“My Lord and My
God!”
Feast of Saint Thomas, apostle
Father Robert
DeCesare, LC
John
20:24-29
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus
came. So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord."
But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and
put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not
believe." Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was
with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst
and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your
finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and
do not be unbelieving, but believe." Thomas answered and said to him,
"My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you come to
believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have
believed."
Introductory
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift
of faith I received with baptism. I believe all that You have revealed, though
I recognize that my faith is still small. I now submerge my weak faith in Your
overflowing goodness and mercy, and I trust in You completely. I love You, my
Lord and my God, with all my mind, heart, soul and strength.
Petition: Lord, increase my faith.
1. “I Will Not Believe.” Lord, I live in a culture where I have to know everything. If there are
no facts, if I lack evidence, then I refuse to believe. At times, Lord, even
with facts and evidence in front of me, I still refuse to believe. I know,
Lord, that faith calls for man “to commit his entire self to God” ( Dei
Verbum 5). Thomas refuses to do this when the apostles share the exciting
news: “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But their news does not correspond
to what Thomas knows. He knows that you died. Maybe he went to the tomb on
Saturday. He would have seen the guards stationed there and would have imagined
that there was no way to take you from the tomb. Do I come up with convincing
reasons not to believe? If I do, how can I answer better through faith?
2. “Do Not Be Unbelieving, But Believe.” Lord, Thomas looks at you in the Upper Room as you say this. I recall
the words: “Everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge
before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). You invite Thomas to take
that step of faith: to leave behind what he knows and to accept your
Resurrection. He had seen you raise Lazarus, and now you invite him to believe
that you yourself are forever alive. You are God, both living and true. There
in the Upper Room, you invite me, as you did Thomas, to believe that you are
alive in my life. Lord, I want you to have a strong presence in my life.
3. “Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen, and
Have Believed.” Lord, I cannot make it to heaven
without faith. Your words to Thomas allude to what lies in store for me if I
believe until death. I was not alive when you walked on the earth, but in the
light of what you say to Thomas, I have all the more reason to exercise my
faith and pray as Thomas did: “My Lord and my God.” You desire my faith, Lord,
just as you desired Thomas’. How great you are, Lord! “Faith is first and
foremost a personal adherence of man to God” (Catechism of the Catholic
Church, 150). I want to adhere to you, my Lord and my God.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I believe that You want to be a great part of my life. You want
to be the Lord of it. My faith is so little. Help me to increase my faith. Give
it what it needs to grow.
Resolution: Today during the
day I will read numbers 150-152 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church
about faith, so as to work to increase my faith in God.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
50 +I desire that priests proclaim this
great mercy of Mine towards souls of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to
approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want
to pour them out upon these souls.
Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts].
Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts].
97 Faith staggers under the impact; the
struggle is fierce. The soul tries hard to cling to God by an act of will. With
God's permission, Satan goes even further: hope and love are put to the test.
These temptations are terrible. God supports the soul in secret, so to speak.
The soul is not aware of this, but otherwise it would be impossible to stand
firm; and God knows very well how much He can allow to befall a soul. The soul
is tempted to unbelief in respect to revealed truths and to insincerity toward
the confessor. Satan says to it, "Look, no one understands you; why speak
about all this?" Words that terrify it sound in its ears, and it seems to
the soul that it is uttering these against God. It sees what it does not want
to see. It hears what it does not want to hear. And, oh, it is a terrible thing
at times like these not to have an experienced confessor! The soul carries the
whole burden alone. However, one should make every effort to find, if it is at
all possible, a well-informed confessor, for the soul can collapse under the
burden and come to the very edge of the precipice. All these trials are heavy
and difficult. God does not send them to a soul which has not already been
admitted to a deeper intimacy with Him and which has not yet tasted the divine
delights. Besides, in this God has His own plans, which for us are
impenetrable. God often prepares a soul in this way for His future designs and
great works. He wants to try it as pure gold is tried. But this is not yet the
end of the testing; there is still the trial of trials, the complete
abandonment of the soul by God.
+ The Trial of Trials, Complete Abandonment -
Despair
98 When the soul comes out victorious from the preceding trials, even though it may stumble here and there, it fights on valiantly, humbly calling upon God, "Save me, I am perishing!" And it is still able to fight on.
At this point, however, the soul is engulfed in a horrible night. It sees within itself only sin. It feels terrible. It sees itself completely abandoned by God. It feels itself to be the object of His hatred. It is but one step away from despair. The soul does its best to defend itself; it tries to stir up its confidence; but prayer is an even greater torment for it, as this prayer seems to arouse God to an even greater anger. The soul finds itself poised on the summit of a lofty mountain on the very brink of a precipice.
The soul is drawn to God, but feels repulsed. All other sufferings and tortures in the world are as nothing compared with this sensation into which it has been plunged; namely, that of being rejected by God. No one can bring it any relief; it finds itself completely alone; there is no one to defend it. It raises its eyes to heaven, but is convinced that this is not for her-for her all is lost. It falls deeper and deeper from darkness to darkness, and it seems to it that it has lost forever the God it used to love so dearly. This thought is torture beyond all description. But the soul does not agree to it and tries to lift its gaze toward heaven, but in vain! And this makes the torture even more intense.
If God wishes to keep the soul in such darkness, no one will be able to give it light. It experiences rejection by God in a vivid and terrifying manner. From its heart burst forth painful moans, so painful that no priest will comprehend it, unless he himself has been through these trials. In the midst of this, the evil spirit adds to the soul's suffering, mocking it: "Will you persist in your faithfulness? This is your reward; you are in our power!" But Satan has only as much influence over the soul as God allows him, and God knows how much we can bear. "What have you gotten out of your mortifications," says Satan, "and out of your fidelity to the rule? What use are all these efforts? You have been rejected by God!" This word, rejected, becomes a fire which penetrates every nerve to the marrow of the bone. It pierces right through her entire being. The ordeal reaches its climax. The soul no longer looks for help anywhere. It shrinks into itself and loses sight of everything; it is as though it has accepted the torture of being abandoned. This is a moment for which I have no words. This is the agony of the soul.
98 When the soul comes out victorious from the preceding trials, even though it may stumble here and there, it fights on valiantly, humbly calling upon God, "Save me, I am perishing!" And it is still able to fight on.
At this point, however, the soul is engulfed in a horrible night. It sees within itself only sin. It feels terrible. It sees itself completely abandoned by God. It feels itself to be the object of His hatred. It is but one step away from despair. The soul does its best to defend itself; it tries to stir up its confidence; but prayer is an even greater torment for it, as this prayer seems to arouse God to an even greater anger. The soul finds itself poised on the summit of a lofty mountain on the very brink of a precipice.
The soul is drawn to God, but feels repulsed. All other sufferings and tortures in the world are as nothing compared with this sensation into which it has been plunged; namely, that of being rejected by God. No one can bring it any relief; it finds itself completely alone; there is no one to defend it. It raises its eyes to heaven, but is convinced that this is not for her-for her all is lost. It falls deeper and deeper from darkness to darkness, and it seems to it that it has lost forever the God it used to love so dearly. This thought is torture beyond all description. But the soul does not agree to it and tries to lift its gaze toward heaven, but in vain! And this makes the torture even more intense.
If God wishes to keep the soul in such darkness, no one will be able to give it light. It experiences rejection by God in a vivid and terrifying manner. From its heart burst forth painful moans, so painful that no priest will comprehend it, unless he himself has been through these trials. In the midst of this, the evil spirit adds to the soul's suffering, mocking it: "Will you persist in your faithfulness? This is your reward; you are in our power!" But Satan has only as much influence over the soul as God allows him, and God knows how much we can bear. "What have you gotten out of your mortifications," says Satan, "and out of your fidelity to the rule? What use are all these efforts? You have been rejected by God!" This word, rejected, becomes a fire which penetrates every nerve to the marrow of the bone. It pierces right through her entire being. The ordeal reaches its climax. The soul no longer looks for help anywhere. It shrinks into itself and loses sight of everything; it is as though it has accepted the torture of being abandoned. This is a moment for which I have no words. This is the agony of the soul.
106 Though these are frightening things, the
soul should not be too fearful, because God will never test us beyond what we
are able to bear. On the other hand, He may never send us such sufferings, but
I write this because, if it pleases the Lord to let a soul pass through such
sufferings, it should not be afraid but, insofar as this depends on the soul
itself, it should remain faithful to God. God will do a soul no harm, because
He is Love itself, and in this unfathomable love has called it into being.
However, when I was so tormented, I myself did not understand this.
107 O my God, I have come to know that I am
not of this earth; You, O Lord, have poured this profound awareness into my
soul. My communion is more with heaven than with earth, though I in no way
neglect my duties.
111 When, in the midst of these interior
torments, I tried to accuse myself in confession of the smallest trifles, the
priest was surprised that I had not committed graver faults, and he said to me,
"If you are as faithful as this to God during these sufferings, this in
itself is evidence to me that God is sustaining you, Sister, with a special
grace, and it is a good thing that you do not understand this." It is a
strange thing, nevertheless, that confessors could neither understand me nor
set my mind at peace concerning these matters, until I met Father Andrasz and,
later on, Father Sopocko.
115 + When a soul has come out of these tribulations,
it is deeply humble. Its purity of soul is great. It knows better without need
of reflecting, as it were, what it ought to do at a given moment and what to
forbear. It feels the lightest touch of grace and is very faithful to God. It
recognizes God from afar and continuously rejoices in Him. It discovers God
very quickly in other souls and in its environment in general. The soul has
been purified by God himself. God, as Pure Spirit, introduces the soul to a
life which is purely spiritual. God himself has first prepared and purified the
soul; that is, He has made it capable of close communion with himself. The
soul, in a state of loving repose, communes spiritually with the Lord. It
speaks to God without the need of expressing itself through the senses. God
fills it with His light.
The enlightened mind sees clearly and distinguishes the various degrees of the spiritual life. It recognizes [that state] when its union with God was imperfect: where the senses were involved, and the spirit was linked with the senses in a manner-exalted and special, to be sure but not yet perfect. There is a higher and more perfect union with God; namely, intellectual union. Here, the soul is safer from illusions; its spirituality is purer and more profound. In a life where the senses are involved, there is more danger of illusion. Both for the soul and for its confessor, prudence must play a greater part. There are moments when God introduces the soul to a purely spiritual state. The senses dim and are seemingly dead. The soul is most closely united to God; it is immersed in the Deity; its knowledge is complete and perfect, not sporadic as before, but total and absolute. It rejoices in this. But I want to say more about those moments of trial; at those times the confessor must have patience with such a soul. But the soul must have even greater patience with itself.
The enlightened mind sees clearly and distinguishes the various degrees of the spiritual life. It recognizes [that state] when its union with God was imperfect: where the senses were involved, and the spirit was linked with the senses in a manner-exalted and special, to be sure but not yet perfect. There is a higher and more perfect union with God; namely, intellectual union. Here, the soul is safer from illusions; its spirituality is purer and more profound. In a life where the senses are involved, there is more danger of illusion. Both for the soul and for its confessor, prudence must play a greater part. There are moments when God introduces the soul to a purely spiritual state. The senses dim and are seemingly dead. The soul is most closely united to God; it is immersed in the Deity; its knowledge is complete and perfect, not sporadic as before, but total and absolute. It rejoices in this. But I want to say more about those moments of trial; at those times the confessor must have patience with such a soul. But the soul must have even greater patience with itself.
129 Satan always takes advantage of such
moments; thoughts of discouragement began to rise to the surface-for your
faithfulness and sincerity-this is your reward. How can one be sincere when one
is so misunderstood? Jesus, Jesus, I cannot go on any longer. Again I fell to
the ground under this weight, and I broke out in a sweat, and fear began to
overcome me. I had no one to lean on interiorly. Suddenly I heard a voice
within my soul, Do not fear; I am with you. And an unusual light
illumined my mind, and I understood that I should not give in to such sorrows.
I was filled with a certain strength and left my cell with new courage to
suffer.
132 I must again mention that there are some
confessors who seem to be true spiritual fathers, but only as long as things go
well. When the soul finds itself in greater need, they become perplexed, and
either cannot or will not understand the soul. They try to get rid of the person
as soon as possible. But if the soul is humble, it will always profit in some
little way or other. God himself will sometimes cast a shaft of light into the
depths of the soul, because of its humility and faith. The confessor will
sometimes say something he had never intended to say, without even realizing it
himself. Oh, let the soul believe that such words are the words of the Lord
himself! Though indeed we ought to believe that every word spoken in the
confessional is God's, what I have referred to above is something that comes
directly from God. And the soul perceives that the priest is not master of
himself, that he is saying things that he would rather not say. This is how God
rewards faith.
I have experienced this many times myself. A certain very learned and respected priest [probably Father Wilkowski, the sisters' confessor at Plock], to whom I sometimes happened to go to confession, was always severe and opposed to these matters [which I brought up to him]. But on one occasion he replied to me, "Bear in mind, Sister, that if God is asking this of you, you should not oppose Him. God sometimes wants to be praised in just this way. Be at peace; what God has started, He will finish. But I say this to you: faithfulness to God and humility. And once again: humility. Bear well in mind what I have told you today." I was delighted, and I thought that perhaps this priest had understood me. But it so turned out that I never went to confession to him again.
I have experienced this many times myself. A certain very learned and respected priest [probably Father Wilkowski, the sisters' confessor at Plock], to whom I sometimes happened to go to confession, was always severe and opposed to these matters [which I brought up to him]. But on one occasion he replied to me, "Bear in mind, Sister, that if God is asking this of you, you should not oppose Him. God sometimes wants to be praised in just this way. Be at peace; what God has started, He will finish. But I say this to you: faithfulness to God and humility. And once again: humility. Bear well in mind what I have told you today." I was delighted, and I thought that perhaps this priest had understood me. But it so turned out that I never went to confession to him again.
136 And the Lord gave me to know that the
whole mystery depended on me, on my free consent to the sacrifice given with
full use of my faculties. In this free and conscious act lies the whole power
and value before His Majesty. Even if none of these things for which I offered
myself would ever happen to me, before the Lord everything was as though it had
already been consummated.
At that moment, I realized I was entering into communion with the incomprehensible Majesty. I felt that God was waiting for my word, for my consent. Then my spirit immersed itself in the Lord, and I said, "Do with me as You please. I subject myself to Your will. As of today, Your holy will shall be my nourishment, and I will be faithful to Your commands with the help of Your grace. Do with me as You please. I beg You, O Lord, be with me at every moment of my life."
At that moment, I realized I was entering into communion with the incomprehensible Majesty. I felt that God was waiting for my word, for my consent. Then my spirit immersed itself in the Lord, and I said, "Do with me as You please. I subject myself to Your will. As of today, Your holy will shall be my nourishment, and I will be faithful to Your commands with the help of Your grace. Do with me as You please. I beg You, O Lord, be with me at every moment of my life."
138 A great mystery has been accomplished
between God and me. Courage and strength have remained in my soul. When the
time of adoration came to an end, I came out and calmly faced everything I had
feared so much before. When I came out into the corridor, a great suffering and
humiliation, at the hands of a certain person, was awaiting me. I accepted it
with submission to a higher will and snuggled closely to the Most Sacred Heart
of Jesus, letting Him know that I was ready for that for which I had offered
myself.
Suffering seemed to spring out of the ground. Even Mother Margaret herself was surprised. For others, many things passed unnoticed, for indeed it wasn't worth paying any attention to them; but in my case, nothing passed unnoticed; each word was analyzed, each step watched. One sister said to me, "Get ready, Sister, to receive a small cross at the hands of Mother Superior. I feel sorry for you." But as for me, I rejoiced at this in the depths of my soul and had been ready for it for a long time. When she saw my courage, she was surprised. I see now that a soul cannot do much of itself, but with God it can do all things. Behold what God's grace can do. Few are the souls that are always watchful for divine graces, and even fewer of such souls who follow those inspirations faithfully.
Suffering seemed to spring out of the ground. Even Mother Margaret herself was surprised. For others, many things passed unnoticed, for indeed it wasn't worth paying any attention to them; but in my case, nothing passed unnoticed; each word was analyzed, each step watched. One sister said to me, "Get ready, Sister, to receive a small cross at the hands of Mother Superior. I feel sorry for you." But as for me, I rejoiced at this in the depths of my soul and had been ready for it for a long time. When she saw my courage, she was surprised. I see now that a soul cannot do much of itself, but with God it can do all things. Behold what God's grace can do. Few are the souls that are always watchful for divine graces, and even fewer of such souls who follow those inspirations faithfully.
139 Still, a soul which is faithful to God
cannot confirm its own inspirations; it must submit them to the control of a
very wise and learned priest; and until it is quite certain, it should remain
distrustful. It should not, on its own initiative alone, put its trust in these
inspirations and all other higher graces, because it can thus expose itself to
great losses.
Even though a soul may immediately distinguish between false inspirations and those of God, it should nevertheless be careful, because many things are uncertain. God is pleased and rejoices when a soul distrusts Him for His own sake; because it loves Him, it is prudent and itself asks and searches for help to make certain that it is really God who is acting within it. And once a well-instructed confessor has confirmed this, the soul should be at peace and give itself up to God, according to His directions; that is, according to the directions of the confessor.
Even though a soul may immediately distinguish between false inspirations and those of God, it should nevertheless be careful, because many things are uncertain. God is pleased and rejoices when a soul distrusts Him for His own sake; because it loves Him, it is prudent and itself asks and searches for help to make certain that it is really God who is acting within it. And once a well-instructed confessor has confirmed this, the soul should be at peace and give itself up to God, according to His directions; that is, according to the directions of the confessor.
140 Pure love is capable of great deeds, and
it is not broken by difficulty or adversity. As it remains strong in the midst
of great difficulties, so too it perseveres in the toilsome and drab life of
each day. It knows that only one thing is needed to please God: to do even the
smallest things out of great love-love, and always love.
Pure love never errs. Its light is strangely plentiful. It will not do anything that might displease God. It is ingenious at doing what is more pleasing to God, and no one will equal it. It is happy when it can empty itself and burn like a pure offering. The more it gives of itself, the happier it is. But also, no one can sense dangers from afar as can love; it knows how to unmask and also knows with whom it has to deal.
Pure love never errs. Its light is strangely plentiful. It will not do anything that might displease God. It is ingenious at doing what is more pleasing to God, and no one will equal it. It is happy when it can empty itself and burn like a pure offering. The more it gives of itself, the happier it is. But also, no one can sense dangers from afar as can love; it knows how to unmask and also knows with whom it has to deal.
145 Oh, how wretched my soul is for having
wasted so many graces! I was running away from God, and He pursued me with his
graces. I most often experienced God's graces when I least expected them. From
the moment He gave me a spiritual director, I have been more faithful to grace.
Thanks to the director and his watchfulness over my soul, I have learned what
guidance means and how Jesus looks at it. Jesus warned me of the least fault
and stressed that He himself judges the matter that I present to my confessor;
and [He told me] that ... any transgressions against the confessor touch Me
myself.
When under his direction my soul began to experience deep recollection and peace, I often heard these words in my soul: Strengthen yourself for combat - repeated over and over at various times.
+Jesus often makes known to me what He does not like in my soul, and He has more than once rebuked me for what seemed to be trifles, but which were, in fact, things of great importance. He has warned me and tried me like a Master. For many years He himself educated me, until the moment when He gave me a spiritual director. Previously, He himself had made clear to me what I did not understand; but now, He tells me to ask my confessor about everything and often says, I will answer you through his mouth. Be at peace. It has never happened to me that I have received an answer which was contrary to what the Lord wanted of me, when I presented it to the spiritual director [Father Sopocko]. It sometimes happens that Jesus first asks certain things of me, about which no one knows anything, and then, when I kneel at the confessional, my confessor gives me the same order-however, this is infrequent.
+When, over a long period of time, a soul has received much light and many inspirations, and when the confessors have confirmed the source of these inspirations and set the soul at peace; if its love is great, Jesus now makes it known that it is time to put into action what it has received. The soul recognizes that God is counting on it, and this knowledge fortifies it. It knows that to be faithful it will often have to face various difficulties, but it trusts in God and, thanks to this trust, it reaches that point to which God is calling it. Difficulties do not terrify it; they are its daily bread, as it were. They do not frighten or terrify the soul, just as a warrior who is constantly in battle is not terrified by the roar of the cannon. Far from being frightened, it listens to determine from which side the enemy is launching his attack, in order to defeat him. It does nothing blindly, but examines and ponders everything deeply and, not counting on itself, it prays fervently and asks advice of other warriors who are experienced and wise. When the soul acts in this way, it nearly always wins.
There are attacks when a soul has no time to think or seek advice; then it must enter into a life-or-death struggle. Sometimes it is good to flee for cover in the wound of the Heart of Jesus, without answering a single word. By this very act the enemy is already defeated.
In time of peace, as well, the soul continues making efforts, just as in time of battle. It must exercise itself, and do so with energy; otherwise it has no chance of attaining victory. I regard the time of peace as a time of preparation for victory. The soul must be ever watchful; watchfulness and again, watchfulness. The soul that reflects receives much light. A distracted soul runs the risk of a fall, and let it not be surprised when it does fall. O Spirit of God, Director of the soul, wise is he whom You have trained! But for the Spirit of God to act in the soul, peace and recollection are needed.
When under his direction my soul began to experience deep recollection and peace, I often heard these words in my soul: Strengthen yourself for combat - repeated over and over at various times.
+Jesus often makes known to me what He does not like in my soul, and He has more than once rebuked me for what seemed to be trifles, but which were, in fact, things of great importance. He has warned me and tried me like a Master. For many years He himself educated me, until the moment when He gave me a spiritual director. Previously, He himself had made clear to me what I did not understand; but now, He tells me to ask my confessor about everything and often says, I will answer you through his mouth. Be at peace. It has never happened to me that I have received an answer which was contrary to what the Lord wanted of me, when I presented it to the spiritual director [Father Sopocko]. It sometimes happens that Jesus first asks certain things of me, about which no one knows anything, and then, when I kneel at the confessional, my confessor gives me the same order-however, this is infrequent.
+When, over a long period of time, a soul has received much light and many inspirations, and when the confessors have confirmed the source of these inspirations and set the soul at peace; if its love is great, Jesus now makes it known that it is time to put into action what it has received. The soul recognizes that God is counting on it, and this knowledge fortifies it. It knows that to be faithful it will often have to face various difficulties, but it trusts in God and, thanks to this trust, it reaches that point to which God is calling it. Difficulties do not terrify it; they are its daily bread, as it were. They do not frighten or terrify the soul, just as a warrior who is constantly in battle is not terrified by the roar of the cannon. Far from being frightened, it listens to determine from which side the enemy is launching his attack, in order to defeat him. It does nothing blindly, but examines and ponders everything deeply and, not counting on itself, it prays fervently and asks advice of other warriors who are experienced and wise. When the soul acts in this way, it nearly always wins.
There are attacks when a soul has no time to think or seek advice; then it must enter into a life-or-death struggle. Sometimes it is good to flee for cover in the wound of the Heart of Jesus, without answering a single word. By this very act the enemy is already defeated.
In time of peace, as well, the soul continues making efforts, just as in time of battle. It must exercise itself, and do so with energy; otherwise it has no chance of attaining victory. I regard the time of peace as a time of preparation for victory. The soul must be ever watchful; watchfulness and again, watchfulness. The soul that reflects receives much light. A distracted soul runs the risk of a fall, and let it not be surprised when it does fall. O Spirit of God, Director of the soul, wise is he whom You have trained! But for the Spirit of God to act in the soul, peace and recollection are needed.
148 +A noble and delicate soul, even the most
simple, but one of delicate sensibilities, sees God in everything, finds Him
everywhere, and knows how to find Him in even the most hidden things. It finds
all things important, it highly appreciates all things, it thanks God for all
things, it draws profit for the soul from all things, and it gives all glory to
God. It places its trust in God and is not confused when the time of ordeals
comes. It knows that God is always the best of Fathers and makes little of
human opinion. It follows faithfully the faintest breath of the Holy Spirit; it
rejoices in this Spiritual Guest and holds onto Him like a child to its mother.
Where other souls come to a standstill and fear, this soul passes on without
fear or difficulty.
149 When the Lord himself wants to be close
to a soul and to lead it, He will remove everything that is external. When I
fell ill and was taken to the infirmary, I suffered much unpleasantness because
of this. There were two of us sick in the infirmary. Sisters would come to see
Sister N., but no one came to visit me. It is true that there was only one
infirmary, but each one had her own cell. The winter nights were long, and
Sister N. had the light and the radio headphones, while I could not even
prepare my meditation for lack of a light.
When nearly two weeks had passed in this way, I complained to the Lord one evening that I was suffering so much and that I could not even prepare my meditation because there was no light. And the Lord said that He would come every evening and give me the points for the next day's meditation. These points always concerned His sorrowful Passion. He would say, Consider My sufferings before Pilate. And thus, point by point, I meditated upon His sorrowful Passion for one week. From that moment, a great joy entered my soul, and I no longer wanted either the visitors or the light; Jesus sufficed me for everything. The superiors were indeed very solicitous for the sick, but the Lord ordained that I should feel forsaken. This best of masters withdraws every created thing in order that He himself might act. Many a time, I have experienced such sufferings and persecutions that Mother M. [probably Mother Margaret] herself said to me, "Sister, along your path, sufferings just spring up out of the ground. I look upon you, Sister, as one crucified. But I can see that Jesus has a hand in this. Be faithful to the Lord."
When nearly two weeks had passed in this way, I complained to the Lord one evening that I was suffering so much and that I could not even prepare my meditation because there was no light. And the Lord said that He would come every evening and give me the points for the next day's meditation. These points always concerned His sorrowful Passion. He would say, Consider My sufferings before Pilate. And thus, point by point, I meditated upon His sorrowful Passion for one week. From that moment, a great joy entered my soul, and I no longer wanted either the visitors or the light; Jesus sufficed me for everything. The superiors were indeed very solicitous for the sick, but the Lord ordained that I should feel forsaken. This best of masters withdraws every created thing in order that He himself might act. Many a time, I have experienced such sufferings and persecutions that Mother M. [probably Mother Margaret] herself said to me, "Sister, along your path, sufferings just spring up out of the ground. I look upon you, Sister, as one crucified. But I can see that Jesus has a hand in this. Be faithful to the Lord."
150 +I want to write down a dream that I had
about Saint Therese of the Child Jesus. I was still a novice at the time and
was going through some difficulties which I did not know how to overcome. They
were interior difficulties connected with exterior ones. I made novenas to various
saints, but the situation grew more and more difficult. The sufferings it
caused me were so great that I did not know how to go on living, but suddenly
the thought occurred to me that I should pray to Saint Therese of the Child
Jesus. I started a novena to this Saint, because before entering the convent I
had had a great devotion to her. Lately I had somewhat neglected this devotion,
but in my need I began again to pray with great fervor.
On the fifth day of the novena, I dreamed of Saint Therese, but it was as if she were still living on earth. She hid from me the fact that she was a saint and began to comfort me, saying that I should not be worried about this matter, but should trust more in God. She said, "I suffered greatly, too," but I did not quite believe her and said, "It seems to me that you have not suffered at all." But Saint Therese answered me in a convincing manner that she had suffered very much indeed and said to me, "Sister, know that in three days the difficulty will come to a happy conclusion." When I was not very willing to believe her, she revealed to me that she was a saint. At that moment, a great joy filled my soul, and I said to her, "You are a saint?" "Yes," she answered, "I am a saint. Trust that this matter will be resolved in three days:" And I said, "Dear sweet Therese, tell me, shall I go to heaven?" And she answered, "Yes, you will go to heaven, Sister." "And will I be a saint?" To which she replied, "Yes, you will be a saint." "But, little Therese, shall I be a saint as you are, raised to the altar?" And she answered, "Yes, you will be a saint just as I am, but you must trust in the Lord Jesus." I then asked her if my mother and father would go to heaven, will [unfinished sentence] And she replied that they would. I further asked, "And will my brothers and sisters go to heaven?" She told me to pray hard for them, but gave me no definite answer. I understood that they were in need of much prayer.
This was a dream. And as the proverb goes, dreams are phantoms; God is faith. Nevertheless, three days later the difficulty was solved very easily, just as she had said. And everything in this affair turned out exactly as she said it would. It was a dream, but it had its significance.
On the fifth day of the novena, I dreamed of Saint Therese, but it was as if she were still living on earth. She hid from me the fact that she was a saint and began to comfort me, saying that I should not be worried about this matter, but should trust more in God. She said, "I suffered greatly, too," but I did not quite believe her and said, "It seems to me that you have not suffered at all." But Saint Therese answered me in a convincing manner that she had suffered very much indeed and said to me, "Sister, know that in three days the difficulty will come to a happy conclusion." When I was not very willing to believe her, she revealed to me that she was a saint. At that moment, a great joy filled my soul, and I said to her, "You are a saint?" "Yes," she answered, "I am a saint. Trust that this matter will be resolved in three days:" And I said, "Dear sweet Therese, tell me, shall I go to heaven?" And she answered, "Yes, you will go to heaven, Sister." "And will I be a saint?" To which she replied, "Yes, you will be a saint." "But, little Therese, shall I be a saint as you are, raised to the altar?" And she answered, "Yes, you will be a saint just as I am, but you must trust in the Lord Jesus." I then asked her if my mother and father would go to heaven, will [unfinished sentence] And she replied that they would. I further asked, "And will my brothers and sisters go to heaven?" She told me to pray hard for them, but gave me no definite answer. I understood that they were in need of much prayer.
This was a dream. And as the proverb goes, dreams are phantoms; God is faith. Nevertheless, three days later the difficulty was solved very easily, just as she had said. And everything in this affair turned out exactly as she said it would. It was a dream, but it had its significance.
227 +In the midst of trials I will try to see
the loving hand of God. Nothing is as constant as suffering-it always
faithfully keeps the soul company. O Jesus, I will let no one surpass me in
loving You!
+O Jesus, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament,
+O Jesus, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament,
1065 + My Jesus, support me when difficult and
stormy days come, days of testing, days of ordeal, when suffering and fatigue
begin to oppress my body and my soul. Sustain me, Jesus, and give me strength
to bear suffering. Set a guard upon my lips that they may address no word of
complaint to creatures. Your most merciful Heart is all my hope. I have nothing
for my defense but only Your mercy; in it lies all my trust.
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.
1520 Today the Lord said to me, I have opened My Heart as a living
fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea
of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will
be confirmed in good. Whoever places his trust in My mercy will be filled with
My divine peace at the hour of death.
1521 The Lord said to me, My daughter, do not tire of
proclaiming My mercy. In this way you will refresh this Heart of Mine, which
burns with a flame of pity for sinners. Tell My priests that hardened sinners
will repent on hearing their words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy,
about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who proclaim and
extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch
the hearts of those to whom they will speak.
1522 Community life is difficult in itself,
but it is doubly difficult to get along with proud souls. "O God, give me
' a deeper faith that I may always see in every sister Your holy image which has
been engraved in her soul...
1540 January 28, 1938. Today the Lord said to
me, My daughter, write
down these words: All those souls who will glorify My mercy and spread its
worship, encouraging others to trust in My mercy, will not experience terror at
the hour of death. My mercy will shield them in that final battle...
1541 My
daughter, encourage souls to say the chaplet which I have given to you. It
pleases Me to grant everything they ask of Me by saying the chaplet. When
hardened sinners say it, I will fill their souls with peace, and the hour of
their death will be a happy one.
Write this for the benefit of distressed souls: when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to My compassionate Heart, they have first access to My mercy. Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness.
Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior.
Write this for the benefit of distressed souls: when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother. These souls have a right of priority to My compassionate Heart, they have first access to My mercy. Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul which has placed its trust in My goodness.
Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Savior.
1557 O
Jesus, keep me in holy fear, so that I may not waste graces. Help me to be
faithful to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Grant that my heart may burst
for love of You, rather than I should neglect even one act of love for You.
1558 February 2, [1938]. Darkness of the
soul. Today is the Feast of the Mother of God, and in my soul it is so dark.
The Lord has hidden Himself, and I am alone, all alone. My mind has become so
dimmed that I see only phantasies about me. Not a single ray of light
penetrates my soul. I do not understand myself or those who speak to me.
Frightful temptations regarding the holy faith assail me. O my Jesus, save me.
I cannot say anything more. I cannot describe these things in detail, for I
fear lest someone be scandalized on reading this. I am astounded that such
torments could befall a soul. O hurricane, what are you doing to the boat of my
heart? This storm has lasted the whole day and night.
When Mother Superior [Irene] came in to see me and asked, "Would you like to take advantage of this occasion, Sister, since Father An. [Andrasz] is coming to hear confessions?" I answered, no. It seemed to me that Father would not understand me, nor would I be able to make a confession.
I spent the whole night with Jesus in Gethsemane. From my breast there escaped one continuous moan. A natural dying will be much easier, because then one is in agony and will die; while here, one is in agony, but cannot die. O Jesus, I never thought such suffering could exist. Nothingness: that is the reality. O Jesus, save me! I believe in You with all my heart. So many times have I seen the radiance of Your face, and now, where are You, Lord?... I believe, I believe, and again I believe in You, Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and in all the truths which Your holy Church gives me to believe... But the darkness does not recede, and my spirit plunges into even greater agony. And at that moment, such terrible torment overwhelmed me that now I am amazed at myself that I did not breathe my last, but this was for only a brief instant.
When Mother Superior [Irene] came in to see me and asked, "Would you like to take advantage of this occasion, Sister, since Father An. [Andrasz] is coming to hear confessions?" I answered, no. It seemed to me that Father would not understand me, nor would I be able to make a confession.
I spent the whole night with Jesus in Gethsemane. From my breast there escaped one continuous moan. A natural dying will be much easier, because then one is in agony and will die; while here, one is in agony, but cannot die. O Jesus, I never thought such suffering could exist. Nothingness: that is the reality. O Jesus, save me! I believe in You with all my heart. So many times have I seen the radiance of Your face, and now, where are You, Lord?... I believe, I believe, and again I believe in You, Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and in all the truths which Your holy Church gives me to believe... But the darkness does not recede, and my spirit plunges into even greater agony. And at that moment, such terrible torment overwhelmed me that now I am amazed at myself that I did not breathe my last, but this was for only a brief instant.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-50, 97-98, 106-107, 111, 115, 129)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-132, 136, 138-140, 145, 148-150)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-1065, 1074-1076)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1522, 1540-1541, 1557-1558)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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