St. Maria Faustina Kowalska was a poor and humble Polish nun famous for bringing Our Lord’s message of Divine Mercy to the world.
Many may assume that, as a close confidant of Jesus, St. Faustina must have enjoyed a privileged life of enormous grace and consolation.
While this is indeed true, it is only the sunny side of the story. As was the case for many of the saints, the consolation St. Faustina received from God was given to her for the purpose of sustaining her through terrible times of darkness.
The dark trials she experienced are hardly imaginable to most of us. In fact, St. Faustina knew that she was experiencing, in a spiritual sense, the very pains of hell. This great suffering she endured was part of Jesus’ mission for her to become His “Apostle of Divine Mercy” for poor sinners everywhere. He Himself endured this agony too, and St. Faustina was united with Him in His suffering.
Yet, despite her immense suffering, St. Faustina remained in the present moment, offering each moment of her day, both her joys and sorrows, to the Lord. Below is the powerful prayer St. Faustina would pray to aid her in this transformative act of surrender:
St. Faustina’s 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.
By surrendering her day to the Lord, St. Faustina was able to radically transform each moment into an instance of prayer and communion with God.
It is no surprise that St. Faustina would not only use these offerings for personal prayer but would often offer her days up for the poor souls in purgatory!
Holy Mother Church dedicates the coming month of November to the holy souls in purgatory. The St. Faustina Prayer Book for the Holy Souls in Purgatory is a wealth of spiritual tools including devotions, meditations, novenas, and prayers—coupled with the wisdom of St. Faustina—that you can use to join in the Church’s mission to help the poor souls get to heaven. Get yours today in celebration of St. Faustina’s feast day and have it in time for November! Available at The Catholic Company!
