A Life Pleasing to God
March 24, 2015. Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
John 8:21-30
Jesus said to the
Pharisees: "I am going away and you will look for me, but you will die in
your sin. Where I am going you cannot come." So the Jews said, "He is
not going to kill himself, is he, because he said, ´Where I am going you cannot
come´?" He said to them, "You belong to what is below, I belong to
what is above. You belong to this world, but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not
believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." So they said to him,
"Who are you?" Jesus said to them, "What I told you from the
beginning. I have much to say about you in condemnation. But the one who sent
me is true, and what I heard from him I tell the world." They did
not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father. So Jesus said to them,
"When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and
that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The one
who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, because I always do what
is pleasing to him." Because he spoke this way, many came to believe
in him.
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, by doing Your holy will the Church grows and becomes more faithful
in Your service. You are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace and
mercy. How grateful I am to have this moment to turn to You. Without You I can
do nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is You working through me, despite
my failings. Thank You, Lord. Here I am ready to love You more.
Petition: Lord, help me to
please you in what I think, say and do.
1. In the World but
not OF the World: We profess in the Creed that Jesus Christ came
down from heaven “for us and our salvation.” This truth colors everything about
the Savior. He comes into the world without being of the world. His doctrine
appeals to our highest and most noble aspirations. His way, his lifestyle,
clashes with the way and lifestyle of the children of this world and therefore
is never without resistance. In my innermost thoughts, in my words and deeds,
am I striving to belong to “what is above”?
2. Lovingly Telling
the Truth: When we truly love someone, we tell that
someone the truth about the things that really matter, even when the truth
could be perceived as inconvenient, painful or demanding. God the Son has loved
us from all eternity. His love compels him to tell us the truth about the
Father, which is a message of infinite mercy and love. His love compels him to
tell us the truth about our relationship with that merciful Father: how it
should be filled with gratitude and loving obedience and devoid of anything
that could separate us from him. In order to belong to Jesus and to what is
above, I must strive to open my heart and mind to his truth, especially in
those areas of my life where he is asking for change and conversion.
3. Seeking to
Please the Beloved: Love transforms our intentions and desires.
When we love someone, we want to please that person in everything. Jesus loves
the Father, and therefore he does what is pleasing to him, even though the
Father’s will leads Jesus to embrace suffering, rejection, and death. He
endures this agony so as to bring us the gift of resurrection and eternal life.
If I love Christ, then I necessarily wish to do what is pleasing to him. And
what pleases Christ? My faith, hope and love; My obedience and my humility;
So also my selfless service to him in those who are materially, morally
or spiritually needful of my attention and support.
Conversation with
Christ:
I will love all my brothers, Lord.
The small ones, lowering myself to their abyss;
the clean of heart, becoming as they;
the naked, clothing them;
the sick, consoling them;
the imprisoned, visiting them,
my brothers of every tribe, language, and race,
spilling my sweetness as a gentle perfume
because kindness in love
is the strongest of all chains.
Resolution: I will strive to please Christ today in all my thoughts, words and deeds.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
57 O my Jesus, You are the life of
my life. You know only too well that I long for nothing but the glory of Your
Name and that souls come to know Your goodness. Why do souls avoid You,
Jesus?-I don't understand that. Oh, if I could only cut my heart into tiny
pieces and in this way offer to You, O Jesus, each piece as a heart whole and
entire, to make up in part for the hearts that do not love You! I love You,
Jesus, with every drop of my blood, and I would gladly shed my blood for You to
give You a proof of the sincerity of my love. O God, the more I know You the
less I can comprehend You, but this "non-comprehension" lets me
realize how great You are! And it is this impossibility of comprehending You
which enflames my heart anew for You, O Lord. From the moment when You let me
fix the eyes of my soul on You, O Jesus, I have been at peace and desired
nothing else. I found my destiny at the moment when my soul lost itself in You,
the only object of my love. In comparison with you, everything is nothing.
Sufferings, adversities, humiliations, failures and suspicions that have come
my way are splinters that keep alive the fire of my love for You, O Jesus.
My desires are mad and unattainable. I wish to conceal from You that I suffer. I want never to be rewarded for my efforts and my good actions. You yourself, Jesus, are my only reward; You are enough, O Treasure of my heart! I want to share compassionately in the sufferings of my neighbors and to conceal my own sufferings, not only from them, but also from You, Jesus.
Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.
My desires are mad and unattainable. I wish to conceal from You that I suffer. I want never to be rewarded for my efforts and my good actions. You yourself, Jesus, are my only reward; You are enough, O Treasure of my heart! I want to share compassionately in the sufferings of my neighbors and to conceal my own sufferings, not only from them, but also from You, Jesus.
Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.
60 I received permission at my next
confession and began the novena that very evening. Towards the end of the
litany I saw a great radiance and, in the midst of it, God the Father. Between
this radiance and the earth I saw Jesus, nailed to the Cross in such a way that
when God wanted to look at the earth, He had to look through the wounds of
Jesus. And I understood that it was for the sake of Jesus that God blesses the
earth.
75 But these doubts always come from
without, a fact which inclined me to close myself up more and more within
myself. When, during confession, I sense uncertainty on the part of the priest,
I do not open my soul to its depths, but only accuse myself of my sins. A
priest who is not at peace with himself will not be able to inspire peace in
another soul.
O priests, you bright candles enlightening human souls, let your brightness never be dimmed. I understood that at that time it was not God's will that I uncover my soul completely. Later on, God did give me this grace.
O priests, you bright candles enlightening human souls, let your brightness never be dimmed. I understood that at that time it was not God's will that I uncover my soul completely. Later on, God did give me this grace.
76 O my Jesus, direct my mind, take
possession of my whole being, enclose me in the depths of Your heart, and
protect me against the assaults of the enemy. My only hope is in You. Speak
through my mouth when I, wretchedness itself, find myself with the mighty and
wise, so that they will know that this undertaking is Yours and comes from You.
81 O Holy Trinity, One and
Indivisible God, may You be blessed for this great gift and testament of mercy.
My Jesus, to atone for blasphemers I will keep silent when unjustly reprimanded
and in this way make partial amends to You. I am singing within my soul an
unending hymn to You, and no one will suspect or understand this. The song of
my soul is known to You alone, O my Creator and Lord!
83 Write this: before I come as
the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of
justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this
sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great
darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the
sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed
will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of
time. This will take place shortly before the last day.
94 O my Lord, inflame my heart with
love for You, that my spirit may not grow weary amidst the storms, the
sufferings and the trials. You see how weak I am. Love can do all.
95 +A Deeper Knowledge of God and
the Terror of the Soul.
In the beginning, God lets himself be known as Holiness, Justice, Goodness - that is to say, Mercy. The soul does not come to know this all at once, but piecemeal, in flashes; that is to say, when God draws near. And this does not last for long, because the soul could not bear such light. During prayer the soul experiences flashes of this light which make it impossible to pray as before. Try as it may to force itself to pray as it did before, all is in vain; it becomes completely impossible for it to continue to pray as it did before it received this light. This light which has touched the soul is alive within it, and nothing can either quench or diminish it. This flash of the knowledge of God draws the soul and enkindles its love for Him.
But this same flash, at the same time, allows the soul to know itself as it is; the soul sees its whole interior in a superior light, and it rises up alarmed and terrified. Still, it does not remain under the effects of terror, but it begins to purify itself, to humble and abase itself before the Lord. These lights become stronger and more frequent; the more the soul is crystallized, the more these lights penetrate it. However, if the soul has responded faithfully and courageously to these first graces, God fills it with His consolations and gives himself to it in a perceptible manner. At certain moments, the soul, as it were, enters into intimacy with God and greatly rejoices in this; it believes that it has already reached the degree of perfection destined for it, because its defects and faults are asleep within it, and this makes it think that they no longer exist. Nothing seems difficult for it; it is ready for everything. It begins to plunge itself into God and taste the divine delights. It is carried along by grace and does not take account of the fact that the time of trial and testing may come. And, in fact, this state does not last long. Other moments will soon come. I should add here, however, that the soul will respond more faithfully to divine grace if it has a well - informed confessor to whom it can confide everything.
In the beginning, God lets himself be known as Holiness, Justice, Goodness - that is to say, Mercy. The soul does not come to know this all at once, but piecemeal, in flashes; that is to say, when God draws near. And this does not last for long, because the soul could not bear such light. During prayer the soul experiences flashes of this light which make it impossible to pray as before. Try as it may to force itself to pray as it did before, all is in vain; it becomes completely impossible for it to continue to pray as it did before it received this light. This light which has touched the soul is alive within it, and nothing can either quench or diminish it. This flash of the knowledge of God draws the soul and enkindles its love for Him.
But this same flash, at the same time, allows the soul to know itself as it is; the soul sees its whole interior in a superior light, and it rises up alarmed and terrified. Still, it does not remain under the effects of terror, but it begins to purify itself, to humble and abase itself before the Lord. These lights become stronger and more frequent; the more the soul is crystallized, the more these lights penetrate it. However, if the soul has responded faithfully and courageously to these first graces, God fills it with His consolations and gives himself to it in a perceptible manner. At certain moments, the soul, as it were, enters into intimacy with God and greatly rejoices in this; it believes that it has already reached the degree of perfection destined for it, because its defects and faults are asleep within it, and this makes it think that they no longer exist. Nothing seems difficult for it; it is ready for everything. It begins to plunge itself into God and taste the divine delights. It is carried along by grace and does not take account of the fact that the time of trial and testing may come. And, in fact, this state does not last long. Other moments will soon come. I should add here, however, that the soul will respond more faithfully to divine grace if it has a well - informed confessor to whom it can confide everything.
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.
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.
186 +Today Jesus said to me, I
desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls,
and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My
mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer,
with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him
the grace of conversion. This is the prayer:
187 "O Blood and Water,
which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust
in You."
239 Prayer during the Mass on the
day of the perpetual vows. Today I place my heart on the paten where Your Heart
has been placed, O Jesus, and today I offer myself together with You to God,
Your Father and mine, as a sacrifice of love and praise. Father of Mercy, look
upon the sacrifice of my heart, but through the wound in the Heart of Jesus.
245 My Jesus, I will now strive to
give honor and glory to Your Name, doing battle till the day on which You
yourself will say, enough! Every soul You have entrusted to me, Jesus, I will
try to aid with prayer and sacrifice, so that Your grace can work in them. O
great lover of souls, my Jesus, I thank You for this immense confidence with
which You have deigned to place souls in our care. O you days of work and of
monotony, you are not monotonous to me at all, for each moment brings me new
graces and opportunity to do good.
247 Jesus, Friend of a lonely heart,
You are my haven, You are my peace. You are my salvation, You are my serenity
in moments of struggle and amidst an ocean of doubts. You are the bright ray
that lights up the path of my life. You are everything to a lonely soul. You
understand the soul even though it remains silent. You know our weaknesses, and
like a good physician, You comfort and heal, sparing us sufferings-expert that
You are.
248 The words of the Bishop [Rospond[73]], spoken at the ceremony of the taking of
perpetual vows: "Accept this candle as a sign of heavenly light and of
burning love." While giving the ring: "I betroth you to Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Father Most High; may He keep you unblemished. Take this ring as
a sign of the eternal covenant you are making with Christ, the Spouse of
Virgins. May it be for you the ring of faith and the sign of the Holy Spirit,
that you may be called the bride of Christ and, if you serve Him faithfully, be
crowned [as such] for all eternity.
249 +Jesus, I trust in You; I trust
in the ocean of your mercy. You are a Mother to me.
264 +O my Jesus, keep me near to
You! See how weak I am! I cannot go a step forward by myself; so You, Jesus,
must stand by me constantly like a mother by a helpless child-and even more so.
282 Once the Lord said to me, My
Heart was moved by great mercy towards you, My dearest child, when I saw you
torn to shreds because of the great pain you suffered in repenting for your
sins. I see your love, so pure and true that I give you first place among the
virgins. You are the honor and glory of My Passion. I see every abasement of
your soul, and nothing escapes my attention. I lift up the humble even to my
very throne, because I want it so.
God, One in the Holy Trinity.
God, One in the Holy Trinity.
283 I want to love You as no human
soul has ever loved You before; and although I am utterly miserable and small,
I have nevertheless cast the anchor of my trust deep down into the abyss of
Your mercy, O my God and Creator! In spite of my great misery I fear nothing,
but hope to sing You a hymn of glory for ever. Let no soul, even the most
miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can
become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for
us not to oppose God's action.
284 O Jesus, if only I could become
like mist before Your eyes, to cover the earth so that You would not see its
terrible crimes. Jesus, when I look at the world and its indifference towards
You, again and again it brings tears to my eyes; but when I look at a cold soul
of a religious, my heart bleeds.
294 +Once the Lord said to me,
Act like a beggar who does not back away when he gets more alms [than he asked
for], but offers thanks the more fervently. You too should not back away and
say that you are not worthy of receiving greater graces when I give them to
you. I know you are unworthy, but rejoice all the more and take as many
treasures from My Heart as you can carry, for then you will please Me more. And
I will tell you one more thing: Take these graces not only for yourself, but
also for others; that is, encourage the souls with whom you come in contact to
trust in My infinite mercy. Oh, how I love those souls who have complete
confidence in Me. I will do everything for them.
299 When, on one occasion, my
confessor told me to ask the Lord Jesus the meaning of the two rays in the image,[77] I answered, "Very well, I will ask the
Lord."
During prayer I heard these words within me: The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls...
These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross.
These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy.
During prayer I heard these words within me: The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls...
These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross.
These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy.
300 +Ask of my faithful servant
[Father Sopocko] that, on this day, he tell the whole world of My great mercy;
that whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete
remission of sins and punishment.
+Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.
+Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul's distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness.
My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.
+Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.
+Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul's distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness.
My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.
303 Great love can change small
things into great ones, and it is only love which lends value to our actions.
And the purer our love becomes, the less there will be within us for the flames
of suffering to feed upon, and the suffering will cease to be a suffering for
us; it will become a delight! By the grace of God, I have received such a
disposition of heart that I am never so happy as when I suffer for Jesus, whom
I love with every beat of my heart.
Once when I was suffering greatly, I left my work and escaped to Jesus and asked Him to give me His strength. After a very short prayer I returned to my work filled with enthusiasm and joy. Then, one of the sisters [probably Sister Justine] said to me, "You must have many consolations today, Sister; you look so radiant. Surely, God is giving you no suffering, but only consolations." "You are greatly mistaken, Sister," I answered, "for it is precisely when I suffer much that my joy is greater; and when I suffer less, my joy also is less." However, that soul was letting me recognize that she does not understand what I was saying. I tried to explain to her that when we suffer much we have a great chance to show God that we love Him; but when we suffer little we have less occasion to show God our love; and when we do not suffer at all, our love is then neither great nor pure. By the grace of God, we can attain a point where suffering will become a delight to us, for love can work such things in pure souls.
Once when I was suffering greatly, I left my work and escaped to Jesus and asked Him to give me His strength. After a very short prayer I returned to my work filled with enthusiasm and joy. Then, one of the sisters [probably Sister Justine] said to me, "You must have many consolations today, Sister; you look so radiant. Surely, God is giving you no suffering, but only consolations." "You are greatly mistaken, Sister," I answered, "for it is precisely when I suffer much that my joy is greater; and when I suffer less, my joy also is less." However, that soul was letting me recognize that she does not understand what I was saying. I tried to explain to her that when we suffer much we have a great chance to show God that we love Him; but when we suffer little we have less occasion to show God our love; and when we do not suffer at all, our love is then neither great nor pure. By the grace of God, we can attain a point where suffering will become a delight to us, for love can work such things in pure souls.
304 +O my Jesus, my only hope, thank
You for the book which You have opened before my soul's eyes. That book is Your
Passion which You underwent for love of me. It is from this book that I have
learned how to love God and souls. In this book there are found for us
inexhaustible treasures. O Jesus, how few souls understand You in Your
martyrdom of love! Oh, how great is the fire of purest love which burns in Your
Most Sacred Heart! Happy the soul that has come to understand the love of the
Heart of Jesus!
305 It is my greatest desire that
souls should recognize You as their eternal happiness, that they should come to
believe in Your goodness and glorify Your infinite mercy.
320 Jesus made known to me how very
pleasing to Him were prayers of atonement. He said to me, The prayer of a
humble and loving soul disarms the anger of My Father and draws down an ocean
of blessings. After the adoration, half way to my cell, I was surrounded by
a , pack of huge black dogs who were jumping and howling and trying to tear me
to pieces. I realized that they were not dogs, but demons. One of them spoke up
in a rage, "Because you have snatched so many souls away from us this
night, we will tear you to pieces." I answered, "If that is the will
of the most merciful God, tear me to pieces, for I have justly deserved it,
because I am the most miserable of all sinners, and God is ever holy, just, and
infinitely merciful." To these words all the demons answered as one,
"Let us flee, for she is not alone; the Almighty is with her!" And
they vanished like dust, like the noise of the road, while I continued on my
way to my cell undisturbed, finishing my Te Deum and pondering the infinite and
unfathomable mercy of God.
324 The next day, I felt very weak,
but experienced no further suffering. After Holy Communion, I saw the Lord
Jesus just as I had seen Him during one adoration. The Lord's gaze pierced my
soul through and through, and not even the least speck of dust escaped His
notice. And I said to Jesus, "Jesus, I thought You were going to take me.
"And Jesus answered, My will has not yet been fully accomplished in
you; you will still remain on earth, but not for long. I am well pleased with
your trust, but your love should be more ardent. Pure love gives the soul
strength at the very moment of dying. When I was dying on the cross, I was not
thinking about Myself, but about poor sinners, and I prayed for them to My
Father. I want your last moments to be completely similar to Mine on the cross.
There is but one price at which souls are bought, and that is suffering united to
My suffering on the cross. Pure love understands these words; carnal love will
never understand them.
341 November 5, 1934. One morning,
when it was my duty to open the gate to let out our people who deliver baked
goods, I entered the little chapel to visit Jesus for a minute and to renew the
intentions of the day. Today, Jesus, I offer You all my sufferings,
mortifications and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father, so that he
may approve the Feast of Mercy. But, Jesus, I have one more word to say to You:
I am very surprised that You bid me to talk about this Feast of Mercy, for they
tell me that there is already such a feast[81] and so why should I talk about it? And Jesus
said to me, And who knows anything about this feast? No one! Even those who
should be proclaiming My mercy and teaching people about it often do not know
about it themselves. That is why I want the image to be solemnly blessed on the
first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every
soul may know about it. Make a novena for the Holy Father's intention. It
should consist of thirty-three acts; that is, repetition that many times of the
short prayer-which I have taught you-to The Divine Mercy.
343 True love is measured by the
thermometer of suffering. Jesus, I thank You for the little daily crosses, for
opposition to my endeavors, for the hardships of communal life, for the
misinterpretation of my intentions, for humiliations at the hands of others,
for the harsh way in which we are treated, for false suspicions, for poor
health and loss of strength, for self-denial, for dying to myself, for lack of
recognition in everything, for the upsetting of all my plans.
Thank You, Jesus, for interior sufferings, for dryness of spirit, for terrors, fears and incertitudes, for the darkness and the deep interior night, for temptations and various ordeals, for torments too difficult to describe, especially for those which no one will understand, for the hour of death with its fierce struggle and all its bitterness.
I thank You, Jesus, You who first drank the cup of bitterness before You gave it to me, in a much milder form. I put my lips to this cup of Your holy will. Let all be done according to Your good pleasure; let that which Your wisdom ordained before the ages be done to me. I want to drink the cup to its last drop, and not seek to know the reason why. In bitterness is my joy, in hopelessness is my trust. In You, O Lord, all is good, all is a gift of Your paternal Heart. I do not prefer consolations over bitterness or bitterness over consolations, but thank You, O Jesus, for everything! It is my delight to fix my gaze upon You, O incomprehensible God! My spirit abides in these mysterious dwelling places, and there I am at home. I know very well the dwelling place of my Spouse. I feel there is not a single drop of blood in me that does not burn with love for You.
O Uncreated Beauty, whoever comes to know You once cannot love anything else. I can feel the bottomless abyss of my soul, and nothing will fill it but God himself. I feel that I am drowned in Him like a single grain of sand in a bottomless ocean.
Thank You, Jesus, for interior sufferings, for dryness of spirit, for terrors, fears and incertitudes, for the darkness and the deep interior night, for temptations and various ordeals, for torments too difficult to describe, especially for those which no one will understand, for the hour of death with its fierce struggle and all its bitterness.
I thank You, Jesus, You who first drank the cup of bitterness before You gave it to me, in a much milder form. I put my lips to this cup of Your holy will. Let all be done according to Your good pleasure; let that which Your wisdom ordained before the ages be done to me. I want to drink the cup to its last drop, and not seek to know the reason why. In bitterness is my joy, in hopelessness is my trust. In You, O Lord, all is good, all is a gift of Your paternal Heart. I do not prefer consolations over bitterness or bitterness over consolations, but thank You, O Jesus, for everything! It is my delight to fix my gaze upon You, O incomprehensible God! My spirit abides in these mysterious dwelling places, and there I am at home. I know very well the dwelling place of my Spouse. I feel there is not a single drop of blood in me that does not burn with love for You.
O Uncreated Beauty, whoever comes to know You once cannot love anything else. I can feel the bottomless abyss of my soul, and nothing will fill it but God himself. I feel that I am drowned in Him like a single grain of sand in a bottomless ocean.
356 O Blessed Host, in whom is
contained the testament of God's mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus as proof of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained life eternal and of infinite mercy, dispensed in abundance to us and especially to poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the mercy of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit toward us, and especially toward poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the infinite price of mercy which will compensate for all our debts, and especially those of poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fountain of living water which springs from infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fire of purest love which blazes forth from the bosom of the Eternal Father, as from an abyss of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the medicine for all our infirmities, flowing from infinite mercy, as from a fount, for us and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the union between God and us through His infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom are contained all the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus toward us, and especially poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in all the sufferings and adversities of life.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of darkness and of storms within and without.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in life and at the hour of our death.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of adversities and floods of despair.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of falsehood and treason.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the darkness and godlessness which inundate the earth. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the longing and pain in which no one will understand us.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the toil and monotony of everyday life.
O Blessed Host, our only hope amid the ruin of our hopes and endeavors.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the ravages of the enemy and the efforts of hell.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when the burdens are beyond my strength and I find my efforts are fruitless.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when storms toss my heart about and my fearful spirit tends to despair.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my heart is about to tremble and mortal sweat moistens my brow.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when everything conspires against me and black despair creeps into my soul.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my eyes will begin to grow dim to all temporal things and, for the first time, my spirit will behold the unknown worlds.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my tasks will be beyond my strength and adversity will become my daily lot.
O Blessed Host I trust in You when the practice of virtue will appear difficult for me and my nature will grow rebellious.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when hostile blows will be aimed against me.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my toils and efforts will be misjudged by others.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when Your judgments will resound over me; it is then that I will trust in the sea of Your mercy.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus as proof of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained life eternal and of infinite mercy, dispensed in abundance to us and especially to poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the mercy of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit toward us, and especially toward poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the infinite price of mercy which will compensate for all our debts, and especially those of poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fountain of living water which springs from infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fire of purest love which blazes forth from the bosom of the Eternal Father, as from an abyss of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the medicine for all our infirmities, flowing from infinite mercy, as from a fount, for us and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the union between God and us through His infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom are contained all the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus toward us, and especially poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in all the sufferings and adversities of life.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of darkness and of storms within and without.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in life and at the hour of our death.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of adversities and floods of despair.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of falsehood and treason.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the darkness and godlessness which inundate the earth. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the longing and pain in which no one will understand us.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the toil and monotony of everyday life.
O Blessed Host, our only hope amid the ruin of our hopes and endeavors.
O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the ravages of the enemy and the efforts of hell.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when the burdens are beyond my strength and I find my efforts are fruitless.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when storms toss my heart about and my fearful spirit tends to despair.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my heart is about to tremble and mortal sweat moistens my brow.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when everything conspires against me and black despair creeps into my soul.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my eyes will begin to grow dim to all temporal things and, for the first time, my spirit will behold the unknown worlds.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my tasks will be beyond my strength and adversity will become my daily lot.
O Blessed Host I trust in You when the practice of virtue will appear difficult for me and my nature will grow rebellious.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when hostile blows will be aimed against me.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my toils and efforts will be misjudged by others.
O Blessed Host, I trust in You when Your judgments will resound over me; it is then that I will trust in the sea of Your mercy.
357 +Most Holy Trinity, I trust in
Your infinite mercy. God is my Father and so I, His child, have every claim to
His divine Heart; and the greater the darkness, the more complete our trust
should be.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-57, 60, 75-76, 81, 83,
94-95, 163,)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-186-187, 239, 245,
247-249, 264)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-282-284, 294,
299-300,303-305
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-320, 324, 341, 343, 356-357)
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