St. Mary Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament
was born the following year on August 25, 1905
+St. Faustina died in the odor of Sanctity the evening of October 5, 1938
Poland, the birthplace of the Divine Mercy message, and also of Saint John Paul II (Mary’s “Masterpiece” in a message of the Blessed Mother’s to Fr. Gobbie), points to a more positive sign of the times—the gradual reconciliation of the Eastern and Western Churches. The period between Luisa’s death and the opening of her cause for beatification coincided with a grace-filled movement toward reconciliation between the Church of Rome and the ancient Churches of the East, especially the Orthodox Church. Luisa’s Cause was opened during the Pontificate and approval of Saint John Paul II.
As a meeting place for the Latin Rite Catholics of the West, and the Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics of the East, Poland gave to the world the devotion to the Divine Mercy that combined the Trisagion prayer of the Byzantine liturgy “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us and on the whole world” (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostrom), with the use of the Rosary. Luisa is also connected to this same prayer, which the Priest would say while at the same time making the sign of the Cross on her hand to command her soul to return to her body. This connection between Luisa and Poland, the home of Saint John Paul II, is made even more clear by the date of Luisa’s death on March 4, 1947—the Feast Day of St. Casimir of Poland.
St. Casimir of Poland—Feast Day March 4th. He was third of the 13 children of King Casimir IV of Poland and Elizabeth of Austria, daughter of Emperor II of Germany. He was born at the royal palace in Cracow on October 3rd. Many miracles were reported at his tomb, and he was canonized by Pope Adrian VI in 1522. He is the Patron of Poland and Lithuania.
As Cardinal Archbishop of Cracow, Wojtyla ordered a theological review of St. Faustina’s diaries, which had been condemned by the Holy See. As a result of the inquiry, the prohibition against the spread of her writings was removed. Six months later, Wojtyla was elected to the Chair of Peter. As Saint John Paul II, he published one of his first encyclicals on the Mercy of God, and acknowledged the importance of Blessed Faustina and her writings by beatifying her on the Feast of Divine Mercy. The beatification of Saint Faustina attracted new interest in the prophetic content of her diaries, which predicted the Second Coming of Jesus.
Little Daughter of the Divine Will, Luisa Piccarreta
Volume 6; April 16, 1904
Jesus and God the Father speak about Mercy.
Continuing in my usual state, I (Luisa) found myself outside of myself, and I saw a multitude of people, and in their midst one could hear noises of bombs and gun shots. People were dropping dead or wounded, and those who were left would flee up to a building nearby; but the enemies would go up there and kill them, more surely than those who remained outside. So I said to myself: “How I wish I could see whether the Lord is there in the midst of these people, so as to say to Him: ‘Have Mercy – Pity on these poor people!’” So I made my Round and made my Round and I saw Him as a little Child; but little by little He kept growing, until He reached the perfect age. I drew near Him and I said: “Amiable Lord, don’t You see the tragedy that is happening? You don’t want to make use of Mercy any more? Do You perhaps want to keep this attribute as useless, that has always Glorified Your Incarnate Divinity with So Much Honor, forming a Special Crown on Your august Head, and Bejeweling You with a second crown, so Wanted and Loved by You – which are the souls?”
Now, while I was saying this, He (Jesus) told me: “Enough, enough, do not go any further; you want to speak of Mercy, and what about Justice – what are we going to do with It? I have told you and I repeat to you: ‘It is necessary that Justice follow Its course’.” So I replied: “There is no remedy – why then leave me on this earth when I can no longer placate You and suffer in the place of my neighbor? Since it is so, it is better if You let me die.” At that moment I saw another Person behind the shoulders of Blessed Jesus, and He told me, almost making a sign with His Eyes: “Present yourself to My Father and see what He tells you.” I presented myself, all trembling, and as soon as He saw me, He (God the Father) told me: “Why have you come to Me?” And I: “Adorable Goodness, Infinite Mercy, knowing that You are Mercy Itself, I have come to ask for Your Mercy – Mercy on Your very images, Mercy on the works Created by You; Mercy upon no other but Your creatures themselves.”…
