“Only Jesus, Only Jesus”
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July 17, 2016. Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Father Robert DeCesare, LC
Luke 10: 38-42
Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed
him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet
listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and
said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do
the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply,
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is
need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken
from her."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe
that You are my God and my all. You created me, and You made me to be happy
with You. Lord, I hope in You, because I trust that You will not lead me
astray. I love You, Lord, because You are the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father, except through You, Lord, and I love You for
being the mediator before the Father.
Petition: Lord, be the center, standard, and example of my life.
1. “You Are Anxious About Many Things” - It seems that
things are moving faster all the time and that more and more things vie for
my time. I serve as a chauffeur for the household, I spend a large part of my
time accompanying the children for extracurricular activities, and people
left and right want to talk to me. There is so much going on. Our culture
almost demands that I do all these things. What is more, it seems at times
like no one understands my dilemma. I am trying to do what is right, I am
trying to be responsible, and it seems like no one else is. I identify myself
with Martha, Lord, in a world which is so active and at times seems to fly
by. Help me to make the right choices and to fulfill your will.
2. “There Is Need of Only One Thing” - Love Christ. Live
for him. As life progresses and eternity draws near, only the love of Christ
remains. Everything else turns into smoke, mist, nothing. Christ´s love is
the treasure for which I should sell everything else, even egotism, pride and
vanity. Lord, you are all I need. What else will matter when I finish my
life? Who else can fill my soul with satisfaction and peace? Who else brings
meaning to my life but you? Remind me of this, because many times it is so
easy for me to lose my focus and direction in the world. It seems so easy for
me to put other things first.
3. “Choose the Better Part” - Lord, your words to Martha strike a
chord in my heart. I can let the noise and distractions around me nick at my
heart and misdirect me, but all that will do is bring about more confusion
and uneasiness. However, if I choose you, what great confidence it will bring
me to know that you will not be taken from me. Everyone wants to be happy.
Everyone wants to be fulfilled. Why should I fool myself looking for
happiness in the things of this world when you supply it, Lord? Why should I
settle for something less than the better part which you want to give me?
Shouldn’t I be excited to be able to sit at your feet and spend time with you
when you want to teach me what it means to be the best I can be; to be holy?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, give me the confidence of
knowing that You are all I need. I do not want to distract myself with
anything else. I want to sit at Your feet. I want to listen to what You want
to tell me. I want very much to learn from You.
Resolution: After Mass I will make a visit to Christ in
thanksgiving for having received him in the Eucharist, and I will take a
moment to listen to what he has to tell me.
Excerpts
from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
64 When I came to Vilnius for two months to replace a sister who had
gone for her third
probation [Sister Peter, who worked in the kitchen], I stayed a little
longer than two months. One day, the Mother Superior [Irene[34]], wanting to give
me a bit of pleasure, gave me permission to go, together with another sister,[35] to Calvary to
"walk the paths," as they say. I was delighted. Although it was not
very far, it was Mother Superior's wish that we should go by boat. That evening
Jesus said to me, I want you to stay home. I answered,
"Jesus, everything is ready for us to leave tomorrow morning; what am I
to do now?" The Lord answered, This trip will be harmful to your
soul. I replied to Jesus, "You can find a way out. Arrange
things in such a way that Your will may be done." At that moment the
bell announced the time for sleep. I gave Jesus a parting glance and went to
my cell.
Next morning the weather was beautiful, and my companion was filled
with joy at the
prospect of the great pleasure we would have in getting to see
everything. But as for me, I was sure we would not go, even though there were
no obstacles so far.
We were to receive Holy Communion earlier and leave right after the
thanksgiving. But
during the time of Communion, all of a sudden, the weather changed.
Clouds covered the sky, and the rain came down in torrents. Everyone was
astounded at such a sudden change in the weather.
Mother Superior said to me, "I am so sorry you cannot go,
Sisters!" I answered, "Dear Mother, it doesn't really matter that
we cannot go; it was God's will that we stay home." However, no one knew
that it was Jesus' express desire that I stay home. I spent the whole day in
recollection and meditation, thanking the Lord for having kept me
home. That day, God granted me many heavenly consolations.
75 But these doubts always come from without, a fact which inclined me
to close myself up more and more within myself. When, during confession, I
sense uncertainty on the part of the priest, I do not open my soul to its
depths, but only accuse myself of my sins. A priest who is not at peace with
himself will not be able to inspire peace in another soul.
O priests, you bright candles enlightening human souls, let your brightness never be dimmed. I understood that at that time it was not God's will that I uncover my soul completely. Later on, God did give me this grace.
170 The first day
of the retreat. I tried to be the first in the chapel in the morning; before
the meditation I had a bit of time for prayer to the Holy Spirit and to Our
Lady. I earnestly begged the Mother of God to obtain for me the grace of
fidelity to these inner inspirations and of faithfully carrying out God's
will, whatever it might be. I began this retreat with a very special kind of
courage.
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.
God and Souls. An Act of Oblation.
309 Before heaven and earth, before all the choirs of Angels, before
the Most Holy Virgin Mary, before all the Powers of heaven, I declare to the
One Triune God that today, in union with Jesus Christ, Redeemer of souls, I
make a voluntary offering of myself for the conversion of sinners, especially
for those souls who have lost hope in God's mercy. This offering consists in
my accepting, with total subjection to God's will, all the sufferings, fears
and terrors with which sinners are filled. In return, I give them all the
consolations which my soul receives from my communion with God. In a word, I
offer everything for them: Holy Masses, Holy Communions, penances,
mortifications, prayers. I do not fear the blows, blows of divine justice,
because I am united with Jesus. O my God, in this way I want to make amends
to You for the souls that do not trust in Your goodness. I hope against all
hope in the ocean of Your mercy. My Lord and my God, my portion-my portion
forever, I do not base this act of oblation on my own strength, but on the
strength that flows from the merits of Jesus Christ. I will daily repeat this
act of self-oblation by pronouncing the following prayer which You yourself
have taught me, Jesus:
"O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You!"
354 As I was
talking to a certain person[84] who
was to paint the image but, for certain reasons, was not painting it, I heard
this voice in my soul: I want her to be more obedient. I
understood that our efforts, no matter how great, are not pleasing to God if
they do not bear the seal of obedience; I am speaking about a religious soul.
O God, how easy it is to know Your will in the convent! We religious have
God's will set clearly before our eyes from morning till night, and in
moments of uncertainty we have our superiors through whom God speaks.
395 [February] 15, 1935. A few days' visit at my parents' home [92] to see my dying
mother. When I learned that my mother was seriously ill and near death, and
that she had asked that I come home, as she wanted to see me once more before
dying, a host of emotions were awakened in my heart. As a child who sincerely
loves its mother, I wanted very much to fulfill her wish. But I left this to
God and resigned myself completely to His will. Paying no heed to the ache in
my heart, I followed God's will. On the morning of my name day, February
fifteen, Mother Superior gave me a second letter from my family and granted
me permission to go to my parents' home to fulfill the wish and request of my
dying mother. I began at once to make the necessary preparations for the
journey and left Vilnius in the evening. I offered the whole night for my
seriously ill mother, that God might grant her the grace of losing none of
the merits of her suffering.
435 As I was walking in the garden in the evening, I heard these
words: By your entreaties, you and your companions shall obtain mercy
for yourselves and for the world. I understood that I
would not remain in the Congregation in which I am at the present time.[95] I saw clearly that
God's will regarding me was otherwise. But I kept making excuses before
God, telling Him that I was unable to carry out this task. "Jesus, You
know very well what I am" [I said], and I started
enumerating my weaknesses to the Lord, hiding behindthem so that He would
agree that I was unable to carry out His plans. Then I heard these words: Do
not fear; I myself will make up for everything that is lacking in you. But these
words penetrated me to my depths and made me even more aware of my misery,
and I understood that the word of the Lord is living and that it
penetrates to the very depths. I understood that God demands a
more perfect way of life of me. However, I kept using my incompetence
as an excuse.
439 Then came the moment to receive Holy Communion, and Jesus
disappeared, and I saw a great brightness. Then I heard these words: We
give Our blessing, and at that moment a bright ray issued from that
light and pierced my heart; an extraordinary fire was enkindled in my soul-I
thought I would die of joy and happiness. I felt the separation of my spirit
from my body. I felt totally immersed in God, I felt I was snatched up by the
Almighty, like a particle of dust, into unknown expanses.
444 The priest spoke these profound words to me, "There are three
degrees in the
accomplishment of God's will: in the first, the soul carries out all
rules and statutes
pertaining to external observance; in the second degree, the soul
accepts interior inspirations and carries them out faithfully; in the third
degree, the soul, abandoned to the will of God, allows Him to dispose of it
freely, and God does with it as He pleases, and it is a docile tool in His
hands." And the priest said that I was at the second degree in the
accomplishment of God's will and that I had not yet reached the third degree,
but that I should strive to attain it. These words pierced my soul. I see
clearly that God often gives the priest knowledge of what is going on in the
depths of my soul. This does not surprise me at all; indeed, I thank God that
He has such chosen persons.
477 Silence is a sword in the spiritual struggle. A talkative soul
will never attain sanctity. The sword of silence will cut off everything that
would like to cling to the soul. We are sensitive to words and quickly want to
answer back, without taking any regard as to whether it is God's will that we
should speak. A silent soul 14 strong; no adversities will harm it if it
perseveres in silence. The silent soul is capable of attaining the closest
union with God. It lives almost always under the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit. God works in a silent soul without hindrance.
478 O my Jesus, You know, You alone know well that m heart knows no
other love but You! All my virginal love is drowned eternally in You, O
Jesus! I sense keenly ho Your divine Blood is circulating in my heart; I have
no the least doubt that Your most pure love has entered m heart with Your
most sacred Blood. I am aware did You are dwelling in me, together with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, or rather I am aware that it is I who it living
in You, O incomprehensible God! I am aware that I am dissolving in You like a
drop in an ocean. I am aware that You are within me and all about me, that
You are in all things that surround me, in all that happens to me. O my God,
I have come to know You within my heart, and I have loved You above all
things that exist on earth or in heaven. Our hearts have a mutual
understanding, and no one of humankind will comprehend this.
506 "Do
nothing without the consent of the superiors. One must think this matter over
thoroughly and pray much. One must be very careful about these things
because, in your present situation, Sister, the will of God is certain and
clear, for you are in fact bound to this Congregation by vows, and perpetual
vows at that; so there should be no doubt. What you are experiencing
interiorly, Sister, are only the glimmerings of a project. God can make some
alterations, but such things are very rare. Don't be in a hurry, Sister,
until you have received more precise knowledge. The works of God proceed
slowly, but if they are of Him, you will surely recognize them clearly. If
they are not, they will disappear; and you, by being obedient, will not go
astray. Speak frankly about everything to your confessor and obey him
blindly.
"For the present, Sister, there is nothing more for you to do than accept the suffering until the time when everything will become clear; that is, all things will be resolved. You are well disposed as regards these matters, and so continue in this simplicity and spirit of obedience; this is a good sign. If you continue in this attitude, God will not allow you to fall into error. Still, as much as is possible, keep far away from these things, but if despite that they still come your way, receive them calmly and do not fear anything. You are in the good hands of a very good God. In all that you have told me, I do not see any illusion or anything contrary to faith. These are things which are good in themselves, and it would indeed be good if there were a group of souls pleading with God for the world, as we all are in need of prayer. You have a good director; stay with him and be at peace. Be faithful to God's will and carry it out. As to your duties, always do what you are told to do and as you are told to do it, no matter how humiliating or toilsome it might be. Always choose the last place, and then they themselves will say to you, `Go up higher.' In spirit and in your demeanor, consider yourself the least in the whole house and in the entire Congregation. In everything and at all times, be most faithful to God."
518 + Before All Souls' Day, I went to the cemetery at dusk. Although
it was locked, I managed to open the gate a bit and said, "If you need
something, my dear little souls, I will be glad to help you to the extent
that the rule permits me." I then heard these words, "Do the will
of God; we are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled God's will."
527 On one
occasion, I felt an urge to set to work and fulfill whatever God is demanding
of me. I entered the chapel for a moment and heard a voice in my soul saying, Why
are you afraid? Do you think that I will not have enough omnipotence to
support you? At that moment, my soul felt extraordinary strength,
and all the adversities that could befall me in carrying out God's will
seemed as nothing to me.
585 January 8, 1936. When I went to see the Archbishop
[Jalbrzykowski], I told him that Jesus was asking that I pray for God's mercy
upon the world and that there be a religious congregation which would entreat
the mercy of God for the world. I asked his permission for all the Lord Jesus
was demanding of me. The Arch bishop answered me in these words: "As for
prayer, I give my permission and even encourage you, Sister, to pray as much
as possible for the world and to beg God's mercy, as mercy is what we all
need; and I presume that your confessor certainly does not forbid you to pray
for this intention. But as regards this congregation, wait a while, Sister,
so that all things may arrange themselves more favorably. This thing is good
in itself, but there is no need to hurry. If it is God's will, it will be
done, whether it be a little sooner or a little later. Why shouldn't it be?
There are so many different kinds of congregations; this one too will come to
be if God so wills. Be completely at peace. The Lord Jesus can do all things.
Strive for a close union with God and do not lose heart." These words
filled me with great joy.
615 March 1,
1936. Today during Holy Mass I experienced a strange force and urge to start
realizing God's wishes. I had such a clear understanding of the things the
Lord was asking of me that truly if I were to say that I do not understand
what God is demanding from me, I would be lying, because the Lord is making His
will known to me so clearly and distinctly that I do not have the least
shadow of a doubt about them. I realized that it would be the greatest
ingratitude to delay any longer this undertaking which the Lord wishes to
bring to fulfillment for His glory and the benefit of a great number of
souls. And He is using me as a miserable tool through which to realize His
eternal plans of mercy. Truly, how ungrateful my soul would be to resist
God's will any longer. Nothing will stop me any longer, be it persecution,
sufferings, sneers, threats, entreaties, hunger, cold, flattery, friendships,
adversities, friends or enemies; be it things I am experiencing now or things
that will come in the future or even the hatred of hell-nothing will deter me
from doing the will of God.
I am not counting on my own strength, but on His omnipotence for, as he gave me the grace of knowing His holy will, He will also grant me the grace of fulfilling it. I cannot fail to mention how much my own lower nature resists this thing, manifesting its own desires, and there results within my soul a great struggle, like that of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. And so I too cry out to God, the Eternal Father, "If it is possible, take this cup from me, but, nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord; may Your will be done." What I am about to go through is no secret to me, but with full knowledge I accept whatever You send me, O Lord. I trust in You, O merciful God, and I wish to be the first to manifest to You that confidence which You demand of souls. O Eternal Truth, help me and enlighten me along the roadways of life, and grant that Your will be accomplished in me. My God, I desire nothing but the fulfillment of Your will. It does not matter whether it will be easy or difficult. I feel an extraordinary force driving me to action. One thing alone holds me back, and that is holy obedience. O my Jesus, You urge me on the one hand and hold me back and restrain me on the other. In this, too, O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done. I continued in this state, without a break, for many days. My physical strength declined, and though I did not speak to anyone about it, nevertheless Mother Superior [Borgia] noticed my pain and remarked that I had changed in appearance and was very pale. She told me to go to bed earlier and to sleep longer, and she had a cup of hot milk brought to me in the evening. She had a motherly heart, full of care, and tried to help me. But in the case of spiritual sufferings, external things have no influence, and they do not bring much relief. It was from the confessional that I drew my strength and the consolation of knowing that it would not be long before I could begin to act.
665 Father Andrasz told me to make a novena for the intention of
knowing better the will of God. I prayed ardently, adding a certain bodily
mortification. Towards the end of the novena, I received an inner light and
the assurance that the Congregation will come into being and that it is
pleasing to God. Despite the difficulties and adversities, complete peace and
strength entered my soul from on high. I understood that nothing could resist
or nullify the will of God. I understood that I must carry out this will of
God despite obstacles, persecution and sufferings of all kinds, and despite
natural repugnance and fear.
666 I understood that all striving for perfection and all sanctity consist in doing God's will. Perfect fulfillment of God's will is maturity in sanctity; there is no room for doubt here. To receive God's light and recognize what God wants of us and yet not do it is a great offense against the majesty of God. Such a soul deserves to be completely forsaken by God. It resembles Lucifer, who had great light, but did not do God's will. An extraordinary peace entered my soul when I reflected on the fact that, despite great difficulties, I had always faithfully followed God's will as I knew it. O Jesus, grant me the grace to put Your will into practice as I have come to know it, O God.
667 July 14. I received a letter at three o'clock [from Father Sopocko [135]].
O Jesus, You alone know what I suffer, but I will keep silent and will not
say anything about it to any creature, because I know that no one will
comfort me. You are everything to me, O God, and Your holy will is my
nourishment. I am living now on what I will live on in eternity.
I have great reverence for Saint Michael the Archangel; he had no example to follow in doing the will of God, and yet he fulfilled God's will faithfully.
713 October 11. This evening, as I was writing about this great mercy
of God and its great advantage to souls, Satan rushed into my room with great
anger and fury. He seized the screen and began to break and crush it. I was a
little frightened at first, but I immediately made the sign of the cross with
my little crucifix, and the beast fell quiet and disappeared at once. Today,
I did not see this hideous figure but only his anger. Satan's anger is
terrible, and yet the screen was not shattered or broken, and I went on
writing quietly. I know well that the wretch will not touch me without God's
willing it, but what is he up to? He is beginning to attack me openly and
with such great fury and hate, but he does not disturb my peace for a moment,
and this composure of mine makes him furious.
830 O Light Eternal, who come to this earth, enlighten my mind and
strengthen my will that I may not give up in times of great affliction. May
Your light dissipate all the shadows of doubt. May Your omnipotence act
through me. I trust in You, O uncreated Light! You, O Infant Jesus, are a
model for me in accomplishing Your Father's will, You, who said,
"Behold, I come to do Your will." Grant that I also may do God's
will faithfully in all things. O Divine Infant, grant me this grace!
894 Today the doctor decided that I am not to go to Mass, but only to
Holy Communion. I wanted very much to assist at Mass, but my confessor, [162] in
agreement with the doctor, told me to obey. "It is God's will, Sister,
that you should get well, and you must not undertake mortification's of any
kind. Be obedient, Sister, and God will reward you for it." I felt that
the confessor's words were Jesus' words, and although it made me sad to miss
Holy Mass, during which God had been granting me the grace of seeing the
Infant Jesus; nevertheless, I placed obedience above everything else.
I became absorbed in prayer and said my penance. Then I suddenly saw the Lord, who said to me, My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications. Oh, how good it is to live under obedience, to live conscious of the fact that everything I do is pleasing to God!
924 Today, I received a note from Mother Superior forbidding me to go
to the bedside of the dying. And so, I will send to the dying obedience in
place of self, and it will support the souls who are dying. Such is God's
will, and that is enough for me. That which I cannot understand now I will
learn later.
937 + I will say a word more about my spiritual director [Father
Andrasz or Father Sopocko [169]].
It is strange that there are so few priests who know how to pour power,
strength and courage into a soul so that it can make constant progress
without getting tired. Under such direction a soul, even of lesser strength,
can do much for the glory of God. And here I discovered a secret; namely,
that the confessor, or rather the spiritual director, does not make light of
the trifles that the soul brings to him. And when the soul notices that it is
being controlled in this, it begins to exert itself and does not omit the
slightest opportunity to practice virtue and also avoids the smallest faults.
And from these efforts, as with little stones, there rises within the soul a
most beautiful temple. On the contrary, if the soul notices that the
confessor neglects these little things, it likewise neglects them and ceases
to give an account of them to the confessor and, worse still, will begin to
grow negligent in little things. Thus, instead of going forward, it gradually
retreats backward and becomes aware of the situation only when it has already
fallen into some serious trouble. Here, a serious question poses itself: who
is at fault, the soul in question or the confessor; that is to say, the
director? It seems to me that all the blame should be put on the imprudent
director; the soul's only fault is to have taken upon itself the choice of a
director. ! The director could well have led the soul along the road of God's
will to sanctity.
938 The soul should have prayed ardently and at greater length for a
director and should have asked the Lord himself to choose a spiritual
director for it. What begins in God will be godly, and what begins in a
purely human manner will remain human. God is so merciful that, in order to
help a soul He himself chooses the spiritual guide and will enlighten the
soul concerning the one before whom it should uncover the most hidden depths
of its soul just as it sees itself before the Lord Jesus himself. And when
the soul considers and recognizes that God has been arranging all this, it should
pray fervently for the confessor that he might have the divine light to know
it well. And let it not change such a director except for a serious reason.
Just as it had prayed fervently and at great length in order to learn God's
will before choosing a director, so too should it pray fervently and at great
length to discern whether it is truly God's will that he leave this director
and choose another. If God's will is not absolutely clear, he should not make
this change, for a person will not go far by himself, and Satan wants just
this: to have the person who is aspiring for sanctity direct himself because
then, without doubt, he will never attain it.
956 + After these words, the knowledge of God's will came to me; that
is to say, I now see everything from a higher point of view and accept all
events and things, pleasant and unpleasant, with love, as tokens of the
heavenly Father's special affection.
972 Today, the doctor decided that I am to stay here until April. It
is God's will, even though I did want to be back in the company of my
sisters.
981 I understood that these two years of interior suffering which I
have undergone in submission to God's will in order to know it better have
advanced me further in perfection than the previous ten years. For two years
now, I have been on the cross between heaven and earth. That is to say, I am
bound by the vow of obedience and must obey the superior as God himself. And
on the other hand, God makes His will known to me directly, and so my inner
torture is so great that no one will either understand or imagine these
spiritual sufferings. It seems to me that it would be easier to give up my
life than to go again and again through one hour of such pain. I am not even
going to write much about this matter, because one cannot describe what it is
like to know God's will directly and at the same time to be perfectly
obedient to the divine will as expressed indirectly through the superiors.
Thanks be to God that He has given me a director; otherwise, I would not have
advanced one single step.
1004 O will of
the Omnipotent God,
You are my delight, You are my joy. Whatever the hand of my Lord holds out to me I will accept with gladness, submission and love. Your holy will is my repose; In it is contained all my sanctity, And all my eternal salvation, For doing God's will is the greatest glory. The will of God-those are His various wishes Which my soul carries out without reserve, Because such are His divine desires, In those moments when God shares His confidences with me. Do with me as You will, Lord. I place no obstacles, I make no reservations. For You are my whole delight and the love of my soul, And to You, in turn, I pour out the confidences of my heart.
1088 Sudden return of health. After I had written a letter to Father
Sopocko on Sunday, April 11, I suddenly became so very ill that I did not
send that letter, but waited for a clear sign of God's will. However, my
health got so bad that I had to go to bed. The coughing racked me so much
that it seemed to me that, if this repeats a few more times, it will surely
be the end of me.
1091 Then I heard these words: Go tell the superior that you
are in good health. I neither know, nor ask how long I will remain in
good health. I only know that I am
enjoying good health at present. The future does not belong to me. I
asked for this health as evidence of God's will and not in order to seek
relief from my suffering.
1101 In the evening, I heard these words in my soul: My
daughter, know that I shall speak to you in a special way through this priest [Father
Plaza [191]] so that you may not yield to doubt concerning My wishes. Already
in the first meditation my soul was struck by the following words
of the priest: I must not oppose God's will and God's designs, whatever
they might be; and as soon as 1 am convinced of the certitude and the authenticity
of the will of God, I have the duty of carrying it out. No one can release me from
this. Whatever the will of God may be, once I have come to know it, I ought
to carry it out. This is just a very short summary, but the whole
meditation imprinted itself on my soul, and I have no doubts
about anything. I know what God wants of me, and what I ought to
do.
1243 "These times of dryness and
stark awareness of one's wretchedness, which God has permitted, allow the
soul to know how little it can do by itself. They will teach you how much you
should appreciate God's graces. Secondly, faithfulness in all exercises and
duties, faithfulness in everything, just as in times of joy. Thirdly, as
regards the matters in question, be absolutely obedient to the Archbishop
[Jalbrzykowski] although, from time to time, the matter can be brought to his
attention, but peacefully. Sometimes, a little bitter truth is
necessary."
At the end of the conversation, I asked the priest to allow me to commune with Jesus as I had done formerly. He answered, "I cannot give orders to the Lord Jesus, but if He himself draws you to himself you may follow the attraction. However, always remember to show Him great reverence, for the Lord is great indeed. If you are truly seeking God's will in all this and desire to fulfill it, you can be at peace; the Lord will not allow any sort of error. As to the mortifications and sufferings, you will give me an account next time of how you carry them out. Place yourself in the hands of the Most Holy Mother."
1244 August 15, 1937. During meditation,
God's presence pervaded me keenly, and I was aware of the Virgin Mary's joy
at the moment of Her Assumption. Towards the end of the ceremony carried out
in honor of the Mother of God, I saw the Virgin Mary, and She said to me, Oh,
how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment She
covered all the sisters of our Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right
hand, She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand
She did so to me, while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her
mantle. Then the Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres
zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory,
and I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues:
humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and
mercy. After these words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my
sight, and I remained alone with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about
the will of God and how to apply it to my life, submitting completely to His
most holy decrees. It is impossible for one to please God without obeying His
holy will. My daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully
fulfill all God's wishes, for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very
much desire that you distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in
accomplishing God's will. Put the will of God before all sacrifices and
holocausts. While the heavenly Mother was talking to me, a deep
understanding of this will of God was entering my soul.
1276 September
16, 1937. I wanted very much to make a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament
today, but God's will was otherwise. At eight o'clock I was seized with such
violent pains that I had to go to bed at once. I was convulsed with pain for
three hours; that is, until eleven o'clock at night. No medicine had any
effect on me, and whatever I swallowed I threw up. At times, the pains caused
me to lose consciousness. Jesus had me realize that in this way I took part
in His Agony in the Garden, and that He himself allowed these sufferings in
order to offer reparation to God for the souls murdered in the wombs of
wicked mothers. I have gone through these sufferings three times now. They
always start at eight o'clock in the evening and last until eleven. No
medicine can lessen these sufferings. When eleven o'clock comes, they cease
by themselves, and I fall asleep at that moment. The following day, I feel
very weak.
This happened to me for the first time when I was at the sanatorium. The doctors couldn't get to the bottom of it, and no injection or medicine helped me at all nor did I myself have any idea of what the sufferings were about. I told the doctor that never before in my life had I experienced such sufferings, and he declared he did not know what sort of pains they are. But now I understand the nature of these pains, because the Lord himself has made this known to me.... Yet when I think that I may perhaps suffer in this way again, I tremble. But I don't know whether I'll ever again suffer in this way; I leave that to God. What it pleases God to send, I will accept with submission and love. If only I could save even one soul from murder by means of these sufferings!
1301 It is extraordinary how Mother Irene has so much light from God
concerning this whole matter. She was the first to allow me to carry out the
Lord's wishes, although it was not until two years after the revelation that
she became my superior. And despite this fact, she was the first to go with
me when the painting of the image was first undertaken. And now again, when
some things concerning the Divine Mercy are being published, and small holy
cards are being printed, again it is she who is going with me [to take care
of] this matter. God has ordained all this in a mysterious way, because this
was begun in Vilnius, and now God's will has so directed the circumstances
that this matter is being continued in Cracow. I know how pleasing this
superior is to God; I see how God is directing everything and wants me to be
under her protection during these important times.... Thank You, Lord, for
such superiors, who live in the love and fear of God. That is why I pray for
her most of all, because she has put herself out the most for the sake of
this work of Divine Mercy....
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.
1431 Nevertheless, when in the refectory I still had to bear being the
object of the frequent suspicion that I was being fussy [about my food]. At
such times, as always, I hasten to the Tabernacle and bow before the ciborium
and there draw strength to accept God's will. That which I have written is
not yet everything.
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.
1525 One day, a
certain sister came to me and asked me for prayers, telling me that she could
no longer stand things as they were. "And so, please pray, Sister."
I answered that I would, and I began a novena to The Divine Mercy. I learned
that God would give her the grace, but that she would once again be
dissatisfied when she received it. However, I kept on praying as she had
asked me to do. The next day, the same sister came looking for me, and when
we again began to talk about the same thing, I told her, "You know,
Sister, when we pray, we ought not force the Lord God to give us what we
want, but we should rather submit to His holy will." But she thought
that what she was asking for was indispensable. Towards the end of the
novena, the sister came again and said, "O Sister, the Lord Jesus has
given me the grace, but now I am of a different mind. Please pray so that
things will somehow be different again." I answered, "Yes, I will
pray, but that God's will be done in you, Sister, and not what you
want."
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-64, 75, 170, 279, 309, 354, 395, 435)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-I-439, 444, 477-478, 506, 515, 518)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-527, 585, 615, 665-667, 713, 830)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-894, 924, 937-938, 956, 972, 981)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-III-1004, 1088, 1091, 1101)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-IV-1243-1244, 1276, 1301)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-V-1389, 1431, 1521, 1525)
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