Christ Teaches Us to Pray

Through Josefa Menendez
"The Way of Divine Love"

 Most people think the only prayer Christ taught us to pray is the “Our Father” and that is why we call it the Lord’s Prayer.  However, throughout the history of apparitions, Christ or Mary have taught us many other prayers like the prayer Mary and the Angel taught at Fatima.  For those who have never read “The Way of Divine Love” by Josefa Menendez, I would like to put on one easy to read document the prayers Christ taught us to pray for sinners.

page 96    This prayer was in response to our Our Lord's happiness upon revealing to Sr. Josefa Menendez the conversion of three priests who were on the verge of losing their soul's and could have been responsible for the loss of countless others had they rejected his grace.  Our Lord instructed her to pray every day.

"O Jesus, by Thy most loving Heart, I implore Thee to inflame with zeal for Thy love and glory all the priests of the world, all missionaries and those whose office it is to preach Thy word, that, on fire with holy zeal, they may snatch souls from the devil and lead them into the shelter of Thy Heart, where forever they may glorify Thee."

On page 112, Our Lord instructs Josefa to pray after communion the following ejaculation..........

"Heart of Jesus, may the whole world be set on fire with Thy love."

On pages 193-194, Our Lord is concerned for two souls that are in great danger and thus asks Josefa to off er herself as a victim for them.  Then, with clasped hands and gazing heavenward, he says gravely and impressively: 

"Eternal Father, Father of mercies, accept the Blood of Thy Son, accept His Wounds, accept His Heart for these souls. Eternal Father, accept the Blood of Thy Son, accept His Wounds, accept His Heart.  Consider His thorn-crowned Head.  Let not His Blood be once more shed in vain.  See His thirst to save these souls for Thee. ... O Father, do not allow them to be lost. ...... Save them that they may eternally glorify Thee."

On page 232, Our Lord explains to Josefa that there are particular souls that are called to give glory not only for themselves, but for those who are lost and thus have not given him his due glory.  In this way, he tells her that "My glory is not impaired and a just soul is able to make reparation for many others."  He then tells Josefa that the following should be her constant prayer...........

"Eternal Father, who out of love for mankind gavest Thy Beloved Son up to death by His Blood, by His merits and by His Heart, have pity on the whole world, and forgive all the sins that are there committed.  Receive the humble reparation offered Thee by Thy chosen souls.  Unite it to the merits of Thy Divine Son, so that all they do may be very effective.  O Eternal Father, have pity on souls, and remember that the time has not yet come for strict justice, but for mercy."

On page 234, Our Lord offers us another prayer of reparation due to the "ingratitude of men."  It goes like this..........

"O God, infinitely Holy, I adore Thee.  Humbly prostrate in Thy presence, I beg of Thee in the name of Thy Divine Son to pardon the many sinners who offend Thee.  I offer Thee my life, and I long to repair for so much ingratitude."

On the following page, 235, he adds yet another prayer of reparation............

"My Father, God Holy and Merciful, accept my desire to console Thee.  Would that I could repair for all the sins of the world......but as this is impossible, I offer Thee the merits of Jesus Christ, Redeemer of the human race, in order to satisfy Thy justice." 

On page 238, he tells Josefa, "Now let us ask pardon for souls........let us repair the offences committed against the Divine Majesty, say with me:

'O God, most holy and just....Father of all clemency and of infinite goodness, Thou who didst create man out of love and through love hast made him heir to eternal blessings; if he has sinned against Thee through frailty, and if he deserves chastisement, accept the merits of Thy Son who offers Himself to Thee as a victim of expiation.  By those divine merits, forgive sinful men, and deign to reinstate them as heirs of Heaven.  O My Father, pity and mercy for souls.' "

 One night, after having fallen asleep, Our Lord awoke Josefa at eleven o'clock and said the following......."Take My Cross, and we shall repair together the many sins committed at this hour of the night......If you but knew how many throw themselves into sin."  He then joined His hands and said: "Come, let us adore God's majesty, outraged by so many offences.  Let us repair this multitude of sins! 

'O God, infinitely Holy......Father infinitely merciful, I adore Thee.  I long to expiate the insults heaped upon Thee by sinners all over the world and at every moment of the day and night.  Would that I could at least repair for those being committed at this hour.  O My Father, I offer Thee all the acts of adoration and reparation made by souls who love Thee.  Above all, I offer Thee Thy Divine Son, immolated on the altar in every corner of the world......at every moment of this hour.  O Father, infinitely good and compassionate, accept His pure Blood in reparation for all the outrages committed by mankind, wipe out their sins, and have mercy on them.' " This prayer was found on page 239.

 On the following page, page 240, yet another prayer to have pity on poor souls.  Our Lord says,

"O My Father, have pity on souls.  Do not chastise them as they deserve, but have mercy on them according  to the entreaties of Thy Son.  I long to make reparation for their sins, and render Thee the glory which is due to Thee, O God, infinitely holy!  But case Thine eyes on Thy Son, He is the Victim who will expiate all these sins." 

 Responding to a meeting that was to be held and in which he was to be much insulted, Our Lord asked Josefa to offer herself as a victim in such a way as to make reparation for the outrages that would be committed by these souls.  Our Lord joined Josefa in her cell, and he gave her His Cross and then guided her in praying the following: 

"O My Father!  whilst these sinners offend Thy Sovereign Majesty and furiously outrage the Blood of Thy son, look upon this willing victim which united to My Heart suffers and makes reparation.  Deign to receive her sufferings in union with My merits, O Father of all goodness." This is on page 248.

Asking her to carry his cross, he tells her on page 273, "Carry it with reverence and affection for the salvation of many souls that are in peril."  After a few minutes of silence spent in an attitude of intense supplication, He united her with Him in prayer and said gravely:  "Offer to My Eternal Father the sufferings of My Passion; say with me:

'O  Heavenly Father!  look upon the wounds of Thy Son and deign to accept them, that souls may accept Thy grace.  May the nails which pierced His hands and feet pierce those hardened hearts, and His Blood touch them and lead them to repentance.  May the weight of the Cross on the shoulders of Jesus Thy Divine Son obtain for them the grace to unload themselves of their sins in the confessional.  I offer Thee, O heavenly Father, the Crown of Thorns of Thy beloved Son.  By the agony it caused Him, grant true contrition to souls for all their sins.  O Father!  O God of mercies, I offer Thee the abandonment of Thy Son on the Cross, His thirst and all His pain, that sinners may recover peace and consolation in sorrow for their sins.  Lastly, O God of all compassion, in the name of the persevering prayer of Jesus Christ Thy Son for the very men who were crucifying Him, I beg and implore Thee to grant to souls love of God and perseverance in well-doing.  And just as the torments of Thy beloved Son ended gloriously in eternal bliss, so may the sufferings of penitent souls be crowned by=2 0the everlasting reward of your glory'."

On pages 286 and 287, Our Lady had explained to Josefa that a particular soul was filling the Heart of Our Lord with sorrow.  Subsequently, Our Lord asked Josefa to repeat the following words, that the Heavenly Father may have compassion on that soul...............

"O most loving Father!  God, infinitely good, look upon Thy Son Jesus Christ, who placing Himself between Thy divine justice and sinners implores Thy pardon.  O God of Mercy, pity human frailty.  Send Thy light upon wandering souls that they may not be seduced and entrapped............Strengthen souls that they may avoid the snares laid for them by the enemy of their salvation, and with fresh fervour return once more to the paths of virtue.  O Eternal Father, look on the sufferings which Jesus Christ Thy divine Son endured in His Passion.  Behold Him as a victim offered up to obtain for souls light and vigour, pardon and mercy."

Our Lord then asked her to offer the Father the agonies of His Crown of Thorns to expiate the perverse thoughts of that soul.  He tells her to say once more: [The following prayer should be said to combat impure thoughts] 

"O all-holy God, in whose presence the angels and saints are not worthy to stand, forgive all the sins committed by thought and desire.  Receive in expiation of these sins the thorn-crowned Head of Thy Son.  Accept the Blood that flows so copiously from His wounds.  Purify winds that are sullied....enlighten and illuminate the darkness of their understanding, and may this Blood be their strength, their light, and their life.  Receive, O Holy Father, the sufferings and the merits of all who, united to the sufferings and merits of Jesus Christ, offer themselves to Thee, with Him and by Him, that Thou mayest extend Thy pardon to all mankind.  O God of mercy and love, be the strength of the feeble, the light of the blind, and may all men love Thee."

"Due to the seriousness of the offence, a long time was spent thus in prayer," Josefa wrote.  He then said again: "Repeat with Me:

 'O God of love, Father of all goodness, by the prayers and sufferings of Thy Beloved Son give that soul

[here we could add ourselves or anyone for whom we wish to pray for who is struggling with temptations of the flesh and impure thoughts]

the light she needs, that strengthened by Thee she may reject evil and with energy accomplish Thy holy will.  Do not allow her to be the cause of so much evil both for herself and for other pure and innocent souls.' "

On page 292, during a Holy Hour, Josefa was asked by Our Lord to keep him company during that time and share his sorrow in that prison.  He wished her to con sider how His Heart suffers from loneliness, for all had forsaken him..........his friends have all abandoned him.  He then prays thus: 

"O Heavenly Father, I offer Thee the sadness and solitude of My Heart, that Thou mayest deign to be the companion and support of those who are facing the passage from time to eternity."

After a long pause, Jesus continued: 

"My God and My Father, may My dolorous solitude glorify Thee!  May My patience and submission appease Thee.  Restrain Thy just wrath against sinful souls and look upon the face of Thy Christ.  See his hands bound by the chains with which His executioners loaded Him.  In the name of the admirable patience with which He bore such tortures, forgive sinners, support them, permit them not to fall under the weight of their iniquities, be with them in the hour when they suffer imprisonment, and give them the grace to bear up under the miseries and misfortunes of this life, perfectly submissive to Thy holy will."

On page 293, Our Lord suggest a night prayer to be said prior to going to sleep.  He says that one instant is enough to say to him:

"Lord, I am going to sleep or to work, but my soul will keep Thee company.  Its activity alone will rest tonight, or is engaged in this work, but all my powers will still belong to Thee and my heart keep for Thee its tende rest and most constant affection."