Jesus' words on "firm resolution" (to St. Faustina)

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

These words of Jesus to St. Faustina, are an encouragement:

1361 This firm resolution to become a saint is extremely pleasing to Me. I bless your efforts and will give you opportunities to sanctify yourself. Be watchful that you lose no opportunity that My Providence offers you for sanctification. If you do not succeed in taking advantage of an opportunity, do not lose your peace, but humble yourself profoundly before Me and, with great trust, immerse yourself completely in My mercy. In this way, you gain more than you have lost, because more favor is granted to a humble soul than the soul itself asks for. (underlining is mine)

How important and how pleasing to God is a firm determination to become a saint! Yet if we lack humility we will become discouraged by our many faults – only the humble soul gains continuously in love for God.

Come Holy Spirit, increase in us your gifts – especially Wisdom and Fortitude. Keep us firm in striving for holiness, watchful for the opportunities, and humble when we fail. Bring us into all the Truth of Your Loving Mercy.

 

[GLam8833]

The words of St. Paul in Phil. 3 agrees w/
the need to “forget what is behind and strain
forward to what is ahead” v.13
That’s what I am trying to do, w/ my many
falls, I get up, brush myself off and FORGE
AHEAD, not letting my past failures keep
me from moving on. “Looking to Jesus, the
Author and Perfecter of our Faith” Heb. 12:2

 

[MariaChristi]

The words of St. Paul in Phil. 3 agrees w/
the need to “forget what is behind and strain
forward to what is ahead” v.13
That’s what I am trying to do, w/ my many
falls, I get up, brush myself off and FORGE
AHEAD, not letting my past failures keep
me from moving on. “Looking to Jesus, the
Author and Perfecter of our Faith” Heb. 12:2

Yes, GLam, me too!

The Saints echo the Scripture in their spoken words and in their writings. St. Faustina, of course had special grace to actually “see” Jesus and to “hear” His words physically, but all of us need to “see” Him also by Faith, and to “hear” Him in His Holy Word.

God reveals Himself to us in Holy Scripture, primarily but as Catholics we also believe in His revelation through Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church. The Holy Spirit is given to the Church that we might come into all Truth. God knows our weaknesses and so He has given us the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Jesus, we trust in You!
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful; kindle in us the Fire of Your Love.
Mary, Mother of the Church, and St. Faustina, apostle of Divine Mercy, pray for us.

 

[Katherine438]

My biggest problem is not being able to leave behind the sins I have committed in the past … I have confessed … but still feel the need to beg our Lord for forgiveness … there are times when it creates an issue in my prayer life … I presume it is just something I have to work on … but I was reading the book “Words of Love” the other night and it helped me to realize that Jesus doesn’t even remember those sins anymore … so I need to move forward and not think of yesterday … as the Lord said, “sufficient to today, it’s own evil” … must keep reminding myself of that.

 

[MariaChristi]

My biggest problem is not being able to leave behind the sins I have committed in the past … I have confessed … but still feel the need to beg our Lord for forgiveness … there are times when it creates an issue in my prayer life … I presume it is just something I have to work on … but I was reading the book “Words of Love” the other night and it helped me to realize that Jesus doesn’t even remember those sins anymore … so I need to move forward and not think of yesterday … as the Lord said, “sufficient to today, it’s own evil” … must keep reminding myself of that.

Dear Katherine,

The evil one is called the “accuser” for good reason. He is “the father of lies” and continually tempts us not to believe God’s Love and Mercy. It began in the Garden of Eden, when satan lied to Adam and Eve and they willingly chose to believe satan and disobeyed God’s Words to them.

St. John Paul II in his encyclical on the Holy Spirit helps us understand that the root of all our sins stems from unbelief. Either we believe the Truth and do the Truth we hear or we believe the lies of the evil spirit telling us God doesn’t really forgive us or care about us, or He isn’t really a Merciful God who shares His Life of Grace with us, (or any number of lies contradicting God’s revelation of Himself in Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church).

The great faith of our Mother Mary and all the saints helps us to believe in God’s power to do great things in humble souls. St. Faustina, and St. Teresa of Calcutta are two great examples of humble women who believed, and hoped and loved God totally, as our Mother Mary gives us example. They knew they were weak of themselves but in Him they could be strong. As St. Paul wrote, “When I am weak then I am strong” – All the saints learned to rely on God and to trust Him and all He says in His Word, completely!

Yes, growing in grace takes work, but you are on the right track in seeing your need to focus more on growing in His Love. Let Him fill you with thoughts of His Mercy so you have no room left to think about sins confessed, repented of, and gone. Like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke’s Gospel for this Sunday, who embraced the son who returned and gave him a new garment and rejoiced – no mention of the past – for this child of his was Home! So God rejoices over us and wants us to rejoice in His Love for us. Yes we are sorry for any sin we ever committed but we are even more thankful God forgave us in His Love and awaits us in our Eternal Home in heaven.

Come Holy Spirit, fill us with the Fire of Your Love.
Jesus, we trust in You!
Mary, our Mother, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Faustina, pray for us and with us.

 

[Katherine438]

Dear Katherine,

The evil one is called the “accuser” for good reason. He is “the father of lies” and continually tempts us not to believe God’s Love and Mercy. It began in the Garden of Eden, when satan lied to Adam and Eve and they willingly chose to believe satan and disobeyed God’s Words to them.

St. John Paul II in his encyclical on the Holy Spirit helps us understand that the root of all our sins stems from unbelief. Either we believe the Truth and do the Truth we hear or we believe the lies of the evil spirit telling us God doesn’t really forgive us or care about us, or He isn’t really a Merciful God who shares His Life of Grace with us, (or any number of lies contradicting God’s revelation of Himself in Scripture, Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church).

The great faith of our Mother Mary and all the saints helps us to believe in God’s power to do great things in humble souls. St. Faustina, and St. Teresa of Calcutta are two great examples of humble women who believed, and hoped and loved God totally, as our Mother Mary gives us example. They knew they were weak of themselves but in Him they could be strong. As St. Paul wrote, “When I am weak then I am strong” – All the saints learned to rely on God and to trust Him and all He says in His Word, completely!

Yes, growing in grace takes work, but you are on the right track in seeing your need to focus more on growing in His Love. Let Him fill you with thoughts of His Mercy so you have no room left to think about sins confessed, repented of, and gone. Like the Father in the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke’s Gospel for this Sunday, who embraced the son who returned and gave him a new garment and rejoiced – no mention of the past – for this child of his was Home! So God rejoices over us and wants us to rejoice in His Love for us. Yes we are sorry for any sin we ever committed but we are even more thankful God forgave us in His Love and awaits us in our Eternal Home in heaven.

Come Holy Spirit, fill us with the Fire of Your Love.
Jesus, we trust in You!
Mary, our Mother, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Faustina, pray for us and with us.

Thank you … you really will never know how much I needed to hear what you just said … I have only come back to our Lord after staying away for a while after my home was destroyed in a storm … and I needed so much to be reminded of what you said… Thank you kindly.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thank you … you really will never know how much I needed to hear what you just said … I have only come back to our Lord after staying away for a while after my home was destroyed in a storm … and I needed so much to be reminded of what you said… Thank you kindly.

Dearest Katherine,

How Good God is to enable us to help one another as He helps us! He really does give us what we need – not only for ourselves – but He gives us what we need to give others.

God loves us more than we can even imagine and He wants us to share His love with others. Thanks for letting me know He helped you through the words He gave me.