Jesus’ greatest desire

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery;' but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. If your right eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. If your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off, and throw it away from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members should perish, than for your whole body to be cast into Gehenna. 'It was also said, 'Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce,' but I tell you that whoever puts away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, makes her an adulteress; and whoever marries her when she is put away commits adultery. 'Again you have heard that it was said to them of old time, 'You shall not make false vows, but shall perform to the Lord your vows,' but I tell you, don't swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God; nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Neither shall you swear by your head, for you can't make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one. 'You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'* But I tell you, don't resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don't turn away him who desires to borrow from you. 'You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor,* and hate your enemy.*' But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven.

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	Jesus’ greatest desire

By LOA Editorial Office,
Love One Another! 2015-31

“I am concerned about every beat of your heart. Every stirring of your love is reflected in my heart. I thirst for your love.” (St Faustina’s Diary 1542). Can one remain indifferent to Jesus’ declaration? How might one quench that boundless “desire” that He declared just before his death on the cross?

Jesus’ greatest desire

“God made known to me”, St Faustina tells us in her diary (Diary 279), “what true love consists in and gave light to me about how, in practice, to give proof of it to Him. The true love of God consists in carrying out God’s will. To show God our love in what we do, all our actions, even the least, must spring from our love of God.”

Everything that we do for our neighbour, Jesus takes as done for Him. One evening, Jesus permitted Faustina to discover this truth in a special way. She returned to her cell very tired after a full day’s chores. When she lay down, she heard another sister asking her to bring her some hot water. This meant that she would have to get up, dress herself, and go through the courtyard to the distant kitchen. Faustina writes: “Although I was tired, I dressed quickly and brought her the water she wanted, even though it was quite a long walk from the cell to the kitchen, and the mud was ankle-deep. When I re-entered my cell, I saw the ciborium with the Blessed Sacrament, and I heard this voice, Take this ciborium and bring it to the tabernacle. I hesitated at first, but when I approached and touched it, I heard these words, “Approach each of the sisters with the same love with which you approach Me; and whatever you do for them, you do it for Me.” (Diary 285)

On another occasion, Jesus confided: “My daughter, I desire that your heart be an abiding place of My mercy. I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart. Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in My mercy which I so ardently desire for souls.” (Diary 1777). It would appear that Jesus’ desire remains current, and he personally confides it to us. But how may one become a witness to His infinite love? He explains Himself: “Be always merciful as I am merciful. Love everyone out of love for Me, even your greatest enemies, so that My mercy may be fully reflected in your heart.” (Diary 1695)

“Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in My mercy which I so ardently desire for souls”

But is it really possible that He might want to show someone else His love through us? “It is precisely through such misery that I want to show the power of my mercy”, Jesus answers Faustina, when one of the sisters tries to convince her that God doesn’t commune with weak people. And even so, God wants to demonstrate the power of his love through us who are little, poor and hurt even for those who don’t know Him, who have not yet experienced His infinite love in their lives. He assures: “Act like a beggar who does not back away when he gets more alms [than he asked for], but offers thanks the more fervently. You too should not back away and say that you are not worthy of receiving greater graces when I give them to you. I know you are unworthy, but rejoice all the more and take as many treasures from My Heart as you can carry, for then you will please Me more. And I will tell you one more thing – take these graces not only for yourself, but also for others; that is, encourage the souls with whom you come into contact to trust in My infinite mercy. And he adds the promise: “Oh, how I love those souls who have complete confidence in Me – I will do everything for them.” (Diary 294)

He also said: “As often as you want to make Me happy, speak to the world about My great and unfathomable mercy” (Diary 164). And He points out three ways to bear witness to His goodness: through actions, through words, and through prayer. Jesus wants us to love as He loves, and to forgive as He forgives. He wants us to be the sign and the word of His love wherever we are, and especially on the peripheries where He isn’t known. We mustn’t permit ourselves to stop practising love. We mustn’t permit patience, perseverance or faith to be lacking when difficulties, misunderstanding, strife and darkness come. These are the situations in which we can especially show God our pure love.

Let us permit God’s love to pour itself out on the world through us, so that everything in us can express love. May St Faustina’s prayer always accompany us: “I want to be completely transformed into Your mercy and to be Your living reflection, O Lord. May the greatest of all divine attributes, that of Your unfathomable mercy, pass through my heart and soul to my neighbour. Help me, O Lord, that my eyes may be merciful, so that I may never suspect or judge from appearances, but look for what is beautiful in my neighbours’ souls and come to their rescue. Help me, that my ears may be merciful, so that I may give heed to my neighbours’ needs and not be indifferent to their pains and moanings. Help me, O Lord, that my tongue may be merciful, so that I should never speak negatively of my neighbour, but have a word of comfort and forgiveness for all. Help me, O Lord, that my hands may be merciful and filled with good deeds, so that I may do only good to my neighbours and take upon myself the more difficult and toilsome tasks. Help me, that my feet may be merciful, so that I may hurry to assist my neighbour, overcoming my own fatigue and weariness. My true rest is in the service of my neighbour. Help me, O Lord, that my heart may be merciful so that I myself may feel all the sufferings of my neighbour. I will refuse my heart to no one. I will be sincere even with those who, I know, will abuse my kindness. And I will lock myself up in the most merciful Heart of Jesus. I will bear my own suffering in silence. May Your mercy, O Lord, rest upon me.” (Diary 163)…

“Love everyone out of love for Me, even your greatest enemies, so that My mercy may be fully reflected in your heart”

Jesus says: “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled!” Love is this fire and desire, and Jesus reveals its extent to us on the last day before His death: on Maundy Thursday, just before instituting the Eucharist. After washing the feet of the disciples, He speaks the following words: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.” (John 13:34). Jesus desires that the mutual love – the foundation of the relationship of the Father with the Son, the Son with the Father, and both of them with the Holy Spirit – should become the foundation of our relationships with everyone.

St John Paul II, referencing these words of Jesus’, said: “I wish you that your family and social life be based on the commandment of loving one another”. May it happen, and then we will be a sign for the world, in Jesus’ words: “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Source: https://loamagazine.org/archive/2015/2015-31/jesus-greatest-desire

The above article was published with permission from Miłujcie się! in September 2020.

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