Dialogue of Jesus with a sinful soul according to the Diary of Sister Faustina Kowalska

 Jesus: Do not be afraid, sinful soul, of your Savior; I am the first to approach you, for I know that by yourself you are incapable of ascending to Me. Do not flee, daughter, from your Father; desire to speak alone with your God of Mercy, who wants to speak to you personally the words of forgiveness and fill you with His graces. Oh, how dear your soul is to Me. I have settled you in My arms. And you have been engraved like a deep wound on My heart.

-Soul: Lord, I hear Your voice calling me to abandon the evil path, but I have neither courage nor strength.

-Jesus: Why are you afraid, My daughter, of the God of Mercy? My Holiness does not prevent Me from being merciful to you. Look, soul, for you I have established the throne of mercy on earth, and this throne is the tabernacle, and from this throne of mercy I desire to descend into your heart. Look, I have surrounded Myself with neither retinue nor guards; you have access to Me at any moment, at any hour of the day. I desire to speak with you and I desire to grant you graces.

-Soul: Lord, I fear that you will not forgive me such a large number of sins; my misery fills me with fear.

Jesus: My mercy is greater than your misery and that of the whole world. Who has measured My goodness? For you, I allowed My Sacred Heart to be pierced by a lance, and I opened the Fountain of Mercy for you. Come and draw graces from this fountain with the vessel of trust. I will never reject a repentant heart; your misery has sunk into the abyss of My mercy. Why should you argue with Me about your misery? Do Me this favor: give Me all your sorrows and all your misery, and I will fill you with the treasures of My graces.

-The Soul: With Your goodness You have conquered, Lord, my heart of stone; here I am approaching with confidence and humility the tribunal of Your Mercy. Absolve me Yourself through the hand of Your representative (priest). O Lord, I feel that grace and peace have flowed into my poor soul completely. You have forgiven me more than I dared hope for or could imagine. Your goodness has surpassed all my desires. And now, I invite You into my heart, filled with gratitude for so many graces. I had strayed down the wrong path like the prodigal son, but You never ceased to be my Father. Multiply Your mercy within me, for You see how weak I am.

Jesus: My child, speak no more of your misery, for I no longer remember it. Listen, My child, to what I wish to tell you: draw near to My wounds and draw from the Fountain of Life all that your heart may desire. Drink deeply from the Fountain of Life, and you will not stop during the journey. Behold the radiance of My Mercy and do not fear the enemies of your salvation. Glorify My Mercy.

Mercy

 Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska:

"301. Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy."

Reflection: With these words, Jesus presents himself as a merciful God. And it's true, all of his creation is a work of mercy, including us. God, omniscient, who knows everything, decided to create us, even knowing that at some point in our lives we would fail him, yet he still let us live. And not only that, he created such a beautiful universe for us to enjoy, even though we didn't deserve it. All because he had mercy on his creation. Sometimes I'm naive, but if you think about it, God is present in nature, and everything that amazes us at any given moment, he created for that individual moment and, of course, also so that others could enjoy this wonder. The breeze brushing your cheeks, the wind moving your hair, the starlight, the people you love. God is present in everything because he loved you before you existed and wanted you to be happy and had mercy on you. Smile! The fact that you are alive is proof of his love and mercy toward you.

Mercy

Lord, you have asked us to be merciful

Just like you are merciful to us

Help us to find the ways

To do acts of mercy.

Thank you lord for your mercy

That encompass all human beings

Thank you for the Sacrament of Reconciliation

That brings us back to your redemptive grace.

Thank you for all you've done for us

This wonderful world,

The roof over our heads

The meals on our tables.

The love of our loved ones.

You have given us senses

To enjoy this life

We hear, we see, we touch, we smell, we taste.

Help us Lord

To be thankful for all you have given us

And entrust to us in this life,

That we may ever be merciful

To those less fortunate.

Take care of our loved ones

And lead them to Jesus

Our Lord and Savior.

And when our earthly life comes to an end

Remember Your promises

And help us repent, to be in grace with You

So that we may enter into Eternity

Facing You, oh Lord. 

Jesus I Love You

 

Because You are present

In the Tabernacle,

Willing to listen

And also to forgive

 All my things.

Ah, ah, ah.

Your love is powerful.

For you died on the cross,

You forgave the traitor

And you brought the light.

Because one day on my journey,

You changed my life,

By extending the nets,

You caught me.

Jesus, I love you.

I love you,

I love you,

Oh, oh

Jesus, I love you

I love you

I love you

Oh, oh, oh, oh,

Oh, oh, oh

Because you encourage my existence.

Even if I fall

You are my companion

My friend and advisor

At every moment.

Oh, oh, oh.

Your love is powerful.

For you died on the cross,

You forgave the traitor

And you brought the light.

Because one day on my way

You changed my life,

By extending the nets,

You caught me.

Jesus, I love you.

I love you,

I love you,

Oh, oh,

Uoh, oh, oh, oh.

- Choir song, I don't know who the author is.

My Crucified Jesus

 A few minutes ago (2/14/2020) I found a question on Facebook that might put us at odds with non-Catholic Christians. The question kept coming up: "Why does the Catholic Church display a cross with Christ crucified?" I read several comments attacking our faith. Actually, I spent several years asking myself the same question. Seeing Jesus crucified made me cry; it reminded me of how much He suffered for me. I felt guilty about His crucifixion, and it forced me to remember my sins. I couldn't get used to seeing Him; it was too much for me. I didn't understand such love, that love that is capable of giving one's life for the beloved. Yes, that beloved by Jesus is you, is me, all human beings. I felt so unworthy of His divine love and His sacrifice on the cross. But little by little, although it still hurts to see Jesus crucified, I understood that this crucifix represents the greatest sacrifice anyone will ever make for me. It is a demonstration of love. Now, seeing it reminds me that someone, precisely the Son of God, wanted to come into the world to suffer on a cross so that I could be saved, so that I could have the opportunity to repent of my sins and begin a new life. A new life, a life in Jesus Christ . It shows me the love of God the Father as well. It's as if, seeing the crucifix, Jesus speaks to me and says, "I love you! Don't you understand? I gave my life for you so that you may be happy. Don't enslave yourself to sin. Don't be discouraged. What wouldn't I do for you, if I was capable of dying crucified for you!" It also gives me the opportunity to be renewed, to "see" Him, to return to His flock. Yes, my Jesus died for me on a cross, and then on the third day He rose again and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father. And yet, the crown He chose to wear was a crown of thorns. This is my testimony. I don't have the answer to the Facebook question, but I know that because of that cross, today I can have hope not only in this life but also in the one that comes after death. If Jesus suffered for me, I too can suffer and offer it to God the Father. Yes, I too have a cross to bear, and I hope that, like Jesus rose again, and I too may achieve it through the merits of His glorious resurrection at the end of time. I leave you with a biblical quote where Saint Paul speaks about Jesus crucified.

1 Corinthians 1:23-24 

23  But we preach Christ crucified. This is a stumbling block  to Jews and foolish to Gentiles,  24  but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power and wisdom of God.

I Still Remember - God's Letter to You

 I still remember the day I formed you.

With great care, attention, and meticulousness, I chose every aptitude, every gift, every characteristic, every fiber of your being, until I obtained exactly the combination I desired.

 Even the smallest specifications were perfectly synchronized to accomplish My will and My purpose in your existence and in the lives of all those you would touch during your journey through life.

I remember the moment I breathed life into you. I felt such immense love that I couldn't contain it! I knew how much happiness you would bring, not only to Me, but also to all those you would encounter on life's path.

I love you from eternity to eternity, and I am delighted in you.

Sincerely,

God

And God Was There

I wrote down what I heard in a video on Instagram. I also translated it:

And God was there,

In my beginnings

And in my finals.

God was there

In every process,

He perfected me

He was there

At the center of every storm,

He hugged me

Because he was the only one

Who is not afraid of my failures.

But that was there

To help me stand up.

He does not wait for me

At the end of the road.

He takes my hand,

He pulls me out of the mud

And we walk together

To a new destination.

God was there

At every stage of my life,

The Creator of the universe,

He who takes care of me. 

Body of Christ by Sue Werner

 Before the earth was created,

He knew you by your name

You had a special purpose,

Because of you He came...

Knowing you would stumble,

Sin would not define,

The uniqueness of your purpose, 

Thus He whispers

"You are mine"

Confession

How good God is to forgive us

Only going to the confessional

And he does it all to love us.

For it does not please him to condemn us.

And we must go to confession

Well this is very necessary

And so arm us with his grace

It is something very extraordinary.

Let us draw near, repentant.

To the fountain of mercy:

He offers it to us because we are his.

So we will have a new day

And forgiven, let us begin

To give thanks, honor and glory. 

St. Mary of Magdala

 “The story of Mary of Magdala reminds us all of a fundamental truth. A disciple of Christ is one who, in the experience of human weakness, has had the humility to ask for His help, has been healed by Him, and has set out following closely after Him, becoming a witness of the power of His merciful love that is stronger than sin and death.”

– Pope Benedict XVI

The Story of Paisia

 

Extracted from the stories of the desert fathers :

This story was also told about Father John: A young girl named Paisia was orphaned by both her father and mother. She then considered converting her house into an inn for the guests of her parents in Scetis. For a considerable time she stayed there, offering hospitality and serving the priests. But in time, when she had consumed her wealth, she began to suffer hardship. Then, stray men attached themselves to her and diverted her from her good purpose, so much so that she began to behave badly, even to the point of prostitution.  The priests heard about this and were very sad. They called Father John the Dwarf and said to him: "We have heard that this sister is behaving badly, the same one who, when she could, showed us her love. We too would like to show her our love now by helping her. Take the trouble to go to her and, according to the wisdom that God has given you, take charge of her." Father John then went to her and said to the old doorkeeper: "Announce your mistress for me." But the doorkeeper tried to dismiss him with these words: "First you devoured her riches, and now she is in misery." Father John said to her: "Tell her precisely that I can be very useful to her." The servants, laughing, said to him: "What do you have to give him, for her to want to see you?" And he replied: "How will you know what I am going to give her?" The old woman went up to her and told her the story. The young woman said: "These monks always pass by the shore of the Red Sea and find pearls." She dressed herself and said: "Yes, send him to me." When she had gone up, she, warning him, placed herself on the couch. Father John went and sat down beside her and, looking into her face, said: "What reason do you have to complain about Jesus, that you have come to this point?" Hearing these words, she was completely frozen. Father John, bowing his head, began to cry profusely. She asked him: "Why are you crying, Father?" After a small gesture, he drew back again, weeping, and said to her: "I see Satan playing on your face, and should I not weep?" The woman then asked: "Father, is there penitence?" He said to her: "Yes." And she: "Take me wherever you want." He said to her: "Let's go." And she got up to follow him. Father John noticed with amazement that she gave no orders or said anything about her house. When they arrived in the desert it was late; he made a small pillow of sand, made the sign of the cross on it, and said to her: "Sleep here." He went a little way, recited his prayers, and lay down. Awakening around midnight, he saw something like a path of light descending from heaven to her, and saw the angels of God carrying her soul on high. Getting up, he approached her and touched her with his foot; and he saw that she was dead. Then he fell face down on the ground, praying to God. And he heard that the Lord had accepted one hour of her repentance more than many of those who are not animated by such fervor.

Jesus Uses the Broken

 Mary Magdalene had SEVEN demons. Seven. Sis was walking around like a whole haunted house—and yet she was the first to see the empty tomb. 👀🙌🏼

The woman at the well? Married five times and still flirtin’ in the heat of the day. And yet, she’s the first person Jesus ever told, “Hey, I’m the Messiah.” Not a priest. Not a king. A woman with a past and a pitcher.

Let that sink in.

So before you disqualify yourself because of what you did, who you were, or what they still call you behind your back—remember this:

Your past doesn’t cancel your purpose. Your past points to your purpose.

God isn’t intimidated by your mess. He specializes in it. That addiction? That heartbreak? That jail cell, bad relationship, or wild season you barely crawled out of? He uses that to reach the people still stuck in it.

And to the ones sittin’ on the pew polishin’ halos instead of bringing people to the baptism pool… ask them gently:

👉🏼 “So… how many folks have YOU led to Jesus this year?”

Go ahead. I’ll wait. ⏳😇

Don’t you dare give up on yourself. You haven’t gone too far—you’re exactly who He came for.

He left the 99 for the 1.

And baby, sometimes you are that one. 💜

~Nicole Pearso  Chatagnier

A reading from the Book of Wisdom (11:22:26 and 12:1:2)

22

⁴ Indeed, before you the whole universe is as a grain from a balance, or a drop of morning dew come down upon the earth.

23

But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent.

24

For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned.

25

And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you?

26

But you spare all things, because they are yours, O LORD and lover of souls,

Chapter 12

1

for your imperishable spirit is in all things!

2

Therefore you rebuke offenders little by little, warn them, and remind them of the sins they are committing, that they may abandon their wickedness and believe in you, O LORD!

 

My comment:

Today (11/3/2013) I heard this Bible reading at Mass, and I must confess that shortly before Mass began, I read it. And I was amazed. In such beautiful, poetic words, a God is revealed to us who loves us so much that he says here, "He did not hesitate to create us; He loved us from the beginning despite our transgressions, our sins." The reading says that we are but a drop of dew, or a grain of dust in God's eyes. He sees in us what we can be, for He created us in His image, and that is why He only rebukes us as a father does his children, so that we may be converted, repentant, and return to Him, as that image in which He created us, which is perfected in Christ Jesus, true God and true man. Jesus shows us this compassionate God, for He came to "heal" sinners, to give us a new life, a new way of living, of seeing the world, and our fellow human beings. He is the image of God, of a love that takes pity on all and desires the salvation of all, who allows us to fall to help us rise and show us a safer path that will prevent us from stumbling. A path that runs hand in hand with Jesus.

 

Fear Nothing

 “And fear nothing, dear soul, whoever you are; the greater the sinner, the greater his right to Your mercy, O Lord.”