Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

When you pray, do you ever sit and gaze upon the crucifix? From an outside perspective, the crucifix is a puzzling reality. Why would we lift high and honor such a horrific event? The brutal murder of the Son of God may not be, at first, something we are attracted to. Yet, the crucifix has a power and a draw for those who gaze upon it in faith because it is not only a horrific and brutal murder, it is, first and foremost, the complete victory over sin and death. The Crucifixion of our Lord was the greatest act of love ever known, because in that act, He destroyed death and sin forever for those who turn to Him with complete abandon. The crucifix is also a sign to us of the self-giving we are called to live. We are each called to enter upon that cross and die with Christ, giving ourselves to others. For in dying with Him, our sins are atoned for and we are able to share in the victory of His Resurrection. Gazing upon the Crucifixion of our Lord transforms us as it opens the doors of the Mercy won by this selfless act of love (See Diary #681). Try praying before the crucifix. Try sitting in silence and gazing upon it. To “gaze” is more than to simply “look.” When we gaze we seek to look beyond the image we see and to peer into the love that brought Jesus to that moment. We see a God of infinite love who was willing to go all the way to save us from our sins and love us with a perfect love. Lord, I do desire to gaze upon Your perfect act of love and to see Your Heart, bursting forth with Mercy upon me and upon the whole world. Help me to understand the unfathomable gift of Your Sacrifice and to enter into an eternal gratitude for this gift. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image above: Picdiet

If you were to examine the content of your prayer life over the past month, what would you see? Hopefully there would be many moments of surrender, intercession, praise and adoration. And hopefully there were also many moments in which your prayer consisted of deep thanksgiving to God. Being grateful, truly grateful, and expressing that gratitude in prayer is powerful. We have so much to be grateful for and yet, so often, we become more focused in on our problems than on the countless blessings God has bestowed upon us. Even in the midst of life’s darkest hour, there is much that a holy soul can find to be grateful for. Offering prayers of gratitude to God, with much sincerity, has the potential to lift our spirits to the heights of authentic spiritual joy (See Diary #675). What are you grateful for? Better put, in what ways has God blessed you in abundance? If you are not immediately aware of your blessings from God, that is a good sign that you may need to spend more time “counting your blessings.” It’s good to keep our eyes on the innumerable blessings God has bestowed upon us, to see them, name them and be joyful in them. The more we see them, the more we grow in gratitude, and the more we grow in gratitude, the more we are blessed. Lord, I thank You with profound gratitude for the countless blessings in my life. Help me to daily become more aware of those blessings and to be grateful for them. Help me to see that life itself is a gift and that You are active in my life day and night. Help me to especially see these blessings when life is hard, or when some burden weighs me down. May I be filled with a grateful heart and always rejoice in Your goodness. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image above: Author - LoveToTakePhotos (pixabay.com)

Do you converse with Jesus? This is a form of prayer that is most fruitful. “Conversation” with God is not the highest form of prayer, but it is a form of prayer that we often need to begin with. Conversation with God is especially fruitful when we carry some form of burden or confusion in life. When this is the case, it can be helpful to speak about this openly and honestly with our Lord. Speaking with Him, interiorly, will help bring clarity to whatever obstacle we are facing. And when the conversation is complete, and when we have heard His clear response, we are then invited to enter deeper into prayer by submitting ourselves to that which He says. Through this initial exchange, followed by a complete submission of mind and will, true adoration of God is brought about. So if something is on your mind, do not hesitate to speak openly and honestly with our Lord about it. You will find that it is an easy and fruitful conversation to have (See Diary # 670). Think about that which bothers you the most. What is it that seems to weigh you down? Try getting on your knees and pouring your heart out to Jesus. Speak to Him, but then be silent and wait on Him. In the proper way and at the proper time He will answer you, when you’re open. And when you do hear Him speak, listen and obey. This will allow you to walk down the road of true adoration and worship. Dear Lord, I love You and adore You with all my heart. Help me to confidently bring my concerns to You, laying them down before You and listening to Your response. Dear Jesus, as You converse with me, help me to heed Your voice and to respond with true generosity. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above: pxfuel

A honey bee works diligently, day after day, and a colony of bees all work toward the same natural end. They work to produce honey. This is no small task and requires constant work on the part of thousands of bees to produce a small amount of honey. But, in the end, their efforts pay off and honey is made and stored in the hive. So it is with our lives. We are all called to serve the Lord individually, but we also do so in communion with others. Religious congregations, dioceses, parish churches, families and friends are all called in various ways to serve the Lord as a community of faith. When each one does his or her part, the Lord accomplishes an abundance of good fruit so as to bring the sweetness of His love into a world in much need (See Diary #664). Do you see yourself as a “lone Christian?” Or do you see yourself as a member of the family of God, seeking to do your humble part so that the Church, as a whole, can complete Her mission? The Church is called to bring the sweet love of our Lord into a world starving for love. Reflect upon whether you are doing your small part. Your part is all that you are responsible for. It is nothing other than embracing the Will of God each and every day and each and every moment of the day. Small acts of love, the daily choice to trust, the humble submission of your will. You can fulfill your mission in life and when you do, the Lord will add this to the works of all His sons and daughters and, through His whole Church, He will transform the world, bringing forth His glorious Kingdom. Lord, as a single bee produces only a tiny bit of honey, so also do my actions and service to You produce only that which You have given me to accomplish. I offer my love and service to You so that You may unite it with the love and service of others, producing, together, an abundance of Mercy for a world in such need. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image above: Pixabay

We cannot do anything good on our own. This is a fact. All we can do on our own is sin. In fact, the only way to please God and to do good things for Him is to rely upon Him for everything. We must have a relationship of complete dependence upon God in all things. It’s easy to think that we will please God if we simply try harder with an action we have undertaken on our own and believe is good. If we do this or that and do it well, we will please Him. But this is not true. God is not looking for us to do something of our own choosing for Him, and to try and try again until we accomplish it. No, He is only looking for one thing: obedience to His Will in all things. And the only way we can be obedient to that which He calls us to embrace, is by becoming completely dependent upon Him in every way (See Diary #659). Reflect upon the joyful discovery of the Will of God. When we discover what He asks of us, and then accept His Will, we will also, necessarily, enter into a relationship of trust and utter dependence upon Him. This act of depending upon Him to fulfill His Will produces an abundance of peace and joy. Reflect upon whether you see this total dependence upon God alive in your life. Where you see it lacking, surrender more deeply in trust, giving up that which you cling to by your own will, choosing instead the Will of God as He makes it known to You. Lord, I choose this day to become completely dependent upon You and Your most holy Will. I choose, further, to give up my own will and all that I try to do on my own. May my surrender and dependence upon You become the source of my enduring peace and joy. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above: by Geralt, via needpix.com

One common tendency we all have is curiosity. We easily become curious about almost everything, desiring to know. Magazines, news articles, shows, daily gossip sessions, etc., all have as their aim the satisfaction of our curiosity. This curiosity must turn into a desire to know God and all He speaks to us. But, with that said, we must also know that we cannot know. The wisdom and Will of God are so far beyond our limited minds and hearts that we will never be able to understand their mystery. Life is a mystery. Struggle and hardship are mysteries. Love is a mystery. And yet, as we humbly face the countless mysteries of life, we also face the incomprehensible mystery of God. Interestingly, knowing that we do not know, and understanding that we cannot understand, present us with the great mystery of God. In the face of this incomprehensible Mystery, we are in the presence of God. This is a gift! This silencing of our understanding before the mystery of God enables us to face life in faith. Faith is a way of knowing without fully comprehending. It’s a gift enabling us to walk through life in darkness, yet with clarity and certainty (See Diary #651). Do you find that you do not understand God or His ways? Do you look at your life and wonder, “Why this?” or “Why that?” or “Where is God in all of this?” God and His ways are a mystery. But, as a mystery, you are invited to enter in with the darkness of faith. This will only make sense if you let the Holy Spirit penetrate your thoughts and teach you in a new way. Your “understanding” of the Mind and Will of God will not so much be like other forms of knowledge; rather, your knowledge will be new, certain, clear, deep, and yet mysterious at the same time. Allow yourself to be taught by faith and you will be able to face any and every mystery and hardship that you encounter in life. Lord, oh Incomprehensible Mystery! I stand before You in awe and in darkness. Yet in the darkness of my understanding, I reaffirm my faith and trust in You. As I face the mystery of my life and, even more so, the mystery of Your life, I allow You to consume me with the gift of faith. Help me to believe without seeing and to know without understanding. Most importantly, I desire and choose to give my life to You, oh Incomprehensible Mystery, and I choose You above all else. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image by Barbara Jackson from Pixabay

Is it better to do great works, or small sacrifices? It’s easy to conclude that some great work for God is far better than any small sacrifice. But is it? That all depends upon the Will of God. Sometimes we take on some “great work” for God but, in the end, it’s not part of His plan. A work is great only when it is done because God inspired it and remains the one leading it. Conversely, if God inspires a very small sacrifice on your part and you accept it and live it, then you can be assured that this small sacrifice will do more good for the salvation of souls than any other sacrifice you could ever dream up on your own. In fact, trying to force the Will of God to conform to your own will, inevitably, does more damage for the Kingdom of God than good, even if your idea seems holy (See Diary #639). What is it that God is inspiring you to do? How are you called to serve His holy Will? Look for His inspiration in the smallest of things. It may be a kind word spoken to another, or a small hidden sacrifice that only you are aware of. And if He is calling you to do something “great” that others will notice, do not be afraid of this, but do not be overly proud of it either. Do all things, great or small, in accord with the Will of God and you will find that all things you do are truly great! Lord, I believe that greatness is found only in Your holy Will. Help me to set aside my own ideas and agendas so that I may seek only that which is in Your perfect Heart. Help me to humbly embrace every small sacrifice You ask of me, and to have courage to do those things which seem to be beyond my ability. May I listen to You and respond generously to whatever You say. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above: flickr

There is little doubt that each one of us will encounter, from time to time, the sin of another. It could be in their words, actions or the omission of what they ought to do. Sin hurts and requires correction. Very often, when we are sinned against, we tend to get angry. But the anger we have is not always “holy anger” and is not, therefore, always from God. We can easily allow our wounded pride to be the source of a harsh, or even subtle, correction of another. This, then, becomes our sin. But sin must be confronted and God will, at times, call us to correct others. Our correction may even be severe. But when it comes from the holiness of God, inspiring and guiding us, our correction of the other will not wound them, it will be an act of Mercy. They may need severity, and God may inspire us to be severe, but we must always be careful that what we offer ultimately flows from the Mercy of God (See Diary #633). Reflect upon any moments of contention that you have encountered lately. Were words spoken, or actions done that were based more on unhealthy emotion than on love? Examine how you react when hurt by another. Do you look at them with Mercy and seek to offer the Mercy of God, even if it must come, in that moment, in the form of a holy rebuke? Do not be afraid to let God use you to offer this form of Mercy. It may be hard to distinguish from the sin of anger, but we must strive to offer this Mercy for the good of those we are called to love. Lord, I offer myself to You so that You can use me as an instrument of Your Divine Mercy. When I am sinned against, help me to forgive immediately. But help me, also, to know how best to address the sins of others. Help me to know how to offer correction in love for their good. Give me courage and wisdom, dear Lord, and use me as You will. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above: Jesus casting out the money changers at the temple; by Carl Bloch, via Wikimedia Commons

Have you encountered the sweetness of Jesus? He, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, come to you in the secret depths of your soul. There, in this hidden place, they desire to communicate with you. Their communication is beyond words and concepts. It’s a communication of profound love that leaves the soul at peace and with a delight of the greatest sweetness. Their encounter with you is not an emotion; it’s a spiritual union (See Diary #622). How deep is your relationship with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit? Is it something more intellectual? Is it based only on the fact that you believe in them, for the most part? Or is it something that goes much deeper? The goal must be to come to know God in a real and tangible way. But that knowledge of Him must also be personal. It must become a relationship that is lived and that sustains you in all things. If the Blessed Trinity lives within you, and if you allow yourself to embrace that relationship wholeheartedly, then you will discover an inner sweetness that overwhelms any suffering or hardship you endure. The sweetness of that love will carry you, day in and day out, to the glories of Heaven. Lord, I long to know You, to love You and to become one with You. I desire to have You live within my soul, refreshing me with the sweetness of Your presence. Take my life, sweet Jesus, and unite me with Your perfect Heart of love. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above: flickr

You are called to love God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength. But how do you do this? What does an active loving of God look like in our lives? Ultimately, we love God through holy obedience. We must obey His Divine Will above all else. Perhaps that seems like a strange concept, that love of God is best expressed in holy obedience. But it is. It’s expressed in holy obedience because of one simple fact: The Will of God is perfect, perfect for us, exactly what we need, it’s what we were made for, and we must enter into perfect submission to His Will. In the end, the only way we will understand this form and depth of love is by living it (See Diary #616). How well do you do with the practice of holy obedience? When you think about this, does it inspire you, or turn you off? Holy obedience can be a difficult virtue to embrace and live wholeheartedly. It can be difficult to accept and to embrace as good. Look at your inner reaction to the idea of striving to obey God in all things. If you can rid yourself of any resistance to this practice, you will find great joy in loving God in this perfect way. Lord, I want to obey You in all things. I thank You that Your law is perfect and, when embraced, completely refreshes my soul. Help me to always love You in this holy way so as to make Your Will my own. In this act, I imitate Your perfect obedience to the Will of the Father. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Do you have fear in your life? It’s important to know that some fear is quite unhealthy, stemming from a form of pride, while another form of fear is quite healthy, resulting from your profound love of God. The “holy fear” is filial fear, which is the fear of a child of God. This particular form of fear is present when your love of God is so deep that you fear doing anything that would harm your relationship with Him. It’s not that you are afraid of God, rather, you have a holy desire to avoid all sin. This form of holy fear must also enter into every relationship of love you have for others. You should deeply desire to avoid all that harms each and every relationship you have been blessed to receive. This is a gift of God’s abundant Mercy (See Diary #610). Consider your love of God. Is it strong enough to produce the healthy desire in your heart to avoid all that might hurt that relationship? This holy fear must become a driving force to develop a profoundly personal relationship with our Lord. Consider, also, your relationship with others. Do you have a healthy desire to eliminate anything that is an obstacle to your wholehearted love of them? Seek this gift of God’s Mercy and the Lord will draw you closer to Himself and to others. Lord, I do love You and I desire to surrender to You everything in my life that keeps me from loving You with my whole heart. Give me a holy fear so that I may draw closer to You and learn to love others as You love them. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above: Titian – Saint Catherine of Alexandria at Prayer, via Wikimedia Commons

Do you know that our Lord chooses certain people for a specific mission of suffering? He picks certain people, who are few in number, to more fully resemble His innocent suffering here on Earth. These holy souls suffer in many and varied ways. They are the continuation of the innocent suffering of Jesus Himself. They have a very specific mission on Earth and it is a mission requiring the greatest sacrifice imaginable. The good news, for these chosen few, is that the crown of glory that awaits them in Heaven makes every act of suffering here on Earth worth it. Through their suffering, completely embraced in joy, and offered to the Father through the Son, they make up that which is “lacking in the sufferings of Christ” as St. Paul explains to us (Colossians 1:24). Though this unique vocation is only given to a few in a profound way, we are all called to share in Christ’s sufferings so as to also share in His glorification (See Diary #604). What do you do with your daily sufferings? Do you “offer it up?” This invitation from Jesus, to unite our sufferings with His, is a true calling that has more potential for grace than anything else. It’s what makes us most like Him. It is the greatest sacrifice we can offer and the most powerful prayer we can pray. Think about the sufferings you encounter in your life. No matter what they are, do not run from them. Try to embrace them and offer them up, joyfully, to our Lord. Heavenly Father, I give to You, this day, all my joys, works and sufferings. I especially offer You the sufferings I endure. I offer You all the small and great ways in which I experience suffering, hardship and pain in my life. May these become a sacrifice of love, offered in union with the one and perfect sacrifice of Jesus, Your Son. Transform this offering and make it a source of grace in this world. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above: John Joseph Kilpin Fletcher - The sign of the cross in Madagascar, via Wikimedia Commons

Do you want to see The Divine Mercy of God pour forth upon the world in an abundant way? Hopefully and presumably the answer to that question is an easy, “Yes.” It’s important to know that, in some ways, you are responsible for whether or not that happens. Specifically, Jesus has chosen to make His abundance of Mercy flow forth as a direct result of your intercession for others. It’s true. Your personal choice to pray for others has a direct result on Jesus offering them special graces. This is a grace offered others in addition to the many other graces He offers in other ways. Do your part and others will be blessed in abundance. Ignore your part, and they will not receive the specific grace you could have won for them through your prayers (See Diary #599). Reflect, today, upon the person or people God has entrusted to your intercession. This is no small responsibility. God has chosen you for this task. And through your prayers, others will be blessed. Who is it that God wants to bless through your prayers? Make a concrete decision to pray for them and trust that the Lord’s Mercy will be bestowed as a direct result. Lord, I pray that You will show me who You wish me to pray for. Place on my heart this desire. Help me to be faithful in my intercession and to trust in the power of that prayer. Here and now I offer (think of a person) to You. And I especially offer this person to the Immaculate Heart of Your Mother for her perfect prayers. Mother Mary, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Feature image above: The Infant Samuel at Prayer - Sir Joshua Reynolds, via Wikipedia

Who, in their right mind, would want to be humiliated? What would you do if you were humiliated? Most people would be tempted to seek ways to avoid humiliation. Some would become deeply hurt as a result. Others would become angry and defensive. And though the source of one’s humiliation may not be fair, it’s important to understand that humiliations can become an invitation to the deepest depths of God’s grace and Mercy. Humiliation has the potential to produce humility when embraced properly. Though anger and hurt may also result, humility must be the goal. What matters most is that we shed any pride, anger or hurt that we experience and allow ourselves to enter into the depths of humility. This necessary quality will enable us to rely solely upon God, seek consolation and peace only from Him, and allow Him and His holy Will to be the one and only source of our joy in life. Nothing could be better for the soul than the humility that comes from humiliations (See Diary #593). What is it that humbles you the most? What wounds your pride and causes you to be angry or defensive? What do you stew over and think about obsessively? If something comes to mind, then this may be something very specific that the Lord wishes to turn into a source of grace and Mercy. Everything, be it sin, injustice, hurt, etc., has the potential to be turned into grace by our Lord. He truly is that All-Powerful. Identify that which wounds your pride the most and try to look at it from a new perspective, letting the Lord turn it into a source of grace. Lord, my pride is wounded so many times. There are so many experiences I have that do not sit well with me. Help me to allow all those things that are out of my control to become transformed by You and Your grace so that they may no longer weigh me down, causing hurt and anger. Take these humiliations, dear Lord, and transform my heart through them so that, in my humility, I may come to know You more intimately and surrender to You more fully. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above: Pietro della Vecchia - Christ Mocked (The Crowning with Thorns), via Wikimedia Commons

If you could choose between all the wealth in the world or an intimate and loving relationship with Jesus, which would you choose? Do not answer that too quickly. We may know that choosing Jesus is the right answer, but would you choose Him? Imagine the power and worldly “freedom” you would enjoy if you had unlimited earthly wealth. And yet, the truth is that all the wealth in the world cannot produce one bit of happiness. It may make life easier in some ways, but far more complicated and burdensome in others. Many holy men and women have chosen a life of complete poverty because they discovered the riches produced by an authentic and transforming relationship with Jesus and they wanted nothing to get in the way. He offers this wealth to all of us. But most do not accept. Will you? (See Diary #587) Do you understand the riches bestowed upon you if you choose to allow the abundant love of Jesus to flood your soul? Do you believe that this relationship is worth abandoning all else so as to attain it? Is your one desire in life the burning love of Jesus? If it is, this love will utterly transform you and the love from that relationship will flow forth from you, affecting every action you do and every other relationship you have. Choose our Lord as your most intimate lover and make Him the true center of your life. Lord, I am aware of the fact that I can never fully grasp the depths of Your perfect love for me. Nonetheless, I choose Your love this day and I desire to make You the center of my life. Come fill my heart with such a burning love that I come to realize that You are all I need in life. For in coming to know You, my Lord, I come to love You and all your creatures. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image above: The Covetous Man by David Teniers, via The National Gallery

Imagine that your home had an inner, hidden courtyard in which you had a garden. No one knew about this secret garden. It was a place where you planted, tilled, labored, weeded and harvested. The produce from this garden was then secretly distributed to many to nourish and delight them. This is an image of the depths of your soul. The home symbolizes your whole self. The inner and hidden garden symbolizes the inner and secret depths of your soul. The gardener is our Lord and He is the one who secretly enters, tilling, planting, weeding, growing and harvesting the many good fruits that come forth from your life. He desires to enter in secrecy, doing much labor in your life that no one knows about. The result, if you let Him in, will be experienced by the abundance of virtue that overflows, affecting the lives of many (See Diary #581). Do you allow our Lord to enter into the inner and secret garden of your own soul? Do you allow Him to labor within you, bringing forth an abundant harvest? This work He desires to do in you is a work seen only by you. It’s a holy secret of grace working in your life. The Lord offers it out of His perfect love for you. Tell Him, this day, that you will let Him in and then allow yourself to watch as He does amazing things in this inner courtyard, transforming it into a garden bursting forth in abundance. Lord, I see this courtyard and I am aware of it being overgrown with weeds of all types. There is much work to do. But, this day, I say “Yes” to You. I accept the labor of perfect love that You offer me and I return to You my gratitude for the miraculous work You desire to do. Help me to be patient with You and to adore You as you prepare the soil, plant Your virtues and bring forth a harvest. I thank You, my dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image above- Photo by Bicanski on Pixnio

The ultimate purpose of your life is love. And, more specifically, it is first to love God with a pure love. For love to be pure, it must be freed from all selfishness. Pure love looks only at the one being loved. When we love God with a pure love, we will find that we are drawn to God for His sake, because He is glorious and worthy of our love, and because loving Him is right and just. When we can love in this way, selflessly and focused only on God’s greatness and beauty, then we will discover something else quite glorious. We will discover that, as a result of our pure love of God, we are also filled with a joy so abundant and powerful that we need no other reward. The joy that fills us as a result of loving God with a pure love, becomes so strong that it overflows into a profound and sincere love for others. This is the greatest satisfaction in life. We truly need nothing else to be happy beyond measure (See Diary #576). Are you happy? If not, what do you blame for your lack of happiness? It’s easy to point and assign blame. However, we must realize that happiness comes only as a result of our choice to love God with a pure heart of love. Reflect upon whether this is something you are experiencing in your life. Ponder the love and affection you have for God. Think about how strong or how weak this love is. And remind yourself that, if you love God purely and above all else, this love will order your life so perfectly that the joy you experience will satisfy you above any other earthly consolation. If you want to be happy, seek to love God with a complete and pure heart. Lord, I know my love for You is far from perfect. Help me, this day, to turn my eyes and heart more fully to You so that my love of You may be purified, allowing me to love You above all things for Your own sake, because You do deserve my total love. In my love of You, I thank You for the joy that this produces. May that joy overflow so abundantly that I find perfect satisfaction and happiness in this love. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image above: pxfuel

Mortification is a practice of denying your will so as to grow in greater detachment from the passing things of this world. We must seek to detach from everything but God and His holy Will. It’s not that everything we like or desire is bad, but if we want true holiness, our desire for God must transform every other desire and direct them all. Interior mortification consists of ways in which we deny our own thoughts or will. For example, saying a kind word when we do not feel like it, or holding our tongue when it is hard to hold. Exterior mortification consists of practices such as fasting from foods we like or giving things up for Lent and throughout the year. These practices are essential to the spiritual life if you are serious about your relationship with God (See Diary #565). What are you most attached to? What seems to control you and direct your desires the most? It could be a sinful tendency, or it could be a passion for some natural hobby. Start with your sinful tendencies and look for ways to mortify your desires so as to become strong enough to overcome these sins. Look also at your natural passions and likes. Choosing to freely sacrifice these, to a certain extent, from time to time, is a positive and holy way to grow in holiness. Look for ways to do this and God’s Mercy will flow more abundantly. Lord, I desire to desire You alone and above all other desires. Purify me and free me from my many attachments in this life. Help me to have the courage to make daily sacrifices to You so that my mind and will are more prepared to receive Your Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image Above: Life of Francis of Assisi by José Benlliure y Gil, via Wikimedia Commons

One of the primary ways we stop the Mercy of God from entering into our lives is through obstinacy. Specifically, when we obstinately hold onto our own opinion, as a result of our pride, and therefore fail to be open to the truth, we shut the door to grace. This is a particularly dangerous sin because obstinacy, by its very definition, implies there is an unwillingness to repent and change. The obstinate person remains, day after day, year after year, closed to the grace of God. The only cure for an obstinate heart is humility before the Truth of God. Coming to God, with a sincerely open heart, ready and willing to change our convictions the moment He speaks, is the first step to being rid of this sin. Humble yourself by listening, setting aside your own firm opinion, being open and willing to change. This may be difficult at first, but you will be truly grateful you did (See Diary #560). What are you obstinate about? Is there a long-standing thought you hold against another? Is there something that you are convinced you are right on? Make sure that God feels the same way. Seek, today, to be open to change. The first step is to ask the Lord to open your eyes to see. The second step is to let yourself see this tendency within your heart. Lord, I know I am obstinate. I see it within my soul. I hold on to my will and refuse to listen to others out of pride. Give me the grace of an open mind that I may shed my stubbornness. Help me to humble myself before You and others and help me to be ready and willing to listen to Your Truth. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured Image above: The Pharisee and the Publican; James Tissot, via Brooklyn Museum

Some religious sisters and monks live a cloistered life within the confines of an enclosure. No one may enter that enclosure without good reason, unless they are a member of that community of faith. Others may enter only with the permission of the superior. It may be that a sister is gravely ill and in need of the Sacrament of Anointing, or it may be that a workman must enter for a needed repair. The image of an enclosure is analogous to our soul. We must give the key to Jesus and allow Him to safeguard it. He will only allow those who belong to enter in (See Diary #554). What is it that you allow into your soul? Do you allow the Lord to guard you and govern your inner thoughts and your heart? Too often, we allow many worldly things to enter. We open wide the door to the enticements of sin and filth. Give the key to your soul to our Lord. He will guard you and keep you safe. He will welcome all those with whom He desires you dwell, and open the door to those who come to heal and restore. But He will diligently protect this sacred space of your soul from that which does not belong, if you let Him. Lord, I do give You the one and only key to my soul. I choose You as my guardian this day. Allow me to commune, freely, with those whom You have invited into my life and set before me. Help me to love them and to serve them with all my heart. As I give You this key, I thank You that You will protect me. May I trust You and never seek to welcome that which displeases You, and that which You do not welcome. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.life Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed. Featured image above:: Saint Bruno en prière dans le désert; Artist: Nicolas Mignard, via Wikimedia Commons