A Hundred or Sixty or Thirty-Fold
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Wednesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
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Matthew 13:1-9
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such
large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and
the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in
parables, saying: "A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed
fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground,
where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some
seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty
fold. Whoever has ears ought to hear."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, my prayer will “work” only if
I have humility in Your presence. So I am approaching You with meekness and
humility of heart. I have an infinite need for You and your grace. Thinking
about this helps me grow in humility. I trust in You and Your grace. Thank You
for the unfathomable gift of Your love.
Petition: Lord, may I always respond to Your grace in my heart with fervor and
active love.
1. Tears of a Sower: Imagine Jesus preaching to the
crowds, hoping for a positive response, but instead witnessing many people
turning a deaf ear to his message of salvation. One day he is thinking about
this as he watches a farmer sowing seed. He sees birds come immediately and take
some away. He sees previously sown seed scorched by the sun. He sees some
sprouts strangled by weeds. He then remembers the faces and perhaps even the
names of people who heard his message, but who chose not to respond or whose
response was short-lived. We are reminded of another Gospel passage: “As he
drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying ‘If this day
you only knew what makes for peace -- but now it is hidden from your eyes’”
(Luke 19:41).
2. Rebellion or Rest: The admonition to heed the word of
God is frequent in Scripture. In the Book of Hebrews the author warns us to
“harden not your hearts as at the rebellion in the day of testing in the
desert.” The people of Israel responded in this unfortunate way after the
exodus from Egypt. “They have always been of erring heart, and they do not
know my ways. As I swore in my wrath, ‘They shall not enter into my rest’”
(Cf. Hebrews 3: 7-11). This helps us foster a healthy fear of the Lord,
encouraging us to work hard to conquer all hardness of heart and remain close
to Christ so as to enter into his rest.
3. Fruits of Virtue: “But some seed fell on rich soil,
and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirty-fold.” The fruit that Our
Lord wishes us to produce are virtues inspired by faith, hope and love. If we
are growing in virtue each day in imitation of Christ and for love of him, we
can be sure we are heeding his voice and are pleasing in his eyes. The
greatest of all virtues is charity, a practical and effective love for our
neighbor. We can contemplate the lives of the saints to see how these fruits
are played out in a way truly pleasing to Christ.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, You know how easy it is for
me to allow mediocrity to slip into my life. The cares and worries of life
often push You and Your kingdom to a secondary plane. Grant me the habit of
carving out time for You in prayer each day, and carving out space for You in
my life and the lives of those under my care.
Resolution: I will renew my effort with whatever prayer commitment I have allowed
to waver or falter the most.
Excerpts from the DIARY of
Saint Faustina Kowalska
40
+The year 1929. Once during Holy Mass, I felt in a very special way the
closeness of God, although I tried to turn away and escape from Him. On
several occasions I have run away from God because I did not want to be a
victim of the evil spirit; since others have told me, more than once, that
such is the case. And this incertitude lasted for quite some time. During
Holy Mass, before Communion, we had the renewal of vows. When we had left our
kneelers and had started to recite the formula for the vows, Jesus appeared
suddenly at my side clad in a white garment with a golden girdle around His
waist, and He said to me, I give you eternal love that your purity may be
untarnished and as a sign that you will never be subject to temptations
against purity. Jesus took off His golden cincture and tied it around my
waist.
Since then I have never experienced any attacks against this virtue, either in my heart or in my mind. I later understood that this was one of the greatest graces which the Most Holy Virgin Mary had obtained for me, as for many years I had been asking this grace of Her. Since that time I have experienced an increasing devotion to the Mother of God. She has taught me how to love God interiorly and also how to carry out His holy will in all things. O Mary, You are joy, because through You God descended to earth [and] into my heart.
68 The heaviest suffering for me was that
it seemed to me that neither my prayers nor my good works were pleasing to
God. I did not dare lift up my eyes to heaven. This caused me such great
suffering during the community exercises in the chapel that one day Mother
Superior [Raphael] called me aside after the exercises and said to me,
"Sister, ask God for grace and consolation, because I can see for myself
and the sisters keep telling me that the very sight of you evokes pity. I
really do not know what to do with you, Sister. I command you to stop
tormenting yourself for no reason."
But all these conferences with Mother Superior brought me no relief, nor did they clarify anything for me. Rather, even greater darkness hid God from me. I looked for help in the confessional, but not even there did I find it. A saintly priest wanted to help me, but I was so miserable that I couldn't even define my trouble, and that vexed me even more. A deathly sadness penetrated my soul to such an extent that I was unable to hide it, and it was apparent to those around me. I lost hope. The night was growing darker and darker. The priest to whom I went to confession said to me, "I see very special graces in you, Sister, and I am not worried about you at all; why are you torturing yourself in this way?" But at that time I did not understand at all what he was saying and was extremely surprised when, by way of penance, I was ordered to say the Te Deum or the Magnificat, or to run fast around the garden in the evening, or else to laugh out loud ten times a day. These penances were very surprising to me; but even with that the priest was not able to give me much help. Evidently, God wanted me to give Him glory through suffering. That priest consoled me, saying that in my present situation I was more pleasing to God than if I were filled with the greatest consolations. "It is a very great grace, Sister, "he told me, "that in your present condition, with all the torments of soul you are experiencing, you not only do not offend God, but you even try to practice virtues. I am looking into your soul, and I see God's great plans and special graces there; and seeing this, I give thanks to the Lord." But despite all that, my soul was in a state of torture; and in the midst of unspeakable torments, I imitated the blind man who entrusts himself to his guide, holding his hand firmly, not giving up obedience for a single moment, and this was my only safety in this fiery trial.
Darkness and Temptations
77 My mind became dimmed in a strange way; no truth seemed clear to me. When people spoke to me about God, my heart was like a rock. I could not draw from it a single sentiment of love for Him. When I tried, by an act of the will, to remain close to Him, I experienced great torments, and it seemed to me that I was only provoking God to an even greater anger. It was absolutely impossible for me to meditate as I had been accustomed to do in the past. I felt in my soul a great void, and there was nothing with which I could fill it. I began to suffer from a great hunger and yearning for God, but I saw my utter powerlessness. I tried to read slowly, sentence by sentence, and to meditate in this way, but this also was of no avail. I understood nothing of what I had read. The abyss of my misery was constantly before my eyes. Every time I entered the chapel for some spiritual exercise, I experienced even worse torments and temptations. More than once, all through Holy Mass, I had to struggle against blasphemous thoughts which were forcing themselves to my lips. I felt an aversion for the Holy Sacraments, and it seemed to me that I was not profiting from them in any way. It was only out of obedience to my confessor that I frequented them, and this blind obedience was for me the only path I could follow and my very last hope of survival. The priest explained to me that these were trials sent by God and that, in the situation I was in, not only was I not offending God, but I was most pleasing to Him. "This is a sign," he told me, "that God loves you very much and that He has great confidence in you, since He is sending you such trials." But these words brought me no comfort; it seemed to me that they did not apply to me at all. One thing did surprise me: it often happened that, at the time when I was suffering greatly, these terrible torments would disappear suddenly just as I was approaching the confessional; but as soon as I had left the confessional, all these torments would again seize me with even greater ferocity. I would then fall on my face before the Blessed Sacrament repeating these words: "Even if You kill me, still will I trust in You!" [cf. Job 13:15] It seemed to me that I would die in these agonies. But the most terrible thought for me was the conviction that I had been rejected by God. Then other thoughts came to me: why strive to acquire virtues and do good works? why mortify and annihilate yourself? what good is it to take vows? to pray? to sacrifice and immolate yourself? why sacrifice myself all the time? what good is it - if I am already rejected by God? why all these efforts? And here, God alone knew what was going on in my heart.
79 O Mary, my Mother and my Lady, I offer
You my soul, my body, my life and my death, and all that will Follow it. I
place everything in Your hands. O my Mother, cover my soul with Your virginal
mantle and grant me the grace of purity of heart, soul and body. Defend me
with Your power against all enemies, and especially against those who hide
their malice behind the mask of virtue. O lovely lily! You are for me a
mirror, O my Mother!
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.
99 When for the first time this moment was
drawing near, I was snatched from it by virtue of holy obedience. The
Directress of Novices, alarmed by my appearance, sent me off to confession,
but the confessor did not understand me, and I experienced no relief
whatsoever. O Jesus, give us experienced priests!
When I told this priest I was undergoing infernal tortures, he answered that he was not worried about my soul, because he saw in it a great grace of God. But I understood nothing of this, and not even the least glimmer of light broke through to my soul.
102 After some time, one of the sisters came into the cell
and found me almost dead. She was frightened and went to find the Directress
of Novices who, in the name of holy obedience ordered me to get up from the
ground. My strength returned immediately, and I got up, trembling. The
Directress recognized immediately the state of my soul and spoke to me about
the inscrutable mercy of God, saying, "Do not be distressed about
anything, Sister. I command this of you in virtue of obedience." Then
she said to me, "I see now, Sister, that God is calling you to a high
degree of holiness; the Lord wants to draw you very close to Himself since He
has allowed these things to happen to you so soon. Be faithful to God,
Sister, because this is a sign that He wants you to have a high place in
heaven." However, I did not understand anything of these words. When I
went into the chapel, I felt as though my soul had been set free from
everything, as though I had just come forth from the hand of God. I perceived
the inviolability of my soul; I felt that I was a tiny child.
118 The tongue is a small member, but it
does big things. A religious who does not keep silence will never attain
holiness; that is, she will never become a saint. Let her not delude
herself-unless it is the Spirit of God who is speaking through her, for then
she must not keep silent. But, in order to hear the voice of God, one has to
have silence in one's soul and to keep silence; not a gloomy silence, but an interior
silence; that is to say, recollection in God. One can speak a great deal
without breaking silence and, on the contrary, one can speak little and be
constantly breaking silence. Oh, what irreparable damage is done by the
breach of silence! We cause a lot of harm to our neighbor, but even more to
our own selves.
In my opinion, and according to my
experience, the rule concerning silence should stand in the very first place.
God does not give himself to a chattering soul which, like a drone in a
beehive, buzzes around but gathers no honey. A talkative soul is empty
inside. It lacks both the essential virtues and intimacy with God. A deeper
interior life, one of gentle peace and of that silence where the Lord dwells,
is quite out of the question. A soul that has never tasted the sweetness of
inner silence is a restless spirit which disturbs the silence of others. I
have seen many souls in the depths of hell for not having kept their silence;
they told me so themselves when I asked them what was the cause of their
undoing. These were souls of religious. My God, what an agony it is to think
that not only might they have been in heaven, but they might even have become
saints! O Jesus, have mercy!
151 +Once, when I was in the kitchen with Sister N.,[47]
she got a little upset with me and, as a punishment, ordered me to sit on the
table while she herself continued to work hard, cleaning and scrubbing. And
while I was sitting there, the sisters came along and were astounded to find
me sitting on the table, and each one had her say. One said that I was a
loafer and another, "What an eccentric!" I was a postulant at the
time. Others said, "What kind of a sister will she make?" Still, I
could not get down because sister had ordered me to sit there by virtue of
obedience[48] until she told me to get down. Truly, God alone
knows how many acts of self-denial it took. I thought I'd die of shame. God
often allowed such things for the sake of my inner formation, but He
compensated me for this humiliation by a great consolation. During
Benediction I saw Him in great beauty. Jesus looked at me kindly and said, My
daughter, do not be afraid of sufferings; I am with you.
166 In prayer I always find light and strength of spirit,
although there are moments so trying and hurtful, that it is sometimes
difficult to imagine that these things can happen in a convent. Strangely,
God sometimes allows them, but always in order to manifest or develop virtue
in a soul. That is the reason for trials.
172 The
father[58] who preached the retreat came from America. He had come to
Poland for only a short time, and it so happened that he conducted our retreat.
A deep interior life was reflected from his person. His bearing testified to
the greatness of his spirit. Mortification and recollection characterized
this priest. But despite these great virtues, I experienced much difficulty
in revealing my soul to him in regard to graces received; as for sins, it is
always easy to do so, but in respect to graces I really have to make a great
effort, and even then I do not tell everything.
179
Throughout the third probation it was my duty to help the sister in the
vestiary.[60] This duty gave me many occasions to practice
virtues. Sometimes I had to take linen to certain sisters three times and
still one could not satisfy them. But I also came to recognize the great
virtues of some sisters who always asked for the poorest things from the
vestiary. I admired their spirit of humility and mortification.
180 +During Advent, a great yearning for God arose in my
soul. My spirit rushed toward God with all its might. During that time, the
Lord gave me much light to know His attributes.
The first attribute which the Lord gave me to know is His
holiness. His holiness is so great that all the Powers and Virtues tremble
before Him. The pure spirits veil their faces and lose themselves in unending
adoration, and with one single word they express the highest form of
adoration; that is-Holy... The holiness of God is poured out upon the Church
of God and upon every living soul in it, but not in the same degree. There
are souls who are completely penetrated by God, and there are those who are
barely alive.
The second kind of knowledge which the Lord granted me
concerns His justice. His justice is so great and penetrating that it reaches
deep into the heart of things, and all things stand before Him in naked
truth, and nothing can withstand Him.
The third attribute is love and mercy. And I understood
that the greatest attribute is love and mercy. It unites the creature with
the Creator. This immense love and abyss of mercy are made known in the
Incarnation of the Word and in the Redemption [of humanity], and it is here
that I saw this as the greatest of all God's attributes.
208 O you small,
everyday sacrifices, you are to me like wild flowers which I strew over the
feet of my beloved Jesus. I sometimes compare these trifles to the heroic
virtues, and that is because their enduring nature demands heroism.
236 Oh, how misleading are appearances, and how unjust the
judgments. Oh, how often virtue suffers only because it remains silent. To be
sincere with those who are incessantly stinging us demands much self-denial.
One bleeds, but there are no visible wounds. O Jesus, it is only on the last
day that many of these things will be made known. What joy-none of our
efforts will be lost!
331 Oh, how great a grace it is to have a spiritual
director! One makes more rapid progress in virtue, sees the will of God more
clearly, fulfills it more faithfully, and follows a road that is sure and
free of dangers. The director knows how to avoid the rocks against which the
soul could be shattered. The Lord gave me this grace rather late, to be sure,
but I rejoice in it greatly, seeing how God inclines His will to my
director's wishes. I will mention just one incident out of a thousand that
have happened to me. As I usually do, I asked the Lord Jesus one evening to
give me the points for next day's meditation. I received the answer: Meditate
on the Prophet Jonah and his mission. I thanked the Lord, but began to think
within myself of how different that subject was from the others. But with all
my soul I strove to meditate about it, and I recognized myself in the person
of the prophet, in the sense that often I, too, try to make excuses to the
Lord, claiming that someone else would do His holy will better [than I
could], and not understanding that God can do all things and that His
omnipotence will be all the more manifest if the tool is poorer. God made
this clear to me in the following way. That afternoon, there was confession
for the community. When I presented to the director of my soul the fear that
seized me because of this mission for which God was using me, clumsy tool
that I was, my spiritual father answered that, willing or not, we must carry
out the will of God, and he gave me the Prophet Jonah as an example. After
the confession, I wondered how the confessor knew that God had told me to
meditate about Jonah; surely I myself had not told him. Then I heard these
words:When the priest acts in my place, he does not act of himself, but I
act through him. His wishes are Mine. I can see how Jesus defends His
representatives. He himself enters into their actions
356 O Blessed Host, in whom is contained
the testament of God's mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus as proof of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained life eternal and of infinite mercy, dispensed in abundance to us and especially to poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the mercy of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit toward us, and especially toward poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the infinite price of mercy which will compensate for all our debts, and especially those of poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fountain of living water which springs from infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fire of purest love which blazes forth from the bosom of the Eternal Father, as from an abyss of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the medicine for all our infirmities, flowing from infinite mercy, as from a fount, for us and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the union between God and us through His infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom are contained all the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus toward us, and especially poor sinners. O Blessed Host, our only hope in all the sufferings and adversities of life. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of darkness and of storms within and without. O Blessed Host, our only hope in life and at the hour of our death. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of adversities and floods of despair. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of falsehood and treason. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the darkness and godlessness which inundate the earth. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the longing and pain in which no one will understand us. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the toil and monotony of everyday life. O Blessed Host, our only hope amid the ruin of our hopes and endeavors. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the ravages of the enemy and the efforts of hell. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when the burdens are beyond my strength and I find my efforts are fruitless. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when storms toss my heart about and my fearful spirit tends to despair. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my heart is about to tremble and mortal sweat moistens my brow. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when everything conspires against me and black despair creeps into my soul. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my eyes will begin to grow dim to all temporal things and, for the first time, my spirit will behold the unknown worlds. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my tasks will be beyond my strength and adversity will become my daily lot. O Blessed Host I trust in You when the practice of virtue will appear difficult for me and my nature will grow rebellious. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when hostile blows will be aimed against me. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my toils and efforts will be misjudged by others. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when Your judgments will resound over me; it is then that I will trust in the sea of Your mercy.
401 The days at home passed in much company, as everybody
wanted to see me and talk with me. Often I could count as many as twenty-five
people there. They listened with great interest to my accounts of the lives
of the saints. It seemed to me that our house was truly the house of God, as
each evening we talked about nothing but God. When, tired from these talks
and yearning for solitude and silence, I quietly slipped out into the garden
in the evening so I could converse with God alone, even in this I was
unsuccessful; immediately my brothers and sisters came and took me into the
house and, once again, I had to talk, with all those eyes fixed on me. But I
struck on one way of getting some respite; I asked my brothers to sing for
me, inasmuch as they had lovely voices; and besides, one played the violin and
another, the mandolin. And during this time I was able to devote myself to
interior prayer without shunning their company.
What also cost me a lot was that I had to kiss the children. The women I knew came with their children and asked me to take them in my arms, at least for a moment, and kiss them. They regarded this as a great favor, and for me it was a chance to practice virtue, since many of the children were quite dirty. But in order to overcome my feelings and show no repugnance, I would kiss such a dirty child twice. One of these friends came with a child whose eyes were diseased and filled with pus, and she said to me, "Sister, take it in your arms for a moment, please." My nature recoiled, but not paying attention to anything, I took the child and kissed it twice, right on the infection, asking God to heal it. I had many opportunities to practice virtue. I listened to people pour out their grievances, and I saw that no heart was joyful, because no heart truly loved God; and this did not surprise me at all. I was very sorry not to have seen two of my sisters. I felt interiorly that their souls were in great danger. Pain gripped my heart at the thought of them. Once, when I felt very close to God, I fervently asked the Lord to grant them grace, and the Lord answered me, I am granting them not only necessary graces, but special graces as well. I understood that the Lord would call them to a greater union with Him. I rejoice immensely that such great love reigns in our family.
432 At that very moment, I felt some kind of fire in my
heart. I feel my senses deadening and have no idea of what is going on around
me. I feel the Lord's gaze piercing me through and through. I am very much
aware of His greatness and my misery. An extraordinary suffering pervades my
soul, together with a joy I cannot compare to anything. I feel powerless in
the embrace of God. I feel that I am in Him and that I am dissolved in Him
like a drop of water in the ocean. I cannot express what takes place within
me; after such interior prayer, I feel strength and power to practice the
most difficult virtues. I feel dislike for all things that the world holds in
esteem. With all my soul I desire silence and solitude.
538 There will be no distinction between
the sisters, no mothers,[107]
no reverends, no venerables, 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.
660 O my Jesus, on the day of the last
judgment, You will demand from me an account of this work of mercy. O just Judge,
but my Spouse as well, help me to do Your holy will. O mercy, O divine
virtue!
O most merciful Heart of Jesus, my Betrothed, make my heart like unto Yours.
678 The essence of the virtues is the will
of God. He who does the will of God faithfully, practices all the virtues. In
all the events and circumstances of my life, I adore and bless the holy will
of God. The holy will of God is the object of my love. In the most secret
depths of my soul, I live according to His will. I act exteriorly according
to what I recognize inwardly as the will of God. Sweeter to me are the
torments, sufferings, persecutions and all manner of adversities by divine
will than popularity, praise and esteem by my own will.
716 O my Jesus, I am making at this very
moment a firm and eternal resolution by virtue of Your grace and mercy,
fidelity to the tiniest grace of Yours.
758 Jesus gave me to know the depth of His
meekness and humility and to understand that He clearly demanded the same of
me. I felt the gaze of God in my soul. This filled me with unspeakable love,
but I understood that the Lord was looking with love on my virtues and my
heroic efforts, and I knew that this was what was drawing God into my heart.
It is from this that I have come to understand that it is not enough for me
to strive only for the ordinary virtues, but that I must try to exercise the
heroic virtues. Although exteriorly a thing may be quite ordinary, it is the
different manner [in which it is carried out] that only the eye of God
catches. O my Jesus, what I have written is just a pale shadow of what I
understand in my soul; these are purely spiritual things, but in order to
write something of what the Lord gives me to know, I must use words with
which I am totally dissatisfied, because they do not express the reality.
937 + I will say a word more about my
spiritual director [Father Andrasz or Father Sopocko [169]].
It is strange that there are so few priests who know how to pour power,
strength and courage into a soul so that it can make constant progress
without getting tired. Under such direction a soul, even of lesser strength,
can do much for the glory of God. And here I discovered a secret; namely,
that the confessor, or rather the spiritual director, does not make light of
the trifles that the soul brings to him. And when the soul notices that it is
being controlled in this, it begins to exert itself and does not omit the
slightest opportunity to practice virtue and also avoids the smallest faults.
And from these efforts, as with little stones, there rises within the soul a
most beautiful temple. On the contrary, if the soul notices that the
confessor neglects these little things, it likewise neglects them and ceases
to give an account of them to the confessor and, worse still, will begin to
grow negligent in little things. Thus, instead of going forward, it gradually
retreats backward and becomes aware of the situation only when it has already
fallen into some serious trouble. Here, a serious question poses itself: who
is at fault, the soul in question or the confessor; that is to say, the
director? It seems to me that all the blame should be put on the imprudent
director; the soul's only fault is to have taken upon itself the choice of a
director. ! The director could well have led the soul along the road of God's
will to sanctity.
958 Some days ago, a certain person came to
me and asked me to pray for her intention, as she had some urgent and
important business. All of a sudden, I felt in my soul that this matter was
not pleasing to God, and I replied that I would not pray for this intention,
"but I will pray for you, in general" [I added]. A few days later,
this lady came back to me and thanked me for not having prayed for her
intention, but rather for her, because she had been motivated by a spirit of
revenge toward a certain person to whom she owed respect and veneration in
virtue of the fourth commandment. The Lord Jesus had changed her interior
[dispositions], and she herself acknowledged her guilt; but was, however,
surprised that I had penetrated her secret.
1087 + When one day
I resolved to practice a certain virtue, I lapsed into the vice opposed to that
virtue ten times more frequently than on other days. In the evening, I was
reflecting on why, today, I had lapsed so extraordinarily, and I heard the
words: You were counting too much on yourself and too little on Me.
And I understood the cause of my lapses.
1098 Although God
has confirmed me in this virtue, I am, however, constantly on the watch and fear
even my own shadow, but this only because I have come to love God intensely.
1106 + Virtue without prudence is not
virtue at all. We should often pray to the Holy Spirit for this grace of
prudence. Prudence consists in discretion, rational reflection and courageous
resolution. The final decision is always up to us. We must decide; we can and
we ought to seek advice and light...
1242 My Jesus,
penetrate me through and through so that I might be able to reflect You in my
whole life. Divinize me so that my deeds may have supernatural value. Grant
that I may have love, compassion and mercy for every soul without exception.
O my Jesus, each of Your saints reflects one of Your virtues; I desire to
reflect Your compassionate heart, full of mercy; I want to glorify it. Let
Your mercy, O Jesus, be impressed upon my heart and soul like a seal, and
this will be my badge in this and the future life. Glorifying Your mercy is
the exclusive task of my life.
1244 August 15, 1937. During meditation,
God's presence pervaded me keenly, and I was aware of the Virgin Mary's joy
at the moment of Her Assumption. Towards the end of the ceremony carried out
in honor of the Mother of God, I saw the Virgin Mary, and She said to me, Oh,
how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment She
covered all the sisters of our Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right
hand, She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand
She did so to me, while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her
mantle. Then the Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres zealously
till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory, and I
desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility
and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and mercy.
After these words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my sight, and I
remained alone with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about the will of
God and how to apply it to my life, submitting completely to His most holy
decrees. It is impossible for one to please God without obeying His holy
will. My daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all
God's wishes, for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire
that you distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing God's
will. Put the will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts. While the
heavenly Mother was talking to me, a deep understanding of this will of God
was entering my soul.
1268
Today I felt more ill, but Jesus has given me many more opportunities on this
day to practice virtue. It so happened that I was busier than usual, and the
sister in charge of the kitchen made it clear to me how irritated she was
that I had come late for dinner, although it was quite impossible for me to
have come sooner. At any rate, I felt so unwell that I had to ask Mother
Superior to allow me to lie down. I went to ask Sister N. to take my place,
and again I got a scolding: "What is this, Sister, you're so exhausted
that you're going back to bed again! Confound you with all this lying in
bed!" I put up with all that, but that wasn't the end. I still had to
ask the sister who was in charge of the sick to bring me my meal. When I told
her this, she burst out of the chapel into the corridor after me to give me a
piece of her mind: "Why on earth are you going to bed, Sister, etc......
I asked her not to bother bringing me anything. I am writing all this very
briefly because it is not my intention to write about such things, and I am
doing so merely to dissuade souls from treating others in this way, for this
is displeasing to the Lord. In a suffering soul we should see Jesus
Crucified, and not a loafer or burden on the community. A soul who suffers
with submission to the will of God draws down more blessings on the whole
convent than all the working sisters. Poor indeed is a convent where there
are no sick sisters. God often grants many and great graces out of regard for
the souls who are suffering, and He withholds many punishments solely because
of the suffering souls.
1304 With longing I gaze into the starlit
sky,
Into the sapphire of fathomless firmaments. There the pure heart leaps out to find You, O God, And yearns to be freed of the bonds of the flesh. With great longing, I gaze upon you, my homeland, When will this, my exile, come to an end? O Jesus, such is the call of Your bride Who suffers agony in her thirst for You. With longing, I gaze at the footprints of the saints Who crossed this wilderness on their way to the fatherland. They left me the example of their virtue and their counsels, And they say to me, "Patience, Sister, soon the fetters will break." But my longing soul hears not these words. Ardently it yearns for its Lord and its God, And it understands not human language, Because it is enamored of Him alone. My longing soul, wounded with love, Forces its way through all created things And unites itself with infinite eternity, With the Lord whom my heart has espoused. Allow my longing soul, O God, To be drowned in Your Divine Three-fold Essence. Fulfill my desires, for which I humbly beg You, With a heart brimming with love's fire.
1320 At three
o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief
moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the
moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world. I will
allow you to enter into My mortal sorrow. In this hour, I will refuse nothing
to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion....
1358 Where there
is genuine virtue, there must be sacrifice as well; one's whole life must be
a sacrifice. It is only by means of sacrifice that souls can become useful.
It is my self-sacrifice which, in my relationship with my neighbor, can give
glory to God, but God's love must flow through this sacrifice, because
everything is concentrated in this love and takes its value from it.
1398 Advent is
approaching. I want to prepare my heart for the coming of the Lord Jesus by
silence and recollection of spirit, uniting myself with the Most Holy Mother
and faithfully imitating Her virtue of silence, by which She found pleasure
in the eyes of God Himself. I trust that, by Her side, I will persevere in
this resolution.
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.
+ Conversation of the Merciful God
with a Suffering Soul
1487 Jesus: Poor soul, I see that you suffer much and that you do not have even the strength to coverse with me. So I will speak to you. Even though your sufferings were very great, do not lose heart or give in to despondency. But tell Me, my child, who has dared to wound your heart? Tell me about everything, be sincere in dealing with Me, reveal all the wounds of your heart. I will heal them, and your suffering will become a source of your sanctification. Soul: Lord, my sufferings are so great and numerous and have lasted so long that I become discouraged. Jesus: My child, do not be discouraged. I know your boundless trust in Me; I know you are aware of My goodness and mercy. Let us talk in detail about everything that weighs so heavily upon your heart. Soul: There are so many different things that I do not know what to speak about first, nor how to express it. Jesus: Talk to Me simply, as a friend to a friend. Tell Me now, My child, what hinders you from advancing in holiness? Soul: Poor health detains me on the way to holiness. I cannot fulfill my duties. I am as useless as an extra wheel on a wagon. I cannot mortify myself or fast to any extent, as the saints did. Furthermore, nobody believes I am sick, so that mental pain is added to those of the body, and I am often humiliated. Jesus, how can anyone become holy in such circumstances? Jesus: True, My child, all that is painful. But there is no way to heaven except the way of the cross. I followed it first. You must learn that it is the shortest and surest way. Soul: Lord, there is another obstacle on the road to holiness. Because I am faithful to You, I am persecuted and suffer much. Jesus: It is because you are not of this world that the world hates you. First it persecuted Me. Persecution is a sign that you are following in My footsteps faithfully. Soul: My Lord, I am also discouraged because neither my superiors nor my confessor understand my interior trials. A darkness clouds my mind. How can I advance? All this discourages me from striving for the heights of sanctity. Jesus: Well, My child, this time you have told Me a good deal. I realize how painful it is not to be understood, and especially by those whom one loves and with whom one has been very open. But suffice it to know that I understand all your troubles and misery. I am pleased by the deep faith you have, despite everything, in My representatives. Learn from this that no one will understand a soul entirely-that is beyond human ability. Therefore, I have remained on earth to comfort your aching heart and to fortify your soul, so that you will not falter on the way. You say that a dense darkness is obscuring your mind. But why, at such times, do you not come to Me, the light who can in an instant pour into your soul more understanding about holiness than can be found in any books? No confessor is capable of teaching and enlightening a soul in this way. Know, too, that the darkness about which you complain I first endured in the Garden of Olives when My Soul was crushed in mortal anguish. I am giving you a share in those sufferings because of My special love for you and in view of the high degree of holiness I am intending for you in heaven. A suffering soul is closest to My Heart. Soul: One more thing, Lord. What should I do when I am ignored and rejected by people, especially by those on whom I had a right to count in times of greatest need? Jesus: My child, make the resolution never to rely on people. Entrust yourself completely to My will saying, "Not as I want, but according to Your will, O God, let it be done unto me." These words, spoken from the depths of one's heart, can raise a soul to the summit of sanctity in a short time. In such a soul I delight. Such a soul gives Me glory. Such a soul fills heaven with the fragrance of her virtue. But understand that the strength by which you bear sufferings comes from frequent Communions. So approach this fountain of mercy often, to draw with the vessel of trust whatever you need. Soul: Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness in remaining with us in this exile as the God of mercy and blessing us with the radiance of Your compassion and goodness. It is through the light of Your mercy that I have come to understand how much You love me.
1488 Conversation of the Merciful
God with a Soul Striving after Perfection.
Jesus: I am pleased with your efforts, O soul aspiring for perfection, but why do I see you so often sad and depressed? Tell Me, My child, what is the meaning of this sadness, and what is its cause? Soul: Lord, the reason for my sadness is that, in spite of my sincere resolutions, I fall again into the same faults. I make resolutions in the morning, but in the evening I see how much I have departed from them. Jesus: You see, My child, what you are of yourself. The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me. But let this not sadden you so much. You are dealing with the God of mercy, which your misery cannot exhaust. Remember, I did not allot only a certain number of pardons. Soul: Yes, I know all that, but great temptations assail me, and various doubts awaken within me and, moreover, everything irritates and discourages me. Jesus: My child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice virtue. All temptations united together ought not disturb your interior peace, not even momentarily. Sensitiveness and discouragement are the fruits of self-love. You should not become discouraged, but strive to make My love reign in place of your self-love. Have confidence, My child. Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as you beg for it, you glorify My mercy. Soul: I understand what is the better thing to do, what pleases You more, but I encounter great obstacles in acting on this understanding. Jesus: My child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for My kingdom. But fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on Me as you struggle, fearing nothing. Take the vessel of trust and draw from the fountain of life-for yourself, but also for other souls, especially such as are distrustful of My goodness. Soul: O Lord, I feel my heart being filled with Your love and the rays of Your mercy and love piercing my soul. I go, Lord, at Your command. I go to conquer souls. Sustained by Your grace, I am ready to follow You, Lord, not only to Tabor, but also to Calvary. I desire to lead souls to the fount of Your mercy so that the splendor of Your mercy may be reflected in all souls, and the home of our Father be filled to overflowing. And when the enemy begins to attack me, I shall take refuge behind the shield of Your mercy.
1489 Conversation of the Merciful God with a Perfect Soul.
Soul: My Lord and Master, I desire to converse with You. Jesus: Speak, My beloved child, for I am always listening. I wait for you. What do you desire to say? Soul: Lord, first let me pour out my heart at Your feet in a fragrant anointing of gratitude for the many blessings which You lavish upon me; even if I wanted to, I could not count them. I only recall that there has never been a moment in my life in which I have not experienced Your protection and goodness. Jesus: Your words please Me, and your thanksgiving opens up new treasures of graces. But, My child, we should talk in more detail about the things that lie in your heart. Let us talk confidentially and frankly, as two hearts that love one another do. Soul: O my merciful Lord, there are secrets in my heart which no one knows or will ever know except You because, even if I wanted to reveal them, no one would understand me. Your minister knows some because I confess to him, but he knows only the bit of these mysteries that I am capable of revealing; the rest remains between us for eternity, O My Lord! You have covered me with the cloak of Your mercy, pardoning my sins. Not once did You refuse Your pardon; You always had pity on me, giving me a new life of grace. To prevent doubts, You have entrusted me to the loving care of Your Church, that tender mother, who in Your name assures me of the truths of faith and watches lest I wander. Especially in the tribunal of Your mercy does my soul meet an ocean of favors, though You did not give the Fallen Angels time to repent or prolong their time of mercy. O my Lord, you have provided saintly priests to show me the sure way. Jesus, there is one more secret in my life, the deepest and dearest to my heart: it is You yourself when You come to my heart under the appearance of bread. Herein lies the whole secret of my sanctity. Here my heart is so united with Yours as to be but one. There are no more secrets, because all that is Yours is mine, and all that is mine is Yours. Such is the omnipotence and the miracle of Your mercy. All the tongues of men and of angels united could not find words adequate to this mystery of Your love and mercy. When I contemplate this mystery, my heart falls into a new ecstasy. In silence I tell You everything, Lord, because the language of love is without words; not a single stirring of my heart escapes You. O Lord, the extent of Your great condescension has awakened in my soul an even greater love for You, the sole object of my love. The life of union manifests itself in perfect purity, deep humility, gentle silence, and great zeal for the salvation of souls. O my sweetest Lord, You watch over me each moment and inspire me as to how I should act in a precise situation, when my heart wavers between two things. You yourself frequently intervened in the resolution of a difficulty. Countless times, by means of a sudden enlightenment, You have given me to know what is the more pleasing to You. Oh, how numerous are the instances of forgiveness about which no one knows! How often You have poured into my soul courage and perseverance to go forward. It is You yourself who removed obstacles from my road, intervening directly in the actions of people. O Jesus, everything I have said to You is but a pale shadow of what is taking place in my heart. O my Jesus, how ardently I desire the conversion of sinners! You know what I am doing for them to win them for You. Every offense against You wounds me deeply. I spare neither strength, nor health, nor life itself in defense of Your kingdom. Although my efforts may remain invisible on earth, they are no less valuable in Your eyes. O Jesus, I want to bring souls to the fount of Your mercy to draw the reviving water of life with the vessel of trust. The soul desirous of more of God's mercy should approach God with greater trust; and if her trust in God is unlimited, then the mercy of God toward it will be likewise limitless. O my God, Who know every beat of my heart, You know how eagerly I desire that all hearts would beat for You alone, that every soul glorify the greatness of Your mercy. Jesus: My beloved child, delight of My Heart, your words are dearer and more pleasing to me than the angelic chorus. All the treasures of My Heart are open to you. Take from this Heart all that you need for yourself and for the whole world. For the sake of your love, I withhold the just chastisements, which mankind has deserved. A single act of pure love pleases Me more than a thousand imperfect prayers. One of your sighs of love atones for many offenses with which the godless overwhelm Me. The smallest act of virtue has unlimited value in My eyes because of your great love for Me. In a soul that lives on My love alone, I reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I find My happiness; My ear is attentive to each request of its heart; often I anticipate its requests. O child, especially beloved by Me, apple of My eye, rest a moment near My Heart and taste of the love in which you will delight for all eternity. But child, you are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king's child would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you, My child, a great number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity. My child, that you may answer My call worthily, receive Me daily in Holy Communion. It will give you strength... Jesus, do not leave me alone in suffering. You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am nothingness itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall? I am an infant, Lord, so I cannot get along by myself. However, beyond all abandonment I trust, and in spite of my own feeling I trust, and I am being completely transformed into trust-often in spite of what I feel. Do not lessen any of my sufferings, only give me strength to bear them. Do with me as You please, Lord, only give me the grace to be able to love You in every event and circumstance. Lord, do not lessen my cup of bitterness, only give me strength that I may be able to drink it all. O Lord, sometimes You lift me up to the brightness of visions, and then again You plunge me into the darkness of night and the abyss of my nothingness, and my soul feels as if it were alone in the wilderness. Yet, above all things, I trust in You, Jesus, for You are unchangeable. My moods change, but You are always the same, full of mercy.
1505 I am striving
for sanctity, because in this way I shall be useful to the Church. I make constant
efforts in practicing virtue. I try faithfully to follow Jesus. And I deposit
this whole series of daily virtues-silent, hidden, almost imperceptible, but
made with great love-in the treasury of God's Church for the common benefit
of souls. I feel interiorly as if I were responsible for all souls. I know
very well that I do not live for myself alone, but for the entire Church...
1624
This month I will practice the three virtues recommended to me by the Mother
of God: humility, purity and love of God, accepting with profound submission
to the will of God everything that He will send me.
1779 Thank
you, Eternal Love, for Your inconceivable kindness to me, that You would
occupy Yourself directly with my sanctification. - My daughter, let three virtues adorn
you in a particular way: humility, purity of intention and love. Do nothing
beyond what I demand of you, and accept everything that My hand gives you.
Strive for a life of recollection so that you can hear My voice, which is so
soft that only recollected souls can hear it...
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-40, 68, 77, 79, 93, 99, 102, 118, 151)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-166, 172, 179-180, 208, 236, 331, 356)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-401, 432)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-538, 544, 660, 678, 716, 758, 937,
958)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1087, 1098, 1106)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1242, 1244, 1268, 1304, 1320)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1358, 1398, 1415, 1436, 1487-1489)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1505)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1624, 1779
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
|
I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory. (Notebook I-48)
I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You."
(Notebook I-186-187)
I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion. Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You."
(Notebook I-186-187)
Hulyo 24, 2013
A Hundred or Sixty or Thirty-Fold-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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