Liturgical Calendar

Saint of the day

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)

Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska was born in Poland in 1905. She was a member of a large family, and held odd jobs to help out before joining the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925. As a sister, Maria ministered to the needs of her sisters and the local people, and also had a profound personal spiritual life. She received revelations from Jesus, and wrote down his messages in her diary. When Jesus appeared to Maria, he stressed his mercy and forgiveness for sins acknowledged and confessed. This merciful Jesus differed from what most people thought Jesus to be--a strict judge. Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska died from tuberculosis on October 5, 1938. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

Reflection

Saint Maria's visions teach us how desperately Jesus loves us and wants to forgive us of our wrongs. If only we are willing to turn to Jesus and embrace his acceptance, we will immediately be accepted. Do you understand the extent to which Jesus loves you and wants to be in a close relationship with you? Take a moment to meditate on Jesus' mercy and forgiveness.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, help me to become more fully aware of the depths of your love and acceptance of me. Help me to love and accept others as you accept me.

Meditations

Meditation for Reading 1

Job asks God to explain himself - how could He have allowed such suffering and tribulation in Job's life? Instead of answering Job directly, God instead asks Job a series of questions: Have you ever commanded the sun to rise? Have you ever been in charge of life and death? Have you created and controlled the seas and oceans? Job is so humbled by these questions, that he quickly takes back the question he first posed. He realizes that God is God - that God's ways may be mysterious to us, but we know so little about the ways of the world - about the sun rising and setting, about the seas and oceans, about life and death - that we cannot possibly fathom any answer God would give us about the meaning of suffering. When Jesus comes, His suffering makes all other suffering and hardship significant: all the trials we face can be joined to the cross of Christ, and we can find redemption in the cross. Although God did not answer Job in the Old Testament, He gives a clear and powerful answer in the redemptive suffering of Jesus Christ.