St. Faustina and the Divine Mercy

[LivingWordUnity]

The Divine Mercy Devotion (linked)

I believe it. But I'm interested in knowing who else believes it here in the OBOB sub-forum? I know that it's not technically required that Catholics believe it since it's a private revelation. But, on the other hand, it's not only approved by the Church, it's also on the Church calendar and strongly encouraged by the Church for private devotion. Just recently, Pope Francis even came out with a Papal Bull which officially designates an upcoming year-long period as a "Jubilee of Mercy." And, lest there be any doubts about the connection to the Divine Mercy devotion, the Papal Bull was announced on the Sunday of Divine Mercy, and Pope Francis specifically mentions St. Faustina in it.

 

[pdudgeon]

I believe it.
I've read through her diary twice now, turning down the edges of numerous pages where things that i wanted to remember, or where things that spoke to me were located.
What drew me most was the progression of how God's mercy affected her own life, and the changes that took place as mercy changed both her focus, her expectations, and her response to life itself.

I was amazed at how much of life we tend to skim over--only viewing what is on the surface, and never imagining the hidden depths of God's actions and His involvement in even the small things that we take so for granted.

I also discovered how all-encompassing and especially how personal the hand of God is on our lives. Sr. Faustina's diary and her exchanges with Jesus brought this forward to me.

And lastly her diary brought out how God can use the small, seemingly insignificant things and people in our lives for His glory.
I know that other saints have discovered this same thing as well.

I would be remiss if i didn't mention the graciousness of the gift of Divine mercy, or the excellence of the love that surrounds it.
There is nothing on earth that can match it.

 

[Rhamiel]

Jesus I trust in you

 

[LivingWordUnity]

So, only a couple of other people in OBOB believe in this?

 

[IHOM]

Whats not to believe, approved visitations prophecy of the saints are evidences of our lords promise that he would be with us even to the end times

 

[Virgil the Roman]

It's exactly the same as the Mariavites: something to be avoided.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

It's exactly the same as the Mariavites: something to be avoided.

It's not related at all. The Mariavites was a Polish religious cult founded by a woman named Maria Francesca. The Mariavites were condemned by Pope St. Pius X in 1906 (when St. Faustina was less than 1 year old) because Maria Francesca was basically claiming to be God's representative while flouting the authority of the bishops. One of her followers was a priest named Joannes Kowalski. And I think the reason some confuse this with St. Faustina is because she is Polish and because her last name is spelled almost like his. But she is unrelated to him and unrelated to the Mariavites. St. Faustina's last name is Kowalska not Kowalski. And she was humble, always obedient, and never made any mention of Maria Francesca.

 

[MikeK]

I like the devotion. I don't grant belief to a literal truth to every word of her diary (or any Saint's reported visions), but I enjoy praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

 

[IHOM]

But never the less it is a good thing to consider these revelations pray about them and do some discernment... otherwise we may find ourselves rejecting authentic messages from god to us and to the world

 

[LivingWordUnity]

I like the devotion. I don't grant belief to a literal truth to every word of her diary (or any Saint's reported visions), but I enjoy praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

Is that because Church-appoved private revelations are not considered an infallible teaching of the Magisterium?

 

[MikeK]

Is that because Church-appoved private revelations are not considered an infallible teaching of the Magisterium?

It is because portions of her diary contradict other Saint's writings and don't seem to be compatible as truths, so I neither ascent to nor reject them. If she issued a moral call, I would work to live up to it. Her descriptions of heaven and of the salvation process may or may not be correct, and it matters little to my faith life whether she was correct or not.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

It is because portions of her diary contradict other Saint's writings and don't seem to be compatible as truths, so I neither ascent to nor reject them.

Is that what the Church has said about it? If so, can you provide the Vatican document which says that? Anyway, the gist of why you don't accept all of it is because it's not considered infallible, right?

 

[MikeK]

Is that what the Church has said about it? If so, can you provide the Vatican document which says that?

Huh? The Vatican does not generally accept or reject individual statements by Saints. We have Doctors of the Church who have been directly contradicted by higher level teachings but have not been explicitly called out as false.

Anyway, the gist of why you don't accept all of it is because it's not considered infallible, right?

Nope, the gist is that is appears to contradict other teachings of similar providence. Whether something is infallible or not has little effect on my belief - there are teachings by Popes and Bishops who have legitimate authority, and by Saints who do not automatically have that authority.

 

[MikeK]

Dp

 

[LivingWordUnity]

Whether something is infallible or not has little effect on my belief - there are teachings by Popes and Bishops who have legitimate authority, and by Saints who do not automatically have that authority.

But it was approved by a Pope, and not just part of it but the whole of it. It's also on the Church calendar, the Sunday right after Easter. And Pope Francis just recently announced a Papal Bull dedicated to it. So it's not just about St. Faustina.

 

[MikeK]

But it was approved by a Pope, and not just part of it but the whole of it. It's also on the Church calendar, the Sunday right after Easter. And Pope Francis just recently announced a Papal Bull dedicated to it. So it's not just about St. Faustina.

There are hundreds of Saints who have devotions on the Church Calendar. I have a strong devotion to the Divine Mercy, that neither means not implies that everything in St Faustina's diary was literal truth. There are several Doctors of the Church who have had far greater impacts on the Church than St Faustina, but they were errant on many of their teachings. That's okay, it isn't reason to fret or doubt.

 

[Rhamiel]

I have not read all of her diary
just bits and pieces of quotes

as Mike said, private revelation is not binding
we are a Church built on the ancient deposit of the faith, not some cult that is swayed this way and that by everyone who claims to be a prophet

 

[LivingWordUnity]

There are hundreds of Saints who have devotions on the Church Calendar. I have a strong devotion to the Divine Mercy, that neither means not implies that everything in St Faustina's diary was literal truth. There are several Doctors of the Church who have had far greater impacts on the Church than St Faustina, but they were errant on many of their teachings. That's okay, it isn't reason to fret or doubt.

There are many saints on the calendar, but how many Sundays are named after a saint's private revelation like how the Church has Divine Mercy Sunday? Do you take Pope Francis' recent Papal Bull on the Divine Mercy with a grain of salt, too?

as Mike said, private revelation is not binding
we are a Church built on the ancient deposit of the faith

I said it's not binding on Catholics in the OP of this thread. But I have a hard time understanding how anyone can believe in the prayer devotion of it without accepting the reason behind why the prayer devotion is being promoted. If I didn't believe that St. Faustina's private revelation was authentic I don't think I would see a reason why I should pray the prayer for it since there are many other prayers that the Catholic Church has such as the Rosary. Either it was actually Jesus that came to her and told her these things or it wasn't. I don't see how someone can believe that perhaps it was Jesus that appeared to her but that she didn't write down everything accurately. If it was Jesus that appeared to her I'm sure that He would have made sure that she got the message right. If it wasn't Jesus or if there is error in the message why did and does the Church approve it and not only approve it but aggressively promote devotion to it everywhere? I don't think it is logical to half way accept it. Either it's true or it's not. But since the Church doesn't approve every private revelation that comes along but is very selective about which private revelations she will approve I think it's safe to believe that this one is true.

 

[Anhelyna]

Just as a point of information if anyone cares about it

Polish surnames do have a male and female version in some cases

Kowalski - is male
Kowalska - is female

 

[pdudgeon]

as in all things there used to be a following here in OBOB of the book.

http://www.christianforums.com/thre...ina-kowalska-divine-mercy-in-my-soul.7582062/

at one point there was a book study group that had a thread here on CF of the book, but that was years ago now.