Casting out Evil
Wednesday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Father Steven Liscinsky, LC
Matthew 8: 28-34
When Jesus came to
the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs
met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried
out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to
torment us before the appointed time?" Some distance away a herd of many
swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, "If you drive us out, send
us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go then!" They
came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank
into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to
the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the
demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw
him they begged him to leave their district.
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I believe that You are present within me. I want to live this day
close to You and see everything through the prism of faith. I want to put my
trust and confidence in You. You will grant me all the graces I need today. All
I have to do is ask. I want to love You with all my heart, especially in
charity; giving myself to everyone I meet today so that I can communicate Your
love to them.
Petition: Lord, help me
defeat the evil of sin in my life.
1. Sin Keeps Us
Away from God: We learn in the catechism that mortal sin
takes sanctifying grace away from our soul and cuts us off from God. Today’s
Gospel illustrates that separation, as the two possessed men keep their
distance from Christ and want him to leave them alone. Our sin, whether mortal
or venial, pushes God away from our lives. It is like telling him that we do
not need him, that we do not want him in our lives. Have I willfully accepted
sin in my life, thereby shunning God? Even in the slightest way?
2. Sin Hurts
Our Relationships with Others: Clearly
the evil of the possessed men has hurt their relationship with their fellow
men. They can no longer be a part of their community, but have to live apart
from society. Every sin, in a way, is a “social sin” because it has social consequences.
Even our most personal sins – in our thoughts – injure the Mystical Body of the
Church, and so have an effect on others. Those sins that others see are even
greater, because they cause scandal and could lead others into sin. Christ is
inviting us to reject sin. Let us join him and cast out the devil from our
daily lives.
3. Sin Harms
Us, Too: The evil that we do is harmful above all to
ourselves. The demoniacs often gashed and cut themselves. The physical injury
to their bodies signifies a deeper spiritual affliction. Our souls are made for
God, and so separation from him is truly heart-wrenching. Sin avoids present
ing its ugly face, but after we have committed it, our conscience begins to
bother us. Then we realize that our wrong choice has separated us from the One
we are drawn to by nature. We feel the pain of separation and of that rupture
which divides us interiorly.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, help me to cast out sin from my life. I
need Your help, since I cannot do it on my own. Just like the demoniacs who
longed to be freed from their torment, I also long to defeat sin in my life. So
often I am overpowered by my passions or the temptations of the devil. Grant me
the strength I need, Lord.
Resolution: I will promise Christ that today I will reject one specific sin or
imperfection that I usually fall into.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
300 +Ask of my faithful servant [Father Sopocko] that, on
this day, he tell the whole world of My great mercy; that whoever approaches
the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and
punishment.
+Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.
+Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul's distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness.
My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.
+Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.
+Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul's distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness.
My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.
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.
411 March 21, 1935. Often during
Mass, I see the Lord in my soul; I feel His presence which pervades my being. I
sense His divine gaze; I have long talks with Him without saying a word; I know
what His divine Heart desires, and I always do what will please Him the most. 1
love Him to distraction, and I feel that I am being loved by God. At those
times when I meet with God deep within myself, I feel so happy that I do not
know how to express it. Such moments are short, for the soul could not bear it
for long, as separation from the body would be inevitable. Though these moments
are very short, their power, however, which is transmitted to the soul, remains
with it for a very long time. Without the least effort, I experience the
profound recollection which then envelops me-and it does not diminish even if I
talk with people, nor does it interfere with the performance of my duties. I feel
the constant presence of God without any effort of my soul. I know that I am
united with Him as closely as a drop of water is united with the bottomless
ocean.
Last Thursday, toward the end of my prayers, I felt this grace, and it lasted for an unusually long time, for it was throughout Mass, so that I thought I would die of joy. At such times, my knowledge of God and His attributes becomes more acute, and also I know my own self and my misery much better. I am amazed at the Lord's great condescension to such a miserable soul as mine. After Holy Mass, I felt completely immersed in God and am still conscious of His every glance into the depth of my heart. About midday I entered the chapel for a moment, ' and again the power of grace struck my heart. As I continued in a state of recollection, Satan took a flowerpot and angrily hurled it to the ground with all his might. I saw all his rage and his jealousy.
Last Thursday, toward the end of my prayers, I felt this grace, and it lasted for an unusually long time, for it was throughout Mass, so that I thought I would die of joy. At such times, my knowledge of God and His attributes becomes more acute, and also I know my own self and my misery much better. I am amazed at the Lord's great condescension to such a miserable soul as mine. After Holy Mass, I felt completely immersed in God and am still conscious of His every glance into the depth of my heart. About midday I entered the chapel for a moment, ' and again the power of grace struck my heart. As I continued in a state of recollection, Satan took a flowerpot and angrily hurled it to the ground with all his might. I saw all his rage and his jealousy.
412 There was no one in the chapel,
so I got up, picked up the pieces of the flowerpot, repotted the flower and
tried to do all this before anyone came in. But I did not manage to do so, as
Mother Superior [Borgia] came in at that moment together with the sister
sacristan [93] and several other sisters. Mother Superior was
surprised that I had been touching something on the altar and thus caused the
flowerpot to fall. Sister sacristan showed her displeasure, and I did my best
not to explain or excuse myself. But towards evening I felt very exhausted and
could not make my Holy Hour, so I asked Mother Superior to allow me to go to
bed early. I fell asleep as soon as I lay down, but at about eleven o'clock
Satan shook my bed. I awoke instantly, and I started to pray peacefully to my
Guardian Angel. Then I saw the souls who were doing penance in purgatory. They
appeared like shadows, and among them I saw many demons. One of these tried to
vex me; taking the form of a cat, he kept throwing himself onto my bed and on
my feet, and he was quite heavy, as if [weighing] a ton.
I kept praying the rosary all the while, and toward dawn these beings vanished, and I was able to get some sleep. When I entered the chapel in the morning I heard a voice in my soul, You are united to Me; fear nothing. But know, my child, that Satan hates you; he hates every soul, but he burns with a particular hatred for you, because you have snatched so many souls from his dominion.
I kept praying the rosary all the while, and toward dawn these beings vanished, and I was able to get some sleep. When I entered the chapel in the morning I heard a voice in my soul, You are united to Me; fear nothing. But know, my child, that Satan hates you; he hates every soul, but he burns with a particular hatred for you, because you have snatched so many souls from his dominion.
Nocturnal Adoration.
450 I was suffering very much, and it seemed to me I would not be able to make my adoration, but I gathered up all my will power and, although I collapsed in my cell, I paid no attention to what ailed me, for I had the Passion of Jesus before my eyes. When I entered the chapel, I received an inner understanding of the great reward that God is preparing for us, not only for our good deeds, but also for our sincere desire to perform them. What a great grace of God this is!
Oh, how sweet it is to toil for God and souls! I want no respite in this battle, but I shall fight to the last breath for the glory of my King and Lord. I shall not lay the sword aside until He calls me before His throne; I fear no blows, because God is my shield. It is the enemy who should fear us, and not we him. Satan defeats only the proud and the cowardly, because the humble are strong. Nothing will confuse or frighten a humble soul. I have directed my flight at the very center of the sun's heat, and nothing can lower its course. Love will not allow itself to be taken prisoner; it is free like a queen. Love attains God.
450 I was suffering very much, and it seemed to me I would not be able to make my adoration, but I gathered up all my will power and, although I collapsed in my cell, I paid no attention to what ailed me, for I had the Passion of Jesus before my eyes. When I entered the chapel, I received an inner understanding of the great reward that God is preparing for us, not only for our good deeds, but also for our sincere desire to perform them. What a great grace of God this is!
Oh, how sweet it is to toil for God and souls! I want no respite in this battle, but I shall fight to the last breath for the glory of my King and Lord. I shall not lay the sword aside until He calls me before His throne; I fear no blows, because God is my shield. It is the enemy who should fear us, and not we him. Satan defeats only the proud and the cowardly, because the humble are strong. Nothing will confuse or frighten a humble soul. I have directed my flight at the very center of the sun's heat, and nothing can lower its course. Love will not allow itself to be taken prisoner; it is free like a queen. Love attains God.
520 During the night, a soul I had
already seen before visited me. However, it did not ask for prayer, but
reproached me, saying that I used to be very haughty and vain... "and now
you are interceding for others while you yourself still have certain
vices." I answered that I indeed had been vain and haughty, but that I had
confessed this and had done penance for my stupidity, and that I trusted in the
goodness of my God, and that if I still fell occasionally, this was
indeliberate and never premeditated, even in the smallest things. Still, the
soul continued to reproach me, saying, "Why are you unwilling to recognize
my greatness? Why do you alone not glorify me for my great deeds as all others
do?" Then I saw that this was Satan under the assumed appearance of this
soul and I said, "Glory is due to God alone; begone Satan!" And in an
instant this soul fell into an abyss, horrible beyond all description. And I said
to the wretched soul that I would tell the whole Church about this.
540 In the evening when I was
writing, I heard a voice in my cell which said, "Do not leave this
Congregation; have mercy upon yourself, such great sufferings are in store for
you." When I looked in the direction of the voice, I saw nothing, and I
continued to write. Suddenly I heard a noise and the words: "When you
leave, we will destroy you. Do not torture us." I glanced around and saw
many ugly monsters. So I mentally made the sign of the Cross and they
disappeared immediately. How terribly ugly Satan is! The poor damned souls that
have to keep him company! Just the sight of him is more disgusting than all the
torments of hell.
644 When I left the confessional, a
multitude of thoughts oppressed my soul. Why be sincere? What I have told is no
sin, so I have no duty to tell it to the confessor. And again, what a relief
that I do not have to heed my interior any more as long as things are all right
on the outside. I do not have to pay attention to anything or to follow the
inner voices that have often cost me so much humiliation. From now on, I will
be free. And again, a strange pain seized my soul: can I not, then, commune
with the One whom I desire so greatly? The One who is the whole strength of my
soul? I began to cry out, "To whom shall I go, O Jesus?" But from the
moment of the confessor's prohibition, great darkness fell upon my soul. I
feared lest I hear some inner voice, which would occasion the breaking of my
confessor's prohibition. And then again, I die of longing for God. My interior
is torn asunder, not having any will of its own, since it has been turned over
completely to God.
That was on Wednesday of Holy Week. The suffering intensified on Holy Thursday. When I came to make my meditation, I entered into a kind of agony. I did not feel the presence of God, but all the justice of God weighed heavily upon me. I saw myself as if knocked down for the sins of the world. Satan began to mock me, "See, now you will no longer strive to win souls; look how you've been paid! Nobody will believe you that Jesus demands this. See how much you are suffering now, and how much more you are going to suffer! After all, the confessor has now released you from all these things." Now I can live as I like, as long as things are all right outwardly. These dreadful thoughts tormented me throughout the whole hour.
When it was almost time for Holy Mass, my heart was seized with pain; am I, then, to leave the Congregation? And since Father has told me that this is a kind of heresy, am I to fall away from the Church? I cried out to the Lord with a sorrowful interior cry, "Jesus, save me!" Still, not a single ray of light entered my soul, and I felt my strength failing, as if the body were separating itself from the soul. I submitted to the will of God and repeated, "O God, let whatever You have decided upon happen to me. Nothing in me is any longer my own." Then, suddenly, God's presence enveloped me and penetrated me through and through. This was just as I was receiving Holy Communion. A moment after Holy Communion, I lost all awareness of everything around me and of my whereabouts.
That was on Wednesday of Holy Week. The suffering intensified on Holy Thursday. When I came to make my meditation, I entered into a kind of agony. I did not feel the presence of God, but all the justice of God weighed heavily upon me. I saw myself as if knocked down for the sins of the world. Satan began to mock me, "See, now you will no longer strive to win souls; look how you've been paid! Nobody will believe you that Jesus demands this. See how much you are suffering now, and how much more you are going to suffer! After all, the confessor has now released you from all these things." Now I can live as I like, as long as things are all right outwardly. These dreadful thoughts tormented me throughout the whole hour.
When it was almost time for Holy Mass, my heart was seized with pain; am I, then, to leave the Congregation? And since Father has told me that this is a kind of heresy, am I to fall away from the Church? I cried out to the Lord with a sorrowful interior cry, "Jesus, save me!" Still, not a single ray of light entered my soul, and I felt my strength failing, as if the body were separating itself from the soul. I submitted to the will of God and repeated, "O God, let whatever You have decided upon happen to me. Nothing in me is any longer my own." Then, suddenly, God's presence enveloped me and penetrated me through and through. This was just as I was receiving Holy Communion. A moment after Holy Communion, I lost all awareness of everything around me and of my whereabouts.
646 But after a short while, I
entered into the sufferings which Jesus underwent in the Garden of Olives. This
lasted until Friday morning. On Friday, I experienced the Passion of Jesus but,
this time, in a different way. On that day, Father Bukowski came from Derdy.
Some strange power pushed me to go to confession and tell him about everything
that had happened to me and about what Jesus had said to me. When I told
Father, he was quite different and he said to me, "Sister, don't be afraid
of anything; you will come to no harm, for the ' Lord Jesus will not allow it.
If you are obedient and persevere in this disposition, you need not worry about
anything. God will find a way to bring about His work. You should always have
this simplicity and sincerity and tell everything to Mother General. What I
said to ; you was said as a warning, because illusions may afflict even holy
persons, and Satan's insinuations may play a part in this, and sometimes this
comes from our own selves, so one has to be careful. And so continue as you
have thus far. You can see, Sister, that the Lord is not angered by this. And
Sister, you can repeat these things that have happened to you at present to
your regular confessor [Father Sopocko]."
674 I gave no answer to Jesus, but
poured out all my sorrow before Him, and Satan's attempts ceased. Jesus then
said to me, The inner peace that you have is a grace, and suddenly He
was gone. I felt happy and unaccountably peaceful. Really, for so much peace to
return within a moment-that is a thing only Jesus can do, He, the most high
Lord.
699 On one occasion, I heard these
words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I
desire that the Feast of Mercy [139]
be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that
day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of
graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will
go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness
of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which
grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its
sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of
angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists
has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its
relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The
Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that
it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not
have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.
713 October 11. This evening, as I
was writing about this great mercy of God and its great advantage to souls,
Satan rushed into my room with great anger and fury. He seized the screen and
began to break and crush it. I was a little frightened at first, but I
immediately made the sign of the cross with my little crucifix, and the beast
fell quiet and disappeared at once. Today, I did not see this hideous figure
but only his anger. Satan's anger is terrible, and yet the screen was not
shattered or broken, and I went on writing quietly. I know well that the wretch
will not touch me without God's willing it, but what is he up to? He is
beginning to attack me openly and with such great fury and hate, but he does
not disturb my peace for a moment, and this composure of mine makes him
furious.
723 + Today, I heard these words:
The graces I grant you are not for you alone, but for a great number of other souls
as well... And your heart is My constant dwelling place, despite the misery
that you are. I unite Myself with you, take away your misery and give you My
mercy. I perform works of mercy in every soul. The greater the sinner, the
greater the right he has to My mercy. My mercy is confirmed in every work of My
hands. He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are Mine,
and his enemies will be shattered at the base of My footstool.
741 Today, I was led by an Angel to
the chasms of hell. It is a place of great torture; how awesomely large and
extensive it is! The kinds of tortures I saw: the first torture that
constitutes hell is the loss of God; the second is perpetual remorse of
conscience; the third is that one's condition will never change; the fourth is
the fire that will penetrate the soul without destroying it-a terrible
suffering, since it is a purely spiritual fire, lit by God's anger; the fifth
torture is continual darkness and a terrible suffocating smell, and, despite
the darkness, the devils and the souls of the damned see each other and all the
evil, both of others and their own; the sixth torture is the constant company
of Satan; the seventh torture is horrible despair, hatred of God, vile words,
curses and blasphemies. These are the tortures suffered by all the damned
together, but that is not the end of the sufferings. There are special tortures
destined for particular souls. These are the torments of the senses. Each soul
undergoes terrible and indescribable sufferings, related to the manner in which
it has sinned. There are caverns and pits of torture where one form of agony
differs from another. I would have died at the very sight of these tortures if
the omnipotence of God had not supported me. Let the sinner know that he will
be tortured throughout all eternity, in those senses which he made use of to
sin. I am writing this at the command of God, so that no soul may find an
excuse by saying there is no hell, or that nobody has ever been there, and so
no one can say what it is like.
I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing. The devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God. What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. When I came to, I could hardly recover from the fright. How terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O my Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend You by the least sin.
I, Sister Faustina, by the order of God, have visited the abysses of hell so that I might tell souls about it and testify to its existence. I cannot speak about it now; but I have received a command from God to leave it in writing. The devils were full of hatred for me, but they had to obey me at the command of God. What I have written is but a pale shadow of the things I saw. But I noticed one thing: that most of the souls there are those who disbelieved that there is a hell. When I came to, I could hardly recover from the fright. How terribly souls suffer there! Consequently, I pray even more fervently for the conversion of sinners. I incessantly plead God's mercy upon them. O my Jesus, I would rather be in agony until the end of the world, amidst the greatest sufferings, than offend You by the least sin.
764 November 24. Today, I received a
letter from Father Sopocko. [147]
I learned from it that God himself is conducting this whole affair. And as the
Lord has begun it, so will He continue to carry it along. And the greater the
difficulties which I see, the more am I at peace. Oh, if in this whole matter
the glory of God and the profit to souls were not greatly served, Satan would
not be opposing it so much. But he senses what he is going to lose because of
it. I have now learned that Satan hates mercy more than anything else. It is
his greatest torment. Still, the word of God will not pass away; God's utterance
is living; difficulties will not suppress the works of God, but show that they
are God's...
812 + Today I have fought a battle with the
spirits of darkness over one soul. How terribly Satan hates God's mercy! I see
how he opposes this whole work.
938 The soul should have prayed
ardently and at greater length for a director and should have asked the Lord
himself to choose a spiritual director for it. What begins in God will be
godly, and what begins in a purely human manner will remain human. God is so
merciful that, in order to help a soul He himself chooses the spiritual guide
and will enlighten the soul concerning the one before whom it should uncover
the most hidden depths of its soul just as it sees itself before the Lord Jesus
himself. And when the soul considers and recognizes that God has been arranging
all this, it should pray fervently for the confessor that he might have the
divine light to know it well. And let it not change such a director except for
a serious reason. Just as it had prayed fervently and at great length in order
to learn God's will before choosing a director, so too should it pray fervently
and at great length to discern whether it is truly God's will that he leave
this director and choose another. If God's will is not absolutely clear, he
should not make this change, for a person will not go far by himself, and Satan
wants just this: to have the person who is aspiring for sanctity direct himself
because then, without doubt, he will never attain it.
939 There is an exception [to this],
and that is when God himself directs the person, but the director will
immediately recognize that the person in question is being guided by God
himself. God will allow him to know this clearly and distinctly, and such a
person should be even more under the director's control than anyone else. In
this case, the director does not so much guide and point out the road along
which the soul is to journey; but rather, he judges and confirms that the soul
is following the right path and is being led by a good spirit.
In this situation, the director should be not only holy, but also experienced and prudent, and the soul should give priority to his opinion over that of God himself, for then the soul will be safe from illusions and deviations. A soul that will not fully submit its inspirations to the strict control of the Church; that is, to the director, clearly shows by this that a bad spirit is guiding it. The director should be extremely prudent in such cases and test the soul's obedience. Satan can even clothe himself in a cloak of humility, but he does not know how to wear the cloak of obedience and thus his evil designs will be disclosed. But the director should not be overly afraid of such a soul, because if God puts that special soul in his care, He will also give him great divine light regarding it, for otherwise how could he deal wisely with the great mysteries which take place between the soul and God.
In this situation, the director should be not only holy, but also experienced and prudent, and the soul should give priority to his opinion over that of God himself, for then the soul will be safe from illusions and deviations. A soul that will not fully submit its inspirations to the strict control of the Church; that is, to the director, clearly shows by this that a bad spirit is guiding it. The director should be extremely prudent in such cases and test the soul's obedience. Satan can even clothe himself in a cloak of humility, but he does not know how to wear the cloak of obedience and thus his evil designs will be disclosed. But the director should not be overly afraid of such a soul, because if God puts that special soul in his care, He will also give him great divine light regarding it, for otherwise how could he deal wisely with the great mysteries which take place between the soul and God.
1127On one occasion, I saw Satan
hurrying about and looking for someone among the sisters, but he could find no
one. I felt an interior inspiration to command him in the Name of God to
confess to me what he was looking for among the sisters. And he confessed,
though unwillingly, "I am looking for idle souls [cf. Si. 33:28; Pr.
12:11]." When I commanded him again in the Name of God to tell me to which
souls in religious life he has the easiest access, he said, again unwillingly,
"To lazy and idle souls." I took note of the fact that, at present,
there were no such souls in this house. Let the toiling and tired souls
rejoice.
1167 Satan has admitted to me that I
am the object of his hatred. He said that "a thousand souls do me less
harm than you do when you speak of the great mercy of the Almighty One. The
greatest sinners regain confidence and return to God, and I lose everything.
But what is more, you persecute me personally with that unfathomable mercy of
the Almighty One." I took note of the great hatred Satan has for the Mercy
of God. He does not want to acknowledge that God is good.
1338 As I write these words, I hear
the cry of Satan: "She's 'writing everything, she's writing everything,
and because of this we are losing so much! Do not write about the goodness of
God; He is just!" And howling with fury, he vanished.
1384 I see a certain priest
[probably Father Sopocko] whom God loves greatly, but whom Satan hates terribly
because he is leading many souls to a high degree of sanctity and has regard
only for God's glory. But I keep asking God that his patience with those who
constantly oppose him might not run out. Where Satan himself can do no harm, he
uses people.
1405 November 30, 1937. When I was
going upstairs this evening, a strange dislike for everything having to do with
God suddenly came over me. At that, I heard Satan who said to me, "Think
no more about this work. God is not as merciful as you say He is. Do not pray
for sinners, because they will be damned all the same, and by this work of
mercy you expose your own self to damnation. Talk no more about this mercy of
God with your confessor and especially not with Father Sopocko and Father
Andrasz." At this point, the voice took the appearance of my Guardian
Angel, and at that moment I replied, "I know who you are: the father of
lies [cf. Jn. 8:44]." I made the sign of the cross, and the angel vanished
with great racket and fury.
1465 Taking the form of an
apparition he said," Do not pray for sinners, but for yourself, for you
will be damned." Paying no attention to Satan, I continued to pray with
redoubled fervor for sinners. The Evil Spirit howled with fury, "Oh, if I
had power over you!" and disappeared. I saw that my suffering and prayer
shackled Satan and snatched many souls from his clutches.
1497 When I went, in my thoughts, to
the chapel, my spirit was plunged into even greater darkness. Total
discouragement came over me. Then I heard Satan's voice: "See how
contradictory everything is that Jesus gives to you: He tells you to found a
convent, and then He gives you sickness; He tells you to set about establishing
this Feast of Mercy while the whole world does not at all want such a feast.
Why do you pray for this feast? It is so inopportune." My soul remained
silent and, by an act of will, continued to pray without entering into
conversation with the Spirit of Darkness. Nevertheless, such an extraordinary
disgust with life came over me that I had to make a great act of the will to
consent to go on living...
And again I heard the tempter's words: "Ask for death for yourself, tomorrow after Holy Communion. God will hear you, for He has heard you so many times before and has given you what you asked for." I remained silent and, by an act of will, I began to pray, or rather, submitted myself to God, asking Him interiorly not to abandon me at this moment. It was already eleven o'clock at night, and there was silence all around. The sisters were all asleep in their cells, and my soul alone was struggling with great exertion.
The tempter went on: "Why should you bother about other souls? You ought to be praying only for yourself. As for sinners, they will be converted without your prayers. I see that you are suffering very much at this moment. I'm going to give you a piece of advice on which your happiness will depend: never speak about God's mercy and, in particular, do not encourage sinners to trust in God's mercy, because they deserve a just punishment. Another very important thing: do not tell your confessors, and especially this extraordinary confessor and the priest in Vilnius, about what goes on in your soul. I know them; I know who they are, and so I want to put you on your guard against them. You see, to live as a good nun, it is sufficient to live like all the others. Why expose yourself to so many difficulties?"
And again I heard the tempter's words: "Ask for death for yourself, tomorrow after Holy Communion. God will hear you, for He has heard you so many times before and has given you what you asked for." I remained silent and, by an act of will, I began to pray, or rather, submitted myself to God, asking Him interiorly not to abandon me at this moment. It was already eleven o'clock at night, and there was silence all around. The sisters were all asleep in their cells, and my soul alone was struggling with great exertion.
The tempter went on: "Why should you bother about other souls? You ought to be praying only for yourself. As for sinners, they will be converted without your prayers. I see that you are suffering very much at this moment. I'm going to give you a piece of advice on which your happiness will depend: never speak about God's mercy and, in particular, do not encourage sinners to trust in God's mercy, because they deserve a just punishment. Another very important thing: do not tell your confessors, and especially this extraordinary confessor and the priest in Vilnius, about what goes on in your soul. I know them; I know who they are, and so I want to put you on your guard against them. You see, to live as a good nun, it is sufficient to live like all the others. Why expose yourself to so many difficulties?"
1499 At that moment, I saw Jesus,
who said, I am pleased with what you are doing. And you can continue to be
at peace if you always do the best you can in respect to this work of mercy. Be
absolutely as frank as possible with your confessor.
Satan gained nothing by tempting you, because you did not enter into conversation with him. Continue to act in this way. You gave Me great glory today by fighting so faithfully. Let it be confirmed and engraved on your heart that I am always with you, even if you don't feel My presence at the time of battle.
Satan gained nothing by tempting you, because you did not enter into conversation with him. Continue to act in this way. You gave Me great glory today by fighting so faithfully. Let it be confirmed and engraved on your heart that I am always with you, even if you don't feel My presence at the time of battle.
1583 As I write this, I hear Satan
grinding his teeth. He cannot stand God's mercy, and keeps banging things in my
cell. But I feel so much of God's power within me that it does not even bother
me that the enemy of our salvation gets angry, and I quietly keep on writing.
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...
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...
1715 A strong temptation. The Lord
gave me to know how pleasing a pure heart is to Him, and thereby I was given a
deeper knowledge of my own misery. When I began to prepare for confession,
strong temptations against confessors assaulted me. I did not see Satan, but I
could sense him, his terrible anger. - "Yes, he's an ordinary man." -
"Not ordinary, because he has the power of God." - Yes, it is not
difficult for me to accuse myself of my sins. But to uncover the most secret
depths of my heart, to give an account of the action of God's grace, to speak
about God's every demand, about all that goes on between God and myself... to
tell that to a man is beyond my strength. I felt I was fighting against the
powers and I cried out: "O Christ, You and the priest are one; I will
approach confession as if I were approaching, not a man, but You." When I
entered the confessional, I began by disclosing my difficulties. The priest
replied that the best thing I could have done was to disclose these temptations
from the outset. However, after the confession, they took flight, and my soul
is enjoying peace.
1742 Be praised, merciful God, One
God in the Holy Trinity,
Unfathomable, infinite, incomprehensible,
immersing themselves in You, their minds cannot comprehend You,
So they repeat without end their eternal: Holy.
Be glorified, O merciful Creator of ours, O Lord,
Omnipotent, but full of compassion, inconceivable.
To love You is the mission of our existence,
Singing our eternal hymn: Holy...
Be blessed, merciful God, Eternal Love.
You are above the heavens, the saphires, the firmaments.
The host of pure spirits sings You praises,
With its eternal hymn: Thrice Holy.
And, gazing upon You, face to face, O God,
I see that You could have called other creatures before them.
Therefore they humble themselves before You in great humility,
For well they see that this grace comes solely from Your mercy.
One of the most beautiful spirits would not recognize Your mercy,
And, blinded by his pride, he drew others after him.
Angel of great beauty, he became Satan
And was cast down in one moment from heaven's heights into hell.
Then the faithful spirits cried, "Glory to God's mercy!"
And they stood firm in spite of the fiery test.
Glory to Jesus, the Christ abased,
Glory to His Mother, the humble and pure Virgin.
After this battle, the pure spirits plunged into the ocean of Divinity;
Contemplating and praising the depths of His mercy,
They drown in His mercy and manifold light,
Possessing in knowledge the Trinity of Persons, the Oneness of Godhead.
Unfathomable, infinite, incomprehensible,
immersing themselves in You, their minds cannot comprehend You,
So they repeat without end their eternal: Holy.
Be glorified, O merciful Creator of ours, O Lord,
Omnipotent, but full of compassion, inconceivable.
To love You is the mission of our existence,
Singing our eternal hymn: Holy...
Be blessed, merciful God, Eternal Love.
You are above the heavens, the saphires, the firmaments.
The host of pure spirits sings You praises,
With its eternal hymn: Thrice Holy.
And, gazing upon You, face to face, O God,
I see that You could have called other creatures before them.
Therefore they humble themselves before You in great humility,
For well they see that this grace comes solely from Your mercy.
One of the most beautiful spirits would not recognize Your mercy,
And, blinded by his pride, he drew others after him.
Angel of great beauty, he became Satan
And was cast down in one moment from heaven's heights into hell.
Then the faithful spirits cried, "Glory to God's mercy!"
And they stood firm in spite of the fiery test.
Glory to Jesus, the Christ abased,
Glory to His Mother, the humble and pure Virgin.
After this battle, the pure spirits plunged into the ocean of Divinity;
Contemplating and praising the depths of His mercy,
They drown in His mercy and manifold light,
Possessing in knowledge the Trinity of Persons, the Oneness of Godhead.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-300, 378, 411-412, 450, 520)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-644, 646, 674, 699, 713, 723)
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-741, 764, 812, 938, 939)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1127, 1167)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1338, 1405, 1465, 1497, 1499, 1583)
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1702, 1715, 1742)
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