Fasting and
Feasting
Saturday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew
9:14-17
The disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the
Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to
them, "The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with
them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them,
and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak,
for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is
new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is
spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins,
and so both are preserved."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come to You in this meditation ready to do whatever it is You
ask. Left to myself, I often take the easy and convenient path ; yet I know the
way of a Christian is through the narrow gate. In You I find the reason to
abandon the easy path for a more perfect mission of love. I’m ready to learn
the meaning of Your command: “Follow me.”
Petition: Lord, help me to value the place of fasting in my life.
1. Creating Hunger for God: Fasting has its place in the life of holiness. Like the precept of
poverty, fasting is the purposeful privation of a natural good to make the soul
more sensitive to the supernatural goods of the Spirit. It is the silencing of
the flesh in order to feel more intensely a spiritual hunger for God. Just as
the Israelites had to grow hungry in the desert before they could worthily
receive the bread from heaven in the gift of manna, so in our life there is
place to put aside the distractions of what is good for that which is holy. In
the practice of self-denial, we will find the spiritual receptivity of a new
wineskin that will not burst when, through prayer, God pours in the new wine of
the Kingdom.
2. Respecting the End: The practice of piety is not an end in itself . Rather, it is oriented
to the ultimate end of the spiritual life : union with Christ. Christ must
unweave John’s disciples from an excessive rigor in their spiritual life, one
that has lost God as its proper object. Spiritual pride can grow subtly in
persons who take upon themselves forms of devotion or asceticism for their own
sakes. In all things, even in the spiritual, we have to look at the end. If
some spiritual practice does not lead us to live God’s will and his presence in
a more loving manner, then it is of no use to us.
3. Fasting and the Passion Lead to Spiritual
Feasting: The moment of the Passion will come; the days of
mourning will arrive. The fasting that the disciples lived and that the Church
lives is one of uniting ourselves to the suffering Christ. Self-denial in order
to do God’s will becomes a participation in Christ’s Redemption. Christ’s
closest friends will want to share his sorrow, suffer his privations and make
his holocaust visible to others through their sacrificial way of life. May I be
ready to live union with Christ, embracing periodic acts of self-denial and the
ongoing crosses of my duty for love of souls and his Kingdom.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me practice true devotion and sacrifice. Renew in me a holy
desire to seek You above all things, so that all I possess in my life is
ordered to serving You better and glorifying Your name.
Resolution: I will make a
special sacrifice to fulfill a duty of my state in life, uniting myself more to
the suffering Christ.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint
Faustina Kowalska
482
O my God, I am conscious of my mission in the Holy Church. It is my constant
endeavor to plead for me mercy for the world. I unite myself closely with Jesus
and stand before Him as an atoning sacrifice on behalf of the world. God will
refuse me nothing when I entreat Him with the voice of His Son. My sacrifice is
nothing in itself, but when I join it to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it
becomes all-powerful and has the power to appease divine wrath. God loves us in
His Son; the painful Passion of the Son of God constantly turns aside the wrath
of God.
483
O God, how I desire that souls come to know You and to see that You have
created them because of Your unfathomable love. O my Creator and Lord, I feel
that I am going to remove the veil of heaven so that earth will not doubt Your goodness.
Make of me, Jesus, a pure and agreeable offering before the Face of Your Father. Jesus, transform me, miserable and sinful as I am, into Your own self (for You can do all things), and give me to Your Eternal Father. I want t become a sacrificial host before You, but an ordinary wafer to people. I want the fragrance of my sacrifice be known to You alone. O Eternal God, an unquenchable fire of supplication for Your mercy burns within me. I know and understand that this is my task here and in eternity. You yourself have told me to speak about this great mercy and about Your goodness.
Make of me, Jesus, a pure and agreeable offering before the Face of Your Father. Jesus, transform me, miserable and sinful as I am, into Your own self (for You can do all things), and give me to Your Eternal Father. I want t become a sacrificial host before You, but an ordinary wafer to people. I want the fragrance of my sacrifice be known to You alone. O Eternal God, an unquenchable fire of supplication for Your mercy burns within me. I know and understand that this is my task here and in eternity. You yourself have told me to speak about this great mercy and about Your goodness.
485
I accept joy or suffering, praise or humiliation with the same disposition. I
remember that one and the other are passing. What does it matter to me what
people say about me? I have long ago given up everything that concerns my
person. My name is host-or sacrifice, not in words but in deeds, in the
emptying of myself and in becoming like You on the Cross, O good Jesus, my
Master!
507
I desire, O my Jesus, to suffer and burn with the flame of Your love in all the
circumstances of my life. I am Yours, completely Yours, and I wish to disappear
in You, O Jesus, I wish to be lost in Your divine beauty. You pursue me with
Your love, O Lord; You penetrate my soul like a ray of the sun and change its
darkness into Your light. I feel very vividly that I am living in You as one
small spark swallowed up by the incomprehensible fire with which You burn, O
inconceivable Trinity! No greater joy is to be found than that of loving God.
Already here on earth we can taste the happiness of those in heaven by an
intimate union with God, a union that is extraordinary and often quite
incomprehensible to us. One can attain this very grace through simple
faithfulness of soul.
509
In the adversities that I experience, I remind myself that the time for doing
battle has not yet come to an end. I arm myself with patience, and in this way
I defeat my assailant.
530
To the Glory of the Holy Trinity.
I asked Mother Superior [Borgia] to permit me to make a forty-day fast, taking once a day a piece of bread and a glass of water. However, following the advice of my confessor [Father Sopocko], Mother Superior did not agree to forty days, but to seven. "I cannot take you away from your duties completely, Sister, because of the other sisters who might notice something. I give you my permission to devote yourself to prayer and to note down some of these things, but it will be very difficult for me to protect you as regards the fasting. Really, I can think of no solution to this," and she said, "Go now, Sister, and perhaps some light will come to me." On Sunday morning, I understood that when Mother Superior assigned me as portress during mealtime, she was doing so with the thought of giving me the opportunity to fast. In the morning, I did not go to breakfast, but, a little while later, I went to Mother Superior and asked her whether I had been assigned as portress in view of making it possible for me to fast unnoticed. Mother replied, "When I assigned you, [106] Sister, it was with this in mind." I then saw that this was the same thought that I had had interiorly.
I asked Mother Superior [Borgia] to permit me to make a forty-day fast, taking once a day a piece of bread and a glass of water. However, following the advice of my confessor [Father Sopocko], Mother Superior did not agree to forty days, but to seven. "I cannot take you away from your duties completely, Sister, because of the other sisters who might notice something. I give you my permission to devote yourself to prayer and to note down some of these things, but it will be very difficult for me to protect you as regards the fasting. Really, I can think of no solution to this," and she said, "Go now, Sister, and perhaps some light will come to me." On Sunday morning, I understood that when Mother Superior assigned me as portress during mealtime, she was doing so with the thought of giving me the opportunity to fast. In the morning, I did not go to breakfast, but, a little while later, I went to Mother Superior and asked her whether I had been assigned as portress in view of making it possible for me to fast unnoticed. Mother replied, "When I assigned you, [106] Sister, it was with this in mind." I then saw that this was the same thought that I had had interiorly.
531
November 24, 1935. Sunday, first day. I went at once before the Blessed
Sacrament and offered myself with Jesus, present in the Most Holy Sacrament, to
the Everlasting Father. Then I heard these words in my soul: Your purpose and that of your
companions is to unite yourselves with Me as closely as possible; through love
You will reconcile earth with heaven, you will soften the just anger of God,
and you will plead for mercy for the world. I place in your care two pearls
very precious to My Heart: these are the souls of priests and religious. You
will pray particularly for them; their power will come from your diminishment.
You will join prayers, fasts, mortifications, labors and all sufferings to My
prayer, fasting, mortification, labors and sufferings and then they will have
power before My Father.
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.
540
In the evening when I was writing, I heard a voice in my cell which said,
"Do not leave this Congregation; have mercy upon yourself, such great
sufferings are in store for you." When I looked in the direction of the
voice, I saw nothing, and I continued to write. Suddenly I heard a noise and
the words: "When you leave, we will destroy you. Do not torture us."
I glanced around and saw many ugly monsters. So I mentally made the sign of the
Cross and they disappeared immediately. How terribly ugly Satan is! The poor
damned souls that have to keep him company! Just the sight of him is more
disgusting than all the torments of hell.
546
Meals. We will have no meat. Our meals shall be such that not even the poor
will have any reason to envy us. Still, feast days may differ slightly from
regular days. The sisters will eat three times a day. Fasts, especially the two
great ones, will be observed strictly, according to the original spirit. The
food should be the same for all the nuns without exception so that communal
life may be kept pure. This refers not only to food but to clothing and the
furnishing of cells as well. However, if a sister should fall ill, she should
receive every consideration.
571
O my Jesus, Eternal Truth, I fear nothing, neither hardships nor sufferings; I
fear only one thing, and that is to offend You. My Jesus, I would rather not
exist than make You sad. Jesus, You know that my love knows no one but You. My
soul is absorbed in You.
572
Oh, how great should be the ardor of every soul who will live in that convent,
since God desires to come and live with us! Let everyone remember that if we
religious do not intercede before God, who will? Each of us should burn like a
pure sacrifice before the majesty of God, but to be pleasing to God, each one
should unite herself closely to Jesus. It is only with Him, in Him and through
Him that we can be pleasing to God.
573
December 21, 1935. One day my confessor [Father Sopocko] told me to go and look
at a certain house to see whether it was the same house I had seen in my vision.
When I went with my confessor to see that house, or rather those ruins, at a
glance I recognized that they were the same as I had seen in my vision. The
moment I touched the boards which had been nailed together in place of the
doors, a strength pervaded my soul like a flash, giving me unshakable
certitude. I went away quickly from that place, my heart full of joy, for it
seemed to me that there was a certain force chaining me to that place.
I am very happy to see that everything agrees perfectly with what I saw in the vision. When the confessor spoke to me about the arrangement of the cells and other things, I recognized everything to be the same as had been told to me by Jesus. I am delighted that God is acting in this way through my confessor, but I am not surprised that God is giving him so much light; since God, who is Light itself, lives in a pure and humble heart, and all sufferings and adversities serve but to reveal the soul's holiness. When I returned home, I went immediately to our chapel to rest a while. Then suddenly I heard these words in my soul: Do not fear anything. I am with you. These matters are in My hands and I will bring them to fruition according to My mercy, for nothing can oppose My will.
I am very happy to see that everything agrees perfectly with what I saw in the vision. When the confessor spoke to me about the arrangement of the cells and other things, I recognized everything to be the same as had been told to me by Jesus. I am delighted that God is acting in this way through my confessor, but I am not surprised that God is giving him so much light; since God, who is Light itself, lives in a pure and humble heart, and all sufferings and adversities serve but to reveal the soul's holiness. When I returned home, I went immediately to our chapel to rest a while. Then suddenly I heard these words in my soul: Do not fear anything. I am with you. These matters are in My hands and I will bring them to fruition according to My mercy, for nothing can oppose My will.
575
Midnight Mass. During Holy Mass, I again saw the little Infant Jesus, extremely
beautiful, joyfully stretching out His little arms to me. After Holy Communion,
I heard the words: I am
always in your heart; not only when you receive Me in Holy Communion, but
always. I spent these holydays in great joy.
576
O Holy Trinity, Eternal God, my spirit is drowned in Your beauty. The ages are
as nothing in Your sight. You are always the same. Oh, how great is Your
majesty. Jesus, why do You conceal Your majesty, why have You left Your
heavenly throne and dwelt among us? The Lord answered me, My daughter, love has brought Me here,
and love keeps Me here. My daughter, if you knew what great merit and reward is
earned by one act of pure love for Me, you would die of joy. I am saying this
that you may constantly unite yourself with Me through love, for this is the
goal of the life of your soul. This act is an act of the will. Know that a pure
soul is humble. When you lower and empty yourself before My majesty, I then
pursue you with My graces and make use of My omnipotence to exalt you.
593
O my Jesus, nothing is better for the soul than humiliations. In contempt is
the secret of happiness, when the soul recognizes that, of itself, it is only
wretchedness and nothingness, and that whatever it possesses of good is a gift
of God. When the soul sees that everything is given it freely and that the only
thing it has of itself is its own misery, this is what sustains it in a
continual act of humble prostration before the majesty of God. And God, seeing
the soul in such a disposition, pursues it with His graces. As the soul
continues to immerse itself more deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and
need, God uses His omnipotence to exalt it. If there is a truly happy soul upon
earth, it can only be a truly humble soul. At first, one's self-love suffers
greatly on this account, but after a soul has struggled courageously, God
grants it much light by which it sees how wretched and full of deception
everything is. God alone is in its heart. A humble soul does not trust itself,
but places all its confidence in God. God defends the humble soul and lets
Himself into its secrets, and the soul abides in unsurpassable happiness which
no one can comprehend.
605
O Holy Trinity, Eternal God, I thank You for allowing me to know the greatness
and the various degrees of glory to which souls attain. Oh, what a great
difference of depth in the knowledge of God there is between one degree and
another! Oh, if people could only know this! O my God, if I were thereby able
to attain one more degree, I would gladly suffer all the torments of the
martyrs put together. Truly, all those torments seem as nothing to me compared
with the glory that is awaiting us for all eternity. O Lord, immerse my soul in
the ocean of Your divinity and grant me the grace of knowing You; for the
better I know You, the more I desire You, and the more my love for You grows. I
feel in my soul an unfathomable abyss which only God can fill. I lose myself in
Him as a drop does in the ocean. The Lord has inclined himself to my misery
like a ray of the sun upon a barren and rocky desert. And yet, under the
influence of His rays, my soul has become covered with verdure, flowers, and
fruit, and has become a beautiful garden for His repose.
606
My Jesus, despite Your graces, I see and feel all my misery. I begin my day
with battle and end it with battle. As soon as I conquer one obstacle, ten more
appear to take its place. But I am not worried, because I know that this is the
time of struggle, not peace. When the burden of the battle becomes too much for
me, I throw myself like a child into the arms of the heavenly Father and trust
I will not perish. O my Jesus, how prone I am to evil, and this forces me to be
constantly vigilant. But I do not lose heart. I trust God's grace, which
abounds in the worst misery.
607
In the midst of the worst difficulties and adversities, I do not lose inner
peace or exterior balance, and this discourages my adversaries. Patience in
adversity gives power to the soul.
611
O my Jesus, I implore You by the goodness of Your most sweet Heart, let Your
anger diminish and show us Your mercy. May Your wounds be our shield against
Your Father's justice. I have come to know You, O God, as the source of mercy
that vivifies and nourishes every soul. Oh, how great is the mercy of the Lord;
it surpasses all His other qualities! Mercy is the greatest attribute of God;
everything that surrounds me speaks to me of this. Mercy is the life of souls;
His compassion is inexhaustible. O Lord, look on us and deal with us according
to Your countless mercies, according to Your great mercy.
615
March 1, 1936. Today during Holy Mass I experienced a strange force and urge to
start realizing God's wishes. I had such a clear understanding of the things
the Lord was asking of me that truly if I were to say that I do not understand
what God is demanding from me, I would be lying, because the Lord is making His
will known to me so clearly and distinctly that I do not have the least shadow
of a doubt about them. I realized that it would be the greatest ingratitude to
delay any longer this undertaking which the Lord wishes to bring to fulfillment
for His glory and the benefit of a great number of souls. And He is using me as
a miserable tool through which to realize His eternal plans of mercy. Truly,
how ungrateful my soul would be to resist God's will any longer. Nothing will
stop me any longer, be it persecution, sufferings, sneers, threats, entreaties,
hunger, cold, flattery, friendships, adversities, friends or enemies; be it
things I am experiencing now or things that will come in the future or even the
hatred of hellnothing will deter me from doing the will of God.
I am not counting on my own strength, but on His omnipotence for, as he gave me the grace of knowing His holy will, He will also grant me the grace of fulfilling it. I cannot fail to mention how much my own lower nature resists this thing, manifesting its own desires, and there results within my soul a great struggle, like that of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. And so I too cry out to God, the Eternal Father, "If it is possible, take this cup from me, but, nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord; may Your will be done." What I am about to go through is no secret to me, but with full knowledge I accept whatever You send me, O Lord. I trust in You, O merciful God, and I wish to be the first to manifest to You that confidence which You demand of souls. O Eternal Truth, help me and enlighten me along the roadways of life, and grant that Your will be accomplished in me.
My God, I desire nothing but the fulfillment of Your will. It does not matter whether it will be easy or difficult. I feel an extraordinary force driving me to action. One thing alone holds me back, and that is holy obedience. O my Jesus, You urge me on the one hand and hold me back and restrain me on the other. In this, too, O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done.
I continued in this state, without a break, for many days. My physical strength declined, and though I did not speak to anyone about it, nevertheless Mother Superior [Borgia] noticed my pain and remarked that I had changed in appearance and was very pale. She told me to go to bed earlier and to sleep longer, and she had a cup of hot milk brought to me in the evening. She had a motherly heart, full of care, and tried to help me. But in the case of spiritual sufferings, external things have no influence, and they do not bring much relief. It was from the confessional that I drew my strength and the consolation of knowing that it would not be long before I could begin to act.
I am not counting on my own strength, but on His omnipotence for, as he gave me the grace of knowing His holy will, He will also grant me the grace of fulfilling it. I cannot fail to mention how much my own lower nature resists this thing, manifesting its own desires, and there results within my soul a great struggle, like that of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. And so I too cry out to God, the Eternal Father, "If it is possible, take this cup from me, but, nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord; may Your will be done." What I am about to go through is no secret to me, but with full knowledge I accept whatever You send me, O Lord. I trust in You, O merciful God, and I wish to be the first to manifest to You that confidence which You demand of souls. O Eternal Truth, help me and enlighten me along the roadways of life, and grant that Your will be accomplished in me.
My God, I desire nothing but the fulfillment of Your will. It does not matter whether it will be easy or difficult. I feel an extraordinary force driving me to action. One thing alone holds me back, and that is holy obedience. O my Jesus, You urge me on the one hand and hold me back and restrain me on the other. In this, too, O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done.
I continued in this state, without a break, for many days. My physical strength declined, and though I did not speak to anyone about it, nevertheless Mother Superior [Borgia] noticed my pain and remarked that I had changed in appearance and was very pale. She told me to go to bed earlier and to sleep longer, and she had a cup of hot milk brought to me in the evening. She had a motherly heart, full of care, and tried to help me. But in the case of spiritual sufferings, external things have no influence, and they do not bring much relief. It was from the confessional that I drew my strength and the consolation of knowing that it would not be long before I could begin to act.
633
I am greatly surprised at how one can be so jealous. When I see someone else's
good, I rejoice at it as if it were mine. The joy of others is my joy, and the
suffering of others is my suffering, for otherwise I would not dare to commune
with the Lord Jesus. The spirit of Jesus is always simple, meek, sincere; all
malice, envy, and unkindness disguised under a smile of good will are clever
little devils. A severe word flowing from sincere love does not wound the
heart.
638
Jesus, drive away from me the thoughts that are not in accord with Your will. I
know that nothing now binds me to this earth but this work of mercy.
639
Thursday. During the evening adoration, I saw Jesus scourged and tortured. He
said to me, My daughter,
I desire that even in the smallest things, you rely on your confessor. Your
greatest sacrifices do not please Me if you practice them without the
confessor's permission; on the other hand, the smallest sacrifice finds great
value in My eyes, if it is done with his permission. The greatest works are
worthless in My eyes if they are done out of self-will, and often they are not
in accord with My will and merit punishment rather than reward. And on the
other hand, even the smallest of your acts, done with the confessor's
permission is pleasing in My eyes and very dear to Me. Hold firmly to this
always. Be constantly on the watch, for many souls will turn back from the
gates of hell and worship My mercy. But fear nothing, as I am with you. Know
that of yourself you can do nothing.
642
Palm Sunday. This Sunday, I experienced in a special way the sentiments of the
most sweet Heart of Jesus. My spirit was there where Jesus was. I saw Jesus
riding on a donkey's foal, and the disciples and a great multitude with
branches in their hands joyfully accompanying the Lord Jesus. Some strewed them
before His feet where He was riding, while others raised their branches in the
air, leaping and jumping before the Lord and not knowing what to do for joy.
And I saw another crowd which came out to meet Jesus, likewise with joyful
faces and with branches in their hands, and they were crying out unceasingly
with joy. There were little children there also. But Jesus was very grave, and
the Lord gave me to know how much He was suffering at the time. And at that
moment, I saw nothing but only Jesus, whose Heart was saturated with
ingratitude.
644 When I left the
confessional, a multitude of thoughts oppressed my soul. Why be sincere? What I
have told is no sin, so I have no duty to tell it to the confessor. And again,
what a relief that I do not have to heed my interior any more as long as things
are all right on the outside. I do not have to pay attention to anything or to
follow the inner voices that have often cost me so much humiliation. From now
on, I will be free. And again, a strange pain seized my soul: can I not, then,
commune with the One whom I desire so greatly? The One who is the whole
strength of my soul? I began to cry out, "To whom shall I go, O Jesus?"
But from the moment of the confessor's prohibition, great darkness fell upon my
soul. I feared lest I hear some inner voice, which would occasion the breaking
of my confessor's prohibition. And then again, I die of longing for God. My
interior is torn asunder, not having any will of its own, since it has been
turned over completely to God.
That was on Wednesday of Holy Week. The suffering intensified on Holy Thursday. When I came to make my meditation, I entered into a kind of agony. I did not feel the presence of God, but all the justice of God weighed heavily upon me. I saw myself as if knocked down for the sins of the world. Satan began to mock me, "See, now you will no longer strive to win souls; look how you've been paid! Nobody will believe you that Jesus demands this. See how much you are suffering now, and how much more you are going to suffer! After all, the confessor has now released you from all these things." Now I can live as I like, as long as things are all right outwardly. These dreadful thoughts tormented me throughout the whole hour.
When it was almost time for Holy Mass, my heart was seized with pain; am I, then, to leave the Congregation? And since Father has told me that this is a kind of heresy, am I to fall away from the Church? I cried out to the Lord with a sorrowful interior cry, "Jesus, save me!" Still, not a single ray of light entered my soul, and I felt my strength failing, as if the body were separating itself from the soul. I submitted to the will of God and repeated, "O God, let whatever You have decided upon happen to me. Nothing in me is any longer my own." Then, suddenly, God's presence enveloped me and penetrated me through and through. This was just as I was receiving Holy Communion. A moment after Holy Communion, I lost all awareness of everything around me and of my whereabouts.
That was on Wednesday of Holy Week. The suffering intensified on Holy Thursday. When I came to make my meditation, I entered into a kind of agony. I did not feel the presence of God, but all the justice of God weighed heavily upon me. I saw myself as if knocked down for the sins of the world. Satan began to mock me, "See, now you will no longer strive to win souls; look how you've been paid! Nobody will believe you that Jesus demands this. See how much you are suffering now, and how much more you are going to suffer! After all, the confessor has now released you from all these things." Now I can live as I like, as long as things are all right outwardly. These dreadful thoughts tormented me throughout the whole hour.
When it was almost time for Holy Mass, my heart was seized with pain; am I, then, to leave the Congregation? And since Father has told me that this is a kind of heresy, am I to fall away from the Church? I cried out to the Lord with a sorrowful interior cry, "Jesus, save me!" Still, not a single ray of light entered my soul, and I felt my strength failing, as if the body were separating itself from the soul. I submitted to the will of God and repeated, "O God, let whatever You have decided upon happen to me. Nothing in me is any longer my own." Then, suddenly, God's presence enveloped me and penetrated me through and through. This was just as I was receiving Holy Communion. A moment after Holy Communion, I lost all awareness of everything around me and of my whereabouts.
645 Then I saw the
Lord Jesus, as He is represented in the image, and He said to me, Tell the confessor that this work is
Mine and that I am using you as a lowly instrument. And I said,
"Jesus, I can no longer do anything You command me to do, because my
confessor has told me that all this is an illusion, and that I am not allowed
to obey any of Your commands. I will do nothing that You will tell me to do
now. I am sorry, my Lord, but I am not allowed to do anything, and I must obey
my confessor. Jesus, I most earnestly ask Your pardon. You know how much I
suffer because of this, but it can't be helped, Jesus. The confessor has
forbidden me to follow Your orders." Jesus listened to my arguments and
complaints with kindness and satisfaction. I thought the Lord Jesus would be
grievously offended but, on the contrary, He was pleased and said to me kindly, Always tell your confessor about
everything I say to you and command you to do, and do only that for which you
obtain permission. Do not be upset, and fear nothing; I am with you. My
soul was filled with joy, and all those oppressive thoughts vanished. Certitude
and courage entered my soul.
646 But after a short
while, I entered into the sufferings which Jesus underwent in the Garden of
Olives. This lasted until Friday morning. On Friday, I experienced the Passion
of Jesus but, this time, in a different way. On that day, Father Bukowski came
from Derdy. Some strange power pushed me to go to confession and tell him about
everything that had happened to me and about what Jesus had said to me. When I
told Father, he was quite different and he said to me, "Sister, don't be
afraid of anything; you will come to no harm, for the ' Lord Jesus will not
allow it. If you are obedient and persevere in this disposition, you need not
worry about anything. God will find a way to bring about His work. You should
always have this simplicity and sincerity and tell everything to Mother
General. What I said to ; you was said as a warning, because illusions may
afflict even holy persons, and Satan's insinuations may play a part in this,
and sometimes this comes from our own selves, so one has to be careful. And so
continue as you have thus far. You can see, Sister, that the Lord is not
angered by this. And Sister, you can repeat these things that have happened to
you at present to your regular confessor [Father Sopocko]."
648 Good Friday. At
three o'clock, I saw the Lord Jesus, crucified, who looked at me and said, I thirst. Then I saw
two rays issue from His side, just as they appear in the image. I then felt in
my soul the desire to save souls and to empty myself for the sake of poor
sinners. I offered myself, together with the dying Jesus, to the Eternal
Father, for the salvation of the whole world. With Jesus, through Jesus and in
Jesus is my communion with You, Eternal Father. On Good Friday, Jesus suffered
in His soul in a way which was different from [His suffering on] Holy Thursday.
650 O my Jesus, my
Master and Director, strengthen and enlighten me in these difficult moments of
my life. I expect no help from people; all my hope is in You. I feel alone in
the face of Your demands, O Lord. Despite the fears and qualms of my nature, I
am fulfilling Your holy will and desire to fulfill it as faithfully as possible
throughout my life and in my death. Jesus, with You I can do all things. Do
with me as You please; only give me Your merciful Heart and that is enough for
me.
O Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what You have planned before all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of Your holy will. Enlighten my mind that I may know Your will. O God, You who pervade my soul, You know that I desire nothing but Your glory.
O Divine Will, You are the delight of my heart, the food of my soul, the light of my intellect, the omnipotent strength of my will; for when I unite myself with Your will, O Lord, Your power works through me and takes the place of my feeble will. Each day, I seek to carry out God's wishes.
O Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what You have planned before all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of Your holy will. Enlighten my mind that I may know Your will. O God, You who pervade my soul, You know that I desire nothing but Your glory.
O Divine Will, You are the delight of my heart, the food of my soul, the light of my intellect, the omnipotent strength of my will; for when I unite myself with Your will, O Lord, Your power works through me and takes the place of my feeble will. Each day, I seek to carry out God's wishes.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-482-483, 485, 507, 509)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-530-531, 538, 540, 546, 571-573, 575)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-576, 593, 605-607, 611, 615, 633, 638)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-639-642, 644-646, 648, 650
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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