This talk is a continuation of the theme of the Retreat - Atonement, and its actual meaning. Yesterday I explained to you how atonement reflects how we give ourselves, totally, to God in our free will, because it is in the essence of giving that we receive all the benefits and Blessings from God.

Atonement is a word which can be found in the Old Testament - it goes back many, many, centuries, to the time when Adam and Eve existed. After Abel was slain, the children of Adam and Eve made atonement - or reparation - to God, for the sin of Adam and Eve, and also for Cain, who was the murderer of his brother. Over the centuries which followed it was a custom by the people and children of God to offer sacrifice, because it is an element of atonement.

Why do we need to atone? - it is because we are sinners, and it is through Our Lord, Jesus, that atonement, or reparation, gains merit and cancels out our debt to God. This despite the fact that Christ Died on the Cross for all and the Virgin Mary gave Her life in total sacrifice as a Martyr in Her interior life. However, we, too, have to atone - and continue to atone - for our sins, otherwise there would no need for a place called Purgatory, the name of the place of where atonement takes place if you haven't managed to redress your transgressions; a place where we pay our debt to God for having committed sins. In actual fact, every day of our lives is part of our atonement. We must pay the price despite Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross; we still have to pay for our sins - whether it is here on Earth, the preferable way, or after!

This is where the fine line between merits and demerits comes into play. That is why our lives are said to be on a balance-scale; the position of the two sides is governed by our free will. When we freely give ourselves to God, sin becomes less; the weight on that side has diminished - and as it proceeds to be unburdened the closer you come to having the One Who Created you become responsible for your protection and well-being. But that happens only if you immerse yourself totally in His Will, in the process forgetting the worldly ways which have affected your life previously. Not that we don't remain responsible in such circumstances - we have to make sure that everything that we do and say is in accord with the Will of God. This means that when we sin the consequence of the action is that we have to pay a price. The price of our salvation was measured on the Cross, with the spilling of Christ's Blood - a tremendous price. That is what it took to save our souls and open the Gates of Heaven for us, and it is only when we die and go to Heaven - or even before that should we go to Purgatory - that we will truly understand the price that it took to save our souls.

Therefore, in these 'end times' in which we are living today, God decided to form a new Order; not a new Congregation, but a new Order. There has been no new Order In the Catholic Church in the past four hundred years. There is a difference between an Order and a Congregation: a Congregation usually grows from another Order which already exists, but a new Order is a new Foundation formed with new ideas, and new presentations. In our case it has to do with the Third Branch - the Order of the Family - which has not been a part of existing Orders, until now.

Our Order was formed for the purpose of atoning - to make reparation to God - for the sins of the world, which would be many at the end of time. As you know, God was very angry with the world at the time when Sodom and Gomorrah existed. He demanded atonement for the sins which had been committed in those two major cities of the world; He asked for reparation. God used Abraham to offer himself in prayer to atone for the sins committed in these two cities - and he pleaded with God, through the Angels, for the souls there: "If there were only ten just men would You save the cities"? Amazingly enough, in these two great cities there weren't ten just men; think about that. In the world today, how many just men do you think there are? - and rest assured that God's Anger in these days is far greater than in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah, because then the souls did not have all the Gifts and Graces that we have been given. Remember: the more you receive, the more you become responsible - and we have received in abundance! Therefore, each time we sin the punishment to be suffered will be far greater than in the time of Sodom and Gomorrah because we have the knowledge; we have the Grace - they did not. There were many more pagans than good people; but even Abraham's flock - and Lot's flock, too - had problems amongst themselves, and God called for atonement!!

When we travel through the Old Testament we find that great Prophets and leaders had to atone - make reparation - to God for their people. God used the Prophets to achieve this, even asking them to suffer greatly for the sake of the people; made of them an example - even of the sins of the people of Israel. This is the reason why the Prophets suffered, tremendously - and also is the reason why you and I who are in the Order of Saint Charbel are exactly like those who followed the Prophets, because God is asking us, too, to atone; to make reparation for not only our sins but the sins of our fellow Catholics - and those of non-Catholics - so that God will be Appeased; that He will lift the yoke of His Arm of Justice and fill the world with His Mercy.

How does God extract this atonement from us? - there are several ways: it is either by a willing and loving action of yours, or He will simply exact it from you. Willingly means that, if your true "Yes" to God is genuine, from then on whatever He asks of you will be accepted and delivered, unreservedly - even without you understanding God's Will in the matter. Think of the suffering of Saint Joseph - the man who dedicated his life to God, giving over the most precious jewel of a person: his chastity. He was a man who wished to be chaste - yet God asked him to get married. Although he trusted in God totally, he did not understand. Why would he need to get married if he wanted to consecrate his life to God? - which, in essence, meant that the last thing he intended to do to was become married and bring children into the world.

The Virgin Mary was under the same cloud. Did Saint Joseph pull-out his hair in frustration because of what he was asked to do? Did he go into the depths of despair? No, he prayed to the One who had all the answers. He could not understand in the beginning, but later on God rewarded him: Saint Joseph was betrothed to Our Lady. I have done some research on this. The Virgin Mary was fourteen years old when She was betrothed - at the end of her fourteenth year - and became pregnant when she was fifteen. In the Old Testament days 'betrothal' meant a marriage contract between man and woman. Now, in those times the order of events was to have the official betrothal and then the two would separate for a time until the public marriage, when the two families would get together for a wedding ceremony which united them. This is why, when Joseph found out that the Virgin Mary was with child - before the second event had occurred - he decided on divorce. However, divorce cannot be granted if you are still single! He realised that the Virgin Mary was pregnant only when she was around six months and she went to stay with Saint Elizabeth.

It is interesting to note that Saint Joseph was very troubled in his heart, but still he did not despair; instead he prayed. God chose that particular trial so Joseph could atone for sinners, for He knew that it would cause great suffering to him - and also for the Virgin Mary, because She was not permitted to say anything to Saint Joseph. Yet God in His Wisdom, sent an Angel to him to announce this trial - and remember, it was in a dream. In today's age dreams are given no credence, they mean nothing; the Church never accepts dreams - they think it is all nonsense. They don't even accept visions readily.

So on the inspiration and Divine Revelation given through an Angel, Saint Joseph acted in pure faith. There wasn't any ecclesiastical investigation on Saint Joseph's reaction and action, to determine whether or not the dream was true. However, through that deep suffering, he then atoned. But for what? It definitely was not for himself; for anything he had done or said. There were several things: for the lack of belief of souls after they had been given signs; for those who know the Will of God, but refuse to follow it, despite having abundant evidence presented to them, which almost begs them to follow-through, protecting the Mysteries of God when He asks that they be hidden and remain hidden, just as the Blessed Virgin did; like Saint Elizabeth - and as did Saint Joseph whose role was to atone for all souls who act imprudently. In our time, through the establishment of an Order to do reparation, God is demanding the same things of us.

Ask yourselves, why is in that in the Order of Saint Charbel there are so many privileged children? Is it coincidence - or are we simply imagining things, as a group? Are we in an asylum of nut cases - or has it simply happened that way just because some good people have come together? No! It is through the Power of the Holy Ghost - like the Cenacles, who prayed with the Virgin Mary at the time of Pentecost where the Apostles and Disciples were flooded by the same Source so God could manifest Himself through His children.

What did Christ say? "......that mankind may know that you are My Disciples"! It is not only love for your fellow man which is the major issue, but you will cast out Devils; you will heal the sick; have dreams of dreams [i.e. - dreams of Revelations]; you will pick up snakes and not be hurt. Aren't these the signs that accompany God's children? Therefore, they are manifesting themselves in a much larger way because you are in tune with God - in other words, on the same wavelength. And the reason why this is not occurring in other Orders and in the world generally is that are not in tune with God! The wind blows them where it will. The whole Catholic Church should act exactly as is our intent in the Order of Saint Charbel - exactly - where God deigns to manifest Himself, totally, through His children. You hear of an occasional faithful and enlightened soul - and they are called Saints. But the very few examples of such people could be described as just 'a drop in the ocean' which contains millions of souls who allege that they follow our faith.

So what does God give His people who enjoy the manifestations of God's Presence?: suffering! - the first and foremost sign of God's Presence in such an environment, because it has identified itself with its Master. Everything to do with Christ and His Church falls into the discipline of suffering. Why? - because we are called to atone; to make reparation. It is through this that other souls are able to benefit from our trials! They also receive the Graces so their hearts are melted, and their souls are open to God's Spirit. Once a soul is drawn into this environment, what happens? He also suffers, but it is a suffering that is bitter-sweet. All God's children who suffer greatly have serenity and peace. These are the Signs of the Holy Ghost; they are the symbols of God, which go side by side.

When Christ was on the Cross, even amongst His greatest moments of pain there was serenity and peace. So what does that do then? It brings conversion to souls - conversion to sinners - because is a sign of love and total resignation to the Divine Will of God. His Will is Perfect; ours is vastly less so. Our daily lives - which God gives into our hands; in which we may exercise our free will - are comprised of many actions. To you, generally, it may mean nothing - whether you are washing dishes, doing the ironing, cleaning the Chapel, fixing-up the road, writing books, praying, or whatever - all of these items make up part of that road which we must follow and offer back to God, so it may gain merit to atone for our sins and those of our fellow man; thus we gain merit to enter the Kingdom of God and receive even more, in great abundance, the Blessings of God. That is why when you go back to the first talk, it is by the amount that you give that you will also receive - and a thousand-fold more!

Think of the situation of Mary of Magdala, who was a very much a sinner. She ran to Our Lord, knelt by His Feet and kissed them, because she could see that in Our Lord was the very foundation of Mercy and Love. There was a consequence to that one act: next to Our Lady, she was the first to see our Risen Lord. Compare the two of them: the Virgin Mary was the Most Pure of the pure; Mary of Magdala being the opposite of that - yet she received the same reward as the Virgin Mary; the same! Why - because she responded, totally; gave herself over to Christ, totally, unreservedly - and look at the reward. She became the first Mystical Spouse of Christ, after the Virgin Mary - the first one - and her gift, because of her faithfulness, was the Love of Our Lord, totally. Mary of Magdala atoned not only for her sins, but for the sins of many others, at the foot of the Cross. She was there at the Cross, as was the Virgin Mary. Think of it - the contrast; and because of it the atonement that Mary had to make so as to be a witness at the Crucifixion of Someone Who gave her Eternal Life in the moment of her conversion, to believe in Christ as the Messiah - and she knew that He was the Messiah even before most others knew! That is the reward of the faithful servant; for those who give themselves over to God, totally.

Therefore, in our daily lives - here in our Community and the associated Communities throughout the world - the focus of the Order is to make reparation to God; to make sacrifices by doing whatever God asks us to do - be it small or great - so as to reach the required degree of atonement. Some of you have a more detailed knowledge and understanding of what you have been asked to do; others are just beginning to find out. As more becomes apparent, gradually the increase in suffering does too. Many of you, I know, are suffering interiorly because of the state of the world and the miserable lives of many in it - and because God has called you out of that world, the normal environment in which every unenlightened soul lives on this Earth. Many of you are called onto a road to which no-one has ever been called before - and it is difficult for you. It is difficult because you have had to make the choice, by your free will, to say, simply: "Yes, Lord!" - like Mary of Magdala, Saint Joseph and just as the Virgin Mary did, Herself.

What a wonderful reward the Virgin Mary received by simply saying to the Angel: "Let it be done to Me according to your word"! A simple statement - but look at what She became because of that: the Mother of the Creator; the Queen of Heaven and Earth for ever and ever and ever. Think of your 'fiat' when God asks you: "Son - (or, daughter): will you accept My terms - what I wish for you - without counting the cost, or measuring with the yard-stick, or placing conditions on My request"? Simply say: "Yes, Lord, be it done according to Thy Word!"

Many say: "Yes, Lord!" - but if you remember, in the Gospel, Jesus said to the Pharisees: "Many say 'yes; yes, Lord', but are far from the Kingdom of God, because they say it only with their lips, not with their heart". You may feel that it is very difficult to follow Jesus. In some cases that may be true, but it shouldn't be so - not really - because if you consider the identity of Jesus and admit that He is God, the One Who Created us, you also know that He is the One to Whom we shall return one day. Understanding that you are born through the Will of God and must go back to him for Judgement at the end means that in the life in between those times - from birth until your death - you must also live with God. That is why those who go to Heaven straight away - or spend only a very short time in Purgatory - are the ones who have wished above all things to live with God in eternity.

So in your daily lives - when God has called you to an extraordinary role - simply say: "Yes, Lord!" You won't understand everything that God asks of you - at least not immediately. I didn't understand everything that God asked of me, either. I simply said: "Yes!" And the thing is that God rewards your "Yes!"; He strengthens it with conviction, determination and perseverance, in spite of what the world may think, or say, or do; despite what your relatives, your loved ones and friends may think of you. That is why those who followed Christ in the early Church, and gave up their lives for it, were rewarded with sanctity and saintliness - and Paradise!

You and I who are in the Order of Saint Charbel: some of our tasks and works may seem to be very trivial, in as much as they are quite simple - but even in the simplicity of your work you can gain merit. You see, it has to do very much with the personal relationship you allow yourself to have with God and the level of purity in your response; your intent. Your intentions must be pure at all times. When you are asked to wash the dishes, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to finish-up with every plate sparkling - it means that your intent should be to approach the task with a will to, first and foremost, please God by your actions. I know that this is an uncomplicated example, but I want you to understand that it is the simple things which can put you on the right path.

Think about Our Lady having the Perfect Child. I know that you won't understand it - but Jesus never had to go to the toilet, for example. Our Lady had a rather good life in that sense. She didn't have to change nappies; She didn't have a whingeing baby. Jesus cried when He was cold, of course - but that only proved that He was human. He didn't have to have reason to cry, because He was God. Our Lady - as a mother: what did she do? Like all mothers, She cleaned Her house; looked after Saint Joseph and the Baby Jesus, in the simplest way of life.

I have been fortunate enough to visit Loreto, where the house of Our Lady stands. It is a beautiful house - although not very large. It is much smaller than most of your homes here. There is only one room - and it is the kitchen, the bathroom, and everything else. Now Our Lady looked after that little home with great care. Consider that, as Jesus was very much different from most humans - to put it lightly - looking after Him would be so very different from supervising the average child. Our Lady wouldn't have to run after Jesus to see if he was getting into mischief, because he was not a mischievous child. So what do you think Our Lady would have done during the day? She wouldn't have twiddled Her thumbs! She prayed, sang, did a bit of gardening, some sewing, knitting - whatever. But every act was done with such purity She gained merit, even from the simple things like cleaning the floor; and because She did it for the love of the Saviour, She probably saved a hundred or more souls each day. Likewise, everything that we have to do must be turned into merit, because that is what it is all about. It is like gaining interest in your bank account: you gain interest on your acts, the exercising of your free will and your determination to do the Will of God. If you do that you gain merit - and we gain merit by submitting to the Will of God with joy and interior self-giving, unreservedly, with no strings attached. With every step that you take, each day will be a new day in which you can gain more merit; to earn interest in the bank, so to speak.

It is so important that you realise this concept - it is so very important - because then you will lessen the difficulty you have in accepting the Will of God; you will simply live each day as it comes, and bless each day, because God gives you a fresh opportunity to gain ever more merit over that day - and for each merit that you gain your position in Heaven is raised; every day! As you already know, many - many - years ago, some twenty-five, I struck a bargain with Our Lord when He told me that I was going to be a great Saint. Our Lord said: "You will lead My people into the New Jerusalem - and you will meet Me Face to face". He asked if I was content with that? I said: "Yes, Lord! However, I want more. I am not content to be a Saint, simply, I want the lot - everything or nothing. I want to be not only a great Saint, I want to be the greatest Saint, and I want to be next to the Virgin Mary, sitting at Her right Hand". Our Lord consented to that, but there was a price-tag attached to it. And what was that price tag? - the giving over of free will and acceptance of the Cross! The two of them go together - making-up the crossed beams. The free will is the crossbeam, and the 'Cross' is the upright part that goes to Heaven.

Now I know, looking back over the years, that the Cross really is the Cross - and it never goes away, but is worth every penny, because in living this life of atonement every day, each minute of it, means that I give over my free will to God, unreservedly; and by giving all to Him I know that He will give all to me, in return. And what is more valuable than Himself? Christ then uses us - you and me - uses our body and our soul, the exterior and interior, to atone for sin - ours and everybody else's sins. Therefore, if you personally accept the need for this suffering, when someone comes into your presence you give-out a light which comes from God, because He Lives in you, and through this they can see Jesus in you, because you are supposed to be another Christ, are you not? You are part of the Mystical Body of Christ - that means you are an integral part of Our Lord, Himself. You might be a finger, a toe, an elbow, the foot - a single cell; it doesn't matter what, because each part is important for the body as a whole. Cut off the fingers and it is difficult to write; cut off the head - well, you are dead - and so on.

The thing is this: the Order of Saint Charbel has been called by Christ to imitate Himself, because all of humanity must see Christ in the Order. When they see Jesus here, in your lives, manifesting Himself through you, through your love, through your virtues, and through the external sign of the Power of the Holy Ghost, then they know that it is God who is here. Therefore, the Body of Christ - you - becomes the element of atonement, atoning and sacrificing, constantly, as did Jesus Himself, Who was on the Cross; constant atonement. And now Jesus is still atoning every minute and every hour of every day - in the Eucharist, as a Prisoner for man. You, also, are a prisoner for God. Why? - because you are imprisoned in the shell of your body which seeks to be released to go into God - and the chains of this body, because of all the temptations that still exist, are the cause of its suffering. But it atones, therefore, to make reparation to God for our sins and the sins of others.

Because the Order of Saint Charbel is unique it is very important to the Church. We may only be small in number, but how many were at the Cross? It was not the majority of the people of Jerusalem because, remember, they scattered after Palm Sunday; even though they had witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus - they still scattered. And what was left after the Garden of Gethsemane? - even the Apostles and the Disciples ran away because of their fear.

So you see, it was only a small core of the believers who remained at the Cross to atone and to console Our Lord; to make reparation for those who escaped; for those who ran away in fear. And who were they? The Virgin Mary, Mary of Magdala, the holy women, one Apostle, and a few of the Sanhedrin - the rest were there to curse and mock God, not to console Him. Those few little souls were the only ones making reparation for those who were around the Cross Crucifying Our Lord and blaspheming; those little souls were taking-in all of that suffering to make reparation, because they became co-redeemers with Jesus on the Cross, and that is what the Order consists of - co-redeemers; those who are prepared to atone for sins, because someone has to atone; someone has to make up for it - for the Graces which are pouring down upon the world, but are being ignored. We have received such Graces, in abundance.

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Last modified: January 25, 2001