Divine Mercy Through the Heart of a 12 Year Old

By Jay Hastings (Nov. 15, 2016)

It's beautiful to see Divine Mercy in the lives and actions of the youth.

As told by my daughter, here's a story about my 12-year-old granddaughter as she faced her first days at a public school. She had been going to Catholic schools up through the fifth grade, but her parents could no longer afford the expense of a private school. But God always has a plan, and my granddaughter's faith continues to manifest itself in the lives of others. Here's my daughter's story:

Ever since I can remember, my daughter Paige has always amazed me with her kind and loving heart. We were driving in the car together recently, and she was telling me of a boy we'll call "Dave." Dave was in her class at her new school. She noticed that he was always alone, and she felt sad for him. So she went over to him and said hello and asked him where all of his friends were. He told Paige that he didn't have any friends.

She said to me that she was trying to make him feel good, and so she replied back to him that he surely has some friends, but he answered her again the same - that he didn't have any. So he wrote his name down on a piece of paper so that she could remember it, and she let him know that, from now on, she would be his friend. As she was telling me all of this, she had tears in her eyes. She felt for this boy.

As I reflect on this conversation with my daughter, I think of how I felt sending my kids off to a new school this year with many prayers and hopes that they would return home to me with a smile on their faces because they were shown love and acceptance from another.

It reminds me that love is really all that we long for - for ourselves, for our loved ones, and for everyone. When I think of how I wanted my own kids to feel love and kindness from a stranger, it warms my heart to know that my own returned the same kindness to another who may go home today with a smile on his face because of that kindness. I love you, Paige.


Jesus tells to St. Faustina, "Oh how pleasing to Me is their living faith!" (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1420)

He says, "Know that whatever good you do to any soul, I accept it as if you had done it to Me" (Dairy, 1768).

This reminds me of a story in the Diary. Saint Faustina writes:

Jesus came to the main entrance today, under the guise of a poor young man. This young man, emaciated, barefoot and bareheaded, barefoot and bareheaded, and with his clothes in tatters, was frozen because the day was cold and rainy. He asked for something hot to eat. So I went to the kitchen, but found nothing there for the poor. But, after searching around for some time, I succeeded in finding some soup, which I reheated and into which I crumbled some bread, and I gave it to the poor young man, who ate it. As I was taking the bowl from him, he gave me to know that He was the Lord of heaven and earth. When I saw Him as He was, He vanished from my sight. When I went back in and reflected on what had happened at the gate, I heard these words in my soul: "My daughter, the blessings of the poor who bless Me as they leave this gate have reached My ears. And your compassion, within the bounds of obedience, has pleased Me, and this is why I came down from My throne - to taste the fruits of your mercy." (Diary 1312)


Today, Paige, you were an example to all of us, young and old, on how to live our faith - and how often Jesus can visit us to taste the fruits of our mercy.

Jay Hastings of Bartlett, Tennessee, is the founder of a growing group of Divine Mercy devotees who ensure that the Chaplet of Divine Mercy is being prayed every hour of the day. The group is called the St. Faustina Society/Shrine 24-hour Chaplet. Members now include more than 2,000 people from 46 countries who pick an hour each day in which to pray a chaplet. They pray for three things: the promotion of the Divine Mercy devotion; the sick and dying in the hour that they pray; people about to commit mortal sin; and also for those prayer requests sent to them from around the world. To join the St. Faustina Society 24-Hour Chaplet, contact Jay via e-mail, DM7772@msn.com or via phone, 901-438-7772.

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