Sacred Heart
IN HEAVEN Jesus still carries the scar of that wound in His Sacred Heart, pierced by the spear of Longinus, which speaks eloquently of the greatest love the world will ever know.
THE NOVENA
Our blessed Lord also gave St. Faustina a novena to His mercy. She was to start it on Good Friday, that wonderful day when Christ first revealed how merciful and loving He was by dying for us. St. Faustina wrote in her diary that she began the novena for “the conversion of the whole world, that they may recognize God’s mercy and that all souls may sing of His goodness.” Jesus said, “I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy.” (1059).
She received definite instructions on how to make this novena. “I desire that during these nine days you will bring souls to the fount of My mercy, that they may draw there from strength and refreshment and whatever graces they need in the hardships of life, and especially, at the hour of death. On each day you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls, and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of My Father. You will do this in this life and in the next. I will deny nothing to any soul whom you will bring to the fount of My mercy. On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My bitter passion, for graces for these souls.” (1209).
St. Faustina, however, did not know how to make the novena, nor what souls to lead first to the Sacred Heart. He taught her that on the first day she was to bring all mankind, especially all sinners; on the second day, the souls of priests and religious; on the third day, the faithful and the pious; on the fourth, the pagans and those who do not yet know Him; on the fifth, the separated brethren; on the sixth, the humble arid meek, as well as the souls of little children; on the seventh, those who especially adore and honor His mercy; on the eighth, the souls in purgatory; on the ninth, the lukewarm and indifferent. Our Lord had something to say about these last souls, the lukewarm and indifferent. “The sight of these caused My soul untold grief and anguish in the Garden of Olives...the last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My mercy.” (1210-1229, abridged)
JESUS SAID
I desire trust from My creatures. Encourage souls to place great trust in My fathomless mercy. Let the weak, sinful soul have no fear to approach Me, for even if it had more sins than there are grains of sand in the world, all would be drowned in the unmeasurable depths of My mercy.
GOD BLESS YOU
