History Need Not
Repeat Itself
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October 13, 2016. Thursday
of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Daniel Ray,
LC
Luke 11: 47-54
The Lord said: "Woe to you! You build
the memorials of the prophets whom your ancestors killed. Consequently, you
bear witness and give consent to the deeds of your ancestors, for they killed
them and you do the building. Therefore, the wisdom of God said, ´I will send
to them prophets and apostles; some of them they will kill and persecute´ in
order that this generation might be charged with the blood of all the
prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to
the blood of Zechariah who died between the altar and the temple building.
Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood! Woe to
you, scholars of the law! You have taken away the key of knowledge. You
yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter." When he
left, the scribes and Pharisees began to act with hostility toward him and to
interrogate him about many things, for they were plotting to catch him at
something he might say.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that You are present here as
I turn to You in prayer. I trust and have confidence in Your desire to give
me every grace I need to receive today. Thank You for Your love, thank You
for Your immense generosity toward me. I give You my life and my love in
return.
Petition: Lord Jesus Christ, help me to follow your
example and set a good example for others.
1. History Will Teach Us Something: Israel’s response to God’s love, as seen in
the Old Testament, is pocked and pitted with infidelity, abuse, and
ingratitude. At times the people outright reject God and whomever he sends to
guide them back to his loving care. These falls from God’s grace are
instructive for us today. We see the grandeur of what God did for the people
of Israel and marvel at it. We should be aghast at how a people who received
so much could respond so little. But more than this, we need to use this
history of Israel as a mirror in which to regard our own lives: to recognize
the same patterns of failure and lack of fidelity in our own lives and use
this self-reflection to inspire us to return to the Lord. If we fail to admit
our weaknesses and failures, however, we will be like the Pharisees to whom
Christ spoke, who brought the blood of the prophets upon their own heads
because of their stubbornness and hardness of heart.
2. History Repeats Itself: On one occasion Christ warns the disciples
that if this is the way he is treated, they should expect no less themselves
(cf. John 15:20). Do we honestly expect not to have to face some difficulty
as disciples of the Lord? Of course not. But what if that difficulty comes
from within? This is from where the most serious menaces to our discipleship
come. Our pride, our vanity, our love of comfort: these are the battlegrounds
and the martyrs’ fields where first and foremost we need to suffer for being
a disciple of the Lord. The prophets and martyrs who suffered for their zeal
for the Lord did so even up to the cost of their lives. He might not need us
to lay our lives on the line in quite the same way, but an interior sacrifice
is what Christ does ask of everyone whom he calls.
3. Stoppage Time: One of the key moments in Edith Stein’s
conversion happened when she went into a Catholic Church to see what it was
like, and as she sat there in silence, an older woman came in to spend a few
moments with Christ in the Eucharist. She had groceries in her hand and was
obviously on her way home to prepare dinner. For young Edith, still
struggling with belief in God, it was an example of just how grounded in
day-to-day reality the Catholic faith is. There is little chance that woman
ever knew the importance her example played in helping form this future saint
and patroness of Europe, but the woman’s authentic faith was just what Edith
needed to see. Our living witness is critical for those around us, whether or
not we ever see or hear of the consequence. We can serve as an occasion of grace,
or we can be a stumbling block on the path that delays someone from arriving
at the place God wants to lead them.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I know that I am an integral part in
Your plan to save souls. You have the confidence to use me as a channel of
Your grace for those around me, particularly those closest to me. I offer You
my life today. Use me as a channel of grace and a testimony to Your love.
Resolution: I will offer to God today the sacrifice
necessary to change something in my behavior that might be an obstacle for
someone else coming to know Christ better.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
49 When I told this
to my confessor,[29] I
received this for a reply: "That refers to your soul." He told me,
"Certainly, paint God's image in your soul." When I came out of the
confessional, I again heard words such as these: My image already is
in your soul. I desire that there be a Feast of Mercy. I want this image,
which you will paint with a brush, to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday
after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy.
50 + I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards souls of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these souls. Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts].
301 Proclaim
that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are
crowned with mercy.
341 November 5,
1934. One morning, when it was my duty to open the gate to let out our people
who deliver baked goods, I entered the little chapel to visit Jesus for a
minute and to renew the intentions of the day. Today, Jesus, I offer You all
my sufferings, mortifications and prayers for the intentions of the Holy
Father, so that he may approve the Feast of Mercy. But, Jesus, I have one
more word to say to You: I am very surprised that You bid me to talk about
this Feast of Mercy, for they tell me that there is already such a feast[81] and
so why should I talk about it? And Jesus said to me, And who knows
anything about this feast? No one! Even those who should be proclaiming My
mercy and teaching people about it often do not know about it themselves.
That is why I want the image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after
Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know
about it. Make a novena for the Holy Father's intention. It should consist of
thirty-three acts; that is, repetition that many times of the short
prayer-which I have taught you-to The Divine Mercy.
375 Particular
interior practice; that is, the examination of conscience. Self-denial,
denial of my own will.
I. The denial of my
reason. Subjecting it to the reason of those who represent God to me here on
earth.
II. The denial of my
will. Doing the will of God, which is revealed in the will of those who
represent God to me and which is contained in the rule of our order.
III. The denial of
my judgment. Accepting immediately and without reflection, analysis or
reasoning all orders given by those who represent God to me.
IV. The denial of my
tongue. I will not give it the least bit of freedom; but in one case only I
will give it complete freedom; that is, in proclaiming the glory of God.
Whenever I receive Holy Communion, I will ask Jesus to fortify and cleanse my
tongue that I may not injure my neighbor with it. That is why I have the
greatest respect for the rule which speaks about silence.
378 Once as I was
talking with my spiritual director, I had an interior vision-quicker than
lightning-of his soul in great suffering, in such agony that God touches very
few souls with such fire. The suffering arises from this work. There will
come a time when this work, which God is demanding so very much, will be as
though utterly undone. And then God will act with great power, which will
give evidence of its authenticity. It will be a new splendor for the Church,
although it has been dormant in it from long ago. That God is infinitely
merciful, no one can deny. He desires everyone to know this before He comes
again as Judge. He wants souls to come to know Him first as King of Mercy.
When this triumph comes, we shall already have entered the new life in which
there is no suffering. But before this, your soul [of the spiritual director]
will be surfeited with bitterness at the sight of the destruction of your
efforts. However, this will only appear to be so, because what God has once
decided upon, He does not change. But although this destruction will be such
only in outward appearance, the suffering will be real. When will this
happen? I do not know. How long will it last? I do not know.[89] But
God has promised a great grace especially to you and to all those... who
will proclaim My great mercy. I shall protect them Myself at the hour of
death, as My own glory. And even if the sins of soul are as dark as night,
when the sinner turns to My mercy he gives Me the greatest praise and is the
glory of My Passion. When a soul praises My goodness, Satan trembles before
it and flees to the very bottom of hell.
379 During one of
the adorations, Jesus promised me that: With souls that have recourse
to My mercy and with those that glorify and proclaim My great mercy to
others, I will deal according to My infinite mercy at the hour of their
death.
My Heart is sorrowful, Jesus said, because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds My Heart 1 Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds.
491 When I entered
the chapel, once again the majesty of God overwhelmed me. I felt that I was
immersed in God, totally immersed in Him and penetrated by Him, being aware
of how much the heavenly Father loves us. Oh, what great happiness fills my
heart from knowing God and the divine life! It is my desire to share this
happiness with all people. I cannot keep this happiness locked in my own
heart alone, for His flames burn me and cause my bosom and my entrails to
burst asunder. I desire to go throughout the whole world and speak to souls
about the great mercy of God. Priests, help me in this; use the strongest
words [at your disposal] to proclaim His mercy, for every word falls short of
how merciful He really is.
642 Palm Sunday. This Sunday, I experienced
in a special way the sentiments of the most sweet Heart of Jesus. My spirit
was there where Jesus was. I saw Jesus riding on a donkey's foal, and the
disciples and a great multitude with branches in their hands joyfully
accompanying the Lord Jesus. Some strewed them before His feet where He was
riding, while others raised their branches in the air, leaping and jumping
before the Lord and not knowing what to do for joy. And I saw another crowd
which came out to meet Jesus, likewise with joyful faces and with branches in
their hands, and they were crying out unceasingly with joy. There were little
children there also. But Jesus was very grave, and the Lord gave me to know
how much He was suffering at the time. And at that moment, I saw nothing but
only Jesus, whose Heart was saturated with ingratitude.
783 + I must be on my guard, especially
today, because I am becoming over-sensitive to everything. Things I would not
pay any attention to when I am healthy bother me today. O my Jesus, my shield
and my strength, grant me Your grace that I may emerge victorious from these
combats. O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself by the power of Your love,
that I may be a worthy tool in proclaiming Your mercy
930 + O my Jesus, although I will go to You,
and You will fill me with Yourself, and that will make my happiness complete,
I will nevertheless not forget about humanity. I desire to draw aside the
veils of heaven, so that the earth would have no doubts about The Divine
Mercy. My repose is in proclaiming Your mercy. The soul gives the greatest
glory to its Creator when it turns with trust to The Divine Mercy.
+ J. M. J.
1002 The Lord's Supper is laid, Jesus sits down at table with His Apostles, His Being all transformed into love, For such was the Holy Trinity's counsel. With great desire, I desire to eat with you, Before I suffer death. About to leave you, love holds Me in your midst. He sheds His Blood, gives His life, for He loves immensely. Love hides beneath the appearance of bread, Departing, He remains with us. Such self-abasement was not needed, Yet burning love hid Him under these species. Over the bread and wine He says these words: "This is My Blood, this is My Body." Although mysterious, these are words of love. Then He passes the Cup among His disciples. Jesus grew deeply troubled within And said, "One of you will betray his Master." They fell silent, with a silence as of the tomb, And John inclined his head on His breast. The supper is ended. Let us go to Gethsemane. Love is satisfied, And there the traitor is waiting.
1074 When I went for adoration, I heard
these words: My beloved daughter, write down these words, that today
My Heart has rested in this convent [the Cracow house]. Tell the
world about My mercy and My love.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them! My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace. Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
1075 Souls who spread the honor of
My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant,
and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful
Savior. At that last hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend itself
except My mercy. Happy is the soul that during its lifetime immersed itself
in the Fountain of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it.
1104 Today there was a beautiful teaching
[by Father Plaza on the goodness and mercy of God. During this conference my
soul experienced the flames of God's love, and I understood that God's word
is a living word.
1142 June 4. Today
is the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. During Holy Mass, I was given
the knowledge of the Heart of Jesus and of the nature of the fire of love
with which He burns for us and of how He is an Ocean of Mercy. Then I heard a
voice: Apostle of My mercy, proclaim to the whole world My unfathomable
mercy. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties you encounter in proclaiming
My mercy. These difficulties that affect you so painfully are needed for your
sanctification and as evidence that this work is Mine. My daughter, be
diligent in writing down every sentence I tell you concerning My mercy,
because this is meant for a great number of souls who will profit from it.
1160 When once I asked the Lord Jesus how He
could tolerate so many sins and crimes and not punish them, the Lord answered
me, I have eternity for punishing [these], and so I am
prolonging the time of mercy for the sake of [sinners]. But woe
to them if they do not recognize this time of My visitation. My daughter,
secretary of My mercy, your duty is not only to write about and proclaim My
mercy, but also to beg for this grace for them, so that they too may glorify
My mercy.
1256 [August] 30. Reverend Father Sopocko
left this morning. When I was steeped in a prayer of thanksgiving for the
great grace that I had received from God; namely, that of seeing Father, I
became united in a special way with the Lord who said to me, He is a
priest after My own Heart; his efforts are pleasing to Me. You see, My
daughter, that My will must be done and that which I had promised you, I
shall do. Through him I spread comfort to suffering and careworn souls.
Through him it pleased Me to proclaim the worship of My mercy. And through
this work of mercy more souls will come close to Me than otherwise would
have, even if he had kept giving absolution day and night for the rest of his
life, because by so doing, he would have labored only for as long as he
lived; whereas, thanks to this work of mercy, he will be laboring till the
end of the world.
1298 O God, show me
Your mercy
According to the
compassion of the Heart of Jesus.
Hear my sighs and
entreaties,
And the tears of a
contrite heart.
O Omnipotent,
ever-merciful God,
Your compassion is
never exhausted.
Although my misery
is as vast as the sea,
I have complete
trust in the mercy of the Lord.
O Eternal Trinity,
yet ever-gracious God,
Your compassion is
without measure.
And so I trust in
the sea of Your mercy,
And sense You, Lord,
though a veil holds me aloof.
May the omnipotence
of Your mercy, O Lord,
Be glorified all
over the world.
May its veneration never
cease.
Proclaim, my soul, God's mercy with fervor.
1463 + The Lord also
gave me to know that many bishops were considering the question of this
Feast, as well as a certain lay person. Some were enthusiastic about this
work of God, while others regarded it with disbelief; but in spite of
everything, the result was great glory for the work of God. Mother Irene and
Mother Mary Joseph were giving some kind of a report to these dignitaries,
but they were being questioned, not so much about the work, as about myself.227 As regards the work itself, there was no doubt, since the glory
of God was already being proclaimed.
1501 + Now that I
have difficulty sleeping at night, because my suffering won't allow it, I
visit all the churches and chapels and, if only for a brief moment, I make an
act of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. When I return to my chapel, I
then pray for certain priests who proclaim and glorify The Divine Mercy. I
also pray for the intentions of the Holy Father and to obtain mercy for sinners-such
are my nights.
1513 + Jesus said to
me today, You often call Me your Master. This is pleasing to My
Heart; but do not forget, My disciple, that you are a disciple of a crucified
Master. Let that one word be enough for you. You know what is contained in
the cross.
1519 + Today before
Holy Communion, the Lord said to me, My daughter, today talk openly
to the Superior [Mother Irene] about My mercy because, of
all the superiors, she has taken the greatest part in proclaiming My
mercy. And in fact, Mother Superior came this afternoon,
and we talked about this Work of God. Mother told me that the images had
not come out too well and were not selling very well. "But," she
said, "I have taken a good quantity myself and am
distributing them wherever I can and do the best I can tospread the Work of
Mercy." When she had gone, the Lord gave me to know how pleasing this
soul was to Him.
1521 The Lord said
to me, My daughter, do not tire of proclaiming My mercy. In this way
you will refresh this Heart of Mine, which burns with a flame of pity for
sinners. Tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their
words when they speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I
have for them in My Heart. To priests who proclaim and extol My mercy, I will
give wondrous power; I will anoint their words and touch the hearts of those
to whom they will speak.
1540 January 28,
1938. Today the Lord said to me, My daughter, write down these words:
All those souls who will glorify My mercy and spread its worship, encouraging
others to trust in My mercy, will not experience terror at the hour of death.
My mercy will shield them in that final battle...
1548 January 30,
1938. One-day retreat.
The Lord gave me to
know, during meditation, that as long as my heart beats in my breast, I must
always strive to spread the Kingdom of God on earth. I am to fight for the
glory of my Creator. I know that I will give God the glory He expects of me
if I try faithfully to cooperate with God's grace.
1680 Low Sunday. Today,
I again offered myself to the Lord as a holocaust for sinners. My Jesus, if
the end of my life is already approaching, I beg You most humbly, accept my
death in union with You as a holocaust which I offer You today, while I still
have full possession of my faculties and a fully conscious will, and this for
a threefold purpose:
Firstly: that the work of Your mercy may spread throughout the whole world and that the Feast of The Divine Mercy may be solemnly promulgated and celebrated. Secondly: that sinners, especially dying sinners, may have recourse to Your mercy and experience the unspeakable effects of this mercy. Thirdly: that all the work of Your mercy may be realized according to Your wishes, and for a certain person who is in charge of this work... Accept, most merciful Jesus, this, my inadequate sacrifice, which I offer to You today before heaven and earth. May Your Most Sacred Heart, so full of mercy, complete what is lacking in my offering, and offer it to Your Father for the conversion of sinners. I thirst after souls, O Christ.
1688 Today, the Lord
said to me, My daughter, look into My Merciful Heart and reflect its
compassion in your own heart and in your deeds, so that you, who proclaim My
mercy to the world, may yourself be aflame with it.
1710 May 26,
[1938-Feast of the Ascension]. Today I accompanied the Lord Jesus as He
ascended into heaven. It was about noon. I was overcome by a great longing
for God. It is a strange thing, the more I felt God's presence, the more
ardently I desired Him. Then I saw myself in the midst of a huge crowd of
disciples and apostles, together with the Mother of God. Jesus was telling
them to... Go out into the whole world and teach in My name. He
stretched out His hands and blessed them and disappeared in a cloud. I saw
the longing of Our Lady. Her soul yearned for Jesus with the whole force of
Her love. But She was so peaceful and so united to the will of God that there
was not a stir in Her heart but for what God wanted.
1749 + God's
Infinite Goodness in Adorning the Whole World with Beauty
in Order to Make Man's Stay on Earth Pleasant. O God, how generously Your mercy is spread everywhere, and You have done all this for man. Oh, how much You must love him, since Your love is so active on his behalf. O my Creator and Lord, I see on all sides the trace of Your hand and the seal of Your mercy, which embraces all created things. O my most compassionate Creator, I want to give You worship on behalf of all creatures and all inanimate creation; I call on the whole universe to glorify Your mercy. Oh, how great is Your goodness, O God!
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-49-50, 301, 341, 375, 378-379, 491)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-642, 783, 930)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1002, 1074-1075, 1104, 1142, 1160)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1256, 1298)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1463, 1501, 1513, 1519, 1521, 1540)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1548)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1680, 1688, 1692, 1710, 1749)
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Oktubre 13, 2016
History Need Not Repeat Itself-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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