Luke 18:9-14
Jesus addressed this
parable to those who were convinced of their own righteousness and despised
everyone else. "Two people went up to the Temple area to pray; one was a
Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position
and spoke this prayer to himself, ´O God, I thank you that I am not like the
rest of humanity -- greedy, dishonest, adulterous -- or even like this tax
collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.´ But the
tax collector stood off at a distance and would not even raise his eyes to
heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ´O God, be merciful to me a sinner.´ I
tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for everyone who
exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be
exalted."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in You. I believe that You have created me and
redeemed me from sin. I believe that everything that is good in my life comes
from You : my existence, my faith, my education, what virtues I have. I come
to You today in prayer to place my life before You. I know that You are the
source of all goodness in me. So often I wonder if I really know how to pray.
I wonder how fruitful my prayer is. In the face of my misery I offer You the
one thing I know I can offer: my humility before Your majesty.
Petition: Lord, help me to be humble when I approach You
in prayer
1. Parallel
Monologues, Not Conversation: The Pharisee went up to the Temple to pray. We can assume that
his intention was to talk with God. As he stood there in the Temple, he
thought he was praying: he was in the right place, he was facing the right
direction, he seemed to be doing the right thing. But his prayer was
contorted. In fact it was not prayer at all; it was a self-righteous
discourse. If a friend were to ask him the next day if he had said his
prayers, he would have said, “Yes.” Is my own prayer sometimes a false prayer
like the Pharisee’s? Do I think I am praying, doing all of the right things,
but in reality not praying at all and only justifying myself?
2. The Bare Minimum
Does Not Satisfy: The poor Pharisee
gets painted as the “bad guy” in this parable. But in reality he is not an
outwardly evil person. He does not commit grave sins. He is honest, faithful
to his wife, generous in his giving. But his pride blinds him to a much
deeper relationship with God. He lives his religion as the bare minimum of
not committing grave sins. His prayer is sterile. I must examine myself to
make sure I am not doing the same, thinking I am doing all the right things
but in reality barely living my faith. God does not ask us simply to avoid
evil. He invites us to do good. True generosity is what brings peace and fulfillment
to our lives.
3. Humility - An
Essential Element of Prayer: The tax collector is justified not because he has done all of
the right things, but because he has the humility to recognize his own
sinfulness. Perhaps he even heard what the Pharisee was saying and it moved
him all the more to plead for God’s mercy. One of the most important
characteristics of our prayer is that it be humble. When we go to pray we
must approach God recognizing our sinfulness and weakness and the fact that
we have received everything good that we have from him. This is what makes
our prayer fruitful. God loves a humble, contrite heart.
Conversation with
Christ: Dear Lord, grant me
a humble, contrite heart. You know my misery. I offer You the misery of my
sinfulness so that You can purify it and do with it as You will. I do not
want to live my life merely avoiding the big sins. I want to have a deep and
intimate relationship with You founded on substantial humility.
Resolution: I will always make an act of humility at the
beginning of my prayer.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
55
1933. Spiritual Counsel Given Me by Father Andrasz, S.J.
First: You must not turn away from these interior inspirations,
but always tell everything to your confessor. If you recognize that these
interior inspirations refer to your own self; that is to say, they are for
the good of your soul or for the good of other souls, l urge you to follow
them; and you must not neglect them, but always do so in consultation with
your confessor.
Second: If these inspirations are not in accord with the faith or the
spirit of the Church, they must be rejected immediately as coming from the
evil spirit.
Third: If these inspirations do not refer to souls, in general, nor
specifically to their good, you should not take them too seriously, and it
would be better to even ignore them.
But you should not make this decision by yourself, either one way or the
other, as you can easily be led astray despite these great favors from God.
Humility, humility, and ever humility, as we can do nothing of ourselves; all
is purely and simply God's grace.
You say to me that God demands great trust from souls; well then, you be the
first to show this trust. And one more word-accept all this with serenity.
Words of one of the confessors: "Sister, God is preparing many special
graces for you, but try to make your life as clear as crystal before the
Lord, paying no attention to what anyone else thinks about you. Let God
suffice you; He alone."
Toward the end of my novitiate, a confessor [perhaps Father Theodore] told
me: "Go through life doing good, so that I could write on its pages:
`She spent her life doing good.' May God bring this about in you."
Another time the confessor said to me, "Comport yourself before God like
the widow in the Gospel; although the coin she dropped into the box was of
little value, it counted far more before God than all the big offerings of
others."
On another occasion the instruction I received was this: " Act in such a
way that all those who come in contact with you will go away joyful. Sow
happiness about you because you have received much from God; give, then,
generously to others. They should take leave of you with their hearts filled
with joy, even if they have no more than touched the hem of your garment.
Keep well in mind the words I am telling you right now."
Still another time he gave me the following recommendation: "Let God
push your boat out into the deep waters, toward the unfathomable depths of
the interior life."
Here are a few words from a conversation I had with the Mother Directress
[Mary Joseph] toward the end of my novitiate: "Sister, let simplicity
and humility be the characteristic traits of your soul. Go through life like
a little child, always trusting, always full of simplicity and humility,
content with everything, happy in every circumstance. There, where others
fear, you will pass calmly along, thanks to this simplicity and humility.
Remember this, Sister, for your whole life: as waters flow from the mountains
down into the valleys, so, too, do God's graces flow only into humble
souls."
O Divine Sun, in
Your rays the soul sees the tiniest specks of dust which displease You.
72 O Jesus, eternal Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I beg Your mercy for
poor sinners. O sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable
mercy, I plead with You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy
from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human
race, I beg of You light for poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of Your own
bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a
price of Your most precious Blood. O Jesus, when I consider the great price
of Your Blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been
enough for the salvation of all sinners. Although sin is an abyss of
wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equaled.
Therefore, let every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its
hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth
may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted. Oh, what immense joy
burns in my heart when I contemplate Your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus!
I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet that they may glorify Your mercy
throughout endless ages.
92 Humiliation is my daily food. I
understand that the bride must herself share in everything that is the
groom's; and so His cloak of mockery must cover me, too. At those times when
I suffer much, I try to remain silent, as I do not trust my tongue which, at
such moments, is inclined to talk for itself, while its duty is to help me
praise God for all the blessings and gifts which He has given me. When I
receive Jesus in Holy Communion, I ask Him fervently to deign to heal my
tongue so that I would offend neither God nor neighbor by it. I want my
tongue to praise God without cease. Great are the faults committed by the
tongue. The soul will not attain sanctity if it does not keep watch over its
tongue.
93 +A Short Version of the Catechism of the Vows[39]
Q. What is a vow?
A. A vow is a voluntary promise made to God, to carry out a more perfect act.
Q. Is a vow binding in a matter which is the object of a commandment?
A. Yes. The carrying out of an act which is the object of a commandment has a
double value and merit; and the neglect of such an act is a double
transgression and evil, because by breaking such a vow we add to the sin
against the commandment, the sin of sacrilege.
Q. Why do religious vows have such value?
A. Because they are the foundation of the religious life approved by the
Church, in which the members bound together in a religious community
undertake to strive always for perfection by means of the three religious
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, observed according to the rules.
Q. What is the meaning of the words, "strive for perfection?"
A. To strive for perfection means that the religious life does not in itself
demand that perfection be already attained, but obliges, under the pain of
sin, that we work daily to attain it. Therefore, a religious who does not
want to become perfect neglects his principal duty of state.
Q. What are "solemn" religious vows?
A. " Solemn" religious vows are so absolute that, in extraordinary
cases, only the Holy Father can dispense from them.
Q. What are simple religious vows?
A. These are vows which are less absolute - the Holy See dispenses from
perpetual and annual vows.
Q. What is the difference between a vow and a virtue?
A. A vow pertains only to that which is commanded under pain of sin; the
virtue goes beyond this and helps in the carrying out of the vow; on the
other hand, by breaking the vow we fail in the virtue and do it damage.
Q. To what do the religious vows oblige us?
A. The religious vows oblige us to strive to acquire the virtues and to
submit ourselves completely to our Superiors and to the Rules which are in
force; thus the religious gives his own person to the Community, renouncing
every right over himself and his actions, which he sacrifices to the service
of God.
The Vow of Poverty
The vow of poverty is the voluntary renunciation of the right over property
or to the use of such property with the purpose of pleasing God.
Q. What objects does the vow of poverty concern?
A. All those goods and those objects which appertain to the Community. We
have no longer any right over anything that has been given to us, once it has
been accepted, whether an article or money. All these donations and presents,
which may have been given us out of gratitude or in any other way, belong by
right to the Community. We cannot make use, without violating the vow, of any
wages we may receive for work or even any annuity.
Q. When do we break or violate the vow in a matter which entails the seventh
commandment?
A. We break or violate it when, without permission, we take for ourselves
anything that belongs to the house; when, without permission, we retain
something in order to appropriate it; and when, without authorization, we
sell or exchange something that belongs to the Community. When we make use of
an object for some other purpose than that intended by the Superior. When we
give to, or accept from another, anything whatsoever without permission. When
by negligence we destroy or damage something. When, in going from one house
to another, we take something with us without permission. In a situation
where the vow is broken, the religious is bound to restitution to the
Community.
The Virtue of Poverty
This is an evangelical virtue which impels the heart to detach itself from
temporal things; the religious, in virtue of his profession, is strictly
obliged to it.
Q. When do we sin against the virtue of poverty? When we desire something,
contrary to this virtue. When we become attached to something, and when we
make use of superfluous things. How many degrees of poverty are there and
what are they?
A. There are, in practice, four degrees of poverty for one who is a professed
religious: to dispose of nothing without the consent of the Superiors (the
strict matter of the vow); to avoid superfluities and be content with
necessities (this pertains to the virtue); to readily content oneself with
things of inferior quality in what concerns one's cell, clothing,
nourishment, etc., and to experience this contentment interiorly; to rejoice
in extreme poverty.
The Vow of Chastity
Q. To what does this vow oblige us?
A. To renounce marriage and to avoid everything that is forbidden by the
sixth and ninth commandments.
Q. Is a fault against the virtue a violation of the vow?
A. Every fault against the virtue is at the same time a violation of the vow,
because here there is no difference, as in the case of poverty and obedience,
between the vow and the virtue.
Q. Is every bad thought a sin?
A. No, every bad thought is not a sin; it becomes so only when the
acquiescence of the will and consent are joined to the consideration of the
mind.
Q. Is there anything, over and above sins against chastity, which is
detrimental to the virtue?
A. Lack of custody of the senses, of the imagination, of the feelings;
familiarity and sentimental friendships are detrimental to the virtue.
Q. What are the means by which this virtue may be preserved?
A. To conquer interior temptations with the thought of the presence of God,
and moreover to fight without fear. And for exterior temptations, to avoid
occasions. There are, in all, seven principal means: to guard the senses, to
avoid occasions, to avoid idleness, to remove temptations promptly, to remove
oneself from all - and especially particular friendships, the spirit of
mortification, and to reveal all these temptations to one's confessor.
Besides this, there are also five means of preserving this virtue: humility,
the spirit of prayer, modesty of the eyes, fidelity to the rule, a sincere
devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Vow of Obedience
The vow of obedience is superior to the first two. It is, to tell the truth,
a holocaust, and it is more necessary because it forms and animates the
monastic body.
Q. To what does the vow of obedience oblige us?
A. By the vow of obedience, the religious promises to God to be obedient to
his legitimate superiors in everything that they will ordain in virtue of the
rule. The vow of obedience makes the religious dependent on his superior in
virtue of these rules for his whole life and in all his affairs. A religious
commits a grave sin against the vow every time he disobeys an order given in
virtue of obedience and of these rules.
The Virtue of Obedience
The virtue of obedience goes further than the vow; it embraces the rules, the
regulations and even the counsels of the superiors.
Q. Is the virtue of obedience indispensable for a religious?
A. The virtue of obedience is so indispensable to a religious that, even if
he were to perform good actions contrary to obedience, these would be evil
and without merit.
Q. Can we sin gravely against the virtue of obedience?
A. We sin gravely when we scorn the authority or the order of the superior,
or when spiritual or temporal harm to the community results from our
disobedience.
Q. What faults endanger the vow?
A. To be prejudiced against the superior, or to harbor an antipathy for him -
murmuring and criticism, tardiness and negligence.
The Degrees of Obedience
Prompt and complete fulfillment - the obedience of the will, when the will
persuades the intellect to submit to the advice of the superior. To
facilitate obedience, Saint Ignatius suggests, moreover, three means: always
to see God in our superior, whoever he might be; to justify in itself the
order or advice of the superior; to accept each order as an order from God,
without examining it or reflecting on it. General means: humility. Nothing is
difficult for the humble.
95 +A Deeper
Knowledge of God and the Terror of the Soul.
In the beginning, God lets himself be known as Holiness, Justice, Goodness -
that is to say, Mercy. The soul does not come to know this all at once, but
piecemeal, in flashes; that is to say, when God draws near. And this does not
last for long, because the soul could not bear such light. During prayer the
soul experiences flashes of this light which make it impossible to pray as
before. Try as it may to force itself to pray as it did before, all is in
vain; it becomes completely impossible for it to continue to pray as it did
before it received this light. This light which has touched the soul is alive
within it, and nothing can either quench or diminish it. This flash of the
knowledge of God draws the soul and enkindles its love for Him.
But this same flash, at the same time, allows the soul to know itself as it
is; the soul sees its whole interior in a superior light, and it rises up
alarmed and terrified. Still, it does not remain under the effects of terror,
but it begins to purify itself, to humble and abase itself before the Lord.
These lights become stronger and more frequent; the more the soul is
crystallized, the more these lights penetrate it. However, if the soul has
responded faithfully and courageously to these first graces, God fills it
with His consolations and gives himself to it in a perceptible manner. At
certain moments, the soul, as it were, enters into intimacy with God and
greatly rejoices in this; it believes that it has already reached the degree
of perfection destined for it, because its defects and faults are asleep
within it, and this makes it think that they no longer exist. Nothing seems
difficult for it; it is ready for everything. It begins to plunge itself into
God and taste the divine delights. It is carried along by grace and does not
take account of the fact that the time of trial and testing may come. And, in
fact, this state does not last long. Other moments will soon come. I should
add here, however, that the soul will respond more faithfully to divine grace
if it has a well - informed confessor to whom it can confide everything.
113 And again, I would like to say three words to the soul
that is determined to strive for sanctity and to derive fruit; that is to
say, benefit from confession.
First word-complete sincerity and openness. Even the holiest and wisest
confessor cannot forcibly pour into the soul what he desires if it is not
sincere and open. An insincere, secretive soul risks great dangers in the
spiritual life, and even the Lord Jesus Himself does not give Himself to such
a soul on a higher level, because He knows it would derive no benefit from
these special graces.
Second word-humility. A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament
of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul
neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of
its own misery. It puts on a mask and avoids everything that might bring it
recovery.
Third word-obedience. A disobedient soul will win no victory, even if the
Lord Jesus himself, in person, were to hear its confession. The most
experienced confessor will be of no help whatsoever to such a soul. The
disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no
progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the spiritual life. God
lavishes His graces most generously upon the soul, but it must be an obedient
soul.
114 +Oh, how
pleasing are the hymns flowing from a suffering soul! All heaven delights in
such a soul, especially when it is tested by God. It mournfully sings out its
longing for Him. Great is its beauty, because it comes from God. The soul
walks through the jungle of life, wounded by God's love. With one foot only
it touches the ground.
115 + When a
soul has come out of these tribulations, it is deeply humble. Its purity of
soul is great. It knows better without need of reflecting, as it were, what
it ought to do at a given moment and what to forbear. It feels the lightest
touch of grace and is very faithful to God. It recognizes God from afar and
continuously rejoices in Him. It discovers God very quickly in other souls
and in its environment in general. The soul has been purified by God himself.
God, as Pure Spirit, introduces the soul to a life which is purely spiritual.
God himself has first prepared and purified the soul; that is, He has made it
capable of close communion with himself. The soul, in a state of loving
repose, communes spiritually with the Lord. It speaks to God without the need
of expressing itself through the senses. God fills it with His light.
The enlightened mind sees clearly and distinguishes the various degrees of
the spiritual life. It recognizes [that state] when its union with God was
imperfect: where the senses were involved, and the spirit was linked with the
senses in a manner-exalted and special, to be sure but not yet perfect. There
is a higher and more perfect union with God; namely, intellectual union.
Here, the soul is safer from illusions; its spirituality is purer and more
profound. In a life where the senses are involved, there is more danger of
illusion. Both for the soul and for its confessor, prudence must play a
greater part. There are moments when God introduces the soul to a purely
spiritual state. The senses dim and are seemingly dead. The soul is most
closely united to God; it is immersed in the Deity; its knowledge is complete
and perfect, not sporadic as before, but total and absolute. It rejoices in
this. But I want to say more about those moments of trial; at those times the
confessor must have patience with such a soul. But the soul must have even
greater patience with itself.
132 I
must again mention that there are some confessors who seem to be true
spiritual fathers, but only as long as things go well. When the soul finds
itself in greater need, they become perplexed, and either cannot or will not
understand the soul. They try to get rid of the person as soon as possible.
But if the soul is humble, it will always profit in some little way or other.
God himself will sometimes cast a shaft of light into the depths of the soul,
because of its humility and faith. The confessor will sometimes say something
he had never intended to say, without even realizing it himself. Oh, let the
soul believe that such words are the words of the Lord himself! Though indeed
we ought to believe that every word spoken in the confessional is God's, what
I have referred to above is something that comes directly from God. And the
soul perceives that the priest is not master of himself, that he is saying
things that he would rather not say. This is how God rewards faith.
I have experienced this many times myself. A certain very learned and
respected priest [probably Father Wilkowski, the sisters' confessor at
Plock], to whom I sometimes happened to go to confession, was always severe
and opposed to these matters [which I brought up to him]. But on one occasion
he replied to me, "Bear in mind, Sister, that if God is asking this of
you, you should not oppose Him. God sometimes wants to be praised in just
this way. Be at peace; what God has started, He will finish. But I say this
to you: faithfulness to God and humility. And once again: humility. Bear well
in mind what I have told you today." I was delighted, and I thought that
perhaps this priest had understood me. But it so turned out that I never went
to confession to him again.
133
+Once, one of the older Mothers [probably Mother Jane[43]]
summoned me, and it was as if fiery bolts from the blue were coming down upon
my head, so much so that I could not even discover what it was all about. But
after a while I understood that it was about a matter over which I had no
control whatsoever. She said to me, "Get it out of your head, Sister,
that the Lord Jesus might be communing in such an intimate way with such a
miserable bundle of imperfections as you! Bear in mind that it is only with
holy souls that the Lord Jesus communes in this way!" I acknowledged
that she was right, because I am indeed a wretched person, but still I trust
in God's mercy. When I met the Lord I humbled myself and said, "Jesus,
it seems that You do not associate intimately with such wretched people as
I" Be at peace, My daughter, it is precisely through such misery that
I want to show the power of My mercy. I understood that this Mother had
merely wanted to subject me to a [salutary] humiliation.
138 A
great mystery has been accomplished between God and me. Courage and strength
have remained in my soul. When the time of adoration came to an end, I came
out and calmly faced everything I had feared so much before. When I came out
into the corridor, a great suffering and humiliation, at the hands of a
certain person, was awaiting me. I accepted it with submission to a higher
will and snuggled closely to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, letting Him know
that I was ready for that for which I had offered myself.
Suffering
seemed to spring out of the ground. Even Mother Margaret herself was
surprised. For others, many things passed unnoticed, for indeed it wasn't
worth paying any attention to them; but in my case, nothing passed unnoticed;
each word was analyzed, each step watched. One sister said to me, "Get
ready, Sister, to receive a small cross at the hands of Mother Superior. I
feel sorry for you." But as for me, I rejoiced at this in the depths of
my soul and had been ready for it for a long time. When she saw my courage,
she was surprised. I see now that a soul cannot do much of itself, but with
God it can do all things. Behold what God's grace can do. Few are the souls
that are always watchful for divine graces, and even fewer of such souls who
follow those inspirations faithfully.
159
+O Blessed Host, in golden chalice enclosed for me,
That through the vast wilderness of exile
I may pass-pure, immaculate, undefiled;
Oh, grant that through the power of Your love this might come to be.
O Blessed Host, take up Your dwelling within my soul,
O Thou my heart's purest love!
With Your brilliance the darkness dispel.
Refuse not Your grace to a humble heart.
O Blessed Host, enchantment of all heaven,
Though Your beauty be veiled
And captured in a crumb of bread,
Strong faith tears away that veil
174 At that moment the priest came in and
began the conference. He spoke for a short time, as if he were in a hurry.
After the conference, he went over to the confessional. Seeing that none of
the sisters were going there, I sprang from my kneeler, and in an instant was
in the confessional. There was no time to deliberate. Instead of telling the
father about the doubts that had been sown in me in respect to my dealings
with the Lord Jesus, I began to speak about these temptations I have just
described above. The confessor immediately understood my situation and said,
"Sister, you distrust the Lord Jesus because He treats you so kindly.
Well, Sister, be completely at peace. Jesus is your Master, and your
communing with Him is neither daydreaming nor hysteria nor illusion. Know
that you are on the right path. Please try to be faithful to these graces;
you are not free to shun them. You do not need at all, Sister, to tell your
superiors about these interior graces, unless the Lord Jesus instructs you
clearly to do so, and even then you should first consult with your confessor.
But if the Lord Jesus demands something external, in this case, after
consulting your confessor, you should carry out what He asks of you, even if
this costs you greatly. On the other hand, you must tell your confessor
everything. There is absolutely no other course for you to take, Sister. Pray
that you may find a spiritual director, or else you will waste these great
gifts of God. I repeat once again, be at peace; you are following the right
path. Take no heed of anything else, but always be faithful to the Lord
Jesus, no matter what anyone says about you. It is with just such miserable
souls that the Lord Jesus communes in this intimate way. And the more you humble
yourself, the more the Lord Jesus will unite Himself with you." 175 176
177
178 Today we are beginning the
third probation. All three of us met at Mother Margaret's, as the other
sisters were having their probation in the novitiate. Mother Margaret began
with a prayer, explained to us what the third probation consists of, and then
spoke on how great is the grace of the perpetual vows. Suddenly I began to
cry out loud. In an instant all God's graces appeared before the eyes of my
soul, and I saw myself so wretched and ungrateful toward God. The sisters
began to rebuke me, saying, "Why did she break out crying?" But
Mother Margaret came to my defense, saying that she was not surprised.
At the end of the hour, I went before the Blessed Sacrament and, like the
greatest and most miserable of wretches, I begged for His mercy that He might
heal and purify my poor soul. Then I heard these words, My daughter, all
your miseries have been consumed in the flame of My love, like a little twig
thrown into a roaring fire. By humbling yourself in this way, you draw upon
yourself and upon other souls an entire sea of My mercy. I answered,
"Jesus, mold my poor heart according to Your divine delight."
270
Without humility, we cannot be pleasing to God. Practice the third degree of
humility;[76] that is, not only must one refrain from explaining
and defending oneself when reproached with something, but one should rejoice
at the humiliation.
If the things you are telling me really come from God, prepare your soul for
great suffering. You will encounter disapproval and persecution. They will
look upon you as a hysteric and an eccentric, but the Lord will lavish His
graces upon you. True works of God always meet opposition and are marked by
suffering. If God wants to accomplish something, sooner or later He will do
so in spite of the difficulties. Your part, in the meantime, is to arm
yourself with great patience.
282 Once the Lord said to me, My Heart was moved by
great mercy towards you, My dearest child, when I saw you torn to shreds
because of the great pain you suffered in repenting for your sins. I see your
love, so pure and true that I give you first place among the virgins. You are
the honor and glory of My Passion. I see every abasement of your soul, and
nothing escapes my attention. I lift up the humble even to my very throne,
because I want it so.
294
+Once the Lord said to me, Act like a beggar who does not back away when
he gets more alms [than he asked for], but offers thanks the more fervently.
You too should not back away and say that you are not worthy of receiving
greater graces when I give them to you. I know you are unworthy, but rejoice
all the more and take as many treasures from My Heart as you can carry, for
then you will please Me more. And I will tell you one more thing: Take these
graces not only for yourself, but also for others; that is, encourage the
souls with whom you come in contact to trust in My infinite mercy. Oh, how I
love those souls who have complete confidence in Me. I will do everything for
them.
320
Jesus made known to me how very pleasing to Him were prayers of atonement. He
said to me, The prayer of a humble and loving soul disarms the anger of My
Father and draws down an ocean of blessings. After the adoration, half
way to my cell, I was surrounded by a , pack of huge black dogs who were
jumping and howling and trying to tear me to pieces. I realized that they
were not dogs, but demons. One of them spoke up in a rage, "Because you
have snatched so many souls away from us this night, we will tear you to
pieces." I answered, "If that is the will of the most merciful God,
tear me to pieces, for I have justly deserved it, because I am the most miserable
of all sinners, and God is ever holy, just, and infinitely merciful." To
these words all the demons answered as one, "Let us flee, for she is not
alone; the Almighty is with her!" And they vanished like dust, like the
noise of the road, while I continued on my way to my cell undisturbed,
finishing my Te Deum and pondering the infinite and unfathomable mercy of
God.
346
December 24, 1934. The Vigil of Christmas. During the morning Mass, I felt
the closeness of God. Though I was hardly aware of it, my spirit was drowned
in God. Suddenly, I heard these words: You are My delightful dwelling
place; My Spirit rests in you. After these words, I felt the Lord looking
into the depths of my heart; and seeing my misery, I humbled myself in spirit
and admired the immense mercy of God, that the Most High Lord would approach
such misery.
During Holy Communion, joy filled my soul. I felt that I am closely united to
the Godhead. His omnipotence enveloped my whole being. Throughout the whole
day I felt the closeness of God in a special manner; and although my duties
prevented me throughout the whole day from going to chapel even for a moment,
there was not a moment when I was not united with God. I felt Him within me
more distinctly than ever. Unceasingly greeting the Mother of God and
entering into Her spirit, I begged Her to teach me true love of God. And then
I heard these words: I will share with you the secret of My happiness this
night during Holy Mass.
We had supper
before six o'clock. Despite all the joy and the external noise accompanying
the sharing of the wafer and the mutual exchange of good wishes, I did not
for a moment lose the awareness of God's presence. After supper we hurried
away to finish our work, and at nine I was able to go to the chapel for adoration.
I was allowed to stay up and wait for the Midnight Mass. I was delighted to
have free time from nine until midnight. From nine to ten o'clock I offered
my adoration for my parents and my whole family. From ten to eleven, I
offered it for the intention of my spiritual director, in the first place
thanking God for granting me this great visible help here on earth, just as
He had promised me, and I also asked God to grant him the necessary light so
that he could get to know my soul and guide me according to God's good
pleasure. And from eleven to twelve I prayed for the Holy Church and the
clergy, for sinners, for the missions and for our houses. I offered the
indulgences for the souls in purgatory.
362 +One day, during the morning meditation, I heard this
voice: I myself am your director; I was, I am, and I will be. And since
you asked for visible help, I chose and gave you a director even before you
had asked, for My work required this. Know that the faults you commit against
him wound My Heart. Be especially on your guard against self-willfulness;
even the smallest thing should bear the seal of obedience.
With a crushed and humbled heart I begged forgiveness of
Jesus for these faults. I also begged pardon of my spiritual director and
resolved to do nothing rather than to do many things wrongly.
424 In the evening, I just about
got into bed, and I fell asleep immediately. Though I fell asleep quickly, I
was awakened even more quickly. A little child came and woke me up. The child
seemed about a year old, and I was surprised it could speak so well, as
children of that age either do not speak or speak very indistinctly The child
was beautiful beyond words and resembled the Child Jesus, and he said to me, Look
at the sky. And when I looked at the sky I saw the stars and the moon
shining. Then the child asked me, Do you see this moon and these stars? When
I said yes, he spoke these words to me, These stars are the souls of
faithful Christians, and the moon is the souls of religious. Do you see how
great the difference is between the light of the moon and the light of the
stars? Such is the difference in heaven between the soul of a religious and
the soul of a faithful Christian. And he went on to say that, True
greatness is in loving God and in humility.
450 I was suffering very much, and
it seemed to me I would not be able to make my adoration, but I gathered up
all my will power and, although I collapsed in my cell, I paid no attention
to what ailed me, for I had the Passion of Jesus before my eyes. When I
entered the chapel, I received an inner understanding of the great reward
that God is preparing for us, not only for our good deeds, but also for our
sincere desire to perform them. What a great grace of God this is!
Oh, how sweet it is to toil for God and souls! I want no respite in this
battle, but I shall fight to the last breath for the glory of my King and
Lord. I shall not lay the sword aside until He calls me before His throne; I
fear no blows, because God is my shield. It is the enemy who should fear us,
and not we him. Satan defeats only the proud and the cowardly, because the
humble are strong. Nothing will confuse or frighten a humble soul. I have
directed my flight at the very center of the sun's heat, and nothing can
lower its course. Love will not allow itself to be taken prisoner; it is free
like a queen. Love attains God.
526 +
The 14th. This Thursday, when we were having nocturnal adoration, at first I
could not pray; a sort of dryness engulfed me. I could not meditate on Jesus'
sorrowful Passion. So I lay prostrate and offered the most sorrowful Passion
of the Lord Jesus to the heavenly Father in reparation for the sins of all
the world. When I got to my feet after this prayer and walked to my kneeler,
I suddenly saw Jesus next to it. The Lord Jesus appeared as He was during the
scourging. In His hands He was holding a white garment with which He clothed
me and a cord with which He girded me, and He covered me with a red cloak
like the one He was clothed with during His Passion and a veil of the same
color, and He said to me, This is how you and your companions are going to
be clothed. My life from birth to death on the Cross will be the rule for
you. Fix your eyes upon Me and live according to what you see. I desire that
you penetrate into My spirit more deeply and understand that I am meek and
humble of heart.
532
After Holy Communion, I saw the Lord Jesus, who said these words to me:
Today, penetrate into the spirit of My poverty and arrange everything in such
a way that the most destitute will have no reason to envy you. I find
pleasure, not in large buildings and magnificent structures, but in a pure
and humble heart.
538 There will be no distinction between the sisters, no
mothers,[107] no reverends, no venerable, but all will be equal,
even though there might be great differences in their parentage. We know who
Jesus was, and yet how He humbled himself and with whom He associated. Their
habit will be like that worn by Jesus during His Passion, and they will not
simply wear the robe [He wore]; they must also seal themselves with the marks
He bore: suffering and scorn. Each one will strive for the greatest
self-denial and have a love of humility, and she who will distinguish herself
most in this latter virtue will be the one who is capable of leading the
others.
544
The novitiate [109]
is to last one year, without any interruption. At this time the novice should
be taught about the virtues relating to the vows and about the importance of
the vows. The directress should do her utmost to provide a solid formation.
Let her train the novices in the practice of humility, because only a humble
heart keeps the vows easily and experiences the great joys that God pours out
upon the faithful soul. The novices should not be burdened with duties that
entail responsibilities, so that they may be free to devote themselves to
their own perfection. They are obliged to observe the rules and statutes
strictly, as are the postulants.
573 December 21, 1935. One day my confessor [Father
Sopocko] told me to go and look at a certain house to see whether it was the
same house I had seen in my vision. When I went with my confessor to see that
house, or rather those ruins, at a glance I recognized that they were the
same as I had seen in my vision. The moment I touched the boards which had
been nailed together in place of the doors, a strength pervaded my soul like
a flash, giving me unshakable certitude. I went away quickly from that place,
my heart full of joy, for it seemed to me that there was a certain force
chaining me to that place.
I am very happy to see that everything agrees perfectly with what I saw in
the vision. When the confessor spoke to me about the arrangement of the cells
and other things, I recognized everything to be the same as had been told to
me by Jesus. I am delighted that God is acting in this way through my confessor,
but I am not surprised that God is giving him so much light; since God, who
is Light itself, lives in a pure and humble heart, and all sufferings and
adversities serve but to reveal the soul's holiness. When I returned home, I
went immediately to our chapel to rest a while. Then suddenly I heard these
words in my soul: Do not fear anything. I am with you. These matters are
in My hands and I will bring them to fruition according to My mercy, for
nothing can oppose My will.
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.
587 Once,
I suddenly saw Jesus in great majesty, and He spoke these words to me: My
daughter, if you wish, I will this instant create a new world, more beautiful
than this one, and you will live there for the rest of your life. I
answered, "I don't want any worlds. I want You, Jesus. I want to love
You, with the same love that You have for me. I beg You for only one thing:
to make my heart capable of loving you. I am very much surprised at Your
offer, my Jesus; what are those worlds to me? Even if You gave me a thousand
of them, what are they to me? You know very well, Jesus, that my heart is
dying of longing for You. Everything that is not You is nothing to me."
-At that moment, I could no longer see anything, but a strange force took
over my soul, a strange fire sprang up in my heart, and I entered into a kind
of agony for Him. Then I heard these words: With no other soul do I unite
myself as closely and in such a way as I do with you, and this because of the
deep humility and ardent love which you have for Me.
593 O my Jesus, nothing is better for the soul than
humiliations. In contempt is the secret of happiness, when the soul
recognizes that, of itself, it is only wretchedness and nothingness, and that
whatever it possesses of good is a gift of God. When the soul sees that
everything is given it freely and that the only thing it has of itself is its
own misery, this is what sustains it in a continual act of humble prostration
before the majesty of God. And God, seeing the soul in such a disposition,
pursues it with His graces. As the soul continues to immerse itself more
deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and need, God uses His omnipotence
to exalt it. If there is a truly happy soul upon earth, it can only be a
truly humble soul. At first, one's self-love suffers greatly on this account,
but after a soul has struggled courageously, God grants it much light by
which it sees how wretched and full of deception everything is. God alone is
in its heart. A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence
in God. God defends the humble soul and lets Himself into its secrets, and
the soul abides in unsurpassable happiness which no one can comprehend.
771 In that same
moment, the soul drowns entirely in Him and experiences a happiness as great
as that of the chosen ones in heaven. Although the chosen ones in heaven see
God face to face and are completely and absolutely happy, still their
knowledge of God is not the same. God has given me to understand this. This
deeper knowledge begins here on earth, depending on the grace [given], but to
a great extent it also depends on our faithfulness to that grace.
However, the soul receiving this unprecedented grace of union with God cannot
say that it sees God face to face, because even here there is a very thin
veil of faith, but so very thin that the soul can say that it sees God and
talks with Him. It is "divinized." God allows the soul to know how
much He loves it, and the soul sees that better and holier souls than itself
have not received this grace. Therefore, it is filled with holy amazement,
which maintains it in deep humility, and it steeps itself in its own
nothingness and holy astonishment; and the more it humbles itself, the more
closely God unites himself with it and descends to it.
The soul, at this moment is, as it were, hidden; its senses are inactive; in
one moment, it knows God and drowns in Him. It knows the whole depth of the
Unfathomable One, and the deeper this knowledge, the more ardently the soul
desires Him
778
And God has given me to understand that there is but one thing that is of
infinite value in His eyes, and that is love of God; love, love and once
again, love; and nothing can compare with a single act of pure love of God.
Oh, with what inconceivable favors God gifts a soul that loves Him sincerely!
Oh, how happy is the soul who already here on earth enjoys His special
favors! And of such are the little and humble souls.
792 I must never
speak of my own experiences. In suffering, I must seek relief in prayer. In
doubts, even the smallest, I must seek only the advice of my confessor. I
must always have a heart which is open to receive the sufferings of others,
and drown my own sufferings in the Divine Heart so that they would not be
noticed on the outside, in so far as possible.
I must always
strive for equanimity, no matter how stormy the circumstances might be. I
must not allow anything to disturb my interior calm and silence. Nothing can
compare with peace of soul. When I am wrongfully accused of something, I will
not explain myself; if the superior wants to know the truth, whether I was in
the right or not, let her find out from others rather than from me. My
concern is to accept everything with a humble inner disposition.
I will spend this
Advent in accordance with the directions of the Mother of God: in meekness
and humility.
838 +
I marvel at how many humiliations and sufferings that priest accepts in this
whole matter. [153]
I see this at particular times, and I support him with my unworthy prayers.
Only God can give one such courage; otherwise one would give up. But I see
with joy that all these adversities contribute to God's greater glory. The
Lord has few such souls. O infinite eternity, you will make manifest the
efforts of heroic souls, because the earth rewards their efforts with hatred
and ingratitude. Such souls do not have friends; they are solitary. And in
this solitude, they gain strength; they draw their strength from God alone.
With humility, but also with courage, they stand firmly in the face of all
the storms that beat upon them. Like high-towering oaks, they are unmoved.
And in this there is just this one secret: that it's from God that they draw
this strength, and everything whatsoever they have need of, they have for
themselves and for others. They not only carry their own burden, but also
know how to take on, and are capable of taking on, the burdens of others.
They are pillars of light along God's ways; they live in light themselves and
shed light upon others. They themselves live on the heights, and know how to
show the way to lesser ones and help them attain those heights.
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.]
1092 April 16,
1937. Today, as God's Majesty swept over me, my soul understood that the
Lord, so very great though He is, delights in humble souls. The more a soul
humbles itself, the greater the kindness with which the Lord approaches it.
Uniting himself closely with it, He raises it to His very throne. Happy is
the soul whom the Lord himself defends. I have come to know that only love is
of any value; love is greatness; nothing, no works, can compare with a single
act of pure love of God.
1293 It so happened that I fell
again into a certain error, in spite of a sincere resolution not to do
so-even though the lapse was a minor imperfection and rather involuntary-and
at this I felt such acute pain in my soul that I interrupted my work and went
to the chapel for a while. Falling at the feet of Jesus, with love and a
great deal of pain, I apologized to the Lord, all the more ashamed because of
the fact that in my conversation with Him after Holy Communion this very
morning I had promised to be faithful to Him. Then I heard these words: If
it hadn't been for this small imperfection, you wouldn't have come to Me.
Know that as often as you come to Me, humbling yourself and asking My
forgiveness, I pour out a superabundance of graces on your soul, and your
imperfection vanishes before My eyes, and I see only your love and your
humility. You lose nothing but gain much...
1306 + O humility, lovely flower,
I see how few souls possess you. Is it because you are so beautiful and at
the same time so difficult to attain? O yes, it is both the one and the
other. Even God takes great pleasure in her. The floodgates of heaven are
open to a humble soul, and a sea of graces flows down upon her. O how
beautiful is a humble soul! From her heart, as from a center, rises a varied
and most pleasing fragrance which breaks through the skies and reaches God
himself, filling His Most Sacred Heart with joy. God refuses nothing to such
a soul; she is all-powerful and influences the destiny of the whole world.
God raises such a soul up to His very throne, and the more she humbles
herself, the more God stoops down to her, pursuing her with His graces and
accompanying her at every moment with His omnipotence. Such a soul is most
deeply united with God. O humility, strike deep roots in my whole being. O
Virgin most pure, but also most humble, help me to attain deep humility. Now
I understand why there are so few saints; it is because so few souls are
deeply humble.
1321 Hail, most
merciful Heart of Jesus,
Living Fountain of
all graces,
Our sole shelter,
our only refuge;
In You I have the
light of hope.
Hail, most
compassionate Heart of my God,
Unfathomable living
Fount of Love
From which gushes
life for sinful man
And the Spring of
all sweetness.
Hail, open Wound of
the Most Sacred Heart,
From which the rays
of mercy issued forth
And from which it
was given us to draw life
With the vessel of
trust alone.
Hail, God's
goodness, incomprehensible,
Never to be
measured or fathomed,
Full of love and
mercy, though always holy,
Yet, like a good
mother, ever bent o'er us.
Hail, Throne of
Mercy, Lamb of God,
Who gave Your life
in sacrifice for me,
Before whom my soul
humbles itself daily,
Living in faith
profound.
[End of Notebook
Four]
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...
1415 I
desire, My dearly beloved daughter, that you practice the three virtues that
are dearest to Me-and most pleasing to God. The first is humility, humility,
and once again humility; the second virtue, purity; the third virtue, love of
God. As My daughter, you must especially radiate with these virtues. When
the conversation ended, She pressed me to Her Heart and disappeared. When I
regained the use of my senses, my heart became so wonderfully attracted to
these virtues; and I practice them faithfully. They are as though engraved in
my heart.
1436 + Lord,
although You often make known to me the thunders of Your anger, Your anger
vanishes before lowly souls. Although You are great, Lord, You allow yourself
to be overcome by a lowly and deeply humble soul. O humility, the most
precious of virtues, how few souls possess you! I see only a semblance of
this virtue everywhere, but not the virtue itself. Lord, reduce me to
nothingness in my own eyes that I may find grace in ' Yours.
1564 Jesus, hide
me; just as You have hidden Yourself under the form of the white Host, so
hide me from human eyes, and particularly hide the gifts which You so kindly
grant me. May I not betray outwardly what You are effecting in my soul. I am
a white host before You, O Divine Priest. Consecrate me Yourself, and may my
transubstantiation be known only to You. I stand before You each day as a
sacrificial host and implore Your mercy upon the world. In silence, and
unseen, I will empty myself before You; my pure and undivided love will burn,
in profound silence, as a holocaust. And may the fragrance of my love be
wafted to the foot of Your throne. You are the Lord of lords, but You delight
in innocent and humble souls.
1586 O my Jesus,
You see how very grateful I am to Father Sopocko, who has advanced Your work
so much. That soul, so humble, has had to endure all the storms. He has not
allowed himself to become discouraged by adversities, but has faithfully
responded to the call of God.
1602 Today the Lord
said to me, Daughter, when you go to confession, to this fountain of My
mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My Heart always flows down
upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse
yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the
bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know
this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest,
but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of
mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with
the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My
generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain
always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble
souls.
1605 Write
down everything that occurs to you regarding My goodness. I
answered, "What do You mean, Lord, what if I write too much?" And
the Lord replied, My
daughter, even if you were to speak at one and the same time in all human and
angelic tongues, even then you would not have said very much, but on the
contrary, you would have sung in only a small measure the praises of My
goodness-of My unfathomable mercy.
O my Jesus, You Yourself must put words into my mouth, that I may praise You
worthily.
My daughter, be at
peace; do as I tell you. Your thoughts are united to My thoughts, so write
whatever comes to your mind. You are the secretary of My mercy. I have chosen
you for that office in this life and the next life. That is how I want it to
be in spite all the opposition they will give you. Know that My choice will
not change.
At that moment I steeped myself in profound humility before God's majesty.
But the more I humbled myself, the more God's presence penetrated me...
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...
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.
1734 O my Jesus,
You know that there are times when I have neither lofty thoughts nor a
soaring spirit. I bear with myself patiently and admit that that is just what
I am, because all that is beautiful is a grace from God. And so I humble
myself profoundly and cry out for Your help; and the grace of visitation is
not slow in coming to the humble heart.
1742
Be praised, merciful God, One God in the Holy Trinity,
Unfathomable, infinite, incomprehensible,
immersing themselves in You, their minds cannot comprehend You,
So they repeat without end their eternal: Holy.
Be glorified, O merciful Creator of ours, O Lord,
Omnipotent, but full of compassion, inconceivable.
To love You is the mission of our existence,
Singing our eternal hymn: Holy...
Be blessed, merciful God, Eternal Love.
You are above the heavens, the saphires, the firmaments.
The host of pure spirits sings You praises,
With its eternal hymn: Thrice Holy.
And, gazing upon You, face to face, O God,
I see that You could have called other creatures before them.
Therefore they humble themselves before You in great humility,
For well they see that this grace comes solely from Your mercy.
One of the most beautiful spirits would not recognize Your mercy,
And, blinded by his pride, he drew others after him.
Angel of great beauty, he became Satan
And was cast down in one moment from heaven's heights into hell.
Then the faithful spirits cried, "Glory to God's mercy!"
And they stood firm in spite of the fiery test.
Glory to Jesus, the Christ abased,
Glory to His Mother, the humble and pure Virgin.
After this battle, the pure spirits plunged into the ocean of Divinity;
Contemplating and praising the depths of His mercy,
They drown in His mercy and manifold light,
Possessing in knowledge the Trinity of Persons, the Oneness of Godhead.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-55, 72, 93, 95, 113-115, 132-133, 138)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-159, 174, 178, 270, 282, 294, 320, 346)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-362, 424, 450)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-526, 532, 538, 544, 573, 576, 587, 593)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-771, 778, 792, 838, 1000)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1092)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-IV-1293, 1306, 1321, 1361)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1415, 1436, 1564, 1586)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-VI-11602, 1605, 1701, 1711, 1734, 1742)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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