Sheep and Goats
November 26, 2017. Solemnity of
Our Lord Jesus Christ the King
Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his
disciples: "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels
with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be
assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep on his right and
the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on his right, ´Come, you
who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed
me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.´ Then the righteous
will answer him and say, ´Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or
naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?´ And
the king will say to them in reply, ´Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for
one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.´ Then he will say to those
on his left, ´Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for
the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was
thirsty and you gave me no drink, a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked
and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.´
Then they will answer and say, ´Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or
a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?´ He
will answer them, ´Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these
least ones, you did not do for me.´ And these will go off to eternal
punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank
You for this chance to spend time with You in prayer. You are the Prince of
Peace and the Lord of Mercy. I trust in Your goodness and love. I love You and
earnestly long to love You more each day.
Petition: Lord, help me to
translate my faith in you into good deeds done for others.
1. Judgment Day: All of our life
is, in a sense, a preparation for the judgment we face at life´s end. That is
when we go before Our Lord and give account for everything we have done or
failed to do. No excuses will be accepted, no more "second chances"
given. Jesus´ mercy doesn’t mean he ignores justice. "Mercy differs from
justice, but is not in opposition to it," wrote Pope John Paul II in his
1980 encyclical, Dives in Misericordia (Rich in Mercy). Would I be ready to
face the Lord this very day? If not, why not? What facet of my life do I need
to change right now?
2. The Sheep: The sheep to be
saved are the people who helped others, who showed mercy, who didn´t turn a
cold shoulder to someone in need. Our Lord doesn´t praise them for their many
prayers so much as for their good deeds. Prayer is important, of course. But
it´s not enough. Christ wants our love for him to be reflected in our love for
others. Oddly, many of those to be saved will not have realized that it was
really Christ they were helping. Do I see Christ in those who need help? Do I
see Christ in my family members? My co-workers? The demanding boss? The
unpopular classmate? The smelly beggar?
3. The Goats: It´s scary to
think that those who will be lost were not necessarily "bad people."
In this passage Our Lord doesn´t chide them for doing wicked things. He doesn´t
accuse them of starting wars or peddling drugs or committing acts of terrorism.
Rather, he faults them for the sin of omission, for things they didn´t do.
"You gave me no food …. You gave me no clothing." We may think
ourselves good Christians because we don´t cheat on our taxes or look at
pornography or miss Mass on Sundays. But acts of charity are key, too. We
should do these without neglecting the others.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, I don´t want to end up with the goats at the Last Judgment. That´s
why I want to take my faith seriously. I want to have a generous heart. But do
I limit my generosity? Why can´t I see you in X? You have loved me
unconditionally. Help me to respond to your love by loving others
unconditionally.
Resolution: Before noon, I will
perform one small act of charity for someone close to me.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
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.
354 As I was talking to a certain person[84]
who was to paint the image but, for certain reasons, was not painting it, I
heard this voice in my soul: I want her to be more obedient. I
understood that our efforts, no matter how great, are not pleasing to God if
they do not bear the seal of obedience; I am speaking about a religious soul. O
God, how easy it is to know Your will in the convent! We religious have God's
will set clearly before our eyes from morning till night, and in moments of
uncertainty we have our superiors through whom God speaks.
365 My spiritual director replaced it with an interior
mortification; namely, throughout Holy Mass I was to meditate on why the Lord
Jesus had submitted to being baptized. The meditation was no mortification for
me, for thinking about God is a delight and not a mortification; but there was
a mortification of the will in that I was not doing [simply] what I like, but
what I was told to do, and it is in this that interior mortification consists.
When I left the confessional and started to recite my penance, I heard these
words: I have granted the grace you asked for on behalf of that soul, but
not because of the mortification you chose for yourself. Rather, it was because
of your act of complete obedience to My representative that I granted this
grace to that soul for whom you interceded and begged mercy. Know that when you
mortify your own self-will, then Mine reigns within you.
366 O my Jesus, be patient with me. I will be more careful
in the future. I will rely, not upon myself, but upon Your grace and Your very
great goodness to miserable me.
367 +On one occasion, Jesus gave me to know that when I pray
for intentions which people are wont to entrust to me, He is always ready to
grant His graces, but souls do not always want to accept them: My Heart
overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners. If only
they could understand that I am the best of Fathers to them and that it is for
them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing
with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy. I desire to
bestow My graces upon souls, but they do not want to accept them. You, at
least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want
to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls
to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the
ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for
everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces.
So I turn to you, you-chosen souls, will you also fail to understand the love of My Heart? Here, too, My Heart finds disappointment; I do not find complete surrender to My love. So many reservations, so much distrust, so much caution. To comfort you, let Me tell you that there are souls living in the world who love Me dearly. I dwell In their hearts with delight. But they are few. In convents too, there are souls that fill My Heart with joy. They bear My features; therefore the Heavenly Father looks upon them with special pleasure. They will be a marvel to Angels and men. Their number is very small. They are a defense for the world before the justice of the Heavenly Father and a means of obtaining mercy for the world. The love and sacrifice of these souls sustain the world in existence. The infidelity of a soul specially chosen by Me wounds My Heart most painfully. Such infidelities are swords which pierce My Heart.
So I turn to you, you-chosen souls, will you also fail to understand the love of My Heart? Here, too, My Heart finds disappointment; I do not find complete surrender to My love. So many reservations, so much distrust, so much caution. To comfort you, let Me tell you that there are souls living in the world who love Me dearly. I dwell In their hearts with delight. But they are few. In convents too, there are souls that fill My Heart with joy. They bear My features; therefore the Heavenly Father looks upon them with special pleasure. They will be a marvel to Angels and men. Their number is very small. They are a defense for the world before the justice of the Heavenly Father and a means of obtaining mercy for the world. The love and sacrifice of these souls sustain the world in existence. The infidelity of a soul specially chosen by Me wounds My Heart most painfully. Such infidelities are swords which pierce My Heart.
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
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.
1064 + O my most sweet Master, good Jesus, I give You my heart. You
shape and mold it after Your liking. O fathomless love, I open the calyx of my
heart to You, like a rosebud to the freshness of dew. To You alone, my
Betrothed, is known the fragrance of the flower of my heart. Let the fragrance
of my sacrifice be pleasing to You. O Immortal God, my everlasting delight,
already here on earth You are my heaven. May every beat of my heart be a new hymn
of praise to You, O Holy Trinity! Had I as many hearts as there are drops of
water in the ocean or grains of sand in the whole world, I would offer them all
to You, O my Love, O Treasure of my heart! Whomever I shall meet in my life, no
matter who they may be, I want to draw them all to love You, O my Jesus, my
Beauty, my Repose, my sole Master, Judge, Savior and Spouse, all in one; I know
that one title will modify the other-I have entrusted everything to Your mercy.
1106 + Virtue without
prudence is not virtue at all. We should often pray to the Holy Spirit for this
grace of prudence. Prudence consists in discretion, rational reflection and
courageous resolution. The final decision is always up to us. We must decide;
we can and we ought to seek advice and light...
1231 + J.M.J.
Today
Jesus came to live in my heart,
He
descended from His throne on high,
The
great Lord, the Creator of all things;
And
He came to me in the form of bread.
O
Eternal God, in my bosom enclosed,
Possessing
You, I possess all Heaven,
And
with the Angels I sing to You:
Holy,
I live for Your glory alone.
Not
with a Seraph, do You unite yourself, O God,
But
with a wretched man
Who
can do nothing without You;
But
to him You are ever merciful.
My
heart is Your abode,
O
King of Eternal Glory;
Rule
in my heart and be Lord,
As
in a palace of splendor untold.
O
great, incomprehensible God,
Who
have deigned to abase Yourself so,
Humbly
I adore You
And
beg You in Your goodness to save me.
1261
September 1, 1937. I saw the Lord Jesus, like a king in great majesty, looking
down upon our earth with great severity; but because of His Mother's
intercession He prolonged the time of His mercy.
1317 I understand Your words, Lord, and the magnitude of the
mercy that ought to shine in my soul. Jesus: I know, My daughter, that you
understand it and that you do everything within your power. But write this for
the many souls who are often worried because they do not have the material
means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which
requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is
within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or
other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls
knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged,
for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy.
1339 O merciful God, You do not despise us, but lavish Your
graces on us continuously. You make us fit to enter ` Your kingdom, and in Your
goodness You grant that human beings may fill the places vacated by the
ungrateful angels. O God of great mercy, who turned Your sacred gaze away from
the rebellious angels and turned it upon contrite man, praise and glory be to
Your unfathomable mercy, O God who do not despise the lowly heart.
1426 Christ, give me souls. Let anything You like happen to
me, but give me souls in return. I want the salvation of souls. I want souls to
know Your mercy. I have nothing left for myself, because I have given
everything away to souls, with the result that on the day of judgment I will
stand before You empty-handed, since I have given everything away to souls.
Thus You will have nothing on which to judge me, and we shall meet on that day:
Love and mercy... + J. M. J.
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.
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.
1502 January 20, 1938. I never
cringe before anyone. I can't bear flattery, for humility is nothing but the
truth. There is no cringing in true humility. Although I consider myself the
least in the whole convent, on the other hand, I enjoy the honor of being the
bride of Christ. Little matter that often I hear people say that I am proud,
for I know that human judgment does not discern the motives for our actions.
1515 + I spent this whole night with
Jesus in the dark dungeon. This was a night of adoration. The sisters were
praying in the chapel, and I was uniting myself with them in spirit, because
poor health prevents me from going to the chapel. But all night long I could
not fall asleep, so I spent the night in the dark prison with Jesus. Jesus gave
me to know of the sufferings He experienced there. The world will learn about
them on the day of judgment.
1528 + When I complained to the Lord
Jesus about a certain person [saying], "Jesus, how can this person pass
judgment like that, even about an intention?" the Lord answered, Do not
be surprised. That soul does not even know her own self, so how could she pass
a fair judgment on another soul?
1541 My daughter, encourage souls
to say the chaplet which I have given to you. It pleases Me to grant everything
they ask of Me by saying the chaplet. When hardened sinners say it, I will fill
their souls with peace, and the hour of their death will be a happy one.
Write this for the benefit of distressed souls: when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to My compassionate Heart, they have first access to My mercy. Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness.
Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior.
Write this for the benefit of distressed souls: when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to My compassionate Heart, they have first access to My mercy. Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness.
Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior.
1548 January 30, 1938. One-day
retreat.
The Lord gave me to know, during
meditation, that as long as my heart beats in my breast, I must always strive
to spread the Kingdom of God on earth. I am to fight for the glory of my
Creator. I know that I will give God the glory He expects of me if I try
faithfully to cooperate with God's grace.
1553 O my Jesus, Life of my soul, my
Life, my Savior, my sweetest Bridegroom, and at the same time my Judge, You
know that in this last hour of mine I do not count on any merits of my own, but
only on Your mercy. Even as of today, I immerse myself totally in the abyss of
Your mercy, which is always open to every soul.
O my Jesus, I have only one task to carry out in my lifetime, in death, and throughout eternity, and that is to adore Your incomprehensible mercy. No mind, either of angel or of man, will ever fathom the mysteries of Your mercy, O God. The angels are lost in amazement before the mystery of divine mercy, but cannot comprehend it. Everything that has come from the Creator's hand is contained in this inconceivable mystery; that is to say, in the very depths of His tender mercy. When I meditate on this, my spirit swoons, and my heart dissolves in joy. O Jesus, it is through Your most compassionate Heart, as through a crystal, that the rays of divine mercy have come to us.
O my Jesus, I have only one task to carry out in my lifetime, in death, and throughout eternity, and that is to adore Your incomprehensible mercy. No mind, either of angel or of man, will ever fathom the mysteries of Your mercy, O God. The angels are lost in amazement before the mystery of divine mercy, but cannot comprehend it. Everything that has come from the Creator's hand is contained in this inconceivable mystery; that is to say, in the very depths of His tender mercy. When I meditate on this, my spirit swoons, and my heart dissolves in joy. O Jesus, it is through Your most compassionate Heart, as through a crystal, that the rays of divine mercy have come to us.
+ J.M.J.
1629 I am a host in Your hand,
O Jesus, my Creator and Lord,
Silent, hidden, without beauty or charm,
Because all the beauty of my soul is imprinted within me.
I am a host in Your hand, O Divine Priest,
Do with me as You please;
I am totally dependent on Your will, O Lord
Because it is the delight and adornment of my soul.
I am like a white host in Your hand, O God,
I implore You, transform me into Yourself.
May I be wholly hidden in You,
Locked in Your merciful Heart as in Heaven.
I am like a host in Your hand, O Eternal Priest,
May the wafer of my body hide me from human eye;
May Your eye alone measure my love and devotion,
Because my heart is always united with Your Divine Heart.
I am like a sacrificial host in Your hand, O Divine Mediator,
And I burn on the altar of holocaust,
Crushed and ground by suffering like grains of wheat,
And all this for the sake of Your glory, for the salvation of souls.
I am a host abiding in the tabernacle of Your Heart.
I go through life drowned in Your love,
And I fear nothing in the world,
For You Yourself are my shield, my strength, and my defense.
I am a host, laid on the altar of Your Heart,
To burn forever with the fire of love,
For I know that You have lifted me up solely because of Your mercy,
And so I turn all these gifts and graces to Your glory.
I am a host in Your hand, O Judge and Savior.
In the last hour of my life,
May the omnipotence of Your grace lead me to my goal,
May Your compassion on the vessel of mercy become famous.
1629 I am a host in Your hand,
O Jesus, my Creator and Lord,
Silent, hidden, without beauty or charm,
Because all the beauty of my soul is imprinted within me.
I am a host in Your hand, O Divine Priest,
Do with me as You please;
I am totally dependent on Your will, O Lord
Because it is the delight and adornment of my soul.
I am like a white host in Your hand, O God,
I implore You, transform me into Yourself.
May I be wholly hidden in You,
Locked in Your merciful Heart as in Heaven.
I am like a host in Your hand, O Eternal Priest,
May the wafer of my body hide me from human eye;
May Your eye alone measure my love and devotion,
Because my heart is always united with Your Divine Heart.
I am like a sacrificial host in Your hand, O Divine Mediator,
And I burn on the altar of holocaust,
Crushed and ground by suffering like grains of wheat,
And all this for the sake of Your glory, for the salvation of souls.
I am a host abiding in the tabernacle of Your Heart.
I go through life drowned in Your love,
And I fear nothing in the world,
For You Yourself are my shield, my strength, and my defense.
I am a host, laid on the altar of Your Heart,
To burn forever with the fire of love,
For I know that You have lifted me up solely because of Your mercy,
And so I turn all these gifts and graces to Your glory.
I am a host in Your hand, O Judge and Savior.
In the last hour of my life,
May the omnipotence of Your grace lead me to my goal,
May Your compassion on the vessel of mercy become famous.
1685 During Holy Hour today, I asked
the Lord Jesus if He would deign to teach me about the spiritual life. Jesus
answered me, My daughter, faithfully live up to the words which I speak to
you. Do not value any external thing too highly, even if it were to seem very
precious to you. Let go of yourself, and abide with Me continually. Entrust
everything to Me and do nothing on your own, and you will always have great
freedom of spirit. No circumstances or events will ever be able to upset you.
Set little store on what people say. Let everyone judge you as they like. Do
not make excuses for yourself; it will do you no harm. Give away everything at
the first sign of a demand, even if they were the most necessary things. Do not
ask for anything without consulting Me. Allow them to take away even what is
due you-respect, your good name-let your spirit rise above all that. And so,
set free from everything, rest close to My Heart, not allowing your peace to be
disturbed by anything. My pupil, consider the words which I have spoken to you.
1686 O my Love, my eternal Master, how good it is to obey; because when
obedience infuses the soul, it brings with it power and strength to act.
1702 Towards the end of the Way of
the Cross which I was making, the Lord Jesus began to complain about the souls
of religious and priests, about the lack of love in chosen souls. I will
allow convents and churches to be destroyed. I answered, "Jesus, but
there are so many souls praising You in convents." The Lord answered, That
praise wounds My Heart, because love has been banished from convents. Souls
without love and without devotion, souls full of egoism and self-love, souls
full of pride and arrogance, souls full of deceit and hypocrisy, lukewarm souls
who have just enough warmth to keep them alive: My Heart cannot bear this. All
the graces that I pour out upon them flow off them as off the face of a rock. I
cannot stand them, because they are neither good or bad. I called convents into
being to sanctify the world through them. It is from them that a powerful flame
of love and sacrifice should burst forth. And if they do not repent and become
enkindled by their first love, I will deliver them over to the fate of this
world...
How can they sit on the promised throne of judgment to judge the world, when their guilt is greater than the guilt of the world? There is neither penance nor atonement. O heart, which received Me in the morning and at noon are all ablaze with hatred against Me, hatred of all sorts! O heart specially chosen by Me, were you chosen for this, to give Me more pain? The great sins of the world are superficial wounds on My Heart, but the sins of a chosen soul pierce My Heart through and through...
How can they sit on the promised throne of judgment to judge the world, when their guilt is greater than the guilt of the world? There is neither penance nor atonement. O heart, which received Me in the morning and at noon are all ablaze with hatred against Me, hatred of all sorts! O heart specially chosen by Me, were you chosen for this, to give Me more pain? The great sins of the world are superficial wounds on My Heart, but the sins of a chosen soul pierce My Heart through and through...
Conference on Spiritual Warfare.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
1810 4. + Today, I Prepare for the Coming of the King.
What am I, and who are You, O Lord, King of eternal glory? O
my heart, are you aware of who is coming to you today? Yes, I know, but -
strangely - I am not able to grasp it. Oh, if He were just a king, but He is
the King of kings, the Lord of lords. Before Him, all power and dominion
tremble. He is coming to my heart today. But I hear Him approaching. I go out
to meet Him and invite Him. When He entered the dwelling of my heart, it was
filled with such reverence that it fainted with fear, falling at His feet.
Jesus gives her His hand and graciously permits her to take her place beside
Him. He reassures her, saying, See, I
have left My heavenly throne to become united with you. What you see is just a
tiny part and already your soul swoons with love. How amazed will your heart be
when you see Me in all My glory.
1811 But I want to
tell you that eternal life must begin already , here on earth through Holy
Communion. Each Holy Communion makes you more capable of communing with God
throughout eternity.
And so, my King, I do not ask You for anything, although I
know that You can give me everything. I ask You for one thing only: remain
forever the King of my heart; that is enough for me.
1812 Today I am
renewing my act of submission to my King, by faithfulness to interior
inspirations.
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-83, 354, 365-367)
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-742)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1064, 1106)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1231, 1261)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1317, 1339, 1426, 1489, 1502, 1515)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V- 1528, 1541, 1548, 1553)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1629, 1685, 1686, 1702, 1706)
Preperation
for Holy Communion: 1810-1812
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