Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 259: The Beauty of the Humble Soul

What is it that makes someone beautiful?  More than anything else it is the virtue of humility.  Humility is exceptionally attractive.  Though some may not be that impressed with the humble soul at first, over time, humility will draw even the most arrogant and self-centered person to itself.  It’s hard to ignore the deep attractiveness of a humble soul because God is intimately present in that person.  In fact, it could almost be said that God would do anything that a humble soul asks.  It’s as if humility imposes an obligation upon God to bestow extraordinary graces through their lowly heart.  Humility is a complete self-emptying of oneself before God and others.  The result is that the person “disappears” and all that is left is God.  God shines through the humble more radiantly than the person filled with the greatest talents.  Humble yourself before God.  The lower you go, the more God shines through and the more His Mercy is bestowed (See Diary #1306).

Do you seek to be humble?  Or do you tend to exert yourself and make yourself the center of attention?  The irony is that, as the Scripture says, “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted” (Lk. 14:11).  So many of the great saints are perfect examples of this in that their focus was love of God and love of others, but in the end these great saints were often lifted high for others to see.  Seek to be one of those great saints by humbling yourself this day.  Ponder humility and convince yourself of its value.  Through it the beauty and Mercy of God will shine forth.

Lord, I know I am full of pride at times and that pride keeps me from admitting this fact.  Please humble me and help me to lower myself before Your infinite majesty.  Give me the grace to seek you above all things and to give You all the glory and honor.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: The Pharisee and the Publican, by Gustave Doré

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Reflection 258: The Closeness of God

Where is God?  It’s easy to think of God being in Heaven or some far off place, looking down upon us and guiding all of creation in accord with His holy Will.  This is true, but it’s not the full picture.  God is perfectly “transcendent” in that He is way beyond us and beyond the created world.  But He is also perfectly “immanent” in that He lives within us.  When you pray, seek Him especially within your own soul.  Remember that when you receive Holy Communion, God makes your soul a tabernacle.  He enters in and remains within unless He is excluded on account of sin.  Seek His divine presence within your soul and you will discover the intimacy of His abundant Mercy (See Diary #1302).

Reflect upon the image of a tabernacle.  Within that sacred dwelling the full glory of God exists in veiled form.  But He is there, alive, radiant and glorious.  Now see your soul as this tabernacle.  See Him coming to you to make His dwelling within you.  God desires to fully live within you, making your heart the place of His gentle repose.  Spend time today seeking our Lord within.  Talk to Him, listen to Him, and commune with Him.  Let your heart become alive and radiant with His holy presence.  For within your heart is the presence of God.

Lord, I thank You for coming to me and making my heart Your dwelling place.  I thank You for Your perfect love and care and I pray that I may discover Your divine presence in my life more fully each and every day.  I am Yours, dear Lord, make my soul radiant with Your eternal glory.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Reflection 257: The Long Term Plan of God

When you seek to serve our Lord with your whole heart, you may find that He speaks to you about His daily Will.  It may not be completely clear, but you may have a sense that He wants this or that from you.  God does not typically present you with the entire plan He has for your life all at once.  Rather, He offers bits and pieces as needed.  Believing what He calls you to do each day requires faith and trust in His gentle voice.  The truth is that God does have a perfect plan for your life if you will only listen and respond one step at a time.  In the end, from Heaven, this will all make sense and you will see the incredible wisdom of our Lord.  However, for now the big and full picture may not be as clear.  This is God’s way of drawing you into a relationship of daily dependence and daily surrender.  The key is to be faithful each and every day to what you sense our Lord saying.  If you do this, little by little, His glorious Will unfolds in your life, and through you His Mercy is bestowed upon the world (See Diary #1300).

What do you sense our Lord calling you to do this day?  Whatever it is it may not make perfect sense right now.  Trust His gentle Voice and inspirations today and follow His promptings.  Do what you hear Him command you.  If your sense of His Will seems unusual, speak to another about it so as to make sure it is from Him.  But in the end, if you seek to fulfill His daily Will you will discover that the road He takes you down is glorious and achieves His glorious purpose for your life.

Lord, I desire to serve You with all my heart.  Give me the grace of an open mind and heart so that I may discern Your gentle Voice calling me into Your perfect Will.  My life is Yours, dear Lord, do with me what You will.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Saint James the Greater, by Rembrandt

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Reflection 256: Doing Your Best

Saint Mother Teresa is often quoted as saying that God asks us to be faithful, not successful.  In other words, we are called to offer our best to the Lord, striving to be faithful to His holy Will, and then leave the rest to Him.  At times it may appear that our “best” does not produce the desired good fruit that we desire.  Perhaps an attempt you make at reconciling with another failed.  Or perhaps you put your heart and soul into some apostolic work and it never appeared to take off in the way you had hoped.  There is great freedom in the realization that all we are called to do is be faithful, not successful.  “Success” is measured by God, not by human standards.  We are truly “successful” only when we are faithful to the Will of God and diligent in committing ourselves to His divine work.  If we are faithful in this way, nothing else matters.  Do your best and leave the rest to God (See Diary #1295).

Reflect upon your level of commitment to the Will of God.  Committing yourself to God’s holy Will is not the same as committing yourself to perfect success in all you do.  Even if everything you do appears to end in failure, you please God when you are faithful to Him without worrying about the results.  God sees your heart and wants your good works to be offered to Him and done in accordance with His Will.  Nothing else in life matters.  Seek fidelity above success and you will delight the merciful Heart of our Lord.

Lord, I give myself to You for Your service and glory.  I commit myself to all that You call me to do and pray that I may serve Your Will in fidelity and diligence.  Use me, dear Lord, as You will and help me to leave the rest to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Mother Teresa, by Evert Odekerken, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

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Reflection 255: The “Blessing” of Sin

This may seem like an unusual title.  How can sin be a “blessing?”  True, strictly speaking sin is an offense against God and has the effect of separating us from God.  Thus, sin is not a blessing in the strict sense.  But God is All-Powerful and can use everything for His glory, even our sin.  Sin could be spoken of as a blessing only in the sense that when we see our sins, acknowledge them, humble ourselves before God and beg for His Mercy, He bestows it in superabundance.  In the end, the effects of the humility of repentance do far greater good than the damage done through sin.  God can repair the damage immediately, and when He does so, He offers a Mercy that not only heals but also elevates us closer to His Heart.  Allow your sin to be turned into a blessing by the power of God and you will be amazed at His endless Mercy (See Diary #1293).

Reflect upon the attitude you have in regard to your sin.  Too often you may deny your sin, justify it or turn a blind eye to it.  This is a profound mistake for two reasons.  First, doing this keeps you from repenting.  Second, a failure to humbly repent leaves you without the abundant Mercy of God.  Foster within your heart a burning desire to see every sin you commit.  Seek to become aware of every sin, even the smallest imperfections.  Attentiveness even to your spiritual imperfections will enable you to humble yourself before God in such a way that your honesty and thoroughness will bring countless blessings to your life.  Lord Jesus, Son of God, have Mercy on me a sinner. 

Lord, I do see my sin but I also realize that I do not see it clearly enough.  Please give me the grace to see my every sin, even the slightest imperfection, and then give me the grace to humbly repent with a sincere and contrite heart.  I trust in Your abundance of Mercy, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: Mary Magdalene, by Orazio Gentileschi

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Reflection 254: Divinization

Our calling in life can be described as a call to divinization.  What does this mean?  It means that God came to Earth and took on our human nature so as to draw us into His very life.  We are, in a sense, called to become God.  This idea of “divinization” was common among the early Church fathers such as Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Athanasius, Clement of Alexandria and St. Augustine.  It’s not that we are to become God in the sense that our nature becomes divine, this would be a heresy.  Rather, we are called to become God in the sense that we are to share in His divine life, becoming one with Him in perfect unity.  It would be as if God were an Ocean and we were a drop of water plunged into that Ocean.  Though the specific particles of the drop of water representing us remain that one drop, it is absorbed by the waters of the Ocean representing God.  Our union with Him must become so complete that God lives in us as we live in God (See Diary #1289).

Reflect upon your calling to become divinized.  This concept goes to the heart of our Christian vocation in that it expresses the powerful unity we are called to have with our merciful God.  He wants you to share in His life and to become one with Him in every way.  Though this may be hard to comprehend, you must accept it as your calling in faith.  Reflect upon this concept today and tell our Lord that you give yourself to Him so as to become one with Him and to share in His very life.

Lord, please come to me and divinize me in accord with Your perfect Will and abundant Mercy.  I thank You for calling me to such a glorious and high calling in life and I accept this invitation from You.  My life is Yours, dear Lord, transform me, consume me and do with me as You will.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image via Pixabay

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Reflection 253: The Response of Total Gratitude

What should our response be to God?  Oftentimes we become self-consumed in our relationship with God.  We focus in on our troubles and needs.  These must be given over to God and let go of.  When we do this we will discover that we begin to see the glory and goodness of God at work in our lives and we will begin to be filled with the utmost gratitude toward God.  Gratitude must consume us and fill our minds and prayers.  We must allow gratitude to take over our passions and feelings and every part of our being.  This is what we will do for eternity.  Heaven will be one eternal act of thanksgiving to God for His goodness and Mercy.  When we can turn our eyes away from ourselves and focus in on God, this gift of gratitude will begin to direct our lives (See Diary #1285-1286).

Are you grateful?  You will be grateful only if you allow yourself to see the countless gifts that God lavishes upon you every day.  It’s easy to allow self-absorption to cloud our vision of these countless blessings from God.  But if you can turn your eyes toward Heaven and see the truth, you will be amazed at God’s infinite goodness.  Do not let yourself miss out on this glorious discovery of all that God does for you day and night.  Do not close your eyes to the abundance of His Mercy.  Reflect, today, upon whether or not you allow yourself to see His merciful love lavished upon you and upon others.  Fix your gaze upon this Mercy and allow this realization to foster within you a profoundly grateful heart.

My Lord, I thank You for all that You have done in my life and I thank You for all that You will continue to do in me.  Help me to become increasingly aware of Your merciful love and the countless blessings You bestow upon me and upon all Your children.  As I see Your handiwork all around, fill my heart with sincere gratitude.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: The First Thanksgiving at Plymouth, by Jennie A. Brownscombe

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Reflection 252: The Apostolate of Mercy and Acceptance

Some people are deeply troubled in life and cannot seem to sort out their difficulties.  They are “needy” in the sense that they are constantly seeking something to offer them consolation.  They may believe that riches or other forms of earthly consolations are what they want but what they do not realize is that the Lord is the answer to all their needs.  These wandering souls must become the focus of our mercy.  One way we offer the Mercy of God to them is through our gentle presence, offering an accepting heart and listening ear.  When those with heavy burdens in life discover that we care for them and wish to listen to them, they will often seize the opportunity to open up their hearts to us, revealing their wounds and troubles.  It is not so much our responsibility to do the healing or to solve their problems.  Our responsibility is most often to simply let them know we care and understand.  This act of love and acceptance is an act of extraordinary Mercy flowing from the Heart of Jesus through us (See Diary #1282).

When you encounter others who are troubled and heavily burdened in life, how do you treat them?  Do you treat them with judgment and disgust?  Or do you listen to them, seek to understand them, and offer an accepting and compassionate heart?  Reflect upon this question and think about those whom God has placed in your life who need to know God’s love and acceptance through you.  Do not neglect this act for you are called to be an apostle of the Mercy of God.

Lord, I offer myself to You as an apostle of Your merciful Heart.  Give me a true compassion and acceptance for those souls in most need of Your Divine Mercy.  Help me to listen to them, seek to understand them and be there for them as a representative of Your Sacred Heart.  I give myself to You, dear Lord.  Use me as You will.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: The Seven Works of Mercy, by Rijksmuseum

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Reflection 251: The Inner Dwelling of Your Heart

The Lord desires to come to you and make His dwelling within your heart.  But when He comes to you, what does He find?  What is the condition of your heart?  Some hearts are like a fragrant rose garden.  There is light, beauty, magnificence and radiance.  It’s a place of peaceful repose and a place made holy by the presence of our Lord.  Other hearts are like a dark prison cell, cold, isolated and dreary.  These are the souls who are trapped in a cycle of sin and have failed, over and over, to allow the Lord to enter in.  But He does choose to enter your heart, no matter the condition.  Be it a fragrant field of roses or the darkness and isolation of a prison, the Lord wants to enter (See Diary #1280).

Ponder the inner chamber of your heart.  What does this dwelling place look like?  Be honest and reveal this hidden place to our Lord.  If your heart is more like a dreary dungeon, cold, dark and isolated, then know that you, more than any other, are invited to receive the Mercy of God.  He desires to come to you and open the door to that prison in which you feel trapped and isolated.  He does not shy away from you in this darkness and will enter in.  But when He enters, He does so to break you free.  He desires to transform your soul into a place of sweet delight.  This takes work, surrender, honesty, humility and trust.  But God can do all things and can transform the most wretched soul into a garden of beauty and love.  His Mercy produces the soil, the Sun, the seed, the water and everything needed to recreate the inner chamber of your soul.  Ponder this fact and begin your transformation today.

Precious Lord, I give to You the inner chamber of my soul.  Come and rest within me, transforming my heart into Your holy dwelling place.  I give to You, dear Lord, all that I am and all that I have.  Recreate me and make me new.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: A Rose Garden, by Gustave Bienvêtu

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Reflection 250: Praying Face Down to the Ground

When you pray, how do you go to our Lord?  It’s certainly good to offer Him your entire day in loving devotion and to speak to Him throughout the day as to your closest friend.  But there are other times when our prayer must be intense and should be expressed with intensity.  One way to do this is to literally fall down prostrate before our Lord.  In the silence of your room or in an empty church, look for an opportunity to pray in such a way.  The “intensity” must be one of complete submission to our Lord.  It must be prolonged and self-emptying.  To pray in such a way is a beautiful act of love and is a way of worshipping God as He deserves.  Though we could never offer perfect worship of Him, our attempts at doing so as completely as possible pleases Him and enables Him to draw us close to His Heart which is filled with an abundance of Mercy (See Diary #1279).

Have you ever prayed in a position of prostration before our Lord?  If you have, keep doing it.  Look for an opportunity to do so every day.  If you have not, then this is a good time to start.  Do not worry about what you are to say and do not worry if it feels uncomfortable at first.  Just get down on your knees, bow down to the ground, and express your love for our Lord.  Stay there and try to make an act of total surrender.  The Lord will receive your act of worship and draw you closer to His Sacred Heart of Mercy.

Lord, I do fall down prostrate before You and offer You my entire life as a selfless gift for Your glory.  I give all to You, dear Lord, and I pray that I will hold nothing back.  You are my God and my all.  I love you and surrender my life to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.  

Image: Hieronymus Bosch, Saint Jerome in Prayer, by Frans Vandewalle, CC BY-NC 2.0

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