Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 182: Wisdom to Penetrate the Secrets of Pride

Pride can consume us.  When it does, all we think about is ourselves and our own pain.  Perhaps you can relate to this.  Maybe you’ve encountered a wound and you sit and sulk over that wound.  It creates bitterness in your heart and you seek to heal that wound.  But when this happens, it is often our pride that leads us to remedy hurt through a form of revenge, anger or self-pity.  We can even fool ourselves into thinking that our desire to solve our problem and rid ourselves of the hurt is justified by God.  But if you are willing to let the Lord penetrate the inner secret of your soul, you will see that your motivation in many things is your wounded pride.  This is not the solution.  What is needed is Mercy.  Mercy solves every problem.  First, you must seek Mercy from God, then you must offer it unconditionally to others.  There is no other way to resolve the hurt and confusion present in your soul.  This is a hard lesson to learn, but necessary (See Diary #958).

What is it that motivates you?  Perhaps you have some interior obsession that you can’t seem to shake.  Perhaps it lingers in your mind day and night.  Be attentive to this and identify it as your own sin.  Do not hesitate to humble yourself to the fullest extent and do not be afraid to take ownership of the pain you feel.  Pointing the finger at another does not heal and does not remedy anything.  We are solely responsible as a result of our pride.  Seeing this is a grace of the Lord’s mysterious and unfathomable Mercy.

Lord, I cannot shake the anger, the hurt and the pain I feel at times.  It is overwhelming and all-consuming, subtle and deceptive.  But it is my sin, lurking within me drawing me from You, keeping me from true repentance.  Lord, I do repent and I beg You to humble me so that I may love You with my whole being.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: The story of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, by Gustave Doré

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Reflection 181: Holy Indifference

Does it matter what the Will of God is for you?  That may sound like a strange question at first.  But think about it.  Does it matter what God wills of you?  What if He were to call you to constant work?  Or what if He were to call you to a restful repose?  Or what if He were to fill you with delight?  Or remove all delight from your soul?  Or call you to be extolled and honored in the sight of many?  Or draw you into the desert of solitude and hiddenness?

The truth is that it matters not what God’s call is in our lives, it only matters that He calls.  We must strive for a holy indifference in our lives.  A “holy” indifference is not indifference to God and His Will; rather, a holy indifference is a detachment to all preferences regarding what the Lord asks of us.  We must be ready for all but we must be willing to receive nothing.  The goal is to be ready for God and His Will, whatever it may be (See Diary #952).

Reflect upon whether or not you are ready and willing to accept whatever God wills of you.  What He wills is not as important as the fact that He wills.  This may be a difficult subtlety to grasp at first.  But it’s important to understand.  The simple truth is that we should be ready for anything God asks of us without clinging to our personal preference.  If you can achieve this level of detachment, the Mercy of God will begin to flow in abundance in your life, and through you into the lives of many others.

Lord, I surrender to You all my selfish preferences in life.  I give You complete freedom to do whatever You will in my life.  No matter what You ask of me, I accept, and no matter what You take from me, I give to You.  Give me, dear Lord, the grace of a holy indifference so that I may be free to love You and Your holy Will more than life itself.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Saint Mary of Egypt in the Desert, by David Teniers the Younger

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Reflection 180: The Passion of Jesus

We who are familiar with the Gospels may suffer, at times, from a certain indifference to the sufferings of Christ.  We hear the story read each year, have seen many images of the Passion, and as a result of this familiarity, we can fail to allow it to have the proper effect on our lives.  But the Passion is real, it happened, and we should give it our full attention.  Though it may not be pleasant, on one level, it is an act of love so mysterious that it requires much grace to enable us to penetrate its meaning and significance in our lives.  Every scourge, ridicule, nail and thorn wounded not only our Lord’s body, but it caused excruciating pain to His soul.  But every pain that He endured He took into His Heart and redeemed it, offering it to the Father for the salvation of all.  We must see this great mystery of our faith and gaze upon it in awe and holy wonder (See Diary #948).

Have you gazed upon the suffering Jesus?  Have you allowed yourself to see His pain and His suffering?  Have you seen Him endure all in silence and acceptance?  Reflect upon this incredible mystery of our faith this day and allow yourself to grow in love and compassion for Him who endured so much for you.  Know that His suffering destroyed the effects of sin and transformed suffering itself into the instrument of His Divine Mercy.

Precious Lord, I thank You for Your suffering.  For in this act You took human suffering into Your glorious soul and redeemed it.  You endured the effects of my sin and said not a word.  Lord, You paid the price for my sins and You did so with perfect love and resolve.  Give me the grace, dear Lord, to embrace all that I suffer and to unite it to the redeeming power of Your holy Cross.  In that unity, free me from my sins and pour forth Your abundance of Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Christ as the Suffering Redeemer, by Andrea Mantegna

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Reflection 179: Dealing with Interior Desolation

“The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away…” (Job 1:21).  How true this is.  There are times in life when we experience the abundant consolation of God.  It may be at moments of great family joy, or when we experience the unconditional love of another.  At times we sense the powerful presence of God in our life of prayer and are filled with joy.  But there are many other moments in life when God seems distant and our souls feel desolate.  Do not worry about this.  If this is caused by sin, then face that sin, confess it and move on.  But if it’s not a result of any sin, then know it’s an opportunity for you to deepen your faith and your love of God despite how you feel.  This is a true grace and we should be grateful that God loves us enough to call us to faith even when we feel very little inside (See Diary #943).

What do you experience in your soul right now?  Do you sense the closeness of God and does that closeness give you great consolation?  Or do you feel dry and desolate as if God is hidden from you?  We must rejoice in each experience and know that God offers the grace we need for each moment.  Renew your faith this day no matter how you feel.  Do it especially in moments of much desolation.  Your act of faith in those moments will open the gates of God’s Mercy to you and to the world more than you may realize.

Lord, I love You now and always and renew my love for You no matter how I feel.  In good times and in difficult ones I choose to love You, to have faith in You and to trust in You.  You are the God of consolation and the God of desolation.  I choose You no matter what.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Saint Jerome in the Wilderness by Pinturicchio  

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Reflection 178: Sanctity is Never Achieved on Our Own

Do you aspire to holiness of life?  If so, you cannot do this on your own.  You need the help of another, and even many others.  The Lord has given us numerous ways to be directed by the loving hand of others.  Some are blessed to have a spiritual director of many years who directs them in accord with the Mind and Heart of Christ.  But most are called to rely upon the general direction offered by Christ through His Church.  We do so when we find a confessor to whom we regularly confess our sins.  We do so when we study the lives of the saints and learn from their wisdom.  We do so when we listen attentively at Mass seeking to soak in the words our Lord wishes to speak.  And we do so when we allow people of true holiness to come to know our souls so as to offer their humble counsel (See Diary #938).

How do you allow the Lord to direct your soul?  Do you listen to Him speak to you in Confession?  Do you listen attentively at Mass, through the wisdom of the saints and through the teachings of the Church?  Do you seek out those people whom God has placed in your life to help you on your way?  Reflect, today, upon the ways that God wants to use others to help direct your life toward holiness and embrace this gift as His act of abundant Mercy.

Lord, You and You alone are my Director and Guide.  But You choose to guide me through the mediation of others.  May I always be willing to humble myself so as to receive the many helps You offer me through this journey of life. I pray I will never turn away from these instruments of Your Mercy and grace.   Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: St Peter Preaching in the Presence of St Mark by Fra Angelico

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