Tender Words of Our Lord to St. Mechtilde.

“But when this poor human heart is contrite and broken with sorrow and cries out, ‘I will arise and got to my Father,’ the Sacred Heart thrills with joy. I say to thee, that no matter how great his sins may be, at that same moment, if he sincerely repents, I forgive all his sins, and My Heart inclines towards him with as much mercy and sweetness as though he had never sinned.” – Jesus to St. Mechtilde

“It is a great joy to Me that men expect great gifts from Me. If any of them expected to receive from Me greater rewards than he had deserved after this life and, if, in consequence, he thanked Me for them during his life, he would thus give Me so much pleasure that, now matter how great his faith or extraordinary his confidence, I would reward him beyond his merit; it is impossible that a man should not receive what he has believed and hoped for. Therefore it is good for a man to hope much in Me, and to place in Me all his confidence.” – Jesus to St. Mechtilde

“Enter and travel through My divine Heart, see its length and breadth; its length is the eternity of My goodness, and its breadth the love and the desire I have always had for thy salvation. Consider this length and breadth- that is, take possession of it, for all the good that thou dost find in My Heart really belongs to thee.” – Jesus to St. Mechtilde

At the Wound in His Heart He said: “This wound is so large that it embraces Heaven and Earth and all they contain; come, place thy love near to My divine love, that it may be perfected and so blended with it as to become only one love, as iron is identified with the fire.” – Jesus to St. Mechtilde

The Son of God deigns to lower Himself to each of us. He stands at our door and knocks, saying: “O son of man, give Me thy heart and receive Mine.” As soon as the soul answers, “Enter, O well-beloved Lord,” He takes possession of us, but by a happy exchange we take possession of Him. “The bee,” He tell us, “does not fly with greater eagerness to the green meadows than do I to thy soul when it calls Me. Now My Heart is thine and thy heart is Mine.” – Jesus to St. Mechtilde

“I follow,” He tells us, “this sinful soul ceaselessly, and when it returns to Me, by repentance, desire or love, I rejoice exceedingly. It is impossible to confer a greater favour on a debtor than to bestow on him the means to pay his debts: I have become, in a way, a debtor to My Father, by undertaking to satisfy for the sins of men, so I can wish for no greater joy than to see men return to Me by repentance and love.” – Jesus to St. Mechtilde

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To “Sinful Souls Drowned in Despair”

St. Faustina, the great Apostle of God’s Mercy, wrote: “I would like to be a priest, for then I would speak without cease about Your mercy to sinful souls drowned in despair.” For her powerful intercession and witness, I would like to thank her by sharing some words of encouragement for such souls:

“…do not yield to despair! For as long as a breath of life remains a man may have recourse to mercy and ask for pardon.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“Write then that I make the most beautiful masterpieces with the most miserable subjects, provided they will let Me. When a soul repents of her faults and deplores them, thinkest thou I am so hard as to not receive her? If so, thou knowest not My Heart. My most loving Heart has such a thirst for the salvation of souls, that when they return to Me I cannot contain My joy; I run to meet them.” – Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero

“If you are still young, if already the scandals of your life have lowered you in the eyes of the world, do not be afraid. . . . Even if there is reason to treat you as a criminal, to insult and cast you off . . . your God has no wish to see you fall into the flames of hell. … On the contrary He ardently desires you to come to Him so that He may forgive you. If you dare not speak to Him, at least look at Him and let the sighs of your heart reach Him, and at once you will find His kind and fatherly hand stretched out to lead you to the springs of pardon and life.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“Should it happen that you have spent the greater part of your life in impiety and indifference, and that the sudden approach of the hour of death fills you with blinding despair . . . Oh! do not let yourself be deceived, for there is still time for pardon. If only one second of life remains to you, in that one second you can buy back eternal life!” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“If your whole life has been spent in ignorance and error . . . if you have been a cause of great evil to other men, to society at large, or to religion, and if through some set of circumstances you have come to realize that you have been deceived … do not allow yourself to be crushed by the weight of your sins and of the evil of which you have been the instrument; but with a soul penetrated with deep contrition throw yourself into an abyss of confidence, and hasten to Him who awaits your return only to pardon you.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“Oh soul whom I love, pay no heed to this ruthless enemy … but as soon as possible have recourse to Me, and filled with deepest contrition implore My mercy and have no fear. I will forgive you.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“How St. Francis converted three murderous robbers who became friars…

‘Father, we for our many wicked wins believe we cannot return to the mercy of God; but if thou have some hope that God in His mercy will receive us, lo, we are ready to do thy bidding and to do penance with thee.’ Then St. Francis received them with loving-kindness and comforted them with many examples, and made them confident in God’s mercy, promising he would surely obtain it for them from God. He told them that the mercy of God was infinite, and that, according to the gospel, even if our sins were infinite, His mercy was yet greater than our sins; and that the Apostle St. Paul hath said, ‘Christ the blessed came into the world to save sinners.’ Hearing these words and the like teachings, the said three robbers renounced the devil and all his works, and St. Francis received them into the Order, and they began to do great penance. And two of them lived but a brief space after their conversion and went to paradise… the third lived on, and… gave himself up to penance…” (From ‘The Little Flowers of St. Francis’, Dover Thrift Editions)

To those who are particularly hardened in despair, ask God for the grace of a confident repentance. Despair wounds the tender Heart of Jesus and greatly offends Him. St. Catherine of Siena said that Judas was primarily lost because of his final act of despair at the “moment of death“. (Despair is forgivable with repentance. This is obvious when we know that repentance is impossible without grace. God desires that all hope in Him, but if we continually refuse God’s mercy, He will at some point leave us in that “self-imposed disposition”, as Jesus said to St. Faustina. Similarly, St. Thomas More said that Judas was guilty of “refusing to be saved”. How can God conquer a hard, blind and impenitent heart? Jesus said to Sr. Consolata Betrone: “You see, final impenitence is found only in a soul who purposely wishes to go to Hell and therefore obstinately refuses My mercy, for I never refuse to pardon anyone.” The mystics tell us that Mary (whose prayers are “all-powerful” with God), prayed fervently for the conversion of Judas, but he did not respond to this immense grace. Mary wept bitterly over the tragic fate of Judas.

To those who are in despair, or who are tempted to despair, here is some advice from St. Josemaria Escriva, from ‘The Way’: “That is nearly always the way the devil tackles souls who are going to resist him: hypocritically, quietly, with motives… of a spiritual nature! Trying not to attract attention. — And then, when there seems to be no way out (though there is), he comes brazenly trying to gain another Judas-like success — despair without repentance”.

“Consider that at that last moment, if you have lived sinfully… The dog of conscience that had been so weakened will begin to bark so incessantly that it will all but drive your soul to despair. But no one ought to despair. No, reach out trustingly for the blood, no matter what sins you have committed, for my mercy, which you receive in the blood, is incomparably greater than all the sins that have ever been committed in the world.” – God to St. Catherine

From St. John Vianney’s Catechism (with Imprimatur; TAN Books):

CHAPTER 19: Catechism on Hope

“My children, there is so little faith now in the world that people either hope too much, or they despair. Some say, “I have done too much evil; the good God cannot pardon me.” My children, this is a great blasphemy; it is putting a limit to the mercy of God, which has no limit – it is infinite. You may have done evil enough to lose the souls of a whole parish, and if you confess, if you are sorry for having done this evil, and resolve not to do it again, the good God will have pardoned you.

A priest was once preaching on hope, and on the mercy of the good God. He reassured others, but he himself despaired. After the sermon, a young man presented himself, saying, “Father, I am come to confess to you.” The priest answered, “I am willing to hear your confession.” The other recounted his sins, after which he added, “Father, I have done much evil; I am lost!” “What do you say, my friend! We must never despair.” The young man rose, saying, “Father, you wish me not to despair, and what do you do?” This was a ray of light; the priest, all astonishment, drove away that thought of despair, became a religious and a great saint* … The good God had sent him an angel under the form of a young man, to show him that we must never despair. The good God is as prompt to grant us pardon when we ask it of Him as a mother is to snatch her child out of the fire.” (* And so can you! Listen to the words of St. Faustina who herself was overomce by despair at times: “Let no soul, even the most miserable, fall prey to doubt; for as long as one is alive, each one can become a great saint, so great is the power of God’s grace. It remains only for us not to oppose God’s action.”)

“I want all souls to have confidence in My mercy, to expect all from My clemency, and never to doubt my readiness to forgive. I am God, but a God of Love! I am a Father, but a Father full of compassion and never harsh. My love never changes. It is my joy to forgive.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“The mercy of God is infinite and NEVER refuses to forgive sinners… My Heart takes comfort in forgiving. I have no greater desire, no greater joy, than when I can pardon a soul… When a soul returns to Me after a fall, the comfort she gives Me is a gain for her, for I regard her with very great love.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez (Give Jesus this joy! As Jesus said to Sr. Mary of the Trinity: “The greatest give you can make Me is to receive Me.” Closing our hearts to God will leave us cold and unhappy. Let God love you! As He said to St. Catherine: “Mercy is what I do”).

[Josefa asked if He remembered our faults after they were forgiven. Jesus replied:] “As soon as a soul throws itself at My feet and implores My forgiveness, Josefa, I forget all her sins.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“However great is the number of your frailties, far greater are the mercies of My Heart…My love never changes.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“Do not worry about your miseries; My Heart is the Throne of Mercy, and the most wretched are the best welcomed, as long as they come to lose themselves in the abyss of My love.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“Oh! If souls only realized how I wait for them in mercy. I am the love of all loves, and it is My joy to forgive.”  – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

******* “… your sins will NEVER be as great as My mercy, which is infinite.” *******

– Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

Jesus: “In Mass I come with…”

“In Mass I come with such humility that there is no sinner, no matter how depraved he be, that I am no ready to receive, if only he desires it. I come with such sweetness and mercy that I will pardon My greatest enemies, if they ask for pardon. I come with such generosity that there is no one so poor that I will not fill him with the riches of My love. I come such heavenly food as will strengthen the weakest, with such light as will illumine the blindest, with such a plenitude of graces as will remove all miseries, overcome all obstinacy and dissipate all fears.” – Jesus to St. Mechtilde

Decalogue of Mercy.

(Dictated by Our Lord to Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero, September 12, 1915)

1. I am the God of all Mercy.

2. I seek nothing so much as to exercise Mercy continually.*

3. To exercise justice is for Me to go against the current; it does violence to Me.**

4. The door of My Mercy is never closed; it is always ajar; however lightly it is touched, it opens; even a little child can open it, or an old man who has lost his strength.

5. The door of My justice, on the contrary, is shut and locked; and I open it only to him who compels Me to do so; but I never open it spontaneously.

6. Once the soul has crossed the threshold of the door of My Mercy, she falls into the power of Love, who employs every possible means to hinder her from escaping, and to attract her to love her new abiding-place.

7. Having become the happy prisoner of Love, Love sets her at liberty, but only within the precincts of love; because if the soul should issue forth from this enclosure, she would meet death. Love does not prevent her departure, but he averts it and this is the bridle that he puts upon her.

8. The more evil the state to which the soul is reduced by the sins of the past, by her disorders and passions, so much the more pleased is Love to have so much to accomplish in her.

9. Souls the most miserable, the most weak, the most infirm, are the best clients of Love, the most desired by the divine Mercy.

10. These souls, thus become, as it were, the predilette [favourite] of God, will, like so many living monuments, exalt and magnify the multitude of His mercies, sending up to God the reflections of living light, His own light, which they have received from Him during their mortal life- the multitude of kindnesses God has made use of to conduct them to eternal salvation. These souls will shine like previous gems, and will form the crown of the Divine Mercy.

*“Consolata, you must never forget that I always am, and love to be, kind and merciful towards My creatures.” – Jesus to Sr. Consolata Betrone

**“If only you knew how I suffer when I must dispense justice. You see, My Heart needs to be comforted; It wishes to dispense mercy, not justice!” – Jesus to Sr. Consolata Betrone

INFINITE MERCY

Firstly, let us imitate the confidence of the saints! You will come to realise that many of these revelations are remarkably similar! These quotes are taken mainly from ‘Consoling the Heart of Jesus’ by Fr. Gaitley, and ‘Words of Love’ by Bartholomew Gottemoller.

“God does not reject sinners and he will not reject you!” – Padre Pio

“If someone, at the Devil’s prompting, had committed every sin against God and then, with true contrition and the intention of amendment, truly repented these sins and humbly, with burning love, asked God for mercy, there is no doubt that the kind and merciful God Himself would immediately be as ready to receive that person back into His grace with great joy and happiness as would be a loving father who saw returning to him his only, dearly beloved son, now freed from a great scandal and a most shameful death.” – St. Bridget of Sweden

“God is such an inexhaustible wellspring of boundless mercy and natural goodness that never was there a devoted mother who as willingly stretched out her hand to her own child that she had carried under her heart, seeing it in a raging fire, as God does to the penitent, even if it were possible that he had the sins of all men himself and committed them a thousand times every day.” – Bl. Henry Suso

“I’m certain of this – that if my conscience were burdened with all the sins it’s possible to commit, I would still go and throw myself into our Lord’s arms, my heart all broken up with contrition; I know what tenderness He has for any prodigal son of His who comes back to Him.” – St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church

“Even if I had the sins of the whole world on my conscience, as well as the sins of all the condemned souls weighing on my conscience, I would not have doubted God’s goodness but, without hesitation, would have thrown myself into the abyss of the Divine Mercy, which is always open to us…” – St. Faustina (Diary, 1552)

“Even if you had committed all the sins of this world, Jesus repeats to you, “Many sins are forgiven thee because thou hast loved much!” – St. Padre Pio

“The greater your sins, the greater still the triumph of the goodness, charity, and clemency of this God Who is infinitely rich in mercy.” – St. Leonard of Port Maurice

“Infinite Mercy is exercised on our behalf in the measure that it finds us miserable and unworthy.” – Bl. Dina Belanger

“As the fire is fed with combustibles, and increases according as they are supplied, so My mercy is nourished with the miseries it consumes, and the more it receives the more it increases.” – Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero

“There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted- it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate because I Myself take care of it.” (Diary, 1273)

My love is fed by consuming miseries; the soul that brings Me the most, if the heart is contrite and humble, is the one that pleases Me the most, because she gives Me an opportunity of exercising more fully My office of Saviour.” – Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero

Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero (taken from the ‘Decalogue of Mercy’ which he dictated to her):

“8. The more evil the state to which the soul is reduced by the sins of the past, by her disorders and passions, so much the more pleased is Love to have so much to accomplish in her.

9. Souls the most miserable, the most weak, the most infirm, are the best clients of Love, the most desired by the Divine Mercy.

10. These souls, thus become, as it were, the predilette [favourite] of God, will, like so many living monuments, exalt and magnify the multitude of His mercies, sending up to God the reflections of living light, His own light, which they have received from Him during their mortal life,- the multitude of kindnesses God has made use of to conduct them to eternal salvation. These souls will shine like previous gems, and will form the crown of the Divine Mercy.”

“My daughter, write that the greater the misery of a soul, the greater its right to My mercy” (Diary, 1182).

“Our Lord had promised that whoever looked upon His Cross, no matter how sinful he might be, even if he did so only at the end of his life, as did the good thief, would receive salvation.” – St. Francis de Sales’ sermon on Good Friday, 1622

Various words of Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero: “My Heart is full of mercy, not only for thee, but for all… Imperfections cannot displease Me, unless the soul loves them… Provided I find good will in a soul, I am never weary of looking upon its miseries… the soul ought never to be afraid of God because God is all-merciful… Trusting souls are the robbers of My graces. Write that the pleasure I take in the trusting soul is inexpressible.”

“God hates sin infinitely, but He loves His creatures infinitely. As soon as the soul repents of its sin, it recovers the love of God. If all sinners wished to return to God with contrite and humble hearts, all would be saved. This infinite kindness desires that all men reach Heaven… A mother would be less eager to rescue her child who fell into a fire than God would be to embrace the repentant sinner.” – St. Leonard of Port Maurice

“Look at this amazing friendship Our Lord offers us! God’s tenderness protects us while we’re sinning, and He even pats us secretly and shows us our sins by the gentle light of His sweet mercy and grace. When we see ourselves so soul-dirty, we think God’s mad at us, and we’re encouraged by the Holy Spirit to feel godly sorrow and to pray. At that point, we want nothing more than to change ourselves and make God happy. We hope God has forgiven us and of course God has. Then our considerate Lord shows Himself to the soul. God is happy. The Lord’s face is the most cheerful one you’ll ever see. He welcomes the soul as a friend. God welcomes our souls as if they had been in pain and prison, which they have. Our considerate Lord then says, “Sweetheart, I’m glad you came to Me when you were hurting so. Know I’ve always been with you. Now you see Me. Now you see how much I love you. Now we are made one in bliss.” – Julian of Norwich

“My daughter, write about My mercy towards tormented souls. Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask. (Diary, 1146)

“There are souls who thwart My efforts, but I have not given up on them; as often as they turn to Me, I hurry to their aid, shielding them with My mercy, and I give them the first place in My compassionate Heart.” (Diary, 1682)

“Write, My daughter, that I am mercy itself for the contrite soul. A soul’s great wretchedness does not enkindle Me with wrath; but rather, My Heart is moved towards it with great mercy.” (Diary, 1739)

“How very much I desire the salvation of souls!” (Diary, 1784)

“My secretary, write that I am more generous towards sinners than the just. It was for their sake that I came down from Heaven; it was for their sake that My Blood was spilled. Let them not fear to approach Me; they are most in need of My mercy.” (Diary, 1275)

“O my Jesus, Your goodness surpasses all understanding, and no one will exhaust Your mercy. Damnation is for the soul who wants to be damned; but for the one who desires salvation, there is the inexhaustible ocean of the Lord’s mercy to draw from.” (Diary, 631)

“God will not deny His mercy to anyone. Heaven and earth may change, but God’s mercy will never be exhausted.” (Diary, 72)

“Only that soul who wants it will be damned for God condemns no one.” (Diary, 1452)

“I cannot punish even the greatest sinner if he makes an appeal to My compassion, but on the contrary, I justify him in my unfathomable and inscrutable mercy.” (Diary, 1146)

“My daughter, write that the greater the misery of a soul, the greater its right to My mercy; urge all souls to trust in the unfathomable abyss of My mercy, because I want to save them all. On the Cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls- no one have I excluded!” (Diary, 1182)

“Do not lose heart in coming for pardon, for I am always ready to forgive you.” (Diary, 1488)

“The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy… He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are mine, and his enemies will be shattered at the base of My footstool.” (Diary, 1059)

“Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy.” (Diary, 1059)

“You are dealing with the God of mercy, which your misery cannot exhaust. Remember, I did not allot only a certain number of pardons.” (Diary, 1488)

“I am mercy itself; therefore I ask you to offer Me your misery and this very helplessness of yours and, in this way, you will delight My Heart.” (Diary, 1775)

The demon suggested to Adolphe Rette, a great sinner: “If God allows you to be walled up in distress, it’s to show you that you no longer have anything to hope for from Him… Sinners of your calibre cannot be redeemed… Take up your old ways again… Since God rejects you, since your existence has become a continual torment, you had best escape in death. So be a man—admit that everything is finished for you, jump into the darkness.” His good angel consoled him, saying: “The mercy of God is infinite towards him who repents. Hope and pray… Accept this trial with perseverance, for it is necessary… Go, humble yourself, fear nothing, you will be heard.”

“In the Sacrament of Penance, God shows us and shares with us His mercy even unto infinity… You have seen my candle at night: early in the morning it burned out. Where is it? It no longer exists, it is gone: in the same way, the sins for which one has received absolution no longer exist: they are gone.” – St. John Vianney

“There is no sinner in the world, however much at enmity with God, who cannot recover God’s grace by recourse to Mary, and by asking her assistance.” – St. Bridget of Sweden

“I was given mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Jesus Christ could show that he has patience without limit as an example to those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” – 1 Timothy 1:16

“Divine goodness not only does not reject the repentant soul, but always seeks to find even the obstinate.” – St Padre Pio

“Should it happen that you have spent the greater part of your life in impiety and indifference, and that the sudden approach of the hour of death fills you with blinding despair . . . Oh! do not let yourself be deceived, for there is still time for pardon. If only one second of life remains to you, in that one second you can buy back eternal life!” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez

“We can hope. We are precisely the ones that Jesus came to save, for we are being lost. Yes, without Him we are perishing at every moment. We can hope, for whatever we may be guilty of, Jesus wants to save us. The more sinful we are, the closer to death, the deeper our state of despair for our body and our soul, the more it can be said that Jesus wants to save us, for He came to save what was about to be lost. We must never be discouraged, but always hope. We are on the edge of a gulf, we are about to sink…we are sinking. We are just the ones Jesus came to save. He wants to save us because we are sinking. He is infinitely good and infinitely powerful. To the very last, as long as there is a breath of life left, all can hope in Him.” – Bl. Charles de Foucauld

“If you are still young, if already the scandals of   your life have lowered you in the eyes of the world, do not be afraid. . . .   Even if there is reason to treat you as a criminal, to insult and cast you   off . . . your God has no wish to see you fall into the flames of hell. …   On the contrary He ardently desires you to come to Him so that He may forgive   you. If you dare not speak to Him, at least look at Him and let the sighs of   your heart reach Him, and at once you will find His kind and fatherly hand   stretched out to lead you to the springs of pardon and life.” – Jesus to Sr.   Josefa Menendez“Come all of you to Me and fear not, for I Love you all…   I will wash you in My Blood and you shall be made whiter than snow. All of   your offences will be submerged in the waters in which I myself shall wash   you, nor shall anything whatsoever be able to tear from My Heart its Love for   you.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez“I will teach sinners that the Mercy of My   Heart is inexhaustible.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez “God cannot turn away his face from   those who cast themselves at his feet with a humble and contrite heart.”   – St. Alphonsus Liguori “Christ’s love is greater than anyone can ever know but I pray that you will be able to know that love.” – Ephesians 3:19 “God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall.”- Julian of Norwich “…the love of God can be exhausted by no human iniquity” – Catechism of the Council of Trent “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His compassions NEVER fail; they are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.” –   Lamentations 3:22-23 “Jesus Christ   is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) “Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to   separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans   8:39). “Now, I want   something more, for if I long for love in response to My own, this is not the   only return I desire from souls: I want them all to have confidence in My   mercy, to expect all from My clemency, and never to doubt My readiness to   forgive. I am God, but a God of love! I am a Father, but a Father full of   compassion and never harsh. My Heart is infinitely holy but also infinitely   wise, and knowing human frailty and infirmity, stoops to poor sinners with   infinite mercy. I love those who after a first fall come to Me for pardon . .   . I love them still more when they beg pardon for their second sin, and   should this happen again, I do not say a million times but a million million   times, I still love them and pardon them, and I will wash in My Blood their   last as fully as their first sin. Never shall I weary of repentant sinners,   nor cease from hoping for their return, and the greater their distress, the   greater My welcome. Does not a father love a sick child with special   affection? Are not his care and solicitude greater? So is the tenderness and   compassion of My Heart more abundant for sinners than for the just. This is   what I wish all to know. I will teach sinners that the mercy of My Heart is   inexhaustible.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez “I will make   it known that My work rests on nothingness and misery—such is the first link   in the chain of love that I have prepared for souls from eternity. I will use   you to show that I love misery, littleness and absolute nothingness. I will   reveal to souls the excess of My love and how far I will go in forgiveness,   and how even their faults will be used by Me with blind indulgence . . . yes,   write . . . with blind indulgence. I see depths, the very depths of souls, I   see how they fain would please, console and glorify Me, and the act of humility they are obliged to make when they see themselves so feeble, is   solace and glory to My Heart. What does their helplessness matter? Cannot I   supply all their deficiencies? I will show how My Heart uses their very   weakness to give life to many souls that have lost it. I will make known that   the measure of My love and mercy for fallen souls is limitless. I want to   forgive them. It rests Me to forgive. I am ever there, waiting, with boundless love till souls come to Me. Let them come, nor be discouraged. Let   them fearlessly throw themselves into My arms! I am their Father.” – Jesus to   Sr. Josefa Menendez “In our thoughts and in confession, we must not dwell on sins that were previously confessed. Because of our contrition,   Jesus forgave them at the tribunal of penitence. It was there that He faced   us and our destitution, like a creditor standing before an insolvent debtor.   With a gesture of infinite generosity, He tore up and destroyed the   promissory notes which we signed with our sins, and which we would certainly   not have been able to pay without the help of His Divine clemency.” – St. Padre Pio “When disturbed by passions and misfortunes, may the sweet hope of His inexhaustible mercy sustain us. Let us hasten   confidently to the tribunal of penance where He awaits us at every instant   with the anxiety of a father; and even though we are aware of our inability   to repay Him, let us have no doubts about the solemn pardon pronounced over   our errors. Let us place a tombstone over them, just as the Lord has done.” –   St. Padre Pio “The mercy of God is so great that he abandons no one.” – St. Padre Pio “God’s mercy, my son, is infinitely   greater than your malice.” St. Padre Pio “God, at the moment of absolution, throws our sins   over His shoulder. He forgets them; He annihilates them; they shall never reappear.” – St. John Vianney

“Our Redeemer longs to pardon and forget. He often awaits only a gesture or a thought of love on our part to grant an extraordinary grace to some sinner.” – Bl. Dina Belanger

“Love transforms and divinizes everything and mercy pardons all.” – Jesus to Sr. Josefa Menendez (December 5, 1922).

Divine Mercy: Hope for the despairing.

Our Lord told St. Faustina to speak to “sinful souls drowned in despair”, encouraging them to trust in His Mercy. The following quotes/stories are especially directed at such souls:

“**Conversations with the Merciful God: Conversation with a Despairing Soul**” from St. Faustina’s Diary:

**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-imposed 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.

Jesus: 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 Saviour. 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.**

“As long as a soul has confidence, her return is easy; but if the demon succeeds in closing the heart with distrust, O how I have to struggle to reconquer it!” – Jesus to Sr. Benigna Consolata Ferrero (Let God’s mercy conquer your heart! Don’t live by feelings! Trust is an act of the will!)

“**Conversations with the Merciful God: Conversation with a Sinful Soul (excerpt)**” from St. Faustina’s Diary:

**Soul: Lord, I doubt that You will pardon my numerous sins; my sisery fills me with fright.

Jesus: My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of My goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed Myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let My Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come, then, with trust to draw graces from this fountain. I never reject a contrite heart. Your misery has disappeared in the depths of My mercy. Do not argue with Me about your wretchedness. You will give me pleasure if you hand over to Me all your troubles and griefs. I shall heap upon you the treasures of My grace.**

From ‘St. Michael the Archangel’ booklet: “Among the writings of St. Alphonsus Liguori, we find the following account of St. Michael’s assistance at the hour of death. A certain Polish gentleman had for many years led a wicked life. When the hour of death approached, he was filled with terror and tortured by remorse of conscience over his former recklessness, so that he was reduced to a state of utter despair. No amount of exhortation or encouragement had any effect upon him; he refused every spiritual consolation. This unhappy man, however, still had some veneration for St. Michael, and God in His mercy permitted the holy Archangel to appear to him in his last struggle. St. Michael encouraged him to repentance and said that he had prayed and obtained for him sufficient time to regulate the affairs of his soul. Shortly afterwards, two Dominican priests came to the house, saying that a stranger had sent them. The sick man recognised this as the work of St. Michael. He confessed his sins amidst tears of repentance, received Holy Communion with touching devotion, and breathed forth his soul with every indication of being truly reconciled with God.”

“God showed me two kinds of illness we tend to have. One is impatience… The other is despair, which comes from the fear that originates in our lack of confidence in God. God wants us cured of both of these. He most wants us to have confidence in His happiness and in His love. Love makes us accept power and wisdom humbly because we realize God in His kindness forgets our sins when we repent and wants us to do the same ourselves, too. The Lord wants us to forget our sins. He wants us to forget every bit of our depression. God wants us to forget each doubt and every fear.” – Julian of Norwich

A criminal asked St. Joseph Cafasso, “Don Cafasso, do you think that with so many crimes on my head I can still save my soul?” Cafasso answered, “I believe it is certain, for who is it that will be able to take you out of my hands? Even if you were in the vestibule of Hell, and if there remained outside but one hair of your head, that would be sufficient for me to drag you from the claws of the devil and transport you to Heaven.”

Showing prisoners a Crucifix, St. Joseph Cafasso would say, “This is a friend who will not terrify you, who will not abandon you. Hope in Him and Heaven is yours!”

“Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls, I trust in You!” – St. Faustina

“Mother of Mercy, hope of the despairing, pray for us.” – From the litany to the Sorrowful Mother

A sinner complained to Padre Pio that his sins were “too great” to be forgiven. Padre Pio recalled to this individual the infinite mercy of God, reminding him with the most tender words that God not only desires to forgive us when we are living in sin, but He takes delight in our trust when we wish to be rid of our sinful habits. (This beautiful story can be found in the book, ‘Prophet of the People: A Biography of Padre Pio’ by Dorothy M. Gaudiose).