Author: Valerie Parisi

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Twenty Second Sunday In Ordinary Time

The Fire That Burns In Our Hearts

The next day, a sharp burning pain burdened my soul. “My Jesus, You promised to give me different sufferings. Although I suffer greatly, it is pleasant for me to suffer. I do not know to what I can compare this pain.” (Elizabeth) (April 20, 1962)

Today’s Readings- I say to myself, I will not mention him, I will speak in his name no more. But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart, imprisoned in my bones; I grow weary holding it in, I cannot endure it.(Jeremiah 20)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, love, it is not an easy thing. You ask us to pick up our crosses daily and follow You (Matthew 16)- to bear trials with patience and joy, to mortify our senses and to offer prayer and sacrifice for others! The world wants us to seek comfort- God forbid, we say with St. Peter, that anything negative would ever happen to us! If it is all suffering and pain for its own sake, it is just all worthless and cruel. This is a  broken world but Lord You pour into us the burning Flame of Love in our hearts! We see at Calvary what real love looks like! Lord open our hearts so that they would become burning furnaces of charity ready to return love for the Love that never fails and never gives up on us!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John The Baptist

Nothing Except Christ Crucified

At night, I laid down to rest. Because of my weakness and tiredness, I could hardly think. Quite unexpectedly, the Lord Jesus surprised me with His words and started to converse. Never in my life had His words penetrated so deeply within me. I listened to them with a trembling heart and devout concentration. (Elizabeth) (June 9, 1965

Today’s Readings: When I came to you, brothers and sisters,
proclaiming the mystery of God,
I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you
except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
and my message and my proclamation
were not with persuasive words of wisdom,
but with a demonstration of spirit and power,
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom
but on the power of God. (1 Corinthians 2:1-5)

Prayer Meditation- Lord today we honor and remember the Passion of Saint John the Baptist. He had stood up for Your Commandments and was imprisoned. We can only imagine his fatigue, suffering and maybe even confusion in prison. Because Lord it is when we are weak, we are strong (2 Corinthians 2:10) because You are strong in us. We all have our times of weakness and tiredness in our lives and in our service to You- times when we are really united to You, our crucified Lord, in our suffering. There is no victory without the Cross, however united to You we are assured that in faith no matter how weak and lost we may seem, we are operating not in our own human wisdom but in Your power and for Your Glory! Saint John the Baptist please pray for us because unless a grain of wheat falls into the Earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it does, it bears much fruit (John 12:24)

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop

All Out of Oil

With motherly love, I will await your arrival in Heaven. The drops of oil resulting from your sufferings will fall on the earth into the lamps that are either extinguished or barely flickering, and they will ignite my Flame of Love. (Mary) (October 9, 1962)

Today’s Readings: Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord, I know so many who are just feeling like they are all out of oil! The bad news, the media, our own sinfulness and lack of perseverance, our losing sight of You as we look around at the waves and the water- all threaten to take us under. Lord, help us to look up and fix our eyes on You, even if we cannot see You. except barely with the eyes of our hearts and You seem long delayed! Help us offer our sufferings for the salvation of souls like drops of oil on the lamps of the multitude of souls separated from You!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scripture

Memorial of Saint Monica

God Has Visited His People

“It is to the warm solidarity of the family sanctuary that souls come back to, after having strayed far. It is there that they come to find themselves and they once more return to God. Do not think that once a child has become an adult, he no longer needs his parents. (Jesus) (January 17, 1964)

Today’s Readings: A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” (Luke 7) (Gospel for the Memorial)

Prayer Meditation- Lord today in this beautiful Gospel, and in Your words to Elizabeth Kindelmann and to us, You remind us mothers that we have a huge responsibility to bring our families to You. We can think so many of our circumstances are too far gone- that our prayers are bouncing off the chapel walls and our little prayer corners at home where we indeed weep. Yet Lord, nothing is impossible for You and Your plan for us and our children is so much bigger than we can ask or think. You have a plan for them which is a future full of hope (Jeremiah 29:11)  O  Lord, visit Your people, visit our families and heal them and call our children back to Your Loving Care! Through the intercession of Saint Monica and Our Blessed Mother we bring You our families!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Wednesday of the Twenty First Week of Ordinary Time

Jesus is Coming- Look Busy!

Do not fear. I will be with you in this great work. But, be careful, because the Evil One is active. Only unceasing labor can remove this negligence in doing good. (Jesus) (May 1962)

Today’s Readings: On the contrary, in toil and drudgery, night and day we worked,
so as not to burden any of you.
Not that we do not have the right.
Rather, we wanted to present ourselves as a model for you,
so that you might imitate us.
In fact, when we were with you, we instructed you that
if anyone was unwilling to work, neither should that one eat. (2 Thessalonians 3)

Prayer Meditation- Lord at the time that St. Paul wrote his letter to the Thessalonians everyone expected Your Return in Glory to be any day and some to the point where they stopped working and just waited for You to come! And yet St. Paul set the example by working hard to earn his keep even while preaching the Gospel. Today, there are many prophetic rumblings and many of us are wondering about these times which are dire indeed and could well be the times prophesied about in the Bible. And yet, Lord it is not Your Will that You would have us standing around looking at the sky or worried and anxious about what may be coming when You could ask us for our own life today. What is Your Will for us- it is our correspondence to Your Grace and surrender to Your Will in the everyday hum drum life that we all get to live. To find us watchful but busy and faithful to our vocations- the faithful and wise steward whom You have set over our households (Luke 12). Lord every day is a gift- let us give it back to You each day having spent it in Your Divine Will and not in endless speculation and fear.

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Tuesday Of The Twenty First Week In Ordinary Time

From the Inside Out

What should I do? O Lord, do not abandon me. Purify my thoughts and put them in order. (Elizabeth) (September 29, 1962)

Today’s Readings:

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.
Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,
so that the outside also may be clean.” (Matthew 23)

Prayer Meditation: O Lord, we can be so blind. We work on appearances and outer practices and pay no attention to the mess we are inside. When we get a glimpse by Your Grace, it can be discouraging but we know that You will never abandon us. Only You can purify the inside by Your Cleansing Blood -Lord let us hold onto You and never let You go as You heal us from the inside out!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Feast of Saint Bartholomew

Who Does He See When He Looks at You?

“Earlier, the Lord Jesus again strengthened me with an amazing grace. He does not make me feel His presence, but He looks at me and accompanies me with the penetrating gaze of His eyes.” (Jesus) (January 14, 1963)

Today’s Readings: “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” (John 1)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, like Nathaniel in the Gospel, Saint Bartholomew, we can be so amazed that You know and love us so completely, and yet Your Eyes do not turn away. You look into our hearts and You see us for who we are. Lord who do You see when You gaze into our hearts? You see our hurts, our disappointments, our hang ups, our joys, our sorrows, and our fears. You know things about us things no one else knows because You know it all.  As it says in Psalm 139, LORD, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue LORD, you know it all. Lord.  Strengthen us with Your Amazing Grace so that we would indeed see the greater things You have in store for us because despite the broken vessels that we are, You have chosen us for the good works You have planned for from the beginning of time (Ephesians 2:10).

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Twenty First Sunday in Ordinary Time

He Is Our Strength

And so, for my little strength, the work was excessive. I felt that I could not carry on. I begged the Lord in His kindness to give me strength because I could not manage to help my two daughters-in-law. (Elizabeth) (August 27-28, 1965)

Today’s Readings: I will give thanks to your name, because of your kindness and your truth: When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me. (Psalm 138)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we thank You and we praise You because You always hear our prayers!  Lord so often we lack the strength to fulfill our responsibilities- we can feel so weary! But Lord when we call Your Name You answer us and You build up strength in us as we praise You, meditate on Your Word, and come to the Altar to receive Your Sacramental Graces! Lord help us to turn to You in any trial today!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

It Starts with a Yes and Ends with a Crown

Yes, my little one, we will put out fire
with fire: the fire of hatred with the fire of love. (Mary) (December 6, 1964 )

Today’s Readings: Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1)

Prayer Meditation- Today we celebrate the Queenship of Mary, Our Mother. Lord, She gave Her Yes, not knowing what would lie ahead but in humble trust and faith! As the first disciple She gained the Crown and lives in Heaven with You, interceding for us, more Mother than Queen (St. Therese). Today, if we have the opportunity, let us pray all four mysteries with Mary, from Her Yes to Her Crown, and let us follow Her and imitate Her virtues as we meditate on Your Incarnation Lord knowing that we will live forever with You in following this sure path!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Friday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

I Hear The Sound of Dry Bones Rattling

My little one, I am going to allow you to suffer a great spiritual dryness.. Different temptations will torment you. Have
total confidence. This is the key to my heart.”(Jesus) (March 4-March 7, 1962)

Today’s Readings:

Prophesy over these bones, and say to them:
Dry bones, hear the word of the LORD!
Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones:
See! I will bring spirit into you, that you may come to life. (Ezekiel 37)

Prayer Meditation: O Lord breathe Your Life into our dry bones- at times we can feel so dry and so remote from You. So alone in this Valley of Tears- so tempted by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Lord, we have total confidence in You that Your Spirit will speak life into what needs revival in us- let us only ask and speak Your Promises out loud to those dry bones and Your Spirit will fall on us like healing rain!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of Saint Bernard. Abbott

How are You Dressed?

“In Baptism, My heavenly Father gave all of you the most beautiful robe of sanctifying grace. In spite of this, you do not take care of it. (Jesus) (May 1962)

Today’s Readings: But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ (Matthew 22)

Prayer Meditation- Lord many are called to the Wedding Feast, to Your Table, but not all who are called are chosen. In Baptism we were given sanctifying grace but how often Lord do we not take good care of what we have been given. Lord ,I believe the key is in today’s Psalm, create in me a clean heart, O Lord. A humble and contrite heart You will not spurn (Psalm 51). Lord shatter our stony hearts for what breaks Yours and place a heart of flesh in us (Ezekiel 36) so  that our hearts would expand with the fire of Your Love and Grace!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

Not A Moment Too Late

Desire to share in My work of Redemption! Let this be the supreme goal of your lives, the most valuable gift that you can bring to Me. Take advantage of every opportunity and every means to save souls. Work at it! Remember what you once read: ‘If each Christian would save just one soul, no one would be lost.”. (Jesus) (January 15, 1964)

Today’s Readings: Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ (Matthew 20)

Prayer Meditation: O Lord, You want no one to be lost- even the five o’clock laborers, the ones who are late to Your table. O Lord let us make our efforts to bring those five o’clock souls to You- who have we not invited? Let us not pick and choose who should come! Even Lord if we are the “late” ones who are paid the same as everyone else, let Your praise be always on our lips in gratitude that You have invited us to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb- let us not delay!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

A Hundred Fold

In my house, I had to tighten still further to make room for my children who raised their families. This was very difficult. I had a four bedroom home with modern conveniences. I still had the large dining room at my disposal. Nevertheless, I gave it up also, even though it came at a great cost. (Elizabeth) (1961-1962)

Today’s Readings: And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. (Matthew 19)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, You are the God who gives and takes away. There are seasons in life of abundance and season where we must be pruned from our attachments because You have something new for us, a new season of faith and growth! Like St. Paul we know what it is like to be in want and to be in plenty (Philippians 4). Lord, help us always to keep our eyes on You and to follow You knowing that as You prune us it is always for Your Glory! We may or may not receive a hundred times more in this world but we will inherit what is priceless- eternal life with You in Glory forever if we are faithful!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Monday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time

If You Wish To Be Perfect

Jesus said, “I want to give you great graces, but you must renounce yourself completely.” Elizabeth write: These were harsh words for my reason. This is why I asked Him, “Am I capable of doing this?” Jesus responded, “You must only will it; leave the rest up to Me.”(Jesus) (1961-1962 )

Today’s Readings: Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. (Matthew 19)

Prayer Meditation- Lord You do not ask the same things of everyone but what You do want is our whole hearts! In the Mark version of this Gospel it is related that You looked on the rich young man with love (Mark 10:21) and You look on all of us with love as You ask each of us to be free from the chains that bind us. These things could be many- money, food, drink, prestige, human respect, or the need to constantly be in control. Lord, help us to examine today, what it is You want us to be detached from- help us to will it and leave the rest to You!

 Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Scraps From The Table

I did not dare go to the Lord’s Table even though the person next to me took me by the arm and said, “Come on, let’s go.” (Elizabeth) (1961-1962)

Today’s Readings: She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.(Matthew 15)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord You know this Gospel is very personal for me today. You see, I was a Methodist and not a particularly good one, when sixteen years ago I came begging for scraps when my daughter was critically ill. Lord, what You want from us is lively faith, perseverance, boldness at the Throne of Grace! It may seem like what we are hearing is a no- like You don’t hear or us or don’t care but Lord, like this lady, I would not take no for an answer! I told You I would do anything if You would just walk with me- our feet have been journeying together ever since! Well now I am Catholic and involved in ministry- another story for another day! I would like to think the Canaanite Woman also became a disciple and brought along friends and family!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Blessed Are They That Believe

‘If each Christian saved just one soul, no one would be lost.’” (Jesus) (January 15, 1964)

Today’s Readings:

Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.” (Luke 1)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord blessed is She who believed and followed You. Blessed is Her Glorious Assumption into Heaven where she intercedes for us! O Lord, may we believe and act on Your Word like Our Blessed Mother. Let us never doubt that our prayers in union with Mary in the Rosary are the weapon for our time and for saving souls! Lord, we believe Your Word today- help us to follow You!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Pardoned for All We Have Done

“I overlook everything. By your
repentance, you attract Me to you like a magnet, and any soul doing that will attract Me. Oh, I
beg you, draw Me to yourselves.” (Jesus) (July 26, 1964)

Today’s Readings: For I will re-establish my covenant with you,
that you may know that I am the LORD,
that you may remember and be covered with confusion,
and that you may be utterly silenced for shame
when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 16)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, we thank You that no matter what we have done and who we have been, You pardon us when we come to You with a repentant heart. You overlook everything in Your unfathomable mercy- You remember our sins no more! (Isaiah 43:25). Lord, soften our hearts and draw us close to You and to Your Sacraments for healing and pardon!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Thursday of the Nineteenth Week of Ordinary Time

Seventy Times Seven

A long time ago, you received from My merciful Heart the full possession of the love which forgives. I accept this profound repentance with which you prostrated yourself before Me for the sake of others, and I grant them My pardon.” (Jesus) (August 18, 1965)

Today’s Readings: Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18)

Prayer Meditation- Lord we have received in full measure the love that forgives! Let us show that love to others, as many times as we need to forgive because we have been forgiven much. Lord let us continue to come to You with a heart full of repentance for ourselves and for others, especially those we love!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Optional Memorial of Saint Jane Francis de Chantal

Marked With The Sign of The Cross

Jesus: “Were you not deeply touched by the bishop’s blessing? I was there when he traced the cross on your forehead. I did this for two reasons: to give you a reward for your numerous sufferings; and so that the bishop would know My Divine Will concerning you.” (Jesus) (December 15, 1962)

Today’s Readings: Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and mark a “Thau” on the foreheads of those who moan and groan
over all the abominations that are practiced within it. (Ezekiel 9)

Prayer Meditation- O Lord, we love You, we bless You and we adore You because we read in the First Reading from the Book of  Ezekiel about those who lamented  of the evil in their day and they were marked with a Thau, an exemption from judgement. Today. Lord, Our Lady is spreading the effect of Her Flame of Love to all souls marked with Your Cross because the Flame of Love in Her Heart is Noah’s Ark for our sad times. for ourselves and our families(Spring 1981). Today let us join the Immaculata, Our Beautiful Mother and renew our consecration prayers no matter which ones we made (De Montfort, Kolbe, 33 Days, etc) in the name of all for Your Glory Lord and the good of all!

Today’s Consuming Fire Meditation- – A Daily Dose of the Flame of Love Diary Served Up with Today’s Scriptures

Memorial of Saint Clare

We Are All Little Ones

“That first meeting was the great step, when My Mother entrusted you to Me in a special way. Since then, My little one, you have been flying like an arrow towards Me. (Jesus) (April 8, 1962)

Today’s Readings: And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” (Matthew 18)

Prayer Meditation- Lord, You tell us how much You love the little ones. You also tell us today that it is not Your Will that any are lost! Lord, the truth is, if we humble ourselves, we are all Your little ones and You came for all of us! Let us entrust ourselves to You as little children through  Our Blessed Mother so that we will fly like arrows into Your Loving Arms!