Monday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Monday, 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.

Sunday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Sunday, 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.

Saturday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Saturday, 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.

Friday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Friday, 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.

Thursday's Mercy minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Thursday, 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.

Wednesday's Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Wednesday, 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.

Tuesdays Mercy Minutes...

 

Divine Mercy Daily

Reflections from the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Tuesday, February 1   Spiritual Directors and 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.