Christ Knows His Sheep!
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May 12, 2019. Fourth
Sunday of Easter
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Father Steven Reilly, LC
John 10:27-30
My sheep hear my
voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has
given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the
Father´s hand. The Father and I are one."
Introductory Prayer:
Lord, we continue
celebrating the joy of Easter. This meditation is a privileged moment to
experience this happiness. I offer You my faith and devotion.
Petition: Lord, help me to realize that I am known and
loved infinitely!
1. God Is Not a
Watchmaker: Philosophers and
scientists of the Enlightenment were enthralled with Reason. They looked at
the universe and saw logic and law, and they likened God to an expert
watchmaker. He had created a Rolex of a universe and was now contentedly
allowing his creation to run its course. The perfect and implacable laws of
physics had freed him from the cares of creation — a visit to his celestial
office would reveal a vacationing God “gone fishing.” This deistic notion of
God is not the God we worship. Our God is an ever-present God, intimately
concerned about his children. He has not forgotten about the world. He is not
far away. He became man and even when his time came to leave this world, he
devised a way to remain with us. Could God get any closer than being truly
present within us through the Eucharist? He shows infinite intensity in the
focus of his love. Anyone who threatens the sheep of this loving God does so
at his own risk: “No one can take them out of the Father’s hand!”
2. Knowing the
Sheep: This loving Father
has a Son who is the perfect reflection of his being: “The Father and I are
one.” The Son is a shepherd whose love, like the Father’s, is intense and
personal: “I know [my sheep].” Human categories don’t do the divine reality
justice. The human shepherd, after all, would be hard pressed to think of his
sheep as individuals. When he looks at them, he sees a flock. When he speaks
about them, the same word “sheep” will work both as singular and plural. But
Jesus is the Shepherd unlike any human shepherd, just as his Father is the
Creator unlike any human watchmaker. For Jesus, each sheep is an individual,
loved with a unique love. When you come to Christ, you don’t need to wear a
nametag. He knows your name!
3. Doing Our Part: If Jesus is the Shepherd unlike any human
shepherd, we should be sheep unlike any typical wool-covered mammals. Their
ardor for the next tuft of grass is such that the voice of the shepherd
hardly suffices to keep them in the flock. Barking dogs are an essential
element to good flock maintenance. But Christ’s sheep don’t need that kind of
coercion. In prayer we “hear [his] voice.” May we never tire of belonging to
the blessed flock of Christ! May we always listen and heed his voice.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord, you are my
Shepherd. With you, there is nothing I shall want. I will always keep my eyes
fixed on your rod and staff. My courage will never falter if you are at my
side.
Resolution: I will show spiritual leadership in my
family today.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
36 Once I was summoned to the judgment [seat] of God. I
stood alone before the Lord. Jesus appeared such as we know Him during His
Passion. After a moment, His wounds disappeared except for five, those in His
hands, His feet and His side. Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my
soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God. I
did not know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted
for. What a moment! Who can describe it? To stand before the Thrice-Holy God!
Jesus asked me, Who are you? I answered, "I am Your servant,
Lord." You are guilty of one day of fire in purgatory. I wanted to
throw myself immediately into the flames of purgatory, but Jesus stopped me
and said, Which do you prefer, suffer now for one day in purgatory or for a
short while on earth? I replied, "Jesus, I want to suffer in
purgatory, and I want to suffer also the greatest pains on earth, even if it
were until the end of the world." Jesus said, One [of the two] is
enough; you will go back to earth, and there you will suffer much, but not
for long; you will accomplish My will and My desires, and a faithful servant
of Mine will help you to do this. Now, rest your head on My bosom, on My
heart, and draw from it strength and power for these sufferings, because you
will find neither relief nor help nor comfort anywhere else. Know that you
will have much, much to suffer, but don't let this frighten you; I am with
you.
41 On one occasion I saw a servant of God in the immediate
danger of committing a mortal sin. I started to beg God to deign to send down
upon me all the torments of hell and all the sufferings He wished if only
this priest would be set free and snatched from the occasion of committing a
sin. Jesus heard my prayer and, that very instant, I felt a crown of thorns
on my head. The thorns penetrated my head with great force right into my
brain. This lasted for three hours; the servant of God was set free from this
sin, and his soul was strengthened by a special grace of God.
50 +I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of
Mine towards souls of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me.
The flames of mercy are burning Me - clamoring to be spent; I want to pour
them out upon these souls.
Jesus complained to me in these words, Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite My inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even My death is not enough for them. Woe to the soul that abuses these [gifts].
57 O my Jesus, You are the life of my life. You know only
too well that I long for nothing but the glory of Your Name and that souls
come to know Your goodness. Why do souls avoid You, Jesus?-I don't understand
that. Oh, if I could only cut my heart into tiny pieces and in this way offer
to You, O Jesus, each piece as a heart whole and entire, to make up in part
for the hearts that do not love You! I love You, Jesus, with every drop of my
blood, and I would gladly shed my blood for You to give You a proof of the
sincerity of my love. O God, the more I know You the less I can comprehend
You, but this "non-comprehension" lets me realize how great You
are! And it is this impossibility of comprehending You which enflames my
heart anew for You, O Lord. From the moment when You let me fix the eyes of
my soul on You, O Jesus, I have been at peace and desired nothing else. I
found my destiny at the moment when my soul lost itself in You, the only
object of my love. In comparison with you, everything is nothing. Sufferings,
adversities, humiliations, failures and suspicions that have come my way are
splinters that keep alive the fire of my love for You, O Jesus.
My desires are mad and unattainable. I wish to conceal from You that I suffer. I want never to be rewarded for my efforts and my good actions. You yourself, Jesus, are my only reward; You are enough, O Treasure of my heart! I want to share compassionately in the sufferings of my neighbors and to conceal my own sufferings, not only from them, but also from You, Jesus. Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love.
69 +O Jesus, eternal Truth, strengthen my feeble forces;
You can do all things, Lord. I know that without You all my efforts are in
vain. O Jesus, do not hide from me, for I cannot live without You. Listen to
the cry of my soul. Your mercy has not been exhausted, Lord, so have pity on
my misery. Your mercy surpasses the understanding of all Angels and people
put together; and so, although it seems to me that You do not hear me, I put
my trust in the ocean of Your mercy, and I know that my hope will not be
deceived.
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."
Darkness and Temptations
77 My mind became dimmed in a strange way; no truth seemed clear to me. When people spoke to me about God, my heart was like a rock. I could not draw from it a single sentiment of love for Him. When I tried, by an act of the will, to remain close to Him, I experienced great torments, and it seemed to me that I was only provoking God to an even greater anger. It was absolutely impossible for me to meditate as I had been accustomed to do in the past. I felt in my soul a great void, and there was nothing with which I could fill it. I began to suffer from a great hunger and yearning for God, but I saw my utter powerlessness. I tried to read slowly, sentence by sentence, and to meditate in this way, but this also was of no avail. I understood nothing of what I had read. The abyss of my misery was constantly before my eyes. Every time I entered the chapel for some spiritual exercise, I experienced even worse torments and temptations. More than once, all through Holy Mass, I had to struggle against blasphemous thoughts which were forcing themselves to my lips. I felt an aversion for the Holy Sacraments, and it seemed to me that I was not profiting from them in any way. It was only out of obedience to my confessor that I frequented them, and this blind obedience was for me the only path I could follow and my very last hope of survival. The priest explained to me that these were trials sent by God and that, in the situation I was in, not only was I not offending God, but I was most pleasing to Him. "This is a sign," he told me, "that God loves you very much and that He has great confidence in you, since He is sending you such trials." But these words brought me no comfort; it seemed to me that they did not apply to me at all. One thing did surprise me: it often happened that, at the time when I was suffering greatly, these terrible torments would disappear suddenly just as I was approaching the confessional; but as soon as I had left the confessional, all these torments would again seize me with even greater ferocity. I would then fall on my face before the Blessed Sacrament repeating these words: "Even if You kill me, still will I trust in You!" [cf. Job 13:15] It seemed to me that I would die in these agonies. But the most terrible thought for me was the conviction that I had been rejected by God. Then other thoughts came to me: why strive to acquire virtues and do good works? why mortify and annihilate yourself? what good is it to take vows? to pray? to sacrifice and immolate yourself? why sacrifice myself all the time? what good is it - if I am already rejected by God? why all these efforts? And here, God alone knew what was going on in my heart.
91 O my Jesus, You alone know what persecutions I suffer,
and this only because I am being faithful to You and following Your orders.
You are my strength; sustain me that I may always carry out what You ask of
me. Of myself I can do nothing, but when You sustain me, all difficulties are
nothing for me. O my Lord, I can see very well that from the time when my soul
first received the capacity to know You, my life has been a continual
struggle which has become increasingly intense.
Every morning during meditation, I prepare myself for the whole day's struggle. Holy Communion assures me that I will win the victory; and so it is. I fear the day when I do not receive Holy Communion. This Bread of t lie Strong gives me all the strength I need to carry on my mission and the courage to do whatever the Lord asks of me. The courage and strength that are in me are not of me, but of Him who lives in me - it is the Eucharist. O my Jesus, the misunderstandings are so great; sometimes, were it not for the Eucharist, I would not have the courage to go any further along the way You have marked out for me.
96 +Trials sent by God to a soul which is particularly
loved by Him.
Temptations and darkness; Satan. The soul's love [for God] is still not such as God would have it. The soul suddenly loses the tangible perception of God's presence. Various defects and imperfections rise up within it, and it must fight them furiously. All her faults lift up their heads, but the soul's vigilance is great. The former awareness of the presence of God gives place to coldness and spiritual dryness; the soul has no taste for spiritual exercises; it cannot pray, either in the old way, or in the manner in which it had just begun to pray. It struggles this way and that, but can find no satisfaction. God has hidden himself from it, and it can find no consolation in creatures, nor can any of these creatures find a way of consoling it. The soul craves passionately for God, but sees its own misery; it begins to sense God's justice; it seems to it that it has lost all the gifts that God had given it; its mind is dimmed, and darkness fills it; unspeakable torment begins. The soul tries to explain its state to the confessor, but it is not understood and is assailed by an even greater unrest. Satan begins his work. 97 Faith staggers under the impact; the struggle is fierce. The soul tries hard to cling to God by an act of will. With God's permission, Satan goes even further: hope and love are put to the test. These temptations are terrible. God supports the soul in secret, so to speak. The soul is not aware of this, but otherwise it would be impossible to stand firm; and God knows very well how much He can allow to befall a soul. The soul is tempted to unbelief in respect to revealed truths and to insincerity toward the confessor. Satan says to it, "Look, no one understands you; why speak about all this?" Words that terrify it sound in its ears, and it seems to the soul that it is uttering these against God. It sees what it does not want to see. It hears what it does not want to hear. And, oh, it is a terrible thing at times like these not to have an experienced confessor! The soul carries the whole burden alone. However, one should make every effort to find, if it is at all possible, a well-informed confessor, for the soul can collapse under the burden and come to the very edge of the precipice. All these trials are heavy and difficult. God does not send them to a soul which has not already been admitted to a deeper intimacy with Him and which has not yet tasted the divine delights. Besides, in this God has His own plans, which for us are impenetrable. God often prepares a soul in this way for His future designs and great works. He wants to try it as pure gold is tried. But this is not yet the end of the testing; there is still the trial of trials, the complete abandonment of the soul by God. + The Trial of Trials, Complete Abandonment - Despair 98 When the soul comes out victorious from the preceding trials, even though it may stumble here and there, it fights on valiantly, humbly calling upon God, "Save me, I am perishing!" And it is still able to fight on. At this point, however, the soul is engulfed in a horrible night. It sees within itself only sin. It feels terrible. It sees itself completely abandoned by God. It feels itself to be the object of His hatred. It is but one step away from despair. The soul does its best to defend itself; it tries to stir up its confidence; but prayer is an even greater torment for it, as this prayer seems to arouse God to an even greater anger. The soul finds itself poised on the summit of a lofty mountain on the very brink of a precipice. The soul is drawn to God, but feels repulsed. All other sufferings and tortures in the world are as nothing compared with this sensation into which it has been plunged; namely, that of being rejected by God. No one can bring it any relief; it finds itself completely alone; there is no one to defend it. It raises its eyes to heaven, but is convinced that this is not for her-for her all is lost. It falls deeper and deeper from darkness to darkness, and it seems to it that it has lost forever the God it used to love so dearly. This thought is torture beyond all description. But the soul does not agree to it and tries to lift its gaze toward heaven, but in vain! And this makes the torture even more intense. If God wishes to keep the soul in such darkness, no one will be able to give it light. It experiences rejection by God in a vivid and terrifying manner. From its heart burst forth painful moans, so painful that no priest will comprehend it, unless he himself has been through these trials. In the midst of this, the evil spirit adds to the soul's suffering, mocking it: "Will you persist in your faithfulness? This is your reward; you are in our power!" But Satan has only as much influence over the soul as God allows him, and God knows how much we can bear. "What have you gotten out of your mortifications," says Satan, "and out of your fidelity to the rule? What use are all these efforts? You have been rejected by God!" This word, rejected, becomes a fire which penetrates every nerve to the marrow of the bone. It pierces right through her entire being. The ordeal reaches its climax. The soul no longer looks for help anywhere. It shrinks into itself and loses sight of everything; it is as though it has accepted the torture of being abandoned. This is a moment for which I have no words. This is the agony of the soul.
130
Nevertheless, I began to grow a bit negligent. I did not pay attention to
these interior inspirations and tried to distract myself. But despite the
noise and the distraction, I could see what was going on in my soul. The word
of God is clear, and nothing can stifle it. I began to avoid encounters with
the Lord in my soul because I did not want to fall prey to illusions.
However, in a sense, the Lord kept pursuing me with His gifts; and truly I
experienced, alternately, torture and joy. I make no mention here of the
various visions and graces God granted me during this time, because I've
written this down elsewhere.[42]
135 During the third
probation, the Lord gave me to understand that I should offer myself to Him
so that He could do with me as He pleased. I was to remain standing before
Him as a victim offering. At first, I was quite frightened, as I felt myself
to be so utterly miserable and knew very well that this was the case. I answered
the Lord once again, "I am misery itself; how can I be a hostage [for
others]? You do not understand this today. Tomorrow, during your
adoration, I will make it known to you. My heart trembled, as did my
soul, so deeply did these words sink into my soul. The word of God is living.
When I came to the adoration, I felt within my soul that I had entered the
temple of the living God, whose majesty is great and incomprehensible. And He
made known to me what even the purest spirits are in His sight. Although I
saw nothing externally, God's presence pervaded me. At that very moment my
intellect was strangely illumined. A vision passed before the eyes of my
soul; it was like the vision Jesus had in the Garden of Olives. First, the
physical sufferings and all the circumstances that would increase them;
[then] the full scope of the spiritual sufferings and those that no one would
know about. Everything entered into the vision: false suspicions, loss of
good name. I've summarized it here, but this knowledge was already so clear
that what I went through later on was in no way different from what I had
known at that moment. My name is to be: "sacrifice." When the
vision ended, a cold sweat bathed my forehead. Jesus made it known to me
that, even if I did not give my consent to this, I could still be saved; and
He would not lessen His graces, but would still continue to have the same
intimate relationship with me, so that even if I did not consent to make this
sacrifice, God's generosity would not lessen thereby.
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. [four pages left blank][55]
195 O Jesus, today my soul is as though darkened by
suffering. Not a single ray of light. The storm is raging, and Jesus is
asleep. O my Master, I will not wake You; I will not interrupt Your sweet
sleep. I believe that You fortify me without my knowing it.
Throughout the long hours I adore You, O living Bread, amidst the great drought in my soul. O Jesus, pure Love, I do not need consolations; I am nourished by Your will, O Mighty One! Your will is the goal of my existence. It seems to me that the whole world serves me and depends on me. You, O Lord, understand my soul with all its aspirations. Jesus, when I myself cannot sing You the hymn of love, I admire the singing of the Seraphim, they who are so dearly loved by You. I desire to drown myself in You as they do. Nothing will stem such love, for no might has power over it. It is like lightning that illuminates the darkness, but does not remain in it. O my Master, shape my soul according to Your will and Your eternal designs!
208 O you small, everyday sacrifices, you are to me like
wild flowers which I strew over the feet of my beloved Jesus. I sometimes
compare these trifles to the heroic virtues, and that is because their
enduring nature demands heroism.>
209 In my sufferings, I do not seek help from creatures,
but God is everything to me. And yet, it often seems that even the Lord does
not hear me. I arm myself with patience and silence, like a dove that does
not complain and feels no bitterness when its children are being taken away
from it. I want to soar into the very heat of the sun, and I do not want to
stop in its vapors. I will not grow weary, because it is on You that I am
leaning-O You, my Strength!
210 I fervently beg the Lord to strengthen my faith, so
that in my drab, everyday life I will not be guided by human dispositions,
but by those of the spirit. Oh, how everything drags man towards the earth! But
lively faith maintains the soul in the higher regions and assigns self-love
its proper place; that is to say, the lowest one.
223 O living Host, my one and only strength, fountain of
love and mercy, embrace the whole world, fortify faint souls. Oh, blessed be
the instant and the moment when Jesus left us His most merciful Heart!
224 To suffer without complaining, to bring comfort to
others and to drown my own sufferings in the most Sacred Heart of Jesus!
I will spend all my free moments at the feet of [Our Lord in] the Blessed Sacrament. At the feet of Jesus, I will seek light, comfort and strength. I will show my gratitude unceasingly to God for His great mercy towards me, never forgetting the favors He has bestowed on me, especially the grace of a vocation. I will hide myself among the sisters like a little violet among lilies. I want to blossom for my Lord and Maker, to forget about myself, to empty myself totally for the sake of immortal souls-this is my delight.
245 My Jesus, I will now strive to give honor and glory to
Your Name, doing battle till the day on which You yourself will say, enough!
Every soul You have entrusted to me, Jesus, I will try to aid with prayer and
sacrifice, so that Your grace can work in them. O great lover of souls, my
Jesus, I thank You for this immense confidence with which You have deigned to
place souls in our care. O you days of work and of monotony, you are not
monotonous to me at all, for each moment brings me new graces and opportunity
to do good.
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.
287 +My Jesus, when I look at this life of souls, I see
that many of them serve You with some mistrust. At certain times, especially
when there is an opportunity to show their love for God, I see them running
away from the battlefield. And once Jesus said to me, Do you, my child,
also want to act like that? I answered the Lord, "Oh, no, my Jesus,
I will not retreat from the battlefield, even if mortal sweat breaks out on
my brow; I will not let the sword fall from my hand until I rest at the feet
of the Holy Trinity!" Whatever I do, I do not rely on my own strength,
but on God's grace. With God's grace a soul can overcome the greatest
difficulties.
297 +Jesus, Supreme Light, grant me the grace of knowing
myself, and pierce my dark soul with Your light, and fill the abyss of my
soul with Your own self, for You alone [...]
298 O my Jesus, the Life, the Way and the Truth, I beg You
to keep me close to You as a mother holds a baby to her bosom, for I am not
only a helpless child, but an accumulation of misery and nothingness.
299 When, on one occasion, my confessor told me to ask the
Lord Jesus the meaning of the two rays in the image,[77]
I answered, "Very well, I will ask the Lord."
During prayer I heard these words within me: The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls... These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy.
300 +Ask of my faithful servant [Father Sopocko] that, on
this day, he tell the whole world of My great mercy; that whoever approaches
the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and
punishment.
+Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy. +Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul's distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness. My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy.
458
During the ten-o'clock meditation, Father [Rzyczkowski [98]]
spoke about divine mercy and about God's goodness to us. He said that as we
review the history of mankind, we can see this great goodness of God at every
step. All the attributes of God, such as omnipotence and wisdom, serve to
reveal to us the greatest of His attributes; namely, His goodness. God's
goodness is the greatest of God's attributes. Many souls striving for
perfection, however, are not aware of this great goodness of God. Everything
that Father said in the course of the meditation about the goodness of God,
was exactly what Jesus had said to me concerning (the Feast of Mercy. I have
now come to understand clearly what the Lord has promised me, and I have no
doubt about anything; God's language is clear and distinct.
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.
573
December 21, 1935. One day my confessor [Father Sopocko] told me to go and
look at a certain house to see whether it was the same house I had seen in my
vision. When I went with my confessor to see that house, or rather those
ruins, at a glance I recognized that they were the same as I had seen in my
vision. The moment I touched the boards which had been nailed together in
place of the doors, a strength pervaded my soul like a flash, giving me
unshakable certitude. I went away quickly from that place, my heart full of
joy, for it seemed to me that there was a certain force chaining me to that
place.
I am very happy to see that everything agrees perfectly with what I saw in the vision. When the confessor spoke to me about the arrangement of the cells and other things, I recognized everything to be the same as had been told to me by Jesus. I am delighted that God is acting in this way through my confessor, but I am not surprised that God is giving him so much light; since God, who is Light itself, lives in a pure and humble heart, and all sufferings and adversities serve but to reveal the soul's holiness. When I returned home, I went immediately to our chapel to rest a while. Then suddenly I heard these words in my soul: Do not fear anything. I am with you. These matters are in My hands and I will bring them to fruition according to My mercy, for nothing can oppose My will.
634
March 22,[1936]. When I arrived at Warsaw, I went into the small chapel for a
moment to thank the Lord for a safe journey, and I asked the Lord to give me
the assistance and the grace necessary for everything that was in store for
me here. I submitted myself in all things to His holy will. I heard these
words: Fear nothing; all difficulties will serve for the fulfillment of My
will.
725 +
Eight-day Retreat, October 20, 1936.
My Jesus, I am going into the wilderness today to speak only with You, my Master and my Lord. Let the earth be silent, and You alone speak to me, Jesus. You know that I understand no other voice but Yours, O Good Shepherd. In the dwelling of my heart is that wilderness to which no creature has access. There, You alone are King.
764
November 24. Today, I received a letter from Father Sopocko. [147]
I learned from it that God himself is conducting this whole affair. And as
the Lord has begun it, so will He continue to carry it along. And the greater
the difficulties which I see, the more am I at peace. Oh, if in this whole
matter the glory of God and the profit to souls were not greatly served,
Satan would not be opposing it so much. But he senses what he is going to lose
because of it. I have now learned that Satan hates mercy more than anything
else. It is his greatest torment. Still, the word of God will not pass away;
God's utterance is living; difficulties will not suppress the works of God,
but show that they are God's...
929
When I had rested near His sweetest Heart, I told Him, "Jesus, I have so
much to tell You." And the Lord said to me with great love, Speak, My
daughter. And I started to enumerate the pains of my heart; that is, how
greatly concerned I am for all mankind, that "they all do not know You,
and those who do know You do not love You as You deserve to be loved. I also
see how terribly sinners offend You; and then again, I see how severely the
faithful, especially Your servants, are oppressed and persecuted. And then,
too, I see many souls rushing headlong into the terrible abyss of hell. You
see, Jesus, this is the pain that gnaws at my heart and bones. And, although
You show me special love and inundate my heart with streams of Your joys,
nevertheless, this does not appease the sufferings I have just mentioned, but
rather they penetrate my poor heart all the more acutely. Oh, how ardently I
desire that all mankind turn with trust to Your mercy. Then, seeing the glory
of Your name, my heart will be comforted."
Jesus listened to these outpourings of my heart with gravity and interest, as if He had known nothing about them, and this seemed to make it easier for me to talk. And the Lord said to me, My daughter, those words of your heart are pleasing to Me, and by saying the chaplet you are bringing humankind closer to Me. After these words, I found myself alone, but the presence of God is always in my soul.
948
February 13, [1937]. Today, during the Passion Service, [170]
I saw Jesus being tortured and crowned with thorns and holding a reed in His
hand. Jesus was silent as the soldiers were bustling about, vying with each
other in torturing Him. Jesus said nothing, but just looked at me, and in
that gaze I felt His pain, so terrible that we have not the faintest idea of
how much He suffered for us before He was crucified. My soul was filled with
pain and longing; in my soul, I felt great hatred for sin, and even the smallest
infidelity on my part seemed to me like a huge mountain for which I must
expiate by mortification and penance. When I see Jesus tormented, my heart is
torn to pieces, and I think: what will become of sinners if they do not take
advantage of the Passion of Jesus? In His Passion, I see a whole sea of
mercy.
+ J.M.J. February 12, 1937 + 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.]
1029
The doctor did not allow me to go to the chapel to attend the Passion
Service, although I had a great desire for it; however, I prayed in my own
room. Suddenly I heard the bell in the next room, and I went in and rendered
a service to a seriously sick person. When I returned to my room, I suddenly
saw the Lord Jesus, who said, My daughter, you gave Me greater pleasure by
rendering Me that service than if you had prayed for a long time. I
answered, "But it was not to You, Jesus, but to that patient that I
rendered this service." And the Lord answered me, Yes, My daughter,
but whatever you do for your neighbor, you do for Me.
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.
1290 September
19, 1937. Today, my own brother, Stanley, visited me. I rejoiced greatly in
this beautiful soul, who also intends to devote himself to God's service.
That is to say, God himself is drawing him to His love. We talked for a long
time about God, about His goodness. During this conversation with him, l
learned how pleasing his soul was to God. I received permission from Mother
Superior to see him more often. When he asked my advice about entering
religion, I replied, "Surely you know best what God is asking of
you." I mentioned the Jesuit Order, but said, "Enter wherever you
like." I promised to pray for him, and I decided to make a novena to the
Sacred Heart through the intercession of Father Peter Skarga with the promise
of having it announced in the Messenger of the Sacred Heart, [212]
because he is having great difficulties in this matter. I understood that, in
this case, prayer was more useful than advice.
1343
Third day. In the meditation on death, I prepared myself as if for real
death. I examined my conscience and searched all my affairs at the approach
of death and, thanks be to grace, my affairs were directed toward that
ultimate goal. This filled my heart with great gratitude to God, and I
resolved to serve my God even more faithfully in the future. One thing alone
is necessary: to put my old self to death and to begin a new life. In the
morning, I prepared to receive Holy Communion as if it were to be the last in
my life, and after Holy Communion I brought before my imagination my actual
death, and I said the prayers for the dying and then the De Profundis for my
own soul. My body was lowered into the grave, and I said to my soul,
"See what has become of your body, a heap of dirt teeming with
vermin-that is your inheritance."
1720
There are moments when Jesus gives me knowledge within my soul, and then
everything that exists on earth is at my service: friends, enemies, success,
adversity... all things, willing or not, must serve me. I do not think of
them at all; I strive to be faithful to God and to love Him to the point of
complete forgetfulness of self. And He Himself looks after me and fights
against my enemies.
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-36, 41, 50, 57, 69-70,
77, 91, 96-98)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-130, 135, 163, 195, 208, 210)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-223-224, 245, 248, 287, 297-300, 458)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-525, 543, 573, 634, 725, 764)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-929, 948, 1000)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1029)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1286, 1290)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1343)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1720)
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