[Ecumenical] Lent through Eastertide - Divine Mercy Diary Exerpts: Humility and Humble Souls

This series will be exceprts from the Diary of St. Faustina. Some are short. Some are longer. I am keeping the spelling from the website in the title.

Humility and Humble Souls


Humiliation is my daily food. I understand that the bride must herself share in everything that is the groom's: and so His cloak of mockery must cover me too. At those times when I suffer much, I try to remain silent, as I do not trust my tongue which, at such moments, is inclined to talk for itself, while its duty is to help me praise God for all the blessings and gifts which He has given me. (92)

At the end of the hour I went before the Blessed Sacrament and, like the greatest and most miserable of wretches, I begged for His mercy that He might heal and purify my soul. Then I heard these words, My daughter, all your miseries have been consumed in the flame of My love, like a twig into a roaring fire. By humbling yourself in this way, you draw upon yourself and upon other souls an entire sea of My mercy. I answered, "Jesus, mould my poor heart according to Your divine delight." (178)

During this hour, I tried to meditate on the Lord's Passion. But my soul was filled with joy, and suddenly I saw the Child Jesus. But His majesty penetrated me to such an extent that I said, "Jesus, You are so little, and yet I know that you are my Creator and Lord." And Jesus answered me, I am and I keep company with you as a child to teach you humility and simplicity. (184)

I will hide myself among the sisters like a little violet among lilies. I want to blossom for my Lord and Maker, to forget about myself, to empty myself totally for the sake of immortal souls - this is my delight. (224)

Thank you Jesus, for the great favor of making known to me the abyss of my misery. I know that I am an abyss of nothingness and that, if Your holy grace did not hold me up, I would return to nothingness in a moment. And so, with every beat of my heart, I thank You, my God, for Your great mercy towards me. (256)

Jesus told me that I please Him best by meditating on His sorrowful Passion, and by such meditation much light falls upon my soul. He who wants to learn true humility should reflect upon the Passion of Jesus. (267)

Without humility, we cannot be pleasing to God. Practice the third degree of humility; that is, not only must one refrain from explaining and defending oneself when reproached with something, but one should rejoice at the humiliation. (Advice from Rev. Dr. Sopocko) (270)

Once the Lord said to me, My Heart was moved by great mercy towards you, My dearest child, when I saw you torn to shreds because of the great pain you suffered in repenting for your sins. I see your love, so pure and true that I give you first place among the virgins. You are the honour and glory of My Passion. I see every abasement of your soul, and nothing escapes my attention. I lift up the humble even to my very throne, because I want it so. (282)

My child, how is your retreat going? I answered, "But Jesus, You know how it is going." Yes, I know, but i want to hear it from your own lips and from your heart. "O my Master, when You are leading me, everything goes smoothly, and I ask You, Lord, to never leave my side." And Jesus said, Yes, I will be with you always, if you always remain a little child and fear nothing. As I was your beginning here, so I was also be your end. Do not rely on creatures, even in the smallest things, because this displeases Me. (295)

[Jesus] said to me, The prayer of a humble and loving soul disarms the anger of My Father and draws down an ocean of blessings. (320)

Although My greatness is beyond understanding, I commune only with those who are little. I demand of you a childlike spirit. (332)

O how beautiful is a humble soul! From her heart, as from a censer, rises a varied and most pleasing fragrance which breaks through the skies and reaches God himself, filling His Most Sacred Heart with joy. God refuses nothing to such a soul; she is all powerful and influences the destiny of the whole world...Such a soul is most deeply united with God. ...Now I understand why there are so few saints; it is because so few souls are deeply humble. (1306)

If you do not succeed in taking advantage of an opportunity, do not lose your peace, but humble yourself profoundly before Me and, with great trust immerse yourself completely in My mercy. In this way, you gain more than you have lost, because more favor is granted to a humble soul than the soul itself asks for.. (1361)

*...you always please Me by your humility. The greatest misery does not stop Me from uniting Myself to a soul, but where there is pride, I am not there. (1563)*

*Tell souls that from this fount of mercy* [referring to Confession] souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls. (1602)

Then I saw myself ... together with the Mother of God....She was so peaceful and so united to the will of God...When I was left alone with the Blessed Virgin, She instructed me concerning the interior life. The soul's true greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in His presence, completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing; because the Lord is great, but He is well-pleased only with the humble; He always opposes the proud. (1710-11)

Lenten Series ping!

[Ecumenical] Lent through Eastertide - Divine Mercy Diary Exerpts: Humility and Humble Souls
[Ecumenical] Lent through Eastertide - Divine Mercy Diary Exerpts: Communion for the Sick
[Ecumenical] Lent through Eastertide - Divine Mercy Diary Exerpts: Holy Communion and the Eucharist
[Ecumenical] Lent through Eastertide - Divine Mercy Diary Exerpts: Hell
[Ecumenical] Lent through Eastertide - Divine Mercy Diary Exerpts: Heaven

So True.

Pride / Humility

Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto
the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Psa 138:6

He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

Psa 9:1

The meek will he guide in judgment:
and the meek will he teach his way.

Psa 25:9

But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall
delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psa 37:11

Surely he scorneth the scorners:
but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

Prov 3:34

The wise in heart will receive commandments:
but a prating fool shall fall.
Prov 10:8

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes:
but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Prov 12:15

The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;
Pride and arrogance and the evil way
And the perverse mouth I hate.

Prov 8:13

When pride comes, then comes shame;
But with the humble is wisdom.

Prov 11:2

By pride comes nothing but strife,
But with the well-advised is wisdom.

Prov 13:10

In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride,
But the lips of the wise will preserve them.

Prov 14:3

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom,
And before honor is humility.

Prov 15:33

The LORD will destroy the house of the proud,
But He will establish the boundary of the widow.

Prov 15:25

Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD;
Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.

Prov 16:5

Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly,
Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Prov 16:19

Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.

Prov 16:18

Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty,
And before honor is humility.

Prov 18:12

By humility and the fear of the LORD
Are riches and honor and life.

Prov 22:4

A man’s pride will bring him low,
But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

Prov 29:23

A haughty look, a proud heart,
And the plowing of the wicked are sin.

Prov 21:4

Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit?
there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Prov 26:12

Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;
a stranger, and not thine own lips.
Prov 27:2

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife,
But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.

Prov 28:25

A man’s pride will bring him low,
But the humble in spirit will retain honor.

Prov 29:23

The end of a thing is better than its beginning;
The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Eccl 7:8

And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that
shall humble himself shall be exalted.
Mat 23:12

Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that
inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high
and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble
spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the
heart of the contrite ones.

Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all
those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I
look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and
trembleth at my word.

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.

Mat 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls.

Mat 18:2-4 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set
him in the midst of them, {3} And said, Verily I say unto you,
Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven. {4} Whosoever therefore
shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest
in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 20:26-27 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever
will be great among you, let him be your minister; {27} And
whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

Luke 14:8-10 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding,
sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man
than thou be bidden of him; {9} And he that bade thee and him
come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with
shame to take the lowest room. {10} But when thou art bidden,
go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee
cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt
thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with
thee.

John 13:14-16 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed
your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. {15} For I
have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to
you. {16} Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not
greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he
that sent him.

Eph 4:1-2 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you
that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing
one another in love.

Phil 2:3-11 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory;
but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than
themselves. {4} Look not every man on his own things, but every
man also on the things of others. {5} Let this mind be in you,
which was also in Christ Jesus: {6} Who, being in the form of
God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: {7} But made
himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a
servant, and was made in the likeness of men: {8} And being
found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. {9} Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is
above every name: {10} That at the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and
things under the earth; {11} And that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father.

Col 3:12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and
beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsuffering;

James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

2 Tim 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times
shall come. {2} For men shall be lovers of their own selves,
covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents,
unthankful, unholy, {3} Without natural affection,
trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers
of those that are good, {4} Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers
of pleasures more than lovers of God;

I’m reading this at 7:30 a.m., after just leaving 6:45 Mass. The readings today line up beautifully with this excerpt from the Diary. I think I’ll go back to the Blessed Sacrament today, and pray for forgiveness & humility. Thank you for this.

I thought about that too. Here are today's readings:

Reading 1

Hos 6:1-6

“Come, let us return to the LORD,
it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.
He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.
Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD;
as certain as the dawn is his coming,
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth.”

What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Ps 51:3-4, 18-19, 20-21ab

Responsorial Psalm

R. (see Hosea 6:6) It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness;
in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense.
Thoroughly wash me from my guilt
and of my sin cleanse me.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.
Be bountiful, O LORD, to Zion in your kindness
by rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem;
Then shall you be pleased with due sacrifices,
burnt offerings and holocausts.
R. It is mercy I desire, and not sacrifice.

Lk 18:9-14

Gospel

Jesus addressed this parable
to those who were convinced of their own righteousness
and despised everyone else.
“Two people went up to the temple area to pray;
one was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself,
‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity —
greedy, dishonest, adulterous — or even like this tax collector.
I fast twice a week,
and I pay tithes on my whole income.’
But the tax collector stood off at a distance
and would not even raise his eyes to heaven
but beat his breast and prayed,
‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’
I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former;
for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,
and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”