Saint Faustina, pray for us

Today is the anniversary of the death of Saint Faustina.  She knew that the revelations she received did not constitute holiness itself. She wrote in her diary: “Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will of God.”  Diary of Saint Faustina 1107

Sister Maria Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland, on October 5, 1938. Saint Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and canonized her seven years later. Saint Faustina's name is forever linked to the feast of the Divine Mercy, celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, the Divine Mercy chaplet and the Divine Mercy prayer recited each day by so many people at 3 o'clock, Mercy Hour.

"At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion."  Diary of Saint Faustina 1320

When Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina in 2000, he called her the "first saint of the new millennium."  Speaking of her and the importance of the messages in her Diary, the Pope called her "the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time."

At the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, this prayer is included at the 3 o'clock hour:

Saint Faustina, you told us that your mission would continue after your death and that you would not forget us.  Our Lord also granted you a great privilege, telling you to "distribute graces as you will, to who you will, and when you will."  Relying on this, we ask your intercession for the graces we need, especially for the intentions received through this ministry.  Help us, above all, to trust in Jesus as you did and thus to glorify His mercy every moment of our lives.  Amen.

Jesus, we trust in You. Saint Maria Faustina, pray for us.