Too Late for Change?
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Thursday of the
Second Week of Lent
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Luke 16: 19-31
Jesus
said to the Pharisees "There was a rich man who dressed in purple
garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door
was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten
his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man´s table. Dogs even used to
come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by
angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and
from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw
Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ´Father Abraham,
have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool
my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.´ Abraham replied, ´My
child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while
Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas
you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.´ He said, ´Then I beg you, father, send him to my
father´s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they
too come to this place of torment.´ But Abraham replied, ´They have Moses and
the prophets. Let them listen to them.´ He said, ´Oh no, father Abraham, but
if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.´ Then Abraham said,
´If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be
persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.´"
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, although I
cannot see You with my eyes, I believe You are present to me now, in my
innermost being, and that You know me far better than I know myself. I also
know that You love me much more than I love my own self. Thank You for loving
and watching over me, though I don’t deserve Your love. In return, I offer You
my sorrow for my sins and my hopes to love You more each day.
Petition:
Lord, help me to be
generous and serve the needs of my neighbor.
1.
Self-centeredness Is Useless and Sinful: The rich man lived in isolated luxury,
absorbed with the latest in fashion and the finest in dining. He did not hurt
anyone: He didn’t run Lazarus off his property. He didn’t mind Lazarus
hanging around his table for the leftovers. He didn’t criticize him for not
getting a job to earn a living. Then what was the rich man’s sin? He didn’t
treat Lazarus as a person. To the rich man, Lazarus was simply a part of the
landscape. How many people do I come in contact with, perhaps repeatedly, who
are nothing more to me than part of the landscape?
2.
Suffering Helps Us Grow: Our words “compassion” and “sympathy” come from Latin and
Greek roots that mean to “suffer with.” Our personal suffering makes us more
humane and opens us up to the plight of others. Our vision becomes more
perceptive of other’s hardships, and our hearts become quicker to respond
compassionately. Yet suffering can be a double-edged sword. It can also push
us into envy, hatred, bitterness and isolation if we are proud, or if we
forget that God permits trials to purify our love. How have I responded to
suffering in my life? Has it made me more compassionate or more bitter and
self-centered?
3.
There Is More to Life Than Riches: Suffering also makes us more zealous for
souls, more apostolic. Unfortunately for his brothers, the rich man’s zeal
was a “zeal come lately.” Because he spent all his energy and fortune in
avoiding suffering, he was totally absorbed in self. The meaning of his life
was completely temporal, and in the end he had nothing to show for it. One of
our greatest sufferings in purgatory will be the realization that we could
have done so much more for the salvation of souls.
Conversation
with Christ: Lord,
I have had a chance to look more seriously at myself in this meditation and
to examine if my heart is set on You, if you are my treasure. Perhaps in some
areas I still cling to the treasures of this world. But now I want to get rid
of them completely. I know that my heart can be set on only one thing and
that it will radiate with whatever fills it. Fill me with yourself, so that I
may radiate You. Anything that is not You cripples my efforts to give You to
others. Rid me of my selfishness. Make me Your apostle.
Resolution:
I will pray for
someone who is difficult for me to love, and I will be kind to a stranger.
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.
112
+A few words about confession and confessors. I shall speak only of what I have
experienced and gone through within my own soul. There are three things which
hinder the soul from drawing profit from confession in these exceptional
moments.
The first thing: when the confessor has little knowledge of extraordinary ways and shows surprise if a soul discloses to him the great mysteries worked in it by God. Such surprise frightens a sensitive soul, and it notices that the confessor hesitates to give his opinion; and if it does notice this, it will not be set at peace, but will have even more doubts after confession than before, because it will sense that the confessor is trying to set it at peace while he himself is uncertain. Or else, as has happened to me, a confessor, unable to penetrate some of the soul's mysteries, refuses to hear the confession, showing a certain fear when the soul approaches the confessional. How can a soul in this state obtain peace in the confessional when it has become so oversensitive to every word of the priest? In my opinion, at times of such special trials sent by God to a soul, the priest, if he does not understand the soul, should direct it to some other experienced and well-instructed confessor. Or else he himself should seek light in order to give the soul what it needs, instead of downrightly denying it confession. For in this way he is exposing the soul to a great danger; and more than one soul may well leave the road along which God wanted it to journey. This is a matter of great importance, for I have experienced it myself. I myself began to waver; despite special gifts from God, and even though God himself reassured me, I have nevertheless always wanted to have the Church's seal as well. The second thing: the confessor does not allow the soul to express itself frankly, and shows impatience. The soul then falls silent and does not say everything [it has to say] and, by this, profits nothing. It profits even less when the confessor, without really knowing the soul, proceeds to put it to the test. Instead of helping the soul, he does it harm. The soul is aware that the confessor does not know it, because he did not allow it to lay itself open fully as regards both its graces and its misery. And so the test is ill-adapted. I have been submitted to some tests at which I have had to laugh. I will express this better thus: The confessor is the doctor of the soul, but how can a doctor prescribe a suitable remedy if he does not know the nature of the sickness? Never will he be able to do so. For either the remedy will not produce the desired effect, or else it will be too strong and will aggravate the illness, and sometimes-God forbid-even bring about death. I am speaking from my own experience because, in certain instances, it was the Lord himself who directly sustained me. The third thing: it also happens sometimes that the confessor makes light of little things. There is nothing little in the spiritual life. Sometimes a seemingly insignificant thing will disclose a matter of great consequence and will be for the confessor a beam of light which helps him to get to know the soul. Many spiritual undertones are concealed in little things. A magnificent building will never rise if we reject the insignificant bricks. God demands great purity of certain souls, and so He gives them a deeper knowledge of their own misery. Illuminated by light from on high, the soul can better know what pleases God and what does not. Sin depends upon the degree of knowledge and light that exists within the soul. The same is true of imperfections. Although the soul knows that it is only sin in the strict sense of the term which pertains to the sacrament of penance, yet these petty things are of great importance to a soul which is tending to sanctity, and the confessor must not treat them lightly. The patience and kindness of the confessor open the way to the innermost secrets of the soul. The soul, unconsciously as it were, reveals its abysmal depth and feels stronger and more resistant; it fights with greater courage and tries to do things better because it knows it must give an account of them. I will mention one more thing regarding the confessor. It is his duty to occasionally put to the test, to try, to exercise, to learn whether he is dealing with straw, with iron or with pure gold. Each of these three types of souls needs different kinds of training. The confessor must-and this is absolutely necessary-form a clear judgment of each soul in order to know how heavy a burden it can carry at certain times, in certain circumstances, or in particular situations. As for myself, it was only later on, after many [negative] experiences, that, when I saw that I was not understood, I no longer laid bare my soul or allowed my peace to be disturbed. But this happened only when all these graces had already been submitted to the judgement of a wise, well-instructed and experienced confessor. Now I know what to go by in certain cases.
145
Oh, how wretched my soul is for having wasted so many graces! I was running
away from God, and He pursued me with his graces. I most often experienced
God's graces when I least expected them. From the moment He gave me a spiritual
director, I have been more faithful to grace. Thanks to the director and his
watchfulness over my soul, I have learned what guidance means and how Jesus
looks at it. Jesus warned me of the least fault and stressed that He himself
judges the matter that I present to my confessor; and [He told me] that ... any
transgressions against the confessor touch Me myself.
When under his direction my soul began to experience deep recollection and peace, I often heard these words in my soul: Strengthen yourself for combat - repeated over and over at various times. +Jesus often makes known to me what He does not like in my soul, and He has more than once rebuked me for what seemed to be trifles, but which were, in fact, things of great importance. He has warned me and tried me like a Master. For many years He himself educated me, until the moment when He gave me a spiritual director. Previously, He himself had made clear to me what I did not understand; but now, He tells me to ask my confessor about everything and often says, I will answer you through his mouth. Be at peace. It has never happened to me that I have received an answer which was contrary to what the Lord wanted of me, when I presented it to the spiritual director [Father Sopocko]. It sometimes happens that Jesus first asks certain things of me, about which no one knows anything, and then, when I kneel at the confessional, my confessor gives me the same order-however, this is infrequent. +When, over a long period of time, a soul has received much light and many inspirations, and when the confessors have confirmed the source of these inspirations and set the soul at peace; if its love is great, Jesus now makes it known that it is time to put into action what it has received. The soul recognizes that God is counting on it, and this knowledge fortifies it. It knows that to be faithful it will often have to face various difficulties, but it trusts in God and, thanks to this trust, it reaches that point to which God is calling it. Difficulties do not terrify it; they are its daily bread, as it were. They do not frighten or terrify the soul, just as a warrior who is constantly in battle is not terrified by the roar of the cannon. Far from being frightened, it listens to determine from which side the enemy is launching his attack, in order to defeat him. It does nothing blindly, but examines and ponders everything deeply and, not counting on itself, it prays fervently and asks advice of other warriors who are experienced and wise. When the soul acts in this way, it nearly always wins. There are attacks when a soul has no time to think or seek advice; then it must enter into a life-or-death struggle. Sometimes it is good to flee for cover in the wound of the Heart of Jesus, without answering a single word. By this very act the enemy is already defeated. In time of peace, as well, the soul continues making efforts, just as in time of battle. It must exercise itself, and do so with energy; otherwise it has no chance of attaining victory. I regard the time of peace as a time of preparation for victory. The soul must be ever watchful; watchfulness and again, watchfulness. The soul that reflects receives much light. A distracted soul runs the risk of a fall, and let it not be surprised when it does fall. O Spirit of God, Director of the soul, wise is he whom You have trained! But for the Spirit of God to act in the soul, peace and recollection are needed.
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.
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 From today on, I do the Will of God everywhere, always, and in everything.[88]
378
Once as I was talking with my spiritual director, I had an interior
vision-quicker than lightning-of his soul in great suffering, in such agony
that God touches very few souls with such fire. The suffering arises from this
work. There will come a time when this work, which God is demanding so very
much, will be as though utterly undone. And then God will act with great power,
which will give evidence of its authenticity. It will be a new splendor for the
Church, although it has been dormant in it from long ago. That God is
infinitely merciful, no one can deny. He desires everyone to know this before
He comes again as Judge. He wants souls to come to know Him first as King of
Mercy. When this triumph comes, we shall already have entered the new life in
which there is no suffering. But before this, your soul [of the spiritual
director] will be surfeited with bitterness at the sight of the destruction of
your efforts. However, this will only appear to be so, because what God has
once decided upon, He does not change. But although this destruction will be
such only in outward appearance, the suffering will be real. When will this
happen? I do not know. How long will it last? I do not know.[89]
But God has promised a great grace especially to you and to all those... who will proclaim My great mercy. I
shall protect them Myself at the hour of death, as My own glory. And even if
the sins of soul are as dark as night, when the sinner turns to My mercy he
gives Me the greatest praise and is the glory of My Passion. When a soul
praises My goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of
hell.
423
Praise the Lord, my soul, for everything, and glorify His mercy, for His goodness
is without end. Everything will pass, but His mercy is without limit or end.
And although evil will attain its measure, in mercy there is no measure.
O my God, even in the punishments You send down upon the earth I see the abyss of Your mercy, for by punishing us here on earth You free us from eternal punishment. Rejoice, all you creatures, for you are closer to God in His infinite mercy than a baby to its mother's heart. O God, You are compassion itself for the greatest sinners who sincerely repent. The greater the sinner, the greater his right to God's mercy.
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.
566
One day, after Holy Communion, I suddenly saw the Infant Jesus standing by my
kneeler and holding on to it with His two little hands. Although He was but a
little Child, my soul was filled with awe and fear, for I see in Him my Judge,
my Lord, and my Creator, before whose holiness the Angels tremble. At the same time,
my soul was flooded with such unspeakable love that I thought I would die under
its influence. I now see that Jesus first strengthens my soul and makes it
capable of abiding with Him, for otherwise I would not be able to bear what I
experience at such a moment.
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.
717
All night long, I was preparing to receive Holy Communion, since I could not
sleep because of physical suffering. My soul was flooded with love and
repentance.
852
Today the Lord's gaze shot through me suddenly, like lightning. At once, I came
to know the tiniest specks in my soul, and knowing the depths of my misery, I
fell to my knees and begged the Lord's pardon, and with great trust I immersed
myself in His infinite mercy. Such knowledge does not depress me nor keep me
away from the Lord, but rather it arouses in my soul greater love and boundless
trust. The repentance of my heart is linked to love. These extraordinary
flashes from the Lord educate my soul. O sweet rays of God, enlighten me to the
most secret depth, for I want to arrive at the greatest possible purity of
heart and soul.
854
December 29, [1936]. Today after Holy Communion, I heard a voice in my soul: My daughter, stand ready, for I will
come unexpectedly. Jesus, You do not want to tell me the hour I
am looking forward to with such longing?
My daughter, it is for your own good. You will learn it, but not now; keep
watch. O Jesus, do with me as You please. I know You are the
merciful Savior and You will not change towards me at the hour of my death. If
at this time you are showing me so much special love, and are condescending to
unite Yourself with me is such an intimate way and with such great kindness, I
expect even more at the hour of my death. You, my Lord-God, cannot change. You
are always the same. Heaven can change, as well as everything that is created;
but You, Lord, are ever the same and will endure forever. So come as You like
and when You like. Father of infinite mercy, I, Your child, wait longingly for
Your coming. O Jesus, You said in the Holy Gospel, "Out of your mouth do I
judge you." Well, Jesus, I am always speaking of Your inconceivable mercy,
so I trust that You will judge me according to Your unfathomable mercy.
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.
934
Small practices for Lent. Although I wish and desire to do so, I cannot
practice big mortifications as before, because I am under the strict
surveillance of the doctor. But I can practice little things: first-sleep
without a pillow; keep myself a little hungry; every day, with my arms
outstretched, say the chaplet which the Lord taught me; occasionally, with arms
outstretched, for an indefinite period of time pray informally. Intention: to
beg divine mercy for poor sinners, and for priests, the power to bring sinful
hearts to repentance.
1052
O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church: Grant it love and the
light of Your Spirit, and give power to the words of priests so that hardened
hearts might be brought to repentance and return to You, O Lord. Lord, give us
holy priests; You yourself maintain them in holiness. O Divine and Great High
Priest, may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them
from the devil's traps and snares which are continually being set for the souls
of priests. May the power of Your mercy, O Lord, shatter and bring to naught
all that might tarnish the sanctity of priests, for You can do all things.
1054
When Jesus was taking leave of me, such great pain filled my soul that it is
impossible to express it. Physical strength left me; I left the chapel quickly
and went to bed. I was oblivious of what was going on around me. My soul was
filled with longing for the Lord, and all the bitterness of His Divine Heart
was imparted to me. This lasted for about three hours. I asked the Lord to
protect me from the eyes of those around me. Although I wanted to, I could not
take any food all day, until evening.
I earnestly desired to spend the whole night with Jesus in the dark prison cell. [184] I prayed until eleven o'clock. At eleven, the Lord said to me, Lie down and take your rest. I have let you experience in three hours what I suffered during the whole night. And immediately I went to bed. I had no physical strength left; the suffering had deprived me of it completely. Throughout all this time, I had been in a sort of swoon. Every beat of Jesus' Heart was reflected in my heart and pierced my soul. If these tortures had concerned me only, I would have suffered less; but as I looked at the One whom my heart has loved with all its might and saw that He was suffering, and that I could not bring Him any relief, my heart dissolved in love and bitterness. I was dying with Him, and yet I could not die. But I would not have exchanged that martyrdom for all the pleasures in the whole world. In the course of this suffering, my love grew immeasurably. I know that the Lord was supporting me with His omnipotence, for otherwise I would not have been able to endure it for even a moment. Together with Him, I underwent, in a special way, all the various tortures. The world still has no idea of all that Jesus suffered. I accompanied Him to the Garden of Gethsemane; I stayed with Him in the prison; I went with Him before the judges; I underwent with Him each of the tortures. Not a single one of His movements or looks escaped my notice. I came to know all the omnipotence of His love and of His mercy toward souls.
1064
+ O my most sweet Master, good Jesus, I give You my heart. You shape and mold
it after Your liking. O fathomless love, I open the calyx of my heart to You,
like a rosebud to the freshness of dew. To You alone, my Betrothed, is known
the fragrance of the flower of my heart. Let the fragrance of my sacrifice be
pleasing to You. O Immortal God, my everlasting delight, already here on earth
You are my heaven. May every beat of my heart be a new hymn of praise to You, O
Holy Trinity! Had I as many hearts as there are drops of water in the ocean or
grains of sand in the whole world, I would offer them all to You, O my Love, O
Treasure of my heart! Whomever I shall meet in my life, no matter who they may
be, I want to draw them all to love You, O my Jesus, my Beauty, my Repose, my
sole Master, Judge, Savior and Spouse, all in one; I know that one title will
modify the other-I have entrusted everything to Your mercy.
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.
1093
+ O Jesus, shield me with Your mercy and also judge me leniently, or else Your
justice may rightly damn me.
1146
[Let] the greatest
sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to
trust in the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards
tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such
souls I grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest
sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify
him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just
Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through
the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice...
1158
A member of this group ought to perform at least one act of mercy a day; at
least one, but there can be many more, for such deeds can easily be carried out
by anyone, even the very poorest. For there are three ways of performing an act
of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you
can offer no word, then pray-that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy.
And when the Last Day comes, we shall be judged from this, and on this basis we
shall receive the eternal verdict.
1159
God's floodgates have been opened for us. Let us want to take advantage of them
before the day of God's justice arrives. And that will be a dreadful day!
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.
1426 Christ, give me souls. Let anything You like happen to
me, but give me souls in return. I want the salvation of souls. I want souls to
know Your mercy. I have nothing left for myself, because I have given
everything away to souls, with the result that on the day of judgment I will
stand before You empty-handed, since I have given everything away to souls.
Thus You will have nothing on which to judge me, and we shall meet on that day:
Love and mercy... + J. M. J.
1515 + I spent this
whole night with Jesus in the dark dungeon. This was a night of adoration. The
sisters were praying in the chapel, and I was uniting myself with them in
spirit, because poor health prevents me from going to the chapel. But all night
long I could not fall asleep, so I spent the night in the dark prison with
Jesus. Jesus gave me to know of the sufferings He experienced there. The world
will learn about them on the day of judgment.
1528 + When I
complained to the Lord Jesus about a certain person [saying], "Jesus, how
can this person pass judgment like that, even about an intention?" the
Lord answered, Do not be
surprised. That soul does not even know her own self, so how could she pass a
fair judgment on another soul?
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, 112, 145, 282, 374, 378)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-423, 496)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-566, 660, 717, 852, 854, 895, 934)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1052, 1054, 1064, 1074-1076, 1093)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1146, 1158-1159)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-IV-1317)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1426, 1515, 1528)
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1701-1703, 1712, 1722)
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1728-1730, 1784)
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