Despairing Souls

[mick_tinetti]

Conversation of the Merciful God with a “Despairing Soul” (St Faustina’s Diary 1486):
Published by Marian Press

Jesus: O soul steeped in darkness, do not despair. All is not yet lost. Come and confide in your God, who is love and mercy.

But the soul, deaf even to this appeal, wraps itself in darkness.

Jesus calls out again: My child, listen to the voice of your merciful father.

In the soul arises this reply: “For me there is no mercy,” and it falls into greater darkness, a despair which is a foretaste of hell and makes it unable to draw near to God.

Jesus calls out to the soul a third time but the soul remains deaf and blind, hardened and despairing. Then the mercy of God begins to exert itself and without any cooperation from the soul, God grants it final grace. If this too is spurned, God will leave the soul in this self-chosen disposition for all eternity. This grace emerges from the merciful Heart of Jesus and gives the soul a special light by means of which the soul begins to understand Gods effort; but conversion depends on its own will. The soul knows that this, for her, is final grace and should it show even a flicker of good will, the mercy of God will accomplish the rest.

Jesus: My omnipotent mercy is active here. Happy the soul that takes advantage of this grace.

Jesus: What joy fills my heart when you return to Me. Because you are weak, I take you in My arms and carry to the home of My Father.

Soul (as if awakening, ask fearfully): Is it possible that there is yet there is mercy for me?

Jesus: There is My child. You have a special claim to My mercy. Let it act in your poor soul; let the rays of grace enter your soul; they will bring with them light, warmth, and life.

Soul: But fear fills me at the thought of my sins and this terrible fear moves me to doubt Your goodness.

Jesus: My child, all your sins have not wounded My Heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does – that after so many efforts of My love and mercy, you should doubt My goodness.

Soul: O Lord, save me Yourself, for I perish. Be my Savior. O Lord, I am unable to say more; my pitiful heart is torn asunder; but you, O Lord…

Jesus does not let the soul finish but raising it from the ground, from the depths of its misery, He leads it to the recesses of His Heart were all its sins disappear instantly, consumed by the flames of love.

Jesus: Here, soul, are all the treasures of My Heart. Take everything you need from it.

Soul: O Lord, I am inundated with Your grace, I sense that a new life has entered into me and above all, I feel your love in my heart. That is enough for me. O Lord, I will glorify your omnipotence of Your mercy for all eternity. Encouraged by Your goodness, I will confide to You all the sorrows of my heart.

Jesus: Tell Me all, My child, hide nothing from Me, because My loving Heart, the Heart of your Best Friend is listening to you.

Soul: O Lord, now I see all my ingratitude and Your goodness, You were pursuing me with Your grace while I was frustrating Your benevolence. I see that I deserve the depths of Hell for spurning You graces…

Jesus: (interrupting) Do not be absorbed in your misery – you are still too weak to speak of it – but rather, gaze on My Heart filled with goodness and be imbued with My sentiments. Strive for meekness and humility; be merciful to others, as I am to you and when you feel your strength failing, if you come in the fountain of My mercy to fortify your soul, you will not grow weary on your journey.

Soul: Now I understand Your mercy, which protects me and like a brilliant star, leads me to the home of my Father, protecting me from the horrors of hell that I have deserved, not once but a thousand times. O Lord, eternity will hardly suffice for me to give due praise to Your unfathomable mercy and Your compassion for me.

 

[MaryT777]

Was definitely worth the read; thanks for posting this.
Mary.

 

[TacosRocket]

Beautiful.

Thanks for sharing. It’s hard for people to understand sometimes that the more imperfect they are, the more God desires them to come to him with it.

 

[ellzeena]

The truly mentally ill are incapable of what you report. Are they damned? Not the God I know would do this. Was St. Faustina receiving real (true) communication from Jesus and Mary or was she schizophrenic (or is there a difference, no sarcasm intended; suppose those who suffer from schizophrenia are seeing/hearing what ACTUALLY is there and the rest of us cannot see/hear and still function?)

People despair for many reasons. I despair, but I also trust in Jesus and I am mentally sound, although emotionally wounded. Some people are not mentally sound, they may not be emotionally wounded but they have grave physiological abnormalities (brain function, endocrinological, etc.) ALL of which God foresaw when they were “knitted in the womb”. Does God allow a person whom He will damn because of their despair to be formed in such a manner that despair is not available to cure? I sure hope not, because if so I’ve been praying a lifetime for nothing.

 

[cheezey]

The truly mentally ill are incapable of what you report. Are they damned? Not the God I know would do this. Was St. Faustina receiving real (true) communication from Jesus and Mary or was she schizophrenic (or is there a difference, no sarcasm intended; suppose those who suffer from schizophrenia are seeing/hearing what ACTUALLY is there and the rest of us cannot see/hear and still function?)

People despair for many reasons. I despair, but I also trust in Jesus and I am mentally sound, although emotionally wounded. Some people are not mentally sound, they may not be emotionally wounded but they have grave physiological abnormalities (brain function, endocrinological, etc.) ALL of which God foresaw when they were “knitted in the womb”. Does God allow a person whom He will damn because of their despair to be formed in such a manner that despair is not available to cure? I sure hope not, because if so I’ve been praying a lifetime for nothing.

thank you

 

[EIF5A]

Is there recourse for the rest of us who aren’t saints? I mean, what sins could they have committed compared to us?

I repented of sins today and committed the very same sins on the same day.

How does one reconcile Jesus Christ the Judge of the world and the Jesus Christ presented here who does everything to console the soul of a saint?

Sin and temptation bombard every day, and I’m too weak, negligent, and stupid to resist them all.

And I know God is angry and disappointed. Do prayers of repentance even do anything when the same sins are committed day in and day out?

 

[PrayRosary]

My favorite part is where He calls the soul His best friend.

 

[TheHolyGhost]

The truly mentally ill are incapable of what you report. Are they damned? Not the God I know would do this.

Invincible ignorance probably saves the mentally ill, depending on what their condition is I would imagine.

Was St. Faustina receiving real (true) communication from Jesus and Mary or was she schizophrenic (or is there a difference, no sarcasm intended; suppose those who suffer from schizophrenia are seeing/hearing what ACTUALLY is there and the rest of us cannot see/hear and still function?)

I recall St. Faustina being examined by a psychiatrist or possibly a few and they all deemed her to be completely healthy.

 

[Methos]

Jesus: (interrupting) Do not be absorbed in your misery – you are still too weak to speak of it – but rather, gaze on My Heart filled with goodness and be imbued with My sentiments. Strive for meekness and humility; be merciful to others, as I am to you and when you feel your strength failing, if you come in the fountain of My mercy to fortify your soul, you will not grow weary on your journey.

Because after a lifetime of humiliation, failure and insults, why would one want to feel proud (not arrogance) and successful? [sarcasm]

As a previous post stated, people despair for various reasons. As for me, my mental disorders, (note the “s”) prevent me from feeling happiness and words of encouragement and praise are just that, words. Yes, people say feelings don’t matter. I say, Ok, you give a try for day, ignore anything that makes you happy, purposeful and incidental, and see if you can survive the 20+ years I have.

 

[Joy2day]

I’m sorry you’ve had to.go through 20 years of that: humiliations, failures & insults. People say ‘you should just get over it’ etc. But if your feelings are constantly trampled on & you are always treated like trash - well something’s gotta give… Society causes its own problems sometimes.

 

[mick_tinetti]

Because after a lifetime of humiliation, failure and insults, why would one want to feel proud (not arrogance) and successful? [sarcasm]

As a previous post stated, people despair for various reasons. As for me, my mental disorders, (note the “s”) prevent me from feeling happiness and words of encouragement and praise are just that, words. Yes, people say feelings don’t matter. I say, Ok, you give a try for day, ignore anything that makes you happy, purposeful and incidental, and see if you can survive the 20+ years I have.

Because the choice is not dispair vs. arrogance it is dispair vs. feeling loved by Jesus.

Jesus loves us and wants us to feel loved.

 

[mick_tinetti]

The truly mentally ill are incapable of what you report. Are they damned? Not the God I know would do this. Was St. Faustina receiving real (true) communication from Jesus and Mary or was she schizophrenic (or is there a difference, no sarcasm intended; suppose those who suffer from schizophrenia are seeing/hearing what ACTUALLY is there and the rest of us cannot see/hear and still function?)

People despair for many reasons. I despair, but I also trust in Jesus and I am mentally sound, although emotionally wounded. Some people are not mentally sound, they may not be emotionally wounded but they have grave physiological abnormalities (brain function, endocrinological, etc.) ALL of which God foresaw when they were “knitted in the womb”. Does God allow a person whom He will damn because of their despair to be formed in such a manner that despair is not available to cure? I sure hope not, because if so I’ve been praying a lifetime for nothing.

So you are saying the mentally ill would not be able to make use of Jesus’ words?

The church teaches if a soul (individual) is actually not capable of following a commandment they are not sinning.

If the soul is lying, Jesus knows what lies in our hearts and will call the soul to confession and repair their relationship or in purgatory if the soul does not act on the call to confession because Jesus only damns those that choose hell over Him.

Hebrews 4:13 “And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

 

[mick_tinetti]

Invincible ignorance probably saves the mentally ill, depending on what their condition is I would imagine.

I recall St. Faustina being examined by a psychiatrist or possibly a few and they all deemed her to be completely healthy.

I don’t think the church calls it “Invincible ignorance.”

 

[mick_tinetti]

Because after a lifetime of humiliation, failure and insults, why would one want to feel proud (not arrogance) and successful? [sarcasm]

As a previous post stated, people despair for various reasons. As for me, my mental disorders, (note the “s”) prevent me from feeling happiness and words of encouragement and praise are just that, words. Yes, people say feelings don’t matter. I say, Ok, you give a try for day, ignore anything that makes you happy, purposeful and incidental, and see if you can survive the 20+ years I have.

Are you Catholic? Have you been to confession? It will change your outlook.

If you are Catholic I suggest reading St. Faustina’s diary and you will understand what she went through and how to offer-up your suffering to Jesus. Offer it up like this:

Offer up your sufferings in combination with Jesus’ suffering on the cross (it is the one price that souls are bought). (Diary 324)

Jesus asks us to “pray for the conversion of souls” and offer up your sufferings as above (it will help Jesus save souls).

 

[mick_tinetti]

Is there recourse for the rest of us who aren’t saints? I mean, what sins could they have committed compared to us?

I repented of sins today and committed the very same sins on the same day.

How does one reconcile Jesus Christ the Judge of the world and the Jesus Christ presented here who does everything to console the soul of a saint?

Sin and temptation bombard every day, and I’m too weak, negligent, and stupid to resist them all.

And I know God is angry and disappointed. Do prayers of repentance even do anything when the same sins are committed day in and day out?

Meditate on Jesus’ wounds, bring your heart to contrition and…
Beg for Jesus’ Mercy; it glorifies Jesus (Saint Faustina’s Diary 1488).

Pray: “Not my will be done but your will be done” to Jesus.

Act of Contrition: O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen.

 

[Methos]

Are you Catholic? Have you been to confession? It will change your outlook.

Yes and I used to for six years, but haven’t gone for six years. Events made me wondered why I bothered. I tried, but as always I faltered and got no help in most areas of my life. Sin has staved off the blackness when God didn’t. I’d probably be dead if it weren’t weren’t for the pleasure (note I said pleasure, not happiness) and temporary respite it gives me.

If you are Catholic I suggest reading St. Faustina’s diary and you will understand what she went through and how to offer-up your suffering to Jesus. Offer it up like this:

Offer up your sufferings in combination with Jesus’ suffering on the cross (it is the one price that souls are bought). (Diary 324)

Jesus asks us to “pray for the conversion of souls” and offer up your sufferings as above (it will help Jesus save souls).

I don’t know if it will help. I’ve read “Come Be My Light” about Mother Teresa since it seemed she suffered something similar. We do not have similar experiences. Despite her “darkness,” as she called it, and not feeling God’s presence, she was capable to feeling happiness. Let’s put it this way: I could win the largest lottery ever and Nobel Peace Prize, meet a woman I would have considered marrying 20 years ago, plus other good fortune and I would feel nothing. Although, I would put on a good show that I did and you would totally believe.

Yes, I’ve been told to offer up my suffering and I’m tired of it. I got tired of people saying that and then going off with their happy lives, being able to feel love and happiness as well as the support of their friends and family. I’m not capable of that at all. Tell me you love and support me and it means nothing to me. If emotions were words, they’d be gibberish to me.

Let’s say I did offer it up for their souls, they would get the best of both worlds. Happiness here and joy there. It’s like winning the lottery twice. I may not feel happiness, but anger and jealousy are there.

The Church doesn’t offer much support. Most people like me ended up killing themselves at an early age (Unfortunately, 90+ years old is not unusual in my family and I really don’t want to live that long.), were denied a funeral Mass and burial in consecrated ground with people such as St. Thomas Aquinas saying suicide is always a mortal sin and we were condemned to hell in the past (I never did hear an apology for that). We look in the Bible, which has blind people and paralyzed people, but the closest to mental illness is a demon possessed man. Tell people in church you’re blind, you get sympathy and help. Tell them you have an mental illness and they slow back away and run for the door. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said consumerism helped spread depression and he’s right as it’s can exacerbate it, but his solution is wrong. To meditate on the Psalms or the Rosary for me is like telling a blind person to look at paintings. I approach many things intellectually, but that won’t help me in this instance. Reality crushes those attempts quickly.

And before you say get therapy, it doesn’t help. What type of therapy and with whom are factors, as is medications, most of which have only a placebo effect, and the side effects. Recently, they’ve discovered the pituitary gland maybe the cause of depression. Then again, they said it was serotonin 20 years ago, so color me skeptical.

Unless I die saving someone from being run over by a car, I think I know where I’m heading.

 

[mick_tinetti]

Yes and I used to for six years, but haven’t gone for six years. Events made me wondered why I bothered. I tried, but as always I faltered and got no help in most areas of my life. Sin has staved off the blackness when God didn’t. I’d probably be dead if it weren’t weren’t for the pleasure (note I said pleasure, not happiness) and temporary respite it gives me.

I don’t know if it will help. I’ve read “Come Be My Light” about Mother Teresa since it seemed she suffered something similar. We do not have similar experiences. Despite her “darkness,” as she called it, and not feeling God’s presence, she was capable to feeling happiness. Let’s put it this way: I could win the largest lottery ever and Nobel Peace Prize, meet a woman I would have considered marrying 20 years ago, plus other good fortune and I would feel nothing. Although, I would put on a good show that I did and you would totally believe.

Yes, I’ve been told to offer up my suffering and I’m tired of it. I got tired of people saying that and then going off with their happy lives, being able to feel love and happiness as well as the support of their friends and family. I’m not capable of that at all. Tell me you love and support me and it means nothing to me. If emotions were words, they’d be gibberish to me.

Let’s say I did offer it up for their souls, they would get the best of both worlds. Happiness here and joy there. It’s like winning the lottery twice. I may not feel happiness, but anger and jealousy are there.

The Church doesn’t offer much support. Most people like me ended up killing themselves at an early age (Unfortunately, 90+ years old is not unusual in my family and I really don’t want to live that long.), were denied a funeral Mass and burial in consecrated ground with people such as St. Thomas Aquinas saying suicide is always a mortal sin and we were condemned to hell in the past (I never did hear an apology for that). We look in the Bible, which has blind people and paralyzed people, but the closest to mental illness is a demon possessed man. Tell people in church you’re blind, you get sympathy and help. Tell them you have an mental illness and they slow back away and run for the door. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said consumerism helped spread depression and he’s right as it’s can exacerbate it, but his solution is wrong. To meditate on the Psalms or the Rosary for me is like telling a blind person to look at paintings. I approach many things intellectually, but that won’t help me in this instance. Reality crushes those attempts quickly.

And before you say get therapy, it doesn’t help. What type of therapy and with whom are factors, as is medications, most of which have only a placebo effect, and the side effects. Recently, they’ve discovered the pituitary gland maybe the cause of depression. Then again, they said it was serotonin 20 years ago, so color me skeptical.

Unless I die saving someone from being run over by a car, I think I know where I’m heading.

Offer it up to save souls and glorify Jesus.

Put the image of the Divine Mercy in your home and venerate it (I would say an Our Father in front of it once a week or each day or twice a day - in the morning and in the evening).

 

[mick_tinetti]

Yes and I used to for six years, but haven’t gone for six years. Events made me wondered why I bothered. I tried, but as always I faltered and got no help in most areas of my life. Sin has staved off the blackness when God didn’t. I’d probably be dead if it weren’t weren’t for the pleasure (note I said pleasure, not happiness) and temporary respite it gives me.

I don’t know if it will help. I’ve read “Come Be My Light” about Mother Teresa since it seemed she suffered something similar. We do not have similar experiences. Despite her “darkness,” as she called it, and not feeling God’s presence, she was capable to feeling happiness. Let’s put it this way: I could win the largest lottery ever and Nobel Peace Prize, meet a woman I would have considered marrying 20 years ago, plus other good fortune and I would feel nothing. Although, I would put on a good show that I did and you would totally believe.

Yes, I’ve been told to offer up my suffering and I’m tired of it. I got tired of people saying that and then going off with their happy lives, being able to feel love and happiness as well as the support of their friends and family. I’m not capable of that at all. Tell me you love and support me and it means nothing to me. If emotions were words, they’d be gibberish to me.

Let’s say I did offer it up for their souls, they would get the best of both worlds. Happiness here and joy there. It’s like winning the lottery twice. I may not feel happiness, but anger and jealousy are there.

The Church doesn’t offer much support. Most people like me ended up killing themselves at an early age (Unfortunately, 90+ years old is not unusual in my family and I really don’t want to live that long.), were denied a funeral Mass and burial in consecrated ground with people such as St. Thomas Aquinas saying suicide is always a mortal sin and we were condemned to hell in the past (I never did hear an apology for that). We look in the Bible, which has blind people and paralyzed people, but the closest to mental illness is a demon possessed man. Tell people in church you’re blind, you get sympathy and help. Tell them you have an mental illness and they slow back away and run for the door. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said consumerism helped spread depression and he’s right as it’s can exacerbate it, but his solution is wrong. To meditate on the Psalms or the Rosary for me is like telling a blind person to look at paintings. I approach many things intellectually, but that won’t help me in this instance. Reality crushes those attempts quickly.

And before you say get therapy, it doesn’t help. What type of therapy and with whom are factors, as is medications, most of which have only a placebo effect, and the side effects. Recently, they’ve discovered the pituitary gland maybe the cause of depression. Then again, they said it was serotonin 20 years ago, so color me skeptical.

Unless I die saving someone from being run over by a car, I think I know where I’m heading.

This is from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
2090 When God reveals Himself and calls him, man cannot fully respond to the divine love by his own powers. He must hope that God will give him the capacity to love Him in return and to act in conformity with the commandments of charity. Hope is the confident expectation of divine blessing and the beatific vision of God; it is also the fear of offending God’s love and of incurring punishment.

2091 The first commandment (this is in the section discussing the first commandment) is also concerned with sins against hope, namely, despair and presumption: (1864) By despair, man ceases to hope for his personal salvation from God, for help in attaining it or for the forgiveness of his sins. Despair is contrary to God’s goodness, to his justice—for the Lord is faithful to his promises—and to his mercy.

Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2011-11-02). Catechism of the Catholic Church (Kindle Locations 12270-12273). United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Kindle Edition.

If you are Christian:
Abide in God’s Love… which means receive the Eucharist weekly; daily if you can.

Also: Perform acts of mercy out a love of Jesus. At least one a day. Offer them up to Him too so there will be no spiritual ambiguity.

 

[Samson01]

Methos, do not give up. Many times this soul has despaired in sin, sickness, loss. Each time a flicker of light seems to appear. Most recently an encounter. Of angelic nature. It is not this souls place to revile or judge the powers at work that are under Gods providence. Do not despair, please. God is good.

 

[mick_tinetti]

Yes and I used to for six years, but haven’t gone for six years. Events made me wondered why I bothered. I tried, but as always I faltered and got no help in most areas of my life. Sin has staved off the blackness when God didn’t. I’d probably be dead if it weren’t weren’t for the pleasure (note I said pleasure, not happiness) and temporary respite it gives me.

If it seems dry, try approaching the confessional as below:

Just prior to confession, call to mind the Passion of Jesus to arouse your heart to contrition (Diary 225); examine your conscious and pray fervently for the confessor (Diary 647). Tell him everything and reveal your soul to him as you do Me (Diary 232) and do not fight against a temptation by yourself but disclose it to the confessor at once and then the temptation will lose all its force (Diary 1560). After confession rouse in your soul great gratitude to the Holy Trinity for this wonderful and inconceivable miracle of mercy that is wrought in your soul (Diary 225). Above all be obedient to the confessor (the penance and his instructions). (Diary 1069)