father Ludwig Beda, O.S.B.:
+First and second edition, (1936-1938) (55,000 copies)
Nihil Obstat y Reimprimatur:
Ratisbona,
Ad num. Exh 4455, Dr. Hocht.
The Hours of the Passion
In The Hours of the Passion, the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta accompanies our Lord Jesus Christ during all 24 hours of His Passion. This book contains powerful prayers in the Divine Will as well as reflections after each hour, written by St. Annibale diFrancia.
The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will
The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will contains daily meditations on the great Mother of God, Mary Most Holy. Each day Our Lady gives a lesson from her life and prayers to pray in the Divine Will. The book ends with a Consecration to Our Lady.
Volume 9: April 10, 1910
Preparation and thanksgiving at Communion.
I write to obey, but I feel my heart crack from the effort I am making. But, Viva Obedience – Viva the Will of God! I write, but I tremble, and I myself don’t know what I am saying. Obedience wants me to write something about how I prepare myself and thank blessed Jesus at Communion. I don’t know how to say anything about it, because my sweet Jesus, in seeing my incapacity and that I am good at nothing, does everything Himself: He prepares my soul, and He Himself administers the thanksgiving to me; and I follow Him.
Now, the way of Jesus is always immense, and together with Jesus, I too feel immense, and as if I were able to do something. Then Jesus withdraws, and I remain always the stupid one that I am, the little ignorant one, the little naughty one. And it is exactly because of this that Jesus loves me – because I am ignorant, and I am no one, and I can do nothing. Knowing that I want to receive Him at any cost, so as not to receive dishonor in coming into me, but rather, highest honor, He Himself prepares my poor soul. He gives me His own things, His merits, His clothing, His works, His desires – in sum, all of Himself. If necessary, also that which the Saints did, because everything is His own; if necessary, also that which the Most Holy Mama did. And I too say to all: ‘Jesus, give honor to Yourself in coming into me. My Queen Mama, Saints, all Angels, I am so very poor; everything that is yours – put it in my heart, not for me, but for the honor of Jesus.’ And I feel that all of Heaven contributes to preparing me. And after Jesus has descended within me, I seem to see Him all pleased, seeing Himself honored by His own things; and sometimes He tells me: “Brava, brava, my daughter, how happy I am – how pleased I am. Everywhere I look within you, I find things worthy of Me. Everything that is mine, is yours; how many beautiful things you made Me find!”
Knowing that I am so very poor, that I have done nothing, and that nothing is mine, I laugh at the contentment of Jesus, and I say: ‘Thank goodness Jesus thinks like this! It is enough that He came – this is enough for me. It doesn’t matter that I have used His own things – the poor must receive from the rich.’ Now, it is true that a few glimmers here and there remain in me about the way Jesus has at Communion, but I am unable to reunite these glimmers together, and form a preparation and a thanksgiving. I lack the capacity; it seems to me that I prepare myself in Jesus Himself, and that I thank Him with Jesus Himself.