Charism

Proclaiming God’s Mercy

Saint Faustina lived and died in a congregation which educated girls and women “in need of moral conversion” (foundational charism). Being a member of the Congregation she lived the charism and, at the same time, God gave her a greater gift – the charism of preaching the Divine Mercy to the world, of making the evangelical value, that is, God’s merciful love to each man, present in the world. 

In the Old Covenant I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to My people – Jesus said to her – Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world (Diary 1588). Many a time He called on to her to preach the Biblical truth to the world: Write, tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice, is near (Diary 965); speak to the world about My mercy; let all mankind recognize My unfathomable mercy (Diary 848). Tell the world about My mercy and My love. The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls (Diary 1074).

The centre of Saint Faustina’s charism is the evangelical value (not a concrete task), that is, the mystery of the Divine Mercy. Therefore, living the charism requires coming to know the truth of faith, pondering upon it in the daily life and responding to it by the attitude of trust in God (that is, by fulfilling His holy will, which is Mercy itself for us) all the time. It also requires an active love of the neighbor. The witness of life in this spirit is the basic way of preaching the Divine Mercy to the world. The task is also fulfilled by va- rious deeds of mercy, words and prayer, especially by practicing the devotion to the Divine Mercy in the forms that Jesus conveyed to Sister Faustina.

Sister Faustina’s charism contributes to the history of the Church – it gives it a new school of spirituality as well as the Apostolic Movement of the Divine Mercy, which, in various ways, fulfills the task of making the mystery of the Divine Mercy present in the world. The Holy Father John Paul II discerned the relevance and importance of this charism and he expressed it at various occasions.

“Although since her beginning, the Church has been proclaiming the mystery of the Divine Mercy, still nowadays she seems to be especially called to preach this message to the world. Since God Himself, through Saint Faustina’s witness, calls her to fulfill the mission, the Church cannot abandon it.”

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