1. Admonish sinners

2. Instruct the uninformed

3. Counsel the doubtful

4. Comfort the sorrowful

5. Be patient with those in error

6. Forgive offenses

7. Pray for the living and the dead

 

To properly observe the Feast of Mercy one should:

1. Celebrate the Feast on the Sunday after Easter

2. Sincerely repent all of our sins

3. Place our complete trust in Jesus

4. Go to Confession, preferably before that Sunday

5. Receive Holy Communion on the day of the Feast

6. Venerate* the Image of the Divine Mercy

7. Be merciful to others, through our actions, words and prayers on their behalf.

*Venerate means to perform some act or make some gesture of deep religious respect toward it because of the person it represents.

 

The Hour of Great Mercy

 

In His many visions to St. Faustina the Lord revealed to her that He would like us to say a special prayer and to meditate on His Passion each afternoon at three o'clock, the hour of His death on the cross. He asked:

 

"At three o'clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners: and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy…In this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of my Passion."

 

"As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke it's omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world - mercy triumphed over justice…

 

Saint Faustina

1905 - 1938

        "I feel certain that my mission will not come to an end upon my death, but will begin.

O doubting souls, I will draw aside for you the veils of heaven to convince you of God's goodness."

Taken from the diary of Saint Faustina.

 

Maria Faustina Kowalska (born Helena Kowalska) was born August 25, 1905 in the village of Glogowiec, Poland as a third of ten children.

       Entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy when she was nineteen years old. Received her religious habit and was given the name Maria Faustina one year later. Died in 1938 of tuberculosis. Canonized on

April 30, 2000.

       It was in the 1930's that St. Faustina started receiving messages from Our Lord Jesus Christ. She received a message of mercy that she was told to spread throughout the world.

       In 1931 Jesus appeared to St. Faustina in a vision. He was clothed in a white garment, His right hand raised in blessing, His left hand touching the garment in the area of His heart. From here two large rays emanated, one red, one white. She was told to paint an image of what she had seen, with the signature "Jesus, I trust in You" on it. He promised that the soul that would venerate this image would not perish and victories over it's enemies here on earth. St. Faustina felt unworthy to paint such an image, but obeyed the request of Jesus.

       In 1934 she started keeping a diary in obedience of the wishes of her spiritual director, then later at the Lord's request. The diary is a book of over 600 printed pages and took over four years to complete, it is entitled "Divine Mercy in My Soul"

       The messages of mercy that St. Faustina received are today being spread throughout the world. She was given the title "Venerable" by the church on May 7, 1992, her beatification took place in Rome on April 18, 1993, the Sunday after Easter, the Feast of Divine Mercy. On April 30, 2000 (Divine Mercy Sunday) St. Faustina was canonized

The process culminating in the canonization of Sister Faustina Kowalska, commenced twenty seven years after her death in Krakow Poland, in 1938.

       As part of the process leading to her canonization, two cases of miraculous healings were presented for consideration. The first one was the healing of Maureen Digan of Massachusetts. The second miracle was the healing of a congenital heart condition of Fr. Ronald Pytel after prayers done by members of his parishioners during the anniversary of Sr. Faustina's death on October 5 1995.

       On April 18, 1993 the Feast of Divine Mercy Sunday (the first Sunday after Easter), Pope John Paul II elevated Sister Faustina to the status of Blessed during the Beatification of this Venerable Servant of God, a day when St. Peter's Square was packed with enthusiastic Divine Mercy devotees.

On March 10, 2000 at 11:30 a.m., during the celebration of sext, in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, an ordinary public consistory for several causes of canonization was held, in the presence of the Holy Father.

In 1997 Pope John Paul II made a pilgrimage to Sister Faustina's tomb in Poland, he called her the "the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our day." The Pope said at her tomb, "The message of Divine Mercy has always been near and dear to me..., in a sense it forms the image of my Pontificate."

Saint Faustina

Sister Faustina was canonized on April 30, 2000 the first Sunday after Easter, on Divine Mercy Sunday.

She was honored by becoming the first saint of this millenium, giving thus great emphasis to the Divine Mercy Devotion.