Mercy Me! An Introduction to Divine Mercy

 

 

By Kristen M. Soley

 

Many faithful Christians have never heard the name of St. Faustina Kowalska nor have they heard the message of Divine Mercy.   The goal is that after reading this, the reader will have a better understanding of Divine Mercy and the role St. Faustina played in its devotion.

Who is St. Faustina

Born in Poland in 1905, Helena Kowalska was called to consecrated life and joined The Sisters of Our Lady in Warsaw, where she took the name Sister Faustina Kowalska in 1925.  Jesus chose Sister Faustina to be the secretary of His message of Divine Mercy.   

Jesus revealed to Sister Faustina, “You are a witness to My Mercy.  You shall stand before My throne forever as a living witness to My mercy” (Diary 417). Jesus communicated His desire for the Feast of Divine Mercy to be celebrated the first Sunday after Easter; now called Divine Mercy Sunday.

As documented in Sister Faustina’s diary, Jesus told her, “You are not living for yourself but for souls, and other souls will profit from your sufferings.  Your prolonged suffering will give them the light and strength to accept my will.” ₁

In 1932, Jesus gave Sister Faustina the following prayer, “O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.” (Diary 186-87)  Jesus said, “I desire that you know more profoundly the love that burns in My Heart for souls, and you will understand this when you meditate upon My Passion.  Call upon My mercy on behalf of sinners; I desire their salvation.  When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. “ (Diary 186 – 187)

What is Divine Mercy? 

In Summary, Divine Mercy can be broken down into the following points:

• We are called to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. (MT 5:48 NASB)
• Though called to perfection, we are human; we fall, and thus fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23 NASB)
• Jesus’ mercy is greater than our sins and those of the entire world. (Diary 1485)
• Jesus’ mercy “unites the creature with the Creator” (Diary 181)

The message of Divine Mercy holds such promise; it provides hope and can sustain us on our journey back to Him in an eternal family. 

Yes, we are called to be perfect, as our heavenly Father is perfect (MT 5:48 NASB), but on our journey to Him, in our humanity, we will fall; “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23 NASB)   

Fortunately, we need not lose hope; Jesus is “love and mercy itself” (Diary 1074) and the promise of Divine Mercy epitomizes love itself.  Jesus teaches us, through St. Faustina, “Let the greatest sinners place their trust in My mercy. They have the right before others to trust in the abyss of My mercy… before I come as a just judge, I first open wide the door of My mercy…” (1146).

With the hope in the message of Divine Mercy, we need not fall into despair; we have nothing to fear.   Jesus knows our nature, He gave us free will.  It is true that our sin displeases and hurts Him.  Fortunately, He is not only just, He is merciful.  He assures us, “My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world” (Diary 1485).  I have opened my Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it.  Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be confirmed in good.” (Diary 1520)

Conversely, trust in Jesus’ mercy does not give us license to be flaccid in our spiritual life.  We are constantly, with God’s grace, to work to overcome sin, evaluate our faults and cooperate with God’s grace to overcome them.  However, even when cooperating with God’s grace, we can expect to fall.   We have free will, and the human condition is prone to sin. 

If we ask, He will forgive us if we run to him for forgiveness.   Jesus assures us, when we go to Him for forgiveness (confession), “ to this fountain of My mercy, the Blood and Water which came forth from My heart always flows down upon your soul and ennobles it. Every time you go to confession, immerse yourself entirely in My mercy, with great trust, so that I may pour the bounty of My grace upon your soul. When you approach the confessional, know this, that I Myself am waiting there for you. (Diary 1602)

Thus far, we have seen that we can trust in Jesus’ mercy.  In our humanity; we can run to Him and find refuge in His merciful embrace.   That is not where the story ends.  St. Faustina assures us,
"The greatest attribute of God is love and mercy.  It unites the creature with the Creator.” (Diary 181) Yes, Jesus is love and mercy, but for Love of God, we can be united with our Creator; we can cooperate with His mercy, by sharing it with others. 

Living the Divine Mercy Daily

Divine Mercy is not for Mercy Sunday only.  We are called to share in His Mercy and be channels of it as well.

Mercy is the central nucleus of the Gospel message; it is the very name of God, the Face with which he revealed himself in the Old Covenant and fully in Jesus Christ, the incarnation of creative and redemptive Love. May this merciful love also shine on the face of the Church and show itself through the sacraments, in particular that of Reconciliation, and in works of charity, both communitarian and individual. May all that the Church says and does manifest the mercy God feels for man.        ~Pope Benedict XVI, Regina Caeli address, March 30, 2008

Jesus demands of us deeds of mercy which arise out of love for Him.  There are three ways of sharing His mercy with others: first by- by deed, second – by word, third – by prayer. “In these three is contained the fullness of mercy.” (Diary 742) ₁

We are called to cooperate daily in acts of mercy.  We can accomplish this in deed - by performing deeds or acts of mercy, in word -  by spreading the message of Divine Mercy and in prayer -  by praying over the Mercy Hour the chaplet of Divine Mercy. ₃  

We have been given a gift, the gift of Divine Mercy.  Not only are we recipients of this vast treasure, we are sharers in it.  Freely we received, freely give. (MT 10:8 NASB)

Please note, this is NOT the complete story!  Divine Mercy and its history is far too robust to cover in a short blog post.  Hopefully this is enough to encourage further reading. 

Jesus I trust in You.

For more information on Divine Mercy check out these great resources:

• Divine Mercy Apostolate Worldwide
• The Life of Faustina Kowalska, Sister Sophia Michalenko, Servant Books, 1987
• Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul Paperback, by Maria Faustina Kowalska (Author)
• EWTN

 Sources

1. The Life of Faustina Kowalska, Sister Sophia Michalenko, Servant Books, 1987
2. The Diary of St. Faustina (all references above)
3. Divinemercy.org
4. I also found a great article that was the inspiration for this post from simplecatholicliving.comhttp://www.simplecatholicliving.com/ – 10 quotes about God’s Mercy

All For +JMJ+  

 

Hobby Lobby - A Novena to St. Joseph the Worker starts March 17, 2014

On March 25, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., a case arising out of the commitment of Hobby Lobby owners David and Barbara Green and their family to live out their deeply held religious convictions by "operating their company in a manner consistent with biblical principles." 

Please pray for religious freedom!  This case, according to the National Catholic Register, is closely watched as it "could affect 46 other legal challenges to the mandate filed by for-profit organizations." 2




Saint Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, was a carpenter by trade, and thus he has always been regarded as the patron of workers. 1

A novena is a prayer to be said over nine days.  We ask St Joseph to pray for our intentions, as he, being a saint in Heaven, can carry our prayers and present them to God on our behalf. 

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on March 25th, 2014;  nine days from  the Feast of St. Patrick. 

May we pray for the Green Family, for continued strength, as well as the Becket Fund, who is representing Hobby Lobby, along with EWTN, in their legal challenges to the HHS mandate.  Pray for truth, justice, and God's will to prevail.

Novena to St. Joseph the Worker

O God, the Creator of all things, You have laid the law of labor upon the human race. Grant, we beseech You, that by the example and protection of St. Joseph we may perform the work You command and attain to the reward that You promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Sources
1 - About.com - Scott P. Richert
2 - National Catholic Register - Joan Frawley Desmond

Top 10 Reasons to Sacrifice - Intentionally

 

 

By Kristen M. Soley

 

If you’re stopping by as part of the Proverbs 31 Made to Crave Bible Study, Thank you for stopping by!  For a more detailed post on true sacrifice, visit this post.

 

Why Sacrifice
When considering intentional sacrifice, one might ponder, 'Why in the world would anybody ever, ever, deprive themselves of anything that could make their life easier, more enjoyable, and possibly delight their senses?  Further to that point, what if doing so causes some discomfort or worse yet, pain?

There is but one reason to sacrifice, making discomfort truly worthwhile.  Love. 

You retort, "But I love a warm fuzzy blanket, a hot shower, a second helping of my favorite entrée, a hot and creamy vanilla latte with a dollop of whipped cream,  the last piece of chocolate cake, or a luxurious turtle cheesecake."   

That, my friend is not love.  But I understand. 

Sacrifice is Love
Love begins with Jesus, and when it comes to sacrifice, He simply cannot be out done.

According to Miriam Webster, sacrifice is, "The act of giving up something that you want to keep, especially in order to get or do something else or to help someone."

Let's break that down:

• What was the something that Jesus gave up?  His life, among other things.
• Why did He do this?  “That through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who…had been subject to slavery” (Heb 2:14-15).
• Who did He want to Help?  You and me.

Jesus did just that, and it is true that we, as Christians, are His disciples.  We are called to live, love and serve as Jesus served. 

In John 15:12 we read “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." 
Yes, we are to love as Jesus loved.  How did Jesus ultimately show us His love?   He, being sinless and blameless, took our sins upon Himself and made himself the expiation for our sins.  He sacrificed His life, that we may live.

I know Jesus' sacrifice is a stark contrast to the type of sacrifice we often consider, but for me, sometimes saying 'no' to that vanilla latte or hand full of peanut m&m's is heroic!

St. Paul teaches that we are not to be strangers of sacrifice, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Romans 12:1)

Sacrifice and the Battle
We are made up of both flesh and spirit.  Our spirit is always leading us to the things good, true, and beautiful; that will draw us closer to God.  Unfortunately, our flesh, our humanity, is drawn toward the things of this world -  the things that appeal to our senses, our flesh.  These things lead us away from God.  These temptations of the flesh, though unseen, but very sensed, make sacrifice seem like a steep and daunting precipice.      

St. Louis de Montfort teaches

"The Holy Spirit tells us that Wisdom is not found in the hearts of those who live in comfort, gratifying their passions and bodily desires, because 'they who are of the flesh cannot please God' and 'the wisdom of the flesh is an enemy to God.'  'My Spirit will not remain in man, because he is flesh...  If we are to possess incarnate Wisdom, Jesus Christ, we must practice self-denial and renounce the world and self." 

By making sacrifices, for love of Lord, we can temper our desires for the things of this world.  These sacrifices strengthen our spiritual muscles, thereby weakening the efficacy of the wiles of the evil one (who is and has been relentlessly pursuing us through temptation and studying our weaknesses since the day we were born - totally unfair, I digress...)   

Sacrifice as a Prayer
Sacrifice, in and of itself can be fruitless, but if done for love of Lord, can be a powerful prayer!   It is not what we do, but how and why we do them, that make them great.  If we do all things for love of God, they will be great; for the Kingdom, for our families, for us, for all whom are affected by our actions.   

It is one thing to deny yourself that hand-full of m&m's, and altogether another to offer that small sacrifice to Him, for love of Him.  We can spend our entire day loving God through our actions and through those whom God has placed on our path.   

Love is not simply a feeling, it is a gift, and as Blessed Mother Teresa says, “Give until it hurts.”  That is love, Jesus-style. 

I recently watched the Disney movie Frozen with my family and one quote resonated with me.  Love, as coined in the movie, is “putting someone else’s needs before yours.”   Exactly.

So here are the top 10 Reasons to Sacrifice - Intentionally:

Ten
You might lose weight out of the deal!  

Nine
You will find a renewed strength that only comes from God.  

"Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary." (Isaiah 40:3)

Eight
You will grow in holiness.  You will develop a deeper relationship with Christ through prayer that only comes from the longing you allow yourself to endeavor into.   

As Lysa TerKeursts writes in her book, Made to Crave:

It is good for God's people to be put in a place of longing so they feel a slight desperation.  Only then can we be empty enough and open enough to discover the holiness we are made for...  The gap between our frail discipline and God's available strength is bridged with nothing but a simple choice on our part to pursue... holiness.

Seven
You will find more peace in your day.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  (Phil 4:6)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Six
... and with peace, you will find true joy.

A life, lived for love of Lord, enables us to live in peace and as a result, experience true joy. As F.B. Meyer says “Joy is peace dancing and peace is joy at rest.”

Five
You will be more open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. (Romans 8:26-27)

Four
You will grow closer to Jesus by walking in His footsteps.

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)

Three
You will allow God to spoil you, for it is in giving that we truly receive.

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Rom 8:28)

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. (Psalm 63:3) 

Two:
As a disciple, your renewed love, peace, and joy might be the light required to ignite the flame in another soul’s walk with Christ.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

Number One Reason to sacrifice, intentionally
With God's grace, and a life of obedience, love, and yes, sacrifice, you can look forward, with hope, to hear the beautiful words,

"Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matthew 25:21)

Sacrifice may not seem easy, but it is simple.  With Him, our yoke is easy, and burden light.  He asks us to take up our crosses, daily and follow Him. 

St. Francis of Assisi assures us:

·         Start by doing what is necessary
·         then what is possible
·         and suddenly you are doing the impossible


Love is shown in so many ways, sacrifice is most assuredly one of them. 

+JMJ+

The Miracle Prayer

 

Say this prayer faithfully, no matter how you feel.

When you come to the point where you sincerely mean each word with all your heart,

Jesus will change your whole life in a very special way.

You will see. 1

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I come before you just as I am.  I am sorry for my sins.

I repent of my sins.  Please forgive me.

In Your Name, Jesus, I forgive all others for what they have done against me.

I renounce satan*, the evil spirits, and all their works.

I give You my entire self.

Lord Jesus now and forever, I invite You into my life, Jesus.

I accept you as my Lord, God, and Savior.

Heal me, change me, and strengthen me in body, soul, and spirit.

Come Lord Jesus, Cover me with Your Precious Blood and fill me with your Holy Spirit.

I love you Lord Jesus.  I praise you Jesus. I thank you Jesus.

I shall follow you every day of my Life.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a poor sinner.

Amen

------

This was given to me through the Jesus Heals Ministry of Bloomington, MN.  Pray for their continued service, as they serve, in Jesus' name.  Thank you Jesus Heals Ministry team!

1 - description courtesy of Catholic Tradition.org

*I refuse to capitalize his name