Brothers and sisters, the profession of faith in Jesus Christ cannot stop at words, but calls to be authenticated by practical choices and gestures, by a life characterized by God’s love; it calls for a great life, a life with an abundance of love for neighbour. Jesus tells us that to follow him, to be his disciples, we must deny ourselves (cf. v. 34), that is, the demands of our own selfish pride, and take up our own cross. Then he gives everyone a fundamental rule. And what is this rule? “For whoever would save his life will lose it” (v. 35). Often in life, for many reasons, we go astray, looking for happiness only in things, or in people whom we treat as things. But we find happiness only when love, true love, encounters us, surprises us, changes us. Love changes everything! And love can also change us, each one of us. The witnesses of Saints proves it. May the Virgin Mary, who lived her faith by faithfully following her Son Jesus, help us too to walk on his path, generously spending our life for him and for our brothers and sisters. G www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/fiveloaves-two-fish-philosophy Angelus Address given by Pope Francis on September 16, 2018 https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/angelus/2018/documents/papa-francesco_angelus_20180916.html Picture: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/pope-francis-unique Coat of Arms: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en.html From ‘But Who Do You Say I Am’ (Mt. 16:13): https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/who-do-you-say-i-am-mt-1613 My intention in sharing these brief thoughts, prayers, and gleanings from the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska is to respond to a statement that Our Lord made to St. Faustina: A Marian Meditation ‘But Who Do You Say I Am’ (Mt. 16:13) by Br. Leonard Konopka, MIC (1933-2020) “I desire to unite Myself with human souls; My great delight is to untie Myself with souls. Know, My daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object” (Diary, 1385). For our human understanding, Our Lord seems to be implying that He is a jilted lover. His graces are spurned and His love is unrequited. Those who have had a similar experience of unrequited love can appreciate what he may be saying. Many of us struggle to find the deeper meaning of His anguish. Now that we know how Our Lord is patiently waiting, we can ceaselessly pray to the Holy Spirit, as St. Faustina did, for the grace to know how to respond to His love. However, the burning question remains for each of us to answer: Just who is Jesus for me? And if He wants to give so much of Himself to me daily, then why do I spurn those graces? What am I afraid of? Who will help me remove the blocks from receiving Him unconditionally into the very depths of my being? As we are led to further deepen our knowledge of Jesus through the reception of Holy Communion, personal prayer and reading the Diary, perhaps we too will be enlightened by the Holy Spirit and respond appropriately to Our Lords’ desire for a relationship with Himself. Our Lord knows only too well, that He is the only one that can truly fill the void that remains in all of our minds and hearts. Whether we are just beginners in the spiritual journey or advanced along the mystical path of contemplation, the need for His Mercy will always prevail. When finally captivated by His love, we will have not other recourse but to trust in Jesus for the rest of our lives.
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