From the Diary of St. Faustina q3 And again, I would like to say three words to the soul that is determined to strive for sanctity and to derive fruit; that is to say, benefit from confession. First [word] — complete sincerity and openness. Even the holiest and wisest confessor cannot forcibly pour into the soul what he desires if it is not sincere and open. An insincere, secretive soul risks great dangers in the spiritual life, and even the Lord Jesus Himself does not give Himself to such a soul on a higher level, because He knows it would derive no benefit from these special graces. Second word — humility. A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of its own misery. It puts on a Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day: February 11th Mary appeared to Bernadette 18 times. These appearances have, collectively, become the seminal Marian apparition and, along with Fatima, the most influential on the post-modern world. Through Mary's revelations, the world would receive the urgent, maternal message of repentance as a way of restoring humankind to health in Christ. again. As I raised my head to look at the grotto, I saw a lady dressed in white, wearing a white dress, a blue girdle, and a yellow rose on each foot, the same color as the chain of her rosary. The beads were white. The Lady made a sign for me to approach, but I was seized with fear and I did not dare, thinking that what I faced was an illusion. On Feb. 11, 1858, Bernadette and two other girls - her sister Toinette and their school chum Jeanne Abadie - went outside to gather firewood. Bernadette searched where the waters of the Savy Mill join the fast-flowing Gave de Pau River. The girls walked to where the Gave branches west, past the banks of the Grotto. They arrived at the bank on the opposite side of the Gave, facing the massive outcropping of the Massabielle. Bernadette wandered downstream. Alone and out of sight of her sister and Jeanne, Bernadette heard what she described as a "sound like a gust of wind." In her words: Excerpt taken from The Answer is Lourdes found at: www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/answer-lourdes Image from: www.marian.org/news/This-Made-Them-Believe-8309 Then I turned my head towards the meadow. I saw the trees quite still. ... I heard the same sound again. mask and avoids everything that might bring it recovery. Third word — obedience. A disobedient soul will win no victory, even if the Lord Jesus himself, in person, were to hear its confession. The most experienced confessor will be of no help whatsoever to such a soul. The disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the spiritual life. God lavishes His graces most generously upon the soul, but it must be an obedient soul. Diary 113
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