God’s Eternal Love |
Thursday of the Seventh Week of Easter
|
Father Paul Campbell, LC
John 17:20-26 Lifting up his eyes to heaven, Jesus prayed saying: "I pray not only for these, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me. And I have given them the glory you gave me, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may be brought to perfection as one, that the world may know that you sent me, and that you loved them even as you loved me. Father, they are your gift to me. I wish that where I am they also may be with me, that they may see my glory that you gave me, because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father, the world also does not know you, but I know you, and they know that you sent me. I made known to them your name and I will make it known, that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in them." Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in You and all that You have revealed for our salvation. I hope in You because of Your overflowing mercy. Every single act of Yours on this earth demonstratedY our love for us. Your ascent into heaven before the eyes of the Apostles inspires my hope of one day joining You there. I love You and wish you to be the center of my life. Petition: Lord, increase my faith in Your love. 1. Who is God? In his first epistle, John tells us that God is love. Before the foundation of the world, the Father loved the Son. Within the Trinity there is a perfect sharing of life and love. Even after the Incarnation, Jesus remained in his Father’s love. At Christ’s baptism, the Father spoke of his love for his Son. “This is my beloved son” (Matthew 3:17). At the Transfiguration he repeated this sign of love: “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased; listen to him” (Matthew 17:5). These moments manifest God’s inner life. 2. A Share in His Life: God created us to share in the loving relationship of the Trinity. The Father’s plan is to love us, to bring us into Trinitarian love. He wants to love us in his Son with a Father’s eternal love. If we could catch a mere glimpse of the reality of this love, it would transform our lives. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son into the world (see John 3:16). Love is at the heart of the universe. 3. Sharing in God’s Love: God is love, and if he is in us, it is as love. God pours his love, himself, into our hearts. As he shares his life, he shares his love. This is the love that he wants us to give to others. Jesus gave his disciples the love he had received from his Father, and sent them forth to continue his work of sharing that love with all of humanity. Think of the people today who are lonely and lost, starving for love and attention. They have no clue that God loves them with an eternal love or that he has loved them intimately, deeply and perfectly from all eternity. They do not know that this love has given them life and maintains them in existence. People need to hear the good news of God’s love. This is our mission. Conversation with Christ: Jesus, help me to share Your love with those around me. Don’t allow me to remain focused just on myself and the circumstances in my life. I need You. I need your love, as do so many others. I need to love in order to give myself to Your work, but I also need Your constant help and support. Resolution: I will let someone know that God loves them. |
Excerpts from the DIARY
of Saint Faustina Kowalska
1 | O Eternal Love, You command Your Sacred Image [1] to be painted | ||
And reveal to us the inconceivable fount of mercy, You bless whoever approaches Your rays, And a soul all black will turn into snow. O sweet Jesus, it is here [2] You established the throne of Your mercy To bring joy and hope to sinful man. From Your open Heart, as from a pure fount, Flows comfort to a repentant heart and soul. May praise and glory for this Image Never cease to stream from man's soul. May praise of God's mercy pour from every heart, Now, and at every hour, and forever and ever. |
O My God | ||||
2 | When I look into the future, I am frightened, | |||
But why plunge into the future? Only the present moment is precious to me, As the future may never enter my soul at all. It is no longer in my power, To change, correct or add to the past; For neither sages nor prophets could do that. And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God. O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire. I desire to use you as best I can. And although I am weak and small, You grant me the grace of your omnipotence. And so, trusting in Your mercy, I walk through life like a little child, Offering You each day this heart Burning with love for Your greater glory. | ||||
16 It was during the
octave of Corpus Christi [June 25, 1925]. God filled my soul with the interior
light of a deeper knowledge of Him as Supreme Goodness and Supreme Beauty.
I came to know how very much God loves me. Eternal is His love for me. It
was at vespers. In simple words, which flowed from the heart, I made to God
a vow of perpetual chastity. From that moment I felt a greater intimacy with
God, my Spouse. From that moment I set up a little cell in my heart where
I always kept company with Jesus
40
+The year 1929. Once during Holy Mass, I felt in a very special
way the closeness of God, although I tried to turn away and escape from
Him. On several occasions I have run away from God because I did not
want to be a victim of the evil spirit; since others have told me, more
than once, that such is the case. And this incertitude lasted for quite
some time. During Holy Mass, before Communion, we had the renewal of
vows. When we had left our kneelers and had started to recite the
formula for the vows, Jesus appeared suddenly at my side clad in a white
garment with a golden girdle around His waist, and He said to me, I
give you eternal love that your purity may be untarnished and as a sign
that you will never be subject to temptations against purity. Jesus took off His golden cincture and tied it around my waist.
Since then I have never experienced any attacks against this virtue,
either in my heart or in my mind. I later understood that this was one
of the greatest graces which the Most Holy Virgin Mary had obtained for
me, as for many years I had been asking this grace of Her. Since that
time I have experienced an increasing devotion to the Mother of God. She
has taught me how to love God interiorly and also how to carry out His
holy will in all things. O Mary, You are joy, because through You God
descended to earth [and] into my heart.
46
I often felt the Passion of the Lord Jesus in my body, although this was
imperceptible [to others], and I rejoiced in it because Jesus wanted
it so. But this lasted for only a short time. These sufferings set my soul afire with love
for God and for immortal souls. Love endures everything, love is stronger than death, love fears nothing...
+February 22, 1931
47
In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus
clothed in a white garment. One hand [was] raised in the gesture of
blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath
the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating
two large rays, one red, the other pale. In silence I kept my gaze fixed
on the Lord; my soul was struck with awe, but also with great joy.
After a while, Jesus said to me, Paint an image according to the
pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire
that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world.
48
I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.
I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth,
especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own
glory.
49
When I told this to my confessor,[29] I received this for a reply: "That
refers to your soul." He told me, "Certainly, paint God's image
in your soul." When I came out of the confessional, I again heard words
such as these: My image already is in your soul. I desire that there
be a Feast of Mercy. I want this image, which you will paint with a
brush, to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is
to be the Feast of Mercy.
50
+I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards souls
of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of
mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these souls.
Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts].
Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts].
72 O Jesus, eternal
Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I beg Your mercy for poor sinners. O
sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable mercy, I plead with
You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy from which gush forth
rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human race, I beg of You light for
poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of Your own bitter Passion and do not permit
the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a price of Your most precious Blood. O
Jesus, when I consider the great price of Your Blood, I rejoice at its
immensity, for one drop alone would have been enough for the salvation of all
sinners. Although sin is an abyss of wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid
for us can never be equalled. Therefore, let every soul trust in the Passion of
the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to
anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted.
Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I contemplate Your incomprehensible
goodness, O Jesus! I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet that they may
glorify Your mercy throughout endless ages.
Darkness and Temptations
77
My mind became dimmed in a strange way; no truth seemed clear to
me. When people spoke to me about God, my heart was like a rock. I
could not draw from it a single sentiment of love for Him. When I tried,
by an act of the will, to remain close to Him, I experienced great
torments, and it seemed to me that I was only provoking God to an even
greater anger. It was absolutely impossible for me to meditate as I had
been accustomed to do in the past. I felt in my soul a great void, and
there was nothing with which I could fill it. I began to suffer from a
great hunger and yearning for God, but I saw my utter powerlessness. I
tried to read slowly, sentence by sentence, and to meditate in this way,
but this also was of no avail. I understood nothing of what I had read.
The abyss of my misery was constantly before my eyes. Every time I entered the chapel for some spiritual exercise, I experienced even worse torments and temptations. More than once, all through Holy Mass, I had to struggle against blasphemous thoughts which were forcing themselves to my lips. I felt an aversion for the Holy Sacraments, and it seemed to me that I was not profiting from them in any way. It was only out of obedience to my confessor that I frequented them, and this blind obedience was for me the only path I could follow and my very last hope of survival. The priest explained to me that these were trials sent by God and that, in the situation I was in, not only was I not offending God, but I was most pleasing to Him. "This is a sign," he told me, "that God loves you very much and that He has great confidence in you, since He is sending you such trials." But these words brought me no comfort; it seemed to me that they did not apply to me at all.
One thing did surprise me: it often happened that, at the time when I was suffering greatly, these terrible torments would disappear suddenly just as I was approaching the confessional; but as soon as I had left the confessional, all these torments would again seize me with even greater ferocity. I would then fall on my face before the Blessed Sacrament repeating these words: "Even if You kill me, still will I trust in You!" [cf. Job 13:15] It seemed to me that I would die in these agonies. But the most terrible thought for me was the conviction that I had been rejected by God. Then other thoughts came to me: why strive to acquire virtues and do good works? why mortify and annihilate yourself? what good is it to take vows? to pray? to sacrifice and immolate yourself? why sacrifice myself all the time? what good is it - if I am already rejected by God? why all these efforts? And here, God alone knew what was going on in my heart.
The abyss of my misery was constantly before my eyes. Every time I entered the chapel for some spiritual exercise, I experienced even worse torments and temptations. More than once, all through Holy Mass, I had to struggle against blasphemous thoughts which were forcing themselves to my lips. I felt an aversion for the Holy Sacraments, and it seemed to me that I was not profiting from them in any way. It was only out of obedience to my confessor that I frequented them, and this blind obedience was for me the only path I could follow and my very last hope of survival. The priest explained to me that these were trials sent by God and that, in the situation I was in, not only was I not offending God, but I was most pleasing to Him. "This is a sign," he told me, "that God loves you very much and that He has great confidence in you, since He is sending you such trials." But these words brought me no comfort; it seemed to me that they did not apply to me at all.
One thing did surprise me: it often happened that, at the time when I was suffering greatly, these terrible torments would disappear suddenly just as I was approaching the confessional; but as soon as I had left the confessional, all these torments would again seize me with even greater ferocity. I would then fall on my face before the Blessed Sacrament repeating these words: "Even if You kill me, still will I trust in You!" [cf. Job 13:15] It seemed to me that I would die in these agonies. But the most terrible thought for me was the conviction that I had been rejected by God. Then other thoughts came to me: why strive to acquire virtues and do good works? why mortify and annihilate yourself? what good is it to take vows? to pray? to sacrifice and immolate yourself? why sacrifice myself all the time? what good is it - if I am already rejected by God? why all these efforts? And here, God alone knew what was going on in my heart.
78
Once when I was being crushed by these dreadful sufferings, I
went into
the chapel and said from the bottom of my soul, "Do what You will
with me, O Jesus; I will adore You in everything. May Your will be done
in me, O my Lord and my God, and I will praise Your infinite mercy."
Through this act of submission, these terrible torments left me.
Suddenly I saw Jesus, who said to me, I am always in your heart. An
inconceivable joy entered my soul, and a great love of God set my heart
aflame. I see that God never tries us beyond what we are able to
suffer. Oh, I fear nothing; if God sends such great suffering to a soul,
He upholds it with an even greater grace, although we are not aware of
it. One act of trust at such moments gives greater glory to God than
whole hours passed in prayer filled with consolations. Now I see that if
God wants to keep a soul in darkness, no book, no confessor can bring
it light.
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.
96
+Trials sent by God to a soul which is particularly loved by Him.
Temptations and darkness; Satan. The soul's love [for God] is still not such as God would have it. The soul suddenly loses the tangible perception of God's presence. Various defects and imperfections rise up within it, and it must fight them furiously. All her faults lift up their heads, but the soul's vigilance is great. The former awareness of the presence of God gives place to coldness and spiritual dryness; the soul has no taste for spiritual exercises; it cannot pray, either in the old way, or in the manner in which it had just begun to pray. It struggles this way and that, but can find no satisfaction. God has hidden himself from it, and it can find no consolation in creatures, nor can any of these creatures find a way of consoling it. The soul craves passionately for God, but sees its own misery; it begins to sense God's justice; it seems to it that it has lost all the gifts that God had given it; its mind is dimmed, and darkness fills it; unspeakable torment begins. The soul tries to explain its state to the confessor, but it is not understood and is assailed by an even greater unrest. Satan begins his work.
Temptations and darkness; Satan. The soul's love [for God] is still not such as God would have it. The soul suddenly loses the tangible perception of God's presence. Various defects and imperfections rise up within it, and it must fight them furiously. All her faults lift up their heads, but the soul's vigilance is great. The former awareness of the presence of God gives place to coldness and spiritual dryness; the soul has no taste for spiritual exercises; it cannot pray, either in the old way, or in the manner in which it had just begun to pray. It struggles this way and that, but can find no satisfaction. God has hidden himself from it, and it can find no consolation in creatures, nor can any of these creatures find a way of consoling it. The soul craves passionately for God, but sees its own misery; it begins to sense God's justice; it seems to it that it has lost all the gifts that God had given it; its mind is dimmed, and darkness fills it; unspeakable torment begins. The soul tries to explain its state to the confessor, but it is not understood and is assailed by an even greater unrest. Satan begins his work.
97
Faith staggers under the impact; the struggle is fierce. The
soul tries hard to cling to God by an act of will. With God's
permission, Satan goes even further: hope and love are put to the test.
These temptations are terrible. God supports the soul in secret, so to
speak. The soul is not aware of this, but otherwise it would be
impossible to stand firm; and God knows very well how much He can allow
to befall a soul. The soul is tempted to unbelief in respect to revealed
truths and to insincerity toward the confessor. Satan says to it,
"Look, no one understands you; why speak about all this?" Words that
terrify it sound in its ears, and it seems to the soul that it is
uttering these against God. It sees what it does not want to see. It
hears what it does not want to hear. And, oh, it is a terrible thing at
times like these not to have an experienced confessor! The soul carries
the whole burden alone. However, one should make every effort to find,
if it is at all possible, a well-informed confessor, for the soul can
collapse under the burden and come to the very edge of the precipice.
All these trials are heavy and difficult. God does not send them to a
soul which has not already been admitted to a deeper intimacy with Him
and which has not yet tasted the divine delights. Besides, in this God
has His own plans, which for us are impenetrable. God often prepares a
soul in this way for His future designs and great works. He wants to try
it as pure gold is tried. But this is not yet the end of the testing;
there is still the trial of trials, the complete abandonment of the soul
by God.
157 +In the evening,
when I entered the small chapel, I heard these words in my soul: My
daughter, consider these words: "And being in agony, he prayed more
earnestly." When I started to think about them more deeply, much light
streamed into my soul. I learned how much we need perseverance in prayer and
that our salvation often depends on such difficult prayer.
372 In the evening,
after the conference, I heard these words: I am with you. During this retreat, I will strengthen
you in peace and in courage so that your strength will not fail in carrying out
My designs. Therefore you will cancel out your will absolutely in this retreat
and, instead, My complete will shall be accomplished in you. Know that it will
cost you much, so write these words on a clean sheet of paper: "From today
on, my own will does not exist," and then cross out the page. And on the
other side write these words: "From today on, I do the will of God
everywhere, always, and in everything." Be afraid of nothing; love will
give you strength and make the realization of this easy.
386 I feel that God will
let me draw aside the veils [of heaven] so that the earth will not doubt His
goodness. God is not subject to eclipse or change. He is forever one and the
same; nothing can contradict His will. I feel within myself a power greater
than human. I feel courage and strength thanks to the grace that dwells in me.
1 understand souls who are suffering against hope, for 1 have gone through that
fire myself. But God will not give [us anything] beyond our strength. Often
have I lived hoping against hope, and have advanced my hope to complete trust
in God. Let that which He has ordained from all ages happen to me.
439 Then came the moment to receive Holy
Communion, and Jesus disappeared, and I saw a great brightness. Then I heard
these words: We give Our
blessing, and at that moment a bright ray issued from that light
and pierced my heart; an extraordinary fire was enkindled in my soul-I thought
I would die of joy and happiness. I felt the separation of my spirit from my
body. I felt totally immersed in God, I felt I was snatched up by the Almighty,
like a particle of dust, into unknown expanses.
Trembling with joy in the embrace of the Creator, I felt He himself was supporting me so that I could bear this great happiness and gaze at His Majesty. I know now that, if He himself had not first strengthened me by His grace, my soul would not have been able to bear the happiness, and I would have died in an instant. Holy Mass came to an end I know not when, for it was beyond my power to pay attention to what was going on in the chapel. But when I recovered my senses, I felt the strength and courage to do God's will; nothing seemed difficult to me; and whereas I had previously been making excuses to the Lord, I now felt the Lord's courage and strength within me, and I said to the Lord, "I am ready for every beck and call of Your will!" Interiorly, I had gone through everything that I war going to experience in the future.
Trembling with joy in the embrace of the Creator, I felt He himself was supporting me so that I could bear this great happiness and gaze at His Majesty. I know now that, if He himself had not first strengthened me by His grace, my soul would not have been able to bear the happiness, and I would have died in an instant. Holy Mass came to an end I know not when, for it was beyond my power to pay attention to what was going on in the chapel. But when I recovered my senses, I felt the strength and courage to do God's will; nothing seemed difficult to me; and whereas I had previously been making excuses to the Lord, I now felt the Lord's courage and strength within me, and I said to the Lord, "I am ready for every beck and call of Your will!" Interiorly, I had gone through everything that I war going to experience in the future.
440 O my Creator and
Lord, my entire being is Yours! Dispose of me according to Your divine pleasure
and according to Your eternal plans and Your unfathomable mercy. May every soul
know how good the Lord is; may no soul fear to commune intimately with the
Lord; may no soul use unworthiness as an excuse, and may it never postpone
[accepting] God's invitations, for that is not pleasing to the Lord. There is
no soul more wretched than I am, as I truly know myself, and I am astounded
that divine Majesty stoops so low. O eternity, it seems to me that you are too
short to extol [adequately] the infinite mercy of the Lord!
449 I prepared for this
feast with greater zeal than in previous years. On the morning of the feast
itself, I experienced an inner struggle at the thought that I must leave this
Congregation which enjoys such special protection from Mary. This struggle
lasted through the meditation and through the first Mass as well. During the
second Mass, I turned to our Holy Mother, telling Her that it was difficult for
me to separate myself from this Congregation... "which is under Your
special protection, O Mary." Then I saw the Blessed Virgin, unspeakably
beautiful. She came down from the altar to my kneeler, held me close to herself
and said to me, I am Mother to you all, thanks to the unfathomable mercy of
God. Most pleasing to Me is that soul which faithfully carries out the will of
God. She gave me to understand that I had faithfully fulfilled the will of
God and had thus found favor in His eyes. Be courageous. Do not fear
apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze upon the Passion of My Son, and in this
way you will be victorious.
480 September 29. The Feast
of Saint Michael the Archangel. I have become interiorly united with God. His
presence penetrates me to my very depths and fills me with peace, joy and
amazement. After such moments of prayer, I am filled with strength and an
extraordinary courage to stiffer and struggle. Nothing terrifies me, even if
the whole world should turn against me. All adversities touch only the surface,
but they have no entry to the depths, because God, who strengthens me, who
fills me, dwells there. All the snares of the enemy are crushed at His
footstool. During these moments of union, God sustains me with His might. His
might passes on to me and makes me capable of loving Him. A soul never reaches
this state by its own efforts. At the beginning of this interior grace, I was
filled with fright, and I started to give in to it; but very quickly, the Lord
let me know how much this displeases Him. But it is also He, Himself, who set
my fears at rest.
499 Each battle
valiantly fought brings me joy, peace, light, experience and courage for the
future; honor and glory to God; and in the end, for me, a reward.
Today is the Feast of Christ the King.
[October 27, 1935]
Today is the Feast of Christ the King.
[October 27, 1935]
593 O my Jesus,
nothing is better for the soul than humiliations. In contempt is the secret of
happiness, when the soul recognizes that, of itself, it is only wretchedness
and nothingness, and that whatever it possesses of good is a gift of God. When
the soul sees that everything is given it freely and that the only thing it has
of itself is its own misery, this is what sustains it in a continual act of
humble prostration before the majesty of God. And God, seeing the soul in such
a disposition, pursues it with His graces. As the soul continues to immerse
itself more deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and need, God uses His
omnipotence to exalt it. If there is a truly happy soul upon earth, it can only
be a truly humble soul. At first, one's self-love suffers greatly on this
account, but after a soul has struggled courageously, God grants it much light
by which it sees how wretched and full of deception everything is. God alone is
in its heart. A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its
confidence in God. God defends the humble soul and lets Himself into its
secrets, and the soul abides in unsurpassable happiness which no one can
comprehend.
596 Once, a
certain priest [Father Sopocko [124]]
asked me to pray for him. I promised to pray, and asked for a mortification. When
I received permission for a certain mortification, I felt a great desire to
give up all the graces that God's goodness would intend for me that day in
favor of that priest, and I asked the Lord Jesus to deign to bestow on me all
the sufferings and afflictions, both exterior and spiritual, that the priest
would have had to suffer during that day. God partially answered my request
and, at once, all sorts of difficulties and adversities sprang up out of
nowhere, so much so that one of the sisters remarked out loud that the Lord
Jesus must have a hand in this because everyone was trying Sister Faustina. The
charges made were so groundless that what some sisters put forward, others
denied, while I offered all this in silence on behalf of the priest.
But that was not all; I began to experience interior sufferings. First, I was seized by depression and aversion towards the sisters, then a kind of uncertainty began to trouble me. I could not recollect myself during prayer, and various things would take hold of my mind. When, tired out, I entered the chapel, a strange pain seized my soul, and I began to weep softly. Then I heard in my soul a voice, saying, My daughter, why are you weeping? After all, you yourself offered to undertake these sufferings. Know that what you have taken upon yourself for that soul is only a small portion. He is suffering much more. And I asked the Lord, "Why are You treating him like that?" The Lord answered me that it was for the triple crown meant for him: that of virginity, the priesthood and martyrdom. At that moment, a great joy flooded my soul at the sight of the great glory that is going to be his in heaven. Right away I said the Te Deum [125] for this special grace of God; namely, of learning how God treats those He intends to have close to himself. Thus, all sufferings are nothing in comparison with what awaits us in heaven.
But that was not all; I began to experience interior sufferings. First, I was seized by depression and aversion towards the sisters, then a kind of uncertainty began to trouble me. I could not recollect myself during prayer, and various things would take hold of my mind. When, tired out, I entered the chapel, a strange pain seized my soul, and I began to weep softly. Then I heard in my soul a voice, saying, My daughter, why are you weeping? After all, you yourself offered to undertake these sufferings. Know that what you have taken upon yourself for that soul is only a small portion. He is suffering much more. And I asked the Lord, "Why are You treating him like that?" The Lord answered me that it was for the triple crown meant for him: that of virginity, the priesthood and martyrdom. At that moment, a great joy flooded my soul at the sight of the great glory that is going to be his in heaven. Right away I said the Te Deum [125] for this special grace of God; namely, of learning how God treats those He intends to have close to himself. Thus, all sufferings are nothing in comparison with what awaits us in heaven.
597 One day,
after our Mass, I suddenly saw my confessor [Father Sopocko] saying Mass in
Saint Michael's Church, in front of the picture of the Mother of God. It was at
the time of the Offertory, and I saw the Infant Jesus clinging to him as if
fleeing from something and seeking refuge in him. But when the time came for
Holy Communion, He disappeared as usual. Suddenly, I saw the Blessed Mother,
who shielded him with Her cloak and said, Courage, My son, courage. She
said something else which I could not hear.
615 March 1, 1936. Today
during Holy Mass I experienced a strange force and urge to start realizing
God's wishes. I had such a clear understanding of the things the Lord was
asking of me that truly if I were to say that I do not understand what God is
demanding from me, I would be lying, because the Lord is making His will known
to me so clearly and distinctly that I do not have the least shadow of a doubt
about them. I realized that it would be the greatest ingratitude to delay any
longer this undertaking which the Lord wishes to bring to fulfillment for His
glory and the benefit of a great number of souls. And He is using me as a
miserable tool through which to realize His eternal plans of mercy. Truly, how
ungrateful my soul would be to resist God's will any longer. Nothing will stop
me any longer, be it persecution, sufferings, sneers, threats, entreaties,
hunger, cold, flattery, friendships, adversities, friends or enemies; be it
things I am experiencing now or things that will come in the future or even the
hatred of hellnothing will deter me from doing the will of God.
I am not counting on my own strength, but on His omnipotence for, as he gave me the grace of knowing His holy will, He will also grant me the grace of fulfilling it. I cannot fail to mention how much my own lower nature resists this thing, manifesting its own desires, and there results within my soul a great struggle, like that of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. And so I too cry out to God, the Eternal Father, "If it is possible, take this cup from me, but, nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord; may Your will be done." What I am about to go through is no secret to me, but with full knowledge I accept whatever You send me, O Lord. I trust in You, O merciful God, and I wish to be the first to manifest to You that confidence which You demand of souls. O Eternal Truth, help me and enlighten me along the roadways of life, and grant that Your will be accomplished in me.
My God, I desire nothing but the fulfillment of Your will. It does not matter whether it will be easy or difficult. I feel an extraordinary force driving me to action. One thing alone holds me back, and that is holy obedience. O my Jesus, You urge me on the one hand and hold me back and restrain me on the other. In this, too, O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done.
I continued in this state, without a break, for many days. My physical strength declined, and though I did not speak to anyone about it, nevertheless Mother Superior [Borgia] noticed my pain and remarked that I had changed in appearance and was very pale. She told me to go to bed earlier and to sleep longer, and she had a cup of hot milk brought to me in the evening. She had a motherly heart, full of care, and tried to help me. But in the case of spiritual sufferings, external things have no influence, and they do not bring much relief. It was from the confessional that I drew my strength and the consolation of knowing that it would not be long before I could begin to act.
I am not counting on my own strength, but on His omnipotence for, as he gave me the grace of knowing His holy will, He will also grant me the grace of fulfilling it. I cannot fail to mention how much my own lower nature resists this thing, manifesting its own desires, and there results within my soul a great struggle, like that of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. And so I too cry out to God, the Eternal Father, "If it is possible, take this cup from me, but, nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord; may Your will be done." What I am about to go through is no secret to me, but with full knowledge I accept whatever You send me, O Lord. I trust in You, O merciful God, and I wish to be the first to manifest to You that confidence which You demand of souls. O Eternal Truth, help me and enlighten me along the roadways of life, and grant that Your will be accomplished in me.
My God, I desire nothing but the fulfillment of Your will. It does not matter whether it will be easy or difficult. I feel an extraordinary force driving me to action. One thing alone holds me back, and that is holy obedience. O my Jesus, You urge me on the one hand and hold me back and restrain me on the other. In this, too, O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done.
I continued in this state, without a break, for many days. My physical strength declined, and though I did not speak to anyone about it, nevertheless Mother Superior [Borgia] noticed my pain and remarked that I had changed in appearance and was very pale. She told me to go to bed earlier and to sleep longer, and she had a cup of hot milk brought to me in the evening. She had a motherly heart, full of care, and tried to help me. But in the case of spiritual sufferings, external things have no influence, and they do not bring much relief. It was from the confessional that I drew my strength and the consolation of knowing that it would not be long before I could begin to act.
742 My
daughter, if I demand through you that people revere My mercy, you should be
the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in My mercy. I demand from
you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show
mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or
try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. O my Jesus, You yourself must help me in everything, because You see how very little I am, and so I depend solely on Your goodness, O God.
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. O my Jesus, You yourself must help me in everything, because You see how very little I am, and so I depend solely on Your goodness, O God.
838 + I marvel at how
many humiliations and sufferings that priest accepts in this whole matter. [153]
I see this at particular times, and I support him with my unworthy prayers.
Only God can give one such courage; otherwise one would give up. But I see with
joy that all these adversities contribute to God's greater glory. The Lord has
few such souls. O infinite eternity, you will make manifest the efforts of
heroic souls, because the earth rewards their efforts with hatred and
ingratitude. Such souls do not have friends; they are solitary. And in this
solitude, they gain strength; they draw their strength from God alone. With
humility, but also with courage, they stand firmly in the face of all the
storms that beat upon them. Like high-towering oaks, they are unmoved. And in
this there is just this one secret: that it's from God that they draw this
strength, and everything whatsoever they have need of, they have for themselves
and for others. They not only carry their own burden, but also know how to take
on, and are capable of taking on, the burdens of others. They are pillars of light
along God's ways; they live in light themselves and shed light upon others.
They themselves live on the heights, and know how to show the way to lesser
ones and help them attain those heights.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-1-2, 16, 40, 46-50,72, 77-78, 94, 96-97 )
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-157, 372, 386,
439-440, 449, 480 )
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-596-597, 615, 742, 838)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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