"Nov. 27, 1936. Today I was in heaven..." -- St. Faustina

[MariaChristi]

Dear brothers and sisters,

Re-reading St. Faustina’s Diary: Divine Mercy in my Soul yesterday, paragraph 777, I asked myself: “WOW! How could I have forgotten this?”:

1. Nov. 27, 1936. Today I was in heaven, in spirit, and I saw its inconceivable beauties and the happiness that awaits us after. I saw how all creatures give ceaseless praise and glory to God. I saw how great is happiness in God, which spreads to all creatures, making them happy, and then all the glory and praise which springs from this happiness returns to its source; and they enter into the depths of God. contemplating the inner life of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, whom they will never comprehend or fathom. This source of happiness is unchanging in its essence, but it is always new, gushing forth happiness for all creatures. Now I understand St. Paul who said, "Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard. nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.

So often we read things and then forget them; but how could I forget such words? I must have been distracted by my own thoughts on something else! How truly Merciful is the our God! He patiently gives us “second chances”; His Mercy is new every morning!

Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us.
Jesus, I trust in You!

 

[jaimeleglise]

Beautiful. Thank you very much.

 

[CB_Catholic]

Yes, I read this in her Diary also, and I wonder what she meant by “all creatures”. Is this just a reference to angels?

 

[MariaChristi]

Beautiful. Thank you very much.

Thanks for your reply, jaimeleglise!

Yes, I thought it was beautiful too. It reminded me of another letter from St. Paul in which he wrote:

If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3: 1-4).

Perhaps I didn’t remember reading that passage (although I’ve read the Diary many times) because I was thinking more about things on earth than “what is above” as the inspired Word of God encourages us to do. This excerpt from the Diary helps me to keep fighting against distractions which can be simply the evil one seeking to take my focus off God and tempt me with thoughts on something far less important.

May St. Faustina’s words help all of us to “Think of what is above”. Come Holy Spirit, kindle in us the fire of Your Love.

 

[MariaChristi]

Yes, I read this in her Diary also, and I wonder what she meant by “all creatures”. Is this just a reference to angels?

Dear CB Catholic,

Hopefully we’ll know when we get there! Seriously, I’m not sure. Did she perhaps see the glorified, Resurrected Body of Christ and the glorified body of Mary after her Assumption? Did Saint Faustina see the saints in their glorified bodies, as well as the angelic spirits? Did the angels appear in a form in which she would know they were angelic spirits? Let’s look at the excerpt from her Diary again. St Faustina wrote:

1. Nov. 27, 1936. Today I was in heaven, in spirit, and I saw its inconceivable beauties and the happiness that awaits us after death. I saw how all creatures give ceaseless praise and glory to God. I saw how great is happiness in God, which spreads to all creatures, making them happy, and then all the glory and praise which springs from this happiness returns to its source; and they enter into the depths of God. contemplating the inner life of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, whom they will never comprehend or fathom. This source of happiness is unchanging in its essence, but it is always new, gushing forth happiness for all creatures. Now I understand St. Paul who said, "Eye has not seen, nor has ear heard. nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.

In some mysterious way, God permitted her to “see” what she wrote and she closes with, “Now I understand St. Paul who said " Eye has not seen nor has ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him”. God shared with St. Faustina some of this mystery of “what God has prepared for those who love Him”. We have yet to “see” but by His Grace, we can believe without seeing, and trust without hearing and yearn with our hearts to love Him more! Thanks for your reply and for wondering, and thinking about the things above.

 

[Casilda]

When I was a teen and I was not allowed to go to church, a cousin (who became an Episcopal priest) gave me a KJV Bible. I would spend time reading the Bible, looking for God. I would write down favorite passages in a journal. I still have that 42 year old Bible. Paul’s verse that St. Faustina references is one of my two favorites!

1 Corinthians 2

1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

6 Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:

8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.

12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.

King James Version (KJV)
Public Domain

 

[MariaChristi]

My dear Casilda,

It is always so good to hear from you. Thanks so much for sharing the whole chapter from St. Paul from which St. Faustina drew her words. Scripture is truly a gift from God which we need to cherish as Mary our Mother did, keeping it and reflecting on it in our hearts. Most of us on this earth will need to wait to see the Incarnate Word with the “eyes” of our souls at the end of our time here – unlike Our Mother Mary and some of the saints who testified to seeing Him with their eyes on this earth. Nevertheless we are blessed too for Jesus told us, “Blessed are those who have not seen, yet have believed”. By God’s grace we have been given the great gift of our Faith to believe without seeing.

There are only a few differences in the translations of I Cor 2 given in your 42 year old KJV from that of the New American Bible. I thought you might like to read this version also of 1 Cor 2: The New American Bible is on website HERE. You may want to compare other passages. The KJV leaves out 7 books which the Catholic Bible includes, so I hope you use a Catholic Bible as well as your 42 yr. old KJV, which I am sure is very special to you since God first drew you to Himself. Faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God as Paul wrote in Romans.

1
When I came to you, brothers, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.
2
For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
3
I came to you in weakness and fear and much trembling,
4
and my message and my proclamation were not with persuasive (words of) wisdom, but with a demonstration of spirit and power,c
5
so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.

The True Wisdom.
6
Yet we do speak a wisdom to those who are mature, but not a wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age who are passing away.
7
Rather, we speak God’s wisdom, mysterious, hidden, which God predetermined before the ages for our glory,
8
and which none of the rulers of this age knew; for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
9
But as it is written:
“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him,”
10
f this God has revealed to us through the Spirit.
For the Spirit scrutinizes everything, even the depths of God.
11
Among human beings, who knows what pertains to a person except the spirit of the person that is within? Similarly, no one knows what pertains to God except the Spirit of God.
12
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the things freely given us by God.
13
And we speak about them not with words taught by human wisdom, but with words taught by the Spirit, describing spiritual realities in spiritual terms.*
14
Now the natural person does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it, because it is judged spiritually.
15
The spiritual person, however, can judge everything but is not subject to judgment by anyone.
16
For “who has known the mind of the Lord, so as to counsel him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Just an added note: When Paul says “we” have the mind of Christ, he is speaking to all those who are in union with the Whole Christ, i.e. Head and Body. The One True Church is the authentic interpreter of Scripture. We need to listen prayerfully and carefully to Scripture – we do not interpret scriptures to use to prove our own interpretations – indeed even the evil one used Scripture in tempting Christ. We need to keep in our hearts and minds the truth that God’s Revelation comes to us from Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Church. The Church has not given an interpretation of every verse but her teachings do guide us in what we believe and therefor any interpretation ought not contradict an official teaching of the Church. I may not need to say all this to you dear sister, but many people who read CAF may need to hear that there remain differences among Christians which we continue to pray about and ask the Lord truly to make us all One as Jesus prayed in John 17. Please let us continue to pray for one another and for all those in most need of God;s Mercy.