Both Hands Free

The Importance of Limitless Desires

But this life will pass, and then will begin our true reward. Not even the smallest labor, the smallest suffering undertaken for the glory of God, will escape a lavish reward and this through all eternity.... The Lord God, as we see from history, not only rewards what we have done, but even what we have desired to do, although it was not in our power to achieve it. Desire then, desire without limits!

And, Oh infinite love, God often permits his lovers even after death to satisfy their desires, and to act in this world, praying and working for the salvation and sanctification of souls; whence come good inspirations and even miracles. Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus used to say: “If I knew that after death I would not be able to work in heaven for the salvation of souls, I would rather remain on this earth until the end of the world.”

She promised that she would let fall from heaven a shower of roses, i.e., graces. And really, in but a short time after her death she gained many souls for God throughout the world. The many miracles reported in the latest editions of her biography bear witness to this. Similarly, Gemma Galgani is known al- ready throughout the world, even in China, and everywhere she is bringing in an abundant catch of souls.

So also we may have this hope, that if we now imitate these holy souls not so long dead, if we burn with the desire of saving souls, then after our death, too, the Immaculata will complete her work through us. This she will do much more than while we live on this poor earth, where in giving a helping hand to others, we must watchfully be on guard that we do not fall ourselves. Thus we shall be able to comfort the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Jesus himself when dying saw only the Most Holy Virgin and his beloved disciple whom he could call his own; his other disciples had run away, one had denied him under oath, and Judas had handed him over to the Jews. Therefore, we should not worry very much when we do not see the fruits of our labor on this earth. Maybe it is the will of God that we should collect them after death and that someone else would see them in this world.

The Real Reward

Our first real reward, therefore, is the possibility and the ease of making a most effective catch of souls, even after death.

Let us imagine further how grateful all the countless array of souls will be for whom we have opened heaven, and even if we have helped them increase only one degree of glory. How they will thank us through all eternity, and we will be grateful to them, because working for them we have prepared for ourselves a crown. With what love will they burn towards her who deigned to use us as instruments for releasing them from the bonds of the devil. How shall we not praise her goodness, that she chose us who are so unworthy, miserable, and unfit to be her knights, that we might captivate souls for her Heart?

Finally, what a hymn of praise, glory and thanksgiving will not the inhabitants of heaven raise to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for his goodness in giving us so tender a Mother, in order that we might be able to turn to her and hide under her motherly mantle and thus avoid the punishments of his justice! Unwilling to punish us and desiring to forgive, he thought of giving us a Mediatrix and an intercessor – the dearest of all mothers. To her He entrusted the order of mercy, while he left the work of justice to himself.

He created such goodness in her that she is unable to abandon the sinner, even the worst, who seeks her help, and He made her so powerful, that her wish is sufficient instantly to move the Heart of the Infinite God. And so all together with the Immaculata we will thank and adore forever the mercy, goodness, wisdom, power and justice of God in the reward which He promised us.

Then, forming her heavenly guard of honor, the group closest to her, we will reach and possess God: the final purpose and goal of the MI, that is, the greatest possible glory of God through the Immaculata.

—Fr. Maximilian M. Kolbe