Living Water
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March 15, 2020. Third
Sunday of Lent
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John 4:5-42
Jesus came to a town
of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his
son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down
there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water.
Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His disciples had gone into the town to
buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a
Samaritan woman for a drink?” — For Jews use nothing in common with
Samaritans.— Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and
who is saying to you ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would
have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you do not even
have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where, then, can you get this living
water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and
drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?” Jesus answered and
said to her, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but
whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall
give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The
woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or
have to keep coming here to draw water.” Jesus said to her, “Go call your
husband and come back.” The woman answered and said to him, “I do not have a
husband.” Jesus answered her, “You are right in saying, ‘I have no husband.’
For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.
What you have said is true.” The woman said to him, “Sir, I can see that you
are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the
place to worship is in Jerusalem.” Jesus said to her, "Believe me woman;
the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain
nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship
what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is
coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in
spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God
is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.” The
woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the
Christ; when he comes, he will tell us everything.” Jesus said to her, “I am
he, the one speaking with you.” At that moment his disciples returned, and
were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, “What are you
looking for?” or “Why are you talking with her?” The woman left her water jar
and went into the town and said to the people, “Come see a man who told me
everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Christ?” They went out of
the town and came to him. Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat.”
But he said to them, “I have food to eat which you do not know.” So the
disciples said to one another, “Could someone have brought him something to
eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me
and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘In four months the harvest will be
here’? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest. The
reaper is already receiving payment and gathering crops for eternal live, so
that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For here the saying is
verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you have
not worked for; others have done the work and you are sharing the fruits of
their work.” Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him
because of the word of the woman who testified, “He has told me everything I
have done.” When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with
them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because
of his word, and they said to the woman, “We no longer believe because of
your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly
the savior of the world.”
Introductory
Prayer: Lord, I believe that
You are present in my life. I believe that You are my creator and that you
hold me in existence at every moment. I hope in You because I know that You
created me and want what’s best for me. I know that you want to give me the
living water you promised to the Samaritan woman. I am the one who places
obstacles in your way. My lack of faith, attachments to worldly things,
egoism and vanity all get in the way of receiving your gift. I come to you in
prayer today with a humble and contrite heart. You know my misery and how
much I need your grace. Accept my prayer today as a token of my desire to
remove the obstacles that come between us.
Petition: Lord help me to turn to You, the Wellspring
of Eternal Life, to satisfy my thirst.
1. Making Trips to
the Well: The Samaritan woman
comes to the well to draw water as she has so many times before. When her
water runs out and she is thirsty, she must go back to the well again. The
water she draws from the well has the power to satisfy for only a short time.
We can go through life just like this woman, searching for the little things
in life that satisfy our thirst – perhaps pleasure, the latest news, an
interesting job or a friendship. All these things satisfy, but their
satisfaction is limited and we must return to them again and again. To what
do you turn to satisfy your thirst for happiness and fulfillment? Reflect on
how that satisfaction is limited and how you must go back time and time again
to quench your thirst.
2. The Living
Water: The Samaritan woman
comes to draw water, but this time there is a Jewish man at the well and he
asks her for a drink. She is taken aback by his request because Jews do not
associate with Samaritans. A Jew would not ask a Samaritan for a drink
because, according to Jewish law, the buckets that the Samaritans used were
unclean. In spite of her initial shock, she is willing to converse with him
and is startled when he offers her living water. It is soon clear that he is
speaking about something much greater than well water. He is speaking about
the life of grace – the life-giving water he has come to give all mankind. He
shares this life of grace with us in abundance – so much so that when we
accept his offer of life-giving grace, we no longer have need for inferior
satisfactions.
3. We Must Ask for
This Water: Christ tells the
woman, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you ‘Give me a
drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
The woman does not know she is speaking to the very source of life and grace.
If she only knew she was talking to the Christ, she would beg for the living
water that Christ has to offer. No doubt many times we are close to Christ in
our prayer or the Eucharist without recognizing him. We are like this
Samaritan woman – unaware that we speaking with Christ. Only when we are
truly aware of how close Christ and the great treasure he is offering us are
to us when we converse with him in prayer, are we able to beg him for the
living water of his grace.
Conversation with
Christ: Lord Jesus, I want
to see beyond the ordinary and grasp the reality of what You are offering me.
You died on the cross so that I might partake in the living water that flowed
from Your side. Grant me your grace of living water, and teach me to thirst
for it alone.
Resolution: I will ask Christ, by short invocations
throughout the day, to give me the living water of his grace.
Excerpts from the DIARY of Saint Faustina
Kowalska
780 O my God, how I
pity those people who do not believe in eternal life; how I pray for them
that a ray of mercy would envelop them too, and that God would clasp them to
His fatherly bosom.
1393 Jesus, delight
of my soul, Bread of Angels,
My whole being is
plunged in You,
And I live Your
divine life as do the elect in heaven,
And the reality of
this life will not cease, though I be laid in the grave.
Jesus-Eucharist,
Immortal God,
Who dwell in my
heart without cease,
When I possess You,
death itself can do me no harm.
Love tells me that I
will see You at life's end.
Permeated by Your
divine life,
I gaze with
assurance at the heavens thrown open for me,
And death will
shame-facedly go away, empty-handed,
For Your divine life
is contained within my soul.
And although by Your
holy will, O Lord,
Death is to touch my
body,
I want this
dissolution to come as quickly as possible,
For through it I am
entering eternal life.
Jesus-Eucharist,
life of my soul,
You have raised me
up to the eternal spheres,
And this, by Your agony and death midst
terrible tortures.
26 [November 1937].
1471 Although I am
feeling weak, and my nature is clamoring for rest, I feel the inspiration of
grace telling me to take hold of myself and write, write for the comfort of
souls, whom I love so much and with whom I will share all eternity. And I
desire eternal life for them so ardently that that is why I use all my free
moments, no matter how short, for writing in the way that Jesus wishes of me.
1549 I want to live
in the spirit of faith. I accept everything that comes my way as given me by
the loving will of God, who sincerely desires my happiness. And so I will
accept with submission and gratitude everything that God sends me. I will pay
no attention to the voice of nature and to the promptings of self-love.
Before each important action, I will stop to consider for a moment what
relationship it has to eternal life and what may be the main reason for my
undertaking it: is it for the glory of God, or for the good of my own soul,
or for the good of the souls of others? If my heart says yes, then I will not
swerve from carrying out the given action, unmindful of either obstacles or
sacrifices. I will not be frightened into abandoning my intention. It is
enough for me to know that it is pleasing to God. On the other hand, if I
learn that the action has nothing in common with what I have just mentioned,
I will try to elevate it to a loftier sphere by means of a good intention.
And if I learn that something flows from my self-love, I will cancel it out
right from the start.
1557 O Jesus, keep
me in holy fear, so that I may not waste graces. Help me to be faithful to
the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Grant that my heart may burst for love
of You, rather than I should neglect even one act of love for You.
1559 At that moment
I saw Jesus, and from His Heart there issued those same two rays, which
enveloped me, whole and entire. At the same moment, all my torments
vanished. My daughter, the Lord said, know that of
yourself you are just what you have gone through, and it is only by My grace
that you are a participant of eternal life and all the gifts I lavish on you. And
with these words of the Lord, there came to me a true knowledge of myself.
Jesus is giving me a lesson in deep humility and, at the same time, one of
total trust in Him. My heart is reduced to dust and ashes, and even if all
people were to trample me under their feet, I would still consider that a
favor.
I feel and am, in fact, very deeply permeated with the knowledge that I am nothing, so that real humiliations will be a refreshment for me.
1584 O inconceivable goodness of God, which
shields us at every step, may Your mercy be praised without cease. That You
became a brother to humans, not to angels, is a miracle of the unfathomable
mystery of Your mercy. All our trust is in You, our first-born Brother, Jesus
Christ, true God and true Man. My heart flutters with joy to see how good God
is to us wretched and ungrateful people. And as a proof of His love, He gives
us the incomprehensible gift of Himself in the person of His Son. Throughout
all eternity we shall never exhaust that mystery of love. O mankind, why do
you think so little about God being truly among us? O Lamb of God, I do not
know what to admire in You first: Your gentleness, Your hidden life, the
emptying of Yourself for the sake of man, or the constant miracle of Your
mercy, which transforms souls and raises them up to eternal life. Although
You are hidden in this way, Your omnipotence is more manifest here than in
the creation of man. Though the omnipotence of Your mercy is at work in the
justification of the sinner, yet Your action is gentle and hidden.
+ J.M.J.
The Soul's Expectation of the Coming of the Lord. 1589 I do not know, O Lord, at what hour You will come. And so I keep constant watch and listen As Your chosen bride, Knowing that You like to come unexpected. Yet, a pure heart will sense You from afar, O Lord. I wait for You, Lord, in calm and silence, With great longing in my heart And with invincible desire. I feel that my love for You is changing into fire, And that it will rise up to heaven like a flame at life's end, And then all my wishes will be fulfilled. Come then, at last, my most sweet Lord And take my thirsting heart There, to Your home in the lofty regions of heaven, Where Your eternal life perdures. Life on this earth is but an agony, As my heart feels it is created for the heights. For it the lowlands of this life hold no interest, For my homeland is in heaven-this I firmly believe.
The Creator and The
Creature.
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...
+ God's Infinite
Goodness in Redeeming Man.
1747 God, You could
have saved thousands of worlds with one word; a single sigh from Jesus would
have satisfied Your justice. But You Yourself, Jesus, purely out of love for
us, underwent such a terrible Passion. Your Father's justice would have been
propitiated with a single sigh from You, and all Your self-abasement is
solely the work of Your mercy and Your inconceivable love. On leaving the
earth, O Lord, You wanted to stay with us, and so You left us Yourself in the
Sacrament of the Altar, and You opened wide Your mercy to us. There is no
misery that could exhaust You; You have called us all to this fountain of
love, to this spring of God's compassion. Here is the tabernacle of Your
mercy, here is the remedy for all our ills. To You, O living spring of mercy,
all souls are drawn; some like deer, thirsting for Your love, others to wash
the wound of their sins, and still others, exhausted by life, to draw
strength. At the moment of Your death on the Cross, You bestowed upon us
eternal life; allowing Your most holy side to be opened, You opened an
inexhaustible spring of mercy for us, giving us Your dearest possession, the
Blood and Water from Your Heart. Such is the omnipotence of Your mercy. From
it all grace flows to us.
1811 But I
want to tell you that eternal life must begin already , here on earth through
Holy Communion. Each Holy Communion makes you more capable of communing with
God throughout eternity.
And so, my King, I do not ask You for anything, although I know that You can give me everything. I ask You for one thing only: remain forever the King of my heart; that is enough for me.
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-780)
(Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1393, 1471, 1549, 1557, 1559, 1584) (Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-V-1589)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1692, 1747)
(Preparation for
Holy Communion-1811)
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Marso 15, 2020
Living Water-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
Marso 14, 2020
The Prodigal Father-Divine Mercy Miracles Meditations
The Prodigal Father
March 14, 2020.
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to
listen to him, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So to them he
addressed this parable. Then he said, "A man had two sons, and the younger
son said to his father, ´Father, give me the share of your estate that should
come to me.´ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days,
the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had
freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found
himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who
sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the
pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he
thought, ´How many of my father´s hired workers have more than enough food to
eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I
shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I
no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of
your hired workers."´ So he got up and went back to his father. While he
was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with
compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to
him, ´Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve
to be called your son.´ But his father ordered his servants, ´Quickly bring the
finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his
feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a
feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was
lost, and has been found.´ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had
been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard
the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what
this might mean. The servant said to him, ´Your brother has returned and your
father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and
sound.´ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father
came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ´Look, all these
years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave
me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who
swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened
calf.´ He said to him, ´My son, you are here with me always; everything I have
is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead
and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.´"
Introductory Prayer: Lord,
though I cannot see You
with my eyes, I believe You
are present to me now, in my innermost being, and that You know me far better than I know
myself. I also know that You
love me much more than I love my own self. Thank You for loving and watching over me,
though I don’t deserve Your
love. In return, I offer You
my sorrow for my sins and my hope to love You more each day.
Petition: Jesus,
guide me to a complete rejection of sin in my life.
1. Love - The Double-Edged Sword:
Place yourself in the father´s shoes. He loves his sons, sacrifices himself for
them, and has tremendous hope and fatherly pride in them. He intensely wants
them to be happy and seeks what´s best for them. Above all, he wants them to
respond to his love for them with the same generosity, the same intensity of
self-giving. There is nothing more painful for a lover than unanswered, ignored
or scorned love. Imagine how much God loves us: he sends his only begotten Son
into the world, to become man––with all the limitations and suffering this
entails––to die on a cross, in our place, because of our sins.
2. Forgetting to Count Your Blessings:
The minute the son begins to think about himself and turn his attention away
from the father´s love is the minute he begins to have problems that will lead
to spiritual and material bankruptcy. Asking for his inheritance was tantamount
to wishing his father´s death, since an inheritance is bestowed only after the
death of one’s parents. How many times have I asked God to die by choosing my
own will over his? Self-centeredness leads to ingratitude: forgetting that I
have received everything from God through no merit of my own and that it will
all return to him. Self-centeredness also leads to trying to find happiness
anywhere except the one place it truly is found: God.
3. A Rude Awakening:
Anytime we turn away from the love and grace of God and turn to sin, we lose
our senses and leave God for a “distant country.” God´s will is our home, even
if on the surface it may seem unpleasant. Sin blinds the intellect and weakens
the will. Its every moment is a point of departure. But—every saint has a past
and every sinner has a future. We can turn back to God right now. He is with us
right here, right now, pouring out his grace. He ardently longs for us to
respond to him, just as the father in the parable must have longed for the
return of his son. I can stand up. I can return to my Father. I can bury my
past in Christ. I can go to him for forgiveness.
Conversation with Christ: Heavenly
Father, I clearly see the many times I have said “No” to You and chosen myself. I give thanks for
having such a patient and forgiving father as You. I am sorry for my lack of love
for You.
Now I reject sin once more and turn back to You, confident of Your mercy and forgiveness.
Resolution: I
will say a heartfelt act of contrition, relishing God´s love and mercy for me.
Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
1 O Eternal Love, You
command Your Sacred Image [1] to
be painted And reveal to us the inconceivable fount of mercy,
You bless whoever approaches Your rays,
And a soul all black will turn into snow.
O sweet Jesus, it is here [2] You established the throne of Your mercy
To bring joy and hope to sinful man.
From Your open Heart, as from a pure fount,
Flows comfort to a repentant heart and soul.
May praise and glory for this Image
Never cease to stream from man's soul.
May praise of God's mercy pour from every heart,
Now, and at every hour, and forever and ever.
You bless whoever approaches Your rays,
And a soul all black will turn into snow.
O sweet Jesus, it is here [2] You established the throne of Your mercy
To bring joy and hope to sinful man.
From Your open Heart, as from a pure fount,
Flows comfort to a repentant heart and soul.
May praise and glory for this Image
Never cease to stream from man's soul.
May praise of God's mercy pour from every heart,
Now, and at every hour, and forever and ever.
O My God
2 When I look
into the future, I am frightened, But why plunge into the future?
Only the present moment is precious to me,
As the future may never enter my soul at all.
It is no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.
O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of your omnipotence.
And so, trusting in Your mercy,
I walk through life like a little child,
Offering You each day this heart
Burning with love for Your greater glory
Only the present moment is precious to me,
As the future may never enter my soul at all.
It is no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.
O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of your omnipotence.
And so, trusting in Your mercy,
I walk through life like a little child,
Offering You each day this heart
Burning with love for Your greater glory
God and Souls.
5 Be adored, O Most
Holy Trinity, now and for all time. Be adored in all Your works and all Your
creatures. May the greatness of Your mercy be admired and glorified, O God.
6 I am to write [3] down the encounters of my soul with You, O God, at the moments
of Your special visitations. I am to write about You, O Incomprehensible in
mercy towards my poor soul. Your holy will is the life of my soul. I have
received this order through him who is for me Your representative here on
earth, who interprets Your holy Will to me. Jesus, You see how difficult it is
for me to write, how unable I am to put down clearly what I experience in my
soul. O God, can a pen write down that for which many a time there are no
words? But You give the order to write, O God; that is enough for me.
49 When I told this to
my confessor,[29] I received this for a reply: "That refers to
your soul." He told me, "Certainly, paint God's image in your
soul." When I came out of the confessional, I again heard words such as
these: My image already is in your soul. I desire that there be a Feast
of Mercy. I want this image, which you will paint with a brush, to be solemnly
blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of
Mercy.
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].
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].
56 O my God, I
understand well that You demand this spiritual childhood[32] of
me, because You are constantly asking it of me through Your representatives.
At the beginning of my religious life, suffering and adversities frightened and disheartened me. So I prayed continuously, asking Jesus to strengthen me and to grant me the power of His Holy Spirit that I might carry out His holy will in all things, because from the beginning I have been aware of my weakness. I know very well what I am of myself, because for this purpose Jesus has opened the eyes of my soul; I am an abyss of misery, and hence I understand that whatever good there is in my soul consists solely of His holy grace. The knowledge of my own misery allows me, at the same time, to know the immensity of Your mercy. In my own interior life, I am looking with one eye at the abyss of my misery and baseness, and with the other, at the abyss of Your mercy, O God.
At the beginning of my religious life, suffering and adversities frightened and disheartened me. So I prayed continuously, asking Jesus to strengthen me and to grant me the power of His Holy Spirit that I might carry out His holy will in all things, because from the beginning I have been aware of my weakness. I know very well what I am of myself, because for this purpose Jesus has opened the eyes of my soul; I am an abyss of misery, and hence I understand that whatever good there is in my soul consists solely of His holy grace. The knowledge of my own misery allows me, at the same time, to know the immensity of Your mercy. In my own interior life, I am looking with one eye at the abyss of my misery and baseness, and with the other, at the abyss of Your mercy, O God.
66 O inexhaustible
treasure of purity of intention which makes all our actions perfect and so
pleasing to God!
O Jesus, You know how weak I am; be then ever with me; guide my actions and my whole being, You who are my very best Teacher! Truly, Jesus, I become frightened when I look at my own misery, but at the same time I am reassured by Your unfathomable mercy, which exceeds my misery by the measure of all eternity. This disposition of soul clothes me in Your power. O joy that flows from the knowledge of one's self! O unchanging Truth, Your constancy is everlasting!
O Jesus, You know how weak I am; be then ever with me; guide my actions and my whole being, You who are my very best Teacher! Truly, Jesus, I become frightened when I look at my own misery, but at the same time I am reassured by Your unfathomable mercy, which exceeds my misery by the measure of all eternity. This disposition of soul clothes me in Your power. O joy that flows from the knowledge of one's self! O unchanging Truth, Your constancy is everlasting!
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.
O Divine Sun, in Your
rays the soul sees the tiniest specks of dust which displease You.
72 O Jesus, eternal Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I beg Your mercy for poor sinners. O sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable mercy, I plead with You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human race, I beg of You light for poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of Your own bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a price of Your most precious Blood. O Jesus, when I consider the great price of Your Blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been enough for the salvation of all sinners. Although sin is an abyss of wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equaled. Therefore, let every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted. Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I contemplate Your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus! I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet that they may glorify Your mercy throughout endless ages.
72 O Jesus, eternal Truth, our Life, I call upon You and I beg Your mercy for poor sinners. O sweetest Heart of my Lord, full of pity and unfathomable mercy, I plead with You for poor sinners. O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy from which gush forth rays of inconceivable graces upon the entire human race, I beg of You light for poor sinners. O Jesus, be mindful of Your own bitter Passion and do not permit the loss of souls redeemed at so dear a price of Your most precious Blood. O Jesus, when I consider the great price of Your Blood, I rejoice at its immensity, for one drop alone would have been enough for the salvation of all sinners. Although sin is an abyss of wickedness and ingratitude, the price paid for us can never be equaled. Therefore, let every soul trust in the Passion of the Lord, and place its hope in His mercy. God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God's mercy will never be exhausted. Oh, what immense joy burns in my heart when I contemplate Your incomprehensible goodness, O Jesus! I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet that they may glorify Your mercy throughout endless ages.
73 O my Jesus, despite
the deep night that is all around me and the dark clouds which hide the
horizon, I know that the sun never goes out. O Lord, though I cannot comprehend
You and do not understand Your ways, I nonetheless trust in Your mercy. If it
is Your will, Lord, that I live always in such darkness, may You be blessed. I
ask You only one thing, Jesus: do not allow me to offend You in any way. O my
Jesus, You alone know the longings and the sufferings of my heart. I am glad I
can suffer for You, however little. When I feel that the suffering is more than
I can bear, I take refuge in the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and I speak to
Him with profound silence.
78 Once when I was
being crushed by these dreadful sufferings, I went into the chapel and said
from the bottom of my soul, "Do what You will with me, O Jesus; I will
adore You in everything. May Your will be done in me, O my Lord and my God, and
I will praise Your infinite mercy." Through this act of submission, these
terrible torments left me. Suddenly I saw Jesus, who said to me, I am
always in your heart. An inconceivable joy entered my soul, and a
great love of God set my heart aflame. I see that God never tries us beyond
what we are able to suffer. Oh, I fear nothing; if God sends such great
suffering to a soul, He upholds it with an even greater grace, although we are
not aware of it. One act of trust at such moments gives greater glory to God
than whole hours passed in prayer filled with consolations. Now I see that if
God wants to keep a soul in darkness, no book, no confessor can bring it light.
80 O Jesus, Divine
Prisoner of Love, when I consider Your love and how You emptied Yourself for
me, my senses fail me. You hide Your inconceivable majesty and lower Yourself
to miserable me. O King of Glory, though You hide Your beauty, yet the eye of
my soul rends the veil. I see the angelic choirs giving You honor without
cease, and all the heavenly Powers praising You without cease, and without
cease they are saying: Holy, Holy, Holy.
Oh, who will comprehend Your love and Your unfathomable mercy toward us! O Prisoner of Love, I lock up my poor heart in this tabernacle, that it may adore You without cease night and day. I know of no obstacle in this adoration, and even though I be physically distant, my heart is always with You. Nothing can put a stop to my love for You. No obstacles exist for me. O my Jesus, I will console You for all the ingratitude, the blasphemies, the coldness, the hatred of the wicked, the sacrileges. O Jesus, I want to burn as 'a pure offering and to be consumed before the throne of Your hiddenness. I plead with You unceasingly for poor dying sinners.
Oh, who will comprehend Your love and Your unfathomable mercy toward us! O Prisoner of Love, I lock up my poor heart in this tabernacle, that it may adore You without cease night and day. I know of no obstacle in this adoration, and even though I be physically distant, my heart is always with You. Nothing can put a stop to my love for You. No obstacles exist for me. O my Jesus, I will console You for all the ingratitude, the blasphemies, the coldness, the hatred of the wicked, the sacrileges. O Jesus, I want to burn as 'a pure offering and to be consumed before the throne of Your hiddenness. I plead with You unceasingly for poor dying sinners.
81 O Holy Trinity, One
and Indivisible God, may You be blessed for this great gift and testament of
mercy. My Jesus, to atone for blasphemers I will keep silent when unjustly
reprimanded and in this way make partial amends to You. I am singing within my
soul an unending hymn to You, and no one will suspect or understand this. The
song of my soul is known to You alone, O my Creator and Lord!
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.
84 O Blood and Water,
which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust
in You!
Vilnius, August 2,
1934.
85 On Friday, after
Holy Communion, I was carried in spirit before the throne of God. There I saw
the heavenly Powers which incessantly praise God. Beyond the throne I saw a
brightness inaccessible to creatures, and there only the Incarnate Word enters
as Mediator. When Jesus entered this light, I heard these words, Write
down at once what you hear: I am the Lord in My essence and am
immune to orders or needs. If I call creatures into being - that is
the abyss of My mercy. And at that very moment I found myself, as
before, in our chapel at my kneeler, just as Mass had ended. I already had
these words written.
88 +During adoration I
felt God close to me. A moment later I saw Jesus and Mary. At the sight of them
I was filled with joy, and I asked the Lord, "What is Your will, Jesus,
concerning the matter about which my confessor told me to ask You?" Jesus
replied, It is My will that he should remain here and that
he should not take the initiative of dispensing himself. I asked Jesus
whether the inscription could be: "Christ King of Mercy." He
answered, I am King of Mercy, but He did not say
"Christ." I desire that this image be displayed in public
on the first Sunday after Easter. That Sunday is the Feast of Mercy. Through the
Word Incarnate I make known the bottomless depth of My mercy.
94 O my Lord, inflame
my heart with love for You, that my spirit may not grow weary amidst the
storms, the sufferings and the trials. You see how weak I am. Love can do all.
95 +A Deeper Knowledge
of God and the Terror of the Soul.
In the beginning, God lets himself be known as Holiness, Justice, Goodness - that is to say, Mercy. The soul does not come to know this all at once, but piecemeal, in flashes; that is to say, when God draws near. And this does not last for long, because the soul could not bear such light. During prayer the soul experiences flashes of this light which make it impossible to pray as before. Try as it may to force itself to pray as it did before, all is in vain; it becomes completely impossible for it to continue to pray as it did before it received this light. This light which has touched the soul is alive within it, and nothing can either quench or diminish it. This flash of the knowledge of God draws the soul and enkindles its love for Him.
But this same flash, at the same time, allows the soul to know itself as it is; the soul sees its whole interior in a superior light, and it rises up alarmed and terrified. Still, it does not remain under the effects of terror, but it begins to purify itself, to humble and abase itself before the Lord. These lights become stronger and more frequent; the more the soul is crystallized, the more these lights penetrate it. However, if the soul has responded faithfully and courageously to these first graces, God fills it with His consolations and gives himself to it in a perceptible manner. At certain moments, the soul, as it were, enters into intimacy with God and greatly rejoices in this; it believes that it has already reached the degree of perfection destined for it, because its defects and faults are asleep within it, and this makes it think that they no longer exist. Nothing seems difficult for it; it is ready for everything. It begins to plunge itself into God and taste the divine delights. It is carried along by grace and does not take account of the fact that the time of trial and testing may come. And, in fact, this state does not last long. Other moments will soon come. I should add here, however, that the soul will respond more faithfully to divine grace if it has a well - informed confessor to whom it can confide everything.
In the beginning, God lets himself be known as Holiness, Justice, Goodness - that is to say, Mercy. The soul does not come to know this all at once, but piecemeal, in flashes; that is to say, when God draws near. And this does not last for long, because the soul could not bear such light. During prayer the soul experiences flashes of this light which make it impossible to pray as before. Try as it may to force itself to pray as it did before, all is in vain; it becomes completely impossible for it to continue to pray as it did before it received this light. This light which has touched the soul is alive within it, and nothing can either quench or diminish it. This flash of the knowledge of God draws the soul and enkindles its love for Him.
But this same flash, at the same time, allows the soul to know itself as it is; the soul sees its whole interior in a superior light, and it rises up alarmed and terrified. Still, it does not remain under the effects of terror, but it begins to purify itself, to humble and abase itself before the Lord. These lights become stronger and more frequent; the more the soul is crystallized, the more these lights penetrate it. However, if the soul has responded faithfully and courageously to these first graces, God fills it with His consolations and gives himself to it in a perceptible manner. At certain moments, the soul, as it were, enters into intimacy with God and greatly rejoices in this; it believes that it has already reached the degree of perfection destined for it, because its defects and faults are asleep within it, and this makes it think that they no longer exist. Nothing seems difficult for it; it is ready for everything. It begins to plunge itself into God and taste the divine delights. It is carried along by grace and does not take account of the fact that the time of trial and testing may come. And, in fact, this state does not last long. Other moments will soon come. I should add here, however, that the soul will respond more faithfully to divine grace if it has a well - informed confessor to whom it can confide everything.
101 Jesus, You alone
know how the soul, engulfed in darkness, moans in the midst of these torments
and, despite all this, thirsts for God as burning lips thirst for water. It
dies and withers; it dies a death without death; that is to say, it cannot die.
All its efforts come to nothing; it is under a powerful hand. Now the soul
comes under the power of the Just One. All exterior temptations cease; all that
surrounds it becomes silent, like a dying person who loses contact with
everything around it: the person's entire soul is in the hand of the Just God,
the Thrice-Holy God,-rejected for all eternity! This is the culminating moment,
and God alone can test a soul in this way, because He alone knows what the soul
can endure.
When the soul has been saturated through and through by this infernal fire, it is, as it were, cast headlong into great despair. My soul experienced this moment when I was all alone in my cell. When my soul began to sink into this despair, I felt that the end was near. But I seized my little crucifix and clutched it tightly in my hand. And now I felt my body separate itself from my soul; and though I wanted to go to my Superiors, I no longer had the physical strength. I uttered my last words: "I trust in Your Mercy!"-and it seemed to me that I provoked God to an even greater anger. And now I was drowned in despair, and all that was left me was a moan of unadulterated pain which, from time to time, tore itself from my soul. The soul is in agony-and it seemed to me that I would remain in this state, because by my own strength I could not emerge from it. Every recollection of God opened up an unspeakable ocean of suffering, and yet despite this there is something within the soul which is drawn to Him, though it seems to her for this only-that she suffer more. The memory of the love with which God formerly surrounded it is still another kind of suffering. His gaze pierces it, and everything within the soul is burned by this gaze.
When the soul has been saturated through and through by this infernal fire, it is, as it were, cast headlong into great despair. My soul experienced this moment when I was all alone in my cell. When my soul began to sink into this despair, I felt that the end was near. But I seized my little crucifix and clutched it tightly in my hand. And now I felt my body separate itself from my soul; and though I wanted to go to my Superiors, I no longer had the physical strength. I uttered my last words: "I trust in Your Mercy!"-and it seemed to me that I provoked God to an even greater anger. And now I was drowned in despair, and all that was left me was a moan of unadulterated pain which, from time to time, tore itself from my soul. The soul is in agony-and it seemed to me that I would remain in this state, because by my own strength I could not emerge from it. Every recollection of God opened up an unspeakable ocean of suffering, and yet despite this there is something within the soul which is drawn to Him, though it seems to her for this only-that she suffer more. The memory of the love with which God formerly surrounded it is still another kind of suffering. His gaze pierces it, and everything within the soul is burned by this gaze.
102 After some time,
one of the sisters came into the cell and found me almost dead. She was
frightened and went to find the Directress of Novices who, in the name of holy
obedience ordered me to get up from the ground. My strength returned
immediately, and I got up, trembling. The Directress recognized immediately the
state of my soul and spoke to me about the inscrutable mercy of God, saying,
"Do not be distressed about anything, Sister. I command this of you in
virtue of obedience." Then she said to me, "I see now, Sister, that
God is calling you to a high degree of holiness; the Lord wants to draw you very
close to Himself since He has allowed these things to happen to you so soon. Be
faithful to God, Sister, because this is a sign that He wants you to have a
high place in heaven." However, I did not understand anything of these
words. When I went into the chapel, I felt as though my soul had been set free
from everything, as though I had just come forth from the hand of God. I
perceived the inviolability of my soul; I felt that I was a tiny child.
116 My Jesus, You know
what my soul goes through at the recollection of these sufferings. I have often
marvelled that the angels and saints hold their peace at the sight of a soul
suffering like that. Yet they have special love for us at such moments. My soul
has often cried out after God, as a little child who cries as loudly as he can
when his mother covers her face and he cannot recognize her. O my Jesus, honor
and glory to You for these trials of love! Great and incomprehensible is your
mercy. All that You intended for my soul, O Lord, is steeped in Your mercy.
118 The tongue is a
small member, but it does big things. A religious who does not keep silence
will never attain holiness; that is, she will never become a saint. Let her not
delude herself-unless it is the Spirit of God who is speaking through her, for
then she must not keep silent. But, in order to hear the voice of God, one has
to have silence in one's soul and to keep silence; not a gloomy silence, but an
interior silence; that is to say, recollection in God. One can speak a great
deal without breaking silence and, on the contrary, one can speak little and be
constantly breaking silence. Oh, what irreparable damage is done by the breach
of silence! We cause a lot of harm to our neighbor, but even more to our own
selves.
In my opinion, and
according to my experience, the rule concerning silence should stand in the
very first place. God does not give himself to a chattering soul which, like a
drone in a beehive, buzzes around but gathers no honey. A talkative soul is
empty inside. It lacks both the essential virtues and intimacy with God. A
deeper interior life, one of gentle peace and of that silence where the Lord
dwells, is quite out of the question. A soul that has never tasted the
sweetness of inner silence is a restless spirit which disturbs the silence of
others. I have seen many souls in the depths of hell for not having kept their
silence; they told me so themselves when I asked them what was the cause of
their undoing. These were souls of religious. My God, what an agony it is to
think that not only might they have been in heaven, but they might even have
become saints! O Jesus, have mercy!
119 I tremble to think
that I have to give an account of my tongue. There is life, but there is also
death in the tongue. Sometimes we kill with the tongue: we commit real murders.
And we are still to regard that as a small thing? I truly do not understand
such consciences. I have known a person who, when she learned from someone that
a certain thing was being said about her, fell seriously ill. She lost a good
deal of blood and shed many tears, and the outcome was very sad. It was not the
sword that did all this, but the tongue. O my silent Jesus, have mercy on us!
133 +Once, one of the
older Mothers [probably Mother Jane[43]]
summoned me, and it was as if fiery bolts from the blue were coming down upon
my head, so much so that I could not even discover what it was all about. But
after a while I understood that it was about a matter over which I had no
control whatsoever. She said to me, "Get it out of your head, Sister, that
the Lord Jesus might be communing in such an intimate way with such a miserable
bundle of imperfections as you! Bear in mind that it is only with holy souls
that the Lord Jesus communes in this way!" I acknowledged that she was
right, because I am indeed a wretched person, but still I trust in God's mercy.
When I met the Lord I humbled myself and said, "Jesus, it seems that You
do not associate intimately with such wretched people as I" Be at
peace, My daughter, it is precisely through such misery that I want to show the
power of My mercy. I understood that this Mother had merely wanted to
subject me to a [salutary] humiliation.
154 Once, when there
was adoration at the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Family,[50] I
went there in the evening with one of our sisters. As soon as I entered the
chapel, the presence of God filled my soul. I prayed as I do at certain times,
without saying a word. Suddenly, I saw the Lord, who said to me, Know
that if you neglect the matter of the painting of the image and the whole work
of mercy, you will have to answer for a multitude of souls on the day of
judgment. After these words of Our Lord, a certain fear filled my
soul, and alarm took hold of me. Try as 1 would, 1 could not calm myself. These
words kept resounding in my ears: So, 1 will not only have to answer for myself
on the day of judgment, but also for the souls of others. These words cut deep
into my heart. When I returned home, I went to the little Jesus,[51] fell
on my face before the Blessed Sacrament and said to the Lord, "I will do
everything in my power, but I beg You to be always with me and to give me
strength to do Your holy will; for You can do everything, while I can do
nothing of myself."
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, O
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 moaning. 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.
164 +JMJ Warsaw, 1933.
Probation Before
Perpetual Vows[56]
When I learned I was
to go for probation, my heart beat with joy at the thought of such an immense
grace, that of the perpetual vows. I went before the Blessed Sacrament; and
when I immersed myself in a prayer of thanksgiving, I heard these words in my
soul: My child you are My delight, you are the comfort of
My Heart. I grant you as many graces as you can hold. As often as
you want to make Me happy, speak to the world about My great and
unfathomable mercy.
167 Today [November,
1932], I arrived in Warsaw for the third probation. After a cordial meeting
with the dear Mothers, I went into the small chapel for a moment. Suddenly God's
presence filled my soul, and I heard these words, My daughter, I desire
that your heart be formed after the model of My merciful Heart. You must be
completely imbued with My mercy.
177 +Renewal of vows.
From the moment I woke up in the morning, my spirit was totally submerged in
God, in that ocean of love. I felt that I had been completely immersed in Him.
During Holy Mass, my love for Him reached a peak of intensity. After the renewal
of vows and Holy Communion, I suddenly saw the Lord Jesus, who said to me with
great kindness, My daughter, look at My merciful Heart. As I
fixed my gaze on the Most Sacred Heart, the same rays of light, as are
represented in the image as blood and water, came forth from it, and I
understood how great is the Lord's mercy. And again Jesus said to me with
kindness, My daughter, speak to priests about this inconceivable mercy
of Mine. The flames of mercy are burning Me-clamoring to be spent; I want to
keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don't want to believe in My
goodness. Suddenly Jesus disappeared. But throughout that whole day my
spirit remained immersed in God's tangible presence, despite the buzz and
chatter that usually follow a retreat. It did not disturb me in the least. My
spirit was in God, although externally I took part in the conversations and
even went to visit Derdy.[59]
178 Today we are
beginning the third probation. All three of us met at Mother Margaret's, as the
other sisters were having their probation in the novitiate. Mother Margaret
began with a prayer, explained to us what the third probation consists of, and
then spoke on how great is the grace of the perpetual vows. Suddenly I began to
cry out loud. In an instant all God's graces appeared before the eyes of my
soul, and I saw myself so wretched and ungrateful toward God. The sisters began
to rebuke me, saying, "Why did she break out crying?" But Mother
Margaret came to my defense, saying that she was not surprised.
At the end of the hour, I went before the Blessed Sacrament and, like the greatest and most miserable of wretches, I begged for His mercy that He might heal and purify my poor soul. Then I heard these words, My daughter, all your miseries have been consumed in the flame of My love, like a little twig thrown into a roaring fire. By humbling yourself in this way, you draw upon yourself and upon other souls an entire sea of My mercy. I answered, "Jesus, mold my poor heart according to Your divine delight."
At the end of the hour, I went before the Blessed Sacrament and, like the greatest and most miserable of wretches, I begged for His mercy that He might heal and purify my poor soul. Then I heard these words, My daughter, all your miseries have been consumed in the flame of My love, like a little twig thrown into a roaring fire. By humbling yourself in this way, you draw upon yourself and upon other souls an entire sea of My mercy. I answered, "Jesus, mold my poor heart according to Your divine delight."
180 +During Advent, a
great yearning for God arose in my soul. My spirit rushed toward God with all
its might. During that time, the Lord gave me much light to know His attributes.
The first attribute
which the Lord gave me to know is His holiness. His holiness is so great that
all the Powers and Virtues tremble before Him. The pure spirits veil their
faces and lose themselves in unending adoration, and with one single word they
express the highest form of adoration; that is-Holy... The holiness of God is
poured out upon the Church of God and upon every living soul in it, but not in
the same degree. There are souls who are completely penetrated by God, and
there are those who are barely alive.
The second kind of
knowledge which the Lord granted me concerns His justice. His justice is so
great and penetrating that it reaches deep into the heart of things, and all
things stand before Him in naked truth, and nothing can withstand Him.
The third attribute is
love and mercy. And I understood that the greatest attribute is love and mercy.
It unites the creature with the Creator. This immense love and abyss of mercy
are made known in the Incarnation of the Word and in the Redemption [of
humanity], and it is here that I saw this as the greatest of all God's
attributes.
186 +Today Jesus said
to me, I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My
Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion.
Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation. When you say
this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I
will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer:
187 "O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You."
206 The next day,
after Communion, I heard the voice saying, My daughter, look into the
abyss of My mercy and give praise and glory to this mercy of Mine. Do it in
this way: Gather all sinners from the entire world and immerse them in the
abyss of My mercy. I want to give Myself to souls; I yearn for souls, My
daughter. On the day of My feast, the Feast of Mercy, you will go through the
whole world and bring fainting souls to the spring of My mercy. I shall heal
and strengthen them.
A Moment Before the
Blessed Sacrament.
220 O my eternal Lord and Creator, how am I going to thank You for this great favor; namely, that You have deigned to choose miserable me to be Your betrothed and that You are to unite me to yourself in an eternal bond? O dearest Treasure of my heart, I offer You all the adoration and thanksgiving of the Saints and of all the choirs of Angels, and I unite myself in a special way with Your Mother. O Mary, my Mother, I humbly beg of You, cover my soul with Your virginal cloak at this very important moment of my life, so that thus I may become dearer to Your Son and may worthily praise Your Son's mercy before the whole world and throughout all eternity.
220 O my eternal Lord and Creator, how am I going to thank You for this great favor; namely, that You have deigned to choose miserable me to be Your betrothed and that You are to unite me to yourself in an eternal bond? O dearest Treasure of my heart, I offer You all the adoration and thanksgiving of the Saints and of all the choirs of Angels, and I unite myself in a special way with Your Mother. O Mary, my Mother, I humbly beg of You, cover my soul with Your virginal cloak at this very important moment of my life, so that thus I may become dearer to Your Son and may worthily praise Your Son's mercy before the whole world and throughout all eternity.
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.
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.
225 As regards Holy
Confession, I shall choose what costs and humiliates me most. Sometimes a
trifle costs more than something greater. I will call to mind the Passion of
Jesus at each confession, to arouse my heart to contrition. Insofar as possible
with the grace of God, I will always practice perfect contrition. I will devote
more time to this contrition. Before I approach the confessional, I shall first
enter the open and most merciful Heart of the Savior. When I leave the
confessional, I shall rouse in my soul great gratitude to the Holy Trinity for
this wonderful and inconceivable miracle of mercy that is wrought in my soul.
And the more miserable my soul is, the more I feel the ocean of God's mercy
engulfing me and giving me strength and great power.
229 +At the beginning
of the retreat, Jesus told me, During this retreat, I myself will
direct your soul. I want to confirm you in peace and love. And so the
first few days passed by. On the fourth day, doubts began to trouble me: Is not
this tranquillity of mine false? Then I heard these words, My daughter,
imagine that you are the sovereign of all the world and have the power to
dispose of all things according to your good pleasure. You have the power to do
all the good you want, and suddenly a little child knocks on your door, all
trembling and in tears and, trusting in your kindness, asks for a piece of
bread lest he die of starvation. What would you do for this child? Answer
Me, my daughter. And I said, "Jesus, I would give the child all
it asked and a thousand times more. "And the Lord said to me, That
is how I am treating your soul. In this retreat I am giving you, not only
peace, but also such a disposition of soul that even if you wanted to
experience uneasiness you could not do so. My love has taken possession of your
soul, and I want you to be confirmed in it. Bring your ear close to My Heart,
forget everything else, and meditate upon My wondrous mercy. My love will give
you the strength and courage you need in these matters.
237 Holy Hour. During
this hour of adoration, I saw the abyss of my misery; whatever there is of good
in me is Yours, O Lord. But because I am so small and wretched, I have a right
to count on Your boundless mercy.
239 Prayer during the
Mass on the day of the perpetual vows. Today I place my heart on the paten
where Your Heart has been placed, O Jesus, and today I offer myself together
with You to God, Your Father and mine, as a sacrifice of love and praise.
Father of Mercy, look upon the sacrifice of my heart, but through the wound in
the Heart of Jesus.
249 +Jesus, I trust in
You; I trust in the ocean of your mercy. You are a Mother to me.
256 +Thank You, Jesus,
for the great favor of making known to me the whole abyss of my misery. I know
that I am an abyss of nothingness and that, if Your holy grace did not hold me
up, I would return to nothingness in a moment. And so, with every beat of my
heart, I thank You, my God, for Your great mercy towards me.
272 But previously,
this priest had put me through many trials. When I told him that the Lord
wanted these things of me [that is, the painting of the image, the establishing
of a feast of The Divine Mercy, and the founding of a new community], he
laughed at me and told me to come to confession at eight in the evening. When I
came at eight, a brother was already locking the church. When I told him that
Father had ordered me to come at that time and asked him to let Father know I
was there, the good brother went to let him know. Father told him to tell me
that priests do not hear confessions at that time of day. I returned home
emptyhanded and did not go to confession to him again, but I made a whole
hour's adoration and took on certain mortifications for him, that he might
obtain light from God in order to know souls. But when Father Sopocko left, and
he substituted for him, I was forced to go to confession to him. Yet, while
previously he had been unwilling to acknowledge these inner inspirations, he
now put me under obligation to be faithful to them. God lets such things happen
sometimes, but may He be glorified in everything. Still, it requires much grace
not to falter.
275 Jesus loves hidden
souls. A hidden flower is the most fragrant. I must strive to make the interior
of my soul a resting place for the Heart of Jesus. In difficult and painful
moments, O my Creator, I sing You a hymn of trust, for bottomless is the abyss
of my trust in You and in Your mercy!
280 Jesus commanded me
to celebrate the Feast of God's Mercy on the first Sunday after Easter. [This I
did] through interior recollection and exterior mortification, wearing the belt
for three hours and praying continuously for sinners and for mercy on the whole
world. And Jesus said to me, My eyes rest with pleasure upon this house
today.
281 I feel certain
that my mission will not come to an end upon my death, but will begin. O
doubting souls, I will draw aside for you the veils of heaven to convince you
of God's goodness, so that you will no longer continue to wound with your
distrust the sweetest Heart of Jesus. God is Love and Mercy.
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.
283 I want to love You
as no human soul has ever loved You before; and although I am utterly miserable
and small, I have nevertheless cast the anchor of my trust deep down into the
abyss of Your mercy, O my God and Creator! In spite of my great misery I fear
nothing, but hope to sing You a hymn of glory forever. Let no soul, even the
most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for, as long as one is alive, each one can
become a great saint, so great is the power of God's grace. It remains only for
us not to oppose God's action.
286 +Once, after an
adoration for our country, a pain pierced my soul, and I began to pray in this
way: "Most merciful Jesus, I beseech You through the intercession of Your
Saints, and especially the intercession of Your dearest Mother who nurtured You
from childhood, bless my native land. I beg You, Jesus, look not on our sins,
but on the tears of little children, on the hunger and cold they suffer. Jesus,
for the sake of these innocent ones, grant me the grace that I am asking of You
for my country." At that moment, I saw the Lord Jesus, His eyes filled
with tears, and He said to me, You see, My daughter, what great
compassion I have for them. Know that it is they who uphold the world.
294
+Once the Lord said to me, Act like a beggar who does not back away
when he gets more alms [than he asked for], but offers thanks the more
fervently. You too should not back away and say that you are not worthy of
receiving greater graces when I give them to you. I know you are unworthy, but
rejoice all the more and take as many treasures from My Heart as you can carry,
for then you will please Me more. And I will tell you one more thing: Take
these graces not only for yourself, but also for others; that is, encourage the
souls with whom you come in contact to trust in My infinite mercy. Oh, how I
love those souls who have complete confidence in Me. I will do everything for
them.
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.
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.
+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.
301 Proclaim
that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are
crowned with mercy.
302 +O Eternal Love, I
want all the souls You have created to come to know You. I would like to be a
priest, for then I would speak without cease about Your mercy to sinful souls
drowned in despair. I would like to be a missionary and carry the light of
faith to savage nations in order to make You known to souls, and to be
completely consumed for them and to die a martyr's death, just as You died for
them and for me. O Jesus, I know only too well that I can be a priest, a
missionary, a preacher, and that I can die a martyr's death by completely
emptying myself and denying myself for love of You, O Jesus, and of immortal
souls.
305 It is my greatest
desire that souls should recognize You as their eternal happiness, that they
should come to believe in Your goodness and glorify Your infinite mercy.
308 1934, Holy
Thursday. Jesus said to me, I desire that you make an offering of
yourself for sinners and especially far those souls who have lost hope in God's
mercy.
God and Souls. An Act
of Oblation.
309 Before heaven and earth, before all the choirs of Angels, before the Most Holy Virgin Mary, before all the Powers of heaven, I declare to the One Triune God that today, in union with Jesus Christ, Redeemer of souls, I make a voluntary offering of myself for the conversion of sinners, especially for those souls who have lost hope in God's mercy. This offering consists in my accepting, with total subjection to God's will, all the sufferings, fears and terrors with which sinners are filled. In return, I give them all the consolations which my soul receives from my communion with God. In a word, I offer everything for them: Holy Masses, Holy Communions, penances, mortifications, prayers. I do not fear the blows, blows of divine justice, because I am united with Jesus. O my God, in this way I want to make amends to You for the souls that do not trust in Your goodness. I hope against all hope in the ocean of Your mercy. My Lord and my God, my portion-my portion forever, I do not base this act of oblation on my own strength, but on the strength that flows from the merits of Jesus Christ. I will daily repeat this act of self-oblation by pronouncing the following prayer which You yourself have taught me, Jesus:
"O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You!"
S. M. Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament
Holy Thursday, during Holy Mass, March 29, 1934.
309 Before heaven and earth, before all the choirs of Angels, before the Most Holy Virgin Mary, before all the Powers of heaven, I declare to the One Triune God that today, in union with Jesus Christ, Redeemer of souls, I make a voluntary offering of myself for the conversion of sinners, especially for those souls who have lost hope in God's mercy. This offering consists in my accepting, with total subjection to God's will, all the sufferings, fears and terrors with which sinners are filled. In return, I give them all the consolations which my soul receives from my communion with God. In a word, I offer everything for them: Holy Masses, Holy Communions, penances, mortifications, prayers. I do not fear the blows, blows of divine justice, because I am united with Jesus. O my God, in this way I want to make amends to You for the souls that do not trust in Your goodness. I hope against all hope in the ocean of Your mercy. My Lord and my God, my portion-my portion forever, I do not base this act of oblation on my own strength, but on the strength that flows from the merits of Jesus Christ. I will daily repeat this act of self-oblation by pronouncing the following prayer which You yourself have taught me, Jesus:
"O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You!"
S. M. Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament
Holy Thursday, during Holy Mass, March 29, 1934.
319 August 9, 1934.
Night adoration on Thursdays.[79] I
made my hour of adoration from eleven o'clock till midnight. I offered it for
the conversion of hardened sinners, especially for those who have lost hope in
God's mercy. I was reflecting on how much God had suffered and on how great was
the love He had shown for us, and on the fact that we still do not believe that
God loves us so much. O Jesus, who can understand this? What suffering it is
for our Savior! How can He convince us of His love if even His death cannot
convince us? I called upon the whole of heaven to join me in making amends to
the Lord for the ingratitude of certain souls.
320 Jesus made known
to me how very pleasing to Him were prayers of atonement. He said to me, The
prayer of a humble and loving soul disarms the anger of My Father and draws
down an ocean of blessings. After the adoration, half way to my cell,
I was surrounded by a , pack of huge black dogs who were jumping and howling
and trying to tear me to pieces. I realized that they were not dogs, but
demons. One of them spoke up in a rage, "Because you have snatched so many
souls away from us this night, we will tear you to pieces." I answered,
"If that is the will of the most merciful God, tear me to pieces, for I
have justly deserved it, because I am the most miserable of all sinners, and
God is ever holy, just, and infinitely merciful." To these words all the
demons answered as one, "Let us flee, for she is not alone; the Almighty
is with her!" And they vanished like dust, like the noise of the road,
while I continued on my way to my cell undisturbed, finishing my Te Deum and
pondering the infinite and unfathomable mercy of God.
364 +Once I was asked
to pray for a certain soul. I decided at once to make a novena to the Merciful
Lord to which I added a mortification; namely, that I would wear chains [86] on
both legs throughout Holy Mass. I had been doing this already for three days
when I went to confession and told my spiritual director that I had undertaken
this mortification, presuming permission to do so. I had thought he would not
object, but I heard the contrary; that is, that I should do nothing without
permission. O my Jesus, so it was willfulness again! But my falls do not
discourage me; I know very well that 1 am misery [itself]. Because of the
condition of my health I did not receive this permission, and my spiritual
director was surprised that I had been allowing myself greater mortifications
without his permission. I asked pardon for my self-willfulness, or rather for
having presumed permission, and I asked him to change this mortification for
another one.
376 My Jesus, I trust
that Your grace will help me to carry out these resolutions. Although the above
points are contained in the vow of obedience, I want to practice these things
in a special way, because this is the essence of the religious life. Merciful
Jesus, I beg You fervently to enlighten my mind so that I may come to know You
better, You who are the Infinite Being, and that I may get to know myself
better, who am nothingness itself.
378 Once as I was
talking with my spiritual director, I had an interior vision-quicker than
lightning-of his soul in great suffering, in such agony that God touches very
few souls with such fire. The suffering arises from this work. There will come
a time when this work, which God is demanding so very much, will be as though
utterly undone. And then God will act with great power, which will give
evidence of its authenticity. It will be a new splendor for the Church,
although it has been dormant in it from long ago. That God is infinitely
merciful, no one can deny. He desires everyone to know this before He comes
again as Judge. He wants souls to come to know Him first as King of Mercy. When
this triumph comes, we shall already have entered the new life in which there
is no suffering. But before this, your soul [of the spiritual director] will be
surfeited with bitterness at the sight of the destruction of your efforts.
However, this will only appear to be so, because what God has once decided
upon, He does not change. But although this destruction will be such only in
outward appearance, the suffering will be real. When will this happen? I do not
know. How long will it last? I do not know.[89] But
God has promised a great grace especially to you and to all those... who
will proclaim My great mercy. I shall protect them Myself at the hour of death,
as My own glory. And even if the sins of soul are as dark as night, when the
sinner turns to My mercy he gives Me the greatest praise and is the glory of My
Passion. When a soul praises My goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to
the very bottom of hell.
383 At the beginning
of the retreat, I saw, on the ceiling of the chapel, Jesus nailed to the Cross.
He was looking at the sisters with great love, but not at all of them. There
were three sisters at whom Jesus looked severely, for what reasons I do not
know. I only know what a terrible thing it is to meet with such a look, which
is the look of a severe Judge. That look was not directed at me, and yet I was
paralyzed with terror. I still tremble as I write these words. I did not dare
to say so much as a single word to Jesus. My physical strength failed me, and I
thought I would not live to the end of the conference. The next day, I saw the
same thing again, just as I had seen it the first time, and this time I dared
to speak these words: "Jesus, how great is Your mercy!"
465 Jesus, my Life,
how well I feel that You are transforming me into Yourself, in the secrecy of
my soul where the senses can no longer perceive much. O my Savior, conceal me
completely in the depths of Your Heart and shield me with Your rays against
everything that is not You. I beg You, Jesus, let the two rays that have issued
from Your most merciful Heart continuously nourish my soul.
491 When I entered the
chapel, once again the majesty of God overwhelmed me. I felt that I was
immersed in God, totally immersed in Him and penetrated by Him, being aware of
how much the heavenly Father loves us. Oh, what great happiness fills my heart
from knowing God and the divine life! It is my desire to share this happiness
with all people. I cannot keep this happiness locked in my own heart alone, for
His flames burn me and cause my bosom and my entrails to burst asunder. I
desire to go throughout the whole world and speak to souls about the great
mercy of God. Priests, help me in this; use the strongest words [at your
disposal] to proclaim His mercy, for every word falls short of how merciful He
really is.
609 I said to Him,
"I know that You are my Lord and Creator even though You are so
tiny." Jesus stretched His little arms out to me and looked at me with a
smile. My spirit was filled with incomparable joy. Then suddenly Jesus
disappeared, and it was time for Holy Communion. I went with the other sisters
to the Holy Table, my soul deeply moved. After Holy Communion, I heard these
words in my soul: I am in your heart, I whom you had in your
arms. I then pleaded with Jesus for a certain soul [Father Sopocko],
asking the Lord to grant him the grace to fight, and to take this trial from
him. As you ask, so shall it be, but his merit will not be lessened. Joy
reigned in my soul that God is so good and merciful; God grants everything that
we ask of Him with trust.
615 March 1, 1936.
Today during Holy Mass I experienced a strange force and urge to start
realizing God's wishes. I had such a clear understanding of the things the Lord
was asking of me that truly if I were to say that I do not understand what God
is demanding from me, I would be lying, because the Lord is making His will known
to me so clearly and distinctly that I do not have the least shadow of a doubt
about them. I realized that it would be the greatest ingratitude to delay any
longer this undertaking which the Lord wishes to bring to fulfillment for His
glory and the benefit of a great number of souls. And He is using me as a
miserable tool through which to realize His eternal plans of mercy. Truly, how
ungrateful my soul would be to resist God's will any longer. Nothing will stop
me any longer, be it persecution, sufferings, sneers, threats, entreaties,
hunger, cold, flattery, friendships, adversities, friends or enemies; be it
things I am experiencing now or things that will come in the future or even the
hatred of hell-nothing will deter me from doing the will of God.
I am not counting on my own strength, but on His omnipotence for, as he gave me the grace of knowing His holy will, He will also grant me the grace of fulfilling it. I cannot fail to mention how much my own lower nature resists this thing, manifesting its own desires, and there results within my soul a great struggle, like that of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. And so I too cry out to God, the Eternal Father, "If it is possible, take this cup from me, but, nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord; may Your will be done." What I am about to go through is no secret to me, but with full knowledge I accept whatever You send me, O Lord. I trust in You, O merciful God, and I wish to be the first to manifest to You that confidence which You demand of souls. O Eternal Truth, help me and enlighten me along the roadways of life, and grant that Your will be accomplished in me.
My God, I desire nothing but the fulfillment of Your will. It does not matter whether it will be easy or difficult. I feel an extraordinary force driving me to action. One thing alone holds me back, and that is holy obedience. O my Jesus, You urge me on the one hand and hold me back and restrain me on the other. In this, too, O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done.
I continued in this state, without a break, for many days. My physical strength declined, and though I did not speak to anyone about it, nevertheless Mother Superior [Borgia] noticed my pain and remarked that I had changed in appearance and was very pale. She told me to go to bed earlier and to sleep longer, and she had a cup of hot milk brought to me in the evening. She had a motherly heart, full of care, and tried to help me. But in the case of spiritual sufferings, external things have no influence, and they do not bring much relief. It was from the confessional that I drew my strength and the consolation of knowing that it would not be long before I could begin to act.
I am not counting on my own strength, but on His omnipotence for, as he gave me the grace of knowing His holy will, He will also grant me the grace of fulfilling it. I cannot fail to mention how much my own lower nature resists this thing, manifesting its own desires, and there results within my soul a great struggle, like that of Jesus in the Garden of Olives. And so I too cry out to God, the Eternal Father, "If it is possible, take this cup from me, but, nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done, O Lord; may Your will be done." What I am about to go through is no secret to me, but with full knowledge I accept whatever You send me, O Lord. I trust in You, O merciful God, and I wish to be the first to manifest to You that confidence which You demand of souls. O Eternal Truth, help me and enlighten me along the roadways of life, and grant that Your will be accomplished in me.
My God, I desire nothing but the fulfillment of Your will. It does not matter whether it will be easy or difficult. I feel an extraordinary force driving me to action. One thing alone holds me back, and that is holy obedience. O my Jesus, You urge me on the one hand and hold me back and restrain me on the other. In this, too, O my Jesus, may Your holy will be done.
I continued in this state, without a break, for many days. My physical strength declined, and though I did not speak to anyone about it, nevertheless Mother Superior [Borgia] noticed my pain and remarked that I had changed in appearance and was very pale. She told me to go to bed earlier and to sleep longer, and she had a cup of hot milk brought to me in the evening. She had a motherly heart, full of care, and tried to help me. But in the case of spiritual sufferings, external things have no influence, and they do not bring much relief. It was from the confessional that I drew my strength and the consolation of knowing that it would not be long before I could begin to act.
635 March 25. In the
morning, during meditation, God's presence enveloped me in a special way, as I
saw the immeasurable greatness of God and, at the same time, His condescension
to His creatures. Then I saw the Mother of God, who said to me, Oh, how
pleasing to God is the soul that follows faithfully the inspirations of His
grace! I gave the Savior to the world; as for you, you have to speak to the
world about His great mercy and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him
who will come, not as a merciful Savior, but as a just Judge. Oh, how terrible
is that day! Determined is the day of justice, the day of divine wrath. The
angels tremble before it. Speak to souls about this great mercy while it is
still the time for [granting] mercy. If you keep silent now, you will be
answering for a great number of souls on that terrible day. Fear nothing. Be
faithful to the end. I sympathize with you.
650 O my Jesus, my
Master and Director, strengthen and enlighten me in these difficult moments of
my life. I expect no help from people; all my hope is in You. I feel alone in
the face of Your demands, O Lord. Despite the fears and qualms of my nature, I
am fulfilling Your holy will and desire to fulfill it as faithfully as possible
throughout my life and in my death. Jesus, with You I can do all things. Do
with me as You please; only give me Your merciful Heart and that is enough for
me.
O Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what You have planned before all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of Your holy will. Enlighten my mind that I may know Your will. O God, You who pervade my soul, You know that I desire nothing but Your glory.
O Divine Will, You are the delight of my heart, the food of my soul, the light of my intellect, the omnipotent strength of my will; for when I unite myself with Your will, O Lord, Your power works through me and takes the place of my feeble will. Each day, I seek to carry out God's wishes.
O Jesus my Lord, help me. Let what You have planned before all ages happen to me. I am ready at each beckoning of Your holy will. Enlighten my mind that I may know Your will. O God, You who pervade my soul, You know that I desire nothing but Your glory.
O Divine Will, You are the delight of my heart, the food of my soul, the light of my intellect, the omnipotent strength of my will; for when I unite myself with Your will, O Lord, Your power works through me and takes the place of my feeble will. Each day, I seek to carry out God's wishes.
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.
O most merciful Heart of Jesus, my Betrothed, make my heart like unto Yours.
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.
703 At present, the
topic of my particular examen is my union with the Merciful Christ. This practice
gives me unusual strength; my heart is always united with the One it desires,
and its actions are regulated by mercy, which flows from love.
728 + I have chosen
Saint Claude de la Colombiere and Saint Gertrude as my patron saints for this
retreat, that they may intercede for me before the Mother of God and the
merciful Savior.
733 It sometimes
happens, while I am listening to the meditation, that one word puts me in very
close union with the Lord, and I no longer know what Father [144] is
saying. I know that I am close to the most merciful Heart of Jesus; my whole
spirit is entirely plunged in Him, and in one moment I learn more than during
long hours of intellectual inquiry and meditation. These are sudden lights
which permit me to know things as God sees them, regarding matters of both the
interior and the exterior world.
813 + O merciful
Jesus, stretched on the cross, be mindful of the hour of our death. O most
merciful Heart of Jesus, opened with a lance, shelter me at the last moment of
my life. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a
fount of unfathomable mercy for me at the hour of my death, O dying Jesus,
Hostage of mercy, avert the Divine wrath at the hour of my death.
825 + O bright and
clear day on which all my dreams will be fulfilled; O day so eagerly desired,
the last day of my life! I look forward with joy to the last stroke the Divine
Artist will trace on my soul, which will give my soul a unique beauty that will
distinguish me from the beauty of other souls. O great day, on which divine
love will be confirmed in me. On that day, for the first time, I shall sing
before heaven and earth the song of the Lord's fathomless mercy. This is my
work and the mission which the Lord has destined for me from the beginning of
the world. That the song of my soul may be pleasing to the Holy Trinity, do
You, O Spirit of God, direct and form my soul yourself. I arm myself with patience
and await Your coming, O merciful God, and as to the terrible pains and fear of
death, at this moment more than at any other time, I trust in the abyss of Your
mercy and am reminding You, O merciful Jesus, sweet Savior, of all the promises
You have made to me.
832 O merciful Jesus,
how longingly You hurried to the Upper Room to consecrate the Host that I am to
receive in my life. Jesus, You desired to dwell in my heart. Your living Blood
unites with mine. Who can understand this close union? My heart encloses within
itself the Almighty, the Infinite One. 0 Jesus, continue to grant me Your
divine life. Let Your pure and noble Blood throb with all its might in my
heart. I give You my whole being. Transform me into Yourself and make me
capable of doing Your holy will in all things and of returning Your love. O my
sweet Spouse, You know that my heart knows no one but You. You have opened up
in my heart an insatiable depth of love for You. From the very first moment it
knew You, my heart has loved You and has lost itself in You as its one and only
object. May Your pure and omnipotent love be the driving force of all my
actions. Who will ever conceive and understand the depth of mercy that has
gushed forth from Your Heart?
836 O most sweet
Jesus, who have deigned to allow miserable me to gain a knowledge of Your
unfathomable mercy; O most sweet Jesus, who have graciously demanded that I
tell the whole world of Your incomprehensible mercy, this day I take into my
hands the two rays that spring from Your merciful Heart; that is, the Blood and
the Water; and I scatter them all over the globe so that each soul may receive
Your mercy and, having received it, may glorify it for endless ages. O most
sweet Jesus who, in Your incomprehensible kindness, have deigned to unite my
wretched heart to Your most merciful Heart, it is with Your own Heart that I
glorify God, our Father, as no soul has ever glorified Him before.
853 In the evening, a
great longing took possession of my soul. I took the pamphlet with the Image of
the Merciful Jesus on it and pressed it to my heart, and the following words
burst forth from my soul: "Jesus, Eternal Love, I live for You, I die for
You, and I want to become united with You." Suddenly I saw the Lord in His
inexpressible beauty. He looked at me graciously and said, My daughter,
I too came down from heaven out of love for you; I lived for you, I died for
you, and I created the heavens for you. And Jesus pressed me to His
Heart and said to me, Very soon now; be at peace, My daughter.When
I was alone, my soul was set afire with the desire to suffer until the moment
when the Lord would say, "Enough." And even if I were to live for
thousands of years, I see in the light of God that that is but one moment.
Souls ...[unfinished thought].
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.
886 January 15, 1937.
Sorrow will not establish itself in a heart which loves the will of God. My
heart, longing for God, feels the whole misery of exile. I keep going forward
bravely-though my feet become wounded-to my homeland and, on the way, I nourish
myself on the will of God. It is my food. Help me, happy inhabitants of the
heavenly homeland, so that your sister may not falter on the way. Although the
desert is fearful, I walk with lifted head and eyes fixed on the sun; that is
to say, on the merciful Heart of Jesus.
893 January 22,
[1937]. Today is Friday. My soul is in a sea of suffering. Sinners have taken
everything away from me. But that is all right; I have given everything away
for their sake that they might know that You are good and infinitely merciful.
I shall be faithful to You, come rain or shine.
906 + In difficult
moments, I will fix my gaze upon the silent Heart of Jesus, stretched upon the
Cross, and from the exploding flames of His merciful Heart, will flow down upon
me power and strength to keep fighting.
938 The soul should
have prayed ardently and at greater length for a director and should have asked
the Lord himself to choose a spiritual director for it. What begins in God will
be godly, and what begins in a purely human manner will remain human. God is so
merciful that, in order to help a soul He himself chooses the spiritual guide
and will enlighten the soul concerning the one before whom it should uncover
the most hidden depths of its soul just as it sees itself before the Lord Jesus
himself. And when the soul considers and recognizes that God has been arranging
all this, it should pray fervently for the confessor that he might have the
divine light to know it well. And let it not change such a director except for
a serious reason. Just as it had prayed fervently and at great length in order
to learn God's will before choosing a director, so too should it pray fervently
and at great length to discern whether it is truly God's will that he leave
this director and choose another. If God's will is not absolutely clear, he
should not make this change, for a person will not go far by himself, and Satan
wants just this: to have the person who is aspiring for sanctity direct himself
because then, without doubt, he will never attain it.
1065 + My Jesus,
support me when difficult and stormy days come, days of testing, days of
ordeal, when suffering and fatigue begin to oppress my body and my soul.
Sustain me, Jesus, and give me strength to bear suffering. Set a guard upon my
lips that they may address no word of complaint to creatures. Your most
merciful Heart is all my hope. I have nothing for my defense but only Your
mercy; in it lies all my trust.
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.
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.
1122 God of great
mercy, who deigned to send us Your only begotten Son as the greatest proof of
Your fathomless love and mercy, You do not reject sinners; but in Your
boundless mercy You have opened for them also Your treasures, treasures from
which they can draw abundantly, not only justification, but also all the
sanctity that a soul can attain. Father of great mercy, I desire that all
hearts turn with confidence to Your infinite mercy. No one will be justified
before You if he is not accompanied by Your unfathomable mercy. When You reveal
the mystery of Your mercy to us, there will not be enough of eternity to
properly thank You for it.
1138 May 31. My
tormented soul finds aid nowhere but in You, O Living Host. I place all my trust
in Your merciful heart. I am waiting patiently for Your word, Lord.
1155 The Lord gave me
knowledge of His will under three aspects, so to speak, but it all comes down
to one. [198]
The first is that souls separated from the world will burn as an offering before God's throne and beg for mercy for the whole world... and by their entreaties they will obtain blessings for priests, and through their prayers prepare the world for the final coming of Jesus.
The first is that souls separated from the world will burn as an offering before God's throne and beg for mercy for the whole world... and by their entreaties they will obtain blessings for priests, and through their prayers prepare the world for the final coming of Jesus.
1156 The second is
prayer joined to the act of mercy. In particular, they will defend the souls of
children against the spirit of evil. Prayer and merciful deeds are all that
will be required of these souls, and even the poorest persons can be admitted
to their number. And in this egoistic world they will try to rouse up love, the
mercy of Jesus.
1157 The third is
prayer and deeds of mercy, without any obligation of taking vows. But by doing
this, these persons will have a share in all the merits and privileges of the
whole [congregation]. Everyone in the world can belong to this group.
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!
1177 Particular
examen.
Continuation of the same: to unite myself with the merciful Christ. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, I will entreat the heavenly Father for the whole world. A point of the rule: strict observance of silence.
I must probe the depth of my being and thank God for everything, uniting myself with Jesus. With Him, in Him, and through Him, I give glory to God.
Continuation of the same: to unite myself with the merciful Christ. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, I will entreat the heavenly Father for the whole world. A point of the rule: strict observance of silence.
I must probe the depth of my being and thank God for everything, uniting myself with Jesus. With Him, in Him, and through Him, I give glory to God.
1178 O Lord, my Love,
I thank You for this day on which You have allowed me to draw a wealth of
graces from the fountain of Your unfathomable mercy. O Jesus, not only today,
but at every moment, I draw from Your unfathomable mercy everything that the
soul and body could want.
1183 O Jesus, I want to live in the present moment, to live as if this were the last day of my life. I want to use every moment scrupulously for the greater glory of God, to use every circumstance for the benefit of my soul. I want to look upon everything, from the point of view that nothing happens without the will of God.
1184 On an earlier occasion.
In the evening, I saw the Lord Jesus upon the cross. From His hands, feet and side, the Most Sacred Blood was flowing. After some time, Jesus said to me, All this is for the salvation of souls. Consider well, My daughter, what you are doing for their salvation. I answered, "Jesus, when I look at Your suffering, I see that I am doing next to nothing for the salvation of souls." And the Lord said to me, Know, My daughter, that your silent day-to-day martyrdom in complete submission to My will ushers many souls into heaven. And when it seems to you that your suffering exceeds your strength, contemplate My wounds, and you will rise above human scorn and judgment. Meditation on My Passion will help you rise above all things. I understood many things I had been unable to comprehend before
In the evening, I saw the Lord Jesus upon the cross. From His hands, feet and side, the Most Sacred Blood was flowing. After some time, Jesus said to me, All this is for the salvation of souls. Consider well, My daughter, what you are doing for their salvation. I answered, "Jesus, when I look at Your suffering, I see that I am doing next to nothing for the salvation of souls." And the Lord said to me, Know, My daughter, that your silent day-to-day martyrdom in complete submission to My will ushers many souls into heaven. And when it seems to you that your suffering exceeds your strength, contemplate My wounds, and you will rise above human scorn and judgment. Meditation on My Passion will help you rise above all things. I understood many things I had been unable to comprehend before
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-1, 2, 5, 49-50, 56, 66, 69, 72-73, 78)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-81, 83-85, 88, 94-95, 101-102, 116)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-118-119, 133, 154, 163-164, 167, 177)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-180, 186-187, 206, 220, 223-225, 229 )
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-237, 239, 249, 256, 272, 275, 280-283)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-286, 294, 299-302, 305, 308-309, 320)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-364, 376, 383, 465, 491)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-609, 615, 635, 650, 660, 692, 703, 728)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-733, 813, 825, 832, 836, 853-854, 886)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-893, 906, 938)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1065, 1074-1076, 1122, 1138, 1155)
(Diary of Sister
Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1156-1159, 1177-1178, 1183-1184)