Choosing an Apostle
Memorial of Saint
Benedict, abbot
Matthew 10:1-7
Jesus summoned his 12
disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to
cure every disease and every illness. The names of the Twelve Apostles are
these: first, Simon called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, the son of
Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew, Thomas and Matthew the
tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddeus; Simon the Cananean,
and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. Jesus sent out these twelve after
instructing them thus, “Do not go into pagan territory or enter a Samaritan
town. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. As you go, make this
proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I bring myself
into Your presence knowing the zeal of Your heart for souls. The glory of Your
heavenly Father can shape my own heart. I am confident that, just as the Twelve
lit the flame of their love for their mission from the furnace of Your divine
love, I can ignite all that is lukewarm and tepid in my own soul today. I
desire to fulfill more perfectly the mission You have given me.
Petition:
Lord, grant me the
grace to be generous and trustful concerning Your plan for me.
1.
Jesus Needs Apostles: A condition for the Kingdom to grow is that it have
protagonists. Christ refuses to be a one-man show. We honor and bow before the
divine choice expressed in Christ’s desire to let his victory be realized
through others, beginning with the Twelve. In the Twelve we find the model of
every call of Christ to build his Kingdom, to spread the faith by word and
deed. If there is no response to his call, there is no Kingdom. Have I
meditated on my call often? Do I see it linked to my family and to my
workplace? Have I responded to it?
2.
The Calling: Many
were on the mountain that day. Many were drawn to him and longed to be close to
him, but only 12 received the explicit call to be Apostles. The sense of
predilection is in every vocation and every mission from God. What we are
chosen for in life, no one else can fulfill it. We are called by name, meaning
that Christ knows us well when he calls, including all our defects and
weaknesses. He did not ask the Twelve for their preferences, look at their SAT
scores, or scrutinize their résumés. The choice of God, revealed in prayer, is
sovereign and omnipotent in action. The Twelve cannot think there has been some
mistake or some miscalculation. The voice of God, who neither deceives nor can
be deceived, is speaking.
3.
A Free Response: Christ called freely, and in freedom the Twelve responded. He
did not bring down angels from heaven to overwhelm them to cooperate, he merely
prayed to the Father. As Lord of the harvest, he has called each one of us. Our
vocation as an apostle, is not a question of our wanting to be one. It is not a
question of our talents or compelling feelings for this or that, but of our
faith-driven awareness of God asking and our responding. Why are we where we
are now in our vocation in life? In our particular marriage? In a particular
lay movement? We can never know fully, for only God knows the depths of his own
wisdom. This is the first mystery of the Kingdom that touches each one of us
personally: God called, he willed it, and we said “yes.” This is the only
answer an apostle must seek. Anything else slows down the mission and
interrupts the dialogue of love and service to the mission.
Conversation
with Christ: Lord,
I want to affirm that all my work today is going to be my response to Your call
to be Your disciple and a light to others in this world. I resolve never to
doubt the special and perfect nature of Your plan for me. May my heart always
be confident and generous in responding to Your voice.
Resolution:
I will take the
hardest part of my day and embrace it with greater joy out of love for the one
who has called me.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
248
The words of the Bishop [Rospond[73]],
spoken at the ceremony of the taking of perpetual vows: "Accept this
candle as a sign of heavenly light and of burning love." While giving the
ring: "I betroth you to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father Most High; may
He keep you unblemished. Take this ring as a sign of the eternal covenant you
are making with Christ, the Spouse of Virgins. May it be for you the ring of
faith and the sign of the Holy Spirit, that you may be called the bride of
Christ and, if you serve Him faithfully, be crowned [as such] for all eternity.
525 O
Holy Trinity, in whom is contained the inner life of God, the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, eternal joy, inconceivable depth of love, poured out upon
all creatures and constituting their happiness, honor and glory be to Your holy
name forever and ever. Amen.
When I consider Your greatness and beauty, O my God, I rejoice exceedingly that the Lord I serve is so great. With love and joy I carry out His will, and the more I come to know Him, the more I desire to love Him. I burn with the desire to love Him ever more and more.
When I consider Your greatness and beauty, O my God, I rejoice exceedingly that the Lord I serve is so great. With love and joy I carry out His will, and the more I come to know Him, the more I desire to love Him. I burn with the desire to love Him ever more and more.
543 The
duration of the postulancy. The postulancy will last one year. During this
time, the candidate should examine whether she is attracted to this type of
life and whether it is suitable to her. The directress should also diligently
consider whether or not the person in question is suitable for this type of
life. After a year, if the postulant shows evidence of a stable will and an
earnest desire to serve God, she should be admitted to the novitiate.
699
On one occasion, I heard these words:
My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that
the Feast of Mercy [139] be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially
for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I
pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My
mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall
obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine
floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near
to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind,
be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.
Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender
mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy
throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of
tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday
after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My
Mercy.
+ The
Love of God is the flower - Mercy the fruit.
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.]
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.]
1074
When I went for adoration, I heard these words: My beloved daughter, write down these words, that today
My Heart has rested in this convent [the Cracow house]. Tell the world about My mercy and My
love.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them!
My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace.
Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them!
My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace.
Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
1075
Souls who spread the
honor of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her
infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the
Merciful Savior. At that last hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend
itself except My mercy. Happy is the soul that during its lifetime immersed
itself in the Fountain of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it.
1076
Write this: Everything
that exists is enclosed in the bowels of My mercy, more deeply than an infant
in its mother's womb. How painfully distrust of My goodness wounds Me! Sins of
distrust wound Me most painfully.
1286 + Thank You, O God, for all the graces
Which unceasingly You lavish upon me,
Graces which enlighten me with the brilliance of the sun,
For by them You show me the sure way.
Thank You, 0 Lord, for creating me,
For calling me into being from nothingness,
For imprinting Your divinity on my soul,
The work of sheer merciful love.
Thank You, O God, for Holy Baptism
Which engrafted me into Your family,
A gift great beyond all thought or expression
Which transforms my soul.
Thank You, O Lord, for Holy Confession,
For that inexhaustible spring of great mercy,
For that inconceivable fountain of graces
In which sin-tainted souls become purified.
Thank You, O Jesus, for Holy Communion
In which You give us Yourself.
I feel Your Heart beating within my breast
As You cause Your divine life to unfold within me.
Thank You, O Holy Spirit, for the Sacrament of Confirmation,
Which dubs me Your knight
And gives strength to my soul at each moment,
Protecting me from evil.
Thank You, O God, for the grace of a vocation.
For being called to serve You alone,
Leading me to make You my sole love,
An unequal honor for my soul.
Thank You, O Lord, for perpetual vows,
For that union of pure love,
For having deigned to unite Your pure heart with mine
And uniting my heart to Yours in the purest of bonds.
Thank You, O Lord, for the Sacrament of Anointing
Which, in my final moments, will give me strength;
My help in battle, my guide to salvation,
Fortifying my soul till we rejoice forever.
Thank You, O God, for all the inspirations
That Your goodness lavishes upon me,
For the interior lights given my soul,
Which the heart senses, but words cannot express.
Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces
Which You have lavished on me unceasingly through life.
My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises,
When, for the first time, I sing to Your glory.
Which unceasingly You lavish upon me,
Graces which enlighten me with the brilliance of the sun,
For by them You show me the sure way.
Thank You, 0 Lord, for creating me,
For calling me into being from nothingness,
For imprinting Your divinity on my soul,
The work of sheer merciful love.
Thank You, O God, for Holy Baptism
Which engrafted me into Your family,
A gift great beyond all thought or expression
Which transforms my soul.
Thank You, O Lord, for Holy Confession,
For that inexhaustible spring of great mercy,
For that inconceivable fountain of graces
In which sin-tainted souls become purified.
Thank You, O Jesus, for Holy Communion
In which You give us Yourself.
I feel Your Heart beating within my breast
As You cause Your divine life to unfold within me.
Thank You, O Holy Spirit, for the Sacrament of Confirmation,
Which dubs me Your knight
And gives strength to my soul at each moment,
Protecting me from evil.
Thank You, O God, for the grace of a vocation.
For being called to serve You alone,
Leading me to make You my sole love,
An unequal honor for my soul.
Thank You, O Lord, for perpetual vows,
For that union of pure love,
For having deigned to unite Your pure heart with mine
And uniting my heart to Yours in the purest of bonds.
Thank You, O Lord, for the Sacrament of Anointing
Which, in my final moments, will give me strength;
My help in battle, my guide to salvation,
Fortifying my soul till we rejoice forever.
Thank You, O God, for all the inspirations
That Your goodness lavishes upon me,
For the interior lights given my soul,
Which the heart senses, but words cannot express.
Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces
Which You have lavished on me unceasingly through life.
My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises,
When, for the first time, I sing to Your glory.
1652
Adore, my soul, the mercy of the Lord,
O my heart, rejoice wholly in Him,
Because for this you have been chosen by Him,
To spread the glory of His mercy.
His goodness no one has fathomed, no one can measure,
His compassion is untold.
Every soul that approaches Him experiences this.
He will shield her and clasp her to His merciful bosom.
Happy the soul that has trusted in Your goodness
And has abandoned herself completely to Your mercy.
Her soul is filled with the peace of love.
You defend her everywhere as Your own child.
O soul, whoever you may be in this world,
Even if your sins were as black as night,
Do not fear God, weak child that you are,
For great is the power of God's mercy.
O my heart, rejoice wholly in Him,
Because for this you have been chosen by Him,
To spread the glory of His mercy.
His goodness no one has fathomed, no one can measure,
His compassion is untold.
Every soul that approaches Him experiences this.
He will shield her and clasp her to His merciful bosom.
Happy the soul that has trusted in Your goodness
And has abandoned herself completely to Your mercy.
Her soul is filled with the peace of love.
You defend her everywhere as Your own child.
O soul, whoever you may be in this world,
Even if your sins were as black as night,
Do not fear God, weak child that you are,
For great is the power of God's mercy.
1710
May 26, [1938-Feast of the Ascension]. Today I accompanied the Lord Jesus as He
ascended into heaven. It was about noon. I was overcome by a great longing for
God. It is a strange thing, the more I felt God's presence, the more ardently I
desired Him. Then I saw myself in the midst of a huge crowd of disciples and
apostles, together with the Mother of God. Jesus was telling them to... Go out into the whole world and teach
in My name. He stretched out His hands and blessed them and
disappeared in a cloud. I saw the longing of Our Lady. Her soul yearned for
Jesus with the whole force of Her love. But She was so peaceful and so united
to the will of God that there was not a stir in Her heart but for what God
wanted.
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.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-248)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-525, 543, 699, 1000)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1076)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1286)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1652, 1710-1711 )
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