Wednesday, May 29, 2013

The Way of Divine Love, by Sister Josefa Menendez

(Selections)
A Call To Souls
Hidden in the silence of her convent in Poitiers, France, Sister Josefa Menendez who had left her home in Spain to follow her vocation, became the chosen instrument of Christ's love.
Jesus, His Heart on fire, revealed himself to her, spoke to her, molded her as He pleased, and gave her a share in his work of redemption. Then he entrusted his desires to her, and asked her to transmit them to the world.
The aim of this page is to respond to that appeal, by spreading the message to as many souls as possible.
May they accept and read the message; may they find in it light and strength for each day as it comes; may they become collaborators in this work of love; may they be fuel for the fire that our Lord came to enkindle throughout the whole earth.
According to his desire, may they be a chain of souls whose hearts will be more and more on fire with love, love that trusts and expects everything from Him, so that, aflame with this fire, they will communicate it to the whole world.


NOTICE. -- In 1923 Christ said that he wanted his words to be made known, and that his grace would accompany his words and those who made them known. (June 19, 1923. Way of Divine Love, p. 369). Please help to spread the writings of Josefa Menendez. Five leaflets, suitable for distribution in church racks, will be sent free of charge to anyone who requests them. Please send your request to: editor@atonementbooklets.20m.com --- A free prayer card may also be obtained upon request. --- This website does not give addresses to third parties.
 --- "I tell you once more that grace will accompany my words, and those who make them known. Truth will triumph, and peace will reign over souls and the world, and my kingdom will come!" (1923, Poitiers, France).
More Precious Than Gold, Part 1, by Josefa Menendez -- Download PDF
The trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, will be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. - 1 Peter 1:7 -- “Gold is purified in the fire. So tribulation purifies and fortifies the soul.” “Gaze well and long on this Heart. It is the Crucible in which the most defiled are purified, and afterwards inflamed with love.” --- Words of Christ to Sister Josefa Menendez. Words of Our Lord about the purification of the soul and related topics.
More Precious Than Gold, Part 2, by Josefa Menendez --Download PDF
In June, 1923, Our Lord said: “I tell you once more that grace will accompany My words and those who make them known. Truth will triumph, and peace will reign over souls and the world, and My kingdom will come!” --- "When he has tried me, I shall come forth as gold."  Job 23:10 ----- Our Lord reveals the secrets of His Heart to Josefa, and to all souls of good will.
A Cup of Cold Water, by Josefa Menendez -- A Cup of Cold Water --- The value of daily actions, offered in union with the actions and merits of Christ. ---- "Write for my souls," He said. "The soul who constantly unites her life with mine glorifies me and does a great work for souls. Thus, if engaged in work of no value in itself, if she bathes it in My Blood or unites it to the work I Myself did during My mortal life, it will greatly profit souls... "I so much want souls to understand this! It is not the action in itself that is of value; it is the intention with which it is done. When I swept and laboured in the workshop of Nazareth, I gave as much glory to My Father as when I preached during My public life.
Three Recommendations, by Josefa Menendez -- Three Recommendations -- Advice Our Lord gave to Josefa and to all souls of good will. How the Church will triumph. = = = = = = = = = = = = = =



A  Cup  of  Cold  Water
The  Value  of  Daily  Actions
"And whoever shall give to one of these little ones even a cup of cold water to drink because he is my disciple, truly I say to you, he shall not lose his reward."   –   Matthew 10:42
THE Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians: "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31). The same apostle wrote to the Colossians, "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (Col. 3:17)
In the Scriptures, Christ promised that he would pour out his spirit upon men and women of all conditions (Acts 2:17-18). The wisdom of God can do all things, and remaining itself the same, renews all things, and through nations conveys itself into holy souls, making them friends of God and prophets. (Wisdom 7:27). In 1922 Christ revealed himself to Josefa Menendez, a sister at the convent of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart, in Poitiers, France.
"Write for my souls," He said. "The soul who constantly unites her life with mine glorifies me and does a great work for souls. Thus, if engaged in work of no value in itself, if she bathes it in My Blood or unites it to the work I Myself did during My mortal life, it will greatly profit souls, more perhaps, than if she had preached to the whole world, and that, whether she studies, speaks or writes, whether she sews, sweeps or rests, provided first that the act is sanctioned by obedience or duty and not done from mere caprice; secondly, that it is done in intimate union with Me, with great purity of intention and covered with My Blood.
"I so much want souls to understand this! It is not the action in itself that is of value; it is the intention with which it is done. When I swept and labored in the workshop of Nazareth, I gave as much glory to My Father as when I preached during My public life.
"There are many souls who in the eyes of the world fill important posts, and they give My Heart great glory; this is true. But I have many hidden souls who in their humble labors are very useful workers in My vineyard, for they are moved by love, and they know how to cover their deeds with supernatural gold by bathing them in My Blood. My love goes so far that My souls can draw great treasure out of mere nothing. When as soon as they wake they unite themselves to me and offer their whole day with a burning desire that My Heart may use it for the profit of souls, when with love they perform their duties, hour by hour and moment by moment, how great is the treasure they amass in one day!
"I will reveal My love to them more and more. It is inexhaustible, and how easy it is for a loving soul to let itself be guided by love." (Nov. 30, 1922).
Jesus was silent. Josefa laid down her pen, and for a few instants remained in adoration before Him who thus opened His Heart so widely before her. "Adieu," He said at last, "go back to your work; love and suffer, for love is inseparable from suffering. Abandon yourself to the care of the best of Fathers, and to the love of the tenderest of Partners."
This was ever the lesson dearest to God Our Savior. His Cross is a choice gift, surpassing the most precious of favors. On this First Friday He left it to Josefa, who carried it both day and night.
On Saturday, December 2, she noted simply: "With great difficulty I managed to go to meditation, for my strength is gone." At eight o'clock, however, she was at her post, and Jesus soon joined her.
"Write for souls," He said, as on the preceding day.
Josefa knelt at her small table, and Our Lord spoke, standing beside her.
"My Heart is all love and it embraces all souls, but how can I make My chosen souls understand My special love for them, and how I wish to use them to save sinners and so many souls who are exposed to the perils of the world? For this reason I would like them to know how much I desire their perfection, and that it consists in doing their ordinary actions in intimate union with Me. If they once grasped this, they could divinize their life and all their activities by this close union with My heart, and how great is the value of a divinized day!
"When a soul is burnt up with desire to love, nothing is a burden to her, but if she feels cold and spiritless everything becomes hard and difficult. Let her then come to My Heart to revive her courage. Let her offer Me her dejection, and unite it to My fervor; then she may rest content, for her day will be of incomparable value to souls. All human miseries are known to My Heart, and My compassion for them is great.
"But I desire souls to unite themselves to Me not only in a general way.
I long for this union to be constant and intimate, as it is between friends who live together; for even if they are not talking all the time, at least they look at each other, and their mutual affectionate little kindnesses are the fruit of their love.
"When a soul is in peace and consolation, doubtless it is easier for her to think of Me, but if she is in the throes of desolation and anguish, she need not fear. I am content with a glance. I understand, and this mere look will draw down on her special proofs of my tenderness.
"I will repeat again to souls how My Heart loves them, for I want them to know Me thoroughly, that they may make Me known to those I place in their care.
"I ardently desire My chosen souls to fix their eyes on Me, and never turn them away, and among them there should be no mediocrity, which usually is the result of a misunderstanding of My love. No! it is neither difficult nor hard to love My Heart, but on the contrary, it is sweet and easy. They need do nothing extraordinary to attain to a high degree of love; purity of intention, be the action great or small, intimate union with My Heart, and love will do the rest."
Jesus stopped; then bending down towards Josefa who was prostrate at His feet: "Go," He said, "and have no fear. It is I who cultivate this little flower, that it may not perish! Love Me in peace and joy."



Carrying the Cross at Night
Every night the Master brought Josefa His Cross which He asked her to carry for the soul that was causing Him such sorrow.
"Will you carry My Cross?" He asked her.
And instantly she offered herself to take it from His sacred shoulders.
On Friday, Sept. 8, 1922, towards evening He came "as a poor man hungry and begging," she wrote, thus accurately describing the atmosphere of sad appeal that seemed to envelop His whole person.
"O slake My thirst to be loved by souls, especially to be loved by those I have chosen. That soul is oblivious of My love," he went on. "It is his ingratitude that puts me into this state."
"Then," wrote Josefa, "I begged Him to accept all the little acts done here, the sufferings of the house, and above all the very real desire we all have to comfort and please Him. I asked Him to purify and transform these very little things, and give them some value in His sight.
"I do not look at the act itself, I look at the intention," He replied. "The smallest act, if done out of love, acquires such merit that it gives Me immense consolation. I want only love, I ask for nothing else."
Others besides Josefa had a share in this ransom: there were at that time at the convent in Poitiers several sisters who by their acceptance of illness or infirmity were closely united to Our Lord crucified. Speaking of them Our Lord said on Sept. 13:
"Many are willing to entertain Me when I visit them with consolation. Many receive Me with joy in Holy Communion, but few welcome Me when I visit them with My Cross. When a soul is stretched on the cross, and is surrendered to My will, that soul glorifies me, and consoles Me, and is very close to Me."
He then made His meaning clearer still: "It is because of the sufferings of My religious that that sinner has not fallen lower still; but yet more must be undergone for his conversion. When he has come back to Me, Josefa," He added, so that she might not lose sight of her mission, "I will tell you the secret of My love for souls, for I want them all to know how great it is."
Days and nights passed during which Josefa had no relief from her sufferings of soul or body.
"Be not dismayed," said Our Lord to her on Sept. 21, "for that soul will not be lost. He will soon be returning to My Heart, but when a soul is to be saved, much suffering is needed."
This none knew better than Josefa. The devil set himself against her in furious assaults, as if he had guessed the redemptive character of her suf-ferings for the soul he thought to have securely in his clutches. Descents into hell were added to the other painful afflictions she underwent, and night after night the Cross of Jesus lay heavy on her shoulder. On Sept. 25, after a more than usually painful night, Our Lord manifested Himself to her. His Heart had no wound and was transfused with light and beauty.
He said, "See! that soul has come back to Me and has allowed grace to triumph. O love Me, and refuse Me nothing to obtain for Me the love of many other souls."
Who on reading this account can doubt that the lost sheep is ever the best loved-- the prodigal son the most eagerly sought and the most tenderly received?
But Our Lord did not allow Josefa any long respite. Her mission ceased neither day nor night, since souls are in peril, and the world is full of sin. Such is the lesson He seems to be teaching us through her.

Saints' Quotes
Saints' Quotes
Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell
Four Last Things

All for the Glory of God 
The apostle Paul wrote, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31). Our Lord gave a practical lesson about this passage to Josefa in 1922:
On Tuesday, June 14, Jesus the all beautiful came. He bore in His hands the Crown of Thorns, and He asked Josefa with an expression of mildness: "Will you comfort Me?"
She assented at once, and He continued: "I want you to work at bringing back to Me a much-loved soul. Direct your attention and offer all you do for him. Often present My Blood to the Father. Kiss the ground, in reparation for this outraged Blood, trampled underfoot by the souls I so dearly love. If you obtain leave, I will tell you all you can do for him."
Then He laid out a plan for days of oblation:
"When you awake, enter at once into My Heart, and when you are deep down in It, offer My Father all your actions united to the beating of My Heart. Unite all your actions to Mine, so that it will no longer be you, but I, that act in you."  (Galatians 2:20)
"During Mass, present this soul that I want to save to My Father, so that He may pour over him the Blood of the Victim that is about to be immolated.
When you go to Holy Communion, offer the divine wealth you then possess to pay that soul's debt.
During your prayer, place yourself beside Me in Gethsemane, share My anguish, and offer yourself to My Father as a victim, ready to endure all that your soul is able to bear.
When you take your food, think that you are giving Me that alleviation, and do the same whenever you take pleasure in anything whatsoever.
Do not be separated from Me, even for one instant. Often kiss the ground. Do not omit to make the Stations a single day. If I need you, I will tell you.
Look solely to My will in all you do, and accomplish it with the greatest submission.
Humble yourself profoundly, but always joining confidence and love to your humility.
Do everything out of love, and do not lose sight of what I suffered for souls.
During the night you will rest in My Heart. Mine will hearken to the beats of yours, which will stand as so many acts of love and desire. Thus you will bring back to Me that soul that so offends Me."
I asked Him to be indulgent with me, if one or other of these points is not done exactly as He wishes, for I am very weak.
In the evening, during my adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, He came with bleeding hands and feet, and looking up to heaven, He said: "Offer My Father the divine Victim and the Blood of My Heart for that soul."
He repeated the same words three times. I told Him of my desire to comfort Him and to carry out all He had explained to me.
"Do not be over-anxious; you possess My Heart for all I ask you to do." (June 14, 1921. Poitiers, France)


The  Value  of  Good  Desires 

"Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble; you will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear." --Psalms 10:17
"Those souls must come back to Me without further delay. Pray hard that they may allow grace to penetrate them. Although you can do no more than desire to see Me loved, this is already much. It relieves My Heart. For this longing is love. Offer yourself for those souls, that love may pierce them through and through."
I prayed to Him for all those souls, begging of Him to make many of them know the goodness of His Heart and love Him.
"It pleases Me to see you famished for My love and burnt up with longing to see Me loved. That by itself is consolation to My Heart. Yes, pray for the souls of which I have given you charge. A few more sacrifices, and they will return to Me."
On Saturday, Nov. 20, He came to her, as a beggar, destitute and asking for love. Many little wounds were lacerating His Heart.
"Tell Me, would you not attempt the impossible to comfort Me, Josefa? Share with Me for a moment the bitterness of My heart."
Then helpless distress seemed to overpower my soul. He was still there, and gradually His Heart lit up, and all His wounds disappeared.
"Listen," He said, "I want you to give Me souls. Only love in all you do is required. Suffer because you love, work because you love, and above all abandon yourself to love. When I let you feel anguish of spirit and great loneliness, suffer in love. I want to make use of you, as a tired man uses a stick to lean upon. I want to possess you, to consume you entirely, but all in great sweetness, so that enduring a martyrdom of love, you thirst to suffer more."


 Our Lord Seeks Victims
On Oct. 27, 1920, Our Lord told Josefa Menendez, in France: “I shall make of you a victim, for you must resemble Me if you are to be My Bride, and can you not see what I am like?”

On Dec. 18, 1920, He said: “I use your helplessness to save souls, Josefa; I want you to be the victim of this Heart. Do not refuse Me anything; comfort Me when I need comfort, and remember that I spared nothing to prove My love for you.”

On June 30, 1921, Our Lord appeared to Josefa after communion and showed her the wounds in His hands and feet, and taught her to discover the invisible wound of love. “Look at My wounds,” He said. “Adore them; kiss them; they were caused not by souls, but by love.” She was mute, not knowing what to say. He repeated, “Yes, they are caused by the love I have for souls, a love of compassion for sinners. Ah! Did they but know.” He continued: “The greatest reward I can give a soul, is to make her a victim of My love and mercy, rendering her like Myself, who am the divine Victim for sinners.” (Way of Divine Love, p. 103).

On Nov. 25, 1921, Our Lord showed her His Heart surrounded by flames, and He said: “See how My Heart is consumed with love for souls! You, too, must burn with desire for their salvation. I want you to go deep into this heart today, and to make reparation with It. Yes, we must repair,” He repeated. “I am the great Victim, and you are a very little one, but if you are united to Me, My Father will listen to you.” (p. 123).

On Feb. 11, 1923, Our Lord told her: “I need victims to repair the bitterness inflicted on My Heart and to relieve My sorrow. How great is the number of sins committed! How many the souls that are lost!” (p. 233)

On March 2, 1923, Our Lord said to her: “My Cross is heavy. That is why I come here to rest, and to give a share of it to each of My well-beloved souls. My Heart is in search of victims to lead the world to love, and I find them here.” [the convent in Poitiers, France]. (Way of Divine Love, p. 249)

On June 12, 1923, Our Lord said: “To make reparation for the crimes of the world, I will choose victims who will obtain pardon, for there are in the world many whose desire is to please me, and there are moreover generous souls who will sacrifice everything they possess, that I may use them according to My will and good pleasure.” (p. 354).



"The Way of Divine Love, the Message of the Sacred Heart to the World," by Josefa Menendez, Sister of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1890--1923. This book is more than an account of extraordinary graces granted to a humble soul. It is the message that Our Lord wants made known to the world. It is truly a spiritual classic. Approved by Pope Pius XII. 506 pgs. Soft cover. $3.50 + $4.00 shipping.
J.M.J. Book Co.,
P.O. Box 15,
Necedah, WI 54646 --- Tel. (608) 565-2516

The Divine Mercy Devotion and the Second Coming of Christ

Stanley Villavicencio is a Filipino from Cebu who travels all around the world to give his amazing testimony: that he died, and lived again for Divine Mercy. On the morning of 2 March 1993, Stanley’s mother-in-law saw him convulsing in bed, mouth frothing, vomiting blood, and with hardly any pulse. He was rushed to the emergency room of Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City. 

Stanley’s father and sister, both doctors, together with four Cebu medical specialists, concluded that nothing could be done to save Stanley. During the three days that he was in a coma and pronounced clinically dead, Stanley shared that Jesus appeared to him, showed to him a film of his entire life, then told him that he needed to go back to the world to propagate the devotion to Divine Mercy.
Stanley Villavicencio: The Man Who Died and Lived Again for Divine Mercy Thus, on the third day, Stanley suddenly sat up and took out all of the life support systems attached to him. The nurse who was monitoring him ran away terrified. Stanley was found completely normal. The lead doctor, who proclaimed the case a miracle, was so touched by the experience that he decided to enter the priesthood.
Stanley’s case was thoroughly examined by the Vatican. Stanley quit his job and now goes all around the world proclaiming his testimony on the Divine Mercy a full-time basis, with the blessings of the Church hierarchy and under the guidance of Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu.

Fruits of His Testimony

Stanley’s testimony has touched the lives of numerous people. A Central Bank employee, conscience-stricken after hearing Stanley’s testimony, decided to return the P400,000 (approximately $8,000) he stole from the bank. A group of prisoners in a jail in Agusan del Sur, who were previously planning to stage a riot, repented after hearing Stanley’s talk. In Cebu, a very depressed Aglipayan woman, who invited Stanley to give a talk in their church, changed her mind on plans to commit suicide, after hearing his testimony.
Muslims and Protestants alike have been moved. He has been invited to speak in many countries on his experience, and the Divine Mercy devotion. In Mexico, in the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Stanley spoke to thousands of people and hundreds of priests and bishops.
The amazing fruits of Stanley’s testimony, as well as the medically-unexplainable manner with which he recovered from a state of clinical death, provide us with ample reason to believe in the authenticity of his experience, and provides a powerful witness to the Divine Mercy devotion.

“You Will Witness My Final Coming!”

Stanley continued to receive messages from Jesus in his dreams, even after his initial encounter with the Lord. On 31 August 1994, he received this striking message: “My son, you will witness My final coming.”
If then we are to believe that Stanley’s mission is authentic, then Jesus has given us, through Stanley, a message that is so profound and so intense that it ought to do nothing less than shake us to the core and wake us up: the Second Coming of Christ will happen in Stanley’s lifetime!
Stanley, born in 1953, is now 56 years old. According to the CIA World Factbook, the average life expectancy of Filipinos, as of 2008, is 70.8 years, with males averaging 67.89 years. If Stanley lives according to the overall Filipino male average, then he has approximately ten years to live. If he is healthy, and manages to live until the ripe old age of 90, then he has approximately 33 years to live. That means, based on Jesus’ statement to Stanley that he will witness the Lord’s final coming, the Second Coming of Christ may very well happen anywhere in the next 10 to 30 years!
Numerous other private revelations have talked about the proximity of the Second Coming of Christ and the need for mankind to repent in preparation for “the great day of the Lord”. In recent apparitions and private revelations, such as Our Lady’s messages to Fr. Gobbi of the Marian Movement of Priests, as well as the apparitions in Akita, Africa and Medjugorje, Our Lady emphasized the urgent need to repent since time is “running out”.
It should be noted also that the Lord Jesus said to St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of Poland: “You will prepare the world for My final coming… let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the day of justice.” (St. Faustina’s Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul)

Preparation for the Second Coming of Christ

In the messages to Stanley, as well as in the messages given to St. Faustina, Jesus emphasized that the Divine Mercy devotion is a preparation for His Second Coming. In His message to Stanley on 1 April 1996, Jesus said: “…proclaim My Mercy to all souls, the days of the earth are so short now, so the duration of this devotion will soon come to an end.”
Likewise, in his 4 October 1996 message: “Blessed are those who take advantage of My Mercy while it is still the Day of Mercy, but beware, the Day of Judgment is sooner than everyone thinks.”

Time to Prepare!

If Jesus’ imminent return to the world is near, then our foremost priority should be to prepare for this momentous event! Just like a basketball game, we are in the “last two minutes” — only this time the stakes are much, much higher: the fate of our souls for all eternity.
How do we prepare then? The answer, of course, is prayer, particularly the prayers recommended by Jesus the Divine Mercy Himself. Jesus admonishes us to pray the Chaplet. He said to Stanley: “Pray, pray the Chaplet and recommend it to all, as the last hope of salvation. Encourage people to pray the Chaplet without ceasing.” This message of praying the Chaplet without ceasing was repeated to Stanley numerous times: “Pray, pray, the Chaplet without ceasing, it will be a shield against the enemies.”
Note that Jesus did not say “pray the Chaplet daily.” He encourages us to pray the Chaplet without ceasing. If we are prepared, the Second Coming of Christ should not be a cause for worry or fear but a source of boundless hope and joy! For at last, the time will come when all our toils and sufferings in this world will end; when sickness and death will be no more; when emotional pains and hurts will cease. If we prepare well, it will be the magnificent moment when we will at last claim our glorious crown, and will say with St. Paul (2 Timothy 4:1-8):
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

 by Arthur Policarpio

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Pope: Avoid the temptation to interfere - (The sin of detraction is one of the most forgotten sins!)

  The Christian must overcome the temptation to "interfere in the lives of others," was the exhortation of Pope Francis at Mass this morning at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope also stressed that talk and envy do so much harm to the Christian community.

"What is it to you?" Pope Francis begin his homily referring to a question Jesus posed to Peter when he had meddled in the life of the disciple John, "whom Jesus loved." Peter, the Pope pointed out, had "a dialogue of love" with the Lord, but then the dialogue "is diverted to another track," and he also suffers from a temptation: "to interfere in the lives of others." How do you say "vulgar," said the Pope, Peter becomes "nosy". Focus is therefore on two modes of this mix in the lives of others. First, the "comparison", "to compare oneself with others." When there is this comparison, Pope Francis said, "we end up in bitterness and even envy, but envy rusts the Christian community, "it brings much hurt," the "devil wants that." The second mode of this temptation, he added, is gossip. It begins "in an educated way," but then we end up “feeling bad”.

"We all chat in Church! As Christians we chat! The chatter is hurtful? We hurt one another. It is as if we want to put each other down.: instead of growing one makes the other feel small while I feel great. That will not do! It seems nice to chat ... I do not know why, but it looks nice. Like sweet of honey, right? You take one and then another, and another, and another, and in the end you have a stomach ache. And why ? The chatter is like that eh? It is 'sweet at first and it ruins you, it ruins your soul! Rumours are destructive in the Church, they are destructive ... It’s 'a little' like the spirit of Cain who killed his brother, his tongue; it kills his brother! "

On this road, the Holy Father said, "we become Christians of good manners and bad habits." But how do we do this ? Normally, Pope Francis noted, "we do three things":

"We supply misinformation: we tell only half that suits us and not the other half, the other half we do not say because it is not convenient for us. You smile at that ... Is that true or not? Did you see that thing? It goes on. The second is defamation: When a person truly has a flaw, it is big, they tell it, 'like a journalist' ... And the character of this person is ruined. And the third is the slander of saying things that are not true. It is like killing ones brother! All three - disinformation, defamation and slander - are sins! This is sin! It is to slap Jesus in the person of his children, his brothers. "

That is why Jesus does with us what he did with Peter when he says: "What is it to you? Follow me, "The Lord in this instance" points the way ":

"'This kind of talk will not do you any good, because it will just bring to the Church a spirit of destruction. Follow me! '. These are the beautiful words of Jesus, it is so clear, that he has so much love for us. As if to say: 'Don’t have fantasies, believing that salvation is in the comparisons with others or in gossip. Salvation is to go behind me '. Following Jesus! Today we ask the Lord Jesus to give us this grace not to ever get involved in the lives of others, not to become Christians of good manners and bad habits, it is to follow Jesus, to walk behind Jesus on his way. And this is enough. "

During his homily, Pope Francis also recalled an episode from the life of St. Therese who wondered why Jesus gave so much to one and not to another. The older sister then took a thimble and a glass and filled them with water and then asked Therese which of the two was more full. "But both are full," said the future saint. Jesus, the Pope said, does this with us", "he does not care if you're big, you're or small." What interests him is "if you are filled with the love of Jesus."

From Vatican Radio: http://en.radiovaticana.va