“My daughter, be diligent in writing down every sentence I tell you concerning My mercy, because this is meant for a great number of souls who will profit from it.” 

So said Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister M. Faustina Kowalska, a religious sister of the Congregation of  Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.  And so began one of the most influential spiritual movements of our day and time — Divine Mercy.

From her early years, Sister Faustina’s life was marked by a special communion with Our Lord and in 1931 He appeared to her and asked her to paint His image as she saw Him. This request was fulfilled in June, 1934 by the artist E. Kazimierowski who executed and completed his now famous painting  under the direction and guidance of Sister Faustina. An icon of God’s love and mercy flowing from the Heart of Jesus, the image is prophetic for the people of our day and time who often stay away from God out of ignorance, fear, or guilt.

The message of divine mercy and God’s infinite and unconditional love for His children is the theme of Sister Faustina’s diary began in obedience to both Our Lord’s request and that of her confessors. In her diary, St. Faustina communicates the Lord’s words to her regarding His divine forgiveness, and shares as well some of her own meditations and resolutions regarding her spiritual life. Comprised of 1803 entries, the diary is a treatise of a God who loves us unto death, and a call to enter deeply into the “fountain of divine life” given to us through His mercy.

Following are two paragraphs for your meditation and  two questions for your reflection:

My daughter, know that My Heart is mercy itself. From this sea of mercy, graces flow out upon the whole world. No soul that has approached Me has ever gone away unconsoled. All misery gets buried in the depths of My mercy, and every saving and sanctifying grace flows from this fountain. My daughter, I desire that your heart be an abiding place of My mercy. I desire that this mercy flow out upon the whole world through your heart. Let no one who approaches you go away without that trust in My mercy which I so ardently desire for souls (#1777).

*     *     *     *     *     *

Chosen souls are, in My hand, lights which I cast into the darkness of the world and with which I illuminate it. As stars illumine the night, so chosen souls illumine the earth. And the more perfect a soul is, the stronger and the more far-reaching is the light shed by it. It can be hidden and unkown, even to those closest to it, and yet its holiness is reflected in souls even to the most distant extremities of the world (#1601).

Questions for Reflection      

 Think of a time when you have experienced the abyss of mercy which is the Heart of Jesus Christ. What would you like to entrust to that Heart today? Is there an area within you that needs healing or an area of which you need to repent? Do so now. Jesus’ mercy is immediately present to you. Follow this by going to the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

All of us, by virtue of our baptism, are “chosen souls.” How have you been a “light” in the life of another? In what way is God asking you to “illumine the earth” at this present moment? Surrender to Jesus anything that would prevent you from moving forward.