Do you ever wonder about St Faustina?

[Joysong]

St Martin:

Joysong:

and this prayer has been my joy and comfort to realize the Mother of God is Mother of us all and intercedes powerfully at that moment so that the desire of her Son, that none will be lost

, can be realized.

None will be lost?

St. Martin,

I’m not sure how misunderstood my post. I clearly stated that Mary knows the desire of her Son, which is, according to scripture, that none will be lost, and set it apart by commas. As Mediatrix in response to the Church’s constant prayer to her in the Hail Mary, she does in fact pray for us at the hour of our death. I think my last paragraph made it very clear that due to free will, a person may reject God’s grace and Mary’s intercession and be lost. Please read.

But as we read in St. Faustina’s Diary, that is not necessarily a guarantee because of the God-given free will to men, who may obstinately reject all grace at that moment.

I don’t understand your question, “What is his spiritual condition?” Whose spiritual condition are you talking about?

Nor do I understand your comment, “It is dangerous to assume “infused knowledge” that is contrary to all external indicators.”

What do you mean by the underlined part?

The danger of the general attitude which “Divine Mercy” tends to instill in many is why it was censured.

This is not true, and there is not a “general attitude” of danger [except in those who are not given the grace to discern the Spirit’s work]. It was initially censured because of a faulty translation. When the correct translation from Faustina’s actual wriltten notes was transcribed at a later date, it was approved by the Vatican and the censure removed.

 

[StMartin_67]

The Book containing the diary was placed on on Index of Forbidden Books under Pope John XXIII in 1959. This was done because of the theological errrors contained in the diary. I find no reference to a “mistranslation” that was subsequently “cleared up”.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Quoting StMartin:

It is dangerous to assume “infused knowledge” that is contrary to all external indicators.

I am not too sure what we may each define “infused knowledge” as being and how such infused knowledge as defined is actually received and how one knows that it is actually infused knowledge. Probably best, I think, to settle on a common defintion of these questions…or else we each could be talking about something different when we say “infused” and “knowledge” etc.
I certainly know that I have had overwhelming doubts about something, for example, for some reason and then in a moment that is as sudden as a light being sitched on at the switch, I have sureness that came out the blue as it were, and I never doubt again. Is this “infused knowledge” as mystically defined, I simply would not know - nor do I concern myself with it personally. I do take some interest in it as an objective point of mystical theology which does interest me from time to time … all such definitions and personal understandings I leave to my director, which is one of the great blessings of a director. And I’ve asked him not to use these big words with me as that will only involve us in a conversation looking for a common definition of these big words - although I give him the option to so engage if he thinks it personally necessary for me only.

None

will be lost?*

*Sure thing, mate!!!

Matthew Chapter 18:

**

11

** For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. 12 What think you? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray: doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the mountains, and go to seek that which is gone astray? 13 And if it so be that he find it: Amen I say to you, he rejoiceth more for that, than for the ninety-nine that went not astray. 14 Even so it is not the will of your Father, who is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish

Wonderful, isn’t it and what a God have we!!!

That free will is to be used in our lifetime for accepting our crosses and obeying the commandments and making acts of contrition and going to confession. A man usually dies with the armor he has fought his entire life with.

One cannot presume that God will not grant the wonderful Grace of final repentance…nor can one presume that one will actually receive it at or prior to death.

The danger of the general attitude which “Divine Mercy” tends to instill in many is why it was censured.

…:bigyikes: WHATTTTTT! The Divine Mercy censured!!! Goodness 99.9% just fell out of Heaven!!! Where on earth did you get it from … can you give the reference!
The Church instituted the feast of Divine Mercy, first Sunday after Easter on the strength of the message of Divine Mercy of St. Faustina.
Vatican Website
Biography of St. Faustina: vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/ns_lit_doc_20000430_faustina_en.html

HOMILY OF THE HOLY FATHER
MASS IN ST PETER’S SQUARE FOR THE CANONIZATION
OF SR MARY FAUSTINA KOWALSKA
Sunday, 30 April 2000
vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_20000430_faustina_en.html

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Oh, I’m very sure Christ calls, but death bed conversions are rather rare. It’s what we do during this life that predisposes us to receiving our Lord at the hour of our death.

Edited to add: I’m completely certain St. Faustina said that Christ calls three times, I too have read it in her diary.

We cannot know what may happen between God and the person the actual moment immediately before death. In fact it is in the media here that medicine is starting to find problematic switching off life support - whether this is actually a problem or not is unknown…it IS being questioned whether the common definition of death actually is in fact death.

Let us hope and pray that at the moment before actual death, the soul is given the Grace of repentance knowing death is now there waiting. If The Father grieves over one lost soul, then our love should also grieve. “The whole of Heaven rejoices at the return of the sinner”…so I try to find reasons to hope that every single soul will somehow be saved. I find no joy whatsoever - nothing - at the thought of any person whatsoever consigned to Hell for eternity. And yes me and my family have suffered dreadfully at the hands of human evil.

Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

:flowers:

I had read this also somewhere, about St.Faustina’s writings being suppresed by the Church.Do you know why, and what was contreversial about them?

The member you quoted has been banned for some reason as I also was going to ask where he got it from - reference details with link - that any part of St. Faustina’s writing were suppressed. So there wont be an answer from that member. I’ve never heard this certainly, not since her canonization anyway. At one point leading to her canonization I know they were banned (prior to her being Blessed) and then after that restricted circulation. But nothing certainly since her canonization when all that had been lifted.

If anyone can state that there is some sort of suppression officially can you please give a reliable source reference and link, or it is not really credible or reliable information.

Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

The Book containing the diary was placed on on Index of Forbidden Books under Pope John XXIII in 1959. This was done because of the theological errrors contained in the diary. I find no reference to a “mistranslation” that was subsequently “cleared up”.

Goodness the Index in 1959!!! …which of course is now suppressed (The INdex of Forbidden Books).

If you read the Homily of Pope Benedict at the canonization Mass, you will see that practically the whole sermon is based on the Dairy of St. Faustina.

I think you are wrong about suppression of the Diary…not to worry, I am wrong often but not in this instance, at least I dont think so.
Alarmed by what you had written, I did some research and you are definitely wrong.

vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/ns_lit_doc_20000430_faustina_en.html

In an extraordinary way, Sr. Mary Faustina’s work sheds light on the mystery of the Divine Mercy. It delights not only the simple and uneducated people, but also scholars who look upon it as an additional source of theo-logical research. The *Diary *has been translated into many languages, among others, English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Hungarian, Czech and Slovak.
My note: In the light of the above statement re the diary of St. Faustina and an astounding statement for a Pope to make, St. Faustina too may one day be raised to the altars as a Doctor of The Church. Let us pray.

See my Post HERE

We really need to have reliable sources and links for statements we make that may be under dispute - or they just become matters of personal opinion and not reliable information by virtue of the fact that the source cannot be checked as reliable - otherwise one would have to take the writer’s word for it and this is never a* reliable* source.

Barb

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Extract of what The Holy Father had to say about St. Faustina, Vatican Website:
vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/documents/ns_lit_doc_20000430_faustina_en.html

The Lord Jesus chose Sr. Mary Faustina as the Apostle and “Secretary” of His Mercy, so that she could tell the world about His great message. *In the Old Covenant — *

He said to her —*I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people. Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart *(Diary 1588).

The mission of Sister Mary Faustina consists in 3 tasks:
– reminding the world of the truth of our faith revealed in the Holy Scripture about the merciful love of God toward every human being.
– Entreating God’s mercy for the whole world and particularly for sinners, among others through the practice of new forms of devotion to the Divine Mercy presented by the Lord Jesus, such as: the veneration of the image of the Divine Mercy with the inscription: *Jesus, I Trust in You, *the feast of the Divine Mercy celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, chaplet to the Divine Mercy and prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 p.m.). The Lord Jesus attached great promises to the above forms of devotion, provided one entrusted one’s life to God and practiced active love of one’s neighbor.

– The third task in Sr. Mary Faustina’s mission consists in initiating the apostolic movement of the Divine Mercy which undertakes the task of proclaiming and entreating God’s mercy for the world and strives for Christian perfection, following the precepts laid down by the Blessed Sr. Mary Faustina. The precepts in question require the faithful to display an attitude of child-like trust in God which expresses itself in fulfilling His will, as well as in the attitude of mercy toward one’s neighbors. Today, this movement within the Church involves millions of people throughout the world; it comprises religious congregations, lay institutes, religious, brotherhoods, associations, various communities of apostles of the Divine Mercy, as well as individual people who take up the tasks which the Lord Jesus communicated to them through Sr. Mary Faustina.

The mission of the Blessed Sr. Mary Faustina was recorded in her *Diary *

which she kept at the specific request of the Lord Jesus and her confessors. In it, she recorded faithfully all of the Lord Jesus’ wishes and also described the encounters between her soul and Him. *Secretary of My most profound mystery — *the Lord Jesus said toSr. Faustina — *know that your task is to write down everything that I make known to you about My mercy, for the benefit of those who by reading these things will be comforted in their souls and will have the courage to approach Me *(Diary 1693).

In an extraordinary way, Sr. Mary Faustina’s work sheds light on the mystery of the Divine Mercy. It delights not only the simple and uneducated people, but also scholars who look upon it as an additional source of theo-logical research. The *Diary *

has been translated into many languages, among others, English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Hungarian, Czech and Slovak.
My note: In the light of the above statement re the diary of St. Faustina and an astounding statement for a Pope to make, St. Faustina too may one day be raised to the altars as a Doctor of The Church. Let us pray.

 

[Joysong]

BarbaraTherese:

Probably best, I think, to settle on a common defintion of these questions…or else we each could be talking about something different when we say “infused” and “knowledge” etc.
I certainly know that I have had overwhelming doubts about something, for example, for some reason and then in a moment that is as sudden as a light being switched on at the switch, I have sureness that came out the blue as it were, and I never doubt again. Is this “infused knowledge” as mystically defined, I simply would not know - nor do I concern myself with it personally.

I was using a term from St. Teresa of Avila, but we really have no language to describe these “sudden light switches.” You said it well, Barb. When a person has never considered in their lifetime the insight that comes in a flash to one’s spirit in prayer [infused], and it is imparted in such a way that it is impossible to doubt the truth of that flash, then I call it infused knowledge.

I read somewhere that this is how angels communicate, transmitting thoughts without words, and I wouldn’t be surprised that this is what might occur among us some day in heaven, since our earthly language is only a medium to convey those thoughts.

We further differentiate these “lights” from our own thoughts,

• by their suddennness;
• by the complete imparting of knowledge that would have taken much longer to deliberate and form a mental conclusion on one’s own;
• by the presence of absolute truth;
• and by the total consolation and peace they bring to the spirit.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I was using a term from St. Teresa of Avila, but we really have no language to describe these “sudden light switches.” You said it well, Barb. When a person has never considered in their lifetime the insight that comes in a flash to one’s spirit in prayer [infused], and it is imparted in such a way that it is impossible to doubt the truth of that flash, then I call it infused knowledge.

I read somewhere that this is how angels communicate, transmitting thoughts without words, and I wouldn’t be surprised that this is what might occur among us some day in heaven, since our earthly language is only a medium to convey those thoughts.

We further differentiate these “lights” from our own thoughts,

• by their suddennness;
• by the complete imparting of knowledge that would have taken much longer to deliberate and form a mental conclusion on one’s own;
• by the presence of absolute truth;
• and by the total consolation and peace they bring to the spirit.

It is pretty much as I thought, Joysong. What caused me to frown and ponder, was this quote from StMartin_67:

It is dangerous to assume “infused knowledge” that is contrary to all external indicators.

…and I thought that I did not understand his defintion of “infused knowledge” and what he means by “external indicators”.

I think that probably infused knowledge may also mean those things that somehow we experience as we really do know that one cannot doubt at all, simply because it is knowledge? … not a belief - something beyond that?..almost as if one can somehow actually see it not that “see” is the precise word but with that sureness - like I know the computer is here because I can see it in front of me (statements, Carole, that are questions)

I try to avoid nouns that have very strict definitions in theology as very often it does reduce to an exchange over definitions, not that there is anything wrong with such exchanges - they can be fascinating, but sometimes I want to avoid that…other times I would be on unsure ground if I did use such a noun as to the strict definition theologically. I must admit thought that StMartin’s “external indicators” had me puzzled as to what precisely was meant.

Good to catch up with you again on the rounds of these hallowed cyber halls, Carole:thumbsup: …

Barb

PS…Actually, Carole, I would be really sad I think to loose the gift of speech and language…thought communication is far too spooky for such as I who have experienced so called psychotic episodes I once had an entirely stupid person who had an executive type position and supposedly normal and intelligent ask me if I ever considered that I was actually receiving thoughts!!! So I said to him that it was bad enough having to tell my doctor I was hearing voices and a voice without having to tell her something quite so ridiculous as well. These sort of statements are why psychiatry kept scratching their head about me. I was definitely psychotic and hearing things and yet so sane. …so diagnosis settled on “pseudo psychotic episodes” whatever they are!

.

 

[Joysong]

Neil Anthony:

Originally Posted by redrosetea
It makes me wonder if Christ calls everyone 3 times to accept Him what is the point of trying to lead a good life?..Just do what you please and wait till you die and when Christ calls to you, accept Him

I don’t think St. Faustina said anything of the kind.

She did record a conversation in her Diary #1485-1487 here, but unlike other witnessing through the Diary as being the actual words of Our Lord Jesus, these three conversations have no such authority as coming from Him, though I could be mistaken. It would have helped if St. Faustina was more specific as she was elsewhere in the Diary.

I believe these ‘conversations’ were the result of her own meditations upon God’s mercy, and what might possibly be His words to each of these types of souls. The only authentic wording she uses as coming from God is in 1698, which I provided earlier in this thread. It is important to note the use of her word “sometimes” and that is why I set it apart with apostrophes.

In conclusion, we cannot assume that God will absolutely without fail call each soul three times at the hour of death. I don’t know how this was presented on EWTN, but the listeners are mistaken if they take this as unerrant truth. I cherished this hope initially when I heard something similar from Fr. Groeschel, because I have family who did not die repentent, and this is why I began to read the Diary, in order to find the exact reference. There is nothing in the entire work that indicates every person will receive this grace at the hour of death, barring the possibility recorded in #1698.

The one consolation I had was when I prayed and learned that Our Blessed Mother prays for us at the hour of our death. If not, then the Hail Mary is just lip service. Pray for US SINNERS, which includes all of mankind, and is petitioned by the Church militant every day throughout the world. The prayer does not plead, pray for me at the hour of my death, but for all. As I mentioned earlier, this grace can also be rejected due to free will and there is no guarantee that one will therefore be saved just because Mary prays for US at the hour of OUR death.

 

[StMartin_67]

BarbaraTherese:

…and I thought that I did not understand his defintion of “infused knowledge” and what he means by “external indicators”.

I didn’t use the term nor define it. I merely pointed out that it is dangerous to attribute a thought to “infused knowlege” when all the external indicators say otherwise.

 

[StMartin_67]

BarbaraTherese:

Goodness the Index in 1959!!! …which of course is now suppressed (The INdex of Forbidden Books).

The question was why it was placed on the Index. The abolition of the Index does not answer that question; but I assume you knew that.

Do you know why it was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books?

 

[Joysong]

The question was why it was placed on the Index. The abolition of the Index does not answer that question; but I assume you knew that.

Do you know why it was placed on the Index of Forbidden Books?

It was explained twice, St. Martin. Maybe you missed the posts?
Timothysis and I both explained that the first writing was a faulty translation. When it was corrected using her original writing and a good translator, the approval was given to publish, and the Diary now contains both the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur - perfectly safe to read.

It is good to review the Church’s process for canonizations, in which She examines not only the heroic virtues of the saint, but scrutinizes every one of their writings. Had there been anything faulty within these, the canonization would have never taken place. Your resistance is very puzzling.

 

[redrosetea]

It is a comfort to think the unrepentant might get a last minute chance to repent…especailly when you think of hell

Explain to me then please, how this squares with Jesus saying, everyone that says Lord ,Lord, will not enter into the kingdom

This seems to contradict what Faustina said…at least to me

It seems to say to me Christ is saying people will be condemned that profess faith ??? I don’t know how to connected the 2 sayings when Christ says not everyone will make it

 

[Joysong]

Explain to me then please, how this squares with Jesus saying, everyone that says Lord ,Lord, will not enter into the kingdom.

I don’t know how to connected the 2 sayings when Christ says not everyone will make it.

It is true that not all will make it to heaven, and I believe this was affirmed in my posts and also in St. Faustina’s #1698.

You remind me of someone else on the forum who had an obsession about “most” catholics go to hell. I hope that you are not believing likewise. It is important to look at those scriptures and understand Jesus’s meaning of those words.
Mt. 7:22:

Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

The scripture footnote on these words at the Bishops’ website says: “The attack on the false prophets is continued, but is broadened to include those disciples who perform works of healing and exorcism in the name of Jesus (Lord) but live evil lives. Entrance into the kingdom is only for those who do the will of the Father. On the day of judgment (on that day) the morally corrupt prophets and miracle workers will be rejected by Jesus.”

The essence is that reliance on extraordinary gifts such as healing and exorcism, while not following God’s commandments is not of itself a guarantee to enter the Kingdom. This has little to do with St. Faustina’s message of mercy that God instructed her to deliver to mankind, asking that all sinners turn to God, repent and trust in Him. The Diary furthermore teaches the tremendous value of intercessory prayer for sinners, using the Chaplet He taught her.

 

[StMartin_67]

It was explained twice, St. Martin. Maybe you missed the posts?
Timothysis and I both explained that the first writing was a faulty translation. When it was corrected using her original writing and a good translator, the approval was given to publish, and the Diary now contains both the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur - perfectly safe to read.

It is good to review the Church’s process for canonizations, in which She examines not only the heroic virtues of the saint, but scrutinizes every one of their writings. Had there been anything faulty within these, the canonization would have never taken place. Your resistance is very puzzling.

A “faulty translation” did not get a book put on the Index. What was the objectional subject matter of the “faulty translation”?

 

[redrosetea]

Thank you for explaining that Joysong, and FYI …I don’t have an obsession with anything and am not in need of your clinical diagnoses…When I need one I will see a Dr thank you very much

 

[BarbaraTherese]

I regard Carole (Joysong) as a far more reliable source of Catholic information than I am, but I will post my thoughts anyway.

What follows is what I found in the Wikipedia re the Diary of Faustina and the Index of Forbidden Books - and I have heard that the Wikipedia is not exactly a reliable source but informative nonethless.
National Catholic Reporter had quite a few entries when I researched that were not exactly favourable of the diary, but to my mind this is only a media outlet and I prefer what Rome has to say (see my Posts here and here) as being reliable. And personal opinions are only that person’s opinion. I am not too sure whether the NCR is regarded as a reliable source or not and the entries on a search were so many from NCR, I did not record them here. But if you Google “National Catholic Reporter - diary of faustina” they will all come up immediately.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faustina_Kowalska

Index of Forbidden Books

After the death of St. Faustina, the nuns at her convent sent her writings to the Vatican. Prior to 1966, any reported visions of Jesus and Mary required approval from the Holy See before they could be released to the public.[1]
In 1959, Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani at the Holy Office included her works on a list he submitted to the newly elected Pope John XXIII. The pope signed the decree that placed her work on the Index of Forbidden Books and they remained on the Index for over 20 years. Father Sopoćko was harshly reprimanded, and all his work was suppressed. However, Eugeniusz Baziak, the archbishop of Kraków, permitted the nuns to leave the original picture hanging in their chapel so that those who wished to continue to pray before it could do so.
The current position of the Vatican is that misunderstandings were created by a faulty Italian translation of Kowalska’s Diary in that the questionable material could not be correlated with the original Polish version because of difficulties in communication throughout World War II and the subsequent Communist era.
However, an article in the National Catholic Reporter suggests that the ban stemmed from more serious theological issues. For instance, her claim that Jesus had promised a complete remission of sin for certain devotional acts that only the sacraments can offer, and what Vatican evaluators felt to be an excessive focus on Faustina herself ran contrary to the views at the Holy Office.[2]
edit] Canonization and Institution of Divine Mercy Sunday

When Karol Wojtyła (the future Pope John Paul II) became Archbishop of Kraków, a new investigation into the life and diary of St. Faustina was launched, and the devotion to the Divine Mercy was once again permitted. Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, John Paul II’s successor as archbishop of Krakow, said that Faustina “reminds us of the gospel we had forgotten.”
Faustina was beatified on April 18, 1993 and canonized on April 30, 2000. Divine Mercy Sunday is celebrated the Second Sunday of Easter (which is the first Sunday after Easter).
“
Indeed the message [St. Faustina] brought is the appropriate and incisive answer that God wanted to offer to the questions and expectations of human beings in our time, marked by terrible tragedies.

”

—Pope John Paul II -Divine Mercy Sunday Homily,Sunday, 22 April 2001​

The fact that her Vatican biography directly quotes some of her conversations with Jesus distinguishes her among the many reported visions of Jesus and Mary.

 

[Neil_Anthony]

It is a comfort to think the unrepentant might get a last minute chance to repent…especailly when you think of hell

Explain to me then please, how this squares with Jesus saying, everyone that says Lord ,Lord, will not enter into the kingdom

This seems to contradict what Faustina said…at least to me

It seems to say to me Christ is saying people will be condemned that profess faith ??? I don’t know how to connected the 2 sayings when Christ says not everyone will make it

I think those passages from St. Faustina’s diary are about things that happen to souls during their lives, not necessarily at the hour of death.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Explain to me then please, how this squares with Jesus saying, everyone that says Lord ,Lord, will not enter into the kingdom

I think perhaps the primary message Jesus wanted to convey in the statement comes across if one puts what Jesus said into its context, and that is that in the final crunch it will be to not only hear His Words and proclaim Him (say “Lord! Lord”) but to put them into daily practise in their lives. It is in fact a message not to unbelievers or to ‘sinners’ but to believers and those who consider themselves ‘on the right track’ as it were, and one that is a quite stern warning.
*

15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

• This is another important quote from the same Chapter. We often meet on our way those who seem to want to tear others down, rather than build them up and encourage them and as the Invitatory says at the beginning of the daily Office “Every day as long as this day lasts, keep encouraging one another”. Certainly the message of St. Faustina from Jesus of His Divine Mercy is a message striving to encourage even the stumbling and even the failing to trust in His Mercy always and keep on trying.
  When you think about it…a person that has tried all their lives to master themselves and without much success at all and yet kept on trying and the day before he or she dies falls into mortal sin missing Mass through their own fault, do you really think Divine Justice is going to send them to Hell forever? We cannot leave the Loving and Merciful Heart of The Father out of the equasions re each soul’s judgement and reduce it all down to our puny rules and regulations that do not bind on God at all!!! And this is why Jesus tells us not to judge or we will find judgement (think about it! - think about it!) and The Church instructs us not to judge…for the simple reason it is impossible and we cannot being finite and totally limited humanity facing an Infinitely Loving and Merciful God. True God is just, but if you think about it His Mercy flows from His Justice…or as the psalm says “that You be justified when you judge, see sinners were we conceived”. God’s Love is Merciful because in Justice God knows that we are absolutely nothing…and nothing but sinful human beings who battle with sin from womb to tomb as it were.

Gospel According to Saint Matthew
Chatper 7

1 Judge not, that you may not be judged, 2 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged: and with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 Any why seest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye; and seest not the beam that is in thy own eye? 4 Or how sayest thou to thy brother: Let me cast the mote out of thy eye; and behold a beam is in thy own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam in thy own eye, and then shalt thou see to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
6 Give not that which is holy to dogs; neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turning upon you, they tear you. 7 Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. 8 For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you, of whom if his son shall ask bread, will he reach him a stone? 10 Or if he shall ask him a fish, will he reach him a serpent?
11 If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more will your Father who is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him? 12 All things therefore whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you also to them. For this is the law and the prophets. 13 Enter ye in at the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in thereat. 14 How narrow is the gate, and strait is the way that leadeth to life: and few there are that find it! 15 Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 By their fruits you shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, and the evil tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, shall be cut down, and shall be cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them. *

21

• Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of my Father who is in heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in thy name, and cast out devils in thy name, and done many miracles in thy name? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity. 24 Every one therefore that heareth these my words, and doth them, shall be likened to a wise man that built his house upon a rock, 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and they beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded on a rock.