St. Faustina
“Those who sincerely say ‘Jesus, I trust in You’ will find comfort in all their anxieties and fears.
There is nothing that man needs more than Divine Mercy – that love which is benevolent, which is compassionate, which raises man above his weakness to the infinite heights of the holiness of God.”
—Shrine of Divine Mercy in Cracow, Poland on June 7, 1997
Known for her profound diary, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska was born on August 25, 1905, into a large and religious family in Glogowiec, Poland, where she was the third of ten children. At the age of 20, driven by her deep desire for spiritual fulfillment, she was accepted into the convent and officially joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925, taking on the name Sr. Maria Faustina of the Most Blessed Sacrament. It was within the walls of this community that her interior life flourished, nurtured by the simplicity found in her daily tasks and the ordinariness of religious life. Through constant contemplation of the profound mystery surrounding God's mercy, Sister Faustina developed a trusting, child-like faith in the Lord, which was beautifully matched by her deep sense of mercy and love toward her neighbors. On February 22, 1931, a pivotal moment occurred when Jesus appeared to St. Faustina, radiantly clothed in white, with rays of white and red light streaming forth from His compassionate heart. As her soul filled with awe and reverence at this divine encounter, Jesus addressed her with profound words:
Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death.
Three years later, the first artistic rendering of the image was completed under her direction, and in 1937 the first holy cards with the Divine Mercy image were printed. She diligently recorded the profound revelations and vivid visions that she would receive from the Lord, alongside the multitude of other graces bestowed upon her by Him. Her mission of spreading the essential message of Divine Mercy was significantly advanced through her beloved Diary, which served as a powerful reminder to the world of the fundamental truths of our faith. It played a crucial role in establishing the devotion to the Divine Mercy image and actively promoted the Divine Mercy movement as a vital and encompassing whole.
The Divine Mercy message is one we can call to mind simply by remembering ABC:
A - Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.
B - Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.
C - Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that all the graces of His mercy can only be received by our trust. The more we open the door of our hearts and lives to Him with trust, the more we can receive.
Divine Mercy.org
What can we learn from St. Faustina?
On April 30th, in the year 2000, St. Faustina Kowalska was canonized by Pope St. John Paul II. As the patron saint of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina serves as a profound inspiration to all believers, reminding us to place our trust in the infinite mercy of Jesus. She urges us to cultivate a spirit of compassion and to live our lives mercifully towards others, reflecting the love and forgiveness that we receive from God in our daily interactions.
To read her diary click on the photo.
It is a downloadable pdf.
St. Faustina, Pray for us!
Keep at it! Keep praying. Love the Lord.
Peace and Grace.
