How To Console Jesus' Heart

Over and over again this past year, the concept of consoling Jesus' heart keeps coming to my attention.  Although I've been Catholic my whole life, this theological truth is relatively new to me and has captured my heart.  The fact that our actions, our thoughts, our simple prayers, the offering of our sufferings can somehow relieve Jesus' sorrowing heart is such a joy to me, and I am striving to learn how to do this many times throughout my day.  It is easy for me to imagine how much our sins, our lukewarmness, and our outright denial of Christ can wound His heart, but I never realized how a little soul like mine could alleviate his pain and make his heart smile through my very littleness---through my childlike trust in His love and mercy, through my submission to His will, through my gratitude of the countless blessings He gives me daily, and through uniting my small crosses with His saving cross. What a privilege!

I have often heard theologians say that the worst pain that Jesus endured during his Passion was not the brutal scourging, was not the nails driven into His hands and feet, but rather the foreknowledge He had of those who would reject His gift of salvation.  As a member of the Trinity, He could foresee the horrendous sins His beloved children would commit in the future, like the brutal wars, sexual abuse, the Jewish holocaust, and the continuing holocaust of abortion.  Perhaps those images were running through his mind in the Garden of Gethsemane when he cried tears of blood.  He was laying down his life for those who commit such sins, and yet many of those souls would remain hardened to His gift of grace and spend eternity apart from Him.  But it never really occurred to me that He could also foresee the number of souls who would accept His precious gift of salvation with thanksgiving, who would seek His mercy when they sinned, who would serve Him joyfully with their lives and even with their martyrdom, and how those future souls actually comforted Jesus' heart during His passion and made His cross more bearable.  Jesus, as part of the God-head, is beyond time and space, so our future actions could be seen and could console Him even during His Passion in the past.  This theological mystery is called "retroactive consolation."  Yes, it is a mystery, so I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it, but I think it's starting to sink in.

I was first introduced to this idea of retroactive consolation through St. Faustina's diary.  But I am now being inspired by another source that goes into theological detail of how this mystery works in my daily life.  It is a do-it-yourself retreat book called "Consoling the Heart of Jesus," by Fr. Michael Gaitley.  It is beautiful, easy to read, and spiritually profound. My husband and I just read a chapter in the book that really spoke to me deeply.  The author explains in what ways we can console Jesus the most.  I was surprised that it was not through huge sacrifices or penances, like fasting on bread and water or giving all your possessions to the poor or praying 15 hours a day.  What consoles Jesus' heart the most is when humble souls do these simple things:

1. TRUST HIM---it gives Jesus great joy when we have complete trust that He loves us and forgives us.  He longs for us to come to him with our sins and sorrows and simply talk to Him like a best friend.  Many times in Faustina's diary Jesus told her that it is people's lack of trust that wounds His heart most deeply; therefore, it is our childlike trust in His goodness that delights Him the most.
2. THANK HIM---it pleases Jesus immensely when we see His goodness around us and thank Him for all that He has given us and has done for us.  Great heroic sacrifices are not what Jesus demands of us; all He wants is sincere sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (Psalm 49:14), both in the good times and in the bad.
3. GIVE HIM OUR LITTLENESS---it consoles Jesus when we admit our weakness, depend on His strength, and offer to Him our little crosses with joyful submission to His will.  When we accept with childlike trust the crosses that God sends us for our spiritual benefit, accepting them with a smile, it makes our Savior smile and feel loved.
4. MEDITATE OFTEN ON HIS PASSION---it gives Jesus great comfort when we recall His passion and death, for it reminds us of His infinite love for us.  I can't count the number of times he spoke to St. Faustina about the merit of simply thinking about His death on the cross and thanking Him for suffering for our salvation.  In particular, He requested that we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (which only takes about 7 minutes!) or the Stations of the Cross at the 3:00 hour, because that was the hour of His death when an ocean of mercy was poured out on the world; therefore, He continues to shower special graces upon those who seek them at that powerful hour.

Even a little soul like me can do those simple things!  As Mother Teresa once said, "God does not ask us to do great things; only little things with great love."  I have high hopes that this will transform my soul and help me to become the wife and mother and Christian that I am called to be in my daily life...


Now, for example, when I do the dishes, or clean my toilets, or change a nasty diaper, I can say, "Because I love you so much Jesus and I wish to console Your heart, I will do this task with joy."

Now, when I am overwhelmed with the demands of motherhood or get frustrated with my kids, I can say, "Thank you, Jesus, for the gift of my children.  I trust in You to help me be a loving mother."

Now, when I am feeling sad that my husband is not loving me exactly the way I want to be loved, I can say, "Thank you, Jesus, for my spouse and all he does for our family.  I know Your love is enough for me, and for You I will love and serve my husband joyfully."

Now, when I'm feeling anxious or feel like my cross is too heavy, I can say, "Jesus I trust You and I love you!  Thank You for my cross; I unite it to Yours with love, hoping that it will make you smile."

Now, when I sin or feel like my day was a complete failure, I can say, "Thank You, Jesus, for loving my littleness and for Your infinite mercy.  I trust in You and with Your grace I will do better tomorrow." 

I firmly believe that simple prayers like that console Jesus more than a 40 day fast on bread and water.  Now, I just need to train my heart to constantly look for ways to console Jesus' heart.  I need to learn to transform my daily moments of frustration into praise and thanksgiving.  I need to look at my crosses not as burdens but as opportunities to console my sweet Jesus who suffered on the cross for me and continues to suffer from His children's sins and indifference. 

Perhaps this is the great secret to finding  joy in suffering, which so many of the saints speak of!  JOY IN SUFFERING!?!?  That has always sounded a bit twisted and altogether impossible to me.  But now, to think that if I accept my small crosses with a smile, that I can actually make my Savior smile and feel consoled, it DOES make my crosses almost seem like a joy!  I'm almost excited to go clean my toilets tomorrow (oops, I said "almost"...I guess I'm not quite a saint yet!)  :) 

Dearest St. Faustina, pray for me to learn this powerful way of consoling Jesus constantly like you did.

JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU!