Podcasts about lifecopyright

Is God alive in your life?  Does He live within you?  Is He present to you in the inner depths of your heart day and night?  There is only one thing that would ever cause God to leave you and that is mortal sin.  Mortal sin is deadly sin.  It's a freely chosen act that is in grave violation of the Will of God and a grave violation of your human dignity.  When you obstinately persist in such a sin, God cannot be present.  He waits for repentance and looks for an opportunity to return, but remains absent as long as the mortal sin remains.  But with that said, this should give you hope because it reveals that as long as you avoid mortal sin, or repent of one you have committed, you can be certain of the presence of God in your life.  You may not always sense His closeness, but He is there, living within you.  Do not doubt this truth and have full confidence of this absolute and irrevocable pledge of our Lord (See Diary #1181).Reflect, today, upon the presence of God alive in your life.  And if you do not sense His presence, you only need to examine your conscience and discern whether you are in mortal sin.  Most likely you are not.  If you are, repent immediately and seek out the Sacrament of Confession.  But if you are not, then make an act of faith in the presence of God in your soul.  Thank Him for being there even if you do not sense Him.  And if you do not sense Him, be certain that He is there, hidden and silent for good reason.  God's closeness to you is greater than you will ever know.Lord, I thank You for being alive in my life and for living within the depths of my soul.  I thank You for being with me through all things and for never abandoning me.  In those moments when I do not sense Your presence, give me faith to know You are there.  And fill me with a confident trust in Your guiding Hand.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It's easy for us to come up with what we deem to be a great plan for our lives and for the glory of God.  We can think, and plan, and develop and organize things in a certain way only to find out that what we have come up with is not what is in the Mind of God.  The error some people find themselves in is that they have failed to sincerely listen to God speak and, therefore, have failed to allow Him to lay out His perfect plan for their lives and for their good work of giving Him glory.  The fact remains that if something is not the Will of God, it will not happen.  Our plans become thwarted by the Will of God.  And this is good.  The same is true if others attempt to inflict some idea upon us that is contrary to God's Will.  The Lord always protects us from this when we trust in Him.  It's true that, at times, He allows evils to befall us as part of His permissive Will, but this must be seen as a part of His plan for our holiness, permitting us to trust more deeply in His providential care (See Diary #1180).Reflect upon whether you sincerely seek God's Will before you develop your own plan or idea.  This takes patience and surrender.  It requires that we deny our own impulses and preferences and allow the Lord to speak and act.  Reflect, also, upon any plans you have had for your own life that have not come to fruition.  Know that this is either the result of a lack of trust on your part, or because your plan did not align with the Will of God.  Surrender any past “failure” you have experienced and renew your commitment to seek only the Will of God.Lord, I trust that in Your perfect wisdom, You will direct my life and lead me to give You perfect glory.  Help me to deny my own untamed impulses and preferences so that You and You alone will enter into my life and take charge.  I give all to You, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Our Lord had a Heart of perfect Mercy for others.  It's important to note that His Mercy is not only a general concept; rather, it is lived out in concrete action.  Specifically, there are many good fruits born of this Mercy such as concrete acts of compassion, kindness, understanding and consolation.  This is important to understand.  Mercy is not simply some general concept.  It's concrete and practical.  It is seen, lived and experienced in daily life.  Those who were near Jesus while He lived on Earth would have experienced, first hand, His compassion, kindness, understanding and consolation.  Jesus wants to continue offering these to others through you.  Commit yourself to these concrete acts so that the Mercy of God will continue to take on flesh in our world (See Diary #1175).When you look at your own life, and examine all your actions, what do you see?  Do you see concrete acts of the Mercy of God shining through?  Reflect, today, upon the particulars and specific acts you see or do not see.  Know that God's Mercy shines through you in the smallest of ways.  Look for those ways and seek their increase in your life.  Do not wait.Lord, please make me an instrument of Your Mercy in daily acts of kindness, compassion, consolation and understanding.  May these good fruits of Your Mercy be alive in my life in small and great ways.  I give myself to You for Your Mercy, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

One powerful channel of the Mercy of God is friendship with another.  But friendship can be lived on various levels.  Sometimes this bond is based on superficial and unimportant things, and at other times it's deeply grounded in our Lord.  A sign of a deep spiritual friendship is mutual prayer.  If you have been blessed with a faith-filled friend, seal and deepen that friendship through a commitment to mutual prayer.  Share your life and your needs with each other and commit to praying for those needs.  Through the act of mutual prayer you will discover that the Mercy of God is poured forth in each of your lives, and that your mutual bond will be deepened in the Lord.   This is a blessing of the Mercy of God as well as a source of its continued outpouring (See Diary #1171).Reflect upon the friendships you have.  What is the basis of each friendship?  Perhaps each one will be varied.  Some will be casual acquaintances, based on a shared interest.  Others will be based on some deeper unifying bond.  Spend time today especially reflecting upon those friendships that are based on your shared love of God.  If you are blessed with one of these friendships, seek to deepen it through shared prayer.  Reflect upon that which your friend is in need of the most and commit yourself to praying for this intention.  And share your need with your friend.  This mutual exchange of prayer will be a powerful source of the Mercy of God.Lord, I especially thank You this day for my friendships.  I offer my friends to You and ask for an abundance of grace to be poured out upon them.  Lord, I especially offer this particular need in my friend's life (identify a need).  I thank You for Your unwavering love for each of us, dear Lord, and for Your own perfect gift of friendship in our lives.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

One common human tendency is to talk excessively and to explain ourselves to others, especially to justify our actions in their minds.  This is especially the case when we sense that others misunderstand us.  But Jesus experienced this to the greatest degree as He stood before Herod and Pilate.  In these cases, He remained silent.  This is a lesson for us in that there are many times when our Lord calls us to remain silent in the face of misunderstanding.  Sure, there are other times when He calls us to speak freely and openly to another about our soul and our inner thoughts, but we must strive to discern His Will in each situation and know that silence, in certain situations, is what He calls us to.  Remaining silent, at times, will produce more good fruit than an excess of words.  Seek to imitate the silence of our Lord in those moments, trusting that He sees your soul and is pleased with you as you endure false perceptions and misunderstandings (See Diary #1164).Are there times when you sense that others do not understand you?  This can be difficult and even painful.  Notice that in these moments you may tend to look for ways to explain yourself to others and defend your honor.  But silence in those moments may actually be what our Lord is calling you to embrace.  Reflect upon Jesus, standing before Herod and Pilate, and ponder His silence in the face of judgment.  Know that you will also be called to endure moments like this and, in accord with God's mysterious Will, this act of silence will win more grace for the salvation of souls than all the words you could speak.Lord, give me wisdom so that I know when to speak and when to remain silent.  I desire to imitate Your perfect silence and to endure the misunderstandings that You endured.  In these moments, give me grace to imitate Your humility as I imitate You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Nothing in life has to be dreadful.  Even the greatest struggle and suffering we endure can easily be transformed by God to become a source of His Mercy and our sanctification.  But there is one thing that would be truly dreadful if it were to come upon us.  And that one thing is the Day of Judgment if we were to remain closed to the Mercy of God through our obstinance and refusal to humbly repent and change our lives.  This is a frightening reality to behold.  When we stand before the Judgment Seat of God we will never be able to justify our stubborn adherence to sin.  No amount of rationalization or self-justification will appease the Justice of God.  Do not allow yourself to come to this point.  Repent now.  Honestly repent and confess your sin.  Do not hold onto your self-righteousness.  This will be easy to accomplish if you clearly understand the infinite Mercy of God offered you now and until the day of your judgment.  After that, it will be too late.  Do not wait (See Diary #1160).What do you need to repent of?  Seriously, what is it?  Do not cling to your own self-righteousness acting as if you have no sin.  You may fool others, you may even fool yourself, but you will never fool God.  His love for you is greater than you'll ever fathom and knowing this should ease your worries about admitting your sin.  Do it and watch the floodgates of Mercy open before you.Lord, I am sorry and I do repent of my sin.  I am so sorry, especially for the ways that I have failed to honestly admit my wrongs.  Give me the grace, this day, to see my soul as You see it and to admit to the ways that I have turned from You, clinging to my own sin and especially my pride.  Have Mercy on me, dear Lord.  I give myself and all my sin to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

There are days when you most likely feel overwhelmed on account of one thing or another.  It may be that you find yourself with much responsibility and are anxious about being able to properly fulfill your duties well.  Or you may feel overwhelmed for the opposite reason, finding that life seems to be at a standstill and you are not sure what to do next.  In these moments, of feeling overwhelmed, we must make an act of trust in God.  The truth is that God could enter any situation in an instant and transform it, enabling us to face what is before us with the ease of a child.  But He doesn't always do that.  Sometimes He allows us to wait on Him so that the situation we face will help to purify us and urge us toward greater surrender and love.  Know that God loves you and could do anything to immediately lighten your struggle.  Knowing that will help you also realize that, at times, He remains at an apparent distance as an act of hidden Mercy.  It's a Mercy because His wisdom is perfect and He will always act in a way that is most fruitful for your soul (See Diary #1153).Look at your life this day and identify that which has the appearance of being your greatest struggle.  How does that make you feel?  If you do feel overwhelmed then pause and try to see the wisdom of God.  He will never abandon you and may actually be offering you a hidden gift of Mercy through which He is calling you to greater holiness than if He immediately made your burdens light and easy.Lord, help me to trust in You especially when I feel overwhelmed by the hardships of life.  May I never doubt Your perfect love and perfect wisdom in all things.  Give me the grace to see beyond that which burdens me so as to discover the hidden Mercy You offer me to purify and strengthen my soul.  I thank You for all things, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Sometimes, those who are quite “religious” speak of many “religious” things.  They speak pious language and talk about holy things.  But in the end, it may be that all they say and do is actually said and done as a way of glorifying themselves in the sight of others.  This is the struggle of the Pharisees.  Sadly, those who struggle with this, just like the Pharisees, may even be fooling themselves into thinking they are exceptionally close to God.  But their pride has blinded them.  The goal of our lives must be to humbly point to God and offer all glory to Him, not to ourselves.  This can be very hard, but when done well, as an act of the utmost humility and truth, we realize that God actually does draw us into His glory and allows us to share in the honor that we owe to Him.  Only in this way do we come to realize our true dignity as His sons and daughters.  And in humbly pointing to God in all things, we are also lifted on high by God Himself (See Diary #1149).Are you able to give all glory to God rather than trying to lift yourself up for others to see?  Reflect upon this in all honesty and humility.  The problem is that if you lift yourself on high, you will not be able to lift yourself very high and will actually find yourself in a more humiliated state than you could have imagined.  Lift the Lord on high and point to Him as the source of all goodness and leave the elevation of your own life up to Him.  He will raise you higher than you could ever do yourself.Lord, I pray for the gift of humility.  I pray that in my humility I will see the truth and proclaim only that truth.  I especially pray that I will be able to see the truth that all good things come from You and are accomplished by You.  All glory be to You my Lord!  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Some people feel deeply tormented in the depths of their souls.  Sometimes this is caused by sin, sometimes it is caused by a special Mercy of God which enables the soul to experience the sufferings Jesus went through.  Whatever the case may be, if you encounter any torment, whatsoever, in the depths of your soul, know that you have a special right to the Mercy of God.  Why do you have this “right” to Mercy?  Not because you deserve it; rather, because God wishes to bestow it.  The greater your suffering the greater your right to the Mercy of God.  For that reason, do not be afraid to run to God in your misery and pain.  Do not be afraid of any form of rejection from God.  The soul that suffers is dearer to Him than any other (See Diary #1146).The term “tormented soul” is powerful language.  But it's also very honest language, describing the experience of many people.  So many people feel this deep interior torment, especially on account of their sins.  They feel dry, alone and trapped in this cycle of pain.  If this is you in any way, reflect upon the truth that God offers you a right to His Mercy more than any other.  He chooses you as His special object of compassion and lavishes upon you more than you could ever ask for.  Let yourself grow in confidence as you seek the Mercy of God and allow it to penetrate every torment you feel, no matter the cause, even if it comes from your sin.Lord of utmost compassion, please help me to know, with certainty, that You love me and will never reject me.  I believe in Your Mercy and I trust that You desire to dispense it in abundance.  When I feel lost, confused and even tormented by my sin, help me to turn to You all the more, calling upon You to fulfill Your promise of love.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

If you commit yourself to a full embrace of the Mercy of God in your life, you will be transformed beyond your wildest dreams.  But you will also have another experience.  You will encounter great difficulties in your attempts to live and proclaim Mercy to a fallen world.  The world does not understand the Mercy of God.  The world only knows harshness and judgment.  It seeks revenge and honors pride and self-assertion.  Mercy, however, it does not understand.  And when you embrace Mercy and allow it to be made manifest through your life, it will not always be accepted.  You may be misunderstood, labeled as weak and even ignored by many.  Do not get discouraged at the rejection you will encounter as you seek to be an apostle of the Mercy of God.  This is inevitable, but in that rejection and in every difficulty you encounter, you will discover a new level of holiness as you rest close to the Heart of Christ (See Diary #1142).As you attempt to embrace Mercy in your life, what difficulties do you encounter?  Do others fail to understand the path you are on?  Do you feel misunderstood and even judged?  Reflect upon your experience and try to surrender every difficulty you experience over to the Heart of Christ.  His act of perfect Mercy, manifested through His death on the Cross, was seen by many as a pitiful and unfortunate consequence of His weakness.  However, Jesus' love was not hampered by these false perceptions.  He pressed on, offering His life for the salvation of the world.  You must do the same.Lord, Your Mercy is so profound and so mysterious that, at times, I question its wisdom.  I question whether I am walking the road to sanctity or foolishness.  Give me courage, clarity and strength to persevere down the road You have called me and help me to continually trust in Your abundance of Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It is important to understand God and His ways, but understanding is not the same as knowing.  Knowing God means we encounter a Person.  We do not only understand what this person says; rather, we engage, meet, experience and enter into a relationship with this Person.  In fact, one of the greatest blessings we can ever receive in this life is to obtain even a single perception of God.  Even one single perception of Him, one single encounter with Him, one single act of knowing Him is enough to change our lives forever.  An act of authentic knowing of God is more important than any other act we can do in life (See Diary #1133).If you were offered all the wealth and fame of the world, great success and prestige, would you take it?  Most likely you would.  Being successful or wealthy or well known or greatly honored is often desirable.  In and of themselves, none of these qualities are bad.  But there is a grave danger in these desires the moment that they become more important to us than our desire to know God, distracting us from that ultimate goal.  The moment we find ourselves desiring worldly things more than a desire for the very Person of God is the moment that we have mixed up our priorities in life.  Seek even one single act of encountering our merciful God and you will find that this knowledge of Him is worth more than anything this world can offer.My Lord, I desire to know You.  Please increase that desire in my soul so that it is more powerful than every other desire in my life.  I pray that You give me even a single perception of You, a single knowledge of You, dear Lord, and in that knowledge please change my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

We please the evil one when we allow our souls to become lazy and idle in the things of God.  An idle soul is one that does not seek to engage the life of God.  An idle soul is one who is passive in spiritual things rather than active.  Being “passive,” means that the person is somewhat indifferent to matters of faith and morality.  There is little interest in these areas and, as a result, very little effort is given to them.  Do not delight the evil one by being idle in your spiritual life.  Become zealous, passionate, hard working, diligent and committed to the path of holiness.  Seek to meet our Lord, personally, through a life of generous self-surrender to Him.  And never tire of doing so with all the powers of your soul (See Diary #1127).What are you passionate about?  For example, do you have some hobby or pastime?  Do you have some activity that you love doing and spend much time with?  Though a hobby can be healthy, your greatest “pastime” should be that of seeking God and serving His holy Will.  Nothing in life should take up more time and focus than your love of God.  Reflect upon how determined you are in your life of faith.  How committed are you to building a relationship with your merciful Lord?  Are you idle or lazy in this area?  Renew your zeal for God and allow that zeal to guide you into an ever deepening relationship with your Lord.  Give Him more than an hour a week and you will reap the blessings of your commitment. Lord, I want to be holy.  However, I realize that I do not desire holiness enough, preferring instead to be idle and lazy at times.  Please increase my zeal and my desire to come to know You more.  And as I grow in a deeper love for You, magnify that love and help it to continue growing in an exponential way.  May I never tire of seeking You and loving You, dear Lord.  I give you my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Our Church sets before us many teachings that can only be understood by grace.  Some teachings are about morality, calling us to a life of great virtue.  Some teachings are about God, His very being and essence.  Some teachings are about humanity and bring clarity to who we are.  What's important to understand is that nothing that the Church teaches can be fully understood without love.  Love is like a window inserted into a brick wall surrounding the many truths revealed to us by God.  Unless we find that window and peer through, we are left unaware of all that God wishes to teach us each day.  Love of God and love of others enables us to quickly make sense of the greatest mysteries of life.  Through love, our minds perceive and clarify life itself and all that God wishes to reveal to us in faith.  Choose to love God and others with a spiritual, selfless and sacrificial love, and allow that love to become the source of your understanding in life (See Diary #1123).What is it that causes you the greatest confusion?  Is there some article of faith taught by the Church that you do not understand?  Or perhaps there is confusion over a relationship you have, not knowing how to approach it or to resolve some underlying problem.  Whatever it is that you find difficult to “solve,” know that your answer will come only when you choose to love God and others with a pure love, the love of Mercy.  This is not a selfish love based on your feelings, but is a sacrificial and selfless love that imitates Jesus and His Cross.  Commit to this love and you will quickly and easily comprehend the mysteries of life.Lord, please enlighten me.  Help me to realize that pure and holy love opens the door to the mysteries of life.  May I open that door through my love of You, and discover all that You wish to teach me.  This is a Mercy for which I am eternally grateful.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

In one sense we can say that God imposes upon us an obligation to turn to Him with our whole being and receive His Mercy.  He also imposes upon us the obligation to spread His Mercy to others.  But we must understand that this is no ordinary “obligation.”  It's an obligation of love.  This means that the “imposition” of this obligation is no imposition at all.  It is something that God gives us complete freedom to choose or reject.  There are no strings attached, no forms of force; rather, we are left in complete freedom to choose or not to choose to accept and bestow the Mercy of God.  This freedom is essential to our lives and is essential to the gift of God's Mercy.  Only by giving us this freedom can we fully cooperate with this gift because Mercy must be freely given and freely received.  If it is not, then it is not Mercy.  Be grateful for the freedom the Lord has given you and use it to make a glorious choice (See Diary #1115).Reflect, today, upon these two gifts God has given you.  First, reflect upon the gift of freedom.  In having free will, you are able to make your own choices in life.  As a result, you also either reap the blessings of the choices you make, or suffer the consequences.  Reflect, also, upon the fact that you are invited by God to accept and distribute His abundant gift of Mercy.  By freely choosing this gift, you invite the God of the Universe to descend from His Throne of Grace and embrace you with an embrace of pure love, enabling you to offer that embrace to others.Lord, I give You my life and freely choose to receive all the Mercy of Your most Sacred Heart.  Help me to be open to all that You wish to bestow, and help me to be open to bestow all that You wish to offer others.  I thank You, Lord, for these glorious gifts of freedom and Mercy and I choose Your Mercy with all my heart.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Imagine that you were guilty of a serious crime and faced life in prison.  You were sorry for what you had done and fully confessed to it.  On the day of your sentencing you came in handcuffed from where you were being held knowing that you would soon return.  Instead, the judge ordered that your shackles be removed, that you were to receive a full pardon and that you were being granted a complete restoration to your former life.  Certainly you would be filled with gratitude.  But we must realize that God has not only done this, He has done even more. He also elevates us the status as His sons and daughters, a new status that we do not deserve in the order of grace.  The Mercy of God is amazing and beyond what we can comprehend.  All we have to do is repent and entrust ourselves to the benevolence of this good Judge.  This is especially done through Confession and trusting in the abundance of Mercy offered to those who specifically go to Confession in honor of Divine Mercy Sunday (See Diary #1109).Can you admit to your sin?  Are you aware of your sin?  If so, then you are one step away from receiving a full pardon from the Most Merciful Judge.  God longs to not only wipe away your sins, He also longs to elevate you to the glorious heights of Mercy.  Do you want this?  If so, do not hesitate in believing in the glorious Sacrament of Confession, and do not hesitate to trust in His Mercy poured out on Divine Mercy Sunday each year.  Seek His pardon, especially on that glorious day.Lord, give me the grace of knowing my sins and confessing them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  May I have great courage to face Your Mercy in that Sacrament so as to be elevated to the glorious status of Your sons and daughters.  And may I especially trust in the Mercy You bestow on Divine Mercy Sunday.  Thank You for the graces bestowed on this most holy day.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Do you understand the mysteries of God?  Imagine that you were a theologian who studied the faith of our Church for many years.  Would knowledge of all the theological disciplines of our Church necessarily produce in you an authentic understanding of these mysteries that were studied?  No, it wouldn't necessarily produce understanding.  In fact, it is entirely possible that while knowing all about God and all that has been revealed through the ages, you still might lack an authentic understanding of God and the profound mysteries of our faith.  Understanding ultimately comes as a gift from God.  It's an infused gift which illumines and enlightens and is obtainable only by a direct and personal revelation from God.  Yes, study of the faith and attentiveness to clear articulation of this same faith disposes one to understand, but the inspired gift of Understanding is still required to penetrate and grasp all mysteries of our faith.  Understanding is a true gift of God's Mercy (See Diary #1107).Reflect upon your own understanding of the infinite Mercy of God.  How fully do you comprehend this Mercy?  Reflect upon all that God has revealed to us throughout history.  He has spoken definitively through Scripture and has also spoken definitively through His Church in numerous ways.  Reflect upon how fully you grasp all the articles of our faith that have been revealed through the ages.  God has spoken in a clear and public way.  Now He desires to speak those same truths to you in the depths of your soul.  If you are willing to listen, your understanding will open the floodgates of the Mercy of God.Lord, there are so many truths that I do not fully grasp.  Your life and Your workings are glorious and mysterious all at once.  Give me the grace of Understanding so that I may penetrate the depths of Your Truth and Your Mercy.  I open myself to You, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

What is “doubt?”  To doubt is to lack faith, and to lack faith is to lack trust in the perfect revelation and plan of God's Will.  First and foremost, a doubt, resulting from a lack of faith, means you are not listening.  When we doubt God, His plan and all that He reveals to us, we are left on our own.  But when we listen, hear, understand and believe, we are covered in the protection of His Mercy on account of the faith that we manifest.  Faith means that we know with certainty all that God says and wills.  Faith is not just believing in something we hope is true, it's knowing and believing all that is true (See Diary #1101).Do you doubt at times?  Or do you have faith?  This is an exceptionally important question to ponder.  Begin by asking yourself these questions:  Do I listen to the Voice of God?  Do I hear God speak to me and do I comprehend all that He says?  Without these first steps, faith is impossible.  Hearing Him speak can only come through prayer.  And the form of prayer we need could be called “soaking prayer.”  Soaking prayer is a form of prayer by which we allow ourselves to daily become immersed in the Voice of God revealing His holy Will.  He speaks to us all day, every day.  Little by little we listen, comprehend and respond.  This produces the gift of faith and that faith will lead your life.  Reflect upon this process in your life and renew your commitment to start at the beginning so that the Lord will lead you one step at a time.Dear Lord, I desire to hear You speak to me.  Help me to open my ears to hear so that I may know You and discern Your perfect Will for my life.  I desire to be led each day only by You and to trust in the gentle guidance of Your holy Will.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

A mother's love could be described as “fierce” in the sense that she would willingly give her life for the protection of her children.  A motherly instinct kicks in when her child is in danger, hurting, or in need, and she loses all sense of her own well-being in favor of the protection of her child.  So it is with the Mother of God.  You are her child by grace and by the Will of Jesus her Son.  As a result, she holds you close to her heart in times of need and shelters you in her mantle of protection.  This motherly love is offered even when you are not in harm's way as a result of her unwavering motherly care.  She is an advocate for you like none other.  And she is not only your mother; she is also the Mother of God.  And as the Mother of God, she obtains special graces for all her children from her Divine Son.  He answers every request she makes on your behalf and will never abandon you.  Stay close to her, nestled in her arms of Mercy (See Diary #1097).Have you consecrated yourself to the love, care and protection of the Mother of God?  If not, why not?  What are you waiting for?  Does it confuse you why you should trust in her maternal care?  God deigned to create a spiritual family of love and He entrusted His mother with your care.  Motherly care is central to the natural order of God's design for humanity.  Therefore, it is only logical to conclude that it is also part of His supernatural plan for humanity.  Turn to her as your spiritual mother and trust that the Lord wills to pour an abundance of Mercy upon you through her mediation.Dearest Mother, I love you and entrust myself to your motherly care and intercession.  I believe that you are my mother in the order of grace and that you are “full of grace.”  Pour down upon me the motherly Mercy in your heart as I put my trust in you.  Dearest Mother, I consecrate myself to you.  Please pray for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Do you work hard?  Do you strive to be good?  Do you want to make a positive difference?  It is certainly good to try to be good.  But in so doing, we must never think that our “goodness” is truly good in the eyes of God, unless it is Divine Love that has become the source of all activity in our lives.  Humility enables us to turn our eyes to the One and Only source of goodness in our lives.  And that source is the abundant Mercy of God.  We cannot decide, on our own, to do even one single act that is good or beneficial to others.  We cannot please God by our own effort, and most certainly, cannot attain Heaven or any eternal reward by our works.  All is a gift and all is grace.  Only the humble soul sees this and believes it.  But when it sees it and believes it, great things will happen for the Kingdom of God (See Diary #1092).Reflect upon the good works you do.  As you do, see them for what they are, nothing less and nothing more.  If there is goodness in your life, humble honesty will enable you to understand that this goodness is 100% dependent upon the Goodness of God.  Without Mercy, you cannot do any good work.  With Mercy, you can do every good work.  God, at work in your soul, produces abundant blessings in this world.  Reflect upon your desire to be an instrument of the abundant blessings of God in this world and rejoice, humbly, that God has chosen to use you.  Say “Yes” to Him and you will see beautiful fruits for all.Lord, please give me a humble heart.  Help me to see that all good things begin with You and are only accomplished by You and Your Mercy.  I give myself to You so that You may use me for Your glory.  And I thank You for the privilege of being used as an instrument of Your unfailing Love.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Overcoming sin requires the Mercy of God.  Too often we attempt to overcome sin through our own effort.  This is a futile exercise in that you will never overcome your own sin through your own effort.  There is one way and one way only to rid yourself of the sin you struggle with, and that is done by turning to the transforming power of God poured out through the Mercy of the Cross of Christ.  It's entirely possible that you have identified some habitual sin in your life, have confessed it, and then, within the next day, fell into that sin again, over and over.  This is because you have attempted to rely upon your own strength and not the power of God.  Jesus is the only means by which you can overcome your sin.  Turning to Him for the Mercy to eliminate sin from your life requires commitment and focus.  It requires total trust in Him and a complete surrender to Him.  You cannot do this on your own (See Diary #1087).What is it that you struggle with each and every day?  Whatever your sin may be, you can overcome it, but only by relying on Mercy and the purifying power of the Cross.  This is done by fixing your eyes on Jesus and relying on Him alone.  Your responsibility is to turn to Christ.  His action is one of purification.  Do not doubt the power of our Lord and His ability to purge sin from your life.  It may “hurt” to be purified, but it is obtainable.  It requires sacrifice on your part and Mercy on His part.  Reflect upon this internal struggle you encounter and resolve, deeply, to abandon yourself to Him.  He will begin to lift this burden in your life when you do so.Lord, I give You my sin and beg for the grace to overcome it.  I know that I am weak, but that You are strong.  Lift this heavy burden and bring purity and sanctity to my soul.  I love You my Lord and I surrender my sin to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Normally, an arrow wounds and kills.  Arrows have been used throughout history for war and for hunting.  But a spiritual arrow of Mercy is much different.  Recall the words of Simeon the Prophet spoken to our Blessed Mother, “And you yourself a sword will pierce” (Luke 2:35).  And at the Crucifixion, recall that, “One soldier thrust his lance into [Jesus'] side, and immediately blood and water flowed out” (John 19:34).  A sword and a lance pierced the Hearts of our Blessed Mother and Jesus.  So also must our hearts be pierced.  But the sword, lance or arrow that we must receive will not wound in a negative way if accepted in love.  Rather, it will call forth mercy and compassion from our hearts.  Sorrow and pain are transformed within this “wound of love” and that wound pours forth God's Mercy from our lives (See Diary #1082).Reflect, today, upon two things.  First ponder the spiritual wounds in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.  Enter into the mystery of their pierced Hearts.  Try to understand that grace comes forth as a result of these piercings in that they produce compassion and Mercy for those in need.  Second, ponder your own heart.  Reflect upon any wound you carry and allow yourself to understand that this wound can be transformed.  It has potential to share in the Mercy flowing from the Hearts of Jesus and our Blessed Mother.  Allow yourself to share in their holy sorrow over sin and foster compassion for the sinner.  In this act, you will become wounded by a spiritual arrow of love.Lord, help me to comprehend the great mystery of the suffering endured by Your most Sacred Heart.  Allow me to see that You freely accepted that wound so as to pour forth Mercy.  And help me to also accept the arrows of others so that Your Mercy can pour forth in return.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

A real danger to the spiritual life could be termed “spiritual hoarding.”  This would be the person who attempts to make themselves the end of God's Mercy rather than become an instrument of God's Mercy.  By attempting to be an end of God's Mercy, a person becomes spiritually greedy, seeking spiritual things for their own purpose.  This is a form of pride.  Praying becomes an act by which one seeks to “look” holy.  Good works are performed so as to be seen.  And one may seek to accumulate many spiritual books so as to give the appearance of being wise and learned.  But an essential focus of the Mercy of God is not “spiritual hoarding;” rather, it's “spiritual generosity.”  If we want true Mercy to pour forth into our lives, we must give it away.  We must see everything that God gives us as a gift given for the purpose of distribution to others.  Therefore, when God gives you a certain grace, the first thing that should come to mind is how you can use this gift for the upbuilding of another.  By giving the Mercy of God away, we become increasingly rich and find that this act of spiritual generosity continually increases God's Mercy in our own lives (See Diary #1069).Do you seek holiness?  If so, why?  What is your motivation?  Is it so that you look good?  Or is it so that you become good, distributing the goodness of God to those in need?  Reflect upon the end result of the Mercy of God in your life.  Seek ways to make sure that the end of all God gives to you is the generous distribution of His Mercy to others.  In this, you too will be richly blessed.Lord of endless Mercy, help me to see that Your grace increases the more that grace is given away.  Help me to always be a holy instrument of Your Mercy and, in this act of generosity, receive the abundance of Your generous Heart.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The peace of the Lord is like a fortress in which we must take refuge from all the outer attacks from the evil one.  Outside of this fortress we are exposed to all of these malicious attacks.  The darts of anger, oppression, deceit and envy can do us great damage without the sacred protection of the Peace of God.  But within the walls of this fortress, the Lord protects us from all that seeks to do us harm.  Seek refuge in the Lord's Mercy and allow it to form a barrier of peace, protecting you from the evils of the world.  Do not allow these attacks to penetrate this barrier; rather, remain content with the Lord and allow Him to work on you within the safety of His place of refuge (See Diary #1067).What is it that seeks to destroy your peace?  What shakes you and disturbs you from within?  Know that the Lord wants to protect you and to give you refuge.  Seek His peace.  Seek Him and He will give you His peace.  Peace is a gift that is beyond description and human comprehension.  It's a place of safety that will shield your soul from the daily vices and attacks of the evil one.  Do you know the Lord's peace?  Are your eyes firmly fixed on this gift of His Mercy?  Seek Jesus with all your heart and you will, indeed, know His peace.  And in the shelter of that peace, the Lord will do great things to you, if you let Him.Lord, I entrust to You the protection of my soul.  I give to You all of my inner longings, hopes, desires and weaknesses.  Please come and form a barrier of protection around me so that I may meet You in this sanctuary within.  I thank You for the love of Your Mercy that envelops me and produces sweetness and strength.  I love You, my Lord, and entrust myself to Your perfect care.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The calyx of a flower is the outer leaf surrounding the forming petals, keeping them safe as they develop.  It forms a sort of “nursery” for the tender petals to grow.  As they grow within this hidden place, the calyx keeps them safe.  And once they become developed, the calyx opens and reveals the beauty within.  So it is with your soul.  The “calyx of your soul” is a gift from God protecting your inner virtues as the dew of His Mercy gently seeps in so as to nourish the budding virtues within.  And when fully matured, the radiance of these virtues shines forth so that the fragrance of grace becomes visible to all who gaze upon this work of God (See Diary #1064).Look into your own soul this day.  What do you see?  Do you see sin and corruption?  If so, repent of this and allow the Mercy of God to heal it through your confession.  From there, allow Mercy to also nourish your inner soul so as to create a hidden inner sanctuary of His splendor.  God desires to make your soul beautiful and as He forms you from within, He will allow those virtues to shine forth at the proper time.  Wait on Him, let the dew of His gentle care sink in, creating His masterpiece.  Reflect upon this sanctuary within you, this day.  Rejoice in the protective covering of your soul as God does His miraculous work and be comforted by what you see forming.  Surrender all to grace and allow the Creator of all to transform you into His radiant and fragrant gift to the world.Lord, I thank You for the safety of this inner sanctuary in my soul.  I thank You for gently entering in so as to nourish me as You form Your new creation within.  May the dew of Your Mercy bring healing and forgiveness to the corruption of my sin, and may it strengthen me so that You can form the virtues that You desire to create.  I thank You for Your perfect wisdom and power and give myself to Your gentle care.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Imagine being given the task of counting every grain of sand in the world.  It would obviously be an impossible task.  In fact, all the people in the world could not accomplish such a task together.  Some things are simply beyond us.  Another task that would even be more difficult to accomplish is to fully fathom the Mercy of God.  This is impossible.  The Mercy of God is completely beyond us.  Its depths and breadth are infinite.  You could spend your whole life contemplating and experiencing the Mercy of God and you would only begin to penetrate the surface.  In fact, if every person ever created spent eternity contemplating the Mercy of God, our combined effort would not even suffice to comprehend it.  Understanding that the Mercy of God is infinite will enable us to turn to Him no matter our struggle and no matter our sin, trusting in Him with all the powers of our soul (See Diary #1059).Have you tried to comprehend the Mercy of God?  Do you even understand that you can never fully understand this infinite Gift?  If you are to trust in our Lord, you must begin this impossible mission of Divine contemplation.  It's what you will do eternally in Heaven.  And your Heaven must begin now.  Doing so will deepen your ability to trust, and your trust will enable you to surrender.  Do not wait, begin this glorious task today.Lord of Mercy, I thank You for the infinite nature of Your love and for calling me to begin my journey into this unfathomable mystery.  Give me the grace to open my eyes so that I may begin to plunge into Your Mercy and in so doing, deepen my trust in You this day.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Anniversaries are blessed opportunities for reflection and gratitude.  Some anniversaries are joyous, such as the anniversary of spouses celebrating a long and holy marriage.  Other anniversaries are difficult, such as the anniversary of the death of a loved one.  Yet even in the difficulty of reliving the loss, it is a yearly reminder of your love for that person.  There are many annual celebrations within the Church that point us to a remembrance of a particular aspect of Christ's life.  But there is one “anniversary” which is celebrated daily.  It's the daily commemoration of the death of our Lord at three o'clock in the afternoon.  This hour is a sacred hour and is an important time to stop and reflect upon all that Jesus did for us.  It's a time of gratitude as well as a time to mourn His sufferings with a holy sorrow.  This hour is especially honored on Good Friday, but it's important to commemorate it every day (See Diary #1055).Do you remember the three o'clock hour?  It's easy to forget this most sacred moment of the day.  Our lives can become busy and hectic and we can fail to pause and recall our Lord's agony of love.  But try to see it as your daily anniversary with the Lord.  It is this hour that our prayers are most effective.  There are special graces of Mercy bestowed upon those who pause and pray at this hour.  Commit yourself to this holy devotion and our Lord will bless you abundantly.My Jesus, You hung on the Cross from noon until three in the afternoon.  And at that holy hour You uttered Your final word, breathed Your last and died.  May I always remember to honor this hour.  May it be my daily reminder of Your perfect love.  Help me to grow in devotion to Your sacred Passion, dear Lord, and through this practice, pour forth the Mercy of Your wounded Heart.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Imagine what it would be like if you could somehow be mystically transported to the night of Holy Thursday.  And imagine if you could somehow see and experience everything that Jesus went through.  Imagine the Agony in the Garden, the ridicule and harsh treatment, the mockery, the night alone in prison, the trial, the scourging, the carrying of the Cross and the Crucifixion.  This would be too much to bear.  To face Jesus and all His interior and exterior sufferings would be overwhelming.  But, if you could do it, and face every experience that He had, it would change your life.  The sufferings of Christ should not be ignored.  They should not be turned away from and they should not be shunned.  His Passion must be faced, understood, loved and lived by each one of us.  When we do this we will be changed forever (See Diary #1054).Try to spend time today letting yourself be drawn in, deeply, to the mysterious and profound sufferings of Jesus.  Let the Lord reveal to you a taste of what He endured.  Facing His sufferings is not only facing a great evil; rather, it's facing love in its purest form.  To face the Cross and all that it encompassed is to face the greatest act of love ever known, revealed through the greatest scandal ever experienced.  God is astonishing to us, in a holy way, when we discover His love in His suffering.  Ponder it today, let it sit in your heart, seek to understand the mystery and allow God to transform you through it.Lord, please give me the grace to turn toward You on the throne of Your Cross and to gaze upon You now and for all eternity.  Help me to discover Love in its most pure form as I fix my eyes on You and all that You endured.  My Suffering Lord Jesus, I love You and I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Are love and suffering opposed?  In other words, if you feel much suffering can you also have great love?  One question to consider is this: What is the source of your suffering?  Is it your sin?  Is it compassion for another?  Is it a physical or psychological wound?  The truth is that every suffering is able to be united with love in your heart.  This is true even of the suffering you endure as a result of your sin.  Sin is clearly not from God, but when you experience interior suffering as a result of your sin, it's a sign that your conscience is at work and that is good.  The goal is to take every form of suffering you endure, be it from sin or any other source, and let it become an impetus for mercy.  First, you must allow the Mercy of God to soothe the pain you feel, and then you must let that love coming from the Lord's Mercy transform your suffering into your own mercy.  Suffering and Mercy must meet within your heart and from there, extend out to others (See Diary #1050).What do you see in your heart?  Specifically identify any suffering you endure.  No matter what the cause, look at it and experience it.  As you do this, allow the grace flowing from the Heart of Christ to enter in.  And as you allow it to enter in, let Him transform your hurt into a heart full of mercy and compassion for all, starting with yourself.  The Mercy of God is abundant and can overshadow everything we experience in life, even our pain.  Let your pain meet Divine Mercy in your heart and you will be forever changed.Lord, I invite You into my heart.  Come and dwell there and transform everything within me through an abundant outpouring of Your Divine Mercy.  May I love You, dear Lord, above all things and allow Your presence in my life to change me for Your glory.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The Church is glorious for many reasons.  One glorious aspect of the Church is the unity found within it.  It's true that there is, at times, much internal disunity, hurt and disorder of every kind.  But these are not qualities of the Church.  These are the effects of the sins of Her members.  The Church Herself is the Spotless Bride of Christ.  And the more we enter into union with Christ Jesus, the more fully we are a member of this glorious Church.  By uniting ourselves to Christ we unite ourselves to the Holy Father.  And by uniting ourselves to the Holy Father, we unite ourselves to St. Peter, all the Apostles and all the saints who are living and in Heaven.  We become mystically united with Christians throughout the world and our prayer and adoration of God becomes one song of praise rising to the glory of Heaven.  And as we unite ourselves, through our unity with Christ, we receive the overabundance of Mercy from God making us one (See Diary #1044).Do you see yourself as a member of the one Body of Christ?  Do you understand that you are called to share in the unity that comes from your union with Him?  Loving Jesus with your whole mind, heart, soul and strength brings about a profound love for others.  If it does not, then it is not authentic love of God.  Reflect upon the effect that your love of God has on your relationship with others.  Let your love of God affect you in such a way that you discover an outpouring of love for all people, especially those within the Church.  And let that love reveal the deep bond of unity that is established as a result.  Unity is glorious.  It is a central blessing flowing from the Church and a sign of the Mercy of God.Lord, help me to always live in union with You and with others.  May my love for You overflow into my love for others, especially those who are members of Your Church.  I love You, dear Lord, and I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The lack of true heartfelt empathy is a clear sign of a certain psychological, emotional and even spiritual disorder.  This is mentioned because the opposite is true also.  The presence of true heartfelt empathy is a sign that one is psychologically, emotionally and spiritually healthy.  Empathy means that you are aware of the other.  You sense when someone is hurting or when they are joyful.  Furthermore, you feel the pain they feel and experience the joy that they experience. This is an act of mercy in your heart flowing from the Mercy of God.  (See Diary #1039).Reflect, today, upon your empathy or lack thereof.  What takes place within your mind, heart and emotions when you encounter either the joys or the sufferings of another.  Do you walk right past them, not caring and not engaging them?  Or do you see their humanity, recognize their dignity, and treat them with care, compassion and respect?  Empathy is ultimately all about the dignity of each and every person and our ability to acknowledge that dignity through our thoughts, feelings, words and actions.  Try to honestly look at your own empathy today and if you are surprised at a lacking in this area, look deeper at the reason why.  Do not be afraid to admit to this lacking and do not be afraid to seek its remedy.  But if you see yourself blessed with a heart of compassion, filled with an awareness of the other, then rejoice because your heart is sharing in and dispensing the Mercy of God.Lord, I pray that my heart will become an instrument of Your own merciful Heart.  In any way that I lack the empathy and compassion flowing from Your Heart, bring me healing.  And in every way that I have been blessed to experience the struggles and joys of others on account of sharing in Your Mercy, I thank You.  Lord, my deep desire is to share in Your life and love so that my heart may become like unto Yours.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

“I thirst.”  These two simple words have so much meaning.  They were spoken by our Lord from the Cross.  A soldier tried to offer some comfort by offering Him a sponge soaked in wine-vinegar to satiate Him.  The wine turned to vinegar is a symbol of the soul turned sour from sin.  After taking this sour wine Jesus cried, “It is finished!”  And then He died.  What does Jesus thirst for?  He thirsts for you, a sinner.  He does not turn away from you on account of your sins and the effect that they have had on your soul, He thirsts for you anyway.  He thirsts for your love.  He wants you to satiate His thirst by loving Him as you are despite your sins.  Pay no attention to foulness of your soul as a result of your sins.  Our Lord was satisfied with the wine turned vinegar so as to say that He is satisfied with you coming to Him in your fallen condition (See Diary #1032).Reflect upon the image of the Crucifixion.  Ponder Jesus hanging there, broken and suffering.  In this state of great humiliation, Jesus cries out to you to bring comfort to His suffering.  He seeks your love.  Will you give it to Him?  Can you offer Him yourself so as to enable Him to cry out that it is finished?  It is finished when you love Him and give your life to Him.  Go to our Lord this day in prayer, and tell Him you love Him and desire to spend this life with Him and on through eternity.  In that act, you will quench His thirst.Lord, I thank You for thirsting for me in the midst of Your own suffering and pain.  Thank You for giving Your life to me, without reserve, as You hung upon the Cross.  Your love is the only thing that will ultimately satiate my thirsting soul.  Give me the grace I need to come to You, in my brokenness and sin, so as to offer You all that I have for Your thirst.  I love You, dear Lord, help me to love You more.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

We are quite familiar with the Gospel passage, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me” (Matthew 25:40).  But do you believe this?  If you do, then you will discover that loving Jesus is easy and that you have an opportunity to do so all day long, every time you encounter another.  It may be through a kind smile or word.  It may be through an act of generosity, forgiveness or service.  But whatever you do to another in love, you do to Jesus.  This is true.  And it's also true that when we treat another with harshness or a lack of Mercy we wound the Heart of our Lord.  This basic truth is easily understood as a concept in our minds, but not so easily understood through our actions.  It can be hard to actually see Jesus in another and to believe that we are loving our Lord by our service of them.  But just because it's hard to believe doesn't mean we should not believe it and live it (See Diary #1029).Think of the people that you encounter daily.  When you look at them, do you see their presence as an invitation to love our Lord?  Is it hard to do this?  We must believe that Jesus is there, hidden within them, waiting to be loved.  Reflect upon your hidden Lord waiting for you in the persons you encounter this day.  Do not hesitate to love our Lord through them.  For in them, the font of Divine Mercy waits to be opened.Lord, You desire that I show an abundance of Mercy to those I encounter every day.  Give me the grace to see You in them and to love You in each and every person I encounter.  May I have the eyes to see You, dear Lord, and as I discover You in others, help me to open my heart to them, loving them with the Mercy You give to me.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

If you were an expert in the area of wine tasting, and you had a choice between an excellent bottle of wine and a cheap one, obviously you would choose the excellent one.  You would know the difference and you would not find much delight in the cheap wine knowing that the good wine was available.  So it is with our souls.  When we've tasted of the Mercy of God, and taken a sweet delight in His presence, we will long for more.  We will also begin to realize that all the other “delights” in life do not compare.  They are poor “tastes” of the glory of God.  Drink the good wine of God's Mercy and become accustomed to it.  If you do, you will find that all the other delights in life pale in comparison (See Diary #1026).Have you tasted of the sweetness of the Lord?  Have you discovered the aroma of His Mercy and His presence in your life?  If you have, then you know what it means to want more and you will find yourself seeking Him out every day.  If you have not, you do not know what you are missing.  And when you do not know what you are missing, it's hard to actually miss it.  But know this, you do not want to miss out on the Mercy of God.  Reflect, today, upon this question.  Have I tasted of the sweetness of my Lord?  God wants to flood you with the delight of His presence.  Let Him do so and you will never seek out the cheap wine of life again.Lord, I do want to become inebriated with Your Mercy.  I desire that this Mercy fill me with the aroma of Your abundant grace.  May my love for You become an appetite so strong that I turn to You as the only delight of my life.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

What is it that satisfies you in life?  The answers to this question could be quite varied from person to person.  One may find satisfaction in work, another in family activities, another in community service, another in wealth and worldly rewards.  There are many and varied responses people will give.  But the answer shouldn't be varied.  There should be one answer for us all.  And that answer is that you find true satisfaction in life by being with your Lord, resting in His Heart and being close to Him.  This may make sense to most people in a theoretical way, but in a practical way it may not connect.  What does it mean to be “resting in His Heart and being close to Him?”  The only way to discover this real and practical meaning is to do it.  All the books in the world will not teach you.  You must discover His Heart, love His Heart, be alone in His presence, and only then will you discover what true satisfaction is all about (See Diary #1021).Do you understand, practically and experientially, the total satisfaction in life that comes from living close to the Heart of Christ?  When you hear this does it make sense to you?  Reflect upon this question today and if you realize that you do not know what it is to know Him this way, then admit that to yourself and begin to seek Him out.  If you seek, with your whole heart, you will find.  And when you find, you will be eternally grateful you did.Lord, I want to be one with You.  I want to dwell in Your presence and bask in Your Divine Mercy.  Help me in my weakness to turn to You with every power of my soul and to encounter Your Divine Essence.  I reject all false “satisfactions” in life and turn to You and You alone.  My Jesus, my Lord, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

If you won a million dollars you probably wouldn't say, “No, just give me $100, that's all I want.”  And yet that is what we often do with the Mercy of God.  God offers an abundance of wealth and we choose to take only a small portion.  Why is that?  His Mercy is limitless.  It is infinite.  If we understood all that God wants to do in our souls, and then cooperated with Him and allowed Him to do it, we'd be in absolute awe and eternally grateful that we discovered this priceless treasure.  Perhaps the problem that many face in accepting His Mercy more fully is that it's risky.  It's risky in the sense that we must change.  Would a million dollars change your life?  Probably.  It would most likely change a number of things in your life, and not necessarily for the good.  But the Mercy of God is a treasure of infinitely more value.  Don't hesitate! Take the risk to accept it and to allow it to change you for the good (See Diary #1017).Do you hesitate in accepting God's Mercy?  If you do it's important to realize this, admit to it and face the reason why.  It's a rare soul who is completely open to all that God wishes to bestow.  It's a rare soul who is not cowed by the risk of total abandonment to the Mercy of God.  Choose to be one of those rare souls and embrace, without hesitation, all that God wants to pour out upon you and rejoice as you see His grace change your life.Precious Lord, I thank You for Your abundance of Mercy.  I thank You for loving me with such a perfect love that You burn with desire to lavish the riches of Your grace on my life in an endless way.  May I cease all hesitation in the face of this glorious gift and willingly accept You and all that Your Mercy will do in my soul.  I thank You, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It's easy to “love” God when all is well.  But when all is well, our love is not tested.  The testing that comes from human suffering clarifies our love of God.  This can be very fruitful for our spiritual lives.  It's easy to believe that difficulties in life are nothing other than sad and unfortunate burdens and should be avoided at all costs.  Though we would be foolish to create difficulties intentionally, we will each have our share of them in this life.  Therefore, every difficulty and suffering in life must be embraced as an opportunity for you to increase your trust in God and, in so doing, to increase your love of Him.   How blessed is the soul who suffers greatly in this life while choosing to love God throughout, making that suffering the source of its increase in holiness (See Diary #1014).What do you complain about each day?  What is it that burdens you?  Too often we run from these burdens or get angry.  Try to look at your struggles in a new light.  Try to see them as opportunities to deepen your trust and your love.  Every suffering and every burden in life has the potential of being infused with the spiritual power of the Cross.  By embracing them in love, we embrace the Cross.  And by embracing the Cross, we love God all the more.  Do not think that hardships deal you a poor quality of life.  Recognize them for what they are as a result of grace.  They are opportunities for holiness and for an increase in the reception of the Mercy of God.Lord, when I get down, angry or despairing in life, on account of the difficulties I endure, help me to use that struggle as an opportunity for greater trust.  Lord, I desire to run to the Cross and to receive the love that poured forth from Your Cross so that I may become more like You in all things.  Increase my love, dear Lord, especially through every suffering in life that I surrender to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

A true danger to the interior life of communion with God is an excessive need to talk.  No, talking is not a sin and many times is an act of Mercy toward another.  But there are times when being too talkative is a hindrance to the Mercy of God.  Talking, in and of itself, is neither good nor evil.  The goal is to form our words in accord with the Mind and Will of God.  That's it.  We must see the words we speak as a sacred tool to bring forth Truth and to manifest God's love.  Excessive words, or words that do not flow from our love of God or others, can do more damage than we may realize.  Therefore, consecrate your speech to the Lord and seek to let Him speak through you as He will, when He will and to the extent He wills (See Diary #1008).Do you talk a lot?  Do you talk too little?  It's not about how many words we say, it's about saying the right words at the right time in the right way.  Our words can cause much hurt, but they can also bring the healing balm of God's Mercy.  Reflect upon the conversations you have had over this past week.  Were they pleasing to God?  Did they give God glory and edify yourself and others?  Reflect, also, upon any ways that you neglected to say what the Lord wanted you to say.  These omissions of silence can also be the cause of hurt and can be the reason for a loss of Mercy in our world.  Give your speech to the Lord and let Him manifest Himself through you.Lord, I love You and I offer You my love, this day, through a consecration of my words to You.  You are the Eternal Word spoken from the Father.  You are the Truth that sets all people free.  Give me wisdom, temperance, and courage to speak only what You call me to speak and to listen only to that which You speak.  May my tongue be a sword piercing through the darkness of this world and my ear be a sponge for Your Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

All things are made for one ultimate purpose: to give praise and glory to the Most Holy Trinity.  We are made for nothing more, nothing less and nothing other than this purpose.  As people, we are called to give the unique praise and glory of our adoration to God through lives fully committed and surrendered to Him.  This surrender and total submission of our mind and will to Him offers God the praise that is due His name.  But all Creation shares in the glory of God in that all creation reflects His perfect order and, especially, His perfect Mercy.  For example, the providence that God manifests in caring for the birds of the sky, creatures of the sea and all living things on Earth reveals His glory and gives Him glory by their very existence.  We must see this, rejoice in it and give God glory for His Mercy that keeps all things in being (See Diary #1005).Do you recognize the Mercy of God as manifested in all of Creation?  It may be easier to recognize His Mercy when offered to us through the forgiveness of our sins and His invitation to us to share in His life.  But we must also see the perfect order of Creation and, in that order, see His providential care for it as an act of great Mercy.  Reflect, today, upon Creation.  Think of the flowers, the bees, the animals and all the small details that make up the design of the physical world.  It's truly amazing and mysterious and reveals a God of perfect wisdom and love.  Creation is a powerful revelation of God's Mercy.Lord, I thank You for all that You have done in this world.  I thank You for designing it, creating it and keeping it all in existence in accord with Your providence.  May I discover Your Heart of Mercy in all that You have made and grow in admiration of You through this gift.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Fear results from various causes.  The perception of some immediate threat causes sudden fear as a sort of defense mechanism.  In fact, this could save your life if, for example, the immediate threat is a car swerving into your lane.  Sudden fear compels you to take action and avoid a collision.  However, fear can also result from other more remote factors that we experience as threats to our well-being.  For example, one may struggle with fear over an economic downturn or loss of profit in a business.  The fear may be, “How will I support my family?”  Or one may have health issues and this causes increasing fear about the future.  And the list could go on.  Though some forms of fear are healthy (swerving to avoid a car accident), most others are not.  Specifically, when fear causes anxiety and worry, leading one to lose trust in God and His providence, this is a problem.  But if God is alive in your heart, living and reigning there, His presence produces a supernatural confidence and trust in the midst of any and every struggle we face (See Diary #1001).Reflect upon the specific fear you struggle with right now.  What is it that causes excessive worry and anxiety?  Whatever it may be, the Lord wants you to trust Him.  Yes, a certain “holy” fear can help us evaluate all situations properly and act diligently and responsibly, but too often what we actually struggle with is a lack of trust in God.  Reflect upon your fear and your trust and invite Christ more deeply into your heart so that His presence will cast out all useless fear, enabling you to fully trust in His care, providence and Mercy.Lord, I do trust in You.  Help me to trust You all the more.  I surrender to You all that tempts me to fear.  I trust in Your perfect love and desire to rely completely on Your Mercy in my life.  My life is Yours, dear Lord, do with me as You will and guide me always.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

If the Lord asks you to do something, do you have an option?  You do insofar as you can say “No.”  And this is a sin.  But if you have chosen to follow Christ and your goal is Heaven, then it's proper to say that we are obliged to do whatever the Lord asks of us.  His requests are certain and immovable commands of Love.  He will not budge.  He will not change.  This is only hard to accept if we are stubborn and unwilling to submit to Him.  But if we understand the nature of His Will, as described above, then we should be overjoyed when we hear His crisp clear voice speaking to us with commands of Love.  We should see His Will and His Law as the perfect answer to every problem and every need we have in life.  The demands of the Lord are demands we must give in to.  And one of those demands is that He desires that we all enter into and distribute His abundant Mercy (See Diary #998).Reflect upon the demand from our Lord that you dispense His Mercy.  He not only invites you to do so, it is His immovable and irrevocable perfect Will.  He will never change His Mind.  There is only one option you have.  You must concede to be a missionary of His Divine Mercy if you choose His Will for your life.  Are you willing to accept this calling?  Are you willing to say “Yes?”  Ponder this question today and make a choice that reflects the certainty of God's perfect Will.  Say “Yes” to our Lord and you will not regret it.Lord, Your Will is perfect and the delight of my soul.  I thank You for inviting and obliging me to be an instrument of Your Divine Mercy in the world.  May I embrace this calling with zeal, love and devotion.  Use me, dear Lord, as You will.  And I thank You for the incredible honor of serving You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It's fascinating how Creation itself proclaims the glory of God and teaches us about matters of faith.  Take a rainbow.  It is bright and beautiful, colorful and awe-inspiring.  Everyone rejoices on seeing a rainbow.  But there would be no such thing as a rainbow without rain, or storms.  Such is life.  We will have good days followed by bad and bad days followed by good.  We should not be surprised by one or the other.  On a good day filled with joy we should thank God and be aware that the “rainbow” is a gift.  We should savor it so that we will remember it on the bad days.  When a bad day comes we should thank God.  We should thank Him for the knowledge that this too shall pass if we wait patiently upon Him.  Life is full of ups and downs but the Mercy of God is eternal and it will bring us through all things, enabling us to rejoice after the storm has passed (See Diary #992).Reflect, today, upon the difference between a rainbow and a storm.  Imagine a rainbow full of radiant color stretching across the sky from one end to the other.  It is beautiful and inspiring, the cause for a smile and delight.  Now compare that to the storm that preceded it.  In the midst of the storm, the coming rainbow would not have been thought about.  Instead, the primary focus is to seek shelter.  Reflect upon how this may be similar to your personal life.  When you feel pain or are bombarded with challenges do you run and hide?  You should also remind yourself that every struggle is the precursor to a rainbow.  Keep the blessings of God's Mercy alive in your mind so that they will daily carry you through the challenges of life.Lord, keep my eyes on You at all times.  May I retain hope and joy in the midst of every storm of life.  Please remind me when I feel oppressed and bombarded that this too shall pass and that You will bring my struggles and my life to a full and joyous conclusion.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Has your soul been “transpierced” by God?  Does He “pervade” you?  Do you allow yourself to “dissolve” into His divinity and become “enveloped” by His Mercy?  There are so many words we can use to describe our relationship with God.  Though they all add to an articulation of who God is and what sort of relationship we should have with Him, none of them will ever fully be able to present the mystery of our union with Him.  We are called to “oneness,” to “transformative union.”  And this union is like a drop of water being placed into the mighty ocean.  Slowly and surely, that drop of water is lost in the vastness of the ocean depths.  So it is with God.  We are called to a unity so deep and so profound that words will never suffice to speak what the soul is called to experience (See Diary #983-984).What is your relationship with God like?  Are the words above even a faint description of your life of prayer and communion with Him?  Do you see and experience Him interiorly, calling you to His unfathomable depths of Mercy?  Or is He distant to you, seen by you as someone you talk about and are aware of, but not living a “holy fusion” with?  The words we use matter because they point to the deeper reality.  Reflect upon how you would describe your relationship with God.  And when you find that no words suffice, you are on the right track.Most Holy Trinity, may my whole being become consumed by the brightness of Your radiance.  May I become possessed by You in every way so that it will no longer be my life that is lived, but is Yours living within me, consuming me and transforming me.  May I be like that one small drop of water, entering into the mighty Ocean of Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

If you were aware of great famine in a far away land, and were also blessed with unlimited resources to address that famine, why would you withhold this gift from those in need?  Hopefully you wouldn't.  Hopefully you would see your responsibility and do what was necessary to satiate the thirst and satisfy the hunger of those in dire need.  But there is a great famine, and you are blessed with an unlimited resource to address this famine.  The famine is the hunger and thirst for the Mercy of God.  Yet most people who are starving for this Mercy are unaware that this is what they seek.  The unlimited resource you have been given is the Mercy of God.  He has entrusted you with the task of dispensing His Mercy and withholds nothing from you.  Do you see the importance of your cooperation with this grace?  Do not shy away from God's call to bring His limitless Mercy to others (See Diary #975).In what way is God calling you to distribute His wealth.  No one is deserving of the Mercy of God, that's why it's Mercy.  But everyone is invited to feast on this grace.  The Lord wants to use you as a dispenser of His Divine Mercy.  All you need to do is to be ready and willing to allow Him to use You as He wills.  You will not be acting on your own; rather, God will act through you.  But He is only able to act if you let Him.Lord, I thank You for the limitless gift of Your Divine Mercy.  And I thank You that I am called to become a dispenser of this grace.  Help me to say “Yes” to You in all things and to embrace the responsibility that You have given to me.  Use me, dear Lord, however You will, and give me the wisdom and courage I need to be a generous dispenser of Your Divine Mercy to a world in dire need.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

No, priests are not perfect.  They sin day in and day out.  They are in constant need of repentance and conversion in their daily lives just like all the rest of humanity.  But they are priests.  And because of their sacred ordination, the Lord speaks through them in a clear yet mysterious way.  Some speak with the authority of Christ only when speaking the words of Consecration at Mass or the words of Absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Others embrace the charism of their ordination and are used by God in a multitude of other ways, through their preaching, their holy living, and their words of counsel offered to their flock.  Seek out these holy priests.  Listen to them and allow the Lord to guide you through them.  For in listening to the voice of God, spoken through them, you will be blessed with an abundance of Mercy (See Diary #968).Ponder today, with all charity, the priests that God has placed in your life.  It may be your own parish priest, or a priest speaking through the written word, or a priest speaking through some other form of modern communication.  God will point you to His holy priests and will speak to you directly through them.  Listen to them, for in hearing their words you will be hearing the words of the Mercy of God.Lord, I thank You for establishing the sacred priesthood as a sign of Your continued sacramental presence in the world.  I pray for all priests, especially those You have entrusted with my pastoral care.  May I always be open to You, speaking through them, in their sacred ministry.  And may I respond with abandon and generosity at the sound of Your voice spoken from their lips. Give me humility, dear Lord, that I may always hear Your voice spoken through priests.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

When we suffer, we look for a way out.  We seek relief.  But from Heaven, we will be able to look back and see the immense power of freely chosen and embraced suffering.  It's not that suffering is good in and of itself; rather, it's that suffering has been redeemed and endowed with a spiritual power by God as a result of the sufferings of Christ.  Therefore, if you trust in the Lord, let Him reveal to you, here and now, the great value of your suffering freely embraced.  By embracing every hardship that comes your way, you will be making an offering to God that can only be understood by grace.  This will not make sense to the world, but it will become a powerful weapon of Mercy through which the Lord will do great things to you and through you, He will flood the world with His grace.  Do not wait until Heaven to become aware of this sacred gift of the redemption of your inner suffering offered in confident prayer to God (See Diary #963).Are you aware of the power of your suffering when you freely unite it to the sufferings of Christ?  Does this make sense to you?  This realization is only possible by grace and is only embraced by that same grace.  Reflect, today, upon what you do suffer interiorly and do not shy away from it.  Face it, embrace it and love it.  For in that holy embrace, God will work wondrously in and through your life.Lord, make me attentive to the value of all I suffer in my soul.  Help me to see this as a gift of Your Divine Mercy.  I recognize the fact that I do not recognize the power in this holy gift.  Give me Your eyes to see my suffering as You see it, and Your Will to embrace it with a holy embrace.  I make this offering to You, this day, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

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.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

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. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

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.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

“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.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.