Journeying With The Saints

Today's readings are from Notebook 3, numbers 1100-1105.

So, another hundred numbers down!

We will talk about sacrifice and suffering which is a common theme in Sister Faustina's Diary. It's a topic that has to be talked about when speaking about love. You cannot have true, authentic love without sacrifice and suffering. Too often we think that real love will be devoid of these things but it's exactly the opposite.

Today's readings are from Notebook 3, numbers 1094-1099.

I was on the internet the other day and what struck me was how many people were talking about how fearful, sad, depressed, and sorrowful they were. They seemed to be a lot of interior unrest. Sister Faustina talks today about the interior life and how external things can affect it. There are a lot of things that we think interiorly that affects our health. We will talk about those things today.

This week we are reading the 33rd number from "Way to Inner Peace." Bishop Sheen says people don't really have an inferiority complex. "An inferiority complex would be more properly called a superiority complex." Bishop Sheen is going to talk about how there "is a right and a wrong kind of superiority." Sainthood and moral perfection is the right superiority to strive for whereas seeking one's own will all the time is the wrong way.

Three key points: Superiority complex, niceness, saints

Today's readings are from Notebook 3, numbers 1089-1093.

Where is all the courage? Do you ever ask yourself that? It does seem like we live in a time where courage is just not practiced at all. We desperately need courageous people to speak the truth and do courageous acts. Sister Faustina today talks about courage and how if God has graced you with courage, He wants you to do something with it.

Today's readings are from Notebook 3, numbers 1085-1088.

Why are vices so much easier to fall into than virtues? We really have to practice living out virtues, but vices seem like our default setting. Sister Faustina tells us that she falling into a vice--ten times in the day. She is struggling to live out the virtue that she wants to practice. Christ tells her why she is struggling. Today, we will talk about the seven deadly sins.

Today's readings are from Notebook 3, numbers 1079-1084.

Have you ever pondered on the fact that most of our saints come from very quiet and humble backgrounds? Not all--there are some kings, queens, and popes. Sister Faustina was just a simple nun living in Poland. She basically had an obscure life yet God was able to do amazing things through her. This is all because she opened her heart and mind to God and surrendered her life to Him. God can do the same through us.

Today's readings are from Notebook 3, numbers 1074-1078.

Most of our readings are of Christ speaking to Sister Faustina. I wish I had just a little bit of her mysticism. How incredible to have Christ speak so frequently with her. I can only imagine what a blessing it must have been to be that closely united. What we are going to do is walk through Christ's words and pull out the things that stick out to me.

Today's readings are from Notebook 3, numbers 1069-1073.

So, do you have a sin or two that you still struggle with even if its been confessed? Do you struggle to fully believe in Christ's mercy? Sometimes this sneaks up on me. There are some sins that I've committed that haunt me from time-to-time. It's a trick of the devil, I know. But, if you realize anything from this diary, let it be that Christ wants to shower you with mercy no matter what sin you've committed, no matter how unworthy you feel, no matter if you are afraid to approach Him.

Today's readings are from Notebook 3, numbers 1062-1068.

Sister Faustina is allowed to go back to her Congregation in our readings today. She has handled her sickness and suffering very well. She has not wasted her time with grumbling or complaining. She has used her suffering for the good of others. This is wildly different than how most of us--myself included--handle sickness. She is a good model for how we should approach sickness and suffering. We can choose to use it for good.

This week we are reading the 32nd number from "Way to Inner Peace." Bishop Sheen says that we "carry our faults in sacks behind our backs and the faults of of our neighbors in open baskets in front of us." You're going to hear an incredible story from Bishop Sheen during this episode. It demonstrates how within every soul there is a capacity for goodness. Too often, though, we only acknowledge the bad in people.

Three key points: Love, judgment, and mercy