According to Roman Catholic tradition, the chaplet may be said at any time, but it is said especially on Divine Mercy Sunday and Fridays at 3:00 PM. For the entire day without intermission, I lived immersed in God (Diary 707-708). The tension regarding the accomplishing of the work of Mercy entrusted her by the Lord had gone. So she did not turn down an invitation to a dance in the Wenecja Park. She waited for the priest He had promised and the chance to have the painting of the Merciful Jesus made according to Gods will. These and other promises Jesus made would be fulfilled only if the practices He had recommended were accompanied by an inner attitude of trust in God combined with an active love of ones neighbour. Born into an impoverished Polish family living in what was then the Russian Empire, Helena Kowalska heeded God's call to join the convent, where she was initiated in 1926 as Sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament. As the devotion became more and more widely known the opinion of Sister Faustinas sainthood grew as well. Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska was born on August 25, 1905 in central Poland, the third of the ten children of Stanisaw Kowalski and Marianna Kowalska. However, under heavy inner pressure, Sister Faustina did not wait until the feast-day but told Father Andrasz during her weekly confession that she had decided to leave the Congregation. With trustful prayer at three oclock in the afternoon, offered on the merit of His Passion, is connected a promise of all graces which would be granted to the petitioners and all for whom they prayed, naturally provided that the grace asked for was in agreement with the will of God, i.e. He promised special graces to priests who preached the truth of Gods merciful love for mankind. From henceforth Sister Faustina knew that she was supported in the carrying out of the mission not only by the Blessed Virgin but also St. Joseph. What is Maria Faustina Kowalska known for? To find out more about St. Faustina, click here. Why do we pray at 3 o clock? All the Kowalski children were baptised in the Parish Church of St. Casimir at winice Warckie; here they made their First Holy Communion and attended Mass on Sundays and holy days. She prayed to the souls in purgatory to wake her when the time came for Sister Faustina to die. Mother General Michaela Moraczewska visited all the Congregations houses and spoke on the great mission for which God had chosen Sister Faustina. Through her the Lord Jesus communicates to the world the great message of God's mercy and reveals the pattern of Christian perfection based on trust in God and on the attitude of mercy toward one's neighbors. Mother Magorzata Gimbutt was replaced by Mother Jzefa Brzoza, who had been trained for the office in Laval (France), which served the Foundress, Mother Teresa Ewa Countess Potocka ne Sukowska, as the spiritual model for the Congregations religious life and apostolic work in Poland. 5 October. God never sends suffering that is unbearable, she used to say, for the greater the suffering, the greater Gods grace. Was when I was seven, [it happened] during Vespers and Jesus was exposed in the monstrance. Right at that moment, I was transfixed by the Divine light, and I felt I belonged solely to God; and I experienced supreme spiritual freedom, such as I had never had any idea of before (Diary 1681). After the funeral service, which was conducted by Father Wadysaw Wojto SJ attended by two other priests, the sisters themselves carried Sister Faustinas coffin down to the communitys cemetery in the garden. When he returned and opened the door to her room he found her levitating over the bed and absorbed in prayer. That is the hour of great mercy for the whole world (Diary 1320). Suddenly, when my love and longing had reached a peak, I saw a Seraph standing next to my bed, who gave me Holy Communion, saying the words, Behold, the Lord of Angels. When I had received the Lord, my spirit sank in the love of God and in wonder. She had a lot of work, as there were four rooms in the house, the shop, and the bakery. The sister who had come to wake up Sister Amelia had gone to the wrong cell and woken me instead. Clear on the point that this situation was no obstacle to the initiating of a beatification process, Cardinal Karol Wojtya lost no time and completed the diocesan stage, sending the documentation up to the Rome, where the Congregation for the Causes of Saints continued to examine the heroic virtues of Sister Faustina, and later the miracle wrought at Sister Faustinas grave for Mrs. Maureen Digan from the USA. She is known and venerated within the Church as the Apostle of Divine Mercy. Helenka went into service again, this time in d. There was not much work for her to do at Derdy, and Sister Faustina felt as if staying in this house was almost like a holiday. After having said good-bye to Sister Faustina he left her room, but on his way out remembered that he had not left her the booklets with the prayers to the Divine Mercy Jesus had given her. The first stage of her hospital treatment ended in March 1937. Many of the great saints suffer like St. Faustina, who died of tuberculosis at age 33, suffering greatly in her final years. Sister Faustina was to contemplate His love for her and love of ones neighbour. You will prepare the world for My final coming. The parish priest, Father Jzef Chodyski, made the following entry for 27 August 1905 in the parish register: On this day, 27 August 1905, at one oclock in the afternoon, Stanisaw Kowalski, farmer, aged 40 years, came accompanied by Franciszek Bednarek, aged 35 years, and Jzef Stasiak, aged 40 years, farmers of Gogowiec, presenting to us an infant of the female sex, born of his wife Marianna ne Babel, aged 30, at eight oclock in the morning of 25 August 1905 in the village of Gogowiec. And when her superior forbade her these visits to the bedsides of the dying on account of her own poor health, she would offer up her prayers and acts of obedience for them, which as Jesus had taught her meant more in His eyes than great deeds undertaken wilfully. This conduct was inspired by Helenkas fervent faith and concern to be like Jesus trusting in the Heavenly Father even when He was on the cross and Who was meek and humble throughout His life, loving all people with a patient, understanding, and indescribably self-sacrificing love. His apparel was as bright as snow, and all at once He was gone. In the morning, during Meditation Sister Faustina recorded I was overwhelmed by the presence of God in a special way, seeing Gods immense greatness and, at the same time, His coming down to His creatures. One day I went to Prdnik to visit her Sister Kajetana Bartkowiak recollected I knocked on the door. But there was something that set her apart from the rest of the children in the village. On her way to Walendw she stopped at Warsaw, where she had the opportunity to discuss the matter with Mother General Michaela Moraczewska, in whom she had always been able to confide. We did not understand her. St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born in Poland as Helena Kowalska on Aug. 25, 1905. Sister Eufemia Traczyska, a young nun in her juniorate, had heard from Sister Amelia Socha that Sister Faustina was bound to become a saint. But yet again she was overwhelmed by such darkness that she returned to Mother Generals room to tell her of her tribulation and struggle. She would often tell the sisters and charges about Gods love of mankind and about the tremendous value of doing good to ones neighbour. That joy faded somewhat towards the end of her first year in the novitiate when she started to go through a period of extremely painful spiritual experiences known as the passive nights. Her feast day is Oct. 5. With her inborn gentleness, she trained them from their youngest years in jobs about the house and farm, and responsibility in carrying out their duties. He was spiritual director and chaplain in the Vilnian archdiocesan seminary, and confessor to numerous religious congregations, including the Antokol house of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy for their confession week. She was modest and quiet, ready to do any chore and help anyone, but at the same time cheerful and always with a smile on her face. Unexceptional, a meagre little creature, poor, nothing special about her, not very promising. The Mercy picture had been put up for public worship in the most important place in the whole of Vilnius, the Shrine of Our Lady of Ostra Brama and on that day which Jesus pointed out as the Feast of Mercy. "The Divine Mercy of Jesus, also known as the Divine Mercy, is a Roman Catholic devotion to Jesus Christ associated with the apparitions of Jesus to Saint Faustina Kowalska. Jesus does not ask you to suffer beyond your capacity. In her heart of hearts she heard the words, My Mercy does not want that, but justice commands it (Diary 20). I Myself shall protect it as My glory (Diary 47-48). My second year in the novitiate was coming up. He promised the grace of a blessed and tranquil death not only to those who say the Chaplet, but also those at whose deathbed others will say the Chaplet. Sister Faustina fulfilled this mission not only by the witness of her own life and the writing of her diary, in which she revealed Gods extraordinary merciful love for each human being, but also through her everyday relations with her neighbours. Towards the end of April 1932 she came to Krakw for an eight-day retreat which was to be followed by her perpetual vows. On her way to Vilnius she made a stop at Czstochowa to entrust Mary her life and mission, which she received from God. God came first, not only on Sundays and family occasions, but every day. In the darkness of the passive nights God was granting her moments of respite and great joy. Why is St Faustina important? Two years later he made his second pilgrimage as Pope to the agiewniki Shrine, and in the basilica church he had just consecrated entrusted the whole world to the Divine Mercy. She expressed her thanks for all the good she had received from Mother General and the Congregation, she begged forgiveness for her transgressions against the rule, she asked for their sisterly love, prayer and a blessing in the hour of death. When I tried to explain that I had a problem with saying this Litany, he rose and granted me absolution. Father gave a detailed answer to all my questions. From her youngest years she would tell us about the saints, pilgrims, and hermits who fed only on roots, berries and forest honey, her brother Stanisaw recalled. I want priests to preach My great mercy to sinful souls (Diary 49-50). Divine Mercy Sunday is the perfect day to start listening to what Jesus himself tells us: (1) "I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor . Saint Faustina Kowalska, an apostle of the Divine Mercy, belongs today to the group of the most popular and well-known saints of the. Sister Amelia arrived after me. Everyone loved her her mother recalled she was chosen, the best of the children. I put all my trust in God and His holy will. During the ceremony she fainted twice. In June 1937 she made a record in her diary of the final shape of the work which was one but had three hues. When I recall she confessed that in a few days time I am to be made one with the Lord by my perpetual vows, my soul is inundated with such unimaginable joy that I just cant describe it at all (Diary 231).The ceremony for her perpetual vows was conducted by Bishop Stanisaw Rospond on 1 May 1933. People of faith feel this perfectly well!. St Faustina Kowalska is one of the most famous saints of the 20th Century, and was the first Saint canonised in the new millennium. It has today become known as the most important place in the history of the Divine Mercy message and devotion. In these dark nights of the soul there were moments of light and joy, when God allowed her to feel His love or when Our Lady came to her aid. Known as the apostle of divine mercy, St. Faustina Kowalska brought the message of God's . After all, she lived in a convent and was only a simple nun performing prosaic duties; she had neither extensive relations with other people nor any opportunities to disseminate this message in the world at large. Informed of this, Mother Superior Irena Krzyanowska forbade her to speak about it, and this is how Sister Faustinas extraordinary spiritual life was kept secret. During the homily for her canonization on April 30, 2000, the pope declared Divine Mercy Sunday to be celebrated worldwide. This was her last attempt to leave the Congregation, but the spiritual struggle continued. Spreading of Devotion to The Divine Mercy, Plenary Indulgence for the Feast of Mercy, In Theology Moral Qualification of aHuman Act, In the School ofSt.Faustina andJohnPaul II, History of the Devotion to The Divine Mercy, The Knowledge of the Mystery of Divine Mercy, The Contemplation of Divine Mercy in Everyday Life, The Apostolic Movement of The Divine Mercy, Prayer through the Intercession of St. Faustina, Superior General, Mother Michaela Moraczewska, Churches dedicated in honor of St. Faustina, Let us know about a church or chapel of St. Faustina, Let us know about another St. Faustina patronage activity, Shrine of Divine Mercy in Cracow-Lagiewniki, Chapel of the miraculous image of the Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina, Shrine of the Birth and Baptism of St. Faustina in Swinice Warckie, Family Home of Saint Faustina in Gogowiec, Convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Center of Divine Mercy Spirituality in Rome, The Rome House of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, Let us know about another Shrine of Divine Mercy. At first Sister Faustina thought that Jesus wanted her to leave her mother Congregation and found a contemplative order. She saw clearly what she was taking upon herself. I feel very, very weak and am writing with a trembling hand. Nearly half a year passed in this way and there was no change at all in the state of my soul. There Helenka found the refuge from which she set off in search of a convent, and once she had found it stayed for another year to save some money for a modest monastic trousseau. St. John Paul II called her "the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time." He declared the Sunday after Easter "Mercy Sunday." In preparing for her role, Vargo delved into the saint's dairy and life. Together they said the prayers for the dying, after which Sister Faustina told Mother Superior that she would not die yet. At three oclock, beg for My mercy, especially for sinners, and immerse yourself, even for a short moment, in [contemplation on] My Passion, particularly when I was left forsaken at the moment of death. On the next day during Mass she saw Jesus, who yet again said that He wanted such a work founded as soon as possible. We were together in the novitiate for a year, recalled Sister Krescencja Bogdanik, who was a year ahead of her in her vocation. Sister Faustinas mission continues and is bringing wondrous fruit. To each of these forms of worship, as well as to the preaching of the message of Mercy, He attached great promises, on condition that we care about the attitude of trust in God that is to fulfill His will and show mercy to our neighbours. Go immediately to Warsaw, there you will enter a convent (Diary 10). This all Polish production was released in '95, five years before Sister Faustina's canonization and was most certainly intent on helping promote . Any soul that makes its Confession and receives Holy Communion will have its sins and its punishment completely remitted. Suddenly someone woke me up. Towards the end of my first year in the novitiate she recorded in her diary it began to grow dark in my soul. As I was a senior novice I had to act as her guide (angel). A sick man lived in a lumber room under the stairs in the house. Asked by her if she was pleased to be dying in our Congregation she replied, Yes. Saint Faustina is known as the Missionary of Divine Mercy. While there is still time, let them have recourse to the fount of my mercy; let them profit from the blood and water which gushed forth for them ( Diary, 848). The continual calling of grace was a great torment for me, nonetheless I tried to stifle my calling with various entertainments (Diary 8). An experienced confessor, Father Sopoko first tried to get to know his penitent, and not be misled by any delusions, hallucinations or fantasies deriving from human nature. The first months of 1938 saw a further deterioration in Sister Faustinas health, and her superiors decided to send her to Prdnik Hospital again after Easter. It was around eleven at night. His disclosure was followed by the same in the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. He was strict with himself and his children and did not tolerate even the slightest misdemeanour. She fetched her rosary, knelt by the dying persons bedside and started saying the Chaplet with all the powers of her spirit, asking Jesus to fulfil the promise He had made regarding the Chaplet. Our Lady faithfully accompanied Sister Faustina and spoke to her on the prophetic mission. Visitors traveled great distances to see the . During the terrible war years the devotion to the Divine Mercy spread rapidly, bringing a ray of light and hope into the darkness. In Vilnius Sister Faustina was to work in the garden, although she had not any experience in this duty. Then I saw Our Lady who said, O, how God likes the soul that faithfully follows the inspiration of His grace. The other nuns in the community became sceptical with respect to her. The second hue would be the active congregations, which would combine prayer with acts of mercy and make the merciful love of God present in an egoistic world. After his ordination on the third Sunday of each month he celebrated Divine Mercy services in this chapel. During his homily in St. Peters Square, Rome, he referred to her words, I clearly sense that my mission will not end upon my death, but will only begin then (Diary 281). He called her Diary a Gospel of Mercy written from a 20th-century perspective, which has helped people to survive the extremely painful experiences of these times. The third hue could be made up of all the people who by daily acts of mercy on behalf of their neighbours, by their words and prayers and for the love of Jesus would fulfil the tasks of this work. For Your Sons sake, You have to love me (Diary 240). In a mystical experience after Holy Communion she received a blessing for the task from the Holy Trinity. [2]. She was an able pupil and a keen learner, but had to leave after just three years to make room for the younger children. I gave her the prayers and said good-bye, and she said, 'See you in heaven. When I went indoors, and thought about what had happened at the gate I heard these words in my soul, My daughter, the blessings uttered by the poor as they leave your gate have reached My ears; they are thankful to Me, your mercy within the bounds of obedience pleased Me, so I descended from My throne to taste the fruit of your mercy. (Diary 1312). The lack of a permanent spiritual director and the inability to fulfil the tasks ascribed her made Sister Faustina want to back out of these supernatural inspirations, but Jesus patiently kept on explaining to her the magnitude of the work He had chosen her for. I opened up all my soul, as usual. From today on you shall not be called by your baptismal name, you shall be called Sister Maria Faustyna, Helen heard these words during the ceremony for the taking of the veil on 30 April 1926. I felt extremely happy, I thought I had entered life in paradise. I stood next to the bedside cabinet on which there was a little altar set up and was overwhelmed with terror, but a moment later she came round and said, 'Ah, Sister, youve come, Im glad, do come in'. ultimate desires God has for His dear children. God was working in a strange way in my soul. She commuted into Warsaw from Ostrwek looking for a convent which would take her but she was turned down wherever she knocked to the gate. A name with several distinguished namesakes: the wife of ancient Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, a famous Italian opera singer, and two Catholic saintsmaking it both substantial and unusual. One day, Sister Eufemia Traczyska recalled, when we were peeling apples at work in the bakery Sister Faustina came in. Jesus said to Sister Faustina that the sign would come with the graces dispensed through the picture. St. Faustina is known for her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. . After her perpetual vows Sister Faustina stayed in Krakw for almost a month, taking advantage of the service of Father Jzef Andrasz SJ, who like Father Edmund Elter had confirmed her in the belief that the visions were genuine and advised her to remain faithful to the grace of God and to be obedient. But occasionally someone was a witness to them. She wrote in her diary, No one would be able to understand all the suffering and anguish Im going through; neither am I able to describe it, nor can there be any greater suffering. Faustina wrote (Notebook 1, item 49) that Jesus told her that he wanted the Divine Mercy image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; and that Sunday was to be the Feast of Mercy. And you could always observe a childlike joy on her face. They are bringing the message of Mercy into the world through the witness of their lives, works, words, and prayer. The chapel was decorated for a feast day, and on this day it was open to everyone, anyone who wanted [to attend]. They liked her and gathered around her during recreation, as her thoughts and words were focused on God and she was always cheerful. Already in the first days, when she suffered much because for nearly three weeks she had no access to confession, This afternoon, Father Andrasz came into my isolation room and sat down to hear my Confession. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept My mercy. Of Helenka she used to say that she had an inner life of her very own and that her little soul must be dear to Jesus. At last on 1 August 1925, the vigil of the Feast of Our Lady Queen of Angels, the day came when Helenka Kowalska crossed the threshold into the convent enclosure. Jesus request that she proclaim His Mercy to the world occurs time and again throughout the diary. She noted down the words of Jesus, her prayers, contemplation and the more important events, including her last three-day retreat given her by Jesus Himself before the Feast of Pentecost. Saint Faustina Kowalska, an apostle of the Divine Mercy, belongs today to the group of the most popular and well-known saints of the Church. Her fellow nuns called her the lawyer because she could direct the discussion to the subject of Gods truths. It is undoubtedly a sign of our times a sign of our 20th century. It is continuing and bringing forth wondrous fruit. If time allowed she would play with me. After a while Jesus said to her, Make Me a picture of this image in the form that you see, with the inscription Jesus, I trust in You. Sr. Faustina died October 5, 1938 and she rests at the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland. She continued to make entries in her diary almost to the end of June. Several decades earlier the event had been described by Sister Faustina: I saw myself in Rome, in the Holy Fathers chapel, while at the same time I was in our own chapel, and the ceremony celebrated by the Holy Father and the entire Church was closely connected with our chapel and, in a special way, with our Congregation; I was participating at the same time in the service held in Rome and in our chapel. Your email address will not be published. After her death, when World War Two came, Sister Faustinas Vilnian confessor Father Sopoko disclosed the name of the initiator of the devotion to Divine Mercy, which was spreading. She thanked me but did not take up my offer. Faustyna, popularly spelled "Faustina", had apparitions of Jesus Christ which inspired the Roman Catholic devotion to the . O Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, You, O Mother, are now my Mother in a very special way, because Your beloved Son is my Bridegroom, so we are both Your children. Numerous new Divine Mercy shrines have sprung up to preach the truth of Gods merciful love for each human being. In the first years of her juniorate, that is after making her first religious profession, Sister Faustina worked in many of the Congregations houses. Her soul was being purified in the crucible of spiritual battle. It has today become known as the most important place in the history of the Divine Mercy message and devotion. She prepared with deep reverence for her First Holy Communion, which was administered to her by Father Roman Pawowski during a ceremony in the Parish Church. On arriving in Krakw she met with Father Andrasz, who advised her to keep praying and exercising acts of self-mortification until the Feast of the Sacred Heart, when he would give her an answer to this question. As I started to dance, I suddenly saw Jesus next to me, Jesus crushed with suffering, stripped of His apparel and all covered with wounds, Who said these words to me, How long am I to put up with you, and how long are you going to keep Me waiting? (Diary 9). 29 in the Abramowskiego and needed a child-minder for her three children. Blessed art Thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. They gave an excuse of not being able to afford a dowry and refused permission. It reveals the supremely holy and wise personality of the author, not so much in what she said . The child received the name Helena in Holy Baptism administered on this day, and the godparents were Konstanty Bednarek and Marianna Szewczyk (Szczepaniak). It is a record of the inspiring life of St. Faustina, as she experienced the profound supernatural events that shaped her entire life. 9 in the Kronieska, and worked for three ladies who were Tertiaries of St. Francis. Not only did she notice them, but she would also think of ways to help them. When I recognised Him, He disappeared from sight. So when we go to confession our souls are spotless and we have nothing to worry about. Sister Faustina had achieved the fullness of union with God and sang a hymn in honour of His unfathomable Mercy. In the morning, I did my Meditation she noted in her diary and prepared for Holy Communion, even though I was not going to receive it. I went to bed at the usual time, Sister Eufemia recollected, and was soon asleep. Sister Faustinas mission certainly did not end at her death. He said that he wanted the message of Gods merciful love preached here thanks to the mediation of Sister Faustina to reach all the earths inhabitants and fill their hearts with hope. Apostle of Divine Mercy, Prophet of Our Times, Great Mystic, Mistress of Spiritual Life these are the epithets usually appended to the name of Sister Faustyna Kowalska, St. Faustyna (Faustina), of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. Then I saw her all different, changed, and levitating over the bed, gazing into the distance as if she were looking at something there. Mother ran the house and brought the children up. They were attended by crowds from the City of Krakw and its environs. In the Lipszyc household Helenka was treated like a member of the family, they all loved and respected her for her hard work and cheerfulness, she had a way with children, in short she had all it takes to be a good wife and mother. And he observed, Thats exactly what happened. In accordance with the words of Jesus and His Mother, not only was she to live by it herself, reflecting it in her heart and works, but she was also to let the whole world learn of it. In October 1928 the Congregation held its General Chapter, and the office of Mother General was entrusted to Mother Michaela Olga Moraczewska who was educated (a graduate of a music conservatory) and spoke several languages. Seeing this sign of Gods wrath, she started begging the Angel to hold off a while for the world to do penance, but when she stood before the majesty of the Holy Trinity she did not dare repeat her plea. The Lord brought her into the world of an ever closer union with Him, preparing her for receiving the grace of mystical marriage. Some warned her of hallucinations, others declared she was hysterical and fantasising, and yet others acknowledged that she must be close to Jesus since she was bearing all this suffering with such calm. The crowds were so huge that I couldnt see an end to them. The proper liturgical texts were released by the Holy See in Latin.English and Spanish translations must be approved by the USCCB and confirmed by the Holy See before they can be implemented in the . But her arguments always won. That was the family atmosphere of little Helenka, Gods chosen one to be the prophet of our times. At Skolimw she asked Jesus whom she should pray for. There will be a Feast of Divine Mercy, I see it, all I want is to do Gods will, she told Mother Superior. Today there is probably no country left without an image of the Merciful Jesus. Her relics are in the Shrine of the Divine Mercy at agiewniki, Krakw. When she was eighteen she once again asked her parents permission to enter a convent and again was refused. St. Faustina offered her day in 1936 for Russia, as Jesus was in anguish over what was happening in the atheistic country. Helenka knew this meant going to the chapel. At first, I was a bit anxious, but after a while peace entered my soul; but I noticed that Jesus heard my Confession in the same way as my confessors. In August 1938 she wrote a letter to Mother General Michaela Moraczewska: Dearest Reverend Mother, I feel this is our last conversation on earth. Finally, as he later disclosed, More out of curiosity rather than conviction as to the authenticity of Sister Faustinas visions, I decided to have the picture painted. The Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart, who worked as nurses in the hospital, prepared a room for her, but in the evening one of them informed her that she would not have Holy Communion the next day because she was exhausted. She joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and experienced several visions of Jesus. I saw how enthusiastically Sister Faustina carried out all her duties. Faustina's message reverberated in St. John Paul II's heart. After a few weeks stay at Walendw she went to the Congregations house at Derdy, which was just a kilometre away where she cooked for the small group of sisters and over thirty charges. She told us children that when she grew up she would enter a convent, but we laughed. In a response she heard: It is not the beauty of the paint nor of the brush, but My grace that makes this painting great(Diary 313). But Helenka felt her heart was so big that no human love would satisfy it. That day at supper time a bell was heard. ANTIGONOS I OF MACEDONIA SILVER DRACHM_____ ___Known as Antigonos Cyclops. It was Father Micha Sopoko, who lectured in pastoral theology in the Faculty of Theology of the Stefan Batory University, and in educational studies in a teachers training college. I am filled with an ever greater longing for God. In the early morning Father would sing the Hours or other hymns, and when Mother rebuked him that he would wake the children, he replied that they had to learn from their youngest years that God was the most important. The Holy Father John Paul II wrote that in the age of totalitarianisms Sister Faustina became the ambassador of the message that the only power strong enough to counteract their evil is the truth of Gods Mercy. What did Faustina see Saint Faustina saw visions of Heaven In . I got in touch with Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, an artist who lived in the same house as I and undertook to paint the picture, and with Mother Superior, who allowed Sister Faustina to visit him twice a week to instruct him on the details of the painting., The painting of the first picture of the Merciful Jesus started very discreetly at the beginning of January 1934. Tell distressed humankind to come up and cling to My Heart, and I shall fill it with peace. This period, which Sister Faustina had foretold, contributed to the theological analysis of her writings and the making of the right foundations for the practise of the devotion. Souls that venerate the image of Divine Mercy will not perish In her diary, Saint Faustina recorded the words of Christ regarding the image. Jesus will take care of it'. This truth that God is in His very nature Love and Mercy Itself, is given to us by our Judeo-Christian faith and God's self-revelation. Thanks to a satellite television link religious and lay pilgrims gathered in the agiewniki Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakw could participate in the ceremony. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you) with a contrite heart. He did his best to follow all her requirements.. They were all taking part in the ceremony with great joy, and many received what they had asked for. She was very happy in Prdnik and never complained that she was suffering. Sister Faustinas parents came to the agiewniki convent. My soul trembled at the very thought that I was to take my vows. Some, especially the more curious ones, were irked by my silence. I entered more deeply into myself and couldnt see anything but great misery. Those who are strong devotees to Divine Mercy and St. Faustina, may know a lot already about her life. Sister Faustina, during this ceremony, commended to Jesus the whole Church, her Congregation, her family, all sinners, the dying and the souls in purgatory. The moment I took back the cup from him, he let me know that He was the Lord of Heaven and Earth. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000. During the 1930s, a Polish nun named Faustina Kowalska reportedly had . Sister Faustinas health was deteriorating all the time and the end of her life on earth was approaching. On May 18, 2020, Pope Francis ordered the inscription of Saint Faustina Kowalska, Virgin, into the General Roman Calendar. Towards the end of May 1933 she was directed to Vilnius. After examining by the Holy See the next miracle of healing Father Ronald Pytel of Baltimore, MD, from incurable disease of the heart, the Holy Father John Paul II numbered her to the group of saints of the Catholic Church. She was the third of ten children born to an impoverished and devout religious family in rural Pennsylvania. Alongside its achievements which have by far eclipsed those of previous ages, the balance of the century now drawing to a close also carried deep anxiety for the future. The first hue comprised the souls separated off from the world, which would burn in immolation before the Divine Majesty, begging for mercy for the whole world and prepare it for the Second Coming of Christ. On the afternoon of 5 October 1938 Father Andrasz arrived at the agiewniki Convent and for the last time granted Sister Faustina absolution and administered the Sacrament of the Sick. See, Father, she said to her father, who had been so staunchly against her entry into the convent. She also hoped that coming to that house would mean the final accomplishing of Gods plans concerning the foundation of a new congregation. I no longer had any doubts that what she wrote in her diary about Holy Communion being administered to her in hospital by an angel was absolutely true.. After just a few weeks in the convent Mother Superior sent the postulant Helenka along with two other sisters to Skolimw, in the suburbs, for reasons of health, which had deteriorated due to the fairly strict fasts practised in the house and in service, and also due to the spiritual experience of a new life in the convent. Introduction to the Chaplet of Mercy. For another year she worked as a housekeeper to save some money for a modest monastic trousseau. At one point, I got a strong feeling that I had been rejected by God. I was to bring her into the life of the community, and admired her for her quick learning. During this conversation she saw Jesus, who confirmed that this was His will, saying, I want such a congregation (Diary 437). I learned how much God loved me. Macarius the Great was a disciple of Anthony. I thought God was not pleased with my prayers. Born in the village of Gogowiec, near d, in Poland in 1905, and dying in Krakow in 1938, Saint Faustina spent her short life amongst the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, generously conforming herself to the vocation she received from God and developing an intense spiritual life, rich in spiritual gifts and in faithful harmony with them. He ate it. It was an exhortation Sister Faustina heard many times: Tell the world of My mercy, of My love. But in her soul she felt the power of Jesus grace and started to entreat God in the words which she heard in her heart and which later became part of the Chaplet to the Divine Mercy. St. Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born in Poland as Helena Kowalska on Aug. 25, 1905. On 2 February 1923 Helenka was sent by an employment agency to the house of Mrs. Marcjanna Sadowska, who had a shop at No. Sister Faustina continued to keep her diary in Krakw, recording not only Jesus words and her extraordinary mystical experiences, but also deeply moving contemplation on the mystery of Divine Mercy. The Chaplet to the Divine Mercy is recited even in obscure languages, and the prayer at the hour of Jesus death on the cross, the Hour of Mercy, is becoming more and more popular. At the hospital she experienced a lot of extraordinary graces. Father supplemented his income from the farm with work as a carpenter. But with Sister Faustina the girl changed and was never the same again. Her feast day is Oct. 5. Her kitchen help Sister Serafina Kukulska recalled was a girl with a very difficult character, a convert, whom no-one ever wanted to work with. I do not fear death, my soul abound in great peace. Jesus made a big sign of the cross over me and I crossed myself. She woke up during the night and realised that a soul was asking her for prayer. Saint Faustina saw visions of Heaven In addition to Saint Faustinas visions of Christs Divine Mercy, the saint was also granted visions of the final resting place of Heaven. However, she knew that the convent chapel at agiewniki in Krakw would become the shri- ne for the worship of the Divine Mercy. Faustina was a remarkable child who knew from an early age that she was called to have a religious life. When she returned to the convent chapel, she complained to Jesus, Whos going to paint You as beautiful as You are? (Diary 313). After a brief stay in Warsaw in the ytnia and at Grochw, she was again sent off to Pock, and from there for a short time to Biaa, an agricultural colony of the Pock house. 1. What are the requirements for Divine Mercy Sunday? One day she held a lottery, another time she put on her mothers old clothes and as a beggar went from house to house and the collected money gave to the parish priest for the poor. With this priests help, Sister Faustina commissioned an artist to paint the first Divine Mercy image, based on her vision of Jesus. Whenever I left the house Mrs. Sadowska said of her maid years later I could rest assured. But the joy of those days for Sister Faustina was the fact that Jesus requests had been fulfilled. Only during a discussion with her spiritual director Father Sopoko did she disclose that God wants a congregation to preach Divine mercy to the world and to pray for Divine mercy for the world (Diary 436). Sister Felicja akowiecka visited Sister Faustina twice a week. She died on Oct. 5, 1938, after being chosen by Jesus and Mary to become the unlikely apostle of the Divine Mercy. She accepted Gods will in a spirit of faith, trusting that Jesus would help and bring her in touch with people who would tell her when and what to do to make beautiful flowers and wholesome fruit and vegetables grow in the garden. On that day the depths of My mercy are open; I pour out a whole sea of graces on souls that approach the fount of My mercy. He reminded Sister Faustina that He wanted it celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, for souls were still being lost despite His bitter Passion. This is why Vilnius has become known as the City of Divine Mercy. It was where all of our Lords demands of St. Faustina in His message of Divine Mercy were finally realised. Things turned out in such a way, Mother General Michaela Moraczewska explained Sister Faustinas frequent moves, that she had to be transferred fairly often to new places, so that she worked in almost all of the Congregations houses. She thought it must be a fire and she started shouting just when the bakers were putting the loaves into the oven. Although she had already realised that the new congregation would be a great work in the Church, comprising mens and womens congregations as well as lay associations, as she wrote to Father Sopoko in April 1936, she was still convinced that her role in this was to found a contemplative order. Father Sopoko requested Sister Faustina to ask Jesus about that, too. At first she was happy to be leaving, but on the next day was overwhelmed by darkness and felt she had lost Gods presence, so she decided to put off this move a little until her next meeting with her confessor. Delivery: Estimated between Thu, Jan 26 and Mon, Jan 30 to 98837. . Throughout her life, she reported a number of visions of Jesus and conversations with him, which she wrote about in her diary, later published as the book Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. Youll see that the Congregation will be solaced by me. Saint Faustina saw visions of Heaven. And Jesus said: I shall treat every soul that says this Chaplet as My glory, and I shall grant it My defence at the hour of death; also those at whose deathbed others say the Chaplet shall be granted the same indulgence. On her return from Rabka Sister Faustina was given a lighter duty, in the entrance lodge, than her previous job in the garden. Her superiors sent her first to the Congregations house in nearby Walendw, where an eight-day annual retreat was just starting under the direction of the Jesuit Father Edmund Elter, a professor of ethics, homiletics and rhetoric at the Gregorianum University in Rome. On that day are open all the Divine floodgates through which graces flow; let no soul fear to approach Me, even if its sins be as scarlet (Diary 699). Whereas, it turned out, God let her know how much she would suffer. After that refusal I indulged in the vanity of life, not paying any attention to the voice of grace, although there was nothing in which my soul could find contentment. Sister Eufemia wanted to see how saints die, but she could not exactly count on her superior granting her permission to attend a sister dying of tuberculosis. Sister Felicja was surprised that the doctor allowed her to go to Mass despite her poor condition. In the evening when she returned to her cell, she had a physical vision of Jesus in a white robe. One of the people who came to worship before this image was Karol Wojtya, a young labourer from the Solvay quarry which neighboured on the convent, who had already become familiar with the devotion to Divine Mercy in the forms of worship prescribed by Sister Faustina. These words filled her soul with a terrible awe. Her father had already taught her to read, but at school she had the opportunity to learn more. On Sunday afternoons Father would take out the Lives of the Saints from the bookcase and read in the family circle. He wanted that message to radiate out from agiewniki to the whole of Poland and the entire world, and Jesus promise to be fulfilled that a spark which would prepare the world for Jesus final coming would issue from this place (cf. But soon she had to leave for Krakw, where there were better medical facilities for the treatment of tuberculosis. Since our ceremony was so closely linked with Rome, I dont exactly know how to distinguish [between the two ceremonies], but thats what I saw and thats what Im writing. It happened again for 13 days, but I was never sure that he would bring me Holy Communion on the next day(Diary 1676). At the age of seven she had her first undeniable experience of Gods love. I was extremely happy, as I desperately wanted to make my Confession. She was baptized with the name Helena in the parish church of Swinice Warckle. The Story of St. Faustina. In the Vilnian period Jesus returned to the issue of the establishment of the Feast of Divine Mercy in the Church. Her mother noticed that she loved to pray and would even get up at night and kneel down. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000. But the greatest suffering was caused by the uncertainty as to where the visions came from. Helena Kowalska, known as Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament, was born on August 25, 1905, in Glogowiec, Leczyca County, north-west of Ldz, Poland, as the daughter of a farmer. Jesus introduced the Chaplet of Divine Mercy through a vision granted to St. Faustina. Hail Mary, full of grace. The painting of the vision Sister Faustina had had three years earlier at Pock gave rise to several fundamental questions which Father Sopoko put to Sister Faustina, and she in the simplicity of her heart passed them on to Jesus, who explained, My gaze from this picture is like My gaze from the cross (Diary 326), Jesus explained, The two rays stand for blood and water. As Jesus told her, His request that Gods merciful love for mankind be preached is the last recourse for many souls, which are being lost notwithstanding His bitter Passion. She always used to say, 'Come in, please, but this time there was no answer though I knocked and knocked. The family was not well off, so like her older sisters she went into domestic service. I promise that the soul that venerates this picture shall not perish. Whenever I received the sacraments I thought I was offending Him even more. The day of judgement has been determined, the day of Gods anger, the angels tremble at the thought of it. He was inspired to lead a life of poverty and itinerant preaching. She never showed the slightest doubts as to the authenticity of her mission nor fear of death, she was absolutely engrossed in the leading light of her entire life the devotion to Divine Mercy.. At the age of sixteen Helenka bade farewell to her parents, brothers and sisters and left home. Anthony was not the first ascetic or hermit, but he may properly be called the "Father of Monasticism" in Christianity, as he organized his disciples into a community and later, following the spread of Athanasius's hagiography, was the inspiration for similar communities throughout Egypt and elsewhere. His right hand was lifted up in a gesture of blessing, and His left hand was touching His breast from which two rays, a red one and a pale one, radiated out. Here she had plenty of opportunities to perform acts of mercy to various people vagrants, the unem- ployed, hungry children who called at the lodge gate asking for assistance. She is so well known for her beautiful relationship with Jesus, but what is not known so well is that the goal of her existence and spirituality was to live in unity with Jesus as an offering to the Father. There she prostrated herself before the Blessed Sacrament and begged the Lord to tell her what she was to do next. Her health slightly improved, Sister Faustina returned to agiewniki Convent. But Sister Faustina was not pleased, although the artist and Father Sopoko did all they could to render as faithful an image of Jesus as possible. She told Sister Boenna Pniewska, who regretted that the agiewniki chapel was available only for the sisters and their charges, There will soon come a time when the convent gate will be wide open and people will come here to pray to the Divine Mercy. Sister, if you want to be by Sister Faustina when she dies, get up now. I saw Jesus exposed in a monstrance on the great altar in our chapel. She looked unremarkable, slightly delayed age-wise, rather feeble figure, a maidservant and cook by profession, no dowry, not even the most meagre of trousseaus. That is how Sister Faustinas hospital ministry for the dying started. One of them was Janek, who was said to be lapsed. I woke Sister Amelia, put on my overall and bonnet and dashed to the infirmary. As a little girl she was already distinguished from others by a sense of mercy. Kowalska has such a blessed child! she used to say in the village. I couldnt hear what St. Peter said, but I realised that the Holy Father understood him (Diary 1044). On the next day when she entered the chapel Jesus instructed her once more how she was to say the prayer on an ordinary rosary. In the Cracovian convent Sister Faustina received the rest of the prophetic mission. I looked at Sister Amelia but said nothing. Pilgrims started to come to her grave in the agiewniki Convent and pray for her intercession. In December of the same year she came back to the house in the ytnia, but not for long. Helenkas immediate entry was prevented by poverty, and Mother Superior advised her to continue for a time in service and save up for a small trousseau, testing the firmness of her vocation. From a very tender age she stood out because of her love of prayer, work, obedience and her sensitivity to the poor. How marvellously her Divine Mercy service is making its way around the world and winning so many human hearts! . In order to obtain a PARTIAL indulgence, the Faithful are required to pray, a legitimately approved invocation to our Merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Indeed she gave the impression of a supernatural being. The Apostolic Movement of Divine Mercy, the congregation based on Sister Faustinas mystical experience and charism which Jesus asked her to found, today comprises a variety of congregations, associations, confraternities, apostolates and individuals joining in the accomplishment of her mission. During that ceremony, held in the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father founded the Feast of Divine Mercy for the entire Church and passed on to the world the prophetic mission of Mercy for the third millennium of faith. After the retreat, she returned to Warsaw full of gratitude and spiritual joy to prepare during her third probation, along with two other sisters, under the direction of Mother Magorzata Gimbutt, for the making of her perpetual vows. Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi (Italian: Francesco d'Assisi; c. 1181 - 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianity. 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