The Kingdom Within
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November 10, 2016. Memorial OF St. Leo the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church
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Father Edward Hopkins, LC
Luke
17:20-25
Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of
God would come, Jesus said in reply, "The coming of the kingdom of God
cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ´Look, here it is,´ or, ´There
it is.´ For behold, the kingdom of God is among you." Then he said to
his disciples, "The days will come when you will long to see one of the
days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will
say to you, ´Look, there he is,´ or ´Look, here he is.´ Do not go off, do not
run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one
side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must
suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in Your presence in my life. You have called
me to share in Your faith and love. I trust that You will help me grow closer
to You. I love You, Lord, here and now. I will live this day in prayer.
Petition: Lord, help me to understand Your Kingdom better.
1. When? Since the Pharisees had the wrong notion of the Kingdom of
God, they could hardly ask the proper questions concerning it. Their expected
kingdom was a worldly kingdom that would cast off foreign domination and
restore sovereignty to Israel. But Christ’s kingdom is concerned more about
the state of the soul and the struggle between good and evil than external
nations. The Pharisees’ misperception kept them from recognizing Christ and
his kingdom. Thousands of years later we, too, can be susceptible to the
errors of the Pharisees. For us, a lack of faith can keep us from seeing that
the Kingdom of God comes only when we accept Jesus as king of our souls. Only
when we allow him to rule and order our lives does his kingdom come. The
“when” is now. Now is the moment for me to encounter Christ and make him my
king.
2. Where? Christ’s disciples also struggled to understand the nature of
the kingdom. They sought to see “the days of the Son of Man,” a powerful
reign where Christ was supreme with the entire world subject to him. Yet,
Christ comes first to reign in the heart of each person. In my own heart, do
I believe in Christ and accept his will? Do I love him and sacrifice myself
in order to respond to his will? Am I building the kingdom from my prayer and
life of grace?
3. How? If the kingdom is here and now, then how do we enter? We enter
the same way our King enters – through the door of suffering and perseverance.
“First he must suffer greatly and be rejected.” Belief is not just a one-time
acceptance. Faith must be lived throughout the great and little trials we
encounter in life. In this way we make faith and the kingdom more our own. We
need to remember that in the end, it is the kingdom -- and the King himself
-- who comes to us, like lighting across the sky.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, help me to understand Your
kingdom. Build Your kingdom within me, in my thoughts and desires. Become my
life and my love. Cut away any distance between us. Make my life the light
and salt to spread Your kingdom effectively to those with whom I cross paths.
Resolution: I will dedicate a longer and calmer time to
examine my conscience tonight, and look for progress as well as the struggles
of the kingdom within me.
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.
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.
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, 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 10, 2016
The Kingdom Within-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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