This liturgical feast is based on the private revelation of the visions of Jesus to St. Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), a sister of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The more I learned about Faustina, the more intrigued I have become about the impact she has had on so many.
Faustina, one of ten children, grew up in a humble home in a small town in Poland. She had just three years of elementary education. Her writing, recounting profound experiences of visions as a mystic, was unknown to most during her lifetime. Because of her lack of education and sophistication, she most often was given simple jobs at her convent.
One story captured my heart. Faustina was responsible for answering the door at the convent gate, and on a cold, rainy night, a young man, barefoot and dressed in poor clothing, came to the gate asking for something to eat. She gave him a bowl of soup. Suddenly she realized this was Jesus. Surprised, Jesus told her that he "came down from heaven because he wanted to experience mercy himself."
The picture depicting Faustina's revelation of Christ's divine mercy often has the words, "Jesus, I trust in you." I wonder how challenging it us for us to depend not on ourselves, not on our abilities or strengths, but on God's love for us. Jesus told Faustina, "Humanity will not find peace unless it learns to trust in Divine Mercy."
I wonder if I can learn to trust more in this beautiful gift of God's mercy in the big and small concerns, worries and anxieties in my life... something to pray about this Second Sunday in Easter, the Feast of Divine Mercy.
