The School of Prayer
Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, religious
Father Walter Schu, LC
Matthew 6: 7-15
Jesus said to his disciples: "In praying, do not babble like the
pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not
be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This is how
you are to pray: ´Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy
Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day
our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil.´ If you forgive others their transgressions, your heavenly Father will
forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive
your transgressions."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in You. I believe
that You love me, that You are close by my side, and that You will be walking
with me throughout this day. I trust in You, Lord. I trust You more than I
trust myself, because You are infinitely good and all powerful. I love You,
Jesus. I love You because You died on the cross for me, to save me.
Petition: Lord, teach me to pray.
1. Absolute Trust in God’s Providence: “Your Father knows
what you need before you ask him.” Christ’s words are an inexhaustible source
of consolation and hope as they encourage us to turn constantly to our Father
in prayer. “True piety is not so much a matter of the amount of words as of the
frequency and the love with which a Christian turns toward God in all the
events, great or small, of his day” (St. Matthew, The Navarre Bible, p.
72). But if our Father already knows our needs, why should we even present them
to him in prayer? St. Augustine assures us that while we pray, God is molding
our heart and soul so that we will be prepared to receive the good things he
desires to give us in answer to our prayers.
2. The Perfect Prayer: St. Augustine affirms that the
Lord’s Prayer is so perfect that it sums up in a few words everything man needs
to ask God for (cf. Sermon, 56). “It is usually seen as being made up of
an invocation and seven petitions — three to do with praise of God and four
with the needs of men” (St. Matthew, The Navarre Bible, p. 72). The
first two petitions, that God’s name be sanctified among all people, and that
his Kingdom may come, should touch us in the depth of our being. We are called
to be apostles of that Kingdom, to spread love for Christ among our fellow men.
Our apostolic zeal should be enkindled each time we pronounce those words of
the Lord’s Prayer. Asking for God’s will to be done means that we seek to
conform ourselves with his will in all of our thoughts and actions.
3. Our Spiritual and Human Needs: “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Even though we work to earn our daily bread with the sweat of our brow, it is
still a gift from God. We ask only for what we need each day. The Church
Fathers also see in this petition a request for the Eucharist, the Bread of
Life. We strive to live so as to be worthy to receive the Eucharist each day.
Christ then instructs us that when we ask God for forgiveness, we, too, must be
willing to forgive others in the same way we ourselves are forgiven by our
Father. Do I live this teaching fully in my life as a follower of Christ?
Finally, we ask to be freed from temptation that is beyond our strength, and to
be delivered from evil — or the Evil One. The Father is much more powerful than
any temptation the devil can send against us. With what confidence and trust
does Christ ask us to conclude the “Our Father!”
Conversation with Christ: Thank you, Lord, for teaching us how
to pray. Thank You for the confidence and trust in our Father that Your words
inspire. Help me, so that the words of Your own prayer may always be on my lips
and in my heart.
Resolution: I will pray the “Our Father” as a colloquy with God at different
moments during the day.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
17 At last the time came when the door of the convent was opened for me
- it was the first of August [1925], in the evening, the vigil [of a feast] of
Our Lady of the Angels. I felt immensely happy; it seemed to em that I had
stepped into the life of Paradise. A single prayer was bursting forth from my
heart, one of thanksgiving.
18 However, after three weeks I became aware that there is so very
little time here for prayer, and of many other things which spoke to my soul in
favor of entering a religious community of a stricter observance. This thought
took a firm hold of my soul, but the will of God was not in it. Still, the
thought, or rather the temptation, was growing stronger and stronger to the
point where I decided one day to announce my departure to Mother Superior and
definitely to leave [the convent]. But God arranged the circumstances in such a
way that I could not get to the Mother Superior [Michael]. I stepped into the
little chapel [7] before going to bed, and I asked Jesus for light in
this matter. But I received nothing in my soul except a strange unrest which I
did not understand. But, in spite of everything, I made up my mind to approach
Mother Superior the next morning right afte rMass and tell her of my decision.
32 Another time I heard these words, Go to the Superior and ask her
to allow you to make a daily hour of adoration for nine days. During this
adoration try to unite yourself in prayer with My Mother. Pray with all your
heart in union with Mary, and try also during this time to make the Way of the
Cross. I received the permission, though not for a full hour, but only for
whatever time was left me after I had carried out my duties.
41 On one occasion I saw a servant of God in the immediate danger of
committing a mortal sin. I started to beg God to deign to send down upon me all
the torments of hell and all the sufferings He wished if only this priest would
be set free and snatched from the occasion of committing a sin. Jesus heard my
prayer and, that very instant, I felt a crown of thorns on my head. The thorns
penetrated my head with great force right into my brain. This lasted for three
hours; the servant of God was set free from this sin, and his soul was
strengthened by a special grace of God.
55 1933. Spiritual Counsel Given
Me by Father Andrasz, S.J.
First: You must not turn away from these interior inspirations, but always
tell everything to your confessor. If you recognize that these interior
inspirations refer to your own self; that is to say, they are for the good of
your soul or for the good of other souls, l urge you to follow them; and you
must not neglect them, but always do so in consultation with your confessor.
Second: If these inspirations are not in accord with the faith or the spirit of the Church, they must be rejected immediately as coming from the evil spirit.
Third: If these inspirations do not refer to souls, in general, nor specifically to their good, you should not take them too seriously, and it would be better to even ignore them.
But you should not make this decision by yourself, either one way or the other, as you can easily be led astray despite these great favors from God. Humility, humility, and ever humility, as we can do nothing of ourselves; all is purely and simply God's grace.
You say to me that God demands great trust from souls; well then, you be the first to show this trust. And one more word-accept all this with serenity.
Words of one of the confessors: "Sister, God is preparing many special graces for you, but try to make your life as clear as crystal before the Lord, paying no attention to what anyone else thinks about you. Let God suffice you; He alone."
Toward the end of my novitiate, a confessor [perhaps Father Theodore] told me: "Go through life doing good, so that I could write on its pages: `She spent her life doing good.' May God bring this about in you."
Another time the confessor said to me, "Comport yourself before God like the widow in the Gospel; although the coin she dropped into the box was of little value, it counted far more before God than all the big offerings of others."
On another occasion the instruction I received was this: " Act in such a way that all those who come in contact with you will go away joyful. Sow happiness about you because you have received much from God; give, then, generously to others. They should take leave of you with their hearts filled with joy, even if they have no more than touched the hem of your garment. Keep well in mind the words I am telling you right now."
Still another time he gave me the following recommendation: "Let God push your boat out into the deep waters, toward the unfathomable depths of the interior life."
Here are a few words from a conversation I had with the Mother Directress [Mary Joseph] toward the end of my novitiate: "Sister, let simplicity and humility be the characteristic traits of your soul. Go through life like a little child, always trusting, always full of simplicity and humility, content with everything, happy in every circumstance. There, where others fear, you will pass calmly along, thanks to this simplicity and humility. Remember this, Sister, for your whole life: as waters flow from the mountains down into the valleys, so, too, do God's graces flow only into humble souls."
Second: If these inspirations are not in accord with the faith or the spirit of the Church, they must be rejected immediately as coming from the evil spirit.
Third: If these inspirations do not refer to souls, in general, nor specifically to their good, you should not take them too seriously, and it would be better to even ignore them.
But you should not make this decision by yourself, either one way or the other, as you can easily be led astray despite these great favors from God. Humility, humility, and ever humility, as we can do nothing of ourselves; all is purely and simply God's grace.
You say to me that God demands great trust from souls; well then, you be the first to show this trust. And one more word-accept all this with serenity.
Words of one of the confessors: "Sister, God is preparing many special graces for you, but try to make your life as clear as crystal before the Lord, paying no attention to what anyone else thinks about you. Let God suffice you; He alone."
Toward the end of my novitiate, a confessor [perhaps Father Theodore] told me: "Go through life doing good, so that I could write on its pages: `She spent her life doing good.' May God bring this about in you."
Another time the confessor said to me, "Comport yourself before God like the widow in the Gospel; although the coin she dropped into the box was of little value, it counted far more before God than all the big offerings of others."
On another occasion the instruction I received was this: " Act in such a way that all those who come in contact with you will go away joyful. Sow happiness about you because you have received much from God; give, then, generously to others. They should take leave of you with their hearts filled with joy, even if they have no more than touched the hem of your garment. Keep well in mind the words I am telling you right now."
Still another time he gave me the following recommendation: "Let God push your boat out into the deep waters, toward the unfathomable depths of the interior life."
Here are a few words from a conversation I had with the Mother Directress [Mary Joseph] toward the end of my novitiate: "Sister, let simplicity and humility be the characteristic traits of your soul. Go through life like a little child, always trusting, always full of simplicity and humility, content with everything, happy in every circumstance. There, where others fear, you will pass calmly along, thanks to this simplicity and humility. Remember this, Sister, for your whole life: as waters flow from the mountains down into the valleys, so, too, do God's graces flow only into humble souls."
62 O life so dull and monotonous, how many treasures you contain! When
I look at everything with the eyes of faith, no two hours are alike, and the
dullness and monotony disappear. The grace which is given me in this hour will
not be repeated in the next. It may be given me again, but it will not be the
same grace. Time goes on, never to return again. Whatever is enclosed in it
will never change; it seals with a seal for eternity.
91 O my Jesus, You alone know what persecutions I suffer, and this only
because I am being faithful to You and following Your orders. You are my
strength; sustain me that I may always carry out what You ask of me. Of myself
I can do nothing, but when You sustain me, all difficulties are nothing for me.
O my Lord, I can see very well that from the time when my soul first received
the capacity to know You, my life has been a continual struggle which has
become increasingly intense.
Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day's struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of t lie Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me - it is the Eucharist.
O my Jesus, the misunderstandings are so great; sometimes, were it not for the Eucharist, I would not have the courage to go any further along the way You have marked out for me.
Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day's struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of t lie Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me - it is the Eucharist.
O my Jesus, the misunderstandings are so great; sometimes, were it not for the Eucharist, I would not have the courage to go any further along the way You have marked out for me.
92 Humiliation is my daily food. I understand that the bride must
herself share in everything that is the groom's; and so His cloak of mockery
must cover me, too. At those times when I suffer much, I try to remain silent,
as I do not trust my tongue which, at such moments, is inclined to talk for
itself, while its duty is to help me praise God for all the blessings and gifts
which He has given me. When I receive Jesus in Holy Communion, I ask Him
fervently to deign to heal my tongue so that I would offend neither God nor
neighbor by it. I want my tongue to praise God without cease. Great are the
faults committed by the tongue. The soul will not attain sanctity if it does
not keep watch over its tongue.
94 O my Lord, inflame my heart with love for You, that my spirit may
not grow weary amidst the storms, the sufferings and the trials. You see how
weak I am. Love can do all.
95 +A Deeper Knowledge of God and the Terror of the Soul.
In the beginning, God lets himself be known as Holiness, Justice, Goodness - that is to say, Mercy. The soul does not come to know this all at once, but piecemeal, in flashes; that is to say, when God draws near. And this does not last for long, because the soul could not bear such light. During prayer the soul experiences flashes of this light which make it impossible to pray as before. Try as it may to force itself to pray as it did before, all is in vain; it becomes completely impossible for it to continue to pray as it did before it received this light. This light which has touched the soul is alive within it, and nothing can either quench or diminish it. This flash of the knowledge of God draws the soul and enkindles its love for Him.
But this same flash, at the same time, allows the soul to know itself as it is; the soul sees its whole interior in a superior light, and it rises up alarmed and terrified. Still, it does not remain under the effects of terror, but it begins to purify itself, to humble and abase itself before the Lord. These lights become stronger and more frequent; the more the soul is crystallized, the more these lights penetrate it. However, if the soul has responded faithfully and courageously to these first graces, God fills it with His consolations and gives himself to it in a perceptible manner. At certain moments, the soul, as it were, enters into intimacy with God and greatly rejoices in this; it believes that it has already reached the degree of perfection destined for it, because its defects and faults are asleep within it, and this makes it think that they no longer exist. Nothing seems difficult for it; it is ready for everything. It begins to plunge itself into God and taste the divine delights. It is carried along by grace and does not take account of the fact that the time of trial and testing may come. And, in fact, this state does not last long. Other moments will soon come. I should add here, however, that the soul will respond more faithfully to divine grace if it has a well - informed confessor to whom it can confide everything.
In the beginning, God lets himself be known as Holiness, Justice, Goodness - that is to say, Mercy. The soul does not come to know this all at once, but piecemeal, in flashes; that is to say, when God draws near. And this does not last for long, because the soul could not bear such light. During prayer the soul experiences flashes of this light which make it impossible to pray as before. Try as it may to force itself to pray as it did before, all is in vain; it becomes completely impossible for it to continue to pray as it did before it received this light. This light which has touched the soul is alive within it, and nothing can either quench or diminish it. This flash of the knowledge of God draws the soul and enkindles its love for Him.
But this same flash, at the same time, allows the soul to know itself as it is; the soul sees its whole interior in a superior light, and it rises up alarmed and terrified. Still, it does not remain under the effects of terror, but it begins to purify itself, to humble and abase itself before the Lord. These lights become stronger and more frequent; the more the soul is crystallized, the more these lights penetrate it. However, if the soul has responded faithfully and courageously to these first graces, God fills it with His consolations and gives himself to it in a perceptible manner. At certain moments, the soul, as it were, enters into intimacy with God and greatly rejoices in this; it believes that it has already reached the degree of perfection destined for it, because its defects and faults are asleep within it, and this makes it think that they no longer exist. Nothing seems difficult for it; it is ready for everything. It begins to plunge itself into God and taste the divine delights. It is carried along by grace and does not take account of the fact that the time of trial and testing may come. And, in fact, this state does not last long. Other moments will soon come. I should add here, however, that the soul will respond more faithfully to divine grace if it has a well - informed confessor to whom it can confide everything.
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.
+ The Trial of Trials, Complete Abandonment - Despair
98 When the soul comes out victorious from the preceding trials, even though it may stumble here and there, it fights on valiantly, humbly calling upon God, "Save me, I am perishing!" And it is still able to fight on.
At this point, however, the soul is engulfed in a horrible night. It sees within itself only sin. It feels terrible. It sees itself completely abandoned by God. It feels itself to be the object of His hatred. It is but one step away from despair. The soul does its best to defend itself; it tries to stir up its confidence; but prayer is an even greater torment for it, as this prayer seems to arouse God to an even greater anger. The soul finds itself poised on the summit of a lofty mountain on the very brink of a precipice.
The soul is drawn to God, but feels repulsed. All other sufferings and tortures in the world are as nothing compared with this sensation into which it has been plunged; namely, that of being rejected by God. No one can bring it any relief; it finds itself completely alone; there is no one to defend it. It raises its eyes to heaven, but is convinced that this is not for her-for her all is lost. It falls deeper and deeper from darkness to darkness, and it seems to it that it has lost forever the God it used to love so dearly. This thought is torture beyond all description. But the soul does not agree to it and tries to lift its gaze toward heaven, but in vain! And this makes the torture even more intense.
If God wishes to keep the soul in such darkness, no one will be able to give it light. It experiences rejection by God in a vivid and terrifying manner. From its heart burst forth painful moans, so painful that no priest will comprehend it, unless he himself has been through these trials. In the midst of this, the evil spirit adds to the soul's suffering, mocking it: "Will you persist in your faithfulness? This is your reward; you are in our power!" But Satan has only as much influence over the soul as God allows him, and God knows how much we can bear. "What have you gotten out of your mortifications," says Satan, "and out of your fidelity to the rule? What use are all these efforts? You have been rejected by God!" This word, rejected, becomes a fire which penetrates every nerve to the marrow of the bone. It pierces right through her entire being. The ordeal reaches its climax. The soul no longer looks for help anywhere. It shrinks into itself and loses sight of everything; it is as though it has accepted the torture of being abandoned. This is a moment for which I have no words. This is the agony of the soul.
98 When the soul comes out victorious from the preceding trials, even though it may stumble here and there, it fights on valiantly, humbly calling upon God, "Save me, I am perishing!" And it is still able to fight on.
At this point, however, the soul is engulfed in a horrible night. It sees within itself only sin. It feels terrible. It sees itself completely abandoned by God. It feels itself to be the object of His hatred. It is but one step away from despair. The soul does its best to defend itself; it tries to stir up its confidence; but prayer is an even greater torment for it, as this prayer seems to arouse God to an even greater anger. The soul finds itself poised on the summit of a lofty mountain on the very brink of a precipice.
The soul is drawn to God, but feels repulsed. All other sufferings and tortures in the world are as nothing compared with this sensation into which it has been plunged; namely, that of being rejected by God. No one can bring it any relief; it finds itself completely alone; there is no one to defend it. It raises its eyes to heaven, but is convinced that this is not for her-for her all is lost. It falls deeper and deeper from darkness to darkness, and it seems to it that it has lost forever the God it used to love so dearly. This thought is torture beyond all description. But the soul does not agree to it and tries to lift its gaze toward heaven, but in vain! And this makes the torture even more intense.
If God wishes to keep the soul in such darkness, no one will be able to give it light. It experiences rejection by God in a vivid and terrifying manner. From its heart burst forth painful moans, so painful that no priest will comprehend it, unless he himself has been through these trials. In the midst of this, the evil spirit adds to the soul's suffering, mocking it: "Will you persist in your faithfulness? This is your reward; you are in our power!" But Satan has only as much influence over the soul as God allows him, and God knows how much we can bear. "What have you gotten out of your mortifications," says Satan, "and out of your fidelity to the rule? What use are all these efforts? You have been rejected by God!" This word, rejected, becomes a fire which penetrates every nerve to the marrow of the bone. It pierces right through her entire being. The ordeal reaches its climax. The soul no longer looks for help anywhere. It shrinks into itself and loses sight of everything; it is as though it has accepted the torture of being abandoned. This is a moment for which I have no words. This is the agony of the soul.
102 After some time, one of the sisters came into the cell and found me
almost dead. She was frightened and went to find the Directress of Novices who,
in the name of holy obedience ordered me to get up from the ground. My strength
returned immediately, and I got up, trembling. The Directress recognized
immediately the state of my soul and spoke to me about the inscrutable mercy of
God, saying, "Do not be distressed about anything, Sister. I command this
of you in virtue of obedience." Then she said to me, "I see now,
Sister, that God is calling you to a high degree of holiness; the Lord wants to
draw you very close to Himself since He has allowed these things to happen to
you so soon. Be faithful to God, Sister, because this is a sign that He wants
you to have a high place in heaven." However, I did not understand
anything of these words. When I went into the chapel, I felt as though my soul
had been set free from everything, as though I had just come forth from the
hand of God. I perceived the inviolability of my soul; I felt that I was a tiny
child.
106 Though these are frightening things, the soul should not be too
fearful, because God will never test us beyond what we are able to bear. On the
other hand, He may never send us such sufferings, but I write this because, if
it pleases the Lord to let a soul pass through such sufferings, it should not
be afraid but, insofar as this depends on the soul itself, it should remain
faithful to God. God will do a soul no harm, because He is Love itself, and in this
unfathomable love has called it into being. However, when I was so tormented, I
myself did not understand this.
107 O my God, I have come to know that I am not of this earth; You, O
Lord, have poured this profound awareness into my soul. My communion is more
with heaven than with earth, though I in no way neglect my duties.
111 When, in the midst of these interior torments, I tried to accuse
myself in confession of the smallest trifles, the priest was surprised that I
had not committed graver faults, and he said to me, "If you are as
faithful as this to God during these sufferings, this in itself is evidence to
me that God is sustaining you, Sister, with a special grace, and it is a good
thing that you do not understand this." It is a strange thing, nevertheless,
that confessors could neither understand me nor set my mind at peace concerning
these matters, until I met Father Andrasz and, later on, Father Sopocko.
114 +Oh, how pleasing are the hymns flowing from a suffering soul! All
heaven delights in such a soul, especially when it is tested by God. It
mournfully sings out its longing for Him. Great is its beauty, because it comes
from God. The soul walks through the jungle of life, wounded by God's love.
With one foot only it touches the ground.
115 + When a soul has come out of these tribulations, it is deeply
humble. Its purity of soul is great. It knows better without need of
reflecting, as it were, what it ought to do at a given moment and what to
forbear. It feels the lightest touch of grace and is very faithful to God. It
recognizes God from afar and continuously rejoices in Him. It discovers God
very quickly in other souls and in its environment in general. The soul has
been purified by God himself. God, as Pure Spirit, introduces the soul to a
life which is purely spiritual. God himself has first prepared and purified the
soul; that is, He has made it capable of close communion with himself. The
soul, in a state of loving repose, communes spiritually with the Lord. It
speaks to God without the need of expressing itself through the senses. God
fills it with His light.
The enlightened mind sees clearly and distinguishes the various degrees of the spiritual life. It recognizes [that state] when its union with God was imperfect: where the senses were involved, and the spirit was linked with the senses in a manner-exalted and special, to be sure but not yet perfect. There is a higher and more perfect union with God; namely, intellectual union. Here, the soul is safer from illusions; its spirituality is purer and more profound. In a life where the senses are involved, there is more danger of illusion. Both for the soul and for its confessor, prudence must play a greater part. There are moments when God introduces the soul to a purely spiritual state. The senses dim and are seemingly dead. The soul is most closely united to God; it is immersed in the Deity; its knowledge is complete and perfect, not sporadic as before, but total and absolute. It rejoices in this. But I want to say more about those moments of trial; at those times the confessor must have patience with such a soul. But the soul must have even greater patience with itself.
The enlightened mind sees clearly and distinguishes the various degrees of the spiritual life. It recognizes [that state] when its union with God was imperfect: where the senses were involved, and the spirit was linked with the senses in a manner-exalted and special, to be sure but not yet perfect. There is a higher and more perfect union with God; namely, intellectual union. Here, the soul is safer from illusions; its spirituality is purer and more profound. In a life where the senses are involved, there is more danger of illusion. Both for the soul and for its confessor, prudence must play a greater part. There are moments when God introduces the soul to a purely spiritual state. The senses dim and are seemingly dead. The soul is most closely united to God; it is immersed in the Deity; its knowledge is complete and perfect, not sporadic as before, but total and absolute. It rejoices in this. But I want to say more about those moments of trial; at those times the confessor must have patience with such a soul. But the soul must have even greater patience with itself.
129 Satan always takes advantage of such moments; thoughts of
discouragement began to rise to the surface-for your faithfulness and
sincerity-this is your reward. How can one be sincere when one is so
misunderstood? Jesus, Jesus, I cannot go on any longer. Again I fell to the
ground under this weight, and I broke out in a sweat, and fear began to
overcome me. I had no one to lean on interiorly. Suddenly I heard a voice
within my soul, Do not fear; I am with you. And an unusual light
illumined my mind, and I understood that I should not give in to such sorrows.
I was filled with a certain strength and left my cell with new courage to
suffer.
132 I must again mention that there are some confessors who seem to be
true spiritual fathers, but only as long as things go well. When the soul finds
itself in greater need, they become perplexed, and either cannot or will not
understand the soul. They try to get rid of the person as soon as possible. But
if the soul is humble, it will always profit in some little way or other. God
himself will sometimes cast a shaft of light into the depths of the soul,
because of its humility and faith. The confessor will sometimes say something
he had never intended to say, without even realizing it himself. Oh, let the
soul believe that such words are the words of the Lord himself! Though indeed
we ought to believe that every word spoken in the confessional is God's, what I
have referred to above is something that comes directly from God. And the soul
perceives that the priest is not master of himself, that he is saying things
that he would rather not say. This is how God rewards faith.
I have experienced this many times myself. A certain very learned and respected priest [probably Father Wilkowski, the sisters' confessor at Plock], to whom I sometimes happened to go to confession, was always severe and opposed to these matters [which I brought up to him]. But on one occasion he replied to me, "Bear in mind, Sister, that if God is asking this of you, you should not oppose Him. God sometimes wants to be praised in just this way. Be at peace; what God has started, He will finish. But I say this to you: faithfulness to God and humility. And once again: humility. Bear well in mind what I have told you today." I was delighted, and I thought that perhaps this priest had understood me. But it so turned out that I never went to confession to him again.
I have experienced this many times myself. A certain very learned and respected priest [probably Father Wilkowski, the sisters' confessor at Plock], to whom I sometimes happened to go to confession, was always severe and opposed to these matters [which I brought up to him]. But on one occasion he replied to me, "Bear in mind, Sister, that if God is asking this of you, you should not oppose Him. God sometimes wants to be praised in just this way. Be at peace; what God has started, He will finish. But I say this to you: faithfulness to God and humility. And once again: humility. Bear well in mind what I have told you today." I was delighted, and I thought that perhaps this priest had understood me. But it so turned out that I never went to confession to him again.
136 And the Lord gave me to know that the whole mystery depended on me,
on my free consent to the sacrifice given with full use of my faculties. In
this free and conscious act lies the whole power and value before His Majesty.
Even if none of these things for which I offered myself would ever happen to
me, before the Lord everything was as though it had already been consummated.
At that moment, I realized I was entering into communion with the incomprehensible Majesty. I felt that God was waiting for my word, for my consent. Then my spirit immersed itself in the Lord, and I said, "Do with me as You please. I subject myself to Your will. As of today, Your holy will shall be my nourishment, and I will be faithful to Your commands with the help of Your grace. Do with me as You please. I beg You, O Lord, be with me at every moment of my life."
At that moment, I realized I was entering into communion with the incomprehensible Majesty. I felt that God was waiting for my word, for my consent. Then my spirit immersed itself in the Lord, and I said, "Do with me as You please. I subject myself to Your will. As of today, Your holy will shall be my nourishment, and I will be faithful to Your commands with the help of Your grace. Do with me as You please. I beg You, O Lord, be with me at every moment of my life."
138 A great mystery has been accomplished between God and me. Courage
and strength have remained in my soul. When the time of adoration came to an
end, I came out and calmly faced everything I had feared so much before. When I
came out into the corridor, a great suffering and humiliation, at the hands of
a certain person, was awaiting me. I accepted it with submission to a higher
will and snuggled closely to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, letting Him know
that I was ready for that for which I had offered myself.
Suffering seemed to spring out of the ground. Even Mother Margaret herself was surprised. For others, many things passed unnoticed, for indeed it wasn't worth paying any attention to them; but in my case, nothing passed unnoticed; each word was analyzed, each step watched. One sister said to me, "Get ready, Sister, to receive a small cross at the hands of Mother Superior. I feel sorry for you." But as for me, I rejoiced at this in the depths of my soul and had been ready for it for a long time. When she saw my courage, she was surprised. I see now that a soul cannot do much of itself, but with God it can do all things. Behold what God's grace can do. Few are the souls that are always watchful for divine graces, and even fewer of such souls who follow those inspirations faithfully.
Suffering seemed to spring out of the ground. Even Mother Margaret herself was surprised. For others, many things passed unnoticed, for indeed it wasn't worth paying any attention to them; but in my case, nothing passed unnoticed; each word was analyzed, each step watched. One sister said to me, "Get ready, Sister, to receive a small cross at the hands of Mother Superior. I feel sorry for you." But as for me, I rejoiced at this in the depths of my soul and had been ready for it for a long time. When she saw my courage, she was surprised. I see now that a soul cannot do much of itself, but with God it can do all things. Behold what God's grace can do. Few are the souls that are always watchful for divine graces, and even fewer of such souls who follow those inspirations faithfully.
139 Still, a soul which is faithful to God cannot confirm its own
inspirations; it must submit them to the control of a very wise and learned priest;
and until it is quite certain, it should remain distrustful. It should not, on
its own initiative alone, put its trust in these inspirations and all other
higher graces, because it can thus expose itself to great losses.
Even though a soul may immediately distinguish between false inspirations and those of God, it should nevertheless be careful, because many things are uncertain. God is pleased and rejoices when a soul distrusts Him for His own sake; because it loves Him, it is prudent and itself asks and searches for help to make certain that it is really God who is acting within it. And once a well-instructed confessor has confirmed this, the soul should be at peace and give itself up to God, according to His directions; that is, according to the directions of the confessor.
Even though a soul may immediately distinguish between false inspirations and those of God, it should nevertheless be careful, because many things are uncertain. God is pleased and rejoices when a soul distrusts Him for His own sake; because it loves Him, it is prudent and itself asks and searches for help to make certain that it is really God who is acting within it. And once a well-instructed confessor has confirmed this, the soul should be at peace and give itself up to God, according to His directions; that is, according to the directions of the confessor.
145 Oh, how wretched my soul is for having wasted so many graces! I was
running away from God, and He pursued me with his graces. I most often
experienced God's graces when I least expected them. From the moment He gave me
a spiritual director, I have been more faithful to grace. Thanks to the
director and his watchfulness over my soul, I have learned what guidance means
and how Jesus looks at it. Jesus warned me of the least fault and stressed that
He himself judges the matter that I present to my confessor; and [He told me]
that ... any transgressions against the confessor touch Me myself.
When under his direction my soul began to experience deep recollection and peace, I often heard these words in my soul: Strengthen yourself for combat - repeated over and over at various times.
+Jesus often makes known to me what He does not like in my soul, and He has more than once rebuked me for what seemed to be trifles, but which were, in fact, things of great importance. He has warned me and tried me like a Master. For many years He himself educated me, until the moment when He gave me a spiritual director. Previously, He himself had made clear to me what I did not understand; but now, He tells me to ask my confessor about everything and often says, I will answer you through his mouth. Be at peace. It has never happened to me that I have received an answer which was contrary to what the Lord wanted of me, when I presented it to the spiritual director [Father Sopocko]. It sometimes happens that Jesus first asks certain things of me, about which no one knows anything, and then, when I kneel at the confessional, my confessor gives me the same order-however, this is infrequent.
+When, over a long period of time, a soul has received much light and many inspirations, and when the confessors have confirmed the source of these inspirations and set the soul at peace; if its love is great, Jesus now makes it known that it is time to put into action what it has received. The soul recognizes that God is counting on it, and this knowledge fortifies it. It knows that to be faithful it will often have to face various difficulties, but it trusts in God and, thanks to this trust, it reaches that point to which God is calling it. Difficulties do not terrify it; they are its daily bread, as it were. They do not frighten or terrify the soul, just as a warrior who is constantly in battle is not terrified by the roar of the cannon. Far from being frightened, it listens to determine from which side the enemy is launching his attack, in order to defeat him. It does nothing blindly, but examines and ponders everything deeply and, not counting on itself, it prays fervently and asks advice of other warriors who are experienced and wise. When the soul acts in this way, it nearly always wins.
There are attacks when a soul has no time to think or seek advice; then it must enter into a life-or-death struggle. Sometimes it is good to flee for cover in the wound of the Heart of Jesus, without answering a single word. By this very act the enemy is already defeated.
In time of peace, as well, the soul continues making efforts, just as in time of battle. It must exercise itself, and do so with energy; otherwise it has no chance of attaining victory. I regard the time of peace as a time of preparation for victory. The soul must be ever watchful; watchfulness and again, watchfulness. The soul that reflects receives much light. A distracted soul runs the risk of a fall, and let it not be surprised when it does fall. O Spirit of God, Director of the soul, wise is he whom You have trained! But for the Spirit of God to act in the soul, peace and recollection are needed.
When under his direction my soul began to experience deep recollection and peace, I often heard these words in my soul: Strengthen yourself for combat - repeated over and over at various times.
+Jesus often makes known to me what He does not like in my soul, and He has more than once rebuked me for what seemed to be trifles, but which were, in fact, things of great importance. He has warned me and tried me like a Master. For many years He himself educated me, until the moment when He gave me a spiritual director. Previously, He himself had made clear to me what I did not understand; but now, He tells me to ask my confessor about everything and often says, I will answer you through his mouth. Be at peace. It has never happened to me that I have received an answer which was contrary to what the Lord wanted of me, when I presented it to the spiritual director [Father Sopocko]. It sometimes happens that Jesus first asks certain things of me, about which no one knows anything, and then, when I kneel at the confessional, my confessor gives me the same order-however, this is infrequent.
+When, over a long period of time, a soul has received much light and many inspirations, and when the confessors have confirmed the source of these inspirations and set the soul at peace; if its love is great, Jesus now makes it known that it is time to put into action what it has received. The soul recognizes that God is counting on it, and this knowledge fortifies it. It knows that to be faithful it will often have to face various difficulties, but it trusts in God and, thanks to this trust, it reaches that point to which God is calling it. Difficulties do not terrify it; they are its daily bread, as it were. They do not frighten or terrify the soul, just as a warrior who is constantly in battle is not terrified by the roar of the cannon. Far from being frightened, it listens to determine from which side the enemy is launching his attack, in order to defeat him. It does nothing blindly, but examines and ponders everything deeply and, not counting on itself, it prays fervently and asks advice of other warriors who are experienced and wise. When the soul acts in this way, it nearly always wins.
There are attacks when a soul has no time to think or seek advice; then it must enter into a life-or-death struggle. Sometimes it is good to flee for cover in the wound of the Heart of Jesus, without answering a single word. By this very act the enemy is already defeated.
In time of peace, as well, the soul continues making efforts, just as in time of battle. It must exercise itself, and do so with energy; otherwise it has no chance of attaining victory. I regard the time of peace as a time of preparation for victory. The soul must be ever watchful; watchfulness and again, watchfulness. The soul that reflects receives much light. A distracted soul runs the risk of a fall, and let it not be surprised when it does fall. O Spirit of God, Director of the soul, wise is he whom You have trained! But for the Spirit of God to act in the soul, peace and recollection are needed.
146 Prayer.-A soul arms itself by prayer for all kinds of combat. In
whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and
beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving
after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is
newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged
in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not
bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer.
147 I recall that I have received most light during adoration which I
made lying prostrate before the Blessed Sacrament for half an hour every day
throughout Lent. During that time I came to know myself and God more
profoundly. And yet, even though I had the superiors' permission to do so, I
encountered many obstacles to praying in such a way. Let the soul be aware
that, in order to pray and persevere in prayer, one must arm oneself with
patience and cope bravely with exterior and interior difficulties. The interior
difficulties are discouragement, dryness, heaviness of spirit and temptations.
The exterior difficulties are human respect and time; one must observe the time
set apart for prayer. This has been my personal experience because, when I did
not pray at the time assigned for prayer, later on I could not do it because of
my duties; or if I did manage to do so, this was only with great difficulty,
because my thoughts kept wandering off to my duties. I also experienced this
difficulty: when a soul has prayed well and left prayer in a state of profound
interior recollection, others resist its recollection; and so, the soul must be
patient to persevere in prayer. It often happened to me that when my soul was
more deeply immersed in God, and I had derived greater fruit from prayer, and
God's presence accompanied me during the day, and at work there was more
recollection and greater precision and effort at my duty, this was precisely
when I received the most rebukes for being negligent in my duty and indifferent
to everything; because less recollected souls want others to be like them, for
they are a constant [source of] remorse to them.
148 +A noble and delicate soul, even the most simple, but one of
delicate sensibilities, sees God in everything, finds Him everywhere, and knows
how to find Him in even the most hidden things. It finds all things important,
it highly appreciates all things, it thanks God for all things, it draws profit
for the soul from all things, and it gives all glory to God. It places its
trust in God and is not confused when the time of ordeals comes. It knows that
God is always the best of Fathers and makes little of human opinion. It follows
faithfully the faintest breath of the Holy Spirit; it rejoices in this
Spiritual Guest and holds onto Him like a child to its mother. Where other
souls come to a standstill and fear, this soul passes on without fear or
difficulty.
149 When the Lord himself wants to be close to a soul and to lead it,
He will remove everything that is external. When I fell ill and was taken to
the infirmary, I suffered much unpleasantness because of this. There were two
of us sick in the infirmary. Sisters would come to see Sister N., but no one
came to visit me. It is true that there was only one infirmary, but each one
had her own cell. The winter nights were long, and Sister N. had the light and
the radio headphones, while I could not even prepare my meditation for lack of
a light.
When nearly two weeks had passed in this way, I complained to the Lord one evening that I was suffering so much and that I could not even prepare my meditation because there was no light. And the Lord said that He would come every evening and give me the points for the next day's meditation. These points always concerned His sorrowful Passion. He would say, Consider My sufferings before Pilate. And thus, point by point, I meditated upon His sorrowful Passion for one week. From that moment, a great joy entered my soul, and I no longer wanted either the visitors or the light; Jesus sufficed me for everything. The superiors were indeed very solicitous for the sick, but the Lord ordained that I should feel forsaken. This best of masters withdraws every created thing in order that He himself might act. Many a time, I have experienced such sufferings and persecutions that Mother M. [probably Mother Margaret] herself said to me, "Sister, along your path, sufferings just spring up out of the ground. I look upon you, Sister, as one crucified. But I can see that Jesus has a hand in this. Be faithful to the Lord."
When nearly two weeks had passed in this way, I complained to the Lord one evening that I was suffering so much and that I could not even prepare my meditation because there was no light. And the Lord said that He would come every evening and give me the points for the next day's meditation. These points always concerned His sorrowful Passion. He would say, Consider My sufferings before Pilate. And thus, point by point, I meditated upon His sorrowful Passion for one week. From that moment, a great joy entered my soul, and I no longer wanted either the visitors or the light; Jesus sufficed me for everything. The superiors were indeed very solicitous for the sick, but the Lord ordained that I should feel forsaken. This best of masters withdraws every created thing in order that He himself might act. Many a time, I have experienced such sufferings and persecutions that Mother M. [probably Mother Margaret] herself said to me, "Sister, along your path, sufferings just spring up out of the ground. I look upon you, Sister, as one crucified. But I can see that Jesus has a hand in this. Be faithful to the Lord."
150 + I want to write down a dream that I had about Saint Therese of
the Child Jesus. I was still a novice at the time and was going through some
difficulties which I did not know how to overcome. They were interior
difficulties connected with exterior ones. I made novenas to various saints,
but the situation grew more and more difficult. The sufferings it caused me
were so great that I did not know how to go on living, but suddenly the thought
occurred to me that I should pray to Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. I
started a novena to this Saint, because before entering the convent I had had a
great devotion to her. Lately I had somewhat neglected this devotion, but in my
need I began again to pray with great fervor.
On the fifth day of the novena, I dreamed of Saint Therese, but it was as if she were still living on earth. She hid from me the fact that she was a saint and began to comfort me, saying that I should not be worried about this matter, but should trust more in God. She said, "I suffered greatly, too," but I did not quite believe her and said, "It seems to me that you have not suffered at all." But Saint Therese answered me in a convincing manner that she had suffered very much indeed and said to me, "Sister, know that in three days the difficulty will come to a happy conclusion." When I was not very willing to believe her, she revealed to me that she was a saint. At that moment, a great joy filled my soul, and I said to her, "You are a saint?" "Yes," she answered, "I am a saint. Trust that this matter will be resolved in three days:" And I said, "Dear sweet Therese, tell me, shall I go to heaven?" And she answered, "Yes, you will go to heaven, Sister." "And will I be a saint?" To which she replied, "Yes, you will be a saint." "But, little Therese, shall I be a saint as you are, raised to the altar?" And she answered, "Yes, you will be a saint just as I am, but you must trust in the Lord Jesus." I then asked her if my mother and father would go to heaven, will [unfinished sentence] And she replied that they would. I further asked, "And will my brothers and sisters go to heaven?" She told me to pray hard for them, but gave me no definite answer. I understood that they were in need of much prayer.
This was a dream. And as the proverb goes, dreams are phantoms; God is faith. Nevertheless, three days later the difficulty was solved very easily, just as she had said. And everything in this affair turned out exactly as she said it would. It was a dream, but it had its significance.
On the fifth day of the novena, I dreamed of Saint Therese, but it was as if she were still living on earth. She hid from me the fact that she was a saint and began to comfort me, saying that I should not be worried about this matter, but should trust more in God. She said, "I suffered greatly, too," but I did not quite believe her and said, "It seems to me that you have not suffered at all." But Saint Therese answered me in a convincing manner that she had suffered very much indeed and said to me, "Sister, know that in three days the difficulty will come to a happy conclusion." When I was not very willing to believe her, she revealed to me that she was a saint. At that moment, a great joy filled my soul, and I said to her, "You are a saint?" "Yes," she answered, "I am a saint. Trust that this matter will be resolved in three days:" And I said, "Dear sweet Therese, tell me, shall I go to heaven?" And she answered, "Yes, you will go to heaven, Sister." "And will I be a saint?" To which she replied, "Yes, you will be a saint." "But, little Therese, shall I be a saint as you are, raised to the altar?" And she answered, "Yes, you will be a saint just as I am, but you must trust in the Lord Jesus." I then asked her if my mother and father would go to heaven, will [unfinished sentence] And she replied that they would. I further asked, "And will my brothers and sisters go to heaven?" She told me to pray hard for them, but gave me no definite answer. I understood that they were in need of much prayer.
This was a dream. And as the proverb goes, dreams are phantoms; God is faith. Nevertheless, three days later the difficulty was solved very easily, just as she had said. And everything in this affair turned out exactly as she said it would. It was a dream, but it had its significance.
268 October 11, 1933.-Thursday.-I tried to make a Holy Hour, but began
it with great difficulty. A certain yearning started to tear at my heart. My
mind was dimmed so that I could not understand the simplest forms of prayer.
And so passed by an hour of prayer, or rather of struggle. I resolved to pray
for a second hour, but my inner sufferings increased-great dryness and
discouragement. I resolved to pray for a third hour. In the third hour, which I
resolved to spend kneeling without any support, my body started to clamor for
rest. But I in no way relented. I stretched out my arms and, though I spoke no
words, I persisted by sheer will. After a while, I took the ring off my finger
and asked Jesus to look at the ring, that sign of our eternal union, and I
offered Jesus the feelings I had had on the day of perpetual vows. After a
while, I feel my heart inundated with a wave of love. A sudden recollection of
spirit, the senses quiet down, and God's presence pervades my soul. I know only
this: that it is Jesus and I. I saw Him just as He had appeared to me in that
instant after my perpetual vows, when I was likewise making a Holy Hour. Jesus
was suddenly standing before me, stripped of His clothes, His body completely
covered with wounds, His eyes flooded with tears and blood, His face disfigured
and covered with spittle. The Lord then said to me, The bride must resemble
her Betrothed. I understood these words to their very depth. There is no
room for doubt here. My likeness to Jesus must be through suffering and
humility. See what love of human souls has done to Me. My daughter, in your
heart I find everything that so great a number of souls refuses Me. Your heart
is My repose. I often wait with great graces until towards the end of prayer.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-17-18, 32, 41, 55, 62, 91-92, 94-95)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-97-98, 102, 106-107, 111, 114-115)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-129, 132, 136, 139, 145-150, 268)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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