September 14, 2011
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
"Dear children! Today, in a special way, I invite you to take the cross in the hands and to meditate on the wounds of Jesus. Ask of Jesus to heal your wounds, which you, dear children, during your life sustained because of your sins or the sins of your parents. Only in this way, dear children, you will understand that the world is in need of healing of faith in God the Creator. By Jesus' passion and death on the cross, you will understand that only through prayer you, too, can become true apostles of faith; when, in simplicity and prayer, you live faith which is a gift. Thank you for having responded to my call."
(March 25, 1997)
Today, Holy Mother Church instructs us to lift high the Cross of Christ from which all graces flow for mankind and to gaze upon it with silent wonder, for here we see Jesus, who was lifted up to draw all men to Himself, raised high in agony in order to heal our wounds. In this message Our Lady also instructs us to gaze upon Jesus, to meditate on the wounds of her Son, so that our wounds may be healed. This is a day of victory for us, and a day of deep wonder and gratitude. We have been saved.
St. Faustina understood this mystery of love in a special way. She writes:
God, You could have saved thousands of worlds with one word; a single sigh from Jesus would have satisfied your justice. But You Yourself, Jesus, purely out of love for us, underwent such a terrible Passion. Your Father's justice would have been propitiated with a single sigh from You, and all Your self-abasement is solely the work of Your mercy and Your inconceivable love. On leaving the earth, O Lord, You wanted to stay with us, and so You left us Yourself in the Sacrament of the Altar, and You opened wide Your mercy to us. There is no misery that could exhaust You; You have called us all to this fountain of love, to this spring of God's compassion. Here is the tabernacle of Your mercy; here is the remedy for all our ills. To You, O living spring of mercy, all souls are drawn; some like deer, thirsting for Your love, others to wash the wound of their sins, and still others, exhausted by life, to draw strength. At the moment of Your death on the Cross, You bestowed upon us eternal life; allowing Your most holy side to be opened, You opened an inexhaustible spring of mercy for us, giving us Your dearest possession, the Blood and Water from Your Heart. Such is the omnipotence of Your mercy. From it all grace flows to us.
Be adored, O God, in the work of Your mercy,
Be blessed by all faithful hearts
On whom Your gaze rests,
In whom dwells Your immortal life.
O my Jesus, have mercy, sorrowful was your life on this earth.
And in terrible torment Your work came to an end,
Hanging stretched out on the wood of the Cross,
And all this for the love of our souls.
In Your inconceivable love, You allowed Your most holy side to be opened,
And streams of Blood and Water gushed forth from your Heart.
Here is the living fountain of Your mercy,
Here souls receive consolation and refreshment.
In the Blessed Sacrament, you left us Your mercy;
Your love deigned to arrange it so,
That, going through life, suffering and toil,
I might never doubt of Your goodness and mercy.
For even if the whole world's miseries weighed on my soul,
We must not doubt for even a moment,
But have trust in the power of God's mercy,
Because, with graciousness, God receives a contrite soul.
O unspeakable mercy of our Lord,
Source of compassion and all sweetness,
Trust, trust, O soul, though you are stained by sin,
For when you approach God, you will not taste bitterness.
Because He is a living fire of great love,
When we approach Him with sincerity,
Our miseries, sins and evil deeds vanish;
He will settle our debts when we surrender ourselves to Him." (Diary 1747-1748)
Let us surrender ourselves to Jesus, crucified for us. In Him we will find rest for our souls.
We adore you, O Christ, and we bless You, because by Your Holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
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