The Quiet Healer
Saturday of the
Fifteenth Week of Ordinary Time
Father Shawn Aaron, LC
Matthew 12: 14-21
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."
The Pharisees went out and took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. When Jesus realized this, he withdrew from that place. Many people followed him, and he cured them all, but he warned them not to make him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom I delight; I shall place my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles. He will not contend or cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory. And in his name the Gentiles will hope."
Introductory Prayer: God Our Father, You gave us Your Son to make us Your children. I believe, and I
am hoping to be raised to full maturity in him through the school of the
Gospel. Thank You for Your unconditional love. I offer You my love in return,
knowing You welcome it as a parent does a small child.
Petition: Jesus, like You, make my heart attentive to
the needs of others.
1. When Jesus Realized This, He Withdrew from That Place: There is a great lesson for us here: It is not yet his "hour," so Jesus does not force the issue. Jesus does not taunt the Pharisees or provoke an unnecessary clash. Whenever Jesus challenges a person it is in order to lead that person to a deeper self-reflection and ultimately to a conversion of heart and of life. He did this on several occasions with the same Scribes and Pharisees. Yet this is not the time to engage them intellectually; their hearts are closed and they are unwilling to listen. When at times we find ourselves in a disagreement (perhaps even with a loved one), once the emotions are roused and it becomes clear that one or both parties are not ready for the truth, the prudent, loving and humble thing to do is withdraw from the situation until the moment our hearts are more open to listening.
1. When Jesus Realized This, He Withdrew from That Place: There is a great lesson for us here: It is not yet his "hour," so Jesus does not force the issue. Jesus does not taunt the Pharisees or provoke an unnecessary clash. Whenever Jesus challenges a person it is in order to lead that person to a deeper self-reflection and ultimately to a conversion of heart and of life. He did this on several occasions with the same Scribes and Pharisees. Yet this is not the time to engage them intellectually; their hearts are closed and they are unwilling to listen. When at times we find ourselves in a disagreement (perhaps even with a loved one), once the emotions are roused and it becomes clear that one or both parties are not ready for the truth, the prudent, loving and humble thing to do is withdraw from the situation until the moment our hearts are more open to listening.
2. The Master
Physician: Matthew´s comment in
this section of the Gospel is quite revealing: "Many people followed him,
and he cured them all." We must not imagine that all of the healings were
physical. So "meek and humble" is Jesus that every person felt he
could approach him. If a bruised reed comes to Jesus – a person battered by life,
trials and his own sin – his first and only inclination is to heal that soul.
Even to this very day Jesus continually takes what is broken and makes it
whole. He is the master physician who binds up wounds so that the person may be
healed. In light of this attitude we recognize the contrast between the
Pharisees, who seek to kill, and Jesus, who continues to give life to all who
come to him.
3. A Ember of Faith: All Jesus needs is the slightest ember of
faith and hope to change a person´s life. For instance, we cannot force a
person to love us or to trust us. Likewise, God himself respects the very
freedom he entrusted to us. Nonetheless, our Lord does give the human person a
searching mind and heart. That is why we can say that the human person is
religious by nature from the beginning. Atheists are not born; they are made by
their choices. Within the human soul God already provides us with the kindling
for faith, hope and love. Once we are baptized, that kindling can become an
unquenchable fire. Yet it can also be extinguished if we carelessly expose it
to the winds and waves of unbridled selfishness, secularism, skepticism and
systematic doubt . No matter how far we think we may have drifted, if we will
simply turn to Jesus, we will find that he is already looking at us.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus, You see
and know what I am to become if I will keep close to You in faith, hope and
love. Deepen within me the desire to remain united to You in prayer so as to
imitate You in love. Help me become with You what I can never become without You.
Mother Most Pure, make my heart only for Jesus.
Resolution: Today I will contact someone who needs to be
encouraged and listened to.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
210 I fervently
beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so that in my drab, everyday life I will
not be guided by human dispositions, but by those of the spirit. Oh, how
everything drags man towards the earth! But lively faith maintains the soul in
the higher regions and assigns self-love its proper place; that is to say, the
lowest one.
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.
743 Two general resolutions:
First: To strive after inner silence and to observe the rule of silence strictly.
Second: Faithfulness to interior inspirations; to bring them into my life and actions according to the advice of my spiritual director.
In this present illness, I desire to glorify the will of God. I will try, as far as I am able, to take part in all the community exercises. I will give the Lord God fervent thanks for every sorrow and suffering.
First: To strive after inner silence and to observe the rule of silence strictly.
Second: Faithfulness to interior inspirations; to bring them into my life and actions according to the advice of my spiritual director.
In this present illness, I desire to glorify the will of God. I will try, as far as I am able, to take part in all the community exercises. I will give the Lord God fervent thanks for every sorrow and suffering.
763 November 22, [1936]. Today during confession, the
Lord Jesus spoke to me through the lips of a certain priest. This priest did
not know my soul, and I only accused myself of my sins; yet he spoke these
words to me: "Accomplish faithfully everything that Jesus asks of you,
despite the difficulties. Know that, although people may be angry with you,
Jesus is not angry and never will be angry with you. Pay no attention to human
opinion." This instruction surprised me at first; but I understood that
the Lord was speaking through him without his realizing it. O holy mystery,
what great treasures are contained in you! O holy faith, you are my guidepost!
877 + O Jesus concealed in the Host, my sweet Master and
faithful Friend, how happy my soul is to have such a Friend who always keeps me
company. I do not feel lonely even though I am in isolation. Jesus-Host, we
know each other-that is enough for me.
890 Love is a mystery that transforms everything it
touches into things beautiful and pleasing to God. The love of God makes a soul
free. She is like a queen; she knows no slavish compulsion; she sets about
everything with great freedom of soul, because the love which dwells in her
incites her to action. Everything that surrounds her makes her know that only
God himself is worthy of her love. A soul in love with God and immersed in Him
approaches her duties with the same dispositions as she does Holy Communion and
carries out the simplest tasks with great care, under the loving gaze of God.
She is not troubled if, after some time, something turns out to be less
successful. She remains calm, because at the time of the action she had done
what was in her power. When it happens that the living presence of God, which
she enjoys almost constantly, leaves her, she then tries to continue living in
lively faith. Her soul understands that there are periods of rest and periods
of battle. Through her will, she is always with God. Her soul, like a knight,
is well trained in battle; from afar it sees where the foe is hiding and is
ready for battle. She knows she is not alone-God is her strength.
898 O my Jesus, You are giving me back my health and
life; give me also strength for battle, because I am unable to do anything
without You. Give me strength, for You can do all things. You see that I am a
frail child, and what can I do? I know the full power of Your mercy, and I
trust that You will give me everything Your feeble child needs.
899 I have desired death so much! I do not know whether I shall ever again in my life experience such great longing for God. There have been times when I fell into a swoon for Him. Oh, how ugly the earth when one knows heaven! I must do violence to myself in order to live. O will of God, you are my nourishment.
900 Oh, how drab and full of misunderstandings is this life! My patience is exercised, and after it comes experience. I understand and learn many things each day and see that I know very little, and I am constantly discovering faults in my conduct. Still, I am not discouraged by this, but thank God that He deigns to grant me His light that I may know myself. .
1074 When I went for adoration, I heard these words: My beloved daughter, write down these
words, that today My Heart has rested in this convent [the
Cracow house]. Tell the
world about My mercy and My love.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them!
My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace.
Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them!
My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace.
Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
1344 O merciful God, who still allow me to live, give me
strength that I may live a new life, the life of the spirit, over which death
has no dominion. And with that, my heart was renewed, and I began a new life
while still here on earth, a life of love of God. Nevertheless, I do not forget
that I am weakness itself, though I do not doubt even for a moment that I will
obtain the help of Your grace, O God.
1357 Once, when I was passing by a group of people, I
asked the Lord if they were all in the state of grace, because I did not feel
His sufferings. Because
you do not feel My sufferings, it does not follow that they must all be in the
state of grace. At times, I allow you to be aware of the condition of certain
souls, and I give you the grace of suffering solely because I use you as the
instrument of their conversion.
1365 O Eternal Love, who enkindle a new life within me, a
life of love and of mercy, support me with Your grace, so that I may worthily
answer Your call, so that what You yourself have intended to accomplish in
souls through me, might indeed be accomplished.
My God, I see the radiance of eternal dawn. My whole soul bounds toward You, O Lord; nothing any longer holds me back, nothing ties me to earth. Help me, O Lord, to bear the rest of my days with patience. The sacrifice of my love burns incessantly before Your Majesty, but so silently that only Your divine eye sees it, O God, and no other creature is capable of perceiving it.
My God, I see the radiance of eternal dawn. My whole soul bounds toward You, O Lord; nothing any longer holds me back, nothing ties me to earth. Help me, O Lord, to bear the rest of my days with patience. The sacrifice of my love burns incessantly before Your Majesty, but so silently that only Your divine eye sees it, O God, and no other creature is capable of perceiving it.
1484 O Living Host, support me in this exile, that I may
be empowered to walk faithfully in the footsteps of the Savior. I do not ask,
Lord, that You take me down from the cross, but I implore You to give me the
strength to remain steadfast upon it. I want to be stretched out upon the cross
as You were, Jesus. I want all the tortures and pains that You suffered. I want
to drink the cup of bitterness to the dregs.
1521 The Lord said to me, My daughter, do not tire of proclaiming My mercy. In
this way you will refresh this Heart of Mine, which burns with a flame of pity
for sinners. Tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their
words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have
for them in My Heart. To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give
wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those to whom
they will speak.
1523 Everlasting love, pure flame, burn in my heart
ceaselessly and deify my whole being, according to Your infinite pleasure by
which You summoned me into existence and called me to take part in Your
everlasting happiness. O merciful Lord, it is only out of mercy that You have
lavished these gifts upon me. Seeing all these free gifts within me, with deep
humility I worship Your incomprehensible goodness. Lord, my heart is filled with
amazement that You, absolute Lord, in need of no one, would nevertheless stoop
so low out of pure love for us. I can never help being amazed that the Lord
would have such an intimate relationship with His creatures. That again is His
unfathomable goodness. Every time I begin this meditation, I never finish it,
because my spirit becomes entirely drowned in Him. What a delight it is to love
with all the force of one's soul and to be loved even more in return, to feel
and experience this with the full consciousness of one's being. There are no
words to express this.
1540 January 28, 1938. Today the Lord said to me, My daughter, write down these words:
All those souls who will glorify My mercy and spread its worship, encouraging
others to trust in My mercy, will not experience terror at the hour of death.
My mercy will shield them in that final battle.
1549 I want to live in the spirit of faith. I accept
everything that comes my way as given me by the loving will of God, who
sincerely desires my happiness. And so I will accept with submission and
gratitude everything that God sends me. I will pay no attention to the voice of
nature and to the promptings of self-love. Before each important action, I will
stop to consider for a moment what relationship it has to eternal life and what
may be the main reason for my undertaking it: is it for the glory of God, or
for the good of my own soul, or for the good of the souls of others? If my
heart says yes, then I will not swerve from carrying out the given action,
unmindful of either obstacles or sacrifices. I will not be frightened into
abandoning my intention. It is enough for me to know that it is pleasing to
God. On the other hand, if I learn that the action has nothing in common with
what I have just mentioned, I will try to elevate it to a loftier sphere by
means of a good intention. And if I learn that something flows from my
self-love, I will cancel it out right from the start.
1553 O my Jesus, Life of my soul, my Life, my Savior, my
sweetest Bridegroom, and at the same time my Judge, You know that in this last
hour of mine I do not count on any merits of my own, but only on Your mercy.
Even as of today, I immerse myself totally in the abyss of Your mercy, which is
always open to every soul.
O my Jesus, I have only one task to carry out in my lifetime, in death, and throughout eternity, and that is to adore Your incomprehensible mercy. No mind, either of angel or of man, will ever fathom the mysteries of Your mercy, O God. The angels are lost in amazement before the mystery of divine mercy, but cannot comprehend it. Everything that has come from the Creator's hand is contained in this inconceivable mystery; that is to say, in the very depths of His tender mercy. When I meditate on this, my spirit swoons, and my heart dissolves in joy. O Jesus, it is through Your most compassionate Heart, as through a crystal, that the rays of divine mercy have come to us.
O my Jesus, I have only one task to carry out in my lifetime, in death, and throughout eternity, and that is to adore Your incomprehensible mercy. No mind, either of angel or of man, will ever fathom the mysteries of Your mercy, O God. The angels are lost in amazement before the mystery of divine mercy, but cannot comprehend it. Everything that has come from the Creator's hand is contained in this inconceivable mystery; that is to say, in the very depths of His tender mercy. When I meditate on this, my spirit swoons, and my heart dissolves in joy. O Jesus, it is through Your most compassionate Heart, as through a crystal, that the rays of divine mercy have come to us.
1557 O Jesus, keep me in holy fear, so that I may not
waste graces. Help me to be faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
Grant that my heart may burst for love of You, rather than I should neglect
even one act of love for You.
1559 At that moment I saw Jesus, and from His Heart there
issued those same two rays, which enveloped me, whole and entire. At the same
moment, all my torments vanished. My
daughter, the Lord said, know
that of yourself you are just what you have gone through, and it is only by My
grace that you are a participant of eternal life and all the gifts I lavish on
you. And with these words of the Lord, there came to me a true
knowledge of myself. Jesus is giving me a lesson in deep humility and, at the
same time, one of total trust in Him. My heart is reduced to dust and ashes,
and even if all people were to trample me under their feet, I would still
consider that a favor.
I feel and am, in fact, very deeply permeated with the knowledge that I am nothing, so that real humiliations will be a refreshment for me.
I feel and am, in fact, very deeply permeated with the knowledge that I am nothing, so that real humiliations will be a refreshment for me.
1570 O Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all
mankind calls out from the abyss of its misery to Your mercy-to Your
compassion, O God; and it is with its mighty voice of misery that it cries out.
Gracious God, do not reject the prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness
beyond our understanding, Who are acquainted with our misery through and
through, and know that by our own power we cannot ascend to You, we implore
You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep on increasing Your mercy in us,
that we may faithfully do Your holy will all through our life and at death's
hour. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield us from the darts of our
salvation's enemies, that we may with confidence, as Your children, await Your
final coming-that day known to You alone. And we expect to obtain everything
promised us by Jesus in spite of all our wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope:
Through His merciful Heart, as through an open gate, we pass through to heaven.
Conference on Spiritual Warfare.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-210)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-742-743, 763, 877, 890, 898-900)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1074)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1344, 1357, 1365, 1484, 1521, 1523)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1540, 1549, 1553, 1557, 1559, 1570 )
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-VI-1760)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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