The ‘Flame of Love’ of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

By Lisa Janusa
NOLA Catholic Parenting

Recently, I attended a two-day retreat hosted by St. Anthony of Padua Church in Luling. Their pastor, Father Anthony Odiong, along with a guest preacher named Father James Blount, SOLT (Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity), addressed a group of around 650 people. Their talk centered on “The Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

I knew very little about this devotion, but was very impressed to learn that there were many profound promises attached to its practice.

The movement began in the heart of a poor and humble Hungarian mystic and Third Order Carmelite Elizabeth Kindelmann (1913-1985). She was the 13th child born to her parents, and the only child to survive to adulthood. She was orphaned and homeless at a young age.

Despite these circumstances, she was self-educated with a great thirst for learning and went from place-to-place working menial jobs to survive. Her free time was spent in eucharistic adoration.

At age 16, she joined a church choir, where she met and married a man 30 years older. They had six children.

At age 33, her husband died leaving her the sole supporter of their children during a period in society when widows were looked down upon. Times were especially hard since she and her family lived through two world wars and Hungary’s communist occupation.

Before she turned 50, she experienced an encounter with Jesus who spoke to her by an inner locution. She learned that Jesus and Mary had chosen her for a special mission to establish “The Flame of Love Movement” in the world.

Our Lady revealed that she obtained from the heavenly Father, by the merits of the Passion of her Most Holy Son, “an outpouring of graces so great that they have not existed since the Word became Flesh.” The Flame of Love bursting forth from her Immaculate Heart is Jesus himself. This movement will form Christ within hearts and transform sinners into powerful apostles who will spread the love of God to their brothers and sisters everywhere!

Our adversary, Satan, will be blinded and thus his power and influence will be diminished. The Blessed Virgin pleads and begs that we share in her work by our prayers, sacrifices, family holy hours and fasting.

These revelations and special prayers that Elizabeth received were written in her spiritual diary, “The Diary and the Flame of Love Movement.” It has received Imprimaturs from Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru and the United States. Some of The Flame of Love prayers include:

1. The Unity Prayer: “My adorable Jesus, May our feet journey together. May our hands gather in unity. May our hearts beat in unison. May our souls be in harmony. May our thoughts be as one. May our ears listen to the silence together. May our glances profoundly penetrate each other. May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father. Amen.”

2. The prayer petition: “Spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all of humanity” to be inserted into the Hail Mary after “pray for us sinners.”   

Father Kevin Barrett shares on the Flame of Love website, “Let us fight confidently with the Flame of Love prayers that Heaven has provided for us in our times, blinding Satan and assisting our Mother and Queen, to crush the serpent with her heel, by means of faithful humble families!” www.flameoflove.us

Lisa Janusa is a mother and grandmother and has been a St. Dominic parishioner with her husband for 50 years. She has served God through various music ministries in St. Dominic Church and School. She is proud of her Catholic faith and is happy to share her knowledge and experiences in her life with the readers.