No Sleeping on the Job
Thursday of the
Twenty-First Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 24:42-51
Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ´My master is long delayed,´ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant´s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ´My master is long delayed,´ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant´s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come to You again in prayer. Even
though I cannot see You, I know through faith that You are present in my life.
I hope in Your promise to be with me. I love You, and I know You love me.
Accept this prayer as a token of my love.
Petition: Lord, help me to remain alert, keeping the
goal of heaven always in mind.
1. Days and Hours: None of us knows how long we have to live, nor
did Jesus reveal how long human history would continue before he came again for
the Final Judgment. This should make us realize we need to be always ready to
meet Our Lord, to have our actions true, and our conscience always clear. We
need to be living as if each day were our last, as if our eternal happiness
depended on the choices and actions of this very day. Every moment is precious
and important in God’s eyes, and the one necessary thing is working to attain
our salvation. This is more important than anything else we can accomplish in
life.
2. True Prudence: The servant who is constant and steady, who
does what he is supposed to do at each moment, is the truly prudent person. God
wants us to be faithful and follow his will every single day. This is the path
to holiness and union with God; there is no other way we can be close to God
except by doing his will, out of love and gratitude. How do my actions today
reflect loving obedience to God’s will? Am I putting God at the center of my
life, or do I have him and his will relegated to the margins, paying attention
to what he wants of me only from time to time?
3. A Long Delay: Often it can seem that God is distant and not
involved in our lives. It can seem that he is not coming back anytime soon, and
this can lead us to become distracted with many other things. Every day we need
to renew our spirit of faith in God and in his constant presence, living each
day to please him, no matter how long the delay seems to be. We need to live in
his presence through faith in him and his revelation, which guides us along the
pathway to eternal life. We need to keep a lively, operative faith in God and
in his presence every day.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, teach me to pray
with real faith in You and in Your word which gives life. Help me believe at
every moment so that I can please You, do Your will and grow in holiness.
Resolution: I will renew my faith each day, frequently making conscious and
fervent acts of faith.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
36 Once I was summoned to the judgment [seat] of God. I
stood alone before the Lord. Jesus appeared such as we know Him during His
Passion. After a moment, His wounds disappeared except for five, those in His
hands, His feet and His side. Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my soul
as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God. I did not
know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted for. What
a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before the Thrice-Holy God! Jesus asked
me, Who are you? I answered, "I am Your servant, Lord." You
are guilty of one day of fire in purgatory. I wanted to throw myself
immediately into the flames of purgatory, but Jesus stopped me and said, Which
do you prefer, suffer now for one day in purgatory or for a short while on
earth? I replied, "Jesus, I want to suffer in purgatory, and I want to
suffer also the greatest pains on earth, even if it were until the end of the
world." Jesus said, One [of the two] is enough; you will go back
to earth, and there you will suffer much, but not for long; you will accomplish
My will and My desires, and a faithful servant of Mine will help you to do
this. Now, rest your head on My bosom, on My heart, and draw from it strength
and power for these sufferings, because you will find neither relief nor help
nor comfort anywhere else. Know that you will have much, much to suffer, but
don't let this frighten you; I am with you.
52 When I tried to run away from these interior
inspirations, God said to me that on the day of judgment He would demand of me
a great number of souls.
Once, exhausted because of these various difficulties t hat had befallen me because of what Jesus had said to me and what He had demanded of me for the painting of this image, I made up my mind to approach Father Andrasz [31] before my perpetual vows, and to ask him to dispense me from all these interior inspirations and from the duty of painting this image. After having heard my confession, Father Andrasz gave me this answer: "I will dispense you from nothing, Sister; it is not right for you to turn away from these interior inspirations, but you must absolutely-and I say, absolutely-speak about them to your confessor; otherwise you will go astray despite the great graces you are receiving from God.
Once, exhausted because of these various difficulties t hat had befallen me because of what Jesus had said to me and what He had demanded of me for the painting of this image, I made up my mind to approach Father Andrasz [31] before my perpetual vows, and to ask him to dispense me from all these interior inspirations and from the duty of painting this image. After having heard my confession, Father Andrasz gave me this answer: "I will dispense you from nothing, Sister; it is not right for you to turn away from these interior inspirations, but you must absolutely-and I say, absolutely-speak about them to your confessor; otherwise you will go astray despite the great graces you are receiving from God.
154
Once, when there was adoration at the convent of the Sisters of the Holy
Family,[50] I went there in the evening with one of our sisters.
As soon as I entered the chapel, the presence of God filled my soul. I prayed
as I do at certain times, without saying a word. Suddenly, I saw the Lord, who
said to me, Know that if you neglect the matter of the painting of the image
and the whole work of mercy, you will have to answer for a multitude of souls
on the day of judgment. After these words of Our Lord, a certain fear
filled my soul, and alarm took hold of me. Try as 1 would, 1 could not calm
myself. These words kept resounding in my ears: So, 1 will not only have to
answer for myself on the day of judgment, but also for the souls of others.
These words cut deep into my heart. When I returned home, I went to the little
Jesus,[51] fell on my face before the Blessed Sacrament and said
to the Lord, "I will do everything in my power, but I beg You to be always
with me and to give me strength to do Your holy will; for You can do
everything, while I can do nothing of myself."
236
Oh, how misleading are appearances, and how unjust the judgments. Oh, how often
virtue suffers only because it remains silent. To be sincere with those who are
incessantly stinging us demands much self-denial. One bleeds, but there are no
visible wounds. O Jesus, it is only on the last day that many of these things
will be made known. What joy-none of our efforts will be lost!
274
Jesus gave me the grace of knowing myself. In this divine light I see my
principal fault; it is pride which takes the form of my closing up within
myself and of a lack of simplicity in my relations with Mother Superior
[Irene].
The second light concerns speaking. I sometimes talk too much. A thing could be settled in one or two words, and as for me, I take too much time about it. But Jesus wants me to use that time to say some short indulgenced prayers for the souls in purgatory. And the Lord says that every word will be weighed on the day of judgment.
The third light concerns our rules. I have not sufficiently avoided the occasions that lead to breaking the rules, especially that of silence. I will act as if the rule were written just for me; it should not affect me at all how anyone else might act, as long as I myself act as God wishes.
Resolution. Whatever Jesus demands of me regarding external things, I will immediately go and tell my superiors. I shall strive for childlike openness and frankness in my relations with the superior.
The second light concerns speaking. I sometimes talk too much. A thing could be settled in one or two words, and as for me, I take too much time about it. But Jesus wants me to use that time to say some short indulgenced prayers for the souls in purgatory. And the Lord says that every word will be weighed on the day of judgment.
The third light concerns our rules. I have not sufficiently avoided the occasions that lead to breaking the rules, especially that of silence. I will act as if the rule were written just for me; it should not affect me at all how anyone else might act, as long as I myself act as God wishes.
Resolution. Whatever Jesus demands of me regarding external things, I will immediately go and tell my superiors. I shall strive for childlike openness and frankness in my relations with the superior.
426
O terrible hour, at which one is obliged to see all one's deeds in their
nakedness and misery; not one of them is lost, they will all accompany us to
God's judgment. I can find no words or comparisons to express such terrible
things. And although it seems to me that this soul is not damned, nevertheless
its torments are in no way different from the torments of hell; there is only
this difference: that they will someday come to an end.
496
Confession Day. From early morning, the turmoil in my soul was more violent
than anything I had ever experienced before. Complete abandonment by God; I
felt the utter weakness that I was. Thoughts bore in upon me: why should I
leave this convent where I am loved by the sisters and superiors, where life is
so tranquil; [where I am] bound by perpetual vows and carry out my duties
without difficulty; why should I listen to the voice of my conscience; why
follow an inspiration coming from who knows where; wouldn't it be better to
carry on like all the other sisters? Perhaps the Lord's words could be stifled,
not taken heed of; maybe God will not demand an account of them on the day of
judgment. Where will this inner voice lead me? If I follow it, what tremendous
difficulties, tribulations and adversities are in store for me. I fear the
future, and I am agonizing in the present.
This suffering continued with the same intensity throughout the whole day. When, in the evening, my turn came for confession, I could not make a full confession, even though I had been preparing for a long time. I received absolution and left, not knowing what was going on within me. When I went to bed, the suffering grew even worse; or rather, it changed into a fire which penetrated all the faculties of my soul like lightning, piercing me to the marrow, and to the most secret recesses of my heart. In the midst of this suffering, I was unable to bring myself to do anything. "Your will be done, Lord." At times I could not even think these words. Truly, a deadly fear had taken hold of me, and the flames of hell were touching me. Toward morning, silence set in, and my tribulations disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, but I felt so frightfully exhausted that I could not even move. During my conversation with Mother Superior, my strength returned bit by bit, but God alone knows how I felt throughout that whole day.
This suffering continued with the same intensity throughout the whole day. When, in the evening, my turn came for confession, I could not make a full confession, even though I had been preparing for a long time. I received absolution and left, not knowing what was going on within me. When I went to bed, the suffering grew even worse; or rather, it changed into a fire which penetrated all the faculties of my soul like lightning, piercing me to the marrow, and to the most secret recesses of my heart. In the midst of this suffering, I was unable to bring myself to do anything. "Your will be done, Lord." At times I could not even think these words. Truly, a deadly fear had taken hold of me, and the flames of hell were touching me. Toward morning, silence set in, and my tribulations disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, but I felt so frightfully exhausted that I could not even move. During my conversation with Mother Superior, my strength returned bit by bit, but God alone knows how I felt throughout that whole day.
939
There is an exception [to this], and that is when God himself directs the
person, but the director will immediately recognize that the person in question
is being guided by God himself. God will allow him to know this clearly and
distinctly, and such a person should be even more under the director's control
than anyone else. In this case, the director does not so much guide and point
out the road along which the soul is to journey; but rather, he judges and
confirms that the soul is following the right path and is being led by a good
spirit.
In this situation, the director should be not only holy, but also experienced and prudent, and the soul should give priority to his opinion over that of God himself, for then the soul will be safe from illusions and deviations. A soul that will not fully submit its inspirations to the strict control of the Church; that is, to the director, clearly shows by this that a bad spirit is guiding it. The director should be extremely prudent in such cases and test the soul's obedience. Satan can even clothe himself in a cloak of humility, but he does not know how to wear the cloak of obedience and thus his evil designs will be disclosed. But the director should not be overly afraid of such a soul, because if God puts that special soul in his care, He will also give him great divine light regarding it, for otherwise how could he deal wisely with the great mysteries which take place between the soul and God.
In this situation, the director should be not only holy, but also experienced and prudent, and the soul should give priority to his opinion over that of God himself, for then the soul will be safe from illusions and deviations. A soul that will not fully submit its inspirations to the strict control of the Church; that is, to the director, clearly shows by this that a bad spirit is guiding it. The director should be extremely prudent in such cases and test the soul's obedience. Satan can even clothe himself in a cloak of humility, but he does not know how to wear the cloak of obedience and thus his evil designs will be disclosed. But the director should not be overly afraid of such a soul, because if God puts that special soul in his care, He will also give him great divine light regarding it, for otherwise how could he deal wisely with the great mysteries which take place between the soul and God.
1106
+ Virtue without prudence is not virtue at all. We should often pray to the
Holy Spirit for this grace of prudence. Prudence consists in discretion,
rational reflection and courageous resolution. The final decision is always up
to us. We must decide; we can and we ought to seek advice and light...
1317
I understand Your words, Lord, and the magnitude of the mercy that ought to
shine in my soul. Jesus:
I know, My daughter, that you understand it and that you do everything within
your power. But write this for the many souls who are often worried because
they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy.
Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is
much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not
exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of
judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves,
they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy.
1426
Christ, give me souls. Let anything You like happen to me, but give me souls in
return. I want the salvation of souls. I want souls to know Your mercy. I have
nothing left for myself, because I have given everything away to souls, with
the result that on the day of judgment I will stand before You empty-handed,
since I have given everything away to souls. Thus You will have nothing on
which to judge me, and we shall meet on that day: Love and mercy... + J. M. J.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-36, 52, 154, 236, 274, 426, 496)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-939
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1106)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1317, 1426)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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