Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

After Jesus’ death, one of the soldiers came to Him and was ordered to make certain He was dead. So that soldier pierced His precious body with a lance and immediately blood and water gushed forth from His wounded Heart. This has been prayerfully reflected upon throughout the ages and has been seen as a sign of the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion and the fact that the Blood of the Holy Eu...

Sin is a topic that many avoid. We don’t like to think about our sins. We don’t like to admit to them, and we often rationalize them as if we do not have any. We can easily come up with excuses for this “sin” or that. But here is another perspective on sin. We should see our sin, no matter how grave or how small, as a little twig. And then we should see a huge and blazing fire. If you were to thro...

Is it possible to know that someone has a deep interior life of prayer? Even though this is “interior” and is a spiritual reality, is it possible to sense this externally? Most certainly it is. In fact, the deeper one’s life of prayer the more that this interior life will shine forth for others to see (See Diary #172). How about you? What does your soul radiate? When people see you, what do they s...

The secular world is filled with bad news. The newspapers, talk shows, and other forms of media thrive on sensational and exaggerated tragic events to keep our attention. And we, for our part, are often eager to share the latest gossip or criticism. But what about the good news? What about the news of God’s abundant Mercy? How often are you fascinated by this message and how often do you seek to t...

Think of the most beautiful sunset possible, gleaming over the wide ocean in the evening with the sky radiant in color. Or think of the majestic mountain peaks piercing through a bright blue sky, or a mighty waterfall, pouring forth from the heights. All of these gifts of creation are glorious, beautiful and breath-taking. But none of them compares to the glory and majestic splendor of God’s Mercy...

It’s easy to presume that everyone we know will go to Heaven. This, of course, should be our hope. But if one is to attain Heaven, there must be a true interior conversion. Each person who enters Heaven is there because of a personal decision to give one’s life to Christ and to turn from sin. How do we assist those around us on this journey? The most important thing we can do is pray for them. At...

There are both interior and exterior difficulties we encounter as we attempt to form a daily habit of prayer. Interior difficulties: discouragement, dryness, heaviness of spirit and temptations. These difficulties are overcome through patience and perseverance. Exterior difficulties: fear of what others may think or say, and setting time aside. These difficulties are overcome through humility and...

What is it that makes your soul beautiful? Prayer. What is it that keeps you from sin? Prayer. What is it that fills you with hope? Prayer. What is it that leads you on the road to holiness? Prayer. Prayer is the key to all things. Without prayer, each and every day, you are directionless in life and are left to your own wisdom and ability, which is a frightening state to find yourself in (See Dia...

Do you love with a pure love? What does this form of love look like? Pure love is one that flows directly from the Heart of Christ to and through your life. This holy love has beautiful characteristics. First, it is plentiful. When we love with the Heart of Christ we love in abundance. There is no limit to how much love we can share. It’s like the brightness of the sun at noon casting rays on all...

It’s true that, throughout your day, God is speaking to you. He is constantly communicating His truth and His direction for your life, and He is constantly bestowing His Mercy. The problem is that His voice is ever so gentle and silent. Why? Because He wants all of your attention. He will not attempt to compete with the many distractions of your day. He will not impose Himself upon you. Rather, He...

We are called to be saints. And if we walk down that road, we will be called to live heroic virtue. Heroic virtue will not always be understood by others. In fact, in the opinion of worldly wisdom, heroic and holy virtue is foolishness. But we must not allow the opinions of worldly “wisdom” to confuse us, tempt us or distract us from the road of true virtue (See Diary #126). Are you misunderstood,...

Our tongue can build others up, or cut them down. Our tongue also has a direct effect upon our own soul. When the tongue speaks words inspired by God, we grow in holiness. When the tongue speaks words not from God, we do great damage to our souls and others. The goal is not so much exterior silence; rather, it’s interior silence. Interior silence means that we think and pray before we speak. It me...

Often times we can be so preoccupied with ourselves and our own problems that we fail to see the struggles and needs of those around us, especially those of our own family. At times, because we are so self-consumed, we run the risk of adding unnecessary burdens to those we are called to love and care for. We need to foster within our hearts true Christ-like empathy and compassion for each person w...

It is true that our goal must be Heaven. We must constantly keep our eyes on this eternal reality. Why? Because in comparison to this passing world, Heaven is all that ultimately matters. So how do we keep our focus on Heaven without becoming complacent with our daily duties? Would it be proper to neglect our daily duties and responsibilities so as to spend all day at church? Certainly not. In fac...

Sometimes we do not feel like going to Mass or may be deeply distracted as we approach the Blessed Sacrament. Perhaps one of the best things to do in this case is to live in holy obedience. Jesus wants you to receive Holy Communion every Sunday and every holy day because He knows you need it. He knows that this Food from Heaven is necessary for you to obtain happiness. It is the Gift of Himself gi...

Do you know that our Lord gazes upon you, night and day, with perfect love and affection. Do you know that He knows every detail of your life and walks with you through everything? This may be hard to believe because we cannot hear Him audibly, see Him with our eyes, or touch Him with our hands. But His intimacy is much deeper than the physical world. His intimacy is one that looks into our soul a...

What is of greater value to God? To be successful in all that you set out to do, or to endure every hardship of life in patience and peace? Many may struggle with this question and want to choose both. Certainly it is easy to see that if we set out to accomplish the Will of God and all that He wants of us, this will be of great value for the Kingdom of God. But what if that which God calls us to d...

There are many times in life when we are treated unjustly. As a result, our first instinct is to fight back, defend ourselves and see to it that justice is done. But is that what Jesus did? No, He remained silent and accepted all injustice as a sacrifice for the atonement for our sins. He was the Just One who took upon Himself all injustice. In doing so, He did two things. First, He appeased the j...

At times, the truth can seem to be of little consolation to us. That may seem strange to say. But if we are honest, there are times when we suffer interiorly despite the fact that we know what we are feeling is not true. For example, we may KNOW that God is with us and loves us, but we may not feel that or experience that at one time or another. We may KNOW that God is in control of our lives, but...

A speck of dust or a grain of sand are somewhat insignificant in most circumstances. No one notices one speck or one grain in the yard or even on the floor of a home. But if either were to enter the eye, this grain or speck becomes immediately noticeable. Why? Because of the sensitivity of the eye. So it is with the Heart of our Lord. He notices the smallest of our sins. Often times we fail to see...

It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that, because we follow Jesus, we should be continually consoled and comforted in all we do. Is that true? Yes and no. In one sense, our consolation will be continual if we always fulfill the Will of God and know we are fulfilling it. However, there are times when God removes all spiritual consolation from our soul out of love. We may feel like God is di...

Some may feel as though their lives are dull and monotonous. It’s the same thing day in and day out. Sometimes we seek some new excitement and experience. But if we allow grace to accompany us, every day, throughout the simple, repetitive and monotonous aspects of life, we will discover that life is always new. Every experience is a new moment and a new grace. We will never tire of our daily duty...

There are three words to ponder today: humility, simplicity and sincerity. Humble souls see and know God because they do not turn to themselves in their need. They recognize that God is everything and, without Him, they are nothing. Simple souls do not get caught up in the complications of life. They are able to cut through the countless distractions and live a childlike trust in God. Sincere soul...

At times we experience life as difficult. Our spiritual life may appear to be dry or overwhelming. Our sins may seem to be too much to overcome. And our relationship with God may appear to be too difficult to foster. But these experiences are all graces that invite us to seek God and His Mercy all the more. One grace we receive, as we need it, is the friendship and guidance God gives us through ot...

Do you understand the Passion of our Lord? Do you perceive His sufferings in your soul? This may, at first, seem undesirable. But perceiving the sufferings and Passion of our Lord is a great grace. As we perceive His suffering we must then encounter it and embrace it as our own. We must live His sufferings. In doing so, we begin to discover that His suffering is nothing other than divine love and...