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The Diary
God has given us such an extraordinary gift in this diary! I pray that all souls would read and interiorize this book. This diary is filled with the words of Jesus Christ Himself as spoken only 70 years ago! "This Work of mercy is Mine; there is nothing of you in it. It pleases Me that you are carrying out faithfully what I have commanded you to do, not adding or taking away a single word. And He gave me an interior light by which I learned that not a single word was mine (Diary, 1667)".
This content of this diary is so rich, that you could read one paragraph and ponder it for weeks if not for eternity. It is my 3rd favorite book after the Holy Bible and the Catechism. If you hunger for the Truth, then you will consume this book. O, how you will come to know God! And by coming to know God you will come to love God! And then you will, all-the-more, desire to love, know and serve Him. If only athiests would read this book! With the necessary grace from God, this book will convince you of the answers to some of your most burning theological questions, such as: Does God exist? How does God operate? Why does God operate the way he does? If God is all-good, how can there be evil, including the devil, demons and Hell? How can an all-good God allow suffering? Why do the innocent suffer? How can a soul go to Hell forever if there is an all-good all-merciful God? And what about Purgatory? Can God really forgive any sin? How can God be both just and merciful? Why did God create this universe and all creatures? What are Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell like? Note: Do not forget however that with knowledge comes a commensurate responsibility.
God gave us this book to strengthen our trust in His Divine Mercy in order to get us to Heaven and keep us from going to hell. God also gave us this book to console us. Jesus told St. Faustina that she should write more, and "this for the consolation of souls (Diary, 1457)". With the necessary grace from God, this diary will truly strengthen you in all virtues. With God's grace, it will assuage your fears, doubts, and anxiety and draw you closer to the most loving and merciful and Sacred Heart of Jesus where you can rest. If only sinners would read this book! With God's grace, it will help convince you of all that the Holy Catholic Church proposes for our belief, including; the existence of God, Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell, the saints and angels and the fallen angels - the devil and his demons; the reality of sin, but also the omnipotence of God's Mercy; the reality of the Most Holy Trinity; the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist; etc. It will strengthen your hope by revealing to you a piece of Heaven thereby increasing your desire for Heaven which is union with God, and you will, as St. Faustina did, "become more joyful that He is as He is. (Diary, 779)" It will especially strengthen your love of God and your trust in God's Mercy, as exemplified by the following excerpt (Diary, 1486).
Conversation of the Merciful God with a Despairing Soul.
Jesus: O soul steeped in darkness, do not despair. All is not yet lost. Come and confide in your God, who is love and mercy.
-But the soul, deaf even to this appeal, wraps itself in darkness.
Jesus calls out again: My child, listen to the voice of your merciful Father.
- In the soul arises this reply: "For me there is no mercy," and it falls into greater darkness, a despair which is a foretaste of hell and makes it unable to draw near to God.
Jesus calls to the soul a third time, but the soul remains deaf and blind, hardened and despairing. Then the mercy of God begins to exert itself, and, without any co-operation from the soul, God grants it final grace. If this too is spurned, God will leave the soul in this self-chosen disposition for eternity. This grace emerges from the merciful Heart of Jesus and gives the soul a special light by means of which the soul begins to understand God's effort; but conversion depends on its own will. The soul knows that this, for her, is final grace and, should it show even a flicker of good will, the mercy of God will accomplish the rest.
My omnipotent mercy is active here. Happy the soul that takes advantage of this grace.
Jesus: What joy fills My Heart when you return to me. Because you are weak, I take you in My arms and carry you to the home of My Father.
Soul (as if awaking, asks fearfully): Is it possible that there yet is mercy for me?
Jesus: There is, My child. You have a special claim on My mercy. Let it act in your poor soul; let the rays of grace enter your soul; they bring with them light, warmth, and life.
Soul: But fear fills me at the thought of my sins, and this terrible fear moves me to doubt Your goodness.
Jesus: My child, all your sins have not wounded My Heart as painfully as your present lack of trust does - that after so many efforts of My love and mercy, you should still doubt My goodness.
Soul: O Lord, save me yourself, for I perish. Be my Savior. O Lord, I am unable to say anything more; my pitiful heart is torn asunder; but You, O Lord... Jesus does not let the soul finish but, raising it from the ground, from the depths of its misery, he leads it into the recesses of His Heart where all its sins disappear instantly, consumed by the flames of love.
Jesus: Here, soul, are all the treasures of My Heart. Take everything you need from it.
Soul: O Lord, I am inundated with Your grace. I sense that a new life has entered into me and, above all, I feel Your love in my heart. That is enough for me. O Lord, I will glorify the omnipotence of Your mercy for all eternity. Encouraged by Your goodness, I will confide to You all the sorrows of my heart.
Jesus: Tell me all, My child, hide nothing from Me, because My loving Heart, the Heart of your Best Friend, is listening to you.
Soul: O Lord, now I see all my ingratitude and Your goodness. You were pursuing me with Your grace, while I was frustrating Your benevolence. I see that I deserve the depths of hell for spurning Your graces.
Jesus (interrupting): Do not be absorbed in your misery-you are still too weak to speak of it-but, rather, gaze on My Heart filled with goodness, and be imbued with My sentiments. Strive for meekness and humility; be merciful to others, as I am to you; and, when you feel your strength failing, if you come to the fountain of mercy to fortify your soul, you will not grow weary on your journey.
Soul: Now I understand Your mercy, which protects me, and like a brilliant star, leads me into the home of my Father, protecting me from the horrors of hell that I have deserved, not once, but a thousand times. O Lord, eternity will hardly suffice for me to give due praise to Your unfathomable mercy and Your compassion for me.
God also gave us this book as a manual on becoming a saint. As Jesus said to St. Faustina, "Know this, My daughter: if you strive for perfection you will sanctify many souls; and if you do not strive for sanctity, by the same token, many souls will remain imperfect. Know that their perfection will depend on your perfection, and the greater part of the responsibility for these souls will fall on you. (Diary, 1165)"
