Be Inspired!
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Christmas Weekday
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John 1:29-34
John
the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God,
who takes away the sin of the world. He is the one of whom I said, ´A man is
coming after me who ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.´ I did
not know him, but the reason why I came baptizing with water was that he
might be made known to Israel.” John testified further, saying, “I saw the
Spirit come down like a dove from the sky and remain upon him. I did not know
him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ´On whomever you
see the Spirit come down and remain, he is the one who will baptize with the
Holy Spirit.´ Now I have seen and testified that he is the Son of God.”
Introductory
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I know
that all Christians are called to proclaim You with their lives and to follow
the path You have taught. I want to grow closer to You and to be more the
person You want me to be. I love You and long to be transformed by Your
grace!
Petition: Holy Spirit, help
me to be attentive and docile to Your inspirations.
1.
Trust in the Lord and Let Him Lead You: Although John the Baptist knew that he was
sent as the Precursor of the Messiah, he did not initially know who the
Messiah would be. But he did not let uncertainty about the details stop him.
He knew that God had a plan and that he was called to play a part in it; as
soon as he knew what direction to go, he went, regardless of not knowing his
exact destination. Sometimes we can want to have total knowledge of God’s
plan, and we hesitate to go forward until we’re sure we know exactly what to
do. However, God rarely gives us a full view of his plan before we start out.
He wants us to trust in him, to act on what we do know, and to be confident
that God will bring his plan to a good end. Not that we shouldn’t have all
the foresight we can, but we can’t expect God to let us in on his “master
plan.” When God calls us, our response
should be to follow without questioning God’s ways.
2.
The Holy Spirit Is Our Guide: The fact that we have to trust in God and allow him to reveal
his plan as we go along means that we have to be very attentive to his work
in our life. John the Baptist recognized Jesus because he was paying total
attention to the signs God was giving him: The Holy Spirit revealed to him
that Jesus was the Messiah. God will usually not speak to us through visions
and special signs; however, if we have St. John the Baptist’s attitude of
openness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, seeing God’s will in the
events around us, we will be able to discern his plan for our life and
fulfill it. The most important time to listen to God is in prayer, so setting
aside time to be with God has to be part of our daily routine.
3.
Dealing with the Unexpected: When St. John the Baptist realized that Jesus was the
Messiah, it might have been a surprise. They were related through their
mothers’ families, and they may have known each other in youth before John
went out into the desert. However, John clearly states that he did not know
who the Messiah was until the moment the Holy Spirit revealed Jesus’ true
identity. John may well have shared the common opinion that Jesus was a man
like any other, albeit outstanding in justice and piety. The important thing
is that he doesn’t doubt the divine inspiration. Rather, he immediately acts
on it, proclaiming Jesus to his followers. In our own lives, God may well ask
us to do the unexpected, or we may see his will in places we least expect it.
We need to have St. John the Baptist’s readiness to see God’s hand and act on
it, even if it goes contrary to our expectations.
Conversation
with Christ:
Lord Jesus, knowing Your will in my life can be hard at times. Even when I
think I do know what You want from me, it can be difficult to follow through
— especially when it is something that I did not expect or that requires that
I go beyond my “comfort zone.” But, Lord, I do want to do Your will. Grant me
the same spirit of docility and dedication as St. John the Baptist!
Resolution: Today I will renew
in prayer my personal commitment to always seek to know and follow God’s will
in my life. I will try to heed the inspirations that the Holy Spirit gives to
guide me on the right path.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
56 O my God, I
understand well that You demand this spiritual childhood[32]
of me, because You are constantly asking it of me through Your
representatives.
At the beginning of my religious life, suffering and adversities frightened and disheartened me. So I prayed continuously, asking Jesus to strengthen me and to grant me the power of His Holy Spirit that I might carry out His holy will in all things, because from the beginning I have been aware of my weakness. I know very well what I am of myself, because for this purpose Jesus has opened the eyes of my soul; I am an abyss of misery, and hence I understand that whatever good there is in my soul consists solely of His holy grace. The knowledge of my own misery allows me, at the same time, to know the immensity of Your mercy. In my own interior life, I am looking with one eye at the abyss of my misery and baseness, and with the other, at the abyss of Your mercy, O God.
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.
167 Today
[November, 1932], I arrived in Warsaw for the third probation. After a
cordial meeting with the dear Mothers, I went into the small chapel for a
moment. Suddenly God's presence filled my soul, and I heard these words, My
daughter, I desire that your heart be formed after the model of My merciful
Heart. You must be completely imbued with My mercy.
Dear Mother Directress [Margaret] at once asked me whether I had had a retreat that year, and I said no. "Then you must first have a retreat of at least three days." Thanks be to God there was at Walendows[57] an eight-day retreat in which I could take part. But difficulties arose in regard to my leaving for this retreat. A certain person opposed my going very much, and it already [appeared that] I was not to go. After dinner, I went into the chapel for a five-minute adoration. Suddenly I saw the Lord Jesus, who said to me, My daughter, I am preparing many graces for you, which you will receive during this retreat which you will begin tomorrow. I answered, "Jesus, the retreat has already begun, and I am not supposed to go." And He said to me, Get ready for it, because you will begin the retreat tomorrow. And as for your departure, I will arrange that with the superiors. And in an instant, Jesus disappeared. I began to wonder how this was going to happen. But after a moment I rejected all such thoughts and devoted the time I had to prayer, begging the Holy Spirit for light to see the whole misery that I am. After a short while, I left the little chapel to go about my duties. Soon Mother General [Michael] called me and said, "Sister, you will go to Walendow today with Mother Valeria so that you can start the retreat tomorrow. Fortunately, Mother Valeria happens to be here and you can go together." Within two hours I was already in Walendow. I reflected for a moment within myself and recognized that only Jesus can arrange things in such a way.
170 The first day
of the retreat. I tried to be the first in the chapel in the morning; before
the meditation I had a bit of time for prayer to the Holy Spirit and to Our
Lady. I earnestly begged the Mother of God to obtain for me the grace of
fidelity to these inner inspirations and of faithfully carrying out God's
will, whatever it might be. I began this retreat with a very special kind of
courage.
248 The words of
the Bishop [Rospond[73]],
spoken at the ceremony of the taking of perpetual vows: "Accept this
candle as a sign of heavenly light and of burning love." While giving
the ring: "I betroth you to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father Most
High; may He keep you unblemished. Take this ring as a sign of the eternal
covenant you are making with Christ, the Spouse of Virgins. May it be for you
the ring of faith and the sign of the Holy Spirit, that you may be called the
bride of Christ and, if you serve Him faithfully, be crowned [as such] for all
eternity.
291 On a certain
occasion, I saw a person about to commit a mortal sin. I asked the Lord to
send me the greatest torments so that that soul could be saved. Then I
suddenly felt the terrible pain of a crown of thorns on my head. It lasted
for quite a long time, but that person remained in the Lord's grace. 0 my
Jesus, how very easy it is to become holy; all that is needed is a bit of
good will. If Jesus sees this little bit of good will in the soul, He hurries
to give himself to the soul, and nothing can stop Him, neither shortcomings
nor falls-absolutely nothing. Jesus is anxious to help that soul, and if it
is faithful to this grace from God, it can very soon attain the highest
holiness possible for a creature here on earth. God is very generous and does
not deny His grace to anyone. Indeed He gives more than what we ask of Him.
Faithfulness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit-that is the shortest
route.
356 O Blessed Host,
in whom is contained the testament of God's mercy for us, and especially for
poor sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus as proof of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained life eternal and of infinite mercy, dispensed in abundance to us and especially to poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the mercy of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit toward us, and especially toward poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the infinite price of mercy which will compensate for all our debts, and especially those of poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fountain of living water which springs from infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fire of purest love which blazes forth from the bosom of the Eternal Father, as from an abyss of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the medicine for all our infirmities, flowing from infinite mercy, as from a fount, for us and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the union between God and us through His infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom are contained all the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus toward us, and especially poor sinners. O Blessed Host, our only hope in all the sufferings and adversities of life. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of darkness and of storms within and without. O Blessed Host, our only hope in life and at the hour of our death. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of adversities and floods of despair. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of falsehood and treason. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the darkness and godlessness which inundate the earth. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the longing and pain in which no one will understand us. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the toil and monotony of everyday life. O Blessed Host, our only hope amid the ruin of our hopes and endeavors. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the ravages of the enemy and the efforts of hell. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when the burdens are beyond my strength and I find my efforts are fruitless. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when storms toss my heart about and my fearful spirit tends to despair. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my heart is about to tremble and mortal sweat moistens my brow. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when everything conspires against me and black despair creeps into my soul. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my eyes will begin to grow dim to all temporal things and, for the first time, my spirit will behold the unknown worlds. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my tasks will be beyond my strength and adversity will become my daily lot. O Blessed Host I trust in You when the practice of virtue will appear difficult for me and my nature will grow rebellious. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when hostile blows will be aimed against me. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my toils and efforts will be misjudged by others. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when Your judgments will resound over me; it is then that I will trust in the sea of Your mercy.
359 January 10,
1935. +Thursday. In the evening during benediction,[85]
such thoughts as these began to distress me: Is not perhaps all this that I
am saying about God's great mercy just a lie or an illusion...? And I wanted
to think about this for a while, when I heard a strong and clear inner voice
saying, Everything
that you say about My goodness is true; language has no adequate expression
to extol My goodness. These words were so filled with power
and so clear that I would give my life in declaring they came from God. I can
tell this by the profound peace that accompanied them at that time and that
still remains with me. This peace gives me such great strength and power that
all difficulties, adversities, sufferings, and death itself are as nothing.
This light gave me a glimpse of the truth that all my efforts to bring souls
to know the mercy of the Lord are very pleasing to God. And from this springs
such great joy in my soul that I do not know whether it could be any greater
in heaven. Oh, if souls would only be willing to listen, at least a little,
to the voice of conscience and the voicethat is, the inspirations-of the Holy
Spirit! I say "at least a little," because once we open ourselves
to the influence of the Holy Spirit, He himself will fulfill what is lacking
in us.
392 The Lord God
grants His graces in two ways: by inspiration and by enlightenment. If we ask
God for a grace, He will give it to us; but let us be willing to accept it.
And in order to accept it, self-denial is needed. Love does not consist in
words or feelings, but in deeds. It is an act of the will; it is a gift; that
is to say, a giving. The reason, the will, the heart-these three faculties
must be exercised during prayer. I will rise from the dead in Jesus, but
first I must live in Him. If I do not separate myself from the Cross, then
the Gospel will be revealed in me. Jesus in me makes up for all my
deficiencies. His grace operates without ceasing. The Holy Trinity grants me
Its life abundantly, by the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Three Divine Persons
live in me. When God loves, He loves with all His Being, with all the power
of His Being. If God has loved me in this way, how should I respond I, His
spouse?
451 Once after Holy Communion, I heard these
words: You are Our
dwelling place. At that moment, I felt in my soul the
presence of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I felt
that I was the temple of God. I felt I was a child of the Father. I cannot
explain all this, but the spirit understands it well. O infinite Goodness,
how low You stoop to Your miserable creature!
472 I knew, more
distinctly than ever before, the Three Divine Persons, the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit. But their being, their equality and their majesty are
one. My soul is in communion with these Three; but I do not know how to
express this in words; yet my soul understands it well. Whoever is united to
One of the Three Persons is thereby united to the whole Blessed Trinity, for
this Oneness is indivisible. This vision, or rather, this knowledge filled my
soul with unimaginable happiness, because God is so great. What I am
describing I did not see with my eyes, as on previous occasions, but in a
purely interior manner, in a purely spiritual way, independent of the senses.
This continued until the end of Holy Mass.
This now happens often to me, and not only in the chapel, but also at work and at times when I least expect it.
477 Silence is a
sword in the spiritual struggle. A talkative soul will never attain sanctity.
The sword of silence will cut off everything that would like to cling to the
soul. We are sensitive to words and quickly want to answer back, without
taking any regard as to whether it is God's will that we should speak. A silent
soul 14 strong; no adversities will harm it if it perseveres in silence. The
silent soul is capable of attaining the closest union with God. It lives
almost always under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God works in a silent
soul without hindrance.
478 O my Jesus, You
know, You alone know well that m heart knows no other love but You! All my
virginal love is drowned eternally in You, O Jesus! I sense keenly ho Your
divine Blood is circulating in my heart; I have no the least doubt that Your
most pure love has entered m heart with Your most sacred Blood. I am aware
did You are dwelling in me, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, or
rather am aware that it is I who it living in You, O incomprehensible God! I
am aware that I am dissolving in You like a drop in an ocean. I am aware that
You are within me and all about me, that You are in all things that surround
me, in all that happens to me. O my God, I have come to know You within my
heart, and I have loved You above all things that exist on earth or in
heaven. Our hearts have a mutual understanding, and no one of humankind will
comprehend this.
486 Jesus, when You
come to me in Holy Communion, You who together with the Father and the Holy
Spirit have deigned to dwell in the little heaven of my heart, I try to keep
You company throughout the day, I do not leave You alone for even a moment.
Although I am in the company of other people or with our wards, my heart is
always united to Him. When I am asleep I offer Him every beat of my heart; when
I awaken I immerse myself in Him without saying a word. When I awaken I adore
the Holy Trinity for a short while and thank God for having deigned to give
me yet another day, that the mystery of the incarnation of His Son may once
more be repeated in me, and that once again His sorrowful Passion may unfold
before my eyes. I then try to make it easier for Jesus to pass through me to
other souls. I go everywhere with Jesus; His presence accompanies me
everywhere.
501 Oh, how great
is Your beauty, Jesus my Spouse! Living Flower enclosing life-giving dew for
a thirsting soul! My soul is drowned in You. You alone are the object of my
desires and strivings. Unite me as closely as possible to Yourself, to the
Father and to the Holy Spirit. Let me live and die in You.
525 O Holy Trinity,
in whom is contained the inner life of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, eternal joy, inconceivable depth of love, poured out upon all
creatures and constituting their happiness, honor and glory be to Your holy
name forever and ever. Amen.
When I consider Your greatness and beauty, O my God, I rejoice exceedingly that the Lord I serve is so great. With love and joy I carry out His will, and the more I come to know Him, the more I desire to love Him. I burn with the desire to love Him ever more and more.
552 In addition to
the vows, I see one rule as most important. Although all the rules are
important, I put this one in first place, and it is silence. Truly, if this
rule were to be observed strictly, I would not worry about the others. Women
are very fond of talking, but the Holy Spirit does not speak to a soul that
is distracted and garrulous. He speaks by His quiet inspirations to a soul
that is recollected, to a soul that knows how to keep silence. If silence were
strictly observed, there would not be any grumbling, bitterness, slandering,
or gossip, and charity would not be tarnished. In a word, many wrongs would
not be done. Silent lips are pure gold and bear witness to holiness within.
647 From this, I
came to understand one thing: that I must pray much for each of my
confessors, that he might obtain the light of the Holy Spirit, for when I
approach the confessional without first praying, fervently, the confessor
does not understand me very well. Father encouraged me to pray fervently for
these intentions, that God would give better knowledge and understanding of
the things He is asking of me. "Make novena after novena, Sister, and
God will not refuse the graces."
June, 1936.
Conversation with Father A. [Andrasz]
658 "Know that these are hard and difficult things. Your principal spiritual director is the Holy Spirit. We can only give direction to these inspirations, but your real director is the Holy Spirit. If you yourself have decided to leave, Sister, I neither prohibit nor order you to do so. You take the responsibility for yourself. I say this to you, Sister: you can begin to take action. You are capable of doing so, and therefore you can do so. These things are indeed probable; all you have told me up to now [before perpetual vows in Cracow in 1933] speaks in favor of taking action. Still, you have to be very careful in all this. Pray much and ask that I be given light."
734 I see that
Jesus himself is acting in my soul during this retreat. And as for me, I try
only to be faithful to His grace. I have submitted my soul completely to the
influence of God. This Mighty Ruler of Heaven has taken entire possession of
my soul. I feel that I am being lifted up above earth and heaven into the
inner life of God, where I come to know the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, but always in the unity of majesty.
777 November 27,
[1936]. Today I was in heaven, in spirit, and I saw its inconceivable
beauties and the happiness that awaits us after death. I saw how all creatures
give ceaseless praise and glory to God. I saw how great is happiness in God,
which spreads to all creatures, making them happy; and then all the glory and
praise which springs from this happiness returns to its source; and they
enter into the depths of God, contemplating the inner life of God, the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, whom they will never comprehend or
fathom.
This source of happiness is unchanging in its essence, but it is always new, gushing forth happiness for all creatures. Now I understand Saint Paul, who said, "Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him."
1073 April 4, 1937.
Low Sunday; that is, the Feast of Mercy. In the morning, after Holy Communion,
my soul was immersed in the Godhead. I was united to the Three Divine Persons
in such a way that when I was united to Jesus, I was simultaneously united to
the Father and to the Holy Spirit. My soul was flooded with joy beyond
understanding, and the Lord gave me to experience the whole ocean and abyss
of His fathomless mercy. Oh, if only souls would want to understand how much
God loves them! All comparisons, even if they were the most tender and the
most vehement, are but a mere shadow when set against the reality.
When I was united to the Lord, I came to know how many souls are glorifying God's mercy.
1106 + Virtue
without prudence is not virtue at all. We should often pray to the Holy
Spirit for this grace of prudence. Prudence consists in discretion, rational
reflection and courageous resolution. The final decision is always up to us.
We must decide; we can and we ought to seek advice and light...
1174 July 4, 1937.
First Sunday of the month.
Monthly retreat. This evening, I prepared with great care and prayed long to the Holy Spirit that He might deign to grant me His light and take me under His special guidance; [I prayed] also to Our Lady, to my Guardian Angel, and to our patron saints. [200]
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-56, 148, 167, 170, 248,
291, 356, 359)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-392, 451, 472, 477-478,
486, 501 )
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-525-526, 552, 647,
658, 734, 777 )
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1073, 1106, 1174)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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