Christ Chooses Me
January 23, 2015. Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
Father Robert
DeCesare, LC
Mark 3:13-19
He went up the mountain and summoned those
whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed twelve (whom he also named
apostles) that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach
and to have authority to drive out demons: (he appointed the Twelve:) Simon,
whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom
he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananaean, and
Judas Iscariot who betrayed him.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that through baptism
You have invited me to share in Your friendship. I trust in Your Church, Lord.
You have given us this institution as the guide to help us in our salvation. I
love You, Lord, because You have loved me first. I love You, Lord, for calling
me to be Your friend and apostle. I may be a mere sinner, but with You, Lord, I
believe that I can do great things.
Petition: Lord, help me to collaborate in your work of
salvation.
1.
Christ Summoned Those Whom He Wanted: Christ has chosen to
need our assistance. He wants our help with the great work of the New
Evangelization. As great and powerful as Christ is, he has willed that man
collaborate with him in his plan of salvation. He wants to involve others in
helping people to come to know, love and serve him. He makes use of man’s free
and responsible collaboration in order to carry out his plans. Therefore, even
though man is a creature of very limited possibilities, he can achieve truly
unimaginable things when he lives and works for God.
2. He
Calls Me by Name:
Christ does not haphazardly choose me to collaborate with him in the New
Evangelization. He knows me. He knows me better than I know myself, and out of
love he invites me to be with him. When he calls me by name, he reaches into
the depths of my heart and soul. He delves into the depths of who I am, and he
identifies with me. When he calls me by name, he calls me out of love; “he
calls me to share in his own divine life” (Lumen Gentium, 2). He calls me by
name because he knows how great the gift is that he wishes to share with me.
3. He
Gives Me a Mission:
“He sent them to preach and to drive out demons” (Mark 3:14-15). Christ doesn’t
call me just to enjoy the present life. He has created me for a purpose. He has
given me a specific vocation that only I can fulfill. I am irreplaceable; there
will never be another me. The opportunity that I have to share in this
friendship with Our Lord is an invitation to do something with him and for him.
Christ’s love for me invites and beckons me to collaborate with him. Who can
resist an invitation to collaborate with someone so great, and with an offer so
challenging and yet so fulfilling?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, You have wished for me to enter
Your friendship. You have called me by name to be Your friend. You have invited
me to help You in the New Evangelization. I want to help You and do my part.
Give me the strength to be close to You and to collaborate with You in this
great undertaking.
Resolution: I will bring up the faith in a conversation
with someone.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
91 O my Jesus, You alone know what
persecutions I suffer, and this only because I am being faithful to You and
following Your orders. You are my strength; sustain me that I may always carry
out what You ask of me. Of myself I can do nothing, but when You sustain me,
all difficulties are nothing for me. O my Lord, I can see very well that from
the time when my soul first received the capacity to know You, my life has been
a continual struggle which has become increasingly intense.
Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day's struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of t lie Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me - it is the Eucharist.
O my Jesus, the misunderstandings are so great; sometimes, were it not for the Eucharist, I would not have the courage to go any further along the way You have marked out for me.
Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day's struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of t lie Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me - it is the Eucharist.
O my Jesus, the misunderstandings are so great; sometimes, were it not for the Eucharist, I would not have the courage to go any further along the way You have marked out for me.
93 +A Short Version of the Catechism of the
Vows[39]
Q. What is a vow?
A. A vow is a voluntary promise made to God, to carry out a more perfect act.
Q. Is a vow binding in a matter which is the object of a commandment?
A. Yes. The carrying out of an act which is the object of a commandment has a double value and merit; and the neglect of such an act is a double transgression and evil, because by breaking such a vow we add to the sin against the commandment, the sin of sacrilege.
Q. Why do religious vows have such value?
A. Because they are the foundation of the religious life approved by the Church, in which the members bound together in a religious community undertake to strive always for perfection by means of the three religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, observed according to the rules.
Q. What is the meaning of the words, "strive for perfection?"
A. To strive for perfection means that the religious life does not in itself demand that perfection be already attained, but obliges, under the pain of sin, that we work daily to attain it. Therefore, a religious who does not want to become perfect neglects his principal duty of state.
Q. What are "solemn" religious vows?
A. " Solemn" religious vows are so absolute that, in extraordinary cases, only the Holy Father can dispense from them.
Q. What are simple religious vows?
A. These are vows which are less absolute - the Holy See dispenses from perpetual and annual vows.
Q. What is the difference between a vow and a virtue?
A. A vow pertains only to that which is commanded under pain of sin; the virtue goes beyond this and helps in the carrying out of the vow; on the other hand, by breaking the vow we fail in the virtue and do it damage.
Q. To what do the religious vows oblige us?
A. The religious vows oblige us to strive to acquire the virtues and to submit ourselves completely to our Superiors and to the Rules which are in force; thus the religious gives his own person to the Community, renouncing every right over himself and his actions, which he sacrifices to the service of God.
The Vow of Poverty
The vow of poverty is the voluntary renunciation of the right over property or to the use of such property with the purpose of pleasing God.
Q. What objects does the vow of poverty concern?
A. All those goods and those objects which appertain to the Community. We have no longer any right over anything that has been given to us, once it has been accepted, whether an article or money. All these donations and presents, which may have been given us out of gratitude or in any other way, belong by right to the Community. We cannot make use, without violating the vow, of any wages we may receive for work or even any annuity.
Q. When do we break or violate the vow in a matter which entails the seventh commandment?
A. We break or violate it when, without permission, we take for ourselves anything that belongs to the house; when, without permission, we retain something in order to appropriate it; and when, without authorization, we sell or exchange something that belongs to the Community. When we make use of an object for some other purpose than that intended by the Superior. When we give to, or accept from another, anything whatsoever without permission. When by negligence we destroy or damage something. When, in going from one house to another, we take something with us without permission. In a situation where the vow is broken, the religious is bound to restitution to the Community.
The Virtue of Poverty
This is an evangelical virtue which impels the heart to detach itself from temporal things; the religious, in virtue of his profession, is strictly obliged to it.
Q. When do we sin against the virtue of poverty? When we desire something, contrary to this virtue. When we become attached to something, and when we make use of superfluous things. How many degrees of poverty are there and what are they?
A. There are, in practice, four degrees of poverty for one who is a professed religious: to dispose of nothing without the consent of the Superiors (the strict matter of the vow); to avoid superfluities and be content with necessities (this pertains to the virtue); to readily content oneself with things of inferior quality in what concerns one's cell, clothing, nourishment, etc., and to experience this contentment interiorly; to rejoice in extreme poverty.
The Vow of Chastity
Q. To what does this vow oblige us?
A. To renounce marriage and to avoid everything that is forbidden by the sixth and ninth commandments.
Q. Is a fault against the virtue a violation of the vow?
A. Every fault against the virtue is at the same time a violation of the vow, because here there is no difference, as in the case of poverty and obedience, between the vow and the virtue.
Q. Is every bad thought a sin?
A. No, every bad thought is not a sin; it becomes so only when the acquiescence of the will and consent are joined to the consideration of the mind.
Q. Is there anything, over and above sins against chastity, which is detrimental to the virtue?
A. Lack of custody of the senses, of the imagination, of the feelings; familiarity and sentimental friendships are detrimental to the virtue.
Q. What are the means by which this virtue may be preserved?
A. To conquer interior temptations with the thought of the presence of God, and moreover to fight without fear. And for exterior temptations, to avoid occasions. There are, in all, seven principal means: to guard the senses, to avoid occasions, to avoid idleness, to remove temptations promptly, to remove oneself from all - and especially particular friendships, the spirit of mortification, and to reveal all these temptations to one's confessor.
Besides this, there are also five means of preserving this virtue: humility, the spirit of prayer, modesty of the eyes, fidelity to the rule, a sincere devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Vow of Obedience
The vow of obedience is superior to the first two. It is, to tell the truth, a holocaust, and it is more necessary because it forms and animates the monastic body.
Q. To what does the vow of obedience oblige us?
A. By the vow of obedience, the religious promises to God to be obedient to his legitimate superiors in everything that they will ordain in virtue of the rule. The vow of obedience makes the religious dependent on his superior in virtue of these rules for his whole life and in all his affairs. A religious commits a grave sin against the vow every time he disobeys an order given in virtue of obedience and of these rules.
The Virtue of Obedience
The virtue of obedience goes further than the vow; it embraces the rules, the regulations and even the counsels of the superiors.
Q. Is the virtue of obedience indispensable for a religious?
A. The virtue of obedience is so indispensable to a religious that, even if he were to perform good actions contrary to obedience, these would be evil and without merit.
Q. Can we sin gravely against the virtue of obedience?
A. We sin gravely when we scorn the authority or the order of the superior, or when spiritual or temporal harm to the community results from our disobedience.
Q. What faults endanger the vow?
A. To be prejudiced against the superior, or to harbor an antipathy for him - murmuring and criticism, tardiness and negligence.
The Degrees of Obedience
Prompt and complete fulfillment - the obedience of the will, when the will persuades the intellect to submit to the advice of the superior. To facilitate obedience, Saint Ignatius suggests, moreover, three means: always to see God in our superior, whoever he might be; to justify in itself the order or advice of the superior; to accept each order as an order from God, without examining it or reflecting on it. General means: humility. Nothing is difficult for the humble.
Q. What is a vow?
A. A vow is a voluntary promise made to God, to carry out a more perfect act.
Q. Is a vow binding in a matter which is the object of a commandment?
A. Yes. The carrying out of an act which is the object of a commandment has a double value and merit; and the neglect of such an act is a double transgression and evil, because by breaking such a vow we add to the sin against the commandment, the sin of sacrilege.
Q. Why do religious vows have such value?
A. Because they are the foundation of the religious life approved by the Church, in which the members bound together in a religious community undertake to strive always for perfection by means of the three religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, observed according to the rules.
Q. What is the meaning of the words, "strive for perfection?"
A. To strive for perfection means that the religious life does not in itself demand that perfection be already attained, but obliges, under the pain of sin, that we work daily to attain it. Therefore, a religious who does not want to become perfect neglects his principal duty of state.
Q. What are "solemn" religious vows?
A. " Solemn" religious vows are so absolute that, in extraordinary cases, only the Holy Father can dispense from them.
Q. What are simple religious vows?
A. These are vows which are less absolute - the Holy See dispenses from perpetual and annual vows.
Q. What is the difference between a vow and a virtue?
A. A vow pertains only to that which is commanded under pain of sin; the virtue goes beyond this and helps in the carrying out of the vow; on the other hand, by breaking the vow we fail in the virtue and do it damage.
Q. To what do the religious vows oblige us?
A. The religious vows oblige us to strive to acquire the virtues and to submit ourselves completely to our Superiors and to the Rules which are in force; thus the religious gives his own person to the Community, renouncing every right over himself and his actions, which he sacrifices to the service of God.
The Vow of Poverty
The vow of poverty is the voluntary renunciation of the right over property or to the use of such property with the purpose of pleasing God.
Q. What objects does the vow of poverty concern?
A. All those goods and those objects which appertain to the Community. We have no longer any right over anything that has been given to us, once it has been accepted, whether an article or money. All these donations and presents, which may have been given us out of gratitude or in any other way, belong by right to the Community. We cannot make use, without violating the vow, of any wages we may receive for work or even any annuity.
Q. When do we break or violate the vow in a matter which entails the seventh commandment?
A. We break or violate it when, without permission, we take for ourselves anything that belongs to the house; when, without permission, we retain something in order to appropriate it; and when, without authorization, we sell or exchange something that belongs to the Community. When we make use of an object for some other purpose than that intended by the Superior. When we give to, or accept from another, anything whatsoever without permission. When by negligence we destroy or damage something. When, in going from one house to another, we take something with us without permission. In a situation where the vow is broken, the religious is bound to restitution to the Community.
The Virtue of Poverty
This is an evangelical virtue which impels the heart to detach itself from temporal things; the religious, in virtue of his profession, is strictly obliged to it.
Q. When do we sin against the virtue of poverty? When we desire something, contrary to this virtue. When we become attached to something, and when we make use of superfluous things. How many degrees of poverty are there and what are they?
A. There are, in practice, four degrees of poverty for one who is a professed religious: to dispose of nothing without the consent of the Superiors (the strict matter of the vow); to avoid superfluities and be content with necessities (this pertains to the virtue); to readily content oneself with things of inferior quality in what concerns one's cell, clothing, nourishment, etc., and to experience this contentment interiorly; to rejoice in extreme poverty.
The Vow of Chastity
Q. To what does this vow oblige us?
A. To renounce marriage and to avoid everything that is forbidden by the sixth and ninth commandments.
Q. Is a fault against the virtue a violation of the vow?
A. Every fault against the virtue is at the same time a violation of the vow, because here there is no difference, as in the case of poverty and obedience, between the vow and the virtue.
Q. Is every bad thought a sin?
A. No, every bad thought is not a sin; it becomes so only when the acquiescence of the will and consent are joined to the consideration of the mind.
Q. Is there anything, over and above sins against chastity, which is detrimental to the virtue?
A. Lack of custody of the senses, of the imagination, of the feelings; familiarity and sentimental friendships are detrimental to the virtue.
Q. What are the means by which this virtue may be preserved?
A. To conquer interior temptations with the thought of the presence of God, and moreover to fight without fear. And for exterior temptations, to avoid occasions. There are, in all, seven principal means: to guard the senses, to avoid occasions, to avoid idleness, to remove temptations promptly, to remove oneself from all - and especially particular friendships, the spirit of mortification, and to reveal all these temptations to one's confessor.
Besides this, there are also five means of preserving this virtue: humility, the spirit of prayer, modesty of the eyes, fidelity to the rule, a sincere devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Vow of Obedience
The vow of obedience is superior to the first two. It is, to tell the truth, a holocaust, and it is more necessary because it forms and animates the monastic body.
Q. To what does the vow of obedience oblige us?
A. By the vow of obedience, the religious promises to God to be obedient to his legitimate superiors in everything that they will ordain in virtue of the rule. The vow of obedience makes the religious dependent on his superior in virtue of these rules for his whole life and in all his affairs. A religious commits a grave sin against the vow every time he disobeys an order given in virtue of obedience and of these rules.
The Virtue of Obedience
The virtue of obedience goes further than the vow; it embraces the rules, the regulations and even the counsels of the superiors.
Q. Is the virtue of obedience indispensable for a religious?
A. The virtue of obedience is so indispensable to a religious that, even if he were to perform good actions contrary to obedience, these would be evil and without merit.
Q. Can we sin gravely against the virtue of obedience?
A. We sin gravely when we scorn the authority or the order of the superior, or when spiritual or temporal harm to the community results from our disobedience.
Q. What faults endanger the vow?
A. To be prejudiced against the superior, or to harbor an antipathy for him - murmuring and criticism, tardiness and negligence.
The Degrees of Obedience
Prompt and complete fulfillment - the obedience of the will, when the will persuades the intellect to submit to the advice of the superior. To facilitate obedience, Saint Ignatius suggests, moreover, three means: always to see God in our superior, whoever he might be; to justify in itself the order or advice of the superior; to accept each order as an order from God, without examining it or reflecting on it. General means: humility. Nothing is difficult for the humble.
279 God made known to me what true love
consists in and gave light to me about how, in practice, to give proof of it to
Him. True love of God consists in carrying out God's will. To show God our love
in what we do, all our actions, even the least, must spring from our love of
God. And the Lord said to me, My child, you please Me most by suffering. In
your physical as well as your mental sufferings, My daughter, do not seek
sympathy from creatures. I want the fragrance of your suffering to be pure and
unadulterated. I want you to detach yourself, not only from creatures, but also
from yourself. My daughter, I want to delight in the love of your heart, a pure
love, virginal, unblemished, untarnished. The more you will come to love
suffering, My daughter, the purer your love for Me will be.
281 I feel certain that my mission will not
come to an end upon my death, but will begin. O doubting souls, I will draw
aside for you the veils of heaven to convince you of God's goodness, so that
you will no longer continue to wound with your distrust the sweetest Heart of
Jesus. God is Love and Mercy.
302 +O Eternal Love, I want all the souls You
have created to come to know You. I would like to be a priest, for then I would
speak without cease about Your mercy to sinful souls drowned in despair. I
would like to be a missionary and carry the light of faith to savage nations in
order to make You known to souls, and to be completely consumed for them and to
die a martyr's death, just as You died for them and for me. O Jesus, I know
only too well that I can be a priest, a missionary, a preacher, and that I can
die a martyr's death by completely emptying myself and denying myself for love
of You, O Jesus, and of immortal souls.
346 December 24, 1934. The Vigil of
Christmas. During the morning Mass, I felt the closeness of God. Though I was
hardly aware of it, my spirit was drowned in God. Suddenly, I heard these
words: You are My delightful dwelling place; My Spirit rests in you. After
these words, I felt the Lord looking into the depths of my heart; and seeing my
misery, I humbled myself in spirit and admired the immense mercy of God, that
the Most High Lord would approach such misery.
During Holy Communion, joy filled my soul. I felt that I am closely united to the Godhead. His omnipotence enveloped my whole being. Throughout the whole day I felt the closeness of God in a special manner; and although my duties prevented me throughout the whole day from going to chapel even for a moment, there was not a moment when I was not united with God. I felt Him within me more distinctly than ever. Unceasingly greeting the Mother of God and entering into Her spirit, I begged Her to teach me true love of God. And then I heard these words: I will share with you the secret of My happiness this night during Holy Mass.
During Holy Communion, joy filled my soul. I felt that I am closely united to the Godhead. His omnipotence enveloped my whole being. Throughout the whole day I felt the closeness of God in a special manner; and although my duties prevented me throughout the whole day from going to chapel even for a moment, there was not a moment when I was not united with God. I felt Him within me more distinctly than ever. Unceasingly greeting the Mother of God and entering into Her spirit, I begged Her to teach me true love of God. And then I heard these words: I will share with you the secret of My happiness this night during Holy Mass.
We had supper before six o'clock. Despite all
the joy and the external noise accompanying the sharing of the wafer and the
mutual exchange of good wishes, I did not for a moment lose the awareness of
God's presence. After supper we hurried away to finish our work, and at nine I
was able to go to the chapel for adoration. I was allowed to stay up and wait
for the Midnight Mass. I was delighted to have free time from nine until
midnight. From nine to ten o'clock I offered my adoration for my parents and my
whole family. From ten to eleven, I offered it for the intention of my
spiritual director, in the first place thanking God for granting me this great
visible help here on earth, just as He had promised me, and I also asked God to
grant him the necessary light so that he could get to know my soul and guide me
according to God's good pleasure. And from eleven to twelve I prayed for the
Holy Church and the clergy, for sinners, for the missions and for our houses. I
offered the indulgences for the souls in purgatory.
482 O my God, I am conscious of my mission in
the Holy Church. It is my constant endeavor to plead for me mercy for the
world. I unite myself closely with Jesus and stand before Him as an atoning
sacrifice on behalf of the world. God will refuse me nothing when I entreat Him
with the voice of His Son. My sacrifice is nothing in itself, but when I join
it to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, it becomes all-powerful and has the power
to appease divine wrath. God loves us in His Son; the painful Passion of the
Son of God constantly turns aside the wrath of God.
483 O God, how I desire that souls come to
know You and to see that You have created them because of Your unfathomable
love. O my Creator and Lord, I feel that I am going to remove the veil of
heaven so that earth will not doubt Your goodness.
Make of me, Jesus, a pure and agreeable offering before the Face of Your Father. Jesus, transform me, miserable and sinful as I am, into Your own self (for You can do all things), and give me to Your Eternal Father. I want t become a sacrificial host before You, but an ordinary wafer to people. I want the fragrance of my sacrifice be known to You alone. O Eternal God, an unquenchable fire of supplication for Your mercy burns within me. I know and understand that this is my task here and in eternity. You yourself have told me to speak about this great mercy and about Your goodness.
Make of me, Jesus, a pure and agreeable offering before the Face of Your Father. Jesus, transform me, miserable and sinful as I am, into Your own self (for You can do all things), and give me to Your Eternal Father. I want t become a sacrificial host before You, but an ordinary wafer to people. I want the fragrance of my sacrifice be known to You alone. O Eternal God, an unquenchable fire of supplication for Your mercy burns within me. I know and understand that this is my task here and in eternity. You yourself have told me to speak about this great mercy and about Your goodness.
682 + The more I feel that God is
transforming me, the more I desire to immerse myself in silence. The love of
God is doing its work in the depths of my soul. I see that the mission which
the Lord has entrusted to me is beginning.
694
September 19, 1936. When we left the doctor's [137] [office] and stepped
into the
sanatorium chapel for a moment, I heard these
words in my soul:My child, just a few
more drops in your chalice; it won't be long
now. Joy filled my soul; this was the first
call from my beloved Spouse and Master. My
heart melted, and there was a moment when my soul was immersed in the whole sea
of God's mercy. I felt that my mission was beginning in all its fullness. Death
destroys nothing that is good. I pray most of all for souls that are
experiencing inner sufferings.
825 + O bright and clear day on which all my
dreams will be fulfilled; O day so eagerly desired, the last day of my life! I
look forward with joy to the last stroke the Divine Artist will trace on my
soul, which will give my soul a unique beauty that will distinguish me from the
beauty of other souls. O great day, on which divine love will be confirmed in
me. On that day, for the first time, I shall sing before heaven and earth the
song of the Lord's fathomless mercy. This is my work and the mission which the
Lord has destined for me from the beginning of the world. That the song of my
soul may be pleasing to the Holy Trinity, do You, O Spirit of God, direct and
form my soul yourself. I arm myself with patience and await Your coming, O
merciful God, and as to the terrible pains and fear of death, at this moment
more than at any other time, I trust in the abyss of Your mercy and am
reminding You, O merciful Jesus, sweet Savior, of all the promises You have
made to me.
1325 O my God, let everything that is in me
praise You, my Lord and Creator; and with every beat of my heart I want to
praise Your unfathomable mercy. I want to tell souls of Your goodness and
encourage them to trust in Your mercy. That is my mission, which You yourself
have entrusted to me, O Lord, in this life and in the life to come.
1389 O my Jesus, although I have such very
strong impulsions, I am to act on them slowly, and this only in order not to
spoil Your work with my haste. O my Jesus, You give me to know Your mysteries,
and You want me to transmit them to other souls. Soon now it will be possible
for me to act. At the moment of apparent absolute destruction, my mission, now
no longer hindered by anything, will begin. Such is the will of God in this,
and it will not change; although many persons will oppose it, nothing will
change God's will.
1690 After Holy Communion today, Jesus said, My
daughter give Me souls. Know that it is your mission to win souls for Me by
prayer and sacrifice, and by encouraging them to trust in My mercy.
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.
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-91, 93, 279, 281, 302, 346, 482-483)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-682, 694, 825)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1325,
1389)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-VI-1690, 1729, 1742)
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