Helena Kowalska was born August 25, 1905, the third of ten ... · “After He rose from the dead,...

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Helena Kowalska was born August 25, 1905, the third of ten children. The family lived in the small town of Glogowiec, Poland. They were very poor and had only one good church dress for all the girls to share. Helena loved Jesus and wanted to be a saint.



Everyone in the family worked very hard, even on Sundays, because the cows had to be milked and fed every day. Helena always tried to finish her chores quickly so she would not miss Mass. Often as she worked, she prayed to Jesus, “Until I can visit You in the tabernacle, I will keep You company in my heart, sweet Jesus!”



One Sunday, while leading the cows, Helena met a friend. “Hello, Tomasz!” Helena called. “Aren’t you going to Mass today?” The boy was surprised. He stammered, “I have been working so hard in the fields…and it’s such a long walk, and…well, I just don’t want to go!”



Helena replied, “You don’t want to go? I can’t imagine feeling that way! Jesus gives us so much and asks for so little in return. I would gladly spend all day with Him if I could!”



Tomasz felt ashamed that he had chosen not to go to Mass on the Lord’s Day. “You’re right, Helenka. God has given my family so many blessings, and I have disobeyed Him in return. How can I tell Jesus how sorry I am? I want to try to do better from now on.”



Helena said, “Don’t worry! God has given us the Sacrament of Confession. When we go to Confession, we are really whispering into the ears of Jesus. When the priest says, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ it is really Jesus who forgives us.”



“After He rose from the dead, Jesus visited His friends, the Apostles, and breathed His Holy Spirit on them, giving them the power to forgive sins. They passed this power on to the new bishops and priests who came after them.”



Tomasz smiled, “I understand! Our priest can hear my confession and forgive my sins! Now, I must hurry to confession to tell Jesus how sorry I am for all my sins. I never want to disobey Him again!”



Helena prayed, “Thank you, Jesus, for helping me to share Your gift of Confession with Tomasz! You said, ‘Blessed are those who show mercy, for mercy shall be theirs.’ I want everyone to know how You long to have mercy on us and on the whole world.”



As Helena grew, she felt God calling her to the religious life, but she tried to ignore it, because her parents did not approve. Jesus had not stopped calling her; she had just stopped listening.



One night, while she and her sister were at a dance, Helena suddenly saw an astonishing sight. On the dance floor stood Jesus Himself, covered in wounds, His face full of sorrow! He spoke to her sadly, “How long will you keep putting Me off?”



Helena ran from the dance to the Cathedral of Saint Stanislaus Kostka and threw herself before the tabernacle. “Oh, my Jesus, forgive me for neglecting You! Please tell me what You want me to do!” Jesus said, “Go immediately to Warsaw and enter a convent there.”



Helena went to Warsaw. Several convents turned her away, but she continued to pray and trust in God. Finally, the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy welcomed her, and in April of 1926, she became Sister Maria Faustina, a bride of Christ.



In the convent, she had many opportunities to show mercy to others. She was the gatekeeper of her convent. One day, a cold and hungry man came to the gate. Sister Faustina hurried to get him some hot soup.



When he finished the soup, he revealed who he really was. “I am Jesus. Your compassion for the poor and your obedience in your tasks is very pleasing to Me. This is why I came down from My throne – to taste the fruits of your mercy.” Then, He vanished!



Our Lord appeared to Sister Faustina many times. Then on February 22, 1931, she received an amazing vision that would change her life and the lives of countless souls forever. Jesus appeared to her and gave her an important mission.



Jesus wore a dazzling white robe with two rays for light, one red and the other pale, coming from His heart. Jesus said, “Paint this image, with the words, ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’ The pale ray stands for the waters of baptism, which make souls pure and pleasing in My sight. The red ray stands for the blood I shed on the Cross.”



Jesus promised, “Anyone who venerates this image will someday join Me in Heaven. I also demand from you deeds of mercy which are to arise out of love for Me. You are the show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere.”



Sister Faustina asked an artist to paint the image of Jesus. But she was very disappointed in the painting. She complained to Jesus, “Who will paint You as beautiful as You are?”



Jesus said, “It is not in the beauty of the color or in the stroke of the brush that this image is great; it is because of My Grace! The flames of mercy are burning Me, so much am I longing to send My mercy to all souls! It is your duty to remind people that I am coming as the Just Judge, but first I am coming as the King of Mercy.”



In April 1934, the Divine Mercy image was publicly venerated for the first time. Sister Faustina prayed for all who approached the holy image. “Oh, my Jesus, penetrate the hearts of the people gathered here, so that they might receive Your mercy to the fullest!”



Since Sister Faustina received the wonderful grace of seeing Jesus so many times during her life, her spiritual director asked her to keep a record in a diary. Many years later, the diary is still read all over the world, and it brings people closer to God.



Jesus also taught Sister Faustina the Chaplet of Divine mercy, a special prayer using rosary beads. He told her, “Whoever recites this prayer and marks the hour of My death in even the smallest way will receive more graces than his soul could ever need.”



Sister Faustina died on October 5, 1938, at the young age of 33. By this time, devotion to Jesus’ mercy was spreading throughout the world by the image and chaplet.



On April 30, 2000, Sister Faustina was canonized by Pope John Paul II, who had a special love for her, because he, too, came from Poland. The pope also established the Second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday, just as Jesus had requested.



On Divine Mercy Sunday every year, in Mass we hear about Jesus instituting the Sacrament of Confession with the Apostles (John 20:19-29) and are reminded to ask Jesus for His mercy without fear or hesitation. We can follow Saint Faustina’s example of trust in Jesus in our prayers and in our deeds.



Saint Faustina rejoices from Heaven to see that God’s mercy, poured out so generously for all souls, flows through her to the whole world. Her mission from Jesus continues on earth as devotion to the Divine Mercy spreads. Saint Faustina, pray for us! Jesus, I trust in You!

Helena Kowalska was born August 25, 1905, the third of ten ... · “After He rose from the dead,...

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