Traditionally, on the eve of the Feast of Mercy, on Saturday, April 6 this year, at the Church of St. Faustina in Łódź at ul. Niepodległości, Festival of Mercy will be held in honor of St. Faustina, the patron saint of the city of Łódź. It will begin at 3 p.m. with prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Divine Mercy Chaplet, followed by a concert and singing together with the Sacred Music Ensemble “Lumen” from Poznań.

This year’s festivities will be a preparation for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the revelation that St. Faustina had in Łódź “Wenecja” park and in the Cathedral of St. Stanislaus Kostka, which will be celebrated on June 29 this year.

In the Catholic Church, Holy Saturday is a day of mourning after the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. In churches and chapels, the “Tomb of the Lord” is arranged, we adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, thanking Him for the work of Redemption and graces brought by the Cross for our salvation, and we beg for mercy for us and the whole world. At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in the morning, foods are blessed on the Christmas table. About 3:00 pm, prayer at the Hour of Mercy is observed, combined with the novena before the Feast of  Divine Mercy, followed by memoration of the descent of Jesus into the abyss. After nightfall, at 8:00 pm in front of the basilica, the rites of the Easter Vigil will begin with the Eucharist, where candles should be brought, because this liturgy renews our vows of baptism.

Allelujah!!! Jesus lives!!! He lives among us and in us, when we are in a state of grace. Love wins over sin and life over death.  Jesus overcame all evil and Satan, the enemy of man. Since then we can also can gain the victory over sin and human weakness through Jesus, and thus live more fully in communion with God. Let God’s mercy be praised in us and through us! We wish you all joyous celebration of this greatest mystery of our faith!

On the occasion of Easter and the Feast of Divine Mercy, the Sisters of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy would like to wish all our Benefactors, Associates supporting our apostolic works, as well as Visitors to the Congregation’s website and Members of the Facebook group of the Shrine of Divine Mercy. May you all experience a joyful encounter with the risen, merciful Lord. He is the One who brings peace which the world cannot give, fills our hearts with love and always bestows blessings, as we see Him in the Image which He instructed St. Faustina to paint. We also wish you all graces, and on the Feast of Mercy, may you be granted the greatest promise of Jesus, which is complete absolution from sins and punishment. Blessed Easter to you all!!!

The greatest miracles of Divine Mercy take place in the confessional, as they turn the death of sin to life. Jesus said to St. Sister Faustina: Tell souls where they are to look for solace; that is, in the Tribunal of Mercy [the Sacrament of Reconciliation] There the greatest miracles take place [and] are incessantly repeated. To avail oneself of this miracle, it is not necessary to go on a great pilgrimage or to carry out some external ceremony; it suffices to come with faith to the feet of My representative and to reveal to him one’s misery, and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores that soul in full. Oh, how miserable are those who do not take advantage of the miracle of God‟s mercy! You will call out in vain, but it will be too late (Diary, 1448). At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, priests stay in confessionals every day – from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm in the basilica (from Maundy Thursday until 5:45 pm), and 6:00 am-6:30 am and 4:30 pm-6:00 pm. Since in the Holy Week there are long queues to the confessionals, we recommend coming earlier to confess rather than wait the last days before Easter.

Trust. This distrust of My goodness hurts Me very much.  If My death has not convinced you of My love, what will? (Diary, 580), Jesus complained to St. Faustina. His life, teachings, and miracles most fully revealed the goodness of God and his merciful love to the world. And yet, it so difficult for us to trust in God, so deep is our wound of distrust left by the original sin and our personal sins. Sister Faustina lifts the veil of heaven so we can deepen our knowledge of God’s merciful love, most fully revealed by Jesus’ passion and death on the Cross. This knowledge awakens and grows an attitude of trust in us, which expresses itself in fulfilling God’s will contained in the Commandments, the word of God, duties of the state or inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The will of God, as St. Faustina used to say, is mercy itself, which is why she served it faithfully and prayed with the words: Should You take me in my youth, be blessed; should You let me live to a ripe old age, be blessed. Should You give me health and strength, be blessed; should You confine me to a bed of pain for my whole life, be blessed. Should you give only failures and disappointments in life, be blessed. Should You allow my purest intentions to be condemned, be blessed. Should You enlighten my mind, be blessed. Should You leave me in darkness and all kinds of torments, be blessed. From this moment on, I live in the deepest peace, because the Lord himself is carrying me in the hollow of His hand. He, Lord of unfathomable mercy, knows that I desire Him alone in all things, always and everywhere (Diary, 1264). Doing the will of God is not only an expression of trust in Him, but also a release from fear, pride and selfishness, that brings peace and joy to the heart, so that we can more fully live in the freedom as God’s children and to participate in the life and mission of Jesus. It is the shortest way to union with God in love.

Good Friday is the only day in the year when there is no Holy Mass, as the most perfect sacrifice was made by Jesus Himself at the Cross.  Jesus told St. Faustina in one of the many revelations associated with His Passion: On the cross, the fountain of My mercy was opened wide by the lance for all souls – no one have I excluded! (Diary, 1182). On Good Friday, the 3:00 pm prayer, recited at the moment of the agony of Jesus on the Cross (Hour of Mercy) the is celebrated in a particularly solemn manner at the Shrine of Divine Mercy and followed by the start of the novena before the Feast of Mercy (transmission available at: www.saint-faustina.org). After the novena, at approx. 3:30 pm, the Way of the Cross will be celebrated. The Good Friday Liturgy of the Passion will begin in the Basilica at 6:00 pm. After Adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion, an Eucharistic procession will set off to the Holy Sepulcher, which is traditionally arranged in the convents’ Chapel of the Passion. There will be a continual adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, which begins the Lenten Lamentations. On Good Friday, strict fasting and abstinence from all meat is required.

Holy Thursday is the day when we give thanks to merciful God for the gift of priesthood and the Eucharist. Jesus allowed me to enter the Cenacle, wrote St. Faustina about her mystical experience, and I was a witness to what happened there. However, I was most deeply moved when, before the Consecration, Jesus raised His eyes to heaven and entered into a mysterious conversation with His Father. It is only in eternity that we shall really understand that moment. His eyes were like two flames; His face was radiant, white as snow; His whole personage full of majesty, His soul full of longing. At the moment of Consecration, love rested satiated – the sacrifice fully consummated. Now only the external ceremony of death will be carried out – external destruction; the essence [of it] is in the Cenacle (Diary, 684).

At the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki, on Holy Thursday at 6:00 pm, Mass of the Lord’s Supper will be presided by Bishop Jan Zając, the honorary curator of the Shrine. The Holy Thursday liturgy will be completed by the procession of the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose, which traditionally arranged in the convent chapel of the miracle-famous image of Merciful Jesus and the tomb of St. Faustina. Adoration of Jesus in Repose will last all night.

Such is the theme of the retreat to be held at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki on March 22-24. The message will be the words of St. Faustina recorded in her Diary. “O Jesus, do with me whatever you please; I know You are my merciful Savior” (Diary, 854). In an atmosphere of silence and prayer the participants of the retreat will discover the beauty of the face of Merciful Jesus through His names which the Apostle of Divine Mercy used, or which He revealed to her Himself. Your guides during the retreat will be Sr. Emanuela Gemza of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, head of the Faustinum Association, and Fr. Krzysztof Kowal, M.S., spiritual director responsible for the La Salette postulate.

On March 22-24, a vocational retreat for girls and women will take place in the Discalced Carmelites monastery in Lorinčík near Košice in the south of Slovakia, themed “I will never leave you nor forsake you”: (Heb 13:5. It will be led by Father Andrej Valent OCD and Sr. Benediktína Fečová from the Košice community of the Congregation of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy.

March 24 is Passion Sunday, also celebrated as Palm Sunday, which starts the Holy Week. On this day, the account of Jesus Christ’s Passion is read from the Gospel during the Holy Mass. The Eucharist is preceded by a procession with colorful Polish palms as a celebration of the memory of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The palms symbolize the Divine life being reborn in the souls of the faithful. At the Shrine in Krakow-Łagiewniki, Bp. Jan Zając, priests, religious sisters and the faithful will leave the chapel of the miracle-famous Divine Mercy Image and the tomb of St. Faustina in a solemn procession with palms at 10:15 am and will proceed to the basilica, where Holy Mass will be celebrated. The evangelic description of Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem is supplemented by the account of St. Faustina’s visions from her Diary: I saw Jesus riding on a donkey’s foal, and the disciples and a great multitude with branches in their hands joyfully accompanying the Lord Jesus. Some strewed them before His feet where He was riding, while others raised their branches in the air, leaping and jumping before the Lord and not knowing what to do for joy. And I saw another crowd which came out to meet Jesus, likewise with joyful faces and with branches in their hands, and they were crying out unceasingly with joy. There were little children there also. But Jesus was very grave, and the Lord gave me to know how much He was suffering at the time. And at that moment, I saw nothing but only Jesus, whose Heart was saturated with ingratitude (Diary, 642). Jesus gave me to understand how much He had suffered in that triumphal procession. “Hosanna” was reverberating in Jesus’ heart as an echo of ‘Crucify’. Jesus allowed me to feel this in a special way (Diary, 1028).

On March 21-23, the parish of St. Anthony of Padua in Lipinki Łużyckie and the filial churches in Boruszyn and Pietrzykow (Zielona Góra-Gorzów Diocese) will hold a Lenten retreat for children, teens and adults dedicated to the Mercy of God and people. Based on the Bible and the spiritual experience of St. Faustina recorded in her Diary, it will be delivered by Sr. Leonia, Sr. Rachela and Sr. Mariam from the Płock community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.

On March 18-22, the parish of Our Lady of Częstochowa in Krakow’s Nowa Huta will hold a retreat for children from three elementary schools (Nos. 88, 91, 105) under the theme: “Explorers of the Buried Treasure”. They will be led by Sr. Maria Faustina and Sr. Tobiana from the Krakow community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, based on the Gospel and the spiritual legacy of St. Faustina.

The importance of daily choices. We may not realize just how much depends on our daily choices and taking on the cross every day to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. In fact, here in the earthly life, we get to decide about everything: not only about what is important for our personal, family, professional, social, or national lives… but above all, our eternal lives. We live on earth only to learn how to love, since eternity will consist of loving. And the cross is inscribed in the art of love: enduring of suffering, forgiveness, and sacrifice. The importance of the ability to carry the cross is important for eternal life, as Jesus told Sister Faustina.

Then I saw the Lord Jesus nailed to the cross. When He had hung on it for a while, I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands. The third were neither nailed to [their] crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me, Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory. Among the crucified souls, the most numerous were those of the clergy. I also saw some crucified souls whom I knew, and this gave me great joy. Jesus then said to me, In your meditation tomorrow, you shall think about what you have seen today Diary, 446).

On March 16-20, the parish of Divine Mercy in Żary (Zielona Góra-Gorzów Diocese) will hold Lenten retreat for children, teens and adults, dedicated to the Mercy of God and people. Based on the Bible and the spiritual experience of St. Faustina recorded in her Diary, it will be delivered by Sr. Leonia, Sr. Rachela and Sr. Mariam from the Płock community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy.

A retreat on the dignity of women will be held from March 15-17 at the parish of Saints Apostles Peter and Paul in Chkalovo under the theme Little girl, I say to you, get up! It will be delivered by Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko of the Petropavlovsk community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, Sr. Kazimiera Wanat and Sr. Madlen Hofmann. The retreat will include meeting with the word of God, conferences, and workshops.

On March 17, a Lenten day of recollection will be held at St. Margaret of Antioch parish in Plaveč and the Kozelec filial church (northeastern Slovakia), led by Sisters from the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy. The program includes conferences, Way of the Cross, praying the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet to Divine Mercy, and veneration of the relics of St. Faustina Kowalska.

Concern for the conversion of sinners. This is the greatest act of mercy, which has us keep in mind the eternal wellbeing of another human being. Sister Faustina, following Jesus’ example, even made the sacrifice of her life with this intention. The mystical experiences she met heaven, purgatory and hell, because she said that no sacrifice is too great to save a man for eternity. Jesus invited her – and through it well and us – to cooperate in the work of saving sinners, even those for which humanly speaking, there is no hope. Many times He asked: I thirst. I thirst for the salvation of souls. Help Me, My daughter, to save souls. Join your sufferings to My Passion; and offer them to the heavenly Father for sinners (Diary, 1032). The loss of each soul plunges Me into mortal sadness. You always console Me when you pray for sinners. The prayer most pleasing to Me; is prayer for the conversion of sinners. Know, My daughter, that this prayer is always heard and answered (Diary, 1397).

At the invitation of Jesus, Sister Faustina responded generously: O Jesus, I want to bring souls to the fount of Your mercy to draw the reviving water of life with the vessel of trust. The soul desirous of more of God’s mercy should approach God with greater trust; and if her trust in God is unlimited, then the mercy of God toward it will be likewise limitless. O my God, Who know every beat of my heart, You know how eagerly I desire that all hearts would beat for You alone, that every soul glorify the greatness of Your mercy (Diary, 1489).

On Friday, March 15, a Lenten day of recollection will be held at the parish of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Terchova in northern Slovakia. On the initiative of local members of the Faustinum Association, the day of recollection will be led by Sr. M. Blanka Krajčíková of the Košice community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. The meeting agenda includes conferences, Way of the Cross and veneration of relics of St. Faustina Kowalska.

On Tuesday, March 12, a Lenten day retreat for children from the István Széchenyiho Catholic Primary School will be held in Füzesabony, Hungary. Conferences on God’s merciful love toward us and on St. Faustina’s experience of Lent and the entire retreat will be delivered by Sr. M. Hedvig Uličná from the community of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Nižný Hrušov, Slovakia.

Works of mercy.  This fast is what God desires. The following event in the life of St. Faustina is among the things which can convince us of it: The doctor did not allow me to go to the chapel to attend the Passion Service, although I had a great desire for it; however, I prayed in my own room. Suddenly I heard the bell in the next room, and I went in and rendered a service to a seriously sick person. When I returned to my room, I suddenly saw the Lord Jesus, who said, My daughter, you gave Me greater pleasure by rendering Me that service than if you had prayed for a long time. I answered, But it was not to You, Jesus, but to that patient that I rendered this service. And the Lord answered me, Yes, My daughter, but whatever you do for your neighbor, you do for Me (Diary, 1029).

Jesus instructed St. Faustina, and through her, all of us, that there are three ways to provide good to our neighbors: by deed, word, and prayer. He said: In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy. (Diary, 742). Jesus asked Sister Faustina to do at least one act of mercy towards her neighbors during a day, and do it out of love for Him. This is the only wealth on earth that has eternal value. It makes us beautiful in our humanity and our Christian vocation, but also rich before God.

Mary, Mother of the Son of God, Mercy Incarnate and Mother of each of us. Ultimately beautiful in her love for God and man. A role model for every girl, mother and consecrated person. That is why we direct our prayers of thankfulness and supplication. To read more about the most beautiful of Women, Our Lady of Mercy, her veneration, iconography, liturgy and prayers, visit: www.saint-faustina.org.

Such is the theme of the retreat for women of the Kostanay deanery in Kazakhstan to be held on March 1-3 at the parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lisakovsk. The topic of the meeting will be woman’s dignity. It will be delivered by Sr. Anastasis Omelchenko of the Petropavlovsk community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy, Sr. Madlen Hofmann and Fr. Hans Reiner. The retreat will feature Bible meditations, lectures and workshops.

Meditating on the Passion of Jesus. During Lent, we consider the suffering of Jesus, which He took upon Himself out of love for us and for our salvation, more often than in other times of the year. We participate in the devotion of the cross and Bitter Lamentations, and we read the Scriptures that announce and describe the paschal events. Jesus instructed Faustina, and through her all of us, to consider His Passion in such a way as if it took place only for her sake (cf. (Diary, 1761). He explained: There is more merit to one hour of meditation on My sorrowful Passion than there is to a whole year of flagellation that draws blood; the contemplation of My painful wounds is of great profit to you, and it brings Me great joy 369). My daughter, meditate frequently on the sufferings which I have undergone for your sake, and then nothing of what you suffer for Me will seem great to you. You please Me most when you meditate on My Sorrowful Passion. Join your little sufferings to My Sorrowful Passion, so that they may have infinite value before My Majesty (Diary, 1512). Following these indications of Jesus, Sister Faustina penetrated deeply into the mystery of the merciful love of God for every man and thanked Jesus for the Book from which she learned to love God and people. That book is Your Passion which You underwent for love of me. It is from this book that I have learned how to love God and souls. In this book there are found for us inexhaustible treasures. O Jesus, how few souls understand You in Your martyrdom of love! Oh, how great is the fire of purest love which burns in Your Most Sacred Heart! Happy the soul that has come to understand the love of the Heart of Jesus! (Diary, 304).

From February 28 to March 1, Sister Terezjana and Sister Tobiana from the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will lead a Lenten retreat for children from primary school No. 221. The retreat will take place at the Sanctuary of Saint Sister Faustina in Warsaw, and their topic will be: “Faith, hope and love in the light of the message of Mercy”.

The annual National Conference on Divine Mercy will be held in Dublin on February 23-25 under the slogan: “Jesus, I trust in You.” This time it will be attended by Sister Mary Claire and Sister Donata from two communities of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy in the USA, who will give several speeches related to the spiritual heritage of Saint Sister Faustina. The event will be broadcast live.

Such is the motto of a retreat for apostles of Divine Mercy, which will be held on February 23-25 at the Retreat House of the Pauline Fathers at the Shrine of Our Lady of Victory in Brdów. The program includes daily Eucharist, adoration of the Holy Sacrament, and conferences giving the opportunity to learn more about the mercy of God the Father. The retreat is held in an atmosphere of silence and recollection, without access to the media and cell phones, in order to hear in silence the stirrings of God’s Spirit (cf. Diary, 145). It will be delivered by Sr. Maria Faustyna Ciborowska and Sr. Emanuela Gemza from the community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy at the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki.

On February 24-25, Sister Caterina Esselen from the Washington community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy will take part in the annual Conference on the Divine Mercy in Trinidad, which is organized under the slogan: “This is my beloved Son, listen to Him.” Sister Caterina will share the spiritual heritage of Saint Sister Faustina recorded in her “Diary”

During spring break from February 18-20 in the parish of St. Nicholas in Domaniži, Slovakia, there will be a retreat for girls of the second grade of primary school. The retreat on Saint Sister Faustina as an apostle of Divine Mercy will be led by Sister Blanka Krajčíková and Sister Alžbeta Mikušová from the Košice community of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy. The program includes conferences, workshops, adoration, a film about Saint Faustina, a common rosary and testimonies.

Febuary 17 this year (third Saturday of the month) at the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Krakow-Łagiewniki there will be a monthly meeting of the Krakow community of the Association of Apostles of Divine Mercy “Faustinum”. The program includes, among others: prayer at the Hour of Mercy and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Eucharist and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament with prayer of adoration, as well as a conference and agape.

The “Faustinum” Association, established in 1996 by the Metropolitan of Krakow, Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, as an apostolic work of the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, brings together priests, consecrated persons and lay people from almost 90 countries around the world, who, following the example of St. Sisters Faustina want to participate in Jesus’ mission of proclaiming the Message of Mercy to the world through their testimony of life, deed, word and prayer. The main task of “Faustinum” is the formation of apostles of Divine Mercy, which the sisters conduct in several languages. More information at: www.faustinum.pl