Only One Master
Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time
Father Walter Schu, LC
Matthew 6:
24-34
Jesus said to his disciples: "No one can
serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or
be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what
you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than
food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they
neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds
them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a
single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider
the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell
you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if
God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you - you of little faith?
Therefore do not worry, saying, ´What will we eat?´ or ´What will we drink?´ or
´What will we wear?´ For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things;
and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But
strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
bring worries of its own. Today´s trouble is enough for today."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this day, I trust in Your unfailing providence. You
are the deepest desire of my heart. In this moment of prayer I want to please You
alone. Even though I might be tired or uninspired, even though I might only
experience dryness, may this be my prayer: I offer You all I am and all I have.
Petition: Lord, help me to trust more deeply in the loving providence of Our
heavenly Father.
1. Why Worry? What can be added to Christ’s beautiful images in the Gospel, urging us
to trust in the loving providence of our heavenly Father? All that is necessary
is to ponder how God feeds the birds of the air and clothes the lilies of the
field and to let the reality of his fatherly care for these ephemeral creatures
sink deeply into our soul. How much more will he not care for us, the crowning
work of his hand, his sons and daughters, for whom he is willing to send his
only begotten Son to die on the Cross? Christ penetrates to the real cause of
our worries and anxieties, our anxious concern that often overwhelms us in
life: we have little faith. Little faith and even less trust in the goodness of
our heavenly Father. Let us thank him for his patience and allow his fatherly
goodness to penetrate to the depths of our spirit.
2. Stay Focused: Our worries and concerns about the material needs of our daily life
make us lose sight of the one thing that is truly necessary: striving for
holiness, for the establishment of Christ’s kingdom in our own lives and the
lives of those around us. If only we would allow Christ to set our hearts on
fire with the consuming passion of zeal for souls, how our lives would change!
We would become driven by the mission, constantly urged on by it — and all of
our former worries and anxieties would fade into insignificance. Then we, too,
could exclaim with Christ, “I have come to light a fire on the earth, and how I
wish it were blazing already!” (Luke 12:49)
3. Simplicity of Heart: One virtue that helps us trust God more and grow
in apostolic zeal is simplicity of heart. When you grow in simplicity of heart,
you will never demand of God that he explain your vocation or your sufferings.
Thanks to simplicity of heart, you will always see God’s holy will in
everything, and everything, even pain, becomes wells and rivers of peace and
joy. Thanks to simplicity of heart, you will be able to understand people and
their misery and give them a helping hand. Thanks to simplicity of heart, you
will never harbor hate, an evil wish, a grudge, or an evil thought in your
heart. Everything brings you to God.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me through this prayer to grow in
simplicity of heart, to recognize everything in my life as coming from Your
loving hand.
Resolution: I will renew my spirit of faith to see everything that happens to me
today as part of God’s loving providence.
Excerpts
from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
82 I will
not allow myself to be so absorbed in the whirlwind of work as to forget about
God. I will spend all my free moments at the feet of the Master hidden in the
Blessed Sacrament. He has been tutoring me from my most tender years.
110 O
Divine Master, what happens in my soul is Your work alone! You, O Lord, are not
afraid to place the soul on the edge of a terrible precipice where it stands,
alarmed and filled with fright, and then You call it back again to Yourself.
These are Your imponderable mysteries.
174 At that
moment the priest came in and began the conference. He spoke for a short time,
as if he were in a hurry. After the conference, he went over to the
confessional. Seeing that none of the sisters were going there, I sprang from
my kneeler, and in an instant was in the confessional. There was no time to
deliberate. Instead of telling the father about the doubts that had been sown
in me in respect to my dealings with the Lord Jesus, I began to speak about
these temptations I have just described above. The confessor immediately understood
my situation and said, "Sister, you distrust the Lord Jesus because He
treats you so kindly. Well, Sister, be completely at peace. Jesus is your
Master, and your communing with Him is neither daydreaming nor hysteria nor
illusion. Know that you are on the right path. Please try to be faithful to
these graces; you are not free to shun them. You do not need at all, Sister, to
tell your superiors about these interior graces, unless the Lord Jesus
instructs you clearly to do so, and even then you should first consult with
your confessor. But if the Lord Jesus demands something external, in this case,
after consulting your confessor, you should carry out what He asks of you, even
if this costs you greatly. On the other hand, you must tell your confessor everything.
There is absolutely no other course for you to take, Sister. Pray that you may
find a spiritual director, or else you will waste these great gifts of God. I
repeat once again, be at peace; you are following the right path. Take no heed
of anything else, but always be faithful to the Lord Jesus, no matter what
anyone says about you. It is with just such miserable souls that the Lord Jesus
communes in this intimate way. And the more you humble yourself, the more the
Lord Jesus will unite Himself with you." 175 176 177
195 O
Jesus, today my soul is as though darkened by suffering. Not a single ray of
light. The storm is raging, and Jesus is asleep. O my Master, I will not wake
You; I will not interrupt Your sweet sleep. I believe that You fortify me
without my knowing it.
Throughout the long hours I adore You, O living Bread, amidst the great drought in my soul. O Jesus, pure Love, I do not need consolations; I am nourished by Your will, O Mighty One! Your will is the goal of my existence. It seems to me that the whole world serves me and depends on me. You, O Lord, understand my soul with all its aspirations.
Jesus, when I myself cannot sing You the hymn of love, I admire the singing of the Seraphim, they who are so dearly loved by You. I desire to drown myself in You as they do. Nothing will stem such love, for no might has power over it. It is like lightning that illuminates the darkness, but does not remain in it. O my Master, shape my soul according to Your will and Your eternal designs!
Throughout the long hours I adore You, O living Bread, amidst the great drought in my soul. O Jesus, pure Love, I do not need consolations; I am nourished by Your will, O Mighty One! Your will is the goal of my existence. It seems to me that the whole world serves me and depends on me. You, O Lord, understand my soul with all its aspirations.
Jesus, when I myself cannot sing You the hymn of love, I admire the singing of the Seraphim, they who are so dearly loved by You. I desire to drown myself in You as they do. Nothing will stem such love, for no might has power over it. It is like lightning that illuminates the darkness, but does not remain in it. O my Master, shape my soul according to Your will and Your eternal designs!
218 I am beginning the retreat
today. Jesus, my Master, guide me. Govern me according to Your will, purify my
love that it may be worthy of You, do with me as Your most merciful Heart
desires. Jesus, there will be just the two of us during these days until the
moment of our union. Keep me, Jesus, in a recollected spirit!
+O Jesus, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament,
228 You see that in pronouncing my perpetual vows I am leaving the novitiate[68] today. Jesus, You know how weak and little I am, and so from today on, I am entering Your novitiate in a very special way. I continue to be a novice, but Your novice, Jesus, and You will be my Master to the last day. Daily I will attend lectures at Your feet. I will not do the least thing by myself, without consulting You first as my Master. Jesus, how happy I am that You yourself have drawn me and taken me into Your novitiate; that is to say, into the tabernacle. In making my perpetual vows, I have by no means become a perfect nun. No, no! I am still a weak little novice of Jesus, and I must strive to acquire perfection as I did in the first days of the novitiate, and I will make every effort to keep the same disposition of soul which I had on that first day the convent gate opened to admit me.
With the trust and simplicity of a small child, I give myself to You today, O Lord Jesus, my Master. I leave You complete freedom in directing my soul. Guide me along the paths You wish. I won't question them. I will follow You trustingly. Your merciful Heart can do all things!
295 +At
that moment Jesus asked me, My child, how is your retreat going? I
answered, "But Jesus, You know how it is going." Yes, I know, but
I want to hear it from your own lips and from your heart. "O my
Master, when You are leading me, everything goes smoothly, and I ask You, Lord,
to never leave my side." And Jesus said, Yes, I will be with you
always, if you always remain a little child and fear nothing. As I was your
beginning here, so I will also be your end. Do not rely on creatures, even in
the smallest things, because this displeases Me. I want to be alone in your
soul. I will give light and strength to your soul, and you will learn from My
representative that I am in you, and your uncertainty will vanish like mist
before the rays of the sun.
485 I
accept joy or suffering, praise or humiliation with the same disposition. I
remember that one and the other are passing. What does it matter to me what
people say about me? I have long ago given up everything that concerns my
person. My name is host-or sacrifice, not in words but in deeds, in the
emptying of myself and in becoming like You on the Cross, O good Jesus, my
Master!
569 December 15, 1935. From early
morning, today, a strange power has been pushing me to action, not giving me a
moment's peace. A strange ardor has been lit in my heart, urging me to action,
and I cannot stop it. This is a secret martyrdom known only to God, but let Him
do with me as He pleases; my heart is ready for anything. O Jesus, my dearest
Master, do not abandon me, not even for a moment. Jesus, You know well how weak
I am of myself; that is why I know that it is my weakness that forces You to be
with me constantly.
650 O my
Jesus, my Master and Director, strengthen and enlighten me in these difficult
moments of my life. I expect no help from people; all my hope is in You. I feel
alone in the face of Your demands, O Lord. Despite the fears and qualms of my
nature, I am fulfilling Your holy will and desire to fulfill it as faithfully
as possible throughout my life and in my death. Jesus, with You I can do all
things. Do with me as You please; only give me Your merciful Heart and that is
enough for me.
O Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what You have planned before all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of Your holy will. Enlighten my mind that I may know Your will. O God, You who pervade my soul, You know that I desire nothing but Your glory.
O Divine Will, You are the delight of my heart, the food of my soul, the light of my intellect, the omnipotent strength of my will; for when I unite myself with Your will, O Lord, Your power works through me and takes the place of my feeble will. Each day, I seek to carry out God's wishes.
O Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what You have planned before all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of Your holy will. Enlighten my mind that I may know Your will. O God, You who pervade my soul, You know that I desire nothing but Your glory.
O Divine Will, You are the delight of my heart, the food of my soul, the light of my intellect, the omnipotent strength of my will; for when I unite myself with Your will, O Lord, Your power works through me and takes the place of my feeble will. Each day, I seek to carry out God's wishes.
662 July 17. O my Jesus, You know
how much adversity I encounter in this matter, how much reproach I must put up
with, how many ironic smiles I must take with equanimity. Oh, alone I would not
be able to survive this, but with You, my Master, I can do all things. Oh, how
painfully an ironic smile wounds, especially when one [appears to] speak with
great sincerity.
670 O
Jesus, my Master and my Director, it is only with You that I can converse. With
no one else is it so easy to talk as with You, O God.
688 Jesus,
Life and Truth, my Master, guide every step of my life, that I may act
according to Your holy will.
704 I spend
every free moment at the feet of the hidden God. He is my Master; I ask Him
about everything; I speak to Him about everything. Here I obtain strength and
light; here I learn everything; here I am given light on how to act toward my
neighbor. From the time I left the novitiate, I have enclosed myself in the
tabernacle together with Jesus, my Master. He himself drew me into the fire of
living love on which everything converges.
725 +
Eight-day Retreat, October 20, 1936.
My Jesus, I am going into the wilderness today to speak only with You, my Master and my Lord. Let the earth be silent, and You alone speak to me, Jesus. You know that I understand no other voice but Yours, O Good Shepherd. In the dwelling of my heart is that wilderness to which no creature has access. There, You alone are King.
My Jesus, I am going into the wilderness today to speak only with You, my Master and my Lord. Let the earth be silent, and You alone speak to me, Jesus. You know that I understand no other voice but Yours, O Good Shepherd. In the dwelling of my heart is that wilderness to which no creature has access. There, You alone are King.
732 + The great
majesty of God which pervaded me today and still pervades me awoke in me a
great fear, but a fear filled with respect, and not the fear of a slave, which
is quite different from the fear of respect. This fear animated by respect
arose in my heart today because of love and the knowledge of the greatness of
God, and that is a great joy to the soul. The soul trembles before the smallest
offense against God; but that does not trouble or darken its happiness. There,
where love is in charge, all is well.
824 In this seclusion, Jesus
himself is my Master. He himself educates and instructs me. I feel that I am
the object of His special action. For His inscrutable purposes and unfathomable
decrees, He unites me to Himself in a special way and allows me to penetrate
His incomprehensible mysteries. There is one mystery which unites me with the
Lord, of which no one-not even angels-may know. And even if I wanted to tell of
it, I would not know how to express it. And yet, I live by it and will live by
it forever. This mystery distinguishes me from every other soul here on earth
or in eternity.
845 Before the vigil supper, I
entered the chapel for a moment to break the wafer spiritually with those dear
to my heart. I presented them all, by name, to Jesus and begged for graces on
their behalf. But that wasn't all. I commended to the Lord all those who are
being persecuted, those who are suffering, those who do not know His Name, and
especially poor sinners. O little Jesus, I fervently ask You, enclose them all
in the ocean of Your incomprehensible mercy. O sweet little Jesus, here is my
heart; let it be a little cozy dwelling place for Yourself. O Infinite Majesty,
with what sweetness You drew close to us. Here, there is no dread of the
thunderbolts of the great Jehovah; here, there is the sweet little Jesus. Here,
no soul is afraid, although Your majesty has not lessened, but only concealed
itself. After supper, I felt very tired and was in pain. I had to lie down. But
I kept vigil with the Most Holy Mother, awaiting the arrival of the little
Child.
871 + My
Master, cause my heart never to expect help from anyone, but I will always
strive to bring assistance, consolation and all manner of relief to others. My
heart is always open to the sufferings of others; and I will not close my heart
to the sufferings of others, even though because of this I have been scornfully
nicknamed "dump"; that is, [because] everyone dumps his pain into my
heart. [To this] I answered that everyone has a place in my heart and I, in
return, have a place in the Heart of Jesus. Taunts regarding the law of love
will not narrow my heart. My soul is always sensitive on this point, and Jesus
alone is the motive for my love of neighbor.
875 Today, I experienced a great
suffering during the visit of our sisters. I learned of something that hurt me
terribly, but I controlled myself so that the sisters didn't notice anything.
For some time, the pain was tearing my heart apart, but all that is for the sake
of poor sinners.... O Jesus, for poor sinners.... Jesus, my strength, stay
close to me, help me....
876 January 10, 1937. I asked the
Lord today to give me strength in the morning so that I could go to receive
Holy Communion. My Master, I ask You with all my thirsting heart to give me, if
this is according to Your holy will, any suffering and weakness that You like-I
want to suffer all day and all night-but please, I fervently beg You,
strengthen me for the one moment when I am to receive Holy Communion. You see
very well, Jesus, that here they do not bring Holy Communion to the sick; so,
if You do not strengthen me for that moment so that I can go down to the
chapel, how can I receive You in the Mystery of Love? And You know how much my
heart longs for You. O my sweet Spouse, what's the good of all these
reasoning's? You know how ardently I desire You, and if You so choose You can
do this for me.
On the following morning, I felt as
if I were perfectly well; the faintings and the weaknesses ceased. But as soon
as I returned from the chapel, all the sufferings and weaknesses immediately
returned, as if they had been waiting for me. But I had no fear of them at all,
because I had been nourished by the Bread of the Strong. I boldly look at
everything; even death itself I look straight in the eye.
877 + O
Jesus concealed in the Host, my sweet Master and faithful Friend, how happy my
soul is to have such a Friend who always keeps me company. I do not feel lonely
even though I am in isolation. Jesus-Host, we know each other-that is enough
for me.
885 Jesus, give me the strength and
wisdom to get through this terrible wilderness, that my heart may bear
patiently this longing for You, O my Lord! I always remain in holy
amazement when I sense that You are
approaching me, You, the Lord of the awesome
throne; that You descend to this
miserable exile and visit this poor beggar who has nothing but misery! I do not
know how to entertain You, my Royal Prince, but You know that I love You with
every beat of my heart. I see how You lower yourself, but nevertheless Your
majesty does not diminish in my eyes. I know that You love me with the love of
a bridegroom, and that is enough for me. Although we are separated by a great
chasm, for You are the Creator and I am Your creature, nevertheless, love alone
explains our union. Without it, all is incomprehensible. Only love makes it
possible to understand these incomprehensible intimacies with which You visit
me. O Jesus, Your greatness terrifies me, and I would be in constant astonishment
and fear, if You yourself did not set me at peace. You make me capable of
communing with You before each approach.
892 Today the Lord gave me to know,
in spirit, about the Convent of Divine Mercy. I saw a great spirit in this
convent, but everything was poor and very scanty. O my Jesus, you are allowing
me to live in spirit with these souls, but perhaps I shall never set foot
there; but may Your Name be blessed, and whatever You have intended, may it be
done.
908 + O Jesus, how sorry I feel for
poor sinners. Jesus, grant them contrition and repentance. Remember Your own
sorrowful Passion. I know Your infinite mercy and cannot bear it that a soul
that has cost You so much should perish. Jesus, give me the souls of sinners;
let Your mercy rest upon them. Take everything away from me, but give me souls.
I want to become a sacrificial host for sinners. Let the shell of my body
conceal my offering, for Your Most Sacred Heart is also hidden in a Host, and
certainly You are a living sacrifice.
Transform me into Yourself, O
Jesus, that I may be a living sacrifice and pleasing to You. I desire to atone
at each moment for poor sinners. The sacrifice of my spirit is hidden under the
veil of the body; the human eye does not perceive it, and for that reason it is
pure and pleasing to You. O my Creator and Father of great mercy, I trust in
You, for You are Goodness Itself. Souls, do not be afraid of God, but trust in
Him, for He is good, and His mercy is everlasting.
912 Then I heard the following
words spoken thus: I want you to be My spouse. Fear pierced my soul, but
I calmly continued to reflect on what sort of an espousal this could be.
However, each time fear would invade my soul, a power from on high would give
it peace. After all, I have taken perpetual vows, and I have taken them of my
own completely free will. And so I continued to reflect on what this could
mean. I sensed, and came to realize, that this was some special kind of grace.
Whenever I think about it, I feel faint for God, but in this swooning, my mind
is clear and penetrated with light. When I am united to Him, I faint from an
abundance of happiness, but my mind is bright and clear and free from all
shadows. You a base Your majesty to dwell with a poor creature. Thank you, O
Lord, for this great grace that makes it possible for me to commune with You.
Jesus, Your Name is my delight, I have a presentiment of my Beloved from afar,
and my languishing soul rests in His embrace; I don't know how to live without
Him. I would rather be with Him in afflictions and suffering than without Him
in the greatest heavenly delights.
920 +There is a woman
here [165]
who
was once one of our students. Naturally, she puts my patience to the test. She
comes to see me several times a day. After each of these visits I am tired out,
but I see that the Lord Jesus has sent that soul to me. Let everything glorify
You, O Lord. Patience gives glory to God. O how poor the souls are!
927 On these two days, I received
Holy Communion as an act of reparation, and I said to the Lord, "Jesus, I
offer everything today for sinners. Let the blows of Your justice fall on me,
and the sea of Your mercy engulf the poor sinners." And the Lord heard my
prayer: many souls returned to the Lord, but I was in agony under the yoke of God's
justice. I felt I was the object of the anger of the Most High God. By evening
my sufferings had reached such a stage of interior desolation that moans welled
up involuntarily from my breast. I locked the door of my room and began an
adoration; that is to say, a Holy Hour. Interior desolation and an experience
of God's justice-that was my prayer; and the moans and pain that welled up from
my soul took the place of a sweet conversation with the Lord.
929 When I had rested near His
sweetest Heart, I told Him, "Jesus, I have so much to tell You." And
the Lord said to me with great love, Speak, My daughter. And I started
to enumerate the pains of my heart; that is, how greatly concerned I am for all
mankind, that "they all do not know You, and those who do know You do not
love You as You deserve to be loved. I also see how terribly sinners offend
You; and then again, I see how severely the faithful, especially Your servants,
are oppressed and persecuted. And then, too, I see many souls rushing headlong
into the terrible abyss of hell. You see, Jesus, this is the pain that gnaws at
my heart and bones. And, although You show me special love and inundate my
heart with streams of Your joys, nevertheless, this does not appease the
sufferings I have just mentioned, but rather they penetrate my poor heart all
the more acutely. Oh, how ardently I desire that all mankind turn with trust to
Your mercy. Then, seeing the glory of Your name, my heart will be comforted."
Jesus listened to these outpourings
of my heart with gravity and interest, as if He had known nothing about them,
and this seemed to make it easier for me to talk. And the Lord said to me, My
daughter, those words of your heart are pleasing to Me, and by saying the chaplet
you are bringing humankind closer to Me. After these words, I found myself
alone, but the presence of God is always in my soul.
934 Small practices for Lent.
Although I wish and desire to do so, I cannot practice big
mortifications as before, because I
am under the strict surveillance of the doctor. But I can practice little
things: first-sleep without a pillow; keep myself a little hungry; every day,
with my arms outstretched, say the chaplet which the Lord taught me;
occasionally, with arms outstretched, for an indefinite period of time pray
informally. Intention: to beg divine mercy for poor sinners, and for priests,
the power to bring sinful hearts to repentance.
936 + A certain person in our ward
was beginning to die. Amidst terrible tortures, she was dying for three days,
sometimes regaining consciousness. Everyone in the ward was praying for her. I
longed to go to her, but Mother Superior had forbidden me to go to visit the
dying, so I prayed for that poor soul in my room. But when I heard that she was
still in agony, and there was no saying how long it was going to take, I
suddenly felt inspired in my soul and said to the Lord, "Jesus, if all I
do is pleasing to You, I ask You, as evidence, to let that soul stop suffering
and pass on immediately to her happy eternity." A few minutes later I
learned that the person had passed away so peacefully and quickly that they did
not even have time to light the candle.
953 + February 15, 1937. Today my
suffering increased somewhat: I not only feel greater pain all through my
lungs, but also some strange pains in my intestines. I am suffering as much as
my weak nature can bear, all for immortal souls, to plead the mercy of God for
poor sinners and to beg for strength for priests. Oh, how much reverence I have
for priests; and I am asking Jesus, the High Priest, to grant them many graces.
1001 + J.M.J.
Thank You, O Lord, my Master,
That You have transformed me entirely into Yourself,
And accompany me through life's toils and labors;
I fear nothing when I have You in my heart.
Thank You, O Lord, my Master,
That You have transformed me entirely into Yourself,
And accompany me through life's toils and labors;
I fear nothing when I have You in my heart.
+ J. M. J.
1002 The
Lord's Supper is laid,
Jesus sits down at table with His Apostles,
His Being all transformed into love,
For such was the Holy Trinity's counsel.
With great desire, I desire to eat with you,
Before I suffer death.
About to leave you, love holds Me in your midst.
He sheds His Blood, gives His life, for He loves immensely.
Love hides beneath the appearance of bread,
Departing, He remains with us.
Such self-abasement was not needed,
Yet burning love hid Him under these species.
Over the bread and wine He says these words:
"This is My Blood, this is My Body."
Although mysterious, these are words of love.
Then He passes the Cup among His disciples.
Jesus grew deeply troubled within
And said, "One of you will betray his Master."
They fell silent, with a silence as of the tomb,
And John inclined his head on His breast.
The supper is ended.
Let us go to Gethsemane.
Love is satisfied, And there the traitor is waiting.
Jesus sits down at table with His Apostles,
His Being all transformed into love,
For such was the Holy Trinity's counsel.
With great desire, I desire to eat with you,
Before I suffer death.
About to leave you, love holds Me in your midst.
He sheds His Blood, gives His life, for He loves immensely.
Love hides beneath the appearance of bread,
Departing, He remains with us.
Such self-abasement was not needed,
Yet burning love hid Him under these species.
Over the bread and wine He says these words:
"This is My Blood, this is My Body."
Although mysterious, these are words of love.
Then He passes the Cup among His disciples.
Jesus grew deeply troubled within
And said, "One of you will betray his Master."
They fell silent, with a silence as of the tomb,
And John inclined his head on His breast.
The supper is ended.
Let us go to Gethsemane.
Love is satisfied, And there the traitor is waiting.
1007 +
Praise and glory be to You, O Holy Trinity, Eternal God. May the mercy
springing from Your very bowels protect us from Your just anger. Let the praise
of Your incomprehensible mercy resound everywhere. All Your works bear the seal
of Your unfathomable mercy, O God.
1064 + O my
most sweet Master, good Jesus, I give You my heart. You shape and mold it after
Your liking. O fathomless love, I open the calyx of my heart to You, like a
rosebud to the freshness of dew. To You alone, my Betrothed, is known the
fragrance of the flower of my heart. Let the fragrance of my sacrifice be
pleasing to You. O Immortal God, my everlasting delight, already here on earth
You are my heaven. May every beat of my heart be a new hymn of praise to You, O
Holy Trinity! Had I as many hearts as there are drops of water in the ocean or
grains of sand in the whole world, I would offer them all to You, O my Love, O
Treasure of my heart! Whomever I shall meet in my life, no matter who they may
be, I want to draw them all to love You, O my Jesus, my Beauty, my Repose, my
sole Master, Judge, Savior and Spouse, all in one; I know that one title will
modify the other-I have entrusted everything to Your mercy.
1156 The second is prayer joined to
the act of mercy. In particular, they will defend the souls of children against
the spirit of evil. Prayer and merciful deeds are all that will be required of
these souls, and even the poorest persons can be admitted to their number. And
in this egoistic world they will try to rouse up love, the mercy of Jesus.
1167 Satan has admitted to me that
I am the object of his hatred. He said that "a thousand souls do me less
harm than you do when you speak of the great mercy of the Almighty One. The
greatest sinners regain confidence and return to God, and I lose everything. But
what is more, you persecute me personally with that unfathomable mercy of the
Almighty One." I took note of the great hatred Satan has for the Mercy of
God. He does not want to acknowledge that God is good.
1158 A member of this group ought
to perform at least one act of mercy a day; at least one, but there can be many
more, for such deeds can easily be carried out by anyone, even the very
poorest. For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful
word, by forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then
pray-that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy. And when the Last Day
comes, we shall be judged from this, and on this basis we shall receive the
eternal verdict.
1274 I experience great torments of
soul when I see God offended. Today I recognized that mortal sins were being
committed not far from our door. It was evening. I prayed earnestly in the
chapel, and then I went to scourge myself. When I knelt down to pray, however,
the Lord allowed me to experience how a soul rejected by God suffers. It seems
to me that my heart was torn to pieces, and at the same time I understood how
much such a soul wounds the most merciful Heart of Jesus. The poor creature
does not want to accept God's mercy. The more God has pursued a soul with His
mercy, the more just will He be towards it.
1282 + When the same poor people
come to the gate a second time, I treat them with greater gentleness, and I do
not let them see that I know they have been here before; [I do this] in order
not to embarrass them. And then they speak to me freely about their troubles
and needs.
Although Sister N. tells me that is
not the way to deal with beggars, and slams the door in their faces, when she
is not there, I treat them as my Master would. Sometimes more is given when
giving nothing, than when giving much in a rude manner.
1309 When I make the Way of the
Cross, I am deeply moved at the twelfth station. Here I reflect on the
omnipotence of God's mercy which passed through the Heart of Jesus. In this
open wound of the Heart of Jesus I enclose all poor humans... and those
individuals whom I love, as often as I make the Way of the Cross. From that
Fount of Mercy issued the two rays; that is, the Blood and the Water. With the
immensity of their grace they flood the whole world....
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.
1313 O my Jesus, now everything is
clear to me, and I understand all that has just happened. I somehow felt and
asked myself what sort of a poor man is this who radiates such modesty. From
that moment on, there was stirred up in my heart an even purer love toward the
poor and the needy. Oh, how happy I am that my superiors have given me such a
task! I understand that mercy is manifold; one can do good always and
everywhere and at all times. An ardent love of God sees all around itself
constant opportunities to share itself through deed, word and prayer. Now I
understand the words which You spoke to me, O Lord, some time ago.
1487 Jesus: Poor soul, I see
that you suffer much and that you do not have even the strength to coverse with
me. So I will speak to you. Even though your sufferings were very great, do not
lose heart or give in to despondency. But tell Me, my child, who has dared to
wound your heart? Tell me about everything, be sincere in dealing with Me,
reveal all the wounds of your heart. I will heal them, and your suffering will
become a source of your sanctification.
Soul: Lord, my sufferings are so
great and numerous and have lasted so long that I become discouraged.
Jesus: My child, do not be
discouraged. I know your boundless trust in Me; I know
you are aware of My goodness and
mercy. Let us talk in detail about everything
that weighs so heavily upon your
heart.
Soul: There are so many different
things that I do not know what to speak about first, nor how to express it.
Jesus: Talk to Me simply, as a
friend to a friend. Tell Me now, My child, what hinders you from advancing in
holiness?
Soul: Poor health detains me on the
way to holiness. I cannot fulfill my duties. I am as
useless as an extra wheel on a
wagon. I cannot mortify myself or fast to any extent, as the saints did.
Furthermore, nobody believes I am sick, so that mental pain is added to those
of the body, and I am often humiliated. Jesus, how can anyone become holy in such
circumstances?
Jesus: True, My child, all that
is painful. But there is no way to heaven except the
way of the cross. I followed it
first. You must learn that it is the shortest and
surest way.
Soul: Lord, there is another
obstacle on the road to holiness. Because I am faithful to You, I am persecuted
and suffer much.
Jesus: It is because you are not
of this world that the world hates you. First it
persecuted Me. Persecution is a
sign that you are following in My footsteps
faithfully.
Soul: My Lord, I am also
discouraged because neither my superiors nor my confessor
understand my interior trials. A
darkness clouds my mind. How can I advance? All this
discourages me from striving for
the heights of sanctity.
Jesus: Well, My child, this time
you have told Me a good deal. I realize how painful
it is not to be understood, and
especially by those whom one loves and with whom one has been very open. But
suffice it to know that I understand all your troubles and misery. I am pleased
by the deep faith you have, despite everything, in My representatives. Learn
from this that no one will understand a soul entirely-that is beyond human
ability. Therefore, I have remained on earth to comfort your aching heart and
to fortify your soul, so that you will not falter on the way. You say that a
dense darkness is obscuring your mind. But why, at such times, do you not come
to Me, the light who can in an instant pour into your soul more understanding
about holiness than can be found in any books? No confessor is capable of
teaching and enlightening a soul in this way. Know, too, that the darkness
about which you complain I first endured in the Garden of Olives when My Soul
was crushed in mortal anguish. I am giving you a share in those sufferings
because of My special love for you and in view of the high degree of holiness I
am intending for you in heaven. A suffering soul is closest to My Heart.
Soul: One more thing, Lord. What
should I do when I am ignored and rejected by people, especially by those on whom
I had a right to count in times of greatest need?
Jesus: My child, make the
resolution never to rely on people. Entrust yourself
completely to My will saying,
"Not as I want, but according to Your will, O God, let
it be done unto me." These
words, spoken from the depths of one's heart, can
raise a soul to the summit of
sanctity in a short time. In such a soul I delight. Such a soul gives Me glory.
Such a soul fills heaven with the fragrance of her virtue. But understand that
the strength by which you bear sufferings comes from frequent Communions. So
approach this fountain of mercy often, to draw with the vessel of trust
whatever you need.
Soul: Thank You, Lord, for Your
goodness in remaining with us in this exile as the God of mercy and blessing us
with the radiance of Your compassion and goodness. It is through the light of
Your mercy that I have come to understand how much You love me.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-82, 110, 174, 195, 218, 228, 295, 485)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-569, 650, 662, 670, 688, 704, 725, 732)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-824, 845, 871, 875, 877, 885, 892, 908)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-912, 920, 927, 929, 934, 936, 953)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1001-1002, 1007, 1064, 1156, 1167)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1158)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-IV-1274, 1282, 1309, 1312, 1313)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1487)
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento