Lost and Found
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September 15, 2019. Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Luke 15: 1-10
The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to
Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, "This
man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he addressed this
parable. "What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of
them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one
until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with
great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and
neighbors and says to them, ´Rejoice with me because I have found my lost
sheep.´ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven
over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have
no need of repentance. "Or what woman having ten coins and losing one
would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she
finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and
neighbors and says to them, ´Rejoice with me because I have found the coin
that I lost.´ In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among
the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I
believe that You came into this world to redeem sinners. I hope in You, and
in Your power to transform my soul, by Your grace, from sinfulness to
holiness. Lord, I love You and offer You the longings of my heart to put You
truly first in my life. I want to love You with all my mind, heart, soul and
strength.
Petition: Lord, save me from my sinful habits and help me
grow in virtue.
1. “This Man Welcomes Sinners and Eats with Them”: Jesus is willing
to sit down and share a meal with me. In other words, my Lord and Redeemer
overlooks my unworthiness in order to speak with me. This attracts my
attention. I know my guilt yet I do not feel judged, and so I draw near and
listen to him. In so many of my misguided actions, I have sought personal
benefits which I do not deserve. I accept, even demand favors from those
around me, while hypocritically not respecting their needs or the common
good. Often there is no difference between my lifestyle and that of a “tax
collector” or “sinner.” Still, Jesus is willing to lower himself and share a
meal at my table, despite the criticism and rebuke he receives on my account.
I can connect with him at his level, since he has lowered himself to mine, in
order to lift me up.
2. “Rejoice with Me Because I Have Found My Lost Sheep”: For Christ, every
soul has value. Every soul has been created through him, in God’s image and
likeness. No sin, while this time of mercy lasts, can escape the reach of the
Redeemer’s infinite love. Christ has shed his blood and passed through death
in order to save those souls who have died in their sins, and he restores
them to life. All that I have to do is hear his shepherd’s voice that calls
out to me and finds me where I am. I need only to let myself be found, let
him take me up in his arms, let him dispel my darkness and fear by the warmth
of his love, and let him return me to the fold. “Justification consists in
both victory over the death caused by sin and a new participation in grace”
(CCC, 654). Every sin confessed, and every new virtue acquired, is a triumph
of God’s grace in my soul.
3. “Rejoice with Me Because I Have Found the Coin That I Lost”: In Christ, there
is communion. No Christian is left to stand alone. God’s grace in a soul
radiates out to others. This is one of the most beautiful fruits wrought by
Christ’s redemption: A soul is brought into union with his Mystical Body.
Communion between the members of Christ’s Body produces joy, and I am meant
to proclaim it. In the same way that others rejoice whenever the light of
God’s grace shines in my soul through good works (Cf. Matthew 5:16), so too,
I should lift praise to God whenever I discover his goodness in others.
“Jesus himself called his disciples after his Resurrection: ‘Go and tell my
brethren.’ We are brethren not by nature, but by the gift of grace, because
that adoptive filiation gains us a real share in the life of the only Son,
which was fully revealed in his Resurrection” (CCC, 654)
Conversation with Christ: Lord, You do not judge or
discriminate against me, so long as I am willing to listen to Your voice and
respond to Your promptings. Please continue to grant me Your merciful grace,
so that Your call to holiness will triumph in the life of my soul. Let me
rejoice with others.
Resolution: Today I will consciously choose to exercise a
virtue that will help me break one of my sinful habits.
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
83 Write this: before I come as the just Judge, I am coming
first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there will be
given to people a sign in the heavens of this sort: All light in the heavens
will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth.
Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the openings
where the hands and the feet of the Savior were nailed will come forth great
lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take
place shortly before the last day.
112 +A few words about confession and confessors. I shall speak only
of what I have experienced and gone through within my own soul. There are
three things which hinder the soul from drawing profit from confession in
these exceptional moments.
The first thing: when the confessor has little knowledge of extraordinary ways and shows surprise if a soul discloses to him the great mysteries worked in it by God. Such surprise frightens a sensitive soul, and it notices that the confessor hesitates to give his opinion; and if it does notice this, it will not be set at peace, but will have even more doubts after confession than before, because it will sense that the confessor is trying to set it at peace while he himself is uncertain. Or else, as has happened to me, a confessor, unable to penetrate some of the soul's mysteries, refuses to hear the confession, showing a certain fear when the soul approaches the confessional. How can a soul in this state obtain peace in the confessional when it has become so oversensitive to every word of the priest? In my opinion, at times of such special trials sent by God to a soul, the priest, if he does not understand the soul, should direct it to some other experienced and well-instructed confessor. Or else he himself should seek light in order to give the soul what it needs, instead of downrightly denying it confession. For in this way he is exposing the soul to a great danger; and more than one soul may well leave the road along which God wanted it to journey. This is a matter of great importance, for I have experienced it myself. I myself began to waver; despite special gifts from God, and even though God himself reassured me, I have nevertheless always wanted to have the Church's seal as well. The second thing: the confessor does not allow the soul to express itself frankly, and shows impatience. The soul then falls silent and does not say everything [it has to say] and, by this, profits nothing. It profits even less when the confessor, without really knowing the soul, proceeds to put it to the test. Instead of helping the soul, he does it harm. The soul is aware that the confessor does not know it, because he did not allow it to lay itself open fully as regards both its graces and its misery. And so the test is ill-adapted. I have been submitted to some tests at which I have had to laugh. I will express this better thus: The confessor is the doctor of the soul, but how can a doctor prescribe a suitable remedy if he does not know the nature of the sickness? Never will he be able to do so. For either the remedy will not produce the desired effect, or else it will be too strong and will aggravate the illness, and sometimes-God forbid-even bring about death. I am speaking from my own experience because, in certain instances, it was the Lord himself who directly sustained me. The third thing: it also happens sometimes that the confessor makes light of little things. There is nothing little in the spiritual life. Sometimes a seemingly insignificant thing will disclose a matter of great consequence and will be for the confessor a beam of light which helps him to get to know the soul. Many spiritual undertones are concealed in little things. A magnificent building will never rise if we reject the insignificant bricks. God demands great purity of certain souls, and so He gives them a deeper knowledge of their own misery. Illuminated by light from on high, the soul can better know what pleases God and what does not. Sin depends upon the degree of knowledge and light that exists within the soul. The same is true of imperfections. Although the soul knows that it is only sin in the strict sense of the term which pertains to the sacrament of penance, yet these petty things are of great importance to a soul which is tending to sanctity, and the confessor must not treat them lightly. The patience and kindness of the confessor open the way to the innermost secrets of the soul. The soul, unconsciously as it were, reveals its abysmal depth and feels stronger and more resistant; it fights with greater courage and tries to do things better because it knows it must give an account of them. I will mention one more thing regarding the confessor. It is his duty to occasionally put to the test, to try, to exercise, to learn whether he is dealing with straw, with iron or with pure gold. Each of these three types of souls needs different kinds of training. The confessor must-and this is absolutely necessary-form a clear judgment of each soul in order to know how heavy a burden it can carry at certain times, in certain circumstances, or in particular situations. As for myself, it was only later on, after many [negative] experiences, that, when I saw that I was not understood, I no longer laid bare my soul or allowed my peace to be disturbed. But this happened only when all these graces had already been submitted to the judgement of a wise, well-instructed and experienced confessor. Now I know what to go by in certain cases.
145 Oh, how wretched my soul is for having wasted so many graces! I
was running away from God, and He pursued me with his graces. I most often
experienced God's graces when I least expected them. From the moment He gave
me a spiritual director, I have been more faithful to grace. Thanks to the
director and his watchfulness over my soul, I have learned what guidance
means and how Jesus looks at it. Jesus warned me of the least fault and
stressed that He himself judges the matter that I present to my confessor;
and [He told me] that ... any transgressions against the confessor
touch Me myself.
When under his direction my soul began to experience deep recollection and peace, I often heard these words in my soul: Strengthen yourself for combat - repeated over and over at various times. +Jesus often makes known to me what He does not like in my soul, and He has more than once rebuked me for what seemed to be trifles, but which were, in fact, things of great importance. He has warned me and tried me like a Master. For many years He himself educated me, until the moment when He gave me a spiritual director. Previously, He himself had made clear to me what I did not understand; but now, He tells me to ask my confessor about everything and often says, I will answer you through his mouth. Be at peace. It has never happened to me that I have received an answer which was contrary to what the Lord wanted of me, when I presented it to the spiritual director [Father Sopocko]. It sometimes happens that Jesus first asks certain things of me, about which no one knows anything, and then, when I kneel at the confessional, my confessor gives me the same order-however, this is infrequent. +When, over a long period of time, a soul has received much light and many inspirations, and when the confessors have confirmed the source of these inspirations and set the soul at peace; if its love is great, Jesus now makes it known that it is time to put into action what it has received. The soul recognizes that God is counting on it, and this knowledge fortifies it. It knows that to be faithful it will often have to face various difficulties, but it trusts in God and, thanks to this trust, it reaches that point to which God is calling it. Difficulties do not terrify it; they are its daily bread, as it were. They do not frighten or terrify the soul, just as a warrior who is constantly in battle is not terrified by the roar of the cannon. Far from being frightened, it listens to determine from which side the enemy is launching his attack, in order to defeat him. It does nothing blindly, but examines and ponders everything deeply and, not counting on itself, it prays fervently and asks advice of other warriors who are experienced and wise. When the soul acts in this way, it nearly always wins. There are attacks when a soul has no time to think or seek advice; then it must enter into a life-or-death struggle. Sometimes it is good to flee for cover in the wound of the Heart of Jesus, without answering a single word. By this very act the enemy is already defeated. In time of peace, as well, the soul continues making efforts, just as in time of battle. It must exercise itself, and do so with energy; otherwise it has no chance of attaining victory. I regard the time of peace as a time of preparation for victory. The soul must be ever watchful; watchfulness and again, watchfulness. The soul that reflects receives much light. A distracted soul runs the risk of a fall, and let it not be surprised when it does fall. O Spirit of God, Director of the soul, wise is he whom You have trained! But for the Spirit of God to act in the soul, peace and recollection are needed.
282 Once the Lord said to me, My Heart was moved by great
mercy towards you, My dearest child, when I saw you torn to shreds because of
the great pain you suffered in repenting for your sins. I see your love, so
pure and true that I give you first place among the virgins. You are the
honor and glory of My Passion. I see every abasement of your soul, and
nothing escapes my attention. I lift up the humble even to my very throne,
because I want it so.
374 J.M.J Vilnius, Februrary 4, 1935
[page in the Dairy with the words "From today on my will does not exist" crossed out with a large 'X'] The moment I knelt down to cross out my own will, as the Lord had bid me to do, I heard this voice in my soul:From today on, do not fear God's judgment, for you will not be judged [The next page has...] J.M.J Vilnius, February 4, 1935 From today on, I do the Will of God everywhere, always, and in everything.[88]
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.
423 Praise the Lord, my soul, for everything, and glorify His mercy,
for His goodness is without end. Everything will pass, but His mercy is
without limit or end. And although evil will attain its measure, in mercy
there is no measure.
O my God, even in the punishments You send down upon the earth I see the abyss of Your mercy, for by punishing us here on earth You free us from eternal punishment. Rejoice, all you creatures, for you are closer to God in His infinite mercy than a baby to its mother's heart. O God, You are compassion itself for the greatest sinners who sincerely repent. The greater the sinner, the greater his right to God's mercy.
496 Confession Day. From early morning, the turmoil in my soul was
more violent than anything I had ever experienced before. Complete
abandonment by God; I felt the utter weakness that I was. Thoughts bore in
upon me: why should I leave this convent where I am loved by the sisters and
superiors, where life is so tranquil; [where I am] bound by perpetual vows
and carry out my duties without difficulty; why should I listen to the voice
of my conscience; why follow an inspiration coming from who knows where;
wouldn't it be better to carry on like all the other sisters? Perhaps the
Lord's words could be stifled, not taken heed of; maybe God will not demand
an account of them on the day of judgment. Where will this inner voice lead
me? If I follow it, what tremendous difficulties, tribulations and
adversities are in store for me. I fear the future, and I am agonizing in the
present.
This suffering continued with the same intensity throughout the whole day. When, in the evening, my turn came for confession, I could not make a full confession, even though I had been preparing for a long time. I received absolution and left, not knowing what was going on within me. When I went to bed, the suffering grew even worse; or rather, it changed into a fire which penetrated all the faculties of my soul like lightning, piercing me to the marrow, and to the most secret recesses of my heart. In the midst of this suffering, I was unable to bring myself to do anything. "Your will be done, Lord." At times I could not even think these words. Truly, a deadly fear had taken hold of me, and the flames of hell were touching me. Toward morning, silence set in, and my tribulations disappeared in the twinkling of an eye, but I felt so frightfully exhausted that I could not even move. During my conversation with Mother Superior, my strength returned bit by bit, but God alone knows how I felt throughout that whole day.
566 One day, after Holy Communion, I suddenly saw the Infant Jesus
standing by my kneeler and holding on to it with His two little hands.
Although He was but a little Child, my soul was filled with awe and fear, for
I see in Him my Judge, my Lord, and my Creator, before whose holiness the
Angels tremble. At the same time, my soul was flooded with such unspeakable
love that I thought I would die under its influence. I now see that Jesus
first strengthens my soul and makes it capable of abiding with Him, for
otherwise I would not be able to bear what I experience at such a moment.
660 O my Jesus, on the day of the last judgment, You will demand from
me an account of this work of mercy. O just Judge, but my Spouse as well,
help me to do Your holy will. O mercy, O divine virtue!
O most merciful Heart of Jesus, my Betrothed, make my heart like unto Yours.
717 All night long, I was preparing to receive Holy Communion, since I
could not sleep because of physical suffering. My soul was flooded with love
and repentance.
852 Today the Lord's gaze shot through me suddenly, like lightning. At
once, I came to know the tiniest specks in my soul, and knowing the depths of
my misery, I fell to my knees and begged the Lord's pardon, and with great
trust I immersed myself in His infinite mercy. Such knowledge does not
depress me nor keep me away from the Lord, but rather it arouses in my soul
greater love and boundless trust. The repentance of my heart is linked to
love. These extraordinary flashes from the Lord educate my soul. O sweet rays
of God, enlighten me to the most secret depth, for I want to arrive at the
greatest possible purity of heart and soul.
854 December 29, [1936]. Today after Holy Communion, I heard a voice
in my soul: My daughter, stand ready, for I will come
unexpectedly. Jesus, You do not want to tell me the hour I am
looking forward to with such longing? My daughter, it is for your own
good. You will learn it, but not now; keep watch. O Jesus, do with
me as You please. I know You are the merciful Savior and You will not change
towards me at the hour of my death. If at this time you are showing me so
much special love, and are condescending to unite Yourself with me is such an
intimate way and with such great kindness, I expect even more at the hour of
my death. You, my Lord-God, cannot change. You are always the same. Heaven
can change, as well as everything that is created; but You, Lord, are ever
the same and will endure forever. So come as You like and when You like.
Father of infinite mercy, I, Your child, wait longingly for Your coming. O
Jesus, You said in the Holy Gospel, "Out of your mouth do I judge
you." Well, Jesus, I am always speaking of Your inconceivable mercy, so
I trust that You will judge me according to Your unfathomable mercy.
895 January 23, [1937]. I did not feel like writing today. Then I
heard a voice in my soul:My daughter, you do not live for yourself but for
souls; write for their benefit. You know that My will as to your writing has
been confirmed many times by your confessors. You know what is pleasing to
Me, and if you have any doubts about what I am saying, you also know whom you
are to ask. I grant him light to pronounce judgment on my case. My eye
watches over him. My daughter, you are to be like a child towards him, full
of simplicity and candor. Put his judgment above all My demands. He will
guide you according to My will. If he doesn't allow you to carry out My
demands, be at peace; I will not judge you, but the matter will remain
between Me and him. You are to be obedient.
934 Small practices for Lent. Although I wish and desire to do so, I
cannot practice big mortifications as before, because I am under the strict
surveillance of the doctor. But I can practice little things: first-sleep
without a pillow; keep myself a little hungry; every day, with my arms
outstretched, say the chaplet which the Lord taught me; occasionally, with
arms outstretched, for an indefinite period of time pray informally.
Intention: to beg divine mercy for poor sinners, and for priests, the power
to bring sinful hearts to repentance.
1052 O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church: Grant it
love and the light of Your Spirit, and give power to the words of priests so
that hardened hearts might be brought to repentance and return to You, O
Lord. Lord, give us holy priests; You yourself maintain them in holiness. O
Divine and Great High Priest, may the power of Your mercy accompany them
everywhere and protect them from the devil's traps and snares which are
continually being set for the souls of priests. May the power of Your mercy,
O Lord, shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of
priests, for You can do all things.
1054 When Jesus was taking leave of me, such great pain filled my soul
that it is impossible to express it. Physical strength left me; I left the
chapel quickly and went to bed. I was oblivious of what was going on around
me. My soul was filled with longing for the Lord, and all the bitterness of
His Divine Heart was imparted to me. This lasted for about three hours. I
asked the Lord to protect me from the eyes of those around me. Although I
wanted to, I could not take any food all day, until evening.
I earnestly desired to spend the whole night with Jesus in the dark prison cell. [184] I prayed until eleven o'clock. At eleven, the Lord said to me, Lie down and take your rest. I have let you experience in three hours what I suffered during the whole night. And immediately I went to bed. I had no physical strength left; the suffering had deprived me of it completely. Throughout all this time, I had been in a sort of swoon. Every beat of Jesus' Heart was reflected in my heart and pierced my soul. If these tortures had concerned me only, I would have suffered less; but as I looked at the One whom my heart has loved with all its might and saw that He was suffering, and that I could not bring Him any relief, my heart dissolved in love and bitterness. I was dying with Him, and yet I could not die. But I would not have exchanged that martyrdom for all the pleasures in the whole world. In the course of this suffering, my love grew immeasurably. I know that the Lord was supporting me with His omnipotence, for otherwise I would not have been able to endure it for even a moment. Together with Him, I underwent, in a special way, all the various tortures. The world still has no idea of all that Jesus suffered. I accompanied Him to the Garden of Gethsemane; I stayed with Him in the prison; I went with Him before the judges; I underwent with Him each of the tortures. Not a single one of His movements or looks escaped my notice. I came to know all the omnipotence of His love and of His mercy toward souls.
1064 + O my most sweet Master, good Jesus, I give You my heart. You
shape and mold it after Your liking. O fathomless love, I open the calyx of
my heart to You, like a rosebud to the freshness of dew. To You alone, my
Betrothed, is known the fragrance of the flower of my heart. Let the
fragrance of my sacrifice be pleasing to You. O Immortal God, my everlasting
delight, already here on earth You are my heaven. May every beat of my heart
be a new hymn of praise to You, O Holy Trinity! Had I as many hearts as there
are drops of water in the ocean or grains of sand in the whole world, I would
offer them all to You, O my Love, O Treasure of my heart! Whomever I shall
meet in my life, no matter who they may be, I want to draw them all to love
You, O my Jesus, my Beauty, my Repose, my sole Master, Judge, Savior and
Spouse, all in one; I know that one title will modify the other-I have
entrusted everything to Your mercy.
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.
1093 + O Jesus, shield me with Your mercy and also judge me leniently,
or else Your justice may rightly damn me.
1146 [Let] the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy.
They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. My
daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an
appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than
they ask. I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to
My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in My unfathomable and inscrutable
mercy. Write: before I come as a just Judge, I first open wide the door of My
mercy. He who refuses to pass through the door of My mercy must pass through
the door of My justice...
1158 A member of
this group ought to perform at least one act of mercy a day; at least one,
but there can be many more, for such deeds can easily be carried out by
anyone, even the very poorest. For there are three ways of performing an act
of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you
can offer no word, then pray-that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy.
And when the Last Day comes, we shall be judged from this, and on this basis
we shall receive the eternal verdict.
1159 God's floodgates have been opened for us. Let us want to take
advantage of them before the day of God's justice arrives. And that will be a
dreadful day!
1317 I understand Your words, Lord, and the magnitude of the mercy
that ought to shine in my soul. Jesus: I know, My daughter, that you
understand it and that you do everything within your power. But write this
for the many souls who are often worried because they do not have the
material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy,
which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious
and is within the grasp of every soul. If a soul does not exercise mercy
somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if
only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not
be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy.
1426 Christ, give
me souls. Let anything You like happen to me, but give me souls in return. I
want the salvation of souls. I want souls to know Your mercy. I have nothing
left for myself, because I have given everything away to souls, with the
result that on the day of judgment I will stand before You empty-handed,
since I have given everything away to souls. Thus You will have nothing on
which to judge me, and we shall meet on that day: Love and mercy... + J. M.
J.
1515 + I spent this whole night with Jesus in the dark dungeon. This
was a night of adoration. The sisters were praying in the chapel, and I was
uniting myself with them in spirit, because poor health prevents me from
going to the chapel. But all night long I could not fall asleep, so I spent
the night in the dark prison with Jesus. Jesus gave me to know of the
sufferings He experienced there. The world will learn about them on the day
of judgment.
1528 + When I complained to the Lord Jesus about a certain person
[saying], "Jesus, how can this person pass judgment like that, even
about an intention?" the Lord answered, Do not be surprised.
That soul does not even know her own self, so how could she pass a fair
judgment on another soul?
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I- 36, 83, 112, 145, 282,
374, 378)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-423, 496)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-566, 660, 717, 852,
854, 895, 934)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1052, 1054, 1064,
1074-1076, 1093)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1146, 1158-1159)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1317)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1426, 1515, 1528)
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