To Be or Not to Be
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Memorial of Saint Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church
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Matthew 23:27-32
Jesus said, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but
inside are full of dead men´s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the
outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and
evildoing. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You build the
tombs of the prophets and adorn the memorials of the righteous, and you say,
´If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have joined them
in shedding the prophets´ blood.´ Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets; now fill up
what your ancestors measured out!"
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I believe that You are
“the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). I humbly come before You
today. I trust completely in You, and therefore I want my life to be an open
book where You write the pages of my life story.
Petition: Lord Jesus, grant me a sincere and humble heart.
1. What You See Is Not What You Get! One of the
sternest reprimands Jesus gave was against the hypocrisy of those charged
with the grave task of leading God’s people. They were called to transmit the
hope of God’s promise of deliverance: “I will be your God and you shall be my
people” (Jeremiah 24:7). Yet their vain righteousness was nothing but
self-indulgence that burdened the flock of Israel to the point of despair.
Instead of helping the people of God to turn from sin to a life of fidelity
to God’s love, they preyed upon the spiritual sensitivity of the people for
their own sordid gain.
2. Guillotine of Saints or Saints to the Guillotine? Human respect is
the “guillotine of saints.” It has a suicidal effect and a deadly capacity to
cut short the action of a zealous heart. Human respect renders love of God
and souls sterile because it is nothing but pride disguised as fear, doubt,
or the sophism of not wanting to hurt others’ feelings. True charity, on the
other hand, gives testimony to the truth, regardless of the consequences this
may bring – even persecution or the sword (cf. Romans 8:35). Shunning human
respect may lead us to the “guillotine” of ridicule or persecution, but then
we are on our way to becoming saints.
3. Like Father, Like Son; Hypocrites All: The Pharisees’
ancestors killed the prophets for chastising the people in God’s name. Now,
Jesus ironically urges the Pharisees to prove themselves worthy of their
heritage. Jesus separated himself from the religious leaders of the time.
Unlike the Pharisees and Temple priests, who had become like mercenaries for
the flock of Israel, Jesus was the Good Shepherd. Jesus instituted a new
priesthood, based on his own: that of the Suffering Servant, the Paschal
Lamb, the Messiah, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. He made all things
new and in truth set us free from sin.
Conversation with Christ: Oh Jesus, I thank You with all my
heart for redeeming me. You let me hear Your voice gently calling me.
Strengthen me in faith, and fill me with Your love so that I can one day join
St Paul in saying, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”
(Galatians 2:20).
Resolution: I will be an enemy of hypocrisy and insincerity in my dealings with
others today.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
92
Humiliation is my daily food. I understand that the bride must herself share
in everything that is the groom's; and so His cloak of mockery must cover me,
too. At those times when I suffer much, I try to remain silent, as I do not
trust my tongue which, at such moments, is inclined to talk for itself, while
its duty is to help me praise God for all the blessings and gifts which He
has given me. When I receive Jesus in Holy Communion, I ask Him fervently to
deign to heal my tongue so that I would offend neither God nor neighbor by
it. I want my tongue to praise God without cease. Great are the faults
committed by the tongue. The soul will not attain sanctity if it does not
keep watch over its tongue.
146 Prayer.-A soul arms itself by prayer for all kinds of combat. In whatever state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving after this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is newly converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer. 178 Today we are beginning the third probation. All three of us met at Mother Margaret's, as the other sisters were having their probation in the novitiate. Mother Margaret began with a prayer, explained to us what the third probation consists of, and then spoke on how great is the grace of the perpetual vows. Suddenly I began to cry out loud. In an instant all God's graces appeared before the eyes of my soul, and I saw myself so wretched and ungrateful toward God. The sisters began to rebuke me, saying, "Why did she break out crying?" But Mother Margaret came to my defense, saying that she was not surprised. At the end of the hour, I went before the Blessed Sacrament and, like the greatest and most miserable of wretches, I begged for His mercy that He might heal and purify my poor soul. Then I heard these words, My daughter, all your miseries have been consumed in the flame of My love, like a little twig thrown into a roaring fire. By humbling yourself in this way, you draw upon yourself and upon other souls an entire sea of My mercy. I answered, "Jesus, mold my poor heart according to Your divine delight."
200 O
Jesus, how deeply it hurts the soul when it is always trying to be sincere
and they accuse it of hypocrisy and behave with mistrust toward it. O Jesus,
You also suffered like this to make satisfaction to Your Father.
224 To
suffer without complaining, to bring comfort to others and to drown my own
sufferings in the most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
I will spend all my free moments at the feet of [Our Lord in] the Blessed Sacrament. At the feet of Jesus, I will seek light, comfort and strength. I will show my gratitude unceasingly to God for His great mercy towards me, never forgetting the favors He has bestowed on me, especially the grace of a vocation. I will hide myself among the sisters like a little violet among lilies. I want to blossom for my Lord and Maker, to forget about myself, to empty myself totally for the sake of immortal souls-this is my delight. 282 Once the Lord said to me, My Heart was moved by great mercy towards you, My dearest child, when I saw you torn to shreds because of the great pain you suffered in repenting for your sins. I see your love, so pure and true that I give you first place among the virgins. You are the honor and glory of My Passion. I see every abasement of your soul, and nothing escapes my attention. I lift up the humble even to my very throne, because I want it so. 581 I will tell you most when you converse with Me in the depths of your heart. Here, no one can disturb My actions. Here, I rest as in a garden enclosed. 582 The interior of my soul is like a large and magnificent world in which God and I live. Except for God, no one is allowed there. At the beginning of this life with God, I was dazzled and overcome with awe. His radiance blinded me, and I thought He was not in my heart; and yet those were the moments when God was working in my soul. Love was becoming purer and stronger, and the Lord brought my will into the closest union with His own holy Will. No one will understand what I experience in that splendid palace of my soul where I abide constantly with my Beloved. No exterior thing hinders my union with God. Even if I used the most forceful words, they would not express even a shadow of how my soul revels in happiness and inexplicable love, as great and pure as the spring from which it flows; that is, God himself. My spirit is so prevaded with God that I feel it physically, and the body partakes of these joys. Although it happens that God's touches vary in the same soul, they come, however, from the same source. 587 Once, I suddenly saw Jesus in great majesty, and He spoke these words to me: My daughter, if you wish, I will this instant create a new world, more beautiful than this one, and you will live there for the rest of your life. I answered, "I don't want any worlds. I want You, Jesus. I want to love You, with the same love that You have for me. I beg You for only one thing: to make my heart capable of loving you. I am very much surprised at Your offer, my Jesus; what are those worlds to me? Even if You gave me a thousand of them, what are they to me? You know very well, Jesus, that my heart is dying of longing for You. Everything that is not You is nothing to me." -At that moment, I could no longer see anything, but a strange force took over my soul, a strange fire sprang up in my heart, and I entered into a kind of agony for Him. Then I heard these words: With no other soul do I unite myself as closely and in such a way as I do with you, and this because of the deep humility and ardent love which you have for Me. 1155 The Lord gave me knowledge of His will under three aspects, so to speak, but it all comes down to one. [198] The first is that souls separated from the world will burn as an offering before God's throne and beg for mercy for the whole world... and by their entreaties they will obtain blessings for priests, and through their prayers prepare the world for the final coming of Jesus. 1156 The second is prayer joined to the act of mercy. In particular, they will defend the souls of children against the spirit of evil. Prayer and merciful deeds are all that will be required of these souls, and even the poorest persons can be admitted to their number. And in this egoistic world they will try to rouse up love, the mercy of Jesus. 1157 The third is prayer and deeds of mercy, without any obligation of taking vows. But by doing this, these persons will have a share in all the merits and privileges of the whole [congregation]. Everyone in the world can belong to this group. 1163 When I went to talk with the Lord for a while, I heard a voice in my soul: My- I will not give you the grace to reveal yourself to someone else, and even if you did bare yourself, I will not give that priest the grace needed to understand you. At this time, it is My desire that you put up with yourself patiently. My daughter, it is not My will that you should tell everybody about the gifts I have granted you. I have entrusted you to the care of the friend of My Heart, and under his direction your soul will bloom. I have given him light to recognize My life in your soul. 1164 My daughter, when I was before Herod, I obtained a grace for you; namely, that you would be able to rise above human scorn and follow faithfully in My footsteps. Be silent when they do not want to acknowledge your truth, because it is then that you speak more eloquently. 1165 Know this, My daughter: if you strive for perfection you will sanctify many souls; and if you do not strive for sanctity, by the same token, many souls will remain imperfect. Know that their perfection will depend on your perfection, and the greater part of the responsibility for these souls will fall on you. 1166 Then He said to me, Do not fear, My child; but remain faithful only to My grace... 1180 June [July] 15, 1937. Once, I learned that I was to be transferred to another house. My knowledge of this was purely interior. At the same time, I heard a voice in my soul: Do not be afraid, My daughter; it is My will that you should remain here. Human plans will be thwarted, since they must conform to My will. 1181 When I was close to the Lord, He said to me, Why are you afraid to begin the work which I have commanded you to carry out? I answered, "Why do You leave me on my own at such times, Jesus, and why do I not feel Your presence?" My daughter, even though you do not perceive Me in the most secret depths of your heart, you still cannot say that I am not there. I only remove from you the awareness of My presence, and that should not be an obstacle to the carrying out of My will. I do this to achieve My unfathomable ends, which you will know of later on. My daughter, know without doubt, and once and for all, that only mortal sin drives Me out of a soul, and nothing else. 1182 + Today the Lord said to me, My daughter, My pleasure and delight, nothing will stop Me from granting you graces. Your misery does not hinder My mercy. My daughter, write that the greater the misery of a soul, the greater its right to My mercy; [urge] all souls to trust in the unfathomable abyss of My mercy, because I want to save them all. On the cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls-no one have I excluded!
1579 +
It is when I meet with hypocrisy that I suffer most. Now I understand You, my
Savior, for rebuking the Pharisees so severely for their hypocrisy. You
associated more graciously with hardened sinners when they approached You
contritely.
1702
Towards the end of the Way of the Cross which I was making, the Lord Jesus
began to complain about the souls of religious and priests, about the lack of
love in chosen souls. I will allow convents and churches to be destroyed. I
answered, "Jesus, but there are so many souls praising You in
convents." The Lord answered, That praise wounds My Heart, because
love has been banished from convents. Souls without love and without
devotion, souls full of egoism and self-love, souls full of pride and arrogance,
souls full of deceit and hypocrisy, lukewarm souls who have just enough
warmth to keep them alive: My Heart cannot bear this. All the graces that I
pour out upon them flow off them as off the face of a rock. I cannot stand
them, because they are neither good or bad. I called convents into being to
sanctify the world through them. It is from them that a powerful flame of
love and sacrifice should burst forth. And if they do not repent and become
enkindled by their first love, I will deliver them over to the fate of this
world...
How can
they sit on the promised throne of judgment to judge the world, when their
guilt is greater than the guilt of the world? There is neither penance nor
atonement. O heart, which received Me in the morning and at noon are all
ablaze with hatred against Me, hatred of all sorts! O heart specially chosen
by Me, were you chosen for this, to give Me more pain? The great sins of the
world are superficial wounds on My Heart, but the sins of a chosen soul
pierce My Heart
through and through...
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-92, 146, 178, 200, 224,
282 )
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-580-581, 587)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1155-1157, 1163-1166,
1180-1182)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1579)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-1702)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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