Jesus's example

And when it seems to you that your suffering exceeds your strength, contemplate My wounds, and you will rise above human scorn and judgment. Meditation on My Passion will help you rise above all things. (Christ to St. Faustina, 1184)

What do I have to do? What is my mission, my vocation? I have to look for Your will, Jesus. You want to show me that Your plan and Your provisions are the best things I could ever have. Your life, dear Jesus, is my best example: You came to do the will of the Father, that was Your mission. Such a difficult mission! Yet You prayed for the Father's will, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." When my crosses seem more than I can bear, let me look to You with trust and echo, "Thy will be done." (Meditation by Fr. Leszek Czelusniak, MIC)

Fear

"I do not fear anything in the world, but fear only lest I make Jesus sad" (St. Faustina, 610).

What is most important? Jesus, You created me in love. You redeemed with with Your Blood. Then why am I so full of fear? My life is ruled by fear of failure, fear of what others think, fear of losing the love of those around me, fear of being forgotten, or fear of being lonely. In the past, I've resisted giving You these fears. The most important thing in my life is loving You, so I freely give You these fears. Today I will look for ways to put You first. If I start to worry again, I will stop, give it to You, and then continue my day. May my constant acts of trust and surrender bring You joy (Meditation by Fr. Leszek Czelusniak, MIC).

Happy Birthday, Mrs. Cook

Happy Birthday to my wife.  You are my joy and inspiration, and our children are a reflection of your selflessness and love.  You are like the chocolate soufflé we had tonight to celebrate your birthday: refined, elevated, delicate and sweet.

My purpose

I spend every free moment at the feet of the hidden God. He is my Master; I ask Him about everything; I speak to Him about everything. Here I obtain strength and light; here I learn everything; here I am given light on how to act toward my neighbor. (St. Faustina, 704)

What can I do for You, Lord Jesus? What can I do? I am really a small one. How can my life change anything? And yet, in some mysterious way, my life can change the world. Through intercessory prayer I can touch people all over the world. You are God and I am a creature, yet You ask me to seek You out, to converse with You, to ask You for anything. No petition is too small for You or too difficult for You. Today, Jesus, let me remember those I love who are far from You. I beg Your graces upon them. My trust is in You, O Lord. (Meditation by Fr. Leszek Czelusniak, MIC)

This meditation seems fitting for me to read on the day I was born. Thank you all for the birthday wishes!

Suffering

"Oh, if only the suffering soul knew how it is loved by God, it would die of joy and excess of happiness! Some day, we will know the value of suffering, but then we will no longer be able to suffer. The present moment is ours." (St. Faustina, 963)

Jesus, You are my great Teacher. From You, I learn the value of suffering. From You, I learn how to recognize all of the little and big crosses that You give me today. Increase my awareness of my daily crosses, so that I may offer them back to You, especially for poor sinners. Sometimes my path to You is full of sharp rocks and pebbles. But, when I pick them up and give them to Mary, she cleans them off and underneath the dirt and grime is a jewel. Even though I have trouble seeing the jewel, please take these crosses, these jewels, of mine and, through the hands of Mary, may they shine brilliantly before You. Let me not overlook one cross today, but may I offer each one to You with joy. (Meditation by Fr. Leszek Czelusniak, MIC)

Being little

"Oh, how good the Lord is in not letting me go astray! I know that He will guard me, even jealously, but only as long as I remain little, because it is with such that the great Lord likes to commune. As to proud souls, He watches them from afar and opposes them" (St. Faustina, 1440).

Today, I am afraid of nothing. I am not afraid of my littleness. I am not afraid of my falls. For as many times as I fall today, I will turn to You-- not discouraged, but with a contrite heart. I will tell You everything. To convert means to turn around to You, to face You, to look tward You, to love You with all my energy, my mind, my soul, and my heart. Jesus, I beg You for the grace to be continually converted today, to begin yet again in seeking You, no matter how many times I have to turn back to You. (Meditation by Fr. Leszek Czelusniak, MIC)

Lent and St. Faustina

If you haven't read The Diary of St. Faustina, you're missing out. Don't be intimidated by its size; it's a fast read, and you'll reap countless insights from it. I was reading it in 2006 while pregnant with Francesca. After Mass at St. James one day, a slight, elderly nun approached me. She handed me a holy card with the Divine Mercy image on it and whispered sweetly, "Trust in Jesus!" Perhaps seeing me pregnant she felt I could use some encouragement (it had been a rough go with morning sickness, I won't lie). I was amazed to learn she's a relative of St. Faustina's, working to spread the Divine Mercy message in the northern Virginia area! Feeling strongly this was no random coincidence, we decided on "Faustina" as Francesca's middle name.

This little Lenten reader Hilary gave me a couple years ago gives a snippet from the Diary for each day of Lent. I'll try to post one or two a day that I find particularly thought-provoking and prayer-inspiring. They speak to the suffering soul (i.e. every one of us). Here's a few for today:

Christ to St. Faustina:

The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness. You always console Me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to Me is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered (1397).

I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate on My Passion (186).

You are my great joy; your love and your humility make Me leave the heavenly throne and unite Myself with you. Love fills up the abyss that exists between My greatness and your nothingness (512).

She has a pleasant face, doesn't she? It kindof reminds me of JPII's... must be a Polish thing, or maybe a saint thing.