Eucharistic Reflection - Come To The Throne of Mercy!

Jesus to St. Faustina:

"My child do you fear the God of mercy? My holiness does not prevent Me from being merciful. Behold, for you I have established a throne of mercy on earth - the tabernacle - and from this throne I desire to enter into your heart. I am not surrounded by a retinue or guards. You can come to Me at any moment, at any time; I want to speak to you and desire to grant you grace."

(From Divine Mercy In My Soul - Diary of St. M. Faustina Kowalska)

Monday Musings - One Of The Precious Gifts

 

Pondering Tidbits of Truth - June 22, 2023

Pondering Tidbits of Truth is my simple and inadequate way of providing nuggets of spiritual wisdom for you to chew on from time to time.

St. Faustina Kowalska

"All grace flows from mercy, and the last hour abounds with mercy for us. Let no one doubt concerning the goodness of God; even if a person's sins were as dark as night, God's mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary, that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God's merciful Grace, and then God will do the rest."

(From Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska - Divine Mercy in My Soul)

Father Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P. "The Church’s invitation to join the Eucharistic Revival isn’t just another program. It’s a plea for each and every disciple’s heart to be re-ignited with a greater love for Christ in the Eucharist. Renewed love for the Eucharist will transform our lives and the very shape of the Church in our country." (From Daily Catholic Wisdom)

 

Christine Watkins

"Our Lady never shouldered any undertaking or spoke serious words without first aligning herself in prayer with the Lord's will. As you go through your day, remind yourself to consult God before you speak or act, asking Him what He would have you do or say. Make this a lifelong habit and the virtue of prudence will direct your steps, paving a trail of no regret."

(From Mary's Mantle)

Monday Musings - God's Mercy

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

Lord, I do not recall the exact day or date when You showered Your mercy upon me. I was not particularly close to You at the time. But I do remember the place - my former parish while I was sitting in a pew in front of Your tabernacle - complaining to You about the suffering You had asked my dying Mom to endure.

In Your infinite wisdom and love, You used my mother's suffering and subsequent death for her eternal benefit and to draw me closer to You.

I recall sitting in the pew and thinking about my life up to that point in time. You allowed me to see the many times I was on the brink of falling into hell for all eternity. That day, You let me appreciate  how much You loved me by showing me how often You had withheld Your hand of Justice and extended Your hand of mercy!

I believe You when you told St. Faustina that You would extend Your mercy, even to the most wretched of sinners, who seek it prior to death with just a repenting glance. 

How many Chaplets of Divine Mercy I have offered over the ensuing years for the salvation of so many souls. 

From this moment forward Lord, let me quick to love, to forgive and to be merciful to all whom I encounter - especially those closest to me whom I have so frequently disappointed - since those are the undeserved gifts I have so often received from You.

Monday Musings - On Closer Scrutiny - Not So Much

We proclaim in our religious art and with our lips in prayer that we trust in Jesus and this we ought to do.

But then our actions suggest "not so much".

“Through Holy Communion, help me to love Thee with my whole mind – so that I may value Thy good pleasure, Thy grace, Thy Heaven, above everything else - above my convenience, above all earthly treasures, above all knowledge and friendship, above health and life (emphasis added).”

(From A Novena of Holy Communions by Father Lawrence G. Lovasik, S.V.D)

Lord, increase our faith and trust in You!

Monday Musings-Guest Post-Father Darr Schonebon on Divine Mercy

     This is probably the longest guest post I have ever published. It is, however, not only worthwhile to read, but essential that you do so, if you wish to save your soul and the souls of those you know and love.

      This is a post you will want to copy, keep, ponder, re-read, and share, especially with those you know and love who have separated themselves from our merciful God or profess not to believe in Him or eternal punishment.

  

Divine Mercy Sunday

THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EASTER 

April 19, 2020

The Second Sunday of Easter is Divine Mercy Sunday.  God through Jesus his Son calls all weak, wounded, sinful human beings — and thus that means everyone — to surrender themselves to his Divine Mercy and thereby receive the unmerited gift of his Divine Life.  His merciful heart goes out in particular to souls who dwell in the darkness of grave sin, souls who live without hope, wandering aimlessly through life. 

Yes, the infinite mercy of the heart of the Father pours forth upon the earth through the pierced, lanced heart of his crucified and risen Son (cf. Jn 19:34-37).  Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska — the seer who, at the insistence of Jesus, first promoted the celebration of the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday — had a vision of Jesus on February 22, 1931.  In her spiritual diary, Divine Mercy in My Soul (DM), she describes that vision as follows: 

In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment.  One hand [was] raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast.  From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there were emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale.  In silence I kept my gaze fixed on the Lord; my soul was struck with awe, but also with great joy.  After a while, Jesus said to me, “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You.  I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world. (DM, 47) 

Eventually the (now famous) image was painted, sometime after which, at the bidding of her confessor-spiritual director, she asked Jesus the meaning of the two rays in the image.  During prayer she heard these words within her: 

The two rays denote Blood and Water.  The pale ray stands for the Water which makes righteous souls.  The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls . . . 

These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when my agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. 

These rays shield souls from the wrath of my Father.  Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.  I desire that the first Sunday of Easter be the Feast of Mercy. (DM, 299) 

Jesus would later confirm that it was from his wounded, lanced heart, more than from any of the other wounds inflicted upon him during his passion, that his mercy and grace flow.  He told Saint Faustina: 

From all my wounds, like from streams, mercy flows for souls, but the wound in My Heart is the fountain of unfathomable mercy.  From this fountain spring all graces for souls.  The flames of compassion burn Me.  I desire greatly to pour them out upon souls.  Speak to the whole world about My mercy. (DM, 1190) 

Jesus went on to explain the critical importance of the Feast (Divine Mercy Sunday), in light of the “Fount of Life” imagery of the Divine Mercy painting: 

Ask of my faithful servant [Father Sopocko] that, on this day, he tell the whole world of My great mercy; that whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment. 

Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy. 

Oh, how much I am hurt by a soul’s distrust!  Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness.  Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness. 

My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy. 

Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God.  All the works of My hands are crowned with mercy. (DM, 300, 301) 

Eucharistic Reflection - The Mission of Adorers

(Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)

"This is your mission, O adorers: to weep at the feet of Jesus despised by His own, crucified in so many hearts, and abandoned in so many places; to console the Heart of this tender Father Whom the devil, His enemy, has robbed of His children. A Eucharistic Prisoner, He can no longer go after His lost sheep, the prey of ravenous wolves.

Your mission is to beg forgiveness for the guilty; to pay their ransom to Divine mercy, which needs suppliant hearts; to become victims of propitiation with the Savior Jesus Who, no longer able to suffer in His risen state, will suffer in you and through you."

(St. Peter Julian Eymard,  from the Real Presence - Eucharistic Meditations)

Pondering Tidbits of Truth - July 11, 2019

Pondering Tidbits of Truth is my simple and inadequate way of providing nuggets of spiritual wisdom for you to chew on from time to time.

 

Venerable Fulton J. Sheen

“God does not love us because we are lovely or loveable; His love exists not on account of our character, but on account of His. Our highest experience is responsive, not initiative. And so, it is only because we are loved by Him that we are loveable.”  

(From Rejoice)

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

"Each of you knows that the foundation of our faith is charity. Without it, our religion would crumble. We will never be truly Catholic unless we conform our entire lives to the two commandments that are the essence of the Catholic faith: to love the Lord, our God, with all our strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves." 

(From The Saints' Little Book of Wisdom: The Essential Teachings)

 St. Faustina Kowalska

"For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then pray—that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy."  

(From The Diary of St. Faustina Kowalska)