A Seed Destined to Bear Fruit
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July 16, 2017. Fifteenth
Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Matthew 13: 1-23
That same day Jesus
went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered
around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood
on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen!
A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and
the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they
did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth
of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no
root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew
up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain,
some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears
listen!" Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak
to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it has been given to
know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.
For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance;
but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The
reason I speak to them in parables is that ´seeing they do not perceive, and
hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.´ With them indeed is
fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: ´You will indeed listen, but
never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this
people´s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they
have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen
with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn-- and I would heal
them.´ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you
see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it. Hear
then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and
does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in
the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky
ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with
joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when
trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately
falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the
word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and
it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who
hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one
case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in You; I know that You are always watching
over me and guiding me. I trust and hope in You, because I know You will
never lead me astray, if only I listen to You and obey You. I love You for
being so good and patient with me, and I desire to live each day more
faithful to You.
Petition: Open my ears, Lord Jesus, so I can listen to and accept Your
Word into my heart and so bear abundant fruit for you.
1. Listen! Twice in this Gospel passage, Jesus exhorts
the crowds to “Listen!” The fact is, today as then, it is hard for us to stop
what we are doing, put aside our prejudices, worries and preoccupations, and
really listen to God. But, how else can we hope to know God’s will for us?
During his earthly life, Jesus often – as in this passage – spoke in
parables. He wants us to make the effort to understand his message and apply
it to our lives. That is the first and essential step to make it possible for
him to enter our lives through the Word and transform us so we can bear
fruit.
2. Blessed Are We: Jesus tells his disciples that they are
blessed because they see what they see and hear what they hear. We could feel
that we are less blessed, because we don’t see and hear Jesus directly.
However, in a way we are more blessed! The disciples in Jesus’ time had to
struggle to understand his message. It was a new and difficult teaching, and
they were the first to have to interpret, teach and apply this message. We
have the benefit of nearly two thousand years of saints and scholars who,
with their lives and writings, have explained and applied the Gospel. We have
the Holy Spirit that the disciples had not yet received when Jesus spoke
these words. We have the presence of Jesus himself in the Eucharist. We
should be thankful for all these gifts we have received and allow them to
bear fruit in our lives.
3. A Hundredfold: If we do listen to Jesus’ message,
both in Scripture and in the many indirect ways he manifests his will to us
in our lives, and if we appreciate what a gift this is, we must show our
gratitude with the way we live. We have to be the good soil that bears fruit
a hundredfold. That means not only growing in our own faith and living in
consonance with it, but also multiplying the gift by sharing it with others.
We can’t be satisfied with being good and not sinning; in order to be good
Christians, we have to spread the message in whatever ways are available to
us in our state of life. Every day we should ask ourselves: What have I done
today to spread the seeds of the Gospel?
Conversation with
Christ: Thank You, Jesus, for all You have given me!
I’m sorry for the times I have not given You priority over other things and
have not listened to You or shared with others the gifts You’ve given me.
Help me to bear abundant fruit!
Resolution: I will spend some time with God today to examine my life and
see how I can both listen better and share God’s gifts more with others.
Excerpts
from the DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
19 I came to my cell. The sisters were
already in bed - the lights were out. I entered the cell full of anguish and
discontent; I did not know what to do with myself. I threw myself headlong on
the ground and began to pray fervently that I might come to know the will of
God. There is silence everywhere as in the tabernacle. All the sisters are
resting like white hosts enclosed in Jesus’ chalice. It is only from my cell
that God can hear the moaning of a soul. I did not know that one was not
allowed to pray in the cell after nine without permission. [8]
After a while a brightness filled my cell,
and on the curtain I saw the very sorrowful Face of Jesus. There were open
wounds on His Face, and large tears were falling on my bedspread. Not knowing
what all this meant, I asked Jesus, “Jesus who has hurt You so?” And Jesus
said to me, It is you who will cause Me this pain if you leave this convent. It is to this place that I called you and
nowhere else; and I have prepared many graces for you. I begged pardon of
Jesus and immediately changed my decision.
The next day was confession day. I related
all that had taken place in my soul, and the confessor answered that, from
this, God's will is clear that I am to remain in this congregation and that
I'm not even to think of another religious order. From that moment on, I have
always felt happy and content.
64 When I came to Vilnius for two months to
replace a sister who had gone for her third probation [Sister Peter, who
worked in the kitchen], I stayed a little longer than two months. One day,
the Mother Superior [Irene[34]], wanting to give me a bit of pleasure, gave
me permission to go, together with another sister,[35] to Calvary to
"walk the paths," as they say. I was delighted. Although it was not
very far, it was Mother Superior's wish that we should go by boat. That
evening Jesus said to me, I want you
to stay home. I answered, "Jesus, everything is ready for us to
leave tomorrow morning; what am I to do now?" The Lord answered, This trip will be harmful to your soul.
I replied to Jesus, "You can find a way out. Arrange things in such a
way that Your will may be done." At that moment the bell announced the
time for sleep. I gave Jesus a parting glance and went to my cell.
Next morning the weather was beautiful, and
my companion was filled with joy at the prospect of the great pleasure we
would have in getting to see everything. But as for me, I was sure we would
not go, even though there were no obstacles so far.
We were to receive Holy Communion earlier
and leave right after the thanksgiving. But during the time of Communion, all
of a sudden, the weather changed. Clouds covered the sky, and the rain came
down in torrents. Everyone was astounded at such a sudden change in the
weather.
Mother Superior said to me, "I am so
sorry you cannot go, Sisters!" I answered, "Dear Mother, it doesn't
really matter that we cannot go; it was God's will that we stay home."
However, no one knew that it was Jesus' express desire that I stay home. I
spent the whole day in recollection and meditation, thanking the Lord for
having kept me home. That day, God granted me many heavenly consolations.
75 But these doubts always come from
without, a fact which inclined me to close myself up more and more within
myself. When, during confession, I sense uncertainty on the part of the
priest, I do not open my soul to its depths, but only accuse myself of my
sins. A priest who is not at peace with himself will not be able to inspire
peace in another soul.
O priests, you bright candles enlightening
human souls, let your brightness never be dimmed. I understood that at that
time it was not God's will that I uncover my soul completely. Later on, God
did give me this grace.
170 The first day of the retreat. I tried
to be the first in the chapel in the morning; before the meditation I had a
bit of time for prayer to the Holy Spirit and to Our Lady. I earnestly begged
the Mother of God to obtain for me the grace of fidelity to these inner
inspirations and of faithfully carrying out God's will, whatever it might be.
I began this retreat with a very special kind of courage.
279 God made known to me what true love
consists in and gave light to me about how, in practice, to give proof of it
to Him. True love of God consists in carrying out God's will. To show God our
love in what we do, all our actions, even the least, must spring from our
love of God. And the Lord said to me, My
child, you please Me most by suffering. In your physical as well as your
mental sufferings, My daughter, do not seek sympathy from creatures. I want
the fragrance of your suffering to be pure and unadulterated. I want you to
detach yourself, not only from creatures, but also from yourself. My
daughter, I want to delight in the love of your heart, a pure love, virginal,
unblemished, untarnished. The more you will come to love suffering, My
daughter, the purer your love for Me will be.
God and Souls. An Act of Oblation.
309 Before heaven and earth, before all the
choirs of Angels, before the Most Holy Virgin Mary, before all the Powers of
heaven, I declare to the One Triune God that today, in union with Jesus
Christ, Redeemer of souls, I make a voluntary offering of myself for the
conversion of sinners, especially for those souls who have lost hope in God's
mercy. This offering consists in my accepting, with total subjection to God's
will, all the sufferings, fears and terrors with which sinners are filled. In
return, I give them all the consolations which my soul receives from my
communion with God. In a word, I offer everything for them: Holy Masses, Holy
Communions, penances, mortifications, prayers. I do not fear the blows, blows
of divine justice, because I am united with Jesus. O my God, in this way I
want to make amends to You for the souls that do not trust in Your goodness.
I hope against all hope in the ocean of Your mercy. My Lord and my God, my portion-my
portion forever, I do not base this act of oblation on my own strength, but
on the strength that flows from the merits of Jesus Christ. I will daily
repeat this act of self-oblation by pronouncing the following prayer which
You yourself have taught me, Jesus:
"O
Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of
Mercy for us, I trust in You!"
S. M.
Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament Holy Thursday, during Holy Mass, March 29,
1934.
354 As I was talking to a certain
person[84] who was to paint the image but, for certain reasons, was not
painting it, I heard this voice in my soul: I want her to be more obedient. I understood that our efforts, no
matter how great, are not pleasing to God if they do not bear the seal of
obedience; I am speaking about a religious soul. O God, how easy it is to
know Your will in the convent! We religious have God's will set clearly
before our eyes from morning till night, and in moments of uncertainty we
have our superiors through whom God speaks.
395 [February] 15, 1935. A few days' visit
at my parents' home [92] to see my dying mother.
When I learned that my mother was seriously
ill and near death, and that she had asked that I come home, as she wanted to
see me once more before dying, a host of emotions were awakened in my heart.
As a child who sincerely loves its mother, I wanted very much to fulfill her
wish. But I left this to God and resigned myself completely to His will.
Paying no heed to the ache in my heart, I followed God's will. On the morning
of my name day, February fifteen, Mother Superior gave me a second letter
from my family and granted me permission to go to my parents' home to fulfill
the wish and request of my dying mother. I began at once to make the
necessary preparations for the journey and left Vilnius in the evening. I
offered the whole night for my seriously ill mother, that God might grant her
the grace of losing none of the merits of her suffering.
435 As I was walking in the garden in the
evening, I heard these words: By your
entreaties, you and your companions shall obtain mercy for yourselves and for
the world. I understood that I would not remain in the Congregation in
which I am at the present time.[95] I saw clearly that God's will regarding
me was otherwise. But 1 kept making excuses before God, telling Him that I
was unable to carry out this task. "Jesus, You know very well what I
am" [I said], and I started enumerating my weaknesses to the Lord,
hiding behind them so that He would agree that I was unable to carry out His
plans. Then I heard these words: Do
not fear; I myself will make up for everything that is lacking in you.
But these words penetrated me to my depths and made me even more aware of my
misery, and I understood that the word of the Lord is living and that it
penetrates to the very depths. I understood that God demands a more perfect
way of life of me. However, I kept using my incompetence as an excuse.
439 Then came the moment to receive Holy
Communion, and Jesus disappeared, and I saw a great brightness. Then I heard
these words: We give Our blessing,
and at that moment a bright ray issued from that light and pierced my heart;
an extraordinary fire was enkindled in my soul-I thought I would die of joy
and happiness. I felt the separation of my spirit from my body. I felt
totally immersed in God, I felt I was snatched up by the Almighty, like a
particle of dust, into unknown expanses.
Trembling with joy in the embrace of the
Creator, I felt He himself was supporting me so that I could bear this great
happiness and gaze at His Majesty. I know now that, if He himself had not
first strengthened me by His grace, my soul would not have been able to bear
the happiness, and I would have died in an instant. Holy Mass came to an end
I know not when, for it was beyond my power to pay attention to what was
going on in the chapel. But when I recovered my senses, I felt the strength
and courage to do God's will; nothing seemed difficult to me; and whereas I
had previously been making excuses to the Lord, I now felt the Lord's courage
and strength within me, and I said to the Lord, "I am ready for every
beck and call of Your will!" Interiorly, I had gone through everything
that I war going to experience in the future.
444 The priest spoke these profound words
to me, "There are three degrees in the accomplishment of God's will: in
the first, the soul carries out all rules and statutes pertaining to external
observance; in the second degree, the soul accepts interior inspirations and
carries them out faithfully; in the third degree, the soul, abandoned to the
will of God, allows Him to dispose of it freely, and God does with it as He
pleases, and it is a docile tool in His hands." And the priest said that
I was at the second degree in the accomplishment of God's will and that I had
not yet reached the third degree, but that I should strive to attain it.
These words pierced my soul. I see clearly that God often gives the priest
knowledge of what is going on in the depths of my soul. This does not
surprise me at all; indeed, I thank God that He has such chosen persons.
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 is 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.
479 My second confession to the Archbishop
[Jalbrzykowski]. "Know, my daughter, that if this is the will of God, it
will take place sooner or later, for God's will must be done. Love God in
your heart, have..." ( unfinished thought].
506
"Do nothing without the consent of the superiors. One must think
this matter over thoroughly and pray much. One must be very careful about
these things because, in your present situation, Sister, the will of God is
certain and clear, for you are in fact bound to this Congregation by vows,
and perpetual vows at that; so there should be no doubt. What you are
experiencing interiorly, Sister, are only the glimmerings of a project. God
can make some alterations, but such things are very rare. Don't be in a
hurry, Sister, until you have received more precise knowledge. The works of
God proceed slowly, but if they are of Him, you will surely recognize them
clearly. If they are not, they will disappear; and you, by being obedient,
will not go astray. Speak frankly about everything to your confessor and obey
him blindly.
"For the present, Sister, there is
nothing more for you to do than accept the suffering until the time when
everything will become clear; that is, all things will be resolved. You are
well disposed as regards these matters, and so continue in this simplicity
and spirit of obedience; this is a good sign. If you continue in this
attitude, God will not allow you to fall into error. Still, as much as is
possible, keep far away from these things, but if despite that they still
come your way, receive them calmly and do not fear anything. You are in the
good hands of a very good God. In all that you have told me, I do not see any
illusion or anything contrary to faith. These are things which are good in
themselves, and it would indeed be good if there were a group of souls
pleading with God for the world, as we all are in need of prayer. You have a
good director; stay with him and be at peace. Be faithful to God's will and
carry it out. As to your duties, always do what you are told to do and as you
are told to do it, no matter how humiliating or toilsome it might be. Always
choose the last place, and then they themselves will say to you, `Go up
higher.' In spirit and in your demeanor, consider yourself the least in the
whole house and in the entire Congregation. In everything and at all times,
be most faithful to God."
515 In the evening, when I was walking in
the garden saying my rosary and came to the cemetery,[102] I opened the gate
a little and began to pray for a while, and I asked them interiorly,
"You are very happy are you not?" Then I heard the words, "We
are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled God's will"-and then
silence as before. I became introspective and reflected for a long time on
how I am fulfilling God's will and how I am profiting from the time that God
has given me.
518 + Before All Souls' Day, I went to the
cemetery at dusk. Although it was locked, I managed to open the gate a bit
and said, "If you need something, my dear little souls, I will be glad
to help you to the extent that the rule permits me." I then heard these
words, "Do the will of God; we are happy in the measure that we have fulfilled
God's will."
527 On one occasion, I felt an urge to set
to work and fulfill whatever God is demanding of me. I entered the chapel for
a moment and heard a voice in my soul saying, Why are you afraid? Do you think that I will not have enough omnipotence
to support you? At that moment, my soul felt extraordinary strength, and
all the adversities that could befall me in carrying out God's will seemed as
nothing to me.
585 January 8, 1936. When I went to see the
Archbishop [Jalbrzykowski], I told him that Jesus was asking that I pray for
God's mercy upon the world and that there be a religious congregation which
would entreat the mercy of God for the world. I asked his permission for all
the Lord Jesus was demanding of me. The Arch bishop answered me in these
words: "As for prayer, I give my permission and even encourage you,
Sister, to pray as much as possible for the world and to beg God's mercy, as
mercy is what we all need; and I presume that your confessor certainly does
not forbid you to pray for this intention. But as regards this congregation,
wait a while, Sister, so that all things may arrange themselves more
favorably. This thing is good in itself, but there is no need to hurry. If it
is God's will, it will be done, whether it be a little sooner or a little
later. Why shouldn't it be? There are so many different kinds of
congregations; this one too will come to be if God so wills. Be completely at
peace. The Lord Jesus can do all things. Strive for a close union with God
and do not lose heart." These words filled me with great joy.
615 March 1, 1936. Today during Holy Mass I
experienced a strange force and urge to start realizing God's wishes. I had
such a clear understanding of the things the Lord was asking of me that truly
if I were to say that I do not understand what God is demanding from me, I
would be lying, because the Lord is making His will known to me so clearly
and distinctly that I do not have the least shadow of a doubt about them. I
realized that it would be the greatest ingratitude to delay any longer this
undertaking which the Lord wishes to bring to fulfillment for His glory and
the benefit of a great number of souls. And He is using me as a miserable
tool through which to realize His eternal plans of mercy. Truly, how ungrateful
my soul would be to resist God's will any longer. Nothing will stop me any
longer, be it persecution, sufferings, sneers, threats, entreaties, hunger,
cold, flattery, friendships, adversities, friends or enemies; be it things I
am experiencing now or things that will come in the future or even the hatred
of hellnothing will deter me from doing the will of God.
I am not counting on my own strength, but
on His omnipotence for, as he gave me the grace of knowing His holy will, He
will also grant me the grace of fulfilling it. I cannot fail to mention how
much my own lower nature resists this thing, manifesting its own desires, and
there results within my soul a great struggle, like that of Jesus in the
Garden of Olives. And so I too cry out to God, the Eternal Father, "If
it is possible, take this cup from me, but, nevertheless, not my will, but
Yours be done, O Lord; may Your will be done." What I am about to go
through is no secret to me, but with full knowledge I accept whatever You
send me, O Lord. I trust in You, O merciful God, and I wish to be the first
to manifest to You that confidence which You demand of souls. O Eternal
Truth, help me and enlighten me along the roadways of life, and grant that
Your will be accomplished in me.
My God, I desire nothing but the
fulfillment of Your will. It does not matter whether it will be easy or
difficult. I feel an extraordinary force driving me to action. One thing
alone holds me back, and that is holy obedience. O my Jesus, You urge me on
the one hand and hold me back and restrain me on the other. In this, too, O
my Jesus, may Your holy will be done.
I continued in this state, without a break,
for many days. My physical strength declined, and though I did not speak to
anyone about it, nevertheless Mother Superior [Borgia] noticed my pain and
remarked that I had changed in appearance and was very pale. She told me to
go to bed earlier and to sleep longer, and she had a cup of hot milk brought
to me in the evening. She had a motherly heart, full of care, and tried to help
me. But in the case of spiritual sufferings, external things have no
influence, and they do not bring much relief. It was from the confessional
that I drew my strength and the consolation of knowing that it would not be
long before I could begin to act.
666 I understood that all striving for
perfection and all sanctity consist in doing God's will. Perfect fulfillment
of God's will is maturity in sanctity; there is no room for doubt here. To
receive God's light and recognize what God wants of us and yet not do it is a
great offense against the majesty of God. Such a soul deserves to be
completely forsaken by God. It resembles Lucifer, who had great light, but
did not do God's will. An extraordinary peace entered my soul when I
reflected on the fact that, despite great difficulties, I had always
faithfully followed God's will as I knew it. O Jesus, grant me the grace to
put Your will into practice as I have come to know it, O God.
667 July 14. I received a letter at three
o'clock [from Father Sopocko [135]]. O Jesus, You alone know what I suffer,
but I will keep silent and will not say anything about it to any creature,
because I know that no one will comfort me. You are everything to me, O God,
and Your holy will is my nourishment. I am living now on what I will live on
in eternity.
I have great reverence for Saint Michael
the Archangel; he had no example to follow in doing the will of God, and yet
he fulfilled God's will faithfully.
713 October 11. This evening, as I was
writing about this great mercy of God and its great advantage to souls, Satan
rushed into my room with great anger and fury. He seized the screen and began
to break and crush it. I was a little frightened at first, but I immediately
made the sign of the cross with my little crucifix, and the beast fell quiet
and disappeared at once. Today, I did not see this hideous figure but only
his anger. Satan's anger is terrible, and yet the screen was not shattered or
broken, and I went on writing quietly. I know well that the wretch will not
touch me without God's willing it, but what is he up to? He is beginning to
attack me openly and with such great fury and hate, but he does not disturb
my peace for a moment, and this composure of mine makes him furious.
830 O Light Eternal, who come to this earth,
enlighten my mind and strengthen my will that I may not give up in times of
great affliction. May Your light dissipate all the shadows of doubt. May Your
omnipotence act through me. I trust in You, O uncreated Light! You, O Infant
Jesus, are a model for me in accomplishing Your Father's will, You, who said,
"Behold, I come to do Your will." Grant that I also may do God's
will faithfully in all things. O Divine Infant, grant me this grace!
894 Today the doctor decided that I am not
to go to Mass, but only to Holy Communion. I wanted very much to assist at
Mass, but my confessor, [162] in agreement with the doctor, told me to obey.
"It is God's will, Sister, that you should get well, and you must not
undertake mortifications of any kind. Be obedient, Sister, and God will
reward you for it." I felt that the confessor's words were Jesus' words,
and although it made me sad to miss Holy Mass, during which God had been
granting me the grace of seeing the Infant Jesus; nevertheless, I placed
obedience above everything else.
I became absorbed in prayer and said my
penance. Then I suddenly saw the Lord, who said to me, My daughter, know that
you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers
and mortifications. Oh, how good it is to live under obedience, to live
conscious of the fact that everything I do is pleasing to God!
924 Today, I received a note from Mother
Superior forbidding me to go to the bedside of the dying. And so, I will send
to the dying obedience in place of self, and it will support the souls who
are dying. Such is God's will, and that is enough for me. That which I cannot
understand now I will learn later.
937 + I will say a word more about my
spiritual director [Father Andrasz or Father Sopocko [169]]. It is strange that
there are so few priests who know how to pour power, strength and courage
into a soul so that it can make constant progress without getting tired.
Under such direction a soul, even of lesser strength, can do much for the
glory of God. And here I discovered a secret; namely, that the confessor, or
rather the spiritual director, does not make light of the trifles that the
soul brings to him. And when the soul notices that it is being controlled in
this, it begins to exert itself and does not omit the slightest opportunity
to practice virtue and also avoids the smallest faults. And from these
efforts, as with little stones, there rises within the soul a most beautiful
temple. On the contrary, if the soul notices that the confessor neglects
these little things, it likewise neglects them and ceases to give an account
of them to the confessor and, worse still, will begin to grow negligent in
little things. Thus, instead of going forward, it gradually retreats backward
and becomes aware of the situation only when it has already fallen into some
serious trouble. Here, a serious question poses itself: who is at fault, the
soul in question or the confessor; that is to say, the director? It seems to
me that all the blame should be put on the imprudent director; the soul's
only fault is to have taken upon itself the choice of a director. ! The
director could well have led the soul along the road of God's will to
sanctity.
938 The soul should have prayed ardently
and at greater length for a director and should have asked the Lord himself
to choose a spiritual director for it. What begins in God will be godly, and
what begins in a purely human manner will remain human. God is so merciful
that, in order to help a soul He himself chooses the spiritual guide and will
enlighten the soul concerning the one before whom it should uncover the most
hidden depths of its soul just as it sees itself before the Lord Jesus
himself. And when the soul considers and recognizes that God has been
arranging all this, it should pray fervently for the confessor that he might
have the divine light to know it well. And let it not change such a director
except for a serious reason. Just as it had prayed fervently and at great
length in order to learn God's will before choosing a director, so too should
it pray fervently and at great length to discern whether it is truly God's
will that he leave this director and choose another. If God's will is not
absolutely clear, he should not make this change, for a person will not go
far by himself, and Satan wants just this: to have the person who is aspiring
for sanctity direct himself because then, without doubt, he will never attain
it.
956 + After these words, the knowledge of
God's will came to me; that is to say, I now see everything from a higher point
of view and accept all events and things, pleasant and unpleasant, with love,
as tokens of the heavenly Father's special affection.
981 I understood that these two years of
interior suffering which I have undergone in submission to God's will in
order to know it better have advanced me further in perfection than the
previous ten years. For two years now, I have been on the cross between
heaven and earth. That is to say, I am bound by the vow of obedience and must
obey the superior as God himself. And on the other hand, God makes His will
known to me directly, and so my inner torture is so great that no one will
either understand or imagine these spiritual sufferings. It seems to me that
it would be easier to give up my life than to go again and again through one
hour of such pain. I am not even going to write much about this matter,
because one cannot describe what it is like to know God's will directly and
at the same time to be perfectly obedient to the divine will as expressed
indirectly through the superiors. Thanks be to God that He has given me a
director; otherwise, I would not have advanced one single step.
1004 O will of the Omnipotent God, You are
my delight, You are my joy. Whatever the hand of my Lord holds out to me I
will accept with gladness, submission and love.
Your holy will is my repose; In it is
contained all my sanctity, And all my eternal salvation, For doing God's will
is the greatest glory.
The will of God-those are His various
wishes Which my soul carries out without reserve, Because such are His divine
desires, In those moments when God shares His confidences with me.
Do with me as You will, Lord. I place no
obstacles, I make no reservations. For You are my whole delight and the love
of my soul, And to You, in turn, I pour out the confidences of my heart.
+ J.M.J. Cracow, March 1, 1937. + Third
Notebook God and Souls.
1088 Sudden return of health.
After I had written a letter to Father
Sopocko on Sunday, April 11, I suddenly became so very ill that I did not
send that letter, but waited for a clear sign of God's will. However, my
health got so bad that I had to go to bed. The coughing racked me so much
that it seemed to me that, if this repeats a few more times, it will surely
be the end of me.
1091 Then I heard these words: Go tell the superior that you are in good
health.
I neither know, nor ask how long I will
remain in good health. I only know that I am enjoying good health at present.
The future does not belong to me. I asked for this health as evidence of
God's will and not in order to seek relief from my suffering.
1101 In the evening, I heard these words in
my soul: My daughter, know that I
shall speak to you in a special way through this priest [Father Plaza
[191]] so that you may not yield to
doubt concerning My wishes. Already in the first meditation my soul was
struck by the following words of the priest: I must not oppose God's will and
God's designs, whatever they might be; and as soon as 1 am convinced of the
certitude and the authenticity of the will of God, I have the duty of
carrying it out. No one can release me from this. Whatever the will of God
may be, once I have come to know it, I ought to carry it out. This is just a
very short summary, but the whole meditation imprinted itself on my soul, and
I have no doubts about anything. I know what God wants of me, and what I
ought to do.
August 15, 1937. Father Andrasz's
instructions.
1243 "These times of dryness and stark
awareness of one's wretchedness, which God has permitted, allow the soul to
know how little it can do by itself. They will teach you how much you should
appreciate God's graces. Secondly, faithfulness in all exercises and duties,
faithfulness in everything, just as in times of joy. Thirdly, as regards the
matters in question, be absolutely obedient to the Archbishop [Jalbrzykowski]
although, from time to time, the matter can be brought to his attention, but
peacefully. Sometimes, a little bitter truth is necessary."
At the end of the conversation, I asked the
priest to allow me to commune with Jesus as I had done formerly. He answered,
"I cannot give orders to the Lord Jesus, but if He himself draws you to
himself you may follow the attraction. However, always remember to show Him
great reverence, for the Lord is great indeed. If you are truly seeking God's
will in all this and desire to fulfill it, you can be at peace; the Lord will
not allow any sort of error. As to the mortifications and sufferings, you
will give me an account next time of how you carry them out. Place yourself
in the hands of the Most Holy Mother."
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.
1276 September 16, 1937. I wanted very much
to make a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament today, but God's will was
otherwise. At eight o'clock I was seized with such violent pains that I had
to go to bed at once. I was convulsed with pain for three hours; that is,
until eleven o'clock at night. No medicine had any effect on me, and whatever
I swallowed I threw up. At times, the pains caused me to lose consciousness.
Jesus had me realize that in this way I took part in His Agony in the Garden,
and that He himself allowed these sufferings in order to offer reparation to
God for the souls murdered in the wombs of wicked mothers. I have gone
through these sufferings three times now. They always start at eight o'clock
in the evening and last until eleven. No medicine can lessen these
sufferings. When eleven o'clock comes, they cease by themselves, and I fall
asleep at that moment. The following day, I feel very weak.
This happened to me for the first time when
I was at the sanatorium. The doctors couldn't get to the bottom of it, and no
injection or medicine helped me at all nor did I myself have any idea of what
the sufferings were about. I told the doctor that never before in my life had
I experienced such sufferings, and he declared he did not know what sort of
pains they are. But now I understand the nature of these pains, because the
Lord himself has made this known to me.... Yet when I think that I may
perhaps suffer in this way again, I tremble. But I don't know whether I'll
ever again suffer in this way; I leave that to God. What it pleases God to
send, I will accept with submission and love. If only I could save even one
soul from murder by means of these sufferings!
1301 It is extraordinary how Mother Irene
has so much light from God concerning this whole matter. She was the first to
allow me to carry out the Lord's wishes, although it was not until two years
after the revelation that she became my superior. And despite this fact, she
was the first to go with me when the painting of the image was first
undertaken. And now again, when some things concerning the Divine Mercy are
being published, and small holy cards are being printed, again it is she who
is going with me [to take care of] this matter. God has ordained all this in
a mysterious way, because this was begun in Vilnius, and now God's will has
so directed the circumstances that this matter is being continued in Cracow.
I know how pleasing this superior is to God; I see how God is directing everything
and wants me to be under her protection during these important times....
Thank You, Lord, for such superiors, who live in the love and fear of God.
That is why I pray for her most of all, because she has put herself out the
most for the sake of this work of Divine Mercy....
1389 O my Jesus, although I have such very
strong impulsions, I am to act on them slowly, and this only in order not to
spoil Your work with my haste. O my Jesus, You give me to know Your
mysteries, and You want me to transmit them to other souls. Soon now it will
be possible for me to act. At the moment of apparent absolute destruction, my
mission, now no longer hindered by anything, will begin. Such is the will of
God in this, and it will not change; although many persons will oppose it,
nothing will change God's will.*
1431 Nevertheless, when in the refectory I
still had to bear being the object of the frequent suspicion that I was being
fussy [about my food]. At such times, as always, I hasten to the Tabernacle
and bow before the ciborium and there draw strength to accept God's will.
That which I have written is not yet everything.
1525 One day, a certain sister came to me
and asked me for prayers, telling me that she could no longer stand things as
they were. "And so, please pray, Sister." I answered that I would,
and I began a novena to The Divine Mercy. I learned that God would give her
the grace, but that she would once again be dissatisfied when she received
it. However, I kept on praying as she had asked me to do. The next day, the
same sister came looking for me, and when we again began to talk about the
same thing, I told her, "You know, Sister, when we pray, we ought not
force the Lord God to give us what we want, but we should rather submit to
His holy will." But she thought that what she was asking for was
indispensable. Towards the end of the novena, the sister came again and said,
"O Sister, the Lord Jesus has given me the grace, but now I am of a
different mind. Please pray so that things will somehow be different again."
I answered, "Yes, I will pray, but that God's will be done in you,
Sister, and not what you want."
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-19, 64, 75, 170, 279, 309, 354, 395,
435)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-439, 444, 477, 479, 506, 515, 518)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-527, 585, 615, 666-667, 713, 830, 894)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-924, 937-938, 956, 981)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1004, 1088, 1091, 1101)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1243-1244, 1276, 1301)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1389, 1431, 1525)
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Hulyo 16, 2017
A Seed Destined to Bear Fruit-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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