Kazimiera
My path to follow Merciful Jesus has started by buying Sister Faustina’s “Diary”. At first I was delighted because I read it quickly and put it on the shelf, like every book I read. It took a long time. In difficult moments of my life, I reached back to reading some selected fragments that I referred to myself and perceived completely differently than before, because I found refreshment for myself in my life situations.
I became more involved in the matters of the Church, especially in my parish: prayer and various religious practices. And so the desire to enter a Congregation arose, but I could not decide on anything and again it took a long time. Finally, I had a desire to go on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, and in my heart I felt that Mary was inviting me there, and I had no doubts.
During the pilgrimage, I met Ms. Basia from the vicinity of Warsaw, who invited me to visit her and gave me a proposal to come back to Warsaw at ul. Żytnia, for the beginning of the formation of the “Faustinum”. For me it was something new and incomprehensible, so I decided to come, although I thought in advance that it was not my ability, moreover it was a distance (160 km).
I came for a specific day when the “Faustinum” formation began. Being already there, in front of the building, I stared at the outer wall of the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and noticed the image of St. Faustina and underneath the inscription:
“It is to this place that I called you and nowhere else; and I have prepared many graces for you.”
These were the words of the Lord Jesus addressed to Sister Faustina, but I took these words to myself, which stuck deeply in my heart. After crossing the threshold of the monastery, my meeting with Merciful Jesus took place in the painting “Jesus, I trust in You”, here I felt the love and closeness of Jesus, as if I had known Him for a long time, and I immediately thought that here is my place, which I had been looking for so long and had no doubts that Mary directed me here to Her Son.
Despite my difficulties, I entrusted Jesus through the Heart of Mary. And this is how my Faustinum formation began in 1998 and continues to this day.
After a year, I became a member of “Faustinum”. After completing 4 years of formation, I passed the exam test and received the badge of the Association of the Apostles of Divine Mercy.
I still came to Warsaw once a month at ul. Żytnia , for permanent formation and I joined the annual promises for 5 years, and in the next 6-year in 2015 I made my perpetual vows, devoting myself entirely to the service of Merciful Jesus.
Jesus, I trust in you!
Mariusz
I have been in the Association for a short time, basically since November last year, but I wanted to write a few short sentences because I am extremely grateful to God for this gift. The very message of God’s mercy in the forms communicated by St. Faustina are very close to me and for a long time I wanted to join the mission undertaken by the “Faustinum” Association. Listening to the reflections on the love and infinite mercy of God, I often pondered the words: …”My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to
fathom it throughout all eternity” (Diary 699). This confession, recorded by Sister Faustina, stuck deeply in my heart. In retrospect, I look at every moment of my life, both happy and worst moments, as shown me the great mercy of God. I know He was with me every day, even when my eyes were not fixed on Him. (…)
I am extremely grateful to God for every day of my life and I place my trust in Him. The more so because on my way, like every human being, I encounter all difficulties, even if I have a hard time suffering from coronavirus. This situation made me trust him even more. During my illness, the uncertainty of tomorrow was sometimes difficult, but in my heart I was calm and completely devoted to God – after all, the Lord Jesus himself said: ”The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I Myself take care of it”(Diary 1273).
In this Association, I want to learn about the mystery of God’s Mercy, try to fulfill God’s will and that, following the example of all volunteers and members, as many people as possible could see this image of the infinitely good God.
Barbara
from Maków Podhalański
I am in the “Faustinum” Association because staying here gives me strength in faith, peace and God’s joy. The merciful God brought me here, here I received from Him deep faith and the gift of prayer, the gift of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. (…)
There was a time in my life when the Lord Jesus was somewhere at the end. I had time for everything, but not enough time for prayer. Neither in the morning nor in the evening. Over the grave of my sister, who died at the age of 47 of cancer, I began to reflect on my own life and eternity. In His mercy, God gave me the grace of yearning to change. I decided to change, but it didn’t work out. I really couldn’t cope.
I started looking for help and joined a teaching community in a nearby parish. Then it was led by Fr. Roman. One day he organized a trip for us to his town. It was an amazing day for me. All filled with prayer. First a confession, then a Holy Mass, then the Way of the Cross, up 3 km to the forest. I was very happy.
(…) In October 1996, the vicar gave us the news about the new “Faustinum” Association, which was being created, he said that it would be something serious. He personally took me and my friend to the first meeting.
I remember well the first words of Fr. John Popiel, then addressed to us: “You are not here by accident, God chose you to be apostles of God’s Mercy.”
This is how I became an apostle of Divine Mercy. From then on, my great adventure with the Lord Jesus began. Various things started to happen. Thanks to them, I believed deeply in God’s power. Father Leszek not only took me to Łagiewniki, but it can be said that thanks to him I met my permanent confessor. This year it will be 25 years that I have used his ministry. I received a great grace from God, undeserved. (…)
“Faustinum” is the meaning of my life, it is a great joy to be in this Community, here the Sisters speak so beautifully about God’s love and glorify Merciful Jesus. This is the place where I gain strength to be an apostle of Divine Mercy.
Fr. Paweł
the spiritual guardian of the community
in Nowy Sącz
I am in the “Faustinum” Association because when I came to the parish of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception in Nowy Sącz, I was assigned spiritual care for this community of people. I must admit that it made me very happy because the worship of Divine Mercy is especially close to me. Already in the seminary, I belonged to the Brotherhood of Mercy, later in my priestly life I was willing to engage in various works of mercy, and for some time everything I do – I do according to the three words: “Jesus, I trust in You”. Total trust in God and practicing acts of mercy towards others – these are the main tasks and assumptions of the Association, which this year celebrates its silver jubilee. For this reason, I wish to all members and volunteers of the “Faustinum” Association that the daily life of the contemporary Apostles of Mercy, filled with an attitude of frequent gazing at the Merciful Lord, lead them to personal holiness.
With the assurance of prayer.
Grzegorz
I am in the “Faustinum” Association because, as I am convinced, God has given me this gift in His goodness, and therefore I can shape my life in the spirit of God’s Mercy.
I’ve been in “Faustinum” for a short time, just for a year. It was like this with my entry into the Faustinum Society: At some point in my life, God granted me the grace of turning to Him fully (the grace of conversion). Then my eyes were opened to many things, a great joy and peace prevailed in my heart, so I decided to thank the Lord for this grace, among others, by making a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Divine Mercy in Krakow Łagiewniki.
Before coming to Łagiewniki, I wanted to get to know the schedule of services, I also wanted to learn something about the Sanctuary itself. This is how I found the faustyna.pl website and found there all the information I was looking for and much more.
While browsing this page, I found tabs describing the essence and forms of the devotion to the Divine Mercy given to the world by the Lord Jesus through St. Faustina, as well as information about St. Faustina, her life, spirituality, charism, mission of proclaiming the message of Mercy, and for the first time I came across the Diary. The reading caused a great stir in my heart, much of this content was simply “written and engraved” in it. Which, together with the personal experience of God’s Mercy, completely changed my life and focused it entirely on God, on living His love in an attitude of trust.
From that time on, I started to practice the Divine Mercy devotion regularly and read the Diary.
Getting to know God in the mystery of His Mercy made me a very happy man, it made me realize how generously I am by the Creator. In a completely different way, I also look with trust and hope at the difficulties, troubles and worries that appear in my life. I realized how important and more than once needed in human life is suffering and adversities. All this made me fall in love with God’s Mercy, I also wanted to share this love with people. I wanted to change my life and shape it so that I could be an apostle of God’s Mercy for others. My particular attention from the very beginning, as soon as I read about it, was also “Faustinum”. There was a thought that someday in the future, when I arrange my life, I should enter the “Faustinum”.
Since my first pilgrimage, I started coming to Łagiewniki every month (I live in Chorzów).
After a few months, during one of such “pilgrimages”, I acquired the quarterly “Message of Mercy” and immediately started to browse it. An article about “Faustinum” caught my attention and I thought again that one day I would like to belong to it.
At the end of this pilgrimage, just before leaving, I decided to stop by for a moment to the Chapel of Perpetual Adoration to thank and say goodbye to Jesus. And while I was praying there, I felt the presence of God very clearly, a great joy, and a thought came to me in which I completely plunged myself – not to postpone the question of joining the Faustinum Society for some time, for an undefined future, for it to be now. (…)
This is how it all turned out that I attended the first meeting of the Krakow Faustinum community in December. I talked to Sister Diana, it was also a special meeting on Christmas Eve and after the third meeting I was formally accepted as a volunteer.
After a year of time, I can see how many graces I have received from the Lord through this wonderful work of God and the people who are involved in it. Through meetings both in Krakow and online due to recent pandemics.
Therefore, I am in the “Faustinum” Association, because I hope that thanks to this I will continue to become a better person, more and more devoted to God and useful for people, for the Church. I believe that “Faustinum” helps me to get to know God’s Mercy more and more deeply and thus shape my life in accordance with God’s will. I would also like to be able to fully share the love and joy flowing from the mystery of God’s Mercy with people and I believe that I will learn it here.
JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU
Thank you to all “Faustinum” and best regards
Zbigniew
Sweden
I am in the “Faustinum” Association because I wanted to become an ardent Apostle, Apostle of Mercy and with great enthusiasm to spread God’s Mercy to God through deed, word, prayer and connection for Jesus Christ. He is our only Savior and Mediator. He is Mercy. I have trusted him completely, because I know that it is worth to live for Jesus Christ and also die for Him.
