The necessity of an "Interior Life"...in the "Diary"

[MariaChristi]

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Continuing to read the Diary of St. Faustina, and listening to the work of Divine Mercy in her soul, has been a blessing during this Year of Mercy. In paragraph 454, the saint wrote:

…I look for no happiness beyond my own interior where God dwells. I rejoice that God dwells within me; here I abide with Him unendingly; it is here that my greatest intimacy with Him exists; here I dwell with Him in safety; here is a place not probed by the human eye. The Blessed Virgin encourages me to commune with God in this way.

Today on the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus, how grateful I am for my Baptism when The Triune God was infused into my soul and participation in the Divine Life began for me! I hope to learn more from Mary and St. Faustina, “apostle of His Mercy”, and like them to remain in Him. How often do we think of Him dwelling with us? Mary and the saints learned to listen to His Word and to remain in Him, (cf John 8 : 31-32 and John 15:1-4), even in the midst of busy days and ordinary chores. The eyes of their hearts were focused on Him.

Mary, Mother of Mercy, pray for us. Help us to keep His Word in our heart as you did.
St. Faustina, pray for us. Help us to learn from Jesus and Mary as you did.
Jesus, we trust in You!

 

[Lily_Bernans]

Beautiful quote! I’m gping to try reading the diary again. I think the rime is right. Thanks!

FWIW, I think what she wrote is something we all should seek.

 

[MariaChristi]

Beautiful quote! I’m gping to try reading the diary again. I think the rime is right. Thanks!

FWIW, I think what she wrote is something we all should seek.

Dear Lily,

Thanks for your reply and for your willingness to take up the “Diary - Divine Mercy in My Soul” by St. Faustina, again. Yes, the time is right for all of us to enter into this Year of Mercy with open hearts to receive all God wants to give us – through so many facets. The Saints whom He raises up in different times of history continue to love us and intercede for us. I continue to read (not all at the same time of course) but different saints like St. Louis de Montfort from the 1700’s and St. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila from the 1500’s and Saints who lived and wrote much earlier like St. Augustine and “modern saints” like Pope St. John Paul II and St. Faustina. I’m sure in your own doctoral studies you’ve found what a tremendous treasure the Catholic Church has in the writings of her Saints.

In each saint we have a witness to the holiness to which we are all called. May the Holy Spirit guide us all in hearing especially from St. Faustina, during this Year of Mercy, all we need to hear as unique members of the Body of Christ. By God’s grace, may we “be merciful as Our Father is Merciful” (Luke 6:36) and build up the Body in love (cf Eph 4:16).

I look forward to hearing from you again, dear sister in Christ!

 

[Lily_Bernans]

Thank you MC. I feel I will come to treasure the book this time around. The quote you posted was so moving and beautiful.

Thank you, and God bless always.

 

[MariaChristi]

Thank you MC. I feel I will come to treasure the book this time around. The quote you posted was so moving and beautiful.

Thank you, and God bless always.

Dear Lily,

Like Scripture, the words of the saints sink more deeply, the second time around.
The paragraph after the one I posted continues her beautiful thoughts. Let me post both together for you and anyone new to this thread:

In her “Diary – Divine Mercy in My Soul,” St. Faustina wrote:

…I look for no happiness beyond my own interior where God Dwells. I rejoice that God dwells within me; here I abide with Him unendingly; it is here that my greatest intimacy with Him exists; here I dwell with Him in safety; here is a place not probed by the human eye. The Blessed Virgin encourages me to commune with God in this way. (Paragraph 454)

St. Faustina continues to describe God’s work in her soul::

When some suffering afflicts me, it no longer causes me any bitterness, nor do great consolations carry me away. I am filled with the peace and equanimity that flows from the knowledge of the Truth.

How can living surrounded by unfriendly hearts do me any harm when I enjoy full happiness within my soul? Or how can having kind hearts around me help me when I do not have God within me? When God dwells within me, who can harm me? (Paragraph 455)

 

[nuntym]

+JMJ+

Hello MariaChristi.

These quotes and subject remind me of a meditation written by St. Josemaria Escriva:

Interior life. Sanctity in our ordinary tasks, sanctity in the little things we do, sanctity in our professional work, in our daily cares…; sanctity, so that we may sanctify others. A friend of mine was dreaming once. (He is someone I’ve never really managed to get to know!) He was flying very high, but he was not inside the plane, in the cabin. He was outside, on the wings. Poor soul, how he suffered! What anguish! It was as if Our Lord was showing him that just such insecurity and danger faces apostolic souls who would fly up to the heights of God, but have no interior life, or else neglect it. They are full of anxiety and doubt, and in constant danger of coming to grief.

I really do believe that a serious danger of losing the way threatens those who launch out into action — activism! — while neglecting prayer, self denial and those means without which it is impossible to achieve a solid piety: receiving the Sacraments frequently, meditation, examination of conscience, spiritual reading and constant recourse to Our Lady and the Guardian Angels… Besides, all these means contribute in a way that nothing else can, to making the Christian’s daily life a joyful one, for, from their hidden riches, flow out the sweetness and joy of God, like honey from the comb.

Source: escrivaworks.org/book/friends_of_god-point-18.htm

 

[MariaChristi]

+JMJ+

Hello MariaChristi.

These quotes and subject remind me of a meditation written by St. Josemaria Escriva:

Interior life. Sanctity in our ordinary tasks, sanctity in the little things we do, sanctity in our professional work, in our daily cares…; sanctity, so that we may sanctify others. A friend of mine was dreaming once. (He is someone I’ve never really managed to get to know!) He was flying very high, but he was not inside the plane, in the cabin. He was outside, on the wings. Poor soul, how he suffered! What anguish! It was as if Our Lord was showing him that just such insecurity and danger faces apostolic souls who would fly up to the heights of God, but have no interior life, or else neglect it. They are full of anxiety and doubt, and in constant danger of coming to grief.

I really do believe that a serious danger of losing the way threatens those who launch out into action — activism! — while neglecting prayer, self denial and those means without which it is impossible to achieve a solid piety: receiving the Sacraments frequently, meditation, examination of conscience, spiritual reading and constant recourse to Our Lady and the Guardian Angels… Besides, all these means contribute in a way that nothing else can, to making the Christian’s daily life a joyful one, for, from their hidden riches, flow out the sweetness and joy of God, like honey from the comb.

Source: escrivaworks.org/book/friends_of_god-point-18.htm

Dear nuntym,

Thanks for your reply and for the quote from St. Josemaria. Yes, the saints knew the Truth Jesus taught and like Our Blessed Mother they kept His Word as they journeyed toward Him on this earth. How often have we heard Jesus telling us to “Remain” in Him (cf John 15)? Yet, how many seriously seek to be faithful to His Word and do the Truth we hear? It is too easy to “lose” one’s relationship with God in prayer by becoming so absorbed in things which distract us from Him.

By God’s Grace, the saints remained in Jesus even as they worked. May we daily ask the Holy Spirit to guide us into the complete Truth of Jesus (Jn 16:13) and daily seek the intercession of Mary to do the Truth we hear. I continue to be blessed by the phrase in Luke’s Gospel recounting the search of the Magi and their finding “the Child with His Mother”. Both St. Faustina and St. Josemaria are careful to include Mary in their lives. They truly heard Jesus say from His Cross: “Behold your Mother” . They obeyed Jesus, taking Mary into their lives as the Apostle John did, and learned to grow in grace as she grew in grace…

Please let us pray for one another, and for all those in most need of His Mercy The world is growing darker and is in great need of saints. By His Grace, may we grow into the saints God created each of us to be. Without Him, we can do nothing. (cf Jn 15)