The Master and the Slave
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May 9, 2015. Saturday
of the Fifth Week of Easter
|
Father Patrick Langan, LC
John
15: 18-21
Jesus said to his disciples: "If the
world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the
world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the
world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember
the word I spoke to you, ´No slave is greater than his master.´ If they
persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will
also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my
name, because they do not know the one who sent me."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, thank You for granting me the
opportunity to be with You. There are things in life, Lord, that attract me,
but You attract me more. I hope in You, and I love You. Maybe I don’t really
understand what it means to love, and maybe I don’t love the way I should,
but I do love You.
Petition: Lord, help me to embrace my cross joyfully.
1. Bearing the Burden: “The world hated me first.” This is the
incredible story of the Gospels. Christ came and the culture was against him.
As the story of Christ in the Gospel progresses, the forces of antagonism get
worse: The dangers increase with the turning of every page. This was a real
burden for Christ, the burden of a parent whose children turn against him.
Perhaps I, too, feel that burden. Perhaps I experience that rejection from
those who love me or from those who don’t believe.
2. Loving Acceptance: Christ courageously and lovingly accepted
that burden. He did not complain. Perhaps he asked his Father for an easier
way. It is the same in our lives. I often face problems, even when I want to
do good. There comes a moment in life when I must accept my limitations and
the limitations imposed on me by others. This is a memorable moment in
life—the moment I accept my cross, like Christ did. That acceptance isn’t
easy, but at the same time it fills my heart with a deep peace and sometimes
even joy.
3. Seeking Solutions: After I accept my cross, I experience a new
courage, and my imagination fires up. Love always looks for solutions: Christ
never stopped searching for ways to get through to the culture. I must do the
best I can to evangelize, even though I may encounter opposition. With
Christ’s help, no obstacle is too great. He will help me to overcome all the
problems I may encounter. The important thing is that I keep focused on the
fulfillment of his will out of love. He will take care of the rest.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, You know my burden. You know what
makes me lose sleep, what I wake up worrying about. Help me to accept it, as
You accepted Your cross.
Resolution: I will stop complaining and see what I can
do to alleviate the burdens and sufferings of others.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
82 I will not allow myself to be so absorbed in the
whirlwind of work as to forget about God. I will spend all my free moments at
the feet of the Master hidden in the Blessed Sacrament. He has been tutoring
me from my most tender years.
110 O Divine Master, what happens in my soul is Your work
alone! You, O Lord, are not afraid to place the soul on the edge of a
terrible precipice where it stands, alarmed and filled with fright, and then
You call it back again to Yourself. These are Your imponderable mysteries.
174 At that moment the priest came
in and began the conference. He spoke for a short time, as if he were in a
hurry. After the conference, he went over to the confessional. Seeing that
none of the sisters were going there, I sprang from my kneeler, and in an
instant was in the confessional. There was no time to deliberate. Instead of
telling the father about the doubts that had been sown in me in respect to my
dealings with the Lord Jesus, I began to speak about these temptations I have
just described above. The confessor immediately understood my situation and
said, "Sister, you distrust the Lord Jesus because He treats you so
kindly. Well, Sister, be completely at peace. Jesus is your Master, and your
communing with Him is neither daydreaming nor hysteria nor illusion. Know
that you are on the right path. Please try to be faithful to these graces;
you are not free to shun them. You do not need at all, Sister, to tell your
superiors about these interior graces, unless the Lord Jesus instructs you
clearly to do so, and even then you should first consult with your confessor.
But if the Lord Jesus demands something external, in this case, after
consulting your confessor, you should carry out what He asks of you, even if
this costs you greatly. On the other hand, you must tell your confessor
everything. There is absolutely no other course for you to take, Sister. Pray
that you may find a spiritual director, or else you will waste these great
gifts of God. I repeat once again, be at peace; you are following the right
path. Take no heed of anything else, but always be faithful to the Lord
Jesus, no matter what anyone says about you. It is with just such miserable
souls that the Lord Jesus communes in this intimate way. And the more you
humble yourself, the more the Lord Jesus will unite Himself with you."
175 176 177
195 O Jesus, today my soul is as though darkened by
suffering. Not a single ray of light. The storm is raging, and Jesus is
asleep. O my Master, I will not wake You; I will not interrupt Your sweet
sleep. I believe that You fortify me without my knowing it.
Throughout the long hours I adore You, O living Bread, amidst the great drought in my soul. O Jesus, pure Love, I do not need consolations; I am nourished by Your will, O Mighty One! Your will is the goal of my existence. It seems to me that the whole world serves me and depends on me. You, O Lord, understand my soul with all its aspirations. Jesus, when I myself cannot sing You the hymn of love, I admire the singing of the Seraphim, they who are so dearly loved by You. I desire to drown myself in You as they do. Nothing will stem such love, for no might has power over it. It is like lightning that illuminates the darkness, but does not remain in it. O my Master, shape my soul according to Your will and Your eternal designs!
218 I am beginning the retreat today. Jesus, my Master,
guide me. Govern me according to Your will, purify my love that it may be
worthy of You, do with me as Your most merciful Heart desires. Jesus, there
will be just the two of us during these days until the moment of our union.
Keep me, Jesus, in a recollected spirit!
+O Jesus, hidden in the Blessed
Sacrament,
228 You see that in pronouncing my perpetual vows I am leaving the novitiate[68] today. Jesus, You know how weak and little I am, and so from today on, I am entering Your novitiate in a very special way. I continue to be a novice, but Your novice, Jesus, and You will be my Master to the last day. Daily I will attend lectures at Your feet. I will not do the least thing by myself, without consulting You first as my Master. Jesus, how happy I am that You yourself have drawn me and taken me into Your novitiate; that is to say, into the tabernacle. In making my perpetual vows, I have by no means become a perfect nun. No, no! I am still a weak little novice of Jesus, and I must strive to acquire perfection as I did in the first days of the novitiate, and I will make every effort to keep the same disposition of soul which I had on that first day the convent gate opened to admit me. With the trust and simplicity of a small child, I give myself to You today, O Lord Jesus, my Master. I leave You complete freedom in directing my soul. Guide me along the paths You wish. I won't question them. I will follow You trustingly. Your merciful Heart can do all things!
295 +At that moment Jesus asked me, My child, how is
your retreat going? I answered, "But Jesus, You know how it is
going." Yes, I know, but I want to hear it from your own lips and
from your heart. "O my Master, when You are leading me, everything
goes smoothly, and I ask You, Lord, to never leave my side." And Jesus
said, Yes, I will be with you always, if you always remain a little child
and fear nothing. As I was your beginning here, so I will also be your end.
Do not rely on creatures, even in the smallest things, because this
displeases Me. I want to be alone in your soul. I will give light and
strength to your soul, and you will learn from My representative that I am in
you, and your uncertainty will vanish like mist before the rays of the sun.
485 I accept joy or suffering, praise or humiliation with
the same disposition. I remember that one and the other are passing. What
does it matter to me what people say about me? I have long ago given up
everything that concerns my person. My name is host-or sacrifice, not in
words but in deeds, in the emptying of myself and in becoming like You on the
Cross, O good Jesus, my Master!
569 December 15, 1935. From early morning, today, a
strange power has been pushing me to action, not giving me a moment's peace.
A strange ardor has been lit in my heart, urging me to action, and I cannot
stop it. This is a secret martyrdom known only to God, but let Him do with me
as He pleases; my heart is ready for anything. O Jesus, my dearest Master, do
not abandon me, not even for a moment. Jesus, You know well how weak I am of
myself; that is why I know that it is my weakness that forces You to be with
me constantly.
650 O my Jesus, my Master and
Director, strengthen and enlighten me in these difficult moments of my life.
I expect no help from people; all my hope is in You. I feel alone in the face
of Your demands, O Lord. Despite the fears and qualms of my nature, I am
fulfilling Your holy will and desire to fulfill it as faithfully as possible
throughout my life and in my death. Jesus, with You I can do all things. Do
with me as You please; only give me Your merciful Heart and that is enough
for me.
O Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what You have planned before all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of Your holy will. Enlighten my mind that I may know Your will. O God, You who pervade my soul, You know that I desire nothing but Your glory. O Divine Will, You are the delight of my heart, the food of my soul, the light of my intellect, the omnipotent strength of my will; for when I unite myself with Your will, O Lord, Your power works through me and takes the place of my feeble will. Each day, I seek to carry out God's wishes.
662 July 17. O my Jesus, You know how much adversity I
encounter in this matter, how much reproach I must put up with, how many
ironic smiles I must take with equanimity. Oh, alone I would not be able to
survive this, but with You, my Master, I can do all things. Oh, how painfully
an ironic smile wounds, especially when one [appears to] speak with great
sincerity.
670 O Jesus, my Master and my
Director, it is only with You that I can converse. With no one else is it so
easy to talk as with You, O God.
688 Jesus, Life and Truth, my Master, guide every step of
my life, that I may act according to Your holy will.
704 I spend every free moment at
the feet of the hidden God. He is my Master; I ask Him about everything; I
speak to Him about everything. Here I obtain strength and light; here I learn
everything; here I am given light on how to act toward my neighbor. From the
time I left the novitiate, I have enclosed myself in the tabernacle together
with Jesus, my Master. He himself drew me into the fire of living love on
which everything converges.
725 + Eight-day Retreat, October
20, 1936.
My Jesus, I am going into the wilderness today to speak only with You, my Master and my Lord. Let the earth be silent, and You alone speak to me, Jesus. You know that I understand no other voice but Yours, O Good Shepherd. In the dwelling of my heart is that wilderness to which no creature has access. There, You alone are King.
732 + The great majesty of God which pervaded me today and
still pervades me awoke in me a great fear, but a fear filled with respect,
and not the fear of a slave, which is quite different from the fear of
respect. This fear animated by respect arose in my heart today because of
love and the knowledge of the greatness of God, and that is a great joy to
the soul. The soul trembles before the smallest offense against God; but that
does not trouble or darken its happiness. There, where love is in charge, all
is well.
824 In this seclusion, Jesus himself is my Master. He
himself educates and instructs me. I feel that I am the object of His special
action. For His inscrutable purposes and unfathomable decrees, He unites me
to Himself in a special way and allows me to penetrate His incomprehensible
mysteries. There is one mystery which unites me with the Lord, of which no
one-not even angels-may know. And even if I wanted to tell of it, I would not
know how to express it. And yet, I live by it and will live by it forever.
This mystery distinguishes me from every other soul here on earth or in
eternity.
845 Before the vigil supper, I entered the chapel for a
moment to break the wafer spiritually with those dear to my heart. I
presented them all, by name, to Jesus and begged for graces on their behalf.
But that wasn't all. I commended to the Lord all those who are being
persecuted, those who are suffering, those who do not know His Name, and
especially poor sinners. O little Jesus, I fervently ask You, enclose them
all in the ocean of Your incomprehensible mercy. O sweet little Jesus, here
is my heart; let it be a little cozy dwelling place for Yourself. O Infinite
Majesty, with what sweetness You drew close to us. Here, there is no dread of
the thunderbolts of the great Jehovah; here, there is the sweet little Jesus.
Here, no soul is afraid, although Your majesty has not lessened, but only
concealed itself. After supper, I felt very tired and was in pain. I had to
lie down. But I kept vigil with the Most Holy Mother, awaiting the arrival of
the little Child.
871 + My Master, cause my heart
never to expect help from anyone, but I will always strive to bring
assistance, consolation and all manner of relief to others. My heart is
always open to the sufferings of others; and I will not close my heart to the
sufferings of others, even though because of this I have been scornfully
nicknamed "dump"; that is, [because] everyone dumps his pain into
my heart. [To this] I answered that everyone has a place in my heart and I,
in return, have a place in the Heart of Jesus. Taunts regarding the law of
love will not narrow my heart. My soul is always sensitive on this point, and
Jesus alone is the motive for my love of neighbor.
875 Today, I experienced a great suffering during the
visit of our sisters. I learned of something that hurt me terribly, but I
controlled myself so that the sisters didn't notice anything. For some time,
the pain was tearing my heart apart, but all that is for the sake of poor
sinners.... O Jesus, for poor sinners.... Jesus, my strength, stay close to
me, help me....
876 January 10, 1937. I asked the Lord today to give me
strength in the morning so that I could go to receive Holy Communion. My
Master, I ask You with all my thirsting heart to give me, if this is
according to Your holy will, any suffering and weakness that You like-I want
to suffer all day and all night-but please, I fervently beg You, strengthen
me for the one moment when I am to receive Holy Communion. You see very well,
Jesus, that here they do not bring Holy Communion to the sick; so, if You do
not strengthen me for that moment so that I can go down to the chapel, how
can I receive You in the Mystery of Love? And You know how much my heart
longs for You. O my sweet Spouse, what's the good of all these reasoning's?
You know how ardently I desire You, and if You so choose You can do this for
me.
On the following morning, I felt as if I were perfectly
well; the faintings and the weaknesses ceased. But as soon as I returned from
the chapel, all the sufferings and weaknesses immediately returned, as if
they had been waiting for me. But I had no fear of them at all, because I had
been nourished by the Bread of the Strong. I boldly look at everything; even
death itself I look straight in the eye.
877 + O Jesus concealed in the
Host, my sweet Master and faithful Friend, how happy my soul is to have such
a Friend who always keeps me company. I do not feel lonely even though I am
in isolation. Jesus-Host, we know each other-that is enough for me.
885 Jesus, give me the strength and wisdom to get through
this terrible wilderness, that my heart may bear patiently this longing for
You, O my Lord! I always remain in holy
amazement when I sense that You are approaching me, You,
the Lord of the awesome
throne; that You descend to this miserable exile and visit
this poor beggar who has nothing but misery! I do not know how to entertain
You, my Royal Prince, but You know that I love You with every beat of my
heart. I see how You lower yourself, but nevertheless Your majesty does not
diminish in my eyes. I know that You love me with the love of a bridegroom,
and that is enough for me. Although we are separated by a great chasm, for
You are the Creator and I am Your creature, nevertheless, love alone explains
our union. Without it, all is incomprehensible. Only love makes it possible
to understand these incomprehensible intimacies with which You visit me. O
Jesus, Your greatness terrifies me, and I would be in constant astonishment
and fear, if You yourself did not set me at peace. You make me capable of
communing with You before each approach.
892 Today the Lord gave me to know, in spirit, about the
Convent of Divine Mercy. I saw a great spirit in this convent, but everything
was poor and very scanty. O my Jesus, you are allowing me to live in spirit
with these souls, but perhaps I shall never set foot there; but may Your Name
be blessed, and whatever You have intended, may it be done.
908 + O Jesus, how sorry I feel for poor sinners. Jesus,
grant them contrition and repentance. Remember Your own sorrowful Passion. I
know Your infinite mercy and cannot bear it that a soul that has cost You so
much should perish. Jesus, give me the souls of sinners; let Your mercy rest
upon them. Take everything away from me, but give me souls. I want to become
a sacrificial host for sinners. Let the shell of my body conceal my offering,
for Your Most Sacred Heart is also hidden in a Host, and certainly You are a
living sacrifice.
Transform me into Yourself, O Jesus, that I may be a
living sacrifice and pleasing to You. I desire to atone at each moment for
poor sinners. The sacrifice of my spirit is hidden under the veil of the
body; the human eye does not perceive it, and for that reason it is pure and
pleasing to You. O my Creator and Father of great mercy, I trust in You, for
You are Goodness Itself. Souls, do not be afraid of God, but trust in Him,
for He is good, and His mercy is everlasting.
912 Then I heard the following words spoken thus: I
want you to be My spouse. Fear pierced my soul, but I calmly continued to
reflect on what sort of an espousal this could be. However, each time fear
would invade my soul, a power from on high would give it peace. After all, I
have taken perpetual vows, and I have taken them of my own completely free
will. And so I continued to reflect on what this could mean. I sensed, and
came to realize, that this was some special kind of grace. Whenever I think
about it, I feel faint for God, but in this swooning, my mind is clear and
penetrated with light. When I am united to Him, I faint from an abundance of
happiness, but my mind is bright and clear and free from all shadows. You a
base Your majesty to dwell with a poor creature. Thank you, O Lord, for this
great grace that makes it possible for me to commune with You. Jesus, Your
Name is my delight, I have a presentiment of my Beloved from afar, and my
languishing soul rests in His embrace; I don't know how to live without Him.
I would rather be with Him in afflictions and suffering than without Him in
the greatest heavenly delights.
920 +There is a woman here [165] who was once one of our students. Naturally, she puts my
patience to the test. She comes to see me several times a day. After each of
these visits I am tired out, but I see that the Lord Jesus has sent that soul
to me. Let everything glorify You, O Lord. Patience gives glory to God. O how
poor the souls are!
927 On these two days, I received Holy Communion as an act
of reparation, and I said to the Lord, "Jesus, I offer everything today
for sinners. Let the blows of Your justice fall on me, and the sea of Your
mercy engulf the poor sinners." And the Lord heard my prayer: many souls
returned to the Lord, but I was in agony under the yoke of God's justice. I
felt I was the object of the anger of the Most High God. By evening my sufferings
had reached such a stage of interior desolation that moans welled up
involuntarily from my breast. I locked the door of my room and began an
adoration; that is to say, a Holy Hour. Interior desolation and an experience
of God's justice-that was my prayer; and the moans and pain that welled up
from my soul took the place of a sweet conversation with the Lord.
929 When I had rested near His sweetest Heart, I told Him,
"Jesus, I have so much to tell You." And the Lord said to me with
great love, Speak, My daughter. And I started to enumerate the pains
of my heart; that is, how greatly concerned I am for all mankind, that
"they all do not know You, and those who do know You do not love You as
You deserve to be loved. I also see how terribly sinners offend You; and then
again, I see how severely the faithful, especially Your servants, are
oppressed and persecuted. And then, too, I see many souls rushing headlong
into the terrible abyss of hell. You see, Jesus, this is the pain that gnaws
at my heart and bones. And, although You show me special love and inundate my
heart with streams of Your joys, nevertheless, this does not appease the
sufferings I have just mentioned, but rather they penetrate my poor heart all
the more acutely. Oh, how ardently I desire that all mankind turn with trust
to Your mercy. Then, seeing the glory of Your name, my heart will be
comforted."
Jesus listened to these outpourings of my heart with
gravity and interest, as if He had known nothing about them, and this seemed
to make it easier for me to talk. And the Lord said to me, My daughter,
those words of your heart are pleasing to Me, and by saying the chaplet
you are bringing humankind closer to Me. After these words, I found
myself alone, but the presence of God is always in my soul.
934 Small practices for Lent. Although I wish and desire
to do so, I cannot practice big
mortifications as before, because I am under the strict
surveillance of the doctor. But I can practice little things: first-sleep
without a pillow; keep myself a little hungry; every day, with my arms
outstretched, say the chaplet which the Lord taught me; occasionally, with
arms outstretched, for an indefinite period of time pray informally.
Intention: to beg divine mercy for poor sinners, and for priests, the power to
bring sinful hearts to repentance.
936 + A certain person in our ward was beginning to die.
Amidst terrible tortures, she was dying for three days, sometimes regaining
consciousness. Everyone in the ward was praying for her. I longed to go to
her, but Mother Superior had forbidden me to go to visit the dying, so I
prayed for that poor soul in my room. But when I heard that she was still in
agony, and there was no saying how long it was going to take, I suddenly felt
inspired in my soul and said to the Lord, "Jesus, if all I do is
pleasing to You, I ask You, as evidence, to let that soul stop suffering and
pass on immediately to her happy eternity." A few minutes later I
learned that the person had passed away so peacefully and quickly that they
did not even have time to light the candle.
953 + February 15, 1937. Today my suffering increased
somewhat: I not only feel greater pain all through my lungs, but also some
strange pains in my intestines. I am suffering as much as my weak nature can
bear, all for immortal souls, to plead the mercy of God for poor sinners and
to beg for strength for priests. Oh, how much reverence I have for priests;
and I am asking Jesus, the High Priest, to grant them many graces.
1001 +
J.M.J.
Thank You, O Lord, my Master, That You have transformed me entirely into Yourself, And accompany me through life's toils and labors; I fear nothing when I have You in my heart.
+ J. M. J.
1002 The Lord's Supper is laid,
Jesus sits down at table with His Apostles, His Being all transformed into love, For such was the Holy Trinity's counsel. With great desire, I desire to eat with you, Before I suffer death. About to leave you, love holds Me in your midst. He sheds His Blood, gives His life, for He loves immensely. Love hides beneath the appearance of bread, Departing, He remains with us. Such self-abasement was not needed, Yet burning love hid Him under these species. Over the bread and wine He says these words: "This is My Blood, this is My Body." Although mysterious, these are words of love. Then He passes the Cup among His disciples. Jesus grew deeply troubled within And said, "One of you will betray his Master." They fell silent, with a silence as of the tomb, And John inclined his head on His breast. The supper is ended. Let us go to Gethsemane. Love is satisfied, And there the traitor is waiting.
1007 + Praise and glory be to You,
O Holy Trinity, Eternal God. May the mercy springing from Your very bowels
protect us from Your just anger. Let the praise of Your incomprehensible
mercy resound everywhere. All Your works bear the seal of Your unfathomable
mercy, O God.
1064 + O my most sweet Master,
good Jesus, I give You my heart. You shape and mold it after Your liking. O
fathomless love, I open the calyx of my heart to You, like a rosebud to the
freshness of dew. To You alone, my Betrothed, is known the fragrance of the
flower of my heart. Let the fragrance of my sacrifice be pleasing to You. O
Immortal God, my everlasting delight, already here on earth You are my
heaven. May every beat of my heart be a new hymn of praise to You, O Holy
Trinity! Had I as many hearts as there are drops of water in the ocean or
grains of sand in the whole world, I would offer them all to You, O my Love,
O Treasure of my heart! Whomever I shall meet in my life, no matter who they
may be, I want to draw them all to love You, O my Jesus, my Beauty, my
Repose, my sole Master, Judge, Savior and Spouse, all in one; I know that one
title will modify the other-I have entrusted everything to Your mercy.
1156 The second is prayer joined to the act of mercy. In
particular, they will defend the souls of children against the spirit of
evil. Prayer and merciful deeds are all that will be required of these souls,
and even the poorest persons can be admitted to their number. And in this
egoistic world they will try to rouse up love, the mercy of Jesus.
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.
1158 A member of this group ought to perform at least one
act of mercy a day; at least one, but there can be many more, for such deeds
can easily be carried out by anyone, even the very poorest. For there are
three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving and
by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then pray-that too is
mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy. And when the Last Day comes, we shall be
judged from this, and on this basis we shall receive the eternal verdict.
1274 I experience great torments of soul when I see God
offended. Today I recognized that mortal sins were being committed not far
from our door. It was evening. I prayed earnestly in the chapel, and then I
went to scourge myself. When I knelt down to pray, however, the Lord allowed
me to experience how a soul rejected by God suffers. It seems to me that my
heart was torn to pieces, and at the same time I understood how much such a
soul wounds the most merciful Heart of Jesus. The poor creature does not want
to accept God's mercy. The more God has pursued a soul with His mercy, the
more just will He be towards it.
1282 + When the same poor people come to the gate a second
time, I treat them with greater gentleness, and I do not let them see that I
know they have been here before; [I do this] in order not to embarrass them.
And then they speak to me freely about their troubles and
needs.
Although Sister N. tells me that is not the way to deal
with beggars, and slams the door in their faces, when she is not there, I
treat them as my Master would. Sometimes more is given when giving nothing,
than when giving much in a rude manner.
1309 When I make the Way of the Cross, I am deeply moved
at the twelfth station. Here I reflect on the omnipotence of God's mercy
which passed through the Heart of Jesus. In this open wound of the Heart of
Jesus I enclose all poor humans... and those individuals whom I love, as
often as I make the Way of the Cross. From that Fount of Mercy issued the two
rays; that is, the Blood and the Water. With the immensity of their grace
they flood the whole world....
1312 + Jesus came to the main entrance today, under the
guise of a poor young man. This young man, emaciated, barefoot and
bareheaded, and with his clothes in tatters, was frozen because the day was
cold and rainy. He asked for something hot to eat. So I went to the kitchen,
but found nothing there for the poor. But, after searching around for some
time, I succeeded in finding some soup, which I reheated and into which I
crumbled some bread, and I gave it to the poor young man, who ate it. As I
was taking the bowl from him, he gave me to know that He was the Lord of
heaven and earth. When I saw Him as He was, He vanished from my sight. When I
went back in and reflected on what had happened at the gate, I heard these
words in my soul: My daughter, the blessings of the poor who bless
Me as they leave this gate have reached My ears. And your compassion, within
the bounds of obedience, has pleased Me, and this is why I came down from My
throne-to taste the fruits of your mercy.
1313 O my Jesus, now everything is clear to me, and I
understand all that has just happened. I somehow felt and asked myself what
sort of a poor man is this who radiates such modesty. From that moment on,
there was stirred up in my heart an even purer love toward the poor and the
needy. Oh, how happy I am that my superiors have given me such a task! I
understand that mercy is manifold; one can do good always and everywhere and
at all times. An ardent love of God sees all around itself constant
opportunities to share itself through deed, word and prayer. Now I understand
the words which You spoke to me, O Lord, some time ago.
1487 Jesus: Poor soul, I see that you suffer much and
that you do not have even the strength to coverse with me. So I will speak to
you. Even though your sufferings were very great, do not lose heart or give
in to despondency. But tell Me, my child, who has dared to wound your heart?
Tell me about everything, be sincere in dealing with Me, reveal all the
wounds of your heart. I will heal them, and your suffering will become a
source of your sanctification.
Soul: Lord, my sufferings are so great and numerous and
have lasted so long that I become discouraged.
Jesus: My child, do not be discouraged. I know your
boundless trust in Me; I know
you are aware of My goodness and mercy. Let us talk in
detail about everything
that weighs so heavily upon your heart.
Soul: There are so many different things that I do not
know what to speak about first, nor how to express it.
Jesus: Talk to Me simply, as a friend to a friend. Tell
Me now, My child, what hinders you from advancing in holiness?
Soul: Poor health detains me on the way to holiness. I
cannot fulfill my duties. I am as
useless as an extra wheel on a wagon. I cannot mortify
myself or fast to any extent, as the saints did. Furthermore, nobody believes
I am sick, so that mental pain is added to those of the body, and I am often
humiliated. Jesus, how can anyone become holy in such circumstances?
Jesus: True, My child, all that is painful. But there
is no way to heaven except the
way of the cross. I followed it first. You must learn that
it is the shortest and
surest way.
Soul: Lord, there is another obstacle on the road to
holiness. Because I am faithful to You, I am persecuted and suffer much.
Jesus: It is because you are not of this world that the
world hates you. First it
persecuted Me. Persecution is a sign that you are
following in My footsteps
faithfully.
Soul: My Lord, I am also discouraged because neither my
superiors nor my confessor
understand my interior trials. A darkness clouds my mind.
How can I advance? All this
discourages me from striving for the heights of sanctity.
Jesus: Well, My child, this time you have told Me a
good deal. I realize how painful
it is not to be understood, and especially by those whom
one loves and with whom one has been very open. But suffice it to know that I
understand all your troubles and misery. I am pleased by the deep faith you
have, despite everything, in My representatives. Learn from this that no one
will understand a soul entirely-that is beyond human ability. Therefore, I
have remained on earth to comfort your aching heart and to fortify your soul,
so that you will not falter on the way. You say that a dense darkness is
obscuring your mind. But why, at such times, do you not come to Me, the light
who can in an instant pour into your soul more understanding about holiness
than can be found in any books? No confessor is capable of teaching and
enlightening a soul in this way. Know, too, that the darkness about which you
complain I first endured in the Garden of Olives when My Soul was crushed in
mortal anguish. I am giving you a share in those sufferings because of My
special love for you and in view of the high degree of holiness I am
intending for you in heaven. A suffering soul is closest to My Heart.
Soul: One more thing, Lord. What should I do when I am
ignored and rejected by people, especially by those on whom I had a right to
count in times of greatest need?
Jesus: My child, make the resolution never to rely on
people. Entrust yourself
completely to My will saying, "Not as I want, but
according to Your will, O God, let
it be done unto me." These words, spoken from the
depths of one's heart, can
raise a soul to the summit of sanctity in a short time. In
such a soul I delight. Such a soul gives Me glory. Such a soul fills heaven
with the fragrance of her virtue. But understand that the strength by which
you bear sufferings comes from frequent Communions. So approach this fountain
of mercy often, to draw with the vessel of trust whatever you need.
Soul: Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness in remaining with
us in this exile as the God of mercy and blessing us with the radiance of
Your compassion and goodness. It is through the light of Your mercy that I
have come to understand how much You love me.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-82, 110, 174, 195, 218,
228, 295, 485)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-569, 650, 662, 670,
688, 704, 725, 732)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-824, 845, 871, 875, 877,
885, 892, 908)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-912, 920, 927, 929,
934, 936, 953)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1001-1002, 1007,
1064, 1156, 1167)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1158)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1274, 1282, 1309,
1312, 1313)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1487)
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Mayo 09, 2015
The Master and the Slave-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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