Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 299: The Weariness of Human Wisdom

The words of truth, spoken from the Heart of our Lord, bring joy to our lives and rejuvenate our spirits.  When you hear these words of truth, take them in and act on them, you are set free from the burden of error and may experience a certain lightness of spirit and refreshment.  However, the opposite is true also.  When you listen to an error, take it in and believe it, the fruit of this error is one of sadness and burden.  The truth sets you free and an error weighs you down.  This is good to be attentive to when you offer advice to another.  If your words appear to lift them up and strengthen them, then you have an indication that you are speaking from the Heart of Christ.  The same is true when you take the counsel of another.  If their words immediately connect with you, filling you with a sense of inspiration and clarity, then listen and receive this word because they are most likely speaking the words our Lord has inspired them to speak to you (See Diary #1461).

Reflect today upon the conversations you have had this past week.  How did you feel afterwards?  Did you feel inspired and renewed?  Or did you feel dry and down.  And how have your words affected others over this past week?  Did you notice a healthy difference in them and a lightening of their spirits?  Do a practical and concrete examination of your conversations and recommit yourself to listening to and speaking that which comes from the merciful Heart of Jesus. 

Lord, I desire to be an instrument of Your Mercy in every way.  I pray, today, that I may especially do so through the words I offer to others.  May my words be Your Word, dear Lord.  And may I seek refreshment from Your Heart as I open myself to Your Word spoken through others.  I love You, dear Lord, help me to love You more and to be an instrument of that love to all with whom I converse.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: The Preaching of St Paul at Ephesus, by Eustache Le Sueur

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Reflection 298: The Virus of Senseless Murmuring

One unfortunate tendency within our fallen human nature is to “murmur” about another.  It’s like a virus in that once someone starts, it passes to others quickly.  Before you know it, many can be spreading rumors and gossip not based in truth, or truths not spoken in charity.  This can be very painful to the person who the murmuring is about.  We see this commonly among teens, but it is not exclusively a teenage phenomena.  The two questions to ponder in this regard are: 1) Do I murmur about others?  2) How do I react when others murmur about me?  First of all, the virus of murmuring will only be cured if people of integrity cease to speak unnecessary words or calumny or detraction.  We have no right to spread errors about another, and we have no right to spread truths that do not need to be shared.  Second, if you find yourself to be the object of the murmuring of others, it’s understandable that this will hurt.  Allow yourself to feel the hurt, unite it to the Heart of our Lord, and then move on without returning the mistreatment.  A peaceful resolve to pay no attention to these actions helps to dispel their effects and it keeps us from being drawn into the foolishness (See Diary 1453).

Ponder today both of these experiences.  If you are the cause of senseless murmuring then see the seriousness of this sin.  It is a sin and a serious violation of charity as a result of the hurt it can cause.  Confess it and resolve to silence your tongue.  If you are the object of such murmuring, know that Jesus was first.  Turn to Him and allow Him to console you, and try to rejoice that you have been treated like our Lord.

Lord, please guard my tongue and help me to speak only the words You wish me to speak and to only listen to those words inspired by You.  If I am the object of hurt from another, give me the grace to receive healing and strength and to rejoice that I am treated like You.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Conspiracy of the Jews, by James Tissot

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Reflection 297: Lessons from Nature

All of creation is capable of reflecting the glory and workings of God.  God is the wisdom behind the Universe, setting all its laws in order and guiding all things perfectly.  We only need to spend time meditating upon the laws of nature to perceive the laws of grace which they reflect.  For example, take the morning dew.  It arrives silently and without notice of its coming.  It sinks in and soaks the earth leaving all things covered by its presence.  So it is with the countless graces of God’s Mercy.  It’s as if every grace God gives us is like one drop of the morning dew.  He bestows it in abundance, and we often do not see it coming.  It is given to soak in and to nourish our souls.  Let the message of the morning dew speak to you this day and allow it to reveal the outpouring of the Mercy of God (See Diary #1449).

Do you ever spend time reflecting upon creation?  There are so many lessons to learn about God through that which He created.  Ponder the morning dew this day.  Spend time on it and seek the countless messages that God can reveal through it.  Consider, also, the many other messages that reveal the wisdom and Mercy of God within creation.  We can grow in our faith and knowledge of God by pondering the birds, the grass, the fish, or any other creature God made.  Reflect upon creation this day and you will find that you are reflecting upon the Mercy of God.

Lord, I thank You for the gift of creation and the countless ways that You speak through that which You created.  May my life be like the soil that soaks in the morning dew each day, being covered with Your grace.  I love You, dear Lord.  Help me to be more open to Your love each new day, and to see Your hand at work in all things You have Made.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image via Needpix.com  

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Reflection 296: A Parent’s Love

Imagine the parent who loves a child with burning love.  They are committed in every way to the care and well-being of their child.  Their love is steady and irrevocable from the time of birth on into adulthood.  Now imagine the pain in this parent’s heart if at some point their child walks out on them and fully rejects their love.  This loving parent will not give up but will think about their child day and night, aching inside with love, hoping to be able to receive their child back.  This is but a faint image of the love of the Heart of Jesus.  As a “faint image,” we must realize that when we reject the love of our Lord, the wound of love in His Heart produces the deepest suffering.  But this is a suffering of love.  And instead of this wound of love causing Him to reject us, it does the opposite.  The more we turn from God, the deeper His wound of love, and the deeper His wound of love, the more He pours out His Mercy upon us.  Never doubt for a single moment the irrevocable love God has for you.  Believing in this love will give you courage to always return to our Lord (See Diary #1447).

Reflect upon the love that your parent has for you.  No, it may not be perfect, and some may have experienced great hurt from a parent, but try to imagine what it would be like to have a parent who loves you with an unconditional love.  The knowledge of this love would become a constant invitation to let them into your life.  Reflect also on this being a faint image of the love of God for you.  Do not doubt this love.  Turn to it and trust in this irrevocable love of our merciful Lord.

Lord, help me to understand Your irrevocable love.  And as I understand this love, give me courage to never turn from You, but when I do, give me courage to always return to You.  Your love is perfect and constant.  It never fails and never gives up.  Thank You, dear Lord, for loving me to this perfect degree.  Help me to love You in return.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: San Polo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Reflection 295: The Embrace of the Infant Jesus

It is most appropriate to prayerfully reflect upon being held in the holy arms of our God.  Understanding the Merciful love of the Father in Heaven through the holy embrace of love reveals to us His fatherly care.  Running to the arms of Jesus opens our hearts to His merciful love.  But one image that will also be helpful and holy to reflect upon is that of the infant Jesus.  Imagine if you were privileged to be present when Jesus was an infant.  And imagine if this infant looked at you, reached out His arms and sought to be held by you.  And imagine if this infant held you tightly as He rested on your heart.  This holy exchange of love will most certainly be understood by parents as they hold their children.  Contemplate the profound love and infinite Mercy of God coming to you through this warm and unconditional embrace of a little child.  Jesus is reaching out to you, embrace Him and hold Him tightly (See Diary #1442).

Ponder today this beautiful and holy image.  But do so by imagining that this infant burns with a holy and pure love for you and longs to be held close to your heart.  Resting in your arms you feel the love of this sweet embrace.  This is an image of the Love of God and a holy image.  Allow your own experiences of holding a child to teach you about the Mercy of God.  And express your own love for God through this holy image of a child’s embrace.

My dear Lord, so small and innocent, may I hold You in my heart with an embrace of pure love.  May I feel Your Heart beat with mine and Your love poured forth in this sweet embrace.  I thank You, Lord, for coming into our world as an infant.  May I always treasure this image and be drawn more deeply into love of You every time I hold one of Your precious children.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: The Madonna and Child, by Bernardino da Asola

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Reflection 294: Never Tire of Contemplating the Trinity

Do you understand what you will be doing for all eternity?  Heaven, if we are blessed to obtain it, will be an existence of eternal contemplation of the Most Holy Trinity.  Though there is no time in Heaven, imagine if there were.  And then imagine contemplating the Trinity for a million years in a row.  Would you eventually become tired of this life and find boredom in it?  Never in a million years and beyond!  It’s essential that you regularly remind yourself of the life you will live in Heaven in this perpetual contemplation of God.  Though there is no way you can understand what this life will be like, you must try to comprehend it nonetheless.  At very least, understanding that you can never understand and comprehending that you will never comprehend is at least a good start.  The Trinity is a mystery that we will never solve; rather, it’s a mystery that we must enter into.  Begin your eternal contemplation of the Trinity today and allow this contemplation to draw you into the infinite Mercy of God (See Diary #1439).

Ponder today this great mystery.  It may seem beyond you, and it most certainly is.  But try anyway to spend some time trying to comprehend the unfathomable mystery of God.  In truth, this is not something you can do on your own.  Only God can draw you into this holy contemplation, but you must accept His invitation.  Say “Yes” today and allow the merciful hand of our Lord to begin drawing you into the immense depths of His love.

Oh Most Holy Trinity, I adore You with profound adoration and love.  Please take hold of my soul and draw me into the mystery of Your very life.  Reveal to me the secrets of Your inner heart and help me to begin my journey into eternity with You today.  I love You, my God.  Help me to love You with all my heart.  Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I trust in You.

Image: Adoration of the Holy Trinity, by Johann Heinrich Schönfeld  

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Reflection 293: Reduced to Nothingness

Do you see value in being reduced to nothingness in your own eyes?  Perhaps not.  The reason this language is difficult to accept is that humility is only fully understood by a special gift of God’s grace.  Some ancient philosophers even hold up pride as a great virtue, discounting humility as weakness.  Sadly, there are few souls that obtain the actual virtue of humility.  Some may obtain a certain semblance of this virtue, but few actually become humble to a great degree.  Again, humility can only be understood and embraced by a special grace of God.  Naturally speaking, we are drawn to those things we deem to be beneficial to us.  Therefore, the first step in growing in humility is to see it for what it is and to discover its true value.  When we understand humility, we will desire it.  And when we desire it, we will be drawn to it.  And when drawn to it, we will more easily embrace it (See Diary #1436). Do you understand humility? 

Do you understand the value of being reduced to nothingness in your own eyes?  If not, ponder this idea for some time.  Don’t give up on it thinking it is out of date, weak or misguided.  You must become reduced to nothingness in your eyes if you are to discover grace in the Heart of Christ.  Only by the discovery of your nothingness will you understand that God is everything and provides everything you need.  You will find, in this discovery, that you begin to choose God over yourself and, thus, you become transformed into God’s grace rather than living by your own strength.  God must possess you completely, live within you and live through you.  In this way, your humble soul becomes Christ to the world.

Lord, make me humble.  Help me to see my nothingness and to see Your greatness.  I choose You, dear Lord, over myself and invite You to possess me completely, transforming me into Your grace.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: St Paul, by Matthias Grünewald

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Reflection 292: The Value of Special Vocations

Some people are called to a unique life of prayer and solitude within the context of religious life.  In particular, there are those called to the eremitical life or the cloister.  These holy souls are separated from the world and spend their days in quiet prayer and work.  But what value does this life have to the world?  This is an important question to understand.  From a worldly point of view, they add little to society.  They may be looked upon with curiosity and intrigue, offering inspiration and admiration, but little more is rarely understood of their life.  Never underestimate the incredible value of these holy vocations.  Their life of hidden prayer and sacrifice brings delight to the Heart of our Lord and is a constant source of His Mercy in the world.  In fact, without these holy souls, the world would be in grave danger.  Through their lives of prayer and sacrifice the Lord withholds much of His judgment and issues Mercy in its place (See Diary #1434).

What is your understanding of the value of the hidden vocation of religious?  Seek to understand the great value of their vocation.  Look to them for a deepening understanding of the spiritual life and trust that their prayers are a source of much Mercy in your life.  Additionally, reflect upon the fact that you are called to imitate their lives of prayer to one extent or another.  Though you may not be called to the cloister or to live as a hermit, you are called to a deep interior life of prayer.  Allow these holy souls to teach you by their writings, their witness and their unique vocation.  They are an abundant source of Mercy in our world; seek God’s Mercy through them.

Lord, I thank you for the gift of those holy souls called to lives of solitude and prayer.  Please sanctify them in their vocation and help them to win many souls for Your Kingdom.  I pray that their witness and vocation will inspire many in an interior life of prayer.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Saint Anthony Shunning the Mass of Gold, by Fra Angelico

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Reflection 291: The Value of Silent and Hidden Suffering

When something burdens us we often seek consolation from others regarding our suffering by speaking about them openly.  Though it may be beneficial to share our burdens with another to an extent, there is also great value in embracing them silently in a hidden way.  It may always be wise to share your burdens with a certain person such as a spouse, confidant, spiritual director or confessor, but be aware of the value of hidden sufferings.  The danger of speaking of your suffering openly to everyone is that it tempts you toward self-pity, lessening the opportunity to offer your sacrifice to God.  Keeping your sufferings hidden enables you to offer them to God in a more pure fashion.  Offering them in silence will win much Mercy from the Heart of Christ.  He alone sees all you endure and will be your greatest confidant through it all (See Diary #1430).

Reflect upon those burdens you carry that you can reasonably keep silent about and offer to God.  If you are overwhelmed, do not hesitate to speak to another for their assistance.  But if it is something that you can silently suffer with, try to make it a holy offering to our Lord.  Suffering and sacrifice do not always make sense to us immediately.  But if you seek to understand the value of your silent sacrifices, you will most likely obtain insight into the blessings they can become.  Silent sufferings, offered to God, become a source of Mercy for your good and for the good of others.  They make you more like Christ in that the greatest suffering He endured was known only by the Father in Heaven.

Lord, there are many things in my life that are difficult at times.  Some seem small and trivial and others can be quite heavy.  Help me to always sort through the burdens of life and to rely upon the help and consolation of others when needed.  Help me to also discern when I can offer these sufferings to You as a silent source of Your Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Christ Making Entreaty, by Lawrence OP, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

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Reflection 290: Bodily Sufferings Redeemed

Many people enjoy excellent health while others do not.  Some experience great physical discomfort in life due to infirmity or old age.  Though many look for ways to alleviate this physical discomfort, it must be said that these pains offer an opportunity for grace.  First, much grace is won in the life of the person suffering when that suffering is freely embraced.  Grace can also be won for the lives of others when physical suffering is offered as a prayer for their good.  The way this grace is won is not so much by the suffering itself; rather, it is won through the free choice to embrace that suffering as a sacrifice.  This denial of one’s own will becomes an open door to the storehouse of Mercy in Heaven.  God smiles upon these physical sacrifices and especially upon the free choice of their embrace.  Do not hesitate to allow your physical pains and discomfort to be turned into the Mercy of God for you and for others (See Diary #1428).

Do you have physical pain or discomfort in your life?  If so, it is normal to look for ways to alleviate it.  But reflect upon this deep spiritual truth that your suffering can be transformed into grace.  If you doubt this, just look at the Cross.  The physical pain our Lord endured may not have matched His interior suffering, but it was part of His perfect Will to offer His physical pain to the Father for the redemption of the world.  Do not doubt the value of your free embrace of every pain and discomfort.  Give it to God and you will be blessed as others are blessed through this offering.

Lord, I do offer to You, this day, all the pain and discomfort I feel now and will feel in the future.  Help me to embrace this suffering with a free embrace.  I choose it, dear Lord, and make it my offering to You so that You can transform it into Your Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: St. Thérèse of Lisieux on Her Deathbed, by Anonymous

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