By Marc Massery
Turn to any page of the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and you find spiritual gems. Like these words from St. Faustina:
You are a bottomless sea of mercy for us sinners; and the greater the misery, the more right we have to Your mercy. You are a fount which makes all creatures happy by Your infinite mercy (793).
We live in a fallen world. No matter how holy or devout we become, we cannot enjoy full communion with God until we make it to Heaven. Unhappiness and misery on this earth is therefore inevitable.
Sometimes we refuse to acknowledge our misery. We fill our lives with distractions and find ways to numb the pain instead of facing the reality of our brokenness. But God loves us too much to hide the truth from us. Often, He leads us through trials to force us to acknowledge and admit our misery.
In our misery, we can choose to give into hopelessness. Or we can turn to God. If we choose to turn to God in our pain, He'll use it for our good. Though it's difficult for us to understand at times, awareness of our misery is, in fact, a blessing. In our misery, God shows us the truth of just how frail we are, how much we need Him, and how much our very existence relies upon Him.
The more we realize the depth of our frailty and the height of God's mercy, the more we will learn to love and trust Him. The more we love and trust Him, the more blessings He'll pour out upon us.
When we're feeling miserable, we don't need to despair. God promises He will not abandon us. Though sometimes we may struggle to understand, God allows us to feel miserable for a reason - He wants us to cast ourselves entirely upon Him. He wants us to find all our reasons for being joyful and peaceful in Him for He is Love and Mercy itself.
My prayer: Jesus, when I realize my own frailty, help me to keep from falling into despair. Instead of becoming despondent in my own misery, help me to rejoice in Your mercy. Help me to cast myself entirely upon You and live my life sustained by Your love alone.
View the previous Discovering the Diary .
