TOS144 Illumination of Conscience – Awakening to Truth with St Faustina and the Catechism ; For audio podcast PPN
Patti Brunner shares how the visionary St. Faustina and the Catechism of the Catholic detail the effects of the Illumination of Conscience. Divine Mercy and the call of God bring an awakening to the hearts of sinners, revealing what can be quite painful. Truth of the Spirit presents episode TOS144 Illumination of Conscience – Awakening to Truth with St Faustina and the Catechism. Also contains personal witness stories by Fr. Chris Alar and Patti Brunner.
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St. Faustina, the visionary to whom Jesus gave the revelation of Divine Mercy for our generation, wrote this in her diary. (#36) “Once I was summoned to the judgment [seat] of God. I stood alone before the Lord. Jesus appeared such as we know Him during His Passion. After a moment, His wounds disappeared except for five, those in His hands, His feet and His side. Suddenly I saw the complete condition of my soul as God sees it. I could clearly see all that is displeasing to God. I did not know that even the smallest transgressions will have to be accounted for. What a moment! Who can describe it?” St. Faustina, who joined a convent in 1925, wrote of many encounters with Christ including this illumination of soul in her diary before her death in 1938 at age 33.
Twenty years ago I did the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius where you meditate by putting all your senses in various scenes of scripture. When I meditated about being in the Garden of Eden, I could smell fresh oranges. One day I was in the adoration chapel and I was meditating on the crucifixion in this way. Very briefly, the Lord let me feel the pain He was suffering because of my sins. It came close to decimating my heart. It took my breath away. Let me remind you, this was while I was in adoration praying! This was 5 years after I had a conversion experience, after regular confession and mass attendance. Truth can be unpleasant to experience.
You’re listening to Truth of the Spirit. Today we discuss “Illumination of Conscience – Awakening to Truth with St Faustina and the Catechism”. I’m your host Patti Brunner.
Catechism #1432 summarizes words of the prophets Ezekiel and Zechariah, of Lamentations and John when it says,“The human heart is heavy and hardened. God must give man a new heart. 25 Conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him: “Restore us to thyself, O LORD, that we may be restored!” 26 God gives us the strength to begin anew. It is in discovering the greatness of God’s love that our heart is shaken by the horror and weight of sin and begins to fear offending God by sin and being separated from him. The human heart is converted by looking upon him whom our sins have pierced: 27”
The Catechism continues, “Let us fix our eyes on Christ’s blood and understand how precious it is to his Father, for, poured out for our salvation it has brought to the whole world the grace of repentance.”
Conversions of sinners to saints have begun with this “illumination of conscience”, this personal infusion of the Presence of God and awareness of sinfulness. It is an awakening of the soul, a moment of truth, a warning to change or to suffer extreme consequences. It pierces the veil that covers our eyes to truth—the veil that allows deception and self-justification.
The Catechism teaches in Paragraph #1431 “Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one’s life, with hope in God’s mercy and trust in the help of his grace. This conversion of heart is accompanied by a salutary pain and sadness which the Fathers called animi cruciatus (affliction of spirit) and compunctio cordis (repentance of heart).” 24
The Church penned this idea at the Council of Trent—a time that the Church itself went through a repentance of heart for its part in the rebellion of its children in the Reformation.
Heavenly creatures stand in awe at man’s ability to ‘reject’ the Lord over and over to turn quickly to repentance and to be forgiven. The gift given the heavenly creatures was perfect knowledge and understanding thus, their decision was unrepentable. We see in part; know in part. As we grow in grace and thus in love, wisdom rescues us.
When I first heard of the idea of a great move of God to bring a world-wide illumination of conscience, my reaction was “bring it on!” I was ready for the world to change. I was tired of the immorality and decadence of our generation. The decay has been exponential as the abortion of 60 million innocent lives, gay marriages, exploitation of the weak, public deceit, sexual immorality and planned destruction of the family have taken place. As the world continues to spin seeming out of control, the Lord says: I AM. Do not fear. Do not forget. I AM. “Come, Lord Jesus! Come, Holy Spirit! Renew the face of the earth!” was my prayer; it still is. I read something in the Catechism that sheds light on the truth.
Catechism #1489 states, “To return to communion with God after having lost it through sin is a process born of the grace of God who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation of men. One must ask for this precious gift for oneself and for others.”
“One must ask for this gift for oneself and for others”! Do I judge and complain about the sin in the world or do I pray for our conversion? Do you? Like a hand that points a finger at others, the rest are pointing back at me. In the midst of the turmoil of recent times, I have, finally, felt a call not to judge the awful choices of others, but to pray for them to be the best they can be. I pray for my enemies to have an illumination of their conscience, to bring them into the Light of Christ, to have a conversion of heart. Even if it is one by one it can make a difference. St. Paul, a former enemy of the Christian Church, had the “Illumination of Conscience” and his conversion and zeal changed the world to know Christ.
A few years ago I began to pray for terrorists, especially Muslim terrorists, who killed in the name of God. I prayed for them to encounter the risen Christ. Recently, on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Fr. Chris Alar of the National Shrine of Divine Mercy shared information told to him by a Nigerian priest who visited the shrine. It is a story of illumination. With religious zeal, Muslim terrorists entered a Catholic Church in Nigeria to blow it up. The leader, as they were getting ready to blow up this Catholic church, fell to his knees, and had a vision of Christ—just like St. Paul! And all the other terrorists of his group that were ready to die, they are like “What’s going on?” They see their leader fall to his knees, and he’s having this vision and looks like he’s speaking to someone! And they are all, like, “What is going on?” And he stood up and he proclaimed “Guys, Jesus Christ is Lord!”” Every one of those terrorists converted, because they had faith and belief in their leader, this transformed believer. And like St. Paul, these people who were ready to blow up this church, knelt down and started adoring Christ! And started worshipping Him! Father Chris continued to say that this is why we must pray for people who hate us and the Church, but they think they are doing God’s work. Fr. Chris encouraged us to pray for them through the intercession of St. Paul and to pray for ourselves in any way we haven’t surrendered or trusted. All of us fall in this category.
Both St. Paul and this Muslim terrorist thought they were serving God by killing Christians. Their zeal to serve God helped them to quickly turn towards truth when it was revealed by Christ.
#843 “The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as “a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.” 332 “ #844 “In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them: Very often, deceived by the Evil One, men have become vain in their reasonings, and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator. Or else, living and dying in this world without God, they are exposed to ultimate despair. 333
The world does not know truth; it knows facts. The truth will set free all—even the Muslims. In America we have spent months and years with thinking my side is right and yours is wrong in political leadership. Both sides have thought what they did was best and vilified the other. Sadly, we have spent decades and centuries thinking my church is right and yours is wrong. We have even found division within our own Church. Eyes and hearts are veiled to truth.
CCC #1792 says, “Ignorance of Christ and his Gospel, bad example given by others, enslavement to one’s passions, assertion of a mistaken notion of autonomy of conscience, rejection of the Church’s authority and her teaching, lack of conversion and of charity: these can be at the source of errors of judgment in moral conduct.”
St. Faustina, the visionaries in our episode on the Warnings from Mary Queen of Heaven, and certainly many of those who had apparitions approved by the Church of Jesus and Mary were not great sinners. As the Lord lifted the veil that hid the truth they were each saddened by their own sinfulness and even longed to suffer on earth in recompense for sin. They were those whose “veils” are very “thin” and those prepared by the Holy Spirit. As the Mercy of God flows out upon the World, those who have not been prepared will suffer the most, the truth shall set them free, indeed, but the chains are imbedded deep and their “extraction” will be painful. Like an abscessed tooth, part of who they have become will have to be removed for them to be in good health.
The Lord says to us, “Fear not. Rest in Me. In Me you shall set captives free from the confines, the shackles, the restraints forged by the enemies’ deception and ignorance. The truth shall set the captives free.” What about those who discover truth after they have totally denied God? What hope is for them? The Lord says to us, “Beloved. Hear my voice: For such a time as this you were born. For such a time as this, you have been brought forth to share the message of my Salvation with the World. For such a time like this the prisoners shall form a “prison break” that ends an era of bondage. For such a time as this My love shall penetrate hearts of stone and shall melt them as wax. “Who shall speak my word to them?” (pause)“Send Me.”
In his great mercy, so far, God has been gentle with this awakening—to know the fullness of the truth of our sinfulness might cause us to despair—and so step by step He leads us into the Light, into Truth, into the fullness of God. Suffering, even small suffering, gives you the opportunity to join your suffering to Christ rather than taking the route of rebellion and contempt. Around the world people have suffered in many ways because of the pandemic. We join our suffering to Christ!
It will take the grace of God to change hearts. Pray, pray, pray. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Those who are listening are called to prepare to be of benefit to those who were not prepared. Continue to prepare for the day that hearts will break, eyes will tear and the world as you know it will change. Remember, all is not lost. Profound joy shall be yours as the kingdom of God manifests before the eyes of the people as the captive (of heart) are set free from bondage and the stores of the world are in the hands of the Lord. Conversion is a process of openness to Grace brought about through grace. Not unlike the old question: which came first the chicken or the egg? It is more clearly seen when it has already happened. God’s Grace calls us to conversion; conversion opens us to His grace. The contrition of the sinner awakens the soul, the heart, to accept the glory of God but it is through redemption that it is available.
The Church teaches in Catechism #1453 “The contrition called “imperfect” (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By itself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgiveness in the sacrament of Penance. 52”
52 Cf. Council of Trent (1551): DS 1678; 1705.
Paragraph #1427 “Jesus calls to conversion. This call is an essential part of the proclamation of the kingdom: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” 16 In the Church’s preaching this call is addressed first to those who do not yet know Christ and his Gospel. Also, Baptism is the principal place for the first and fundamental conversion. It is by faith in the Gospel and by Baptism 17 that one renounces evil and gains salvation, that is, the forgiveness of all sins and the gift of new life.””
Recently I was reminded of something the Lord spoke to me a long time ago to share with you now. I heard the Lord say to us, “My Child, I am waiting. I am waiting to unleash that which I have promised to you. The desert shall indeed bloom. The evil one intensified his attack and points out your weaknesses to each other thus holding a mirror seeks to destroy you individually with a “reflective truth” that is distorted. Come, see yourself in Me. See the child who, while not perfect, is the apple of my eye.
“When you think your own “perfection” is required—or the “perfection” of your neighbor you forget the power of God and the righteousness of the Lamb. It is in Me that you are whole enough to be sent out among the people curing their illnesses. If I can take a soothsayer (a Balaam) [Note: Numbers 22-25] and use him to bless the people, what do you think I can do with you! You who love me. You who seek obedience to Me, you who do not desire recompense for your blessings for others but rather pour out all that you have.
See this now, dearest children, your “brokenness” your insecurities, your longings for more wisdom and understanding, your “imperfect” selves are enough for Me when you lay them before me and offer them with vulnerability to the Father in acts of love. I take them, I take you within Me and enter into the Most Holy Place. My Being then pours out—My humanness incorporates you and we are One.
As we are One—and this is the new thing—as we are one, the Father sends us forth with sovereign grace to march upon the world in Spirit and in truth to heal, to teach, to manifest his presence to the world.
Go child, into the world armed with the grace of the Most High God. Fear not your affliction, your brokenness, because it is through these areas when they are incorporated into the Body of Christ, that the fullness of the presence of Jesus shall be most evident.
The key that unlocks this grace is surrender and trust. The strength that opens the door is humility and the Word of God. I have sent many angels to trod the path so that you might find this truth. I have revealed by my Spirit the areas of brokenness in your hearts. I have shared my Word through the ages that you might hear truth and be saved through the Blood of the Lamb manifested through the working of the Holy Spirit. I desire obedience not sacrifice. Brokenness shall be healed—the seams, the cracks shall disappear as the sovereign grace of God welds the portions—all things shall be made new—but again, dearest child, despise not your imperfections but call upon the master Carpenter to hone the edge, to glue the particles, to replace the missing parts with Himself. As the “repair” continues to be made, as Jesus incorporates his Body into you, you will be able to incorporate His Body into those whom you minister unto. Thus the sovereign power of God shall make all things new and shall welcome the perfect and pure one into the chamber time and time again.
After the Lord spoke these words a vision came to me, I could “see” the power of God shining through the “cracks”, the imperfections, bringing his love to us, healing us, but also using these opportunities to manifest. How wonderful! How wonderful to see God’s love pouring through instead of being caught up in the imperfection!
The continuous stream of God’s people seeking his face awaken others along the way to the heritage and to the availability that God makes present to those who love him as you do.
St. Faustina wrote (entry #1507): “All grace flows from mercy … even if a person’s sins were as dark as night, God’s mercy is stronger than our misery. One thing alone is necessary: that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God’s merciful grace, and then God will do the rest.”
Jesus said to Faustina (entry 1146): “Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy. … Souls that make an appeal to My mercy delight Me. To such souls I grant even more graces than they ask.”
“Await O sleeper for the awakening—
The Great Awakening!
Hearts shall turn unto the Lord
Lives shall be set upon the road to Salvation!
Come with Me, into the meadow of healing,
Into the stream of the anointing,
Into the sky of wonders and awe.
My children shall awaken as at the dawn of creation—to
Know, Love, and Serve the Creator—Once again, we shall be One.”
You’ve been listening to Truth of the Spirit and “Illumination of Conscience – Awakening to Truth with St Faustina and the Catechism”. Please check out our other episodes on our YouTube channel. You can find it quickly by tapping on our little picture icon. Refresh your faith through our series on the Sacraments and Basics of Faith formation episodes. I’m your host, Patti Brunner. We invite you to subscribe and tap the notification bell. Like us and leave us a comment. And come back for more. With the Holy Spirit, there’s always more! Amen.
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