Go, Spread the Kingdom
July 9, 2015. Thursday
of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew
10:7-15
Jesus sent out the Twelve with the following
instructions, “As you go, make this proclamation: ´The kingdom of heaven is at hand.´
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost
you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or
copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals,
or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you
enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you
enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon
it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or
listen to your words -- go outside that house or town and shake the dust from
your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom
and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town.”
Introductory Prayer: Lord, in Your presence I break away from the spiritual laziness
and indifference that deprives me of the fruit of this prayer which I need so
much. I know my poverty, and You are immensely rich in all that I need. I am so
slow to give, whereas You are prompt and total in Your gifts to me. I offer You
this unruly heart of mine to do all that You wish of me today.
Petition: Lord, please grant me the grace to be a better apostle today
than I was yesterday.
1. Go Out: The command is “Go.” The Kingdom cannot be spread while sitting
in an easy chair. We cannot wait for the world that needs Christ to come to our
door. Letting opportunities where we can serve pass by, hoping someone else
will take the initiative, is simply a “no” to Christ’s command. “Go” means
sensitizing our heart and eyes to those who are hungry for Christ, seeing in
the faces of our family members and co-workers a hunger for his power and
grace. In this culture that is sick and waning, “go” means reaching out to
those who need to know Christ, so that his Kingdom will expand. We cannot take
the easy route of preaching to the choir; we must reach out to those
professions and fields of study that have lost all sense of the dignity of the
human person – especially medicine, law, politics and education. This is what
the King is asking. What is the response which I am giving to my King?
2. “Nobody Gives What He Doesn’t Possess”: Christ’s command is to give from what we have
received. If every day we make ourselves more aware of the gifts we have been
given through Christ’s power, we will be better at giving Christ to others. As
apostles, we go not with our own power; rather, we carry Christ’s power to
heal, save and conquer evil. It is he who drives the mission, who makes the apostles
a team. How often do I calculate what I can contribute to the mission based
only on the strength of my human qualities? How often do I give only from what
is just me, rather than from the graces I have received from the Holy Spirit?
Moreover, do I measure my effectiveness solely from an individual perspective,
rather than from that of the whole body of the Church, in which other apostles
are locked arm-in-arm with me for the cause of Christ? God’s saving power is
found where obedience and unity are, not where only natural talents, gifts and
abilities are at play.
3. Failures and Disappointments: Christ affirms that when we reach an impasse
in our lives, this is, in and of itself, no sign of the lack of the
authenticity of our mission. Its results are tied to the free-will choices of
others, as well as to a plan where apparent barrenness is part of God’s economy
of salvation. A period of few fruits in the mission can be a period of
consolidation of our commitment to follow him in season and out of season. Take
this time to repel all discouragement and doubt and to prove how authentic our
“yes” is. A pure “yes” will seek God’s will and the mission at hand simply
because he wants it, not for any easy or short-term results.
Conversation with Christ: Jesus, I wish to ignite my own zeal for Your
Kingdom from the furnace of divine love which burns in Your heart. I offer You
the promise of a soldier in combat: to be courageous, honorable, persevering,
and worthy of the name I bear – “Apostle of the Kingdom of Christ.” I work
aware of the fact that I have only one life to live on this earth. Not one
minute must be wasted in comfort-seeking and selfishness. My heart is ready for
the mission, Lord; please sustain it today with the strength of Your own.
Resolution: Today I will review my daily and weekly time commitments before
Christ, and I will ensure that I am using my time as fruitfully as I can to
expand his Kingdom in the world.
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].
130 Nevertheless, I began to grow a
bit negligent. I did not pay attention to these interior inspirations and tried
to distract myself. But despite the noise and the distraction, I could see what
was going on in my soul. The word of God is clear, and nothing can stifle it. I
began to avoid encounters with the Lord in my soul because I did not want to
fall prey to illusions. However, in a sense, the Lord kept pursuing me with His
gifts; and truly I experienced, alternately, torture and joy. I make no mention
here of the various visions and graces God granted me during this time, because
I've written this down elsewhere.[42]
135 During the third probation, the
Lord gave me to understand that I should offer myself to Him so that He could
do with me as He pleased. I was to remain standing before Him as a victim
offering. At first, I was quite frightened, as I felt myself to be so utterly
miserable and knew very well that this was the case. I answered the Lord once
again, "I am misery itself; how can I be a hostage [for others]? You do not understand this today. Tomorrow,
during your adoration, I will make it known to you. My heart trembled, as
did my soul, so deeply did these words sink into my soul. The word of God is
living.
When I came to the adoration, I felt
within my soul that I had entered the temple of the living God, whose majesty
is great and incomprehensible. And He made known to me what even the purest
spirits are in His sight. Although I saw nothing externally, God's presence
pervaded me. At that very moment my intellect was strangely illumined. A vision
passed before the eyes of my soul; it was like the vision Jesus had in the
Garden of Olives. First, the physical sufferings and all the circumstances that
would increase them; [then] the full scope of the spiritual sufferings and
those that no one would know about. Everything entered into the vision: false
suspicions, loss of good name. I've summarized it here, but this knowledge was
already so clear that what I went through later on was in no way different from
what I had known at that moment. My name is to be: "sacrifice."
When the vision ended, a cold sweat
bathed my forehead. Jesus made it known to me that, even if I did not give my
consent to this, I could still be saved; and He would not lessen His graces,
but would still continue to have the same intimate relationship with me, so
that even if I did not consent to make this sacrifice, God's generosity would
not lessen thereby.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
1082 When I took the issue of the Weekly into my hands, an
arrow of love pierced my soul. - For the
sake of your ardent desires, I am hastening the Feast of Mercy. My spirit
burst into such a powerful flame of love that it seemed to me that I was
totally dissolved in God.
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.
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!
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, 130, 135, 301, 341, 375)
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-378-379, 491)
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-764, 783, 930)
(Diary of
Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1075, 1082, 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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