“BELOVED PEARL OF MY HEART, I SEE YOUR LOVE SO PURE, PURER THAN THAT OF THE ANGELS, AND ALL THE MORE SO BECAUSE YOU KEEP FIGHTING.”
— Christ to St. Faustina (1061)
The Diary of St. Faustina
is a beautiful account of a young Catholic woman’s intimate relationship with the Lord. This book is an excellent resource for those desiring to grow in their relationship with Christ. Written in beautiful prose and in a diary format, many of the passages come across as timeless. Christ addresses St. Faustina almost as if he is talking to any woman, and the personal and gentle nature of his messages will surely find their way into one’s heart. Below you will find a collection of some of the most powerful excerpts, a few of which are Christ’s words, transcribed by our beloved patroness.
The Present Moment Prayer
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The Present Moment Prayer ~
O My God,
When I look into the future, I am frightened,
But why plunge into the future?
Only the present moment is precious to me,
As the future may never enter my soul at all.
It is no longer in my power to change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.
O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of Your omnipotence.
And so, trusting in Your mercy,
I walk through life like a little child,
Offering You each day this heart
Burning with love for Your greater Glory. (2)
Love endures everything, love is stronger than death, love fears nothing. (46)
I found my destiny at the moment when my soul lost itself in You… (57)
In suffering, love becomes crystalized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love. (57)
In order to hear the voice of God, one has to have silence in one’s soul and to keep silence. (118)
My daughter, your heart is My heaven. (238)
Lay your head on my shoulder, rest and regain your strength. I am always with you. Tell the friend of My heart that I use such feeble creatures to carry out my work. (498)
I demand of you a perfect and whole-burnt offering; and offering of the will. No other sacrifice can compare with this one. I Myself am directing your life and arranging things in such a way that you will be for Me a continual sacrifice and will always do My will. And for the accomplishment of this offering, you will unite yourself with Me on the Cross. I know what you can do. I Myself will give you many orders directly, but I will delay the possibility of their being carried out and make it depend on others. But what the superiors will not manage to do, I Myself will accomplish directly in your soul. And in the most hidden depths of your soul, a perfect holocaust will be carried out, not just for a while, but know, My daughter, that this offering will last until your death. But there is time, so that I the Lord will fulfill all your wishes. I delight in you as in a living host; let nothing terrify you; I am with you. (923)
Poor soul, I see that you suffer much and that you do not have even the strength to converse with me. So I will speak to you. Even though your sufferings were very great, do not lose heart or give in to despondency. But tell me, my child, who has dared to wound your heart? Tell me about everything, be sincere in dealing with me, reveal all the wounds of your heart. I will heal them, and your suffering will become a source of your sanctification. Therefore, I have remained on earth to comfort your aching heart and to fortify your soul, so that you will not falter on the way. You say that a dense darkness is obscuring your mind. But why, at such times, do you not come to me, the light who can in an instant pour into your soul more understanding about holiness than can be found in any books? No confessor is capable of teaching and enlightening in this way….a suffering soul is closest to my heart. (1487)
You will not be alone, because I am with you always and everywhere. Near to my heart, fear nothing…Know that my eyes follow every move of your heart with great attention. …What are you afraid of? If you are with me, who will dare touch you? Nevertheless, I am very pleased that you confide your fears to me, my daughter. Speak to me about everything in a completely simple and human way; by this you will give me great joy. I understand you because I am God Man. This simple language of your heart is more pleasing to me than the hymns composed in my honor. Know, my daughter, that the simpler your speech is, the more you attract me to yourself. And now, be at peace close to my heart. Lay your pen aside and get ready to leave….See, you are not alone. My heart watches over you. (797)
In the host is your power; it will defend you. (616)
My daughter, why are you giving in to thoughts of fear? I answered, “O Lord, You know why.” And He said, Why? “This work frightens me. You know that I am incapable of carrying it out.” And He said, Why? “You see very well that I am not in good health, that I have no education, that I have no money, that I am an abyss of misery, that I fear contacts with people. Jesus, I desire only You. You can release me from this.” And the Lord said to me, My daughter, what you have said is true. You are very miserable, and it pleased Me to carry out this work of mercy precisely through you who are nothing but misery itself. Do not fear; I will not leave you alone. Do whatever you can in this matter; I will accomplish everything that is lacking in you. You know what is within your power to do; do that. (881)
Love is a mystery that transforms everything it touches into things beautiful and pleasing to God. The love of God makes a soul free. She is like a queen; she knows no slavish compulsion; she sets about everything with great freedom of soul, because the love which dwells in her incites her to action. Everything that surrounds her makes her know that only God Himself is worthy of her love. A soul in love with God and immersed in Him approaches her duties with the same dispositions as she does Holy Communion and carries out the simplest tasks with great care, under the loving gaze of God. She is not troubled if, after some time, something turns out to be less successful. She remains calm, because at the time of the action she had done what was in her power. When it happens that the living presence of God, which she enjoys almost constantly, leaves her, she then tries to continue living in lively faith. Her soul understands that there are periods of rest and periods of battle. Through her will, she is always with God. Her soul, like a knight, is well trained in battle; from afar it sees where the foe is hiding and is ready for battle. She knows she is not alone…God is her strength. (890)
Beloved pearl of my heart, I see your love so pure, purer than that of the angels, and all the more so because you keep fighting. (1061)
Do not be absorbed in your misery—you are still too weak to speak of it—but, rather, gave on my heart filled with goodness, and be imbued with my sentiments. Strive for meekness and humility; be merciful to others, as I am to you; and, when you feel your strength failing, if you come to the fountain of mercy to fortify your soul, you will not grow weary on your journey. (1486)
My child, life on earth is a struggle indeed; a great struggle for my kingdom. But fear not, because you are not alone. I am always supporting you, so lean on me as you struggle, fear nothing. (1488)
I am concerned about every beat of your heart. (1548)
If only you are willing to fight, know the victory is already on your side. (1560)