Risen People Called to Serve
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August 31, 2016. Wednesday
of Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time
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Luke
4:38-44
After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered
the house of Simon. Simon´s mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,
and they interceded with him about her. He stood over her, rebuked the fever,
and it left her. She got up immediately and waited on them. At sunset, all
who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his
hands on each of them and cured them. And demons also came out from many,
shouting, "You are the Son of God." But he rebuked them and did not
allow them to speak because they knew that he was the Christ. At daybreak,
Jesus left and went to a deserted place. The crowds went looking for him, and
when they came to him, they tried to prevent him from leaving them. But he
said to them, "To the other towns also I must proclaim the good news of
the kingdom of God, because for this purpose I have been sent." And he
was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, thank You for coming into my house. I
am honored that You wish to stop by even when I don’t call for You. I am
extremely grateful for the personal attention that You give me, especially
when I am ill and in need of Your grace.
Petition: Lord, cure me of my spiritual ailments so I may serve You in
others.
1. Christ Raises Us Up: There is a certain matter-of-factness about
the cure in this Gospel passage: no special words of Jesus, no words of
thanks, no reaction of the people. It is as if Jesus simply and routinely
entered a home and helped a very sick woman up and out of bed. Not your
typical miracle that draws a lot of attention. While we hope for that
long-awaited miracle in our lives, we might be overlooking one of these very
ordinary cures that Christ often offers us. In the spiritual realm, it may be
a good confession, receiving him in the Eucharist, spiritual guidance, or a
regular examination of conscience. In the physical realm, it may be just
taking good care of my health by eating or sleeping properly. We don’t need
to demand a special cure. Rather we must be encouraged that Christ has
directed his gaze towards us.
2. He Helps Us to Our Feet: Notice how quickly everything happens in
today’s Gospel. Christ helps Simon’s mother-in-law to her feet immediately.
She cooperates without skepticism or words of protest. She believes in
Christ. His grace is effective. The cure is complete and instantaneous. He
allows us to stand up on our own and resume our duties.
3. He Cures Us So That We Might Serve: We are very good about pleading to Christ
for cures, yet frequently hassled when he sends us the “bill” — namely that
of serving others. Simon’s mother-in-law immediately begins to serve Christ,
who has put her back on her feet. She immediately forgets about herself ––
her problems, how she feels, how much time her sickness has set her back ––
and instead focuses on the needs of others. Jesus raises up Christians from
the death of sin and calls upon them to serve. Christians are risen people
whose vocation is to serve.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, everybody is looking for You. You
have put me back on my feet and have asked me to imitate your life of
service. Help me to be generous with the life You have restored in me so that
I, too, might put the interests of Your Kingdom above my personal plans.
Resolution: I will earnestly ask Christ to cure me of my
most dominant defect, taking one concrete step in acquiring its opposing
virtue.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
36 Once I was summoned to the judgment [seat] of God. I
stood alone before the Lord. Jesus appeared such as we know Him during His
Passion. After a moment, His wounds disappeared except for five, those in His
hands, His feet and His side. Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my
soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God. I
did not know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted
for. What a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before the Thrice-Holy God!
Jesus asked me, Who are you? I answered, "I am Your servant,
Lord." You are guilty of one day of fire in purgatory. I wanted to
throw myself immediately into the flames of purgatory, but Jesus stopped me
and said, Which do you prefer, suffer now for one day in purgatory or for a
short while on earth? I replied, "Jesus, I want to suffer in
purgatory, and I want to suffer also the greatest pains on earth, even if it
were until the end of the world." Jesus said, One [of the two] is
enough; you will go back to earth, and there you will suffer much, but not
for long; you will accomplish My will and My desires, and a faithful servant
of Mine will help you to do this. Now, rest your head on My bosom, on My
heart, and draw from it strength and power for these sufferings, because you
will find neither relief nor help nor comfort anywhere else. Know that you
will have much, much to suffer, but don't let this frighten you; I am with
you.
41 On one occasion I saw a servant of God in the immediate
danger of committing a mortal sin. I started to beg God to deign to send down
upon me all the torments of hell and all the sufferings He wished if only
this priest would be set free and snatched from the occasion of committing a
sin. Jesus heard my prayer and, that very instant, I felt a crown of thorns
on my head. The thorns penetrated my head with great force right into my
brain. This lasted for three hours; the servant of God was set free from this
sin, and his soul was strengthened by a special grace of God.
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].
57 O my Jesus, You are the life of my life. You know only
too well that I long for nothing but the glory of Your Name and that souls
come to know Your goodness. Why do souls avoid You, Jesus?-I don't understand
that. Oh, if I could only cut my heart into tiny pieces and in this way offer
to You, O Jesus, each piece as a heart whole and entire, to make up in part
for the hearts that do not love You! I love You, Jesus, with every drop of my
blood, and I would gladly shed my blood for You to give You a proof of the
sincerity of my love. O God, the more I know You the less I can comprehend
You, but this "non-comprehension" lets me realize how great You
are! And it is this impossibility of comprehending You which enflames my
heart anew for You, O Lord. From the moment when You let me fix the eyes of
my soul on You, O Jesus, I have been at peace and desired nothing else. I
found my destiny at the moment when my soul lost itself in You, the only
object of my love. In comparison with you, everything is nothing. Sufferings,
adversities, humiliations, failures and suspicions that have come my way are
splinters that keep alive the fire of my love for You, O Jesus.
My desires are mad and unattainable. I wish to conceal from You that I suffer. I want never to be rewarded for my efforts and my good actions. You yourself, Jesus, are my only reward; You are enough, O Treasure of my heart! I want to share compassionately in the sufferings of my neighbors and to conceal my own sufferings, not only from them, but also from You, Jesus. Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.
69 +O Jesus, eternal Truth, strengthen my feeble forces;
You can do all things, Lord. I know that without You all my efforts are in
vain. O Jesus, do not hide from me, for I cannot live without You. Listen to
the cry of my soul. Your mercy has not been exhausted, Lord, so have pity on
my misery. Your mercy surpasses the understanding of all Angels and people
put together; and so, although it seems to me that You do not hear me, I put
my trust in the ocean of Your mercy, and I know that my hope will not be
deceived.
70 Only Jesus knows how burdensome and difficult it is to
accomplish one's duties when the soul is so interiorly tortured, the physical
powers so weakened and the mind darkened. In the silence of my heart I kept
saying to myself, "O Christ, may delights, honor and glory be Yours, and
suffering be mine. I will not lag one step behind as I follow You, though
thorns wound my feet."
Darkness and Temptations
77 My mind became dimmed in a strange way; no truth seemed clear to me. When people spoke to me about God, my heart was like a rock. I could not draw from it a single sentiment of love for Him. When I tried, by an act of the will, to remain close to Him, I experienced great torments, and it seemed to me that I was only provoking God to an even greater anger. It was absolutely impossible for me to meditate as I had been accustomed to do in the past. I felt in my soul a great void, and there was nothing with which I could fill it. I began to suffer from a great hunger and yearning for God, but I saw my utter powerlessness. I tried to read slowly, sentence by sentence, and to meditate in this way, but this also was of no avail. I understood nothing of what I had read. The abyss of my misery was constantly before my eyes. Every time I entered the chapel for some spiritual exercise, I experienced even worse torments and temptations. More than once, all through Holy Mass, I had to struggle against blasphemous thoughts which were forcing themselves to my lips. I felt an aversion for the Holy Sacraments, and it seemed to me that I was not profiting from them in any way. It was only out of obedience to my confessor that I frequented them, and this blind obedience was for me the only path I could follow and my very last hope of survival. The priest explained to me that these were trials sent by God and that, in the situation I was in, not only was I not offending God, but I was most pleasing to Him. "This is a sign," he told me, "that God loves you very much and that He has great confidence in you, since He is sending you such trials." But these words brought me no comfort; it seemed to me that they did not apply to me at all. One thing did surprise me: it often happened that, at the time when I was suffering greatly, these terrible torments would disappear suddenly just as I was approaching the confessional; but as soon as I had left the confessional, all these torments would again seize me with even greater ferocity. I would then fall on my face before the Blessed Sacrament repeating these words: "Even if You kill me, still will I trust in You!" [cf. Job 13:15] It seemed to me that I would die in these agonies. But the most terrible thought for me was the conviction that I had been rejected by God. Then other thoughts came to me: why strive to acquire virtues and do good works? why mortify and annihilate yourself? what good is it to take vows? to pray? to sacrifice and immolate yourself? why sacrifice myself all the time? what good is it - if I am already rejected by God? why all these efforts? And here, God alone knew what was going on in my heart.
91 O my Jesus, You alone know what persecutions I suffer,
and this only because I am being faithful to You and following Your orders.
You are my strength; sustain me that I may always carry out what You ask of
me. Of myself I can do nothing, but when You sustain me, all difficulties are
nothing for me. O my Lord, I can see very well that from the time when my
soul first received the capacity to know You, my life has been a continual
struggle which has become increasingly intense.
Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day's struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of t lie Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me - it is the Eucharist. O my Jesus, the misunderstandings are so great; sometimes, were it not for the Eucharist, I would not have the courage to go any further along the way You have marked out for me.
96 +Trials sent by God to a soul which is particularly
loved by Him.
Temptations and darkness; Satan. The soul's love [for God] is still not such as God would have it. The soul suddenly loses the tangible perception of God's presence. Various defects and imperfections rise up within it, and it must fight them furiously. All her faults lift up their heads, but the soul's vigilance is great. The former awareness of the presence of God gives place to coldness and spiritual dryness; the soul has no taste for spiritual exercises; it cannot pray, either in the old way, or in the manner in which it had just begun to pray. It struggles this way and that, but can find no satisfaction. God has hidden himself from it, and it can find no consolation in creatures, nor can any of these creatures find a way of consoling it. The soul craves passionately for God, but sees its own misery; it begins to sense God's justice; it seems to it that it has lost all the gifts that God had given it; its mind is dimmed, and darkness fills it; unspeakable torment begins. The soul tries to explain its state to the confessor, but it is not understood and is assailed by an even greater unrest. Satan begins his work. 97 Faith staggers under the impact; the struggle is fierce. The soul tries hard to cling to God by an act of will. With God's permission, Satan goes even further: hope and love are put to the test. These temptations are terrible. God supports the soul in secret, so to speak. The soul is not aware of this, but otherwise it would be impossible to stand firm; and God knows very well how much He can allow to befall a soul. The soul is tempted to unbelief in respect to revealed truths and to insincerity toward the confessor. Satan says to it, "Look, no one understands you; why speak about all this?" Words that terrify it sound in its ears, and it seems to the soul that it is uttering these against God. It sees what it does not want to see. It hears what it does not want to hear. And, oh, it is a terrible thing at times like these not to have an experienced confessor! The soul carries the whole burden alone. However, one should make every effort to find, if it is at all possible, a well-informed confessor, for the soul can collapse under the burden and come to the very edge of the precipice. All these trials are heavy and difficult. God does not send them to a soul which has not already been admitted to a deeper intimacy with Him and which has not yet tasted the divine delights. Besides, in this God has His own plans, which for us are impenetrable. God often prepares a soul in this way for His future designs and great works. He wants to try it as pure gold is tried. But this is not yet the end of the testing; there is still the trial of trials, the complete abandonment of the soul by God. + The Trial of Trials, Complete Abandonment - Despair 98 When the soul comes out victorious from the preceding trials, even though it may stumble here and there, it fights on valiantly, humbly calling upon God, "Save me, I am perishing!" And it is still able to fight on. At this point, however, the soul is engulfed in a horrible night. It sees within itself only sin. It feels terrible. It sees itself completely abandoned by God. It feels itself to be the object of His hatred. It is but one step away from despair. The soul does its best to defend itself; it tries to stir up its confidence; but prayer is an even greater torment for it, as this prayer seems to arouse God to an even greater anger. The soul finds itself poised on the summit of a lofty mountain on the very brink of a precipice. The soul is drawn to God, but feels repulsed. All other sufferings and tortures in the world are as nothing compared with this sensation into which it has been plunged; namely, that of being rejected by God. No one can bring it any relief; it finds itself completely alone; there is no one to defend it. It raises its eyes to heaven, but is convinced that this is not for her-for her all is lost. It falls deeper and deeper from darkness to darkness, and it seems to it that it has lost forever the God it used to love so dearly. This thought is torture beyond all description. But the soul does not agree to it and tries to lift its gaze toward heaven, but in vain! And this makes the torture even more intense. If God wishes to keep the soul in such darkness, no one will be able to give it light. It experiences rejection by God in a vivid and terrifying manner. From its heart burst forth painful moans, so painful that no priest will comprehend it, unless he himself has been through these trials. In the midst of this, the evil spirit adds to the soul's suffering, mocking it: "Will you persist in your faithfulness? This is your reward; you are in our power!" But Satan has only as much influence over the soul as God allows him, and God knows how much we can bear. "What have you gotten out of your mortifications," says Satan, "and out of your fidelity to the rule? What use are all these efforts? You have been rejected by God!" This word, rejected, becomes a fire which penetrates every nerve to the marrow of the bone. It pierces right through her entire being. The ordeal reaches its climax. The soul no longer looks for help anywhere. It shrinks into itself and loses sight of everything; it is as though it has accepted the torture of being abandoned. This is a moment for which I have no words. This is the agony of the soul.
163 JMJ The Year 1937
General Exercises +O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy. +I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, 0 Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor. Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors' souls and come to their rescue. Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors' needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings. Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all. Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks. Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor. Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me. +You yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy-if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer-if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically. O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for you can do all things.
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!
208 O you small, everyday sacrifices, you are to me like
wild flowers which I strew over the feet of my beloved Jesus. I sometimes
compare these trifles to the heroic virtues, and that is because their
enduring nature demands heroism.>
209 In my sufferings, I do not seek help from creatures,
but God is everything to me. And yet, it often seems that even the Lord does
not hear me. I arm myself with patience and silence, like a dove that does
not complain and feels no bitterness when its children are being taken away
from it. I want to soar into the very heat of the sun, and I do not want to
stop in its vapors. I will not grow weary, because it is on You that I am
leaning-O You, my Strength!
210 I fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so
that in my drab, everyday life I will not be guided by human dispositions,
but by those of the spirit. Oh, how everything drags man towards the earth!
But lively faith maintains the soul in the higher regions and assigns
self-love its proper place; that is to say, the lowest one.
223 O living Host, my one and only strength, fountain of
love and mercy, embrace the whole world, fortify faint souls. Oh, blessed be
the instant and the moment when Jesus left us His most merciful Heart!
224 To suffer without complaining, to bring comfort to
others and to drown my own sufferings in the most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
I will spend all my free moments at the feet of [Our Lord in] the Blessed Sacrament. At the feet of Jesus, I will seek light, comfort and strength. I will show my gratitude unceasingly to God for His great mercy towards me, never forgetting the favors He has bestowed on me, especially the grace of a vocation. I will hide myself among the sisters like a little violet among lilies. I want to blossom for my Lord and Maker, to forget about myself, to empty myself totally for the sake of immortal souls-this is my delight.
245 My Jesus, I will now strive to give honor and glory to
Your Name, doing battle till the day on which You yourself will say, enough!
Every soul You have entrusted to me, Jesus, I will try to aid with prayer and
sacrifice, so that Your grace can work in them. O great lover of souls, my
Jesus, I thank You for this immense confidence with which You have deigned to
place souls in our care. O you days of work and of monotony, you are not
monotonous to me at all, for each moment brings me new graces and opportunity
to do good.
248 The words of the Bishop [Rospond[73]], spoken at the ceremony of the taking of
perpetual vows: "Accept this candle as a sign of heavenly light and of
burning love." While giving the ring: "I betroth you to Jesus
Christ, the Son of the Father Most High; may He keep you unblemished. Take
this ring as a sign of the eternal covenant you are making with Christ, the
Spouse of Virgins. May it be for you the ring of faith and the sign of the
Holy Spirit, that you may be called the bride of Christ and, if you serve Him
faithfully, be crowned [as such] for all eternity.
287 +My Jesus, when I look at this life of souls, I see
that many of them serve You with some mistrust. At certain times, especially
when there is an opportunity to show their love for God, I see them running
away from the battlefield. And once Jesus said to me, Do you, my child,
also want to act like that? I answered the Lord, "Oh, no, my Jesus,
I will not retreat from the battlefield, even if mortal sweat breaks out on
my brow; I will not let the sword fall from my hand until I rest at the feet
of the Holy Trinity!" Whatever I do, I do not rely on my own strength,
but on God's grace. With God's grace a soul can overcome the greatest
difficulties.
297 +Jesus, Supreme Light, grant me the grace of knowing
myself, and pierce my dark soul with Your light, and fill the abyss of my
soul with Your own self, for You alone [...]
298 O my Jesus, the Life, the Way and the Truth, I beg You
to keep me close to You as a mother holds a baby to her bosom, for I am not
only a helpless child, but an accumulation of misery and nothingness.
299 When, on one occasion, my confessor told me to ask the
Lord Jesus the meaning of the two rays in the image,[77] I answered, "Very well, I will ask
the Lord."
During prayer I heard these words within me: The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls... These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy.
300 +Ask of my faithful servant [Father Sopocko] that,
on this day, he tell the whole world of My great mercy; that whoever
approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission
of sins and punishment.
+Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy. +Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul's distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness. My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.
301 Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of
God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy.
458
During the ten-o'clock meditation, Father [Rzyczkowski [98]] spoke about divine mercy and about God's
goodness to us. He said that as we review the history of mankind, we can see
this great goodness of God at every step. All the attributes of God, such as
omnipotence and wisdom, serve to reveal to us the greatest of His attributes;
namely, His goodness. God's goodness is the greatest of God's attributes.
Many souls striving for perfection, however, are not aware of this great
goodness of God. Everything that Father said in the course of the meditation
about the goodness of God, was exactly what Jesus had said to me concerning
(the Feast of Mercy. I have now come to understand clearly what the Lord has
promised me, and I have no doubt about anything; God's language is clear and
distinct.
525 O
Holy Trinity, in whom is contained the inner life of God, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, eternal joy, inconceivable depth of love, poured
out upon all creatures and constituting their happiness, honor and glory be
to Your holy name forever and ever. Amen.
When I consider Your greatness and beauty, O my God, I rejoice exceedingly that the Lord I serve is so great. With love and joy I carry out His will, and the more I come to know Him, the more I desire to love Him. I burn with the desire to love Him ever more and more.
543
The duration of the postulancy. The postulancy will last one year. During
this time, the candidate should examine whether she is attracted to this type
of life and whether it is suitable to her. The directress should also
diligently consider whether or not the person in question is suitable for
this type of life. After a year, if the postulant shows evidence of a stable
will and an earnest desire to serve God, she should be admitted to the
novitiate.
573
December 21, 1935. One day my confessor [Father Sopocko] told me to go and
look at a certain house to see whether it was the same house I had seen in my
vision. When I went with my confessor to see that house, or rather those
ruins, at a glance I recognized that they were the same as I had seen in my
vision. The moment I touched the boards which had been nailed together in
place of the doors, a strength pervaded my soul like a flash, giving me
unshakable certitude. I went away quickly from that place, my heart full of
joy, for it seemed to me that there was a certain force chaining me to that
place.
I am very happy to see that everything agrees perfectly with what I saw in the vision. When the confessor spoke to me about the arrangement of the cells and other things, I recognized everything to be the same as had been told to me by Jesus. I am delighted that God is acting in this way through my confessor, but I am not surprised that God is giving him so much light; since God, who is Light itself, lives in a pure and humble heart, and all sufferings and adversities serve but to reveal the soul's holiness. When I returned home, I went immediately to our chapel to rest a while. Then suddenly I heard these words in my soul: Do not fear anything. I am with you. These matters are in My hands and I will bring them to fruition according to My mercy, for nothing can oppose My will.
634
March 22,[1936]. When I arrived at Warsaw, I went into the small chapel for a
moment to thank the Lord for a safe journey, and I asked the Lord to give me
the assistance and the grace necessary for everything that was in store for
me here. I submitted myself in all things to His holy will. I heard these
words: Fear nothing; all difficulties will serve for the fulfillment of My
will.
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...
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.
948
February 13, [1937]. Today, during the Passion Service, [170] I saw Jesus being tortured and crowned
with thorns and holding a reed in His hand. Jesus was silent as the soldiers
were bustling about, vying with each other in torturing Him. Jesus said
nothing, but just looked at me, and in that gaze I felt His pain, so terrible
that we have not the faintest idea of how much He suffered for us before He
was crucified. My soul was filled with pain and longing; in my soul, I felt
great hatred for sin, and even the smallest infidelity on my part seemed to
me like a huge mountain for which I must expiate by mortification and
penance. When I see Jesus tormented, my heart is torn to pieces, and I think:
what will become of sinners if they do not take advantage of the Passion of
Jesus? In His Passion, I see a whole sea of mercy.
+ J.M.J. February 12, 1937 + The Love of God is the flower - Mercy the fruit.
1000 In the terrible desert of life,
O my sweetest Jesus, Protect souls from disaster, For You are the Fountain of Mercy. Let the resplendence of Your rays, O sweet Commander of our souls, Let mercy change the world. And you who have received this grace, serve Jesus. Steep is the great highway I must travel, But I fear nothing, For the pure fount of mercy is flowing for my sake, And, with it, strength for the humble soul. I am exhausted and worn out, But my conscience bears me witness That I do all for the greater glory of the Lord, The Lord who is my repose and my heritage. [End of Notebook Two of the Diary.]
1029
The doctor did not allow me to go to the chapel to attend the Passion Service,
although I had a great desire for it; however, I prayed in my own room.
Suddenly I heard the bell in the next room, and I went in and rendered a
service to a seriously sick person. When I returned to my room, I suddenly
saw the Lord Jesus, who said, My daughter, you gave Me greater pleasure by
rendering Me that service than if you had prayed for a long time. I
answered, "But it was not to You, Jesus, but to that patient that I
rendered this service." And the Lord answered me, Yes, My daughter,
but whatever you do for your neighbor, you do for Me.
1286 +
Thank You, O God, for all the graces
Which unceasingly You lavish upon me, Graces which enlighten me with the brilliance of the sun, For by them You show me the sure way. Thank You, 0 Lord, for creating me, For calling me into being from nothingness, For imprinting Your divinity on my soul, The work of sheer merciful love. Thank You, O God, for Holy Baptism Which engrafted me into Your family, A gift great beyond all thought or expression Which transforms my soul. Thank You, O Lord, for Holy Confession, For that inexhaustible spring of great mercy, For that inconceivable fountain of graces In which sin-tainted souls become purified. Thank You, O Jesus, for Holy Communion In which You give us Yourself. I feel Your Heart beating within my breast As You cause Your divine life to unfold within me. Thank You, O Holy Spirit, for the Sacrament of Confirmation, Which dubs me Your knight And gives strength to my soul at each moment, Protecting me from evil. Thank You, O God, for the grace of a vocation. For being called to serve You alone, Leading me to make You my sole love, An unequal honor for my soul. Thank You, O Lord, for perpetual vows, For that union of pure love, For having deigned to unite Your pure heart with mine And uniting my heart to Yours in the purest of bonds. Thank You, O Lord, for the Sacrament of Anointing Which, in my final moments, will give me strength; My help in battle, my guide to salvation, Fortifying my soul till we rejoice forever. Thank You, O God, for all the inspirations That Your goodness lavishes upon me, For the interior lights given my soul, Which the heart senses, but words cannot express. Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces Which You have lavished on me unceasingly through life. My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises, When, for the first time, I sing to Your glory.
1290
September 19, 1937. Today, my own brother, Stanley, visited me. I rejoiced
greatly in this beautiful soul, who also intends to devote himself to God's
service. That is to say, God himself is drawing him to His love. We talked
for a long time about God, about His goodness. During this conversation with
him, l learned how pleasing his soul was to God. I received permission from
Mother Superior to see him more often. When he asked my advice about entering
religion, I replied, "Surely you know best what God is asking of
you." I mentioned the Jesuit Order, but said, "Enter wherever you
like." I promised to pray for him, and I decided to make a novena to the
Sacred Heart through the intercession of Father Peter Skarga with the promise
of having it announced in the Messenger of the Sacred Heart, [212] because he is having great difficulties
in this matter. I understood that, in this case, prayer was more useful than
advice.
1343
Third day. In the meditation on death, I prepared myself as if for real
death. I examined my conscience and searched all my affairs at the approach
of death and, thanks be to grace, my affairs were directed toward that
ultimate goal. This filled my heart with great gratitude to God, and I
resolved to serve my God even more faithfully in the future. One thing alone
is necessary: to put my old self to death and to begin a new life. In the
morning, I prepared to receive Holy Communion as if it were to be the last in
my life, and after Holy Communion I brought before my imagination my actual
death, and I said the prayers for the dying and then the De Profundis for my
own soul. My body was lowered into the grave, and I said to my soul,
"See what has become of your body, a heap of dirt teeming with
vermin-that is your inheritance."
1720
There are moments when Jesus gives me knowledge within my soul, and then
everything that exists on earth is at my service: friends, enemies, success,
adversity... all things, willing or not, must serve me. I do not think of
them at all; I strive to be faithful to God and to love Him to the point of
complete forgetfulness of self. And He Himself looks after me and fights
against my enemies.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-36, 41, 50, 57, 69-70,
77, 91, 96-98)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-163, 195, 208, 210, 223-224, 245)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-248, 287, 297-301, 458)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-525, 543, 573, 634, 764, 929, 948)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-1000)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1029)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1286, 1290)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1343)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1720 )
|
Agosto 31, 2016
Risen People Called to Serve -Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
Agosto 30, 2016
Christ at Home in Capernaum-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
August 30, 2016. Tuesday of Twenty-Second Week
in Ordinary Time
Luke 4:31-37
Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
Luke 4:31-37
Jesus then went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee. He taught them on the sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority. In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out in a loud voice, "Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!" Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him any harm. They were all amazed and said to one another, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out." And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, You have looked with favor on me. You
have seen in my soul fertile ground, and You have sown Your word in hope of an
abundant harvest. I hope never to let You down by not responding in faith. I
allow You to lead me to the fullness of my vocation as Your disciple.
Petition: Christ, may zeal for Your friendship consume me so much that I
remove all sin from my life.
1. Great Hopes: Jesus had great plans for Capernaum –– a big
city, situated by the lake on the “way of the sea,” a thoroughfare open to
travelers. It was an ideal hub from which to spread the Gospel. Would anyone
from such a big town have interest in his message? Christ made his home there.
He exercised the greater part of his public ministry in Capernaum and graced it
with more than one-third of his miracles. It was quite different from Nazareth.
Christ asks us to find our Capernaum –– seeking that niche, using those
talents, evangelizing that audience — where we can become the most effective
apostles for him. This may demand a greater love from us, but we can see how
Christ blesses this effort with his presence, teaching and healing.
2. Simple Faith: Christ chooses to cure a man on the Sabbath in
Capernaum and nobody raises an eyebrow! How different this is from Jerusalem!
These people here have a simple faith, unconcerned about the legalities of
ritualistic orthodoxy. “Here I can preach. Here I can heal. Here I can work!”
Christ feels at home and welcomed. Here Christ finds vocations: Peter, Andrew,
James, John, Matthew. Here Christ finds faith even among the pagans: the
centurion who asks for a cure. One can sense a special predilection of Christ
toward this city. From those who have been given more, more will be expected.
3. Generosity Pushed to Its Limits: Once a soul responds in generosity, Christ
opportunely draws it to the fullness of its vocation. Encouraged by Capernaum’s
faith, Christ asks more of it; just as he asked of the rich young man. As we
see later in the Gospel, what better place than faith-filled Capernaum for
Christ to reveal to the world one of his most difficult teachings: presenting
himself as the Living Bread come down from heaven? In the end, the majority
leave him. “Will you go away too?” The present-day ruins of Capernaum testify
to the truth of Christ’s warning: “As for you, Capernaum, ‘Are you to be
exalted to the skies? You shall go down to the realm of death!’ If the miracles
worked in you had taken place in Sodom, it would be standing today. I assure
you, it will go easier for Sodom than for you on the Day of Judgment” (Matthew
11:23-4).
Conversation with Christ: Lord, You know me and You know everything
about me. Let me not become blinded by the arrogance of my own opinions and
ideas. Help me to keep You always before me as the goal of my life, the pearl
of great price, for which I joyfully sell all I own to possess.
Resolution: I will use one of my talents to help somebody
today.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
1 O Eternal Love, You command Your Sacred Image [1] to be painted And reveal to us the
inconceivable fount of mercy,
You bless whoever approaches Your rays,
And a soul all black will turn into snow.
O sweet Jesus, it is here [2] You established the throne of Your mercy
To bring joy and hope to sinful man.
From Your open Heart, as from a pure fount,
Flows comfort to a repentant heart and soul.
May praise and glory for this Image
Never cease to stream from man's soul.
May praise of God's mercy pour from every heart,
Now, and at every hour, and forever and ever.
You bless whoever approaches Your rays,
And a soul all black will turn into snow.
O sweet Jesus, it is here [2] You established the throne of Your mercy
To bring joy and hope to sinful man.
From Your open Heart, as from a pure fount,
Flows comfort to a repentant heart and soul.
May praise and glory for this Image
Never cease to stream from man's soul.
May praise of God's mercy pour from every heart,
Now, and at every hour, and forever and ever.
O My God
2 When I look into the future, I am frightened, But why plunge into the future?
Only the present moment is precious to me,
As the future may never enter my soul at all.
It is no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.
O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of your omnipotence.
And so, trusting in Your mercy,
I walk through life like a little child,
Offering You each day this heart
Burning with love for Your greater glory.
2 When I look into the future, I am frightened, But why plunge into the future?
Only the present moment is precious to me,
As the future may never enter my soul at all.
It is no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.
O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of your omnipotence.
And so, trusting in Your mercy,
I walk through life like a little child,
Offering You each day this heart
Burning with love for Your greater glory.
24 One day, just as I had awakened,
when I was putting myself in the presence of God, I was suddenly overwhelmed by
despair. Complete darkness in the soul. I fought as best I could till noon. In
the afternoon, truly deadly fears began to seize me; my physical strength began
to leave me. I went quickly to my cell, fell on my knees before the Crucifix
and began to cry out for mercy. But Jesus did not hear my cries. I felt my
physical strength leave me completely. I fell to the ground, despair flooding
my whole soul. I suffered terrible tortures in no way different from the torments
of hell. I was in this state for three quarters of an hour. I wanted to go and
see the Directress, but was too weak. I wanted to shout but I had no voice.
Fortunately, one of the sisters [another novice, Sister Placida Putyra] came
into my cell. Finding me in such a strange condition, she immediately told the
Directress about it. Mother came at once. As soon as she entered the cell she
said, "In the name of holy obedience [16] get up from the ground." Immediately
some force raised me up from the ground and I stood up, close to the dear
Mother Directress. With kindly words she began to explain to me that this was a
trial sent to me by God, saying, "Have great confidence; God is always our
Father, even when He sends us trials."
I returned to my duties as if I had come out from the tomb, my senses saturated with what my soul had experienced. During the evening service, my soul began to agonize again in a terrible darkness. I felt that I was in the power of the Just God, and that I was the object of His indignation. During these terrible moments I said to God, "Jesus, who in the Gospel compare Yourself to a most tender mother," I trust in Your words because You are Truth and Life. In spite of everything, Jesus, I trust in You in the face of every interior sentiment which sets itself against hope. Do what You want with me; I will never leave You, because You are the source of my life." Only one who has lived through similar moments can understand how terrible is this torment of the soul.
I returned to my duties as if I had come out from the tomb, my senses saturated with what my soul had experienced. During the evening service, my soul began to agonize again in a terrible darkness. I felt that I was in the power of the Just God, and that I was the object of His indignation. During these terrible moments I said to God, "Jesus, who in the Gospel compare Yourself to a most tender mother," I trust in Your words because You are Truth and Life. In spite of everything, Jesus, I trust in You in the face of every interior sentiment which sets itself against hope. Do what You want with me; I will never leave You, because You are the source of my life." Only one who has lived through similar moments can understand how terrible is this torment of the soul.
68 The heaviest suffering for me
was that it seemed to me that neither my prayers nor my good works were
pleasing to God. I did not dare lift up my eyes to heaven. This caused me
such great suffering during the community exercises in the chapel that one
day Mother Superior [Raphael] called me aside after the exercises and said to
me, "Sister, ask God for grace and consolation, because I can see for
myself and the sisters keep telling me that the very sight of you evokes
pity. I really do not know what to do with you, Sister. I command you to stop
tormenting yourself for no reason."
But all these conferences with Mother Superior brought me no relief, nor did they clarify anything for me. Rather, even greater darkness hid God from me. I looked for help in the confessional, but not even there did I find it. A saintly priest wanted to help me, but I was so miserable that I couldn't even define my trouble, and that vexed me even more. A deathly sadness penetrated my soul to such an extent that I was unable to hide it, and it was apparent to those around me. I lost hope. The night was growing darker and darker. The priest to whom I went to confession said to me, "I see very special graces in you, Sister, and I am not worried about you at all; why are you torturing yourself in this way?" But at that time I did not understand at all what he was saying and was extremely surprised when, by way of penance, I was ordered to say the Te Deum or the Magnificat, or to run fast around the garden in the evening, or else to laugh out loud ten times a day. These penances were very surprising to me; but even with that the priest was not able to give me much help. Evidently, God wanted me to give Him glory through suffering. That priest consoled me, saying that in my present situation I was more pleasing to God than if I were filled with the greatest consolations. "It is a very great grace, Sister, "he told me, "that in your present condition, with all the torments of soul you are experiencing, you not only do not offend God, but you even try to practice virtues. I am looking into your soul, and I see God's great plans and special graces there; and seeing this, I give thanks to the Lord." But despite all that, my soul was in a state of torture; and in the midst of unspeakable torments, I imitated the blind man who entrusts himself to his guide, holding his hand firmly, not giving up obedience for a single moment, and this was my only safety in this fiery trial. |
76 O my Jesus, direct my mind,
take possession of my whole being, enclose me in the depths of Your heart,
and protect me against the assaults of the enemy. My only hope is in You.
Speak through my mouth when I, wretchedness itself, find myself with the
mighty and wise, so that they will know that this undertaking is Yours and
comes from You.
Darkness and Temptations
77 My mind became dimmed in a
strange way; no truth seemed clear to me. When people spoke to me about God,
my heart was like a rock. I could not draw from it a single sentiment of love
for Him. When I tried, by an act of the will, to remain close to Him, I
experienced great torments, and it seemed to me that I was only provoking God
to an even greater anger. It was absolutely impossible for me to meditate as
I had been accustomed to do in the past. I felt in my soul a great void, and
there was nothing with which I could fill it. I began to suffer from a great
hunger and yearning for God, but I saw my utter powerlessness. I tried to
read slowly, sentence by sentence, and to meditate in this way, but this also
was of no avail. I understood nothing of what I had read.
The abyss of my misery was constantly before my eyes. Every time I entered the chapel for some spiritual exercise, I experienced even worse torments and temptations. More than once, all through Holy Mass, I had to struggle against blasphemous thoughts which were forcing themselves to my lips. I felt an aversion for the Holy Sacraments, and it seemed to me that I was not profiting from them in any way. It was only out of obedience to my confessor that I frequented them, and this blind obedience was for me the only path I could follow and my very last hope of survival. The priest explained to me that these were trials sent by God and that, in the situation I was in, not only was I not offending God, but I was most pleasing to Him. "This is a sign," he told me, "that God loves you very much and that He has great confidence in you, since He is sending you such trials." But these words brought me no comfort; it seemed to me that they did not apply to me at all. One thing did surprise me: it often happened that, at the time when I was suffering greatly, these terrible torments would disappear suddenly just as I was approaching the confessional; but as soon as I had left the confessional, all these torments would again seize me with even greater ferocity. I would then fall on my face before the Blessed Sacrament repeating these words: "Even if You kill me, still will I trust in You!" [cf. Job 13:15] It seemed to me that I would die in these agonies. But the most terrible thought for me was the conviction that I had been rejected by God. Then other thoughts came to me: why strive to acquire virtues and do good works? why mortify and annihilate yourself? what good is it to take vows? to pray? to sacrifice and immolate yourself? why sacrifice myself all the time? what good is it - if I am already rejected by God? why all these efforts? And here, God alone knew what was going on in my heart.
97 Faith staggers under the
impact; the struggle is fierce. The soul tries hard to cling to God by an act
of will. With God's permission, Satan goes even further: hope and love are
put to the test. These temptations are terrible. God supports the soul in
secret, so to speak. The soul is not aware of this, but otherwise it would be
impossible to stand firm; and God knows very well how much He can allow to
befall a soul. The soul is tempted to unbelief in respect to revealed truths
and to insincerity toward the confessor. Satan says to it, "Look, no one
understands you; why speak about all this?" Words that terrify it sound
in its ears, and it seems to the soul that it is uttering these against God.
It sees what it does not want to see. It hears what it does not want to hear.
And, oh, it is a terrible thing at times like these not to have an
experienced confessor! The soul carries the whole burden alone. However, one
should make every effort to find, if it is at all possible, a well-informed
confessor, for the soul can collapse under the burden and come to the very
edge of the precipice. All these trials are heavy and difficult. God does not
send them to a soul which has not already been admitted to a deeper intimacy
with Him and which has not yet tasted the divine delights. Besides, in this
God has His own plans, which for us are impenetrable. God often prepares a
soul in this way for His future designs and great works. He wants to try it
as pure gold is tried. But this is not yet the end of the testing; there is
still the trial of trials, the complete abandonment of the soul by God.
God, One in the Holy Trinity.
283 I want to love You as no human
soul has ever loved You before; and although I am utterly miserable and
small, I have nevertheless cast the anchor of my trust deep down into the
abyss of Your mercy, O my God and Creator! In spite of my great misery I fear
nothing, but hope to sing You a hymn of glory for ever. Let no soul, even the
most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one
can become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains
only for us not to oppose God's action.
304 +O my Jesus, my only hope,
thank You for the book which You have opened before my soul's eyes. That book
is Your Passion which You underwent for love of me. It is from this book that
I have learned how to love God and souls. In this book there are found for us
inexhaustible treasures. O Jesus, how few souls understand You in Your
martyrdom of love! Oh, how great is the fire of purest love which burns in
Your Most Sacred Heart! Happy the soul that has come to understand the love
of the Heart of Jesus!
308 1934, Holy Thursday. Jesus
said to me, I desire that you make an offering of yourself for sinners and
especially far those souls who have lost hope in God's mercy.
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!"
S. M. Faustina of the Blessed
Sacrament
Holy Thursday, during Holy Mass, March 29, 1934.
310 I
am giving you a share in the redemption of mankind. You are solace in My
dying hour.
317 O my God, my only hope, I have
placed all my trust in You, and I know I shall not be disappointed.
319 August 9, 1934. Night
adoration on Thursdays.[79] I made my hour of adoration from eleven
o'clock till midnight. I offered it for the conversion of hardened sinners,
especially for those who have lost hope in God's mercy. I was reflecting on
how much God had suffered and on how great was the love He had shown for us,
and on the fact that we still do not believe that God loves us so much. O
Jesus, who can understand this? What suffering it is for our Savior! How can
He convince us of His love if even His death cannot convince us? I called
upon the whole of heaven to join me in making amends to the Lord for the
ingratitude of certain souls.
343 True love is measured by the thermometer of
suffering. Jesus, I thank You for the little daily crosses, for opposition to
my endeavors, for the hardships of communal life, for the misinterpretation
of my intentions, for humiliations at the hands of others, for the harsh way
in which we are treated, for false suspicions, for poor health and loss of
strength, for self-denial, for dying to myself, for lack of recognition in
everything, for the upsetting of all my plans.
Thank You, Jesus, for interior sufferings, for dryness of spirit, for terrors, fears and incertitudes, for the darkness and the deep interior night, for temptations and various ordeals, for torments too difficult to describe, especially for those which no one will understand, for the hour of death with its fierce struggle and all its bitterness. I thank You, Jesus, You who first drank the cup of bitterness before You gave it to me, in a much milder form. I put my lips to this cup of Your holy will. Let all be done according to Your good pleasure; let that which Your wisdom ordained before the ages be done to me. I want to drink the cup to its last drop, and not seek to know the reason why. In bitterness is my joy, in hopelessness is my trust. In You, O Lord, all is good, all is a gift of Your paternal Heart. I do not prefer consolations over bitterness or bitterness over consolations, but thank You, O Jesus, for everything! It is my delight to fix my gaze upon You, O incomprehensible God! My spirit abides in these mysterious dwelling places, and there I am at home. I know very well the dwelling place of my Spouse. I feel there is not a single drop of blood in me that does not burn with love for You. O Uncreated Beauty, whoever comes to know You once cannot love anything else. I can feel the bottomless abyss of my soul, and nothing will fill it but God himself. I feel that I am drowned in Him like a single grain of sand in a bottomless ocean.
356 O Blessed Host, in whom is
contained the testament of God's mercy for us, and especially for poor
sinners.
O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus as proof of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained life eternal and of infinite mercy, dispensed in abundance to us and especially to poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the mercy of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit toward us, and especially toward poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the infinite price of mercy which will compensate for all our debts, and especially those of poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fountain of living water which springs from infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the fire of purest love which blazes forth from the bosom of the Eternal Father, as from an abyss of infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the medicine for all our infirmities, flowing from infinite mercy, as from a fount, for us and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom is contained the union between God and us through His infinite mercy for us, and especially for poor sinners. O Blessed Host, in whom are contained all the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus toward us, and especially poor sinners. O Blessed Host, our only hope in all the sufferings and adversities of life. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of darkness and of storms within and without. O Blessed Host, our only hope in life and at the hour of our death. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of adversities and floods of despair. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of falsehood and treason. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the darkness and godlessness which inundate the earth. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the longing and pain in which no one will understand us. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the toil and monotony of everyday life. O Blessed Host, our only hope amid the ruin of our hopes and endeavors. O Blessed Host, our only hope in the midst of the ravages of the enemy and the efforts of hell. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when the burdens are beyond my strength and I find my efforts are fruitless. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when storms toss my heart about and my fearful spirit tends to despair. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my heart is about to tremble and mortal sweat moistens my brow. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when everything conspires against me and black despair creeps into my soul. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my eyes will begin to grow dim to all temporal things and, for the first time, my spirit will behold the unknown worlds. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my tasks will be beyond my strength and adversity will become my daily lot. O Blessed Host I trust in You when the practice of virtue will appear difficult for me and my nature will grow rebellious. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when hostile blows will be aimed against me. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when my toils and efforts will be misjudged by others. O Blessed Host, I trust in You when Your judgments will resound over me; it is then that I will trust in the sea of Your mercy.
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
681 + Amid the greatest torments, I fix the gaze of my
soul upon Jesus Crucified; I do not expect help from people, but place my
trust in God. In His unfathomable mercy lies all my hope.
687 Once, as I was going down the hall to the kitchen, I
heard these words in my soul: Say unceasingly the chaplet that I have
taught you. Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of
death. Priests will recommend it to sinners as their last hope of salvation.
Even if there were a sinner most hardened, if he were to recite this chaplet
only once, he would receive grace from My infinite mercy. I desire that the
whole world know My infinite mercy. I desire to grant unimaginable graces to
those souls who trust in My mercy.
746 I have understood that at certain and most difficult
moments I shall be alone, deserted by everyone, and that I must face all the
storms and fight with all the strength of my soul, even with those from whom
I expected to get help.
But I am not alone, because Jesus is with me, and with Him I fear nothing. I am well aware of everything, and I know what God is demanding of me. Suffering, contempt, ridicule, persecution and humiliation will be my constant lot. I know no other way. For sincere love-ingratitude; this is my path, marked out by the footprints of Jesus. My Jesus, my strength and my only hope, in You alone is all my hope. My trust will not be frustrated.
949 Let the doubting soul read these considerations on
Divine Mercy and become trusting. [171]
Divine Mercy, gushing forth from the bosom of the Father, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, greatest attribute of God, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, incomprehensible mystery, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, fount gushing forth from the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, unfathomed by any intellect, human or angelic, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, from which wells forth all life and happiness, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, better than the heavens, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, source of miracles and wonders, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, encompassing the whole universe, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, descending to earth in the Person of the Incarnate Word, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, which flowed out from the open wound of the Heart of Jesus, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, enclosed in the Heart of Jesus for us, and especially for sinners, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, unfathomed in the institution of the Sacred Host, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the founding of Holy Church, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, shielding us from the fire of hell, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in the conversion of hardened sinners, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, astonishment for Angels, incomprehensible to Saints, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, unfathomed in all the mysteries of God, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, source of our happiness and joy, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in calling us forth from nothingness to existence, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, crown of all of God's handiwork, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, in which we are all immersed, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, sweet relief for anguished hearts, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, repose of hearts, peace amidst fear, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, delight and ecstasy of holy souls, I trust in You. Divine Mercy, inspiring hope against all hope, I trust in You.
950 + Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the
treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your
mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become
despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will,
which is Love and Mercy itself.
951 + O incomprehensible and limitless Mercy Divine, To
extol and adore You worthily, who can? Supreme attribute of Almighty God, You
are the sweet hope for sinful man.
Into one hymn yourselves unite, stars, earth and sea, and in one accord, thankfully and fervently sing of the incomprehensible Divine Mercy.
965 Jesus looked at me and said, Souls
perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them the last hope of
salvation; that is, the Feast of My Mercy. If they will not adore My mercy,
they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, tell souls
about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice,
is near.
995 + Although it is not easy to
live in constant agony,
To be nailed to the cross of various pains, Still, I am inflamed with love by loving, And like a Seraph I love God, though I am but weakness. Oh, great is the soul that, midst suffering, Stands faithfully by God and does His will And remains uncomforted midst great rainbows and storms, For God's pure love sweetens her fate. It is no great thing to love God in prosperity And thank Him when all goes well, But rather to adore Him midst great adversities And love Him for His own sake and place one's hope in Him. When the soul is in the shadows of Gethsemane, All alone in the bitterness of pain, It ascends toward the heights of Jesus, And though ever drinking bitterness-it is not sad. When the soul does the will of the Most High God, Even amidst constant pain and torments, Having pressed its lips to the chalice proferred, It becomes mighty, and nothing will daunt it. Though tortured, it repeats: Your will be done, Patiently awaiting the moment of its transfiguration, For, though in deepest darkness, it hears the voice of Jesus: You are Mine, And this it will know fully when the veil falls.
998 Today, I took part in a one-day retreat. When I was at
the last conference, [177] the priest was speaking of how much the
world needs God's mercy, and that this seems to be a special time when people
have great need of prayer and God's mercy. Then I heard a voice in my soul: These
words are for you. Do all you possibly can for this work of My mercy. I
desire that My mercy be worshiped, and I am giving mankind the last hope of
salvation; that is, recourse to My mercy. My Heart rejoices in this feast. After
these words, I understood that nothing can dispense me from the obligation
which the Lord demands from me.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-1-2, 24, 68, 76-77, 97, 283, 304)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-308-310, 317, 319, 343, 356)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-650, 681, 687, 746, 950-951)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-965, 995, 998 )
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