A Taxing Question
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June 6, 2017. Tuesday
of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
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Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Mark 12:13-17
Some Pharisees and
Herodians were sent to Jesus to ensnare him in his speech. They came and said
to him, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are
not concerned with anyone´s opinion. You do not regard a person´s status but
teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the
census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?" Knowing
their hypocrisy he said to them, "Why are you testing me? Bring me a
denarius to look at." They brought one to him and he said to them,
"Whose image and inscription is this?" They replied to him,
"Caesar´s." So Jesus said to them, "Repay to Caesar what
belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." They were utterly
amazed at him.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come before
You humbly. As one who has frequently fallen into sin, I am aware of my
weakness. Your great love, though, assures me that Your grace can keep me on
the path to holiness.
Petition: Give me guidance,
Lord, on a big decision that I have to make.
1. Setting the Trap:
The Pharisees and
Herodians use an old ploy ― flattery ― to try to trap Jesus. It is a ploy
that enjoys a long shelf-life. Flattery can cause us to lower our guard.
"You´re an intelligent person, why don´t you …?" Or: "You´re a
good parent, you already have two kids. You don´t really believe the Church
on …?" Being Christian in the world often means living among devious
people. Hence, Jesus warned us to "be shrewd as serpents and simple as
doves" (Matthew 10:16). To maintain a balance, we have to live only for
God. Is it Christ who shapes my day?
2. Lying in Wait: They pose a false
dilemma to Jesus. It´s "either/or." Either Jesus must accept Caesar
totally, or rebel against Rome. Such is how the world sees it. It´s still
either/or. Either we embrace Darwinism (no questions asked), or we cling to
Creationism. Either we are tolerant of alternate lifestyles, or we are insufferable
bigots. But things are more complicated than that. Moreover, the Catholic
faith is often "both/and." Hence, we give to Caesar and to God what
belongs to each. And how do we decide what belongs to whom? That´s where
things get tricky. And that is precisely why we are called as Christians to
develop our gifts, our intelligence, our prayer life ― so as to make the
right choices. Catholicism is not a religion for robots. It demands that we
use our freedom and gifts responsibly to do God´s will. Am I using my gifts
well? Do I develop my skills and intellect so as to better serve God?
3. The Trap is
Sprung, the Game is Over: Jesus´ response floors his critics. Why? Partly because he
throws the question back to them. Now they have to decide what belongs to
Caesar — and what belongs to God. "You must decide," was Karol
Wojtyla´s signature phrase as a confessor. Nothing can so frighten us as
freedom. It frightened Jesus´ audience. How am I using my own freedom? How am
I using the time God gives me?
Conversation with
Christ: Help me realize,
Lord, that You are calling me in freedom. You respect the freedom You gave
me, even if I misuse it. But I don´t want to misuse it. I want to render a
good account of my life at Judgment Day.
Resolution: I will read some Scripture
or a few paragraphs from the Catechism or a papal document today, to try to
form myself better in the faith.
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.
143 +I
have wasted many of God's graces because I was always afraid of being
deluded. God drew me to himself so powerfully that often it was not in my
power to resist his grace when I was suddenly immersed in him. At these
moments, Jesus filled me with such great peace that, later on, even when I
tried to become uneasy, I could not do so. And then, I heard these words in
my soul: In order that you may be assured that it is I who am demanding
all these things of you, I will give you such profound peace that even if you
wanted to feel troubled and frightened, it would not be in your power to do so
today, but love will flood your soul to the point of self-oblivion.
146
Prayer.-A soul arms itself by prayer for all kinds of combat. In whatever
state the soul may be, it ought to pray. A soul which is pure and beautiful
must pray, or else it will lose its beauty; a soul which is striving after
this purity must pray, or else it will never attain it; a soul which is newly
converted must pray, or else it will fall again; a sinful soul, plunged in
sins, must pray so that it might rise again. There is no soul which is not
bound to pray, for every single grace comes to the soul through prayer.
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.
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.
678 The
essence of the virtues is the will of God. He who does the will of God
faithfully, practices all the virtues. In all the events and circumstances of
my life, I adore and bless the holy will of God. The holy will of God is the
object of my love. In the most secret depths of my soul, I live according to
His will. I act exteriorly according to what I recognize inwardly as the will
of God. Sweeter to me are the torments, sufferings, persecutions and all
manner of adversities by divine will than popularity, praise and esteem by my
own will.
724 On
the eve of the retreat, I started to pray that the Lord Jesus might give me
just a little health so that I could take part in the retreat, because I was
feeling so ill that I thought perhaps it might be my last. However, as soon
as I had started praying I felt a strange dissatisfaction. I interrupted the
prayer of supplication and began to thank the Lord for everything He sends
me, submitting myself completely to His holy will. Then I felt profound peace
of soul. + Faithful submission to the will of God, always and everywhere, in
all events and circumstances of life, gives great glory to God. Such submission
to the will of God carries more weight with Him than long fasts,
mortifications and the most severe penances. Oh, how great is the reward for
one act of loving submission to the will of God! As I write, my soul is
enraptured at the thought of how much God loves it and of the peace that my
soul already enjoys, here on earth
923
February 7, [1937]. Today, the Lord said to me, I demand of you a perfect
and whole-burnt offering; an offering of the will. No other sacrifice can
compare with this one. I myself am directing your life and arranging things
in such a way that you will be for Me a continual sacrifice and will always
do My will. And for the accomplishment of this offering, you will unite
yourself with Me on the Cross. I know what you can do. I myself will give you
many orders directly, but I will delay the possibility of their being carried
out and make it depend on others. But what the superiors will not manage to
do, I myself will accomplish directly in your soul. And in the most hidden
depths of your soul, a perfect holocaust will be carried out, not just for a
while, but know, My daughter, that this offering will last until your death.
But there is time, so that I the Lord will fulfill all your wishes. I delight
in you as in a living host; let nothing terrify you; I am with you.
954
Today after Holy Communion, the Lord told me, My daughter, My delight is
to unite myself with you. It is when you submit yourself to My will that you
give Me the greatest glory and draw down upon yourself a sea of blessings. I
would not take such special delight in you if you were not living by my will.
O my sweet Guest, I am prepared for all sacrifices for Your sake, but You
know that I am weakness itself. Nevertheless, with You I can do all things. O
my Jesus, I beseech You, be with me at each instant.
1122 God of great mercy, who
deigned to send us Your only begotten Son as the greatest proof of Your
fathomless love and mercy, You do not reject sinners; but in Your boundless
mercy You have opened for them also Your treasures, treasures from which they
can draw abundantly, not only justification, but also all the sanctity that a
soul can attain. Father of great mercy, I desire that all hearts turn with
confidence to Your infinite mercy. No one will be justified before You if he
is not accompanied by Your unfathomable mercy. When You reveal the mystery of
Your mercy to us, there will not be enough of eternity to properly thank You
for it.
1123 Oh, how sweet it is to have in the depth of one's soul that which the Church tells us we must believe. When my soul is immersed in love, I solve the most intricate questions clearly and quickly. Only love is able to cross over precipices and mountain peaks. Love, once again, love.
1135 This deeper knowledge of God
gives me full liberty and spiritual freedom, and nothing can disturb my close
union with Him, not even the angelic powers. I feel that I am great when I am
united to God. What happiness it is to have the consciousness of God in one's
heart and to live in close intimacy with Him.
1141 In the evening, He gave me to
understand how fleeting all earthly things are, and [how] everything that
appears great disappears like smoke, and does not give the soul freedom, but
weariness. Happy the soul that understands these things and with only one
foot touches the earth. My repose is to be united with You; everything else
tires me. Oh, how much I feel I am in exile! I see that no one understands my
interior life. You alone understand me, You who are hidden in my heart and
yet are eternally alive.
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.
1146 [Let] the greatest sinners
place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in
the abyss of My mercy. My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented
souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I
grant even more graces than they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest
sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify
him in My unfathomable and inscrutable mercy. Write: before I come as a just
Judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy. He who refuses to pass through
the door of My mercy must pass through the door of My justice...
1147 When once I felt hurt because
of a certain thing and complained to the Lord, Jesus answered, My
daughter, why do you attach such importance to the teaching and the talk of
people? I myself want to teach you; that is why I arrange things so that you
cannot attend those conferences. In a single moment, I will bring you to know
more than others will acquire through many years of toil.
1148 cJune 20, [1937]. We resemble God most when
we forgive our neighbors. God is Love, Goodness, and Mercy...
Every soul, and especially the soul of every religious, should reflect My mercy. My Heart overflows with compassion and mercy for all. The heart of My beloved must resemble Mine; from her heart must spring the fountain of My mercy for souls; otherwise I will not acknowledge her as Mine.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-249, 257, 263-264, 272, 278, 291-292)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-300-302, 328, 331, 333, 352-353, 424)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-449, 481, 497, 500)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-544-545, 567, 635, 637, 650, 666-668)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-683, 724, 734, 742)
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Hunyo 06, 2017
A Taxing Question-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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