Separated From Christ
|
May 6, 2015. Wednesday
of the Fifth Week of Easter
|
Father Patrick Langan, LC
John
15: 1-8
Jesus said to his disciples: "I am the
true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me
that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears
more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its
own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in
me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him
will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does
not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will
gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain
in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be
done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and
become my disciples."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, thank You for granting me the
opportunity to be with You. There are things in life, Lord, that attract me,
but You attract me more. I hope in you, and I love You. Maybe I don’t really
understand what it means to love, and maybe I don’t love the way I should,
but I do love You.
Petition: Lord, help me to grow in my interior life so I can remain
united to You.
1. Forgetfulness of God: Lord, it is so easy to forget you when life
gets busy. It is easy to forget you when things go well. Almost without
realizing it, I begin to separate myself from the vine. My prayer time is a
good thermometer: When I am separating myself from the vine, it becomes
shorter and shorter until it almost fades. I go my own way. I forget to pray.
However, it isn’t necessarily a question of eliminating activities but of
doing all of these tasks for God and in union with him.
2. Barrenness: If I separate myself from Christ, the vine,
and invest my energies in something else, I know what is going to happen. I
will produce no fruit. This is my experience; it has already happened.
Eventually I will wither and be thrown out like a dry branch. Lastly, these
withered, old, dried-up branches will be gathered and thrown into a fire, and
they will be burned. There is no way I can bear fruit if I am separated from
the vine.
3. Abundant Fruit: I want to produce abundant fruit. I want to
help bring about a change in this world. That is attractive to me. That means
a lot to me. I have tried different ways, and I know that only united to the
vine can I bear lasting fruits for Christ’s Kingdom. This is the way I will
glorify the Father. In this meditation, I already sense the sap running back
into my soul. My life will produce fruit for others. Lord, help me to cling
to the vine. Help me to strengthen that bond of unity. Help my faith and love
for you grow, for you are my all.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, it is easy to trust what I can see,
feel and touch. It is wiser, infinitely wiser to trust You, even if you are
hidden from me for now.
Resolution: At least three times today I will lift up my
thoughts to offer one of my activities to God.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
164 +JMJ Warsaw, 1933.
Probation Before Perpetual Vows[56] When I learned I was to go for probation, my heart beat with joy at the thought of such an immense grace, that of the perpetual vows. I went before the Blessed Sacrament; and when I immersed myself in a prayer of thanksgiving, I heard these words in my soul: My child you are My delight, you are the comfort of My Heart. I grant you as many graces as you can hold. As often as you want to make Me happy, speak to the world about My great and unfathomable mercy.
165 A few weeks before I was told about the probation, I
entered the chapel for a moment and Jesus said to me, At this very moment
the superiors are deciding which sisters are going to take perpetual vows.
Not all of them will be granted this grace, but this is their own fault. He
who does not take advantage of small graces will not receive great ones. But
to you, my child, this grace is being given. My soul was seized with
joyful surprise, because a few days earlier one of the sisters had said to
me, "Sister, you will not be going for the third probation. I myself
will see to it that you will not be permitted to make your vows." I said
nothing to the sister, but felt great pain which I tried to conceal as best I
could.
O Jesus, how strange are Your ways! I now see that people can do very little on their own, for I did make my probation, as Jesus had told me.
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."
652 There is one word I heed and continually ponder; it
alone is everything to me; I live by it and die by it, and it is the holy
will of God. It is my daily food. My whole soul listens intently to God's
wishes. I do always what God asks of me, although my nature often quakes and
I feel that the magnitude of these things is beyond my strength. 1 know well
what I am of myself, but I also know what the grace of God is, which supports
me.
666 I understood that all striving for perfection and all
sanctity consist in doing God's will. Perfect fulfillment of God's will is
maturity in sanctity; there is no room for doubt here. To receive God's light
and recognize what God wants of us and yet not do it is a great offense
against the majesty of God. Such a soul deserves to be completely forsaken by
God. It resembles Lucifer, who had great light, but did not do God's will. An
extraordinary peace entered my soul when I reflected on the fact that,
despite great difficulties, I had always faithfully followed God's will as I
knew it. O Jesus, grant me the grace to put Your will into practice as I have
come to know it, O God.
674 I gave no answer to Jesus, but poured out all my
sorrow before Him, and Satan's attempts ceased. Jesus then said to me, The
inner peace that you have is a grace, and suddenly He was gone. I felt
happy and unaccountably peaceful. Really, for so much peace to return within
a moment-that is a thing only Jesus can do, He, the most high Lord.
687 Once, as I was going down the hall to the kitchen, I
heard these words in my soul: Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have
taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of
death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation.
Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet
only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the
whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to
those souls who trust in My mercy.
688 Jesus, Life and Truth, my Master, guide every step of my life, that I may act according to Your holy will.
690 + On one occasion, I came to know of the condition of
two religious sisters who were grumbling interiorly about an order the
superior had given them, and for this reason God had withheld many special
graces from them. My heart ached at this sight. How sad it is, O Jesus, when
we ourselves are the cause of the loss of graces. Whoever understands this is
always faithful.
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.
1661 I spent the whole day in thanksgiving, and gratitude
kept flooding my soul. O my God, how good You are, how great is Your mercy!
You visit me with so many graces, me who am a most wretched speck of dust.
Prostrating myself at Your feet, O Lord, I confess with a sincere heart that
I have done nothing to deserve even the least of Your graces. It is in Your
infinite goodness that You give Yourself to me so generously. Therefore, the
greater the graces which my heart receives, the deeper it plunges itself in
humility.
1675 On the following day, Sister Felicia took me there. I
left in great peace and a calm spirit. When we arrived, they told us there
was a private room for Sister Faustina. When we entered the room, we were
surprised that everything had been prepared so beautifully: all was clean and
neat, covered with tablecloths and bedecked with flowers; a pretty Easter
Lamb had been placed on the night table by the Sisters. 248 At once, three Sacred Heart Sisters 249 who work at the sanatorium, my old acquaintances, came
and greeted me warmly. Sister Felicia was surprised at all this. We bid a
warm farewell to each other, and she left. When I was alone, with just the
Lord Jesus and myself, I thanked Him for this great grace.
1682 + May 1, [1938]. This evening, Jesus said to me, My
daughter, do you need anything? I answered, "O my Love, when I have
You I have everything." And the Lord answered, If souls would put
themselves completely in My care, I Myself would undertake the task of
sanctifying them, and I would lavish even greater graces on them. There are
souls who thwart My efforts, but I have not given up on them; as often as
they turn to Me, I hurry to their aid, shielding them with My mercy, and I
give them the first place in My compassionate Heart.
1683 Write for the benefit of religious souls that it
delights Me to come to their hearts in Holy Communion. But if there is anyone
else in such a heart, I cannot bear it and quickly leave that heart, taking
with Me all the gifts and graces I have prepared for the soul. And the soul
does not even notice My going. After some time, inner emptiness and
dissatisfaction will come to her attention. Oh, if only she would turn to Me
then, I would help her to cleanse her heart, and I would fulfill everything
in her soul; but without her knowledge and consent, I cannot be the Master of
her heart.
1687 Today I saw the Crucified Lord Jesus. Precious pearls
and diamonds were pouring forth from the wound in His Heart. I saw how a
multitude of souls was gathering these gifts, but there was one soul who was
closest to His Heart and she, knowing the greatness of these gifts, was
gathering them with liberality, not only for herself, but for others as well.
The Savior said to me, Behold, the treasures of grace that flow down upon
souls, but not all souls know how to take advantage of My generosity.
1688 Today, the Lord said to me, My daughter, look into
My Merciful Heart and reflect its compassion in your own heart and in your
deeds, so that you, who proclaim My mercy to the world, may yourself be
aflame with it.
The Creator and The Creature.
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...
1693 As I was writing the above
words, I saw the Lord Jesus leaning over me, and He asked, My daughter,
what are you writing? I answered, "I am writing about You, Jesus,
about Your being hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, about Your inconceivable
love and mercy for people." And Jesus said, Secretary of My most
profound mystery, know that yours is an exclusive intimacy with Me. Your task
is to write down everything that I make known to you about My mercy, for the
benefit of those who by reading these things will be comforted in their souls
and will have the courage to approach Me. I therefore want you to devote all
your free moments to writing. "But, O Lord, shall I always have a
moment, at least a brief one, in which to write?" And Jesus answered, It
is not for you to think about that. Only do as much as you can, and I will
always arrange things so that you will easily be able to do what I ask of
you...
1694 Today, I was visited by a
certain lay person [probably Stanislava Kwietniewska] who has caused me a lot
of sorrow and who has abused my goodness, telling many lies. At the first
moment I saw her, the blood froze in my veins, because there stood before my
eyes all that I had to suffer because of her, although with one word I could
have freed myself of them all. And the thought came to me to tell her the
truth, firmly and immediately. But at the same moment, the mercy of God came
before my eyes, and I resolved to act toward her as Jesus would have acted in
my place. I started to talk to her gently, and when she expressed the wish to
talk to me alone; I then, in a very delicate manner, made known to her
clearly the sad condition of her soul. I saw that she was deeply moved,
though she was trying to hide this from me. At that point, a third person
came in, and so our heart-to-heart talk came to an end. She asked me for a
glass of water and for two other things which I did willingly. However, had
it not been for the grace of God, I would not have been able to act in such a
way toward her. When they left, I thanked God for the grace which had
supported me during that time.
1696 O Christ, although much
effort is required, all things can be done with Your grace.
1697 I was feeling fairly well
today, and I was glad that I would be able to make the Holy Hour. But when I
began to make the Holy Hour, my physical sufferings intensified, so that I
was not able to pray. When the Holy Hour was over, my sufferings came to an
end, and I complained to the Lord that I had wanted so much to steep myself
in His sorrowful Passion, but that my sufferings had not allowed me to do so.
Then Jesus said to me, My daughter, know that if I allow you to feel and
have a more profound knowledge of My sufferings, that is a grace from Me. But
when your mind is dimmed and your sufferings are great, it is then that you
take an active part in My Passion, and I am conforming you more fully to
Myself. It is your task to submit yourself to My will at such times, more
than at others...
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...
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-164-165, 186-187)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-652, 666, 674,
687-688, 690, 699 )
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1059, 1065, 1074-1076
)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1661, 1675, 1682-1683,
1687-1688)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1692-1694,
1696-1698)
|
Mayo 06, 2015
Separated From Christ-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
Mag-subscribe sa:
I-post ang Mga Komento (Atom)
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento