A devotion most dear to Our Lord is the veneration of His passion at the very hour that recalls His death on the Cross. Through the passion and death of Our Lord Jesus the very Kingdom of God has been opened to us. What love should fill our hearts, and now willingly we should respond to the request of Our Lord who said to Sister Faustina:
"At three o'clock implore My mercy especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy for the whole world.. In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion"
Later Jesus said to her:
"I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My Mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world - mercy triumphed over justice."
"My daughter, try your
best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your
duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross,
then at least step into chapel for a moment and adore, in the Most Blessed
Sacrament, my Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to
step into chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there, where you happen to
be, if only for a very brief instant... "
Sister Faustina relates about the vision when she saw of our Merciful Jesus, on February 22 1931, in Plock Poland. "In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in the gesture of blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From beneath the garment, slightly drawn aside at the breast, there was emanating two large rays, one red, the other pale. In silence I kept my gaze fixed on the Lord, my soul was struck in awe, but also with great joy. After a while, Jesus said to me:
"Paint a picture according to the vision you see with the inscription, Jesus I trust in You. I desire that this picture be venerated first in your chapel and then throughout the whole world... My gaze from this image is like the gaze from the Cross... 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 I Myself will defend it as My own glory... I shall preserve the cities and homes in which this picture shall be found... By means of this image, I shall grant many graces to souls."
The image of Our Merciful Jesus is a reminder for us to come to Him with trust. And to open our hearts to Him and to receive His Mercy and Love in our heart and soul. And by putting the message of mercy into action in our daily lives, by being merciful to one another. To be merciful is to love.
At the request of her spiritual director, Sister Faustina asked Jesus about the meaning of the two rays of light. While in prayer Jesus replied:
"The two rays represent the Blood and Water. The pale rays represents the Water, which makes souls righteous. The red rays represent the Blood which is the life of souls... These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonised Heart was pierced by a lance on the cross..."
The image of Our Merciful
Jesus, as revealed to Sr. Faustina should always have the inscription;
Jesus, I trust in You. As Jesus has reminded Sister Faustina that these
words "Jesus, I trust in You," must be clearly seen on the picture.
The importance of saying this powerful prayer. Our Lord often asked Sr. Faustina to pray the chaplet of mercy unceasingly. Words of Our Lord to Sr. Faustina;
"My daughter, encourage
souls to say the chaplet which I gave you. The souls that will say this
Chaplet will be embraced by My mercy during their lifetime and especially
at the hour of their death... I desire to grant unimaginable graces to
those souls who trust in My mercy... Through the chaplet of mercy you will
obtain everything, if that you ask for is compatible to My will. When hardened
sinners recite the chaplet I will fill their souls with peace and the hour
of their death will be happy... write that when they recite this chaplet
near a dying person I shall stand between My Father and the soul in agony
not as the Just Judge, but as the Merciful Saviour."
Words of Sister Faustina:
"When I entered the chapel for a moment, the Lord said to me:
"My daughter, help me to save a certain dying sinner; recite that Chaplet I thought you for him."
"When I began to recite this
Chaplet, I beheld that dying man in terrible anguish and struggles. His
Guardian Angel was defending him, but he was as though helpless in the
face of the immensity of that soul's misery. A whole crowd of devils was
waiting for that soul, but during the recitation of this chaplet I saw
Jesus in such a form as He is depicted in this image. (Jesus, I trust in
You.) Those rays which came forth from the Heart of Jesus surrounded the
sick man, and the forces of darkness fled in panic. The sick man peacefully
yielded up his last breath. When I came round I understood how important
this Chaplet is when recited near the dying... How great is the chaplet
of the Divine Mercy at home, recite this prayer if possible in front of
a Divine Mercy picture.
On September 13, 1935, Sister
Faustina saw an angel, depicted to her as the executor of God's Wrath.
In his hands were lightening bolts and thunder. She understood the angel
was about to visit a certain place on earth and mete out punishment to
its inhabitants. Our Divine Saviour had made Sister Faustina's heart after
His own merciful one, and she was sorrowful and begged the angel for mercy.
But somehow she realised that her poor prayers were without power to appease
the wrath of God. Then suddenly the Holy Trinity was manifested, and at
the same time the sister heard these words: 'Eternal Father, I offer Thee
the body and blood, soul and divinity of Thy most beloved Son and Our Lord
and Saviour, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and the sins of the
whole world. Through His most sorrowful passion have mercy on us and on
the whole world." Wonder of wonders, as she repeated the words over and
over, the angel was powerless to mete out the punishment.
Merciful Jesus, we believe in Thee and we trust in Thee. Come to the aid of our weakness and our incapacity. Grant that we may be able to make thee known and loved by all men. And, that confident in the immensity of Thy love we may be able to combat the evil which is in us and in all the world, for Thy Glory and our Salvation. Amen.
The closing prayer to Our Merciful Jesus, was taken from the book "The Message of Merciful Love".
Our Lord said to Sr. Faustina:
"Oh, what great graces I will grant to souls who say this Chaplet, the very depths of My tender mercy are stirred for the sake of those who say the Chaplet... Priests will recommend it to sinners as a final means of salvation... Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this chaplet even once, he will receive grace from My Infinite mercy. By means of saying this Chaplet you bring mankind closer to God. I desire that the whole world know of My Infinite Mercy... that I am Love and Mercy Itself."
The Chaplet of Mercy is "the"
prayer of the Passion of Our Lord. It is an intercessory prayer that extends
the offering of the Eucharist.
Sr.
Faustina wrote in her diary: "The Lord told me to recite this novena on
the nine days before the Feast of Mercy. It is to begin on Good Friday.
Then Jesus told me:
Anyone making the novena to The Divine Mercy if possible should also include the Chaplet to The Divine Mercy. This powerful novena to The Divine Mercy can be made at any time, but according to Our Lord's wishes its special time is in preparation for the Feast of the Divine Mercy, which according to Our Lord's desire is to be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. You can also include your own intentions, to this novena.
Jesus said to Sr. Faustina:
"I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the Fount of My Mercy, that they may draw from it strength and refreshment, and whatever graces they have in need of in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death. On each day you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My Mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of My Father. You will carry out this mission in this life and in eternity. On each day you will beg from My Father graces for these souls through My bitter Passion."
Sr. Faustina said to Jesus
in all simplicity "Jesus, I do not know how to make this novena and which
souls to bring to Your Most Compassionate Heart, Jesus replied that He
would tell me which souls to bring each day into His Heart." Jesus then
instructed Sr. Faustina to pray for all mankind
on the FIRST DAY,
especially all sinners,
on the SECOND DAY to pray
for the souls of priests and religious,
on the THIRD DAY, to pray
for the devout and faithful,
on the FOURTH DAY to pray
for those who do not believe in Him and those who do not yet know Him,
on the FIFTH DAY, pray for
the souls of separated Christians,
on the SIXTH DAY, pray for
the meek and humble souls and the souls of little children,
on the SEVENTH DAY , pray
for the souls who especially venerate and glorify His Mercy ,
As a further sign of God's Merciful Love for us all we read in Sister Faustina's diary, 'Divine Mercy in my soul', that there are at least fourteen passages in which Jesus is quoted in requesting that the Feast of Mercy be officially established in the Church, and that the Feast is to be celebrated with great Solemnity on the first Sunday after Easter.
Our Merciful Lord said to Sr. Faustina;
"I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be celebrated as the Feast of Mercy... Ask your confessor to speak to the whole world on that day about My Mercy... I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. The very depths of My tender mercy are opened wide on that day... I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon souls, who will approach the font of My Mercy... Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless Mercy. Let the weak and sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all will be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My Mercy... The soul that will go to confession (seven days before or after the Feast of Mercy) and receive Holy Communion on that day, shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the Divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened wide... My Heart rejoices on account of this Feast."
After receiving Holy Communion on the Feast Day of Mercy, you can offer your Holy Communion in Honour of the Divine Mercy of God.
About this great promise from Jesus, for all those souls who go to confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast Day of Mercy, Sister Faustina wrote in her diary that Jesus had said if a soul is sincere and repentant and goes to confession and receives Holy Communion on the Feast Day of Mercy, he or she will be forgiven of all past sins, and will not suffer any punishment in the next life. All sins will be washed away in His infinite mercy. Jesus is offering a chance for a new "Baptism" each year giving everyone an opportunity to wipe the soul clean. Also it is to encourage us to repent from our sins by going more often to confession in our daily lives, and receiving God's forgiveness and Mercy. As by living in the state of Grace, this will draw us closer to Our Loving God.
Jesus has raised the Holy Communion on the Feast Day of Mercy to the rank of a "Second Baptism". Such is the tender Love and Mercy of God for us all. His very dear and precious children.
Our Merciful Lord also desires that especially on the Feast Day of Mercy, priests are to speak to all souls about His great and unfathomable Mercy and Infinite Love that God has for the whole of mankind. Priests are to encourage all souls to place great trust in God and in His Merciful Love.
On another occasion Jesus said to Sr. Faustina:
"My mercy is so great
that no mind, be it of man or angel, will be able to fathom it throughout
all eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of Tenderness.
It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after
Easter... Proclaim that mercy is the greatest attribute of God..."
Now it is up to us all to proclaim to the whole world about God's Infinite Love and Mercy, for all mankind. Many times Our Merciful Jesus came to Sr. Faustina and repeated His invitation to all, assuring us of His open arms and His Merciful Heart full of Love for each and every one of us in a personal way. Jesus desires to save us all, He wants no one to escape His Merciful Love.
Sr. Faustina wrote in her diary: "In the morning after Holy Communion, my soul was immersed in the Godhead. I was united to the Three Divine Persons in such a way that when I was united to Jesus, I was simultaneously united to the Father and to the Holy Spirit. My soul was flooded with joy beyond understanding, and the Lord gave me to experience the whole ocean and abyss of His fathomless mercy. Oh, if only souls would want to understand how much GOD LOVES THEM. All comparisons, even if they were the most tender and most passionate are only a pale shadow of the reality."
Later Jesus said to Sr. Faustina:
"Know, My daughter, that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy graces pour out upon the whole world. No soul that comes to me departs without being comforted. All misery vanishes in My Mercy; and every grace, redemptive and sanctifying, stems from this source... I desire to pour them out on human souls. Oh what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them... Distrust of souls tears at My bosom... Despite My inexhaustible love, they do not trust Me... Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My Merciful Heart, and I will fill it with Peace... For I am Love and Mercy itself... When a soul approaches Me with trust I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls."
How wonderful it is to make God's mercy part of our daily lives, to go frequently with love and trust to the great Sacraments of Mercy and Love, which are Confession and Holy Communion, for through reconciliation (Confession) we have Love greater than sin, and from the Eucharist we have Love greater than death.
Jesus desires that we all daily convert and amend our lives. This will help to bring us the greatest possible peace and happiness with God Our Father and with man in this life and forever in the next. The Lord wants us to live reconciled with Him and with one another. Jesus desires that we all receive His free gifts of Love and Mercy, and we are also all called to be merciful to one another. For mercy is Love in action. Our Merciful Jesus gave Sr. Faustina three ways in which we can practise mercy towards our neighbour daily.
Jesus said to Sr. Faustina:
Our merciful Jesus promised that:
"Souls who spread the honour of My mercy I shield through their entire life as a tender mother her infant, and at the hour of death I will not be a Judge for them, but The merciful Saviour... Tell My priests that hardened sinners will repent on hearing their words, when they will speak about My unfathomable mercy, about the compassion I have for them in My Heart. To priests who will proclaim and extol My mercy I will give wondrous power, and I will anoint their words and I will touch the hearts of those to whom they will speak"
These are just a few of the
promises that Jesus gave to the privileged soul, Blessed Sr. Maria Faustina.
Some people
may consider the thought of the "end times" to be unpleasant or out of
place (especially due to certain cult leaders and other individual people
that are keen on spreading their own end times ranting ) but we need to
accept in a real way that Our Lord Jesus Christ is coming again, this is
a fact of our Faith. (the Roman Catholic Faith) Below- biblical quotes
about the subject.
The time of His return to
Glory we do not know, for that knowledge is reserved only for the Father,
but we must be prepared to greet Him at whatever hour He comes.
We need to live and prepare ourselves as though Our Merciful Jesus is coming
immediately. Jesus desires to save all mankind, He wants no one to perish,
and for no one to escape His merciful Love, God loves each and every one
of us in a personal way, a love that is beyond our human understanding.
Through God's Only Begotten Son Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we have
been redeemed, we are all called, each and every one of us to repentance
and to convert daily, as in the Gospel. Our Merciful Jesus desires us to
live with great trust in Him in all circumstances. As we know Satan seeks
to destroy everyone and everything that belongs to God. So do not
let Satan fool you because inspite of his efforts the Divine Mercy
of God will triumph. In June 1938 Sister Faustina had another vision from
God, and she wrote in her Diary: "Today I saw the Glory of God, which flows
from the image (as seen in the picture above). Many souls are receiving
graces... God is receiving glory because of it, and the efforts of satan
and of evil men are shattered and come to nothing. In spite of satan's
anger the Divine Mercy will triumph over the whole world
and will be worshipped by all souls." We are now living in the times of
mercy and grace. We may wonder why Our Merciful Jesus is slow in coming,
but the delay is due to us - not the Lord.
In June 1937 Jesus said
to Sr. Faustina:
On a number of occasions, Our Heavenly Mother appeared to Sr. Faustina, with revelations that echo the urgency of this message of God's mercy: On the Feast of the Annunciation, 25th March 1936, Our Heavenly Mother said to Sr. Faustina: "...I gave the Saviour to the world, as for you, you have to speak to the world about His great mercy, and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Him, who will not come as a Merciful Saviour but as a just Judge. Oh, how terrible is that day... the angels tremble before it, speak to souls about this great mercy, while there is still time for granting mercy..."
In December 1936, Our Lord
said to Sr. Faustina:
Pope John Paul II seems to have a strong sense of this urgency. In 1981,
at the Shrine of Merciful Love in Collevalenza, Italy, he stated that from
the very beginning of his ministry he has considered the message of mercy
as his "special task," assigned to him by God "in the present situation
of man, the Church and the world." In four of his encyclicals he speaks
repeatedly of the year 2000 as the "new Advent" and stresses that we are
now living in a special time of preparation for the new coming of the Lord.
He urges us "to implore God's mercy for humanity in this hour of history....
to beg for it at this difficult, critical phase of the history of the Church
and of the world as we approach the end of the second millennium".
Before
the age of 15, Maureen Digan enjoyed a normal life. Then she was struck
down with a very serious, slowly progressive but terminal disease called
Lymphedima. This is a disease that does not respond to medication, and
does not go into remission. Within the next ten years Maureen had
more then 50 operations some minor and some major. Friends and relations
suggested she should pray and put her trust in God. But Maureen could not
understand why God had allowed her to get this disease in the first place,
and had lost her faith completely. Eventually her deteriorating condition
necessitated the amputation of one leg. Father Seraphin Michalenko, the
promoter of Blessed Sister Faustina's cause gives us his account of the
miracle which took place at the tomb of Blessed Sister Faustina in Crakow,
Poland. "In fact, I was present when the miracle which is going to be proposed
for the Cause took place. I was personally involved with it, because the
family concerned asked me to accompany them to the Tomb of Sister Faustina
which is near Crakow, in Poland. Here I believe, is a good example of what
this Devotion means because what Our Lord is asking of all humanity through
Sister Faustina is that He needs our trust to be able to work in our lives;
and here is an example where a woman who was sick with Lymphedema, one
leg already amputated and in danger of losing another, had practically
no hope of help from anywhere. The Doctors had declared her case hopeless.
It was her husband who had seen a film of the Message of the Divine Mercy as connected with Sister Faustina, and after futile attempts through other prayers and ways of obtaining this favour from God, felt that there was his answer through the Divine Mercy and through the intercession of Sister Faustina. He sprang a question upon me in the presence of his wife, whether I would accompany them to the Sister's Tomb. His wife Maureen was terrified of flying and she was in extreme pain.
After it was decided to take the trip, his wife got another infection and was hospitalised for 10 days. So that we had to postpone the trip and only take it up a day after she came out of hospital.
The family's difficulties were further complicated by the condition of their son who suffered from cerebral palsy, which caused convulsion, inability to walk, etc. It was decided to take him with them to Crakow. After a nightmare journey in which they lost not only their luggage but , more importantly Mrs. Digan's wheelchair, it was on the evening of March 28th 1981, that Bob Digan's faith was finally rewarded when, whilst praying at the Tomb of Sister Faustina. Maureen heard Sister Faustina say in her heart "Ask for my help, and I will help you", then Maureen said: "Sister Faustina, I have come a long way, please do something." Shortly after Maureen was aware that the acute pain in her leg had ceased. She said nothing, half afraid that it could not be true, but the next day, her leg had returned to normal size, to the extent that she had to stuff her shoe with paper to keep it on.
Maureen Digan has been regularly monitored by doctors in the nine years since her healing. All declare that her recovery is beyond medical understanding, and Cardinal Marcharki of Crakow formally inaugurated the process of authorisation of this miracle, in 1984.
Mr. & Mrs. Digan are now ardent promoters of the devotion to the Divine Mercy, and the circumstances surrounding this miracle must surely be unique.
By the age of 39 he was suffering from multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and epilepsy.
Early in 1990 his spine was becoming distorted and he was having seizures daily. He had been continually attending doctors since he first contracted the disease, but they could not do anything for him. He decided there was nothing left to do but turn to prayer and put his trust in Jesus.
On the 28th April 1990 Ugo
went with a pilgrimage to Rome. In his unfortunate situation he was introduced
to Mother Teresa who was in Rome at the time with a group whom he also
became acquainted with. Ugo was invited along with his group to a retreat
at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Trento, but he refused. On leaving the
group, a nun, gave him five copies of the Divine Mercy pictures and a Divine
Mercy medal. The following day the 29th April 1990 Ugo wore the medal and
carried in his arms the images to be blessed, to the papal audience at
the Vatican. At the bottom of the steps to St. Peters the Holy Father passed
by. Ugo asked him to bless his Divine Mercy pictures. After blessing the
pictures the Pope asked him how he was. Ugo told him he felt very despondent
and was at a crises in his life. The Holy Father said
"How could you have a
crises with Jesus the Divine Mercy in your arms, entrust yourself to Him
and to the intercession of Sister Faustina".
With this advice Ugo changed
his mind and decided that he would go to the Divine Mercy Shrine in Trento
with the group.
At the side altar in villa
O'Santissima, Villazzano, Trento, there is a shrine to the Divine Mercy
with a life size icon of the Divine Image. On the fourth day of praying
in front of this icon Ugo suddenly noticed the arms of the image stretched
out to him, a tremendous warmth flowed through his body. He found himself
standing on his feet with his arms outstretched to the Lord and he heard
himself loudly praising Jesus the Divine Mercy. He saw Jesus coming down
on him, His white garment blowing as if in breeze, he thought, this is
the man from Galilee coming towards me. He heard Jesus say in a clear voice:
"Leave your wheelchair
and walk".
Ugo then left his wheelchair
and began to walk, all his ailments were at that instant cured and he was
more physically perfect than he had ever been in his life.
On August 19th 1990 Ugo returned to the Vatican and during a papal audience at Paul VI Hall, Ugo was taken to meet the Pope John Paul II again, he told him about the great grace he had received and thanked him for the words of inspiration which led him to Trento, and resulted in this great miracle of Divine Mercy. He gave Pope John Paul II a copy of the Divine Image, with the signatures on the back of the people who witnessed the miracle on that day.
Today Ugo Festa Devotes his life to Jesus, and in spreading the Message of the Divine Mercy.
Blessed Sr. Faustina was born on the 25th August 1905, in the village of Glogewic near Lodz in Poland. Her name at baptism was Helen Kowalska. She was the third of ten children. On the 1st August 1925 at the age of twenty Blessed Sister Faustina entered with the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, where as a humble and hard-working sister, she lived the final thirteen years of her short life. Her duties were mainly cooking, gardening and doorkeeper.
Jesus chose and entrusted this very humble nun with a very special mission, namely to announce anew to mankind the Gospel message of His Merciful Love, through the message and devotion of the Divine Mercy.
The deep and immense love that Blessed Sr. Faustina had for God and souls led her to the summit of self-sacrifice and heroism. God chose this very privileged nun to be a victim soul and a victim of Justice, which Blessed Sister Faustina accepted whole heartedly with love.
Blessed Sister Faustina died in the odour of Sanctity on the 5th October 1938 at the age of 33, of multiple tuberculosis.
Sister Faustina was beatified
on the 18th April 1993 in Rome.
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