Me? An Apostle?
|
Feast of Saint Luke,
evangelist
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Father Daniel Ray, LC
Luke 10: 1-9
After this the Lord
appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town
and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest
is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you
out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals;
and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ´Peace to
this house!´ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest
on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house,
eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be
paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and
its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are
there, and say to them, ´The kingdom of God has come near to you.´"
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that You are present here as I turn to You in
prayer. I trust and have confidence in Your desire to give me every grace I
need to receive today. Thank You for Your love, thank You for Your immense
generosity toward me. I give You my life and my love in return.
Petition: Lord, increase my faith so that in any trial
I will trust in You.
1. Amazing Graces: Luke, whose feast we celebrate in today’s
liturgy, is the only gentile author in the New Testament. It was part of
God’s design that he be chosen by God to be the author of one of the Gospels
and the Book of Acts. “Who am I to receive such a grace?” Luke might easily
have said to himself, marveling at the gratuitousness with which he received
his role within the Church. An honest look at the great grace we have
received in being called to be part of God’s Church should bring us to say
the same thing: Who are we to receive such an incredible blessing?! Why did
we receive this grace and our next-door neighbor did not? Why have so many
souls in the history of the world never had the opportunity to know about
Christ, but we have? Only one answer comes close. God wants it, and it is
part of his plan of love for all mankind.
2. More Hands on
Deck: Here is a true
situation at a parish on the West Coast: After five draining hours in the confessional,
the priest climbs out to verify that no one else is in line. This is the
normal Sunday morning routine there. During those hours the priest was
witness to several powerful conversions, souls finding peace after years of
struggle, other saintly souls whose delicate consciences were cause for
admiration, and still others moving along with a “more-or-less” attitude in
their response to God, but who were helped by the grace of reconciliation.
Many more confessions could be heard, but there simply aren’t enough priests
to meet the need. The more confession is offered, the more the faithful take
advantage of the opportunity, and the more the Church grows in holiness. Do
we pray that God send more laborers to the harvest?
3. A Lamb without
Sandals: Christ’s comparison
almost seems cruel: “I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of
wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals….” If he considers the apostles to
be like lambs, why on earth would he send them among wolves? As always,
Christ wants to stretch the faith of the apostles. “My Father’s providence
will take care of you and protect you” is the message he wants them to accept
and live. Later he tells them to take these items with them (cf. Luke 22:36),
but he also reminds them, “‘When I sent you out with no purse or bag or
sandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘Nothing.’” He wants us to rely
on him, not on our own skills or talents. While we always need to apply all
our God-given human intelligence and prudence, we still need to rely on God
to bless our work and fill in for what is lacking.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, so much of
what I’m faced with each day seems to be beyond my capabilities, yet I see
clearly that You want me to continue pushing forward, trusting in Your
providence. This isn’t easy! Help be to have confidence in You.
Resolution: If faced with an obstacle today, I will pray
for God’s assistance rather than rely only on myself.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
164 +JMJ Warsaw, 1933.
Probation Before Perpetual Vows[56] When I learned I was to go for probation, my heart beat with joy at the thought of such an immense grace, that of the perpetual vows. I went before the Blessed Sacrament; and when I immersed myself in a prayer of thanksgiving, I heard these words in my soul: My child you are My delight, you are the comfort of My Heart. I grant you as many graces as you can hold. As often as you want to make Me happy, speak to the world about My great and unfathomable mercy.
165 A few weeks before I was told about the probation, I
entered the chapel for a moment and Jesus said to me, At this very moment
the superiors are deciding which sisters are going to take perpetual vows.
Not all of them will be granted this grace, but this is their own fault. He
who does not take advantage of small graces will not receive great ones. But
to you, my child, this grace is being given. My soul was seized with
joyful surprise, because a few days earlier one of the sisters had said to
me, "Sister, you will not be going for the third probation. I myself
will see to it that you will not be permitted to make your vows." I said
nothing to the sister, but felt great pain which I tried to conceal as best I
could.
O Jesus, how strange are Your ways! I now see that people can do very little on their own, for I did make my probation, as Jesus had told me.
186 +Today Jesus said to me, I desire that you know
more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will
understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on
behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a
contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the
grace of conversion. This is the prayer:
187 "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from
the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You."
257 Tomorrow I am
to leave for Vilnius. Today, I went to confession to Father Andrasz, this
priest who is so filled with the spirit of God, who untied my wings so that I
could soar to the highest summits. He reassured me in everything and told me
to believe in Divine Providence. "Have confidence and walk ahead with
courage." An extraordinary, divine power came over me after that
confession. Father stressed that I must be faithful to God's grace and said,
"No harm will come to you if, in the future, you continue to keep this
same simplicity and obedience. Have confidence in God; you are on the right
path and in good hands, in God's hands."
422 Seeing Father
Sopocko's sacrifice and efforts for this work, I admired his patience and humility.
This all cost a great deal, not only in terms of toil and various troubles,
but also of money; and Father Sopocko was taking care of all the expenses. I
can see that Divine Providence had prepared him to carry out this work of
mercy before I had asked God for this. Oh, how strange are Your ways, O God!
And how happy are the souls that follow the call of divine grace!
652 There is one word I heed and continually ponder; it
alone is everything to me; I live by it and die by it, and it is the holy
will of God. It is my daily food. My whole soul listens intently to God's
wishes. I do always what God asks of me, although my nature often quakes and
I feel that the magnitude of these things is beyond my strength. 1 know well
what I am of myself, but I also know what the grace of God is, which supports
me.
666 I understood that all striving for perfection and all
sanctity consist in doing God's will. Perfect fulfillment of God's will is
maturity in sanctity; there is no room for doubt here. To receive God's light
and recognize what God wants of us and yet not do it is a great offense
against the majesty of God. Such a soul deserves to be completely forsaken by
God. It resembles Lucifer, who had great light, but did not do God's will. An
extraordinary peace entered my soul when I reflected on the fact that,
despite great difficulties, I had always faithfully followed God's will as I
knew it. O Jesus, grant me the grace to put Your will into practice as I have
come to know it, O God.
674 I gave no answer to Jesus, but poured out all my
sorrow before Him, and Satan's attempts ceased. Jesus then said to me, The
inner peace that you have is a grace, and suddenly He was gone. I felt
happy and unaccountably peaceful. Really, for so much peace to return within
a moment-that is a thing only Jesus can do, He, the most high Lord.
687 Once, as I was going down the hall to the kitchen, I
heard these words in my soul: Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have
taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of
death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation.
Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet
only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the
whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to
those souls who trust in My mercy.
688 Jesus, Life and Truth, my Master, guide every step of my life, that I may act according to Your holy will.
690 + On one occasion, I came to know of the condition of
two religious sisters who were grumbling interiorly about an order the
superior had given them, and for this reason God had withheld many special
graces from them. My heart ached at this sight. How sad it is, O Jesus, when
we ourselves are the cause of the loss of graces. Whoever understands this is
always faithful.
693 September 14,
[1936]. The Archbishop [Jalbrzykowski] of Vilnius visited us. Although he stayed
with us for a very short time, I still had a chance to talk with this worthy
priest about the work of mercy. He showed himself very favorably disposed to
this cause of mercy: "Sister, be completely at peace; if this is within
the plans of divine providence, it will come about. In the meantime, Sister,
pray for a clearer outward sign. Let the Lord Jesus give you a clearer
knowledge of this. I beg you to wait a little while longer. The Lord Jesus
will arrange the circumstances in such a way that everything will turn out
all right."
699 On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter,
tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of
Mercy [139] be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and
especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy
are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach
the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy
Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that
day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no
soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is
so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it
throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very
depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will
contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged
from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated
on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns
to the Fount of My Mercy.
1339 O merciful God, You do not despise us, but lavish
Your graces on us continuously. You make us fit to enter `Your kingdom, and
in Your goodness You grant that human beings may fill the places vacated by
the ungrateful angels. O God of great mercy, who turned Your sacred gaze away
from the rebellious angels and turned it upon contrite man, praise and glory
be to Your unfathomable mercy, O God who do not despise the lowly heart.
1361 This firm
resolution to become a saint is extremely pleasing to Me. I bless your efforts
and will give you opportunities to sanctify yourself. Be watchful that you lose
no opportunity that My providence offers you for sanctification. If you do
not succeed in taking advantage of an opportunity, do not lose your peace,
but humble yourself profoundly before Me and, with great trust, immerse
yourself completely in My mercy. In this way, you gain more than you have
lost, because more favor is granted to a humble soul than the soul itself
asks for...
1488 Conversation of the Merciful God
with a Soul Striving after Perfection
Jesus: I am pleased with your efforts, O soul aspiring
for perfection, but why do I see you so often sad and depressed? Tell Me, My
child, what is the meaning of this sadness, and what is its cause?
Soul: Lord, the reason for my sadness is that, in spite of my sincere resolutions, I fall again into the same faults. I make resolutions in the morning, but in the evening I see how much I have departed from them. Jesus: You see, My child, what you are of yourself. The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me. But let this not sadden you so much. You are dealing with the God of mercy, which your misery cannot exhaust. Remember, I did not allot only a certain number of pardons. Soul: Yes, I know all that, (91) but great temptations assail me, and various doubts awaken within me and, moreover, everything irritates and discourages me. Jesus: My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue. AH temptations united together ought not disturb your interior peace, not even momentarily. Sensitiveness and discouragement are the fruits of self-love. You should not become discouraged, but strive to make My love reign in place of your self-love. Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy. Soul: I understand what is the better thing to do, what pleases You more, but I encounter great obstacles in acting on this understanding. Jesus: My child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for My kingdom. But fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting (92) you, so lean on Me as you struggle, fearing nothing. Take the vessel of trust and draw from the fountain of life—for yourself, but also for other souls, especially such as are distrustful of My goodness. Soul: O Lord, I feel my heart being filled with Your love and the rays of Your mercy and love piercing my soul. I go, Lord, at Your command. I go to conquer souls. Sustained by Your grace, I am ready to follow You, Lord, not only to Tabor, but also to Calvary. I desire to lead souls to the fount of Your mercy so that the splendor of Your mercy may be reflected in all souls, and the home of our Father be filled to overflowing. And when the enemy begins to attack me, I shall take refuge behind the shield of Your mercy. 1489 Conversation of the Merciful God with a Perfect Soul Soul: My Lord and Master, I desire to converse with You. Jesus: Speak, My beloved (93) child, for I am always listening. I wait for you. What do you desire to say? Soul: Lord, first let me pour out my heart at Your feet in a fragrant anointing of gratitude for the many blessings which You lavish upon me; even if I wanted to, I could not count them. I only recall that there has never been a moment in my life in which I have not experienced Your protection and goodness. Jesus: Your words please Me, and your thanksgiving opens up new treasures of graces. But, My child, we should talk in more detail about the things that lie in your heart. Let us talk confidentially and frankly, as two hearts that love one another do. Soul: O my merciful Lord, there are secrets in my heart which no one knows or will ever know except You because, even if I wanted to reveal them, no one would understand me. Your minister knows some because I confess to him, but he knows only the bit of these mysteries that I am capable of revealing; the rest remains between us for eternity, O My Lord! (94) You have covered me with the cloak of Your mercy, pardoning my sins. Not once did You refuse Your pardon; You always had pity on me, giving me a new life of grace. To prevent doubts, You have entrusted me to the loving care of Your Church, that tender mother, who in Your name assures me of the truths of faith and watches lest I wander. Especially in the tribunal of Your mercy does my soul meet an ocean of favors, though You did not give the Fallen Angels time to repent or prolong their time of mercy. O my Lord, you have provided saintly priests to show me the sure way. Jesus, there is one more secret in my life, the deepest and dearest to my heart: it is You yourself when You come to my heart under the appearance of bread. Herein lies the whole secret of my sanctity. Here my heart is so united with Yours as to be but one. There are no more secrets, because all that is Yours is mine, and all that is mine is Yours. Such is the omnipotence and the (95) miracle of Your mercy. All the tongues of men and of angels united could not find words adequate to this mystery of Your love and mercy. When I contemplate this mystery, my heart falls into a new ecstasy. In silence I tell You everything, Lord, because the language of love is without words; not a single stirring of my heart escapes You. O Lord, the extent of Your great condescension has awakened in my soul an even greater love for You, the sole object of my love. The life of union manifests itself in perfect purity, deep humility, gentle silence, and great zeal for the salvation of souls. O my sweetest Lord, You watch over me each moment and inspire me as to how I should act in a precise situation, when my heart wavers between two things. You yourself frequently intervened in the resolution of a difficulty. Countless times, by means of a sudden (96) enlightenment, You have given me to know what is the more pleasing to You. Oh, how numerous are the instances of forgiveness about which no one knows! How often You have poured into my soul courage and perseverance to go forward. It is You yourself who removed obstacles from my road, intervening directly in the actions of people. O Jesus, everything I have said to You is but a pale shadow of what is taking place in my heart. O my Jesus, how ardently I desire the conversion of sinners! You know what I am doing for them to win them for You. Every offense against You wounds me deeply. I spare neither strength, nor health, nor life itself in defense of Your kingdom. Although my efforts may remain invisible on earth, they are no less valuable in Your eyes. O Jesus, I want to bring souls to the fount of Your mercy to draw the reviving water of life with the vessel of trust. The soul desirous of more of God's mercy should approach God with greater trust; and if her trust in God is unlimited, then the mercy of God toward it will be likewise limitless. O my God, (97) Who know every beat of my heart, You know how eagerly I desire that all hearts would beat for You alone, that every soul glorify the greatness of Your mercy. Jesus: My beloved child, delight of My Heart, your words are dearer and more pleasing to me than the angelic chorus. All the treasures of My Heart are open to you. Take from this Heart all that you need for yourself and for the whole world. For the sake of your love, I withhold the just chastisements, which mankind has deserved. A single act of pure love pleases Me more than a thousand imperfect prayers. One of your sighs of love atones for many offenses with which the godless overwhelm Me. The smallest act of virtue has unlimited value in My eyes because of your great love for Me. In a soul that lives on My love alone, I reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I find My happiness; My ear is attentive to (98) each request of its heart; often I anticipate its requests. O child, especially beloved by Me, apple of My eye, rest a moment near My Heart and taste of the love in which you will delight for all eternity. But child, you are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king's child would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you, My child, a great number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity. My child, that you may answer My call worthily, receive Me daily in Holy Communion. It will give you strength...
1548 January 30, 1938. One-day retreat.
The Lord gave me to know, during meditation, that as long
as my heart beats in my breast, I must always strive to spread the Kingdom of
God on earth. I am to fight for the glory of my Creator. I know that I will
give God the glory He expects of me if I try faithfully to cooperate with
God's grace.
1661 I spent the whole day in thanksgiving, and gratitude
kept flooding my soul. O my God, how good You are, how great is Your mercy!
You visit me with so many graces, me who am a most wretched speck of dust.
Prostrating myself at Your feet, O Lord, I confess with a sincere heart that
I have done nothing to deserve even the least of Your graces. It is in Your
infinite goodness that You give Yourself to me so generously. Therefore, the
greater the graces which my heart receives, the deeper it plunges itself in
humility.
1675 On the following day, Sister Felicia took me there. I
left in great peace and a calm spirit. When we arrived, they told us there
was a private room for Sister Faustina. When we entered the room, we were
surprised that everything had been prepared so beautifully: all was clean and
neat, covered with tablecloths and bedecked with flowers; a pretty Easter
Lamb had been placed on the night table by the Sisters. 248
At once, three Sacred Heart Sisters 249
who work at the sanatorium, my old acquaintances, came and greeted me warmly.
Sister Felicia was surprised at all this. We bid a warm farewell to each
other, and she left. When I was alone, with just the Lord Jesus and myself, I
thanked Him for this great grace.
1682 + May 1, [1938]. This evening, Jesus said to me, My
daughter, do you need anything? I answered, "O my Love, when I have
You I have everything." And the Lord answered, If souls would put
themselves completely in My care, I Myself would undertake the task of
sanctifying them, and I would lavish even greater graces on them. There are
souls who thwart My efforts, but I have not given up on them; as often as
they turn to Me, I hurry to their aid, shielding them with My mercy, and I
give them the first place in My compassionate Heart.
1683 Write for the benefit of religious souls that it
delights Me to come to their hearts in Holy Communion. But if there is anyone
else in such a heart, I cannot bear it and quickly leave that heart, taking
with Me all the gifts and graces I have prepared for the soul. And the soul
does not even notice My going. After some time, inner emptiness and
dissatisfaction will come to her attention. Oh, if only she would turn to Me
then, I would help her to cleanse her heart, and I would fulfill everything
in her soul; but without her knowledge and consent, I cannot be the Master of
her heart.
1687 Today I saw the Crucified Lord Jesus. Precious pearls
and diamonds were pouring forth from the wound in His Heart. I saw how a
multitude of souls was gathering these gifts, but there was one soul who was
closest to His Heart and she, knowing the greatness of these gifts, was
gathering them with liberality, not only for herself, but for others as well.
The Savior said to me, Behold, the treasures of grace that flow down upon
souls, but not all souls know how to take advantage of My generosity.
1688 Today, the Lord said to me, My daughter, look into
My Merciful Heart and reflect its compassion in your own heart and in your
deeds, so that you, who proclaim My mercy to the world, may yourself be
aflame with it.
The Creator and The Creature.
1692 I adore You, Lord and
Creator, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament. I adore You for all the works of
Your hands, that reveal to me so much wisdom, goodness and mercy, O Lord. You
have spread so much beauty over the earth, and it tells me about Your beauty,
even though these beautiful things are but a faint reflection of You,
Incomprehensible Beauty. And although You have hidden Yourself and concealed
Your beauty, my eye, enlightened by faith, reaches You, and my soul
recognizes its Creator, its Highest Good; and my heart is completely immersed
in prayer of adoration.
My Lord and Creator, Your goodness encourages me to converse with You. Your mercy abolishes the chasm which separates the Creator from the creature. To converse with You, O Lord, is the delight of my heart. In You I find everything that my heart could desire. Here Your light illumines my mind, enabling it to know You more and more deeply. Here streams of graces flow down upon my heart. Here my soul draws eternal life. O my Lord and Creator, You alone, beyond all these gifts, give Your own self to me and unite Yourself intimately with Your miserable creature. Here, without searching for words, our hearts understand each other. Here, no one is able to interrupt our conversation. What I talk to You about, Jesus, is our secret, which creatures shall not know and Angels dare not ask about. These are secret acts of forgiveness, known only to Jesus and me; this is the mystery of His mercy, which embraces each soul separately. For this incomprehensible goodness of Yours, I adore You, O Lord and Creator, with all my heart and all my soul. And, although my worship is so little and poor, I am at peace because I know that You know it is sincere, however inadequate...
1693 As I was writing the above
words, I saw the Lord Jesus leaning over me, and He asked, My daughter,
what are you writing? I answered, "I am writing about You, Jesus,
about Your being hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, about Your inconceivable
love and mercy for people." And Jesus said, Secretary of My most
profound mystery, know that yours is an exclusive intimacy with Me. Your task
is to write down everything that I make known to you about My mercy, for the
benefit of those who by reading these things will be comforted in their souls
and will have the courage to approach Me. I therefore want you to devote all
your free moments to writing. "But, O Lord, shall I always have a
moment, at least a brief one, in which to write?" And Jesus answered, It
is not for you to think about that. Only do as much as you can, and I will
always arrange things so that you will easily be able to do what I ask of
you...
1694 Today, I was visited by a
certain lay person [probably Stanislava Kwietniewska] who has caused me a lot
of sorrow and who has abused my goodness, telling many lies. At the first
moment I saw her, the blood froze in my veins, because there stood before my
eyes all that I had to suffer because of her, although with one word I could
have freed myself of them all. And the thought came to me to tell her the
truth, firmly and immediately. But at the same moment, the mercy of God came before
my eyes, and I resolved to act toward her as Jesus would have acted in my
place. I started to talk to her gently, and when she expressed the wish to
talk to me alone; I then, in a very delicate manner, made known to her
clearly the sad condition of her soul. I saw that she was deeply moved,
though she was trying to hide this from me. At that point, a third person
came in, and so our heart-to-heart talk came to an end. She asked me for a
glass of water and for two other things which I did willingly. However, had
it not been for the grace of God, I would not have been able to act in such a
way toward her. When they left, I thanked God for the grace which had
supported me during that time.
1696 O Christ, although much
effort is required, all things can be done with Your grace.
1697 I was feeling fairly well
today, and I was glad that I would be able to make the Holy Hour. But when I
began to make the Holy Hour, my physical sufferings intensified, so that I
was not able to pray. When the Holy Hour was over, my sufferings came to an
end, and I complained to the Lord that I had wanted so much to steep myself
in His sorrowful Passion, but that my sufferings had not allowed me to do so.
Then Jesus said to me, My daughter, know that if I allow you to feel and
have a more profound knowledge of My sufferings, that is a grace from Me. But
when your mind is dimmed and your sufferings are great, it is then that you
take an active part in My Passion, and I am conforming you more fully to
Myself. It is your task to submit yourself to My will at such times, more
than at others...
1698 l often attend upon the dying
and through entreaties obtain for them trust in God's mercy, and I implore
God for an abundance of divine grace, which is always victorious. God's mercy
sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious
way. Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. The
soul, illumined by a ray of God's powerful final grace, turns to God in the
last moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from
God forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign
either of repentance or of contrition, because souls [at that stage] no
longer react to external things. Oh, how beyond comprehension is God's mercy!
But-horror!-there are also souls who voluntarily and consciously reject and
scorn this grace! Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful
God gives the soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is
willing, it has the possibility of returning to God. But sometimes, the
obduracy in souls is so great that consciously they choose hell; they [thus]
make useless all the prayers that other souls offer to God for them and even
the efforts of God Himself...
1783 + When I immersed myself in prayer and united myself
with all the Masses that were being celebrated all over the world at that
time, I implored God, for the sake of all these Holy Masses, to have mercy on
the world and especially on poor sinners who were dying at that moment. At
the same instant, I received an interior answer from God that a thousand
souls had received grace through the prayerful mediation I had offered to
God. We do not know the number of souls that is ours to save through our
prayers and sacrifices; therefore, let us always pray for sinners.
1784 Today, in the course of a long conversation, the Lord
said to me, How very much I desire the salvation of souls! My dearest
secretary, write that I want to pour out My divine life into human souls and
sanctify them, if only they were willing to accept My grace. The greatest
sinners would achieve great sanctity, if only they would trust in My mercy. The very inner
depths of My being are filled to overflowing with mercy, and it is being
poured out upon all I have created. My delight is to act in a human soul and
to fill it with My mercy and to justify it. My kingdom on earth is My life in
the human soul. Write, My secretary, that I Myself am the spiritual guide of
souls-and I guide them indirectly through the priest, and lead each one to
sanctity by a road known to Me alone.
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-164-165, 186-187, 257, 422)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-652, 666, 674, 687-688, 690, 693, 699)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1059, 1065, 1074-1076 )
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1339, 1361, 1448-1449, 1548)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1661, 1675, 1682-1683, 1687-1688)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-VI-1692-1694, 1696-1698, 1783-1784)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory. (Notebook I-48)
I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You."
(Notebook I-186-187)
I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You."
(Notebook I-186-187)
Oktubre 18, 2012
Me? An Apostle?-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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