Saints
St. Maria Faustina
St. Maria Faustina Biography
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, also known as Saint Faustina, was a Polish Catholic nun who lived in the 20th century. Born on August 25, 1905 in Glogowiec, Poland, she was one of 10 children in a poor family. From a young age, she felt called to serve God and to become a nun.
In 1924, at the age of 19, St. Maria Faustina entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, where she took the name Sister Maria Faustina. She spent the next 14 years of her life serving in various convents in Poland, performing menial tasks and spending much of her time in prayer and meditation.
In 1931, St. Maria Faustina began experiencing profound religious visions and mystical experiences. She believed that God was calling her to spread the message of His mercy to the world and she began keeping a diary in which she recorded her visions and her conversations with God.
In her diary, St. Maria Faustina recorded a message that God had given her, in which He asked her to promote the Divine Mercy devotion and the idea of God’s love and mercy to the world. She believed that this message was particularly important for the times in which she lived, as the world was then on the brink of war.
St. Maria Faustina’s diary became the basis for the Divine Mercy devotion, which has since become an important devotion within the Catholic Church. This devotion emphasizes God’s love and mercy, and encourages people to trust in God’s mercy and to seek it in times of need.
In 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized St. Maria Faustina as a saint, recognizing her as a woman of deep faith and a powerful spiritual leader. Her feast day is celebrated on October 5th, and many people ask for her intercession, especially for the protection of the Church, guidance, and the healing of the sick.
St. Maria Faustina’s diary is considered one of the most important spiritual works of the 20th century and is still widely read and studied today. Her message of God’s love and mercy continues to inspire people around the world, her teachings
St. Faustina Summary
St. Faustina and St. Jovita were siblings, of a noble family. During the persecution of the Christians in Lombardy under the Emperor Hadrian, while the Bishop was in hiding. Faustina and Jovita fearlessly preached the Christian Faith, their unbounded zeal excited the fury of the authorities. Neither threats nor torments were able to shake their constancy after being arrested by Julian, a non-Christian ruler.
When the Emperor passed through Brescia and learned of their loyalty to Christ, he intended that the two brothers be beheaded. Thus they suffered martyrdom about the year 121. The city of Brescia honors them as its chief Patrons, possessing their relics, whilst a very ancient church in that city bears their names.
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Prayers to St. Maria Faustina
Prayer of Intercession to St. Maria Faustina
O St. Faustina, Apostle of Divine Mercy, you received profound revelations of God’s boundless love and mercy. I ask for your intercession, that I may deepen my understanding of Divine Mercy and trust in the loving kindness of God. Help me to have faith in God’s mercy and to reflect that mercy to all I encounter in my life. Amen.
Prayer to St. Maria Faustina
Dear St. Faustina, you were a shining example of faith and devotion to God’s Divine Mercy. I ask for your guidance, as I strive to live my life in the light of this mercy, that I may always show compassion and forgiveness to others, and that I may trust in God’s endless mercy and love. Help me to spread this message of Divine Mercy to others, as you were called to do. Amen.
Prayer to St. Faustina
O Lord Jesus, I turn to You through the intercession of St. Faustina. I pray that through her holy life and love for You, I may come to know Your mercy more deeply. Help me to trust in Your mercy and to never lose hope, but to always turn to You in times of need.
Prayer to St. Faustina
St. Faustina, you were chosen by God to spread the message of His divine mercy to the world. Through your writings and revelations, you have inspired countless people to trust in the boundless love and mercy of our Lord. I ask for your intercession that I too may experience this love and mercy in my own life.
Prayer to St. Faustina
Dear St. Faustina, you have been called the “Secretary of Mercy” because of your close relationship with Jesus. I ask for your help in living my life in a way that reflects His mercy and love. Help me to be a reflection of His love and mercy to those around me and to always trust in His divine plan for my life.
Why is St. Maria Faustina the patron saint of Divine Mercy?
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska is the patron saint of Divine Mercy. She is recognized by the Catholic Church as the apostle of Divine Mercy, who received a series of visions and revelations from Jesus Christ in the early 20th century, in which he urged her to spread devotion to the Divine Mercy and to promote the Divine Mercy Novena, a special prayer that is recited for nine days leading up to the Feast of the Divine Mercy, which is celebrated on the Sunday after Easter Sunday.
In her visions, Jesus also revealed to St. Faustina the image of Divine Mercy, which shows Jesus with red and white rays emanating from his heart, symbolizing the blood and water that flowed from his side when he was crucified. Jesus instructed St. Faustina to have the image painted and to promote its veneration as a source of grace and salvation for humanity.
St. Faustina was canonized by the Catholic Church in 2000 and was also declared a “Secretary of Divine Mercy” by Pope John Paul II, in recognition of her role in spreading the devotion to Divine Mercy, which has become an important part of the Catholic Church’s spiritual life.
St. Maria Faustina’s message of Divine Mercy is one of hope, that God is merciful and loving towards all humanity, regardless of their sins and transgressions. She encourages all to trust in God’s mercy and to have faith that through His love and sacrifice, we can obtain redemption and eternal life.
Miracles of St. Maria Faustina
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Healing of a terminally ill woman: One of the most well-known miracles attributed to St. Maria Faustina is the story of a terminally ill woman who was cured after invoking her intercession. According to the story, the woman had been given up for dead by her doctors, but her family invoked St. Maria Faustina’s intercession and the woman was miraculously healed.
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Healing of a young girl: Another miracle attributed to St. Maria Faustina is the story of a young girl who was suffering from a rare genetic disorder. The girl’s parents invoked St. Maria Faustina’s intercession and the girl’s condition was miraculously improved.
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Healing of a child: Many people have claimed that St. Maria Faustina healed their children from serious illnesses. Some parents invoked her during childbirth and their children were born healthy, others invoked her when their children were sick and they were healed soon after.
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Healing of a man with cancer: One of the most well-known miracles attributed to St. Maria Faustina is the story of a man who was suffering from cancer. The man’s family invoked St. Maria Faustina’s intercession and the man’s cancer was miraculously cured.
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Healing of a woman with a serious illness: Another miracle attributed to St. Maria Faustina is the story of a woman who was suffering from a serious illness. The woman’s family invoked St. Maria Faustina’s intercession and the woman was miraculously healed.
Quotes by St. Maria Faustina
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“I urge you to spread devotion to My mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy.” -
“Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet…I will not reject a contrite heart.”
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“The greater the misery of a soul, the greater its right to My mercy.”
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“I have opened My Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be confirmed in good.”
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“My mercy is greater than your sins and those of the entire world. Who can measure the extent of My goodness? For you I descended from heaven to earth; for you I allowed Myself to be nailed to the cross; for you I let My Sacred Heart be pierced with a lance, thus opening wide the source of mercy for you. Come then, with trust to draw graces from that fountain. I never reject a contrite heart.”
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“I am the Risen Jesus, alive in My love for you. I see your needs, I hear your pleas, I know your sufferings. I am with you always, to lighten your burden, to strengthen your faith, to help you to trust in My Mercy.”
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“Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart. I use punishment when they themselves force Me to do so; My hand is reluctant to take hold of the sword of justice.”
Children’s Story about the life of St. Maria Faustina
In a small village in Poland, there lived a young girl named Maria Faustina. From a young age, Maria had a special love for God. She would often pray and read the Bible, and she felt that God was calling her to do something special with her life.
As she grew older, Maria decided to become a nun. She joined a convent and spent her days praying, studying the Bible, and doing good works. But, one day, while she was praying, something very special happened. Jesus appeared to her and spoke to her. He told her that He loved her very much and that He wanted her to spread the message of His Divine Mercy to the world.
Maria was very excited by this message and she knew that she had to share it with everyone. She wrote down everything that Jesus had told her and shared it with her fellow nuns and the priest. They were amazed by the message of Divine Mercy and they believed that Maria had truly received a special message from Jesus.
Maria spent the rest of her life spreading the message of Divine Mercy. She went from village to village, telling people about God’s love and His mercy. She wrote many books and made many paintings of Jesus, so that people could see how much He loved them.
Years passed, and Maria grew old. One day she became very ill, but she wasn’t afraid, because she knew that Jesus was with her and He would take care of her. And, indeed, He did. Maria died peacefully, knowing that she had fulfilled the mission that Jesus had given her.
St. Maria Faustina was a woman of great faith, who received a special message from Jesus. She dedicated her life to spreading the message of Divine Mercy, teaching people about God’s boundless love and compassion, and the importance of forgiveness and compassion towards others. Her story is an inspiration to all to have faith in God’s mercy and to reflect that mercy in our lives.
Reflection on the Feast of St. Maria Faustina
Today, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Maria Faustina on October 5
The Feast of St. Maria Faustina, celebrated on October 5th, is an opportunity for us to reflect on the life and message of this remarkable Saint, who was an Apostle of Divine Mercy. St. Faustina received a series of visions and revelations from Jesus, in which He urged her to spread devotion to the Divine Mercy and to promote the Divine Mercy Novena.
One aspect of St. Faustina’s life that we can reflect on is her unwavering faith in God’s mercy. Through her visions, Jesus revealed to her the depth and the breadth of His mercy, and she in turn, conveyed this message of hope to others. It is a reminder that despite our sins and transgressions, God’s love and mercy are always available to us.
Another aspect of St. Faustina’s life that we can reflect on is her devotion to spreading the message of Divine Mercy. She went to great lengths to ensure that others understood and accepted the message of God’s love and mercy. Her example reminds us that our faith is not meant to be kept to ourselves, but to be shared with the world.
As we celebrate St. Faustina’s feast day, we are also reminded of the importance of the Divine Mercy novena, a special prayer that is recited for nine days leading up to the Feast of the Divine Mercy. It serves as an opportunity for us to reflect on God’s mercy, ask for forgiveness, and extend compassion to others.
Next up: Biography of St. Maria Goretti
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