The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary falls on the Saturday after The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which falls on the second Friday in June.
The following prayer is a prayer of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart. We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts, and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country. We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee and may share in the benefits of thy motherly blessing. And that this act of consecration may be truly fruitful and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our First Holy Communion. We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics, who are submissive to all directions of the Pope and the bishops in communion with him. We pledge ourselves to keep the Commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord’s Day. We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an important part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able to do. Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the spreading of devotion to thy Immaculate Heart, in order to hasten and assure, through the queenly rule of thy Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thy adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country, and in all the world, as in Heaven, so on earth. Amen
“Are you suffering a great deal? Don’t lose heart. I will never forsake you. My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way that will lead you to God.”Our Lady of Fatima
The Feast day of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque is celebrated on October 16. She is known as the Apostle of the Sacred Heart.
St. Margaret Mary was born to Claude and Philiberte Lamyn on July 22, 1647 in Lhautecour, France. She was the fifth of seven children. She was baptized with name of Margaret and added the name of Mary when she was confirmed in the faith in 1669. From an early age Margaret had a strong devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. Margaret’s father died when she was eight years old. She was sent to a school run by Urbanist Nuns at Chavolles.
Margaret became very ill and was unable to walk. After consecrating herself to the Blessed Virgin, she promised that if cured, she would be one of her daughters. She was immediately cured.
Thrust into poverty after her father’s death, she considered marriage, which caused her internal conflict. Her desire to become a nun prevailed. She joined the Visitation Order in 1671.
St. Margaret Mary began having visions on Dec. 17, 1073. They continued until June 1675. Jesus appeared to her giving her the task of encouraging and teaching a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This included a Holy Hour on Thursdays to reflect on how the Apostles abandoned Him during the Agony in the Garden. It also encouraged receiving communion on 1st Fridays.
After suffering many years of from doubt and despair, St. Margaret Mary died at the age of 43. She had served two terms as assistant supervisor. With the help of St. Claude de la Columbiere, the feast day became popular. The Sacred Heart symbolizes the boundless love given by Jesus in the Eucharist and His Passion and death
I need nothing but God and to lose myself to the Heart of Jesus.
The opposite of fear is trust. All of us have fears…the fear of the unkniwn, death,, the future, failure and even success! To deal with our fears, we need to be aware of them. Only then can we pray for the courage and wisdom to overcome them.
The following quotes and prayers from the saints may help you to turn your fears into trust.
1. A soul in a state of grace has nothing to fear of demons who are cowards.
3. The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He us also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the sign of the cross.
4. Di not be afraid to be holy! Have the courage to present yourselves to the world determined to be holy, since full, true freedom is born from holiness.
St. Joan of Arc Burning at Stake Public Domain Image
6. Go forth in peace, for you have followed the good road. Go forth without fear, for he who created you has made you Holy, has always protected you and loves you as mother. Blessed be you, my God, for having created me.
8. Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but what is possible for you to do.
St. Joan of Arc Burning at Stake Public Domain Image
13. What do you have to fear? Nothing. Whom do you have to fear? No one. Why? Because whoever has joined forces with God obtains three great privileges: omnipotence without power, intoxication without wine and life without death.
22. Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life. The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness.
23. Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices.
24. O my Lord and Savior, in your arms I am safe. Keep me and I have nothing to fear. I know nothing about the future, but I rely upon You. I pray that You would give me what is good for me. Help me to know You, to believe in You, to love You, to serve You, to always aim at bringing You glory to Your precious name. Amen
The Feast of the Holy Trinity is celebrated on the Sunday following Pentecost. On this day we reflect on our relationship with three persons in one God.
Which person in the Holy Trinity do you feel closest to. In what order did you come to know the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
The following quotes from the saints share their spirituality regarding their love of the Trinity.
Let them lead us in our faith journey .
1. The Father loves not only the Son, but also himself and us, by the Holy Ghost.
2. Worship the Trinity, which I call the only true devotion and saving doctrine.
St. Gregory Nazianzus
St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Bisop
3. Eternal Trinity…mystery deep as the sea, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself, for You are a fire ever burning and never consumed, which itself consumes all the selfish love that fills my being.
3. St. Catherine of Siena
4. O Trinity, eternal Trinity! Fire, abyss of love…was it necessary that You should give even the Holy Trinity as food for souls? You gave us not only Your Word through the Redemption and the Eucharist, but You gave Yourself in the fullness of Love for Your creature.
St. Catherine of Siena
St. Catherine of Siena
5. O Father Eternal God, grant me faith and courage; Son, wisdom of the Father, grant me light and make me wise; Holy Spirit, beloved of the Father and Son, inflame my heart and purify my soul, that I may approach this majestic Sacrament with faith and love.
St. Paschal Baylon
St. Paschal Baylon
6. I have not even begun to think of unity when the Trinity bathes me in its splendor. I have not even begun to think of the Trinity when unity grasps me.
St. Gregory of Nazianzus
St. Gregory of Nazianzus
7. Every divine action begins with the Father, proceeds through the Son, and is completed by the Holy Spirit.
8. I vow and consecrate to God all that is in me: My memory and my actions to God the Father; My understanding and my works to the Son; My will and my thoughts to God the Holy Spirit.
9. O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely so as to establish myself in You, unmovable and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity.
11. Let all of us truly and humbly believe…and adore, serve, praise, bless, glorify, exalt…the Most High and Supreme Eternal God, Trinity and Unity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Wherever we are, in every place, at every hour, at every time, every day and continually.
12. I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness, of the Creator of creation.
13. O My God! Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to love You and make You loved, to work for the glory of Holy Church by saving souls on earth and liberating those suffering in purgatory. I desire to accomplish your will perfectly and to reach the degree of glory You have prepared for me in Your kingdom. I desire, in a word, to be a Saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God, to be Yourself my Sanctity!
14. Worship the Trinity, which I will call the only true devotion and saving doctrine.
St. Gregory of Nazianzus
St. Gregory of Nazianzus
15. The three persons are distinct from one another, a sublime knowledge is infused into the soul, embracing it with a certainty of the truth that the Three are of one substance, power and knowledge and are one God.
16. Eternal God, eternal Trinity, you are a mystery as deep as the sea, the more I search, the more I Find and the more I find the more I search for You.
17. When one of the Three Persons communicates with a soul, by the power of that one will, it finds itself united with the Three Persons and is inundated in the happiness flowing from the Most Holy Trinity, the same happiness that nourishes the saints. This same happiness streams from the Most Holy Trinity, makes all creation happy, from it springs that life which verifies and restores all life which takes its beginning from time.
20. You came into this land of exile, willing to suffer and to die, in order to carry away every single soul and plunge it into the very heart of the Trinity – Love’s eternal home.
22. Then they are brought by us where there is water and are reborn by the same manner of rebirth by which we ourselves were reborn; for they are then washed in the water, ‘in the name of God the Father, and master of all, and of our Savior Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. ‘
St. Justin Marty by Theophanes the Cretan Public Domain Image
23. I understand nothing else than the Holy Trinity to be meant; for the third is the Holy Spirit, and the Son is the second, by whom all things were made according to the Father.
St. Clement of Alexandria
St. Clement of Alexandria
24. Those holy angels come to the knowledge of God not by audible word, but by the presence to their souls of immutable truth, …of the only begotten Word of God, and they know this Word Himself, and the Father, and their Holy Spirit, and that this Trinity is indivisible, and that the three persons of it are one substance, and that there are not three Gods but one God, and this they so know that it is better understood by them than we are by ourselves.
25. The whole Trinity has marked mankind with its likeness. With the memory it resembles the Father, with the understanding it resembles the Son; by love it resembles the Holy Ghost.
The Feast Day of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazi is celebrated on May 25. She is the patron saint of the sick and against sexual temptation. She was a Carmelite nun, virgin, mystic and incorruptible
St. Mary Magdalene was born on April 2, 1607 into a noble family in Florence, Italy. She was baptized with the name Catrina Lucrezia de’ Pazzi.
At the age of 8, Catrina became a student at San Giovannia. The nuns prepared her for her first communion which she received when she was 10 years old. Soon…she made a vow of virginity, knowing she did not desire to marry.
Catrina enjoyed a life of prayer and penance. She especially enjoyed the meditations of St. Augustine and the Lord ‘s Passion by Loarto.
When Catrina was 16, she chose to enter the Carmelite Community of Santa Maria. She was led to this decision because they offerred daily Holy Communion, which was rare during this time.
As a novice, Catrina took the name Mary Magdalene de Pazzi. After a year, she became very ill and was near death. On the Feast of the Trinity, she was allowed to make her profession of vows in the chapel. Immediately, she experienced an ecstasy which lasted two hours. For the following 40 days she experienced ecstasy after receiving communion. She was given a sense of union with God and many insights about divine teachings. During the ecstacies the nuns recorded what she said and did. This resulted in five volumes of books about her life. They are referred to as The Life and Works of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi.
Mary Magdalene experienced both spiritual ecstasies and dryness with internal suffering. Throughout her life she had a strong devotion to the crown of thorns which Jesus wore during the crucifixion. She joyfully offered her suffering to God.
Mary Magdalene became the novice mistress and the the superior of the Community. She died on May 25, 1607 of natural causes after suffering a painfull illness for three years. Many miracles occurred following her death.
St. Mary Magdalene was beatified on 1626 by Pope Urban III. She was canonized by Pope Clement X on April 28, 1669.
The incorruptable body of St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi lies preserved in a glass coffin within the Carmelite Monastery of Santa Maria degli. Angel in Florence.
Prayer of Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi
Come, Holy Spirit. May the union of the Father and the will of the Son…Come to us. You, Spirit of truth, are the reward of the saints, the refreshment of souls, light in darkness, the riches of the poor, the treasures of lovers, the satisfaction of the hungry, the consolation of the pilgrim Church; You are he whom all treasures are contained.
Come, You who, desending into Mary, caused the Word to take flesh; effect in us by grace what you accomplished in her by grace and nature.
Come, You who are the nourishment of all chaste thoughts, the fountain of all clemency, the summit of all purity.
Come, and take away from us all that hinders us from being absorbed in You.
We celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday…fifty days after the crucifixion of Jesus. The Holy Spirit descended on the confused and frightened apostles. They were filled with courage and conviction.
Today, we receive the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of confirmation. We are sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit who guides us and fills us with joy.
The 7 gifts of the Spirit are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God.
The 12 fruits of the spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, Self-control, and chastity.
The following quotes from the saints inspire us with the joy and faith they received.
1. Those whose hearts are pure are temples of the Holy Spirit.
2. He pours light into our minds, arouses our desire and gives us strength. As the soul is to the life of the body, so the Holy Spirit is the life of our souls.
St. Peter Damien
3. The Spirit comes with the tenderness of a true friend and protector … to save, to heal, to teach, to counsel, to strengthen, to console.
4. Just as two rushing rivers intermingle in such a way that the smaller loses its name and is absorbed into the larger, so the Divine Spirit acts upon the soul and absorbes it.
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
5. Happy the man whose words come from the Holy Spirit and not from himself.
9. Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.
14. Stretch every fiber of my being, dear Lord, that I may more easily fly towards you. May Your Spirit, which once breathed over the chaos of the earth, give life to all the powers of my soul.
17. Think of the Father as a spring of life begetting the Son like a river, and the Holy Ghost like a sea, for the spring and the river and the sea are all one nature. Think of the Father as a root, and the Son as a branch. and the Spirit as a fruit, for substance in these three is one. The Father is a sun with the Son as rays and the Holy Ghost as heat.
19. Enrich your soul in the great goodness of God. The Father is your table. The Son is your food, and the Holy Spirit waits on you and then makes Hos dwelling in you.
21. Remember, then, that you received a spiritual seal, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of knowledge and reverence, the spirit of holy fear. Keep safe what you have received. God the Father sealed you. Christ the Lord strengthened you and sent the Spirit into your hearts as the pledge of what is to come.
24. Spirit of truth. You are the reward of the saints, the comforter of souls, light in the darkness, riches to the poor, treasure to lovers, food for the hungry, comfort to those who are wandering; to sum up, you are the one in whom all treasures are contained.
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
25. Jesus to the Apostles on Pentecost: Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins their sins are forgiven, if you don’t forgive them they are not forgiven. ” JOHN 20: 21-23
When we are baptized, we begin our faith journey. For some, it begins as when we are infants. For others, the journey is preceded by a spiritual experience during which we feel called to follow Jesus.
If you are exploring the teachings of the Church, you need to know about the Sacrament of Baptism.
The following quotes will help you ponder the mystery of the Sacrament of Baptism.
1. Our Lord made a covenant with us through baptism in order to give us eternal life.
St. Basil the Great
2. We receive the sacrament of baptism only once because there was only one death and one resurrection for the salvation of the world, and baptism is its symbol.
3. Through the sacrament of baptism you have become a temple of the Holy Spirit. Do not drive away so great a guest by evil conduct and become again a slave to the devil, for your liberty was bought by the blood of Christ.
7. I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will Baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Rome – The painting of Baptism of Christ by Daniele da Volterra in church San Pietro in Montorio from 16. cent.
8. We baptize our infants, though they are not defiled by sin, so that they too may be given holiness, righteousness; adoption, inheritance, brotherhood with Christ and membership in Him.
21. The Sacrament of Baptism, like Marriage, is both a beginning and an end. It’s the end of a former way of life; the beginning of a new life in God’s grace.
23. As a man must be born before he can begin to lead his physical life, so he must be born to lead a divine life. That birth occurs in the sacrament of baptism.
Venerable Fulton Sheen
Venerable Bishop Vulton Sheen
24. If you are eagerly looking for salvation, and you believe in God, you may become acquainted with the Christ of God, and after being initiated (by Baptism) live a happy life.
25. Baptism cleanses the soul from the pollution of worldly thoughts and inclinations: You will wash me, says the psalmist, and I shall be whiter than snow.
How does our love of God grow? If we spend time with God, we come to know Him better. We learn from our experiences. Our faith becomes stronger as we let Him lead us.
One of the fruits if the spirit us love. The Holy Spirit inflames our heart with love. Our doubts disappear and we are led by the Spirit of Love.
The Saints were on fire with the love of God. The following quotes enlighten us about their journey.
1. All things are possible for him who Believes, more to him who hopes, even more to him who loves.
6. It is only by the path of love, which is charity, that God draws near to man, and man to God. But where charity is not found, God cannot dwell. If then, we possess charity, we possess God, for God is charity.
10. Remember, that when you leave this earth, you can take nothing of what you have received, but only what you have given; a heart full, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.
22. Ponder the fact that you were loved before you ever loved. For God looked within Himself and fell in love with the beauty of His creature and so created us.
23. As I adore You, I ask for a love that knows no limits, a love like a flame that consumes me. O Christ, O Lord, one gift I ask if you: Love for You ever increasing, ever growing, ever active on Your behalf.
25. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is inflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your Love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions.
Chritmas, Easter and Pentecost are holy seasons of joy. We are filled with the spirit of joy as we journey with Jesus and deepen our faith.
The tradition of the Church lists twelve Fruits of the Holy Spirit.
The fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, and chastity. Additionally, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord
What words of wisdom have the saints given us about joy?
7. Desire to see God, be fearful of losing Him, and find joy in everything that can lead to Him. If you act in this way, you will always live in great peace.
9. The joy promised by the Beatitudes is the very Joy of Jesus himself, a joy sought and found in obedience to the Father, and in the gift of self to others.
10. If we wish to serve God and love our neighbor well, we must manifest our joy in the service we render to Him and them. Let us open wide our hearts; it is joy which invites us. Press forward and fear nothing.
12. Lord, make me an instrument of your peace: where there is hatred, let me sow love. where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope. where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.
14. It is characteristic of God and His angels to bring to the soul, when they occupy if, true happiness and spiritual joy; and to drive from it the sadness and trials which the enemy incites in it.
18. Jesus is happy to come with us, as truth is happy to be spoken, as life is to be lived, as light to be lit, as love is to be loved, as joy is to be given, as peace, to be spread.
23. OH, God, to know you is life. To serve You is freedom. To praise you is the soul’s joy and delight. Guard me with the power of Your grace here and in all places. Now and at all times, forever. Amen.
24. To me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.
25. We who are Christians have a further cause for joy; like Jesus, we know that we are loved by God our Father. This love transforms our lives and fills us with joy!
Faith, Hope and Love are three virtues which St. Paul in Corinthians tells us we must live by. We have three traditional prayers which we call Acts to help us. Whenever we need guidance and direction, praying one of these short Acts will help us.
We are also encouraged to praywithout ceasing. Beginning your day with an Act oh faith, hope and love is one way to grow spiritually.
The Feast day of St. Bernadette of Lourdes is celebrated on April 16.
St. Bernadetta was born in 1833 in France. Our Lady first appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes. France on Feb. 11, 1858. Bernadette was a poor shepherdess who was only 14 years old. Our Lady actually appeared to her eighteen times.
During the first vision Bernadette saw a bright light and a beautiful lady dressed in a brilliant white dress adorned with a blue ribbon. A long veil covered her body from her head to her feet. Her hands were clasped as if praying and she carried a white and gold rosary with a gold cross in her hands. Bernadette took her rosary out of her pocket and guided by Our Lady they prayed the rosary. After praying, the vision ended.
St.Bernadette of Lourdes
Bernadette asked the girls with her if they had seen anything and they said no. She told them not to say anything, but her sister told their mother who did not believe the story.
On Feb. 14, Bernadette returned to the Grotto where the vision had happened. She asked those with her to pray the rosary. When Our Lady appeared again, Bernadette’s face was transfigured. She sprinkled the holy water which had been given her and said, “If you come from God, come near us.” The holy water touched Our Lady, and she smiled and came closer. They began to pray the rosary together.
On Feb. 18, after Mass she was accompanied by a lady and a religious. When she began praying, Our Lady appeared again and they all prayed the rosary. Our Lady asked Bernadette to return for 15 consecutive days. Benadette promised she would do so. Our Lady said;
Bernadette went to the Grotto with a lit candle for the next 15 days. Hundreds of people began coming with her. On Feb. 21, Bernadette observed that Our Lady seemed sad. She asked her, “What is wrong? What can I do?” Our Lady said,
“Pray for sinners.”
“I also promise to make you happy, not in this world, but in the next.”
A doctor examined Bernadette and concluded there was northing wrong with her. Bernadette was ridiculed nonetheless.
On Feb. 23, Our Lady requested that a Sanctuary be built on the site. She told Bernadette to talk to the priest. When the priest asked her the name of the lady, Bernadeete did not know. The priest told her he needed a miracle and she shoul ask the lady for the rose bush to blossom.
On Feb 26, Our Lady revealed to Bernadette her name saying:
“I am the Immaculate Conception”
During one apparition people witnessed Bernadette praying for fifteen minutes with the candle flame burning through her fingers. She remained unharmed. The last apparition occurred on the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Many miracles of healing have been attributed to the healing waters of Lourdes.
St. Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity seeking God in the silence of the convent. St. Bernadette died on April 16, 1879.
The message of Our Lady Of Lourdes is timeless.
Pray for Sinners!
The incorrupt body of St. Bernadette of Lourdes may be viewed at St. Gildard Convent where it is kept uner glass. This is the Conven St. Bernadette spent the last nine years of her life in prayer with God.
Always stay very close to our Lord, present in the tabernacle. Be completely absorbed by devotion to Him there and never let go.
The feast day of St. Faustina is celebrated on October 5. She is considered the Apostle of Mercy.
St. Faustina was baptized Helena Kowalska. She was born into a very poor family of ten children on August 25, 1905 in Glogowiec, Poland. She lived on a farm receiving only three years of education.
St. Faustina worked as a housekeeper before joining the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925 at the age of 20. For 13 years she prayed in the convent and worked as a cook, gardener and porter.
St. Faustina grew in holiness. She had a very mystical interior life. She had the gifts of visions, prophecy, the stigmata , bi-location, the gift of reading hearts and mystical marriage.
The vision which impacted the world was a vision of Jesus. She tells the story in her Diary.
“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.'”
Some time later, Our Lord again spoke to her:
“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 depths of My most tender Mercy at that time when My agonizing Heart was opened by a lance on the cross….Fortunate is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.”
Divine Mercy
At the request of Jesus she willingly offered her sufferings in union with him to atone for the sins of others. He also asked her to remind the world of His Divine Mercy and He taught her a very special devotion to the Divine Mercy based on trust in Him. She had a special devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Eucharist and the Sacramentof confession which strengthened her.
One of the vision she experienced was a visit to hell, which she shares in her diary. She suffered greatly interiorly, however she only shared her suffering with her spiritual director. At the request of Jesus and her confessors, St. Faustina kept a diary in which she shared her visions.
St. Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland at age 33 in 1938. She was canonized by the first Polish Pope, Pope John Paul II on April 30, 2000
Divine Mercy Sunday is now celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Easter.
Chritmas, Easter and Pentecost are holy seasons of joy. We are filled with the spirit of joy as we journey with Jesus and deepen our faith.
