Blessed Feast of Divine Mercy

Continuing where I left off in my little book, The Spirituality of Saint Faustina: The Road to Union with God, we have part of the answer to a question with these words, "In her life Sister Faustina came to know the mystery of Divine Mercy in the work of creation, redemption, and glory by very simple means, such as spiritual reading, daily meditation, listening to conferences, reflecting on the mysteries of the rosary and the stations of the way of the cross, participating in retreats, profoundly experiencing the holy sacraments, the solemnities of the Church throughout the liturgical year, as well as pondering and perceiving all the good that God had placed in the world and in her personal life" (p. 24-25).

The question is, "How do I draw close to God? You say that we are all called to be married to God, but how does one do that?" I will attempt to answer this question more and more as the days go by. I have been mostly concerned trying to show that we are called to such a state. I have put precious little time learning and trying to explain how one does it. The how has been much better answered by others, so I will do what I can to explain what these others have said.

My little book continues saying that Saint Faustina knew that she needed to "constantly work on herself, develop the attitude of continuous conversion, and strive for Christian perfection. Such a disposition of soul leads to the state of contemplation of God" (27). That is easy to say and demanding to put into practice. It can be simply put: it is a state where one continuously seeks to turn fully to Christ, imitating Him in all possible ways.

So do I need to enter a monastery or a convent to reach the state of the mystical marriage? No. That can be a great help, but it is not necessary. "Sister Faustina's life, while running its course behind convent walls, demonstrates that contemplation is possible anywhere, not only in the chapel or during prayer, but also at work and in all the circumstances of daily life. For its essence does not consist in being secluded from the world, but in consciously staying with God" (28, emphasis added).

Shortly after beginning her life as a religious sister, Saint Faustina wanted to leave it to go to a more contemplative order. It was God's will that she stay where she started, and by her staying there it showed "that is is possible to attain even the peaks of contemplative life in every vocation, in every circumstance, in the drab, everyday human life by carrying out the most mundane duties" (29). Of course, she lived a life of prayer and penance, and "She spent all her free time with the Divine Guest within her soul" (33).

This corresponds to what Father Dubay says when he says that union with God "cannot be produced by techniques, because it is above all a love matter before it is anything else--and precisely because interpersonal intimacy is its heart, it is suffocated, even killed, by selfishness in any form" (p. 81 of Fire Within). Also, if one is going to make any real progress in loving God more, it is essential, "as far as his state of life permits, to try to put aside all unnecessary affairs and business. For those who hope to reach the principal Mansion, this is so important that unless they begin in this way I do not believe they will ever be able to get there" (82).

Personally, that is my focus these days. Am I wasting any of my time? Am I keeping the presence of God throughout the day? Do I remember that Jesus lives within me and waits to spend time with me? Am I selflessly giving myself to others, especially my wife and my five children? Do I take pains to help make my home a secure and supportive environment where joy is palpable?


Thanks for reading and your prayers.
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