I met St Faustina for the first time February 13, 1990 in the ICU at Presbyterian Hospital in Oakland. My daughter had just been intubated due to respiratory failure resulting from a lupus related seizure. It was the middle of the night, about 3:00 am when I knelt beside her bed crying out to God. I was broken and though I could have called family to come, I felt totally alone. It had been a long day of struggles and my faith was frazzled, my trust in God’s Presence was challenged to say the least.
My Father God and Jesus My Savior through the Holy Spirit introduces me to a new friend who would walk beside me in those dark days to come and be my teacher in the school of trust for the remainder of my life. Below, meet that friend, St Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament.
This week is dedicated to my patroness and her message.
Details from the Diary of St Faustina and Catholic.org
Feastday: October 5
Patron: of Mercy
Birth: 1905. Death: 1938
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born as Helena Kowalska, in Glogowiec, Leczyca County, north-west of Lódz in Poland on August 25, 1905. She was the third of 10 children to a poor and religious family.
She was able to join the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and on April 30, 1926, at 20-years-old, she finally received her habit and took the religious name of Sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament and in 1928, she took her first religious vows as a nun.
On February 22, 1931, Faustina was visited by Jesus, who presented himself as the “King of Divine Mercy”
In her diary, Faustina writes:
“In the evening, when I was in my cell, I became aware of the Lord Jesus clothed in a white garment. One hand was raised in blessing, the other was touching the garment at the breast. From the opening of the garment at the breast there came forth two large rays, one red and the other pale. In silence I gazed intently at the Lord; my soul was overwhelmed with fear, but also with great joy. After a while Jesus said to me, ‘paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in You.'”
She was asked to become the apostle and secretary of God’s mercy, a model of how to be merciful to others, and an instrument for reemphasizing God’s plan of mercy for the world.
She later met Blessed Father Sopocko who she saw in a vision as the priest who would be her spiritual director. He encouraged her to start keeping a diary and to record all of her conversations with Jesus.
In September 1935, Faustina wrote about her vision of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, used to obtain mercy, trust in Christ’s mercy and to show mercy to others.
During the following year, Faustina attempted to set up a new congregation for Divine Mercy, but was reminded that she was perpetually vowed to her current order.
St. Faustina’s health significantly deteriorated by the end of 1937. Her visions intensified and she was said to be looking forward to the end of her life. On October 5, 1938, Faustina passed away. She was buried on October 7 and currently rests at the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland.
St. Faustina Kowalska was beatified on April 18, 1993 and canonized on April 30, 2000, both by Pope St. John Paul II. Her feast day is celebrated on October 5 and she is the patron saint of Mercy.
The Lord gave me knowledge of the graces which He has been constantly lavishing on me. As His child, I felt that everything the heavenly Father possessed was equally mine. He Himself lifted me from the ground up to His Heart. I felt that everything that existed was exclusively mine, but I had no desire for it all, because God alone is enough for me. (Diary # 1279)