JESUS TRUSTS IN YOU JESUS TRUSTS IN YOU AN EXTRAORDINARY BOOK ON DIVINE MERCY ZACCHAEUS, WRITE YOUR NAME COME DOWN QUICKLY, FOR TODAY I MUST OF GOD WITH THE MERCY STAY AT YOUR HOUSE COMEAND DOWN LIVE THEFROM ADVENTURE THE TREE Lk 19:5 143 TABLE 9 FEAST OF CONTENTS OF DIVINE MERCY INTRODUCTION MESSAGE THE HOUR OF MERCY TO YOUTH 135 THE SHRINE OF DIVINE 159 153 23 MERCY THE WAY OF MERCY MEDITATION 227229 CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY HOW DO I CONFESS? 127 ST. SISTER 185 FAUSTINA CONFESSION THE SACRAMENT OF MERCY X 43 ST. JOHN PAUL II DIVINE MERCY 63 QUESTIONS? & ANSWERS DIVINE MERCY IMAGE “JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU” 81 115 INTRODUCTION WORD FROM METROPOLITAN OF KRAKÓW TO PARTICIPANTS OF THE THE THIRTY-FIRST WORLD YOUTH DAY KRAKÓW 2016 I WELCOME you to the country which, through the baptism of Prince Mieszko I in 966, opened itself up to the Gospel… AND ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS ITS LORD 10 AND SAVIOUR O GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, We invite young people from all over the world to our Polish FOR HE IS GOOD; Cenacle where we reserve an important place for the Lord’s HIS MERCY Mother. Mary carries the title of the Queen of Poland and is venerated in numerous paintings and figures, the most fa- ENDURES FOREVER! Ps 118 (117):1 mous one is the Black Madonna of Częstochowa at Jasna Góra. Apart from Mary, Poland holds hosts of Polish saints and With these words from the Psalm normally sung in church on blesseds: St. Stanislaus, bishop and martyr; St. Kinga; Bl. Sa- the first Sunday after Easter, known as Mercy Sunday, let me lome; St. Jadwiga, who was queen; St. John of Cantius; Bl. Zo- cordially welcome all participants of World Youth Day. We are fia Czeska; Bl. Stanislaus Papczyński; St. Raphael Kalinowski; grateful to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, for choosing Kraków St. Brother Albert Chmielowski: St. Ursula Ledóchowska and and Poland as the place of gathering of young people from Bl. Maria Teresa Ledóchowska, who were sisters; St. Max- all over the world so that they can bear witness to their faith imillian Maria Kolbe and many saint and blessed martyrs of in Jesus Christ Crucified and Risen to share peace and love, World War II; Bl. Jerzy Popiełuszko, martyred by communist goodness and kindness with all people of good will. authorities; and St. Sister Faustina Kowalska and St. John I welcome you to Poland and to Kraków, the homeland of Paul II, who are called Apostles of Divine Mercy. John Paul II. I welcome you to the country which, through Dear young people, along with your ministers, you are com- the baptism of Prince Mieszko I in 966, opened itself up to ing from various parts of the world: from Europe, Africa, Amer- the Gospel and accepted Jesus Christ as its Lord and Sav- ica, Asia, Australia and Oceania, to the homeland of John Paul iour. Fifteen hundred years ago, the foreheads of our ancestors were anointed with the waters of baptism and the sacrament’s grace filled their hearts making of them a harvest of Christ’s teaching. Therefore, Christ has been present in our history and life for over a thousand years, shaping the attitude of Poles from the Oder to the Vistula and Bug rivers, from the Tatra Mountains to the Baltic Sea. Christ suffering on the cross has WHAT IS become a symbol of our past, marking the history of Poland, particularly in times of wars, persecution, and the country’s oc- THE RECIPE cupation. Our Risen Lord was a symbol in the times of Hitler’s occupation and long years of communist subjugation. He was FOR a source of hope and of the strength needed to persevere in following God and His rule. HOLINESS? 12 36-40 22, Mt 13 © DAYENU Image of Our Lady of Częstochowa Black Madonna 14 15 II in order to share your experience of faith and joy of believing out over the whole of humanity through the sacraments of in Christ. In this Polish Cenacle, we feel moved by the call that the Church. Mercy, as John Paul II wrote in encyclical Dives in the Christ made to His disciples: “As the Father has sent me, Misericordia (No. 7), is “love’s second name”, indicating God’s so I send you” (Jn 20:21). Over two thousand years ago, when unlimited ability to forgive our sins. saying these words, Jesus showed His disciples His pierced We believe that Christ entrusted St. Faustina with his mes- hands and His side. He showed them wounds inflicted on Him sage of mercy so that she could pass it to the world. God gave by Roman soldiers during His ordeal. Most of all, He showed us this message at a very difficult point in the world’s history them His wounded Heart from which poured a torrent of love – between World War I and World War II – at the time when over the world. humanity experienced horrific atrocities embodied by concen- Gathering in Kraków’s Cenacle of Divine Mercy, we come to tration camps and gulags. Jesus said to St. Faustina: “Mankind realize that we have been brought here by the Merciful Jesus. will not find peace until it returns with trust to my mercy” He has called us here and has given us courage to travel from (Diary, 300). Thanks to St. Faustina and John Paul II – for whom very distant places to come here and to once again hear the we thank God – this message has become a sign of hope for proclamation of love and bear witness to God’s great love for humanity, like “a bridge to the third millennium”. That is how His people. St. John Paul II referred to Divine Mercy. In Kraków, together with the Holy Father Pope Francis, we Gathering in Kraków, let us look at a special Apostle of Mer- want to look at the image of the Merciful Jesus at the rays of cy, namely St. John Paul II. With courage he stood by St. Sister light emanating from His heart onto the whole world. “The Faustina carrying the message of mercy to distant corners of two rays – Jesus explained to St. Faustina – denote Blood the world. Even as a young worker at Solvay, Karol Wojtyła and Water” (Diary, 299). We are here to once again relive used to come to the sanctuary chapel in Łagiewniki to pray this Gospel scene, depicted by St. John, and contemplate the before the image of the Merciful Jesus. Later on, as Archbish- greatest mystery of our salvation. The blood that flowed from op of Kraków, he started the process of beatification of Sister Jesus’s pierced side (see Jn 19:34) reminds us of the Sacrifice Faustina. As Pope, he made the message of mercy the central of the Cross and the gift of the Holy Mass; and water is a sym- point of his teaching. He discussed the teaching of God’s Mer- bol not just of baptism, but also of the gift of the Holy Spirit cy in his encyclical Dives in Misericordia – God who is rich in (see Jn 3:5; 4:14; 7:37-39), who enlightens our minds and hearts, mercy. Canonising Sister Faustina on 30th April 2000, he estab- showing the ways in which we are going to bring love to the lished the Feast of Divine Mercy. During his apostolic visit to world. his home country on 17th August 2002, he entrusted the whole Today, looking at the Merciful Jesus, we contemplate the world to Divine Mercy. mystery of Jesus, Crucified and Risen, who continuously shows This act of entrusting became a special declaration of faith us the mystery of Divine Mercy. Today, Christ says to us what as he was convinced that God had given us the message of He told St. Faustina: “Tell [all people], My daughter that I mercy as a sign for humanity which is losing itself in material- am love and mercy itself” (Diary, 1074). God’s Mercy pours ism. Quoting St. Faustina: “Mankind will not find peace until it 16 17 returns with trust to my mercy”, St. John Paul II reminded us that “the light of Divine Mercy, which the Lord in a way wished to return to the world through Sister Faustina’s charism, will illumine the way for the men and women of the third millenni- um” (Homily of John Paul II at the canonisation of Sister Fausti- na, Rome, 30th April 2000). Divine Mercy is indeed a light for the world and the whole of mankind because it reminds us that people cannot live with- out God’s merciful love. People simply cannot exist without God; they lose their way and become monsters for others, dan- gerous beasts. The message of mercy also brings in another important truth: through merciful love, a love offered uncon- ditionally, a person opens up to another person. Overcoming loneliness, he or she builds a community: a family, a home, a community of friendship and kindness. Here, in Łagiewniki, John Paul II said: “apart from the mercy of God there is no other source of hope for mankind” (Homily at the consecration of the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy in Kraków, 17th August 2002). The spreading of the message of Divine Mercy, which the world was reminded of by St. Faustina and was shown afresh in the teaching of St. John Paul II, was continued by Pope Bene- dict XVI for the eight years of his pontificate, and now by Pope Francis, who in the papal bull Misericordiae Vultus has an- nounced that this is an Extraordinary Year of Mercy.