A Prayer for Divine Mercy

St. Mary Faustina (+1938)

"Sr. Mary Faustina Kowalska was a young, uneducated, nun in a convent of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Cracow, Poland during the 1930's...She had only three years of very simple education, so hers were the humblest tasks in the convent, usually in the kitchen or garden. However, she received extraordinary revelations or messages from Our Lord Jesus.

Jesus asked Sr. Faustina to record these experiences, which she compiled in notebooks. These notebooks are known today as the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska and the words contained within are God's loving message of Divine Mercy...Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina in 2000 making her the "first saint of the new millennium." Speaking of Sr. Faustina and the importance of the message contained in her Diary, the Pope called her 'the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time.'" ~ The Divine Mercy website

 I've begun reading the Diary of St Faustina and she records many, many prayers to the Lord beseeching His mercy not only for herself but for all the world. She took very seriously her role as an intercessor for the world to the Lord and her prayers are simply some of the most marvelous I have read be they Orthodox or Roman Catholic. This one, especially, found its way into my heart.

O my Jesus, despite the deep night that is all around me and the dark clouds which hid the horizon, I know that the sun never goes out. O Lord, though I cannot comprehend You and do not understand Your ways, I nonetheless trust in Your mercy. If it is in Your will, Lord, that I live always in such darkness, may You be blessed. I ask You only one thing Jesus: do not allow me to offend You in any way. O my Jesus, You alone know the longings and suffering of my heart. I am glad I can suffer for You, however little. When I feel that the suffering is more than I can bear, I take refuge in the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, and I speak to Him with profound silence.

~ Diary of Sr M. Faustina, Divine Mercy in My Soul, #73

 Lately my life has been going really poorly. At least as far as I am concerned. I mean, I'm not suffering physically but emotionally and mentally I am really just stripped bare. I have no idea what is going on, only my sincere belief that God has the good of my soul at the centermost of this particular struggle keeps me going. I try very hard to remember that God's will is not my own but that He wants my salvation above all else and He says all through Scripture that He tests the faith of His people and those whose faith is pure will find the dross burned away in the fire of His testing.

As I am going through this particular valley, I see old lessons being repeated here. Lessons I failed not that long ago. I also see lessons that my mother failed. Both left deep marks on my soul and apparently they need to be burned away so my mettle (metal? HA!) is being refined yet again. God help me not to repeat those mistakes during this time of testing. I know that His will is not for my personal happiness but the outcome of my faith will be the salvation of my soul which is infinitely more valuable, but if it is at all possible, I do not want another sip from this particular cup ever again. May God have mercy.

St Mary Faustina, pray to God that He would have mercy on me, a sinner.

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

~ From the Divine Mercy Chaplet, revealed to St Mary Faustina

Relevant Reading
A Biography of St Mary Faustina
The Delusion of Seeking Happiness ~ Abouna Peter Farrington
Unfair Treatment ~ Abbot Tryphon
Isaiah 48:9-15
Zechariah 13:7-9
Psalm 66:10-12
1 Peter 1:3-9
The Divine Mercy Chaplet