Listen and Learn
Second Sunday of Lent
Matthew 17:1-9
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John
and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before
them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white.
Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter
said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make
three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."
While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and
from the cloud a voice said, "This is my beloved Son; with him I am well
pleased; listen to him!" When the disciples heard this, they fell to the
ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying,
"Get up and do not be afraid." And when they looked up, they saw no
one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered
them, "Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been
raised from the dead."
Introductory Prayer: I come before You, Lord, a sinner in
awe of Your great love and mercy. I believe in You, and I put You at the center
of my life. I humbly put all that I am before You and, like the apostles,
recognize my littleness before Your grandeur. With the help of the Blessed
Mother’s intercession, I place this meditation in Your hands, trusting that You
will give me the graces that I need most.
Petition: Lord, teach me how to listen to Your voice.
1. Unexpected Graces: Peter, James and John are privileged
to go with Jesus atop the mountain where he is transfigured before them. What a
splendid sight it was: Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah before their very
eyes. They are beside themselves and are in awe at what unfolds. This is the
way Christ is with each of us. When we least expect it, he gives us a wonderful
dose of his grace to strengthen us in our walk with him. This privilege, however,
isn’t simply for us to look at and admire; it is a call to respond to his
invitation of love. Jesus was calling these three apostles to a deeper level of
love and trust in him; he is doing so with us, too.
2. Listen to Him: At this sight, the apostles are awestruck
and don’t know what to say. Peter feels compelled to say something, although it
seems he really didn’t know what he was saying. The question is: Why did he
feel as if he had to say something? Often in the spiritual life, we can
struggle with the temptation to say too much. In this Gospel passage we hear
the portentous words of the Father: “This is my son with whom I am well
pleased. Listen to him!” Christ is calling us to listen attentively to his
words and not to feel compelled to have to say something. He is looking for a
response in action more than in words.
3. Get up. Be Not Afraid: When his Transfiguration is over,
Jesus gets the three apostles up. This experience of Christ was beyond them.
Yet Christ is educating them as to his true nature, his divine nature. They
don’t have to be able to explain it or understand it fully; they need to act in
faith. This is what we are called to do: act in faith. There is no time for us
to be afraid of what the future will bring. We must get up out of our comfort
zones and our attitudes, listen to Christ, and do as he says in faith. There is
so much for us to do and so little time in which to do it. We need to make use
of every instant to learn from the Lord himself through prayer and the
sacraments and to make a real difference in the world by bringing more souls to
know, love and live for Christ.
Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, thank You for revealing Yourself
to me and for showing me how to listen to God and do his will faithfully. I
know that I can frustrate You, putting my two cents in and talking when I
should be listening to You. I need to continue to learn how to listen more
attentively to You. Please help me to be open and docile to You and Your loving
messages for me.
Resolution: In my prayer time today I will
dedicate myself to listening to the Lord.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
24
One day, just as I had awakened, when I was putting myself in the presence of
God, I was suddenly overwhelmed by despair. Complete darkness in the soul. I
fought as best I could till noon. In the afternoon, truly deadly fears began to
seize me; my physical strength began to leave me. I went quickly to my cell,
fell on my knees before the Crucifix and began to cry out for mercy. But Jesus
did not hear my cries. I felt my physical strength leave me completely. I fell
to the ground, despair flooding my whole soul. I suffered terrible tortures in
no way different from the torments of hell. I was in this state for three
quarters of an hour. I wanted to go and see the Directress, but was too weak. I
wanted to shout but I had no voice. Fortunately, one of the sisters [another
novice, Sister Placida Putyra] came into my cell. Finding me in such a strange
condition, she immediately told the Directress about it. Mother came at once.
As soon as she entered the cell she said, "In the name of holy obedience [16]
get up from the ground." Immediately some force raised me up from the
ground and I stood up, close to the dear Mother Directress. With kindly words
she began to explain to me that this was a trial sent to me by God, saying,
"Have great confidence; God is always our Father, even when He sends us
trials."
I returned to my duties as if I had come out from the tomb, my senses saturated with what my soul had experienced. During the evening service, my soul began to agonize again in a terrible darkness. I felt that I was in the power of the Just God, and that I was the object of His indignation. During these terrible moments I said to God, "Jesus, who in the Gospel compare Yourself to a most tender mother," I trust in Your words because You are Truth and Life. In spite of everything, Jesus, I trust in You in the face of every interior sentiment which sets itself against hope. Do what You want with me; I will never leave You, because You are the source of my life." Only one who has lived through similar moments can understand how terrible is this torment of the soul.
I returned to my duties as if I had come out from the tomb, my senses saturated with what my soul had experienced. During the evening service, my soul began to agonize again in a terrible darkness. I felt that I was in the power of the Just God, and that I was the object of His indignation. During these terrible moments I said to God, "Jesus, who in the Gospel compare Yourself to a most tender mother," I trust in Your words because You are Truth and Life. In spite of everything, Jesus, I trust in You in the face of every interior sentiment which sets itself against hope. Do what You want with me; I will never leave You, because You are the source of my life." Only one who has lived through similar moments can understand how terrible is this torment of the soul.
28
Once Jesus told me, Go to Mother Superior [probably Mother Raphael 18] and
ask her to let you wear a hair shirt for seven days, and once each night you
are to get up and come to the chapel. I said yes, but I found a certain
difficulty in actually going to the Superior. In the evening Jesus asked me, How
long will you put it off? I made up my mind to tell Mother Superior the
very next time I would see her.
The next day before noon I saw Mother Superior going to the refectory and, since the kitchen, refectory and Sister Aloysia's little room are all close to each other, I asked Mother Superior to come into Sister Aloysia's room and told her of the wish of the Lord Jesus. At that, Mother answered, "I will not permit you to wear any hair shirt. Absolutely not! If the Lord Jesus were to give you the strength of a colossus, I would then permit those mortifications."
I apologized for taking up Mother's time and left the room. At that very moment I saw Jesus standing at the kitchen door, and I said to Him, "You commanded me to ask for these mortifications, but Mother Superior will not permit them." Jesus said, I was here during your conversation with the Superior and know everything. I don't demand mortification from you, but obedience. By obedience you give great glory to Me and gain merit for yourself.
The next day before noon I saw Mother Superior going to the refectory and, since the kitchen, refectory and Sister Aloysia's little room are all close to each other, I asked Mother Superior to come into Sister Aloysia's room and told her of the wish of the Lord Jesus. At that, Mother answered, "I will not permit you to wear any hair shirt. Absolutely not! If the Lord Jesus were to give you the strength of a colossus, I would then permit those mortifications."
I apologized for taking up Mother's time and left the room. At that very moment I saw Jesus standing at the kitchen door, and I said to Him, "You commanded me to ask for these mortifications, but Mother Superior will not permit them." Jesus said, I was here during your conversation with the Superior and know everything. I don't demand mortification from you, but obedience. By obedience you give great glory to Me and gain merit for yourself.
69
+O Jesus, eternal Truth, strengthen my feeble forces; You can do all things,
Lord. I know that without You all my efforts are in vain. O Jesus, do not hide
from me, for I cannot live without You. Listen to the cry of my soul. Your
mercy has not been exhausted, Lord, so have pity on my misery. Your mercy
surpasses the understanding of all Angels and people put together; and so,
although it seems to me that You do not hear me, I put my trust in the ocean of
Your mercy, and I know that my hope will not be deceived.
102
After some time, one of the sisters came into the cell and found me almost
dead. She was frightened and went to find the Directress of Novices who, in the
name of holy obedience ordered me to get up from the ground. My strength
returned immediately, and I got up, trembling. The Directress recognized
immediately the state of my soul and spoke to me about the inscrutable mercy of
God, saying, "Do not be distressed about anything, Sister. I command this
of you in virtue of obedience." Then she said to me, "I see now,
Sister, that God is calling you to a high degree of holiness; the Lord wants to
draw you very close to Himself since He has allowed these things to happen to
you so soon. Be faithful to God, Sister, because this is a sign that He wants you
to have a high place in heaven." However, I did not understand anything of
these words. When I went into the chapel, I felt as though my soul had been set
free from everything, as though I had just come forth from the hand of God. I
perceived the inviolability of my soul; I felt that I was a tiny child.
105
However, in all these sufferings and struggles, I was not omitting Holy
Communion. When it seemed to me that I should not communicate, I went, before
Holy Communion, to the Directress and told her that I could not approach the
Sacrament, because it seemed to me that I should not do so. But she would not
permit me to omit Holy Communion, so I went, and I understand now that it was
only obedience that saved me.
The Directress herself told me later that my trials had passed quickly, "and this solely because you were obedient, Sister; and it was through the power of obedience that you struggled through this so bravely." It is true that it was the Lord himself who brought me out of this torment, but my fidelity to obedience did please Him.
The Directress herself told me later that my trials had passed quickly, "and this solely because you were obedient, Sister; and it was through the power of obedience that you struggled through this so bravely." It is true that it was the Lord himself who brought me out of this torment, but my fidelity to obedience did please Him.
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.
113
And again, I would like to say three words to the soul that is determined to
strive for sanctity and to derive fruit; that is to say, benefit from confession.
First word-complete sincerity and openness. Even the holiest and wisest confessor cannot forcibly pour into the soul what he desires if it is not sincere and open. An insincere, secretive soul risks great dangers in the spiritual life, and even the Lord Jesus Himself does not give Himself to such a soul on a higher level, because He knows it would derive no benefit from these special graces.
Second word-humility. A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of its own misery. It puts on a mask and avoids everything that might bring it recovery.
Third word-obedience. A disobedient soul will win no victory, even if the Lord Jesus himself, in person, were to hear its confession. The most experienced confessor will be of no help whatsoever to such a soul. The disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the spiritual life. God lavishes His graces most generously upon the soul, but it must be an obedient soul.
First word-complete sincerity and openness. Even the holiest and wisest confessor cannot forcibly pour into the soul what he desires if it is not sincere and open. An insincere, secretive soul risks great dangers in the spiritual life, and even the Lord Jesus Himself does not give Himself to such a soul on a higher level, because He knows it would derive no benefit from these special graces.
Second word-humility. A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of its own misery. It puts on a mask and avoids everything that might bring it recovery.
Third word-obedience. A disobedient soul will win no victory, even if the Lord Jesus himself, in person, were to hear its confession. The most experienced confessor will be of no help whatsoever to such a soul. The disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the spiritual life. God lavishes His graces most generously upon the soul, but it must be an obedient soul.
257 Tomorrow I am to leave for Vilnius.
Today, I went to confession to Father Andrasz, this priest who is so filled
with the spirit of God, who untied my wings so that I could soar to the highest
summits. He reassured me in everything and told me to believe in Divine
Providence. "Have confidence and walk ahead with courage." An
extraordinary, divine power came over me after that confession. Father stressed
that I must be faithful to God's grace and said, "No harm will come to you
if, in the future, you continue to keep this same simplicity and obedience.
Have confidence in God; you are on the right path and in good hands, in God's
hands."
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 voice that
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.
362 +One day, during the morning meditation,
I heard this voice: I
myself am your director; I was, I am, and I will be. And since you asked for
visible help, I chose and gave you a director even before you had asked, for My
work required this. Know that the faults you commit against him wound My Heart.
Be especially on your guard against self-willfulness; even the smallest thing
should bear the seal of obedience.
With a crushed and humbled heart I begged forgiveness of Jesus for these faults. I also begged pardon of my spiritual director and resolved to do nothing rather than to do many things wrongly.
With a crushed and humbled heart I begged forgiveness of Jesus for these faults. I also begged pardon of my spiritual director and resolved to do nothing rather than to do many things wrongly.
365 My spiritual director replaced it with an
interior mortification; namely, throughout Holy Mass I was to meditate on why
the Lord Jesus had submitted to being baptized. The meditation was no
mortification for me, for thinking about God is a delight and not a
mortification; but there was a mortification of the will in that I was not
doing [simply] what I like, but what I was told to do, and it is in this that
interior mortification consists. When I left the confessional and started to
recite my penance, I heard these words: I
have granted the grace you asked for on behalf of that soul, but not because of
the mortification you chose for yourself. Rather, it was because of your act of
complete obedience to My representative that I granted this grace to that soul
for whom you interceded and begged mercy. Know that when you mortify your own
self-will, then Mine reigns within you.
376 My Jesus, I trust that Your grace will
help me to carry out these resolutions. Although the above points are contained
in the vow of obedience, I want to practice these things in a special way,
because this is the essence of the religious life. Merciful Jesus, I beg You
fervently to enlighten my mind so that I may come to know You better, You who
are the Infinite Being, and that I may get to know myself better, who am
nothingness itself.
381 When meditating once on obedience, I
heard these words: In
this meditation, the priest [90] is speaking particularly for you.
Know that I am borrowing his lips. I tried to listen most
attentively to everything and to apply everything to my own heart, as in every
meditation. When the priest said that an obedient soul was filled with the
power of God... Yes,
when you are obedient I take away your weakness and replace it with My
strength. I am very surprised that souls do not want to make that exchange with
Me. I said to the Lord, "Jesus, enlighten my heart, or
else I, too, will not understand much from these words."
+
J.M.J. Vilnius, August 12, 1935
Three-day Retreat.
456 On the evening of the introductory
day of the retreat, as I listened to the points for the meditation, I heard
these words: During this retreat I will speak to you through the mouth
of this priest to strengthen you and assure you of the truth of the words which
I address to you in the depths of your soul. Although this is a retreat for all
the sisters, I have you especially in mind, as I want to strengthen you and
make you fearless in the midst of all the adversities which lie ahead.
Therefore, listen intently to his words and meditate upon them in the
depths of your soul.
497 O Eternal Truth, Word Incarnate, who most
faithfully fulfilled Your Father's will, today I am becoming a martyr of Your
inspirations, since I cannot carry them out because I have no will of my own,
though interiorly I see Your will clearly. I submit in everything to the will
of my superiors and my confessor. I will follow Your will insofar as You will
permit me to do so through Your representative. O my Jesus, it cannot be
helped, but I give priority to the voice of the Church over the voice with which You speak to me.
890 Love is a mystery that transforms
everything it touches into things beautiful and pleasing to God. The love of
God makes a soul free. She is like a queen; she knows no slavish compulsion;
she sets about everything with great freedom of soul, because the love which
dwells in her incites her to action. Everything that surrounds her makes her
know that only God himself is worthy of her love. A soul in love with God and
immersed in Him approaches her duties with the same dispositions as she does
Holy Communion and carries out the simplest tasks with great care, under the
loving gaze of God. She is not troubled if, after some time, something turns
out to be less successful. She remains calm, because at the time of the action
she had done what was in her power. When it happens that the living presence of
God, which she enjoys almost constantly, leaves her, she then tries to continue
living in lively faith. Her soul understands that there are periods of rest and
periods of battle. Through her will, she is always with God. Her soul, like a
knight, is well trained in battle; from afar it sees where the foe is hiding
and is ready for battle. She knows she is not alone-God is her strength.
1006 + O my Lord and God, You command me to
write about the graces You grant me. O my Jesus, were it not for a clear
command from my confessors,[178] that I
am to write down what goes on in my soul, I would not, of my own choice, write
a single word. And so, if I do write about myself, it is at the formal command
of holy obedience.
1023 + Today, I received some oranges. When the
sister had left, I thought to myself, "Should I eat the oranges instead of
doing penance and mortifying myself during Holy Lent? After all, I am feeling a
bit better." Then I heard a voice in my soul: My daughter, you please Me more by
eating the oranges out of obedience and love of Me than by fasting and
mortifying yourself of your own will. A soul that loves Me very much must,
ought to live by My will. I know your heart, and I know that it will not be
satisfied by anything but My love alone.
1267 September 6, 1937. Today, I begin a new
assignment. I go from the garden to the desert of the gate. [210] I went
in to talk to the Lord for a while. I asked Him for a blessing and for graces
to faithfully carry out the duties entrusted to me. I heard these words: My daughter, I am always with you. I
have given you the opportunity to practice deeds of mercy which you will
perform according to obedience. You will give Me much pleasure if, each
evening, you will speak to Me especially about this task. I
felt that Jesus had given me a new grace in relation to my new duties; but,
despite this, I have locked myself deeper in His Heart.
1312 + Jesus came to the main entrance today,
under the guise of a poor young man. This young man, emaciated, barefoot and
bareheaded, and with his clothes in tatters, was frozen because the day was
cold and rainy. He asked for something hot to eat. So I went to the kitchen,
but found nothing there for the poor. But, after searching around for some
time, I succeeded in finding some soup, which I reheated and into which I
crumbled some bread, and I gave it to the poor young man, who ate it. As I was
taking the bowl from him, he gave me to know that He was the Lord of heaven and
earth. When I saw Him as He was, He vanished from my sight. When I went back in
and reflected on what had happened at the gate, I heard these words in my soul: My daughter, the blessings of the
poor who bless Me as they leave this gate have reached My ears. And your
compassion, within the bounds of obedience, has pleased Me, and this is why I
came down from My throne-to taste the fruits of your mercy.
1374 October 30, 1937. Today, during the
religious ceremonies [217] taking
place during Mass, and the second day of thanksgiving, I saw the Lord Jesus in
great beauty, and He said to me,
My daughter, I have not released you from taking action. I
answered, "Lord, my hand is too feeble for such work." Yes, I know; but joined with My right
hand you will accomplish everything. Nevertheless, be obedient, be obedient to
the confessors. I will give them light on how to direct you.
"Lord, I already wanted to begin the work in Your Name, but Father S.
keeps putting it off." Jesus answered me, I know this; so do just what is within your power, but
you must never withdraw your efforts.
1378 I felt worse today, and I went to Mother
Superior, intending to ask her for permission to go to bed. However, before I
could ask for permission, Mother Superior said to me, "Sister, you must
somehow manage by yourself at the gate, because I am taking the girl to work at
the cabbage, since there is no one else for the cabbage." I said-good, and
left the room. When I got to the gate, I felt unusually strong, and I was at my
post all day and felt well. I experienced the power of holy obedience.
1484 O
Living Host, support me in this exile, that I may be empowered to walk
faithfully in the footsteps of the Savior. I do not ask, Lord, that You take me
down from the cross, but I implore You to give me the strength to remain
steadfast upon it. I want to be stretched out upon the cross as You were,
Jesus. I want all the tortures and pains that You suffered. I want to drink the
cup of bitterness to the dregs. .
1549 I want
to live in the spirit of faith. I accept everything that comes my way as given
me by the loving will of God, who sincerely desires my happiness. And so I will
accept with submission and gratitude everything that God sends me. I will pay
no attention to the voice of nature and to the promptings of self-love. Before
each important action, I will stop to consider for a moment what relationship
it has to eternal life and what may be the main reason for my undertaking it:
is it for the glory of God, or for the good of my own soul, or for the good of
the souls of others? If my heart says yes, then I will not swerve from carrying
out the given action, unmindful of either obstacles or sacrifices. I will not
be frightened into abandoning my intention. It is enough for me to know that it
is pleasing to God. On the other hand, if I learn that the action has nothing
in common with what I have just mentioned, I will try to elevate it to a
loftier sphere by means of a good intention. And if I learn that something
flows from my self-love, I will cancel it out right from the start.
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.
1570 O
Greatly Merciful God, Infinite Goodness, today all mankind calls out from the
abyss of its misery to Your mercy-to Your compassion, O God; and it is with its
mighty voice of misery that it cries out. Gracious God, do not reject the
prayer of this earth's exiles! O Lord, Goodness beyond our understanding, Who
are acquainted with our misery through and through, and know that by our own power
we cannot ascend to You, we implore You: anticipate us with Your grace and keep
on increasing Your mercy in us, that we may faithfully do Your holy will all
through our life and at death's hour. Let the omnipotence of Your mercy shield
us from the darts of our salvation's enemies, that we may with confidence, as
Your children, await Your final coming-that day known to You alone. And we
expect to obtain everything promised us by Jesus in spite of all our
wretchedness. For Jesus is our Hope: Through His merciful Heart, as through an
open gate, we pass through to heaven.
Conference
on Spiritual Warfare.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
1760 My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to the confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.
Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone's opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.
Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-24, 28, 69, 102, 105-106, 257)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-362, 365, 376, 381, 456, 497)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-890)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1006, 1023)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-IV-1267, 1312)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1374, 1378, 1484, 1549, 1557, 1570)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1484, 1549, 1557, 1570)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1484, 1549, 1557, 1570)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-VI-1760)
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