A Facebook Post
Recently, as I was scrolling Facebook, God’s mercy made me meet with the following quote:
God is saying to you today, “It is a new day. I didn’t bring you this far to leave you. Forget about what happened yesterday. I am doing a new thing. You will overcome that mountain that you are facing. Always remember that I am bigger than every situation and problem you will ever face. Trust Me”.
This beautiful quote made think of other quotes present within St Faustina’s Diary. Jesus said to St Faustina: Entrust yourself completely to My will … In such a soul I delight (Diary, 1487). In entry 120 St Faustina writes: God alone arranges everything (Diary, 120). Jesus even assured Faustina not to rely on the teaching and talk of people. He squarely told her: My daughter, why do you attach such importance to the teaching and the talk of people? I myself want to teach you; that is why I arrange things … (Diary, 1147). With Jesus everything is possible, which is why Faustina was not to worry at all. Jesus told her: Know, My daughter, that in one moment I can give you everything that is needed for the fulfillment of this task (Diary, 1153).
For Jesus human plans get strong if and only if they conform to his will. Otherwise they will be ruined. He taught St Faustina: Human plans will be thwarted, since they must conform to My will (Diary, 1180). Furthermore Jesus teaches Faustina that every intervention of his, even those which appear drastic, is done to fulfil his purposes. In Diary entry 1181 he reassured her with this promise: I only remove from you the awareness of My presence, and that should not be an obstacle to the carrying out of My will. I do this to achieve My unfathomable ends, which you will know of later on.
In her Diary, Faustina came to realize, from the words of Jesus himself, that every thing occurs under the direction of his will. This fact gave her the greatest comfort. She said: Jesus gave me to know that even the smallest thing does not happen on earth without His will. After having seen this, my soul entered into an unusual repose; I found myself completely at peace … (Diary, 1262). In her experience of Jesus St Faustina came to realize that the more she humbled herself in front of Him by asking forgiveness the more she grew in holiness. Jesus himself reassured her by these powerful words: If it hadn’t been for this small imperfection, you wouldn’t have come to Me. Know that as often as you come to Me, humbling yourself and asking My forgiveness, I pour out a superabundance of graces on your soul, and your imperfection vanishes before My eyes, and I see only your love and your humility. You lose nothing but gain much… (Diary, 1293).
Faustina’s complete trust in Jesus kept making her a very useful tool in his hands. He told her: I want to hold you in My hand as a pliant tool, perfectly adapted to the completion of My works (Diary, 1359). That is why she was to snatch every opportunity to be made holy. Jesus greatly encouraged Faustina in this when he told her: Be watchful that you lose no opportunity that My providence offers you for sanctification (Diary, 1361). Once Jesus was terribly upset because Faustina refused her medication. He told her that through her Superiors He was caring for her. Hence, there was no need to refuse his greatest act of caring for her. He told her: My daughter, I do not like such conduct. Accept with gratitude everything I give you through the superiors, and in this way you will please Me more (Diary, 1381).
That powerful Jesus I trust in you, which St Faustina certainly lived through her life, was translated into her life thanks to her continual and fervent prayer. In prayer only could she find the solace she really needed. She said: Nothing but ardent prayer will put it at ease. In fervent prayer the soul finds relief and, even if it wanted explanations from creatures, these would only make it more restless (Diary, 1387). Our saint was humble enough as to admit that she was ready to accept what God permitted in her life. In entry 1394 of the Diary Faustina said: Whatever God sends me, I accept with complete submission to His holy will … It is through all this that my soul becomes like unto Jesus … This is the surest way. If some other way were better, Jesus would have shown it to me. Sufferings in no way take away my peace … (Diary, 1394). Faustina was so sensitive to carry out God’s will to the full that she said: I have come to understand how all this depends on the Lord. I know that no one will touch a single hair of my head without His willing it (Diary, 1406).
Faustina came to realize that God will do everything so that we grow in his love. She said: … He is bringing me to understand deeply how everything depends on His will, and how He allows certain difficulties precisely for our merit … (Diary, 1409). In the dialogue between Jesus and the soul we notice that the Lord Jesus kept telling the soul to go to him immediately when she was in those atrocious interior trials. He told her: But why at such times, do you not come to Me, the light who can in an instant pour into your soul more understanding than found in books? (Diary,1487). Within the same entry Jesus did the most powerful cathecesis to this soul of what it means to immerse herself into his mercy and also the pivotal role of Holy Communion as a powerful means for this soul to grow in her trust of Jesus. Hence, Jesus told her: Entrust yourself completely to My will saying, ‘Not as I want, but according to Your will, O God, let it be done unto me.’ These words, spoken from the depths of one’s heart, can raise a soul to the summit of sanctity in a short time. In such a soul I delight … But understand that the strength by which you bear sufferings come from frequent Communions. So approach this fountain of mercy often, to draw with the vessel of trust whatever you need (Diary,1487).
As a way of conclusion, this Facebook post made me more attentive to Jesus’ warning to this soul: The cause of your falls is that you rely too much upon yourself and too little on Me … (Diary,1488). Hence, let us keep going to Jesus ALL the time and days of our lives. Amen.
Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
