Witness to the Truth
August 29, 2017.
Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Mark
6:17-29
Herod was the one who had John arrested and bound in prison on account of Herodias, the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married. John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother´s wife." Herodias harbored a grudge against him and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so. Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man, and kept him in custody. When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed, yet he liked to listen to him. She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers, his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee. Herodias´s own daughter came in and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you." He even swore many things to her, "I will grant you whatever you ask of me, even to half of my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" She replied, "The head of John the Baptist." The girl hurried back to the king´s presence and made her request, "I want you to give me at once on a platter the head of John the Baptist." The king was deeply distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests he did not wish to break his word to her. So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders to bring back his head. He went off and beheaded him in the prison. He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl. The girl in turn gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in Your wondrous shining
glory, although this is hidden from my eyes. I hope in the peace and
everlasting joy of the world to come, for this world is a valley of tears. I
love You, even though I am not always able to discern the love in Your
intentions when You permit me to suffer. You are my God and my all.
Petition: Lord, let me never fear the consequences of speaking the truth.
1. Speaking Truth to Power: Although Herod was a cruel tyrant, John the
Baptist did not hesitate to condemn his adulterous conduct and to denounce his
sin publicly. John was moved by the Holy Spirit to give witness and teach the
people that no one can legitimately violate God’s commandments, not even a
king. John did not fear the consequences of his actions, because he knew that
if he were faithful, God would be at his side and never let him down, even if
he had to suffer on account of the truth. We, too, need to give courageous
witness to our family, friends and to the society at large. When we do, God
will be with us and we will have nothing to fear.
2. It Was Something That You Said: Mark tells us that Herod, although he resented
what John said in accusing him of adultery, nonetheless “like[d] to listen to
him,” and he was “much perplexed.” In his moral weakness, he persisted in his
sin, yet the cries of the prophet to repent did reach his conscience. Herod was
in confusion. Something was stirring in his conscience; the Holy Spirit was
moving inside him to bring him to true repentance for his sin. God never
abandons the sinner, but gives him grace to turn back to him. We should never
lose hope for one who seems to be lost and wandering in sin. We should always
continue to speak the truth with love and pray for a full conversion. God can
change the heart of even the worst of sinners. He has forgiven us so much, and
he can forgive others as well.
3. A Conversion Cut Short: The Gospel tells how Herod, in an imprudent
promise to Herodias’ daughter, found himself compromised and, for fear of
losing face, had to order the beheading of John the Baptist. Here his moral
weakness overcame the first stirrings of the grace of conversion. He closed his
heart to God’s action due to his lust and vanity, and he committed the terrible
crime of murder of an innocent man. How sin can darken the conscience and
extinguish God’s grace in the heart of a person given over only to satisfying
their passions.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, I want to be faithful to Your teachings
and to be frank with those I love who need to hear Your word. I know that takes
prudence, courage and steadfastness. Help me to be true to You. Give me the
grace of a good conscience always to speak the truth with rectitude and love
for Your law.
Resolution: I will pray for the grace to witness to the truth, “in season
and out of season,” no matter what the consequences.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
39 + One day Jesus told me that He would cause a
chastisement to fall upon the most beautiful city in our country [probably
Warsaw]. This chastisement would be that with which God had punished Sodom and
Gomorrah.[27] I saw the great wrath
of God and a shudder pierced my heart. I prayed in silence.After a moment,
Jesus said to me, My child, unite yourself closely to Me during the
Sacrifice and offer My Blood and My Wounds to My Father in expiation for the
sins of that city. Repeat this without interruption throughout the entire Holy
Mass. Do this for seven days. On the seventh day I saw Jesus in a bright
cloud and began to beg Him to look upon the city and upon our whole country.
Jesus looked [down] graciously. When I saw the kindness of' Jesus, I began to
beg His blessing. Immediately Jesus said, For your sake I bless the entire
country. And He made a big sign of the cross over our country. Seeing the
goodness of God, a great joy filled my soul.
+February 22, 1931
47
In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white
garment. One hand [was] raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was
touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn
aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other
pale. In silence I kept my gaze fixed on the Lord; my soul was struck with awe,
but also with great joy. After a while, Jesus said to me, Paint an image
according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I
desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then]
throughout the world.
48 I promise that the soul that will venerate this image
will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on
earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own
glory.
70 Only Jesus knows how burdensome and difficult it is to
accomplish one's duties when the soul is so interiorly tortured, the physical
powers so weakened and the mind darkened. In the silence of my heart I kept
saying to myself, "O Christ, may delights, honor and glory be Yours, and
suffering be mine. I will not lag one step behind as I follow You, though
thorns wound my feet."
71 I was sent for treatment to our house in Plock, and there
I had the privilege of decorating the chapel with flowers. That was at Biala.[36] Sister Thecla did not always have time for
this, so I often decorated the chapel by myself. One day, I had picked the
prettiest roses to decorate the room of a certain person. When I was
approaching the porch, I saw Jesus standing there. In a kindly way He asked me,
My daughter, to whom are you taking these flowers? My silence was my reply
to the Lord, because I recognized immediately that I had a very subtle
attachment to this person,[37] which I had not noticed before. Suddenly
Jesus disappeared. At the same moment I threw the flowers on the ground and
went before the Blessed Sacrament, my heart filled with gratitude for the grace
of knowing myself.
O Divine Sun, in Your rays the soul sees the tiniest specks of dust which displease You.
O Divine Sun, in Your rays the soul sees the tiniest specks of dust which displease You.
72 O Jesus, eternal Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I
beg Your mercy for poor sinners. O sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and
unfathomable mercy, I plead with You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart,
Fount of Mercy from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the
entire human race, I beg of You light for poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of
Your own bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear
a price of Your most precious Blood. O Jesus, when I consider the great price
of Your Blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been
enough for the salvation of all sinners. Although sin is an abyss of wickedness
and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equalled. Therefore, let
every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy.
God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's
mercy will never be exhausted. Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I
contemplate Your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus! I desire to bring all
sinners to Your feet that they may glorify Your mercy throughout endless ages.
73 O my Jesus, despite the deep night that is all around me
and the dark clouds which hide the horizon, I know that the sun never goes out.
O Lord, though I cannot comprehend You and do not understand Your ways, I
nonetheless trust in Your mercy. If it is Your will, Lord, that I live always
in such darkness, may You be blessed. I ask You only one thing, Jesus: do not
allow me to offend You in any way. O my Jesus, You alone know the longings and
the sufferings of my heart. I am glad I can suffer for You, however little.
When I feel that the suffering is more than I can bear, I take refuge in the
Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and I speak to Him with profound silence.
117 I will mention here that those who live with such a
person should not add external sufferings; for indeed, when the soul's cup is
full, the little drop we may add to it may be the one drop too much, and the
cup of bitterness will overflow. And who will answer for such a soul? Let us
beware of adding to the suffering of others, because that is displeasing to the
Lord. If the sisters or the superiors knew or even suspected that a soul was
suffering such trials, and they nevertheless added still other sufferings, they
would be sinning gravely, and God himself would demand an account of them on
behalf of such a soul. I am not speaking here of instances which of their very
nature are sinful, but of things which in other circumstances would not be
sinful. Let us be on our guard against having the weight of such a soul on our
conscience. This is a grave and common defect in religious life; namely, that when
one sees a suffering soul, one always wants to add even more suffering. I do
not say that everyone acts like this, but there are some. We take the liberty
of passing all sorts of judgments, and we repeat them when we would do better
to remain silent.
118 The tongue is a small member, but it does big things. A
religious who does not keep silence will never attain holiness; that is, she
will never become a saint. Let her not delude herself-unless it is the Spirit
of God who is speaking through her, for then she must not keep silent. But, in
order to hear the voice of God, one has to have silence in one's soul and to
keep silence; not a gloomy silence, but an interior silence; that is to say,
recollection in God. One can speak a great deal without breaking silence and,
on the contrary, one can speak little and be constantly breaking silence. Oh,
what irreparable damage is done by the breach of silence! We cause a lot of
harm to our neighbor, but even more to our own selves.
In my opinion, and according to my experience, the rule concerning silence should stand in the very first place. God does not give himself to a chattering soul which, like a drone in a beehive, buzzes around but gathers no honey. A talkative soul is empty inside. It lacks both the essential virtues and intimacy with God. A deeper interior life, one of gentle peace and of that silence where the Lord dwells, is quite out of the question. A soul that has never tasted the sweetness of inner silence is a restless spirit which disturbs the silence of others. I have seen many souls in the depths of hell for not having kept their silence; they told me so themselves when I asked them what was the cause of their undoing. These were souls of religious. My God, what an agony it is to think that not only might they have been in heaven, but they might even have become saints! O Jesus, have mercy!
In my opinion, and according to my experience, the rule concerning silence should stand in the very first place. God does not give himself to a chattering soul which, like a drone in a beehive, buzzes around but gathers no honey. A talkative soul is empty inside. It lacks both the essential virtues and intimacy with God. A deeper interior life, one of gentle peace and of that silence where the Lord dwells, is quite out of the question. A soul that has never tasted the sweetness of inner silence is a restless spirit which disturbs the silence of others. I have seen many souls in the depths of hell for not having kept their silence; they told me so themselves when I asked them what was the cause of their undoing. These were souls of religious. My God, what an agony it is to think that not only might they have been in heaven, but they might even have become saints! O Jesus, have mercy!
119 I tremble to think that I have to give an account of my
tongue. There is life, but there is also death in the tongue. Sometimes we kill
with the tongue: we commit real murders. And we are still to regard that as a
small thing? I truly do not understand such consciences. I have known a person
who, when she learned from someone that a certain thing was being said about
her, fell seriously ill. She lost a good deal of blood and shed many tears, and
the outcome was very sad. It was not the sword that did all this, but the
tongue. O my silent Jesus, have mercy on us!
120 I have wandered onto the subject of silence. But this is
not what I wanted to speak about, but rather about the soul's life with God and
about its response to grace. When a soul has been cleansed, and the Lord is on
intimate terms with it, it begins to apply all its inner force in striving
after God. Yet the soul cannot do anything of itself. God alone arranges
everything. The soul knows this and is mindful of it. It is still in exile and
understands well that there may yet come cloudy and rainy days, but it must now
look upon things differently from what it had up to now. It does not seek
reassurance in a false peace, but makes ready for battle. It knows it comes
from a warrior race. It is now much more aware of everything. It knows that it
is of royal stock. It is concerned with all that is great and holy.
126 Yet, I resolved to bear everything in silence and to
give no explanations when I was questioned. Some were irritated by my silence,
especially those who were more curious. Others, who reflected more deeply,
said, "Sister Faustina must be very close to God if she has the strength
to bear so much suffering." It was as if I were facing two groups of
judges. I strove after interior and exterior silence. I said nothing about
myself, even though I was questioned directly by some sisters. My lips were
sealed. I suffered like a dove, without complaint. But some sisters seemed to
find pleasure in vexing me in whatever way they could. My patience irritated
them. But God gave me so much inner strength that I endured it calmly.
163 JMJ The Year 1937
General Exercises
+O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.
+I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, 0 Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors' souls and come to their rescue.
Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors' needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings. Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.
Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.
Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.
+You yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy-if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer-if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically.
O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for you can do all things.
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General Exercises
+O Most Holy Trinity! As many times as I breathe, as many times as my heart beats, as many times as my blood pulsates through my body, so many thousand times do I want to glorify Your mercy.
+I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, 0 Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbors' souls and come to their rescue.
Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbors' needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings. Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbor, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all.
Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbors and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks.
Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbor, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbor.
Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbor. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.
+You yourself command me to exercise the three degrees of mercy. The first: the act of mercy, of whatever kind. The second: the word of mercy-if I cannot carry out a work of mercy, I will assist by my words. The third: prayer-if I cannot show mercy by deeds or words, I can always do so by prayer. My prayer reaches out even there where I cannot reach out physically.
O my Jesus, transform me into Yourself, for you can do all things.
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169 My conversation with the Lord Jesus before the retreat.
Jesus told me that this retreat would be a little different from others. You
shall strive to maintain a profound peace in respect to your communings with
Me. I will remove all doubts in this regard. I know that you are at peace now
as I speak to you, but the moment I stop talking you will start looking for
doubts. But I want you to know that I will affirm your soul to such a degree that
even if you wanted to be troubled, it will not be within your power. And as a
proof that it is I who am speaking to you, you will go to confession on the
second day of the retreat to the priest who is preaching the retreat; you will
go to him as soon as he has finished his conference and will present to him all
your doubts concerning Me. I will answer you through his lips, and then your
fears will end. During this retreat, observe such strict silence that it will
be as though nothing exists around you. You shall speak only to Me and to your
confessor; you will ask your superiors only for penances. I felt immense
joy that the Lord would show me such kindness and lower himself so much for my
sake.
171 Struggle to keep silence. As usual, sisters from various
houses came to the retreat. One of the sisters whom I had not seen for a long
time, came to my cell and said she had something to tell me. I did not answer
her, and she saw that I did not want to break silence. She said to me, "I
didn't know you were such an eccentric, sister," and she went away. I was
well aware that she had no other business with me than to satisfy her own
curious self-love. O God, preserve me in faithfulness.
226 The rules that I most often fail to obey: sometimes I
break silence; disobedience to the signal of the bell; sometimes I meddle in
other people's affairs. I will do my very best to improve.
I will avoid sisters who grumble, and if they cannot be avoided, I will at least keep silent before them, thus letting them know how sorry I am to hear such things. I must take no heed of the opinion of others, but obey the evidence of my own conscience and take God to be the witness of all my actions. I must do everything and act in all matters now as I would like to do and act at the hour of my death. For this reason, in every action I must be mindful of God.
Avoid presumed permissions.[67] I must report [even] small things to my superiors, and do so in as much detail as is possible. I must be faithful in my spiritual exercises; I must not easily ask to be dispensed from them. I must keep silence outside the time of recreation, and avoid jokes and witty words that make others laugh and break silence. I must have great appreciation for even the most minute rules. I must not let myself become absorbed in the whirl of work, [but] take a break to look up to heaven. Speak little with people, but a good deal with God. Avoid familiarity. I must pay little attention as to who is for me and who is against me. I must not tell others about those things I have had to put up with. I must avoid speaking out loud to others during work. I must maintain peace and equanimity during times of suffering. In difficult moments I must take refuge in the wounds of Jesus; I must seek consolation, comfort, light and affirmation in the wounds of Jesus.
I will avoid sisters who grumble, and if they cannot be avoided, I will at least keep silent before them, thus letting them know how sorry I am to hear such things. I must take no heed of the opinion of others, but obey the evidence of my own conscience and take God to be the witness of all my actions. I must do everything and act in all matters now as I would like to do and act at the hour of my death. For this reason, in every action I must be mindful of God.
Avoid presumed permissions.[67] I must report [even] small things to my superiors, and do so in as much detail as is possible. I must be faithful in my spiritual exercises; I must not easily ask to be dispensed from them. I must keep silence outside the time of recreation, and avoid jokes and witty words that make others laugh and break silence. I must have great appreciation for even the most minute rules. I must not let myself become absorbed in the whirl of work, [but] take a break to look up to heaven. Speak little with people, but a good deal with God. Avoid familiarity. I must pay little attention as to who is for me and who is against me. I must not tell others about those things I have had to put up with. I must avoid speaking out loud to others during work. I must maintain peace and equanimity during times of suffering. In difficult moments I must take refuge in the wounds of Jesus; I must seek consolation, comfort, light and affirmation in the wounds of Jesus.
236 Oh, how misleading are appearances, and how unjust the
judgments. Oh, how often virtue suffers only because it remains silent. To be
sincere with those who are incessantly stinging us demands much self-denial.
One bleeds, but there are no visible wounds. O Jesus, it is only on the last
day that many of these things will be made known. What joy-none of our efforts
will be lost!
252 +It was four days after my perpetual vows. I was trying
to make a Holy Hour. It was the first Thursday of the month. As soon as I
entered the chapel, God's presence enveloped me. I was distinctly aware that
the Lord was near me. After a moment, I saw the Lord, all covered with wounds;
and He said to me, Look at whom you have espoused. I understood the
meaning of these words and answered the Lord, "Jesus, I love You more when
I see You wounded and crushed with suffering like this than if I saw You in
majesty." Jesus asked, Why? I replied, "Great majesty
terrifies me, little nothing that I am, and Your wounds draw me to Your Heart
and tell me of Your great love for me." After this conversation there was
silence. I fixed my gaze upon His sacred wounds and felt happy to suffer with
Him. I suffered, and yet I did not suffer, because I felt happy to know the
depth of His love, and the hour passed like a minute.
253 +I must never judge anyone, but look at others with
leniency and at myself with severity. I must refer everything to God and, in my
own eyes, recognize myself for what I am: utter misery and nothingness. In
suffering, I must be patient and quiet, knowing that everything passes in time.
254 +The moments I lived through when I was taking my
perpetual vows are better left unsaid.
I am in Him, and He in me. As the Bishop [Rospond] was putting the ring on my finger, God pervaded my whole being, and since I cannot express that moment, I will be silent about it. My relationship with God, since perpetual vows, has been more intimate than it had ever been before. I sense that I love God and that He loves me. Having once tasted God, my soul could not live without Him. One hour spent at the foot of the altar in the greatest dryness of spirit is dearer to me than a hundred years of worldly pleasures. I prefer to be a lowly drudge in the convent than a queen in the world.
I am in Him, and He in me. As the Bishop [Rospond] was putting the ring on my finger, God pervaded my whole being, and since I cannot express that moment, I will be silent about it. My relationship with God, since perpetual vows, has been more intimate than it had ever been before. I sense that I love God and that He loves me. Having once tasted God, my soul could not live without Him. One hour spent at the foot of the altar in the greatest dryness of spirit is dearer to me than a hundred years of worldly pleasures. I prefer to be a lowly drudge in the convent than a queen in the world.
274 Jesus gave me the grace of knowing myself. In this
divine light I see my principal fault; it is pride which takes the form of my
closing up within myself and of a lack of simplicity in my relations with
Mother Superior [Irene].
The second light concerns speaking. I sometimes talk too much. A thing could be settled in one or two words, and as for me, I take too much time about it. But Jesus wants me to use that time to say some short indulgenced prayers for the souls in purgatory. And the Lord says that every word will be weighed on the day of judgment.
The third light concerns our rules. I have not sufficiently avoided the occasions that lead to breaking the rules, especially that of silence. I will act as if the rule were written just for me; it should not affect me at all how anyone else might act, as long as I myself act as God wishes.
Resolution. Whatever Jesus demands of me regarding external things, I will immediately go and tell my superiors. I shall strive for childlike openness and frankness in my relations with the superior.
The second light concerns speaking. I sometimes talk too much. A thing could be settled in one or two words, and as for me, I take too much time about it. But Jesus wants me to use that time to say some short indulgenced prayers for the souls in purgatory. And the Lord says that every word will be weighed on the day of judgment.
The third light concerns our rules. I have not sufficiently avoided the occasions that lead to breaking the rules, especially that of silence. I will act as if the rule were written just for me; it should not affect me at all how anyone else might act, as long as I myself act as God wishes.
Resolution. Whatever Jesus demands of me regarding external things, I will immediately go and tell my superiors. I shall strive for childlike openness and frankness in my relations with the superior.
275 Jesus loves hidden souls. A hidden flower is the most
fragrant. I must strive to make the interior of my soul a resting place for the
Heart of Jesus. In difficult and painful moments, O my Creator, I sing You a
hymn of trust, for bottomless is the abyss of my trust in You and in Your
mercy!
359 January 10, 1935. +Thursday. In the evening during
benediction,[85] such thoughts as these
began to distress me: Is not perhaps all this that I am saying about God's
great mercy just a lie or an illusion...? And I wanted to think about this for
a while, when I heard a strong and clear inner voice saying, Everything that
you say about My goodness is true; language has no adequate expression to extol
My goodness. These words were so filled with power and so clear that I
would give my life in declaring they came from God. I can tell this by the
profound peace that accompanied them at that time and that still remains with
me. This peace gives me such great strength and power that all difficulties,
adversities, sufferings, and death itself are as nothing. This light gave me a
glimpse of the truth that all my efforts to bring souls to know the mercy of
the Lord are very pleasing to God. And from this springs such great joy in my
soul that I do not know whether it could be any greater in heaven. Oh, if souls
would only be willing to listen, at least a little, to the voice of conscience
and the voicethat is, the inspirations-of the Holy Spirit! I say "at least
a little," because once we open ourselves to the influence of the Holy
Spirit, He himself will fulfill what is lacking in us.
375 Particular interior practice; that is, the examination
of conscience. Self-denial, denial of my own will.
I. The denial of my reason. Subjecting it to the reason of those who represent God to me here on earth.
II. The denial of my will. Doing the will of God, which is revealed in the will of those who represent God to me and which is contained in the rule of our order.
III. The denial of my judgment. Accepting immediately and without reflection, analysis or reasoning all orders given by those who represent God to me.
IV. The denial of my tongue. I will not give it the least bit of freedom; but in one case only I will give it complete freedom; that is, in proclaiming the glory of God. Whenever I receive Holy Communion, I will ask Jesus to fortify and cleanse my tongue that I may not injure my neighbor with it. That is why I have the greatest respect for the rule which speaks about silence.
I. The denial of my reason. Subjecting it to the reason of those who represent God to me here on earth.
II. The denial of my will. Doing the will of God, which is revealed in the will of those who represent God to me and which is contained in the rule of our order.
III. The denial of my judgment. Accepting immediately and without reflection, analysis or reasoning all orders given by those who represent God to me.
IV. The denial of my tongue. I will not give it the least bit of freedom; but in one case only I will give it complete freedom; that is, in proclaiming the glory of God. Whenever I receive Holy Communion, I will ask Jesus to fortify and cleanse my tongue that I may not injure my neighbor with it. That is why I have the greatest respect for the rule which speaks about silence.
396 My traveling companions were very kind; several women of
the Sodality of Mary were in the same compartment with me. I sensed that one of
them was suffering greatly and fighting a difficult battle in her soul. l began
to pray in spirit for this soul. At eleven o'clock these women went to another
compartment for a chat, leaving only the two of us behind in the carriage. I
could feel that my prayer was causing this soul's struggle to become even
fiercer. I did not console her, but prayed all the more fervently. Finally, the
lady turned to me and asked if she was obliged to fulfill a certain promise
which she had made to God. At that moment, I received inner knowledge of the
promise and replied, "You are absolutely obliged to keep it, or else you
will be miserable for the rest of your life. This thought will pursue you everywhere
and give you no peace." Surprised at my answer, she opened her soul to me.
She was a schoolteacher. When she was about to take her examinations, she had promised God that if she did well in her examinations she would devote herself to His service; that is, enter a religious congregation. She passed the examinations very well. "But," she said, "when I entered into the hustle and bustle of the world, I no longer wanted to enter a convent. However, my conscience has given me no peace, and despite amusements I am always unhappy."
After a lengthy conversation, she was completely changed and told me that she would immediately take steps to enter a convent. She asked me to pray for her, and I felt that God would be generous with His grace.
She was a schoolteacher. When she was about to take her examinations, she had promised God that if she did well in her examinations she would devote herself to His service; that is, enter a religious congregation. She passed the examinations very well. "But," she said, "when I entered into the hustle and bustle of the world, I no longer wanted to enter a convent. However, my conscience has given me no peace, and despite amusements I am always unhappy."
After a lengthy conversation, she was completely changed and told me that she would immediately take steps to enter a convent. She asked me to pray for her, and I felt that God would be generous with His grace.
400 On the last day, when everyone had left the church, I
went before the Blessed Sacrament with him, and together we recited the Te
Deum. After a moment of silence, I offered his soul to the Sweetest Heart of
Jesus. How easy it was to pray in that little church! I remembered all the
graces that I had received there, and which I had not understood at the time
and had so often abused. I wondered how I could have been so blind. And as I
was thus regretting my blindness, I suddenly saw the Lord Jesus, radiant with
unspeakable beauty, .. and He said to me with kindness, My chosen one, I
will give you even greater graces that you may be the witness of My infinite
mercy throughout all eternity.
401 The days at home passed in much company, as everybody
wanted to see me and talk with me. Often I could count as many as twenty-five
people there. They listened with great interest to my accounts of the lives of
the saints. It seemed to me that our house was truly the house of God, as each
evening we talked about nothing but God. When, tired from these talks and
yearning for solitude and silence, I quietly slipped out into the garden in the
evening so I could converse with God alone, even in this I was unsuccessful;
immediately my brothers and sisters came and took me into the house and, once
again, I had to talk, with all those eyes fixed on me. But I struck on one way
of getting some respite; I asked my brothers to sing for me, inasmuch as they
had lovely voices; and besides, one played the violin and another, the
mandolin. And during this time I was able to devote myself to interior prayer
without shunning their company.
What also cost me a lot was that I had to kiss the children. The women I knew came with their children and asked me to take them in my arms, at least for a moment, and kiss them. They regarded this as a great favor, and for me it was a chance to practice virtue, since many of the children were quite dirty. But in order to overcome my feelings and show no repugnance, I would kiss such a dirty child twice. One of these friends came with a child whose eyes were diseased and filled with pus, and she said to me, "Sister, take it in your arms for a moment, please." My nature recoiled, but not paying attention to anything, I took the child and kissed it twice, right on the infection, asking God to heal it.
I had many opportunities to practice virtue. I listened to people pour out their grievances, and I saw that no heart was joyful, because no heart truly loved God; and this did not surprise me at all. I was very sorry not to have seen two of my sisters. I felt interiorly that their souls were in great danger. Pain gripped my heart at the thought of them. Once, when I felt very close to God, I fervently asked the Lord to grant them grace, and the Lord answered me, I am granting them not only necessary graces, but special graces as well. I understood that the Lord would call them to a greater union with Him. I rejoice immensely that such great love reigns in our family.
What also cost me a lot was that I had to kiss the children. The women I knew came with their children and asked me to take them in my arms, at least for a moment, and kiss them. They regarded this as a great favor, and for me it was a chance to practice virtue, since many of the children were quite dirty. But in order to overcome my feelings and show no repugnance, I would kiss such a dirty child twice. One of these friends came with a child whose eyes were diseased and filled with pus, and she said to me, "Sister, take it in your arms for a moment, please." My nature recoiled, but not paying attention to anything, I took the child and kissed it twice, right on the infection, asking God to heal it.
I had many opportunities to practice virtue. I listened to people pour out their grievances, and I saw that no heart was joyful, because no heart truly loved God; and this did not surprise me at all. I was very sorry not to have seen two of my sisters. I felt interiorly that their souls were in great danger. Pain gripped my heart at the thought of them. Once, when I felt very close to God, I fervently asked the Lord to grant them grace, and the Lord answered me, I am granting them not only necessary graces, but special graces as well. I understood that the Lord would call them to a greater union with Him. I rejoice immensely that such great love reigns in our family.
407 Oh, how happy I felt to be back in our convent! I felt
as though I was entering the convent for the second time. I took unending
delight in the silence and peace in which the soul can so easily immerse itself
in God, helped by everyone and disturbed by no one.
April 29, 1935.
421 On the eve of the exposition of the image, I went with our Mother Superior to visit our confessor [Father Sopocko]. When the conversation touched upon the image, the confessor asked for one of the sisters to help make some wreaths. Mother Superior replied, "Sister Faustina will help." I was delighted at this, and when we returned home, I immediately set about preparing some greens, and with the help of one of our wards brought them over. Another person, who works at the church, also helped. Everything was ready by seven o'clock that evening, and the image was already hanging in its place. However, some ladies saw me standing around there, for I was more a bother than a help, and on the next day they asked the sisters what this beautiful image was and what was its significance. Surely these sisters would know, [they thought] as one of them had helped adorn it the day before. The sisters were very surprised as they knew nothing about it; they all wanted to see it and immediately they began to suspect me. They said, "Sister Faustina must certainly know all about it."
When they began asking me, I was silent, since I could not tell the truth. My silence increased their curiosity, and I was even more on my guard not to tell a lie and not to tell the truth, since I had no permission [to do so]. Then they started to show their displeasure and reproached me openly saying, "How is it that outsiders know about this and we, nothing?" Various judgments were being made about me. I suffered much for three days, but a special power took over in my soul. I was happy to suffer for God and for the souls that have been granted His mercy during these days. Seeing that so many souls have been granted divine mercy these days, I regard as nothing even the greatest suffering and toil, even if they were to continue till the end of the world; for they will come to an end, while these souls have been saved from torments that are without end. It was a great joy for me to see others returning to the source of happiness, the bosom of The Divine Mercy.
421 On the eve of the exposition of the image, I went with our Mother Superior to visit our confessor [Father Sopocko]. When the conversation touched upon the image, the confessor asked for one of the sisters to help make some wreaths. Mother Superior replied, "Sister Faustina will help." I was delighted at this, and when we returned home, I immediately set about preparing some greens, and with the help of one of our wards brought them over. Another person, who works at the church, also helped. Everything was ready by seven o'clock that evening, and the image was already hanging in its place. However, some ladies saw me standing around there, for I was more a bother than a help, and on the next day they asked the sisters what this beautiful image was and what was its significance. Surely these sisters would know, [they thought] as one of them had helped adorn it the day before. The sisters were very surprised as they knew nothing about it; they all wanted to see it and immediately they began to suspect me. They said, "Sister Faustina must certainly know all about it."
When they began asking me, I was silent, since I could not tell the truth. My silence increased their curiosity, and I was even more on my guard not to tell a lie and not to tell the truth, since I had no permission [to do so]. Then they started to show their displeasure and reproached me openly saying, "How is it that outsiders know about this and we, nothing?" Various judgments were being made about me. I suffered much for three days, but a special power took over in my soul. I was happy to suffer for God and for the souls that have been granted His mercy during these days. Seeing that so many souls have been granted divine mercy these days, I regard as nothing even the greatest suffering and toil, even if they were to continue till the end of the world; for they will come to an end, while these souls have been saved from torments that are without end. It was a great joy for me to see others returning to the source of happiness, the bosom of The Divine Mercy.
432 At that very moment, I felt some kind of fire in my
heart. I feel my senses deadening and have no idea of what is going on around
me. I feel the Lord's gaze piercing me through and through. I am very much
aware of His greatness and my misery. An extraordinary suffering pervades my
soul, together with a joy I cannot compare to anything. I feel powerless in the
embrace of God. I feel that I am in Him and that I am dissolved in Him like a
drop of water in the ocean. I cannot express what takes place within me; after
such interior prayer, I feel strength and power to practice the most difficult
virtues. I feel dislike for all things that the world holds in esteem. With all
my soul I desire silence and solitude.
Thursday, Nocturnal Adoration.
445 When I came for adoration, an inner recollection took hold of me immediately, and I saw the Lord Jesus tied to a pillar, stripped of His clothes, and the scourging began immediately. I saw four men who took turns at striking the Lord with scourges. My heart almost stopped at the sight of these tortures. The Lord said to me, I suffer even greater pain than that which you see. And Jesus gave me to know for what sins He subjected himself to the scourging: these are sins of impurity. Oh, how dreadful was Jesus' moral suffering during the scourging! Then Jesus said to me, Look and see the human race in its present condition. In an instant, I saw horrible things: the executioners left Jesus, and other people started scourging Him; they seized the scourges and struck the Lord mercilessly. These were priests, religious men and women; and high dignitaries of the Church, which surprised me greatly. There were lay people of all ages and walks of life. All vented their malice on the innocent Jesus. Seeing this, my heart fell as if into a mortal agony. And while the executioners had been scourging Him, Jesus had been silent and looking into the distance; but when those other souls I mentioned scourged Him, Jesus closed His eyes, and a soft, but most painful moan escaped from His Heart. And Jesus gave me to know in detail the gravity of the malice of these ungrateful souls: You see, this is a torture greater than My death. Then my lips too fell silent, and I began to experience the agony of death, and I felt that no one would comfort me or snatch me from that state but the One who had put me into it. Then the Lord said to me, I see the sincere pain of your heart which brought great solace to My Heart. See and take comfort.
445 When I came for adoration, an inner recollection took hold of me immediately, and I saw the Lord Jesus tied to a pillar, stripped of His clothes, and the scourging began immediately. I saw four men who took turns at striking the Lord with scourges. My heart almost stopped at the sight of these tortures. The Lord said to me, I suffer even greater pain than that which you see. And Jesus gave me to know for what sins He subjected himself to the scourging: these are sins of impurity. Oh, how dreadful was Jesus' moral suffering during the scourging! Then Jesus said to me, Look and see the human race in its present condition. In an instant, I saw horrible things: the executioners left Jesus, and other people started scourging Him; they seized the scourges and struck the Lord mercilessly. These were priests, religious men and women; and high dignitaries of the Church, which surprised me greatly. There were lay people of all ages and walks of life. All vented their malice on the innocent Jesus. Seeing this, my heart fell as if into a mortal agony. And while the executioners had been scourging Him, Jesus had been silent and looking into the distance; but when those other souls I mentioned scourged Him, Jesus closed His eyes, and a soft, but most painful moan escaped from His Heart. And Jesus gave me to know in detail the gravity of the malice of these ungrateful souls: You see, this is a torture greater than My death. Then my lips too fell silent, and I began to experience the agony of death, and I felt that no one would comfort me or snatch me from that state but the One who had put me into it. Then the Lord said to me, I see the sincere pain of your heart which brought great solace to My Heart. See and take comfort.
449 I prepared for this feast with greater zeal than in
previous years. On the morning of the feast itself, I experienced an inner
struggle at the thought that I must leave this Congregation which enjoys such
special protection from Mary. This struggle lasted through the meditation and
through the first Mass as well. During the second Mass, I turned to our Holy
Mother, telling Her that it was difficult for me to separate myself from this
Congregation... "which is under Your special protection, O Mary."
Then I saw the Blessed Virgin, unspeakably beautiful. She came down from the altar
to my kneeler, held me close to herself and said to me, I am Mother to you
all, thanks to the unfathomable mercy of God. Most pleasing to Me is that soul
which faithfully carries out the will of God. She gave me to understand
that I had faithfully fulfilled the will of God and had thus found favor in His
eyes. Be courageous. Do not fear apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze upon
the Passion of My Son, and in this way you will be victorious.
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.
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.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-39, 47-48, 70-73, 117, 130, 126, 163)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-169, 171, 226, 236, 252, 254, 274-275)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-359, 375, 396, 400-401, 407, 421, 432)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-445, 449)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1728)
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