Saint of the day October 5, 2024

Saint Faustina Kowalska delivered the profound message of God’s mercy to the world through her experiences with the Lord Jesus. She demonstrated the Christian ideal of deep trust in God and boundless mercy towards others.

Born to a devout peasant family in Glogowiec, Poland, on August 25, 1905, Helena Kowalska was the third of ten children. Early in her life, her passion for prayer, hard work, compassion for the needy, and obedience distinguished her. By sixteen, she worked as a housemaid, assisting her family financially.

Although she felt her calling to serve God at seven, her parents discouraged her initial wish to join the convent. It wasn’t until a vision of Christ in 1925 that she joined the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, adopting the name Sister Mary Faustina. Over thirteen years, she lived in various religious houses.

Externally, her life seemed routine. Yet, she enjoyed a profound, intimate relationship with God, experiencing exceptional spiritual gifts such as visions, revelations, and mystical experiences. She saw the supernatural world as tangibly as the physical one.

One notable vision on February 22, 1931, was of Jesus as the King of Divine Mercy. He wore a white robe, one hand raised in blessing and the other at his chest, from which two radiant rays emanated, one red and one pale. This image became the iconic Divine Mercy representation. Despite initial hesitations from her convent superiors, Father Michael Sopocko, her spiritual director, supported her in spreading this devotion and even financed the creation and distribution of the Divine Mercy image and chaplets.

However, St. Faustina recognized that such divine gifts did not equate to sanctity. She penned in her diary that true sanctity lay in aligning one’s will with God’s, emphasizing a deep, personal connection over mere spiritual gifts.

Her writings, compiled as “Divine Mercy In My Soul”, have been translated worldwide, resonating with the faithful and theological scholars.

Suffering from tuberculosis and numerous ailments, St. Faustina saw these as sacrifices for humanity’s sins. She passed away in Kraków on October 5, 1938, at only 33, leaving behind a legacy of divine connection and compassion.

Her devotion to the Divine Mercy grew posthumously, culminating in her canonization by Pope John Paul II in 1993. Today, her remains lie at the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Kraków, continuing to inspire devotion and faith in believers worldwide.

Reflection

For reasons we will only understand in Heaven, God chose this poor, simple, devout, and humble young woman to deliver a message to the world that would become one of the most central and important messages ever delivered. The Divine Mercy of God must be accepted, pondered, lived, and given to others. Mercy is God’s love; it is everything and all things.
As we honor this great saint, ponder the fact that the message God gave to us through her was not for some previous generation; it is for today. Reflect upon your own devotion to The Divine Mercy. Do you pray the Chaplet, venerate the image, honor the three o’clock hour, participate in Divine Mercy Sunday, and seek to spread this sacred devotion as an apostle of Divine Mercy? Know that this is a universal invitation from God; it is an invitation and exhortation given to you. Commit yourself to the truths of Divine Mercy and allow that abundant Mercy to flood your soul.