Episodes

  • Reflection 355- Idle Talk, a Sign of an Idle Soul

    Reflection 355- Idle Talk, a Sign of an Idle Soul
    Dec 19 2024
    Some people are very good at talking about others. They offer continual opinions and judgments of them and speak freely, as if they have everything figured out. Do not be like one of these people. Those who have their minds and tongues occupied with the activities of others have little time to look into their own souls so as to discover who they are (See Diary #1717).

    Do you struggle with idle talk? In other words, do you speak regularly and freely about others, issuing opinions and judgments upon them while, at the same time, fail to honestly evaluate your own soul? If you do this it may be hard to admit it. But if this is you, admit it here and now. Tell our Lord you are aware of this struggle and seek His Mercy as your help. He will help you, but only if you are honest with your struggle.

    Lord, please free me from the idle chatter and judgments I tend to place upon others. Help me, instead, to become truly recollected and aware of my own life and sin. Help me to also see the abundance of Your Mercy which I must rely upon and offer to others. My Lord, I repent of my sin, please come to my help. 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.

    Rembrandt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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    2 mins
  • Reflection 354- Untying the Web of Sin

    Reflection 354- Untying the Web of Sin
    Dec 18 2024
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    When a person begins to lie, and forms a habit of this sort, they will eventually become entangled in a web of lies. One lie leads to another and pretty soon they do not know how to break free of this web. This is where you must offer mercy. It’s very easy to be harsh toward someone who has clearly led themselves down the wrong path. It’s easy to point the finger and rub in their sin. But the Lord wants you to look at this person with love and help untangle them from the web they have woven. This is done by being clear and direct about their errors, but also without judgment or harshness. If they perceive you to be offering the truth with mercy, they may just accept your invitation to undo that which they have done. This principle applies to many types of sins (See Diary #1712).

    Reflect upon anyone in your life who appears to be tangled in a web of sin and cannot get out. Let your heart grow in mercy for this person, refraining from all judgment. Love them, seek to bring them the humbling truth and do so gently but clearly so that they can be set free.

    Lord, sin binds us and causes much distress in life. Give me the grace of a merciful heart so that I can be an instrument of freedom to those caught in a life of sin. Give me the grace, dear Lord, to love them with Your perfect Heart of 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.

    Guercino, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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    3 mins
  • Reflection 353- A Hymn of Glory

    Reflection 353- A Hymn of Glory
    Dec 17 2024
    Music is a discovery and expression of the natural laws of God’s creation, relying upon the order and rhythm found in its natural design. Some music uses the natural order of things to glorify earthly realities. Some forms of music even express sin and disorder. But the greatest form of music is that which beautifully and clearly articulates the high order, harmony and symmetry of the life of God. Our lives become like a hymn of glory, offered to God, when we act in perfect harmony with the Will of God. The “music” of your soul must become a hymn of this glory (See Diary #1708).

    Reflect upon the idea of your life being like a hymn. What does the “hymn of your life” sound like? Is it ordered, beautiful and reflective of the inner life of God? Or does your life better express disorder and interior dysfunction? Be honest and ponder the “music” that comes forth from your life. Allow the Master Musician to take hold of you so as to bring forth a hymn worthy of His glory.

    Lord, may my life become a hymn of worship, rising up to Your glorious throne of grace, echoing forth the lovely melody of Your inner life. Take hold of me, dear Lord, and use me as Your instrument of Mercy and 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.

    Hans Memling, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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    2 mins
  • Reflection 352- Chastisement and Guilt

    Reflection 352- Chastisement and Guilt
    Dec 16 2024
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    It may not be pleasant to consider the chastisement of God. But it must be understood that His chastisements are real and are an act of His abundant Mercy. When souls turn from God and refuse His Mercy, this deeply wounds His Heart. As a result, God becomes more “passionate” so to speak in His tireless pursuit. One way He seeks to open their hearts is through chastisements. Think of the Pharisees, for example. They were filled with pride and egotism and the Lord rebuked them harshly. But He did so to win them back as an act of great Mercy. It worked for some, for others it did not (See Diary #1703).

    Are you aware of the chastisements of God? For example, have you felt the pain of extreme guilt for your sins? If so, pay attention to this. Know that if you have gone astray, especially through pride, the Lord will pour down judgment upon you. If you persist, He will pour it down with a vengeance. And when a soul remains obstinate, God’s Mercy cannot enter. But when these chastisements produce a sense of holy guilt, this means that the conscience is working and is in a position to change. Do not hold onto guilt and do not ignore it. Run to the Mercy of God so that He can free you from your sin and return His peace to your heart.

    Lord, please give me the grace I need to turn to You in all things. May I never be in need of the fierce chastisements of Your Mercy. But if I am in need of this grace, please help me to respond with conversion from my sins. 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.

    Lucas Cranach the Elder, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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    3 mins
  • Reflection 351- To Know or Experience God

    Reflection 351- To Know or Experience God
    Dec 15 2024
    It must be your constant goal to know God. Study of Scripture, the teachings of the Church, and the lives of the saints all help in this endeavor. But knowing God is not the ultimate goal of life. Knowledge comes from faith and faith is a gift from God. But being fully united to God in charity is of far greater importance. They are not opposed, but they are not the same. In fact, at times the Lord will darken one’s mind and not even allow it to understand Him so that He can, instead, transform the will so that this holy soul will choose Him and live a life of charity even in the darkness of faith. This is a deep mystery (See Diary #1697).

    Are there times when you feel as though you cannot understand God or His ways? Do you experience a cloudy vision and dimmed intellect? If so, this may be a grace of far greater value than you know. It is in these moments, especially, that God invites you to love and to choose His Will despite the fog that appears to have set in. Choose His Will and live charity even when it does not make perfect sense to you and the Lord will bring forth much Mercy through you.

    Lord, I thank You for the times of clarity in life. But even when my mind seems darkened and confused, I submit to Your holy Will. Help me to love You and others in those moments so that my life may be a living instrument of Your pure 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.

    Frederic Edwin Church, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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    3 mins
  • Reflection 350- Beauty in Adoration

    Reflection 350- Beauty in Adoration
    Dec 14 2024
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    The world is beautiful and reveals the beauty of God, but spiritual realities, such as the Holy Eucharist, are far more beautiful. To see the beauty of God, present in the Most Holy Eucharist, you need eyes of faith. One of the best ways to sharpen your vision of this beauty is through adoration. Though receiving Holy Communion must be the ultimate union we experience with our Lord, adoration of Him, present in the Sacred Host, prepares you for this encounter by revealing His beauty. Seek to adore Him exposed in the monstrance on the altar and let the eyes of your soul become enthralled by His beauty (See Diary #1692).

    Do you ever participate in adoration of the Most Holy Eucharist? If you have adoration regularly at your church, you are blessed. If not, seek it out at a nearby church. Adoration feeds your soul and reveals to you the beauty of God. Reflect upon your experience of Eucharistic adoration and recommit yourself to a wholehearted participation in this glorious act.

    Lord, I adore You with the most profound adoration as You are present before me in the Most Holy Eucharist. I love You and seek to know Your hidden beauty and splendor. You are glorious, dear Lord. As I behold Your glory, draw me ever deeper into Your perfect Heart of 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.

    Willuconquer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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    3 mins
  • Reflection 349- Losing Your Peace of Heart

    Reflection 349- Losing Your Peace of Heart
    Dec 13 2024
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    What is it that has the power to steal away the peace and calm of your heart? What if you were insulted, ridiculed, falsely judged, imprisoned, beaten or even killed? Would any of these rob the peace of God in your heart? Only if you let it. It is essential that you know and believe with firm faith that nothing can steal the peace of your heart unless you let it. Your goal must be to be free from everything in this world. You must be detached from all riches, honors, respect, fear and everything. If you are fully detached then you are free to be fully attached to Christ and no matter what comes your way, no matter what happens to you, your single attachment to our Lord and His Will, can never be taken away from you unless you let it (See Diary #1685).

    Reflect upon the things that have taken away your peace in the past. Identifying these will help you realize what it is that you are attached to in an unhealthy way. If, for example, public ridicule has stolen your peace, then you are too attached to your reputation. If poverty has left you depressed, then you are too attached to money. If the rejection of a friend or family member has turned you to anger, then you were too attached to this person. This list could go on and on. Though the spiritual goal of total detachment may be very hard to understand and even harder to accept, do not dismiss it too quickly. Reflect upon attachments you have, even to apparent good things. Realize that if the one attachment you have is to God, all good things will follow.

    Lord, I choose You and Your Will as my one possession in life. All else is passing and all else can be lost in an instant. But You, oh Lord, are eternal and You can never be taken away if I choose You. I love You, dear Lord, help me to remain firmly attached to You and Your 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.

    Édouard Manet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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    3 mins
  • Reflection 348- God Fulfills what He Reveals

    Reflection 348- God Fulfills what He Reveals
    Dec 12 2024
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    It’s amazing to consider two facts side by side. First, consider that Saint Faustina heard Jesus tell her, over and over, that He desired that the Feast of Divine Mercy be promulgated and celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter every year. How was this lowly cloistered nun to accomplish such a task for the universal Church? Second, when St. John Paul II canonized Saint Faustina on Divine Mercy Sunday, 2000, our Holy Father promulgated that the Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday was to become a universal feast of the Church. God spoke this to the heart of Saint Faustina in silence and solitude over and over from 1931-1938. Just over sixty years later, it came to be (See Diary #1680).

    Reflect upon the fact that God often calls you to do far more than you could ever imagine doing on your own. If you are attentive to His clear gentle Voice, and if you heed His commands, you will begin to discover that the Lord will do amazing things through your life. They may not be extraordinarily public and noticeable by all, but they will be far more than you ever thought possible. Do not be amazed at God’s Will for your life and do not hesitate to believe what He calls you to do. Say “Yes” and leave the rest to Him.

    Lord, to whatever You call me I say “Yes.” If Your Will is that I live a quiet hidden life, offering my daily duties as a sacrifice to You, I say “Yes.” If it is Your Will that my life become very public and that You use me in this way for the good of the Church, then I say “Yes.” Lord, my life is Yours, do with me what 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.

    Image via stjohnpaul.org/mercy
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    3 mins