Self-Exaltation in Entrusted Souls

Divine Appeal Reflection - 276

Today, consider in Divine Appeal 276:"...pray a great deal and do penance and acts of reparation for the souls I entrusted souls... I love them so much but in return this is what they think – they are more important than Me. I speak to them in silence, loving voice and Divine Mercy, but they do not listen to Me. They plug their ears with the mud of self-love, vanity, contagious pride, pleasures of the world and haughtiness."

The sorrow of Our Adorable Jesus strikes at the heart of vocation itself: His priests and consecrated souls, set apart for Him, sometimes live as though they are more important than the One they vowed to serve. This inversion of love is not new; we see it in the Pharisees, who adorned themselves with titles and widened their tassels while neglecting mercy (cf. Mt 23:5–7). Today, it may appear in priests who prefer to be social influencers rather than confessors, or in religious who cultivate platforms but neglect their cloisters. When entrusted souls present themselves as the center, the radiance of Christ is obscured. The faithful, who come seeking bread, are left with stones of human self-promotion. Yet Jesus does not abandon His consecrated ones. He still waits in the tabernacle, speaks in the Scriptures, and stirs in conscience. His wounded Heart pleads for reparation, for prayers that restore clarity and humility where pride has taken root. Our task as faithful is not to accuse but to intercede, for in lifting them before the Lord we console Him and draw down grace upon His priests and consecrated (cf. CCC 1475).

When those consecrated to Christ succumb to self-exaltation, the disturbance reverberates through the entire Body of the Church. As Korah’s rebellion once fractured Israel (cf. Num 16:1–3), pride within sacred ministry today erodes communion and confuses the faithful. Priests who chase applause rather than fidelity, or religious who seek prominence over prayer, dim the radiance of their vocation. In our hyperconnected age, such lapses spread instantly, magnifying wounds and feeding skepticism. Yet God’s providence never abandons His Church. In a world steeped in corruption, He raised Samuel (cf. 1 Sam 3:1–10), and even now He summons hidden, humble servants to preserve His presence with quiet steadfastness. True renewal flows not from scandalous attention but from unseen fidelity: priests laboring in obscurity, religious interceding silently, and laity offering reparative prayer. Each quiet offering, every whispered prayer, every hour spent adoring Christ in the Eucharist forms a hidden framework of grace, supporting faltering vocations and comforting His wounded Heart. By responding to pride with prayer and choosing humble service over complaint, the faithful help restore the Church, keeping Christ—not human ambition—at its center.

The temptation for consecrated souls to believe they are more important than Christ is subtle, often disguised as zeal or relevance. Like Martha, anxious and busy with many things (cf. Lk 10:41), priests and religious may bury themselves in endless activity while neglecting the “one thing necessary.” Or like Jonah, fleeing the true call (cf. Jon 1:3), they may resist the path of sacrifice for the sake of comfort or self-preservation. In a culture obsessed with image, it is dangerously easy for entrusted souls to build their identity around charisma rather than the Cross. But Our Adorable Jesus does not abandon them. He whispers still, offering mercy, offering chances to return. Here lies the vocation of the faithful: to offer reparative love in silence, to intercede where consecrated ears are closed, to become unseen companions of Christ in His sorrow. Our hidden fidelity allows grace to pierce through walls of self-importance. This is not merely spiritual activism; it is mystical collaboration with Christ’s priesthood (cf. CCC 1547). Our sacrifices, when united with Him, have power to unlock the humility that restores consecrated souls to their first love.

At the heart of this Divine Appeal is a question of love’s order. The priest or consecrated who lives as though more important than Christ betrays the very essence of their vocation, for they were called to decrease so that He may increase (cf. Jn 3:30). When the self is enthroned, Christ is dethroned. But the faithful must not respond with cynicism. We are called to be like Simon of Cyrene (cf. Mt 27:32), helping Christ carry the weight of a wounded priesthood. This is lived practically: choosing silence when tempted to criticize, offering daily Rosaries for parish priests, fasting for the holiness of consecrated life, writing encouraging words to sustain the weary. These small acts are not wasted. They are gathered into the treasury of the Church (cf. CCC 1476), consoling Christ’s Heart and strengthening His entrusted ones. Priests and consecrated are not perfect; they are fragile vessels of grace. When they falter, our intercession holds them. When they return in humility, our reparation has already prepared the way. Thus, Christ’s cry becomes not a cause for despair but an invitation to deeper love and hidden collaboration with His redeeming work.

Prayer

Adorable Jesus, Eternal High Priest, heal the pride of Your priests and consecrated souls. Draw them back to humility and restore them in love. Accept our prayers, penances, and hidden sacrifices as reparation. May they place You at the center, guiding Your Church faithfully, and may Your Sacred Heart be consoled.

Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.