28 Let him sit alone in silence when the Lord fastens the yoke on him. 29 Let him put his lips to the dust there may still be hope.
30 Let him offer his cheek to be struck;
let him be overwhelmed with insult.
31 For it is not forever that the Lord rejects man.
32 In the abundance of his love he punishes, but has compassion.
33 For he does not willingly abase or afflict the human race.
---- my own,
Do not become distraught, gloomy, sad, disconsolate, wearied in spirit, when trials come to you. When I, the Lord your God, lay the yoke of chastisement on you. This is necessary periodically, or you would go complacent in your sins if you were not to taste the bitterness of the fruit of disobedience and follow your own will. It is necessary to be brought low to feel some of the weight of the Cross I carried for you. To put the chalice to your lips and sip its bitter vinegar and gall of your deliberate cowardice in looking at Me, who was pierced and nailed for your transgressions. It is your sins that have added to the weight of My suffering. You have taken lightly your own part, in contributing to My Passion, and when I allow you a small part of that suffering, you become so unhappy that, like Jonah, you want to lie down and die. You call yourself my bride, you say that you are espoused to Me, you call Me your Brother, Friend, Redeemer, and Savior, and yet, you do not act as if I truly am all these things to you. How much longer are you going to offer Me a divided heart when I desire to have all of it? I will have no part of you. I reject it because I desire to have you in your entirety, just as I give you My whole Being. Ask this grace of My Father and yours to increase your capacity to love God and ask for a greater measure of the Holy Spirit, and that it be increased daily, so you can give more of your life to Me each day. Use every opportunity given to you to do good, to choose good, to seek good, and soon it will become second nature to you. Keep your gaze on Me and make a choice always to do only that which pleases Me. In this, is your peace, your and joy, do this, and you will find rest in Me always.

