True Worship
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February 10, 2015. Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin
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Mark
7:1-13
Now when the Pharisees with some scribes who
had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they observed that some of his
disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. [For the
Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their
hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the
marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many
other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups
and jugs and kettles (and beds).] So the Pharisees and scribes questioned
him, "Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but
instead eat a meal with unclean hands?" He responded, "Well did
Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: ´This people honors
me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; In vain do they worship
me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.´ You disregard God´s commandment
but cling to human tradition." He went on to say, "How well you
have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition! For
Moses said, ´Honor your father and your mother,´ and ´Whoever curses father
or mother shall die.´ Yet you say, ´If a person says to father or mother,
"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"´ (meaning,
dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed
on. And you do many such things."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, thank You for Your Gospel and for all the truth it
teaches me. Thank You for warning me of attitudes and dispositions that could
become temptations for me. I love You for Your goodness and mercy, and I
entrust myself into Your loving hands.
Petition: Lord, help me to serve You sincerely, in truth and in
love.
1. “This people honors me only with lip
service, while their hearts are far from me.” Jesus calls his disciples to authenticity.
Too often so-called disciples give the impression of following him, while at
the same time accepting sensual loves and lusts in their heart. Although the
Pharisees display the outward trappings of holiness, the way they treat Jesus
and others betrays their true character. Jesus would call them “whitewashed
tombs” (Matthew 15:27): clean and bright on the outside, but full of dead
men’s bones within. Self-righteousness would be their downfall. Such
dispositions may lend the proud man certain short-term security, but it will
always be illusory since it is not rooted in the truth. Is there any way in
which I also pay tribute to God with my lips but say something else in my
heart, or behave contrariwise in my actions?
2. “The worship they offer me is worthless.”
True worship begins
with humility, when the soul recognizes that it possesses no good in and of
itself, but that all of its goodness comes from God. The Pharisees offered no
real worship to God since, in effect, they worshipped only themselves by
relying more on their talents and goodness than on the goodness that comes
from God. It is not insignificant that when Jesus describes a Pharisee’s
prayer in the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, he says “The
Pharisee prayed this prayer to himself” (Luke 18:11). How can I
make sure that my prayer is truly devoted, meaning that I am addressing Our
Lord with the words of my heart?
3. "You make God’s word null and void.”
The Pharisees used
the talents and gifts God had given them not for God’s glory, but for their
own personal gain, whether that gain consisted of praise and admiration or
personal comfort and ease. True worship of God, truly placing God above all
else, involves using the things God created as means to reaching him. As
number 226 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “It means making
good use of created things: faith in God, the only One, leads us to use
everything that is not God only insofar as it brings us closer to him, and to
detach ourselves from it insofar as it turns us away from him:
My Lord and my God, take from me everything that distances me from you. My Lord and my God, give me everything that brings me closer to you. My Lord and my God, detach me from myself to give my all to you.”
Conversation with Christ: Lord, thank You for my life and all the good things You have
given me. Help me to realize that You have created everything and that all I
have is from You. May I use all I have to serve others and as a means to come
closer to You, the source of all good.
Resolution: I will examine my conscience to see if I am
using any of my gifts and talents to glorify or serve only myself. If so,
I’ll strive to put these same gifts at the service of God.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
152 Once, I had night duty,[49] and I was suffering greatly in spirit because of the painting of
the image, and I no longer knew which way to turn because they were
constantly trying to convince me that the whole thing was an illusion. On the
other hand, one priest said that perhaps God wanted to be worshiped through
this image and therefore I ought to try to get it painted. Meanwhile, my soul
was becoming extremely exhausted. When I entered the little chapel, I brought
my head close to the tabernacle, knocked and said, "Jesus, look at the
great difficulties I am having because of the painting of this image."
And I heard a voice from the tabernacle, My daughter, your sufferings will
not last much longer.
639 Thursday. During the evening adoration, I saw Jesus
scourged and tortured. He said to me, My daughter, I desire that even in
the smallest things, you rely on your confessor. Your greatest sacrifices do
not please Me if you practice them without the confessor's permission; on the
other hand, the smallest sacrifice finds great value in My eyes, if it is
done with his permission. The greatest works are worthless in My eyes if they
are done out of self-will, and often they are not in accord with My will and
merit punishment rather than reward. And on the other hand, even the smallest
of your acts, done with the confessor's permission is pleasing in My eyes and
very dear to Me. Hold firmly to this always. Be constantly on the watch, for
many souls will turn back from the gates of hell and worship My mercy. But
fear nothing, as I am with you. Know that of yourself you can do nothing.
691 + Thursday. Although I was
very tired today, I nevertheless resolved to make a Holy Hour. I could not
pray, nor could I remain kneeling, but I remained in prayer for a whole hour
and united myself in spirit with those souls who are already worshiping God
in the perfect way. But towards the end of the hour, I suddenly saw Jesus,
who looked at me penetratingly and said with ineffable sweetness, Your
prayer is extremely pleasing to Me. After these words, an unusual power
and spiritual joy entered my soul. God's presence continued to pervade my
soul. Oh, what happens to a soul that meets the Lord face to face, no pen has
ever expressed or ever will express!
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.
+ Particular Examen
Union with the merciful Christ.
With my heart I encompass the whole world, especially
Countries which are uncivilized
or where there is persecution. I am praying for mercy upon them.
745 During Holy Mass, I was so enveloped in the great
interior fire of God's love and the desire to save souls that I do not know
how to express it. I feel I am all aflame. I shall fight all evil with the
weapon of mercy. I am being burned up by the desire to save souls. I traverse
the world's length and breadth and venture as far as its ultimate limits and
its wildest lands to save souls. I do this through prayer and sacrifice. I
want every soul to glorify the mercy of God, for each one experiences the
effects of that mercy on himself. The Saints in heaven worship the mercy of
the Lord. I want to worship it even now, here on earth, and to spread devotion
to it in the way that God demands of me.
779 The sight of this great majesty of God, which I came
to understand more profoundly and which is worshiped by the heavenly spirits
according to their degree of grace and the hierarchies into which they are
divided, did not cause my soul to be stricken with terror or fear; no, no,
not at all! My soul was filled with peace and love, and the more I come to
know the greatness of God, the more joyful I become that He is as He is. And
I rejoice immensely in His greatness and am delighted that I am so little
because, since I am little, He carries me in His arms and holds me close to
His Heart.
782 + I am very weak today. I cannot even make my
meditation in the chapel, but must lie down. O my Jesus, I love You, and I
want to worship You with my very weakness, submitting myself entirely to Your
holy will.
848 While I was saying the
chaplet, I heard a voice which said, Oh, what great graces I will grant to
souls who say this chaplet; the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred
for the sake of those who say the chaplet. Write down these words, My
daughter. Speak to the world about My mercy; let all mankind recognize My
unfathomable mercy. It is a sign for the end times; after it will come the
day of justice. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the
fount of My mercy; let them profit from the Blood and Water which gushed
forth for them.
O human souls, where are you going to hide on the day of God's anger? Take refuge now in the fount of God's mercy. O what a great multitude of souls I see! They worshiped the Divine Mercy and will be singing the hymn of praise for all eternity.
988 I was praying for a certain priest [probably Father
Sopocko], asking God to help him in certain matters when I suddenly saw Jesus
Crucified. His eyes were closed, and He was immersed in torture. I worshiped
His five wounds, each one separately, and asked His blessing for him. Jesus
gave me to know interiorly how dear that soul was to Him, and I felt that
grace was flowing from Jesus' wounds upon that soul who, like Jesus, is also
stretched upon the cross.
998 Today, I took part in a one-day retreat. When I was at
the last conference, [177] the priest was speaking of how much the
world needs God's mercy, and that this seems to be a special time when people
have great need of prayer and God's mercy. Then I heard a voice in my soul: These
words are for you. Do all you possibly can for this work of My mercy. I
desire that My mercy be worshiped, and I am giving mankind the last hope of
salvation; that is, recourse to My mercy. My Heart rejoices in this feast. After
these words, I understood that nothing can dispense me from the obligation
which the Lord demands from me.
1048 Then, in an instant, I was
caught up to stand near Jesus, and I stood on the altar next to the Lord
Jesus, and my spirit was filled with a happiness so great that I am unable to
comprehend it or write about it. A profound peace as well as repose filled my
soul. Jesus bent toward me and said with great kindness, What is it you
desire, My daughter? And I answered, "I desire worship and glory be
given to Your mercy." I already am receiving worship by the
institution and celebration of this Feast; what else do you desire? I
then looked at the immense crowd worshiping The Divine Mercy and I said to
the Lord, "Jesus, bless all those who are gathered to give glory to You
and to venerate Your infinite mercy." Jesus made a sign of the cross
with His hand, and this blessing was reflected in the souls like a flash of
light. My spirit was engulfed in His love. I felt as if I had dissolved and
disappeared completely in God. When I came to myself, a profound peace was
flooding my soul, and an extraordinary understanding of many things was
communicated to my intellect, an understanding that had not been granted me
previously.
1104 Today there was a beautiful teaching [by Father Plaza
on the goodness and mercy of God. During this conference my soul experienced
the flames of God's love, and I understood that God's word is a living word.
1176 During Adoration, I heard a voice in my soul: These
efforts of yours, My daughter, are pleasing to Me; they are the delight of My
Heart. I see every movement of your heart with which you worship Me.
1256 [August] 30. Reverend Father Sopocko
left this morning. When I was steeped in a prayer of thanksgiving for the
great grace that I had received from God; namely, that of seeing Father, I
became united in a special way with the Lord who said to me, He is a
priest after My own Heart; his efforts are pleasing to Me. You see, My
daughter, that My will must be done and that which I had promised you, I
shall do. Through him I spread comfort to suffering and careworn souls.
Through him it pleased Me to proclaim the worship of My mercy. And through
this work of mercy more souls will come close to Me than otherwise would
have, even if he had kept giving absolution day and night for the rest of his
life, because by so doing, he would have labored only for as long as he
lived; whereas, thanks to this work of mercy, he will be laboring till the
end of the world.
1324 + I bow down before You, O Bread of Angels,
With deep faith, hope and love
And from the depths of my soul I worship You,
Though I am but nothingness.
I bow down before You, O hidden God
And love You with all my heart.
The veils of mystery hinder me not at all;
I love You as do Your chosen ones in heaven.
I bow down before You, O Lamb of God
Who take away the sins of my soul,
Whom I receive into my heart each morn,
You who are my saving help.
+ J. M. J.
Cracow, October 20, 1937.
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...
1653 The light above, where my God reigns,
This it is that my soul yearns for, T
his it is for which my heart longs,
And my whole being bounds towards You.
I hasten on to the other world, to God alone,
Into the incomprehensible light, the very fire of love,
For my soul and my heart are created for Him,
And my heart has loved Him from my tender youth.
There, in the resplendent light of Your countenance
My languishing love will rest.
For Your virgin agonizes for You in her exile,
For she lives only when united with You.
+ J. M. J.
My day is drawing to a close,
Even now I glimpse the refulgence of Your light, O my God.
No one shall learn of what my heart is feeling;
My lips shall fall silent in great humility.
Even now, I draw nigh to the eternal nuptials,
To heaven unending, to spaces without limit.
I long for no repose or reward;
The pure love of God draws me to heaven.
Even now, I go to meet You, eternal Love
With a heart languishing in its desire for You.
I feel that Your pure love, Lord, dwells in my heart,
And I sense my eternal destiny in heaven.
Even now, I go to my Father, in heaven eternal,
From the land of exile, from this vale of tears,
The earth can no longer hold back my pure heart,
And the heights of heaven have drawn me close.
I go, O my Bridegroom, I go to see Your glory,
Which even now fills my soul with joy
There where all heaven is plunged in Your adoration,
I feel that my worship is pleasing to You, nothingness
though I am.
In eternal happiness, I will not forget those on earth,
I will obtain God's mercy for all,
And I will remember especially those who were dear to my
heart,
And the deepest absorption in God will not allow me to
forget them.
In these last moments I know not how to converse with
others.
In silence I await only You, O Lord.
I know the time will come when all will understand the
work of God in my soul.
I know that such is Your will.-So
be it.
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...
1749 + God's Infinite Goodness in
Adorning the Whole World with Beauty
in Order to Make Man's Stay on Earth Pleasant. O God, how generously Your mercy is spread everywhere, and You have done all this for man. Oh, how much You must love him, since Your love is so active on his behalf. O my Creator and Lord, I see on all sides the trace of Your hand and the seal of Your mercy, which embraces all created things. O my most compassionate Creator, I want to give You worship on behalf of all creatures and all inanimate creation; I call on the whole universe to glorify Your mercy. Oh, how great is Your goodness, O God!
1789 + Today 253 I saw the glory of God which flows from the
image. Many souls are receiving graces, although they do not speak of it
openly. Even though it has met up with all sorts of vicissitudes, God is
receiving glory because of it; and the efforts of Satan and of evil men are
shattered and come to naught. In spite of Satan's anger, The Divine Mercy
will triumph over the whole world and will be worshiped by all souls.
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-152)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-639, 691, 742, 745,
779, 782, 848)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-988, 998)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1048, 1104, 1146)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1256)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1324, 1523, 1540)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1653, 1692, 1749, 1789)
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Pebrero 10, 2015
True Worship-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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