Forgiveness from the Heart
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March 18, 2019. Monday of the Second Week of Lent
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Luke 6: 36-38
Jesus said to his
disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and
you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good
measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into
your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured
out to you."
Introductory
Prayer: Dear Jesus, too often I compare myself with others. It´s easy for me
to find or imagine my superiority to them. I ignore You and Your great
goodness. I forget that everything I have comes from You and that I can´t
claim the credit for any quality and virtue, although I would like to. I wish
to keep this truth in mind and to have an attitude of genuine humility in my
heart. Here I am, Lord, to know and love You more through prayer.
Petition: Lord, help me to
forgive from the heart.
1. The True
Battlefield: Although it is difficult, we can usually bring ourselves around to
excuse an injustice we have suffered. We forget about what happened, and we
try to move forward. However, it is more difficult for us to forgive when we
look into our offender’s heart and refuse to turn a blind eye to the goodness
that is there. Our hearts are a battleground for good and evil, and to
forgive is to be willing to help both the offender and ourselves overcome the
logic of evil. It is to wager on the side of good and to trust that goodness
is ultimately more attractive to the human heart than the idol of evil.
Christ always looked into the heart and wagered on the side of good.
2. Turning the
Other Cheek: “For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even
sinners love those who love them” (Luke 6:32). Christian forgiveness involves
waiving our claim to damages. It means turning the other cheek. It means
giving up our cloak as well. Yet all this is relatively easy in comparison to
giving over our good name, to proceeding in charity even when we will be
misunderstood. Even here, we must waive our claim to damages, willingly die
in the furrow, and patiently await the Father to raise us up again.
3. Going the
Entire Distance: The Christian ethic is positive. It does not consist merely in not
doing bad things but in doing good things; building up positively.
We change the world little by not doing things. Christ was not
satisfied with that. He gave up his tunic, he gave up his good name, and he
gave up everything—to the last drop of his blood. So often we feel good about
ourselves because we measure up to our neighbor; but it is not our neighbor
with whom we must compare ourselves. It is God with whom we must compare
ourselves, and he has shown us how to be fruitful: by paying our ransom with
his own blood. In forgiveness and mercy, his generosity is without measure.
Conversation with
Christ: Dear Jesus, help me to seek perfection in loving You and my neighbor
constantly. I want to travel the path of generous love because it is Your
path, and you are the source of all my happiness.
Resolution: I will be the
first to offer an apology or a solution to build unity in my home and
workplace.
Excerpts from the DIARY of
Saint Faustina Kowalska
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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216
We have come to Cracow today [April 18, 1933]. What a joy it is to find
myself again where I took my first steps in the spiritual life! Dear Mother
Directress [Mary Joseph] is ever the same, cheerful and full of love of
neighbor. I entered the chapel for a moment and joy filled my soul. In a
flash I recalled the whole ocean of graces that had been given me as a novice
here.
241
Love of neighbor. First: Helpfulness towards the sisters. Second: Do not
speak about those who are absent, and defend the good name of my neighbor.
Third: Rejoice in the success of others.
243
I will thank the Lord Jesus for every humiliation and will pray specially for
the person who has given me the chance to be humiliated. I will immolate myself
for the benefit of souls. I will not count the cost of any sacrifice. I will
cast myself beneath the feet of the sisters, like a carpet on which they can
not only tread, but also wipe their feet. My place is under the feet of the
sisters. I will make every effort to obtain that place unnoticed by others.
It is enough that God sees this.
362 +One day, during the morning meditation,
I heard this voice: I myself am your director; I was, I am, and I will be. And since you asked for visible help, I
chose and gave you a director even before you had asked, for My work required
this. Know that the faults you commit against him wound My Heart. Be
especially on your guard against self-willfulness; even the smallest thing
should bear the seal of obedience.
With a crushed and humbled heart I begged
forgiveness of Jesus for these faults. I also begged pardon of my spiritual
director and resolved to do nothing rather than to do many things wrongly.
390 He who knows how to forgive prepares for
himself many graces from God. As often as I look upon the cross, so often
will I forgive with all my heart.
588
On one occasion, I heard these words within me: Every movement of your
heart is known to me. Know, My daughter, that one glance of yours directed at
someone else would wound Me more than many sins committed by another person.
590
When I receive Holy Communion, I entreat and beg the Savior to heal my
tongue, that I may never fail in love of neighbor.
612 One time, I was in doubt as to whether
what had happened to me had seriously offended the Lord Jesus or not. As I
could not solve this doubt, I made up my mind not to go to Communion before
first going to confession, although I immediately made an act of contrition,
as it is my habit to ask for forgiveness after the slightest transgression.
During those days when I did not receive Holy Communion, I did not feel the
presence of God. This caused me unspeakable pain, but I took it as a
punishment for sin. However, at the time of Holy Confession I was reproached
for not going to Holy Communion, because what had happened to me was not an
obstacle to receiving Holy Communion. After confession, I received Holy
Communion, and I saw the Lord Jesus who said to me, Know, My daughter, that you caused Me more
sorrow by not uniting yourself with Me in Holy Communion than you did by that
small transgression.
692
+ O Jesus, I understand that Your mercy is beyond all imagining, and
therefore I ask You to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for
the needs of all the souls living on the face of the earth. O Jesus, my love
extends beyond the world, to the souls suffering in purgatory, and I want to
exercise mercy toward them by means of indulgenced prayers. God's mercy is
unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God himself is unfathomable. Even if
I were to use the strongest words there are to express this mercy of God, all
this would be nothing in comparison with what it is in reality. O Jesus, make
my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my neighbor, whether of body or
of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You act toward us as we act toward our
neighbor.
My Jesus, make my heart like unto Your merciful Heart. Jesus, help me to go through life doing good to everyone.
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.
700
+ Once, when I was very tired and in much pain, I told Mother Superior
[Irene] about it and received the answer that I should get used to suffering.
I listened to everything that Mother told me, and then I went out. Our Mother
Superior has great love of neighbor and especially great love for the sick
sisters, as everyone knows. And yet, as regards me, it is extraordinary that
the Lord Jesus has permitted that she not understand me and that she test me
much in this respect.
704
I spend every free moment at the feet of the hidden God. He is my Master; I
ask Him about everything; I speak to Him about everything. Here I obtain
strength and light; here I learn everything; here I am given light on how to
act toward my neighbor. From the time I left the novitiate, I have enclosed
myself in the tabernacle together with Jesus, my Master. He himself drew me
into the fire of living love on which everything converges.
742
My daughter, if I demand through you that people revere My mercy, you
should be the first to distinguish yourself by this confidence in My mercy. I
demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You
are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink
from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.
I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: the first-by deed, the second-by word, the third-by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy, and I demand the worship of My mercy through the solemn celebration of the Feast and through the veneration of the image which is painted. By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works. O my Jesus, You yourself must help me in everything, because You see how very little I am, and so I depend solely on Your goodness, O God.
901 + There is a certain person [Stanislava
Kwietniewska [163]] who tests my patience. I must devote much time to her.
When I talk with her, I feel that she is lying, and this, continually. And
because she tells me about things far away which I cannot verify, she is able
to get away with the lie. But I am inwardly convinced that there is no truth
in what she says. When it occurred to me once that I might be mistaken and
that she might be telling the truth, I asked the Lord Jesus to give me the
following sign: if she is really lying, let her admit to me herself that she
has lied about any one of the things ; concerning which I am inwardly
convinced that she is lying. And if she is telling the truth, let the Lord
Jesus take this conviction away from me. A little later, she came to me again
and said, "Sister, I beg your forgiveness, but I have lied about such and
such a thing," and I understood that the inner light concerning that
person had not misled me.
1148 June 20, [1937]. We resemble God most
when we forgive our neighbors. God is Love, Goodness, and Mercy...
Every
soul, and especially the soul of every religious, should reflect My mercy. My
Heart overflows with compassion and mercy for all. The heart of My beloved
must resemble Mine; from her heart must spring the fountain of My mercy for
souls; otherwise I will not acknowledge her as Mine.
1293 It so happened that I fell again into a
certain error, in spite of a sincere resolution not to do so-even though the
lapse was a minor imperfection and rather involuntary-and at this I felt such
acute pain in my soul that I interrupted my work and went to the chapel for a
while. Falling at the feet of Jesus, with love and a great deal of pain, I
apologized to the Lord, all the more ashamed because of the fact that in my
conversation with Him after Holy Communion this very morning I had promised
to be faithful to Him. Then I heard these words: If it hadn't been for this small imperfection, you wouldn't have come
to Me. Know that as often as you come to Me, humbling yourself and asking My
forgiveness, I pour out a superabundance of graces on your soul, and your
imperfection vanishes before My eyes, and I see only your love and your
humility. You lose nothing but gain much...
1332 Second day. As I was meditating on the
sin of the Angels and their immediate punishment, I asked Jesus why the
Angels had been punished as soon as they had sinned. I heard a voice: Because of their profound knowledge of
God. No person on earth, even though a great saint, has such knowledge of God
as an Angel has. Nevertheless, to me who am so miserable, You have shown
Your mercy, O God, and this, time and time again. You carry me in the bosom
of Your mercy and forgive me every time that I ask Your forgiveness with a
contrite heart.
1460 +
My daughter, I have something to tell you. I replied, "Speak, Jesus,
for I thirst for Your words." It
displeases Me that, because the sisters were murmuring, you did not ask to
have Father Andrasz hear your confession in your cell. Know that, because of
this, you gave them even greater cause for murmuring. Very humbly I
begged the Lord's forgiveness. O my Master, rebuke me; do not overlook my
faults, and do not let me err.
1485 The mercy of God, hidden in the Blessed
Sacrament, the voice of the Lord who speaks to us from the throne of mercy: Come to Me, all of you.
Conversation of the Merciful God with a
Sinful Soul.
Jesus: Be
not afraid of your Savior, O sinful soul. I make the first move to come to
you, for I know that by yourself you are unable to lift yourself to me.
Child, do not run away from your Father; be willing to talk openly with your
God of mercy who wants to speak words of pardon and lavish his graces on you.
How dear your soul is to Me! I have inscribed your name upon My hand; you are
engraved as a deep wound in My Heart.
Soul: Lord, I hear your voice calling me to
turn back from the path of sin, but I have neither the strength nor the
courage to do so.
Jesus:
I am your strength, I will help you in the struggle.
Soul: Lord, I recognize your holiness, and I
fear You.
Jesus:
My child, do you fear the God of mercy? My holiness does not prevent Me from
being merciful. Behold, for you I have established a throne of mercy on
earth- the tabernacle-and from this throne I desire to enter into your heart.
I am not surrounded by a retinue or guards. You can come to me at any moment,
at any time; I want to speak to you and desire to grant you grace.
Soul: Lord, I doubt that You will pardon my
numerous sins; my misery fills me with fright.
Jesus: My
mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can
measure the extent of my goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth;
for you I allowed myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let my Sacred
Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you.
Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a
contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not
argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand
over to me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures
of My grace.
Soul: You have conquered, O Lord, my stony
heart with Your goodness. In trust and humility I approach the tribunal of
Your mercy, where You yourself absolve me by the hand of your representative.
O Lord, I feel Your grace and Your peace filling my poor soul. I feel
overwhelmed by Your mercy, O Lord. You forgive me, which is more than I dared
to hope for or could imagine. Your goodness surpasses all my desires. And
now, filled with gratitude for so many graces, I invite You to my heart. I
wandered, like a prodigal child gone astray; but you did not cease to be my
Father. Increase Your mercy toward me, for You see how weak I am.
Jesus: Child,
speak no more of your misery; it is already forgotten. Listen, My child, to
what I desire to tell you. Come close to My wounds and draw from the Fountain
of Life whatever your heart desires. Drink copiously from the Fountain of
Life and you will not weary on your journey. Look at the splendors of My
mercy and do not fear the enemies of your salvation. Glorify My mercy.
1488 Conversation of the Merciful God with a
Soul Striving after Perfection.
Jesus: I
am pleased with your efforts, O soul aspiring for perfection, but why do I
see you so often sad and depressed? Tell Me, My child, what is the meaning of
this sadness, and what is its cause?
Soul: Lord, the reason for my sadness is
that, in spite of my sincere resolutions, I fall again into the same faults.
I make resolutions in the morning, but in the evening I see how much I have
departed from them.
Jesus: You
see, My child, what you are of yourself. The cause of your falls is that you
rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me. But let this not sadden you
so much. You are dealing with the God of mercy, which your misery cannot
exhaust. Remember, I did not allot only a certain number of pardons.
Soul: Yes, I know all that, but great
temptations assail me, and various doubts awaken within me and, moreover,
everything irritates and discourages me.
Jesus: My
child, know that the greatest obstacles to holiness are discouragement and an
exaggerated anxiety. These will deprive you of the ability to practice
virtue. All temptations united together ought not disturb your interior
peace, not even momentarily. Sensitiveness and discouragement are the fruits
of self-love. You should not become discouraged, but strive to make My love
reign in place of your self-love. Have confidence, My child. Do not lose
heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you. As often as
you beg for it, you glorify My mercy.
Soul: I understand what is the better thing
to do, what pleases You more, but I encounter great obstacles in acting on
this understanding.
Jesus: My
child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for My kingdom.
But
fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on
Me as you struggle, fearing nothing. Take the vessel of trust and draw from
the fountain of life-for yourself, but also for other souls, especially such
as are distrustful of My goodness.
Soul: O Lord, I feel my heart being filled
with Your love and the rays of Your mercy and love piercing my soul. I go,
Lord, at Your command. I go to conquer souls. Sustained by Your grace, I am
ready to follow You, Lord, not only to Tabor, but also to Calvary. I desire
to lead souls to the fount of Your mercy so that the splendor of Your mercy
may be reflected in all souls, and the home of our Father be filled to
overflowing. And when the enemy begins to attack me, I shall take refuge
behind the shield of Your mercy.
1489 Conversation of the Merciful God with a
Perfect Soul.
Soul: My Lord and Master, I desire to
converse with You.
Jesus: Speak,
My beloved child, for I am always listening. I wait for you. What do you
desire to say?
Soul: Lord, first let me pour out my heart at
Your feet in a fragrant anointing of gratitude for the many blessings which
You lavish upon me; even if I wanted to, I could not count them. I only
recall that there has never been a moment in my life in which I have not
experienced Your protection and goodness.
Jesus: Your
words please Me, and your thanksgiving opens up new treasures of graces. But,
My child, we should talk in more detail about the things that lie in your
heart. Let us talk confidentially and frankly, as two hearts that love one
another do.
Soul: O my merciful Lord, there are secrets
in my heart which no one knows or will ever know except You because, even if
I wanted to reveal them, no one would understand me. Your minister knows some
because I confess to him, but he knows only the bit of these mysteries that I
am capable of revealing; the rest remains between us for eternity, O My Lord!
You have covered me with the cloak of Your mercy, pardoning my sins. Not once
did You refuse Your pardon; You always had pity on me, giving me a new life
of grace. To prevent doubts, You have entrusted me to the loving care of Your
Church, that tender mother, who in Your name assures me of the truths of
faith and watches lest I wander. Especially in the tribunal of Your mercy
does my soul meet an ocean of favors, though You did not give the Fallen
Angels time to repent or prolong their time of mercy. O my Lord, you have
provided saintly priests to show me the sure way. Jesus, there is one more
secret in my life, the deepest and dearest to my heart: it is You yourself
when You come to my heart under the appearance of bread. Herein lies the
whole secret of my sanctity. Here my heart is so united with Yours as to be
but one. There are no more secrets, because all that is Yours is mine, and
all that is mine is Yours. Such is the omnipotence and the miracle of Your
mercy. All the tongues of men and of angels united could not find words
adequate to this mystery of Your love and mercy.
When I contemplate this mystery, my heart
falls into a new ecstasy. In silence I tell You everything, Lord, because the
language of love is without words; not a single stirring of my heart escapes
You. O Lord, the extent of Your great condescension has awakened in my soul
an even greater love for You, the sole object of my love. The life of union
manifests itself in perfect purity, deep humility, gentle silence, and great
zeal for the salvation of souls.
O my sweetest Lord, You watch over me each
moment and inspire me as to how I should act in a precise situation, when my
heart wavers between two things. You yourself frequently intervened in the
resolution of a difficulty. Countless times, by means of a sudden
enlightenment, You have given me to know what is the more pleasing to You.
Oh, how numerous are the instances of
forgiveness about which no one knows! How often You have poured into my soul
courage and perseverance to go forward. It is You yourself who removed
obstacles from my road, intervening directly in the actions of people. O
Jesus, everything I have said to You is but a pale shadow of what is taking
place in my heart. O my Jesus, how ardently I desire the conversion of
sinners! You know what I am doing for them to win them for You. Every offense
against You wounds me deeply. I spare neither strength, nor health, nor life
itself in defense of Your kingdom. Although my efforts may remain invisible
on earth, they are no less valuable in Your eyes.
O Jesus, I want to bring souls to the fount
of Your mercy to draw the reviving water of life with the vessel of trust.
The soul desirous of more of God's mercy should approach God with greater
trust; and if her trust in God is unlimited, then the mercy of God toward it
will be likewise limitless. O my God, Who know every beat of my heart, You
know how eagerly I desire that all hearts would beat for You alone, that
every soul glorify the greatness of Your mercy.
Jesus: My
beloved child, delight of My Heart, your words are dearer and more pleasing
to me than the angelic chorus. All the treasures of My Heart are open to you.
Take from this Heart all that you need for yourself and for the whole world.
For the sake of your love, I withhold the just chastisements, which mankind
has deserved. A single act of pure love pleases Me more than a thousand
imperfect prayers. One of your sighs of love atones for many offenses with
which the godless overwhelm Me. The smallest act of virtue has unlimited
value in My eyes because of your great love for Me. In a soul that lives on
My love alone, I reign as in heaven. I watch over it day and night. In it I
find My happiness; My ear is attentive to each request of its heart; often I
anticipate its requests. O child, especially beloved by Me, apple of My eye,
rest a moment near My Heart and taste of the love in which you will delight
for all eternity.
But
child, you are not yet in your homeland; so go, fortified by My grace, and
fight for My kingdom in human souls; fight as a king's child would; and
remember that the days of your exile will pass quickly, and with them the
possibility of earning merit for heaven. I expect from you, My child, a great
number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity. My child, that
you may answer My call worthily, receive Me daily in Holy Communion. It will
give you strength...
Jesus, do not leave me alone in suffering.
You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am
nothingness itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I
fall? I am an infant, Lord, so I cannot get along by myself. However, beyond
all abandonment I trust, and in spite of my own feeling I trust, and I am
being completely transformed into trust-often in spite of what I feel. Do not
lessen any of my sufferings, only give me strength to bear them. Do with me
as You please, Lord, only give me the grace to be able to love You in every
event and circumstance. Lord, do not lessen my cup of bitterness, only give
me strength that I may be able to drink it all.
O Lord, sometimes You lift me up to the
brightness of visions, and then again You plunge
me into the darkness of night and the abyss
of my nothingness, and my soul feels as if it were alone in the wilderness.
Yet, above all things, I trust in You, Jesus, for You are unchangeable. My
moods change, but You are always the same, full of mercy.
1656 I do not know how to describe all that I
suffer, and what I have written thus far is merely a drop. There are moments
of suffering about which I really cannot write. But there are also moments in
my life when my lips are silent, and there are no words for my defense, and I
submit myself completely to the will of God; then the Lord Himself defends me
and makes claims on my behalf, and His demands are such that they can be
noticed exteriorly. Nevertheless, when I perceive His major interventions,
which manifest themselves by way of punishment, then I beg Him earnestly for
mercy and forgiveness. Yet I am not always heard. The Lord acts toward me in
a mysterious manner. There are times when He Himself allows terrible
sufferings, and then again there are times when He does not let me suffer and
removes everything that might afflict my soul. These are His ways,
unfathomable and incomprehensible to us. It is for us to submit ourselves
completely to His holy will. There are mysteries that the human mind will
never fathom here on earth; eternity will reveal them.
1692 I adore You, Lord and Creator, hidden in
the Blessed Sacrament. I adore You for all the works of Your hands, that
reveal to me so much wisdom, goodness and mercy, O Lord. You have spread so
much beauty over the earth, and it tells me about Your beauty, even though
these beautiful things are but a faint reflection of You, Incomprehensible
Beauty. And although You have hidden Yourself and concealed Your beauty, my
eye, enlightened by faith, reaches You, and my soul recognizes its Creator,
its Highest Good; and my heart is completely immersed in prayer of adoration.
My Lord and Creator, Your goodness encourages
me to converse with You. Your mercy abolishes the chasm which separates the
Creator from the creature. To converse with You, O Lord, is the delight of my
heart. In You I find everything that my heart could desire. Here Your light
illumines my mind, enabling it to know You more and more deeply. Here streams
of graces flow down upon my heart. Here my soul draws eternal life. O my Lord
and Creator, You alone, beyond all these gifts, give Your own self to me and
unite Yourself intimately with Your miserable creature. Here, without
searching for words, our hearts understand each other. Here, no one is able
to interrupt our conversation. What I talk to You about, Jesus, is our
secret, which creatures shall not know and Angels dare not ask about. These
are secret acts of forgiveness, known only to Jesus and me; this is the
mystery of His mercy, which embraces each soul separately. For this incomprehensible
goodness of Yours, I adore You, O Lord and Creator, with all my heart and all
my soul. And, although my worship is so little and poor, I am at peace
because I know that You know it is sincere, however inadequate...
1698 l often attend upon the dying and
through entreaties obtain for them trust in God's mercy, and I implore God
for an abundance of divine grace, which is always victorious. God's mercy
sometimes touches the sinner at the last moment in a wondrous and mysterious
way. Outwardly, it seems as if everything were lost, but it is not so. The
soul, illumined by a ray of God's powerful final grace, turns to God in the
last moment with such a power of love that, in an instant, it receives from
God forgiveness of sin and punishment, while outwardly it shows no sign
either of repentance or of contrition, because souls [at that stage] no
longer react to external things. Oh, how beyond comprehension is God's mercy!
But-horror!- there are also souls who voluntarily and consciously reject and
scorn this grace! Although a person is at the point of death, the merciful
God gives the soul that interior vivid moment, so that if the soul is
willing, it has the possibility of returning to God. But sometimes, the
obduracy in souls is so great that consciously they choose hell; they [thus]
make useless all the prayers that other souls offer to God for them and even
the efforts of God Himself...
1744
May You be adored, O merciful God of ours,
O
All-powerful Lord and Creator.
In
deepest humility, we give You praise,
Plunging
ourselves into the ocean of Your Godhead.
But
man did not persevere in the hour of trial.
At
the instigation of the evil one, he became unfaithful to You.
He
lost Your grace and gifts; only misery was left him,
And
tears, suffering, sorrow and bitterness, until he would rest in the grave.
But
you, O merciful God, did not let humanity perish,
And
gave it the promise of a Redeemer.
You
did not let us despair, despite our grave offenses,
And
You sent Your prophets to Israel.
Still,
day and night, mankind cries out to You,
From
the abyss of misery, sin and all pain.
Hear
the moaning and the tears, You who reign in heaven,
God
of great mercy, God of compassion.
Man
erred, but he cannot ask pardon,
Because
a gaping chasm has appeared between God and man.
With
the voice of his misery, he cries out, "Mercy!"
But
Yahweh is silent... and century after century passes on.
But
the longing of all humankind grows deeper.
A
longing for Him who has been promised.
Come,
Lamb of God, take away our vile sins,
Come,
illumine our darkness like a ray of light.
Humanity
calls out to You unceasingly, O Lord of lords,
Calls
out to Your unfathomable mercy, to Your compassion.
O
great Yahweh, grant that we may make atonement,
Remember
Your goodness, and forgive us our sins.
Third
Day.
1768 My daughter, in this meditation, consider the love of neighbor. Is your love for your neighbor guided by My love? Do you pray for your enemies? Do you wish well to those who have, in one way or another, caused you sorrow or offended you? Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me.
1769
Application: O Jesus, my Love, You know that it has only been for a short
while that I have acted toward my neighbor guided solely by Your love. You
alone know of my efforts to do this. It comes to me more easily now, but if
You Yourself did not kindle that love in my soul, I would not be able to
persevere in this. This is due to Your Eucharistic love which daily sets me
afire.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-163, 216, 241, 243, 362, 390)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-II-588, 590, 612, 692, 699, 700, 704, 742)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-901
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1148)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1239)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1332,
1460, 1485, 1488-1489)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1656,
1692, 1698, 1744)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska
Notebook-IV-1768-1769)
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Marso 18, 2019
Forgiveness from the Heart-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
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