A Matter of Trust

This is part four of a series, 'God's Love is the Flower - Mercy the Fruit.' View part three.

In her Diary, on Feb. 12, 1937, St. Faustina wrote a beautiful poem entitled "God's Love is the flower - Mercy the fruit." Saint Faustina wrote, "Let the doubting soul read these considerations on Divine Mercy and become trusting" (949). We continue our series on this poem, studying it line by line that we might become more trusting of Jesus, the Divine Mercy.

By Melanie Williams
Divine Mercy, in our justification through Jesus Christ, I trust in You.
Saint Faustina wrote in her Diary, "You do not reject sinners; but in Your boundless mercy You have opened for them also Your treasures, treasures from which they can draw abundantly, not only justification, but also all the sanctity that a soul can attain" (1122).

In Christ's Divine Mercy, we sinners are not only forgiven; we are justified by His merits upon the Cross. This is a great act of mercy! We in ourselves cannot merit justification, for we have sinned and turned from the Heart of the Father; but Jesus, by His Divine Mercy, covers us and washes us clean in the font of Baptism and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and we are not only justified, but sanctified.

Divine Mercy, accompanying us through our whole life, I trust in You.
"And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (Mt 28:20). Jesus said this to His disciples before He ascended to the Father. He gave the "Great Commission" to go forth and make disciples of all

nations, "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit" (Mt 28:19), and He promised to be with them always.

This promise is also made to us by virtue of our Baptism. We are disciples of Jesus Christ, and the Trinity dwells within us. As Jesus said to St. Faustina, the only thing that drives Him out of a soul is mortal sin (see Diary, 1181). So you are never alone! God dwells within you, and, in addition to that, He comes to us each and every day in the Eucharist and stays with us in the Most Blessed Sacrament that is reserved in our tabernacles. In moments when you might feel abandoned, rejected, or alone, remember that the Lord dwells within you. Call upon Him. He is very near.

Divine Mercy, embracing us especially at the hour of death, I trust in You.
Throughout the Diary, Jesus says time and again how He will be near those souls at the hour of death who honor His mercy (see 1075); spread His mercy (see 1224); proclaim His mercy (see 378); venerate the Image of Divine Mercy (see 48); pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy (see 687); place their trust in His mercy (see 1520); and encourage others to trust in His mercy (see 1540).

Many people are afraid of dying. But those who trust in His mercy have no need to fear it, for they know that it is the moment when they will meet our Merciful Savior. Allow Jesus to comfort you and your loved ones at the hour of death. Trust in Him that you will all meet again in Heaven, if you abide in His grace.

Divine Mercy, endowing us with immortal life, I trust in You.
God created us with immortal souls. God so loved us that He wanted to create us with the ability to live with Him for all eternity! After the Fall, we lost that original grace, but by His mercy, Jesus opened up the gates to Heaven for us by His Passion, death, and Resurrection.

Divine Mercy, accompanying us every moment of our life, I trust in You.
Similar to St. Faustina's previous line that Divine Mercy accompanies us through our whole life - even through death - St. Faustina now specifies that Divine Mercy accompanies us every moment of our lives. There is never a moment that God abandons you. Even if you don't feel His presence, even if you're in the pits of despair, He is close to you.

Jesus told St. Faustina, "My daughter, during the weeks when you neither saw Me nor felt My presence, I was more profoundly united to you than at times [when you experienced] ecstasy" (Diary, 1246). How reassuring! When you cannot feel His presence, when you are suffering, if you are in a state of grace, He is more united with you than when you are in times of consolation! He never leaves you or abandons you. May this increase your trust.

We will continue this series next month.

BCBB

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