ATUA e le iʻu. E iai pea o ia. Na te silafia mea uma…. ma o Ia o taofi
Na oo mai se upu ia te aʻu i le tatalo i lenei taeao ua ou lagona le faamalosia e faasoa atu ia te oe:
With your God, there are endless beginnings, infinite new buds of grace, and everlasting rains to foster and nourish new life. You are in a battle, My child. You must begin again and again. Do not ever hesitate to begin again with Me! I will raise the humble soul even further than it was before the fall, for wisdom carries it to new heights.
Let your heart always remain open, and I will not hesitate to fill it with My goodness. Is this not the enemy’s tactic—to close your heart to Me by doubt and despair? I tell you child, it is not your sin that keeps Me away, but lack of faith. I can do all things in the heart of a sinner who believes and repents; but to the one who closes off in doubt, God is stopped. Grace rushes against that soul’s heart like waves crashing against a stone wall, falling back again without having penetrated it.
…Now do not be foolish, but walk in the ways in which I am teaching you. Be on guard; don’t fall asleep; be attentive to Me, for Love is always attentive to you.
TRUST IS THE KEY
Ultimately, the original sin of Adam and Eve was a leai se talitonuina in God, expressed in a disobedient act. And that’s usually how we express our lack of faith in God: by taking a course of action that is contrary to His will, contrary to what our conscience tells us. When we are compulsive, obsessive, angry, or impatient, it is often because we have given up our faith in the Father to meet our needs and to work things out according to His plan. We simply are not happy with His plan because it takes too long, too many detours, or simply is not the outcome we were looking for. And so we rebel. This is the essential drama of human history that plays out in every generation, from the least to the greatest, atheist to believer. To be godlike was the destiny we were created for; to be gods is the destiny we grasp at whenever we refuse the plan of the Creator and reach for the forbidden fruit of sin.
God knows well that the moment you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods who know what is good and what is bad. (Gen 3:5)
Indeed, sin opens up two paths before us: toward the good or toward the bad. It is precisely at this fork in the road where the Cross of Christ has been erected. At this point of departure, Jesus beckons us to follow the good path, the good Way that leads to eternal life. Sin darkens the mind and has the potential to harden the heart. It is the moment of decision then… will I trust in Him, turn to Him, and embrace The Way, His way, which are His commandments and example? Or will I refuse His love, choose my way, and my own set of personalized "commandments"?
Aua o le alofa i le Atua o lenei, tatou tausi i ana poloaiga. Ma e le mamafa ana poloaʻiga, aua poʻo ai lava e fanaua e le Atua manumalo le lalolagi. Ma o le manumalo e manumalo ai i le lalolagi o lo tatou faʻatuatua. (1 Ioane 5: 3-4)
The message of Jesus is clear, it is beautiful, it is a love song: Your sin and shame do not repel me, but only your lack of faith since I have already died to take away your sin. You need only trust in My love and mercy, and come and follow Me…
The more a soul humbles itself, the greater the kindness with which the Lord approaches it. —St. Faustina, Alofa Tunoa i Loʻu Agaga, Tusi, n. 1092
Loʻu atalii e, o au agasala uma e leʻi afaina ai Loʻu Loto e pei o lou leai o se faʻatuatuaga o loʻo i ai nei, pe a uma le tele o taumafaiga o loʻu alofa ma loʻu alofa mutimutivale, e tatau lava ona e masalosalo i loʻu lelei.. —Jesus ia St. Faustina, Alofa Tunoa i Loʻu Agaga, Tusi, n. 1486
O alofaʻaga o loʻu alofa tunoa e na o le tasi le ipu e tosoina mai, ma o le - talitonuina. O le tele ole faʻatuatua i le agaga, o le tele foi lea o lona mauaina. O agaga e faʻatuatuaina e le faatuaoia o se faʻamafanafanaga sili lea ia te aʻu, aua ou te sasaa atu oa uma o loʻu alofa tunoa i totonu ia i latou. Ou te fiafia na latou fesili tele atu, auā o loʻu manaʻo ia tele mea, e tele. I le isi itu, ou te faanoanoa pe a manaʻomia ni agaga mo mea laiti, pe a latou faʻamatalaina o latou loto. —Jesus to St. Faustina, n. 1578
When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. I am only hidden by the priest, but I myself act in your soul. Here the misery of the soul meets the God of mercy. Tell souls that from this fount of mercy souls draw graces solely with the vessel of trust. If their trust is great, there is no limit to My generosity. The torrents of grace inundate humble souls. The proud remain always in poverty and misery, because My grace turns away from them to humble souls. —N. 1602
My child, make the resolution never to rely on people. Entrust yourself completely to My will saying, "Not as I want, but according to Your will, O God, let it be done unto me." These words, spoken from the depths of one’s heart, can raise a soul to the summit of sanctity in a short time. In such a soul I delight. Such a soul gives Me glory. Such a soul fills heaven with the fragrance of her virtue. But understand that the strength by which you bear sufferings comes from frequent Communions. So approach this fountain of mercy often, to draw with the vessel of trust whatever you need. —N. 1487