Really lovely documentary film about the life of St Faustina and the emergence of Devotion to Divine Mercy.
Wonderful documentary film, Padraig! When Peter and John raced to the Tomb that first Easter morning, they found not only the Shroud of Turin, but also the Sudarium, currently in Oviedo, Spain; the cloth which covered the face of Jesus when His Sacred Body was transported to the grave. When these two cloths were scientifically studied in the last few decades it was found, among other things, that the facial proportions on both exactly align when analyzing the eyes, nose, and mouth! What the documentary above also reveals is that the face of Jesus on the original Divine Mercy image has the exact same proportions. So, did the artist refer to the other two images? No! The artist painted only according to the directions of St. Faustina! As a matter of fact, he was also a Freemason, who had no apparent spiritual motivation other than a job! God is not only amazing, He has a sense of humor, too. Jesus I trust in You!
As far as I recall the image fulfilled the scripture. 'A Prophet is never accepted in his own home. '. I think it was first venerated in a little Church in Lithuania. I was touched when it mentioned that St Faustina had a reputation in the convent of being a joker. When I visited their home city of Kracow in Poland I saw them walk towards me, St Faustina and Pope St John Paul, to greet me and it seemed almost as if they were dancing. I was on my way to visit the Divine Mercy Shrine early in the morning. They both seemed so full of great joy. The shrine is lovely.
I woke up this evening and lay in bed a while praying to the saints. I love to do this. I have been reading about them from childhood and praying to them and so they have become real friends. Some of them perhaps more than others. This is such a Catholic thing to do in line with what we are taught as the Communion of the Saints. Tonight I thought of waiting outside the Cure of Ars little Parish Church and kneeling on the ground asking for a blessing as he walked by. He did so and placed his hand on my head looked intently at me with a smile. In short he took a loving interest. Certainly I knew him, but he knew me too. I love these meditations this reaching out to the Saints , it makes them come alive.
Praying to saint faustina for help there is a part of the diary about what she called "the trial of trials- abandonment and despair " not sure what number it is on the diary. Perhaps people may be familiar with it. I was thinking i might be going through something similar.
Whatever I am going through at the moment anyway feels like my mind has gone into meltdown and feeling of abandonment. I hope this passes. I feel hopeless and that I am on the wrong track completely. I find I can't turn to anyone to relieve this.
I know you are suffering so greatly and I am sorry. Remember that feelings aren’t facts. Praying for you. Thanks for checking in with us.
I love that you were welcomed to Krakow by two great saints. It reminds me of a visit to Rome with a close friend who has chronic illness. It was her first visit. She had a similar experience of being welcomed to the city by Ss Pio, Gemma Galgani and Pope John Paul II. She has a devotion to the first two.
Just seen the film and am so moved by it. I’m going to send the link to friends and family who will love it. It’s so edifying. I found it so bittersweet, so sad, that Fr Sopocko died feeling his work had borne no fruit.
From Totus Tuus page today: In the early 1980s, Maureen Digan from Massachusetts was facing a terminal diagnosis of Milroy’s disease (a severe form of lymphedema).... ...The painful, incurable condition had already led to the amputation of one leg, and doctors recommended amputating the other. She had undergone dozens of operations and lived with constant suffering. With little hope left, Maureen, her husband Bob, their son, and Fr. Seraphim Michalenko, MIC, traveled to Poland. On March 28, 1981, they stood before the tomb of the then-Venerable Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska at the Shrine of Divine Mercy near Kraków. There, Maureen prayed for St. Faustina’s intercession. Almost immediately, the intense pain drained from her body, and the swelling in her remaining leg began to subside. By the next day, her leg had returned to normal size—something her doctors had said was impossible. Upon returning to the United States, Maureen was examined by five independent doctors, who confirmed there was no medical explanation for her complete healing. The case underwent rigorous investigation by the Vatican’s Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints. After review by medical experts, theologians, and bishops, the Church officially recognized it as a miracle through St. Faustina’s intercession. This miracle paved the way for St. Faustina’s beatification in 1993 by Pope St. John Paul II (and her canonization in 2000). ---------------- Today, decades later, Maureen and Deacon Bob Digan continue to share how God’s mercy touched their lives in an extraordinary way. “Jesus, I trust in You!”
St. Faustina is one of my favorite saints. When faced with an issue, I open her diary (Divine Mercy in My Soul) at random and often find an entry that addresses my concern. Most of the time, the entry quotes the message of Jesus, heard by St. Faustina as an interior locution. Here is a free online version of Divine Mercy in My Soul: https://liturgicalyear.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/divine-mercy-in-my-soul.pdf
