St. Faustina's Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul: Reading/Discussion Group

[Michie]

Rapharel Mariano fondly nick-named Peewee,was born on February 3, 1977. He was the son of Doctor Rodolfo and Doctor Esther Mariano, both dentists. A menopausal baby, he was their pride and joy.

At the early age of four, Peewee developed tonsillitis. It came on suddenly and raised a fever that almost killed him. It looked as though he would die. His mother prayed at his bedside, begging God not to take him. As she finished praying, Peewee began to point upwards and said: "Nice light" over and over again. Peewee's fever left him and he recovered.

June 1996, Peewee was nineteen, a second grade student at Holy Cross College. He was suddenly taken ill and in hospital was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He underwent five chemotherapy sessions.

On August 29, Peewee was hospitalized again. The following day, he was in a coma. The doctor told his parents that he had no chance of recovery. This time, Peewee's mother surrendered. She prayed for her boys soul rather than his body. She was grateful to God to have the joy of her son for nineteen years. He had suffered a great deal and while he was in the coma many people prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy over him. A picture of the Image of Divine Mercy was hung on the post of his bed, near him.

On September 2, Peewee came out of the coma. When he woke, he looked at the Divine Mercy Image and excitedly said: "Light, light". He pointed to the picture and told his family that the rays coming out from the Heart of Jesus was exploding out from the picture and was surrounding his bed.

Peewee then slipped back into a coma. He never woke up, but died a little later.

 

[Michie]

In 1993, Nino,a two year old boy from Surigao, Minanao in the Philippines was in hospital. Half of his body on his right side was paralyzed. Despite a brain scan, the doctors could not diagnose what was wrong with the boy. No medication helped him. Doctors recommended Nino be transferred to another hospital, but his parents could not afford to pay more medical bills. The boy returned home.

The family were Christians and so turned to God. The only hope was a miracle healing for their son. Friends gathered with them and together as Nino slept in his father's arms, they prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

One of the people praying heard an audible voice above the sound of prayer. The voice said: "Carry him, put him down and let him stand". It was hard to wake the boy, but he was taken from his father's arms and placed on his feet on the floor. As he was woken and carried from his father's arms, Nino began to struggle and wriggle using the whole of his body to get away. When placed on the floor, the boy stood and ran back into his father's arms. He was no longer paralyzed.

 

[Michie]

Ramon Chua, a forty year old Chinese man was kidnapped by Muslim rebels in 1986. He was brought to a mountain of Sampinik, Basilican. Once there, the kidnappers informed him that they were not interested in ransom money. Instead, they intended to kill him. Their hatred was fueled by a land conflict with Ramon's tenants in Kapayawan, Basilican.

On the thirty-third day of Ramon's captivity, he took out from his wallet, a prayer card, containing on one side, the Divine Mercy Image and on the opposite side, the Divine Mercy Chaplet. He began to pray the chaplet, while holding the card in his hand.

Ramon was alone. Yet, after he prayed the chaplet, and as he looked at the picture of Jesus on the card, he heard an audible voice, very loud and very clear: "Run and escape now". Ramon ran, but upon seeing the gate guard, he walked waving his hands and out of his mouth came "Salamay com", the Muslim words meaning "Thank you". To his surprise the gate guard waved back and allowed him to pass through.

Out of the camp, Ramon ran, finding away out of the mountain rebels lair. He was noticed by two rebel watchers and was shot at. He was not hit although the bullets were grazing his body, left and right. Holding the Divine Mercy card tightly, he kept running while the rebels gave chase.

Finally, Ramon ran to the point of exhaustion. He could run no more and so he fell to the ground. The rebels caught up with him but it appeared as if Ramon was invisible, they ran straight past him, despite him lying in front of their path in clear view to all. This, Ramon could not explain, as it seemed obvious that the rebels could not see him.

Eventually he got up and walked until he reached a military check point. He was eventually transported home. When in safety, he remembered the promise Jesus had told Saint Faustina, the Apostle of His Mercy. "I will protect my devotees from their enemies in this life". Ramon's heart filled with gratitude and praise as he realized that in his case, this promise was shown to be truth.

 

[Michie]

Drew was working for a Fertilizer Corporation in Cebu. In the summer of 1999, while working, he requested a crane operator to transfer a heavy flat metal sheet to the other side of the road. As Drew watched the crane hoisting up the heavy object, he saw it shake. Without warning the object fell on him.

He was rushed to hospital, where the doctors, headed by Doctor Sy, said that both of Drew's legs were shattered. The nerves on his legs were dead too. The doctors said that they had no choice but to amputate both legs. Medically, they could only amputate one leg a day, so they scheduled the amputation of the other leg for the following day.

Hoping to save the other leg, Drew's family talked to Doctor Sy, but she told them that the doctors decision to amputate was almost 100%. The second leg tissues were dead and so was the nerve and the muscles were disconnected. The leg was re-examined the next day, and surgery to cut off the second leg was arranged.

The family turned to God for help. Around Drew's bedside they prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. Not long after they had prayed, Drew was prepared for surgery. A doctor noticed a great change in the condition of the leg. After a further examination, it was discovered that the dead leg tissues and nerves were now alive. The disconnected muscles had some how joined together. The leg did not need amputating. Drew left the hospital with a crutch. The second leg healed.

 

[Michie]

Mr Lelis was working as a security guard at Sun Grocery Store in Toril, Davao in the Philippines. There, he was attacked by three men. He was taken to hospital. His attackers were apprehended and jailed.

Mr Lelis told his wife about the attack and how it was odd that as the first attacker went to kill him, he began to scream and ran, and so another went to do the same and reacted the same way. Again it happened with a third man.

The three men were taken to the Toril Muncipal Jail. Confused and wanting to know why the attackers wanted to kill her husband, Lelis wife went to visit them the following day.

The first prisoner told her: "When I struck your husband, he fell to the ground. His wallet from his pocket dropped down and opened. I bent and was about to stab him with my dagger, but two blinding flashes if light from the picture of the opened wallet suddenly struck my eyes. I ran away shouting. I was in pain."

The second man told the same story: "I tried to stab him, but before I could do so, that picture radiated a strong blinding light to my eyes and I ran away in pain".

The third man relayed the same incident asking Lelis wife whether the picture had an amulet behind it.

The picture in the wallet was the Divine Mercy Image with the chaplet printed at the back of it. The prisoners described the light coming from the Heart of Jesus in the Image.

 

[Michie]

Marion is a thirteen-year-old girl from Lincolnshire in England. She described a vision that she had while praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of the Image of Divine Mercy.

"When my whole family was doing our prayers in front of the big Divine Mercy picture, I was looking at the picture. Suddenly, a big red light came out of the picture of Jesus. Then I saw a foot come out of the picture, then a whole body came out. He was walking, but when I looked at the picture there was still a picture of Jesus in the frame.

I looked at Him out of the picture. I saw Him take about ten steps. He stopped and then did a blessing over us, like the Priest does at the end of Mass. When He did the blessing there was a light blue light and a red light coming out of His Heart. Then He disappeared. At the time this happened, while I was praying, but before I saw the ray come out, I was looking at the picture and thinking how beautiful Jesus is. Me and my family were praying the chaplet for a young school friend of my older sister who had died".

 

[Michie]

Margarita, called by her family Marga, is an only child of Binggoy and Baby Montemayor of Davai City in the Philippines. In 1991, she was a very pretty, fair skinned girl of thirteen. During that year, her world suddenly shattered. A rare skin disease with watery lesions, like infected wounds began to invade her skin.

A dermatologist first diagnosed the disease as a severe form of asthma of the skin. Later, this was ruled out. The medication changed each time, the ones prescribed failed to help. Another doctor diagnosed aetopic dermatitis. Yet the disease still did not respond to treatment. The family went to another doctor in Manila, and to another in America. However, nothing helped Marga.

The disease spread and became very painful. Marga could no longer sit back on a chair and would have to remain upright, because the watery wounds would stick to her clothes. She was no longer able to wear a bra.

Months later, the disease progressed until her body was covered, only her face was spared. In June, 1992, her mother contacted the Divine Mercy Apostolate of St Jude Thadeus Parish of Davao City. The head of the Apostolate Inday Ilagan, prayed the chaplet of Divine Mercy over Marga.

Marga's family were not really practicing Christians, they had a vague belief. They were encouraged by the things they had heard in regards to the Divine Mercy Devotion.

While Inday prayed the chaplet over her, Marga had a vision: "I saw a strange light that gave me so much peace", she said. This experience moved Marga towards God and towards hope that He would heal her. She began to study the Bible in detail.

In the days that followed, Marga's mother continued to consult the doctor. Still no medication had any effect. Eventually Marga begged her mother to stop putting ointments on her.

The Divine Mercy prayer group began to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for Marga for nine days (a nine day novena), from a distance, at three o'clock in the afternoon. On the ninth day, Marga and her family were just finishing the chaplet themselves while at the Apo View Hotel. They were praying before a lighted candle when Marga suddenly shouted out: "Look! Look! The legions are drying up and the scabs are falling down". Marga and her mother began to cry and thank God. In the first few days, only shallow scars were gone. There was no sign that she had ever been ill.

Marga's mother referred to her daughter as "a sacrificial lamb". After the healing, the whole family were converted. Marga's healing also brought about the founding of "The Youth Divine Mercy Apostolate", with Marga heading it.

 

[Michie]

Father Ron Pytel, is a fifty-four- year old Pastor of the Holy Rosary Parish in Baltimore, M.D. America. Doctors gave him only three years to live, after discovering he had a heart disease that had caused a great deal of damage.

On October 5, 1995, Father Ron and some friends gathered for prayer at the Holy Rosary Church, which is also the Baltimore Archdiocese Shrine of The Divine Mercy. They were praying for the healing of the Priest's heart. The Feast day of the then Blessed Faustina, seemed to be the best time to ask her for intercession before Jesus.

Father Ron had acquired a relic of Marie Faustina, and he kissing it with all of his heart, begged her to ask Jesus to heal him. As he kissed the relic, he collapsed. He fell paralyzed for a short while, yet strangely at peace. When he came round, he felt well.

An improvement in his health continued, no pain, no breathlessness. Consequently, Father Ron visited the cardiologist. He explained what had happened and due to a visible improvement in Father Ron, who was before thin and pale, a full examination was given. The examination showed that Father Ron was in perfect health. Not only was his heart cured of disease, but also, all signs of damage it had caused had vanished.

His Superiors of his Diocese learned of the healing and a full investigation was conducted by doctors and by theologians from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In 1999, following the examination of all Father Ron's medical records, ultra sound scans and x-rays, as well as documented eye witness accounts; a miracle was declared by the Congregation.

Speaking about his experience, Father Ron said: "I suppose I shouldn't be around anymore. But I am living proof that miracles do happen. I know in my heart, that Sister Faustina put in a word with Jesus, and His Heart touched mine.

"Personally I am still in awe. Spiritually my prayer life has intensified tremendously. I've had a peace that has been with me through everything that has taken place. I've also been blessed with a calmness, a gentleness. I think it has made me more open to the struggles of other people." Father Ron's instant healing was used as part of the beatification process of Saint Faustina in the year 2000.

 

[Michie]

Marie M... is a working wife and mother of two young girls. Before getting married, Marie and her (now) husband (of ten years) were "living together in a typical American lifestyle". They were married in an Episcopal Church and eventually Marie was led to "a conversion to the faith" after witnessing an alleged miraculous image in Clearwater.

Marie learned about the Divine Mercy through a television production hosted by EWTN. She learned the Chaplet, and the words of the inscription at the bottom of the Image "Jesus I Trust in You".

"I prayed the chaplet occasionally and I taught this to my girls. That is as much as I practiced the devotion. It wasn't a whole lot, but it was there and I believed!" Marie's believes that it was exactly this belief and trust in Divine Mercy that brought about an experience that she says saved her marriage. This is her story.

"We have a neighbor family who were our friends. They are your biker type of people. We are not, but they have a little girl who I always felt sorry for and wanted to take care of her and watch her while her parents went out or worked late at night.

"T..., the mother, would always invite her life style into ours and I was patient with her for a few years, hoping and praying that she would change for the better. It turned out that things got really bad with the husband and wife, they took a turn down the wrong road. When I found out what was going on, I tried to counsel her the best way I could and gave good advice, but she didn't listen and continued doing this horrible thing.

"Meanwhile, I began to have terrible nightmares with demons, and snakes and things that really scared me. So I would recite the Hail Mary, three times in my dream and those demons would flee right away and I would wake up. I told a friend of mine and she sent me the St. Michael Prayer - so I began to pray that prayer every night and over a few weeks, I noticed that if I forgot to pray it one particular night, then the dreams of the demons would come back. One time, while I was praying this prayer, I envisioned huge white wings and thought, 'I would die if I ever saw St. Michael'.

"One night I got a phone call from my neighbor friend T...., she called me in despair and told me more of her problems. I began to get really frustrated with her. She was still doing this terrible thing and I told her she needed to stop and she needed to think about her daughter. She took offense at what I was telling her, my tone was different this time. She started to say things like, 'Well you know Marie, it is happening more than you think and not everyone is perfect.' I really did not understand what she was trying to tell me, but she said more and more, about how everyone is doing it and 'even your husbands wants it!' When she mentioned my husband's name I began to get scared. I questioned her and she said, 'I'm not going to say anymore about it'.

"I told her that she had better! So she explained to me about fantasies my husband had confided to her, and that my husband had confessed to her that he had cheated on me twice. My heart was being crushed during all of this. I knew deep down it was true. I cried for a few hours there, on the phone and it was about midnight when we finished talking. I then went into my closet crying and praying to Jesus and Mary to help me.

"I got up enough courage to approach my husband and confront him with T...'s story and he denied it exactly like she said he would. We went back and forth arguing and yelling. I told him that I wanted to get this over with right then, that night. I did not want to go on living a lie.

"We were both running to the bathroom for hours, with our nerves going crazy. Finally after almost three hours of debating, I just said that I didn't need to deal with it now, but that I know that in the end when we both stand before God, we will be separated and it would all be on him. I told him that I did not need to put my trust in any man here on earth, only God and it was then, at exactly three o'clock in the morning, that I said the words of the inscription at the bottom of the Divine Mercy Image. 'JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU. I prayed this prayer, said these words with all that I had in me, with all confidence.

"At that moment although it was not raining and there was no storm, lightening flashed outside, which both my husband and I saw. My husband turned to me and said 'Marie, can you forgive me?' I felt all this crushing pain in my heart lift. I felt this great joy. I told him , I forgave him and we held each other for a long time.

"But something had changed my husband. Something that brought him to admit what he had done and ask for forgiveness, and it came with that lightening. As the lightening struck, my husband saw an Angel with a sword (St. Michael). The Angel spoke saying 'Tell her the truth'. The sword then fell to the ground in away as if to implicate he had to speak truth before it fell to the ground or the sword would pierce him as I felt pierced. At the same time, I felt all this inner pain lift and a supernatural joy and ability to forgive my husband and show true mercy.

"Since that night, I realized that it was not me that forgave my husband, but Our Lord Jesus, in me. I am not capable of such a thing. I now have a much deeper devotion to the mercy of Jesus, His Divine Mercy".

End

 

[Michie]

Divine Mercy Prayer Room
http://our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/prayerroom/

Divine Mercy News
http://our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/news/

Divine Mercy Images
http://our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/images/

Holy Life
http://our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/life/

Divine Mercy Chaplet
http://our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/chaplet/

Divine Mercy Links
http://our.homewithgod.com/divinemercy/links/

 

[Michie]

Well... to all those that stuck around. Hard to believe this was started last Lent. We are now through with the Divine Mercy Diary. I hope its blessed you. I'm going to ask a moderator to put it in the Chapel for future reference. It will be nice to have it here in our forum.

 

[isabella1]

Well... to all those that stuck around. Hard to believe this was started last Lent. We are now through with the Divine Mercy Diary. I hope its blessed you. I'm going to ask a moderator to put it in the Chapel for future reference. It will be nice to have it here in our forum.

This was such a blessing Michie. Thank you for sticking to it until the end. I am sad to see this end. But will re visit it in the Chapel. It has blessed me beyond what you could ever know. May God Bless You abundantly.

 

[Michie]

I'm so glad it blessed you isabella.

It's gonna be nice to have it here to refer to.

 

[Sianelle]

What an amazing spiritual journey! These diaries have challenged me in so many ways and caused me to think and pray very hard about my own faith.

Thank you so much Michie for all your work in posting this, - I know I'm going to keep coming back to refer to these diaries whenever I'm feeling spiritually dry.

 

[MoNiCa4316]

thank you so much Michie for posting the Diary here
it has really blessed me, this book has helped me in my conversion and has given me more faith in God's mercy. In fact I'd say this is my second favourite book ever, after the Bible. It's really changed my life. Thanks for sharing it with all of us
God bless you sister

 

[Michie]

Glad it did some good.

 

[D'Ann]

Thank you Michie. God bless.