The Greatest
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Memorial of Saint
Therese of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church
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Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Luke 9: 46-50
An argument arose
among the disciples about which of them was the greatest. Jesus realized the
intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said
to them, "Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and
whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. For the one who is least
among all of you is the one who is the greatest." Then John said in
reply, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we
tried to prevent him because he does not follow in our company." Jesus
said to him, "Do not prevent him, for whoever is not against you is for
you."
Introductory Prayer:
In You, Lord, I find
all my joy and happiness. How could I offend You by chasing after fleeting
success and lifeless trophies? I believe in You because You are truth itself.
I hope in You because You are faithful to Your promises. I love You because You
have loved me first. I am a sinner; nevertheless, You have given me so many
blessings. I humbly thank You.
Petition: Holy Spirit, teach me to see myself as the
least of all, as one called to serve all.
1. Me-first
Syndrome: Listening wasn´t the
disciples´ strong suit. How could it be? If they had truly paid attention to
the Master, they should have known that the Good News wasn´t about striving
for prestige and recognition. It was about humility and service. We can only
wonder why Jesus´ words didn´t sink in for his disciples. Yet, are we much
better? We hear or read the same Gospel passages year after year, yet we
still fall into sins of pride. We might think ourselves better or smarter or
holier than the rest. But how does Christ see us?
2. The Corrupter: Jesus explains in what greatness consists:
the acceptance of the weakest and most defenseless, in his name. This
requires a humble heart. God gives us certain powers that he hopes will be
used for good purposes. The history of mankind seethes with tales of people
exploiting one another at every opportunity. Examples abound: ethnic groups
that exploit minorities, employers who take advantage of poor immigrants, the
road-rager who cuts off people in traffic. “Power corrupts,” says the ancient
adage. Indeed it does. How do I treat the people over whom I have authority?
Am I like a dictator? Do I always want to show them "who´s the
boss"? Or is my attitude one of service?
3. Zealously
Jealous: John explains that
he and the other disciples tried to stop someone who was doing good in Jesus´
name. The person´s crime was that he didn´t follow "in our
company." Christians have derailed more than a few good works over the
centuries because they thought themselves appointed by God to police the Church.
The Holy Spirit raises up all kinds of new works which need to be serenely
discerned, not systematically squelched simply because they are new. "By
their fruits you will know them," Jesus says (see Matthew 7:16). The
lesson Our Lord wants to give is: Don´t be so quick to judge others´ motives.
Give them the benefit of the doubt, and wait to see what their work produces.
Is there anyone I´m keeping from doing good?
Conversation with
Christ: Give me the grace to
see people and actions through Your eyes. Let me bring my standards in line
with Yours. Let me learn to look at a person´s heart rather than his
appearance. And above all, give me the wisdom never to stand in the way of
people doing good for your Church.
Resolution: I will do an act of charity for the pro-life
movement or for a children´s group.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
248 The words of the Bishop [Rospond[73]], spoken at the ceremony of the taking of
perpetual vows: "Accept this candle as a sign of heavenly light and of
burning love." While giving the ring: "I betroth you to Jesus
Christ, the Son of the Father Most High; may He keep you unblemished. Take
this ring as a sign of the eternal covenant you are making with Christ, the
Spouse of Virgins. May it be for you the ring of faith and the sign of the
Holy Spirit, that you may be called the bride of Christ and, if you serve Him
faithfully, be crowned [as such] for all eternity.
375 Particular interior practice; that is, the examination
of conscience. Self-denial, denial of my own will.
I. The denial of my reason. Subjecting it to the reason of those who represent God to me here on earth. II. The denial of my will. Doing the will of God, which is revealed in the will of those who represent God to me and which is contained in the rule of our order. III. The denial of my judgment. Accepting immediately and without reflection, analysis or reasoning all orders given by those who represent God to me. IV. The denial of my tongue. I will not give it the least bit of freedom; but in one case only I will give it complete freedom; that is, in proclaiming the glory of God. Whenever I receive Holy Communion, I will ask Jesus to fortify and cleanse my tongue that I may not injure my neighbor with it. That is why I have the greatest respect for the rule which speaks about silence.
376 My Jesus, I trust that Your grace will help me to
carry out these resolutions. Although the above points are contained in the
vow of obedience, I want to practice these things in a special way, because
this is the essence of the religious life. Merciful Jesus, I beg You
fervently to enlighten my mind so that I may come to know You better, You who
are the Infinite Being, and that I may get to know myself better, who am
nothingness itself.
378 Once as I was talking with my spiritual director, I
had an interior vision-quicker than lightning-of his soul in great suffering,
in such agony that God touches very few souls with such fire. The suffering
arises from this work. There will come a time when this work, which God is
demanding so very much, will be as though utterly undone. And then God will
act with great power, which will give evidence of its authenticity. It will
be a new splendor for the Church, although it has been dormant in it from
long ago. That God is infinitely merciful, no one can deny. He desires
everyone to know this before He comes again as Judge. He wants souls to come
to know Him first as King of Mercy. When this triumph comes, we shall already
have entered the new life in which there is no suffering. But before this,
your soul [of the spiritual director] will be surfeited with bitterness at
the sight of the destruction of your efforts. However, this will only appear
to be so, because what God has once decided upon, He does not change. But
although this destruction will be such only in outward appearance, the
suffering will be real. When will this happen? I do not know. How long will
it last? I do not know.[89] But God has promised a great grace
especially to you and to all those... who will proclaim My great mercy. I
shall protect them Myself at the hour of death, as My own glory. And even if
the sins of soul are as dark as night, when the sinner turns to My mercy he
gives Me the greatest praise and is the glory of My Passion. When a soul
praises My goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of
hell.
379 During one of the adorations, Jesus promised me that: With
souls that have recourse to My mercy and with those that glorify and proclaim
My great mercy to others, I will deal according to My infinite mercy at the
hour of their death.
My Heart is sorrowful, Jesus said, because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds My Heart I Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds.
389 Love must be reciprocal. If Jesus tasted the fullness
of bitterness for me, then I, His bride, will accept all bitterness as proof
of my love for Him.
391 Through Holy Baptism, we entered into union with other
souls. Death tightens the bonds of love. I ought always to be of help to
others. If I am a good religious, I will be useful, not only to the Order,
but to the whole Country as well.
392 The Lord God grants His graces in two ways: by
inspiration and by enlightenment. If we ask God for a grace, He will give it
to us; but let us be willing to accept it. And in order to accept it,
self-denial is needed. Love does not consist in words or feelings, but in
deeds. It is an act of the will; it is a gift; that is to say, a giving. The
reason, the will, the heart-these three faculties must be exercised during
prayer. I will rise from the dead in Jesus, but first I must live in Him. If
I do not separate myself from the Cross, then the Gospel will be revealed in
me. Jesus in me makes up for all my deficiencies. His grace operates without
ceasing. The Holy Trinity grants me Its life abundantly, by the gift of the
Holy Spirit. The Three Divine Persons live in me. When God loves, He loves
with all His Being, with all the power of His Being. If God has loved me in
this way, how should I respond I, His spouse?
393 During one conference, Jesus said to me, You are a
sweet grape in a chosen cluster; I want others to have a share in the juice
that is flowing within you.
525 O
Holy Trinity, in whom is contained the inner life of God, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, eternal joy, inconceivable depth of love, poured
out upon all creatures and constituting their happiness, honor and glory be
to Your holy name forever and ever. Amen.
When I consider Your greatness and beauty, O my God, I rejoice exceedingly that the Lord I serve is so great. With love and joy I carry out His will, and the more I come to know Him, the more I desire to love Him. I burn with the desire to love Him ever more and more.
543
The duration of the postulancy. The postulancy will last one year. During
this time, the candidate should examine whether she is attracted to this type
of life and whether it is suitable to her. The directress should also
diligently consider whether or not the person in question is suitable for
this type of life. After a year, if the postulant shows evidence of a stable
will and an earnest desire to serve God, she should be admitted to the
novitiate.
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.
723 + Today, I heard these words: The graces I grant
you are not for you alone, but for a great number of other souls as well...
And your heart is My constant dwelling place, despite the misery that you
are. I unite Myself with you, take away your misery and give you My mercy. I
perform works of mercy in every soul. The greater the sinner, the greater the
right he has to My mercy. My mercy is confirmed in every work of My hands. He
who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are Mine, and his
enemies will be shattered at the base of My footstool.
737 + Although I was ill, I made up my mind to make a Holy
Hour today as usual. During that hour, I saw the Lord Jesus being scourged at
the pillar. In the midst of this frightful torture, Jesus was praying. After
a while, He said to me, There are few souls who contemplate My Passion
with true feeling; I give great graces to souls who meditate devoutly onMy
Passion.
738 + Without special help from Me, you are not even
capable of accepting My graces.You know who you are.
930 + O my Jesus, although I will go to You, and You will
fill me with Yourself, and that will make my happiness complete, I will
nevertheless not forget about humanity. I desire to draw aside the veils of
heaven, so that the earth would have no doubts about The Divine Mercy. My
repose is in proclaiming Your mercy. The soul gives the greatest glory to its
Creator when it turns with trust to The Divine Mercy.
+ The
Love of God is the flower - Mercy the fruit.
1000
In the terrible desert of life,
O my sweetest Jesus, Protect souls from disaster, For You are the Fountain of Mercy. Let the resplendence of Your rays, O sweet Commander of our souls, Let mercy change the world. And you who have received this grace, serve Jesus. Steep is the great highway I must travel, But I fear nothing, For the pure fount of mercy is flowing for my sake, And, with it, strength for the humble soul. I am exhausted and worn out, But my conscience bears me witness That I do all for the greater glory of the Lord, The Lord who is my repose and my heritage. [End of Notebook Two of the Diary.]
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.
1075 Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield
through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of
death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior. At that last
hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend itself except My mercy. Happy
is the soul that during its lifetime immersed itself in the Fountain of Mercy,
because justice will have no hold on it.
1076 Write this: Everything that exists is enclosed in
the bowels of My mercy, more deeply than an infant in its mother's womb. How
painfully distrust of My goodness wounds Me! Sins of distrust wound Me most
painfully.
1155 The Lord gave me knowledge of His will
under three aspects, so to speak, but it all comes down to one. [198] The first is that souls separated from the world will burn as
an offering before God's throne and beg for mercy for the whole world... and
by their entreaties they will obtain blessings for priests, and through their
prayers prepare the world for the final coming of Jesus.
1156 The second is prayer joined to the act of
mercy. In particular, they will defend the souls of children against the
spirit of evil. Prayer and merciful deeds are all that will be required of
these souls, and even the poorest persons can be admitted to their number.
And in this egoistic world they will try to rouse up love, the mercy of
Jesus.
1157 The third is prayer and deeds of mercy,
without any obligation of taking vows. But by doing this, these persons will
have a share in all the merits and privileges of the whole [congregation].
Everyone in the world can belong to this group.
1158 A member of this group ought to perform
at least one act of mercy a day; at least one, but there can be many more,
for such deeds can easily be carried out by anyone, even the very poorest.
For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word, by
forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then
pray-that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy. And when the Last Day
comes, we shall be judged from this, and on this basis we shall receive the
eternal verdict.
1286 + Thank You, O God, for
all the graces
Which unceasingly You lavish upon me, Graces which enlighten me with the brilliance of the sun, For by them You show me the sure way. Thank You, 0 Lord, for creating me, For calling me into being from nothingness, For imprinting Your divinity on my soul, The work of sheer merciful love. Thank You, O God, for Holy Baptism Which engrafted me into Your family, A gift great beyond all thought or expression Which transforms my soul. Thank You, O Lord, for Holy Confession, For that inexhaustible spring of great mercy, For that inconceivable fountain of graces In which sin-tainted souls become purified. Thank You, O Jesus, for Holy Communion In which You give us Yourself. I feel Your Heart beating within my breast As You cause Your divine life to unfold within me. Thank You, O Holy Spirit, for the Sacrament of Confirmation, Which dubs me Your knight And gives strength to my soul at each moment, Protecting me from evil. Thank You, O God, for the grace of a vocation. For being called to serve You alone, Leading me to make You my sole love, An unequal honor for my soul. Thank You, O Lord, for perpetual vows, For that union of pure love, For having deigned to unite Your pure heart with mine And uniting my heart to Yours in the purest of bonds. Thank You, O Lord, for the Sacrament of Anointing Which, in my final moments, will give me strength; My help in battle, my guide to salvation, Fortifying my soul till we rejoice forever. Thank You, O God, for all the inspirations That Your goodness lavishes upon me, For the interior lights given my soul, Which the heart senses, but words cannot express. Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces Which You have lavished on me unceasingly through life. My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises, When, for the first time, I sing to Your glory.
1466 Jesus, lover of human salvation, draw all souls to
the divine life. May the greatness of Your mercy be praised here on earth and
in eternity. O great lover of souls, who in Your boundless compassion opened
the salutary fountains of mercy so that weak souls may be fortified in this
life's pilgrimage, Your mercy runs through our life like a golden thread and
maintains in good order the contact of our being with God. For He does not
need anything to make Him happy; so everything is solely the work of His
mercy. My senses are transfixed with joy when God grants me a deeper
awareness of that great attribute of His; namely, His unfathomable mercy.
1474 I often ask the Lord Jesus for an intellect
enlightened by faith. I express this to the Lord in these words: "Jesus,
give me an intellect, a great intellect, for this only, that I may understand
You better; because the better I get to know You, the more ardently will I
love You. Jesus, I ask You for a powerful intellect, that I may understand
divine and lofty matters. Jesus, give me a keen intellect with which I will
get to know Your Divine Essence and Your indwelling, Triune life. Give my
intellect these capacities and aptitudes by means of Your special grace.
Although I know that there is a capability through grace which the Church
gives me, there is still a treasure of graces which You give us, O Lord, when
we ask You for them. But if my request is not pleasing to You, then I beg
You, do not give me the inclination to pray thus."
1482 + O my Jesus, You know that I have gotten myself into
a lot of trouble for speaking out the truth. O truth, so often oppressed, you
nearly always wear a crown of thorns! O Eternal Truth, support me that I may
have the courage to speak the truth even if it would come about that I would
pay for it with my life. O Jesus, how hard it is to believe in this, when one
sees one thing taught and something else lived.
1499 At that moment, I saw Jesus, who said, I am
pleased with what you are doing. And you can continue to be at peace if you
always do the best you can in respect to this work of mercy. Be absolutely as
frank as possible with your confessor. Satan gained nothing by tempting you,
because you did not enter into conversation with him. Continue to act in this
way. You gave Me great glory today by fighting so faithfully. Let it be
confirmed and engraved on your heart that I am
always with you, even if you don't feel My presence at the
time of battle.
1500 Today, the love of God is transporting me into the
other world. I am all immersed in love; I love and feel that I am loved, and
with full consciousness I experience this. My soul is drowning in the Lord,
realizing the great Majesty of God and its own littleness; but through this
knowledge my happiness increases... This awareness is so vivid in the soul,
so powerful
and, at the same time, so sweet.
1652 Adore, my soul, the mercy of the Lord,
O my heart, rejoice wholly in Him, Because for this you have been chosen by Him, To spread the glory of His mercy. His goodness no one has fathomed, no one can measure, His compassion is untold. Every soul that approaches Him experiences this. He will shield her and clasp her to His merciful bosom. Happy the soul that has trusted in Your goodness And has abandoned herself completely to Your mercy. Her soul is filled with the peace of love. You defend her everywhere as Your own child. O soul, whoever you may be in this world, Even if your sins were as black as night, Do not fear God, weak child that you are, For great is the power of God's mercy.
1710 May 26, [1938-Feast of the Ascension]. Today I
accompanied the Lord Jesus as He ascended into heaven. It was about noon. I
was overcome by a great longing for God. It is a strange thing, the more I
felt God's presence, the more ardently I desired Him. Then I saw myself in
the midst of a huge crowd of disciples and apostles, together with the Mother
of God. Jesus was telling them to... Go out into the whole world and teach
in My name. He stretched out His hands and blessed them and disappeared
in a cloud. I saw the longing of Our Lady. Her soul yearned for Jesus with
the whole force of Her love. But She was so peaceful and so united to the
will of God that there was not a stir in Her heart but for what God wanted.
1711 When I was left alone with the Blessed Virgin, She
instructed me concerning the interior life. She said, The soul's true
greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in His presence,
completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing; because
the Lord is great, but He is well pleased only with the humble; He always
opposes the proud.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-248, 375-376, 378-379, 389, 391)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-392-393)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-525, 543, 699, 723, 737-738, 930)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-1000)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1076, 1155-1158)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1286)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1466, 1474, 1482, 1499-1500)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1652, 1710-1711 )
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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