LIVE | Special Contemplation of the Holy Shroud of Turin
Tag: Love
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From a letter by Saint Leo the Great, pope
(Epist. 28 ad Flavianum, 3-4: PL 54, 763-767)The mystery of man’s reconciliation with God
Lowliness is assured by majesty, weakness by power, mortality by eternity. To pay the debt of our sinful state, a nature that was incapable of suffering was joined to one that could suffer. Thus, in keeping with the healing that we needed, one and the same mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, was able to die in one nature, and unable to die in the other.
He who is true God was therefore born in the complete and perfect nature of a true man, whole in his own nature, whole in ours. By our nature we mean what the Creator had fashioned in us from the beginning, and took to himself in order to restore it.
For in the Savior there was no trace of what the deceiver introduced and man, being misled, allowed to enter. It does not follow that because he submitted to sharing in our human weakness he therefore shared in our sins.
He took the nature of a servant without stain of sin, enlarging our humanity without diminishing his divinity. He emptied himself; though invisible he made himself visible, though Creator and Lord of all things he chose to be one of us mortal men. Yet this was the condescension of compassion, not the loss of omnipotence. So he who in the nature of God had created man, became in the nature of a servant, man himself.
Thus the Son of God enters this lowly world. He comes down from the throne of heaven, yet does not separate himself from the Father’s glory. He is born in a new condition, by a new birth.
He was born in a new condition, for, invisible in his own nature, he became visible in ours. Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Lord of the universe, he hid his infinite glory and took the nature of a servant. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death.
He who is true God is also true man. There is no falsehood in this unity as long as the lowliness of man and the pre-eminence of God coexist in mutual relationship.
As God does not change by his condescension, so man is not swallowed up by being exalted. Each nature exercises its own activity, in communion with the other. The Word does what is proper to the Word, the flesh fulfills what is proper to the flesh.
One nature is resplendent with miracles, the other falls victim to injuries. As the Word does not lose equality with the Father’s glory, so the flesh does not leave behind the nature of our race.
One and the same person—this must be said over and over again—is truly the Son of God and truly the son of man. He is God in virtue of the fact that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is man in virtue of the fact that the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
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I found myself tagged in a note today, from someone I greatly admire. Someone who lent me a merciful ear to listen to me and in kindness offered words to guide me on my parlous journey through discernment. This is the note. Thank you Father John P. Mack. From the note, dated: January 24, 2011
St Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor, patron of writers and journalists
From The Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales; bishop
When God the Creator made all things, he commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; he has likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station, and his calling.
I say that devotion must be practiced in different ways by the nobleman and by the working man, by the servant and by the prince, by the widow, by the unmarried girl and by the married woman. But even this distinction is not sufficient; for the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each one in particular.
Tell me, please, my Philothea, whether it is proper for a bishop to want to lead a solitary life like a Carthusian; of for married people to be no more concerned than a Capuchin about increasing their income; or for a working man to spend his whole day in church like a religious; or on the other hand for a religious to be constantly exposed like a bishop to all the events and circumstances that bear on the needs of our neighbor. Is not this sort of devotion ridiculous, unorganized and intolerable? Yet this absurd error occurs very frequently, but in no way does true devotion, my Philothea, destroy anything at all. On the contrary, it perfects and fulfills all things. In fact if it ever works against, or is inimical to, anyone’s legitimate station and calling, then it is very definitely false devotion.
The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he found them. True devotion does still better. Not only does it not injure any sort of calling or occupation, it even embellishes and enhances it.
Moreover, just as every sort of gem, cast in honey, becomes brighter and more sparkling, each according to its color, so each person becomes more acceptable and fitting in his own vocation when he sets his vocation in the context of devotion. Through devotion your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.
It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of princes, from family households. I acknowledge, my dear Philothea, that the type of devotion which is purely contemplative, monastic and religious can certainly not be exercised in these sorts of stations and occupations, but besides this threefold type of devotion, there are many others fit for perfecting those who live in a secular state.
Therefore, in what situations we happen to be, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection.
–From the Office of Readings, January 24
Father,
You gave Francis de Sales the spirit of compassion
to befriend all people on the way to the salvation.
By his example, lead us to show your gentle love
in the service of our fellow men and women.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. AMEN.
St Francis de Sales, early modern Roman Catholic bishop and doctor
St Francis de Sales is patron of writers and journalists.
+Live Jesus+
fjm
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Do not let our Lord’s gift of peace remain unopened. Do not be afraid.
There is no better time than now, to put away the failed political ideas and the political ideology’s behind them and to put on the armor of Christ. Nothing and no one but our Lord can save us. Turn back to Him and may you find the eternal peace He alone can give. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” John 14:27
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
His peace within ensures His peace abounds.
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This morning, in contemplation of my Carmelite Lectio Divina, the closing prayer is a prayer I must share, which truly reduced me to a pool of joyful tears.
Lord, my Father, I have really seen your star, I have opened my eyes to your presence of love and salvation and I have received the light of life. I have contemplated the night changed into light, pain into joy and solitude into communion; yes, all this happened before you, in your Word. You have led me through the desert; you have led me to your house and opened the door for me to enter. There I saw you, your Son Jesus, Savior of my life; there I prayed and adored, I cried and found your smile, I kept silence and learnt to speak. In your house, merciful Father, I have found life once more!
And now I am going back, I have resumed my journey, but the way is not the one I took before and my life is not what it was before. Your Word has left me with a new heart, capable of opening itself to love, to listen, to welcome and become home to so many brothers and sisters whom you have placed in my way. I was not aware, Lord, but you have made me into a child again, you have given birth to me with Jesus. Thank you,
Father, my Father!
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Today’s Gospel beings the discourse of our Lord, in how to properly correct a soul who has failed. Keep in mind, “failure” is not the end, but a moment to address where the soul has gone wrong and rectify it, in love.
The Carmelites have a beautiful reflection on this today, and I MUST share it.
Matthew 18:15-18: Fraternal correction and the power to forgive. These verses give simple norms of how to proceed in case of conflicts in the community. If a brother or a sister should sin, if they had behavior not in accordance to the life of the community, they should not be denounced immediately. First, it is necessary to try to speak with them alone. Then it is necessary to try to know the reasons of the other. If no results are obtained, then it is necessary to take two or three persons of the community to see if it is possible to obtain some result. Only in extreme cases is it necessary to expose the problem to the whole community. If the person refuses to listen to the community, then they should be considered by you as “a sinner or a pagan”, that is, as someone who is not part of the community. Therefore, it is not you who excludes, but it is the person himself/herself who excludes himself/herself. The community gathered together only verifies or ratifies the exclusion. The grace to be able to forgive and to reconcile in the name of God was given to Peter (Mt 16:19), to the Apostles ( Jn 20: 23) and, here in the Discourse on the Community, to the community itself (Mt 18:18). This reveals the importance of the decisions which the community assumes in regard to its members.
Please see the rest of this reflection HERE
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Have you ever heard someone say, “If Jesus was here”, or have you said or thought this saying yourself? If we truly believe, we know He is here. He is with us always. It is our own lack of faith that tells us and others, when we say this, that He is not.
In today’s Gospel we hear our Lord’s proclamation:
“I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.Remember when you were a child. You were cared for and all the “worries” you may have today, back in childhood, were nonexistent. You went about life doing what a child would do. You just KNEW you were cared for. Such is the faith we have in our Lord when we know He is with us always.
When our Lord Ascended into Heaven, although He was gone, the Holy Spirit made known the reality of His continued presence. The Apostles did not preach saying “If Jesus was here right now”. No. They preached saying, The Kingdom of Heaven is here, our Lord Jesus Christ, is here STILL right now, repent and believe. As we still this day preach, because He truly is.
Our Lord is not a far away God. It is we who are far away in our knowing Him. We may know of Him, which keeps us distant from Him but He is not far from us at all, as He knows us. We must make the decision, as in all relationships, to know Him better. When we do this, we move closer to Him.
At the Wedding of Cana, our beautiful Mother Mary, intercedes for the Wedding Couple, when she says to our Lord, “They have no wine”. The guests, those who were there to be served, never knew. They continued on celebrating. Who knew the of the intercession? Who SEEN with their own eyes what took place? The servants who carried out the orders by our Lord. So too do we continue to see the work of our Lord, when we carry out the orders of our Lord and to see His hands at work in this world, is cause for joyful celebration that the “world” can not understand.
Please go to today’s Novena HERE
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Today’s pondering is a focus on silence. On quiet. On listening and not speaking during prayer.
Do you find yourself aimlessly reciting prayers, without pondering what you are saying, because your mind is clouded with distractions? Be the distractions of what your plans are later, what is troubling you, what you had experienced at some other time or even trying to focus on the words themselves, so not to make a mistake while reciting them?
What one can try is very simple. Stop everything. Keep the focus on what you are doing right now. You are in prayer. Be in prayer. Place 100% into the prayer. Sit and be mindful. Turn off what your distraction is, and “turn on” what you are doing. Slow down what you are saying, so that each word perminates you. Allow the fragrance of the prayer to envelop your entire being. When we bend down to smell a flower, do we bend down without thinking of what we are doing, while thinking of all our troubles? No. We are captivated by the beauty of the flower, while taking in the lovely scent. Thus, we stop to smell the flowers. The same must be done with prayer.
In practicing this always, that same focus takes in the beauty of our Lord. He becomes our focus, while all else, falls away.
Please see today’s Novena HERE
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Keeping the Word no matter what. In today’s Gospel, we hear our Lord say: “one’s enemies will be those of his household” . Do you find yourself at odds with those closest to you because you truly practice the faith? You are not alone. The more we pray, the more we adhere to our Lord’s commands and the more we come to believe in our Lord, the more we grow in the faith, and die to the world, the more we become like sandpaper to those around us, who do not believe. Oh, they often say they believe in our Lord, but they often add that “BUT” to their answer when you ask if they do.
All the “buts” they can give us, are very telling. Its generally a fear of wanting to move closer to the cross of our Lord. Moving closer to the cross, seems to souls that they will have more suffering, more struggles, more storms, more heat and who want’s that? The reality is, we have these things anyway, even far away from the cross, but closer to His cross, we find we are able to bare them because we are with our Lord.
How do we not become “sandpaper” to those around us? Through accepting the fact that we are all on this journey. We do not shove a soul nor demand them to believe in our Lord. We allow them to decide for themselves while we are living the faith deeply. Yes, you will be hated because of His name and we know that this is not against us, but the soul who finds fault with our Lord, is reveling the faults of themselves. They will hate you anyway, because they do not accept Him.
What they need, as a little sprout, is more water, more heat, or more sun. Fear keeps them from moving, growing into Him. Why is it, that humans are the only creatures that try not to reach out for what we need most and reach for what we want instead? Our Lord knows what we need. It is always Him.
On to today’s Novena HERE
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In my pondering of today’s novena and Gospel, we hear talk of “seeds”. We all start off in this life, each one of us, as as something considered insignificant to the world. Consider the seed, before it sprouts, it is just a seed. The seed changes drastically in its short span of being a seed when planted and becomes something much different.
Have you ever bumped into someone you have not seen for many years, and in speaking with them, all they seem to focus on is how you were back twenty or so years ago, without any care of what has taken place in the past twenty plus years? The spouse you have, the children and grandchildren that are now part of your life? As if the focus is constantly on the husk of the seed that was tossed aside, rather than the family tree that came forth from it.
Our spiritual life, begins the same way. As much as we focus on our temporal needs, food, housing, family, etc, we should spend that same time, focusing on our spiritual needs, so as to grow beautifully into who we were crated to be. Imagine if you will, how many today call for “Separation of Church and State”. Lets call the worldly part of your life, the State, and the spiritual part of your life, the Church. Although there truly is, only one life. How long do you think it would take, for your spiritual life to fall away and turn to dust, like the husk of a seed, if you were to separate the two? Very quickly. When this happens, there is no spiritual growth, and when that Friend (our Lord) from long ago (when you were Baptized) comes to you (moment of death) there is nothing to say, there isn’t any new fruit to give, because you have not grown.
“Grant, Lord, that I may listen attentively and remember constantly Your teaching, that I may put it into practice forcefully and courageously, despising riches and avoiding the worries of a worldly life… Grant me Your strength and that I may meditate on Your words putting down deep roots and purifying me of all worldly perils (St. John Chrysostom, A Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew 44:3-4).“
Please go to today’s Novena HERE
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May we take this time we have been given today, to look deeply within our lives, and see where all our own dead parts are. What are dead parts, but that which sin has taken root, behaviors that cause us harm, unhealthy attitudes about others and ourselves, but especially actions that harm not only us, but all those around us.
Today’s Novena focuses on the red rose and “pruning”. I am brought to the Gospel of John.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
To remain in our Lord, is to love Him above all else. To continue daily to carry out His will and His commands. All that we love above our Lord, needs to be pruned or cut away, as it can not produce anything for our Lord. Again we hear in the Gospel of John:
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
On to today’s reflection:
Day 3 – Novena for Our Lady of Mt Carmel by Fr. Gregory Houck
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From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop
(Sermo 47, 12-14, De ovibus: CCL 41, 582-584)“If I wanted to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ
This is our glory: the witness of our conscience. There are men who rashly judge, who slander, whisper and murmur, who are eager to suspect what they do not see, and eager to spread abroad things they have not even a suspicion of. Against men of this sort, what defense is there save the witness of our own conscience?
My brothers, we do not seek, nor should we seek, our own glory even among those whose approval we desire. What we should seek is their salvation, so that if we walk as we should they will not go astray in following us. They should imitate us if we are imitators of Christ; and if we are not, they should still imitate him. He cares for his flock, and he alone is to be found with those who care for their flocks, because they are all in him.
And so we seek no advantage for ourselves when we aim to please men. We want to take our joy in men—and we rejoice when they take pleasure in what is good, not because this exalts us, but because it benefits them.
It is clear who is intended by the apostle Paul: If I wanted to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. And similarly when he says: Be pleasing to all men in all things, even as I in all things please all men. Yet his words are as clear as water, limpid, undisturbed, unclouded. And so you should, as sheep, feed on and drink of his message; do not trample on it or stir it up.
You have listened to our Lord Jesus Christ as he taught his apostles: Let your actions shine before men so that they may see you good deeds, and give glory to your Father who is in heaven, for it is the Father who made you thus. We are the people of his pasture, the sheep of his hands. If then you are good, praise is due to him who made you so; it is no credit to you, for if you were left to yourself, you could only be wicked. Why then do you try to pervert the truth, in wishing to be praised when you do good, and blaming God when you do evil? For though he said: Let your works shine before men, in the same Sermon on the Mount he also said: Do not parade your good deeds before men. So if you think there are contradictions in Saint Paul, you will find the same in the Gospels; but if you refrain from troubling the waters of your heart, you will recognize here the peace of the Scriptures and with it you will have peace.
And so, my brothers, our concern should be not only to live as we ought, but also to do so in the sight of men; not only to have a good conscience but also, so far as we can in our weakness, so far as we can govern our frailty, to do nothing which might lead our weak brother into thinking evil of us. Otherwise, as we feed on the good pasture and drink the pure water, we may trample on God’s meadow, and weaker sheep will have to feed on trampled grass and drink from troubled waters.”
First Martyrs of Rome, pray for us
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Via Pedro Marrero –
A Meditation after praying the Divine Office:
As Deitrich Bonhoeffer reminds us, when Christ calls us he bids us die, to ourselves and to the world, and still at rarer times, in true martyrdom of the body for the sake of the Faith.
Some Christians will be crucified spiritually, others, as in the middle-east of our days, quite literally upon a Cross of Spiritual Battles or upon the wood of a roughly hewn beam under the watch of our old enemies, certain followers of a man who set us in opposition 1,400 years ago.
The Way, the Way of a Christian is along the Via Dolorosa towards the Cross.
The Gospel isn’t merely a set of books, as meritorious as their spiritual guidance is, but a profound sacrifice of ourselves through the grace gifted to us by the Persons of Love, as expressed through the Paraclete, the Comforter, who resides in an especially intimate way in the hearts of those called forth to the Altar worthily. The Word of God is dynamic, is alive, brings forth existence itself, is Scripture, Christ, His Church and all who follow the will of the Father. The Word of God is Love, and Love is a Person who invites us to His Presence. The Universe itself owes its existence to this effulgence of Love which could not help but call us forth to participate in this Love – And this is why Christ is King. This gift of the virtue of courage in martyrdom to ourselves and the world for love of God and neighbor for the Advancement of the Kingdom of True Love ( Agape ) is the Gospel, and that we can participate in it through the power of the Comforter is the Good News. That we have been overcome by grace and have become chalices overflowing with grace to bring new life into the world against the Cultures of Death and Darkness, which do not reside in the Truth since Truth is the Person of Love in the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity. The gaze of Love between the Father and the Son, eternally.
FROM TODAY’S OFFICE OF READINGS IN THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS:
From a homily by Pope Paul VI-
“Not to preach the Gospel would be my undoing, for Christ himself sent me as his apostle and witness. The more remote, the more difficult the assignment, the more my love of God spurs me on. I am bound to proclaim that Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God. Because of him we come to know the God we cannot see. He is the firstborn of all creation; in him all things find their being. Man’s teacher and redeemer, he was born for us, died for us, and for us he rose from the dead.
All things, all history converges in Christ. A man of sorrow and hope, he knows us and loves us. As our friend he stays by us throughout our lives; at the end of time he will come to be our judge; but we also know that he will be the complete fulfilment of our lives and our great happiness for all eternity.
I can never cease to speak of Christ for he is our truth and our light; he is the way, the truth and the life. He is our bread, our source of living water who allays our hunger and satisfies our thirst. He is our shepherd, our leader, our ideal, our comforter and our brother.
He is like us but more perfectly human, simple, poor, humble, and yet, while burdened with work, he is more patient. He spoke on our behalf; he worked miracles; and he founded a new kingdom: in it the poor are happy; peace is the foundation of a life in common; where the pure of heart and those who mourn are uplifted and comforted; the hungry find justice; sinners are forgiven; and all discover that they are brothers.
The image I present to you is the image of Jesus Christ. As Christians you share his name; he has already made most of you his own. So once again I repeat his name to you Christians and I proclaim to all men: Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, Lord of the new universe, the great hidden key to human history and the part we play in it. He is the mediator – the bridge, if you will – between heaven and earth. Above all he is the Son of man, more perfect than any man, being also the Son of God, eternal and infinite. He is the son of Mary his mother on earth, more blessed than any woman. She is also our mother in the spiritual communion of the mystical body.
Remember: it is Jesus Christ I preach day in and day out. His name I would see echo and re-echo for all time even to the ends of the earth.”
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“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love
What is love? So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Act of Love
O my God, I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon for all whom I have injured.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
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The tomb is empty. He is not here. Nor should you be..
LIVE as He has and does still today.
Blessed Easter to all.
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Every year, since our Lord blessed me with a family, I have been making an Easter Lamb Cake. The task usually begins on Good Friday, after Veneration of the Cross. This year, with the pandemic, and not being able to attend physically, was no different. I had watched some very moving services being live streamed all over the internet and when it was finished, I began the task of preparing for my family’s Easter.
The Lamb Cake tradition began in when I was very little, as my mom would always purchase one for us. It was always on the table for after Easter dessert. In the Midwest where I am originally from, they were always present during Holy Week in the grocery stores. You couldn’t walk into one without seeing a beautiful Easter display of them, surrounded by Easter Lilly’s. No so here in California.
When my children were very little, about four and five years old, I didn’t want them to miss out on what I always looked forward to seeing when I was young. My husband purchased a lamb cake baking mold for me, and the tradition began. Over the years, it became a way to do something special for us, to bond in a way only we could understand. While our Lord was placed in the tomb on Good Friday, and silence filled the earth, we began to mix the “spices” of joy and life by making something to celebrate our Lord’s resurrection for us as a family.
Good Friday night, I mix the cake batter and pour it into the mold. Placing it into the oven, as our Lord was placed into the tomb, and made His descent into hell. Its a means of contemplation for me as I make the cake. What was once batter, comes out as something completely different. Its quite funny really, when the bake time is actually 33 minutes, and that being the age of our Lord at the time of His Crucifixion.
When the cake is complete, it USUALLY breaks free of the mold, and emerges as the Victorious Lamb. This year, it did not. For some reason, the cake stuck in the mold, and I had to pry it out. It broke into several pieces, which upon looking at it, made me realize, I had to make another. Don’t assume it went to waste, as it would have been used to pick on for a snack after Good Friday was over. So, back to the mixing and pouring and baking. Pulling it out of the oven again, I remove it from the mold, and it sticks again. Breaking into pieces.
As I contemplated all these pieces, my first thought was to build a Franken Lamb Cake, using all the pieces I had to build one complete Lamb Cake. As I prayed, the story changed and the darkness of that story, was overcome by the Light. The two very broken lamb cakes, were to become one. The Marriage of the Lamb!
This morning, Holy Saturday, the task began to assemble the pieces together. As my children were still sleeping, with the rest of the world, I assembled the pieces, my contemplation of our Lord gathering all the souls together, liberating them from the bondage of darkness and bringing them all into Him.
I stood the cake upright, and the face fell off. So I picked up the intact head of the other and placed it firmly onto the body. Christ is the head of the body! Although the cake appeared to be very broken, it was in fact read to dress. Our Lord takes all our brokenness and fixes it in the most BEAUTIFUL and JOYFUL way, His. What we see in ourselves, and in others, our Lord sees much differently. Although we can not be there with Him, He is with us always.
The dressing of the wounded cake was complete, and my children were left in awe, after thinking there would be no lamb this year on our table. Much in the way they did when He was placed in the tomb. Much in the way that we as Catholics assume that our Lord would not be, with us this year, due to the pandemic.
“And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
The message is the same every year. Do not be afraid. Jesus Christ is LORD!
Much love to you all this Easter and for all time to come. He is RISEN INDEED!
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Like the bud of the Lilly, waiting for the command to open and reveal its true beauty, so to, is our Lord’s glory, waiting to burst fourth from the tomb to reveal His love for us. To return from the dead and forgive us for putting Him to death.
Holy Saturday, in silence.
Pondering: ” And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I confess to Almighty God…”, I falsely accused Him, I cursed at Him, I scourged Him, I placed a crown of thorns on His precious head. I mocked Him, I sided with the wicked and not Him. I shouted for Him to be crucified. I had Him put to death. I did not love Him as He loved me. In my neighbor, with my rock hard heart of stone – Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault” God our Father
“Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and the sprinkled blood that speaks more eloquently than that of Abel’
His agony is over and His pain is now gone, all that remains is us, to think about what we have done and to repent of our disobedience and to pray.
Hosea 5:15b-16:2
Thus says the Lord,
In their affliction, they shall look for me:
“Come, let us return to the Lord,
For it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.
He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.” -
This will be the first time, since my conversion back home, that I will miss attending the Easter Triduum.
I can pour out my feelings here about missing it, but it wouldn’t change anything. I can only accept what is. What I can do, is REMEMBER all the times I was able to attend, and be grateful to have been there. To remember how our Lord touched my heart and help me come to realize how much my sins hurt Him, but more so, how much He had forgiven me. To remember the first time I had ever attended, and cried for all the times I had missed attending because I had so many other things that were, at the time, better to do. How foolish I was. When it became clear to me, everything had come to these three days, every day became a priority, to be with our Lord.
I remember Lord. I remember it all. I also remember the last Holy Mass I was in attendance. I remember how prolific the grace was, to see for myself, the Last Supper.
This day, as I can not be there, I will pray for all our Lord Priests. I will pray for all our Lords Deacons. I will pray for all our Lords Seminarians. I will pray for vocations to the Priesthood.
Lord, through Your most Holy Spirit, inflame the hearts of your friends with Your Divine Love. Touch their hearts as you have touched mine, that they may come to love you deeply above all else, in all souls and never be afraid to love as You have loved us. Give them Your Divine Courage to carry their crosses with You and to never leave You. Give them Your Divine Mercy, that they may be merciful as You have been merciful with us. I ask this through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to Your most Sacred Heart and may the glory be always our Father in heaven, for all time and all eternity. Amen
Taken from USCCB:
Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests.
Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.
Amen.
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Our last public Mass was celebrated this morning and I was blessed to attend with two of my daughters. Never until this day, have I ever had a more solid and absolute grasp of the magnitude and sheer beauty of the Last Supper. In every moment of Holy Mass, the presence of our Lord was made known to me. Just when you know you can’t take another step closer to Him, He draws nearer to you.
From the very moment Holy Mass began, and even now, a few hours after, my soul is at peace. Truly in His peace. Knowing this would be the last time, not only I but many other souls would be able to receive Him for a time, every word that was spoken today, drew me into the Mass in a way only our Lord could do. Everything meant something very significant and was a direct reflection and correlated what I had said early today in a blog post regarding saying goodbye for now, things that I had said to my children before hand, things I had thought about and most of all, that being family and friends who do not know Him yet, and every fear was gone. I do not expect anyone to understand this. Everything is tied together by Him and in Him. Even the music today spoke to my heart. I could never put it into words, because the human mind can not hold nor process what its Creator can.
When I received Him today, I received the most beautiful consolation from Him. When I received our Lord in the Eucharist this morning, I walked back to the pew, placed my head down with my eyes closed. While my eyes were closed, there was such a magnificent BRIGHT light which I can’t describe. There is nothing to compare it to. I began to cry as it became brighter and brighter still, as I just knew it was our Lord. The Light filled me and after a time, as it diminished, I seen the Host at a distance until the light was gone, as if He was telling me, I am still here, hidden. My children asked me if I was okay. I couldn’t speak but only shake my head yes and placed my head back down. I told them after mass, what I have written here today.
I took you all with me today in prayer. I received Him for all who could not. I pray He brings you to repentance and to His peace. I pray that you open your heart to Him completely. A very long time ago, “He told me everything I have done.” and with my entire heart, I wanted nothing more than to return to Him. Never take Him for granted. He loves you so much. Love Him back.
I pray you too can and do say, one day: “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.”
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I will be able to receive our Lord today at Holy Mass, for the last time until this pandemic is over, and the faithful are all allowed to return to their First Love.
“And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”.
As I ponder not being able to receive our Lord in the Eucharist, as Masses for the public are canceled, from my point of view, as I am blessed to receive our Lord today for a last time, until this is all over, I can see it as a Military spouse, kissing her husband good bye as he heads off on a short deployment. Its just for a little while.
While I have spent many years separated from my spouse due to many deployments, we still talked. We still loved one another. It was just for a time and he returned. So I still love our Lord in return, remain faithful, and do what I can to stay close to Him, as He is never far from us. Is it He who is leaving? Or is it us? Mass is still being celebrated and Adoration of Him is still available. So like a deployed spouse, we can talk and still see each other, but unable to receive one another. The spiritual battle is real.
Today’s Gospel, is very special to me, as it was our Lord who spoke to me, an ostracized soul from many places, in the same way as He did with the woman at the well. I will post more about this later today, but for now, as eleven O’clock Mass approaches, this time is reserved strictly for our Lord. I will receive Him for all who are not able to today, along with bringing you with me in prayer, along with all who have died.
Peace.
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We have many good lessons to learn, through this tragic event…
Sunday morning, my youngest daughter came to me in tears, showing me her iPad and asking me if it was true! She really took me by surprise and was yelling at me to tell her. I asked her a few times before looking down, what? What? Is what true? She proceed to walk to my husband and show him and he picked up the TV remote, changed the channel and yes. It was true. Kobe Bryant was killed that morning in a horrific helicopter crash. My daughter was inconsolable. I held her as she cried, and asked her if she wanted to pray for him and we did together. My daughter is extremely sensitive when news breaks of anyone’s death.
She walked into her room sobbing while my husband, who happens to be an air traffic controller, and myself, sat in shock watching the news unfold. Later that day, hearing Kobe and his daughter attended Holy Mass, brought us all great comfort. We attended the evening Mass that day, and the Priest added Kobe and Gianna, his 13 year old daughter, along with all who had died in that horrific crash, in the prayers of the faithful. My daughter looked at me during that moment and smiled. She was at peace again.
First spiritual lesson to learn. I can not stress the importance of receiving our Lord in the Sacraments before we die. We never know when our Lord is going to take us home. If we become sick, or if we have sick loved ones, who are Catholic, PLEASE, before they slip into a condition to where they can not longer receive our Lord in the Eucharist, call a Priest to administer the Sacraments! There is a great post here on this subject: A Guide to the Last Rites May take this time for granted and wait until the loved one has already died, or is in a vegetative state. Please, the sooner the better that they may take our Lord with them on that final journey.
Getting back to the news of Kobe. I must admit, I am not a fan of basketball. Not even a fan as I was living in Chicago, when the Bulls took the Championship five times with Michael Jordan and the rest of the crew. What I am a huge fan of, is repenting sinners. Another spiritual lessons to learn in this, is repentance. In learning more about Kobe and his charities, his regular attendance of Holy Mass and even attending daily Mass, my heart leaped knowing he sure looked like a repenting soul to me. At that point in anyone’s life, the moment of repentance, turning back to our Lord, what we ONCE WERE, is no longer who we are at this moment. It’s gone, as we allow our Lord to build us into what He created us to be. Letting go of what we want to be, accepting the good and the bad. What our Lord has already forgiven, can no longer be held against us. The sin is gone, although the residual effect of the sin may remain. Its not easy to find souls in this society we are exiles in, willing to forgive us, as our Lord has. Holding on to His is forgiveness through the sacrament of reconciliation, hearing the words “I absolve you”, is key to moving through all society holds against the repenting soul, and not allowing the world to take away the joy of being forgiven, getting that second chance in life in Christ to do what is right and just again. Society often holds on to the bitterness, unable to move past others sins, because it lacks the ability to forgive and heal, although society (the world) could never be burdened with thinking of its own sins first.
It no longer mattered to me what he may have done, but my hope for him and all was what may be. His continuing the journey on into eternal life with our Lord.
Another spiritual lesson to be learned, is not constantly looking at the ugliness of one another, and finding the good in each soul. Anyone can see the dirt in their neighbor, be the one who finds the gold. We must remember that what we hold against our neighbors, will be held also against us. We are called to forgive as we have been forgiven. We are called to see the good in others, and not continually focus on the bad. A repenting soul, knows their own sins and do not need others to help them remember them, especially when they have already been forgiven. I’m not saying Kobe is a Saint, although I hope he is, as that is a judgement left to our Lord. What I am saying is he definitely was working on his salvation, while he was still here. That is another key to our salvation. We live the faith now, repent now, so not to regret later. Eternal life begins in this life. CS Lewis said: ‘Die before you die, there is no chance after.’
I pray for everyone, during this tragedy, to remember the words our Lord spoke, directly after teaching us how to pray:
I hope others see how important it is to forgive as we ourselves have been forgiven.
I pray for the souls of all who have lost their lives in this horrific tragedy, and I also hope that more souls, still here, can see the joy of repentance and forgiveness and begin eternal life, now. Lord have mercy on us all.
Prayer for The Eternal Rest
Eternal rest grant unto them,
O Lord, and let perpetual light
shine upon them. May the souls
of all the faithful departed, through
the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen
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Now… The time is now and do not delay. It can not be undone. It can not be stopped as it, already IS. Before we hear, before we know, before we feel, before we love, He already IS. Now.
When the angel revealed his message to the Virgin Mary he gave her a sign to win her trust. He told her of the motherhood of an old and barren woman to show that God is able to do all that he wills.
When she hears this Mary sets out for the hill country. She does not disbelieve God’s word; she feels no uncertainty over the message or doubt about the sign. She goes eager in purpose, dutiful in conscience, hastening for joy.
Filled with God, where would she hasten but to the heights? The Holy Spirit does not proceed by slow, laborious efforts. Quickly, too, the blessings of her coming and the Lord’s presence are made clear: as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting the child leapt in her womb, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Notice the contrast and the choice of words. Elizabeth is the first to hear Mary’s voice, but John is the first to be aware of grace. She hears with the ears of the body, but he leaps for joy at the meaning of the mystery. She is aware of Mary’s presence, but he is aware of the Lord’s: a woman aware of a woman’s presence, the forerunner aware of the pledge of our salvation. The women speak of the grace they have received while the children are active in secret, unfolding the mystery of love with the help of their mothers, who prophesy by the spirit of their sons.
The child leaps in the womb; the mother is filled with the Holy Spirit, he fills his mother with the same Spirit. John leaps for joy, and the spirit of Mary rejoices in her turn. When John leaps for joy Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, but we know that though Mary’s spirit rejoices she does not need to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Her son, who is beyond our understanding, is active in his mother in a way beyond our understanding. Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit after conceiving John, while Mary is filled with the Holy Spirit before conceiving the Lord. Elizabeth says: Blessed are you because you have believed.
You also are blessed because you have heard and believed. A soul that believes both conceives and brings forth the Word of God and acknowledges his works.
Let Mary’s soul be in each of you to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let her spirit be in each to rejoice in the Lord. Christ has only one mother in the flesh, but we all bring forth Christ in faith. Every soul receives the Word of God if only it keeps chaste, remaining pure and free from sin, its modesty undefiled. The soul that succeeds in this proclaims the greatness of the Lord, just as Mary’s soul magnified the Lord and her spirit rejoiced in God her Savior. In another place we read: Magnify the Lord with me. The Lord is magnified, not because the human voice can add anything to God but because he is magnified within us. Christ is the image of God, and if the soul does what is right and holy, it magnifies that image of God, in whose likeness it was created and, in magnifying the image of God, the soul has a share in its greatness and is exalted.
– Saint Ambrose.
Peace
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If you find yourself looking for a particular “camp” inside the Catholic church, be it left, right, trad, liberal, it is only because you are in the “wrong someplace” within yourself and can not stand ALONE with our Lord. It is you and Him. No one else to grab out for. No one else to blame. No one else but yourself and Him. His tent.
ONE Body in Christ. I am Roman Catholic. Some say I am not Catholic enough. Some say I am way too Catholic. The only thing that matters, is our Lord calls me by name to Him and I listen to Him, following Him.
I was lost, now I am found.
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
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“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
I have to laugh when I hear souls talking about the end of the Catholic Church. She can never end, because she will always be, as she has always been. Nothing can destroy what our Lord has already built. Nothing can change what He has achieved. Nothing can change what the Saints have already become. Nothing can change what already is.
Peace
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Please read above at the link
Today: Via Vatican News:
Amazon Synod: The Church committed to be an ally with Amazonia
Related posts:
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When I first started to turn back to our Lord, I tossed out many things that reminded me of something bad that I did, and things in general that others had given to me. Why? Because I didn’t want to remember those things or those people. Tossing them out did not stop the memories. What did happen, was when I placed my faith and trust in our Lord, the memories didn’t hurt anymore, because our Lord changed my mind.
He took away my “broken mind”, and taught me how to think correctly, trusting His Mind. Nothing in this world has power unless we allow it to and thus when we do give it power, we take that power away from our Lord and give into sin.
What takes place, when we lose control, without allowing God all control, is devastating to a soul. Peace is gone, terror of everything grabs hold and the souls begin to believe in themselves and not in our Lord. Scrupulosity takes hold. We forget that each soul has “free will” to choose our Lord, and we watch everyone and everything with scrutiny and not Love, knowing that our Lord loved us also, when we were train wrecks.
No matter what takes place, as our Lord has told us, we must remain with hope, faith and LOVE in our Lord, keeping our eyes fixed on what is above, and not on what is below. When we keep our eyes on what is below, we look down on everything. When we keep our eyes fixed on what is above, we realize we are all on a level playing field of sinners in need of our Lords redemption. That takes humility. Pray more, worry less. When we worry, we act on internal illusions that seek to drag us down as misery loves company.
Although our Lord Himself took a whip and knocked over tables, we must always remember, we are not Him. The disciples did not join Him in doing this. The righteousness of our Lord far surpasses ours. I pray for the conversions of the souls who took the statues, and I pray for all who are trying to justify theft in this case. It was a statue. Not an idol. Things (anything) becomes an idol when man makes them idols by “worshiping” them (letting them have any power) and not our Lord. Such in the same way when souls fear them, rather than our Lord. Properly destroying idols also includes destroying the ones in the intellect.
Justifying theft is not good. Fear of anything but our Lord, is misplaced Trust. Repent and believe in the Gospel.
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.Beautiful post by Elijah’s Breeze
“I do not fear Satan half so much as I fear those who fear him.” – St. Teresa of Avila
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Under my bio (About Peg), on this blog, is a quote I love and live by, from our new, soon to be Saint.
With Christians, a poetical view of things is a duty. We are bid to color all things with hues of faith, to see a divine meaning in every event.
– Blessed Cardinal John Henry NewmanIt is a simple message, but carries with it the importance of being aware, in each of our lives, of the perpetual presence of our Lord, and putting His word into use at all times and places. Under all circumstances, our Lord is first.
If you are not familiar with his works, I highly suggest seeking them out, and spending some time getting to know him in his works.
Below taken from: Desires for Laity
Lecture 9. Duties of Catholics Towards the Protestant View
As troubles and trials circle round you, He will give you what you want at present—”a mouth, and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.” “There is a time for silence, and a time to speak;” the time for speaking is come. What I desiderate in Catholics is the gift of bringing out what their religion is; it is one of those “better gifts,” of which the Apostle bids you be “zealous.” You must not hide your talent in a napkin, or your light under a bushel. I want a laity, not arrogant, not rash in speech, not disputatious, but men who know their religion, who enter into it, who know just where they stand, who know what they hold, and what they do not, who know their creed so well, that they can give an account of it, who know so much of history that they can defend it. I want an intelligent, well-instructed laity; I am not denying you are such already: but I mean to be severe, and, as some would say, exorbitant in my demands, I wish you to enlarge your knowledge, to cultivate your reason, to get an insight into the relation of truth to truth, to learn to view things as they are, to understand how faith and reason stand to each other, what are the bases and principles of Catholicism, and where lie the main inconsistences and absurdities of the Protestant theory. I have no apprehension you will be the worse Catholics for familiarity with these subjects, provided you cherish a vivid sense of God above, and keep in mind that you have souls to be judged and to be saved. In all times the laity have been the measure of the Catholic spirit; they saved the Irish Church three centuries ago, and they betrayed the {391} Church in England. Our rulers were true, our people were cowards. You ought to be able to bring out what you feel and what you mean, as well as to feel and mean it; to expose to the comprehension of others the fictions and fallacies of your opponents; and to explain the charges brought against the Church, to the satisfaction, not, indeed, of bigots, but of men of sense, of whatever cast of opinion. And one immediate effect of your being able to do all this will be your gaining that proper confidence in self which is so necessary for you. You will then not even have the temptation to rely on others, to court political parties or particular men; they will rather have to court you. You will no longer be dispirited or irritated (if such is at present the case), at finding difficulties in your way, in being called names, in not being believed, in being treated with injustice. You will fall back upon yourselves; you will be calm, you will be patient. Ignorance is the root of all littleness; he who can realise the law of moral conflicts, and the incoherence of falsehood, and the issue of perplexities, and the end of all things, and the Presence of the Judge, becomes, from the very necessity of the case, philosophical, long-suffering, and magnanimous.
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“Before I knew it, my desire had made me the blessed one of the prince’s people.” – Song of Solomon 6:12
Desire. What is it that you desire?
“Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
It is You O Lord and my God alone, in whom my heart, mind and body desires.
Many years, further back on the journey to our Lord, for a few months, I was plagued with visions of our Lord, naked. At first I was astonished. What sort of vision was I seeing, that would show our Lord in such a way, as not to be clothed in glory and splendor in robes of gold and a crown. I would do all I could to not see, or to not be lead to see Him in this way, because I had been battling lust, and sins of the flesh. Lust sees only the body to be used for a self serving desire. Love sees the entire person in the great light of respect. Not only respect for the other, but for self and for all.
There was a part of me, that needed to be addressed and overcome which was still not true modesty. The first thought of a “naked” Christ, was that of a very immature soul, in need of becoming mature. I felt a need to cover His nakedness, by turning my eye and denying myself from entering into what may have gone in a direction I did not want to be taken. Was I embarrassed of Him? No. Of course not, He is our Lord and to see Him in such a way, as a friend, or as a brother, was just something that I felt a need to cover because I love Him. Our Lord was Crucified naked for the purpose of mocking Him and stripping Him of any human dignity. But what was truly revealed on the cross, was the glory of God in perfect human form. Not covered by anything to mask the Truth of His creation.
Why was I seeing our Lord in such a way, was something I had prayed about for some time. Was it a way to attract me close to Him? I think not, in one way, for the sake the attraction to our Lord is not of the flesh although He was clothed in the flesh. And that would indicate to me “lust”, and our Lord is not imperfect. Why then, should I see our Lord in this way but other than to open my mind more about Him. To reveal the humanity of Him. Once this took place, the attraction to Him intensified greatly. The distant Lord whom I had though of, whom I thought I had known, was right in front of me. I could then see with my heart, that no matter where I was, in the situations I had faced, or was going to face, He had truly been there first, my first Love, and was still there with me. It became another step in our “relationship”. Dare I say His offering to take the next step. Intimacy.
There comes a time in the spiritual life, when we need to look beyond His “nakedness”, which we see from our imperfect self and see His suffering. Where then, was this wound that needed to be addressed? It is the wound of Love. He suffers in love for us. Just as a nurse, or a Doctor does not see the nakedness of the patient, but rather the need to care for and dress the wound. How my Lord can I attend to You?
To truly fall in love with our Lord, one must overcome many obstacles of self. Especially in regards to how we perceive our Lord as God. Do we only see Him as Divine and completely miss His humanity? If we miss His humanity, we only perceive half of the entirety of Him and our perception is skewed as we are imperfect. We look for the Conquering Lord, the Glorious Lord, but we still often miss the Suffering Lord. When we resort to be satisfied in such a way, we miss out on knowing Him, and remain in a state of only knowing of Him.
If it is True Love, nothing could sway one from the other. Think of the song, “I only have eyes for you”. Temptation comes, and receives no reciprocation. The soul looks at temptation with disgust. It is seen for what it is, empty and an blatant attempt to damage or destroy the Lover the soul has found. Its not to say that we do not stumble, and fall, as we do. But the pain is much greater and its in an instant, that the souls looking to its Lover with the eyes of the heart in sorrow. The soul knows His Love for all. The soul thrives to return the love given by the Lover. To heal the wound she had inflicted, before the soul knew the Lover. The soul is attentive to His voice, His movements, His mannerism and regards the self and all others, as His. Unable to do a thing without Him, as His breath is breathed into our faith, and comes to life in Him, in us. The soul can not help but respond in love, because of Love, as the soul has been acknowledged by the Light that has shown on her true desire and He has revealed her desire to her.
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Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.A Synod is simply dialogue my friends. It does not mean EVERYTHING will be implemented. When we talk as friends, we discuss everything, no? This is how a relationship is built. That does not mean we do everything. It is how we hear one another and see what our friend needs are. It means, we talk about everything and with the teaching authority, do what we believe. Live the faith and preach the gospel. That is all. It is sad to see so many jumping to conclusions through the illusions of false notions.
Today’s Gospel:
If you are anxious, or fearful, add more “Mary” to your life, meaning, pray more and sit at the feet of our Lord, bringing with you all that frightens you. Empty yourself of all that is not His, and allow Him to fill you with all that is Him. Peace Be not afraid.
Pray without jumping to conclusions and falling for the illusions produced through lack of faith in our Lord. The illusions of “what if” are drawn through placing our faith in ourselves and grow huge in a society that refuses to sit and listen to our Lord, choosing to run around and do things, sharing false notions, rumors, etc, one may think is more important. This causes irrational fear and it takes away from our Lord where our fear should actually be, alone in Him (Fear of the Lord). Make yourself busy in Him.
My prayer today is for all to spend more time sitting at the feet of our Lord, instead of the world, hanging on His every word without fretting, and putting them into action, so to be both Mary and Martha, at His promptings. If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.
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October 5, 1979, Chicago’s Grant Park. I was here with (now) St. John Paul II, celebrating Holy Mass. I have spoken about this before in this blog. The other day, it finally dawned on me. The bigger picture. Before arriving for Holy Mass, the I, twelve year old me, was blessed on the side of the road, by a passing Pope John Paul II. I stood in awe that moment.
This day was amazing. Like a lot of things we take for granted, the day came and went, and I continued on my path of self destruction for another 17 or so years. Until the death of my father. At that moment was the realization that I needed to change my life. Although I turned back to our Lord that day, the journey out of that pit I placed myself in was rather deep. We do not realize how far we fall, until we try to get out.
Another 12 years had passed, and that Easter Morning came when our Lord talked to me in my heart asking me “Where are you? What are you doing”, in which I responded by returning back to Holy Mass, Divine Mercy Sunday and never missing Mass again, nor receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation before receiving our Lord.
What does any of this mean? To me, it is a completed puzzle and that one piece I had been looking for was placed into the big picture.
You see, October 5th is the Feast day of Saint Faustina Kowalska, “Secretary of Divine Mercy”. No one believed this beautiful Saint, when she, Helena Kowalska, told them she needed to dedicate her life to our Lord, because He had called her.
In 1924, at the age of 19 years, Helena went with her sister Natalia to a dance in a park in Łódź. Faustina said that, while at the dance, she had a vision of a suffering Jesus. She then went to the Cathedral. From there, she said Jesus instructed her to depart for Warsaw immediately and to join a convent.
No one wanted her, even being told, “we do not accept maids here”. The Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, took her in. St. Faustina knew nothing about them, but knew our Lord opened the door and needed her there. On 30 April (Keep that date in mind) 1926, at the age of 20 years, she received her habit and took the religious name of Sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament.
On (the anniversary of taking the habit) Sunday, 30 April 2000, the now St. John Paul II, canonized this wonderful Saint, and proclaimed that the Second Sunday of Easter would be known as Divine Mercy Sunday.
4. It is important then that we accept the whole message that comes to us from the word of God on this Second Sunday of Easter, which from now on throughout the Church will be called “Divine Mercy Sunday”. In the various readings, the liturgy seems to indicate the path of mercy which, while re-establishing the relationship of each person with God, also creates new relations of fraternal solidarity among human beings. Christ has taught us that “man not only receives and experiences the mercy of God, but is also called “to practise mercy’ towards others: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy’ (Mt 5: 7)” (Dives in misericordia, n. 14). He also showed us the many paths of mercy, which not only forgives sins but reaches out to all human needs. Jesus bent over every kind of human poverty, material and spiritual.
His message of mercy continues to reach us through his hands held out to suffering man. This is how Sr Faustina saw him and proclaimed him to people on all the continents when, hidden in her convent at £agiewniki in Kraków, she made her life a hymn to mercy: Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo.
We never can see what our Lord is doing to us, we only know its something good. Even through the extremely dark times, His mercy endues forever. The key is trusting His Divine Mercy. Not allowing our own ideas to quash His. Forty years ago, I was blessed by this Saint. Sometimes it takes us a very long time to realize the GOOD is all of what our Lord is trying to do for us because we ourselves, stand in the way.
Forty years I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”On this coming Feast of St. Faustina, I ask her to intercede for us all today, along with St. John Paul II, to bring us closer to our Lords Sacred Heart, through His Divine Mercy. May He replace our hearts of stone, with His Heart of Flesh and may be be open to receive Him, without hindrance, without saying no, without fear and may we be filled with Holy Desire, to do His will.
Lord, come quickly. Save souls.
I love these two wonderful Saints of our Lord. I am grateful for them.
Peg Pondering Again 