Tuesday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Tuesday, February 28   Misery Only with Your Help   Today, I heard these words: You see how weak you are, so when shall I be able to count on you? (Diary, 722). Without special help from Me, you are not even capable of accepting My graces. You know who you are (Diary, 738).   My daughter, you have not offered Me that which is really yours. ... Daughter, give Me your misery, because it is your exclusive property (Diary, 1318).

My Prayer Response:  Lord Jesus, You know my misery. I cannot even accept Your graces of mercy without help from You. Jesus, help me to trust in You and accept Your mercy.

Monday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Monday, February 27   Misery The Greater the Sinner  Today, I heard these words: The graces I grant you are not for you alone, but for a great number of other souls as well. ... And your heart is My constant dwelling place, despite the misery that you are. I unite Myself with you, take away your misery, and give you My mercy. I perform works of mercy in every soul. The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy. My mercy is confirmed in every work of My hands. He who trusts in My mercy will not perish, for all his affairs are Mine, and his enemies will be shattered at the base of My footstool (Diary, 723).

My Prayer Response:  Lord Jesus, work miracles of mercy in the souls of the miserable, especially those trapped in sin, because they so need Your mercy. Help us all to trust in Your mercy.

Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Sunday, February 26   Misery Complete Trust  After Holy Communion, I heard these words — You see what you are of yourself, but do not be frightened at this. If I were to reveal to you the whole misery that you are, you would die of terror. However, be aware of what you are. Because you are such great misery, I have revealed to you the whole ocean of My mercy. I seek and desire souls like yours, but they are few. Your great trust in Me forces Me to continuously grant you graces. You have great and incomprehensible rights over My Heart, for you are a daughter of complete trust. You would not have been able to bear the magnitude of the love which I have for you if I had revealed it to you fully here on earth (Diary, 718).

My Prayer Response:  Saint Faustina, pray for us that we may trust like you. May our great trust in Jesus open for us a whole treasury of graces.

Saturday's Mercy Minutes....

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, February 25  Misery Consme Our Miseries    Be at peace, My daughter, it is precisely through such misery that I want to show the power of My mercy (Diary, 133).

My daughter, all your miseries have been consumed in the flame of My love, like a little twig thrown into a roaring fire. By humbling yourself in this way, you draw upon yourself and upon other souls an entire sea of My mercy (Diary, 178).

My Prayer Response:  Lord Jesus, consume our miseries in the flame of Your merciful love. May our humble submission to You draw upon us and upon other souls an entire sea of Your mercy.

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Friday, February 24The Image of The Divine Mercy   Rays of Mercy   These rays of mercy will pass through you, just as they have passed through this Host, and they will go out through all the world (Diary, 441).   Already there are many souls who have been drawn to My love by this image. My mercy acts in souls through this work (Diary, 1379).

My Prayer Response:   Jesus, may the rays of Your mercy pass through me to many souls in need. I desire that these rays of mercy draw more souls to Your love.

Thursday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Thursday, February 23The Image of The Divine Mercy  Witness to Your MercyI desire that the image be publicly honored.         (Diary, 414).  [After seeing the image come alive, I heard these words,] You are a witness of My mercy. You shall stand before My throne forever as a living witness to My mercy (Diary, 417).

LMy Prayer Response:   Jesus, as I honor Your image as The Divine Mercy, inspire me to witness to Your mercy. May I stand before Your throne forever as a living witness to Your mercy.

Wednesday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Wednesday, February 22 The Image of The Divine Mercy  

A Vessel for Graces Once, Jesus said to me, My gaze from this image is like My gaze from the cross (Diary, 326).   I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: "Jesus, I trust in You" (Diary, 327).

My Prayer Response:  Jesus, look at me from the cross, so I may trust in You even more each time I gaze at You portrayed in Your image. I want to keep coming to this image as a vessel for graces. Keep my gaze fixed on You.

Tuesday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Tuesday, February 21 The Image of The Divine Mercy    In My Grace Know that if you neglect the matter of the painting of the image and the whole work of mercy, you will have to answer for a multitude of souls on the day of judgment (Diary, 154).   Not in the beauty of the color, nor of the brush lies the greatness of this image, but in My grace (Diary, 313).

My Prayer Response:  Jesus, by the grace that flows from Your image, strengthen and inspire me to proclaim Your mercy to many. Remind me always that the greatness of this image lies in Your grace.

Monday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Monday, February 20The Image of The Divine Mercy     A Shield and Shelter  The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross.   These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (Diary, 299).

My Prayer Response:  May the Blood and Water that gushed forth from Your Heart, Jesus, shield and shelter me with Your mercy. Then the just hand of God shall not lay hold of me.

Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Sunday, February 19 The Image of The Divine Mercy

The Depth of My Mercy  I will make this all clear to the superior by means of the graces which I will grant through this image (Diary, 51).

I desire that this image be displayed in public on the first Sunday after Easter. That Sunday is the Feast of Mercy. Through the Word Incarnate, I make known the bottomless depth of My mercy (Diary, 88).

My Prayer Response:  Jesus, through the image of You as The Divine Mercy, make known to me the infinite depth of Your Mercy. May this image be displayed in public on Divine Mercy Sunday in every church throughout the world.

Saturday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, February 18 The Image of The Divine Mercy   At the Hour of Death  I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory (Diary, 48).

My Prayer Response:

Jesus, I rely on Your promises as I venerate Your image — that You will defend me in the battle of life and especially at the hour of my death. I pray for a special grace of Your mercy for all those who are in spiritual peril and for those who are dying.

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Friday, February 17 The Image of The Divine Mercy   

The Pattern That You See  Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world(Diary, 47).

My Prayer Response:   Jesus, I adore You portrayed in this image as The Divine Mercy. I thank You for revealing this powerful image of Yourself to St. Faustina. May many souls venerate this image as a way of expressing their trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You!

 

Thursday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Thursday, February 16   Boundless Sincerity  And now I am going to tell you something that is most important for you: Boundless sincerity with your spiritual director. If you do not take advantage of this great grace according to My instructions, I will take him away from you, and then you will be left to yourself; and all the torments, which you know very well, will return to you. It displeases Me that you do not take advantage of the opportunity when you are able to see him and talk with him. Know that it is a great grace on My part when I give a spiritual director to a soul. Many souls ask Me for this, but it is not to all that I grant this grace. From the moment when I gave you this priest as spiritual director, I endowed him with new light so that he might easily know and understand 

My Prayer Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of my spiritual director or confessor. May I have "boundless sincerity" with him. Please bless him with Your presence, protection, and peace. I pray for good spiritual directors and confessors for all those in need of guidance in the spiritual life.

Wednesday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Wednesday, February 15   Be at Peace

I was present at Holy Mass celebrated by Father Sopocko. During the Mass, I saw the Infant Jesus who, touching the priest's forehead with His finger, said to me, His thought is closely united to Mine, so be at peace about what concerns My work. I will not let him make a mistake, and you should do nothing without his permission. This filled my soul with great peace as regards everything that has to do with this work (Diary, 1408).

My Prayer Response:   Lord Jesus, thank You for the confidence You expressed in Fr. Sopocko's thoughts being united with Yours. It gave St. Faustina great peace about her work of mercy. May I, too, experience Your peace in proclaiming Your mercy in response to the encouragement of my spiritual director or confessor.

Tuesday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Tuesday, February 14      Spiritual Directors and Confessors He Is the Veil  Jesus, I have noticed that You seem to be less concerned with me. Yes, My child, I am replacing Myself with your spiritual director [Father Andrasz]. He is taking care of you according to My will. Respect his every word as My own. He is the veil behind which I am hiding. Your director and I are one; his words are My words (Diary, 1308).

My Prayer Response:  Thank You, Lord Jesus, for explaining to St. Faustina and so to me how You relate to St. Faustina's spiritual director: He is the veil behind which You are hiding; You are one with him; his words are Your words. Please be one with my spiritual director or confessor.

Monday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Monday, February 13   A Priest after My Own Heart [August 30,'37] Reverend Father Sopocko left this morning. When I was steeped in a prayer of thanksgiving for the great grace that I had received from God; namely, that of seeing Father, [ Jesus said to me,] He is a priest after My own Heart; his efforts are pleasing to Me. You see, My daughter, that My will must be done and that which I had promised you, I shall do. Through him I spread comfort to suffering and careworn souls. Through him it pleased Me to proclaim the worship of My mercy. And through this work of mercy more souls will come close to Me than otherwise would have, even if he had kept giving absolution day and night for the rest of his life, because by so doing, he would have labored only for as long as he lived; whereas, thanks to this work of mercy, he will be laboring till the end of the world.

My Prayer Response:    Lord Jesus, thank You for choosing Fr. Sopocko to proclaim the worship of Your mercy. Guide me in sharing with others about Your mercy.

Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Sunday, February 12   Spiritual Directors & Confessors     Speak through Him  I saw Jesus, and He spoke these words to me: Be obedient to your director in everything; his word is My will. Be certain in the depths of your soul that it is I who am speaking through his lips, and I desire that you reveal the state of your soul to him with the same simplicity and candor as you have with Me. I say it again, My daughter: know that his word is My will for you (Diary, 979).

My Prayer Response:  Thank You, Jesus, for Your teaching to St. Faustina about obedience to her spiritual director: Know that his word is My will for you. May I hear Your word through my spiritual director or confessor and act upon it.

Saturday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, February 11  Spiritual Directors The Seal of Obedience

I became absorbed in prayer and said my penance. Then I suddenly saw the Lord, who said to me, My daughter, know that you give Me greater glory by a single act of obedience than by long prayers and mortifications. Oh, how good it is to live under obedience, to live conscious of the fact that everything I do is pleasing to God! (Diary, 894).

I heard the following words in my soul: You will receive a greater reward for your obedience and subjection to your confessor than you will for the practices which you will be carrying out. Know this, My daughter, and act accordingly: anything, no matter how small it be, that has the seal of obedience to My representative is pleasing to Me and great in My eyes (Diary, 933).

My Prayer Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for teaching me about obedience to Your representative in the confessional. Help me with Your grace to submit to Your will expressed by Your representative. Teach me the importance of an obedient spirit to those you place in spiritual authority over me.

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Friday, February 10      Spiritual Directors and Confessors   Do Nothing out of Self-Will   The greatest works are worthless in My eyes if they are done out of self-will, and often they are not in accord with My will and merit punishment rather than reward. And on the other hand, even the smallest of your acts, done with the confessor's permission is pleasing in My eyes and very dear to Me. Hold firmly to this always. Be constantly on the watch, for many souls will turn back from the gates of hell and worship My mercy. But fear nothing, as I am with you. Know that of yourself you can do nothing (Diary, 639).

My Prayer Response:  Lord Jesus, keep me on the watch for sacrifices to offer to You for the salvation of souls. I surrender my will to You. For without You, I can do nothing of value. To help me in taking up this charge, give me a good confessor to guide me.

Thursday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Thursday, February 9       Spiritual Directors and Confessors Rely on Your Confessor Thursday. During the evening adoration, I saw Jesus scourged and tortured. He said to me, My daughter, I desire that even in the smallest things, you rely on your confessor. Your greatest sacrifices do not please Me if you practice them without the confessor's permission (Diary, 639).

My Prayer Response:   Lord Jesus, help me to rely on my confessor in even the smallest things. Help me to open my heart to him and seek his counsel — all out of obedience to You.

Wednesday's Mercy Minites...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Wednesday, February 8 Spiritual Directors and Confessors Our Weakness  I saw Jesus in the usual way, and He spoke these words to me: Lay your head on My shoulder, rest and regain your strength. I am always with you. Tell the friend of My Heart [Fr. Andrasz] that I use such feeble creatures to carry out My work. After a while my spirit was strengthened with great power. Tell him that I had let him see your weakness during your confession to show him what you are of yourself (Diary, 498).

My Prayer Response:  Thank You, Jesus, that in revealing our weakness in confession and spiritual direction, You make known what we are without Your grace. You use our very misery to make known Your great mercy.

Tuesday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Tuesday, February 7 Spiritual Directors and 

Confessors The Grace of Complete Confidence I heard these words in my soul: I want you to be open and simple as a child with My representative [Father Andrasz] just as you are with Me; otherwise I will leave you and will not commune with you.

Truly, God gave me the great grace of complete confidence, and after the conversation, God granted me the grace of deep peace and light concerning these matters (Diary, 494).

My Prayer Response   :Lord Jesus, may I always be open and simple as a child with Your representative. May I "speak the truth in love" (Eph 4:15). Grant me the grace of confidence in Your representative.

Monday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Monday, February 6     Spiritual Directors and Confessors  Deep Peace Filled My Soul   Once, when I had finished a novena to the Holy Spirit for the intention of my confessor [Father Sopocko], the Lord answered, I made him known to you even before your superiors had sent you here. As you will act towards your confessor, so I will act toward you. If you conceal something from him, even though it be the least of My graces, I too will hide Myself from you, and you will remain alone. And so I followed God's wish, and a deep peace filled my soul. Now I understand how the Lord defends confessors and how He protects them (Diary, 269).

My Prayer Response:   Lord Jesus, bless and guide our confessors and spiritual directors with Your Holy Spirit. May they recognize the action of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Keep us humble and open with our confessors and spiritual directors.

Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Sunday, February 5     Spiritual Directors and Confessors I Will Not Leave You  That evening, I remained in the chapel a little longer. I talked to the Lord about a certain soul. Encouraged by His goodness, I said, "Jesus, You gave me this Father who understands my inspirations, and now You are taking him away from me again. What am I going to do in this Vilnius? I don't know anyone there, and even the dialect of the people there is foreign to me." And the Lord said to me, Do not fear; I will not leave you to yourself. My soul drowned itself in a prayer of thanksgiving for all the graces that the Lord had granted me through the mediation of Father Andrasz.

Suddenly, I remembered the vision in which I had seen that priest between the confessional and the altar, trusting that I would meet him [Fr. Sopocko] some day. And the words I had heard came back vividly: He will help you to fulfill My will here on earth (Diary, 258).

My Prayer Response:  Lord Jesus, thank You for providing two holy and knowledgeable priests as spiritual directors to St. Faustina.

Saturday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, February 4     Spiritual Directors and Confessors  Value in Suffering for Jesus  I saw that God Himself seemed to be opposing [Fr. Sopocko], and I asked the Lord why He was acting in this way toward him, as though He were placing obstacles in the way of his doing what He Himself had asked him to do. And the Lord said, I am acting thus with him to give testimony that this work is Mine. Tell him not to fear anything; My gaze is on him day and night. There will be as many crowns to form his crown as there will be souls saved by this work. It is not for the success of a work, but for the suffering that I give reward (Diary, 90).

My Prayer Response:   Thank You, Lord, for supporting Fr. Sopocko in the work of promoting Your mercy. Thank You for the faithfulness of Fr. Sopocko in the midst of sufferings he encountered in this work of Divine Mercy. Thank You for the support of St. Faustina's prayers for Fr. Sopocko. As You guided St. Faustina and Fr. Sopocko, guide me, Lord, in spreading the message of Your mercy.

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Friday, February 3    Spiritual Directors and 

Confessors Like a Child towards Him  In the evening, the Lord said to me, My daughter, let nothing frighten or disconcert you. Remain deeply at peace. Everything is in My hands. I will give you to understand everything through Father Andrasz. Be like a child towards him (Diary, 219).

My Prayer Response:  Thank You, Lord, for Father Andrasz who would not allow St. Faustina to turn away from her interior inspirations and her work of promoting the message of Divine Mercy (see Diary, 52-53). He insisted on humility, humility, humility (see Diary 54-55). Through a good spiritual guide, Lord, teach me humility.

Thursday's Metrcy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Thursday, February 2    Spiritual Directors and Confessors  Be Totally Open  Before confession, I heard these words in my soul, My daughter, tell him everything and reveal your soul to him as you do before Me. Do not fear anything. It is to keep you in peace that I place this priest between your soul and Myself. The words he will speak to you are My words. Reveal to him your soul's greatest secrets. I will give him light to know your soul (Diary, 232).

My Prayer Response:   Thank You, Lord Jesus, for directing St. Faustina to be totally open with her spiritual director. The fruit of her relationship with You and her spiritual director is found in her saintly life and is written in her Diary.

Wednesday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Wednesday, Feb. 1, Spiritual Directors Confessors  Visible Help on Earth ... the goodness of Jesus is infinite; He had promised me visible help here on earth, and a little while later I received it in Vilnius, in the person of Father Sopocko. I had already known him before coming to Vilnius, thanks to an interior vision. One day I saw him in our chapel between the altar and the confessional and suddenly heard a voice in my soul say, This is the visible help for you on earth. He will help you carry out My will on earth (Diary, 53).

Write that by day and by night My gaze is fixed upon [Fr. Sopocko] and I permit these adversities in order to increase his merit. I do not reward for good results but for the patience and hardship undergone for My sake (Diary, 86).

My Prayer Response: Lord Jesus, thank You for providing a spiritual director for St. Faustina. Thank You that, through his direction, she wrote her Diary. We have before us Your words to her and her responses that speak to us now. They are the fruit of St. Faustina's obedience to her spiritual director.