St. Faustina, our Messenger of Mercy
Call upon St. Faustina, to intercede, when the load is too heavy.“When I see that the burden is beyond my strength, I do not consider or analyze it or probe into it, but I run like a child to the Heart of Jesus and say only one word to Him, ‘You can do all things.’ And then I keep silent, because I know that Jesus himself will intervene in the matter, and as for me, instead of tormenting myself, I use that time to love Him” (Divine Mercy in My Soul, The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowlaska, 1033).
On Oct. 5th we honor the memorial of St. Faustina Kowalska of Poland. She was the first saint canonized in the new millennium, and although she had only three years of formal education, has taught millions about God’s mercy through her diary and a painting she had an artist create of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When she was a young nun in the beginning of the 20th century, she had experienced several stirring visions of Jesus. In them he told her to share His message of love and mercy in an image of Him for all the world to see. With the help of her spiritual advisor, St. Faustina found a painter to fulfill the request with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You.” In 1934, Eugene Kazimierowski created the original Divine Mercy painting under St. Faustina’s direction.
It is just as she saw Christ in her vision, “clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From the opening of the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays, one red and the other pale. In silence I gazed intently at the Lord; my soul was overwhelmed with fear, but also with great joy. After a while Jesus said to me, ‘paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in You.'”
Saint Faustina recorded all of her visions and conversations with Jesus in her diary. It was published I 1981. In it she wrote the words of Jesus about the graces that would pour out on anyone who prayed before the image:
“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 [that soul] as My own glory.”
Saint Faustina is lovingly known as the messenger of Jesus’ unending love and mercy. Through her we have the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, Divine Mercy Sunday, and the consecration to the Divine Mercy. She died at the age of 33, four years after the Divine Mercy Painting of Christ was completed.Editor’s note: The image of St. Faustina is from a photograph restored by John and Sue Johnson of Classic Catholic and available via Etsy.
