Actions Speak Louder than Words
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Friday of the Fifth
Week of Lent
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Father Alex Yeung, LC
John 10:31-42
The Jews picked up
rocks to stone Jesus. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good
works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?"
The Jews answered him, "We are not stoning you for a good work but for
blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God." Jesus answered them,
"Is it not written in your law, ´I said, "You are gods"´? If
it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and scripture cannot be set
aside, can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into
the world blasphemes because I said, ´I am the Son of God´? If I do not
perform my Father´s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if
you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and
understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father." Then they
tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power. He went back across
the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
Many came to him and said, "John performed no sign, but everything John
said about this man was true." And many there began to believe in him.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, You are life and truth and goodness. You are also peace
and mercy. How grateful I am to have this moment to turn to You. Without You
I can do nothing good. In fact, when I do good, it is You working through me,
despite my failings. Thank you, Lord. Here I am ready to love You more.
Petition: Lord, help me to put my faith into action.
1. The Works Give
Testimony: In today’s Gospel
reading, Jesus teaches us that our faith is based not only on what God has
promised, but also on what he has done. Christ points to his works as the
basis for faith in him as the Son: “Even if you do not believe me, believe
the works….” The greatest of all these works is his resurrection from the
dead, which we will commemorate a few days from now. Works are always more
powerful than words. Words may convince the mind, but works move the will to
action – to decision. Jesus still continues to do the works of the Father
today, especially in the Eucharist and in sacramental confession, as well in
the other sacraments. Do I see these works as they really are – true actions
of Christ with the power to transform?
2. The World Needs
the Testimony of Holy Lives: We can never underestimate the importance and the power of
personal testimony in today’s world. We are inundated with information and
external stimuli of all types. Words and images and slogans abound. Yet
against this cacophonous backdrop, the works of true holiness speak louder
than ever before. Pope Paul VI said it best: “Contemporary man needs
testimony more than arguments.” In our personal case, do our works match our
words? Do our works speak for themselves of what we profess? Or are we “all
words and no works?”
3. Let Your Light
Shine in the World so that They Might Believe: God’s word has a special ability to
penetrate the human heart and conscience. We need to trust the transforming
ability of Scripture. When that word is assimilated in the lives of
believers, its power is multiplied even more. The tremendous and even
virulent opposition Jesus meets at the hands of his adversaries cannot keep
others from believing in him. This mystery is repeated over and over again in
the life of the Church. Where there is the greatest opposition to the Gospel
message, there are also the greatest conversions. “Where sin abounds, grace
abounds more abundantly,” (Romans 5:20) to paraphrase Saint Paul. This proven
truth should protect us from discouragement in our own efforts to evangelize.
Conversation with
Christ:
I believe in You, Lord, when I cast out my nets one and one hundred times, and I draw them in wet, empty, almost broken. I believe that You test your chosen ones, because when the seed is sunk down into the earth then it can better take root in God. I want to abandon myself to You, that you may place me near You, as a seal on Your heart.
Resolution: I will strive today to make my works match
what I profess to believe.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
56 O my God, I understand well
that You demand this spiritual childhood[32] of me, because You are constantly asking
it of me through Your representatives.
At the beginning of my religious life, suffering and adversities frightened and disheartened me. So I prayed continuously, asking Jesus to strengthen me and to grant me the power of His Holy Spirit that I might carry out His holy will in all things, because from the beginning I have been aware of my weakness. I know very well what I am of myself, because for this purpose Jesus has opened the eyes of my soul; I am an abyss of misery, and hence I understand that whatever good there is in my soul consists solely of His holy grace. The knowledge of my own misery allows me, at the same time, to know the immensity of Your mercy. In my own interior life, I am looking with one eye at the abyss of my misery and baseness, and with the other, at the abyss of Your mercy, O God.
148 +A noble and delicate soul,
even the most simple, but one of delicate sensibilities, sees God in
everything, finds Him everywhere, and knows how to find Him in even the most
hidden things. It finds all things important, it highly appreciates all
things, it thanks God for all things, it draws profit for the soul from all things,
and it gives all glory to God. It places its trust in God and is not confused
when the time of ordeals comes. It knows that God is always the best of
Fathers and makes little of human opinion. It follows faithfully the faintest
breath of the Holy Spirit; it rejoices in this Spiritual Guest and holds onto
Him like a child to its mother. Where other souls come to a standstill and
fear, this soul passes on without fear or difficulty.
167 Today [November, 1932], I
arrived in Warsaw for the third probation. After a cordial meeting with the
dear Mothers, I went into the small chapel for a moment. Suddenly God's
presence filled my soul, and I heard these words, My daughter, I desire
that your heart be formed after the model of My merciful Heart. You must be
completely imbued with My mercy.
Dear Mother Directress [Margaret] at once asked me whether I had had a retreat that year, and I said no. "Then you must first have a retreat of at least three days." Thanks be to God there was at Walendows[57] an eight-day retreat in which I could take part. But difficulties arose in regard to my leaving for this retreat. A certain person opposed my going very much, and it already [appeared that] I was not to go. After dinner, I went into the chapel for a five-minute adoration. Suddenly I saw the Lord Jesus, who said to me, My daughter, I am preparing many graces for you, which you will receive during this retreat which you will begin tomorrow. I answered, "Jesus, the retreat has already begun, and I am not supposed to go." And He said to me, Get ready for it, because you will begin the retreat tomorrow. And as for your departure, I will arrange that with the superiors. And in an instant, Jesus disappeared. I began to wonder how this was going to happen. But after a moment I rejected all such thoughts and devoted the time I had to prayer, begging the Holy Spirit for light to see the whole misery that I am. After a short while, I left the little chapel to go about my duties. Soon Mother General [Michael] called me and said, "Sister, you will go to Walendow today with Mother Valeria so that you can start the retreat tomorrow. Fortunately, Mother Valeria happens to be here and you can go together." Within two hours I was already in Walendow. I reflected for a moment within myself and recognized that only Jesus can arrange things in such a way.
170 The first day of the retreat.
I tried to be the first in the chapel in the morning; before the meditation I
had a bit of time for prayer to the Holy Spirit and to Our Lady. I earnestly
begged the Mother of God to obtain for me the grace of fidelity to these
inner inspirations and of faithfully carrying out God's will, whatever it might
be. I began this retreat with a very special kind of courage.
God, One in the Holy Trinity.
283 I want to love You as no human soul has ever loved You before; and although I am utterly miserable and small, I have nevertheless cast the anchor of my trust deep down into the abyss of Your mercy, O my God and Creator! In spite of my great misery I fear nothing, but hope to sing You a hymn of glory for ever. Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God's action.
287 +My Jesus, when I look at this
life of souls, I see that many of them serve You with some mistrust. At
certain times, especially when there is an opportunity to show their love for
God, I see them running away from the battlefield. And once Jesus said to me,
Do you, my child, also want to act like that? I answered the Lord,
"Oh, no, my Jesus, I will not retreat from the battlefield, even if
mortal sweat breaks out on my brow; I will not let the sword fall from my
hand until I rest at the feet of the Holy Trinity!" Whatever I do, I do
not rely on my own strength, but on God's grace. With God's grace a soul can
overcome the greatest difficulties.
355 1934-1935. New Year's Eve. I
was given permission not to go to sleep, but rather pray in the chapel. One
of the sisters had asked me to offer an hour of adoration for her. I said yes,
and prayed for her for an hour. During the hour, God gave me to understand
how very pleasing this soul was to Him.
I offered the second hour of adoration for the conversion of sinners, and I tried especially to offer expiation to God for the insults that were being committed against Him at this present moment. How greatly God is being offended! I offered the third hour for my spiritual director. I fervently prayed for light for him in a particular matter. Finally the clock struck twelve, the last hour of the year. I finished it in the Name of the Holy Trinity, and I also started the first hour of the New Year in the Name of the Holy Trinity. I asked each of the Three Persons to bless me and, with great confidence, looked toward the New Year which certainly would not be sparing of suffering.
357 +Most Holy Trinity, I trust in
Your infinite mercy. God is my Father and so I, His child, have every claim
to His divine Heart; and the greater the darkness, the more complete our
trust should be.
Holy Trinity, One God,
361 incomprehensible in the greatness of Your mercy for creatures, and especially for poor sinners, You have made known the abyss of Your mercy, incomprehensible and unfathomable [as it is] to any mind, whether of man or angel. Our nothingness and our misery are drowned in Your greatness. O infinite goodness, who can ever praise You sufficiently? Can there be found a soul that understands You in Your love? O Jesus, there are such souls, but they are few.
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?
451 Once after Holy Communion, I
heard these words: You are Our dwelling place. At that moment, I felt
in my soul the presence of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. I felt that I was the temple of God. I felt I was a child of the
Father. I cannot explain all this, but the spirit understands it well. O
infinite Goodness, how low You stoop to Your miserable creature!
472 I knew, more distinctly than
ever before, the Three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. But their being, their equality and their majesty are one. My soul is
in communion with these Three; but I do not know how to express this in
words; yet my soul understands it well. Whoever is united to One of the Three
Persons is thereby united to the whole Blessed Trinity, for this Oneness is
indivisible. This vision, or rather, this knowledge filled my soul with
unimaginable happiness, because God is so great. What I am describing I did
not see with my eyes, as on previous occasions, but in a purely interior
manner, in a purely spiritual way, independent of the senses. This continued
until the end of Holy Mass.
This now happens often to me, and not only in the chapel, but also at work and at times when I least expect it.
474 In the evening, when I was in
my cell, I saw an Angel, the executor of divine wrath. He was clothed in a
dazzling robe, his face gloriously bright, a cloud beneath his feet. From the
cloud, bolts of thunder and flashes of lightning were springing into his
hands; and from his hand they were going forth, and only then were they
striking the earth. When I saw this sign of divine wrath which was about to
strike the earth, and in particular a certain place, which for good reasons I
cannot name, I began to implore the Angel to hold off for a few moments, and
the world would do penance. But my plea was a mere nothing in the face of the
divine anger. Just then I saw the Most Holy Trinity. The greatness of Its
majesty pierced me deeply, and I did not dare to repeat my entreaties. At
that very moment I felt in my soul the power of Jesus' grace, which dwells in
my soul. When I became conscious of this grace, I was instantly snatched up
before the Throne of God. Oh, how great is our Lord and God and how
incomprehensible His holiness! I will make no attempt to describe this
greatness, because before long we shall all see Him as He is. I found myself
pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly.
As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel's helplessness: he could not carry out the just punishment which was rightly due for sins. Never before had I prayed with such inner power as I did then.
486 Jesus, when You come to me in
Holy Communion, You who together with the Father and the Holy Spirit have
deigned to dwell in the little heaven of my heart, I try to keep You company
throughout the day, I do not leave You alone for even a moment. Although I am
in the company of other people or with our wards, my heart is always united
to Him. When I am asleep I offer Him every beat of my heart; when I awaken I
immerse myself in Him without saying a word. When I awaken I adore the Holy
Trinity for a short while and thank God for having deigned to give me yet
another day, that the mystery of the incarnation of His Son may once more be
repeated in me, and that once again His sorrowful Passion may unfold before
my eyes. I then try to make it easier for Jesus to pass through me to other
souls. I go everywhere with Jesus; His presence accompanies me everywhere.
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.
564 On the feast day of the
Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God, during Holy Mass, I heard the
rustling of garments and saw the most holy Mother of God in a most beautiful
radiance. Her white garment was girdled with a blue sash. She said to me, You
give Me great joy when you adore the Holy Trinity for the graces and
privileges which were accorded Me. And She immediately disappeared.
576 O Holy Trinity, Eternal God,
my spirit is drowned in Your beauty. The ages are as nothing in Your sight.
You are always the same. Oh, how great is Your majesty. Jesus, why do You
conceal Your majesty, why have You left Your heavenly throne and dwelt among
us? The Lord answered me, My daughter, love has brought Me here, and love
keeps Me here. My daughter, if you knew what great merit and reward is earned
by one act of pure love for Me, you would die of joy. I am saying this that
you may constantly unite yourself with Me through love, for this is the goal
of the life of your soul. This act is an act of the will. Know that a pure
soul is humble. When you lower and empty yourself before My majesty, I then
pursue you with My graces and make use of My omnipotence to exalt you.
592 I learned in the Heart of
Jesus that in heaven itself there is a heaven to which not all, but only
chosen souls, have access. Incomprehensible is the happiness in which the
soul will be immersed. O my God, oh, that I could describe this, even in some
little degree. Souls are penetrated by His divinity and pass from brightness
to brightness, an unchanging light, but never monotonous, always new though
never changing. O Holy Trinity, make yourself known to souls!
605 O Holy Trinity, Eternal God, I
thank You for allowing me to know the greatness and the various degrees of
glory to which souls attain. Oh, what a great difference of depth in the
knowledge of God there is between one degree and another! Oh, if people could
only know this! O my God, if I were thereby able to attain one more degree, I
would gladly suffer all the torments of the martyrs put together. Truly, all
those torments seem as nothing to me compared with the glory that is awaiting
us for all eternity. O Lord, immerse my soul in the ocean of Your divinity
and grant me the grace of knowing You; for the better I know You, the more I
desire You, and the more my love for You grows. I feel in my soul an
unfathomable abyss which only God can fill. I lose myself in Him as a drop
does in the ocean. The Lord has inclined himself to my misery like a ray of
the sun upon a barren and rocky desert. And yet, under the influence of His
rays, my soul has become covered with verdure, flowers, and fruit, and has
become a beautiful garden for His repose.
617 O Holy Trinity, Eternal God, I
want to shine in the crown of Your mercy as a tiny gem whose beauty depends
on the ray of Your light and of Your inscrutable mercy. All that is beautiful
in my soul is Yours, O God; of myself, I am ever nothing.
825 + O bright and clear day on
which all my dreams will be fulfilled; O day so eagerly desired, the last day
of my life! I look forward with joy to the last stroke the Divine Artist will
trace on my soul, which will give my soul a unique beauty that will
distinguish me from the beauty of other souls. O great day, on which divine
love will be confirmed in me. On that day, for the first time, I shall sing
before heaven and earth the song of the Lord's fathomless mercy. This is my
work and the mission which the Lord has destined for me from the beginning of
the world. That the song of my soul may be pleasing to the Holy Trinity, do
You, O Spirit of God, direct and form my soul yourself. I arm myself with
patience and await Your coming, O merciful God, and as to the terrible pains
and fear of death, at this moment more than at any other time, I trust in the
abyss of Your mercy and am reminding You, O merciful Jesus, sweet Savior, of
all the promises You have made to me.
911 On one occasion, God's
presence pervaded my whole being, and my mind was mysteriously enlightened in
respect to His Essence. He allowed me to understand His interior life. In
spirit, I saw the Three Divine Persons, but Their Essence was One. He is One,
and One only, but in Three Persons; none of Them is either greater or
smaller; there is no difference in either beauty or sanctity, for They are
One. They are absolutely One. His Love transported me into this knowledge and
united me with Himself. When I was united to One, I was equally united to the
Second and to the Third in such a way that when we are united with One, by
that very fact, we are equally united to the two Persons in the same way as
with the One. Their will is One, one God, though in Three Persons. When One
of the Three Persons communicates with a soul, by the power of that one will,
it finds itself united with the Three Persons and is inundated in the
happiness flowing from the Most Holy Trinity, the same happiness that
nourishes the saints. This same happiness that streams from the Most Holy
Trinity makes all creation happy; from it springs that life which vivifies
and bestows all life which takes its beginning from Him. In these moments, my
soul experienced such great divine delights that I find this difficult to
express.
918 February 5, 1937. My Jesus, in
spite of everything, I desire very much to unite myself to You. Jesus, if
this be possible, take me to Yourself, for it seems to me that my heart will
burst of longing for You!
Oh, how very much I feel that I am in exile! When will I find myself in the house of our Father, delighting in the happiness that streams from the Most Holy Trinity? But, if it is Your will that I still go on living and suffering, then I desire what You have destined for me. Keep me here on earth for as long as You wish, even though this be until the end of the world. O will of my Lord, be my delight and the rapture of my soul. Although the earth is so filled with people, I feel all alone, and the earth is a terrible desert to me. 0 Jesus, Jesus, You know and understand the fervors of my heart; You, O Lord, alone can fill me.
955 February 15, 1937. Today, I
heard these words in my soul: Host pleasing to My Father, know, My
daughter, that the entire Holy Trinity finds Its special delight in you,
because you live exclusively by the will of God. No sacrifice can compare
with this.
961 + This morning after
completing my spiritual exercises, I began at once to crochet. I sensed a
stillness in my heart; I sensed that Jesus was resting in it. That deep and
sweet consciousness of God's presence prompted me to say to the Lord, "O
Most Holy Trinity dwelling in my heart, I beg You: grant the grace of
conversion to as many souls as the [number of] stitches that I will make
today with this crochet hook." Then I heard these words in my soul: My
daughter, too great are your demands. "Jesus, You know that for You
it is easier to grant much rather than a little." That is so, it is
less difficult for Me to grant a soul much rather than a little, but every
conversion of a sinful soul demands sacrifice. "Well, Jesus, I offer
You this whole-hearted work of mine; this offering does not seem to me to be
too small for such a large number of souls; You know, Jesus, that for thirty
years You were saving souls by just this kind of work. And since holy
obedience forbids me to perform great penances and mortifications, therefore
I ask You, Lord: accept these mere nothings stamped with the seal of
obedience as great things." Then I heard a voice in my soul: My dear
daughter, I comply with your request.
+ J. M. J.
1002 The Lord's Supper is laid,
Jesus sits down at table with His Apostles, His Being all transformed into love, For such was the Holy Trinity's counsel. With great desire, I desire to eat with you, Before I suffer death. About to leave you, love holds Me in your midst. He sheds His Blood, gives His life, for He loves immensely. Love hides beneath the appearance of bread, Departing, He remains with us. Such self-abasement was not needed, Yet burning love hid Him under these species. Over the bread and wine He says these words: "This is My Blood, this is My Body." Although mysterious, these are words of love. Then He passes the Cup among His disciples. Jesus grew deeply troubled within And said, "One of you will betray his Master." They fell silent, with a silence as of the tomb, And John inclined his head on His breast. The supper is ended. Let us go to Gethsemane. Love is satisfied, And there the traitor is waiting.
1007 + Praise and glory be to You,
O Holy Trinity, Eternal God. May the mercy springing from Your very bowels
protect us from Your just anger. Let the praise of Your incomprehensible
mercy resound everywhere. All Your works bear the seal of Your unfathomable
mercy, O God.
1064 + O my most sweet Master,
good Jesus, I give You my heart. You shape and mold it after Your liking. O
fathomless love, I open the calyx of my heart to You, like a rosebud to the
freshness of dew. To You alone, my Betrothed, is known the fragrance of the
flower of my heart. Let the fragrance of my sacrifice be pleasing to You. O
Immortal God, my everlasting delight, already here on earth You are my
heaven. May every beat of my heart be a new hymn of praise to You, O Holy
Trinity! Had I as many hearts as there are drops of water in the ocean or
grains of sand in the whole world, I would offer them all to You, O my Love,
O Treasure of my heart! Whomever I shall meet in my life, no matter who they
may be, I want to draw them all to love You, O my Jesus, my Beauty, my
Repose, my sole Master, Judge, Savior and Spouse, all in one; I know that one
title will modify the other-I have entrusted everything to Your mercy.
[May] 23. The Feast of the Most
Holy Trinity.
1104 Today there was a beautiful teaching [by Father Plaza
on the goodness and mercy of God. During this conference my soul experienced
the flames of God's love, and I understood that God's word is a living word.
1129 During Holy Mass, I found myself suddenly united with the Most Holy Trinity. I recognized His majesty and greatness. I was united to the Three Persons. And once I was united to One of these Most Venerable Persons, I was at the same time united to the other Two Persons. The joy and happiness that my soul felt is beyond description. It grieves me that I am unable to put down in words that which has no words.
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.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-56, 148, 167, 170,283, 287, 355)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I- 357, 361, 392, 456, 472, 474, 486)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-525, 564, 576, 592, 605, 617)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-825, 911, 918, 955, 961)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1002, 1007, 1064, 1104, 1129)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1286)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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