Feast Day: St. Faustina Kowalska

Today is the feast of the young Polish woman who brought Jesus, in the image of the Divine Mercy, to her people and (after Pope John Paul the Great's canonization of her in ) to the world.  Here is one of the quotes from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (a book that sets down all St. Faustina (Helen) Kowalska's encounters with Jesus as well as His message of Divine Mercy):

On February 22, 1931, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ appeared to this simple nun, bringing with Him a wonderful message of Mercy for all mankind. Saint Faustina tells us in her diary under this date:  "In the evening, when I was in my cell, I became aware of the Lord

Jesus 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.'"

St. Faustina lived a very short time in this world, but has had a HUGE impact on the world since her death in 1938. 

Dear St. Faustina, I have come to know you as a friend. I ask you to plead to the Lord for me the prayer I ask of you. In times of doubt, dear friend, implore the Lord's Mercy as you did so often here on earth, that I may remember who I am, and to what His mercy has called me.

In times of fear, implore His Mercy that I may ever remember to trust, and trust again, in joy, and in the knowledge that God is preparing me for a beautiful mission.

Please pray dear St. Faustina, that I may never forget that the abyss between my Lord and I has been bridged by His tender mercy. He will continue to be faithful and heal me of anything which stands in the way of His Will. My life is in His Hands.

Thank you dear friend. Pray with me the prayer Our Lord taught you to spread throughout the world; Jesus, I trust in You! Remind all pilgrims of life that if our trust is great, there is no limit to Jesus' generosity. Amen.

 

Feast Day: Divine Mercy Sunday!

(image from Printery House ... HT: Marisa!)

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world!

Review: Divine Mercy - A Guide from Genesis to Benedict XVI

Have I found the perfect book for Lenten meditations!

Divine Mercy - A Guide from Genesis to Benedict XVI is just the right blend of philosophy, theology and lovely writing to make this a great book for meditative reading during Lent.

The author, Robert Stackpole (a theology professor at Redeemer Pacific College and Director of the JP2Institute of Divine Mercy), is not just an "expert" on the Catholic Church's teachings on Divine Mercy; he is also on-fire with the belief in God's Mercy and wants to share this faith and knowledge with his reader.  This is clear on every page of this opus.

What is Divine Mercy?  Here's how Stackpole defines it:

Divine Mercy, therefore, is the form that God's eternal love takes when He reaches out to us in the midst of our need and our brokenness.  Whatever the nature of our need or our misery might be -- sin, guilt, suffering, or death -- He is always ready to pour out His merciful, compassionate love for us, to help in time of need.

Stackpole builds a secure foundation for his belief in Divine Mercy by starting with scripture; from Genesis through Revelations, he explains all the occurrences of Divine Mercy as well as the meaning for this great gift from God to humble humanity. 

Once the scriptural base is dealt with, Stackpole than turns to the lives of the saints -- primarily fathers and doctors of the Church -- to elucidate the Catholic teachings on Divine Mercy.  Saints Augustine, Bernard of Clairvaux, Thomas Aquinas, Catherine of Siena, Francis of Assisi, John Edues, Margaret Mary Alacoque, Alphonosus Liguori, Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Dina Belanger of Quebec are the Catholic Church's more prolific writers/explainers of Divine Mercy.  Stackpole clearly and completely describes the saints' lives, works and beliefs regarding Mercy. 

Of course, no book about Divine Mercy would be complete without explaining St. Faustina Kowalska's private revelations and John Paul the Great's teachings on his fellow Pole's writings.  Thanks to John Paul the Great, the Catholic world has the opportunity to celebrate Divine Mercy on the Sunday following Easter (this year, April 11th).  

Stackpole concludes this updated edition by including Pope Benedict XVI's many teachings on God's Mercy.  Stackpole summarizes these pontifical teachings by the message that all Catholics, particularly the young, must be "heralds" of the message of God's mercy and love to ALL mankind.  

I particularly like that at the end of each chapter, the author includes study questions -- which help me focus on the important points of the writings -- and then concludes with a discussion starter, or I would say, a "meditation question".  These discussion starters make me look deeper than the writings ... into myself and my relationship with God ... to help steer me toward a greater love of God, my Church and be able to "preach the good news to the Nations".

Highly recommend this for high-schoolers and older, particularly during Lent, who want to deepen their understanding of exactly WHY Jesus died on the Cross and what it means for each of us today.

---

This review was written as part of the Catholic book Reviewer program from The Catholic Company (where I received a free copy of Divine Mercy with the promise to write a truthful review). Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Divine Mercy: A Guide from Genesis to Benedict XVI and to purchase the resources mentioned in this review.

Stackpole, Robert -- Divine Mercy: A Guide from Genesis to Benedict XVI. 2009. Marian Press (Stockbridge, MA). ISBN: 978-1-59614-208-4. paperback 275 pages.