Jesus’ Priestly Prayer
Tuesday of the
Seventh Week of Easter
Father Walter Schu, LC
John 17:1-11a
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you."
Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began. I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you."
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 demonstrated Your 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, help me to grow in my love for the Father and for souls.
1. A Legacy of Prayer: The supreme hour of Jesus has come. As he anticipates his agony of
self-giving love to the extreme, Christ has no thought for himself. His heart
turns to its one and only love, the one for whose glory he has carried out
every act of his earthly existence: his Father. But at the same time, that
invincible love for his Father embraces all those whom the Father has entrusted
to him. Christ leaves his followers a legacy that will remain their greatest
source of confidence throughout the ages: his priestly prayer. In this, Christ
teaches us how to pray. Christ prays first that his Father may be glorified by
glorifying the Son. What is the supreme glory with which the life of the only
Son of God will culminate? The answer is in his bloody immolation upon the
cross.
2. The Cross is True Glory: “The word ‘glory’ refers to the splendor, honor and power which belong
to God” (The Navarre Bible: St. John, pg. 202). How can Christ’s
humiliating death on the cross and his abandonment by his closest followers
give honor to God and reveal his splendor and power? How can the cross be
Christ’s supreme glory? First, it reveals a love without limits, a love that
does not say, “I will go this far and no farther.” Christ’s words, “Father,
forgive them,” bear witness to a love that is stronger than sin. The
Resurrection, which follows the cross, testifies to a love that is stronger
than death itself. Second, the cross is the fulfillment of Christ’s mission.
His obedience to the Father, even to death, redeems all of mankind. Have I
embraced the cross in my own life as the one way to follow Christ? Embracing
the cross is the only sure path to love Christ and glorify the Father.
3. Jesus Continues to Trust in Me: Throughout this Gospel passage, Christ’s words
ring with an unshakeable confidence. Even though he will die, abandoned by his
disciples, in agony and humiliating failure, Christ continues to trust. He
trusts both in his Father and in those very disciples who will soon desert him.
Our Lord’s trust in us as his followers must inspire within us a similar
unwavering confidence in our mission to save souls, to bring others to Christ,
and to transform society itself. By ourselves we can achieve nothing. But we
have the assurance of Christ’s own prayers and the promise of his Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will speak in the hearts of all those who Christ calls to bring
closer to him. Let us pray often to our great advocate: “Holy Spirit, inspire
in me what I should think, what I should say, and what I should leave unsaid,
so that I may achieve the good of all my brothers and sisters, fulfill my
mission, and make Christ’s kingdom triumph.”
Conversation with Christ: Thank You, Lord, for loving me to the extreme of dying in unspeakable
agony upon the cross. Thank You for Your gift of the Holy Spirit so that I can
follow Your path of self-giving love.
Resolution: I will speak with the Holy Spirit throughout the day and offer to the
Father and for souls each cross Christ sends me.
Excerpts from the DIARY
of Saint Faustina Kowalska
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.
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-72, 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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