Jesus, Mercy Incarnate

and anguish is not necessarily a sign of a weak faith; it may be nothing more than simple conformity to the one who was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53:3-5). 68 It is not surprising that the followers of Jesus often will approach the crosses of life with hesitation and dread, given that the divine Son Himself shrank from impending torture, in His human nature, with the prayer “Let this cup pass from me” (Matt. 26:39). Even though He remained at every moment surrendered to His Father’s will – “Thy will be done” – yet His human feelings could not help but shrink from such excruciating pain and misery, so contrary to human well-being. Faustina experienced much the same thing in her many suffer- ings, and one time she poured out her heart in prayer about this (diary entry no 1489): Jesus, do not leave me alone in suffering. You know, Lord, how weak I am. I am an abyss of wretchedness, I am noth- ingness itself; so what will be so strange if You leave me alone and I fall? I am an infant, Lord, so I cannot get along by myself. However, beyond all abandonment I trust, and in spite of my own feeling I trust, and I am being completely transformed into trust — often in spite of what I feel. At the end of our life, perhaps, all we will be able to say to our crucified Lord is summed up in the compassionate dialogue He held with the dying Sr. Josefa Menendez. Showing her His flaming Heart He said: “See the dwelling that I am preparing for you for ever and ever...and what are you preparing for Me, Josefa?” “Ah! Lord – my sins...my miseries...my sorrow to have done so little for Thee.” “Never mind that...Give it all to Me and I will consume everything in the fire of My Heart.” 69 78 Jesus, Mercy Incarnate