Twenty years ago this past July, on a beautiful summer day in Krakow, Poland, we went on our first date. And that date took us to Divine Mercy.
Okay, we realize we may have lost you already, so let’s back up.
That summer of the Jubilee Year of 2000, we both travelled to Krakow to be part of a 3-week intensive course on Catholic Social Teaching “in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II.” We met on the first day there, and the very next day, we went on our first date, having lunch together in Krakow’s main square. (To state what may already be obvious, neither of us remember much about the lectures and readings from the subsequent weeks).
After lunch, we took a meandering walk through Krakow’s Stare Miasto or Old Town, stopping in at a few of the city’s multitude of breathtaking churches: St. Mary’s, Holy Cross, and Divine Mercy. At each church, we stepped inside, stood in awe at the beauty of the sanctuary, and found a nearby pew to sit for a few minutes.
While we would return to each of these three churches on other dates in the weeks ahead, one—Divine Mercy—is very much on our minds this week. Yesterday was the feast day of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish Sister of Our Lady of Mercy, who died in 1938 and who St. John Paul II called the “great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time.”
As a young nun in the 1930s, with only three years of simple education, Sister Faustina was given the menial tasks of working in the garden or kitchen. Yet, as the Divine Mercy Shrine recounts, “she received extraordinary revelations—or messages—from our Lord Jesus.” Many of these messages focused on the mercy of God. “Jesus asked Sr. Faustina to record these experiences, which she compiled into notebooks,” known to us today as the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (if you decide to read it, prepare to be amazed at the vivid images, messages and experiences St. Faustina recounts!).
In the Divine Mercy Church we entered that July afternoon of our first date, we heard a large prayer group reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a series of prayers addressed to God the Father which St. Faustina received from Our Lord.
“For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world,” we heard, over and over in a peaceful, reverent, and rhythmic tone, like the ebb and flow of waves on sand. “Jesus, I trust in you,” they continued. Our few minutes there have always remained with us, and now, as a family, we strive to pray the chaplet at least a few times each week.
“At a time when some Catholics had an image of God as such a strict judge that they might be tempted to despair about the possibility of being forgiven,” a Franciscan Media article on St. Faustina explains, “Jesus chose to emphasize His mercy and forgiveness.”
“I do not want to punish aching mankind,” Jesus once told St. Faustina, “but I desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart.” He instructed St. Faustina to have an image of him painted and disseminated along with the words, “Jesus, I trust in you,” to help the faithful come to accept God’s mercy. The rays coming from Christ’s heart in the image, she said, symbolize the blood and water that poured out from Jesus’ pierced side to cleanse and heal us.
Okay, we realize we may have lost you already, so let’s back up.
That summer of the Jubilee Year of 2000, we both travelled to Krakow to be part of a 3-week intensive course on Catholic Social Teaching “in the footsteps of Pope John Paul II.” We met on the first day there, and the very next day, we went on our first date, having lunch together in Krakow’s main square. (To state what may already be obvious, neither of us remember much about the lectures and readings from the subsequent weeks).
After lunch, we took a meandering walk through Krakow’s Stare Miasto or Old Town, stopping in at a few of the city’s multitude of breathtaking churches: St. Mary’s, Holy Cross, and Divine Mercy. At each church, we stepped inside, stood in awe at the beauty of the sanctuary, and found a nearby pew to sit for a few minutes.
While we would return to each of these three churches on other dates in the weeks ahead, one—Divine Mercy—is very much on our minds this week. Yesterday was the feast day of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, a Polish Sister of Our Lady of Mercy, who died in 1938 and who St. John Paul II called the “great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time.”
As a young nun in the 1930s, with only three years of simple education, Sister Faustina was given the menial tasks of working in the garden or kitchen. Yet, as the Divine Mercy Shrine recounts, “she received extraordinary revelations—or messages—from our Lord Jesus.” Many of these messages focused on the mercy of God. “Jesus asked Sr. Faustina to record these experiences, which she compiled into notebooks,” known to us today as the Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (if you decide to read it, prepare to be amazed at the vivid images, messages and experiences St. Faustina recounts!).
In the Divine Mercy Church we entered that July afternoon of our first date, we heard a large prayer group reciting the Divine Mercy Chaplet, a series of prayers addressed to God the Father which St. Faustina received from Our Lord.
“For the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world,” we heard, over and over in a peaceful, reverent, and rhythmic tone, like the ebb and flow of waves on sand. “Jesus, I trust in you,” they continued. Our few minutes there have always remained with us, and now, as a family, we strive to pray the chaplet at least a few times each week.
“At a time when some Catholics had an image of God as such a strict judge that they might be tempted to despair about the possibility of being forgiven,” a Franciscan Media article on St. Faustina explains, “Jesus chose to emphasize His mercy and forgiveness.”
“I do not want to punish aching mankind,” Jesus once told St. Faustina, “but I desire to heal it, pressing it to my merciful heart.” He instructed St. Faustina to have an image of him painted and disseminated along with the words, “Jesus, I trust in you,” to help the faithful come to accept God’s mercy. The rays coming from Christ’s heart in the image, she said, symbolize the blood and water that poured out from Jesus’ pierced side to cleanse and heal us.
We’re so grateful that this encounter with the powerful Divine Mercy devotion has been with us from the first date—and continues to bless our marriage and family. If it’s been a while since you took to heart Christ’s extraordinary mercy for you, take a small step in the coming week by praying the chaplet on your own, as a couple, or together as a family.
As we seek to be instruments of Christ’s Divine Mercy in our homes, families, and communities today, let’s pray with all our hearts, “Jesus, I trust in you!”
Heaven in Your Home Toolkit
Here’s a new paperback version of St. Faustina’s Diary on Amazon. ($7.59)
For a beautiful and brief introduction to her life, watch this 8-minute video: “St. Faustina: Prophet of Mercy,” that includes a reflection by Immaculée Ilibagiza, a Rwandan genocide survivor and author of Left to Tell.
If you’d like to take a deep dive into the extraordinary message of Saint Faustina, we have two recommendations: an inspiring 58-min. talk (over 800K views) on “Sr. Faustina and the Image of Divine Mercy” by Sister Gaudia Skass; and a 1-hr. documentary (Polish, with English subtitles), I Trust in You: Sr. Faustina’s Story.
Need a primer or refresher on how to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet? Here’s a step-by-step explanation, courtesy of www.thedivinemercy.org. And here’s a recitation of the entire prayer on YouTube (11M views, and about 10 min. in length).
“25 Secrets of Spiritual Struggle that Jesus Revealed to St. Faustina,” at Aleteia, offers a striking compilation of quotes from the Diary. For example, “When boredom and discouragement beat against your heart, run away from yourself and hide in My heart.”
“Feeling Alone or Isolated? Pray this Prayer by St. Faustina” at Aleteia.
Soren’s monthly column in the Arlington Catholic Herald is running in the current issue. “The Flip Side of Anger” was inspired by a homily by Fr. James Hudgins at St. Theresa’s in Ashburn.
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Coming Soon…
On Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10am-3pm, we’ll both be at Trinity House Cafe as we celebrate the cafe’s 6th anniversary since opening! Join us and other friends of the cafe by stopping by anytime to say hi, enjoy a drink, tasty meal, or something sweet.
Haven’t had the chance yet to participate in our Heaven in Your Home Workshop? Or are you in need of a refresh? Sign-up (free) here for our next livestream workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 8-9:30 p.m. (EST), streamed live from Trinity House Cafe.
Testimonial
“The Heaven in Your Home Workshop is a tremendous testimony to the incredible love and mercy our God has for us, and the importance of looking to the relationship in the Trinity as an example of how to thrive together as families in faith.” —Heaven in Your Home Workshop Participant
Please Join Us In Prayer
- For healing for those struggling with COVID-19, including President Trump and the First Lady, and for strength and safety for all medical personnel;
- For all those impacted by the West Coast fires, and for all those battling these fires;
- For all students, that they might grow in wisdom, age and grace in this academic year;
- For all individuals and families, that they might deepen their roots in the love of Jesus Christ during this time of uncertainty;
- For the staff and ministry of Trinity House Cafe, and all Heaven in Your Home Workshop participants;
- For unity and healing in our nation, and for wisdom for all public officials;
- For all parents, that they may be refreshed and renewed on a daily basis by the Lord in prayer, as they seek to lead their families through the uncertainties of this time.
In Christ,Soren & Ever Johnson
Founders & Directors
Trinity House Community
Making Home a Little Taste of Heaven
