Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Sunday, May 31

Eucharist
The Most Tender of Mothers

In order that you may know at least some of My pain, imagine the most tender of mothers who has great love for her children, while those children spurn her love. Consider her pain. No one is in a position to console her. This is but a feeble image and likeness of My love (Diary, 1447).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, I pray that my fervent and loving reception of You in Holy Communion may be a consolation to You. I cannot begin to imagine Your pain when souls receive You indifferently. Help me to love You more deeply and tenderly.

MAY 31, 2020

"Where there is no love, put love — and you will find love." — St. John of the Cross

Saturday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, May 30

Eucharist
I Wait for Souls

Oh, how painful it is to Me that souls so seldom unite themselves to Me in Holy Communion. I wait for souls, and they are indifferent toward Me. I love them tenderly and sincerely, and they distrust Me. I want to lavish My graces on them, and they do not want to accept them. They treat Me as a dead object, whereas My Heart is full of love and mercy (Diary, 1447).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, help me and all who receive You in Holy Communion to grow in greater trust and love, so we may receive You more tenderly. Lavish Your graces out upon us. May our communion with You truly be a "common — union — in — Christ" and give You great joy.

MAY 30, 2020

"We are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for ourselves, but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has worked, we too have but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as He rejoiced to do his work, we must rejoice in ours also." — St. John Neumann

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Friday, May 29

Eucharist
Present in Its Fullness

What you see in reality, these souls see through faith. Oh, how pleasing to Me is their great faith! You see, although there appears to be no trace of life in Me, in reality it is present in its fullness in each and every Host. But for Me to be able to act upon a soul, the soul must have faith. O how pleasing to Me is living faith! (Diary, 1420).

My Prayer Response:
Jesus, I do believe, but increase my faith that I may please You even more in each reception of Holy Communion. May I see with the eyes of faith that You are truly present in the Holy Eucharist.

MAY 29, 2020

"The blessed lady, Mother of our Savior, may well be called a morning, since before her there was none without sin. After her, the most clear sun Christ Jesus showed his light to the world." — St. John Fisher

Thursday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Thursday, May 28

Eucharist

Stir up a Living Faith

I am the same under each of the species, but not every soul receives Me with the same living faith as you do, My daughter, and therefore I cannot act in their souls as I do in yours (Diary, 1407).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, stir up a living faith in me, so You are free to act in my soul as You desire. I want You to be free to act in my soul as You did in St. Faustina's.

MAY 28, 2020

"Helping a person in need is good in itself. But the degree of goodness is hugely affected by the attitude with which it is done. If you show resentment because you are helping the person out of a reluctant sense of duty, then the person may receive your help but may feel awkward and embarrassed. This is because he will feel beholden to you. If, on the other hand, you help the person in a spirit of joy, then the help will be received joyfully. The person will feel neither demeaned nor humiliated by your help, but rather will feel glad to have caused you pleasure by receiving your help. And joy is the appropriate attitude with which to help others because acts of generosity are a source of blessing to the giver as well as the receiver." — St. John Chrysostom

Wednesday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Wednesday, May 27

Eucharist
As a Dead Object

I desire to unite Myself with human souls; My great delight is to unite Myself with souls. Know, My daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. Oh, how sad I am that souls do not recognize Love! They treat Me as a dead object (Diary, 1385).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, I desire to unite myself with You in every Holy Communion and receive all Your graces with fervor. I want to be attentive to You. May my fervor compensate for those who treat You as a dead object!

MAY 27, 2020

"Be brave and try to detach your heart from worldly things. Do your utmost to banish darkness from your mind and come to understand what true, selfless piety is. Through confession, endeavor to purify your heart of anything which may still taint it. Enliven your faith, which is essential to understand and achieve piety." — St. John Bosco

Tuesday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Tuesday, May 26

Eucharist
Indifferent and Lukewarm Souls

My daughter, write that it pains Me very much when religious souls receive the Sacrament of Love merely out of habit, as if they did not distinguish this food. I find neither faith nor love in their hearts. I go to such souls with great reluctance. It would be better if they did not receive Me (Diary, 1288).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, may my love, faith, and fervor in receiving You in the Eucharist be an ardent prayer for indifferent and lukewarm souls — that You may not be pained. May their hearts be set aflame with love for You.

MAY 26, 2020

"It is in the company of Jesus that you work for the glory of God." — St. John Baptist de la Salle

Monday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Monday, May 25

Eucharist

The Ardor of Your Heart

Know, My daughter, that the ardor of your heart is pleasing to Me. And just as you desire ardently to become united with Me in Holy Communion, so too do I desire to give Myself wholly to you; and as a reward for your zeal, rest on My Heart (Diary, 826).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, set my heart on fire to receive You with greater desire and fervor. May Your Eucharistic presence be my reward. Let me rest on Your Heart.

MAY 25, 2020

"I place trust in God, my creator, in all things; I love Him with all my heart." — St. Joan of Arc

Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Sunday, May 24

Eucharist

My Power

In the Host is your power; It will defend you (Diary, 616).

From the ciborium came a voice: These hosts have been received by souls converted through your prayer and suffering (Diary, 709).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, may the Eucharist be my power in the battle of life and the power of my intercession for souls. As I receive You in Holy Communion, help me to offer my little sufferings to You for the sake of soul

MAY 24, 2020

"Reading the Holy Scriptures confers two benefits. It trains the mind to understand them; it turns man's attention from the follies of the world and leads him to the love of God." — St. Isidore of Seville

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Saturday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, May 23

Eucharist

I Am Always with You

I am always in your heart; not only when you receive Me in Holy Communion, but always (Diary, 575).

Know, My daughter, that you caused Me more sorrow by not uniting yourself with Me in Holy Communion than you did by that small transgression (Diary, 612).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, thank You for Your constant presence in my heart, even when my heart is veiled with darkness. May I not grieve You by doubting that You are with me always.

MAY 23, 2020

"Go forth and set the world on fire." — St. Ignatius of Loyola

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Friday, May 22

Eucharist

The Same Love

Approach each of the sisters with the same love with which you approach Me; and whatever you do for them, you do it for Me (Diary, 285).

I am your patron. Read. I looked at once at the inscription and read, "Patron for the Year'35 — the Most Blessed Eucharist" (Diary, 360).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, help me with Your grace to approach each of my brothers and sisters with the same love I approach You in the Holy Eucharist. What a marvel of grace that would be.

MAY 22, 2020

"See, my children, we must reflect that we have a soul to save, and an eternity that awaits us. The world, its riches, pleasures, and honors will pass away; heaven and hell will never pass away. Let us take care, then. The saints did not all begin well; but they all ended well. We have begun badly; let us end well, and we shall go one day and meet them in heaven." — St. John Vianney

Thursday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Thursday, May 21

Eucharist
Unite Yourself with Me

My daughter, do not omit Holy Communion unless you know well that your fall was serious; apart from this, no doubt must stop you from uniting yourself with Me in the mystery of My love. Your minor faults will disappear in My love like a piece of straw thrown into a great furnace. Know that you grieve Me much when you fail to receive Me in Holy Communion (Diary, 156).

My Prayer Response:

Lord Jesus, may my minor faults disappear in the fire of Your love when I receive You in Holy Communion. In no way, do I want to grieve You.

MAY 21, 2020

"Do not seek to be regarded as somebody, don't compare yourself to others in anything. Leave the world, mount the cross, discard all earthly things, shake the dust from off your feet." — St. Barsanuphius

Wednesday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Wednesday, May 20

Eucharist

Jesus with Me

[One time when St. Faustina received Holy Communion, a second Host fell into her hand.]

I desired to rest in your hands, not only in your heart. And at that moment I saw the little Jesus. But when the priest approached, I saw once again only the Host (Diary, 160).

One morning after Holy Communion, I heard this voice, I desire that you accompany Me when I go to the sick (Diary, 183).

My Prayer Response:
Thank You, Jesus, for Your desire to come into my heart in Holy Communion. Increase my desire for You that I may receive You with more fervor. I also pray that the sick would be strengthened by receiving You in Holy Communion.

MAY 20, 2020

"The stillness of prayer is the most essential condition for fruitful action. Before all else, the disciple kneels down." — St. Gianna Molla

Tuesday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Tuesday, May 19

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Meditate upon My Passion
In All Its Immensity

During adoration, Jesus said to me, My daughter, know that your ardent love and the compassion you have for Me were a consolation to Me in the Garden [of Olives] (Diary, 1664).

My daughter, today consider My Sorrowful Passion in all its immensity. Consider it as if it had been undertaken for your sake alone (Diary, 1761).

My Prayer Response:
Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You would even undergo Your sorrowful Passion for my sake alone:

I have been crucified with Christ, yet, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; in so far as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given Himself up for me (Gal 2:19-20).

MAY 19, 2020

"Oh, my soul, how much longer do you wish to be so stingy with Jesus? Why so negligent towards Jesus who made You? Why so lazy towards Jesus who redeemed you? Who do you want to love, if you do not want to love Jesus?" — St. Gemma Galgani

Monday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Monday, May 18

Meditate upon My Passion

Enter into My Passion

Holy Thursday [April—,'38]. Today I felt strong enough to take part in the ceremonies of the Church. During Holy Mass, Jesus stood before me and said, Look into My Heart and see there the love and mercy which I have for humankind, and especially for sinners. Look, and enter into My Passion. In an instant, I experienced and lived through the whole Passion of Jesus in my own heart. I was surprised that these tortures did not deprive me of my life (Diary, 1663).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, as I contemplate Your Passion, I see the love and mercy that You have for mankind and especially for sinners. Help me to pause and enter into Your Passion throughout my day.

MAY 18, 2020

"Love Mary! She is loveable, faithful, constant. She will never let herself be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you are sick, she will bring you relief. If you are in need, she will help you. She does not look to see what kind of person you have been. She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her." — St. Gabriel Possenti of Our Lady of Sorrows

Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Sunday, May 17

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Meditate upon My Passion
A Painful Echo in His Sacred Heart

April 10,'38. Palm Sunday. I attended Holy Mass, but did not have the strength to go and get the palm. I felt so weak that I barely made it till the end of Mass. During Mass, Jesus gave me to know the pain of His soul, and I could clearly feel how the hymns of Hosanna reverberated as a painful echo in His Sacred Heart. My soul, too, was inundated by a sea of bitterness, and each Hosanna pierced my own heart to its depths. My whole soul was drawn close to Jesus. I heard Jesus' voice: My daughter, your compassion for Me refreshes Me. By meditating on My Passion, your soul acquires a distinct beauty (Diary, 1657).

My Prayer Response:

Lord Jesus, may my meditating on Your Passion refresh You and call down Your great mercy on a world that "so needs to understand and accept Divine Mercy" ( John Paul II, posthumous Divine Mercy Sunday message, April 3, 2005).

MAY 17, 2020

"Faith is a habit of the mind whereby eternal life is begun in us, making the intellect assent to what is non-apparent." — St. Thomas Aquinas

Saturday's Mercy Mnutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, May 16

Meditate upon My Passion

Disciple of a Crucified Master

Jesus said to me today, You often call Me your Master. This is pleasing to My Heart; but do not forget, My disciple, that you are a disciple of a crucified Master. Let that one word be enough for you. You know what is contained in the cross (Diary, 1513).

My Prayer Response:

Lord Jesus, my crucified Master, help me to be Your disciple. Help me with Your mercy to offer my daily cross and join it with Your cross and follow You (see Lk 9:23).

MAY 16, 2020

"I have been all things unholy; if God can work through me, He can work through anyone." — St. Francis of Assisi

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska Friday, May 15 Meditate upon My Passion Infinite Value for Souls Today, during Mass, I saw the Lord Jesus in the midst of His sufferings, as though dying on the cross. He said to me, My daughter, meditate frequently on the sufferings which I have undergone for your sake, and then nothing of what you suffer for Me will seem great to you. You please Me most when you meditate on My Sorrowful Passion. Join your little sufferings to My Sorrowful Passion, so that they may have infinite value before My Majesty (Diary, 1512). Listen to this entry :

Thursday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Thursday, May 14

Meditate upon My Passion

With True Feeling

Although I was ill, I made up my mind to make a Holy Hour today as usual. During that hour, I saw the Lord Jesus being scourged at the pillar. In the midst of this frightful torture, Jesus was praying. After a while, He said to me, There are few souls who contemplate My Passion with true feeling; I give great graces to souls who meditate devoutly on My Passion (Diary, 737).

My Prayer Response:

Lord Jesus, may I meditate devoutly on Your Passion. May I contemplate Your Passion with true feeling. May the graces that I receive by meditating on Your Passion be dispensed to hardened sinners who are most in need of Your mercy.

MAY 14, 2020

"Heaven is filled with converted sinners of all kinds, and there is room for more." — St. Joseph Cafasso

Wednesday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, May 9

Meditate upon My Passion

More Merit to One Hour

I received permission for one hour of meditation on the Passion of the Lord Jesus and for a certain humiliation. But I was a little dissatisfied at not receiving permission for everything I had asked. When we returned home, I dropped into the chapel for a moment, and then I heard this voice in my soul: There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy (Diary, 369).

[Then Jesus went on to admonish St. Faustina very kindly:]

I am surprised that you still have not completely renounced your self-will, but I rejoice exceedingly that this change will be accomplished during the retreat (Diary, 369; see also Diary, 371-73).

MAY 13, 2020

"For there are three ways of performing an act of mercy: the merciful word, by forgiving and by comforting; secondly, if you can offer no word, then pray—that too is mercy; and thirdly, deeds of mercy." — St. Faustina Kowalska

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, may I grow in humility and surrender to Your divine will by meditating on Your Passion. Your will be done and not mine!

Tuesday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Tuesday, May 12

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Meditate upon My Passion
Sharing in My Pain

Then I saw the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross. When He had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands. The third were neither nailed to [their] crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me, Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory.

Among the crucified souls, the most numerous were those of the clergy. I also saw some crucified souls whom I knew, and this gave me great joy (Diary, 446).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, may I daily embrace the cross You give me with joy and thanksgiving for the sake of souls. Help me to unite my pain and miseries with Your Passion.

MAY 12, 2020

"Occupy your mind with good thoughts, or the enemy will fill them with bad ones. Unoccupied, they cannot be." — St. Thomas More

Monday's Mercy Minutes...

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Monday, May 11

Meditate upon My Passion

See the Human Race

Then Jesus said to me, Look and see the human race in its present condition. In an instant, I saw horrible things: the executioners left Jesus, and other people started scourging Him; they seized the scourges and struck the Lord mercilessly. These were priests, religious men and women, and high dignitaries of the Church, which surprised me greatly. There were lay people of all ages and walks of life. All vented their malice on the innocent Jesus. Seeing this, my heart fell as if into a mortal agony. And while the executioners had been scourging Him, Jesus had been silent and looking into the distance; but when those other souls I mentioned scourged Him, Jesus closed His eyes, and a soft but most painful moan escaped from His Heart. And Jesus gave me to know in detail the gravity of the malice of these ungrateful souls: You see, this is a torture greater than My death. Then my lips too fell silent, and I began to experience the agony of death ... (Diary, 445).

My Prayer Response:

Lord Jesus, see the human race in our present condition! We have continued to scourge You. May the pain in my heart over Your pain bring solace to Your Heart.

MAY 11, 2020

"Put your heart at His feet. It is the gift He loves most." — St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

Meditate upon My Passion
Even Greater Pain

When I came for adoration, an inner recollection took hold of me immediately, and I saw the Lord Jesus tied to a pillar, stripped of His clothes, and the scourging began immediately. I saw four men who took turns at striking the Lord with scourges. My heart almost stopped at the sight of these tortures. The Lord said to me, I suffer even greater pain than that which you see. And Jesus gave me to know for what sins He subjected Himself to the scourging: these are sins of impurity. Oh, how dreadful was Jesus' moral suffering during the scourging! (Diary, 445).

My Prayer Response:

St. Faustina, through your words, we "see" the Lord Jesus stripped and scourged so cruelly! I'm amazed that Jesus said He suffered even greater pain than what you saw because of our sins of impurity. Lord Jesus, have mercy on us sinners for the pain we have caused You.

MAY 10, 2020

"Arm yourself with prayer rather than a sword; wear humility rather than fine clothes." — St. Dominic

Saturday's Mercy Minutes...

Meditate upon My Passion
More Merit to One Hour

I received permission for one hour of meditation on the Passion of the Lord Jesus and for a certain humiliation. But I was a little dissatisfied at not receiving permission for everything I had asked. When we returned home, I dropped into the chapel for a moment, and then I heard this voice in my soul: There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy (Diary, 369).

[Then Jesus went on to admonish St. Faustina very kindly:]

I am surprised that you still have not completely renounced your self-will, but I rejoice exceedingly that this change will be accomplished during the retreat (Diary, 369; see also Diary, 371-73).

My Prayer Response:

Lord Jesus, may I grow in humility and surrender to Your divine will by meditating on Your Passion. Your will be done and not mine!

MAY 9, 2020

"The Eucharist is the bread that gives strength... It is at once the most eloquent proof of His love and the most powerful means of fostering His love in us. He gives Himself every day so that our hearts as burning coals may set afire the hearts of the faithful." — St. Damien of Molokai

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

Meditate upon My Passion
A Share in My Joy and Glory

The Resurrection. Today, during the [Mass of the] Resurrection, I saw the Lord Jesus in the midst of a great light. He approached me and said, Peace be to you, My children, and He lifted up His hand and gave His blessing. The wounds in His hands, feet, and side were indelible and shining. When He looked at me with such kindness and love, my whole soul drowned itself in Him. And He said to me, You have taken a great part in My Passion; therefore I now give you a great share in My joy and glory. The whole time of the Resurrection [Mass] seemed like only a minute to me. A wondrous recollection filled my soul and lasted throughout the whole festal season. The kindness of Jesus is so great that I cannot express it (Diary, 205).

My Prayer Response:
Lord Jesus, I gaze upon You as the Risen Lord through the eyes of St. Faustina — and I contemplate the victory of Your Passion, death, and Resurrection over sin, death, and Satan. May I live in that victory!

MAY 8, 2020

"Have caution in not allowing yourself to be struck down by adversity nor becoming vain by prosperity." — St. Clare of Assisi