Meditations on the Five Sorrowful Mysteries Taken from the “Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska – Divine Mercy in My Soul”1

Meditations on the Five Sorrowful Mysteries Taken from the “Diary of Saint Maria

Faustina Kowalska – Divine Mercy in My Soul”1

First Sorrowful Mystery: The Agony in the Garden

Paragraph 1053 – Holy Thursday, 3/25/37 – During Holy Mass, I saw the Lord, who said to me, Lean your head on My breast and rest. The Lord pressed me to His heart and said, I shall give you a small portion of my passion, but do not be afraid, be brave; do not seek relief, but accept everything with submission to My will.

Paragraph 1054 – When Jesus was taking leave of me, such great pain filled my soul that it is impossible to express it. Physical strength left me; I left the Chapel quickly and went to bed. I was oblivious use of what was going on around me. My soul was filled with longing for the Lord, and all the bitterness of His Divine Heart was imparted to me. This lasted for about 3 hours. I asked the Lord to protect me from the eyes of those around me. Although I wanted to, I could not take any food all day, until evening. I earnestly desired to spend the whole night with Jesus in the dark prison cell. I prayed until 11:00 o’clock. At 11:00, the Lord said to me, Lie down and take your rest. I have let you experience in 3 hours what I suffered during the whole night….

In the course of this suffering, my love grew immeasurably. I know that the Lord was supporting me with His omnipotence, for otherwise I would not have been able to endure it for even a moment. Together with Him I underwent in a special way all the various tortures. The world still has no idea of all that Jesus suffered. I accompanied him to the Garden of Gethsemane; I stayed with Him in the prison. I went with Him before the judges. I underwent with Him each of the tortures. Not a single one of His movements or looks escaped my notice. I came to know all the omnipotence of His love and of His mercy toward souls.

Second Sorrowful Mystery: The Scourging at the Pillar

Paragraph 445 – [One night during Nocturnal] Adoration, an inner recollection took hold of me…and I saw The Lord Jesus tied to a pillar, stripped of his clothes and the scourging began immediately. [Paragraph 188] …I saw how the Lord Jesus suffered during the scourging…. His blood flowed to the ground, and in some places His flesh started to fall off. I saw a few bare bones on His back. The meek Jesus moaned softly and sighed. [Paragraph 445] I saw four men who took turns at striking the Lord with scourges. My heart almost stopped at the sight of these tortures. The Lord said to me, I suffer even greater pain than that which you see. And Jesus gave me to know for what sins He subjected himself to the scourging. These are sins of impurity. Oh, how dreadful was Jesus moral suffering during the scourging! Then Jesus said to me, Look and see the human race in its present condition. In an instant, I saw horrible things: the executioners left Jesus and other people started scourging Him; they seized the scourges and struck the Lord mercilessly. These were priests, religious men and women and high dignitaries of the Church, which surprised me greatly. There were lay people of all ages and walks of life. All vented their malice on the innocent Jesus. Seeing this, my heart fell as if into a mortal agony. And while the executioners had been scourging Him, Jesus had been silent and looking into the distance; but when those other

1 Third Edition with Revisions (20th Printing): 2005 – Published by Marian Press, Stockbridge MA 01263

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souls I mentioned scourged Him, Jesus closed his eyes and a soft but most painful moan escaped from his heart. And Jesus gave me to know in detail the gravity of the malice of these ungrateful souls: You see, this is a torture greater than my death. Then my lips too fell silent and I began to experience the agony of death, and I felt that no one would comfort me or snatch me from that state but the One who had put me into it.

Third Sorrowful Mystery: The Crowning with Thorns

Paragraph 408 – …After the scourging, the torturers took the Lord and stripped Him of His own garment, which had already adhered to the wounds; as they took it off, His wounds reopened; then they threw a dirty and tattered scarlet cloak over the fresh wounds of the Lord. The cloak, in some places, barely reached His knees. They made Him sit on a piece of beam, and then they wove a crown of thorns, which they put on His sacred head. They put a reed in His hand and made fun of Him, bowing to Him as to a king. Some spat in His face, while others took the reed and struck Him on the head with it. Others caused him pain by slapping Him; still others covered His face and struck Him with their fists. Jesus bore all this with meekness. Who can comprehend Him – comprehend His suffering? Jesus’ eyes were downcast. I sensed what was happening in the most sweet Heart of Jesus at that time. Let every soul reflect on what Jesus was suffering at that moment. They tried to outdo each other in insulting the Lord. I reflected: Where does such malice in man come from? It is caused by sin. Love and sin have met.

Fourth Sorrowful Mystery: The Carrying of the Cross

Paragraph 446 – Then I saw The Lord nailed to the cross. When he had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to their crosses but were holding them firmly in their hands. The third multitude of souls were neither nailed to their crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging their crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me, Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory.

Fifth Sorrowful Mystery: The Crucifixion

Paragraph 1032 – I saw the Lord Jesus nailed upon the cross amidst great torments. A soft moan issued from His Heart. After some time, He said, I thirst. I thirst for the salvation of souls. Help Me, My daughter, to save souls. Join your sufferings to My passion and offer them to the heavenly Father for sinners.

Paragraph 648 – …Then I saw two rays from His side, just as they appear in the image. I then felt in my soul the desire to save souls and to empty myself for the sake of poor sinners. I offered myself, together with the dying Jesus, to the Eternal Father, for the salvation of the whole world.

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