In 2017 my journey with St. Faustina deepened. It was my first pilgrimage to Poland and my first visit to the Divine Mercy Shrine. I was experiencing a very difficult moment in my life at the time. As we arrived at the shrine, a Sister from the Divine Mercy Shrine, began our tour with a brief history of St. Faustina in the Holy Cross Chapel. She spoke about her life, Jesus’s messages to her, her struggles and sufferings, and her Trust in our Merciful God. This discussion touched me deeply. After this presentation we went into Saint Faustina’s Chapel for mass. I was asked to do the reading that day. The reading was 1 Peter 1:1-11. I was reading as usual until I reached the words “though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials” (1 P 1: 6). I was unable to read it because I had quietly begun to cry thinking of my struggles and feeling shameful that I resisted this pain and suffering. As I stood there with my group all staring at my inability to speak, I thought my priest would come and “rescue me” but he sat quietly praying and waited for me to regain composure and finish the reading. I prayed for assistance and finished this meaningful reading properly. As I left mass, I felt interiorly this being said to me, “Never forget what you saw here”. From that day, I yearned to learn more, and more about St. Faustina. I prayed differently. I prayed to accept struggles and sufferings by doing them for Jesus. I know the crosses in life will continue to come, but Trust in knowing that all are for my benefit in some way. In Diary entry 1074, St. Faustina wrote: Tell (all people), My daughter, that I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself but radiates them to other souls.
Every day I feel thankful for the blessings I receive which I pray I see and am always open to. I pray I use these blessings and gifts given to me, for the spreading of God’s message of Mercy and Love to others in all that I do. I have not forgotten what I saw and felt in 2017! I am grateful for the Faustinum Association and pray that I will make a difference in others lives, even if only one, by sharing what I learn.