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The Way of Love for the Lord
Chapter 28. The rod of love (March 2, 1982)
One day I witnessed my six-year-old and four-year-old children quarrelling with each other in a room. Until then, they had usually got along well together. Upon seeing it, I silently got out of the room and came back later with two rods in my hands. I gave a rod to each of them and ordered them to whip my legs. “Children! Before, you got along well with each other, but not now. I think it is not your fault but mine that you two have an argument like this. As I did not teach you well, I think it is not you but I who deserve whipping.” They were so surprised at my sudden behavior that they fell on their knees, bursting into tears. They asked for my forgiveness with their hands clasped together. “We won’t have a quarrel again.” But I made the big sign of the cross slowly in front of them and prayed, “Lord, give these children a whipping of love personally, renew their hearts, and let them unite in love so that they won’t inflict wounds on each other again by having a quarrel.” I told them to go ahead, but they cried even more loudly, pleading with me to forgive them. “Mommy, we won’t do it again. Please whip us instead.” I firmly said to them, “No, it was my fault as I did not teach you properly. Whip me quickly.” They paced around, crying out ‘Mommy, Mommy’ and telling me that they could not whip me. I said, “Then I will personally whip myself.” I started whipping my calves severely with the rod. Then they rushed towards me at the same time and snatched the rod out of my hand. Crying sadly, they began to whip me gently. I ordered each of them to whip me 5,480 times respectively, for I meditated on the 5,480 blows that Jesus was said to have received on His Body during His Passion. They sensed that my attitude was firm as never before and that it would be impossible to stop me. So they had no other choice but to alternately whip my calves. While whipping me, they wept so sadly that their eyes became red like those of a rabbit. Even though they gently whipped me, my calves were bruised black and blue while I was whipped by each of them 5,480 times respectively, a total of 10,960 times. ‘Given that their gentle whipping made my calves bruised like this, how many wounds were inflicted on Jesus’ Body when the evil people whipped Him forcefully? Jesus laid down His whole Body for the conversion of sinners, suffering the cruel pain willingly.’ As I thought of the Lord’s high, deep, wide and infinite love, I could not stop the tears of gratitude and joy from flowing. I prayed, “Lord, I offer up the pain from whipping to You. Use it for their spiritual growth and guide them always, so that they can live a life of repentance at every moment till the time of death. Let as many sinners as the number of the whipping receive the grace of repentance.” They did not know how much my calves had been bruised, for they whipped me with their eyes closed. When they opened their eyes after the whipping and saw my severely bruised calves, they cried more loudly. I embraced and comforted them. “Children, you know how much I love you, don’t you? I love you so much. Therefore, from now on, let us be good in the Lord, will you?” They replied, “Yes, Mom, we are truly sorry. We won’t have an argument again. By the way, Mom, does it hurt a lot?” They got along well with each other without any quarrel afterwards. “Lord, receive praise, thanks, and glory.” “O My beloved daughter, My lovely baby! You are My consolation. The children in the world lack true repentance and sincerity. So they do not hesitate to commit blasphemous things despite their knowledge about the insults and scourging that I received. Even those children who have been called to Heaven make My Heart ache by not trusting Me, repeatedly making themselves deserving of hell or purgatory. Because of this, My Heart is being torn into pieces. But you are practicing love by uniting your pain with Mine. Therefore, how could I not receive praise, thanks and glory from you? Through your deep love and devotion based on My love, I will let more souls than the number of the whipping you received from your children repent and wake up from their indiscretion, so that they can enjoy exultation, love and peace.”
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