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Father Alex Yeung, LC
Mark 6:7-13
Jesus summoned the Twelve and
began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over unclean
spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey but a walking
stick -- no food, no sack, no money in their belts. They were, however, to
wear sandals but not a second tunic. He said to them, "Wherever you
enter a house, stay there until you leave from there. Whatever place does not
welcome you or listen to you, leave there and shake the dust off your feet in
testimony against them." So they went off and preached repentance. They
drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil many who were sick and
cured them.
Introductory Prayer:
Father, I come before You today
hungry for all the graces You desire for me in this meditation. I believe in Your
goodness. I wish to become more like Your son, Jesus Christ, every day. I
want to live a life of self-giving love like Christ. Thank You for Your
grace.
Petition: Christ Jesus, grant me a spirit of teamwork in spreading
your Gospel.
1. Where Two or
Three Are Gathered…: Christ sent
out his apostles in pairs. The fact that the Gospel mentions this detail
shows that it is not just an accident. There are some passages in Matthew’s
Gospel that can shed some light on this desire of Christ. First, “where two
or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). The
apostles are first and foremost called to witness to Christ by their example.
They are to foster communion and charity among themselves, so that others,
seeing how they interact with each other, will be led to exclaim, “See how
they love one another!” The apostle-teams exhibited oneness of heart and
soul, sharing in common what they were able to procure: lodging, success,
failure. With such an attitude, Christ promises that he would be there in
their midst.
2. Another Witness: “If you are not listened to, take one or two others along
with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three
witnesses” (Matthew 18:16). The word of one person, who has witnessed a
miraculous event alone, is often taken as no more than the word of a crazy
man. However, if more than one person confesses to having witnessed the
event, there is much stronger proof. The apostles went about witnessing to
the things that Jesus was doing and the signs he was working: healing the
sick, casting out demons, etc. It is wonderful to team up with fellow
Christians in the workplace or in the family, in order to witness to the work
of Christ in our lives.
3. Apostolic Efficacy: Jesus makes it clear: with regard to the mission, another
apostle is much more important than other material tools. Jesus teaches us
here the principle of teamwork. An apostolic “colleague” helps us to be
vigilant against dangers to our health and well-being (physical and
spiritual). Prayer can be in community; Jesus assures that “if two of you
agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father
in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). Working in a team also helps to improve apostolic
efficacy: Each enriches the other with the exchange of knowledge, personal
and lived experiences, and views on the situation. Each complements the
other, contributing their God-given gifts, abilities and qualities. “Two
heads are better than one.”
Conversation with
Christ: You sent Your apostles out in
twos, Lord Jesus, to teach me about the importance of teamwork. Help me not
presume that I am alone in the mission. When I try to do everything myself,
sometimes it may be out of subtle pride. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the gift
of apostolic colleagues. Increase in my heart true fraternal charity for
those who work alongside me in building up Your kingdom, so that the world
may believe.
Resolution: I will make it a point to involve an apostolic colleague
in my effort to help some friend or family member encounter Christ.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
49 When
I told this to my confessor,[29]
I received this for a reply: "That refers to your soul." He told
me, "Certainly, paint God's image in your soul." When I came out of
the confessional, I again heard words such as these: My image already is
in your soul. I desire that there be a Feast of Mercy. I want this image,
which you will paint with a brush, to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday
after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy.
50 + I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards souls
of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy
are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these
souls.
Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is
tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater
pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My
death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts].
301 Proclaim that mercy is the
greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy.
341
November 5, 1934. One morning, when it was my duty to open the gate to let
out our people who deliver baked goods, I entered the little chapel to visit
Jesus for a minute and to renew the intentions of the day. Today, Jesus, I
offer You all my sufferings, mortifications and prayers for the intentions of
the Holy Father, so that he may approve the Feast of Mercy. But, Jesus, I
have one more word to say to You: I am very surprised that You bid me to talk
about this Feast of Mercy, for they tell me that there is already such a
feast[81] and so why should I talk about it? And Jesus said to
me, And who knows
anything about this feast? No one! Even those who should be proclaiming My
mercy and teaching people about it often do not know about it themselves.
That is why I want the image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after
Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know
about it. Make a novena for the Holy Father's intention. It should consist of
thirty-three acts; that is, repetition that many times of the short
prayer-which I have taught you-to The Divine Mercy.
375 Particular interior practice; that is,
the examination of conscience. Self-denial, denial of my own will.
I. The denial of my reason. Subjecting it
to the reason of those who represent God to me here on earth.
II. The denial of my will. Doing the will
of God, which is revealed in the will of those who represent God to me and
which is contained in the rule of our order.
III. The denial of my judgment. Accepting
immediately and without reflection, analysis or reasoning all orders given by
those who represent God to me.
IV. The denial of my tongue. I will not
give it the least bit of freedom; but in one case only I will give it
complete freedom; that is, in proclaiming the glory of God. Whenever I
receive Holy Communion, I will ask Jesus to fortify and cleanse my tongue
that I may not injure my neighbor with it. That is why I have the greatest
respect for the rule which speaks about silence.
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.
379
During one of the adorations, Jesus promised me that: With souls that have recourse to My
mercy and with those that glorify and proclaim My great mercy to others, I
will deal according to My infinite mercy at the hour of their death.
My Heart is sorrowful,
Jesus said,
because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their
relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how
much that wounds My Heart 1 Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My
words, at least believe My wounds.
491 When I entered the chapel, once again the majesty of
God overwhelmed me. I felt that I was immersed in God, totally immersed in
Him and penetrated by Him, being aware of how much the heavenly Father loves
us. Oh, what great happiness fills my heart from knowing God and the divine
life! It is my desire to share this happiness with all people. I cannot keep
this happiness locked in my own heart alone, for His flames burn me and cause
my bosom and my entrails to burst asunder. I desire to go throughout the
whole world and speak to souls about the great mercy of God. Priests, help me
in this; use the strongest words [at your disposal] to proclaim His mercy,
for every word falls short of how merciful He really is.
930 + O my Jesus, although I will go to You, and You will
fill me with Yourself, and that will make my happiness complete, I will
nevertheless not forget about humanity. I desire to draw aside the veils of
heaven, so that the earth would have no doubts about The Divine Mercy. My
repose is in proclaiming Your mercy. The soul gives the greatest glory to its
Creator when it turns with trust to The Divine 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.
1104 Today there was a beautiful teaching [by Father Plaza
on the goodness and mercy of God. During this conference my soul experienced
the flames of God's love, and I understood that God's word is a living word.
1142 June 4. Today is the Feast of
the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. During Holy Mass, I was given the knowledge
of the Heart of Jesus and of the nature of the fire of love with which He
burns for us and of how He is an Ocean of Mercy. Then I heard a voice: Apostle
of My mercy, proclaim to the whole world My unfathomable mercy. Do not be
discouraged by the difficulties you encounter in proclaiming My mercy. These
difficulties that affect you so painfully are needed for your sanctification
and as evidence that this work is Mine. My daughter, be diligent in writing
down every sentence I tell you concerning My mercy, because this is meant for
a great number of souls who will profit from it.
1160 When once I
asked the Lord Jesus how He could tolerate so many sins and crimes and not
punish them, the Lord answered me, I
have eternity for punishing [these], and so I am prolonging the time of
mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe to them if they do not
recognize this time of My visitation. My daughter, secretary of My mercy,
your duty is not only to write about and proclaim My mercy, but also to beg
for this grace for them, so that they too may glorify My mercy.
1256 [August] 30. Reverend Father Sopocko
left this morning. When I was steeped in a prayer of thanksgiving for the
great grace that I had received from God; namely, that of seeing Father, I
became united in a special way with the Lord who said to me, He is a
priest after My own Heart; his efforts are pleasing to Me. You see, My
daughter, that My will must be done and that which I had promised you, I
shall do. Through him I spread comfort to suffering and careworn souls.
Through him it pleased Me to proclaim the worship of My mercy. And through
this work of mercy more souls will come close to Me than otherwise would
have, even if he had kept giving absolution day and night for the rest of his
life, because by so doing, he would have labored only for as long as he
lived; whereas, thanks to this work of mercy, he will be laboring till the
end of the world.
1298 O God, show me
Your mercy
According to the
compassion of the Heart of Jesus.
Hear my sighs and
entreaties,
And the tears of a
contrite heart.
O Omnipotent,
ever-merciful God,
Your compassion is
never exhausted.
Although my misery
is as vast as the sea,
I have complete
trust in the mercy of the Lord.
O Eternal Trinity,
yet ever-gracious God,
Your compassion is
without measure.
And so I trust in
the sea of Your mercy,
And sense You,
Lord, though a veil holds me aloof.
May the omnipotence
of Your mercy, O Lord,
Be glorified all
over the world.
May its veneration
never cease.
Proclaim, my soul,
God's mercy with fervor.
1463 +
The Lord also gave me to know that many bishops were considering the question
of this Feast, as well as a certain lay person. Some were enthusiastic about
this work of God, while others regarded it with disbelief; but in spite of
everything, the result was great glory for the work of God. Mother Irene and
Mother Mary Joseph were giving some kind of a report to these dignitaries,
but they were being questioned, not so much about the work, as about myself.227 As
regards the work itself, there was no doubt, since the glory of God was already
being proclaimed.
1501 + Now that I
have difficulty sleeping at night, because my suffering won't allow it, I
visit all the churches and chapels and, if only for a brief moment, I make an
act of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. When I return to my chapel, I
then pray for certain priests who proclaim and glorify The Divine Mercy. I
also pray for the intentions of the Holy Father and to obtain mercy for
sinners-such are my nights.
1519 + Today before
Holy Communion, the Lord said to me, My daughter, today talk openly to the
Superior [Mother Irene] about My mercy because, of all the superiors,
she has taken the greatest part in proclaiming My mercy. And in fact,
Mother Superior came this afternoon, and we talked about this Work of
God. Mother told me that the images had not come out too well and were
not selling very well. "But," she said, "I have taken a good
quantity myself and am distributing them wherever I can and do the best I can
to spread the Work of Mercy." When she had gone, the Lord gave me
to know how pleasing this soul was to Him.
1521 The Lord said to me, My daughter, do not tire of
proclaiming My mercy. In this way you will refresh this Heart of Mine, which
burns with a flame of pity for sinners. Tell My priests that hardened sinners
will repent on hearing their words when they speak about My unfathomable
mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who
proclaim and extol My mercy, I will give wondrous power; I will anoint their
words and touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak.
1540 January 28,
1938. Today the Lord said to me, My daughter, write down these words: All
those souls who will glorify My mercy and spread its worship, encouraging
others to trust in My mercy, will not experience terror at the hour of death.
My mercy will shield them in that final battle...
1548 January 30,
1938. One-day retreat.
The Lord gave me to
know, during meditation, that as long as my heart beats in my breast, I must
always strive to spread the Kingdom of God on earth. I am to fight for the
glory of my Creator. I know that I will give God the glory He expects of me
if I try faithfully to cooperate with God's grace.
1680 Low Sunday. Today, I again offered
myself to the Lord as a holocaust for sinners. My Jesus, if the end of my
life is already approaching, I beg You most humbly, accept my death in union
with You as a holocaust which I offer You today, while I still have full
possession of my faculties and a fully conscious will, and this for a
threefold purpose:
Firstly: that the work of Your mercy may spread throughout the whole world
and that the Feast of The Divine Mercy may be solemnly promulgated and
celebrated.
Secondly: that sinners, especially dying sinners, may have recourse to Your
mercy and experience the unspeakable effects of this mercy.
Thirdly: that all the work of Your mercy may be realized according to Your
wishes, and for a certain person who is in charge of this work...
Accept, most merciful Jesus, this, my inadequate sacrifice, which I offer to
You today before heaven and earth. May Your Most Sacred Heart, so full of
mercy, complete what is lacking in my offering, and offer it to Your Father
for the conversion of sinners. I thirst after souls, O Christ.
1688 Today, the Lord said to me, My
daughter, look into My Merciful Heart and reflect its compassion in your own
heart and in your deeds, so that you, who proclaim My mercy to the world, may
yourself be aflame with it.
1749 + God's Infinite Goodness in Adorning
the Whole World with Beauty
in Order to Make Man's Stay on Earth Pleasant.
O God, how generously Your mercy is spread everywhere, and You have done all
this for man. Oh, how much You must love him, since Your love is so active on
his behalf. O my Creator and Lord, I see on all sides the trace of Your hand
and the seal of Your mercy, which embraces all created things. O my most
compassionate Creator, I want to give You worship on behalf of all creatures
and all inanimate creation; I call on the whole universe to glorify Your
mercy. Oh, how great is Your goodness, O God!
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-49-50, 301, 341, 375, 378-379, 491)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-783, 930)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1075, 1104, 1142, 1156)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1298)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1463, 1501, 1519, 1521, 1540, 1548)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1680, 1688, 1692, 1749)
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