Episode Transcript  

One

By His prayer and sacrifice, Jesus opened the way to Heaven. By Baptism, He makes us children of God. And God the Father wants to give all His children the joy of participating with Jesus in the work of redemption. He wants us all to play our part in helping others to receive the Mercy of God. 

Jesus said to Faustyna, “My daughter, I want to instruct you on how you are to rescue souls through sacrifice and prayer. You will save more souls through prayer and suffering than will a missionary through his teachings and sermons alone.” 1767

So on March 29th, 1934, she offered her life as a sacrifice for souls. Jesus responded, “I am giving you a share in the redemption of mankind.” 310

August 11th, 1934, Mary came to visit her. She was sad. Her eyes were cast down, but she made it clear that she wanted to say something. And yet…it was if she did not. Faustyna begged Mary to tell her and Mary looked at her with a warm smile and said, “You are going to experience certain sufferings because of an illness and the doctors. You will also suffer much because of the image. But do not be afraid of anything.” 316

The next day, August 12th, 1934, Faustyna fell ill with Tuberculosis (Diary 321). From that moment until the end of her life, four years later, October 5th, 1938, suffering was her constant companion, but she wasted none of it. In her diary, she wrote, “Illness also is a great grace. I have been ill for four months, but I do not recall having wasted so much as a minute of it. All has been for God and souls.”

Two

Jesus told Faustina, “I need your suffering to rescue sinners.” (1612)

“That night,” she writes, “almost all night I had such violent pains that it seemed all my intestines were torn to pieces. I threw up the medicine I had taken. When I bowed my head down to the ground, I lost consciousness and I stayed like that for some time, with my head on the floor. When I came to, I became aware that my whole body was pressing on my head and face, and that I was covered with vomit. I thought it would be the end of me…O my Jesus, do with me as You please. Only give me the strength to suffer. Since Your strength supports me, I shall bear everything. O souls, how I love you!” 1613

I was at Faustyna’s convent in Poland, speaking to one of the sisters about this (this sister actually looked a lot like Faustyna), and I asked her, “How could Faustyna do this? How did she have so much courage?” She cocked her head a little, looked at me and said, “You can do anything for the one you love.” I wanted to punch this good sister because with this reply, she put the dagger in me. She cut to the heart of my issue, I do not love as I should.

Faustyna loved Jesus and she loved souls. 

Three

Our Mission

In Colossians 1:24 St. Paul wrote, “It makes me happy to suffer for you, as I am suffering now, and in my own body to do what I can to make up all that is lacking in the suffering of Christ for the sake of his body, the Church.” But what on earth could be “lacking” in the sufferings of Christ? Only our participation. What St. Paul means by this passage is that Christ wants us to participate in His activity for His activity to have its full effect.

Christ’s preaching of the Gospel was perfect, but if we don’t preach the Gospel too, then His preaching won’t have its full effect. Christ’s prayer was perfect, but if we don’t pray too, then His prayer won’t have its full effect. And Christ’s suffering for souls was perfect, but if we don’t suffer for souls too, the way St. Paul did, then Christ’s suffering on the cross won’t have its full effect.

Jesus is inviting us to suffer with Him so that His suffering may have its full effect. So, when you face anything you did not choose, do not like, and cannot change, accept it with trust and offer it with love to God to help him rescue souls. 

Four

Jesus also wants to use our prayers to save souls. 

We all have family and friends who show little or no interest in God and we have great concern for them. Faustyna was no different. Listen to her experience with her sister, “My sister Wanda came to see me today.  When she told me of her plans, I was horror stricken.  How is such a thing possible?  Such a beautiful little soul before the Lord, and yet, great darkness had come over her, and she did not know how to help herself.  She had a dark view of everything.  The good God entrusted her to my care, and for two weeks I was able to work with her.  But how many sacrifices this soul cost me is known only to God.  For no other soul did I bring so many sacrifices and sufferings and prayers before the throne of God as I did for her soul. I felt that I had forced God to grant her grace.  When I reflect on all this, I see that it was truly a miracle.  Now I can see how much power intercessory prayer has before God.

Jesus said to Faustyna, “When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him the grace of conversion. This is the prayer: ‘O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.’” 187

On August 19th, 1917, Mary said to the three children, “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners; for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and pray for them.”

So let us join with Jesus in praying for the needs of all our family, friends, and strangers, especially for their conversion!

Five

Day Nine of the Novena to Divine Mercy 

“Today bring to Me souls who have become lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy.  These souls wound My Heart most painfully.  My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls.  They were the reason I cried out: “Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.”  For them, the last hope of salvation is to flee to My mercy.”

“Most Compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself.  I bring lukewarm souls into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart.  In this fire of Your pure love let these tepid souls, who like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame.  O Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into the very ardor of Your love; and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is beyond Your power.”

“Fire and ice cannot be joined; Either the fire dies, or the ice melts. But by Your mercy, O God, You can make up for all that is lacking.”

“Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls, who are nonetheless enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus.  Father of Mercy, I beg You by the bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross; Let them, too, glorify the abyss of Your mercy…..”

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.

• Even though this is the Easter season, we can still offer sacrifice by committing to give up our particular vices. Consider renewing your Lenten sacrifice.

• Consider practicing the heroic minute, waking up at your first alarm and dedicating the first moments of your day to prayer.

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