Eternal God, Goodness itself, whose mercy is incomprehensible to every intellect, whether human or angelic, help me, your feeble child, to do Your holy will as You make it known to me. I desire nothing but to fulfill God’s desires. Lord, here are my soul and my body, my mind and my will,my heart and all my love. Rule me according to Your eternal plans. —Sr. Faustina’s diary 492
+++++
People can be put off by how many mystics express themselves when speaking about their experiences of God, or the depth of their love…which flows from personal experience. It is not just sentimental, it is not based on gushing emotions and feelings, but on the reality shown them of God’s actual mercy and love. That is beyond the comprehension of humans and angels alike… mercy is experienced but the depth of it is never reached. All created beings have limits and understand according to their ability to comprehend. I believe that this comprehension deepens through eternity. Humans I believe understand very little about the true nature of God’s mercy, that is why we are told not to judge others, to condemn them, but to love and encourage.
Like all of us who are on the path of seeking God, or truth, Sr. Faustina had to face many obstacles that wanted to ‘protect’ her from the demands that Infinite Love places on us. In order to live the life we are made for, everything that impedes that has to be dropped into the vastness of God’s mercy. Fear, lack of trust, addiction, pride and every other impediment has to be let go of. In the end it is God’s mercy that allows and makes this happen. The fire of God’s love purifies and heals wounds and then wounds us on deeper and deeper levels.
What is God’s desire for us? It would seem to bring us to our true home, to union, to oneness, to ever expanding love for God and for all. A place of freedom… a world, or existence that fulfills our deepest desires and longings, which I believe is to be ‘seen’ and ‘loved. So for God to rule is different than for sin to rule. I believe what St. Paul says is true. We are either a slave to God or to sin. One leads to life the other to inner fragmentation and isolation from others and eventually from God. It is a state grown into and in due course freely selected and embraced, because we wish to rule ourselves and in the end we are allowed to do that if we truly desire it.
We like to blame God or others for our problems. Yet the Holy Spirit wishes us to go deeper and to see that only in embracing our own responsibility can we seek healing and mercy. In forgiving others, we also forgive ourselves and we are drawn deeper into the mystery of God’s compassion and mercy for us all.
Br. Mark Dohle, OCSO
Holy Spirit Monastery
