Divine Mercy and Mary
by Sarah Reinhard in Faith on Monday, April 05, 2010 6:00 AM
Jesus’ message through Divine Mercy is one of trust and love, one that I need to hear and believe. It’s there on the bottom of the image: “Jesus, I trust in You.” But do I?
Maria Faustina Kowalska was a nun with only three years of schooling. She couldn’t read or write well. But because of her trust in Jesus, she was led to great things and spoke often with Him. Reading her diary, I get the sense that she and Jesus were old friends, comfortable together, in love.
Does this seem just a bit unrealistic to you? I’m not a cloistered nun, so my availability to just sit and chat with Jesus is a bit … different.
On the other hand, the words of wisdom and encouragement that came from Mary to Faustina as she struggled to establish the Feast of Mercy and foster devotion to Jesus’ divine mercy encourage me: there’s hope, even with the chaos of my life.
Ask for Help
Faustina faced many obstacles as the Apostle of Mercy. She had hardly any education and was nothing extraordinary in the eyes of the people around her. She was often sick and even more often misunderstood.
Above all, she was a cloistered nun. How was she supposed to get the word out about divine mercy?
In her many conversations with Jesus, He never failed to encourage her and give her hope. In fact, he sent His mother to comfort Faustina as well.
One of the themes that speaks to me is that of asking for help. How often do I struggle, trying to do it all myself? When could I accept a different standard and an extra set of hands? Why can’t I smile and be humble, rather than bear the weight of the many tasks before me?
Silence and Humility, the Secrets to Success
“My daughter,” Mary said to Faustina, “strive after silence and humility, so that Jesus, who dwells in your heart continuously, may be able to rest. Adore Him in your heart; do not go out from your inmost being.” (Diary, 785)
Easy for her, I couldn’t help but think at first, she doesn’t have a toddler! But then I recall the times in scripture that Mary held things in her heart, pondering them (cf Luke 2:19, 51). I have to remember that Jesus was, in fact, a toddler too, and though He was God, He was still a little boy.
There are pockets of silence in my day, if I pay attention. Do I really need my iPod in the laundry room while I’m loading the washer? Is it necessary to call that friend while the baby’s napping? Could I sit for a few moments, even if only in the bathroom, and offer a certain stillness to God?
It takes humility of a special sort for me to change what I want to do. I like noise, whether it’s music or podcasts or conversation. What I remember, reading this advice from Mary, is that I need the silence to grow closer to Jesus.
Share Your Suffering
Life is full of suffering, from stubbed toes to unexpected deaths. Once, when Mary appeared to Faustina, she said, “Mary, my Mother, do you know how terribly I suffer?” (Diary, 25)
I’ve said that to Mary a time or two. Struggling with a child’s health issues, a family conflict, a sudden death, I’ve gripped the rosary in my pocket, unable to pray. “What am I supposed to DO?” I wail.
The answer is to share it. “I know how much you suffer,” Mary told Faustina, “But do not be afraid. I share with you your suffering, and I shall always do so.” (Diary, 25)
Reading those words, I understand how Faustina felt, afterward, “a great courage” in her soul. Though it only lasted one day, it gave her hope and strength to continue in her mission.
Mary stands beside me, waiting for me to share my suffering with her too.
“Jesus, I Trust in You”
Trust is difficult, especially when we’re trusting a Someone who we can’t see or touch. In a culture that’s increasingly hostile toward Christianity, trusting can seem…well, it can seem silly. It can be harder than it used to be.
Mary encourages us: “Be courageous. Do not fear apparent obstacles, but fix your gaze upon the Passion of My Son, and in this way you will be victorious.” (Diary, 449)
The Divine Mercy Chaplet is only a few moments of your time. You can even download a free mp3 of the sung Divine Mercy Chaplet. The lesson it will teach you, though, is worth its weight in eternity.
Foster Your Devotion to Divine Mercy:
- Divine Mercy in My Soul: The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska – book or online
- EWTN’s Divine Mercy site
—You’ll find more of Sarah Reinhard and her writings about Mary, motherhood, and miscellany at SnoringScholar.com.
(image credit: Monique Style)
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