The Kingdom Within
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Thursday of the
Thirty-Second Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Edward Hopkins, LC
Luke 17:20-25
Asked
by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply,
"The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will
announce, ´Look, here it is,´ or, ´There it is.´ For behold, the kingdom of
God is among you." Then he said to his disciples, "The days will
come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you
will not see it. There will be those who will say to you, ´Look, there he
is,´ or ´Look, here he is.´ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as
lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will
the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be
rejected by this generation.
Introductory
Prayer:
Lord, I believe in Your
presence in my life. You have called me to share in Your faith and love. I
trust that You will help me grow closer to You. I love You, Lord, here and
now. I will live this day in prayer.
Petition: Lord, help me to
understand Your Kingdom better.
1.
When? Since the Pharisees
had the wrong notion of the Kingdom of God, they could hardly ask the proper
questions concerning it. Their expected kingdom was a worldly kingdom that
would cast off foreign domination and restore sovereignty to Israel. But
Christ’s kingdom is concerned more about the state of the soul and the
struggle between good and evil than external nations. The Pharisees’
misperception kept them from recognizing Christ and his kingdom. Thousands of
years later we, too, can be susceptible to the errors of the Pharisees. For
us, a lack of faith can keep us from seeing that the Kingdom of God comes
only when we accept Jesus as king of our souls. Only when we allow him to
rule and order our lives does his kingdom come. The “when” is now. Now is the
moment for me to encounter Christ and make him my king.
2.
Where? Christ’s disciples
also struggled to understand the nature of the kingdom. They sought to see
“the days of the Son of Man,” a powerful reign where Christ was supreme with
the entire world subject to him. Yet, Christ comes first to reign in the
heart of each person. In my own heart, do I believe in Christ and accept his
will? Do I love him and sacrifice myself in order to respond to his will? Am
I building the kingdom from my prayer and life of grace?
3.
How? If the kingdom is
here and now, then how do we enter? We enter the same way our King enters –
through the door of suffering and perseverance. “First he must suffer greatly
and be rejected.” Belief is not just a one-time acceptance. Faith must be
lived throughout the great and little trials we encounter in life. In this
way we make faith and the kingdom more our own. We need to remember that in
the end, it is the kingdom -- and the King himself -- who comes to us, like
lighting across the sky.
Conversation
with Christ: Dear
Jesus, help me to understand Your kingdom. Build Your kingdom within me, in
my thoughts and desires. Become my life and my love. Cut away any distance
between us. Make my life the light and salt to spread Your kingdom
effectively to those with whom I cross paths.
Resolution:
I will dedicate a
longer and calmer time to examine my conscience tonight, and look for
progress as well as the struggles of the kingdom within me.
Excerpts
from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
36 Once I was summoned to the
judgment [seat] of God. I stood alone before the Lord. Jesus appeared such as
we know Him during His Passion. After a moment, His wounds disappeared except
for five, those in His hands, His feet and His side. Suddenly I saw the
complete condition of my soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is
displeasing to God. I did not know that even the smallest transgressions will
have to be accounted for. What a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before
the Thrice-Holy God! Jesus asked me, Who are you? I answered, "I
am Your servant, Lord." You are guilty of one day of fire in
purgatory. I wanted to throw myself immediately into the flames of purgatory,
but Jesus stopped me and said, Which do you prefer, suffer now for one day in
purgatory or for a short while on earth? I replied, "Jesus, I want
to suffer in purgatory, and I want to suffer also the greatest pains on
earth, even if it were until the end of the world." Jesus said, One [of
the two] is enough; you will go back to earth, and there you will suffer
much, but not for long; you will accomplish My will and My desires, and a
faithful servant of Mine will help you to do this. Now, rest your head on My
bosom, on My heart, and draw from it strength and power for these sufferings,
because you will find neither relief nor help nor comfort anywhere else. Know
that you will have much, much to suffer, but don't let this frighten you; I am
with you.
83 Write this:
before I come as the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy.
Before the day of justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in
the heavens of this sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and
there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross
will be seen in the sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet
of the Savior were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up
the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last
day.
374 J.M.J Vilnius,
Februrary 4, 1935
[page in the Dairy with the words "From today on my will does not exist" crossed out with a large 'X'] The moment I knelt down to cross out my own will, as the Lord had bid me to do, I heard this voice in my soul: From today on, do not fear God's judgment, for you will not be judged [The next page has...] J.M.J Vilnius, February 4, 1935
496 Confession Day. From early morning, the turmoil in
my soul was more violent than anything I had ever experienced before.
Complete abandonment by God; I felt the utter weakness that I was. Thoughts
bore in upon me: why should I leave this convent where I am loved by the
sisters and superiors, where life is so tranquil; [where I am] bound by
perpetual vows and carry out my duties without difficulty; why should I
listen to the voice of my conscience; why follow an inspiration coming from
who knows where; wouldn't it be better to carry on like all the other
sisters? Perhaps the Lord's words could be stifled, not taken heed of; maybe
God will not demand an account of them on the day of judgment. Where will
this inner voice lead me? If I follow it, what tremendous difficulties,
tribulations and adversities are in store for me. I fear the future, and I am
agonizing in the present.
This suffering continued with the same intensity throughout the whole day. When, in the evening, my turn came for confession, I could not make a full confession, even though I had been preparing for a long time. I received absolution and left, not knowing what was going on within me. When I went to bed, the suffering grew even worse; or rather, it changed into a fire which penetrated all the faculties of my soul like lightning, piercing me to the marrow, and to the most secret recesses of my heart. In the midst of this suffering, I was unable to bring myself to do anything. "Your will be done, Lord." At times I could not even think these words. Truly, a deadly fear had taken hold of me, and the flames of hell were touching me. Toward morning, silence set in, and my tribulations disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, but I felt so frightfully exhausted that I could not even move. During my conversation with Mother Superior, my strength returned bit by bit, but God alone knows how I felt throughout that whole day.
660 O my Jesus, on the day of the last judgment, You
will demand from me an account of this work of mercy. O just Judge, but my
Spouse as well, help me to do Your holy will. O mercy, O divine virtue!
O most merciful Heart of Jesus, my Betrothed, make my heart like unto Yours.
895 January 23, [1937]. I did not feel like writing
today. Then I heard a voice in my soul: My daughter, you do not live for yourself but for
souls; write for their benefit. You know that My will as to your writing has
been confirmed many times by your confessors. You know what is pleasing to
Me, and if you have any doubts about what I am saying, you also know whom you
are to ask. I grant him light to pronounce judgment on my case. My eye
watches over him. My daughter, you are to be like a child towards him, full
of simplicity and candor. Put his judgment above all My demands. He will
guide you according to My will. If he doesn't allow you to carry out My
demands, be at peace; I will not judge you, but the matter will remain
between Me and him. You are to be obedient.
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.
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.
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Particular Examen
Union with the merciful Christ. With my heart I encompass the whole world, especially countries which are uncivilized or where there is persecution. I am praying for mercy upon them. 1317 I understand Your words, Lord, and the magnitude of the mercy that ought to shine in my soul. Jesus: I know, My daughter, that you understand it and that you do everything within your power. But write this for the many souls who are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy.
1339 O merciful
God, You do not despise us, but lavish Your graces on us continuously. You
make us fit to enter ` Your kingdom, and in Your goodness You grant that
human beings may fill the places vacated by the ungrateful angels. O God of
great mercy, who turned Your sacred gaze away from the rebellious angels and
turned it upon contrite man, praise and glory be to Your unfathomable mercy,
O God who do not despise the lowly heart.
1548 January 30,
1938. One-day retreat.
The Lord gave me to
know, during meditation, that as long as my heart beats in my breast, I must
always strive to spread the Kingdom of God on earth. I am to fight for the
glory of my Creator. I know that I will give God the glory He expects of me
if I try faithfully to cooperate with God's grace.
1701 I asked the
Lord today that He might deign to teach me about the interior life, because
of myself I can neither understand nor conceive anything perfectly. The Lord
answered me, I was
your Teacher, I am and I will be; strive to make your heart like unto My
humble and gentle Heart. Never claim your rights. Bear with great calm and
patience everything that befalls you. Do not defend yourself when you are put
to shame, though innocent. Let others triumph. Do not stop being good when
you notice that your goodness is being abused. I Myself will speak up for you
when it is necessary. Be grateful for the smallest of My graces, because your
gratitude compels Me to grant you new graces...
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... 1703 When I tried to intercede for them, I could find nothing with which to excuse them and, being at the time unable to think of anything in their defense, my heart was seized with pain, and I wept bitterly. Then the Lord looked at me kindly and comforted me with these words: Do not cry. There are still a great number of souls who love Me very much, but My Heart desires to be loved by all and, because My love is great, that is why I warn and chastise them.
1712 A certain
person whom I have mentioned before visited me again. When I saw that she was
beginning to get entangled in her own lies, I let her know that I knew she
was lying. She became very embarrassed and stopped speaking. Then I spoke to
her about the great judgments of God, and I also remarked that she was
leading innocent souls astray and along dangerous roads. I uncovered before
her everything that was in her heart. Since I had to overcome my own feelings
in order to talk to her, to prove to Jesus that I love my enemies, I gave her
my afternoon snack. She went away enlightened in soul, but action is still
far away...
1722 I heard these
words: If you did not
tie My hands, I would send down many punishments upon the earth. My daughter,
your look disarms My anger. Although your lips are silent, you call out to Me
so mightily that all heaven is moved. I cannot escape from your requests,
because you pursue Me, not from afar but within your own heart.
1728 Write: I am Thrice Holy, and I
detest the smallest sin. I cannot love a soul which is stained with sin; but
when it repents, there is no limit to My generosity toward it. My mercy
embraces and justifies it. With My mercy, I pursue sinners along all their
paths, and My Heart rejoices when they return to Me. I forget the bitterness
with which they fed My Heart and rejoice at their return.
Tell sinners that no one shall escape My Hand; if they run away from My Merciful Heart, they will fall into My Just Hands. Tell sinners that I am always waiting for them, that I listen intently to the beating of their heart... when will it beat for Me? Write, that I am speaking to them through their remorse of conscience, through their failures and sufferings, through thunderstorms, through the voice of the Church. And if they bring all My graces to naught, I begin to be angry with them, leaving them alone and giving them what they want. 1729 O my Jesus, You alone know of my efforts. I seem to be a bit better, but better only to the point that I can go out on the veranda instead of lying in bed. I see and am fully aware of what is happening to me. Despite the diligent care of my superiors and the efforts of the doctors, my health is fading and running out. But I rejoice greatly at Your call, my God, my Love, because I know that my mission will begin at the moment of my death. Oh, how much I desire to be set free from the bonds of this body. O my Jesus, You know that, in all my desires, I always want to see Your will. Of myself, I would not want to die one minute sooner, or to live one minute longer, or to suffer less, or to suffer more, but I only want to do Your holy will. Although I have great enthusiasm, and the desires burning in my heart are immense, they are never above Your will. 1730 I fly to Your mercy, Compassionate God, who alone are good. Although my misery is great, and my offenses are many, I trust in Your mercy, because You are the God of mercy; and, from time immemorial, it has never been heard of, nor do heaven or earth remember, that a soul trusting in Your mercy has been disappointed. O God of compassion, You alone can justify me, and You will never reject me when I, contrite, approach Your Merciful Heart, where no one has ever been refused, even if he were the greatest sinner.
1784 Today, in the
course of a long conversation, the Lord said to me, How very much I desire
the salvation of souls! My dearest secretary, write that I want to pour out
My divine life into human souls and sanctify them, if only they were willing
to accept My grace. The greatest sinners would achieve great sanctity, if
only they would trust in My mercy. The very inner depths of My being are
filled to overflowing with mercy, and it is being poured out upon all I have
created. My delight is to act in a human soul and to fill it with My mercy
and to justify it. My kingdom on earth is My life in the human soul. Write,
My secretary, that I Myself am the spiritual guide of souls-and I guide them
indirectly through the priest, and lead each one to sanctity by a road known
to Me alone.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-36, 83, 374, 496)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-660, 895)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1076)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1317, 1339)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1548)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1701-1703, 1712, 1722)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1728-1730, 1784)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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