The Quiet Healer
Saturday of the
Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Father Shawn Aaron, LC
Matthew 12: 14-21
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."
Matthew 12: 14-21
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."
Introductory Prayer: God Our Father, You gave us Your Son to make us Your children. I
believe, and I am hoping to be raised to full maturity in him through the
school of the Gospel. Thank You for Your unconditional love. I offer You my
love in return, knowing You welcome it as a parent does a small child.
Petition: Jesus, like You, make my heart attentive to the needs of others.
1. When Jesus Realized This, He Withdrew from That Place: There is a great lesson for us here: It is not yet his "hour," so Jesus does not force the issue. Jesus does not taunt the Pharisees or provoke an unnecessary clash. Whenever Jesus challenges a person it is in order to lead that person to a deeper self-reflection and ultimately to a conversion of heart and of life. He did this on several occasions with the same Scribes and Pharisees. Yet this is not the time to engage them intellectually; their hearts are closed and they are unwilling to listen. When at times we find ourselves in a disagreement (perhaps even with a loved one), once the emotions are roused and it becomes clear that one or both parties are not ready for the truth, the prudent, loving and humble thing to do is withdraw from the situation until the moment our hearts are more open to listening.
1. When Jesus Realized This, He Withdrew from That Place: There is a great lesson for us here: It is not yet his "hour," so Jesus does not force the issue. Jesus does not taunt the Pharisees or provoke an unnecessary clash. Whenever Jesus challenges a person it is in order to lead that person to a deeper self-reflection and ultimately to a conversion of heart and of life. He did this on several occasions with the same Scribes and Pharisees. Yet this is not the time to engage them intellectually; their hearts are closed and they are unwilling to listen. When at times we find ourselves in a disagreement (perhaps even with a loved one), once the emotions are roused and it becomes clear that one or both parties are not ready for the truth, the prudent, loving and humble thing to do is withdraw from the situation until the moment our hearts are more open to listening.
2. The Master Physician: Matthew´s comment in this section of the
Gospel is quite revealing: "Many people followed him, and he cured them
all." We must not imagine that all of the healings were physical. So
"meek and humble" is Jesus that every person felt he could approach
him. If a bruised reed comes to Jesus – a person battered by life, trials and
his own sin – his first and only inclination is to heal that soul. Even to this
very day Jesus continually takes what is broken and makes it whole. He is the
master physician who binds up wounds so that the person may be healed. In light
of this attitude we recognize the contrast between the Pharisees, who seek to
kill, and Jesus, who continues to give life to all who come to him.
3. A Ember of Faith: All Jesus needs is the slightest ember of
faith and hope to change a person´s life. For instance, we cannot force a
person to love us or to trust us. Likewise, God himself respects the very
freedom he entrusted to us. Nonetheless, our Lord does give the human person a
searching mind and heart. That is why we can say that the human person is
religious by nature from the beginning. Atheists are not born; they are made by
their choices. Within the human soul God already provides us with the kindling
for faith, hope and love. Once we are baptized, that kindling can become an
unquenchable fire. Yet it can also be extinguished if we carelessly expose it
to the winds and waves of unbridled selfishness, secularism, skepticism and
systematic doubt . No matter how far we think we may have drifted, if we will
simply turn to Jesus, we will find that he is already looking at us.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, You see and know what I am to
become if I will keep close to You in faith, hope and love. Deepen within me
the desire to remain united to You in prayer so as to imitate You in love. Help
me become with You what I can never become without You. Mother Most Pure, make
my heart only for Jesus.
Resolution: Today I will contact someone who needs to be encouraged and
listened to.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
210 I
fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so that in my drab, everyday
life I will not be guided by human dispositions, but by those of the spirit.
Oh, how everything drags man towards the earth! But lively faith maintains the
soul in the higher regions and assigns self-love its proper place; that is to
say, the lowest one.
742 My daughter, if I demand
through you that people revere My mercy, you should be the first to distinguish
yourself by this confidence in My mercy. I demand from you deeds of mercy,
which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors
always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or
absolve yourself from it.
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. O my Jesus, You yourself must help me in everything, because You see how very little I am, and so I depend solely on Your goodness, O God.
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. O my Jesus, You yourself must help me in everything, because You see how very little I am, and so I depend solely on Your goodness, O God.
743 Two general resolutions:
First: To strive after inner silence and to observe the rule of silence strictly.
Second: Faithfulness to interior inspirations; to bring them into my life and actions according to the advice of my spiritual director.
In this present illness, I desire to glorify the will of God. I will try, as far as I am able, to take part in all the community exercises. I will give the Lord God fervent thanks for every sorrow and suffering.
First: To strive after inner silence and to observe the rule of silence strictly.
Second: Faithfulness to interior inspirations; to bring them into my life and actions according to the advice of my spiritual director.
In this present illness, I desire to glorify the will of God. I will try, as far as I am able, to take part in all the community exercises. I will give the Lord God fervent thanks for every sorrow and suffering.
763 November 22, [1936]. Today
during confession, the Lord Jesus spoke to me through the lips of a certain
priest. This priest did not know my soul, and I only accused myself of my sins;
yet he spoke these words to me: "Accomplish faithfully everything that
Jesus asks of you, despite the difficulties. Know that, although people may be
angry with you, Jesus is not angry and never will be angry with you. Pay no
attention to human opinion." This instruction surprised me at first; but I
understood that the Lord was speaking through him without his realizing it. O
holy mystery, what great treasures are contained in you! O holy faith, you are
my guidepost!
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.
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.
898 O my Jesus, You are giving me
back my health and life; give me also strength for battle, because I am unable
to do anything without You. Give me strength, for You can do all things. You
see that I am a frail child, and what can I do? I know the full power of Your
mercy, and I trust that You will give me everything Your feeble child needs.
899 I have desired death so much! I
do not know whether I shall ever again in my life experience such great longing
for God. There have been times when I fell into a swoon for Him. Oh, how ugly
the earth when one knows heaven! I must do violence to myself in order to live.
O will of God, you are my nourishment.
900 Oh, how drab and full of misunderstandings is this life! My patience is exercised, and after it comes experience. I understand and learn many things each day and see that I know very little, and I am constantly discovering faults in my conduct. Still, I am not discouraged by this, but thank God that He deigns to grant me His light that I may know myself.
900 Oh, how drab and full of misunderstandings is this life! My patience is exercised, and after it comes experience. I understand and learn many things each day and see that I know very little, and I am constantly discovering faults in my conduct. Still, I am not discouraged by this, but thank God that He deigns to grant me His light that I may know myself.
1074 When I went for adoration, I
heard these words: My beloved daughter, write down these words, that today
My Heart has rested in this convent [the Cracow house]. Tell the world
about My mercy and My love.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them!
My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace.
Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them!
My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace.
Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
1344 O merciful God, who still allow
me to live, give me strength that I may live a new life, the life of the
spirit, over which death has no dominion. And with that, my heart was renewed,
and I began a new life while still here on earth, a life of love of God. Nevertheless,
I do not forget that I am weakness itself, though I do not doubt even for a
moment that I will obtain the help of Your grace, O God.
1357 Once, when I was passing by a
group of people, I asked the Lord if they were all in the state of grace,
because I did not feel His sufferings. Because you do not feel My
sufferings, it does not follow that they must all be in the state of grace. At
times, I allow you to be aware of the condition of certain souls, and I give
you the grace of suffering solely because I use you as the instrument of their
conversion.
1365 O Eternal Love, who enkindle a
new life within me, a life of love and of mercy, support me with Your grace, so
that I may worthily answer Your call, so that what You yourself have intended
to accomplish in souls through me, might indeed be accomplished.
My God, I see the radiance of eternal dawn. My whole soul bounds toward You, O Lord; nothing any longer holds me back, nothing ties me to earth. Help me, O Lord, to bear the rest of my days with patience. The sacrifice of my love burns incessantly before Your Majesty, but so silently that only Your divine eye sees it, O God, and no other creature is capable of perceiving it.
My God, I see the radiance of eternal dawn. My whole soul bounds toward You, O Lord; nothing any longer holds me back, nothing ties me to earth. Help me, O Lord, to bear the rest of my days with patience. The sacrifice of my love burns incessantly before Your Majesty, but so silently that only Your divine eye sees it, O God, and no other creature is capable of perceiving it.
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.
1521 The Lord said to me, My
daughter, do not tire of proclaiming My mercy. In this way you will refresh
this Heart of Mine, which burns with a flame of pity for sinners. Tell My
priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words when they
speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My
Heart. To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power;
I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will
speak.
1523 Everlasting love, pure flame,
burn in my heart ceaselessly and deify my whole being, according to Your
infinite pleasure by which You summoned me into existence and called me to take
part in Your everlasting happiness. O merciful Lord, it is only out of mercy
that You have lavished these gifts upon me. Seeing all these free gifts within
me, with deep humility I worship Your incomprehensible goodness. Lord, my heart
is filled with amazement that You, absolute Lord, in need of no one, would
nevertheless stoop so low out of pure love for us. I can never help being
amazed that the Lord would have such an intimate relationship with His
creatures. That again is His unfathomable goodness. Every time I begin this
meditation, I never finish it, because my spirit becomes entirely drowned in
Him. What a delight it is to love with all the force of one's soul and to be
loved even more in return, to feel and experience this with the full consciousness
of one's being. There are no words to express this.
1540 January 28, 1938. Today the
Lord said to me, My daughter, write down these words: All those souls who
will glorify My mercy and spread its worship, encouraging others to trust in My
mercy, will not experience terror at the hour of death. My mercy will shield
them in that final battle.
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.
1553 O my Jesus, Life of my soul, my
Life, my Savior, my sweetest Bridegroom, and at the same time my Judge, You
know that in this last hour of mine I do not count on any merits of my own, but
only on Your mercy. Even as of today, I immerse myself totally in the abyss of
Your mercy, which is always open to every soul.
O my Jesus, I have only one task to carry out in my lifetime, in death, and throughout eternity, and that is to adore Your incomprehensible mercy. No mind, either of angel or of man, will ever fathom the mysteries of Your mercy, O God. The angels are lost in amazement before the mystery of divine mercy, but cannot comprehend it. Everything that has come from the Creator's hand is contained in this inconceivable mystery; that is to say, in the very depths of His tender mercy. When I meditate on this, my spirit swoons, and my heart dissolves in joy. O Jesus, it is through Your most compassionate Heart, as through a crystal, that the rays of divine mercy have come to us.
O my Jesus, I have only one task to carry out in my lifetime, in death, and throughout eternity, and that is to adore Your incomprehensible mercy. No mind, either of angel or of man, will ever fathom the mysteries of Your mercy, O God. The angels are lost in amazement before the mystery of divine mercy, but cannot comprehend it. Everything that has come from the Creator's hand is contained in this inconceivable mystery; that is to say, in the very depths of His tender mercy. When I meditate on this, my spirit swoons, and my heart dissolves in joy. O Jesus, it is through Your most compassionate Heart, as through a crystal, that the rays of divine mercy have come to us.
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.
1559 At that moment I saw Jesus, and
from His Heart there issued those same two rays, which enveloped me, whole and
entire. At the same moment, all my torments vanished. My daughter, the
Lord said, know that of yourself you are just what you have gone through,
and it is only by My grace that you are a participant of eternal life and all
the gifts I lavish on you. And with these words of the Lord, there came to
me a true knowledge of myself. Jesus is giving me a lesson in deep humility
and, at the same time, one of total trust in Him. My heart is reduced to dust
and ashes, and even if all people were to trample me under their feet, I would
still consider that a favor.
I feel and am, in fact, very deeply permeated with the knowledge that I am nothing, so that real humiliations will be a refreshment for me.
I feel and am, in fact, very deeply permeated with the knowledge that I am nothing, so that real humiliations will be a refreshment for me.
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-210)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-742-743, 763, 877, 890, 898-900)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1074)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1344, 1357, 1365, 1484, 1521, 1523)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1540, 1549, 1553, 1557, 1559, 1570 )
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-VI-1760)
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