Jesus, I Trust in You, Divine Will and Divine Mercy

The message of Divine Mercy is inseparable from trust in Jesus.  "Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that the graces of His mercy are dependent upon our trust. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we will receive."  The Message of Divine Mercy

Also in the Volumes on the Divine Will trust is crucial and Jesus repeats this often to Luisa, but he also expounds on why and how it is important and on how he facilitates creatures trust.

“My daughter, there is no one who can stand before my Majesty and purity; rather, all are forced to be terrified and struck by the thunderbolt of my sanctity.  Man would almost want to flee from Me, because his misery is such and so great, that he does not have the courage to stand before the Divine Being.  And here is why, giving the field to my mercy, I took on my Humanity which, tempering the rays of the Divinity, is the means to infuse in man trust and courage to come to Me.  Placing himself before my Humanity, which spreads temperate rays of the Divinity, man has the good of being able to purify, sanctity and even divinize himself in my very deified Humanity.   

Therefore, you - remain always before my Humanity, keeping it as a mirror through which you will clean all of your stains; not only this, but as a mirror through which, by reflecting yourself in it, you will acquire beauty, and little by little you will keep adorning yourself in my own likeness.  In fact, it is a property of a mirror to make an image appear within it, similar to that of the one who is reflecting himself in it.  If such is the material mirror, much more so the divine, because my Humanity serves man as mirror in order to reflect my Divinity.  And here is how all goods come to man from my Humanity.”
Vol. 3, August 1, 1900

My lovable Jesus made Himself seen as a little child who, all clinging to me, made me many loving cuddles. Oh, how beautiful it is to see Him in His baby Humanity, all love, all trust! The soul feels so much trust in being with Jesus, because she sees His Humanity in Him, which is so much like her that they join together like brothers, they identify themselves with each other, and one is transformed into the other. So, the veil of the Humanity of Jesus, in which He encloses His adorable Divinity, serves as a means of trust, by which the poor creature loses all fear, and remains all love with Jesus - more than a son in the arms of his Celestial Father. The love of Jesus is so great, that He says to the creature: ‘Do not fear, I am yours - similar to you, clothed like you; and my love is so great, that I hide the endless light of my majesty within my Humanity so as to have you be with Me like a little child in my arms.’ On the other hand, when my beloved Jesus makes His Divinity shine through Himself, His very Humanity is eclipsed within that endless light, and I feel the great distance between myself and my Creator. His blazing divine majesty annihilates me, I plunge myself into my dust; and not knowing where to go to escape His light, because there is no point at which it is not present, my little atom remains submerged within His very light.

Vol. 24, August 30, 1928



Jesus knows that without his intervention man can not stand before God.  It is only through the Mercy expressed in and through the Humanity of Jesus that we can dare approach with trust the Divinity of God.  Without this Mercy of God which diffuses and as veils his brilliance we would remain crushed and would flee such perfection.  But when we look at ourselves in Jesus we can copy little by little his attributes in ourselves, each time bringing us closer to his Divinity.  In fact even with the filter of the Humanity of Jesus he will even go further in his Mercy by hiding from ourselves certain defects which would keep us from approaching him with full trust.  He does this so that we don't distance ourselves from him which ends up paralyzing or even killing the growth of his life in us.  Truly sometimes ignorance is bliss.

 See, I love so much that souls be with Me in full trust, that many times I hide some defect or imperfection of theirs, or some lack of correspondence to my grace, so as not to give them any occasion to not be with Me in full trust. In fact, if the soul loses trust, she remains as though separated from Me and all huddled within herself; she places herself at due distance from Me, and remains paralyzed in her surge of love, and therefore paralyzed in sacrificing herself for Me. Oh! how much harm does distrust cause! It can be said that it is like the spring frost that blocks the vegetation of the plants; and many times, if it is strong, frost can even make them die. In the same way, distrust blocks the development of virtues, and puts freezing cold into the most ardent love. Oh! how many times, because of lack of trust, my designs and the greatest sanctities are blocked. This is why I tolerate some defects rather than distrust – because those can never be so harmful.
Vol. 17, September 2, 1924

So distrust is a greater obstacle to God's grace than many defects.  While trust opens the door to God's grace in order to let his light enter.  The size of the area, the empty void, he can fill with his light can only be enlarged through humility and detachment from everything.  But without trust the door that Jesus knocks at remains closed.

“My daughter, the sun is symbol of grace.  When it finds a void, be it even a cave, a vault, a fissure, a hole, as long as there is empty space and a little opening through which to penetrate, it enters and fills everything with light; nor with this does it diminish its light in the other spaces.  And if its light does not illuminate more, it is not because it lacks light, but rather, because of the lack of space in which to be able to diffuse its light more.  So is my grace:  more than majestic sun, it envelops all creatures with its beneficial influence; however, it does not enter but into empty hearts – as much empty space as it finds, so much light does it let penetrate into hearts.

           “These voids, then - how are they formed?  Humility is the hoe that digs and forms the void.  Detachment from everything and also from oneself is the void itself.  The window in order to let the grace of light enter into this void, is trust in God and distrust of ourselves.  Therefore, as much trust as one has, so much does he enlarge the door in order to let the light in, and to take more grace.  The custodian which keeps the light and expands it, is peace.”

Vol. 9, May 16, 1909




The greater the trust the larger the door we open to Jesus the more grace he is able to pour into us.  Jesus says that the souls which will shine the brightest with his light are the ones which trust the most while the opposite is also true.  Those who do not trust will be equally darkened and constrained.  So the trusting souls become the object of God's love where he can pour himself out in love and amuse himself.

“My daughter, the souls who will shine the most, like bright gems in the crown of my mercy, are the souls who have more trust, because the more trust they have, the more they give space for the attribute of my Mercy to pour into them any grace they want.  On the other hand, the soul who does not have true trust, herself closes the graces within Me, remaining always poor and unequipped, while my love remains constrained within Me, and I suffer very much.  And in order not to suffer so much, and to be able to pour out my love more freely, I deal more with those souls who trust than with the others.  With these I can pour out my love, I can play, I can cause loving contrasts, since there is no worry that they might take offense or become fearful; on the contrary, they become more brave and take everything in order to love Me more.  Therefore, trusting souls are the outpouring and the amusement of my love, the ones who receive more graces, and the richest."

Vol. 11, April 10, 1912

...scatter every fear, in my Volition neither dread, nor fears, nor mistrust have any right to exist, they are not things that belong to Us, and you should not do other than to live of love and of my Will.  You should know that one of the purest joys that the creature can give Me is trust in Me, I feel her (as) my daughter to Me and I do that that I want with her, I can say that trust in Me makes known who I am, that I am the immense Being, my goodness without end, my mercy without limits, and when I find more trust, I love her more and I abound more toward creatures."

Vol. 33, May 26, 1935


So trust is a sign of love to Jesus and honors him and he is then able to act as the generous, powerful God that he is, but the reverse is also true.  One who distrusts Jesus dishonors him, constrains him, does not truly love him and is an affront to him.

“So, the trusting soul is my smile and my amusement.  One who has confidence in Me loves Me, esteems Me, believes I am rich, powerful, immense; on the other hand, one who has no confidence does not really love Me; she dishonors Me, believes I am poor, powerless, small.  What and affront to my goodness."
Vol. 12, October 8, 1919

The lack of trust is not only an obstacle to Gods action in the soul but it keeps her grounded and unable to take flight to God and heaven making her feel vividly her own passions and weaknesses.  It is this lack of trust which is then the greatest obstacle to letting the creature arrive to live in God's Divine Will because it takes full trust to do so.

...if there isn’t full confidence between Me and the creature, they cannot be elevated to live in my Divine Will. Lack of confidence always places an obstacle to the union between Creator and creature; it is the wing-clipper of the flight toward the One who loves her so much; it makes her live at the earth’s level; and even though she does not fall, it makes her feel, vividly, her passions. More so, since lack of confidence has been the weak act in the course of the centuries, and sometimes even good souls have drawn back in the journey of virtues because of lack of confidence. And I, in order to remove this torpor that the specter of the lack of confidence produces, wanted to show Myself with you as all love, and in an intimate way, more than father and daughter, in order to call back, not only you, but all others, to live as my children, as though rocked in my arms. And I have enjoyed, and so have you, how beautiful it is to have the creature as all love and all trust with Me; I can give whatever I want, and she has no fear of receiving what she wants. So, once true confidence is placed in order between Me and you, the greatest obstacle to letting my Divine Will reign in their souls is removed.
 Vol. 28, June 2, 1930

So what about fear?  There is holy fear after all.  But Jesus says that fear even if it is holy is a step to removing trust in Jesus and so it is a step to losing Jesus.  It is "human virtue" not Divine.  Only love is Divine virtue and can overcome fear and distrust.  And this love and trust forms the first post for the Divine Will to come and form his Kingdom in the creature where he can extend himself.  So when fears assault us we need to cast them in the Divine Will and abandon ourselves even more in Jesus' arms.

“My blessed daughter, fear although it might be holy is always human virtue, it breaks the flight to love and dread and difficulty becomes born, in walking in the way by making one always look to the right and to the left and one arrives to fear He who so very loves her, it removes the sweet enchantment of trust that lets one live in the arms of her Jesus and if she fears too much, she loses Jesus and lives by herself.  Instead love is Divine virtue and with its fire holds the purifying virtue to purify the soul from whatever stain, it unites her and transforms her in her Jesus, and gives her such trust as to make her enraptured by her Jesus, the sweet enchantment of trust is such and so much that they enrapture each other that the one can not remain without the other, and if she looks, she looks only if she loves He who so very loves her.  So that all her being becomes enclosed in the love and since love is the inseparable child of the Divine Volition, therefore it gives the first post of dominion to my Divine Will.  He extends himself in all the acts of the creature human and spiritual, ennobles everything, and although the human acts remain in the form and material with which they are formed, they don’t undergo any external change, all the change remains in the depth of the human will, all that which she does remains, even the most indifferent things, to change into Divine and confirmed by the Divine Will.  His work is incessant and over all that which the creature does he extends his sojourn of peace, and as true Mother he doesn’t do other than to enrich with Divine conquests his dear daughter.  Therefore scatter every fear, in my Volition neither dread, nor fears, nor mistrust have any right to exist, they are not things that belong to Us, and you should not do other than to live of love and of my Will.  You should know that one of the purest joys that the creature can give Me is trust in Me, I feel her (as) my daughter to Me and I do that that I want with her, I can say that trust in Me makes known who I am, that I am the immense Being, my goodness without end, my mercy without limits, and when I find more trust, I love her more and I abound more toward creatures."

Vol. 33, May 26, 1935



Even faith in God is not enough and without trust it is empty.  To know God without possessing him is empty knowledge.  Only trust in Jesus is the sure hope that leads us to find Him and as he has said, we find him, not in some distant and remote place but in our very selves.  So that love gives birth to trust which gives rise to hope.  Hope, the fruit of the memory gives rise to faith a faculty of the intellect, which as we know God better we come to love God more which gives rise to greater trust.

“God, God, God alone.  Daughter, faith makes one know God, but trust makes one find Him.  So, without trust, faith is sterile, and even though faith possesses immense riches with which the soul can enrich herself, if there is no trust she remains always poor and lacking in everything.” 

Vol. 6, July 29, 1904

 

The more trust we have the more we will learn to abandon ourselves in God and the more we will sense his life in us and we will lose the life of our passions.  This allows us to climb up so high as to become bound to God.  So that before we would have been crushed before his majesty and Divinity and would have fled now we become bound to him in an inseparable union and he states that trust forms the victory of the creature over the Creator.

“My little daughter, how much more you will abandon yourself in me, so much more you will feel my life in you, and I will take the post of primary life in your soul.  You know that true trust in me forms the arms of the soul and the feet in order to climb up even to me and to press me so very strongly as to not be able to release myself from her.  So that one who doesn’t have trust has neither the arms nor feet, hence she is a poor cripple.  Therefore your trust will be your victory over me, and I will hold you pressed in my arms(,) attached to my breast in order to give you the continuous milk of my Divine Will.

Vol. 30, November 4, 1931 

Trust and abandonment goes hand in hand and the one leads to the other and both lead to God taking his place in our souls with equal abandonment making him the soul's sweet prisoner.  Truly the creature becomes victorious.

“Daughter, I am here, abandon yourself in my arms and rest in me, your abandonment in me calls my abandonment in you and forms my sweet rest in your soul.  Abandonment in me forms the sweet and powerful chain that ties me so much to the soul, that I can not release myself from her, even to make myself her dear and sweet Prisoner.  Abandonment in me gives birth to true trust, and she has trust with me and I have trust with her, I have trust in her love that will never come to less, I have trust in her sacrifices, that will never refuse me anything of that which I want, and I have all trust that I can complete my designs.  Abandonment in me says that she gives me liberty and I am free to do that which I want, and entrusting myself to her I manifest my most intimate secrets to her.  Therefore, my daughter, I want you all abandoned in my arms, and how much more abandoned in me (you are), (so much) more you will feel my abandonment in you.”

Vol. 29, October 26, 1931

Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory

Over the years there has developed quite a devotion to praying for the holy souls in Purgatory.  This can even be traced back to Maccabees in the old Testament which is also part of the support for the doctrine of Purgatory. 

"The most famous scriptural reference, among others, concerning these prayers comes from the Old Testament where it is called “a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins” (2 Maccabees 12:46). "
Prayers for Souls in Purgatory


Then there is the prayer of St Gertrude from the 13th century where she was promised the release of 1,000 souls for each time this prayer was said with devotion.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.
Prayers for Souls in Purgatory

St Faustina develop a strong desire to pray for the souls in Purgatory.


The next night, I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him.
In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid.
The fIames, which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave Me for an instant.
I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice for that their greatest torment was longing for God.
I saw our Lady visiting the souls.in Purgatory. The souls call her "The Star of the Sea". She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice] which said, My mercy does not want this, but my justice demands it. Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls. (Diary 20) 
Divine Mercy, Heaven, Hell and Purgatory


The 8th day of the Divine Mercy novena is devoted to praying for the souls in Purgatory as requested by Jesus.

"Today bring to Me the Souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice."

Prayer for the Eighth Day of the Divine Mercy Novena

Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of Purgatory, that there, too, the power of Your mercy may be celebrated.

Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was flooded: Manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon them in no other way but only through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion. Amen.

Eighth Day of the Divine Mercy Novena


In An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory Sr. M. G. often talks to Sr. M. de L. C. about praying for the souls in Purgatory and what is most helpful.  Because there is so much here I'll use this post to focus on these teachings.  I'll use another to focus specifically on the effects of acts done in the Divine Will when applied to the suffering souls.  All of the following quotes are taken from An Unpublished Manuscript on Purgatory unless otherwise noted.



There are many souls in Purgatory who can not yet benefit from prayers said for them but they end up being applied to others.

"Great sinners who were indifferent towards God, and religious who were not what they should have been are in the lowest stage of Purgatory. While they are there, the prayers offered up for them are not applied to them. Because they have ignored God during their life, He now in His turn leaves them abandoned in order that they may repair their neglectful and worthless lives."

This is a manifestation of God's perfect Justice.

7 “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. ² For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 
Matthew 7:1-2

"When they have lost their relatives or friends, they say a few prayers, weep for a few days and that is the end of it. The souls are henceforth abandoned. It is true that they merit this, for while they were on earth they neglected the dead. The Divine Judge deals with us in this world according to our actions in the former. Those who have forgotten the holy souls are forgotten in their turn. This is only fair. Perhaps if they had been reminded to pray for the dead and had been told a little about Purgatory, they might have acted differently."

But no prayer goes without being useful in one way or another.  Even praying for someone who is already in Heaven can be used to help others.

"Those in Heaven for whom prayers are said on earth can apply those prayers to the souls they wish to benefit. It is a very consoling thought for those in the other world to know that their relatives and friends on earth do not forget them, even though they have no further need of prayers. In return, they are not ungrateful."

And even for those souls who do not merit any relief from prayers there is an exception to that as well.

"On All Souls' Day many souls leave the place of expiation and go to Heaven. Also, by a special grace of God on that day only, all the suffering souls, without exception, have a share in the public prayers of the Church, even those who are in the great Purgatory. Still the relief of each soul is in proportion to its merits. Some receive more, some less, but all feel the benefit of this extraordinary grace. Many of the suffering souls receive this one help only in all the long years they pass here and this by the justice of God. It is not, however, on All Souls' Day that the most go to Heaven. It is on Christmas night."

 

 

Sr. M. G. often asked for prayer.  She said:

 

A little prayer does us so much good. It is like a glass of water given to a thirsty person.

 

As for the type of prayer she said:

"Next to the Mass, the Way of the Cross is the best prayer."

She continued to beg for this prayer specifically.

"No one can imagine what Purgatory is like. Be kind and take pity on the poor souls . . . Do not neglect the Way of the Cross."

But vocal prayer is not the greatest relief for these souls.  Allowing her to share in her adoration and actions brings even greater relief.  She states that actions done in union with Jesus are greater.  She encourages her to pay attention to even the least manifestation of God's will.

"That was a good thought of yours on the day the retreat closed, to invite me to come and adore Jesus present in your heart during your thanksgiving after Holy Communion. If you had done that sooner, I should have obtained much relief. Do so in the future and before all your prayers. Also offer a part of your work for me, as I have such an ardent longing to see God."

"I receive far more relief from one of your actions done in union with Jesus, than from a vocal prayer, because what is it that God hears? He hears all that is done with an interior spirit. The more closely a soul is united with God the more readily does He grant all it asks. A soul intimately united with Jesus is the mistress of His Heart. Strive then after this union which Jesus has desired to have with you for so long. You want to please Him? Well, this is the only way. You approach closer to His Heart by great attention to the least manifestations of His holy will."

She reaffirms this again stating that God prefers a soul united to Him acting with pure intention rather than many prayers.  Guess the saying; 'Actions speak louder than words' applies with God as well.

"It is more pleasing to God for a religious to perform all her actions in conscious union with Him and with a pure intention in behalf of her deceased relatives rather than to say many prayers for them."

As Catholics we have been taught to make use of indulgences (partial remission of temporal punishment) and plenary indulgences (the full remission of temporal punishment) as distributed by the Church.

1479    Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted. (1032)
Catechism of the Catholic Church

But these in fact are not as easily obtained as we might have been lead to believe and very few actually obtain them.  Apparently these, like any prayer or act, are dependent on our disposition and purity of intent.

"As for the plenary indulgences, I may as well tell you that few, very few people gain them entirely. There has to be such a wonderful disposition of heart and will that it is rare, much rarer than you think it is, to have the entire remission of one's faults."

Purging souls are extremely grateful for the Mercy of God and any prayers said for them and they in turn pray for those who help them.

"In Purgatory the souls are not entirely occupied by their sufferings. They pray for all the interests of God and for those who shorten their sufferings. They pray and thank God for His infinite mercies in their regard, because the space between Purgatory and Hell for some of them was very narrow and they barely escaped falling into Hell. Judge then what the gratitude of those souls is who were barely rescued from Satan."
 

"I, in my turn, will pray for you. Yes, I can pray even now and I will do so every day. You will then realize that the souls in Purgatory are not ungrateful."
 

And in fact Sr. M. G. states that more graces are often bestowed through their prayers then through the prayers of those already in Heaven.


"God often accords more graces through the intercession of these suffering souls than through the prayers of the saints."

Sr. M. de L. C. remarked at how surprised she was that even after so many prayers said for Sr. M. G. she still remained in Purgatory.  But Justice demands expiation of each and every act not done for the love of God.  So for many souls it takes the equivalent of another life time but for the prayers said for them.

 
"You sometimes say to me that the perfecting of a soul is a long process and you are also astonished that after so many prayers, I am so long deprived of the sight of God. Alas, the perfecting of a soul does not take any less time in Purgatory than upon earth. There are a number of souls, but they are very few, who have only a few venial sins to expiate. These do not stay long in Purgatory. A few well-said prayers, a few sacrifices soon deliver them. But when there are souls like mine — and that is nearly all whose lives have been so empty and who paid little or no attention to their salvation — then their whole life has to be begun over again in this place of expiation. The soul has to perfect itself all over again, and love and desire Him, whom it did not love sufficiently on earth. This is the reason why the deliverance of some souls is delayed. God has given me a very great grace in allowing me to ask for prayers. I did not deserve it, but without this I would have remained like most of those here, for years and years more."