Listening to Jesus
Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord
Father Daniel Pajerski, LC
Father Daniel Pajerski, LC
Matthew 28: 16-20
The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had
ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus
approached and said to them, "All power in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you
always, until the end of the age."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe
that You have the power to do all things, even the power to change my heart of
stone into a heart that loves You unconditionally. The day ahead of me will be
filled with countless activities, but I know that Your presence will give me
the strength to do all the things You have commanded me to do.
Petition: Jesus, help me to
obey Your command to spread Your message.
1. Trust and Obedience: Obedience and
trust in God are not highly touted virtues in today’s society, yet obedience to
Jesus’ command to go to Galilee was the door that gave the apostles access to
Christ. Any one of the apostles was free to go his own way, but that way would
not necessarily lead him to the vision of the Risen Christ. They had trusted
him until this point, and they showed by going that they were ready to entrust
their lives entirely to his guidance. When we are obedient to the Word of God,
to Christ’s teachings, to the teachings of the Church, we are giving God free
rein to live in us and to act through us. Obedience of this kind is possible
only when we commit ourselves to the Lord, when we trust in him and exercise a
living faith that he wishes to guide us through his appointed instruments.
2. Doubt Is an Invitation: “Our help is in
the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124). Following Jesus is
a challenge because he does not always allow us to perceive his presence. At
times we see him acting clearly in our lives; at other times we doubt, just as
the disciples did. Instead of causing us alarm, moments of doubt in our hearts
should be countered by a firm decision to trust in him always. Christ drew
closer to them precisely when the disciples doubted. At the moment when their
vision was clouded, he reassured them: “All power in heaven and earth has been
given to me.” Do I turn my mind and heart to Our Lord as soon as my spirit is
troubled?
3. With God Everything Is Possible: Jesus wants to
share his power with us, and he does so through the Sacraments, beginning with
Baptism. With his power he also gives us a share in his mission: “Go,
therefore, and make disciples of all nations.” Friendship with Jesus is also a
commitment to teach others to share in the joy of knowing and loving him. Our
relationship with Jesus broadens our horizons because we share in his life and
in the life of the Father and of the Holy Spirit. The mission to make disciples
of all nations might seem daunting, but God himself is on our side: “Behold, I
am with you always.” So our trust in the Lord widens the narrow horizon of our
own self-seeking. We need to commit our ways to the Lord so that we can be
loyal instruments of his mercy and love. We are called to fulfill his command
to spread his message far and wide.
Conversation with Christ: Thank You, Jesus,
for allowing me to share in Your life and in Your mission. I trust in Your
loving presence in my life. You are my strength in weakness and my light in darkness.
Help me to follow Your commandments. In them I find You and I find peace.
Resolution: I will build up
charity today by saying only good things about others.
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Excerpts from the
DIARY of Saint Faustina Kowalska
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].
248 The words of the Bishop
[Rospond[73]], spoken at the
ceremony of the taking of perpetual vows: "Accept this candle as a sign
of heavenly light and of burning love." While giving the ring: "I
betroth you to Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father Most High; may He keep you
unblemished. Take this ring as a sign of the eternal covenant you are making
with Christ, the Spouse of Virgins. May it be for you the ring of faith and
the sign of the Holy Spirit, that you may be called the bride of Christ and,
if you serve Him faithfully, be crowned [as such] for all eternity.
301 Proclaim that mercy is the
greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy.
341 November 5, 1934. One morning,
when it was my duty to open the gate to let out our people who deliver baked
goods, I entered the little chapel to visit Jesus for a minute and to renew
the intentions of the day. Today, Jesus, I offer You all my sufferings, mortifications
and prayers for the intentions of the Holy Father, so that he may approve the
Feast of Mercy. But, Jesus, I have one more word to say to You: I am very
surprised that You bid me to talk about this Feast of Mercy, for they tell me
that there is already such a feast[81] and so why should I talk about it? And
Jesus said to me, And who knows anything about this feast? No one! Even
those who should be proclaiming My mercy and teaching people about it often
do not know about it themselves. That is why I want the image to be solemnly
blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated
publicly so that every soul may know about it. Make a novena for the Holy
Father's intention. It should consist of thirty-three acts; that is,
repetition that many times of the short prayer-which I have taught you-to The
Divine Mercy.
375 Particular interior practice;
that is, the examination of conscience. Self-denial, denial of my own will.
I. The denial of my reason. Subjecting it to the reason of those who represent God to me here on earth. II. The denial of my will. Doing the will of God, which is revealed in the will of those who represent God to me and which is contained in the rule of our order. III. The denial of my judgment. Accepting immediately and without reflection, analysis or reasoning all orders given by those who represent God to me. IV. The denial of my tongue. I will not give it the least bit of freedom; but in one case only I will give it complete freedom; that is, in proclaiming the glory of God. Whenever I receive Holy Communion, I will ask Jesus to fortify and cleanse my tongue that I may not injure my neighbor with it. That is why I have the greatest respect for the rule which speaks about silence.
376 My Jesus, I trust that Your
grace will help me to carry out these resolutions. Although the above points
are contained in the vow of obedience, I want to practice these things in a
special way, because this is the essence of the religious life. Merciful
Jesus, I beg You fervently to enlighten my mind so that I may come to know
You better, You who are the Infinite Being, and that I may get to know myself
better, who am nothingness itself.
378 Once as I was talking with my
spiritual director, I had an interior vision-quicker than lightning-of his
soul in great suffering, in such agony that God touches very few souls with
such fire. The suffering arises from this work. There will come a time when
this work, which God is demanding so very much, will be as though utterly
undone. And then God will act with great power, which will give evidence of
its authenticity. It will be a new splendor for the Church, although it has
been dormant in it from long ago. That God is infinitely merciful, no one can
deny. He desires everyone to know this before He comes again as Judge. He
wants souls to come to know Him first as King of Mercy. When this triumph
comes, we shall already have entered the new life in which there is no
suffering. But before this, your soul [of the spiritual director] will be
surfeited with bitterness at the sight of the destruction of your efforts.
However, this will only appear to be so, because what God has once decided
upon, He does not change. But although this destruction will be such only in
outward appearance, the suffering will be real. When will this happen? I do
not know. How long will it last? I do not know.[89] But God has promised a great grace
especially to you and to all those... who will proclaim My great mercy. I
shall protect them Myself at the hour of death, as My own glory. And even if
the sins of soul are as dark as night, when the sinner turns to My mercy he
gives Me the greatest praise and is the glory of My Passion. When a soul
praises My goodness, Satan trembles before it and flees to the very bottom of
hell.
379 During one of the adorations,
Jesus promised me that: With souls that have recourse to My mercy and with
those that glorify and proclaim My great mercy to others, I will deal
according to My infinite mercy at the hour of their death.
My Heart is sorrowful, Jesus said, because even chosen souls do not understand the greatness of My mercy. Their relationship [with Me] is, in certain ways, imbued with mistrust. Oh, how much that wounds My Heart 1 Remember My Passion, and if you do not believe My words, at least believe My wounds.
389 Love must be reciprocal. If
Jesus tasted the fullness of bitterness for me, then I, His bride, will
accept all bitterness as proof of my love for Him.
391 Through Holy Baptism, we
entered into union with other souls. Death tightens the bonds of love. I
ought always to be of help to others. If I am a good religious, I will be
useful, not only to the Order, but to the whole Country as well.
392 The Lord God grants His graces
in two ways: by inspiration and by enlightenment. If we ask God for a grace,
He will give it to us; but let us be willing to accept it. And in order to
accept it, self-denial is needed. Love does not consist in words or feelings,
but in deeds. It is an act of the will; it is a gift; that is to say, a
giving. The reason, the will, the heart-these three faculties must be exercised
during prayer. I will rise from the dead in Jesus, but first I must live in
Him. If I do not separate myself from the Cross, then the Gospel will be
revealed in me. Jesus in me makes up for all my deficiencies. His grace
operates without ceasing. The Holy Trinity grants me Its life abundantly, by
the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Three Divine Persons live in me. When God
loves, He loves with all His Being, with all the power of His Being. If God
has loved me in this way, how should I respond I, His spouse?
393 During one conference, Jesus
said to me, You are a sweet grape in a chosen cluster; I want others to
have a share in the juice that is flowing within you.
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.
525 O
Holy Trinity, in whom is contained the inner life of God, the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, eternal joy, inconceivable depth of love, poured
out upon all creatures and constituting their happiness, honor and glory be
to Your holy name forever and ever. Amen.
When I consider Your greatness and beauty, O my God, I rejoice exceedingly that the Lord I serve is so great. With love and joy I carry out His will, and the more I come to know Him, the more I desire to love Him. I burn with the desire to love Him ever more and more.
543
The duration of the postulancy. The postulancy will last one year. During
this time, the candidate should examine whether she is attracted to this type
of life and whether it is suitable to her. The directress should also
diligently consider whether or not the person in question is suitable for
this type of life. After a year, if the postulant shows evidence of a stable
will and an earnest desire to serve God, she should be admitted to the
novitiate.
699 On one occasion, I heard these
words: My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I
desire that the Feast of Mercy [139] be a refuge and shelter for all souls,
and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender
mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who
approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and
receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and
punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are
opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as
scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be
able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come
forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its
relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The
Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire
that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will
not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.
930 + O my Jesus, although I will
go to You, and You will fill me with Yourself, and that will make my
happiness complete, I will nevertheless not forget about humanity. I desire
to draw aside the veils of heaven, so that the earth would have no doubts
about The Divine Mercy. My repose is in proclaiming Your mercy. The soul
gives the greatest glory to its Creator when it turns with trust to The
Divine Mercy.
+ The
Love of God is the flower - Mercy the fruit.
1000
In the terrible desert of life,
O my sweetest Jesus, Protect souls from disaster, For You are the Fountain of Mercy. Let the resplendence of Your rays, O sweet Commander of our souls, Let mercy change the world. And you who have received this grace, serve Jesus. Steep is the great highway I must travel, But I fear nothing, For the pure fount of mercy is flowing for my sake, And, with it, strength for the humble soul. I am exhausted and worn out, But my conscience bears me witness That I do all for the greater glory of the Lord, The Lord who is my repose and my heritage. [End of Notebook Two of the Diary.]
1074 When I went for adoration, I
heard these words: My beloved daughter, write down these words, that today
My Heart has rested in this convent [the Cracow house]. Tell the world
about My mercy and My love.
The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them! My daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My mercy. I will make up for what you lack. Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace. Tell [all people], My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls.
1075 Souls who spread the honor
of My mercy I shield through their entire lives as a tender mother her
infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but the
Merciful Savior. At that last hour, a soul has nothing with which to defend
itself except My mercy. Happy is the soul that during its lifetime immersed
itself in the Fountain of Mercy, because justice will have no hold on it.
1076 Write this: Everything
that exists is enclosed in the bowels of My mercy, more deeply than an infant
in its mother's womb. How painfully distrust of My goodness wounds Me! Sins of
distrust wound Me most painfully.
1286 +
Thank You, O God, for all the graces
Which unceasingly You lavish upon me, Graces which enlighten me with the brilliance of the sun, For by them You show me the sure way. Thank You, O Lord, for creating me, For calling me into being from nothingness, For imprinting Your divinity on my soul, The work of sheer merciful love. Thank You, O God, for Holy Baptism Which engrafted me into Your family, A gift great beyond all thought or expression Which transforms my soul. Thank You, O Lord, for Holy Confession, For that inexhaustible spring of great mercy, For that inconceivable fountain of graces In which sin-tainted souls become purified. Thank You, O Jesus, for Holy Communion In which You give us Yourself. I feel Your Heart beating within my breast As You cause Your divine life to unfold within me. Thank You, O Holy Spirit, for the Sacrament of Confirmation, Which dubs me Your knight And gives strength to my soul at each moment, Protecting me from evil. Thank You, O God, for the grace of a vocation. For being called to serve You alone, Leading me to make You my sole love, An unequal honor for my soul. Thank You, O Lord, for perpetual vows, For that union of pure love, For having deigned to unite Your pure heart with mine And uniting my heart to Yours in the purest of bonds. Thank You, O Lord, for the Sacrament of Anointing Which, in my final moments, will give me strength; My help in battle, my guide to salvation, Fortifying my soul till we rejoice forever. Thank You, O God, for all the inspirations That Your goodness lavishes upon me, For the interior lights given my soul, Which the heart senses, but words cannot express. Thank You, O Holy Trinity, for the vastness of the graces Which You have lavished on me unceasingly through life. My gratitude will intensify as the eternal dawn rises, When, for the first time, I sing to Your glory.
1652 Adore, my soul, the mercy of
the Lord,
O my heart, rejoice wholly in Him, Because for this you have been chosen by Him, To spread the glory of His mercy. His goodness no one has fathomed, no one can measure, His compassion is untold. Every soul that approaches Him experiences this. He will shield her and clasp her to His merciful bosom. Happy the soul that has trusted in Your goodness And has abandoned herself completely to Your mercy. Her soul is filled with the peace of love. You defend her everywhere as Your own child. O soul, whoever you may be in this world, Even if your sins were as black as night, Do not fear God, weak child that you are, For great is the power of God's mercy.
1710 May 26, [1938-Feast of the
Ascension]. Today I accompanied the Lord Jesus as He ascended into heaven. It
was about noon. I was overcome by a great longing for God. It is a strange
thing, the more I felt God's presence, the more ardently I desired Him. Then
I saw myself in the midst of a huge crowd of disciples and apostles, together
with the Mother of God. Jesus was telling them to... Go out into the whole
world and teach in My name. He stretched out His hands and blessed them
and disappeared in a cloud. I saw the longing of Our Lady. Her soul yearned
for Jesus with the whole force of Her love. But She was so peaceful and so
united to the will of God that there was not a stir in Her heart but for what
God wanted.
1711 When I was left alone with
the Blessed Virgin, She instructed me concerning the interior life. She said,
The soul's true greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in His
presence, completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing;
because the Lord is great, but He is well pleased only with the humble; He
always opposes the proud.
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-49-50, 248, 301, 341, 375-376,
378-379)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-I-389, 391-393, 491)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-II-525, 543, 699, 930, 1000)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-III-1074-1076)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-IV-1286)
(Diary
of Sister Faustina Kowalska Notebook-VI-1652, 1710-1711 )
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