Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy

Reflection 163: Glorifying God in Your “Wretchedness”Do you see the wretchedness of your own soul?  Some may be offended by such a question.  But if we understood the Mercy of God, and realized that it is our “wretchedness” that enables Him to be glorified the most, we would not shy away from such a thought.  Many want to be holy and to see themselves as holy.  It’s easy to think, “If I am good, God will be pleased.”  But what we fail to realize is that God is glorified most when we see our littleness, our nothingness, and our wretchedness before Him.  It is then that He can manifest His glory to the greatest extent through us.  True, we have infinite dignity and value as persons as a result of being made in God’s image and as a result of God taking on our human nature.  But in our actions, we are sinners incapable of doing anything good. When we realize this, we open the door for God to enter in and manifest His  Mercy.  We let Him act through our weakness and do glorious things.  This is the way we give glory to God (See Diary #836). When you consider your holiness, do you tend to think highly of yourself, as if you have done many good things for God?  This is pride.  Humility is the virtue that allows you to see your weakness and complete dependence upon the Mercy of God.  It enables you to realize that without Him, you can do nothing.  It enables you to cry out with St. Paul, “Wretched man that I am” (Romans 7:24).  But in that cry, you also perceive the unlimited Mercy of God using you in your weakness and, thus, become an image of His glory.Lord, help me to see clearly my weakness.  Help me to humble myself before Your greatness and, in that act, to be open to Your transforming power in my life.  I give my littleness to You, dear Lord.  Manifest Your glory through me as You desire.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Publican and the Pharisee by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 162: Light Dispels the DarknessLight dispels the darkness.  Scientifically speaking, we know that light and dark are not opposing forces; rather, dark is the absence of light.  And when light enters in, the darkness is no more.  So it is with the Mercy of God.  Without Mercy, our souls are dark.  We fall into doubt, confusion, fear and despair when Mercy is absent.  In this case, we are left in utter darkness where the filth of sin can reign.  But God desires to bring the light of His Mercy.  When this happens, and when we open our souls to this gift, the darkness of doubt, confusion, fear and despair vanish.  They cannot remain where the Light of Mercy resides (See Diary #831).When you look at your soul, what do you see?  Is there darkness?  Do you see its foul effects?  Do you see doubt, confusion, fear or despair?  Do you see sin?  If so, the Lord desires to dispel the darkness that breeds these burdens and bring forth His merciful Light.  Reflect upon the part of your soul that appears to be in most need of His Mercy.  Know that He wants to enter that area of your life and waits on you for the permission to do so.  He will wait for you to let Him in.Lord, please come into the darkness of my soul.  Bring forth the bright rays of Your Light and dispel all that is not of You.  Come refresh me and renew me, Lord.  Help me to see and to know Your great love.  I desire to live in the Light of Your Mercy, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Pixabay.Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 161: The Singular Love Given to YouWhen pondering the love and the Mercy of God, it is tempting to see His love in a more general way, as if it were something evenly distributed to all people in the same way.  But God’s love for you is something so much more than a general gift to all people.  It is deeply personal and singular, being offered specifically for you, out of love for you.  God does not see you as one of many; rather, He sees you as a singular focus of His love.  Each and every person is loved by God in this singular and unique way.  Thus, you are loved as His one precious child for whom He has offered His life.  Know that God loves you as you.  He knows every detail of your life and pours His grace upon you (See Diary #824).How aware are you of the unique and singular love God has for you?  His love is personal in that you are an object of His burning Heart of Mercy.  God is fully capable of loving each and every person in this way, seeing each one as His precious child and loving each person in their uniqueness and even in their sins.  Let yourself, today, experience this personal and abundant love of God in your life.  It will sustain you in all things and help you to always know that you are loved above all.Lord, I love You and adore You and thank You for loving me with a perfect love.  Help me to receive Your unique gift of love offered to me as Your precious child.  May I return this love for You by acknowledging You as my one and only Lord and God.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Liberation of St Peter by Bartolomé Esteban MurilloSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 160: The Mercy of ConfessionHave you discovered the great joy of going to Confession?  Some do not consider the Sacrament of Confession to be a great joy.  Instead, they see it as a painful and humiliating experience.  But perhaps some need the humiliation of an honest confession to help break them out of their sin.  Others, those who sincerely seek the abundant Mercy of God, will take great delight in going to Confession because they see the glorious effect it has upon their soul.  Seek to love Confession.  Pray that it becomes something that you long for as you anticipate the wonderful fruits of this holy purification (See Diary #817).When is the last time you went to Confession?  If it has been a while then this reflection is for you.  The Lord is calling you to receive the Mercy He has infused into this glorious Sacrament.  By going to Confession and receiving absolution you are encountering Jesus Himself.  It is He, hidden within the priest, who absolves you and cleanses your soul.  Do you believe this?  Do you want this grace for your soul?  Reflect upon that which deters you from Confession.  It may be inconvenience, or a busy schedule, or fear, or distrust of a particular priest.  Whatever it is, keeping you from this Sacrament, allow the Lord to remove it.  The Lord loves you and is calling you to His Merciful Heart.  Rejoice in that fact and foster within your soul a holy longing to receive all that He wishes to bestow through this sacred gift of Mercy.Precious Jesus, I entrust myself to Your Mercy and pray that I will be open to this gift as You desire to bestow it.  I pray that I may have a burning desire for the Mercy You wish to offer me through this Sacrament.  Humble me Lord, and help me to confidently open the wounds of my soul to Your healing grace.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The confession by Édouard BrandonSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 159: Mercy at the Hour of Your DeathEvery time we pray the “Hail Mary” prayer, we pray for the sacred hour of our death.  In so doing, we entrust that hour to our Blessed Mother so that she will intercede for us at the moment we need it the most.  Another holy prayer to pray in preparation for that hour is the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.  Too often we fear the moment of our death.  And though this is understandable to a certain extent, we must allow our Lord to reveal to us the importance and sacredness of that holy moment.  Everything in this life must be but a preparation for this last hour of our earthly life.  If we have sought the abundant Mercy of God throughout life, then we will be assured of His Mercy at our passing to the next.  If we have not, we must still trust that His Mercy is infinite and, as long as we have breath and life, He offers to flood us with His holy gift (See Diary #811).Do you fear the hour of your death?  Or do you fear the hour of the death of your loved ones?  While this is normal and understandable, we must strive to see that hour as an hour of great Mercy.  God loves, with a profound love, the soul who is in this last hour of life.  He looks with holy anticipation upon the soul desiring the full and imminent union that awaits.  Reflect upon your sacred hour.  Know that our Lord desires to begin your preparation for this moment today by continually increasing His Mercy within you.  Allow that Mercy to pour forth and allow it to prepare your heart for the moment that you are privileged to see our Lord face to face. Blessed Mother, please pray for me now and at the hour of my death.  Dear Jesus, I desire that my heart be always prepared for the moment when You call me to Yourself.  May all I do in this life become a preparation for that moment of passing, and may I receive in this hour an abundance of Your Mercy. Lord, please also give me the grace to help prepare others for this sacred hour and to pray for them fervently when that time comes.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Death of Saint Louis by Ary SchefferSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 158: The Content of Your SpeechThe content of your daily speech is a clear reflection of the content of your soul.  So what does your speech reflect?  Very often you may find that your conversations throughout the day have been about superficial and worldly matters.  Though some casual conversations of this sort are normal and healthy, you should also be able to point to regular conversations that speak of the glory of God and your life of faith.  You should be able to see daily words of charity and holiness.  And you should see words that build others up (See Diary #804).Reflect upon your conversations of the past week.  What have they been about?  Have you fallen into the trap of being cunning or harsh?  Have you criticized or put others down?  If so, these conversations reveal your soul.  At times, your conversations may not fall into the category of sin, but may be dominated by worldly and unimportant things such as a fascination with wealth, or entertainment, or jokes or the like.  Though none of these may be evil in and of themselves, if they are the dominant content of your speech then there is little room for the Lord.  Seek to make your words and daily conversations a reflection of your deep love of Christ.  Let your speech become an outpouring of the Mercy of God alive in your life.  This is one key way through which God reveals the sanctity of your soul and uses you to bring holiness to others.Lord, I surrender to You my speech.  I give to You every thought I have and every word that comes forth from my mouth.  Please use my words to reveal Your glory and the Mercy that permeates Your Heart.  May this Mercy also permeate my heart and flow forth from my lips as an invitation to holiness for all.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The prodigal son by Gerard van HonthorstSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 157: Moral Decision MakingDo you ever struggle with making the right moral decision?  This happens as a result of our fallen human nature.  We are easily confused in life and can easily fail to grasp the Mind and Will of God.  So what should you do?  Know that your conscience is a sanctuary to which the Lord must be invited.  When invited, He will come and dwell there to teach you all things.  When facing decisions in life, pray, seek counsel from others, and seek the many truths revealed through Scripture and our Church.  These are all sources of the Mercy of God.  Afterwards, if you have truly sought the Lord and His holy Will, act as your conscience commands.  Listen to it, trust it, and act on it.  If in the future you see that you have erred, do not hesitate to change.  But do not hesitate to move forward in the way that you hear our Lord directing you.  He is a God of abundant Mercy and the pure and holy intention you have gives much joy to His Heart (See Diary #800).Do you struggle with making decisions in life?  Do you worry that you are offending our Lord?  If so, let go of these worries for they may be the result of a scrupulous conscience.  Instead, do your due diligence by seeking the reasonable advice of others whom you trust, seek guidance from the Scriptures and from our Church, pray and abandon yourself to God and His holy Will, and then trust your conscience and act.  Think about that decision that you may struggle with right now.  Work through this process and leave the rest to our merciful Lord.Lord, help me to seek Your holy Will in all things, to come to know Your holy Will and to act on it with full confidence.  Give me, also, the grace of humility to change when I see that I have erred.  Bless me, dear Lord, with a clean conscience so that I may glorify You always in freedom and love.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Saint Augustine by Philippe de ChampaigneSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 156: The Lord is Our RefugeThere are times in life when fear enters into your life.  You may have some daunting task before you, or may be walking down a path of the unknown.  These, and many other experiences in life, can become a cause for fear and anxiety.  Fear of the unknown can especially become all consuming.  But it need not be if the Lord is with you and is your constant Refuge.  Jesus desires that you turn to Him in childlike trust and simplicity, knowing that He will lead you through life every step of the way.  We need not fear if our eyes and heart are fixed on Him.  He will never leave us (See Diary #797).What is it that you fear the most in life?  What is it about your future that worries you?  Does that which is unknown to you cause much anxiety?  Know that the Lord desires to free you of these heavy burdens by inviting you to take refuge in His Sacred Heart.  By turning to Him, as a child, you will be freed of the fears that are quite burdensome.  Ponder your fears this day and then turn to the Lord in perfect abandon.  As you do, He will lift them from you, replacing them with His perfect peace.Lord, I turn to You in my anxiety and fear.  I trust You in all things and pray that You increase my capacity for faith and hope in You.  Please become my refuge and give me the confidence of a child, to turn to You in my time of need.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Peter's denial by Anton Robert LeinweberSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 155: Facing Judgment with GraceOne painful experience you may face is that of the rash judgment by another.  At times, others will look at you with judgment and disdain for reasons out of your control.  Perhaps they will identify some small fault and magnify it in such a way that they use it as the lens through which they see your whole life.  This can be quite painful and can evoke much disordered emotion.  But it doesn’t have to.  The only thing you can do in the face of rash judgment is to forgive and seek to offer Mercy.  But how do you do this?  It is only possible if you are first hidden within the Mercy of the Lord.  If you allow your eyes and heart to gaze continually upon His Mercy, and if you allow Him to cover you with that Mercy, then one effect will be that the harshness of others will not enter into your soul.  Instead, when pierced with this lance, your heart will pour forth the Mercy that our Lord has poured upon you in abundance (see Diary #791).Reflect, today, upon two things: 1) Are your eyes fixed, intently, upon the Mercy of God?  Does His Mercy cover you, shield you and hide you from the cruelty of the world?  2) If so, when you are an object of scorn or ridicule, do you allow the Lord to open your heart so as to pour forth His Divine Mercy?  He wants to use your heart to be an instrument of His own sacred and pierced Heart.  You allow Him to use you only when you first allow Him to consume you with His Mercy.Lord, consume me with Your Mercy.  May I find in You my dwelling place and may my heart become fully united with Yours.  As my heart becomes one with Yours, dear Lord, use it as a source of Mercy for others.  When pierced, allow it to pour forth Your grace in abundance.  I give my heart to You for Your perfect purpose and Will.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Le Christ et la femme adultère by jean louis mazieres, license CC BY-NC-SA 2.0Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 154: Silent and Humble AdorationImagine the scene of our Blessed Mother in the humble state of the Nativity.  She had no home at that moment other than this place where animals gathered.  Yet in the stillness of that holy night, she was at home as she gazed upon her Child with the deepest adoration and love.  She gazed in silence as He lay sleeping on the hay. This must be an image of your soul.  You are called to enter into the humility of the inner dwelling place of your heart.  Deep within, you must see this Precious Child, resting in peace.  Remain silent and attentive, keep your eyes fixed on Him in adoration, and allow yourself to become consumed with delight at His presence within your soul (See Diary #785).Reflect upon your humble and silent prayer.  As you sit quietly before Jesus, or even as you go about the duties of your day, are you attentive to the divine presence of your Savior living within you?  Do you see Him sleeping there in the stillness?  Our souls must become a place of prayer and silence so that we can humbly keep our eyes upon our Lord within this holy dwelling place.  If you keep your eyes upon Him, as He dwells silently within you, you will then go about your day with the peace and joy that only this holy Child can bring. Lord, bring humility and stillness to my heart.  May I discover You resting there in peace and adore You with a profound love.  May I always keep my eyes upon You and never become distracted by the many temptations of this world.  May the adoration I offer You who dwell within me become a source of the love and service I offer to all.  Jesus, I trust in You.Adoration of the Shepherds By GiorgioneSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 153: Seeing our “Littleness”Little children can’t wait to grow up.  When they have a birthday, they are filled with joy that they are one year older.  And yet, as little children, they are still dependent upon their parents in many ways.  The same is true of us in a spiritual sense.  We often want to “grow up” and to become great saints, attaining great things for God.  And yet, we must often remind ourselves that we are still children.  In our “littleness” before God, we are now and ever will be fully dependent upon Him for all our needs.  Recognizing this fact is essential to becoming a great saint and growing in holiness.  We become great by becoming small (See Diary #779).Reflect upon your littleness before God.  Compared to the glory and power of the Almighty, we are small and weak.  But God sees our littleness and He desires that we run to Him in complete confidence.  Entrust yourself to His Mercy and run to Him.  Realize that it is only by humbly admitting your total dependence upon Him that you are made strong through His embrace. Lord, I do run to You and cling to You in my need.  You are All-Powerful and glorious beyond measure.  May I rely upon You in all things and continually seek You with my whole being.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 152: The Mystery of the Grace of SufferingHuman suffering is one of the greatest mysteries of life.  The Diary of Saint Faustina, as well as the whole spiritual tradition of our faith, reveals much about this profound mystery of suffering.  First, from a purely secular point of view, suffering is far from desirable.  In fact, it is typically avoided at all costs and seen as the greatest of tragedies.  However, from a Christian perspective, suffering itself has been transformed by Christ and made the greatest instrument of grace ever known.  It was through His intense suffering on the Cross that the salvation of the world came about.  And by freely embracing all suffering, He made it the means and source of all grace.  By so doing, Jesus also invites us to see our sufferings as an opportunity for grace.  By embracing it, uniting it to His Cross, and offering it to the Father, our suffering is also able to take on infinite value and become a channel of the Mercy of God. Suffering, freely embraced by a Christian, must become a sign of one’s closeness to Christ and a path to holiness (See Diary #774). Suffering can be very difficult and yet unavoidable most often in life.  Rather than run from it, reflect, today, upon the fact that God is able to use your suffering for good.  This is a mysterious calling and requires the greatest of faith and trust.  But when entered into, you will discover that the power of God overshadows and transforms even that which is most painful in life.Lord, help me to entrust to You all suffering.  Help me to have hope in You and to fix my gaze upon Your Cross during the most troubled times of life.  Use me Lord, and use my suffering as a source of my holiness and for the upbuilding of Your Church in holiness.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 151: Spiritual KinshipIn order to be truly close to someone else, and to understand them on a deep level, is it necessary to speak continually and to share every detail of your mind and heart?  Not if both souls are intimately united with God.  In that case, very little has to be said in order for each person to recognize a shared unity and to understand the other.  When God is alive in each person, it is His presence that unites them and enables them to know the other.  This produces the blessing of a spiritual kinship which could never be attained in any other way, not even after years of constant talking and sharing.  The unity that comes from a shared knowledge of God is far superior and far more effective in establishing a beautiful friendship than any other means (See Diary #768).Think about your friendships.  What is the basis of those relationships?  Hopefully your friendships are grounded in your life of faith and love of God.  Reflect upon how easily you are able to speak about your faith with your friends.  While it’s good to offer friendship and love to all people, it’s also healthy to seek out those with whom you can share a spiritual kinship.  Allow the Holy Spirit to draw you to others with whom you can share this depth of love and spiritual friendship and the Lord will bless you with an abundance of His Mercy through them.Lord, I thank You for the gift of those people in my life who have a strong faith in You.  Help me to rely upon those friendships and, in them, to discover Your merciful Heart.  Help me also to be an instrument of Mercy to all whom You have placed in my life.  Lord, You are my closest friend and I thank You for this precious gift of Your friendship and Your love for me.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image:  St Scholastica with St Benedict by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 150: Avoiding the Trap of Human OpinionDoes it matter what others think of you?  In other words, should you be concerned about the “opinions” of others?  Yes and no.  No, we should not be concerned in the sense that the only “opinion” that matters is that which is true.  And the Truth is that which is in the Mind of God.  And that Truth is not an opinion, it is the Truth.  So, no, we ought not worry about opinions that do not reflect the Mind of God.  However, we should be concerned about another’s opinion insofar as our love for them should draw us to help them arrive at the truth.  Some are obstinate and hold to their opinion over the truth no matter what.  This is beyond our control.  But others are open and if we see an open mind and heart, we should also be open to any way that God wants to use us to help them shed their erroneous views in exchange for that which is in the Mind of God (See Diary #763).Reflect, especially, upon the tendency you have to become overly concerned about what people think or say about you.  Do you allow this to influence you in an unhealthy way?  Do you allow it to affect your own choices and focus in life?  Remind yourself, this day, that all that matters is the truth.  What is in the Mind of God?  That’s what you should be concerned about.  Recommit yourself to that truth and you will experience an immense amount of freedom.Lord, I turn to You who are the one and only source of all Truth.  I seek to know and believe only that which resides in Your Mind.  I choose this Truth over all the opinions of the world, and I choose to let go of my own opinions, preferring only to embrace what You reveal.  Give me the grace to live always in the Truth.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Tribute Money by Peter Paul Rubens  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 149: Interior InspirationsThere are countless opportunities all around us to share the Mercy of God with those in need.  But it is all too easy to miss these opportunities to do so.  One primary way that we allow ourselves to become instruments of Divine Mercy is by seeking to continually be attentive to the many interior inspirations sent to us by the Holy Spirit.  It’s not so much a matter of looking for these opportunities ourselves; rather, it’s a matter of becoming so aware of the workings of God, that we allow the Holy Spirit to inspire us here and there, leading us to the many opportunities to act as an instrument of the Mercy of God (See Diary #756).Are you attentive to the interior inspirations sent to you by the Holy Spirit?  These inspirations are often subtle and quite gentle.  But if you can learn to discern them, God will use you for an abundance of good works.  Reflect, today, upon your habit of seeking out His voice.  Allow yourself to become drawn to His gentle promptings and to respond with a generous heart.Lord, I turn to You and seek Your gentle but clear voice.  As I hear You speak, give me the strength to follow Your commands so as to embrace Your holy Will and to become an instrument of Your Divine Mercy in our world.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Holy Spirit By Corrado GiaquintoSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 148: Mercy for Those in PurgatoryWhen a loved one dies, it is easy to instantly presume they are in Heaven and are no longer in need of our prayers.  But one of the greatest gifts we can offer to those who have gone before us is our prayers.  It’s true that every person who dies in a state of grace (meaning they do not have unrepented mortal sin), will enter into the glories of Heaven, eventually.  However, what we may often forget is that in order to enter into the full glory of the presence of the Most Holy Trinity, every last sin, no matter how small, must be purged away.  This is Purgatory, and Purgatory is a clear and definitive teaching of our faith.  But Purgatory, itself, is so easily misunderstood.  It’s not a place we go to be punished as a result of God’s anger.  Rather, it’s a state in which we enter our final purification on account of God’s love.  It is His burning love that has the effect of purifying us of every last attachment we have to sin.  Every bad habit, every omission of charity, every foul thought, everything that cannot enter into Heaven with us.  Purgatory is an act of God’s Mercy and we are called to help pour forth that Mercy on others through our prayers, sacrifices, and indulgences offered on their behalf after they pass from this Earth (See Diary #748).Think about your loved ones who have gone before you.  Let your love for them compel you to pray for them, especially today.  Trust that the prayers, sacrifices and indulgences you offer for them are the greatest gift of Mercy you can give.Lord, I pray for (mention a loved one who has passed) and pray for Your Divine Mercy to flood his/her soul.  Purify every sin away and grant entrance into the glories of Your Heavenly Kingdom.  I pray also for all holy souls in most need of Your Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 147: Mercy through Deeds, Words and PrayersDo you want to become an instrument of the unfathomable Mercy of God?  If so, you do this by your deeds, your words and your prayers.  First, you must constantly be on the “lookout” for opportunities to show Mercy by your deeds.  Too often, when given the opportunity (such as to forgive another), we turn the other way.  But we must be vigilant and committed to seeking these opportunities out and rejoicing when they are given.  Second, your words can bring forth grace and Mercy, or they can wound and harm.  We do harm by harshness or even by our failure to speak when we ought.  We bring forth Mercy when we speak words of truth in love, even challenging words, so as to make present the Truth of God.  And third, we often forget about the power of praying and offering sacrifices for others.  Interceding for the world as a whole, and for individuals in particular, is a way of turning the key and opening the doors of God’s grace.  Do not neglect this essential act of Mercy (See Diary #742).Reflect upon your deeds, words and prayers.  Can you point to concrete ways by which our Lord has used you to bring His Mercy to others?  Try to identify a few of them and if you struggle with this examen, it is a good sign that the Lord wants to increase His daily outpouring of Mercy through you.Lord, I consecrate to You my words, my actions and my life of prayer.  Use me as You desire and help me to be attentive to Your daily inspiration.  Help me to sincerely seek out opportunities, each and every day, all day long, by which I can spread Your perfect love in this world.  I give myself to You, dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 146: Praying with the Passion of ChristAll of us are aware of the sacred Passion of our Lord.  But few are able to gaze upon His Passion with true feeling and love.  In our prayer, we must learn to meditate upon the Passion of our Lord with great devotion.  This is not so much something we do by our own effort; rather, it’s something that we allow our Lord to do in us.  We must allow Him to reveal to us the great suffering He went through and, in that revelation, we must allow our whole being to become consumed with love of Him who died this horrid death out of love for us (See Diary #737).Do you spend time meditating on the Passion of our Lord?  Perhaps it’s easier to look at the Resurrection and His triumphal victory over sin and death.  But the way to the Resurrection and Glorification is through the Passion.  Reflect, today, upon how willing you are to allow yourself to be drawn into every pain and every suffering that our Lord endured.  Seeing His Passion for what it is allows you to love Him more deeply.  The more you become aware of His suffering, the more you will desire to console His wounded Heart through your love and submission to His holy Will.  Let every aspect of the Passion of Christ speak to you and change you.  The result will be a deeper love of God and an abundance of Mercy for those suffering all around you.Lord, help me to become aware of Your holy Passion.  Help me to see the love that enabled You to endure such torment.  May I see in Your Passion Your endless love for all and may I, in turn, love those who suffer with the same love I have for You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Image via Pixabay.Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 145: Lost in the Admiration of LoveFalling in love can leave one “spellbound.”  This form of human love may leave you speechless to a certain extent, not finding it necessary, or even possible, to accurately express what you feel.  But the love of God is beyond any experience of human love and, thus, when experienced on a profound level, you will find yourself sitting back in awe and admiration of the God whom you love.  No words will be able to capture or express your admiration and amazement of the glory and splendor of the God with whom you have been drawn to love.  Your silence and awe will say far more than you could articulate in any other way (See Diary #729).Have you fallen in love?  More specifically, have you fallen in love with your God?  “Falling in love,” as it relates to God, is not only a human passion or emotion, it’s a spiritual yearning that consumes your soul and leaves you content in His presence.  The experience of this spiritual union with God is all that you need in life to find fulfillment and it will be the source of all that you do in life, in that your actions will be solely directed toward the love of God, your beloved.  Reflect upon the depth of your love of God and if you do not see this love alive in your life, tell the Lord that you desire it and seek Him with all your might.Lord, I love You and desire to be loved by You.  I know my love is far from perfect.  Lord, help me to seek You more intimately and to encounter You in the most intimate of ways.  May my spirit be filled with a longing for You, and as I meet You may I gaze upon Your glory and splendor.  May I truly become “lost” in my deep admiration of You, my God.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Ecstasy of St Paul by Nicolas Poussin  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 144: Your Holiness is a Gift to OthersJesus deeply desires to pour forth His Divine Mercy into your soul.  He desires to transform your sin and make you His perfect dwelling place.  This is a gift beyond what we can grasp, but one we are invited to accept.  Accepting the countless graces from our Lord is not only for our good, it’s also for the good of others.  Jesus wants you to become holy in every way out of love for you, as His precious child.  But He also wants you to become holy for the good of others.  The holier you become, the more abundant is the Mercy of God in your life.  And the more abundant the Mercy of God in your life, the more others will be blessed by God’s Mercy through you (See Diary #723).Do you seek holiness?  If so, it’s easy to think of this goal in a selfish way.  It’s easy to seek holiness and Mercy for our own good.  But if the gift we experience is truly the Mercy of God in our souls, then we will be compelled to let Him distribute this overflowing Mercy to others through us.  Mercy cannot be kept in a selfish way for selfish purposes.  It must be received so that we become an instrument to others.  Reflect upon yourself being this instrument today, and offer yourself to God for this holy purpose.Dear Lord, I thank You for the abundance of Your Mercy in my life.  I thank You for loving me as Your precious child.  Help me to be transformed by Your love and, in turn, to become an instrument of Your overflowing grace to others.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Charity of Saint Thomas of Villanueva by Bartolomé Esteban MurilloSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 143: Trust, Trust and More TrustEvery reflection of this book ends with a prayer and each prayer ends with the prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You.”  But do you?  Trust is not only a one time act.  It’s not something we do or do not do.  It’s something we must do on a continually deepening level.  There is no limit to the depths of the trust to which we are called.  The deeper your trust, the more the Heart of our Divine Lord will be drawn to pour forth His Mercy.  One essential aspect of growing in trust is seeing our misery and sin.  When we see our sin without trust in God’s Mercy, we are left in despair.  But when we see the horror of our sin and trust in His Mercy to the same extent, He enters in and transforms our souls into His holy and pure dwelling place of love (See Diary #718).Do you trust in God and in His abundance of Mercy?  If you do, you will also be aware of your sin to a great extent.  Do you see your sin?  Are you aware of your miserable condition?  If so, do not despair; rather, see it as a graced opportunity to trust all the more in God and in His perfect love for you.Lord, I do trust in You but I do not trust You enough.  Help me, first, to be aware of my wretchedness and sin.  But in seeing this miserable condition, help me to turn to You rather than to despair.  May my trust never end and may it grow continually deeper so that Your Heart may be opened and so that You will pour down Your grace upon me.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Jesus, I Trust In You by williamnyk, license CC BY-NC 2.0Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission. 

Reflection 142: The Lord’s Peace Dispels EvilIt is important to recognize the existence of the evil one, satan.  And it’s important to realize his anger and hatred.  His hatred is of greater intensity than we may be able to understand.  It is beyond his control to cease hating us and seeking to destroy us with all his powers.  Why is it important to know this?  Because when we receive some attack from the evil one, either directly or through the “inspired” anger of another, we tend to react with fear, scandal, or anger ourselves.  We tend to want to fight back.  But if we understand the intense hatred of the devil, we will realize that he desires to draw us into his hatred and anger.  Therefore, the best response to any experience of his hatred is to turn from him and his attacks and to remain at peace with God.  The peace of our soul will dispel him and all he seeks to do to us.  His anger is not worth even a moment of our attention or engagement (see Diary #713).How do you react to the evil one and his attacks?  Do you recognize his insidious but vile ways?  Can you discern his attempts to steal your peace and turn your focus to fear rather than faith?  Reflect, today, upon the crucifix and turn your eyes to this saving act of perfect love given by our Savior.  By turning to the Lord in all things, His peace remains and He will dispel the dark attacks of him who hates us.Lord, I turn my eyes to You and give my mind, heart, feelings and passions to You and You alone.  Free me from foolish fear and from all attacks from the evil one.  May I discern his evil ways and reject their effects by trusting in You and You alone.  Jesus, I do trust in You.  Featured image above by Magda Ehlers from PexelsSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 141: The Mercy of the AngelsOnly in Heaven will we understand the gift of the angelic hosts.  These magnificent spiritual beings were created by God out of love.  Some were created for the sole purpose of eternal worship and adoration of the Most Holy Trinity.  They never tire of this calling and worship God with an ever deepening love and communion.  Other angelic beings were created to bring the love and Mercy of God to us.  The Guardian Angels and Archangels are two such creations that are constantly interceding for us, protecting us and guiding us into the Will of God.  Our knowledge of them is not necessary for their continued attentiveness to our love and care.  But humbly acknowledging their mediation and calling upon them is an act of pure faith and trust in God.  They are here with us and we must call on them, trust in them, hope in them and love them.  Doing so is the Will of God and an acknowledgment of one central way through which He pours forth His Divine Mercy (See Diary #706).Do you call on the angels to come to your aid?  Do you pray to your guardian angel and St. Michael the Archangel, in particular?  We must trust in their powerful mediation and sacred ability to guard and protect us in accord with the Mind and Will of God.  Speak to these angels today, and allow yourself to become more fully consecrated to their care.Lord, I thank You for the gift of the holy angels.  I thank You for Sts. Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, my guardian angel and for the whole host of Heaven.  I pray that I will continually be open to the workings of these angelic beings in my life.  Through their mediation, keep me safe from all evil and direct me in accord with Your holy Will.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Saint Michael Vanquishing Satan by RaphaelSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 140: Being MisunderstoodIn your relations with others, do you sometimes feel misunderstood?  It could be by a close family member, a friend, a coworker, etc.  The problem is that the content of your mind, heart, will, intention, and all of your past experiences are what go into directing your actions.  And no one understands all of this except God.  We do not even fully understand what we do and why we do it most of the time.  As a result, it is easy for others to fail to understand us and what takes place within us.  It can also be easy for others to misunderstand us and even judge us.  This can be hard to take but we must not let it bother us.  Instead, we must direct our concern only to that which our Lord thinks.  His Mind and His judgment are all that matters.  And the misunderstanding we may experience at times from others must be seen as an act of the permissive Will of our Lord, primarily to test and strengthen our Mercy for others (See Diary #700).Can you think of a time in which you recently experienced the misunderstanding of another?  If so, rather than letting yourself become angry or hurt over this, allow it to test the depths of your own merciful heart.  Accept this humiliation with grace and give thanks to God that He has permitted you to share in the same act of misunderstanding and judgment that He took upon Himself.  In this, you are blessed to be invited to share in the distribution of His Divine Mercy.Lord, give me a merciful heart.  When I am misunderstood, help me to accept this as an opportunity for grace, forgiveness and Mercy.  Thank You for loving me enough to allow me to endure such a test.  I give myself to You, dear Lord, so that You can work in and through me to be a witness of all that You endured.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Jesus in the House of Annas By José de Madrazo y AgudoSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 139: Providence Makes it HappenSometimes we tend to push the Will of God faster than God has chosen to move.  As a result, we end up doing our own will and not that of God’s.  The key is patience.  We must patiently wait upon the Lord for Him to act in us so that He is the one doing all things through us.  In fact, the act of patience is something that God desires greatly in our lives.  Through patience, we are able to let go of our own will and our own ideas and watch the Lord accomplish so much more than we could ever do on our own.  We must be diligent, and respond to the Lord when He opens a door or points the way, but we must wait for Him to do the opening and pointing (See Diary #693).What are you impatient with in life?  What is it that you want God to move faster at?  Reflect upon this inner struggle and know that the virtue of patience opens the door to the guidance and grace that God wants to give.  Let Him do things in His time and His way and you will discover that His ways are far above yours.Lord, I know that Your ways are infinitely above mine and that Your thoughts must be chosen over my own (see Is. 55:8).  Give me the grace of patience in all things.  Help me to wait on You and to trust that Your Mercy will be bestowed in abundance in accord with Your perfect wisdom.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Guido Reni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 138: God’s Mercy is InfinitePerhaps it’s no surprise to hear it said that the Mercy of God is infinite.  But “infinity” is quite a concept to grasp.  In fact, some would argue that it is impossible to grasp.  Delving into something that is infinite and has no bounds is beyond what we could ever fathom.  So it is with the Mercy of God.  Being infinite, we should realize that we will spend eternity, an infinite existence, seeking and receiving this Mercy that will never end.  Right now, on Earth, our experience of the infinite Mercy of God is quite limited.  It’s as if we can take in a thimble full while the endless oceans await (See Diary #687 & 692).Do you ever spend time reflecting upon infinity?  Think of outer space, which never ends.  And how could it?  What would be at the other end of the end of space?  So it is with God’s Mercy.  How could it ever end?  How could it ever be exhausted?  His Mercy is as vast and wide as God is Himself.  Reflect upon the essence of God, and as you marvel at His infinite nature, allow yourself to be drawn into His unending gift of Love.  For when you can begin to grasp it, you will desire it.  And when you desire it, you will have begun your journey into infinity. Lord, Your love for me is beyond what I can ever imagine.  Help me to at least understand that I will never understand, fully, the depth of Your love.  Help me to see that Your Mercy is endless and help me to begin my journey into eternity with You.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via by Pexels from PixabaySource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 137: Power in the CrossWhen you pray, do you ever sit and gaze upon the crucifix?  From an outside perspective, the crucifix is a puzzling reality.  Why would we lift high and honor such a horrific event?  The brutal murder of the Son of God may not be, at first, something we are attracted to.  Yet, the crucifix has a power and a draw for those who gaze upon it in faith because it is not only a horrific and brutal murder, it is, first and foremost, the complete victory over sin and death.  The Crucifixion of our Lord was the greatest act of love ever known, because in that act, He destroyed death and sin forever for those who turn to Him with complete abandon.  The crucifix is also a sign to us of the self-giving we are called to live.  We are each called to enter upon that cross and die with Christ, giving ourselves to others.  For in dying with Him, our sins are atoned for and we are able to share in the victory of His Resurrection.  Gazing upon the Crucifixion of our Lord transforms us as it opens the doors of the Mercy won by this selfless act of love (See Diary #681).Try praying before the crucifix.  Try sitting in silence and gazing upon it.  To “gaze” is more than to simply “look.”  When we gaze we seek to look beyond the image we see and to peer into the love that brought Jesus to that moment.  We see a God of infinite love who was willing to go all the way to save us from our sins and love us with a perfect love.Lord, I do desire to gaze upon Your perfect act of love and to see Your Heart, bursting forth with Mercy upon me and upon the whole world.  Help me to understand the unfathomable gift of Your Sacrifice and to enter into an eternal gratitude for this gift.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via peakpx.comSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 136: The Power of a Grateful HeartIf you were to examine the content of your prayer life over the past month, what would you see?  Hopefully there would be many moments of surrender, intercession, praise and adoration.  And hopefully there were also many moments in which your prayer consisted of deep thanksgiving to God.  Being grateful, truly grateful, and expressing that gratitude in prayer is powerful.  We have so much to be grateful for and yet, so often, we become more focused in on our problems than on the countless blessings God has bestowed upon us.  Even in the midst of life’s darkest hour, there is much that a holy soul can find to be grateful for.  Offering prayers of gratitude to God, with much sincerity, has the potential to lift our spirits to the heights of authentic spiritual joy (See Diary #675).What are you grateful for?  Better put, in what ways has God blessed you in abundance?  If you are not immediately aware of your blessings from God, that is a good sign that you may need to spend more time “counting your blessings.”  It’s good to keep our eyes on the innumerable blessings God has bestowed upon us, to see them, name them and be joyful in them.  The more we see them, the more we grow in gratitude, and the more we grow in gratitude, the more we are blessed. Lord, I thank You with profound gratitude for the countless blessings in my life.  Help me to daily become more aware of those blessings and to be grateful for them.  Help me to see that life itself is a gift and that You are active in my life day and night.  Help me to especially see these blessings when life is hard, or when some burden weighs me down.  May I be filled with a grateful heart and always rejoice in Your goodness.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via needpix.comSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 135: Conversing with JesusDo you converse with Jesus?  This is a form of prayer that is most fruitful.  “Conversation” with God is not the highest form of prayer, but it is a form of prayer that we often need to begin with.  Conversation with God is especially fruitful when we carry some form of burden or confusion in life.  When this is the case, it can be helpful to speak about this openly and honestly with our Lord.  Speaking with Him, interiorly, will help bring clarity to whatever obstacle we are facing.  And when the conversation is complete, and when we have heard His clear response, we are then invited to enter deeper into prayer by submitting ourselves to that which He says.  Through this initial exchange, followed by a complete submission of mind and will, true adoration of God is brought about.  So if something is on your mind, do not hesitate to speak openly and honestly with our Lord about it.  You will find that it is an easy and fruitful conversation to have (See Diary # 670).Think about that which bothers you the most.  What is it that seems to weigh you down? Try getting on your knees and pouring your heart out to Jesus.  Speak to Him, but then be silent and wait on Him.  In the proper way and at the proper time He will answer you, when you’re open.  And when you do hear Him speak, listen and obey.  This will allow you to walk down the road of true adoration and worship.Dear Lord, I love You and adore You with all my heart.  Help me to confidently bring my concerns to You, laying them down before You and listening to Your response.  Dear Jesus, as You converse with me, help me to heed Your voice and to respond with true generosity.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Pixabay.Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 134: The Sweetness of Our Joint LaborA honey bee works diligently, day after day, and a colony of bees all work toward the same natural end.  They work to produce honey.  This is no small task and requires constant work on the part of thousands of bees to produce a small amount of honey.  But, in the end, their efforts pay off and honey is made and stored in the hive.  So it is with our lives. We are all called to serve the Lord individually, but we also do so in communion with others.  Religious congregations, dioceses, parish churches, families and friends are all called in various ways to serve the Lord as a community of faith.  When each one does his or her part, the Lord accomplishes an abundance of good fruit so as to bring the sweetness of His love into a world in much need (See Diary #664).Do you see yourself as a “lone Christian?”  Or do you see yourself as a member of the family of God, seeking to do your humble part so that the Church, as a whole, can complete Her mission?  The Church is called to bring the sweet love of our Lord into a world starving for love.  Reflect upon whether you are doing your small part.  Your part is all that you are responsible for.  It is nothing other than embracing the Will of God each and every day and each and every moment of the day.  Small acts of love, the daily choice to trust, the humble submission of your will.  You can fulfill your mission in life and when you do, the Lord will add this to the works of all His sons and daughters and, through His whole Church, He will transform the world, bringing forth His glorious Kingdom.Lord, as a single bee produces only a tiny bit of honey, so also do my actions and service to You produce only that which You have given me to accomplish.  I offer my love and service to You so that You may unite it with the love and service of others, producing, together, an abundance of Mercy for a world in such need.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Pixabay.Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 133: Actions on Our OwnWe cannot do anything good on our own.  This is a fact.  All we can do on our own is sin.  In fact, the only way to please God and to do good things for Him is to rely upon Him for everything.  We must have a relationship of complete dependence upon God in all things.  It’s easy to think that we will please God if we simply try harder with an action we have undertaken on our own and believe is good.  If we do this or that and do it well, we will please Him.  But this is not true.  God is not looking for us to do something of our own choosing for Him, and to try and try again until we accomplish it.  No, He is only looking for one thing: obedience to His Will in all things.  And the only way we can be obedient to that which He calls us to embrace, is by becoming completely dependent upon Him in every way (See Diary #659).Reflect upon the joyful discovery of the Will of God.  When we discover what He asks of us, and then accept His Will, we will also, necessarily, enter into a relationship of trust and utter dependence upon Him.  This act of depending upon Him to fulfill His Will produces an abundance of peace and joy.  Reflect upon whether you see this total dependence upon God alive in your life.  Where you see it lacking, surrender more deeply in trust, giving up that which you cling to by your own will, choosing instead the Will of God as He makes it known to You.Lord, I choose this day to become completely dependent upon You and Your most holy Will.  I choose, further, to give up my own will and all that I try to do on my own.  May my surrender and dependence upon You become the source of my enduring peace and joy.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image above: by Geralt, via needpix.com  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 132: The Incomprehensible GodOne common tendency we all have is curiosity.  We easily become curious about almost everything, desiring to know.  Magazines, news articles, shows, daily gossip sessions, etc., all have as their aim the satisfaction of our curiosity.  This curiosity must turn into a desire to know God and all He speaks to us.  But, with that said, we must also know that we cannot know.  The wisdom and Will of God are so far beyond our limited minds and hearts that we will never be able to understand their mystery.  Life is a mystery.  Struggle and hardship are mysteries.  Love is a mystery.  And yet, as we humbly face the countless mysteries of life, we also face the incomprehensible mystery of God.  Interestingly, knowing that we do not know, and understanding that we cannot understand, present us with the great mystery of God.  In the face of this incomprehensible Mystery, we are in the presence of God.  This is a gift!  This silencing of our understanding before the mystery of God enables us to face life in faith.  Faith is a way of knowing without fully comprehending.  It’s a gift enabling us to walk through life in darkness, yet with clarity and certainty (See Diary #651).Do you find that you do not understand God or His ways?  Do you look at your life and wonder, “Why this?” or “Why that?”  or “Where is God in all of this?”  God and His ways are a mystery.  But, as a mystery, you are invited to enter in with the darkness of faith.  This will only make sense if you let the Holy Spirit penetrate your thoughts and teach you in a new way.  Your “understanding” of the Mind and Will of God will not so much be like other forms of knowledge; rather, your knowledge will be new, certain, clear, deep, and yet mysterious at the same time.  Allow yourself to be taught by faith and you will be able to face any and every mystery and hardship that you encounter in life.Lord, oh Incomprehensible Mystery!  I stand before You in awe and in darkness.  Yet in the darkness of my understanding, I reaffirm my faith and trust in You.  As I face the mystery of my life and, even more so, the mystery of Your life, I allow You to consume me with the gift of faith.  Help me to believe without seeing and to know without understanding.  Most importantly, I desire and choose to give my life to You, oh Incomprehensible Mystery, and I choose You above all else.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via Pixabay.Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 131: The Great Work of Small SacrificesIs it better to do great works, or small sacrifices?  It’s easy to conclude that some great work for God is far better than any small sacrifice.  But is it?  That all depends upon the Will of God.  Sometimes we take on some “great work” for God but, in the end, it’s not part of His plan.  A work is great only when it is done because God inspired it and remains the one leading it.  Conversely, if God inspires a very small sacrifice on your part and you accept it and live it, then you can be assured that this small sacrifice will do more good for the salvation of souls than any other sacrifice you could ever dream up on your own.  In fact, trying to force the Will of God to conform to your own will, inevitably, does more damage for the Kingdom of God than good, even if your idea seems holy (See Diary #639).What is it that God is inspiring you to do?  How are you called to serve His holy Will?  Look for His inspiration in the smallest of things.  It may be a kind word spoken to another, or a small hidden sacrifice that only you are aware of.  And if He is calling you to do something “great” that others will notice, do not be afraid of this, but do not be overly proud of it either.  Do all things, great or small, in accord with the Will of God and you will find that all things you do are truly great!Lord, I believe that greatness is found only in Your holy Will.  Help me to set aside my own ideas and agendas so that I may seek only that which is in Your perfect Heart.  Help me to humbly embrace every small sacrifice You ask of me, and to have courage to do those things which seem to be beyond my ability.  May I listen to You and respond generously to whatever You say.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via flickrSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 130: Correcting Others in LoveThere is little doubt that each one of us will encounter, from time to time, the sin of another.  It could be in their words, actions or the omission of what they ought to do.  Sin hurts and requires correction.  Very often, when we are sinned against, we tend to get angry.  But the anger we have is not always “holy anger” and is not, therefore, always from God.  We can easily allow our wounded pride to be the source of a harsh, or even subtle, correction of another.  This, then, becomes our sin.  But sin must be confronted and God will, at times, call us to correct others.  Our correction may even be severe.  But when it comes from the holiness of God, inspiring and guiding us, our correction of the other will not wound them, it will be an act of Mercy.  They may need severity, and God may inspire us to be severe, but we must always be careful that what we offer ultimately flows from the Mercy of God (See Diary #633).Reflect upon any moments of contention that you have encountered lately.  Were words spoken, or actions done that were based more on unhealthy emotion than on love?  Examine how you react when hurt by another.  Do you look at them with Mercy and seek to offer the Mercy of God, even if it must come, in that moment, in the form of a holy rebuke?  Do not be afraid to let God use you to offer this form of Mercy.  It may be hard to distinguish from the sin of anger, but we must strive to offer this Mercy for the good of those we are called to love.Lord, I offer myself to You so that You can use me as an instrument of Your Divine Mercy.  When I am sinned against, help me to forgive immediately.  But help me, also, to know how best to address the sins of others.  Help me to know how to offer correction in love for their good.  Give me courage and wisdom, dear Lord, and use me as You will.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Jesus casting out the money changers at the temple by Carl BlochSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 129: Do Not Be Afraid“Do not be afraid; just have faith” (Mark 5:36).  These four words, “Do not be afraid,” are spoken countless times throughout the Scripture.  We should pay attention to them.  Fear can paralyze us and lead us into many forms of foolish thinking and acting.  The person who acts out of fear truly acts like a fool.  That may seem harsh at first, but it’s not if you understand what it means.  It simply means that a person acting out of fear cannot act rationally.  Fear does great damage to a person’s ability to stay calm, remain focused and think clearly.  That’s why the Scriptures speak so directly regarding this important spiritual point.  Fear must give way to faith and trust in God (See Diary #626-627).What is it that causes you the most anxiety, worry and fear?  It’s a struggle we all deal with.  There is no shame in admitting it.  So what is it?  Identify that which overwhelms you the most and you will identify that which God wants you to surrender in trust the most.  Go to the heart of the struggle.  Sincerely place that worry and fear into the Hands of God and trust.  Trust that God is All-Powerful and capable of handling every situation.  He may not change things the way you think they should be changed, but He will lift your burden and enable you to move forward without the fear that can easily paralyze and confuse you.  Do not let fear dominate your life.  Trust in God and let that trust transform you.Jesus, I do want to trust You and to entrust all my many burdens to You.  I especially turn to You with (pause and state that which causes the most fear and anxiety).  Please enter into this burden and lift it by Your gentle hand, replacing it with peace and great inner calm. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via flickrSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 128: The Sweetness of Encountering JesusHave you encountered the sweetness of Jesus?  He, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, come to you in the secret depths of your soul.  There, in this hidden place, they desire to communicate with you.  Their communication is beyond words and concepts.  It’s a communication of profound love that leaves the soul at peace and with a delight of the greatest sweetness.  Their encounter with you is not an emotion; it’s a spiritual union (See Diary #622).How deep is your relationship with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit?  Is it something more intellectual?  Is it based only on the fact that you believe in them, for the most part?  Or is it something that goes much deeper?  The goal must be to come to know God in a real and tangible way.  But that knowledge of Him must also be personal.  It must become a relationship that is lived and that sustains you in all things.  If the Blessed Trinity lives within you, and if you allow yourself to embrace that relationship wholeheartedly, then you will discover an inner sweetness that overwhelms any suffering or hardship you endure.  The sweetness of that love will carry you, day in and day out, to the glories of Heaven.Lord, I long to know You, to love You and to become one with You.  I desire to have You live within my soul, refreshing me with the sweetness of Your presence.  Take my life, sweet Jesus, and unite me with Your perfect Heart of love.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via flickrSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 127: The Love of God Through ObedienceYou are called to love God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength.  But how do you do this?  What does an active loving of God look like in our lives?  Ultimately, we love God through holy obedience.  We must obey His Divine Will above all else.  Perhaps that seems like a strange concept, that love of God is best expressed in holy obedience.  But it is.  It’s expressed in holy obedience because of one simple fact: The Will of God is perfect, perfect for us, exactly what we need, it’s what we were made for, and we must enter into perfect submission to His Will.  In the end, the only way we will understand this form and depth of love is by living it (See Diary #616).How well do you do with the practice of holy obedience?  When you think about this, does it inspire you, or turn you off?  Holy obedience can be a difficult virtue to embrace and live wholeheartedly.  It can be difficult to accept and to embrace as good.  Look at your inner reaction to the idea of striving to obey God in all things.  If you can rid yourself of any resistance to this practice, you will find great joy in loving God in this perfect way.Lord, I want to obey You in all things.  I thank You that Your law is perfect and, when embraced, completely refreshes my soul.  Help me to always love You in this holy way so as to make Your Will my own.  In this act, I imitate Your perfect obedience to the Will of the Father.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane By Gerard van HonthorstSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 126: Filial Fear – The Good FearDo you have fear in your life?  It’s important to know that some fear is quite unhealthy, stemming from a form of pride, while another form of fear is quite healthy, resulting from your profound love of God.  The “holy fear” is filial fear, which is the fear of a child of God.  This particular form of fear is present when your love of God is so deep that you fear doing anything that would harm your relationship with Him.  It’s not that you are afraid of God, rather, you have a holy desire to avoid all sin.  This form of holy fear must also enter into every relationship of love you have for others.  You should deeply desire to avoid all that harms each and every relationship you have been blessed to receive.  This is a gift of God’s abundant Mercy (See Diary #610).Consider your love of God.  Is it strong enough to produce the healthy desire in your heart to avoid all that might hurt that relationship?  This holy fear must become a driving force to develop a profoundly personal relationship with our Lord.  Consider, also, your relationship with others.  Do you have a healthy desire to eliminate anything that is an obstacle to your wholehearted love of them?  Seek this gift of God’s Mercy and the Lord will draw you closer to Himself and to others.Lord, I do love You and I desire to surrender to You everything in my life that keeps me from loving You with my whole heart.  Give me a holy fear so that I may draw closer to You and learn to love others as You love them.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Saint Catherine of Alexandria at Prayer By Titian  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 125: The Victim SoulDo you know that our Lord chooses certain people for a specific mission of suffering?  He picks certain people, who are few in number, to more fully resemble His innocent suffering here on Earth.  These holy souls suffer in many and varied ways.  They are the continuation of the innocent suffering of Jesus Himself.  They have a very specific mission on Earth and it is a mission requiring the greatest sacrifice imaginable.  The good news, for these chosen few, is that the crown of glory that awaits them in Heaven makes every act of suffering here on Earth worth it.  Through their suffering, completely embraced in joy, and offered to the Father through the Son, they make up that which is “lacking in the sufferings of Christ” as St. Paul explains to us (Colossians 1:24).  Though this unique vocation is only given to a few in a profound way, we are all called to share in Christ’s sufferings so as to also share in His glorification (See Diary #604).What do you do with your daily sufferings?  Do you “offer it up?”  This invitation from Jesus, to unite our sufferings with His, is a true calling that has more potential for grace than anything else.  It’s what makes us most like Him.  It is the greatest sacrifice we can offer and the most powerful prayer we can pray.  Think about the sufferings you encounter in your life.  No matter what they are, do not run from them.  Try to embrace them and offer them up, joyfully, to our Lord. Heavenly Father, I give to You, this day, all my joys, works and sufferings.  I especially offer You the sufferings I endure.  I offer You all the small and great ways in which I experience suffering, hardship and pain in my life.  May these become a sacrifice of love, offered in union with the one and perfect sacrifice of Jesus, Your Son.  Transform this offering and make it a source of grace in this world.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Illustration of Christian martyrs burned at the stake by Ranavalona I in MadagascarSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 124: The Mercy of Intercessory PrayerDo you want to see The Divine Mercy of God pour forth upon the world in an abundant way?  Hopefully and presumably the answer to that question is an easy, “Yes.”  It’s important to know that, in some ways, you are responsible for whether or not that happens.  Specifically, Jesus has chosen to make His abundance of Mercy flow forth as a direct result of your intercession for others.  It’s true.  Your personal choice to pray for others has a direct result on Jesus offering them special graces.  This is a grace offered others in addition to the many other graces He offers in other ways.  Do your part and others will be blessed in abundance.  Ignore your part, and they will not receive the specific grace you could have won for them through your prayers (See Diary #599).Reflect, today, upon the person or people God has entrusted to your intercession.  This is no small responsibility.  God has chosen you for this task.  And through your prayers, others will be blessed.  Who is it that God wants to bless through your prayers?  Make a concrete decision to pray for them and trust that the Lord’s Mercy will be bestowed as a direct result.Lord, I pray that You will show me who You wish me to pray for.  Place on my heart this desire.  Help me to be faithful in my intercession and to trust in the power of that prayer.  Here and now I offer (think of a person) to You.  And I especially offer this person to the Immaculate Heart of Your Mother for her perfect prayers.  Mother Mary, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: The Infant Samuel at Prayer by Joshua ReynoldsSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 123: The Blessing of HumiliationsWho, in their right mind, would want to be humiliated?  What would you do if you were humiliated?  Most people would be tempted to seek ways to avoid humiliation. Some would become deeply hurt as a result.  Others would become angry and defensive.  And though the source of one’s humiliation may not be fair, it’s important to understand that humiliations can become an invitation to the deepest depths of God’s grace and Mercy.  Humiliation has the potential to produce humility when embraced properly.  Though anger and hurt may also result, humility must be the goal.  What matters most is that we shed any pride, anger or hurt that we experience and allow ourselves to enter into the depths of humility.  This necessary quality will enable us to rely solely upon God, seek consolation and peace only from Him, and allow Him and His holy Will to be the one and only source of our joy in life.  Nothing could be better for the soul than the humility that comes from humiliations (See Diary #593).What is it that humbles you the most?  What wounds your pride and causes you to be angry or defensive?  What do you stew over and think about obsessively?  If something comes to mind, then this may be something very specific that the Lord wishes to turn into a source of grace and Mercy.  Everything, be it sin, injustice, hurt, etc., has the potential to be turned into grace by our Lord.  He truly is that All-Powerful.  Identify that which wounds your pride the most and try to look at it from a new perspective, letting the Lord turn it into a source of grace.Lord, my pride is wounded so many times.  There are so many experiences I have that do not sit well with me.  Help me to allow all those things that are out of my control to become transformed by You and Your grace so that they may no longer weigh me down, causing hurt and anger.  Take these humiliations, dear Lord, and transform my heart through them so that, in my humility, I may come to know You more intimately and surrender to You more fully.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Christ Mocked (The Crowning with Thorns) by Pietro della VecchiaSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 122: If You Could ChooseIf you could choose between all the wealth in the world or an intimate and loving relationship with Jesus, which would you choose?  Do not answer that too quickly.  We may know that choosing Jesus is the right answer, but would you choose Him?  Imagine the power and worldly “freedom” you would enjoy if you had unlimited earthly wealth.  And yet, the truth is that all the wealth in the world cannot produce one bit of happiness.  It may make life easier in some ways, but far more complicated and burdensome in others.  Many holy men and women have chosen a life of complete poverty because they discovered the riches produced by an authentic and transforming relationship with Jesus and they wanted nothing to get in the way.  He offers this wealth to all of us.  But most do not accept.  Will you? (See Diary #587)Do you understand the riches bestowed upon you if you choose to allow the abundant love of Jesus to flood your soul?  Do you believe that this relationship is worth abandoning all else so as to attain it?  Is your one desire in life the burning love of Jesus?  If it is, this love will utterly transform you and the love from that relationship will flow forth from you, affecting every action you do and every other relationship you have.  Choose our Lord as your most intimate lover and make Him the true center of your life.Lord, I am aware of the fact that I can never fully grasp the depths of Your perfect love for me.  Nonetheless, I choose Your love this day and I desire to make You the center of my life.  Come fill my heart with such a burning love that I come to realize that You are all I need in life.  For in coming to know You, my Lord, I come to love You and all your creatures.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image via The National GallerySource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 121: The Secret Inner Garden of Your HeartImagine that your home had an inner, hidden courtyard in which you had a garden.  No one knew about this secret garden.  It was a place where you planted, tilled, labored, weeded and harvested.  The produce from this garden was then secretly distributed to many to nourish and delight them.  This is an image of the depths of your soul.  The home symbolizes your whole self.  The inner and hidden garden symbolizes the inner and secret depths of your soul.  The gardener is our Lord and He is the one who secretly enters, tilling, planting, weeding, growing and harvesting the many good fruits that come forth from your life.  He desires to enter in secrecy, doing much labor in your life that no one knows about.  The result, if you let Him in, will be experienced by the abundance of virtue that overflows, affecting the lives of many (See Diary #581).Do you allow our Lord to enter into the inner and secret garden of your own soul?  Do you allow Him to labor within you, bringing forth an abundant harvest?  This work He desires to do in you is a work seen only by you.  It’s a holy secret of grace working in your life.  The Lord offers it out of His perfect love for you.  Tell Him, this day, that you will let Him in and then allow yourself to watch as He does amazing things in this inner courtyard, transforming it into a garden bursting forth in abundance.Lord, I see this courtyard and I am aware of it being overgrown with weeds of all types.  There is much work to do.  But, this day, I say “Yes” to You.  I accept the labor of perfect love that You offer me and I return to You my gratitude for the miraculous work You desire to do.  Help me to be patient with You and to adore You as you prepare the soil, plant Your virtues and bring forth a harvest.  I thank You, my dear Lord.  Jesus, I trust in You.Image pixnio.comSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission. 

Read OnlineReflection 120: Pure Love of GodThe ultimate purpose of your life is love.  And, more specifically, it is first to love God with a pure love.  For love to be pure, it must be freed from all selfishness.  Pure love looks only at the one being loved.  When we love God with a pure love, we will find that we are drawn to God for His sake, because He is glorious and worthy of our love, and because loving Him is right and just.  When we can love in this way, selflessly and focused only on God’s greatness and beauty, then we will discover something else quite glorious.  We will discover that, as a result of our pure love of God, we are also filled with a joy so abundant and powerful that we need no other reward.  The joy that fills us as a result of loving God with a pure love, becomes so strong that it overflows into a profound and sincere love for others.  This is the greatest satisfaction in life.  We truly need nothing else to be happy beyond measure (See Diary #576).Are you happy?  If not, what do you blame for your lack of happiness?  It’s easy to point and assign blame.  However, we must realize that happiness comes only as a result of our choice to love God with a pure heart of love.  Reflect upon whether this is something you are experiencing in your life.  Ponder the love and affection you have for God.  Think about how strong or how weak this love is.  And remind yourself that, if you love God purely and above all else, this love will order your life so perfectly that the joy you experience will satisfy you above any other earthly consolation.  If you want to be happy, seek to love God with a complete and pure heart.Lord, I know my love for You is far from perfect.  Help me, this day, to turn my eyes and heart more fully to You so that my love of You may be purified, allowing me to love You above all things for Your own sake, because You do deserve my total love.  In my love of You, I thank You for the joy that this produces.  May that joy overflow so abundantly that I find perfect satisfaction and happiness in this love.  Jesus, I trust in You.Image via pxfuel  Source: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Read OnlineReflection 119: Interior and Exterior MortificationsMortification is a practice of denying your will so as to grow in greater detachment from the passing things of this world.  We must seek to detach from everything but God and His holy Will.  It’s not that everything we like or desire is bad, but if we want true holiness, our desire for God must transform every other desire and direct them all.  Interior mortification consists of ways in which we deny our own thoughts or will.  For example, saying a kind word when we do not feel like it, or holding our tongue when it is hard to hold.  Exterior mortification consists of practices such as fasting from foods we like or giving things up for Lent and throughout the year.  These practices are essential to the spiritual life if you are serious about your relationship with God (See Diary #565).What are you most attached to?  What seems to control you and direct your desires the most?  It could be a sinful tendency, or it could be a passion for some natural hobby.  Start with your sinful tendencies and look for ways to mortify your desires so as to become strong enough to overcome these sins.  Look also at your natural passions and likes.  Choosing to freely sacrifice these, to a certain extent, from time to time, is a positive and holy way to grow in holiness.  Look for ways to do this and God’s Mercy will flow more abundantly.Lord, I desire to desire You alone and above all other desires.  Purify me and free me from my many attachments in this life.  Help me to have the courage to make daily sacrifices to You so that my mind and will are more prepared to receive Your Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: A chorus of angels, with its melodies, drives away the sorrows of St. Francis. by José Benlliure y GilSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 118: An Obstinate HeartOne of the primary ways we stop the Mercy of God from entering into our lives is through obstinacy.  Specifically, when we obstinately hold onto our own opinion, as a result of our pride, and therefore fail to be open to the truth, we shut the door to grace.  This is a particularly dangerous sin because obstinacy, by its very definition, implies there is an unwillingness to repent and change.  The obstinate person remains, day after day, year after year, closed to the grace of God.  The only cure for an obstinate heart is humility before the Truth of God.  Coming to God, with a sincerely open heart, ready and willing to change our convictions the moment He speaks, is the first step to being rid of this sin.  Humble yourself by listening, setting aside your own firm opinion, being open and willing to change.  This may be difficult at first, but you will be truly grateful you did (See Diary #560).What are you obstinate about?  Is there a long-standing thought you hold against another?  Is there something that you are convinced you are right on?  Make sure that God feels the same way.  Seek, today, to be open to change.  The first step is to ask the Lord to open your eyes to see. The second step is to let yourself see this tendency within your heart.Lord, I know I am obstinate.  I see it within my soul.  I hold on to my will and refuse to listen to others out of pride.  Give me the grace of an open mind that I may shed my stubbornness.  Help me to humble myself before You and others and help me to be ready and willing to listen to Your Truth.  Jesus, I trust in You.    Image: The Pharisee and the Publican by James Tissot, via Brooklyn MuseumSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 117: The Enclosure of Your HeartSome religious sisters and monks live a cloistered life within the confines of an enclosure.  No one may enter that enclosure without good reason, unless they are a member of that community of faith. Others may enter only with the permission of the superior.  It may be that a sister is gravely ill and in need of the Sacrament of Anointing, or it may be that a workman must enter for a needed repair.  The image of an enclosure is analogous to our soul.  We must give the key to Jesus and allow Him to safeguard it.  He will only allow those who belong to enter in (See Diary #554).What is it that you allow into your soul?  Do you allow the Lord to guard you and govern your inner thoughts and your heart?  Too often, we allow many worldly things to enter.  We open wide the door to the enticements of sin and filth.  Give the key to your soul to our Lord.  He will guard you and keep you safe.  He will welcome all those with whom He desires you dwell, and open the door to those who come to heal and restore.  But He will diligently protect this sacred space of your soul from that which does not belong, if you let Him.Lord, I do give You the one and only key to my soul.  I choose You as my guardian this day.  Allow me to commune, freely, with those whom You have invited into my life and set before me.  Help me to love them and to serve them with all my heart.  As I give You this key, I thank You that You will protect me.  May I trust You and never seek to welcome that which displeases You, and that which You do not welcome.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Saint Bruno en prière dans le désert. by Nicolas MignardSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 116: God’s Dependence Upon UsGod is wholly independent in that He perfectly sustains Himself.  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit form a perfect unity through which they are interconnected and interdependent.  And this interdependence is all They need.  However, the Trinity freely chose to become dependent upon each one of us in a unique way.  By choosing to enter into our lives, uniting with us, and forming a bond of love with us, God, in a certain way, makes Himself dependent upon our trust.  His dependence upon our trust relates to the depth of love and the bond He forms with us.  Without our trust, God has limited Himself in how deeply He can unite Himself with us.  Therefore, God offers Himself to us freely and without reserve, but requires our full participation for this perfect gift of love to become complete (See Diary #548).Do you understand your role in the life of the Holy Trinity?  The Father, Son and Holy Spirit offer you perfect love, but will not impose that love upon you.  They invite you to freely reciprocate this love.  Only in this free choice, on your part, to accept Them in trust, can God fulfill His choice of being one with you.  Allow God to fulfill His longing of union with you.  Do not reject this love nor be hesitant to reciprocate it. My God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I thank You for the gift of Your life and Your love.  I freely accept this perfect Gift of Yourself.  Help me to daily grow in trust of You so that I may receive You and offer myself back to You with the same generosity that You have shown me.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Coronation of the Virgin by Diego VelázquezSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 115: The Will of God Will Keep You SafeThe Will of God is much more than a future plan God has laid out for you.  It’s more than His hopes and dreams for you.  His Will is your path to holiness and it is a source of the greatest consolation and joy.  His Will is both active and passive (permissive).  It’s active in that He has definite plans for you and calls you to discern those plans and embrace them.  It’s passive in that He will permit certain evils to befall you as a result of your own sins and those of the whole world.  Do not fear when God permits some evil or some suffering to come your way.  Jesus Himself is the perfect example of one who experienced the effects of the permissive Will of the Father.  Do not be surprised or scandalized by what God permits.  His passive and permissive Will invites you to trust in Him in all things and allows you to grow in faith and trust of Him no matter what your future holds.  Do not be afraid of that which God permits. (See Diary #541). Reflect upon any way that you are confused or even scandalized by what God has allowed to happen in your life.  Know that He knows what He desires and He knows what He permits.  Do not be afraid of His permissive Will.  Do not be afraid to accept all that befalls you with faith and confidence.  What God permits is done so as to manifest His providential care for you and as a way of increasing your own faith and trust in Him.Lord, when I suffer, I sometimes doubt Your love and care for me.  I question whether You are there, sustaining me and leading me.  Give me the grace I need to endure all the effects of sin in our world.  Help me to face the effects of my own sin and those of the world with courage and confidence in Your protective hand.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Crucifixion by Gabriel MetsuSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Reflection 114: Detachment From the WorldThe “world” is referred to in Scripture many times, especially by Jesus Himself.  He said that the world will hate you and will not understand you.  The world will, in fact, persecute you.  This could become the cause of fear and distress for some.  It causes these effects within us when we are overly concerned about looking good in the eyes of the world and acting so as to win its esteem.  Do not fall into this trap.  The world will love you only if you become worldly, taking on its secular and sinful values.  Instead, keep your eyes fixed on Heaven.  Live as though you are in the world, but not of it.  Allow the Lord to shield you from worldly enticements so that you will live only in Him and for Him at all times (See Diary #537).Seriously ask yourself, today, how much influence the opinions of the world have on you.  Do you find yourself dreaming of being well regarded and respected in the public eye?  If so, be very careful with this desire.  Sure, if you have given yourself completely to Christ and, as a result, many people speak well of you, this is good.  But it’s not all that common.  More often, when we commit ourselves to Christ and to His holy mission, we will find that we are misjudged, scorned and even persecuted.  It may be only in small ways, but don’t be surprised if it becomes more pronounced as you draw closer to the Will of God.  Do not worry about this.  Keep your eyes on Christ and be concerned only about His judgment of you.  His “opinion” is all that matters because His opinion is Truth.Lord Jesus, You were not controlled by the opinions of others.  You did not allow the false values and pressures of the world to direct You.  Help me to keep my eyes on You and Your Will in all things.  Give me courage to be concerned only with pleasing You.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Image:Christ the Judge by Fra AngelicoSource: Free RSS feed from divinemercy.life — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.