Maddy Bass

Joseph Nguyen Tro Bui translated from https://lifeteen.com

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska was a humble instrument of God who had longed for religious life since she was only seven years old.

You might be thinking: At seven, I was trading Nilla Wafers for Oreos on the playground, not thinking about my calling. But for Faustina, her role in the family made her mature early. By the age of 16, Faustina was caring for and supporting her nine younger siblings as the family’s housekeeper.

Although she was very obedient to her parents’ wishes to stay at home, Faustina often sought Jesus in the Eucharist, harboring a desire to enter a convent from a young age. In 1924, Faustina had her first vision of Jesus, who told her to leave home and enter a convent in Warsaw, Poland. Faustina later joined the Congregation of the Daughters of Our Lady of Mercy and made her first vows as a nun in 1928, at the age of 22.

St. Faustina is famous for recording her visions of Jesus in a diary. You may be familiar with the image of Jesus as the King of Mercy, dressed in white with red and pale rays emanating from his heart. This image comes from one of St. Faustina’s visions. From these visions, the Feast of Divine Mercy was also established (when Jesus said he wanted the Divine Mercy image “solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter”), along with the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, an intercessory prayer used in the rosary to commemorate the Lord’s Passion in a special way.

Learn the way of mercy

Thanks to saints like Faustina, we can better understand the merciful heart of Jesus and find ways to practice it in our lives. I would like to share with everyone how St. Faustina’s little story transformed my ordinary heart, in the hope that it will inspire many others as well.

1. God is not stingy with His mercy

God’s mercy is given freely, not deserved. God’s choice to humbly send His Son to earth to die on the cross for us is the clearest demonstration of His merciful heart. He offers Himself time and again each time we participate in the Eucharist at Mass.

Next time you attend Mass, count how many times you recite prayers asking God for mercy. Although He always offers His mercy, we are still aware that His mercy is necessary and extremely important for our spiritual lives.

2. Suffering can make us holier

In one of her diary entries, St. Faustina writes: “Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes more like the Savior; in suffering, love becomes pure; the greater the suffering, the purer the love” (#57, page 29).

In other words, our ability to endure suffering, whether big or small, helps us become more like Jesus. To be honest, no one wants to suffer. But St. Faustina invites us to see these trials as opportunities to rely on God’s love and mercy.

Jesus desires to be close to us. He invites us to open our hearts to that closeness and to trust that He is at work in our souls, no matter what the circumstances. Saint Faustina also shared: “When I find a burden beyond my strength, I do not consider or analyze it, but I turn like a child to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and simply say: ‘You can do all things’” (#1033, page 392).

3. Mercy is the core of community

The first time I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy was a few years ago, with a group of Life Teen missionaries. One of the missionaries wanted to pray for a sick relative. Without hesitation, we all went into the chapel with rosaries in hand to pray.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is often recited during prayers for the sick and dying. It is also often recited after receiving Holy Communion at Mass. Jesus, in many manifestations, has made it clear that the Chaplet is not only for the person reciting it but for the whole world. St. Faustina concluded her prayer in a diary entry with the words “for the sake of your sorrowful passion, have mercy on us” (#475), and the next paragraph was revised to “have mercy on us and on the whole world” (#476).

I have been reflecting on this change and why Jesus insisted on it. While this prayer is primarily for those who are dying, I think Christ intended it for anyone who needs God’s mercy (all of us!). Praying these words together will bring strength and courage, asking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance not only for ourselves but for the whole world.

4. Our own forgiveness is necessary for mercy

Easier said than done, right? For me, this wise teaching of St. Faustina is a real challenge. Just as God offers us His infinite mercy, we are called to practice that same mercy with others. This can be shown through patience with a sibling who is annoying us, forgiveness for a friend we feel has hurt us, or even mercy toward ourselves when we realize our lack of love and faith in Jesus.

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve always been a good friend. Sometimes I wallow in self-reproach and blame myself for everything I might have said or done wrong. Other times, I blame others. But it’s in those moments that I’m called not only to receive God’s mercy, but also to share it: “Whoever forgives prepares himself for many graces from God. Every time I look at the cross, I forgive with all my heart” (#390, p. 175).

Walk the path of mercy

The life of St. Faustina demonstrates that Jesus can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. While we may not experience such profound images of Jesus in our daily lives, we can look to St. Faustina as an instrument of humility and complete trust in God.

If you find the life of St. Faustina difficult to understand or even believe, ask yourself why. Invite St. Faustina to pray with you and ask God to open your mind to the possibilities of His mercy and love. As St. Faustina reminds us, all we need to do is run to God like a child and say just one word: “You can do all things.”