Sister Josefa Menendez-Victim Soul

Josefa Mendendez was born in Madrid Spain in the year 1890, neither her birth nor her death brought much notice or acclaim. Yet God was to touch this Sisters heart with a very important message for the world.

From a very early age Josefa was blessed with inner locutions from our Lord, at the age of 11 as she was preparing to receive Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time, Josefa pledged her heart to her beloved Lord. It was as she was making this promise that our Lord said to her, "Yes, little one, I want you to be all mine." Unfortunately for Josefa it would be a long wait till she was able to join a Religious Community, but she was a patient and joyful child who would grow into a deeply devout young woman of great Faith, fortitude and that inner sparkle that was Josefa.

Finally at the age of 29 she entered the Order of The Sacred Heart of Jesus in France, though Josefa was happy to finally join her beloved Jesus she was also saddened to leave her family and homeland, but any sacrifice was good if it brought her closer to her beloved Lord. As in many cases of souls who have been especially chosen by our Merciful God, Josefa came under severe trials by the devil who tempted her to doubt her calling, but as with many of these souls, our Lord strengthened Josefa to withstand the snares of the evil one.

Also though Josefa was to be touched by God in a special way yet those closest to Sister Josefa never knew this by her conduct which drew no attention to herself as Josefa was the recipient of Divine Messages for the world. Yet her daily life within the Convent was very ordinary as she carried out her tasks and chores with grace and humility. Her fellow Sisters also did not know of the inner struggle Josefa was undergoing as the devil tempted her to doubt God's voice and her Religious calling, but through it all Josefa maintained a strong prayer life which aided her in resisting listening to the voice of the evil one.

Sister Josefa was at this time receiving extraordinary visions of our Lord, our Lady, St. John the Apostle and the founder of her Order, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, the only people who knew of these unusual occurrences within the soul of Sister Josefa were her superiors and her Confessor, all of whom admired her humility, detachment and her deep spirit of simplicity which simply confirmed to them that these extraordinary happenings within the life of this Sister were to be believed.

Because Sister Josefa was the recipient of these Divine revelations from our Lord, her Superiors requested that she write down everything that was told to her or revealed through visions. With due respect Sister Josefa obeyed her Superiors with her usual inner perfection while revealing nothing to the other Sisters in her Convent. At times Josefa would quail within at what our Lord was requesting of her and she would confide this to her diary and also to her Confessor for our Lord was requesting that Josefa become a willing victim soul for the sake of sinners. Though Josefa trembled at what may lay ahead of her, still with all her heart she consented to what our Lord requested for through all things her love of God came first.

It was only after Sister Josefa's death at the young age of 33 years that the world would come to know the miraculous events in this young Nun's life and the message she brought to the world. As is written in the diary of this young Sister, . "She always followed common life and seemed in no way different from her sisters and yet she bore on her soul the weight of the most extraordinary and momentous graces of Divine predilection which at one moment delivered her over to the onsets of excruciating physical pain, and again held her captive under the Hand of God. There was a twofold current of love between Him and her; Love Divine, which like the eagle precipitates itself upon its prey, and whose velocity none can stay, and a love frail yet ardent--that of Josefa--whose constant endeavor was to hold herself ever ready to accept all the urgent requirements of God's plan."

The opening paragraphs of Josefa's diary states what exactly is required of a victim soul specially chosen by our Lord in these words, "To be a victim necessarily implies immolation, and as a rule atonement for another. Although strictly speaking one can offer oneself as a victim to give God joy and glory by voluntary sacrifice, yet for the most part God leads souls by that path only when He intends them to act as mediators: they have to suffer and expiate for those for whom their immolation will be profitable; either by drawing down graces of forgiveness on them, or by acting as a cloak to cover their sins in the face of divine justice. It stands to reason that no one will on his own initiative take such a role on himself. Divine consent is required before a soul dares to intervene between God and His creature. There would be no value in such an offering if God refused to hear the prayer." If, then, Jesus Christ wishes to associate other victims with Himself, they must be closely united to Him, and share His feelings, in order to enter fully into His sacrifice; hence they can only be human beings, endowed with intelligence and will." He Himself chooses these persons, and because they are free He asks them for their voluntary co-operation. Those who accept put themselves at His mercy, and He then makes use of them as by sovereign right."

Now to reveal some of the messages which were given to this most humble and obedient servant, Sister Josefa Menendez, through her diary which is now known as 'The Way of Divine Love'.

Extracts from the book of our Lords words to Sister Josefa;

"We are going to speak of My Passion, that your soul may constantly feed on the remembrance of it, and that My souls may find in it food for their hunger and drink for their thirst."

"And now, Josefa, I will begin by disclosing to you the thoughts that filled My Heart, while I was washing the feet of My disciples."

"Mark how the whole twelve were gathered together, none excepted:John the beloved was there, and Judas who was so soon to deliver Me to My enemies. I will tell you why I willed to have them all assembled together and why I began by washing their feet."

"I gathered them altogether because the moment had come for My Church to be manifested to the world, and for all the sheep to have but one shepherd."

"It was My intention also, to show souls that I never refuse grace even to those who are guilty of grave sin; nor do I separate them from the good whom I Love with predilection. I keep them all in My Heart, that all may receive the help required by their state of soul...."

"Come all of you to Me and fear not, for I Love you all... I will wash you in My Blood and you shall be made whiter than snow. All of your offences will be submerged in the waters in which I myself shall wash you, nor shall anything whatsoever be able to tear from My Heart its Love for you."

"My Heart is never wounded unless it be by My chosen souls."

"If their infidelities wound Me deeply, their love consoles and delights My Heart to such a degree that I, so to speak, forget the sins of many others on their account."

"I make little account of all that (miseries and weakness), provided souls come to Me with confidence and love, I Myself make up for all their frailty."

"Weakness and worthlessness are of small account; what I want is their trust. These are the souls who draw down on the world mercy and peace."

"I can refuse nothing to one who relies entirely on Me. Souls are too little conscious of how much I want to help them and how much I am glorified by their trust."

"The obstinacy of a guilty soul wounds My Heart deeply, but the tender affection of one who loves Me not only heals the wound, but turns away the effects of My Father's Justice."

"My justice will be restrained as long as I find victims who will make reparation."

"One faithful soul an repair and obtain mercy for many ungrateful ones."

"Alas! The world offends Me, but it will be saved by the reparation of My chosen souls."

"A little act of generosity, of patience, of poverty...may become a treasure that will win a great number of souls to My Heart."

"I so much want souls to understand this! It is not the action in itself that is of value; it is the intention with which it is done."

"I want you to be holy, very holy, and you will only become so by the path of humility and obedience..."

Sister Josefa's Cause for Beatification is before Rome.

Peace of Christ to ALL

Copyright © 2006 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.