The Treasure Hunt
Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, priest
Matthew 13: 44-46
Jesus said to his
disciples: "The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,
which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he
has and buys that field. Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchant
searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and
sells all that he has and buys it."
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, You have made me
for Yourself, and my heart is restless until I rest in You. I want to encounter
You more deeply today so that You can be my treasure. Thank You for the gift of
this new day. I know You love me. I wish to discover Your love more deeply and
give it to others.
Petition:
Lord, help me to
treasure the gift of Your friendship.
1.
In Search of a Treasure: The restlessness in our hearts can be compared to a hunt for
treasure. In different ways we all experience the desire for unconditional
love, true goodness, the answer to our deepest questions. In Christ, God has
come to give himself to us. He is the one we truly long for; he is our greatest
treasure. During this time of prayer let us deepen our awareness of the
greatness of his gift of friendship, and let us strengthen this friendship by
our openness to his love.
2.
The Priceless Treasure: In Christ we have experienced the overwhelming faithfulness of
God’s love for us. In his mercy we discover that our life has infinite value in
the Father’s eyes. In his teachings we discover the wisdom to build our life on
solid ground. In his grace we receive the strength to grow in love and
holiness. This is where we can build a true future. This is where we can live
up to our calling to greatness. But we must be willing to leave aside all other
concerns to really possess this treasure. We must leave aside anything that
tries to give us a false sense of security outside of God. Am I making my
friendship with Christ the one value that guides my heart and my decisions?
3.
The Unopened Treasure Chest: Unpacking this treasure is the work of our spiritual life. We
need to cooperate with Christ’s grace in order to truly possess this treasure.
The cultivation of faith, hope and charity helps us discover and live this
treasure more fully each day. Our sacrifices and renunciations done to put on
the new man help us dig this treasure out of the earthy make-up of our lives.
Living generous charity helps us make this treasure truly last and enrich our
lives. Am I sincerely allowing Christ’s treasure to transform me?
Conversation
with Christ: Lord,
thank You for the gift of Your love. You are the treasure I truly long for.
Help me to enter more deeply into Your heart this day by doing things Your way
no matter what the cost. Help me to value the gift of Your friendship above
everything else.
Resolution:
I will make a small
sacrifice of my time to do something extra for someone who needs God’s love.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint
Faustina Kowalska
304
+O my Jesus, my only hope, thank You for the book which You have opened before
my soul's eyes. That book is Your Passion which You underwent for love of me.
It is from this book that I have learned how to love God and souls. In this
book there are found for us inexhaustible treasures. O Jesus, how few souls
understand You in Your martyrdom of love! Oh, how great is the fire of purest
love which burns in Your Most Sacred Heart! Happy the soul that has come to
understand the love of the Heart of Jesus!
338
When I started to look deep within myself, I did not find any attachment to
anything, but as in all things that concern me, so also in this matter, I was
afraid and distrustful of myself. Tired out by this detailed selfexamination, I
went before the Blessed Sacrament and asked Jesus with all my heart,
"Jesus, my Spouse, Treasure of my heart, You know that I know You alone
and that I have no other love but You; but, Jesus, if I were about to become
attached to anything that is not You, I beg and entreat You, Jesus, by the
power of Your mercy, let instant death descend upon me, for I prefer to die a
thousand times than to be unfaithful to You once in even the smallest
thing."
342
Suffering is the greatest treasure on earth; it purifies the soul. In
suffering, we learn who our true friend is.
343
True love is measured by the thermometer of suffering. Jesus, I thank You for
the little daily crosses, for opposition to my endeavors, for the hardships of
communal life, for the misinterpretation of my intentions, for humiliations at
the hands of others, for the harsh way in which we are treated, for false
suspicions, for poor health and loss of strength, for self-denial, for dying to
myself, for lack of recognition in everything, for the upsetting of all my
plans.
Thank You, Jesus, for interior sufferings, for dryness of spirit, for terrors, fears and incertitudes, for the darkness and the deep interior night, for temptations and various ordeals, for torments too difficult to describe, especially for those which no one will understand, for the hour of death with its fierce struggle and all its bitterness.
I thank You, Jesus, You who first drank the cup of bitterness before You gave it to me, in a much milder form. I put my lips to this cup of Your holy will. Let all be done according to Your good pleasure; let that which Your wisdom ordained before the ages be done to me. I want to drink the cup to its last drop, and not seek to know the reason why. In bitterness is my joy, in hopelessness is my trust. In You, O Lord, all is good, all is a gift of Your paternal Heart. I do not prefer consolations over bitterness or bitterness over consolations, but thank You, O Jesus, for everything! It is my delight to fix my gaze upon You, O incomprehensible God! My spirit abides in these mysterious dwelling places, and there I am at home. I know very well the dwelling place of my Spouse. I feel there is not a single drop of blood in me that does not burn with love for You.
O Uncreated Beauty, whoever comes to know You once cannot love anything else. I can feel the bottomless abyss of my soul, and nothing will fill it but God himself. I feel that I am drowned in Him like a single grain of sand in a bottomless ocean.
Thank You, Jesus, for interior sufferings, for dryness of spirit, for terrors, fears and incertitudes, for the darkness and the deep interior night, for temptations and various ordeals, for torments too difficult to describe, especially for those which no one will understand, for the hour of death with its fierce struggle and all its bitterness.
I thank You, Jesus, You who first drank the cup of bitterness before You gave it to me, in a much milder form. I put my lips to this cup of Your holy will. Let all be done according to Your good pleasure; let that which Your wisdom ordained before the ages be done to me. I want to drink the cup to its last drop, and not seek to know the reason why. In bitterness is my joy, in hopelessness is my trust. In You, O Lord, all is good, all is a gift of Your paternal Heart. I do not prefer consolations over bitterness or bitterness over consolations, but thank You, O Jesus, for everything! It is my delight to fix my gaze upon You, O incomprehensible God! My spirit abides in these mysterious dwelling places, and there I am at home. I know very well the dwelling place of my Spouse. I feel there is not a single drop of blood in me that does not burn with love for You.
O Uncreated Beauty, whoever comes to know You once cannot love anything else. I can feel the bottomless abyss of my soul, and nothing will fill it but God himself. I feel that I am drowned in Him like a single grain of sand in a bottomless ocean.
415
Saturday. During Vespers I saw the Lord Jesus radiant as the sun, in a bright
garment, and He said to me,
May your heart be joyful. And great joy flooded me, and I was
penetrated with God's presence, which for the soul is a treasure beyond words.
454
Once, the Lord said to me, My
daughter, take the graces that others spurn; take as many as you can carry. At
that moment, my soul was inundated with the love of God. I feel that I am
united with the Lord so closely that I cannot find words to express that union;
in this state I suddenly feel that all the things God has, all the goods and
treasures, are mine, although I set little store by them, for He alone is
enough for me. In Him I see my everything; without Him-nothing.
I look for no happiness beyond my own interior where God dwells. I rejoice that God dwells within me; here I abide with Him unendingly; it is here that my greatest intimacy with Him exists; here I dwell with Him in safety; here is a place not probed by the human eye. The Blessed Virgin encourages me to commune with God in this way.
I look for no happiness beyond my own interior where God dwells. I rejoice that God dwells within me; here I abide with Him unendingly; it is here that my greatest intimacy with Him exists; here I dwell with Him in safety; here is a place not probed by the human eye. The Blessed Virgin encourages me to commune with God in this way.
608
February 2, [1936]. In the morning, when the bell awoke me, I was so overcome
by drowsiness which I could not shake off that I jumped into cold water, and
after two minutes the sleepiness left me. When I came to meditation a host of
absurd thoughts swarmed into my head, so much so that I had to struggle
throughout the whole meditation. It was the same during prayer time, but when
Mass began, a strange silence and joy filled my heart. Just then, I saw Our
Lady with the Infant Jesus, and the Holy Old Man [St. Joseph] standing behind
them. The most holy Mother said to me, Take
My Dearest Treasure, and She handed me the Infant Jesus. When I
took the Infant Jesus in my arms, the Mother of God and Saint Joseph
disappeared. I was left alone with the Infant Jesus.
649
Mass of the Resurrection. [April 12, 1936]. When I entered the chapel, my
spirit was immersed in God, its only treasure. His presence flooded me.
763
November 22, [1936]. Today during confession, the Lord Jesus spoke to me
through the lips of a certain priest. This priest did not know my soul, and I
only accused myself of my sins; yet he spoke these words to me:
"Accomplish faithfully everything that Jesus asks of you, despite the
difficulties. Know that, although people may be angry with you, Jesus is not
angry and never will be angry with you. Pay no attention to human
opinion." This instruction surprised me at first; but I understood that
the Lord was speaking through him without his realizing it. O holy mystery,
what great treasures are contained in you! O holy faith, you are my guidepost!
781
O Love, O queen! Love knows no fear. It passes through all the choirs of angels
that stand on guard before His throne. It will fear no one. It reaches God and
is immersed in Him as in its sole treasure. The Cherubim who guards paradise
with flaming sword, has no power over it. O pure love of God, how great and
unequalled you are! Oh, if souls only knew your power!
801
Today, I still managed to pay a short visit to the Lord [in the Eucharist]
before going to bed. My spirit was immersed in Him as in its only treasure. My
heart rested a while near the Heart of my Spouse. I received light as to how I
should behave toward those around me, and then I returned to my solitude. The
doctor is taking good care of me; all those around me are very kind to me.
826
This morning I had an adventure. My watch had stopped, and I did not know when
to get up, and I thought of what a misfortune it would be to miss Holy
Communion. It was still dark, so I had no way of knowing whether it was time to
get up. I dressed, made my meditation and went to the chapel, but everything
was still locked, and silence reigned everywhere. I steeped myself in prayer,
especially for the sick. I now see how much the sick have need of prayer.
Finally, the chapel was opened. I found it difficult to pray because I was
already feeling very exhausted, and immediately after Holy Communion I returned
to my room. Then I saw the Lord, who said to me, Know, My daughter, that the ardor of
your heart is pleasing to Me. And just as you desire ardently to become united
with Me in Holy Communion, so too do I desire to give Myself wholly to you; and
as a reward for your zeal, rest on My Heart. At that moment, my
spirit was immersed in His Being, like a drop in a bottomless ocean. I drowned
myself in Him as in my sole treasure. Thus I came to recognize that the Lord
allows certain difficulties for His greater glory.
843
December 24, [1936]. During Holy Mass today, I was united in a particular way
with God and His Immaculate Mother. The humility and love of the Immaculate
Virgin penetrated my soul. The more I imitate the Mother of God, the more
deeply I get to know God. Oh, what infinite longing envelops my soul! Jesus,
how can You still leave me in this exile? I am dying of longing for You. Every
touch of my soul by You wounds me immensely. Love and suffering go together;
yet I would not exchange this pain caused by You for any treasure, because it
is the pain of incomprehensible delights, and these wounds of the soul are
inflicted by a loving hand.
846
December 25, [1936]. Midnight Mass. During Mass, God's presence pierced me
through and through. A moment before the Elevation I saw the Mother of God and
the Infant Jesus and the good Old Man [St. Joseph]. The Most Holy Mother spoke
these words to me: My
daughter, Faustina, take this most precious Treasure, and she gave
me the Infant Jesus. When I took Jesus in my arms, my soul felt such
unspeakable joy that I am unable to describe it. But, strange thing, after a
short while Jesus became awful, horrible-looking, grown up and suffering; and
then the vision vanished, and soon it was time to go to Holy Communion. When I
received the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion, my soul trembled under the influence
of God's presence. The next day, I saw the Divine Infant for a brief moment during
the Elevation.
928
Then suddenly I saw the Lord, who clasped me to His Heart and said to me, My daughter, do not weep, for I cannot
bear your tears. I will grant you everything you ask for, but stop crying. And
I was filled with great joy, and my spirit, as usual, was drowned in Him as in
its only treasure. Today, encouraged by His kindness, I conversed with Jesus at
greater length.
957
The pure offering of my will will burn on the altar of love. That my sacrifice
may be perfect, I unite myself closely with the sacrifice of Jesus on the
cross. When great sufferings will cause my nature to tremble, and my physical
and spiritual strength will diminish, then will I hide myself deep in the open
wound of the Heart of Jesus, silent as a dove, without complaint. Let all my
desires, even the holiest, noblest and most beautiful, take always the last
place and Your holy will, the very first. The least of Your desires, O Lord, is
more precious to me than heaven, with all its treasures. I know very well that
people will not understand me; that is why my sacrifice will be purer in Your
eyes.
969
+Today, I went to meditate before the Blessed Sacrament [in the sanatorium
chapel]. When I approached the altar, God's presence pervaded my soul, I was
plunged into the ocean of His divinity, and Jesus said to me, My daughter, all that exists is yours.
I answered the Lord, "My heart wants nothing but You alone, O Treasure of
my heart. For all the gifts You give me, thank you, O Lord, but I desire only
Your Heart. Though the heavens are immense, they are nothing to me without You.
You know very well, O Jesus, that I am constantly swooning because of my
longing for You." Know
this, My daughter, that you are already tasting now what other souls will
obtain only in eternity.
1021
+ I have such a strong desire to hide myself that I would like to live as
though I did not exist. I feel a strange inner urge to hide myself as deeply as
possible so as to be known only to the Heart of Jesus. I want to be a quiet
little dwelling place for Jesus to rest in. I shall admit nothing that might
awaken my Beloved. My concealment gives me a chance to commune constantly and
exclusively with my Bridegroom. I commune with creatures in so far as it is
pleasing to Him. My heart has come to love the Lord with the full force of
love, and I know no other love, because it is from the beginning that my soul
has sunk deeply in the Lord as in its only treasure.
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.
1122
God of great mercy, who deigned to send us Your only begotten Son as the
greatest proof of Your fathomless love and mercy, You do not reject sinners;
but in Your boundless mercy You have opened for them also Your treasures,
treasures from which they can draw abundantly, not only justification, but also
all the sanctity that a soul can attain. Father of great mercy, I desire that
all hearts turn with confidence to Your infinite mercy. No one will be
justified before You if he is not accompanied by Your unfathomable mercy. When
You reveal the mystery of Your mercy to us, there will not be enough of
eternity to properly thank You for it.
1385
November 19. After Communion today, Jesus told me how much He desires to come
to human hearts. I
desire to unite Myself with human souls; My great delight is to unite Myself
with souls. Know, My daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy
Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the
soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself
and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not
recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object. I answered
Jesus, "O Treasure of my heart, the only object of my love and entire
delight of my soul, I want to adore You in my heart as You are adored on the
throne of Your eternal glory. My love wants to make up to You at least in part
for the coldness of so great a number of souls. Jesus, behold my heart which is
for You a dwelling place to which no one else has entry. You alone repose in it
as in a beautiful garden.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-304, 338, 342-343, 415, 454)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-608, 649, 763, 781, 801, 826)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-843, 846, 928, 957, 969
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1021, 1064, 1122)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1385)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
