Things Change, God
Does Not
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November 13, 2016. Thirty-Third
Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Luke 21: 5-19
While some people
were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive
offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here-- the days will come when
there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown
down." Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And
what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He
answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name,
saying, ´I am he,’ and ´The time has come.’ Do not follow them!
When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky. Before all this happens, however, they will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I turn to You today with faith, knowing that You are the
Lord of life and history. Aware of my weaknesses and failures, I set my hopes
in You, for You always fulfill your promises. As I contemplate your love that
becomes fidelity, I, too, desire to repay you with my fidelity. I am here
before You to listen and, in listening, discover Your will for me today.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to set my heart on
what is eternal and everlasting.
1. Things Change: Like the people gazing at the physical
beauty of the Temple, we, too, can be mesmerized by the fleeting glitter of
the treasures of this world. Time, experience and our faith teach us that
things change, including relationships. Our relationships with one another
are never static; they are either being weaved more intimately, or they are
fraying or coming apart at the seams. This also holds true for our
relationship with Christ. All we do moves us deeper into his Sacred Heart or
moves us away from him.
2. Christ Is Always
the Same: Christ is the most
sacred of temples; he is the Temple. Yet he changed. His body suffered the
wounds that man inflicted upon his body. Christ changed interiorly, too. He
suffered loneliness of the worst kind, when he experienced the effects of sin
in the depths of his soul – separation from the Father and separation from
his closest friends, his apostles. Yet in essence, Christ always remained the
same, for he is love itself, and love is everlasting. Christ suffered
physical and interior changes in his human nature so that we might partake of
his divine nature, which is the same yesterday, today and forever.
3. The Gift of
Perseverance: In order for us to
enjoy eternal life, we must persevere. St. Paul talks about running the race,
and moreover, about winning the race. Christ teaches us about the final
victory and that to achieve this we must never deny him. Yet we are weak, and
there are many ways that we deny our Lord. How can we who are so weak run the
race and win the gift that lasts forever? Christ gives us the answer: Trust
in him, not in ourselves or in the things or ways of this world. We will
persevere through the grace he won for us on Calvary.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus, Your
beauty transcends all creation, even my holiest of thoughts. Please bless me
with the gift to appreciate more perfectly the limited beauty of created
things and the infinite and everlasting beauty of You, my Lord and my God.
Resolution: Today I will reflect on the beauty of God’s
creation and on the reality that all creation changes. As well, I will see
and respect the everlasting beauty that resides, or should reside, in the
hearts of all men, so that I will treat all people with the highest degree of
respect.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
140 Pure love is
capable of great deeds, and it is not broken by difficulty or adversity. As
it remains strong in the midst of great difficulties, so too it perseveres in
the toilsome and drab life of each day. It knows that only one thing is
needed to please God: to do even the smallest things out of great love-love,
and always love.
Pure love never errs. Its light is strangely plentiful. It will not do anything that might displease God. It is ingenious at doing what is more pleasing to God, and no one will equal it. It is happy when it can empty itself and burn like a pure offering. The more it gives of itself, the happier it is. But also, no one can sense dangers from afar as can love; it knows how to unmask and also knows with whom it has to deal.
147 I recall that I have received most light
during adoration which I made lying prostrate before the Blessed Sacrament
for half an hour every day throughout Lent. During that time I came to know
myself and God more profoundly. And yet, even though I had the superiors'
permission to do so, I encountered many obstacles to praying in such a way.
Let the soul be aware that, in order to pray and persevere in prayer, one
must arm oneself with patience and cope bravely with exterior and interior
difficulties. The interior difficulties are discouragement, dryness,
heaviness of spirit and temptations. The exterior difficulties are human
respect and time; one must observe the time set apart for prayer. This has
been my personal experience because, when I did not pray at the time assigned
for prayer, later on I could not do it because of my duties; or if I did
manage to do so, this was only with great difficulty, because my thoughts
kept wandering off to my duties. I also experienced this difficulty: when a
soul has prayed well and left prayer in a state of profound interior
recollection, others resist its recollection; and so, the soul must be
patient to persevere in prayer. It often happened to me that when my soul was
more deeply immersed in God, and I had derived greater fruit from prayer, and
God's presence accompanied me during the day, and at work there was more
recollection and greater precision and effort at my duty, this was precisely
when I received the most rebukes for being negligent in my duty and
indifferent to everything; because less recollected souls want others to be
like them, for they are a constant [source of] remorse to them.
157 +In the evening,
when I entered the small chapel, I heard these words in my soul: My
daughter, consider these words: "And being in agony, he prayed more
earnestly." When I started to think about them more deeply,
much light streamed into my soul. I learned how much we need
perseverance in prayer and that our salvation often depends on such
difficult prayer.
477 Silence is a
sword in the spiritual struggle. A talkative soul will never attain sanctity.
The sword of silence will cut off everything that would like to cling to the
soul. We are sensitive to words and quickly want to answer back, without
taking any regard as to whether it is God's will that we should speak. A
silent soul 14 strong; no adversities will harm it if it perseveres in
silence. The silent soul is capable of attaining the closest union with God.
It lives almost always under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God works in
a silent soul without hindrance.
646 But after a
short while, I entered into the sufferings which Jesus underwent in the
Garden of Olives. This lasted until Friday morning. On Friday, I experienced
the Passion of Jesus but, this time, in a different way. On that day, Father
Bukowski came from Derdy. Some strange power pushed me to go to confession
and tell him about everything that had happened to me and about what Jesus
had said to me. When I told Father, he was quite different and he said to me,
"Sister, don't be afraid of anything; you will come to no harm, for the
' Lord Jesus will not allow it. If you are obedient and persevere in this
disposition, you need not worry about anything. God will find a way to bring
about His work. You should always have this simplicity and sincerity and tell
everything to Mother General. What I said to ; you was said as a warning,
because illusions may afflict even holy persons, and Satan's insinuations may
play a part in this, and sometimes this comes from our own selves, so one has
to be careful. And so continue as you have thus far. You can see, Sister,
that the Lord is not angered by this. And Sister, you can repeat these things
that have happened to you at present to your regular confessor [Father Sopocko]."
860 There are times
in life when the soul finds comfort only in profound prayer. Would that souls
knew how to persevere in prayer at such times. This is very important.
+ J.M.J. Jesus, I
trust in You.
872 January 7. During the Holy Hour, the Lord
allowed me to taste His Passion. I shared in the bitterness of the suffering
that filled His soul to overflowing. Jesus gave me to understand how a soul
should be faithful to prayer despite torments, dryness and temptations; because
oftentimes the realization of God's great plans depends mainly on such prayer.
If we do not persevere in such prayer, we frustrate what the Lord wanted to do
through us or within us. Let every soul remember these words: "And being
in anguish, He prayed longer." I always prolong such prayer as much as is
in my power and in conformity with my duty.
1244 August 15, 1937. During meditation, God's presence pervaded me
keenly, and I was aware of the Virgin Mary's joy at the moment of Her
Assumption. Towards the end of the ceremony carried out in honor of the
Mother of God, I saw the Virgin Mary, and She said to me, Oh, how very
pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment She covered all
the sisters of our Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right hand, She clasped
Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand She did so to me,
while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her mantle. Then the
Mother of God said, Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in
My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory, and I desire that each
one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility and meekness;
chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and mercy. After these
words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my sight, and I remained alone
with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about the will of God and how to
apply it to my life, submitting completely to His most holy decrees. It is
impossible for one to please God without obeying His holy will. My
daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God's wishes,
for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire that you
distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing God's will. Put
the will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts. While the
heavenly Mother was talking to me, a deep understanding of this will of God
was entering my soul.
1347+ Holy
Confession. After giving an account of my conscience, I was given the
permissions I asked for: to wear the bracelet for half an hour every day
during Holy Mass, and in times of difficulty, to wear the belt for two hours.
[Father said,] "Sister, persevere in this great faithfulness to the Lord
Jesus."
1398 Advent is
approaching. I want to prepare my heart for the coming of the Lord Jesus by
silence and recollection of spirit, uniting myself with the Most Holy Mother
and faithfully imitating Her virtue of silence, by which She found pleasure
in the eyes of God Himself. I trust that, by Her side, I will persevere in
this resolution.
1489 Conversation
of the Merciful God with a Perfect Soul.
Soul: My Lord and Master, I desire to converse with You. Jesus: Speak, My beloved child, for I am always listening. I wait for you. What do you desire to say? Soul: Lord, first let me pour out my heart at Your feet in a fragrant anointing of gratitude for the many blessings which You lavish upon me; even if I wanted to, I could not count them. I only recall that there has never been a moment in my life in which I have not experienced Your protection and goodness. Jesus: Your words please Me, and your thanksgiving opens up new treasures of graces. But, My child, we should talk in more detail about the things that lie in your heart. Let us talk confidentially and frankly, as two hearts that love one another do. Soul: O my merciful Lord, there are secrets in my heart which no one knows or will ever know except You because, even if I wanted to reveal them, no one would understand me. Your minister knows some because I confess to him, but he knows only the bit of these mysteries that I am capable of revealing; the rest remains between us for eternity, O My Lord! You have covered me with the cloak of Your mercy, pardoning my sins. Not once did You refuse Your pardon; You always had pity on me, giving me a new life of grace. To prevent doubts, You have entrusted me to the loving care of Your Church, that tender mother, who in Your name assures me of the truths of faith and watches lest I wander. Especially in the tribunal of Your mercy does my soul meet an ocean of favors, though You did not give the Fallen Angels time to repent or prolong their time of mercy. O my Lord, you have provided saintly priests to show me the sure way. Jesus, there is one more secret in my life, the deepest and dearest to my heart: it is You yourself when You come to my heart under the appearance of bread. Herein lies the whole secret of my sanctity. Here my heart is so united with Yours as to be but one. There are no more secrets, because all that is Yours is mine, and all that is mine is Yours. Such is the omnipotence and the miracle of Your mercy. All the tongues of men and of angels united could not find words adequate to this mystery of Your love and mercy. When I contemplate this mystery, my heart falls into a new ecstasy. In silence I tell You everything, Lord, because the language of love is without words; not a single stirring of my heart escapes You. O Lord, the extent of Your great condescension has awakened in my soul an even greater love for You, the sole object of my love. The life of union manifests itself in perfect purity, deep humility, gentle silence, and great zeal for the salvation of souls. O my sweetest Lord, You watch over me each moment and inspire me as to how I should act in a precise situation, when my heart wavers between two things. You yourself frequently intervened in the resolution of a difficulty. Countless times, by means of a sudden enlightenment, You have given me to know what is the more pleasing to You. Oh, how numerous are the instances of forgiveness about which no one knows! How often You have poured into my soul courage and perseverance to go forward. It is You yourself who removed obstacles from my road, intervening directly in the actions of people. O Jesus, everything I have said to You is but a pale shadow of what is taking place in my heart. O my Jesus, how ardently I desire the conversion of sinners! You know what I am doing for them to win them for You. Every offense against You wounds me deeply. I spare neither strength, nor health, nor life itself in defense of Your kingdom. Although my efforts may remain invisible on earth, they are no less valuable in Your eyes. O Jesus, I want to bring souls to the fount of Your mercy to draw the reviving water of life with the vessel of trust. The soul desirous of more of God's mercy should approach God with greater trust; and if her trust in God is unlimited, then the mercy of God toward it will be likewise limitless. O my God, Who know every beat of my heart, You know how eagerly I desire that all hearts would beat for You alone, that every soul glorify the greatness of Your mercy. Jesus: My beloved child, delight of My Heart, your words are dearer and more pleasing to me than the angelic chorus. All the treasures of My Heart are open to you. Take from this Heart all that you need for yourself and for the whole world. For the sake of your love, I withhold the just chastisements, which mankind has deserved. A single act of pure love pleases Me more than a thousand imperfect prayers. One of your sighs of love atones for many offenses with which the godless overwhelm Me. The smallest act of virtue has unlimited value in My eyes because of your great love for Me. In a soul that lives on My love alone, I reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I find My happiness; My ear is attentive to each request of its heart; often I anticipate its requests. O child, especially beloved by Me, apple of My eye, rest a moment near My Heart and taste of the love in which you will delight for all eternity. But child, you are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king's child would; and remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you, My child, a great number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity. My child, that you may answer My call worthily, receive Me daily in Holy Communion. It will give you strength... Jesus, do not leave me alone in suffering. You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am nothingness itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall? I am an infant, Lord, so I cannot get along by myself. However, beyond all abandonment I trust, and in spite of my own feeling I trust, and I am being completely transformed into trust-often in spite of what I feel. Do not lessen any of my sufferings, only give me strength to bear them. Do with me as You please, Lord, only give me the grace to be able to love You in every event and circumstance. Lord, do not lessen my cup of bitterness, only give me strength that I may be able to drink it all. O Lord, sometimes You lift me up to the brightness of visions, and then again You plunge me into the darkness of night and the abyss of my nothingness, and my soul feels as if it were alone in the wilderness. Yet, above all things, I trust in You, Jesus, for You are unchangeable. My moods change, but You are always the same, full of mercy.
1577 Tell
souls not to place within their own hearts obstacles to My mercy, which so
greatly wants to act within them. My mercy works in all those hearts which
open their doors to it. Both the sinner and the righteous person have need of
My mercy. Conversion, as well as perseverance, is a grace of My mercy.
1580 My Jesus, I now see that I have gone
through all the stages of my life following You: childhood, youth, vocation,
apostolic work, Tabor, Gethsemane, and now I am already with You on Calvary.
I have willingly allowed myself to be crucified, and I am indeed already
crucified; although I can still walk a little, I am stretched out on the
cross, and I feel distinctly that strength is flowing to me from Your Cross,
that You and You alone are my perseverance. Although I often hear the voice
of temptation calling to me, "Come down from the cross!" the power
of God strengthens me. Although loneliness and darkness and sufferings of all
kinds beat against my heart, the mysterious power of God supports and
strengthens me. I want to drink the cup to the last drop. I trust firmly that
Your grace, which has sustained me in the Garden of Olives, will sustain me
also now that I am on Calvary.
1581 O my Jesus, my Master, I unite my
desires to the desires that You had on the cross: I desire to fulfill Your holy
will; I desire the conversion of souls; I desire that Your mercy be adored; I
desire that the triumph of the Church be hastened; I desire the Feast of
Mercy to be celebrated all over the world; I desire sanctity for priests; I
desire that there be a saint in our Congregation; I desire that our whole
Congregation have a great spirit of zeal for the glory of God and for the
salvation of souls; I desire that souls who live in our homes do not offend
God, but persevere in good; I desire that the blessing of God descend upon my
parents and my whole family; I desire that God give special light to my
spiritual directors, and in particular to Father An. and Father So.; I desire
a special blessing for Superiors 234 under
whose direction I have been, and in particular for Mother , General
[Michael], for Mother Irene and for the Directress of Novices, Mother [Mary]
Joseph.
1620 + Jesus-Host,
if You Yourself did not sustain me, I would not be able to persevere on the
cross. I would not be able to endure so much suffering. But the power of Your
grace maintains me on a higher level and makes my sufferings meritorious. You
give me strength always to move forward and to gain heaven by force and to
have love in my heart for those from whom I suffer adversities and contempt.
With Your grace one can do all things.
1744 May You be
adored, O merciful God of ours,
O All-powerful Lord
and Creator.
In deepest humility,
we give You praise,
Plunging ourselves
into the ocean of Your Godhead.
But man did not
persevere in the hour of trial.
At the instigation
of the evil one, he became unfaithful to You.
He lost Your grace
and gifts; only misery was left him,
And tears,
suffering, sorrow and bitterness, until he would rest in the grave.
But you, O merciful
God, did not let humanity perish,
And gave it the
promise of a Redeemer.
You did not let us
despair, despite our grave offenses,
And You sent Your
prophets to Israel.
Still, day and
night, mankind cries out to You,
From the abyss of
misery, sin and all pain.
Hear the moaning and
the tears, You who reign in heaven,
God of great mercy,
God of compassion.
Man erred, but he
cannot ask pardon,
Because a gaping
chasm has appeared between God and man.
With the voice of
his misery, he cries out, "Mercy!"
But Yahweh is
silent... and century after century passes on.
But the longing of
all humankind grows deeper.
A longing for Him
who has been promised.
Come, Lamb of God,
take away our vile sins,
Come, illumine our
darkness like a ray of light.
Humanity calls out
to You unceasingly, O Lord of lords,
Calls out to Your
unfathomable mercy, to Your compassion.
O great Yahweh,
grant that we may make atonement,
Remember Your
goodness, and forgive us our sins.
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-140, 147, 157, 163, 178, 186-187, 216)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-477)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-646, 860, 872)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-791, 856, 861, 871, 944)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1398, 1489, 1577, 1580)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1620, 1744)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1701-1703,
1743, 1747, 1754, 1758)
http://www.saint-faustina.com/Diary/DMIMS10.shtml
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