The Supreme
Measure of Paschal Joy
Monday in the Octave of Easter
Matthew 28:8-15
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” While they were going, some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. They assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You are to say, ´His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.´ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” While they were going, some of the guards went into the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. They assembled with the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, telling them, "You are to say, ´His disciples came by night and stole him while we were asleep.´ And if this gets to the ears of the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." The soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the Jews to the present day.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, You are the
source of all life because You are life itself. Your resurrection from the dead
gives me the hope of being raised from the dead to rejoice with You forever in
heaven. I need to dwell more often on the good You have done for us and on Your
promises to those who put their trust in You. Thank You, Jesus, for taking up
Your life again and leading the way home to heaven. I love You, and I want to
follow after You with all my heart. I want to cooperate more fully with You in
bringing many others there with me.
Petition: Lord, as a fruit
of my experiencing your love, grant me the grace of witnessing to You.
1. Coming into the Light of the Resurrection: Contemplate the women at the tomb. Feel their distress upon entering an
open and empty tomb. Experience their fears for where the body might be. Share
in their joy because their faith, and ours, awakens to the reality of Our
Lord’s resurrection. Indeed, it is true! He has truly risen! Alleluia! Approach
him and bow down, then adore and embrace the loving feet of Our Lord. He wants
to be our strength, our light and our love. He wants to be our Lord.
2. From Contemplatives to Missionaries: From our contemplation we must become missionaries. This is the
instruction Our Lord gives these privileged women: “Go tell my brothers to go
to Galilee, and there they will see me.”From their adoration, Our Lord calls
them to be witnesses to the world, beginning first with the apostles. These
women, insignificant in the eyes of the world, have become irreplaceable
heralds of the Gospel. Why? It is not because of any social class or role they
had had. Rather, it is because of the faith and love with which they would live
and accomplish the mission entrusted to them. They were faithful to Our Lord in
spreading the Good News of the Resurrection to the apostles and the world.
3. Obedience of Faith Allows Us to See: Our Lord asks the apostles to obey his command: “Go to Galilee … there
they will see me.” Christ requires our obedience in order for us to see him in
faith and experience his resurrection. Without obedience, we might not
recognize him. The guards at the tomb were obedient to the orders of the chief
priests. Yet the guards lacked faith, so they did not believe what they saw and
thus did not adore. We all obey someone. However, it is obedience to Christ
that leads to faith which leads to life: “He who believes in the Son has
eternal life” (John 3:36).
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank You for this time I have spent with You in prayer and
contemplation of Your resurrection. Help me always to grow and mature in my
faith. Without it I am lost. Without it I am unable to see You, and if I cannot
see You, how will I be able to follow You? I place my trust in You and Your
promise of eternal life.
Resolution: I will make a
special effort to speak well of others today, especially those with whom I may
disagree.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
24
One day, just as I had awakened, when I was putting myself in the presence of
God, I was suddenly overwhelmed by despair. Complete darkness in the soul. I
fought as best I could till noon. In the afternoon, truly deadly fears began to
seize me; my physical strength began to leave me. I went quickly to my cell,
fell on my knees before the Crucifix and began to cry out for mercy. But Jesus
did not hear my cries. I felt my physical strength leave me completely. I fell
to the ground, despair flooding my whole soul. I suffered terrible tortures in
no way different from the torments of hell. I was in this state for three
quarters of an hour. I wanted to go and see the Directress, but was too weak. I
wanted to shout but I had no voice. Fortunately, one of the sisters [another
novice, Sister Placida Putyra] came into my cell. Finding me in such a strange
condition, she immediately told the Directress about it. Mother came at once.
As soon as she entered the cell she said, "In the name of holy obedience [16]
get up from the ground." Immediately some force raised me up from the
ground and I stood up, close to the dear Mother Directress. With kindly words
she began to explain to me that this was a trial sent to me by God, saying,
"Have great confidence; God is always our Father, even when He sends us
trials."
I returned to my duties as if I had come out from the tomb, my senses saturated with what my soul had experienced. During the evening service, my soul began to agonize again in a terrible darkness. I felt that I was in the power of the Just God, and that I was the object of His indignation. During these terrible moments I said to God, "Jesus, who in the Gospel compare Yourself to a most tender mother," I trust in Your words because You are Truth and Life. In spite of everything, Jesus, I trust in You in the face of every interior sentiment which sets itself against hope. Do what You want with me; I will never leave You, because You are the source of my life." Only one who has lived through similar moments can understand how terrible is this torment of the soul.
I returned to my duties as if I had come out from the tomb, my senses saturated with what my soul had experienced. During the evening service, my soul began to agonize again in a terrible darkness. I felt that I was in the power of the Just God, and that I was the object of His indignation. During these terrible moments I said to God, "Jesus, who in the Gospel compare Yourself to a most tender mother," I trust in Your words because You are Truth and Life. In spite of everything, Jesus, I trust in You in the face of every interior sentiment which sets itself against hope. Do what You want with me; I will never leave You, because You are the source of my life." Only one who has lived through similar moments can understand how terrible is this torment of the soul.
28
Once Jesus told me, Go to Mother Superior [probably Mother Raphael 18] and
ask her to let you wear a hair shirt for seven days, and once each night you
are to get up and come to the chapel. I said yes, but I found a certain
difficulty in actually going to the Superior. In the evening Jesus asked me, How
long will you put it off? I made up my mind to tell Mother Superior the
very next time I would see her.
The next day before noon I saw Mother Superior going to the refectory and, since the kitchen, refectory and Sister Aloysia's little room are all close to each other, I asked Mother Superior to come into Sister Aloysia's room and told her of the wish of the Lord Jesus. At that, Mother answered, "I will not permit you to wear any hair shirt. Absolutely not! If the Lord Jesus were to give you the strength of a colossus, I would then permit those mortifications."
I apologized for taking up Mother's time and left the room. At that very moment I saw Jesus standing at the kitchen door, and I said to Him, "You commanded me to ask for these mortifications, but Mother Superior will not permit them." Jesus said, I was here during your conversation with the Superior and know everything. I don't demand mortification from you, but obedience. By obedience you give great glory to Me and gain merit for yourself.
The next day before noon I saw Mother Superior going to the refectory and, since the kitchen, refectory and Sister Aloysia's little room are all close to each other, I asked Mother Superior to come into Sister Aloysia's room and told her of the wish of the Lord Jesus. At that, Mother answered, "I will not permit you to wear any hair shirt. Absolutely not! If the Lord Jesus were to give you the strength of a colossus, I would then permit those mortifications."
I apologized for taking up Mother's time and left the room. At that very moment I saw Jesus standing at the kitchen door, and I said to Him, "You commanded me to ask for these mortifications, but Mother Superior will not permit them." Jesus said, I was here during your conversation with the Superior and know everything. I don't demand mortification from you, but obedience. By obedience you give great glory to Me and gain merit for yourself.
102
After some time, one of the sisters came into the cell and found me almost
dead. She was frightened and went to find the Directress of Novices who, in the
name of holy obedience ordered me to get up from the ground. My strength
returned immediately, and I got up, trembling. The Directress recognized
immediately the state of my soul and spoke to me about the inscrutable mercy of
God, saying, "Do not be distressed about anything, Sister. I command this
of you in virtue of obedience." Then she said to me, "I see now,
Sister, that God is calling you to a high degree of holiness; the Lord wants to
draw you very close to Himself since He has allowed these things to happen to
you so soon. Be faithful to God, Sister, because this is a sign that He wants you
to have a high place in heaven." However, I did not understand anything of
these words. When I went into the chapel, I felt as though my soul had been set
free from everything, as though I had just come forth from the hand of God. I
perceived the inviolability of my soul; I felt that I was a tiny child.
105
However, in all these sufferings and struggles, I was not omitting Holy
Communion. When it seemed to me that I should not communicate, I went, before
Holy Communion, to the Directress and told her that I could not approach the
Sacrament, because it seemed to me that I should not do so. But she would not
permit me to omit Holy Communion, so I went, and I understand now that it was
only obedience that saved me.
The Directress herself told me later that my trials had passed quickly, "and this solely because you were obedient, Sister; and it was through the power of obedience that you struggled through this so bravely." It is true that it was the Lord himself who brought me out of this torment, but my fidelity to obedience did please Him.
The Directress herself told me later that my trials had passed quickly, "and this solely because you were obedient, Sister; and it was through the power of obedience that you struggled through this so bravely." It is true that it was the Lord himself who brought me out of this torment, but my fidelity to obedience did please Him.
106
Though these are frightening things, the soul should not be too fearful,
because God will never test us beyond what we are able to bear. On the other
hand, He may never send us such sufferings, but I write this because, if it
pleases the Lord to let a soul pass through such sufferings, it should not be
afraid but, insofar as this depends on the soul itself, it should remain
faithful to God. God will do a soul no harm, because He is Love itself, and in
this unfathomable love has called it into being. However, when I was so
tormented, I myself did not understand this.
113
And again, I would like to say three words to the soul that is determined to
strive for sanctity and to derive fruit; that is to say, benefit from confession.
First word-complete sincerity and openness. Even the holiest and wisest confessor cannot forcibly pour into the soul what he desires if it is not sincere and open. An insincere, secretive soul risks great dangers in the spiritual life, and even the Lord Jesus Himself does not give Himself to such a soul on a higher level, because He knows it would derive no benefit from these special graces.
Second word-humility. A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of its own misery. It puts on a mask and avoids everything that might bring it recovery.
Third word-obedience. A disobedient soul will win no victory, even if the Lord Jesus himself, in person, were to hear its confession. The most experienced confessor will be of no help whatsoever to such a soul. The disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the spiritual life. God lavishes His graces most generously upon the soul, but it must be an obedient soul.
First word-complete sincerity and openness. Even the holiest and wisest confessor cannot forcibly pour into the soul what he desires if it is not sincere and open. An insincere, secretive soul risks great dangers in the spiritual life, and even the Lord Jesus Himself does not give Himself to such a soul on a higher level, because He knows it would derive no benefit from these special graces.
Second word-humility. A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of its own misery. It puts on a mask and avoids everything that might bring it recovery.
Third word-obedience. A disobedient soul will win no victory, even if the Lord Jesus himself, in person, were to hear its confession. The most experienced confessor will be of no help whatsoever to such a soul. The disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the spiritual life. God lavishes His graces most generously upon the soul, but it must be an obedient soul.
257 Tomorrow I am to
leave for Vilnius. Today, I went to confession to Father Andrasz, this priest
who is so filled with the spirit of God, who untied my wings so that I could
soar to the highest summits. He reassured me in everything and told me to
believe in Divine Providence. "Have confidence and walk ahead with
courage." An extraordinary, divine power came over me after that
confession. Father stressed that I must be faithful to God's grace and said,
"No harm will come to you if, in the future, you continue to keep this
same simplicity and obedience. Have confidence in God; you are on the right
path and in good hands, in God's hands."
362 +One day, during
the morning meditation, I heard this voice: I myself am your director; I was, I am, and I will be.
And since you asked for visible help, I chose and gave you a director even
before you had asked, for My work required this. Know that the faults you
commit against him wound My Heart. Be especially on your guard against
self-willfulness; even the smallest thing should bear the seal of obedience.
With a crushed and humbled heart I begged forgiveness of Jesus for these faults. I also begged pardon of my spiritual director and resolved to do nothing rather than to do many things wrongly.
With a crushed and humbled heart I begged forgiveness of Jesus for these faults. I also begged pardon of my spiritual director and resolved to do nothing rather than to do many things wrongly.
365 My spiritual
director replaced it with an interior mortification; namely, throughout Holy
Mass I was to meditate on why the Lord Jesus had submitted to being baptized.
The meditation was no mortification for me, for thinking about God is a delight
and not a mortification; but there was a mortification of the will in that I
was not doing [simply] what I like, but what I was told to do, and it is in
this that interior mortification consists. When I left the confessional and
started to recite my penance, I heard these words: I have granted the grace you asked for
on behalf of that soul, but not because of the mortification you chose for
yourself. Rather, it was because of your act of complete obedience to My
representative that I granted this grace to that soul for whom you interceded
and begged mercy. Know that when you mortify your own self-will, then Mine
reigns within you.
376 My Jesus, I trust
that Your grace will help me to carry out these resolutions. Although the above
points are contained in the vow of obedience, I want to practice these things
in a special way, because this is the essence of the religious life. Merciful
Jesus, I beg You fervently to enlighten my mind so that I may come to know You
better, You who are the Infinite Being, and that I may get to know myself
better, who am nothingness itself.
381 When meditating
once on obedience, I heard these words:
In this meditation, the priest [90]
is speaking particularly for you. Know that I am borrowing his lips.
I tried to listen most attentively to everything and to apply everything to my
own heart, as in every meditation. When the priest said that an obedient soul
was filled with the power of God... Yes,
when you are obedient I take away your weakness and replace it with My
strength. I am very surprised that souls do not want to make that exchange with
Me. I said to the Lord, "Jesus, enlighten my heart, or
else I, too, will not understand much from these words."
890 Love is a mystery
that transforms everything it touches into things beautiful and pleasing to
God. The love of God makes a soul free. She is like a queen; she knows no
slavish compulsion; she sets about everything with great freedom of soul,
because the love which dwells in her incites her to action. Everything that
surrounds her makes her know that only God himself is worthy of her love. A
soul in love with God and immersed in Him approaches her duties with the same
dispositions as she does Holy Communion and carries out the simplest tasks with
great care, under the loving gaze of God. She is not troubled if, after some
time, something turns out to be less successful. She remains calm, because at
the time of the action she had done what was in her power. When it happens that
the living presence of God, which she enjoys almost constantly, leaves her, she
then tries to continue living in lively faith. Her soul understands that there
are periods of rest and periods of battle. Through her will, she is always with
God. Her soul, like a knight, is well trained in battle; from afar it sees
where the foe is hiding and is ready for battle. She knows she is not alone-God
is her strength.
1006 + O my Lord and
God, You command me to write about the graces You grant me. O my Jesus, were it
not for a clear command from my confessors,[178] that I
am to write down what goes on in my soul, I would not, of my own choice, write
a single word. And so, if I do write about myself, it is at the formal command
of holy obedience.
1023 + Today, I
received some oranges. When the sister had left, I thought to myself,
"Should I eat the oranges instead of doing penance and mortifying myself
during Holy Lent? After all, I am feeling a bit better." Then I heard a
voice in my soul: My
daughter, you please Me more by eating the oranges out of obedience and love of
Me than by fasting and mortifying yourself of your own will. A soul that loves
Me very much must, ought to live by My will. I know your heart, and I know that
it will not be satisfied by anything but My love alone.
1267 September 6,
1937. Today, I begin a new assignment. I go from the garden to the desert of
the gate. [210]
I went in to talk to the Lord for a while. I asked Him for a blessing and for
graces to faithfully carry out the duties entrusted to me. I heard these words:
My daughter, I am always
with you. I have given you the opportunity to practice deeds of mercy which you
will perform according to obedience. You will give Me much pleasure if, each
evening, you will speak to Me especially about this task. I
felt that Jesus had given me a new grace in relation to my new duties; but,
despite this, I have locked myself deeper in His Heart.
1312 + Jesus came to
the main entrance today, under the guise of a poor young man. This young man,
emaciated, barefoot and bareheaded, and with his clothes in tatters, was frozen
because the day was cold and rainy. He asked for something hot to eat. So I
went to the kitchen, but found nothing there for the poor. But, after searching
around for some time, I succeeded in finding some soup, which I reheated and
into which I crumbled some bread, and I gave it to the poor young man, who ate
it. As I was taking the bowl from him, he gave me to know that He was the Lord
of heaven and earth. When I saw Him as He was, He vanished from my sight. When
I went back in and reflected on what had happened at the gate, I heard these
words in my soul: My
daughter, the blessings of the poor who bless Me as they leave this gate have
reached My ears. And your compassion, within the bounds of obedience, has
pleased Me, and this is why I came down from My throne-to taste the fruits of
your mercy.
1374 October 30,
1937. Today, during the religious ceremonies [217] taking
place during Mass, and the second day of thanksgiving, I saw the Lord Jesus in
great beauty, and He said to me,
My daughter, I have not released you from taking action. I
answered, "Lord, my hand is too feeble for such work." Yes, I know; but joined with My right
hand you will accomplish everything. Nevertheless, be obedient, be obedient to
the confessors. I will give them light on how to direct you.
"Lord, I already wanted to begin the work in Your Name, but Father S.
keeps putting it off." Jesus answered me, I know this; so do just what is within your power, but
you must never withdraw your efforts.
1378 I felt worse
today, and I went to Mother Superior, intending to ask her for permission to go
to bed. However, before I could ask for permission, Mother Superior said to me,
"Sister, you must somehow manage by yourself at the gate, because I am
taking the girl to work at the cabbage, since there is no one else for the
cabbage." I said-good, and left the room. When I got to the gate, I felt
unusually strong, and I was at my post all day and felt well. I experienced the
power of holy obedience.
1484 O
Living Host, support me in this exile, that I may be empowered to walk
faithfully in the footsteps of the Savior. I do not ask, Lord, that You take me
down from the cross, but I implore You to give me the strength to remain
steadfast upon it. I want to be stretched out upon the cross as You were,
Jesus. I want all the tortures and pains that You suffered. I want to drink the
cup of bitterness to the dregs. .
1549 I want
to live in the spirit of faith. I accept everything that comes my way as given
me by the loving will of God, who sincerely desires my happiness. And so I will
accept with submission and gratitude everything that God sends me. I will pay
no attention to the voice of nature and to the promptings of self-love. Before
each important action, I will stop to consider for a moment what relationship
it has to eternal life and what may be the main reason for my undertaking it:
is it for the glory of God, or for the good of my own soul, or for the good of
the souls of others? If my heart says yes, then I will not swerve from carrying
out the given action, unmindful of either obstacles or sacrifices. I will not
be frightened into abandoning my intention. It is enough for me to know that it
is pleasing to God. On the other hand, if I learn that the action has nothing
in common with what I have just mentioned, I will try to elevate it to a
loftier sphere by means of a good intention. And if I learn that something
flows from my self-love, I will cancel it out right from the start.
1557 O
Jesus, keep me in holy fear, so that I may not waste graces. Help me to be
faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Grant that my heart may burst
for love of You, rather than I should neglect even one act of love for You.
1570 O
Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the
abyss of its misery to Your mercy-to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its
mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the
prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who
are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power
we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep
on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all
through our life and at death's hour. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield
us from the darts of our salvation's enemies, that we may with confidence, as
Your children, await Your final coming-that day known to You alone. And we
expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our
wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: Through His merciful Heart, as through an
open gate, we pass through to heaven.
Conference
on Spiritual Warfare.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-24, 28, 102, 105-106, 257)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-362, 365, 376, 381)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-890)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1006, 1023)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-IV-1267, 1312)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1374, 1378, 1484, 1549, 1557, 1570)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1484, 1549, 1557, 1570)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1484, 1549, 1557, 1570)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-VI-1760)
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