Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - 1.5

The Gospel, radiant with the glory of Christ’s cross, constantly invites us to rejoice. A few examples will suffice. 

“Rejoice!” is the angel’s greeting to Mary (Lk 1:28). 

Mary’s visit to Elizabeth makes John leap for joy in his mother’s womb (cf. Lk 1:41). 

In her song of praise, Mary proclaims: “My spirit rejoices in God my Saviour” (Lk 1:47). 

When Jesus begins his ministry, John cries out: “For this reason, my joy has been fulfilled” (Jn 3:29). 

Jesus himself “rejoiced in the Holy Spirit” (Lk 10:21). His message brings us joy: “I have said these things to you, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (Jn 15:11). Our Christian joy drinks of the wellspring of his brimming heart. He promises his disciples: “You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy” (Jn 16:20). He then goes on to say: “But I will see you again and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (Jn 16:22). 

The disciples “rejoiced” (Jn 20:20) at the sight of the risen Christ. In the Acts of the Apostles we read that 

the first Christians “ate their food with glad and generous hearts” (2:46). Wherever the disciples went, “there was great joy” (8:8); even amid persecution they continued to be “filled with joy” (13:52). 

The newly baptized eunuch “went on his way rejoicing” (8:39), while Paul’s jailer “and his entire household rejoiced that he had become a believer in God” (16:34). 

Why should we not also enter into this great stream of joy?

Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium - 1.2

I. A joy ever new, a joy which is shared

The great danger in today’s world, pervaded as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart, the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior life becomes caught up in its own interests and concerns, there is no longer room for others, no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt, and the desire to do good fades. This is a very real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen Christ.

This reminded me of St. Luke's words:

No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 16:13

Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions." 12:15


And other verses:

But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion. Jer 22:17

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 Jn 2:15

So the wage of every covetous man destroys the souls of the possessors. Pro 1:19 

LUST vs CHARITY - Day 4

A few Bible verses on lust:

Exodus 20:14 You shall not commit adultery.
Matthew 5:28 But I say to you, That whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.
Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
1 Corinthians 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
Ephesians 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becomes saints;
Colossians 3:5 Mortify therefore your members which are on the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
2 Timothy 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
1 Peter 1:14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

The Message of Divine Mercy

If I was forced to chose only one favorite book of all time, I would have to chose "Divine Mercy in My Soul" by St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. Why? Simply because it is a powerful witness to what to do with suffering. Nobody wants it, but everybody encounters it. And for those who are hit hard with suffering, this book lays out a clear message of comfort -- that these heavy burdens are not in vain. Jesus says to St. Faustina: "You are not living for yourself but for souls, and other souls profit from your sufferings. Your prolonged suffering will give them the light and strength to accept my will." (#67)

One argument against God is that if He is so Good and so Powerful why does He allow bad things to happen? In particular, why does He allow His own children/followers to be in such agony?

We must remember that Jesus warned His disciples, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you," and "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Jn 15:18;  Mt 16:24)

Now God doesn't delight in our sufferings; rather, He permits them because it is the only way for us to deny ourselves. Suffering is purging. He can't live in us when we are filled with junk, disorders and attachments. "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Mt 5:48)

While this book is the diary of this beautiful saint and a record of the many times that Jesus appears and speaks personally to her, Jesus does speak to us also. His messages to all souls are included below:


#20 "My mercy doesn't want this, but justice demands it." (Speaking of Purgatory)

#30 "Who God is in His Essence, no one will fathom, neither the mind of Angels nor of man. Get to know God by contemplating His attributes."

#48 "I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory."

#50 "I desire that priests proclaim this great mercy of Mine towards the souls of sinners. Let the sinner not be afraid to approach Me. The flames of mercy are burning Me -- clamoring to be spent; I want to pour them out upon these souls. Distrust on the part of souls is tearing at My insides. The distrust of a chosen soul causes Me even greater pain; despite my inexhaustible love for them they do not trust Me. Even my death is not enough for them.  Woe to the soul that abuses these."

#83 "Write this: before I come as the Just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy. Before the day of justice arrives, there will be given to the people a sign in the heavens of this sort: All light in the heavens will be extinguished, and there will be great darkness over the whole earth. Then the sign of the cross will be seen in the sky, and from the opening where the hands and feet were nailed will come forth great lights which will light up the earth for a period of time. This will take place shortly before the last day."

# 85 "Write this down at once what you hear: I am the Lord in My Essence and immune to orders and needs. If I call creatures into being -- that is the abyss of My mercy."  

# 86 "I do not reward for good results but for the patience and hardship undergone for my sake."

# 88 "I am the King of Mercy. I desire that this image be displayed in public on the First Sunday after Easter. That Sunday is the Feast of Mercy. Through the Word Incarnate, I made known the bottomless depth of My mercy."

# 129 "Do not fear, I am with you."

# 145 "...any transgressions against the confessor touch Me Myself..."

# 149 "Consider My sufferings before Pilate." 

#165 "He who does not take advantage of small graces will not receive great ones." 

#177 "The flames of mercy are burning Me -- clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don't want to believe in my goodness."

#206 "I want to give Myself to souls; I yearn for souls." 

#268 "The bride must resemble her Betrothed. ...See what love of human souls has done to Me? ... I often wait with great graces at the end of prayer."

#269 "Oh how I love those souls who have complete confidence in Me -- I will do everything for them."

#299 "The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls... The two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when my agonized Heart was opened by the lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy. Ask of my faithful servant [Father Sopocko] that, on this day, he tell the whole world of my great mercy; that whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment. Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to my mercy. Oh how much I am hurt by a soul's distrust! Such a soul professes that I am Holy and Just, but does not believe that I am Mercy and does not trust in My Goodness. Even the devils glorify My Justice but do not believe in My Goodness. My Heart rejoices in this title of Mercy. Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God. All the works of my hand are crowned with mercy."  

# 313 "Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace."

# 320  "The prayer of the humble and loving soul disarms the anger of My Father and draws down an ocean of blessings."

# 324 "Pure love gives the soul strength at the very moment of dying. When I was dying on the cross, I was not thinking about Myself, but about poor sinners, and I prayed for them to my Father... There is but one price which souls are bought. "

The Way of Perfection

The Way of Perfection is LOVE.

Excerpts from the autobiography of St. Therese the Child of Jesus

      "You ask me for a method of attaining perfection. I know of Love----and Love only! Our hearts are made for it alone. Sometimes I endeavor to find some other word for love; but in a land of exile words which have a beginning and an end are quite unable to render adequately the emotions of the soul, and so we must keep to the one simple word—Love.

      "Do not think we can find love without suffering, for our nature remains and must be taken into account; but suffering puts great treasures within our reach. Indeed it is our very livelihood and so precious that Jesus came down upon earth on purpose to possess it. Of course, we should like to suffer generously and nobly; we should like never to fall. What an illusion! What does it matter if I fall at every moment! In that way I realize my weakness, and the gain is considerable. My God, Thou seest how little I am good for, away from Thy divine arms; and if Thou leavest me alone, well, it is because it pleases Thee to see me lie on the ground. Then why should I be troubled?"

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“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command.  I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  This is my command: Love each other."  John 15:9

"The Servant of Charity must go to bed each night so tired from work that he will think he has been beaten." St. Louis Guanella