Jesus, Mercy Incarnate

(Lk. 9:23). But Sr. Faustina discovered that abandonment to the plans of Divine Mercy also results in an ever deeper love for Him, purified by suffering. In fact, in the crucible of suffering all self- seeking in love can be purged away, with the help of divine grace: Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystal- lized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love. 64 And the Lord said tome, “My child, you pleaseMemost by suffering. In your physical as well as your mental suf- ferings, My daughter, do not seek sympathy from crea- tures. I want the fragrance of your suffering to be pure and unadulterated. I want you to detach yourself, not only fromcreatures, but also fromyourself. My daughter, I want to delight in the love of your heart, a pure love, vir- ginal, unblemished, and untarnished. The more you will come to love suffering, My daughter, the purer your love for Me will be . ” 65 The true disciple of Jesus Christ is therefore not a “fair-weather friend,” but one who loves and serves Himnomatter what the cost. And the greater the cost, the more the soul can be stripped of self- seeking in his relationship with God. As St. Alphonsus put it in his meditation on “Conformity to God’s will”: The true lovers of Jesus Christ love only that which is pleasing to Jesus Christ, and for the sole reason that it does please him; and they love it when it pleases Jesus Christ, where it pleases him, and how it pleases him.... This is the real drift of what is meant by the pure love of Jesus Christ; hence we must labor to overcome the cravings of our self-love, which seeks to be employed in those works only that are glo- rious, or that are according to our own inclinations. 66 The sublime heights of pure love can be reached whenever a soul embraces the crosses of life as a co-redemptive offering for the salvation of souls, and for the glory and consolation of Jesus Christ. 76 Jesus, Mercy Incarnate