St. Faustina's Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul: Reading/Discussion Group

[Michie]

1735
O Virgin, lovely flower,
You will not remain much longer in this world.
Oh, how beautiful your loveliness,
My pure Bride!

No numbers can count you.
How dear is your virginal flower!
Your brightness is in no way dimmed;
It is brave, strong, invincible.

The very blaze of the noon-day sun
Dims, and darkens in the presence of a virgin heart.
I see nothing greater than virginity.
It is a flower taken from the Divine Heart.

O gentle virgin, fragrant rose,
Although there are many crosses on earth,
No eye has seen, nor has it entered into the mind of man
What awaits a virgin in heaven.

O virgin, snow-white lily,
You live wholly for Jesus alone
And in the pure chalice of your heart,
Is a pleasing dwelling place for God Himself.

O virgin, no one will sing your hymn.
In your song lies hidden the love of God.
Even the angels do not comprehend
What the virgins sing to God.

O virgin, your flower of paradise
Eclipses all the splendors of this world.
And although the world cannot comprehend you,
It bows humble before you.

Although the virgin’s path is strewn with thorns,
And her life bristles with many a cross,
Who is as brave as she?
Nothing will break her; she is invincible.

O virgin, earthly angel,
Your greatness is renowned throughout the Church.
You stand guard before the tabernacle
And, like a Seraph, become all love.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Sianelle]

AVE MARIA, gratia plena, Dominus tecum. Benedicta tu in mulieribus, et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Iesus. Sancta Maria, Mater Domini nostri, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

Sancta Mater, istud agas;
Crucifixi fige plagas;
Cordi meo valide.
Amen.

(Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord+ is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God+, pray for us now, and in the hour of our death. Amen.

Bid me bear, O Mother blessed!
On my heart the wounds impressed,
Suffered by the Crucified.
Amen.)

 

[Michie]

Well you know more latin than I do.

 

[Michie]

For those of you still reading, thought you'd be interested in this.


Castelgandolfo, Sep 29, 2008 / 10:01 am (CNA).-

Following the praying of the Angelus on Sunday, Benedict XVI reflected on the events of the summer months and expressed joy at the beatification of the confessor of St. Faustina Kowalska.

After announcing that he will conclude his time at the summer residence at Castel Gandolfo by returning to the Vatican, the Holy Father gave thanks to the Lord, "for all the gifts He has given me during this time," particularly, he gave thanks for: "World Youth Day in Sydney, of the period of rest I spent in Bressanone, of the visit to Sardinia and of the apostolic trip to Paris and Lourdes."

He continued, "I am also thinking of the chance I have had to stay in this house where I am able to relax and work during the hottest months. I send a particular greeting to the community of Castelgandolfo with a heartfelt thank-you to the bishop, the mayor and the forces of law and order."

The Holy Father then turned to address the Polish pilgrims, particularly to those gathered in the city of Bialystok, Poland for the beatification of Servant of God Michael Sopocko, who served as the confessor and spiritual father of St. Faustina Kowalska.

Continued- http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13922

 

[MoNiCa4316]

wow that's great!

 

[D'Ann]

awesome!

 

[Michie]

1736
Once when I was on the veranda, I saw that a certain person was being troubled by strong temptations concerning Holy Confession, doubting its secrecy. Although I knew the condition of that soul, I myself did not start the conversation. When we were alone, she opened her heart to me and told me everything. After talking for a short while, she said to me, “I am at peace now; my soul has received much light.”

1737
Today, Jesus made known to me that I should speak little with a certain religious sister. A special grace of God sustained me during the conversation, which would not otherwise have been for Gods’ glory.

1738
The Lord said to me, Enter into purgatory often, because they need you there. O my Jesus, I understand the meaning of these words which You are speaking to me, but first let me enter the treasury of Your mercy.

1739
Write, My daughter, that I am mercy itself for the contrite soul. A soul’s greatest wretchedness does not enkindle Me with wrath; but rather, My Heart is moved towards it with great mercy.

1740
O my Jesus, give me strength to endure suffering so that I may not make a wry face when I drink the cup of bitterness. Help me Yourself to make my sacrifice pleasing to You. May it not be tainted by my self-love, even though it extend over many years. May purity of intention make it pleasing to You, fresh and full of life. This life of mine is a ceaseless struggle, a constant effort to do Your holy will; but may everything that is in me, both my misery and my strength, give praise to You, O Lord.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

The Infinite Goodness of God in the Creation of the Angels.
1741
O God, who are happiness in Your very self and have no need of creatures to make You happy, because of Yourself You are the fullness of love; yet, out of Your fathomless mercy You call creatures into being and grant them a share in Your eternal happiness and in Your life, that divine indwelling life which You live, One God in Three Persons. In Your unfathomable mercy, You have created angelic spirits and admitted them to Your love and to Your Divine Intimacy. You have made them capable of eternal love. Although You bestowed on them so generously, O Lord, the splendor of love and beauty, Your fullness was not diminished in the least. O God, nor have their love and beauty completed You, because You are everything in Yourself. And if You have allowed them to participate in Your happiness and to exist and to love You, that is only due to the abyss of Your mercy. This is Your unfathomable goodness, for which they glorify You without end, humbling themselves at the feet of Your majesty as they chant their eternal hymn: Holy, Holy, Holy…

1742
Be praised, merciful God, One God in the Holy Trinity,
Unfathomable, infinite, incomprehensible,
Immersing themselves in You, their minds cannot comprehend You,
So they repeat without end their eternal: Holy.

Be glorified, O merciful Creator of ours, O Lord,
Omnipotent, but full of compassion, inconceivable.
To love You is the mission of our existence,
Singing our eternal hymn: Holy.

Be blessed, merciful God, Eternal Love.
You are above the heavens, the sapphires, the firmaments.
The Host of pure spirits sings You praises,
With its eternal hymn: Thrice Holy.

And, gazing upon You, face to face, O God,
I see that You could have called other creatures before them.
Therefore they humble themselves before You in great humility,
For well they see that this grace comes solely from Your mercy.

One of the most beautiful spirits would not recognize Your mercy,
And, blinded by his pride, he drew others after him.
Angel of great beauty, he became satan
And was cast down in one moment from heaven’s heights into hell.

Then the faithful spirits cried, “Glory to God’s mercy!”
And they stood firm in spit of the fiery test.
Glory to Jesus, the Christ abased,
Glory to His Mother, the humble and pure Virgin.

After this battle, the pure spirits plunged into the ocean of Divinity;
Contemplating and praising the depths of His mercy,
They drown in His mercy and manifold light,
Possessing in knowledge the Trinity of Persons, the Oneness of Godhead.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

God’s Infinite Goodness in Creating Mankind.
1743
God, who in our mercy have deigned to call man from nothingness into being, generously have You bestowed upon him nature and grace. But that seemed too little for Your infinite goodness. In Your mercy, O Lord, You have given us everlasting life. You admit us to Your everlasting happiness and grant us to share in Your interior life. And You do this solely out of Your mercy. You bestow on us the gift of Your grace, only because you are good and full of love. You had no need of us at all to be happy, but You, O Lord, want to share Your own happiness with us. But man did not stand the test. You could have punished him, like the angels, with eternal rejection, but here Your mercy appeared, and the very depths of Your being were moved with great compassion, and You promised to restore our salvation. It is an incomprehensible abyss of Your compassion that You did not punish us as we deserved. May Your mercy be glorified, O Lord, we will praise it for endless ages. And the angels were amazed at the greatness of the mercy which You have shown for mankind…

1744
May You be adored, O merciful God of ours,
O All-powerful Lord and Creator.
In deepest humility, we give You praise,
Plunging ourselves into the ocean of Your Godhead.

But man did not persevere in the hour of trial.
At the instigation of the evil one, he became unfaithful to You.
He lost your grace and gifts; only misery was left him,
And tears, suffering, sorrow and bitterness, until he would rest in the grave.

But You, O merciful God, did not let humanity perish,
And gave it the promise of a Redeemer.
You did not let us despair, despite our grave offenses,
And You sent Your prophets to Israel.

Still, day and night, mankind cries out to You,
From the abyss of misery, sin and all pain.
Hear the moaning and the tears, You who reign in heaven,
God of great mercy, God of compassion.

Man erred, but he cannot ask pardon,
Because a gaping chasm has appeared between God and man.
With the voice of his misery, he cries out, “Mercy!”
But Yahweh is silent… and century after century passes on.

But the longing of all humankind grows deeper.
A longing for Him who has been promised.
Come, Lamb of God, take away our vile sins,
Come, illumine our darkness like a ray of light.

Humanity calls out to You unceasingly, O Lord of Lords,
Calls out to Your unfathomable mercy, to Your compassion.
O great Yahweh, grant that we may make atonement,
Remember Your goodness, and forgive us our sins.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

The infinite Goodness of God, in sending us His Only-Begotten Son.

1745
God, you did not destroy man after his fall, but in Your mercy You forgave him, You forgave in a divine way; that is, not only have You absolved him from guilt, but You have bestowed upon him every grace. Mercy has moved You to deign to descend among us and lift us up from our misery. God will descend to earth; the Immortal Lord of lords will abase Himself. But where will You descend, Lord; will it be to the temple of Solomon? Or will You have a new Tabernacle built for Yourself? Where do You intend to come down? O Lord, what kind of tabernacle shall we prepare for You, since the whole earth is Your footstool?

You have indeed prepared a tabernacle for Yourself; the Blessed Virgin. Her Immaculate Womb is Your dwelling place, and the inconceivable miracle of Your mercy takes place, O Lord. The Word becomes flesh; God dwells among us, the Word of God, Mercy incarnate. By Your descent, You have lifted us up to Your divinity. Such is the excess of Your love, the abyss of Your mercy. Heaven is amazed at the superabundance of Your love. No one fears to approach You now. You are the God of mercy. You have compassion on misery. You are our God, and we are Your people. You are our Father, and we are Your children by grace. Praise be to Your mercy, that You have deigned to descend among us.

1746
Be adored, O God of mercy,
Because You have deigned to descend from heaven to earth.
Most humbly we adore You
For Your having vouchsafed to exalt all mankind.

Unfathomable and incomprehensible in Your mercy,
For love of us You take on flesh
From the Immaculate Virgin, ever untouched by sin,
Because You have willed it so from all ages.

The Blessed Virgin, that snow-white Lily,
Is first to praise the omnipotence of Your mercy.
Her pure Heart opens for the coming of the Word;
She believes the words of God’s messenger and is confirmed in trust.

Heaven is astounded that God has become man,
That there is on earth a heart worthy of God Himself.
Why is it that You do not united Yourself with a Seraph, but with a sinner, O Lord?
Oh, because despite the purity of the virginal womb,
This is a mystery of Your mercy.

O mystery of God’s mercy, O God of compassion,
That you have deigned to leave the heavenly throne
And to stoop down to our misery, to human weakness,
For it is not the angels, but man who needs mercy.

To give worthy praise to the Lord’s mercy,
We unite ourselves with Your Immaculate Mother,
For then our hymn will be more pleasing to You,
Because she is chosen from among men and angels.

Through Her, as through a pure crystal,
Your mercy was passed on to us.
Through Her, man became pleasing to God;
Through Her, streams of grace flowed down upon us.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

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 ther 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 would 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.

1748
Be adored, O God, in the work of Your Mercy,
Be blessed by all faithful hearts
On whom Your gaze rests,
In whom dwells Your immortal life.

O my Jesus, have mercy, sorrowful was Your life on this earth,
And in terrible torment Your work came to an end,
Hanging stretched out on the wood of the Cross,
And all this for the love of our souls.

In Your inconceivable love, You allowed Your most holy side to be opened,
And streams of Blood and Water gushed forth from Your Heart.
Here is the living fountain of Your mercy,
Here souls receive consolation and refreshment.

In the Blessed Sacrament, You left us Your mercy;
Your love deigned to arrange it so,
That, going through life, suffering and toil,
I might never doubt of Your goodness and mercy.

For even if the whole world’s miseries weighed on my soul,
We must not doubt for even a moment,
But have trust in the power of God’s mercy,
Because with graciousness, God receives a contrite soul.

O unspeakable mercy of our Lord,
Source of compassion and all sweetness,
Trust, trust, O soul, though you are stained by sin,
For when you approach God, you will not taste bitterness.

Because He is a living fire of great love,
When we approach Him with sincerity,
Our miseries, sins and evil deeds vanish;
He will settle our debts when we surrender ourselves to Him.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

God’s Infinite Goodness in Adorning The Whole World with Beauty In order to Make Man’s Stay on Earth Pleasant.

1749
O God, how generously Your mercy is spread everywhere, and You have done all this for man. Oh, how much You must love him, since Your love is so active on his behalf. O my Creator and Lord, I see on all sides the trace of Your hand and the seal of Your mercy, which embraces all created things. O my most compassionate Creator, I want to give You worship on behalf of all creatures and all inanimate creation; I call on the whole universe to glorify Your mercy. Oh, how great is Your goodness, O God!

1750
Be adored, O our Creator and Lord.
O universe, humbly glorify your God;
Thank your Creator to the best of your powers
And praise God’s incomprehensible mercy.

Come, O earth, in all your fine greenery;
Come, you too, O fathomless sea.
Let your gratitude become a loving song
And sing the greatness of God’s mercy.

Come, beautiful, radiant sun.
Come, bright dawn which precedes it.
Join in one hymn, and let your clear voices
Sing in one accord God’s great mercy.

Come, hills and valleys, sighing woods and thickets,
Come, lovely flowers of morningtide;
Let your unique scent
Adore and glorify God’s mercy.

Come, all you lovely things of earth,
Which man does not cease to wonder at.
Come, adore God in your harmony,
Glorifying God’s inconceivable mercy.

Come, indelible beauty of all the earth,
And, with great humility, adore your Creator,
For all things are locked in His Mercy,
With one mighty voice all things cry out; how great is the mercy of God.

But above all these beauties,
A more pleasing praise to God
Is a soul innocent and filled with childlike trust,
Which, through grace, is closely bound to Him.

1751
O Jesus, concealed in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, my only love and mercy, I commend to You all the needs of my body and soul. You can help me, because You are mercy itself. In You lies all my hope.
[In the original there follows a completely blank page.]

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

J.M.J.
Cracow-Pradnik, June 2, 1938 Three day Retreat.
1752
Under the direction of Master Jesus, who Himself commanded me to make this retreat, and who selected the days on which I was to make it; namely, the three days preceding Pentecost and who, Himself, conducted this retreat.

However, I asked my confessor [probably Father Andrasz] whether I could make such a retreat, and I received his permission. I also asked Mother Superior [Irene] and received her permission too. I had resolved that I would not make the retreat unless I obtained the permission of the superiors. I began a novena to the Holy Spirit, and waited for Mother Superior’s answer.

I should be beginning the retreat today, but I have not yet received news of Mother superiors decision. When I went to Church for the evening devotions, I saw the Lord Jesus during the litany. My daughter, we are beginning the retreat. I answered, “Jesus, my dearest Master, I ask Your forgiveness, but I cannot make the retreat, because I have received no news as to whether Mother superior allows it or not.” Do not worry, My daughter, the superior has given her permission. You will learn of it tomorrow morning. But we are to start the retreat today.
And indeed, Mother superior had telephoned that evening to the sister who is looking after me during my illness [sister David], asking her to tell me that I was allowed to make the retreat, but the sister had forgotten to tell me. It was only next morning that she told me, and she was very apologetic that she had not told me the day before. I answered her, “please do not worry. I have already started my retreat, according to the superior’s wish.”

The First Day.

1753
In the evening, Jesus gave me the subject for meditation. At the first moment, my heart was filled with fear and joy. Then I pressed myself close to His Heart, and the fear vanished; only joy remained. I felt entirely like a child of God, and the Lord said to me, Fear nothing. What has been forbidden to others has been given to you. The graces that are not given to other souls to discern, not even from a distance, nourish you every day, like the daily bread.

1754
Consider, My daughter, who it is to whom your heart is so closely united by the vows. Before I made the world, I loved you with the love your heart is experiencing today and, throughout the centuries, My love will never change.

Application.

1755
At the very thought of Him to whom my heart is wedded, my soul entered into profound recollection, and the hour passed like a minute. In this state of recollection, I came to know the attributes of God. Burning with an inner fire of love, I went out to the garden to cool off; when I looked up at the heavens, a new flame of love flooded my heart.

1756
Then I heard the words: My daughter, have you exhausted the subject I gave you? If so, I’ll give you a new one. I answered, “O Infinite Majesty, eternity will not be enough for me to know You… but my love for You has become more intense. As a token of gratitude, I lay my heart at Your feet, like a rosebud. May its fragrance delight Your Divine Heart, now and for eternity… what a paradise it is for a soul when the heart knows itself to be so loved by God…”

1757
Today, you will read chapter fifteen of the Gospel of Saint John. I want you to read it very slowly.

Second Meditation.


1758
My daughter, consider the life of God which is found in the Church for the salvation and the sanctification of your soul. Consider the use that you make of these treasures of grace’ of these efforts of My love.

Application:

1759
O most compassionate Jesus, I have not always known how to profit from these priceless gifts, because I have paid too little attention to the gift itself and too much to the vessel in which You were giving me Your gifts. My most sweet Master, it will be different from now on. I will put Your gifts to the best use of which my soul is capable. Living faith will support me. Whatever the form might be, under which You send me Your grace, I will accept it as coming directly from You, without considering the vessel in which you send it. If it will not always be within my power to accept it with joy, I will always accept it with submission to Your Holy will.

Conference on Spiritual Warfare.


1760
My daughter, I want to teach you about spiritual warfare. Never trust in yourself, but abandon yourself totally to My will. In desolation, darkness and various doubts, have recourse to Me and to your spiritual director. He will always answer you in My name. Do not bargain with any temptation; lock yourself immediately in My Heart and, at the first opportunity, reveal the temptation to he confessor. Put your self-love in the last place, so that it does not taint your deeds. Bear with yourself with great patience. Do not neglect interior mortifications. Always justify to yourself the opinions of your superiors and of your confessor. Shun murmurers like a plague. Let all act as they like; you are to act as I want you to.

Observe the rule as faithfully as you can. If someone causes you trouble, think what good you can do for the person who caused you to suffer. Do not pour out your feelings. Be silent when you are rebuked. Do not ask everyone’s opinion, but only the opinion of your confessor; be as frank and simple as a child with him. Do not become discouraged by ingratitude. Do not examine with curiosity the roads down which I lead you. When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My Heart. Do not fear struggle; courage itself often intimidates temptations, and they dare not attack us.

Always fight with the deep conviction that I am with you. Do not be guided by feeling, because it is not always under your control; but all merit lies in the will. Always depend upon your superiors, even in the smallest things. I will not delude you with prospects of peace and consolations; on the contrary, prepare for great battles. Know that you are now on a great stage where all heaven and earth are watching you. Fight like a knight, so that I can reward you. Do not be unduly fearful, because you are not alone.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

Notebook 6 (Thursday, October 9)

Second Day.
1761
My daughter, today consider My Sorrowful Passion in all its immensity. Consider it as if it had been undertaken for your sake alone.

1762
Application: when I began to immerse myself in the Divine Passion, the great worth of the human soul and the great evil of sin were revealed to me. I understood that I did not know how to suffer. In order to gain merit for my suffering, I will unite myself more closely, in suffering, to the Passion of the Lord Jesus, asking of Him grace for dying souls, so that the mercy of God may embrace them in this grave moment.

1763
Second Meditation.
My daughter, consider the rule and the vows which you have offered to Me. You know how highly I value them; all the graces that I have for the souls of religious are connected with the rule and the vows.

1764
Application: O my Jesus, I feel guilty of many imperfections on this score but, by Your grace, I do not recall any conscious and voluntary transgressions of the rule of the religious vows. Continue to guard me, O my good Jesus, for of myself I am weak.

1765
Today, My daughter, for your reading you shall take chapter nineteen of Saint John’s Gospel, and read it, not only with your lips, but with your heart…

1766
During this reading, my soul was filled with deep repentance. I saw all the ingratitude of creatures toward their Creator and Lord; I asked God to protect me from spiritual blindness.

1767
Conference on Sacrifice and Prayer.
My daughter, I want to instruct you on how you are to rescue souls through sacrifice and prayer. You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone. I want to see you as a sacrifice of living love, which only then carries weight before Me. You must be annihilated, destroyed, living as if you were dead in the most secret depth of your being. You must be destroyed in that secret depth where the human eye has never penetrated; then will I find in you a pleasing sacrifice, a holocaust full of sweetness and fragrance. And great will be your power for whomever you intercede. Outwardly, your sacrifice must look like this: silent, hidden, permeated with love, imbued with prayer. I demand, My daughter, that your sacrifice be pure and full of humility, that I may find pleasure in it. I will not spare My grace, that you may be able to fulfill what I demand of you.

I will now instruct you on what your holocaust shall consist of, in everyday life, so as to preserve you from illusions. You shall accept all sufferings with love. Do not be afflicted if your heart often experiences repugnance and dislike for sacrifice. All its power rests in the will, and so these contrary feelings, far from lowering the value of the sacrifice in My eyes, will enhance it. Know that your body and soul will often be in the midst of fire. Although you will not feel My presence on some occasions, I will always be with you. Do not fear; My grace will be with you…

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

Third Day.

1768
My daughter, in this meditation, consider the love of neighbor. Is your love for your neighbor guided by My love? Do you pray for your enemies? Do you wish well to those who have, in one way or another, caused you sorrow or offended you? Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me.

1769
Application: O Jesus, my Love, You know that it has only been for a short while that I have acted toward my neighbor guided solely by Your Love. You alone know of my efforts to do this. It comes to me more easily now, but if You Yourself did not kindle that love in my soul, I would not be able to persevere in this. This is due to Your Eucharistic love which daily sets me afire.

Second Meditation.
1770
Now you shall consider My love in the Blessed Sacrament. Here, I am entirely yours, soul, body and divinity, as your Bridegroom. You know what love demands; one thing only, reciprocity…

1771
Application: O my Jesus, You know that I desire to love You with a love that no soul has ever before loved You with. I would like the whole world to be transformed into love for You, my Betrothed. You feed me with the honey and milk of Your Heart. From my earliest years, You reared me for Yourself alone, so that I would know how to love You now. You know that I love You, because You alone know the depth of the sacrifice I offer You each day.

1772
Jesus said to me, My daughter, have you any difficulties in this retreat? I answered that I hadn’t. In this retreat, my mind is like lightning. I penetrate all the mysteries of faith with great ease. My Master and Leader, all darkness disappears from my mind under the ray of Your light.

1773
Today, for your spiritual reading, you will take the Gospel of Saint John, Chapter twenty-one. Let it feed your heart more than your mind.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

1774
During the June devotions, the Lord said to me, My daughter, My favor rests in your heart. When on Holy Thursday I left Myself in the Blessed Sacrament, you were very much on My mind.

1775
After these words, my love made great efforts to express to Him what He was to me, but I was at a loss for words and burst into tears in my helplessness. And Jesus said, For you, I am mercy itself; therefore I ask you to offer Me your misery and this very helplessness of yours and, in this way, you will delight My Heart.

1776
Today, a living flame of divine love entered my soul; if it had lasted any longer, I would have been consumed by the fire, freeing myself from the bonds of the present. It seemed to me that, if it had lasted an instant longer, I would have been drowned in the ocean of love. I cannot describe these arrows of love that pierce my soul.

Conference on Mercy.
My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain. My daughter, I desire that your heart be an abiding place of My mercy. I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart. Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in My mercy which I so ardently desire for souls.

Pray as much as you can for the dying. By your entreaties, obtain for them trust in My mercy, because they have most need of trust, and have it the least. Be assured that the grace of eternal salvation for certain souls in their final moments depends on your prayer. You know the whole abyss of My mercy, so draw upon it for yourself and especially for poor sinners. Sooner would heaven and earth turn into nothingness than would My mercy not embrace a trusting soul.

1778
My resolution continues to be the same: to unite myself to Christ-Mercy.

Conclusion of the Retreat.
Last conversation with the Lord.

1779
Thank You, eternal Love, for Your inconceivable kindness to me, that You would occupy Yourself directly with my sanctification. – My daughter, let three virtues adorn you in a particular way: humility, purity and intention and love. Do nothing beyond what I demand of you, and accept everything that My hand gives you. Strive for a life of recollection so that you can hear My voice, which is so soft that only recollected souls can hear it…

1780
I could not sleep until midnight today, so deeply was I stirred by tomorrow’s renewal of vows. The greatness of God embraced my whole being.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

Pentecost [June 5, 1938]. Renewal of Vows.

1781
I got up how much earlier than usual and went to the chapel, steeping myself in the love of God. Before receiving Holy Communion, I silently renewed my religious vows. After Holy Communion, the infinite love of God swept over me. My soul was in communion with the Holy Spirit, who is the same Lord as the Father and the Son. His breath filled my soul with such delight that it would be useless for me to try to give even a faint idea of what my heart experienced. Throughout the whole day, wherever I was and regardless of with whom I talked, a vivid presence of God accompanied me; my soul was drowned in thanksgiving for these great graces.

1782
When I went out to the garden today, the Lord said to me, return to your room, for I will be waiting for you there. As soon as I returned, I saw the Lord Jesus, sitting at the table and waiting for me. He looked at me kindly and said, My daughter, I want you to write now, because that walk would not have been in conformity with My will. I remained alone and immediately got down to writing.

1783
When I immersed myself in prayer and united myself with all the Masses that were being celebrated all over the world at that time, I implored God, for the sake of all these Holy Masses, to have mercy on the world and especially on poor sinners who were dying at that moment. At the same instant, I received an interior answer from God that a thousand souls have received grace through the prayerful meditation I had offered to God. We do not know the number of souls that is ours to save through our prayers and sacrifices; therefore, let us always pray for sinners.

1784
Today, in the course of a long conversation, the Lord said to me, How very much I desire the salvation of souls! My dearest secretary, write that I want to pour out My divine life into human souls and to sanctify them, if only they were willing to accept My grace. The greatest sinners would achieve great sanctity, if only they would trust in My mercy. The very inner depths of My being are filled to overflowing with mercy, and it is being poured out upon all I have created. My delight is to act in a human soul and to fill it with My mercy and to justify it. My Kingdom on earth is My life in the human soul. Write, My secretary, that I Myself am the spiritual guide of souls – and I guide them indirectly through the priest, and lead each one to sanctity by a road known to Me alone.

1785
Mother superior [Irene] visited me today, but only for a short while. When she looked around, she said that everything was too pretty here. It is true, the sisters are trying to make my stay in the sanatorium pleasant. But all this beauty does not lessen my sacrifice, which God alone can see and which will cease only when my heart stops beating. Neither the beauty of the whole earth, nor even of heaven itself, can blur the torture of my soul, which is real at each moment though so deeply interior. It will end when You Yourself, Author of my suffering, say, “Enough”. There is nothing that could lessen my sacrifice.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

First Friday after Corpus Christi. June 17, 1938.

1786
Right away, on the Friday after Corpus Christi, I felt so unwell that I thought the longed for moment, was approaching. I had a high fever and spat up much blood during the night. Yet, I did go to receive the Lord Jesus in the morning, but I could not stay for the Holy Mass. In the afternoon, my temperature dropped suddenly to 35.8 C. I felt so weak that it was as if everything inside me were dying. But when I steeped myself in profound prayer, I understood that it was not yet the moment of deliverance, but only a closer call from my Bridegroom.

1787
When I met with the Lord, I said to Him, “You are fooling me, Jesus; You show me the open gate of heaven, and again You leave me on earth.” The Lord said to me, When, in heaven, you see these present days, you will rejoice and will want to see as many of them as possible. I am not surprised, My daughter, that you cannot understand this now, because your heart is overflowing with pain and longing for Me. Your vigilance pleases Me. Let my word be enough for you; it will not be long now.
And my soul found itself one again in exile. I lovingly united myself to the will of God, submitting myself to His gracious decrees.

1788
The conversations that I hear in this place about worldly matters make me so tired that I nearly faint. The sisters who nurse me have noticed this, because it shows outwardly.

1789
Today, I saw the glory of God which flows from the image. Many souls are receiving graces, although they do not speak of it openly. Even though it has met up with all sorts of vicissitudes, God is receiving glory because of it; and the efforts of satan and of evil men are shattered and come to naught. In spite of satan’s anger, the Divine Mercy will triumph over the whole world and will be worshipped by all souls.

1790
I have come to know that, in order for God to act in a soul, it must give up acting on its own; otherwise, God will not carry out His will in it.

1791
When a great storm was approaching, I began to say the chaplet. Suddenly I heard the voice of an angel: “I cannot approach in this storm, because the light which comes from her mouth drives both me and the storm.” Such was the angel’s complaint to God. I then recognized how much havoc he was to have made through this storm; but I also recognized that this prayer was pleasing to God, and that this chaplet was most powerful.

1792
I learned that a certain soul was very pleasing to God and that, in spite of all sorts of persecutions, God was clothing this person in a new and higher dignity. My heart greatly rejoiced in this.

1793
The moments which are most pleasant to me are those when I converse with the Lord within the center of my being. I try my very best not to leave Him alone. He likes to be always with us…

1794
O Jesus, eternal God, thank You for Your countless graces and blessings. Let every beat of my heart be a new hymn of thanksgiving to You, O God. Let every drop of my blood circulate for You, Lord. My soul is one hymn in adoration of Your mercy. I love You, God, for Yourself alone.

1795
My God, although my sufferings are great and protracted, I accept them from Your hands as magnificent gifts. I accept them all, even the ones that other souls have refused to accept. You can come to me with everything, my Jesus, I will refuse You nothing. I ask You for only one thing: give me the strength to endure them and grant that they may be meritorious. Here is my whole being; do with me as You please.

1796
Today, I saw the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the sky, in the midst of a great brilliance. The rays were issuing from the Wound in His side, and spreading out over the entire world.

1797
Today, the Lord came to me and said, My daughter, help Me to save souls. You will go to a dying sinner, and you will continue to recite the chaplet, and in this way you will obtain for him trust in My mercy, for he is already in despair.

1798
Suddenly, I found myself in a strange cottage where an elderly man was dying amidst great torments. All about the bed was a multitude of demons and the family, who were crying. When I began to pray, the spirits of darkness fled, with hissing and threats directed at me. The soul became calm and, filled with trust, rested in the Lord. At the same moment, I found myself again in my own room. How this happens… I do not know.

Continued tomorrow...

 

[Michie]

J.M.J.
1799
I felt that there is a power which is defending me and protecting me from the blows of the enemy. It guards and defends me. I feel it very distinctly; it is as if I am being shielded by the shadow of His wings.

1800
My Jesus, You alone are good. Even if my heart were to make every effort to write of Your goodness, at least in part, I could not do so – this is beyond all our comprehension.

1801
One day during Holy Mass, the Lord give me a deeper knowledge of His Holiness and His majesty and at the same time I saw my own misery. This knowledge made me happy, and my soul drowned itself completely in His mercy. I felt enormously happy.

1802
On the following day, I had a clear awareness of the following words: “You see, God is so Holy, and you are sinful. Do not approach Him, and go to Confession every day.” And indeed, whatever I thought of seemed to me to be a sin. But I did not omit going to Holy Communion, and I resolved to go to Confession at the prescribed time, as I had no clear impediment. But when the day for confession came, I prepared a whole mass of those sins of which I was to accuse myself. However, in the confessional, God allowed me to accuse myself of only two imperfections, despite my efforts to make a confession according to what I had prepared. When I left the confessional, the Lord said to me, My daughter, all those sins you intended to confess are not sins in My eyes; that is why I took away your ability to tell them. I understood that satan, wanting to disturb my peace, has been giving me exaggerated thoughts. O Savior, how great is Your goodness!

1803
One day, when I was preparing for Holy Communion and noticed that I had nothing to offer Him, I feel at His feet, calling down all His mercy upon my poor soul: “My Your grace, which flows down upon me from Your compassionate Heart, strengthen me for the struggle and sufferings, that I may remain faithful to You. And, although I am such misery, I do not fear You, because I know Your mercy well. Nothing will frighten me away from You, O God, because everything is so much less than what I know Your mercy to be – I see that clearly.

[Here ends the sixth and last Notebook]

 

[Michie]

Divine Mercy
In my soul

My Preparation for
Holy Communion

J.M.J
Cracow, January 10, 1938

Sister Mary Faustina
Of the Blessed Sacrament

Congregation of the Sisters
Of Our Lady of Mercy

The most solemn moment of my life is the moment when I receive Holy Communion. I long for each Holy Communion, and for every Holy Communion I give thanks to the Most Holy Trinity.
If the angels were capable of envy, they would envy us for two things: one is the receiving of Holy Communion, and the other is suffering.

Today, I am preparing myself for your coming as a bride does for the coming of her bridegroom. He is a great Lord, this bridegroom of mine. The heavens cannot contain Him. The Seraphim who stand closest to Him cover their faces and repeat unceasingly: Holy, Holy, Holy.

This great Lord is my Bridegroom. It is to Him that the Choirs sing. It is before Him that the Thrones bow down. By His splendor the sun is eclipsed. And yet this great Lord is my Bridegroom. My heart, desists from this profound meditation on how others adore Him, for you no longer have time for that, as He is coming and is already at your door.

I go out to meet Him, and I invite Him to the dwelling place of my heart, humbling myself profoundly before His majesty. But the Lord lifts me up from the dust and invites me, as His bride, to sit next to Him and to tell Him everything that is on my heart. And I, set at ease by His kindness, lean my head on His breast and tell Him everything. In the first place, I tell Him things I would never tell to any creature. And then, I speak about the needs of the Church, about the souls of poor sinners and about how much they have need of His mercy. But the time passes quickly. Jesus, I must go to carry out the duties that are awaiting me. Jesus tells me that there is still a moment in which to say farewell. A deep mutual gaze, and we seemingly separate for a while, but, in reality, we never do. Our hearts are constantly united. Though outwardly I am distracted by my various duties, the presence of Jesus plunges me constantly in profound recollection.