By Marc Massery
Turn to any page of St. Faustina's Diary, and you'll find spiritual gems. Like this one:
Today, I have heard these words: "My daughter, delight of My Heart, it is with pleasure that I look into your soul. I bestow many graces only because of you. I also withhold My punishments only because of you. You restrain Me, and I cannot vindicate the claims of My justice. You bind My hands with your love" (1193).
Sin has consequences, especially spiritual consequences. Think about it: If you accidentally throw a baseball through a glass window, it’s not enough to receive forgiveness from the owner of the window. The glass needs fixing, too.
So too, when you sin, you create a fault in the cosmos: in yourself, in whomever you harmed, in Christ, and in the Church. Through His death and Resurrection, Jesus can forgive any sin for which you repent. But that’s not the end. He asks us to make reparation for our sins, too. He asks us to help fix the windows we've broken spiritually.
We can do this by offering up prayers and sacrifices in union with Christ’s death on the Cross. Unfortunately, many in our world sin without any thought of the spiritual consequences. Without being sorry for their sins, their souls are in grave danger.
But the good news is, we can help. Our prayers and sacrifices can help give them the grace they need to say “yes” to Jesus. It's hard to fathom that our little prayers and sacrifices can have an effect on the lives of others, but it's true.
So any time you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, whether you’re hungry, thirsty, tired, or annoyed, you can use your suffering as an offering to help save souls. Your prayers and sacrifices just might have eternal consequences for someone you love.
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Photo by Thomas Dumortier on Unsplash
