I Came, I Saw and I Was Conquered
Solemnity of the
Epiphany of the Lord (January 6, 2013).
Matthew 2:1-12
When
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi
from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, "Where is the newborn king of
the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage."
When King Herod heard this, he was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem with
him. Assembling all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, he
inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, "In
Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it has been written through the prophet: ´And you,
Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.´"
Then Herod called the magi secretly and ascertained from them the time of the
star´s appearance. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search
diligently for the child. When you have found him, bring me word, that I too
may go and do him homage." After their audience with the king they set
out. And behold, the star that they had seen at its rising preceded them, until
it came and stopped over the place where the child was. They were overjoyed at
seeing the star, and on entering the house they saw the child with Mary his
mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage. Then they opened their
treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having
been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their country
by another way.
Introductory
Prayer:
Lord, thank You for your perfect gift of Yourself: coming as a humble child
born of Mary. The thought of You as a helpless little babe lying in a
manger fills my heart with confidence. I know that You could never be capable
of deceiving me, since You have divested yourself of all greatness so that I
can gaze upon You. You deserve all my hope and all my love, which I humbly
offer you now.
Petition: Lord, I ask you for
a heart truly receptive to your message.
1. We Saw His Star: Those who are
sincere of heart find God in their life. In the case of the Magi, their
sincerity is shown by what they are willing to sacrifice to attain their goal.
The journey required abandoning the comforts of their homeland, the needs of
their family members, and the pursuit of wealth. The intention was pure, not
muddled with self-centered wants, for it was nothing less than the desire to
encounter God’s living presence. Their openness of heart permitted God to speak
through many things in their world—from astrology to Herod, from the star to
the child in the crib. What will it take for me to find God today? I must put
aside all but him and let his hand lead me to that definitive encounter with
his divine presence.
2. Warned Not to
Return to Herod:
No star is offered to Herod or to the worldly, only darkness. The worldly may
like the idea of God, and even be curious about him, but they disregard his
call. They rarely leave their palace, sacrifice their time, or place themselves
at the service of the divine. The prideful lovers of comfort leave their
palaces and then oddly claim God is nowhere to be found in the world. They fear
the loss of a comfortable world. I pray that my heart be open to all that the
living Gospel requires in my life. May Christ find no obstacle in me; rather,
may he find in me the will to leave my palace so that I might find and follow
him.
3. Then They Opened
Their Treasures:
In order to give love, I must have been impacted by love. How can I hold to the
demands that others place upon me? How can I keep true to my vocation and
mission when little affirmation and support come my way? Every morning I need
to seek out the God who gives unconditionally so that his giving may impact me.
Be it at Mass, in prayer, or in the workings of divine providence, every day a
necessary epiphany awaits me. It empowers me to open my coffer and bring forth
the gift of self. If I do not experience this love, my life remains closed—no
interior strength is found to give myself totally. John tells us: “In this is
love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be an
atoning sacrifice for our sins. Brothers, if God so loved us, we too ought to
love each other…. We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:8, 20).
Conversation
with Christ:
Christ, Your love for me compels me to give myself and hold nothing back. I
have touched a moment in human history that overwhelms my comprehension and
conquers my heart for You. May I give myself as You give yourself to me: at
Mass, in prayer, and in souls You call me to serve.
Resolution: I will work to
improve my charity with the members of my family today, loving them as Christ
does.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
294 +Once the Lord said to me,
Act like a beggar who does not back away when he gets more alms [than he asked
for], but offers thanks the more fervently. You too should not back away and
say that you are not worthy of receiving greater graces when I give them to
you. I know you are unworthy, but rejoice all the more and take as many
treasures from My Heart as you can carry, for then you will please Me more. And
I will tell you one more thing: Take these graces not only for yourself, but
also for others; that is, encourage the souls with whom you come in contact to
trust in My infinite mercy. Oh, how I love those souls who have complete
confidence in Me. I will do everything for them.
529 On the evening of the last day [November 15] of the
novena at Ostra Brama, after the singing of the litany, one of the priests
exposed the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance. When he placed it on the
altar, I immediately saw the Infant Jesus, stretching out His little arms,
first of all toward His Mother, who at that time had taken on a living
appearance. When the Mother of God was speaking to me, Jesus stretched out His
tiny hands toward the congregation. The Blessed Mother was telling me to accept
all that God asked of me like a little child, without questioning; otherwise it
would not be pleasing to God. At that moment, the Infant Jesus vanished, and
the Mother of God was again lifeless, and Her picture was the same as it had
been before. But my soul was filled with great joy and gladness, and I said to
the Lord, "Do with me as You please; I am ready for everything, but You, O
Lord, must not abandon me even for a moment."
551 How great should each one's love
for the Church be! As a good child prays for the mother it loves, so also
should every Christian soul pray for the Church, its Mother. What then should
be said of us religious who have especially committed ourselves to praying for
the Church? How great, then, is our apostolate, hidden though it be. All our
little daily nothings will be placed at the feet of the Lord Jesus as a propitiatory
offering for the world; but in order that our offering may be pleasing to God,
it must be pure. And for it to be pure, the heart must be freed of all natural
attachments, and all its affections must be directed towards the Creator,
loving all creatures in Him and according to His will; and, acting thus, each
with a zealous spirit will bring joy to the Church.
566 One day, after Holy Communion, I
suddenly saw the Infant Jesus standing by my kneeler and holding on to it with
His two little hands. Although He was but a little Child, my soul was filled
with awe and fear, for I see in Him my Judge, my Lord, and my Creator, before
whose holiness the Angels tremble. At the same time, my soul was flooded with
such unspeakable love that I thought I would die under its influence. I now see
that Jesus first strengthens my soul and makes it capable of abiding with Him,
for otherwise I would not be able to bear what I experience at such a moment.
Relationship of Sisters with the Superior.
567 All the sisters should respect the superior as the Lord Jesus himself, as I mentioned when speaking about the vow of obedience. They should behave toward her with childlike trust, and should never murmur or find fault with her commands, as this is very displeasing to God. Let each be guided by a spirit of faith in her relationship to superiors; let her ask with simplicity for all that she needs. God forbid that it ever happen or be repeated that any of the sisters would be a cause of sorrow or tears to the superior. Let each one know that as the fourth commandment obliges a child to honor its parents, in like manner is the religious bound to respect her superior. Only a bad religious would take the liberty of judging her superior. Let the sisters be sincere with the superior, telling her about everything and about their needs with childlike simplicity.
The sisters will address the superior thus: "With your leave, Sister Superior." They shall never kiss her hand, but whenever they meet her in the corridor or enter her cell, they should say, "Praised be Jesus Christ," bowing their heads slightly.
They shall address each other as "Sister," adding the proper name. Their relationship toward the superior should be marked by a spirit of faith and not by sentimentality or flattery, as these are unworthy of a religious and would degrade her very much. A religious should be as free as a queen, and will be such only when she lives in the spirit of faith. We should obey and respect the superior, not because she is good, holy or prudent, but solely because she represents God, and by obeying her we are obeying God himself.
Relationship of Sisters with the Superior.
567 All the sisters should respect the superior as the Lord Jesus himself, as I mentioned when speaking about the vow of obedience. They should behave toward her with childlike trust, and should never murmur or find fault with her commands, as this is very displeasing to God. Let each be guided by a spirit of faith in her relationship to superiors; let her ask with simplicity for all that she needs. God forbid that it ever happen or be repeated that any of the sisters would be a cause of sorrow or tears to the superior. Let each one know that as the fourth commandment obliges a child to honor its parents, in like manner is the religious bound to respect her superior. Only a bad religious would take the liberty of judging her superior. Let the sisters be sincere with the superior, telling her about everything and about their needs with childlike simplicity.
The sisters will address the superior thus: "With your leave, Sister Superior." They shall never kiss her hand, but whenever they meet her in the corridor or enter her cell, they should say, "Praised be Jesus Christ," bowing their heads slightly.
They shall address each other as "Sister," adding the proper name. Their relationship toward the superior should be marked by a spirit of faith and not by sentimentality or flattery, as these are unworthy of a religious and would degrade her very much. A religious should be as free as a queen, and will be such only when she lives in the spirit of faith. We should obey and respect the superior, not because she is good, holy or prudent, but solely because she represents God, and by obeying her we are obeying God himself.
589 Love casts out fear. Since I
came to love God with my whole being and with all the strength of my heart,
fear has left me. Even if I were to hear the most terrifying things about God's
justice, I would not fear Him at all, because I have come to know Him well. God
is love, and His Spirit is peace. I see now that my deeds which have flowed
from love are more perfect than those which I have done out of fear. I have
placed my trust in God and fear nothing. I have given myself over to His holy
will; let Him do with me as He wishes, and I will still love Him.
592 I learned in the Heart of Jesus that in heaven itself
there is a heaven to which not all, but only chosen souls, have access.
Incomprehensible is the happiness in which the soul will be immersed. O my God,
oh, that I could describe this, even in some little degree. Souls are
penetrated by His divinity and pass from brightness to brightness, an
unchanging light, but never monotonous, always new though never changing. O
Holy Trinity, make yourself known to souls!
593 O my Jesus, nothing is better for the soul than humiliations. In contempt is the secret of happiness, when the soul recognizes that, of itself, it is only wretchedness and nothingness, and that whatever it possesses of good is a gift of God. When the soul sees that everything is given it freely and that the only thing it has of itself is its own misery, this is what sustains it in a continual act of humble prostration before the majesty of God. And God, seeing the soul in such a disposition, pursues it with His graces. As the soul continues to immerse itself more deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and need, God uses His omnipotence to exalt it. If there is a truly happy soul upon earth, it can only be a truly humble soul. At first, one's self-love suffers greatly on this account, but after a soul has struggled courageously, God grants it much light by which it sees how wretched and full of deception everything is. God alone is in its heart. A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God. God defends the humble soul and lets Himself into its secrets, and the soul abides in unsurpassable happiness which no one can comprehend.
593 O my Jesus, nothing is better for the soul than humiliations. In contempt is the secret of happiness, when the soul recognizes that, of itself, it is only wretchedness and nothingness, and that whatever it possesses of good is a gift of God. When the soul sees that everything is given it freely and that the only thing it has of itself is its own misery, this is what sustains it in a continual act of humble prostration before the majesty of God. And God, seeing the soul in such a disposition, pursues it with His graces. As the soul continues to immerse itself more deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and need, God uses His omnipotence to exalt it. If there is a truly happy soul upon earth, it can only be a truly humble soul. At first, one's self-love suffers greatly on this account, but after a soul has struggled courageously, God grants it much light by which it sees how wretched and full of deception everything is. God alone is in its heart. A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God. God defends the humble soul and lets Himself into its secrets, and the soul abides in unsurpassable happiness which no one can comprehend.
606 My Jesus, despite Your graces, I
see and feel all my misery. I begin my day with battle and end it with battle.
As soon as I conquer one obstacle, ten more appear to take its place. But I am
not worried, because I know that this is the time of struggle, not peace. When
the burden of the battle becomes too much for me, I throw myself like a child
into the arms of the heavenly Father and trust I will not perish. O my Jesus,
how prone I am to evil, and this forces me to be constantly vigilant. But I do
not lose heart. I trust God's grace, which abounds in the worst misery.
626 In the evening, during
Benediction, my soul was for some time in communion with God the Father. I felt
I was in His hand like a little child, and I heard these words in my soul:
Do not fear anything, My daughter; all the adversaries will be shattered at My
feet. At these words, a deep peace and a great interior calm entered my
soul.
628 On the evening of the last day
before my departure from Vilnius, an elderly sister [131] revealed the condition of her soul to me.
She said that she had already been suffering interiorly for several years, that
it seemed to her that all her confessions had been bad, and that she had doubts
as to whether the Lord Jesus had forgiven her. I asked her if she had ever told
her confessor about this. She answered that she had spoken many times about
this to her confessors and... "the confessors are always telling me to be
at peace, but still I suffer very much, and nothing brings me relief, and it
constantly seems to me that God has not forgiven me." I answered,
"You should obey your confessor, Sister, and be fully at peace, because this
is certainly a temptation."
But she entreated me with tears in her eyes to ask Jesus if He had forgiven her and whether her confessions had been good or not. I answered forcefully, "Ask Him yourself, Sister, if you don't believe your confessors!" But she clutched my hand and did not want to let me go until I gave her an answer, and she kept asking me to pray for her and to let her know what Jesus would tell me about her. Crying bitterly, she would not let me go and said to me, "I know that the Lord Jesus speaks to you, Sister." Since she was clutching my hand and I could not wrench myself away, I promised her I would pray for her. In the evening, during Benediction, I heard these words in my soul: Tell her that her disbelief wounds My heart more than the sins she committed. When I told her this, she began to cry like a child, and great joy entered her soul. I understood that God wanted to console this soul through me. Even though it cost me a good deal, I fulfilled God's wish.
629 When I entered the chapel for a moment that same evening, to thank God for all the graces He had bestowed on me in this house, suddenly God's presence enveloped me. I felt like a child in the hands of the best of fathers, and I heard these words: Do not fear anything. I am always with you. His love penetrated my whole being. I felt I was entering into such close intimacy with Him that I cannot find words to express it.
But she entreated me with tears in her eyes to ask Jesus if He had forgiven her and whether her confessions had been good or not. I answered forcefully, "Ask Him yourself, Sister, if you don't believe your confessors!" But she clutched my hand and did not want to let me go until I gave her an answer, and she kept asking me to pray for her and to let her know what Jesus would tell me about her. Crying bitterly, she would not let me go and said to me, "I know that the Lord Jesus speaks to you, Sister." Since she was clutching my hand and I could not wrench myself away, I promised her I would pray for her. In the evening, during Benediction, I heard these words in my soul: Tell her that her disbelief wounds My heart more than the sins she committed. When I told her this, she began to cry like a child, and great joy entered her soul. I understood that God wanted to console this soul through me. Even though it cost me a good deal, I fulfilled God's wish.
629 When I entered the chapel for a moment that same evening, to thank God for all the graces He had bestowed on me in this house, suddenly God's presence enveloped me. I felt like a child in the hands of the best of fathers, and I heard these words: Do not fear anything. I am always with you. His love penetrated my whole being. I felt I was entering into such close intimacy with Him that I cannot find words to express it.
1033 + When I see that the burden is
beyond my strength, I do not consider or analyze it or probe into it, but I run
like a child to the Heart of Jesus and say only one word to Him: "You can
do all things." And then I keep silent, because I know that Jesus himself
will intervene in the matter, and as for me, instead of tormenting myself, I
use that time to love Him.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-294)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-529, 551, 566-567, 589, 592-593)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-606, 626, 628-629)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1033)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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