Divine Appeal Reflection - 70
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 70: "So many have forgotten and whipped Me. More then ever they continue insulting and abusing Me."
High above the noise and haste of the world, the Heart of Our Adorable Jesus waits in silent sorrow, pierced not only by active cruelty but by the quiet forgetfulness of souls (cf. Rev 3:20; Is 65:2). Pride today lashes Him anew: the student who brags to dominate the classroom, the professional who hoards recognition, the parent who scorns a child’s mistakes—all reenact the soldiers’ mockery . Each boast, each dismissive glance, each act of self-importance is a spiritual whip striking His sacred back. Teachers and leaders unknowingly wield this whip when patience fails, when humility is ignored. Yet mystical awareness transforms this scene: those who serve silently, who honor others’ contributions, who humble their ego, become living shields for His wounded Heart (cf. Colossians 1:24). St. John of the Cross saw pride as a dagger against the Body of Christ, and modern acts of arrogance replay the blows of Calvary. Daily reflection, humble service, and active listening allow the faithful to absorb the sting, offering redemptive balm to His ongoing Passion. Every ordinary moment—the patient correction of a misstep, the quiet acknowledgment of another’s effort—becomes a mystical touch that soothes His tortured shoulders and honors the forgotten Heart.
The stripping and humiliation of Jesus—the mock robe, the crown of thorns—are not relics of history but continue in our own day through lust, exploitation, and objectification (cf. Is 53:3–5; Mt 27:29–31). Every glance that reduces another to an object, every social media post that ridicules or shames, every workplace manipulation or abuse mirrors the tearing of His flesh and the pressing of thorns upon His Sacred Head . A student spreading sexual rumors, a manager exploiting subordinates, a peer participating in pornographic culture—each participates unknowingly in this hidden agony. St. Teresa of Calcutta revealed that the naked, forgotten Christ is not distant but present in every abused, humiliated, or exploited soul, hidden beneath every wound, every slight, every act of human neglect . To encounter such a person is to meet Christ Himself; to serve, defend, or console them is to wrap His Sacred Heart in love, repairing the wounds inflicted by indifference, ridicule, and injustice. Yet mystical participation transforms these daily realities: helping a bullied classmate, refusing gossip, promoting virtuous conversation, or defending the dignity of the vulnerable becomes a living act of reparation . Every humble, respectful, and loving choice wraps His Sacred Head in a gentle crown of grace, turning human ridicule and indifference into instruments of healing and sanctifying love, uniting the soul intimately with the ongoing Passion of Christ .
The spitting and verbal mockery Jesus endured are echoed in every modern insult, blasphemy, and irreverent word. When classmates ridicule faith, coworkers belittle devotion, or online forums mock prayer, they reenact the spit upon Christ’s face and the piercing of His sacred Head . Each sarcastic remark, every cynicism toward holiness, and every verbal attack wounds the Sacred Heart of Our Adorable Jesus invisibly, echoing the nails of His Cross . St. Faustina Kowalska recognized that words are living instruments: they can cut the soul as sharply as nails, wounding both the speaker and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A choir member who spreads rumors, a manager who manipulates trust, a friend who shares or consumes demeaning content—each, often unknowingly, drives invisible nails into His Heart, extending the humiliation He bore on Calvary . Yet this hidden suffering invites mystical participation: when others choose restraint over gossip, encouragement over mockery, and dignity over derision, they become co-healers of His wounded Heart, turning ordinary human interaction into channels of grace . Every careful word, every act of respectful silence, every defense of the vulnerable becomes a balm to the Lamb, repairing the unseen wounds inflicted by human forgetfulness and cruelty. Yet mystical participation transforms human speech into instruments of reparation: choosing silence over gossip, blessing over ridicule, correction over scorn, becomes a living defense of His Heart . Small interventions—defending a sacred practice, offering kind words, publicly honoring faith—wrap the Head of the Lamb in love, shielding Him from ongoing insult and uniting the soul to the ongoing Passion of Christ . Mystical participation turns these verbal blows into spiritual victories. Each respectful word, each blessing, each affirmation of sacred truth repairs a wound inflicted by human forgetfulness. Those who live consciously in the presence of God can intercede for the countless unnoticed injuries, offering healing that is both practical and mystical, (cf. Luke 6:28; CCC 1870–1871) transforming every insult into redemptive light .
The staggering of Jesus under the weight of the cross mirrors today’s neglect, injustice, and complicity in evil. Each act of turning away from the oppressed, each ignored cry for help, each compromised moral choice adds to the burden He carries . Corporate greed, political corruption, abuse of authority, and the indifference of society replay the stumbling of Our Adorable Jesus under the Cross, each injustice a weight pressing upon His Sacred Heart (cf. Is 53:4–5; Mt 27:32). St. John Paul II emphasized that social sin magnifies His suffering, that the oppression of the vulnerable is a continuation of Calvary itself (cf. CCC 1882; Rom 12:15). Yet mystical participation transforms human response into grace: teachers who defend bullied students, parents who nurture virtue at great personal cost, leaders who govern with integrity, students and workers who refuse to exploit, and every ordinary person who acts to restore justice—all lift hands to steady the Cross . Every decision to serve rather than ignore, to protect rather than manipulate, and to speak truth rather than remain silent becomes a living act of reparation, co-laboring with Christ to bear the world’s burdens. In these humble acts, ordinary life is transfigured: injustice is met with mercy, neglect with fidelity, and the weight of human sin becomes the occasion for redemptive love (cf. Heb 12:2; Rom 8:17–18). Mystical participation transforms daily life into a pilgrimage of reparation, uniting ordinary deeds with Christ’s suffering. Even small gestures—standing up for the bullied, helping an overburdened coworker, offering time to the lonely—become the mystical support that strengthens the stumbling Christ, turning societal neglect into redemptive grace .
The nails that pierced His hands and feet—signs of total surrender and love—continue today in malice, envy, betrayal, ridicule, and indifference (cf. Jn 19:18–30; Is 53:5; Mt 27:35). Hidden sins of omission, the laziness that ignores mercy, the silence in the face of injustice, (cf. Rom 5:6–8; Lk 10:30–37; CCC 604) or the cold neglect of the vulnerable become living nails driven into His Sacred Heart . St. Padre Pio revealed that ordinary suffering, consciously united to Christ, participates in this ongoing Passion, allowing even small daily trials to sanctify the world. The seminarian who prays in dryness, the single parent who cries over a wandering child, the professional who forgives a manipulative colleague— all offer mystical nails through acts of mercy, humility, and sacrifice . Each intentional act—helping the neglected, defending dignity, speaking truth, loving without reward—becomes a living extension of the Crucifixion and resurrection cycle, transfiguring suffering into grace. Mystical participation transforms nails into instruments of healing, human indifference into channels of divine love, and ordinary life into a living Calvary . In embracing this sacred collaboration, the soul does more than witness Christ’s Passion—it co-labors in it, offering reparation, restoring dignity, and uniting every hidden act of fidelity to the eternal pulse of His Heart (cf. Col 1:24; 1 Pet 2:21; Rom 8:17–18; Heb 12:2). Each humble gesture—patience in suffering, mercy toward the neglected, forgiveness offered silently—threads human love into the ongoing work of redemption, participating in Christ’s priestly mission (cf. Mt 25:40; Jas 1:27; CCC 604, 1822). Through mystical participation, ordinary life becomes living Calvary: every unnoticed sacrifice, every defense of the vulnerable, every choice to serve rather than ignore transforms human indifference into channels of divine grace, binding the faithful to the invisible but eternal rhythm of His Sacred Heart (cf. Lk 10:30–37; Rom 12:1–2; 2 Cor 4:10–12).
Prayer
Our Adorable Jesus, awaken in us sorrow for sins that renew Your Passion. Unite our daily choices to Your suffering love. Teach us humility, purity, and charity in every encounter. May we console Your Heart through faithful living and become instruments of healing for the world. Amen.
Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.
