The Greatest
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September 26, 2016. Monday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in
Ordinary Time
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Father
Edward McIlmail, LC
Luke
9: 46-50
An argument arose among the disciples about
which of them was the greatest. Jesus realized the intention of their hearts
and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, "Whoever
receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives
the one who sent me. For the one who is least among all of you is the one who
is the greatest." Then John said in reply, "Master, we saw someone
casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he does
not follow in our company." Jesus said to him, "Do not prevent him,
for whoever is not against you is for you."
Introductory Prayer: In You, Lord, I find all my joy and
happiness. How could I offend You by chasing after fleeting success and
lifeless trophies? I believe in You because You are truth itself. I hope in
You because You are faithful to Your promises. I love You because You have
loved me first. I am a sinner; nevertheless, You have given me so many
blessings. I humbly thank You.
Petition: Holy Spirit, teach me to see myself as the least of all, as
one called to serve all.
1. Me-first Syndrome: Listening wasn´t the disciples´ strong suit.
How could it be? If they had truly paid attention to the Master, they should
have known that the Good News wasn´t about striving for prestige and
recognition. It was about humility and service. We can only wonder why Jesus´
words didn´t sink in for his disciples. Yet, are we much better? We hear or
read the same Gospel passages year after year, yet we still fall into sins of
pride. We might think ourselves better or smarter or holier than the rest.
But how does Christ see us?
2. The Corrupter: Jesus explains in what greatness consists:
the acceptance of the weakest and most defenseless, in his name. This
requires a humble heart. God gives us certain powers that he hopes will be
used for good purposes. The history of mankind seethes with tales of people
exploiting one another at every opportunity. Examples abound: ethnic groups
that exploit minorities, employers who take advantage of poor immigrants, the
road-rager who cuts off people in traffic. “Power corrupts,” says the ancient
adage. Indeed it does. How do I treat the people over whom I have authority?
Am I like a dictator? Do I always want to show them "who´s the
boss"? Or is my attitude one of service?
3. Zealously Jealous: John explains that he and the other
disciples tried to stop someone who was doing good in Jesus´ name. The
person´s crime was that he didn´t follow "in our company."
Christians have derailed more than a few good works over the centuries
because they thought themselves appointed by God to police the Church. The
Holy Spirit raises up all kinds of new works which need to be serenely
discerned, not systematically squelched simply because they are new. "By
their fruits you will know them," Jesus says (see Matthew 7:16). The
lesson Our Lord wants to give is: Don´t be so quick to judge others´ motives.
Give them the benefit of the doubt, and wait to see what their work produces.
Is there anyone I´m keeping from doing good?
Conversation with Christ: Give me the grace to see people and actions
through Your eyes. Let me bring my standards in line with Yours. Let me learn
to look at a person´s heart rather than his appearance. And above all, give
me the wisdom never to stand in the way of people doing good for Your Church.
Resolution: I will do an act of charity for the pro-life
movement or for a children´s group.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
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.
27 First vows [First profession
of temporary vows, April 30, 1928]. An ardent desire to empty myself for God
by an active love, but a love that would be imperceptible, even to the
sisters closest to me.
However, even after the vows, darkness continued to reign in my soul for almost a half year. Once, when I was praying, Jesus pervaded all my soul, darkness melted away, and I heard these words within me: You are My joy; you are My heart's delight. From that moment I felt the Most Holy Trinity in my heart; that is to say, within myself. I felt that I was inundated with Divine light. Since then, my soul has been in intimate communion with God, like a child with its beloved Father.
55 1933. Spiritual Counsel Given Me by Father
Andrasz, S.J.
First: You must not turn away from
these interior inspirations, but always tell everything to your confessor. If
you recognize that these interior inspirations refer to your own self; that
is to say, they are for the good of your soul or for the good of other souls,
l urge you to follow them; and you must not neglect them, but always do so in
consultation with your confessor.
Second: If these inspirations are not in accord with the faith or the spirit of the Church, they must be rejected immediately as coming from the evil spirit. Third: If these inspirations do not refer to souls, in general, nor specifically to their good, you should not take them too seriously, and it would be better to even ignore them. But you should not make this decision by yourself, either one way or the other, as you can easily be led astray despite these great favors from God. Humility, humility, and ever humility, as we can do nothing of ourselves; all is purely and simply God's grace. You say to me that God demands great trust from souls; well then, you be the first to show this trust. And one more word-accept all this with serenity. Words of one of the confessors: "Sister, God is preparing many special graces for you, but try to make your life as clear as crystal before the Lord, paying no attention to what anyone else thinks about you. Let God suffice you; He alone." Toward the end of my novitiate, a confessor [perhaps Father Theodore] told me: "Go through life doing good, so that I could write on its pages: `She spent her life doing good.' May God bring this about in you." Another time the confessor said to me, "Comport yourself before God like the widow in the Gospel; although the coin she dropped into the box was of little value, it counted far more before God than all the big offerings of others." On another occasion the instruction I received was this: " Act in such a way that all those who come in contact with you will go away joyful. Sow happiness about you because you have received much from God; give, then, generously to others. They should take leave of you with their hearts filled with joy, even if they have no more than touched the hem of your garment. Keep well in mind the words I am telling you right now." Still another time he gave me the following recommendation: "Let God push your boat out into the deep waters, toward the unfathomable depths of the interior life." Here are a few words from a conversation I had with the Mother Directress [Mary Joseph] toward the end of my novitiate: "Sister, let simplicity and humility be the characteristic traits of your soul. Go through life like a little child, always trusting, always full of simplicity and humility, content with everything, happy in every circumstance. There, where others fear, you will pass calmly along, thanks to this simplicity and humility. Remember this, Sister, for your whole life: as waters flow from the mountains down into the valleys, so, too, do God's graces flow only into humble souls."
102 After some time, one of the
sisters came into the cell and found me almost dead. She was frightened and
went to find the Directress of Novices who, in the name of holy obedience
ordered me to get up from the ground. My strength returned immediately, and I
got up, trembling. The Directress recognized immediately the state of my soul
and spoke to me about the inscrutable mercy of God, saying, "Do not be
distressed about anything, Sister. I command this of you in virtue of
obedience." Then she said to me, "I see now, Sister, that God is
calling you to a high degree of holiness; the Lord wants to draw you very
close to Himself since He has allowed these things to happen to you so soon.
Be faithful to God, Sister, because this is a sign that He wants you to have
a high place in heaven." However, I did not understand anything of these
words. When I went into the chapel, I felt as though my soul had been set
free from everything, as though I had just come forth from the hand of God. I
perceived the inviolability of my soul; I felt that I was a tiny child.
116 My Jesus, You know what my
soul goes through at the recollection of these sufferings. I have often
marvelled that the angels and saints hold their peace at the sight of a soul
suffering like that. Yet they have special love for us at such moments. My
soul has often cried out after God, as a little child who cries as loudly as
he can when his mother covers her face and he cannot recognize her. O my
Jesus, honor and glory to You for these trials of love! Great and
incomprehensible is your mercy. All that You intended for my soul, O Lord, is
steeped in Your mercy.
148 +A noble and delicate soul,
even the most simple, but one of delicate sensibilities, sees God in
everything, finds Him everywhere, and knows how to find Him in even the most
hidden things. It finds all things important, it highly appreciates all things,
it thanks God for all things, it draws profit for the soul from all things,
and it gives all glory to God. It places its trust in God and is not confused
when the time of ordeals comes. It knows that God is always the best of
Fathers and makes little of human opinion. It follows faithfully the faintest
breath of the Holy Spirit; it rejoices in this Spiritual Guest and holds onto
Him like a child to its mother. Where other souls come to a standstill and
fear, this soul passes on without fear or difficulty.
184 +Holy Hour. During this
hour, l tried to meditate on the Lord's Passion. But my soul was filled with
joy, and suddenly I saw the Child Jesus. But His majesty penetrated me to
such an extent that I said, "Jesus, You are so little, and yet I know that
You are my Creator and Lord." And Jesus answered me, I am, and I keep
company with you as a child to teach you humility and simplicity.
I gathered all my sufferings and difficulties into a bouquet for Jesus for the day of our perpetual betrothal. Nothing was difficult for me, when I remembered it was for my Betrothed as proof of my love for Him.
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!
219 In the evening, the Lord
said to me, My daughter, let nothing frighten or disconcert you. Remain
deeply at peace. Everything is in My hands. I will give you to understand
everything through Father Andrasz. Be like a child towards him.
A Moment Before the Blessed
Sacrament.
220 O my eternal Lord and Creator, how am I going to thank You for this great favor; namely, that You have deigned to choose miserable me to be Your betrothed and that You are to unite me to yourself in an eternal bond? O dearest Treasure of my heart, I offer You all the adoration and thanksgiving of the Saints and of all the choirs of Angels, and I unite myself in a special way with Your Mother. O Mary, my Mother, I humbly beg of You, cover my soul with Your virginal cloak at this very important moment of my life, so that thus I may become dearer to Your Son and may worthily praise Your Son's mercy before the whole world and throughout all eternity.
227 +In the midst of trials I
will try to see the loving hand of God. Nothing is as constant as
suffering-it always faithfully keeps the soul company. O Jesus, I will let no
one surpass me in loving You!
+O Jesus, hidden in the Blessed Sacrament, 228 You see that in pronouncing my perpetual vows I am leaving the novitiate[68] today. Jesus, You know how weak and little I am, and so from today on, I am entering Your novitiate in a very special way. I continue to be a novice, but Your novice, Jesus, and You will be my Master to the last day. Daily I will attend lectures at Your feet. I will not do the least thing by myself, without consulting You first as my Master. Jesus, how happy I am that You yourself have drawn me and taken me into Your novitiate; that is to say, into the tabernacle. In making my perpetual vows, I have by no means become a perfect nun. No, no! I am still a weak little novice of Jesus, and I must strive to acquire perfection as I did in the first days of the novitiate, and I will make every effort to keep the same disposition of soul which I had on that first day the convent gate opened to admit me. With the trust and simplicity of a small child, I give myself to You today, O Lord Jesus, my Master. I leave You complete freedom in directing my soul. Guide me along the paths You wish. I won't question them. I will follow You trustingly. Your merciful Heart can do all things! The little novice of Jesus-Sister Faustina. 229 +At the beginning of the retreat, Jesus told me, During this retreat, I myself will direct your soul. I want to confirm you in peace and love. And so the first few days passed by. On the fourth day, doubts began to trouble me: Is not this tranquillity of mine false? Then I heard these words, My daughter, imagine that you are the sovereign of all the world and have the power to dispose of all things according to your good pleasure. You have the power to do all the good you want, and suddenly a little child knocks on your door, all trembling and in tears and, trusting in your kindness, asks for a piece of bread lest he die of starvation. What would you do for this child? Answer Me, my daughter. And I said, "Jesus, I would give the child all it asked and a thousand times more. "And the Lord said to me, That is how I am treating your soul. In this retreat I am giving you, not only peace, but also such a disposition of soul that even if you wanted to experience uneasiness you could not do so. My love has taken possession of your soul, and I want you to be confirmed in it. Bring your ear close to My Heart, forget everything else, and meditate upon My wondrous mercy. My love will give you the strength and courage you need in these matters.
230 Jesus, living Host, You are
my Mother, You are my all! It is with simplicity and love, with faith and
trust that I will always come to You, O Jesus! I will share everything with
You, as a child with its loving mother, my joys and sorrows-in a word,
everything.
240 Three requests on the day
of my perpetual vows. Jesus, I know that today You will refuse me nothing.
First request: Jesus, my most beloved Spouse, I beg You for the triumph of the Church, particularly in Russia and in Spain; for blessings on the Holy Father, Pius XI, and on all the clergy; for the grace of conversion for impenitent sinners. And I ask You for a special blessing and for light, O Jesus, for the priests before whom I will make my confessions throughout my lifetime. Second request :I beg Your blessings on our Congregation, and may it be filled with great zeal. Bless, O Jesus, our Mother General and our Mother Directress, all the novices and all the superiors. Bless my dearest parents. Bestow Your grace, O Jesus, on our wards; strengthen them so powerfully by Your grace so that those who leave our houses will no longer offend You by any sin. Jesus, I beg You for my homeland; protect it against the assaults of its enemies. Third request:Jesus, I plead with You for the souls that are most in need of prayer. I plead for the dying; be merciful to them. I also beg You, Jesus, to free all souls from purgatory. Jesus, I commend to You these particular persons: My confessors, persons recommended to my prayers, a certain person..., Father Andrasz, Father Czaputa, and the priest I met in Vilnius [Father Sopocko], who is to be my confessor, a certain soul... a certain priest, a certain religious[70] to whom You know how much I owe, Jesus, and all the people who have been recommended to my prayer. Jesus, on this day You can do everything for those for whom I am pleading. For myself I ask, Lord, transform me completely into Yourself, maintain in me a holy zeal for Your glory, give me the grace and spiritual strength to do Your holy will in all things. Thank You, o my dearest Bridegroom, for the dignity You have conferred on me, and in particular for the royal coat-of-arms which will adorn me from this day on and which even the Angels do not possess; namely, the cross, the sword and the crown of thorns. But above all, O my Jesus, I thank You for Your Heart-it is all I need. Mother of God, Most Holy Mary, my Mother, You are my Mother in a special way now because Your beloved Son is my Bridegroom, and thus we are both Your children. For Your Son's sake, You have to love me. O Mary, my dearest Mother, guide my spiritual life in such a way that it will please Your Son. +Holy and Omnipotent God, at this moment of immense grace by which You are uniting me with Yourself forever, I, mere nothingness, with the utmost gratitude, cast myself at Your feet like a tiny, unknown flower and, each day, the fragrance of that flower of love will ascend to Your throne. In times of struggle and suffering, of darkness and storm, of yearning and sorrow, in times of difficult trials, in times when nobody will understand me, when I will even be condemned and scorned by everyone, I will remember the day of my perpetual vows, the day of God's incomprehensible grace.
242 +O God, how much I desire
to be a small child.[71]
You are my Father, and You know how little and weak I am. So I beg You,
keep me close by Your side all my life and especially at the hour of my
death. Jesus, I know that Your goodness surpasses the goodness of a most
tender mother.
244 Now a gray, ordinary day
has begun. The solemn hours of the perpetual vows have passed, but God's
great grace has remained in my soul. I feel I am all God's; I feel I am His
child, I feel I am wholly God's property. I experience this in a way that can
be physically sensed. I am completely at peace about everything, because I
know it is the Spouse's business to look after me. I have forgotten about
myself completely. My trust placed in His Most Merciful Heart has no limit. I
am continuously united with Him. It seems to me as though Jesus could not be
happy without me, nor could I without Him. Although I understand that, being
God, He is happy in himself and has absolutely no need of any creature,
still, His goodness compels Him to give himself to the creature, and with a
generosity which is beyond understanding.
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.
260 I had permission to visit
Czestochowa while on my journey. I saw the Mother of God [image] for the
first time, when I went to attend the unveiling of the image at five in the
morning. I prayed without interruption until eleven, and it seemed to me that
I had just come. The superior of the house there [Mother Serafin[75]]
sent a sister for me, to tell me to come to breakfast and said she was
worried that I would miss my train. The Mother of God told me many things. I
entrusted my perpetual vows to Her. I felt that I was her child and that She
was my Mother. She did not refuse any of my requests.
264 +O my Jesus, keep me near
to You! See how weak I am! I cannot go a step forward by myself; so You,
Jesus, must stand by me constantly like a mother by a helpless child-and even
more so.
274 Jesus gave me the grace of
knowing myself. In this divine light I see my principal fault; it is pride
which takes the form of my closing up within myself and of a lack of
simplicity in my relations with Mother Superior [Irene].
The second light concerns speaking. I sometimes talk too much. A thing could be settled in one or two words, and as for me, I take too much time about it. But Jesus wants me to use that time to say some short indulgenced prayers for the souls in purgatory. And the Lord says that every word will be weighed on the day of judgment. The third light concerns our rules. I have not sufficiently avoided the occasions that lead to breaking the rules, especially that of silence. I will act as if the rule were written just for me; it should not affect me at all how anyone else might act, as long as I myself act as God wishes. Resolution. Whatever Jesus demands of me regarding external things, I will immediately go and tell my superiors. I shall strive for childlike openness and frankness in my relations with the superior.
275 Jesus loves hidden souls. A
hidden flower is the most fragrant. I must strive to make the interior of my
soul a resting place for the Heart of Jesus. In difficult and painful
moments, O my Creator, I sing You a hymn of trust, for bottomless is the
abyss of my trust in You and in Your mercy!
282 Once the Lord said to me, My
Heart was moved by great mercy towards you, My dearest child, when I saw you
torn to shreds because of the great pain you suffered in repenting for your
sins. I see your love, so pure and true that I give you first place among the
virgins. You are the honor and glory of My Passion. I see every abasement of
your soul, and nothing escapes my attention. I lift up the humble even to my
very throne, because I want it so.
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 forever. 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.
284 O Jesus, if only I could
become like mist before Your eyes, to cover the earth so that You would not
see its terrible crimes. Jesus, when I look at the world and its indifference
towards You, again and again it brings tears to my eyes; but when I look at a
cold soul of a religious, my heart bleeds.
290
Once, when I was deeply moved by the thought of eternity and its mysteries,
my soul became fearful; and when I pondered about these a little longer, I
started to be troubled by various doubts. Then Jesus said to me, My child,
do not be afraid of the house of your Father. Leave these vain inquiries to
the wise of this world. I want to see you always as a little child. Ask your
confessor about everything with simplicity, and I will answer you through his
lips.
294
+Once the Lord said to me, Act like a
beggar who does not back away when he gets more alms [than he asked for], but
offers thanks the more fervently. You too should not back away and say that
you are not worthy of receiving greater graces when I give them to you. I
know you are unworthy, but rejoice all the more and take as many treasures
from My Heart as you can carry, for then you will please Me more. And I will
tell you one more thing: Take these graces not only for yourself, but also
for others; that is, encourage the souls with whom you come in contact to
trust in My infinite mercy. Oh, how I love those souls who have complete
confidence in Me. I will do everything for them.
295 +At that moment Jesus asked
me, My child, how is your retreat going? I answered, "But Jesus,
You know how it is going." Yes, I know, but I want to hear it from
your own lips and from your heart. "O my Master, when You are
leading me, everything goes smoothly, and I ask You, Lord, to never leave my
side." And Jesus said, Yes, I will be with you always, if you always
remain a little child and fear nothing. As I was your beginning here, so I will
also be your end. Do not rely on creatures, even in the smallest things,
because this displeases Me. I want to be alone in your soul. I will give
light and strength to your soul, and you will learn from My representative
that I am in you, and your uncertainty will vanish like mist before the rays
of the sun.
296 +O Supreme Good, I want to
love You as no one on earth has ever loved You before! I want to adore You
with every moment of my life and unite my will closely to Your holy will. My
life is not drab or monotonous, but it is varied like a garden of fragrant
flowers, so that I don't know which flower to pick first, the lily of
suffering or the rose of love of neighbor or the violet of humility. I will
not enumerate these treasures in which my every day abounds. It is a great
thing to know how to make use of the present moment.
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.
306 I asked the Lord to grant
me the grace that my nature be immune and resist the influences that
sometimes try to draw me away from the spirit of our rule and from the minor
regulations. These minor transgressions are like little moths that try to
destroy the spiritual life within us, and they surely will destroy it if the
soul is aware of these minor transgressions and yet disregards them as small
things. I can see nothing that is small in the religious life. Little matter
if I am sometimes the object of vexation and jeers, as long as my spirit remains
in harmony with the spirit of the rules, the vows and the religious statutes.
O my Jesus, delight of my heart, You know my desires. I should like to hide from people's sight so as to be like one alive and yet not living. I want to live pure as a wild flower; I want my love always to be turned to You, just as a flower that is always turning to the sun. I want the fragrance and the freshness of the flower of my heart to be always preserved for You alone. I want to live beneath Your divine gaze, for You alone are enough for me. When I am with You, Jesus, I fear nothing, for nothing can do me harm.
315 +Mother of God, Your soul
was plunged into a sea of bitterness; look upon Your child and teach her to
suffer and to love while suffering. Fortify my soul that pain will not break
it. Mother of grace, teach me to live by [the power of] God.
357 +Most Holy Trinity, I trust
in Your infinite mercy. God is my Father and so I, His child, have every
claim to His divine Heart; and the greater the darkness, the more complete
our trust should be.
377 Concerning Holy Confession.
We should derive two kinds of profit from Holy Confession:
1. We come to confession to be
healed;
2. We come to be educated-like
a small child, our soul has constant need of education.
O my Jesus, I understand these
words to their very depths, and I know from my own experience that, on its
own strength, the soul will not go far; it will exert itself greatly and will
do nothing for the glory of God; it will err continually, because our mind is
darkened and does not know how to discern its own affairs. I shall pay
special attention to two things: firstly, I will choose, in making my
confession, that which humiliates me most, even if it be a trifle, but
something that costs me much, and for that reason I will tell it; secondly, I
will practice contrition, not only during confession, but during every
self-examination, and I will arouse within myself an act of perfect
contrition, especially when I am going to bed. One more word: a soul which
sincerely wants to advance in perfection must observe strictly the advice
given by the spiritual director. There is as much holiness as there is
dependence.
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.
406 After a short while, I saw
the little Jesus, who came out from the Host and rested in my hands. This
lasted for a moment; immense joy flooded my soul. The Child Jesus had the
same appearance as He had the time we entered the Chapel with Mother
Superior-my former Directress, Mary Joseph. The next day I was already back
in my beloved Vilnius.
424 In the evening, I just
about got into bed, and I fell asleep immediately. Though I fell asleep
quickly, I was awakened even more quickly. A little child came and woke me
up. The child seemed about a year old, and I was surprised it could speak so
well, as children of that age either do not speak or speak very indistinctly
The child was beautiful beyond words and resembled the Child Jesus, and he
said to me, Look at the sky. And when I looked at the sky I saw the
stars and the moon shining. Then the child asked me, Do you see this moon
and these stars? When I said yes, he spoke these words to me, These
stars are the souls of faithful Christians, and the moon is the souls of
religious. Do you see how great the difference is between the light of the
moon and the light of the stars? Such is the difference in heaven between the
soul of a religious and the soul of a faithful Christian. And he went on
to say that, True greatness is in loving God and in humility.
427 A moment later, I again saw
the child who had awakened me. It was of wondrous beauty and repeated these
words to me, True greatness of the soul is in loving God and in humility.
I asked the child, "How do you know that true greatness of the soul
is in loving God and in humility? Only theologians know about such things and
you haven't even learned the catechism. So how do you know?" To this he
answered, I know; I know all things. And with that, He disappeared.
451 Once after Holy Communion,
I heard these words: You are Our dwelling place. At that moment, I
felt in my soul the presence of the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit. I felt that I was the temple of God. I felt I was a child of the
Father. I cannot explain all this, but the spirit understands it well. O
infinite Goodness, how low You stoop to Your miserable creature!
481
Almost every feast of the Church gives me a deeper knowledge of God and a
special grace. That is why I prepare myself for each feast and unite myself
closely with the spirit of the Church. What a joy it is to be a faithful
child of the Church! Oh, how much I love Holy Church and all those who live
in it! I look upon them as living members of Christ, who is their Head. I
burn with love with those who love; I suffer with those who suffer, I am
consumed with sorrow at the sight of those who are cold and ungrateful; and I
then try to have such a love for God that it will make amends for those who
do not love Him, those who feed their Savior with ingratitude at its worst.
J.M.J. Cracow, October 20,
1935.
Eight-day Retreat.
492 Eternal God, Goodness
itself, whose mercy is incomprehensible to every intellect, whether human or
angelic, help me, your feeble child, to do Your holy will as You make it
known to me. I desire nothing but to fulfill God's desires. Lord, here are my
soul and my body, my mind and my will, my heart and all my love. Rule me according
to Your eternal plans.
494
When I was about to go to the parlor to see Father Andrasz, I felt frightened
because the secret is binding only in the confessional. This was a groundless
fear. One word from Mother Superior set me at ease about it. Meanwhile, when
I entered the chapel, I heard these words in my soul: I want you to be
open and simple as a child with My representative just as you are with Me;
otherwise I will leave you and will not commune with you.
Truly, God gave me the great grace of complete confidence, and after the conversation, God granted me the grace of deep peace and light concerning these matters.
495
Jesus, Eternal Light, enlighten my mind, strengthen my will, inflame my heart
and be with me as You have promised, for without You I am nothing. You know,
Jesus, how weak lam. l do not need to tell You this, for You yourself know
perfectly well how wretched I am. It is in You that all my strength lies.
497 O Eternal Truth,
Word Incarnate, who most faithfully fulfilled Your Father's will, today I am
becoming a martyr of Your inspirations, since I cannot carry them out because
I have no will of my own, though interiorly I see Your will clearly. I submit
in everything to the will of my superiors and my confessor. I will follow
Your will insofar as You will permit me to do so through Your representative.
O my Jesus, it cannot be helped, but I give priority to the voice of the
Church over the voice with which You speak to me.
505 All
my nothingness is drowned in the sea of Your mercy. With the confidence of a
child, I throw myself into Your arms, O Father of Mercy, to make up for the
unbelief of so many souls who are afraid to trust in You. Oh, how very few
souls really know You! How ardently I desire that the Feast of Mercy be known
by souls! Mercy is the crown of Your works; You provide for all with the love
of a most tender mother.
529 On the evening of the last
day [November 15] of the novena at Ostra Brama, after the singing of the
litany, one of the priests exposed the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance.
When he placed it on the altar, I immediately saw the Infant Jesus,
stretching out His little arms, first of all toward His Mother, who at that
time had taken on a living appearance. When the Mother of God was speaking to
me, Jesus stretched out His tiny hands toward the congregation. The Blessed
Mother was telling me to accept all that God asked of me like a little child,
without questioning; otherwise it would not be pleasing to God. At that
moment, the Infant Jesus vanished, and the Mother of God was again lifeless,
and Her picture was the same as it had been before. But my soul was filled
with great joy and gladness, and I said to the Lord, "Do with me as You
please; I am ready for everything, but You, O Lord, must not abandon me even
for a moment."
551 How
great should each one's love for the Church be! As a good child prays for the
mother it loves, so also should every Christian soul pray for the Church, its
Mother. What then should be said of us religious who have especially committed
ourselves to praying for the Church? How great, then, is our apostolate,
hidden though it be. All our little daily nothings will be placed at the feet
of the Lord Jesus as a propitiatory offering for the world; but in order that
our offering may be pleasing to God, it must be pure. And for it to be pure,
the heart must be freed of all natural attachments, and all its affections
must be directed towards the Creator, loving all creatures in Him and
according to His will; and, acting thus, each with a zealous spirit will
bring joy to the Church.
566 One
day, after Holy Communion, I suddenly saw the Infant Jesus standing by my
kneeler and holding on to it with His two little hands. Although He was but a
little Child, my soul was filled with awe and fear, for I see in Him my
Judge, my Lord, and my Creator, before whose holiness the Angels tremble. At
the same time, my soul was flooded with such unspeakable love that I thought
I would die under its influence. I now see that Jesus first strengthens my
soul and makes it capable of abiding with Him, for otherwise I would not be
able to bear what I experience at such a moment.
567 All the sisters should
respect the superior as the Lord Jesus himself, as I mentioned when speaking
about the vow of obedience. They should behave toward her with childlike
trust, and should never murmur or find fault with her commands, as this is
very displeasing to God. Let each be guided by a spirit of faith in her
relationship to superiors; let her ask with simplicity for all that she
needs. God forbid that it ever happen or be repeated that any of the sisters
would be a cause of sorrow or tears to the superior. Let each one know that
as the fourth commandment obliges a child to honor its parents, in like
manner is the religious bound to respect her superior. Only a bad religious
would take the liberty of judging her superior. Let the sisters be sincere
with the superior, telling her about everything and about their needs with
childlike simplicity.
The sisters will address the superior thus: "With your leave, Sister Superior." They shall never kiss her hand, but whenever they meet her in the corridor or enter her cell, they should say, "Praised be Jesus Christ," bowing their heads slightly. They shall address each other as "Sister," adding the proper name. Their relationship toward the superior should be marked by a spirit of faith and not by sentimentality or flattery, as these are unworthy of a religious and would degrade her very much. A religious should be as free as a queen, and will be such only when she lives in the spirit of faith. We should obey and respect the superior, not because she is good, holy or prudent, but solely because she represents God, and by obeying her we are obeying God himself.
589
Love casts out fear. Since I came to love God with my whole being and with
all the strength of my heart, fear has left me. Even if I were to hear the
most terrifying things about God's justice, I would not fear Him at all,
because I have come to know Him well. God is love, and His Spirit is peace. I
see now that my deeds which have flowed from love are more perfect than those
which I have done out of fear. I have placed my trust in God and fear
nothing. I have given myself over to His holy will; let Him do with me as He
wishes, and I will still love Him.
592 I learned in the Heart of
Jesus that in heaven itself there is a heaven to which not all, but only
chosen souls, have access. Incomprehensible is the happiness in which the
soul will be immersed. O my God, oh, that I could describe this, even in some
little degree. Souls are penetrated by His divinity and pass from brightness
to brightness, an unchanging light, but never monotonous, always new though
never changing. O Holy Trinity, make yourself known to souls!
593 O my Jesus, nothing is better for the soul than humiliations. In contempt is the secret of happiness, when the soul recognizes that, of itself, it is only wretchedness and nothingness, and that whatever it possesses of good is a gift of God. When the soul sees that everything is given it freely and that the only thing it has of itself is its own misery, this is what sustains it in a continual act of humble prostration before the majesty of God. And God, seeing the soul in such a disposition, pursues it with His graces. As the soul continues to immerse itself more deeply into the abyss of its nothingness and need, God uses His omnipotence to exalt it. If there is a truly happy soul upon earth, it can only be a truly humble soul. At first, one's self-love suffers greatly on this account, but after a soul has struggled courageously, God grants it much light by which it sees how wretched and full of deception everything is. God alone is in its heart. A humble soul does not trust itself, but places all its confidence in God. God defends the humble soul and lets Himself into its secrets, and the soul abides in unsurpassable happiness which no one can comprehend.
603 January 29, 1936. In the
evening, when I was in my cell, I suddenly saw a great light and a dark gray
cross high up within the light. Suddenly, I found myself caught up close to
the cross. I gazed at it intently, but could not understand anything, and so
I prayed, asking what it could mean. At that moment I saw the Lord Jesus, and
the cross disappeared. The Lord Jesus was sitting in a great light, and His
legs, up to the knees, were drowned in the light so that I could not see
them. Jesus bent toward me, looked at me kindly and spoke to me about the
will of the Heavenly Father. He told me that the most perfect and holy soul
is the one that does the will of the Father, but there are not many such, and
that He looks with special love upon the soul who lives His will. And Jesus
told me that I was doing the will of God perfectly...and for this reason I
am uniting Myself with you and communing with you in a special and intimate
way.
God embraces with His incomprehensible love the soul who lives by His will. I understood how much God loves us, how simple He is, though incomprehensible, and how easy it is to commune with Him, despite His great majesty. With no one do I feel as free and as much at ease as with Him. Even a mother and her truly loving child do not understand each other so well as God and I do. When I was in that state of communion with God, I saw two particular persons, and their sad interior condition was revealed to me. They were in a sorrowful state, but I trust that they, too, will glorify the mercy of God.
606 My
Jesus, despite Your graces, I see and feel all my misery. I begin my day with
battle and end it with battle. As soon as I conquer one obstacle, ten more
appear to take its place. But I am not worried, because I know that this is
the time of struggle, not peace. When the burden of the battle becomes too
much for me, I throw myself like a child into the arms of the heavenly Father
and trust I will not perish. O my Jesus, how prone I am to evil, and this
forces me to be constantly vigilant. But I do not lose heart. I trust God's
grace, which abounds in the worst misery.
626 In
the evening, during Benediction, my soul was for some time in communion with
God the Father. I felt I was in His hand like a little child, and I heard
these words in my soul: Do not fear anything, My daughter; all the
adversaries will be shattered at My feet. At these words, a deep peace
and a great interior calm entered my soul.
628 On
the evening of the last day before my departure from Vilnius, an elderly
sister [131] revealed the condition of her soul to me. She said
that she had already been suffering interiorly for several years, that it
seemed to her that all her confessions had been bad, and that she had doubts
as to whether the Lord Jesus had forgiven her. I asked her if she had ever
told her confessor about this. She answered that she had spoken many times
about this to her confessors and... "the confessors are always telling
me to be at peace, but still I suffer very much, and nothing brings me
relief, and it constantly seems to me that God has not forgiven me." I
answered, "You should obey your confessor, Sister, and be fully at
peace, because this is certainly a temptation."
But she entreated me with tears in her eyes to ask Jesus if He had forgiven her and whether her confessions had been good or not. I answered forcefully, "Ask Him yourself, Sister, if you don't believe your confessors!" But she clutched my hand and did not want to let me go until I gave her an answer, and she kept asking me to pray for her and to let her know what Jesus would tell me about her. Crying bitterly, she would not let me go and said to me, "I know that the Lord Jesus speaks to you, Sister." Since she was clutching my hand and I could not wrench myself away, I promised her I would pray for her. In the evening, during Benediction, I heard these words in my soul: Tell her that her disbelief wounds My heart more than the sins she committed. When I told her this, she began to cry like a child, and great joy entered her soul. I understood that God wanted to console this soul through me. Even though it cost me a good deal, I fulfilled God's wish.
629
When I entered the chapel for a moment that same evening, to thank God for
all the graces He had bestowed on me in this house, suddenly God's presence
enveloped me. I felt like a child in the hands of the best of fathers, and I
heard these words: Do not fear anything. I am always with you. His
love penetrated my whole being. I felt I was entering into such close
intimacy with Him that I cannot find words to express it.
677
During a Mass celebrated by Father Andrasz, a moment before the Elevation,
God's presence pervaded my soul, which was drawn to the altar. Then I saw the
Mother of God with the Infant Jesus. The Infant Jesus was holding onto the
hand of Our Lady. A moment later, the Infant Jesus ran with joy to the center
of the altar, and the Mother of God said to me, See with what assurance I
entrust Jesus into his hands. In the same way, you are to entrust your soul
and be like a child to him.
-After these words, my soul was filled with unusual trust. The Mother of God was clothed in a white dress, strangely white, transparent; on Her shoulders She had a transparent blue; that is, a blue-like mantle; with uncovered head [and] flowing hair, She was exquisite, and inconceivably beautiful. She was looking at Father with great tenderness, but after a moment, He broke up this beautiful Child, and living blood flowed forth. Father bent forward and received the true and living Jesus into himself. Had he eaten Him? I do not know how this took place. Jesus, Jesus, I cannot keep up with You, for in an instant, You become incomprehensible to me.
709 October 3, 1936. During the
rosary today, I suddenly saw a ciborium with the Blessed Sacrament. The
ciborium was uncovered and quite filled with hosts. From the ciborium came a
voice: These hosts have been received by souls converted through your
prayer and suffering. At this point, I felt God's presence as a
child would; I felt strangely like a child.
722 +
Today, I heard these words: You see how weak you are, so when shall I be
able to count on you? I answered, "Jesus, be always with me, for I
am Your little child. Jesus, You know what little children do."
786 November 30, [1936]. During
Vespers today, an unusual pain pierced my soul. I see that, in every respect,
this work is beyond my strength. I am a little child before the immensity of
the task, and it is only at the Lord's clear command that I am setting about
to carry it out. On the other hand, even these great graces are a burden for
me, and I am barely able to carry them. I see my superiors' disbelief and
doubts of all kinds and, for this reason, their apprehensive behavior towards
me. My Jesus, I see that even such great graces can be [a source of]
suffering. And yet, it is so; not only may they be a cause of suffering, but
they must be such, as a sign of God's action. I understand well that if God
himself did not strengthen the soul in these various ordeals, the soul would
not be able to master the situation. Thus God himself is its shield.
As I continued Vespers,
meditating on this mixture of suffering and grace, I heard the voice of Our
Lady: Know, My daughter, that although I was raised to the dignity of
Mother of God, seven swords of pain pierced My heart. Don't do
anything to defend yourself, bear everything with humility; God
himself will defend you.
December 1, [1936]. One-day
retreat.
795 I have accepted the favor
of this treatment, but I am fully resigned to the will of God. Let God do
with me as He pleases. I desire nothing but the fulfillment of His holy will.
I am uniting myself with the Mother of God, and I am leaving Nazareth and
going to Bethlehem. I will spend Christmas there among strangers, but with
Jesus, Mary and Joseph, because such is the will of God. I am striving to do
the will of God in all things. I do not desire a return to health more than
death. I entrust myself completely to His infinite mercy and, as a little
child, I am living in the greatest peace. I am trying only to make my love for
Him deeper and purer, to be a delight to His divine glance...
895 January 23, [1937]. I did
not feel like writing today. Then I heard a voice in my soul:My daughter,
you do not live for yourself but for souls; write for their benefit. You know
that My will as to your writing has been confirmed many times by your
confessors. You know what is pleasing to Me, and if you have any doubts about
what I am saying, you also know whom you are to ask. I grant him light to
pronounce judgment on my case. My eye watches over him. My daughter, you are
to be like a child towards him, full of simplicity and candor. Put his
judgment above all My demands. He will guide you according to My will. If he
doesn't allow you to carry out My demands, be at peace; I will not judge you,
but the matter will remain between Me and him. You are to be obedient.
898 O my Jesus, You are giving
me back my health and life; give me also strength for battle, because I am
unable to do anything without You. Give me strength, for You can do all things.
You see that I am a frail child, and what can I do? I know the full power of
Your mercy, and I trust that You will give me everything Your feeble child
needs. .
921 February 6, [1937]. Today,
the Lord said to me, My daughter, I am told that there is much simplicity
in you, so why do you not tell Me about everything that concerns you, even
the smallest details? Tell Me about everything, and know that this will give
Me great joy. I answered, "But You know about everything,
Lord." And Jesus replied to me, Yes, I do know; but you should not
excuse yourself with the fact that I know, but with childlike simplicity talk
to Me about everything, for My ears and heart are inclined towards you, and
your words are dear to Me.
922 + When I began this big
novena for three intentions, I saw a tiny insect on the ground and thought:
how did it get here in the middle of winter? Then I heard the following words
in my soul: You see, I am thinking of it and sustaining it, and what is it
compared to you? Why was your soul fearful for a moment? I apologized to
the Lord for that moment. Jesus wants me to always be a child and to leave
all care to Him, and to submit blindly to His holy will. He took everything
upon Himself.
944 + There are moments when I
mistrust myself, when I feel my own weakness and wretchedness in the most
profound depths of my own being, and I have noticed that I can endure such
moments only by trusting in the infinite mercy of God. Patience, prayer and
silence-these are what give strength to the soul. There are moments when one
should be silent, and when it would be inappropriate to talk with creatures;
these are the moments when one is dissatisfied with oneself, and when the
soul feels as weak as a little child. Then the soul clings to God with all its
might. At such times, I live solely by faith, and when I feel strengthened by
God's grace, then I am more courageous in speaking and communicating with my
neighbors.
968 Since I have placed you
in this priest's special care, you are thus exempted from giving a detailed
account to your superiors concerning My relationship with you. In all other
matters, be as a child with your superiors, but whatever I do in the depths
of your soul is to be told, with all frankness, only to the priests.
1031 March 22, 1937. As I was
talking, today, to a certain person, I recognized that she was suffering
greatly in spirit, although exteriorly she pretended that she was very happy
and was not suffering at all. I felt inspired to tell her that what was
troubling her was a temptation. When I disclosed to her what was torturing
her, she burst into tears and told me that she had come to see me precisely
to speak to me, because she felt that it would bring her relief. The
suffering was of such a kind that the soul was being attracted by God's grace
on the one hand and by the world on the other. She was going through a
terrible struggle that brought her to the point of weeping like a little
child. But she went away soothed and set at peace.
1033 +
When I see that the burden is beyond my strength, I do not consider or
analyze it or probe into it, but I run like a child to the Heart of Jesus and
say only one word to Him: "You can do all things." And then I keep
silent, because I know that Jesus himself will intervene in the matter, and
as for me, instead of tormenting myself, I use that time to love Him.
1097 Since that time, I have
been living under the virginal ', cloak of the Mother of God. She has been
guarding me and instructing me. I am quite at peace, close to Her Immaculate
Heart. Because I am so weak and inexperienced, I nestle like a little child
close to Her heart.
1109 + 30. This is the day for
the renewal of vows.
Immediately upon my awakening, God's presence enveloped me, and I felt I was a child of God. Divine love was poured into my soul, and God gave me to see how everything depended on His will. He spoke these words to me: I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy. Then He said to me, My daughter, fear nothing. I am always with you, even if it seems to you that I am not. Your humility draws Me down from My lofty throne, and I unite myself closely with you.
1153 June 23, [1937]. As I was
praying before the Most Blessed Sacrament, my physical sufferings ceased
suddenly, and I heard this voice in my soul: You see, I can give you everything
in one moment. I am not constrained by any law.
June 24. After Holy Communion,
I heard these words: Know, My daughter, that in one
moment I can give you
everything that is needed for the fulfillment of this task. After these words, an
extraordinary light remained in my soul, and all God's demands seemed
to me to be so simple that even a little child could carry them out.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I- 2, 27, 55, 102, 116, 148, 184, 209,
219)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-220, 227-230, 240, 242, 244-245, 260)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-260, 264, 274-275, 282-284, 290, 294)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-295-298, 306, 315, 357, 497, 377, 395)
(Diary of Sister Faustina
Kowalska Notebook-I-406, 424, 427, 451, 481, 492, 494-495)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-497)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-529, 551, 566-567, 589, 592-593, 603)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-606, 626, 628-629, 677, 709, 722,
786)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-795, 895, 898, 921-922, 944, 968)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1031, 1033, 1097, 1109, 1153)
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Setyembre 26, 2016
The Greatest-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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