Scary Times
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November 24, 2016. Thursday
of the Thirty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time
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Father
Edward McIlmail, LC
Luke
21:20-28
Jesus said to his disciples: "When you
see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, know that its desolation is at hand. Then
those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Let those within the city escape
from it, and let those in the countryside not enter the city, for these days
are the time of punishment when all the scriptures are fulfilled. Woe to
pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for a terrible calamity
will come upon the earth and a wrathful judgment upon this people. They will
fall by the edge of the sword and be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;
and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of
the Gentiles are fulfilled. "There will be signs in the sun, the moon,
and the stars, and on earth nations will be in dismay, perplexed by the
roaring of the sea and the waves. People will die of fright in anticipation
of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be
shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power
and great glory. But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise
your heads because your redemption is at hand."
Introductory Prayer: Jesus my Savior, thank You for another day and another chance
to grow in holiness with Your grace. I love You and wish to make You the true
center of my thoughts, desires and actions.
Petition: Lord, give me a healthy, but realistic Christian optimism.
1. Desolation at Hand: What a grim Gospel passage! Lots of talk of
armies and calamity and roaring seas. Jesus is speaking of the coming
destruction of Jerusalem (in A.D. 70) as well as images of the End-Times. In
our day we can think of wars, tsunamis, floods and wonder why the world is
such a nasty place sometimes. Why can´t life be easier? Why do so many
innocent people suffer? Alas, Our Lord asked the same questions. All the evil
we see springs from original sin, from the fall of Adam. It wasn´t God´s plan
to have all this suffering -- but he allows it. He allows it because he
respects our freedom. He allows it too because he knows he can bring good out
of it. How do I use my freedom? Do I have enough faith in Christ to be
optimistic?
2. Trampled Underfoot: The fall of Jerusalem didn´t mean that God
abandoned the world. True, the focus of religion would no longer be the
Temple; rather, it would be a new focus: Christ, truly present in the
Eucharist. The tabernacle would be the new center of attention. How few souls
grasp that truth? After 2,000 years, Jesus is still humble, allowing himself
to be kept in a tabernacle. Does that fact influence the way I act in a
church? Does it affect the way I dress when going to church? Do I try to
enter church with the proper state of heart and mind?
3. Redemption at Hand: Faithful following of Christ gives us the
best assurance that our lives have meaning. Christ will make sense of
everything at the end of our lives. All our struggles to live the Gospel will
be worth it. On the last day we might regret many things, but we will never
regret the things we did for Christ. Does that truth guide our lives each
day? Do we live each day as if it were our last? What is there in my life
that I would be ashamed of on the last day? Why not weed it out of my life
now?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me to judge the things of my daily life against
eternity. Let me see things with Your eyes. Let me see what is really
valuable and what is fleeting. And help me to act accordingly.
Resolution: I will make a fresh effort to get rid of the
biggest vice in my life
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.
83 Write this: before I come as
the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of
justice arrives, there will be given to people a sign in the heavens of this
sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great
darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the
sky, and from the openings where the hands and the feet of the Savior were
nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a
period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day.
374 J.M.J Vilnius, Februrary 4,
1935
[page in the Dairy with the words "From today on my will does not exist" crossed out with a large 'X'] The moment I knelt down to cross out my own will, as the Lord had bid me to do, I heard this voice in my soul: From today on, do not fear God's judgment, for you will not be judged [The next page has...] J.M.J Vilnius, February 4, 1935
496 Confession Day. From early morning, the turmoil in my
soul was more violent than anything I had ever experienced before. Complete
abandonment by God; I felt the utter weakness that I was. Thoughts bore in
upon me: why should I leave this convent where I am loved by the sisters and
superiors, where life is so tranquil; [where I am] bound by perpetual vows
and carry out my duties without difficulty; why should I listen to the voice
of my conscience; why follow an inspiration coming from who knows where;
wouldn't it be better to carry on like all the other sisters? Perhaps the
Lord's words could be stifled, not taken heed of; maybe God will not demand
an account of them on the day of judgment. Where will this inner voice lead
me? If I follow it, what tremendous difficulties, tribulations and
adversities are in store for me. I fear the future, and I am agonizing in the
present.
This suffering continued with the same intensity throughout the whole day. When, in the evening, my turn came for confession, I could not make a full confession, even though I had been preparing for a long time. I received absolution and left, not knowing what was going on within me. When I went to bed, the suffering grew even worse; or rather, it changed into a fire which penetrated all the faculties of my soul like lightning, piercing me to the marrow, and to the most secret recesses of my heart. In the midst of this suffering, I was unable to bring myself to do anything. "Your will be done, Lord." At times I could not even think these words. Truly, a deadly fear had taken hold of me, and the flames of hell were touching me. Toward morning, silence set in, and my tribulations disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, but I felt so frightfully exhausted that I could not even move. During my conversation with Mother Superior, my strength returned bit by bit, but God alone knows how I felt throughout that whole day.
625 In the evening, when I was praying, the Mother of God
told me, Your lives must be like Mine: quiet and hidden, in unceasing union
with God, pleading for humanity and preparing the world for the second coming
of God
635 March 25. In the morning, during meditation, God's
presence enveloped me in a special way, as I saw the immeasurable greatness
of God and, at the same time, His condescension to His creatures. Then I saw
the Mother of God, who said to me, Oh,
how pleasing to God is the soul that follows faithfully the inspirations of
His grace! I gave the Savior to the world; as for you, you have to speak to
the world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming
of Him who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge. Oh, how
terrible is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine
wrath. The angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy
while it is still the time for [granting] mercy. If you keep silent now, you
will be answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear
nothing. Be faithful to the end. I sympathize with you.
660 O my Jesus, on the day of the last judgment, You will
demand from me an account of this work of mercy. O just Judge, but my Spouse
as well, help me to do Your holy will. O mercy, O divine virtue!
O most merciful Heart of Jesus, my Betrothed, make my heart like unto Yours.
793 I am reliving these moments with Our Lady. With great
longing, I am waiting for the Lord's coming. Great are my desires. I desire
that all humankind come to know the Lord. I would like to prepare all nations
for the coming of the Word Incarnate. O Jesus, make the fount of Your mercy
gush forth more abundantly, for humankind is seriously ill and thus has more
need than ever of Your compassion. You are a bottomless sea of mercy for us
sinners; and the greater the misery, the more right we have to Your mercy.
You are a fount which makes all creatures happy by Your infinite mercy.
825 + O bright and clear day on which all my dreams will
be fulfilled; O day so eagerly desired, the last day of my life! I look
forward with joy to the last stroke the Divine Artist will trace on my soul,
which will give my soul a unique beauty that will distinguish me from the
beauty of other souls. O great day, on which divine love will be confirmed in
me. On that day, for the first time, I shall sing before heaven and earth the
song of the Lord's fathomless mercy. This is my work and the mission which
the Lord has destined for me from the beginning of the world. That the song
of my soul may be pleasing to the Holy Trinity, do You, O Spirit of God,
direct and form my soul yourself. I arm myself with patience and await Your
coming, O merciful God, and as to the terrible pains and fear of death, at
this moment more than at any other time, I trust in the abyss of Your mercy
and am reminding You, O merciful Jesus, sweet Savior, of all the promises You
have made to me.
840 December 23, [1936]. I am spending this time with the
Mother of God and preparing myself for the solemn moment of the coming of the
Lord Jesus. The Mother of God is instructing me in the interior life of the
soul with Jesus, especially in Holy Communion. It is only in eternity that we
shall know the great mystery effected in us by Holy Communion. O most
precious moments of my life!
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.
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.
1076 Write this: Everything that exists is enclosed in the bowels of My mercy, more deeply than an infant in its mother's womb. How painfully distrust of My goodness wounds Me! Sins of distrust wound Me most painfully.
+ Particular Examen
Union with the merciful Christ. With my heart I encompass the whole world, especially countries which are uncivilized or where there is persecution. I am praying for mercy upon them. 1317 I understand Your words, Lord, and the magnitude of the mercy that ought to shine in my soul. Jesus: I know, My daughter, that you understand it and that you do everything within your power. But write this for the many souls who are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy.
1339 O merciful God, You do not despise us, but lavish Your
graces on us continuously. You make us fit to enter ` Your kingdom, and in
Your goodness You grant that human beings may fill the places vacated by the
ungrateful angels. O God of great mercy, who turned Your sacred gaze away
from the rebellious angels and turned it upon contrite man, praise and glory
be to Your unfathomable mercy, O God who do not despise the lowly heart.
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.
1701 I asked the Lord today that
He might deign to teach me about the interior life, because of myself I can
neither understand nor conceive anything perfectly. The Lord answered me,
I was your Teacher, I am and I will be; strive to make your heart like unto
My humble and gentle Heart. Never claim your rights. Bear with great calm and
patience everything that befalls you. Do not defend yourself when you are put
to shame, though innocent. Let others triumph. Do not stop being good when
you notice that your goodness is being abused. I Myself will speak up for you
when it is necessary. Be grateful for the smallest of My graces, because your
gratitude compels Me to grant you new graces...
1702 Towards the end of the Way of
the Cross which I was making, the Lord Jesus began to complain about the
souls of religious and priests, about the lack of love in chosen souls. I
will allow convents and churches to be destroyed. I answered,
"Jesus, but there are so many souls praising You in convents." The
Lord answered, That praise wounds My Heart, because love has been banished
from convents. Souls without love and without devotion, souls full of egoism
and self-love, souls full of pride and arrogance, souls full of deceit and
hypocrisy, lukewarm souls who have just enough warmth to keep them alive: My
Heart cannot bear this. All the graces that I pour out upon them flow off
them as off the face of a rock. I cannot stand them, because they are neither
good or bad. I called convents into being to sanctify the world through them.
It is from them that a powerful flame of love and sacrifice should burst
forth. And if they do not repent and become enkindled by their first love, I
will deliver them over to the fate of this world...
How can they sit on the promised throne of judgment to judge the world, when their guilt is greater than the guilt of the world? There is neither penance nor atonement. O heart, which received Me in the morning and at noon are all ablaze with hatred against Me, hatred of all sorts! O heart specially chosen by Me, were you chosen for this, to give Me more pain? The great sins of the world are superficial wounds on My Heart, but the sins of a chosen soul pierce My Heart through and through... 1703 When I tried to intercede for them, I could find nothing with which to excuse them and, being at the time unable to think of anything in their defense, my heart was seized with pain, and I wept bitterly. Then the Lord looked at me kindly and comforted me with these words: Do not cry. There are still a great number of souls who love Me very much, but My Heart desires to be loved by all and, because My love is great, that is why I warn and chastise them.
1712 A certain person whom I have
mentioned before visited me again. When I saw that she was beginning to get
entangled in her own lies, I let her know that I knew she was lying. She
became very embarrassed and stopped speaking. Then I spoke to her about the
great judgments of God, and I also remarked that she was leading innocent
souls astray and along dangerous roads. I uncovered before her everything
that was in her heart. Since I had to overcome my own feelings in order to
talk to her, to prove to Jesus that I love my enemies, I gave her my
afternoon snack. She went away enlightened in soul, but action is still far
away...
1722 I heard these words: If
you did not tie My hands, I would send down many punishments upon the earth.
My daughter, your look disarms My anger. Although your lips are silent, you
call out to Me so mightily that all heaven is moved. I cannot escape from
your requests, because you pursue Me, not from afar but within your own
heart.
1728 Write: I am Thrice Holy,
and I detest the smallest sin. I cannot love a soul which is stained with
sin; but when it repents, there is no limit to My generosity toward it. My
mercy embraces and justifies it. With My mercy, I pursue sinners along all
their paths, and My Heart rejoices when they return to Me. I forget the
bitterness with which they fed My Heart and rejoice at their return.
Tell sinners that no one shall escape My Hand; if they run away from My Merciful Heart, they will fall into My Just Hands. Tell sinners that I am always waiting for them, that I listen intently to the beating of their heart... when will it beat for Me? Write, that I am speaking to them through their remorse of conscience, through their failures and sufferings, through thunderstorms, through the voice of the Church. And if they bring all My graces to naught, I begin to be angry with them, leaving them alone and giving them what they want. 1729 O my Jesus, You alone know of my efforts. I seem to be a bit better, but better only to the point that I can go out on the veranda instead of lying in bed. I see and am fully aware of what is happening to me. Despite the diligent care of my superiors and the efforts of the doctors, my health is fading and running out. But I rejoice greatly at Your call, my God, my Love, because I know that my mission will begin at the moment of my death. Oh, how much I desire to be set free from the bonds of this body. O my Jesus, You know that, in all my desires, I always want to see Your will. Of myself, I would not want to die one minute sooner, or to live one minute longer, or to suffer less, or to suffer more, but I only want to do Your holy will. Although I have great enthusiasm, and the desires burning in my heart are immense, they are never above Your will. 1730 I fly to Your mercy, Compassionate God, who alone are good. Although my misery is great, and my offenses are many, I trust in Your mercy, because You are the God of mercy; and, from time immemorial, it has never been heard of, nor do heaven or earth remember, that a soul trusting in Your mercy has been disappointed. O God of compassion, You alone can justify me, and You will never reject me when I, contrite, approach Your Merciful Heart, where no one has ever been refused, even if he were the greatest sinner.
1784 Today, in the course of a long conversation, the Lord
said to me, How very much I desire the salvation of souls! My dearest
secretary, write that I want to pour out My divine life into human souls and
sanctify them, if only they were willing to accept My grace. The greatest
sinners would achieve great sanctity, if only they would trust in My mercy.
The very inner depths of My being are filled to overflowing with mercy, and
it is being poured out upon all I have created. My delight is to act in a
human soul and to fill it with My mercy and to justify it. My kingdom on
earth is My life in the human soul. Write, My secretary, that I Myself am the
spiritual guide of souls-and I guide them indirectly through the priest, and
lead each one to sanctity by a road known to Me alone.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-36, 83, 374, 496)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-660, 625, 635, 793, 825, 840, 895)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1076)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1317, 1339)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1548)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1701-1703, 1712, 1722)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1728-1730, 1784)
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Nobyembre 24, 2016
Scary Times-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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