Human Harshness vs. the Charity of a Saint
Thursday of the
Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Father Steven Reilly, LC
Matthew
18:21 - 19:1
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
"Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As
many as seven times?" Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times
but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a
king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the
accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since
he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with
his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that,
the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ´Be patient with me, and I
will pay you back in full.´ Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one
of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and
started to choke him, demanding, ´Pay back what you owe.´ Falling to his knees,
his fellow servant begged him, ´Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.´
But he refused. Instead, he had him put in prison until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed,
and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him
and said to him, ´You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because
you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had
pity on you?´ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until
he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless
each of you forgives his brother from his heart." When Jesus finished
these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the
Jordan.
Introductory Prayer: Lord God, I believe You are present here with
me as I begin this moment of prayer. I hope in You. I know that You will always
take care of me. I want this time with You to be a sign of my love for You. I
seek only to please You, without desiring any spiritual consolation for myself.
Petition: Lord, grant me a more forgiving heart!
1. Human Harshness: “He seized him and started to choke him,
demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’” The Gospel gives a startling example of
human harshness. History recalls another one. In Auschwitz, the camp deputy
commander, Karl Fritzch, decided that the most effective way to keep prisoners
from trying to escape would be an overwhelming example of reprisal. Ten men in
Block 13 were picked out for starvation. The thought of innocent men dying
because of another’s escape would definitely make anyone think twice about it.
The master of our Lord’s story is angry at the harshness of his servant. We can
only imagine the Lord’s anger at the harshness of a place like Auschwitz,
called by Pope Benedict, “a place of horror” and “unprecedented mass crimes”
(May 28, 2006). Let us purge our own hearts of the evil of harshness, which
brings down such misery on our own soul.
2. St. Maximilian Steps Forward: The Lord’s answer to Peter in this Gospel,
“not seven times but seventy-seven times,” points to a heroic living of the
virtue of charity and forgiveness. St. Maximilian Kolbe, whose feast we
celebrated this week, gives us an example of that kind of love. When the
commander had picked out his ten victims, St. Maximilian had been passed over.
No doubt the others who were spared were breathing intense sighs of relief.
Instead, St. Maximilian stepped forward and offered to take the place of one of
those chosen, Franciszek Gajowniczek, who cried out in anguish over his family.
We can only shake our heads in amazement that the flame of love could burn so
brightly in that “place of horror.”
3. The Cross Sets the Standard: The examples of the saints challenge us. They
don’t give us a “superhuman” example, but rather the testimony of what men and
women are capable of doing when they allow the grace of God to work in their
souls. We, too, have many occasions when we are called to live a higher degree
of virtue, but so often we cut ourselves a little too much slack. When Peter
asked about a seven-fold forgiveness, he was being quite generous. But the
“seventy-seven times” that Jesus speaks about is measured against the Cross,
the symbol of the Lord’s infinite love and forgiveness. Saints like Kolbe
understood this. Let’s try to imitate it today, in ways both big and small.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I can only be amazed at Your work
through the soul of St. Maximilian Kolbe. You enabled him to lay down his life
for another, in imitation of Your own self-sacrificing love. Help me to embrace
the same path of love and forgiveness.
Resolution: I will immediately forgive any wrongs I suffer today, and I will
try to sacrifice myself in a hidden way for someone else.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint
Faustina Kowalska
163 JMJ The Year 1937 General Exercises
+O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I
breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates
through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.
+I want to be completely transformed into
Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, 0 Lord. May the greatest of all
divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and
soul to my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful,
so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is
beautiful in my neighbors' souls and come to their rescue.
Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so
that I may give heed to my neighbors' needs and not be indifferent to their
pains and moanings. Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I
should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and
forgiveness for all.
Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be
merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors
and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.
Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so
that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and
weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be
merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will
refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will
abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of
Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest
upon me.
+You yourself command me to exercise the
three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The
second: the word of mercy-if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist
by my words. The third: prayer-if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can
always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach
out physically.
O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for
you can do all things.
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216 We have come to Cracow today
[April 18, 1933]. What a joy it is to find myself again where I took my first
steps in the spiritual life! Dear Mother Directress [Mary Joseph] is ever the
same, cheerful and full of love of neighbor. I entered the chapel for a moment
and joy filled my soul. In a flash I recalled the whole ocean of graces that
had been given me as a novice here.
241 Love of neighbor. First:
Helpfulness towards the sisters. Second: Do not speak about those who are
absent, and defend the good name of my neighbor. Third: Rejoice in the success
of others.
243 I will thank the Lord Jesus for
every humiliation and will pray specially for the person who has given me the
chance to be humiliated. I will immolate myself for the benefit of souls. I
will not count the cost of any sacrifice. I will cast myself beneath the feet
of the sisters, like a carpet on which they can not only tread, but also wipe
their feet. My place is under the feet of the sisters. I will make every effort
to obtain that place unnoticed by others. It is enough that God sees this.
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.
390 He who knows how to forgive prepares for
himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often will
I forgive with all my heart.
588 On one occasion, I heard these
words within me: Every movement of your heart is known to me. Know, My
daughter, that one glance of yours directed at someone else would wound Me more
than many sins committed by another person.
590 When I receive Holy Communion, I
entreat and beg the Savior to heal my tongue, that I may never fail in love of
neighbor.
612 One time, I was in doubt as to whether
what had happened to me had seriously offended the Lord Jesus or not. As I
could not solve this doubt, I made up my mind not to go to Communion before
first going to confession, although I immediately made an act of contrition, as
it is my habit to ask for forgiveness after the slightest transgression. During
those days when I did not receive Holy Communion, I did not feel the presence
of God. This caused me unspeakable pain, but I took it as a punishment for sin.
However, at the time of Holy Confession I was reproached for not going to Holy
Communion, because what had happened to me was not an obstacle to receiving
Holy Communion. After confession, I received Holy Communion, and I saw the Lord
Jesus who said to me, Know, My daughter,
that you caused Me more sorrow by not uniting yourself with Me in Holy
Communion than you did by that small transgression.
692 + O Jesus, I understand that
Your mercy is beyond all imagining, and therefore I ask You to make my heart so
big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on the
face of the earth. O Jesus, my love extends beyond the world, to the souls
suffering in purgatory, and I want to exercise mercy toward them by means of
indulgenced prayers. God's mercy is unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God
himself is unfathomable. Even if I were to use the strongest words there are to
express this mercy of God, all this would be nothing in comparison with what it
is in reality. O Jesus, make my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my
neighbor, whether of body or of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You act toward us
as we act toward our neighbor.
My Jesus, make my heart like unto Your merciful Heart. Jesus, help me to go through life doing good to everyone.
My Jesus, make my heart like unto Your merciful Heart. Jesus, help me to go through life doing good to everyone.
699 On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My
inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy [139] be a refuge and
shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very
depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon
those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to
Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins
and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow
are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as
scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be
able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come
forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation
to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of
Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be
solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have
peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.
700 + Once, when I was very tired
and in much pain, I told Mother Superior [Irene] about it and received the
answer that I should get used to suffering. I listened to everything that
Mother told me, and then I went out. Our Mother Superior has great love of
neighbor and especially great love for the sick sisters, as everyone knows. And
yet, as regards me, it is extraordinary that the Lord Jesus has permitted that
she not understand me and that she test me much in this respect.
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.
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.
901 + There is a certain person [Stanislava
Kwietniewska [163]] who tests my patience. I must devote much time to her. When
I talk with her, I feel that she is lying, and this, continually. And because
she tells me about things far away which I cannot verify, she is able to get
away with the lie. But I am inwardly convinced that there is no truth in what
she says. When it occurred to me once that I might be mistaken and that she
might be telling the truth, I asked the Lord Jesus to give me the following
sign: if she is really lying, let her admit to me herself that she has lied
about any one of the things ; concerning which I am inwardly convinced that she
is lying. And if she is telling the truth, let the Lord Jesus take this
conviction away from me. A little later, she came to me again and said,
"Sister, I beg your forgiveness, but I have lied about such and such a
thing," and I understood that the inner light concerning that person had not
misled me.
1148 June 20, [1937]. We resemble God most
when we forgive our neighbors. God is Love, Goodness, and Mercy...
Every
soul, and especially the soul of every religious, should reflect My mercy. My
Heart overflows with compassion and mercy for all. The heart of My beloved must
resemble Mine; from her heart must spring the fountain of My mercy for souls;
otherwise I will not acknowledge her as Mine.
1293 It so happened that I fell again into a
certain error, in spite of a sincere resolution not to do so-even though the
lapse was a minor imperfection and rather involuntary-and at this I felt such
acute pain in my soul that I interrupted my work and went to the chapel for a
while. Falling at the feet of Jesus, with love and a great deal of pain, I
apologized to the Lord, all the more ashamed because of the fact that in my
conversation with Him after Holy Communion this very morning I had promised to
be faithful to Him. Then I heard these words: If it hadn't been for this small imperfection, you wouldn't have come
to Me. Know that as often as you come to Me, humbling yourself and asking My
forgiveness, I pour out a superabundance of graces on your soul, and your
imperfection vanishes before My eyes, and I see only your love and your
humility. You lose nothing but gain much...
1332 Second day. As I was meditating on the
sin of the Angels and their immediate punishment, I asked Jesus why the Angels
had been punished as soon as they had sinned. I heard a voice: Because of their profound knowledge of
God. No person on earth, even though a great saint, has such knowledge of God
as an Angel has. Nevertheless, to me who am so miserable, You have shown
Your mercy, O God, and this, time and time again. You carry me in the bosom of
Your mercy and forgive me every time that I ask Your forgiveness with a
contrite heart.
1460 +
My daughter, I have something to tell you. I replied, "Speak, Jesus,
for I thirst for Your words." It
displeases Me that, because the sisters were murmuring, you did not ask to have
Father Andrasz hear your confession in your cell. Know that, because of this,
you gave them even greater cause for murmuring. Very humbly I begged the
Lord's forgiveness. O my Master, rebuke me; do not overlook my faults, and do
not let me err.
1485 The mercy of God, hidden in the Blessed
Sacrament, the voice of the Lord who speaks to us from the throne of mercy: Come to Me, all of you.
Conversation of the Merciful God with a
Sinful Soul.
Jesus: Be
not afraid of your Savior, O sinful soul. I make the first move to come to you,
for I know that by yourself you are unable to lift yourself to me. Child, do
not run away from your Father; be willing to talk openly with your God of mercy
who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish his graces on you. How dear your
soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; you are engraved as a
deep wound in My Heart.
Soul: Lord, I hear your voice calling me to
turn back from the path of sin, but I have neither the strength nor the courage
to do so.
Jesus:
I am your strength, I will help you in the struggle.
Soul: Lord, I recognize your holiness, and I
fear You.
Jesus:
My child, do you fear the God of mercy? My holiness does not prevent Me from
being merciful. Behold, for you I have established a throne of mercy on earth-
the tabernacle-and from this throne I desire to enter into your heart. I am not
surrounded by a retinue or guards. You can come to me at any moment, at any
time; I want to speak to you and desire to grant you grace.
Soul: Lord, I doubt that You will pardon my
numerous sins; my misery fills me with fright.
Jesus: My
mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure
the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I
allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred Heart be
pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come,
then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite
heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with
Me about your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand over to me
all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace.
Soul: You have conquered, O Lord, my stony
heart with Your goodness. In trust and humility I approach the tribunal of Your
mercy, where You yourself absolve me by the hand of your representative. O
Lord, I feel Your grace and Your peace filling my poor soul. I feel overwhelmed
by Your mercy, O Lord. You forgive me, which is more than I dared to hope for
or could imagine. Your goodness surpasses all my desires. And now, filled with
gratitude for so many graces, I invite You to my heart. I wandered, like a
prodigal child gone astray; but you did not cease to be my Father. Increase
Your mercy toward me, for You see how weak I am.
Jesus: Child,
speak no more of your misery; it is already forgotten. Listen, My child, to
what I desire to tell you. Come close to My wounds and draw from the Fountain
of Life whatever your heart desires. Drink copiously from the Fountain of Life
and you will not weary on your journey. Look at the splendors of My mercy and
do not fear the enemies of your salvation. Glorify My mercy.
1488 Conversation of the Merciful God with a
Soul Striving after Perfection.
Jesus: I
am pleased with your efforts, O soul aspiring for perfection, but why do I see
you so often sad and depressed? Tell Me, My child, what is the meaning of this
sadness, and what is its cause?
Soul: Lord, the reason for my sadness is
that, in spite of my sincere resolutions, I fall again into the same faults. I
make resolutions in the morning, but in the evening I see how much I have
departed from them.
Jesus: You
see, My child, what you are of yourself. The cause of your falls is that you
rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me. But let this not sadden you
so much. You are dealing with the God of mercy, which your misery cannot
exhaust. Remember, I did not allot only a certain number of pardons.
Soul: Yes, I know all that, but great
temptations assail me, and various doubts awaken within me and, moreover,
everything irritates and discourages me.
Jesus: My
child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an
exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue.
All temptations united together ought not disturb your interior peace, not even
momentarily. Sensitiveness and discouragement are the fruits of self-love. You
should not become discouraged, but strive to make My love reign in place of
your self-love. Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for
pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you
glorify My mercy.
Soul: I understand what is the better thing
to do, what pleases You more, but I encounter great obstacles in acting on this
understanding.
Jesus: My
child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for My kingdom.
But
fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on Me
as you struggle, fearing nothing. Take the vessel of trust and draw from the fountain
of life-for yourself, but also for other souls, especially such as are
distrustful of My goodness.
Soul: O Lord, I feel my heart being filled
with Your love and the rays of Your mercy and love piercing my soul. I go,
Lord, at Your command. I go to conquer souls. Sustained by Your grace, I am
ready to follow You, Lord, not only to Tabor, but also to Calvary. I desire to
lead souls to the fount of Your mercy so that the splendor of Your mercy may be
reflected in all souls, and the home of our Father be filled to overflowing.
And when the enemy begins to attack me, I shall take refuge behind the shield
of Your mercy.
1489 Conversation of the Merciful God with a
Perfect Soul.
Soul: My Lord and Master, I desire to
converse with You.
Jesus: Speak,
My beloved child, for I am always listening. I wait for you. What do you desire
to say?
Soul: Lord, first let me pour out my heart at
Your feet in a fragrant anointing of gratitude for the many blessings which You
lavish upon me; even if I wanted to, I could not count them. I only recall that
there has never been a moment in my life in which I have not experienced Your
protection and goodness.
Jesus: Your
words please Me, and your thanksgiving opens up new treasures of graces. But,
My child, we should talk in more detail about the things that lie in your
heart. Let us talk confidentially and frankly, as two hearts that love one
another do.
Soul: O my merciful Lord, there are secrets
in my heart which no one knows or will ever know except You because, even if I
wanted to reveal them, no one would understand me. Your minister knows some
because I confess to him, but he knows only the bit of these mysteries that I
am capable of revealing; the rest remains between us for eternity, O My Lord!
You have covered me with the cloak of Your mercy, pardoning my sins. Not once
did You refuse Your pardon; You always had pity on me, giving me a new life of
grace. To prevent doubts, You have entrusted me to the loving care of Your
Church, that tender mother, who in Your name assures me of the truths of faith
and watches lest I wander. Especially in the tribunal of Your mercy does my
soul meet an ocean of favors, though You did not give the Fallen Angels time to
repent or prolong their time of mercy. O my Lord, you have provided saintly
priests to show me the sure way. Jesus, there is one more secret in my life,
the deepest and dearest to my heart: it is You yourself when You come to my
heart under the appearance of bread. Herein lies the whole secret of my
sanctity. Here my heart is so united with Yours as to be but one. There are no
more secrets, because all that is Yours is mine, and all that is mine is Yours.
Such is the omnipotence and the miracle of Your mercy. All the tongues of men
and of angels united could not find words adequate to this mystery of Your love
and mercy.
When I contemplate this mystery, my heart
falls into a new ecstasy. In silence I tell You everything, Lord, because the
language of love is without words; not a single stirring of my heart escapes
You. O Lord, the extent of Your great condescension has awakened in my soul an
even greater love for You, the sole object of my love. The life of union
manifests itself in perfect purity, deep humility, gentle silence, and great
zeal for the salvation of souls.
O my sweetest Lord, You watch over me each
moment and inspire me as to how I should act in a precise situation, when my
heart wavers between two things. You yourself frequently intervened in the
resolution of a difficulty. Countless times, by means of a sudden
enlightenment, You have given me to know what is the more pleasing to You.
Oh, how numerous are the instances of
forgiveness about which no one knows! How often You have poured into my soul
courage and perseverance to go forward. It is You yourself who removed
obstacles from my road, intervening directly in the actions of people. O Jesus,
everything I have said to You is but a pale shadow of what is taking place in
my heart. O my Jesus, how ardently I desire the conversion of sinners! You know
what I am doing for them to win them for You. Every offense against You wounds
me deeply. I spare neither strength, nor health, nor life itself in defense of
Your kingdom. Although my efforts may remain invisible on earth, they are no
less valuable in Your eyes.
O Jesus, I want to bring souls to the fount
of Your mercy to draw the reviving water of life with the vessel of trust. The
soul desirous of more of God's mercy should approach God with greater trust;
and if her trust in God is unlimited, then the mercy of God toward it will be
likewise limitless. O my God, Who know every beat of my heart, You know how
eagerly I desire that all hearts would beat for You alone, that every soul
glorify the greatness of Your mercy.
Jesus: My
beloved child, delight of My Heart, your words are dearer and more pleasing to
me than the angelic chorus. All the treasures of My Heart are open to you. Take
from this Heart all that you need for yourself and for the whole world. For the
sake of your love, I withhold the just chastisements, which mankind has
deserved. A single act of pure love pleases Me more than a thousand imperfect
prayers. One of your sighs of love atones for many offenses with which the
godless overwhelm Me. The smallest act of virtue has unlimited value in My eyes
because of your great love for Me. In a soul that lives on My love alone, I
reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I find My happiness;
My ear is attentive to each request of its heart; often I anticipate its
requests. O child, especially beloved by Me, apple of My eye, rest a moment
near My Heart and taste of the love in which you will delight for all eternity.
But
child, you are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and
fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king's child would; and
remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the
possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you, My child, a great
number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity. My child, that you
may answer My call worthily, receive Me daily in Holy Communion. It will give
you strength...
Jesus, do not leave me alone in suffering.
You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am nothingness
itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall? I am an
infant, Lord, so I cannot get along by myself. However, beyond all abandonment
I trust, and in spite of my own feeling I trust, and I am being completely
transformed into trust-often in spite of what I feel. Do not lessen any of my
sufferings, only give me strength to bear them. Do with me as You please, Lord,
only give me the grace to be able to love You in every event and circumstance.
Lord, do not lessen my cup of bitterness, only give me strength that I may be
able to drink it all.
O Lord, sometimes You lift me up to the
brightness of visions, and then again You plunge
me into the darkness of night and the abyss
of my nothingness, and my soul feels as if it were alone in the wilderness.
Yet, above all things, I trust in You, Jesus, for You are unchangeable. My
moods change, but You are always the same, full of mercy.
1656 I do not know how to describe all that I
suffer, and what I have written thus far is merely a drop. There are moments of
suffering about which I really cannot write. But there are also moments in my
life when my lips are silent, and there are no words for my defense, and I
submit myself completely to the will of God; then the Lord Himself defends me
and makes claims on my behalf, and His demands are such that they can be
noticed exteriorly. Nevertheless, when I perceive His major interventions,
which manifest themselves by way of punishment, then I beg Him earnestly for
mercy and forgiveness. Yet I am not always heard. The Lord acts toward me in a
mysterious manner. There are times when He Himself allows terrible sufferings,
and then again there are times when He does not let me suffer and removes
everything that might afflict my soul. These are His ways, unfathomable and
incomprehensible to us. It is for us to submit ourselves completely to His holy
will. There are mysteries that the human mind will never fathom here on earth;
eternity will reveal them.
1692 I adore You, Lord and Creator, hidden in
the Blessed Sacrament. I adore You for all the works of Your hands, that reveal
to me so much wisdom, goodness and mercy, O Lord. You have spread so much
beauty over the earth, and it tells me about Your beauty, even though these
beautiful things are but a faint reflection of You, Incomprehensible Beauty.
And although You have hidden Yourself and concealed Your beauty, my eye,
enlightened by faith, reaches You, and my soul recognizes its Creator, its
Highest Good; and my heart is completely immersed in prayer of adoration.
My Lord and Creator, Your goodness encourages
me to converse with You. Your mercy abolishes the chasm which separates the
Creator from the creature. To converse with You, O Lord, is the delight of my
heart. In You I find everything that my heart could desire. Here Your light
illumines my mind, enabling it to know You more and more deeply. Here streams
of graces flow down upon my heart. Here my soul draws eternal life. O my Lord
and Creator, You alone, beyond all these gifts, give Your own self to me and
unite Yourself intimately with Your miserable creature. Here, without searching
for words, our hearts understand each other. Here, no one is able to interrupt
our conversation. What I talk to You about, Jesus, is our secret, which
creatures shall not know and Angels dare not ask about. These are secret acts
of forgiveness, known only to Jesus and me; this is the mystery of His mercy,
which embraces each soul separately. For this incomprehensible goodness of
Yours, I adore You, O Lord and Creator, with all my heart and all my soul. And,
although my worship is so little and poor, I am at peace because I know that
You know it is sincere, however inadequate...
1698 l often attend upon the dying and
through entreaties obtain for them trust in God's mercy, and I implore God for
an abundance of divine grace, which is always victorious. God's mercy sometimes
touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious way.
Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. The soul,
illumined by a ray of God's powerful final grace, turns to God in the last
moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from God
forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign either of
repentance or of contrition, because souls [at that stage] no longer react to
external things. Oh, how beyond comprehension is God's mercy! But-horror!-
there are also souls who voluntarily and consciously reject and scorn this
grace! Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful God gives the
soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is willing, it has the
possibility of returning to God. But sometimes, the obduracy in souls is so
great that consciously they choose hell; they [thus] make useless all the
prayers that other souls offer to God for them and even the efforts of God
Himself...
1744
May You be adored, O merciful God of ours,
O
All-powerful Lord and Creator.
In
deepest humility, we give You praise,
Plunging
ourselves into the ocean of Your Godhead.
But
man did not persevere in the hour of trial.
At
the instigation of the evil one, he became unfaithful to You.
He
lost Your grace and gifts; only misery was left him,
And
tears, suffering, sorrow and bitterness, until he would rest in the grave.
But
you, O merciful God, did not let humanity perish,
And
gave it the promise of a Redeemer.
You
did not let us despair, despite our grave offenses,
And
You sent Your prophets to Israel.
Still,
day and night, mankind cries out to You,
From
the abyss of misery, sin and all pain.
Hear
the moaning and the tears, You who reign in heaven,
God
of great mercy, God of compassion.
Man
erred, but he cannot ask pardon,
Because
a gaping chasm has appeared between God and man.
With
the voice of his misery, he cries out, "Mercy!"
But
Yahweh is silent... and century after century passes on.
But
the longing of all humankind grows deeper.
A
longing for Him who has been promised.
Come,
Lamb of God, take away our vile sins,
Come,
illumine our darkness like a ray of light.
Humanity
calls out to You unceasingly, O Lord of lords,
Calls
out to Your unfathomable mercy, to Your compassion.
O
great Yahweh, grant that we may make atonement,
Remember
Your goodness, and forgive us our sins.
Third Day.
1768 My daughter, in this meditation, consider the love of neighbor. Is your love for your neighbor guided by My love? Do you pray for your enemies? Do you wish well to those who have, in one way or another, caused you sorrow or offended you?
Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me.
1768 My daughter, in this meditation, consider the love of neighbor. Is your love for your neighbor guided by My love? Do you pray for your enemies? Do you wish well to those who have, in one way or another, caused you sorrow or offended you?
Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me.
1769 Application: O Jesus, my Love,
You know that it has only been for a short while that I have acted toward my
neighbor guided solely by Your love. You alone know of my efforts to do this.
It comes to me more easily now, but if You Yourself did not kindle that love in
my soul, I would not be able to persevere in this. This is due to Your
Eucharistic love which daily sets me afire.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-163, 216, 241, 243, 362, 390)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-588,
590, 612, 692, 699, 700, 704, 742)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-901)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1148)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1239)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1332,
1460, 1485, 1488-1489)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1656,
1692, 1698, 1744)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-IV-1768-1769)
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