The Kingdom Within
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Thursday of the
Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Edward Hopkins, LC
Luke 17:20-25
Asked by the
Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, "The
coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce,
´Look, here it is,´ or, ´There it is.´ For behold, the kingdom of God is
among you." Then he said to his disciples, "The days will come when
you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see
it. There will be those who will say to you, ´Look, there he is,´ or ´Look,
here he is.´ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning
flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of
Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this
generation.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in Your presence in my life. You have called
me to share in Your faith and love. I trust that You will help me grow closer
to You. I love You, Lord, here and now. I will live this day in prayer.
Petition: Lord, help me to understand Your Kingdom better.
1. When? Since the Pharisees had the wrong notion of
the Kingdom of God, they could hardly ask the proper questions concerning it.
Their expected kingdom was a worldly kingdom that would cast off foreign
domination and restore sovereignty to Israel. But Christ’s kingdom is concerned
more about the state of the soul and the struggle between good and evil than
external nations. The Pharisees’ misperception kept them from recognizing
Christ and his kingdom. Thousands of years later we, too, can be susceptible
to the errors of the Pharisees. For us, a lack of faith can keep us from
seeing that the Kingdom of God comes only when we accept Jesus as king of our
souls. Only when we allow him to rule and order our lives does his kingdom
come. The “when” is now. Now is the moment for me to encounter Christ and
make him my king.
2. Where? Christ’s disciples also struggled to
understand the nature of the kingdom. They sought to see “the days of the Son
of Man,” a powerful reign where Christ was supreme with the entire world
subject to him. Yet, Christ comes first to reign in the heart of each person.
In my own heart, do I believe in Christ and accept his will? Do I love him
and sacrifice myself in order to respond to his will? Am I building the
kingdom from my prayer and life of grace?
3. How? If the kingdom is here and now, then how do
we enter? We enter the same way our King enters – through the door of
suffering and perseverance. “First he must suffer greatly and be rejected.”
Belief is not just a one-time acceptance. Faith must be lived throughout the
great and little trials we encounter in life. In this way we make faith and
the kingdom more our own. We need to remember that in the end, it is the
kingdom -- and the King himself -- who comes to us, like lighting across the
sky.
Conversation with
Christ: Dear Jesus, help me
to understand Your kingdom. Build Your kingdom within me, in my thoughts and
desires. Become my life and my love. Cut away any distance between us. Make
my life the light and salt to spread Your kingdom effectively to those with
whom I cross paths.
Resolution: I will dedicate a longer and calmer time to
examine my conscience tonight, and look for progress as well as the struggles
of the kingdom within me.
Excerpts from the DIARY of
Saint Faustina Kowalska
36 Once I was summoned to the
judgment [seat] of God. I stood alone before the Lord. Jesus appeared such as
we know Him during His Passion. After a moment, His wounds disappeared except
for five, those in His hands, His feet and His side. Suddenly I saw the
complete condition of my soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is
displeasing to God. I did not know that even the smallest transgressions will
have to be accounted for. What a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before
the Thrice-Holy God! Jesus asked me, Who are you? I answered, "I
am Your servant, Lord." You are guilty of one day of fire in
purgatory. I wanted to throw myself immediately into the flames of purgatory,
but Jesus stopped me and said, Which do you prefer, suffer now for one day in
purgatory or for a short while on earth? I replied, "Jesus, I want
to suffer in purgatory, and I want to suffer also the greatest pains on
earth, even if it were until the end of the world." Jesus said, One [of
the two] is enough; you will go back to earth, and there you will suffer
much, but not for long; you will accomplish My will and My desires, and a
faithful servant of Mine will help you to do this. Now, rest your head on My
bosom, on My heart, and draw from it strength and power for these sufferings,
because you will find neither relief nor help nor comfort anywhere else. Know
that you will have much, much to suffer, but don't let this frighten you; I
am with you.
83 Write this: before I come as the just Judge, I am
coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there
will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this sort: All light in the
heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole
earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the
openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed will come
forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This
will take place shortly before the last day.
374 J.M.J Vilnius, Februrary 4, 1935
[page in the Dairy with the words "From today on my will does not exist" crossed out with a large 'X'] The moment I knelt down to cross out my own will, as the Lord had bid me to do, I heard this voice in my soul: From today on, do not fear God's judgment, for you will not be judged [The next page has...] J.M.J Vilnius, February 4, 1935
496
Confession Day. From early morning, the turmoil in my soul was more violent
than anything I had ever experienced before. Complete abandonment by God; I
felt the utter weakness that I was. Thoughts bore in upon me: why should I
leave this convent where I am loved by the sisters and superiors, where life
is so tranquil; [where I am] bound by perpetual vows and carry out my duties
without difficulty; why should I listen to the voice of my conscience; why
follow an inspiration coming from who knows where; wouldn't it be better to
carry on like all the other sisters? Perhaps the Lord's words could be stifled,
not taken heed of; maybe God will not demand an account of them on the day of
judgment. Where will this inner voice lead me? If I follow it, what
tremendous difficulties, tribulations and adversities are in store for me. I
fear the future, and I am agonizing in the present.
This suffering continued with the same intensity throughout the whole day. When, in the evening, my turn came for confession, I could not make a full confession, even though I had been preparing for a long time. I received absolution and left, not knowing what was going on within me. When I went to bed, the suffering grew even worse; or rather, it changed into a fire which penetrated all the faculties of my soul like lightning, piercing me to the marrow, and to the most secret recesses of my heart. In the midst of this suffering, I was unable to bring myself to do anything. "Your will be done, Lord." At times I could not even think these words. Truly, a deadly fear had taken hold of me, and the flames of hell were touching me. Toward morning, silence set in, and my tribulations disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, but I felt so frightfully exhausted that I could not even move. During my conversation with Mother Superior, my strength returned bit by bit, but God alone knows how I felt throughout that whole day.
660
O my Jesus, on the day of the last judgment, You will demand from me an
account of this work of mercy. O just Judge, but my Spouse as well, help me
to do Your holy will. O mercy, O divine virtue!
O most merciful Heart of Jesus, my Betrothed, make my heart like unto Yours.
895
January 23, [1937]. I did not feel like writing today. Then I heard a voice
in my soul: My
daughter, you do not live for yourself but for souls; write for their
benefit. You know that My will as to your writing has been confirmed many
times by your confessors. You know what is pleasing to Me, and if you have
any doubts about what I am saying, you also know whom you are to ask. I grant
him light to pronounce judgment on my case. My eye watches over him. My
daughter, you are to be like a child towards him, full of simplicity and
candor. Put his judgment above all My demands. He will guide you according to
My will. If he doesn't allow you to carry out My demands, be at peace; I will
not judge you, but the matter will remain between Me and him. You are to be
obedient.
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.
+ Particular Examen
Union with the merciful Christ. With my heart I encompass the whole world, especially countries which are uncivilized or where there is persecution. I am praying for mercy upon them. 1317 I understand Your words, Lord, and the magnitude of the mercy that ought to shine in my soul. Jesus: I know, My daughter, that you understand it and that you do everything within your power. But write this for the many souls who are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their 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.
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.
1701 I asked the Lord today that He might deign to
teach me about the interior life, because of myself I can neither understand
nor conceive anything perfectly. The Lord answered me, I was your Teacher, I am and I will
be; strive to make your heart like unto My humble and gentle Heart. Never
claim your rights. Bear with great calm and patience everything that befalls
you. Do not defend yourself when you are put to shame, though innocent. Let
others triumph. Do not stop being good when you notice that your goodness is
being abused. I Myself will speak up for you when it is necessary. Be
grateful for the smallest of My graces, because your gratitude compels Me to
grant you new graces...
1702 Towards the end of the Way of the Cross which I
was making, the Lord Jesus began to complain about the souls of religious and
priests, about the lack of love in chosen souls. I will allow convents and churches
to be destroyed. I answered, "Jesus, but there are so
many souls praising You in convents." The Lord answered, That praise wounds My Heart, because
love has been banished from convents. Souls without love and without
devotion, souls full of egoism and self-love, souls full of pride and
arrogance, souls full of deceit and hypocrisy, lukewarm souls who have just
enough warmth to keep them alive: My Heart cannot bear this. All the graces
that I pour out upon them flow off them as off the face of a rock. I cannot
stand them, because they are neither good or bad. I called convents into
being to sanctify the world through them. It is from them that a powerful
flame of love and sacrifice should burst forth. And if they do not repent and
become enkindled by their first love, I will deliver them over to the fate of
this world...
How can they sit on the promised throne of judgment to judge the world, when their guilt is greater than the guilt of the world? There is neither penance nor atonement. O heart, which received Me in the morning and at noon are all ablaze with hatred against Me, hatred of all sorts! O heart specially chosen by Me, were you chosen for this, to give Me more pain? The great sins of the world are superficial wounds on My Heart, but the sins of a chosen soul pierce My Heart through and through... 1703When I tried to intercede for them, I could find nothing with which to excuse them and, being at the time unable to think of anything in their defense, my heart was seized with pain, and I wept bitterly. Then the Lord looked at me kindly and comforted me with these words: Do not cry. There are still a great number of souls who love Me very much, but My Heart desires to be loved by all and, because My love is great, that is why I warn and chastise them.
1712 A certain person whom I have mentioned before
visited me again. When I saw that she was beginning to get entangled in her
own lies, I let her know that I knew she was lying. She became very
embarrassed and stopped speaking. Then I spoke to her about the great
judgments of God, and I also remarked that she was leading innocent souls
astray and along dangerous roads. I uncovered before her everything that was
in her heart. Since I had to overcome my own feelings in order to talk to
her, to prove to Jesus that I love my enemies, I gave her my afternoon snack.
She went away enlightened in soul, but action is still far away...
1722 I heard these words: If you did not tie My hands, I would
send down many punishments upon the earth. My daughter, your look disarms My
anger. Although your lips are silent, you call out to Me so mightily that all
heaven is moved. I cannot escape from your requests, because you pursue Me,
not from afar but within your own heart.
1728 Write:
I am Thrice Holy, and I detest the smallest sin. I cannot love a soul which
is stained with sin; but when it repents, there is no limit to My generosity
toward it. My mercy embraces and justifies it. With My mercy, I pursue
sinners along all their paths, and My Heart rejoices when they return to Me.
I forget the bitterness with which they fed My Heart and rejoice at their
return.
Tell sinners that no one shall escape My Hand; if they run away from My Merciful Heart, they will fall into My Just Hands. Tell sinners that I am always waiting for them, that I listen intently to the beating of their heart... when will it beat for Me? Write, that I am speaking to them through their remorse of conscience, through their failures and sufferings, through thunderstorms, through the voice of the Church. And if they bring all My graces to naught, I begin to be angry with them, leaving them alone and giving them what they want. 1729 O my Jesus, You alone know of my efforts. I seem to be a bit better, but better only to the point that I can go out on the veranda instead of lying in bed. I see and am fully aware of what is happening to me. Despite the diligent care of my superiors and the efforts of the doctors, my health is fading and running out. But I rejoice greatly at Your call, my God, my Love, because I know that my mission will begin at the moment of my death. Oh, how much I desire to be set free from the bonds of this body. O my Jesus, You know that, in all my desires, I always want to see Your will. Of myself, I would not want to die one minute sooner, or to live one minute longer, or to suffer less, or to suffer more, but I only want to do Your holy will. Although I have great enthusiasm, and the desires burning in my heart are immense, they are never above Your will. 1730 I fly to Your mercy, Compassionate God, who alone are good. Although my misery is great, and my offenses are many, I trust in Your mercy, because You are the God of mercy; and, from time immemorial, it has never been heard of, nor do heaven or earth remember, that a soul trusting in Your mercy has been disappointed. O God of compassion, You alone can justify me, and You will never reject me when I, contrite, approach Your Merciful Heart, where no one has ever been refused, even if he were the greatest sinner.
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-36, 83, 374, 496)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-660, 895)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1076)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1317, 1339)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1548)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1701-1703, 1712, 1722)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1728-1730, 1784)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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