I am honored to have this opportunity to share my journey in suffering and how St. Faustina enlightened me in my life.
I became more aware of Divine Mercy in 1997 while still serving in the military. Whenever a crisis occurred in my life, I always turned to Jesus asking for his help. But it was not until later in my military career that I learned about the revelations Jesus had given to St. Faustina in her Diary. I read the entire Diary but at that point in time did not experience the depth of the messages given by Jesus to St Faustina because of a busy work life.
I retired from the military in 2015. While helping my mother sort books at her home I came across St. Faustina’s Diary. I began to read the Diary again and was inspired to reach out to the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy to find out how I could enrich my spiritual life through the ‘Faustinum’ Association.
I formally joined the Association in 2019 as a member because I wanted to be part of an Apostolic Movement of Divine Mercy for Jesus. For most of my adult life and being a nurse, I was always drawn to find ways to help people who were suffering. What I did not realize was that although I experienced much joy and satisfaction when helping people I did not understand the depth of how much God loves all people, and in particular me….
After my four years of study, I realized that being an apostle of Divine Mercy for Jesus is how I want to live, a way of life for me until Jesus comes to take me to Heaven.
My life for the past 10 years has significantly changed… one from the working world of medicine I knew as a younger adult to now, one of semi retired, with family and extended family caregiving. The challenges are many for me because my heart is filled with compassion and love for a desire to always help one in need.
Often I experience situations where I feel I am standing at the foot of the cross as our Holy Mother did, praying to God asking His intercession but only able to watch the suffering of a loved one who is offering to God they’re suffering, and I can’t do anything about it but stand and watch – it causes me great stress and mental suffering…
I would experience many temptations such as fear, not accepting God’s Will for loved ones and a mental anguish during these situations because of my inability to help them. But with much intercessory prayer for help from St Faustina asking her to intercede for me to Jesus for Divine Mercy I would overcome this suffering.
Just this year, this has all changed for me… It occurred during my second year of permanent formation while studying in the ‘Mission of Mercy’ workbook chapter 2 – Saint Faustina, a prophet of mercy. I believe Jesus spoke to my heart as I was directed to a particular passage in St. Faustina‘s Diary. I would like to share that passage from the Diary of St Faustina Divine Mercy in my soul (entry 374) “from today on my own will does not exist.” St. Faustina draws a big X over and continues to say… “The moment I knelt down to cross out my own will as the Lord had bid me to do, I heard this voice in my soul: from today on do not fear God‘s judgment, for you will not be judged. From today on I do the Will of God everywhere, always, and in everything.”
As soon as I read this it was as if a strong interior whisper came to me asking me to do more not less for Jesus in His Will not mine and in all things in my daily life. It was as if a new grace had infused into me and I found in times of crisis when I would normally be tempted I had strength to see clearly and repeat the quote that I had found in St. Faustina‘s Diary allowing me to trust in Jesus. I have been so moved by this entry that I even made my own prayer directly from Saint Faustina‘s entry.
I now begin each day with this Diary entry and it brings me insight into the challenges that I must face for the day without fear, but with trust, allowing me to trust Jesus more fervently – as much as I can although I still need His grace to help me.
Thank you, St. Faustina for coming into my life and helping me to be an apostle of Divine Mercy for Jesus. Amen
JoAnn, member of ‘Faustinum’, USA
