A modern day mystic, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska received visions and a mission from Jesus to spread a message of his mercy for us. When her confessor was too busy to hear all she wanted to tell him, he told her to write everything down, which is how we now have her innermost thoughts and the words that Jesus spoke to her. While her diary can be somewhat challenging to read, Day by Day with Saint Faustina: 365 Reflections by Susan Tassone will gently guide us through some of the most profound words written by the saint.
Broken down to reflection each day, we receive the title, the diary excerpt, reflection and prayer. Each one ends with the words inscribed at the bottom of the Divine Mercy image, “Jesus, I trust in You.”
April 1 – Christ’s “Easter Gift”
Easter. During Mass, I thanked the Lord Jesus for having deigned to redeem us and for having given us that greatest of all gifts; namely His love in Holy Communion; that is, His very own Self. At that moment, I was drawn into the bosom of the Most Holy Trinity, and I was immersed in the love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These moments are hard to describe
Diary, 1670
Reflection: How does Jesus love us? When St. Faustina counts the ways, “Holy Communion, that is His very own Self,” tops the list as “the greatest gift of all gifts.” A gift He continues to offer to us.
Prayer: Thank you for redeeming me, Dear Christ. Thank you, Risen Lord, for offering me Yourself in the Eucharist.
Jesus, I trust in You.
July 17 – Thanks, but…
My Jesus, how good and patient You are! You often look upon us as little children. We often beg You, but we don’t know what for, because towards the end of the prayer, when You give us what we have asked for, we do not want to accept it.
Diary, 1524
Reflection: Aren’t we fickle children of God? Asking, and finally getting; and then saying, “No, thanks.” Perhaps (our patient) God is hoping we’ll learn to ask for what’s best for us. Ask for what He wants us to have, what He’s always wanted for us.
Prayer: What do I want today, Dear Lord? Surprise me. You know best.
Jesus, I trust in You.
August 20 – Not our concern
The Lord said to me, “It should be of no concern to you how anyone else acts; you are to be My living reflection, through love and mercy.” I answered, “Lord, but they often take advantage of my goodness.”
“That makes no difference, My daughter. That is no concern of yours. As for you, be always merciful toward other people, and especially toward sinners.“
Diary, 1446
Reflection: We do something really nice for someone, at no small cost of effort on our part, and they don’t even say “Thanks.” Or worse, they complain about it because it’s not enough or exactly what they wanted. To which Jesus replies: “That makes no difference, [insert your name here]. That is no concern of yours.”
Prayer: Help me to always be merciful toward other people, Lord. Even toward….well, You know. And help me to be a person filled with gratitude. Thank you. (Have I said that lately?)
Jesus, I trust in You.
The wonderful gift of this book is that through the words of St. Faustina, we are taught how to pray. Many of us struggle how to talk to Jesus, and instead will avoid praying because we don’t know how to do it or don’t know what to say. St. Faustina had such a beautiful relationship with our Lord in that her words reflect the same emotion and feelings we have but we struggle to put into words. Day by Day with Saint Faustina: 365 Reflections by Susan Tassone gives us the words to pray each day, guiding us to deeper relationship with Jesus and truly feeling his mercy and love for us.
