Costly Christ
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October 4, 2017. Solemnity of St. Francis of Assisi, Deacon, Religious,
Founder of the Three Orders
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Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Luke
9: 57-62
As Jesus and his disciples were proceeding
on their journey someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you
go." Jesus answered him, "Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have
nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head." And to another
he said, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, let me go first
and bury my father." But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their
dead. But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God." And another said,
"I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say farewell to my family at
home." To him Jesus said, "No one who sets a hand to the plow and
looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."
Introductory Prayer: In you, Lord, I find all my joy and
happiness. How could I offend You by chasing after fleeting success and
lifeless trophies? I believe in You because You are truth itself. I hope in
You because you are faithful to Your promises. I love You because You have
loved me first. I am a sinner; nevertheless, You have given me so many
blessings. I humbly thank You.
Petition: Let me willingly accept the cost of following in Your
footsteps.
1. Hidden Expenses: A would-be disciple of Jesus´ boasts that he
will follow Our Lord anywhere, whatever the sacrifice. Jesus´ response makes
us wonder whether the fellow understood what he would be getting into.
Following Christ is demanding — and not always glamorous. We might dream of
doing great things for Christ, but then find the day-to-day struggle
distasteful ("the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head").
Unglamorous challenges take many forms. A new wife might discover to her
chagrin that her husband can´t handle finances. Or a parent with high hopes
learns that a child has a learning disability that will limit her ability to
excel. Or a husband takes a higher-paying job to support his family, only to
find his new boss is a tyrant. Or a teen suffers ridicule at public school
for her modest clothes. All these trials can be the cost of following Christ.
What price am I willing to pay?
2. Family Ties: Christ tries to dissuade another would-be
follower from "burying his father." The man was probably settling
his father´s estate and getting too involved in family finances. Our Lord
wanted him to cut with all that, immediately, and get on with the work of the
Kingdom. Too often money matters distract us from doing what Christ wants. No
wonder St. Paul warns, "The love of money is the root of all evils"
(1 Timothy 6:10). Is money holding me back in my relationship with Christ? Am
I working longer hours than I need to, just for the sake of money?
3. Long Goodbye: The moment of decision had arrived. But
instead of joining Jesus´ camp, the would-be disciple felt the tug of family
ties. As followers of Christ, we have to be willing to make a fundamental
option for Christ — an option that by necessity excludes other paths. Does
this sound hard? It should sound familiar. Think of the young woman who says
yes to a proposal of marriage. She does so assuming that her beloved has long
broken off other romantic relationships. Or take the student who decides to
go out for the soccer team at school. He rules out spending hours of practice
on the basketball court. By extension, if we want to follow Christ, why do we
fritter away hours in activities that have nothing to do with our faith or
the Church? Are there things I need to weed out of my life?
Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me focus my energies better on
You and what You are asking of me. Let me not be distracted by activities or
material possessions or even relationships that aren´t helping my spiritual
life.
Resolution: I will weed out one thing from my life that
doesn´t fit in with my state as a Christian. It could be a Web site, a
subscription to a publication, an immodest piece of clothing, a relationship.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
248 The words of the Bishop [Rospond[73]],
spoken at the ceremony of the taking of perpetual vows: "Accept this
candle as a sign of heavenly light and of burning love." While giving
the ring: "I betroth you to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father Most
High; may He keep you unblemished. Take this ring as a sign of the eternal
covenant you are making with Christ, the Spouse of Virgins. May it be for you
the ring of faith and the sign of the Holy Spirit, that you may be called the
bride of Christ and, if you serve Him faithfully, be crowned [as such] for
all eternity.
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.
376 My Jesus, I trust that Your grace will help me to
carry out these resolutions. Although the above points are contained in the
vow of obedience, I want to practice these things in a special way, because
this is the essence of the religious life. Merciful Jesus, I beg You
fervently to enlighten my mind so that I may come to know You better, You who
are the Infinite Being, and that I may get to know myself better, who am
nothingness itself.
378 Once as I was talking with my spiritual director, I
had an interior vision-quicker than lightning-of his soul in great suffering,
in such agony that God touches very few souls with such fire. The suffering
arises from this work. There will come a time when this work, which God is
demanding so very much, will be as though utterly undone. And then God will
act with great power, which will give evidence of its authenticity. It will
be a new splendor for the Church, although it has been dormant in it from
long ago. That God is infinitely merciful, no one can deny. He desires
everyone to know this before He comes again as Judge. He wants souls to come
to know Him first as King of Mercy. When this triumph comes, we shall already
have entered the new life in which there is no suffering. But before this,
your soul [of the spiritual director] will be surfeited with bitterness at
the sight of the destruction of your efforts. However, this will only appear
to be so, because what God has once decided upon, He does not change. But
although this destruction will be such only in outward appearance, the
suffering will be real. When will this happen? I do not know. How long will
it last? I do not know.[89]
But God has promised a great grace especially to you and to all those... who
will proclaim My great mercy. I shall protect them Myself at the hour of
death, as My own glory. And even if the sins of soul are as dark as night,
when the sinner turns to My mercy he gives Me the greatest praise and is the
glory of My Passion. When a soul praises My goodness, Satan trembles before
it and flees to the very bottom of hell.
379 During one of the adorations, Jesus promised me that: With
souls that have recourse to My mercy and with those that glorify and proclaim
My great mercy to others, I will deal according to My infinite mercy at the
hour of their death.
My Heart is sorrowful, Jesus said, because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds My Heart 1 Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds.
389 Love must be reciprocal. If Jesus tasted the fullness
of bitterness for me, then I, His bride, will accept all bitterness as proof
of my love for Him.
391 Through Holy Baptism, we entered into union with other
souls. Death tightens the bonds of love. I ought always to be of help to
others. If I am a good religious, I will be useful, not only to the Order,
but to the whole Country as well.
392 The Lord God grants His graces in two ways: by
inspiration and by enlightenment. If we ask God for a grace, He will give it
to us; but let us be willing to accept it. And in order to accept it,
self-denial is needed. Love does not consist in words or feelings, but in
deeds. It is an act of the will; it is a gift; that is to say, a giving. The
reason, the will, the heart-these three faculties must be exercised during
prayer. I will rise from the dead in Jesus, but first I must live in Him. If
I do not separate myself from the Cross, then the Gospel will be revealed in
me. Jesus in me makes up for all my deficiencies. His grace operates without
ceasing. The Holy Trinity grants me Its life abundantly, by the gift of the
Holy Spirit. The Three Divine Persons live in me. When God loves, He loves
with all His Being, with all the power of His Being. If God has loved me in
this way, how should I respond I, His spouse?
393 During one conference, Jesus said to me, You are a
sweet grape in a chosen cluster; I want others to have a share in the juice
that is flowing within you.
525 O
Holy Trinity, in whom is contained the inner life of God, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, eternal joy, inconceivable depth of love, poured
out upon all creatures and constituting their happiness, honor and glory be
to Your holy name forever and ever. Amen.
When I consider Your greatness and beauty, O my God, I rejoice exceedingly that the Lord I serve is so great. With love and joy I carry out His will, and the more I come to know Him, the more I desire to love Him. I burn with the desire to love Him ever more and more.
543
The duration of the postulancy. The postulancy will last one year. During
this time, the candidate should examine whether she is attracted to this type
of life and whether it is suitable to her. The directress should also
diligently consider whether or not the person in question is suitable for
this type of life. After a year, if the postulant shows evidence of a stable
will and an earnest desire to serve God, she should be admitted to the
novitiate.
699 On one occasion, I heard these words: My daughter,
tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of
Mercy [139] be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and
especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy
are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach
the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy
Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that
day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no
soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is
so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it
throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very
depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will
contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged
from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly
celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace
until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.
930 + O my Jesus, although I will go to You, and You will
fill me with Yourself, and that will make my happiness complete, I will
nevertheless not forget about humanity. I desire to draw aside the veils of
heaven, so that the earth would have no doubts about The Divine Mercy. My
repose is in proclaiming Your mercy. The soul gives the greatest glory to its
Creator when it turns with trust to The Divine Mercy.
+ The
Love of God is the flower - Mercy the fruit.
1000
In the terrible desert of life,
O my sweetest Jesus, Protect souls from disaster, For You are the Fountain of Mercy. Let the resplendence of Your rays, O sweet Commander of our souls, Let mercy change the world. And you who have received this grace, serve Jesus. Steep is the great highway I must travel, But I fear nothing, For the pure fount of mercy is flowing for my sake, And, with it, strength for the humble soul. I am exhausted and worn out, But my conscience bears me witness That I do all for the greater glory of the Lord, The Lord who is my repose and my heritage. [End of Notebook Two of the Diary.]
1074 When I went for adoration, I heard these words: My
beloved daughter, write down these words, that today My Heart has rested in
this convent [the Cracow house]. Tell the world about My mercy and My
love.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them! My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace. Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
1075 Souls who spread the honor of My mercy I shield
through their entire lives as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of
death I will not be a Judge for them, but the Merciful Savior. At that last
hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend itself except My mercy. Happy
is the soul that during its lifetime immersed itself in the Fountain of
Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it.
1076 Write this: Everything that exists is enclosed in
the bowels of My mercy, more deeply than an infant in its mother's womb. How
painfully distrust of My goodness wounds Me! Sins of distrust wound Me most
painfully.
1286 + Thank You, O God, for
all the graces
Which unceasingly You lavish upon me, Graces which enlighten me with the brilliance of the sun, For by them You show me the sure way. Thank You, 0 Lord, for creating me, For calling me into being from nothingness, For imprinting Your divinity on my soul, The work of sheer merciful love. Thank You, O God, for Holy Baptism Which engrafted me into Your family, A gift great beyond all thought or expression Which transforms my soul. Thank You, O Lord, for Holy Confession, For that inexhaustible spring of great mercy, For that inconceivable fountain of graces In which sin-tainted souls become purified. Thank You, O Jesus, for Holy Communion In which You give us Yourself. I feel Your Heart beating within my breast As You cause Your divine life to unfold within me. Thank You, O Holy Spirit, for the Sacrament of Confirmation, Which dubs me Your knight And gives strength to my soul at each moment, Protecting me from evil. Thank You, O God, for the grace of a vocation. For being called to serve You alone, Leading me to make You my sole love, An unequal honor for my soul. Thank You, O Lord, for perpetual vows, For that union of pure love, For having deigned to unite Your pure heart with mine And uniting my heart to Yours in the purest of bonds. Thank You, O Lord, for the Sacrament of Anointing Which, in my final moments, will give me strength; My help in battle, my guide to salvation, Fortifying my soul till we rejoice forever. Thank You, O God, for all the inspirations That Your goodness lavishes upon me, For the interior lights given my soul, Which the heart senses, but words cannot express. Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces Which You have lavished on me unceasingly through life. My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises, When, for the first time, I sing to Your glory.
1652 Adore, my soul, the mercy of the Lord,
O my heart, rejoice wholly in Him, Because for this you have been chosen by Him, To spread the glory of His mercy. His goodness no one has fathomed, no one can measure, His compassion is untold. Every soul that approaches Him experiences this. He will shield her and clasp her to His merciful bosom. Happy the soul that has trusted in Your goodness And has abandoned herself completely to Your mercy. Her soul is filled with the peace of love. You defend her everywhere as Your own child. O soul, whoever you may be in this world, Even if your sins were as black as night, Do not fear God, weak child that you are, For great is the power of God's mercy.
1710 May 26, [1938-Feast of the Ascension]. Today I
accompanied the Lord Jesus as He ascended into heaven. It was about noon. I
was overcome by a great longing for God. It is a strange thing, the more I
felt God's presence, the more ardently I desired Him. Then I saw myself in
the midst of a huge crowd of disciples and apostles, together with the Mother
of God. Jesus was telling them to... Go out into the whole world and teach
in My name. He stretched out His hands and blessed them and disappeared
in a cloud. I saw the longing of Our Lady. Her soul yearned for Jesus with
the whole force of Her love. But She was so peaceful and so united to the
will of God that there was not a stir in Her heart but for what God wanted.
1711 When I was left alone with the Blessed Virgin, She
instructed me concerning the interior life. She said, The soul's true
greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in His presence,
completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing; because
the Lord is great, but He is well pleased only with the humble; He always
opposes the proud.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-248, 375-376, 378-379, 389, 391)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-392-393)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-525, 543, 699, 930, 1000)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1076)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1286)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1652, 1710-1711 )
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