of my life. (1242)
None of this is to say that the young nun was suddenly infused with a knowledge or understanding of God’s mercy. A more accurate analogy would be that God accepted her into the “School of Mercy” and there — by praying and meditating, studying Scripture and Church teaching, remaining obedient to her religious vows, suffering ever-increasing health challenges, and always being open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit — class by class, grade by grade, she grew in the wisdom and reality of God’s mercy.
St. Faustina also came to know God’s infinite mercy by her keen observation of Our Lady, the lives of the saints, biblical men and women, and of her daily life. In time, this included a living relationship with the angels and the souls in purgatory. In time, she came to feel and appreciate God’s mercy in everything: “[W]hatever there is of good in me is Yours, O Lord” (237).
During this period, her mercy toward others deepened as she immersed herself in the Eucharist and Sacrament of Reconciliation. Jesus said to her: “[T]he strength by which you bear sufferings comes from frequent Communions. So approach this fountain of mercy often, to draw with the vessel of trust whatever you need” (1487).
We can emulate St. Faustina’s tender devotion to the holy souls in our daily lives by frequenting the sacraments, developing a strong prayer life (especially the Rosary, the Way of the Cross, and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy), and visiting Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Needless to say, all this can seem daunting. Perhaps it helps to think that God has invited us to join His “School of Mercy.”
Then, too, we need to remember that, as St. Faustina teaches, mercy is not found in great deeds but great love. The more we trust in Jesus, the more we’ll be open to receive God’s love and mercy.
A Morning Offering
[D]o what You will with me, O Jesus; I will adore You in everything. May Your will be done in me, O my Lord and my God, and I will praise Your infinite mercy. (78)
Today, Dear Lord, help me see others through Your eyes, through the eyes of mercy. Help me do what You ask me to do. May my words and deeds bring them comfort and hope, and may what I do — in Your name — bring souls in purgatory closer to life eternal with You. Amen.
A Prayer of Surrender to God
O Jesus, I want to live in the present moment, to live as if this were the last day of my life. I want to use every moment scrupulously for the greater glory of God, to use every circumstance for the benefit of my soul. I want to look upon everything, from the point of view that nothing happens without the will of God. God of unfathomable mercy, embrace the whole world and pour Yourself out upon us through the merciful Heart of Jesus. (1183)
Heavenly Father, forgive me for getting lost in worrying about the future or trapped in stewing over the past. You offer me Your mercy here and now, to be received and shared here and now. Please, Lord, help me do that. Amen.
A Litany of Mercy for the Holy Souls in Purgatory
Most merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of the purifying fire, that in that place, too, the power of Your mercy may be praised. (1227)
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for the sins of the souls in purgatory. Lord, have mercy.
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on the souls in purgatory. Christ, have mercy.
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on the souls in purgatory. Lord, have mercy.
For those who have died, we pray:
For members of my family,
through the mercy of God may they rest in peace.
For my friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners …
For the priests who administered the sacraments to me …
For the religious men and women who were a part of my life …
For my teachers, counselors, and mentors …
For my schoolmates and workmates …
through the mercy of God may they rest in peace.
For the doctors, nurses, and all health workers who gave me care …
For those who harmed me in any way …
For those I harmed …
For those who on earth prayed for me …
For those now in purgatory who are praying for me …
For every soul in purgatory, each one Your beloved son or daughter …
Welcome them into heaven, Dear Lord, where the perpetual light of Your mercy will shine upon them forever. Amen.
Purgatory in the Eyes of St. Faustina: Twelve Daily Meditations
Recall loved ones who have died and, in a spirit of true charity, keep in mind other departed souls who have no one on earth to pray for them. Reflect on the reality of purgatory and those who, though so close to heaven, must still prepare to enter it.
Pray for them!
Begin each day of the meditations with this prayer:
St. Faustina’s Prayer for a Merciful Heart
O Jesus, I understand that Your mercy is beyond all imagining, and therefore I ask You to make my heart so big that there will be room in it for the needs of all the souls living on the face of the earth. O Jesus, my love extends beyond the world, to the souls suffering in purgatory, and I want to exercise mercy toward them by means of indulgenced prayers. God’s mercy is unfathomable and inexhaustible, just as God Himself is unfathomable. Even if I were to use the strongest words there are to express this mercy of God, all this would be nothing in comparison with what it is in reality. O Jesus, make my heart sensitive to all the sufferings of my neighbor, whether of body or of soul. O my Jesus, I know that You act toward us as we act toward our neighbor.
My Jesus, make my heart like unto Your merciful Heart. Jesus, help me to go through life doing good to everyone. (692)
Day One
St. Faustina’s request on the day of her perpetual vows:
Jesus, I know that today You will refuse me nothing. … Jesus, I plead with You for the souls that are most in need of prayer. I plead for the dying; be merciful to them. I also beg You, Jesus, to free all souls from
