The day of 5 October was Saint Faustina’s feast day. Jesus chose this humble nun as the “Secretary” of his inexhaustible mercy. Through her, he wanted to intimate to the entire world his saving message of his infinite love.
In her diary, Sister Faustina recalls how Jesus revealed to her this august mission. “Secretary of my most profound mystery, know that your task is to write down everything that I make known to you about my mercy, for the benefit of those who, by reading these things, will be comforted in their souls and will have the courage to approach me” (Diary 1693).
In his divine conversations with her, Our Lord showed Sister Faustina that the world’s salvation depends entirely on his endless mercy. “In the Old Covenant, I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to my people. Today, I am sending you with my mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart” (Diary 1588).
God’s mercy is visible through charitable acts that are profoundly animated by his mercy. In fact, Saint Faustina’s life was an incessant plea to God, to imprint on her soul a child-like trust in him in order for her to be able to show his mercy towards those in need. “O my Jesus, each of your saints reflects one of your virtues; I desire to reflect your compassionate heart, full of mercy; I want to glorify it. Let your mercy, O Jesus, be impressed upon my heart and soul like a seal, and this will be my badge in this and the future life” (Diary 1242).
The extraordinary gifts with which the Lord endowed Saint Faustina, such as revelations, hidden stigmata, visions, participation in his Passion, bilocation, the reading of human soul, prophecy and the mystical engagement and marriage, made this obedient Sister understand that real holiness is not in these uncommon spiritual gifts. Authentic holiness lies in surrendering oneself to God’s will and in doing so wholeheartedly! In her diary, she confessed: “Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence, nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will of God” (Diary 1107).
For Saint Faustina, this will meant being totally committed to her tripartite mission. First, reminding the world of the inherent truth found in God’s word concerning God’s merciful love towards every person. Second, imploring for God’s mercy on the entire world, especially for sinners, through the practice of Divine Mercy devotion being given by Jesus, which constitutes veneration of the Divine Mercy image with the inscription: “Jesus, I trust in you”, the feast of the Divine Mercy celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, chaplet to the Divine Mercy together with the prayer at the Hour of Mercy (3 p.m.). Jesus reserved great promises to these forms of devotion, provided that one commends his/her whole life to God and serves the needy. Third, starting an apostolic movement of the Divine Mercy which fulfils the mission of proclaiming and imploring for God’s mercy for the world and toils for Christian perfection by abiding to the instructions given by Saint Faustina. Such instructions demand a sincere living of a child-like trust in God that displays itself in accomplishing his will, by putting into practice the attitude of mercy through works of mercy.
Do I want to be a Divine Mercy messenger by praying the Divine Mercy chaplet daily and let Jesus make me merciful towards others?
■ Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap
San Gwann