Sister Consolata Betrone-Victim Soul

Pierina Betrone was born in the year 1903 in Italy to a family of bakers who also ran a restaurant, nothing in her attitude or background could foretell that this young girl would become one of Jesus beloved victim souls.

The Lord first moved within the soul of this young and studious girl when she was only 13 years old. It was as she was busy running errands for her hectic parents that Pierina first felt our Lord touched her heart which filled the young girl with such fervour that she exclaimed "My God, I love you!"The young Pierina also held a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother and made a personal vow to promise herself to the service of our Lord and our Lady.

It was after she received Communion that Pierina would hear an interior voice request of her, "Do you want to be mine?" Pierina was awestruck that our Lord would speak with someone as unimportant as she, so she replied with her heart full of tender love and reverence, "Jesus, yes". Though the young Pierina gave her consent, it would still be many years before she could fulfill it.

During this time of waiting, Pierina also struggled an intense battle within her soul as doubts filled her mind and soul as she tried to live a holy and dedicated life. Finally after many trials, temptations and spiritual dryness, Pierina entered the Order of the Poor Clares taking as her name, Sister Consolata. This humble Nun lived a humble life of prayer, her duties and mortifications, done to console her Beloved for the souls of unrepentant sinners, for as our Lord confided to Sister Consolata, "Do not make me a harsh God while I am no less than the God of love!".

Though Sister Consolata was Graced with the Presence of God within her soul, still she felt small and saw herself as the smaller one which Saint Therese of Lisieux had referred to in her diary. This certainty that Consolata felt within her soul was confirmed by our Lord in these words, "well, I have found that still weaker soul who has abandoned herself with complete faith to My infinite mercy: it is you, Consolata, and through you I will perform marvels which will far exceed your fondest desires." When our Lord chooses a soul He with infinite wisdom and tenderness chooses those who though they be weak within themselves only further His Power to move within and transform that weak soul into a living reflection of Himself.

As always though the chosen souls go through many area's of the spiritual life including aridity of soul and temptations of the evil one, but as our Lord consoled Sister Consolata with these words to her vocation in life, "Since I am the Most Holy it is my thirst to communicate it to souls ... You only love. You are too small to climb to the summit: I will carry you on my shoulders". In her diary Sister Consolata wrote an impassioned plea to those who would one day come to read this source of spiritual enlightenment, "Jesus reveals to me the intimate sufferings of His Heart caused by the faithlessness of souls consecrated to Him".

Our Lord also inspired Sister Consolata with this universal prayer, " Jesus, Mary, I love you! Save souls!" Sister Consolata would repeat this one prayer during all her waking hours and in every form of work as she went about her daily tasks. Sister Consolata lived a holy and humble life and did as our Lord requested of her as He revealed her mission in life with these words, "Among the youngest members of Catholic action there are the Little Ones, and among the Little souls there are the Littlest Ones. You belong to these; and to them will belong all those souls who will follow you in offering Me the unceasing act of love."

There was also this interior inspiration which she noted in her diary, "For many days my soul has halted on this divine phrase - 'Sacrificial victim for sacrificial victim'". So it was to be for Sister Consolata became gravelly ill with no chance for recovery.

Sister Consolata Betrone died in 1946.

Here are some of the revelations given to her by Jesus.

"You must think only of loving Me! I will think of everything else, even to the smallest details!"

"You see, Consolata, sanctity means self-forgetfulness in everything, in thoughts, desires, words....Allow Me to do it all! I will do everything; but you should, at every moment, give Me what I ask for with much love!"

"I delight to work in a soul. You see, I love to do everything Myself; and from this soul I ask only that she love Me."

"You see, even in good thoughts which creep in, there is always a bit of self-love, of complacency; and it is easy to see how they will spoil the act of love. But if you will complete trust in Me, that I am attending to everything and will continue to do so, and if you will not permit even one other thought to enter, then your act of love will possess a virginal purity."

"Consolata, place no limits on your confidence in Me, then I will place no limits on My graces for you!"

"Trust always in Jesus! If you only knew how much pleasure that gives Me! Grant Me this solace to trust in Me even in the shadow of death."

"If you are in Me and we are one then you will bring forth much fruit and will become strong, for you will disappear like a drop of water in the ocean; My silence will pass into you, and My humility, My purity, My charity, My gentleness, My patience, My thirst for suffering, and My zeal for souls whom I wish to save at all costs!"

Sister Consolata's cause for Beatification is before Rome.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.