God is love, the highest form of love is mercy, and the highest form of mercy is Divine Mercy.
I know your heart, and I know that it will not be satisfied by anything but My love alone (Diary, 1023).
FOLLOW THE BATTLE ORDERS TO FIRE THIS ARROW
GENERAL DE SALES IS IN COMMAND. HE IS THE PATRON OF THIS ARROW AND HE WILL PROVIDE THE BATTLE ORDERS
(St. Frances De Sales)
“Our Lord obliges himself to furnish me with all that is necessary to make a good religious. He does this not from any obligation, but out of his mercy and divine goodness; just as a great king, levying troops for war, is bound out of prudence and foresight to arm them with weapons”
In the Treatise 9-1, De Sales treats union of our will with the divine will in what he calls the will of “God’s Good Pleasure.” In this connection, he discussed the exercise of mercy:
“Let us review both men and angels, and the whole array of nature, qualities, conditions, powers, affections, passions, grace, and privileges which supreme providence has established in the countless multitude of celestial intelligences, and human persons, in whom divine justice and mercy are so wonderfully exercised” (Treatise 97-98).
De Sales says this review will render us unable to keep ourselves from singing with respect, and loving fear:
All honour Lord to your just law I bring. Your mercy and your righteousness I sing (Ps 56-8-9).
Perseverance is a Gift of Mercy
De Sales has a beautiful chapter in his treatise on Holy Perseverance in Sacred Love (3, 4, 173). He explains that God walks before us, and holds our hand in difficulties, and carries us in hardship that he foresees will be too difficult for us to bear. The continuation of assistance is not the same for all who persevere. For those converted just before death, it is brief, for example, the good thief, Dismas. He remarks that others persevere much longer, for example, St Anna, the prophetess at the presentation of the child Jesus, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Paula. These people needed a thousand kinds of assistance according to the hazards on their pilgrimage, and the length of it. Then, he adds:
“But in any case, perseverance is the most desirable gift we can hope for in this life”.
Because we can only receive this gift from the hand of God, we should ask for it unceasingly, and use multiple means to ask for it: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, frequent reception of the sacraments, association with good companions, and the reading of Sacred Scripture. De Sales adds that perseverance does not originate from our power: “on the contrary, I know it springs from divine mercy whose most precious gift it is”
BATTLE ORDER 1 : LEARN ABOUT SAINT FAUSTINA
SAINT FAUSTINA
PATRON SAINT OF MERCY
Feast Day : 5th October
HELENA KOWALSKA
1905
Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born as Helena Kowalska in Poland on the 25th of August 1905. She was the third child of ten, and was brought up in a poor but devout household.
When Helena was 7 years old, she visited Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and felt her first calling to enter the religious life. When she finished school, she asked her parents if she could become a nun, but her parents refused to let her. At the age of 16, she got a job as a housekeeper to help support her parents financially.
1924
In 1924, she experienced her first vision of Jesus while attending a dance with her sister. She saw Jesus suffering, and left the party and went to the Cathedral to pray. Helena stated that Jesus instructed her to leave for Warsaw immediately and to join a convent.
Helena went home and packed her bags; the very next morning she departed for Warsaw. When she arrived, she went to mass, then she went round the various convents attempting to gain entry to become a nun. Faustina was rejected by all the convents because of her appearance; she was poor, uneducated and had no money to pay the dowry which was commonly expected. She was eventually accepted by the mother superior for the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy on the condition that she must first find a job and earn the money to pay for her own religious habit. Faustina found work as a housekeeper and worked hard to save money to send to the Convent.
SISTER MARIA FAUSTINA KOWALSKA
1926
On the 30th of April 1926, at the age of 20 years old, she received her habit and took the religious name of Sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament and in 1928, she took her first religious vows as a nun. She spent the following year travelling around various convents working as a cook. She was then sent to a Plock, a Polish town where she began to suffer the physical symptoms of tuberculosis.
1931
On the 22nd of February 1931, Sister Faustina was visited by Jesus, who presented himself as the “King of Divine Mercy”. He was wearing a white garment with red and pale rays emanating from his heart. Jesus asked her to become the apostle and secretary of His mercy and said:
‘paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the inscription: Jesus, I trust in You.
Jesus explained he wanted the Divine Mercy image to be:
“solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday is to be the Feast of Mercy”.
1932 – 1933
Sister Faustina returned to Warsaw in 1932, the following year, she took her final vows on the 1st May 1933 in Lagiewniki, a city in west-central Poland, and became a perpetual sister of Our Lady of Mercy.
Sister Faustina was then transferred to Vilnius (now in modern day Lithuania), where she first met Father Michael Sopocko, who was the appointed confessor to the nuns at her convent.
Sister Faustina informed Father Sopocko about her visions of Jesus and the mission He had given her. Father Sopocko decided to rule out any possibility of mental illness and arranged for her to be assessed by a psychiatrist. Sister Faustina received a thorough mental health examination and was deemed to be completely sane. After this, Father Sopocko was confident of the authenticity of her visions and messages from Jesus. He instructed her to start keeping a diary and to record all of her conversations with Jesus.
Sister Faustina told Father Sopocko about Jesus’ wish to have His Divine Mercy image painted, so he arranged for her to meet with Eugeniusz Kazimierowski, a talented Polish artist. After a number of attempts at painting the image, with instructions from Sister Faustina, it became apparent to her that he was unable to recreate the beauty of her vision. Sister Faustina would eventually be reassured by Jesus Himself that the painting would be sufficient for it’s purpose.
1935
Sister Faustina’s diary, records that on Good Friday, the 19th April 1935, Jesus told her He wanted the Divine Mercy image publicly honoured. One week later, on the 25th April 1935, Father Sopocko delivered his very first sermon on the Divine Mercy.
Sister Faustina then wrote about her vision of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, which would be used to obtain the mercy of God, by simply trusting in His mercy and by showing mercy to others. to show mercy to others. She then attempted to set up a new congregation for Divine Mercy, but was told that she was perpetually vowed to her current order and was sent back to the convent in Warsaw. Jesus then said to her:
“My Daughter, do whatever is within your power to spread devotion to My Divine Mercy, I will make up for what you lack.”
1936 – 1937
In 1936, Faustina fell ill again and was moved to a sanatorium in Krakow. and continued to spend most of her time in prayer. The following year, the first Divine Mercy image holy cards were created and Faustina provided instructions on how to pray the Novena of Divine Mercy, which she had received from Jesus. Throughout 1937, her health continued to deteriorate and she was said to be looking forward to her death.
1938
On the 5th of October 1938, Sister Faustina died and went to heaven to receive her crown of glory. She was buried two days later on the 7th October 1938 and currently rests at the Basilica of Divine Mercy in Krakow, Poland.
Sister Faustina had spent her entire life in sacrifice, imitating Jesus, and striving continually to help others by showing them mercy. Jesus asked her to unite her personal sufferings with His sufferings, to atone for the sins of of the world. She brought much peace and joy to others by being merciful to others and by teaching others about God’s mercy through her writings. She helped encourage others to have total trust in the mercy of God and to prepare the world for His second coming.
Sister Faustina had a special devotion to Mary Immaculate, to the Holy Eucharist and to the sacrament of Reconciliation. These three devotions gave her the strength to bear her sufferings. Her mercy was evident in her special love for great sinners and for the dying.
The message of mercy received by Sister Faustina has now spread throughout the world and her diary (Divine Mercy in my Soul) has become the handbook for devotion to the Divine Mercy.
SAINT FAUSTINA
1965
In 1965, the Archbishop of Krakow, Karol Wojtyla, (later to become Saint Pope John Paul II) began investigations into the life and virtues of Sister Faustina. He submitted a number of documents to the Vatican and helped launch the cause for her beatification.
1981
In 1981, Maureen Digan of Massachusetts was miraculously healed from Milroy’s disease whilst praying at the tomb of Sister Faustina in Krakow, Poland. She claims she heard a voice saying: “ask for my help and I will help you,” and all of her pain suddenly ceased. After she returned to the United States, five different doctors examined her and all of them came to the same conclusion, she had been completely healed from an incurable disease with no medical explanation. Maureen Digan and her husband released a DVD documentary called “In the Name of Miracles” to explain the miracles in their family and to proclaim God’s endless Mercy. In 1992, Eleven years later, after extensive investigations, the Vatican declared her cure to be miraculous.
1993
On the 18th of April 1993, Sister Faustina was beatified by Pope John Paul II and became known as “Blessed Sister Faustina”.
2000
On the 30th of April 2000, Blessed Sister Faustina was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II. She is now known throughout the catholic world and for all eternity as:
SAINT FAUSTINA KOWALSKA
Patron Saint of Mercy
Her feast day is celebrated on the 5th of October.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION TO HELP DECLARE ST. FAUSTINA A DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
BATTLE ORDER 2 : LEARN THE MESSAGE OF DIVINE MERCY
NO MATTER WHO WE ARE OR WHAT WE’VE DONE, HIS MERCY IS FOR EVERYONE!
The message of The Divine Mercy is simple to understand. It is simply that God loves us no matter who we are, who we think we are or what we have done. His mercy is for everyone and the worse the sinner, the more they are entitled to His mercy.
Jesus wants us to know that His mercy is greater than all our sins. He wants us to simply trust in Him and to receive His mercy and to allow this mercy to flow through us to others.
We can easily remember the Divine Mercy message using ABC:
A = ASK FOR MERCY
Ask for His Mercy. God wants us to approach Him in prayer constantly, repenting of our sins and asking Him to pour His mercy out upon us and upon the whole world.
B = BE MERCIFUL
Be merciful. God wants us to receive His mercy and let it flow through us to others. He wants us to extend love and forgiveness to others just as He does to us.
C = COMPLETELY TRUST
Completely trust in Jesus. God wants us to know that all the graces of His mercy can only be received by our trust. The more we open the door of our hearts and lives to Him with trust, the more we can receive.
Jesus gave St. Faustina a special promise and told her to communicate it to the whole world:
“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy“, (699).
EXTRAORDINARY GRACES
St. Faustina’s Diary records our Lord’s promises of specific, extraordinary graces:
“I want to grant a complete pardon to the souls that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion on the Feast of My mercy” (1109).
“Whoever approaches the Fountain of Life on this day will be granted complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (300) “The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion will obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment” (699).
NO FEAR OF DEATH
January 28, 1938
Today the Lord said to me:
“My daughter, write down these words: All those souls who will glorify My mercy and spread its worship, encouraging others to trust in My mercy, will not experience terror at the hour of death. My mercy will shield them in that final battle …” (Diary, 1540).
BATTLE ORDER 3 : LEARN ABOUT THE FEAST OF DIVINE MERCY
THE FEAST
Jesus gave St. Faustina the message of Divine Mercy in the form of:
5 CHANNELS OF GRACE
(Father Chris Alar of the Divine Mercy shrine in America teaches the acronym F.I.N.C.H. to help us remember the 5 channels of grace of Divine Mercy)
FEAST, IMAGE, NOVENA, CHAPLET AND HOUR
During His revelations to Saint Faustina in the 1930’s, Jesus called for a special feast day to be celebrated on the Sunday after Easter.
This feast day became known as Divine Mercy Sunday, after it was named by Pope John Paul II during the canonization of Saint Faustina on the 30th of April 2000.
Jesus expressed His desire for this feast day during His very first revelation to St. Faustina. She recorded His request in her Diary (entry 699):
“My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and a shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment.
On that day are opened all the divine floodgates through which graces flow. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity.
Everything that exists has come from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My mercy”.
Although there are a total of 14 revelations from Jesus concerning His desire for this feast day, it is not a new altogether a new feast. The Second Sunday of Easter was already a solemnity as the Octave Day of Easter, but Jesus desired the title “Divine Mercy Sunday” to be used to highlight the true meaning of this day.
To receive these graces, the only condition is to receive Holy Communion worthily on Divine Mercy Sunday (or the Vigil celebration) by making a good confession beforehand and staying in the state of grace and trusting in His Divine Mercy.
By these conditions, our Lord is emphasizing the value of confession and Holy Communion as miracles of mercy. The Eucharist is Jesus, Himself, the Living God, longing to pour Himself as Mercy into our hearts.
In addition, our Lord says through St. Faustina that we are to perform acts of mercy :
“Yes, the first Sunday after Easter is the Feast of Mercy, but there must also be acts of mercy” (742).
“The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive” (1578).
The worthy reception of the Eucharist on Divine Mercy Sunday is sufficient to obtain the extraordinary graces promised by Jesus. A plenary indulgence, obtained by fulfilling the usual conditions, also is available.
For those who cannot go to church and the seriously ill.
BATTLE ORDER 4 : LEARN ABOUT THE IMAGE OF DIVINE MERCY
THE IMAGE
In 1931, our Lord appeared to St. Faustina in a vision. Jesus was clothed in a white garment with His right hand raised in blessing. His left hand was touching His garment in the area of the Heart, from where two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale.
She gazed intently at the Lord in silence, her soul filled with awe, but also with great joy. Jesus said to her:
“Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over [its] enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I Myself will defend it as My own glory (Diary, 47, 48). I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You (327). I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and [then] throughout the world” (47).
Jesus said:
“The two rays denote Blood and Water. The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him (299). By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works” (742).
These words indicate that the Image represents the graces of Divine Mercy poured out upon the world, especially through Baptism and the Eucharist.
He told her, I want the Image to be solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter, and I want it to be venerated publicly so that every soul may know about it (Diary of St. Faustina, 341).
In the Image, our Risen Savior has pale and red rays streaming from His side. These rays symbolize the Blood and Water that flowed from His side while He was on the cross. But, in His appearance to St. Faustina, they had been transformed into glorious rays, revealing a fount of healing graces for sinners who will turn to Him with trust. That is why the Image always bears the inscription: “Jesus, I trust in You!”
In our churches and homes, we can venerate the Image of Jesus, The Divine Mercy, by gazing upon it in prayer and adoration. As signs of our love for Jesus, we can place candles and flowers before the Image. First and foremost, as we gaze upon our Merciful Savior in prayer, we can decide to trust in Him and to perform works of mercy — responding to the call to be merciful just as He has shown mercy to us.
* To “venerate” a sacred image simply means to perform some act, or make some gesture of deep religious respect toward it because of the person whom it represents.
BATTLE ORDER 5 : LEARN ABOUT THE NOVENA TO DIVINE MERCY
THE NOVENA
Jesus requested we pray the Divine Mercy Novena using the Divine Mercy Chaplet (see Battle Order 6 below) and to pray it each day for 9 consecutive days, commencing on Good Friday and finishing on Divine Mercy Sunday. However, this novena can be prayed at anytime of the year.
Jesus said to St. Faustina:
“By this Novena (of Chaplets), I will grant every possible grace to souls.”
“I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fountain of My mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever grace they have need of in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death” (Diary, 1209).
You can view the novena by clicking the image below. This same novena can also be accessed from the “PRAY” menu at the top of the home screen.
BATTLE ORDER 6 : LEARN TO PRAY THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY
THE CHAPLET
1
The Sign of the Cross
(on the crucifix)
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2
Opening Prayer
(on the first bead)
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.
O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in you. (3 times)
3
Our Father
(on the 2nd bead)
Our Father, who art in Heaven; Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
4
Hail Mary
(on the 3rd bead)
Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
5
Apostles’ Creed
(on the 4th bead)
I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended into hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the Communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.
6
Eternal Father prayer
(on the Our Father bead before each decade)
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of your dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
7
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion prayer
(on each of the 10 Hail Mary beads)
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
8
Repeat for 4 more decades
(say the”Eternal Father” prayer on the “Our Father” bead and then “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion” on the 10 “Hail Mary” beads)
9
Holy God prayer
(At the conclusion of the 5 decades, on the medallion (centrepiece) say the “Holy God” prayer 3 times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
10
Closing Prayer.
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy Itself. Amen.
BATTLE ORDER 7 : LEARN ABOUT THE HOUR OF DIVINE MERCY
THE HOUR
Jesus asked St. Faustina, for a special prayer and meditation on His Passion each afternoon at the three o’clock hour.
This is the Hour of Great Mercy that recalls His death on the Cross.
Jesus said:
“At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion” (Diary, 1320).
As often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world — mercy triumphed over justice. (1572)
My daughter, try your best to make the Stations of the Cross in this hour, provided that your duties permit it; and if you are not able to make the Stations of the Cross, then at least step into the chapel for a moment and adore, in the Most Blessed Sacrament, My Heart, which is full of mercy; and should you be unable to step into the chapel, immerse yourself in prayer there where you happen to be, if only for a very brief instant. (1572)
Our Lord wants us to turn our attention to His Passion at the three o’clock hour to whatever degree our duties in life allow, and He wants us to ask for His mercy.
CLICK THE ARROW BELOW FOR THE CHAPLET OF DIVINE MERCY : (THESE PRAYERS ARE CONTAINED IN THE DIVINE MERCY NOVENA)
BATTLE ORDER 8 : LEARN THE PRAYER TO OBTAIN GRACES THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT FAUSTINA
THE PRAYER TO OBTAIN GRACES THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF SAINT FAUSTINA
O Jesus, who filled Saint Faustina with profound veneration for Your boundless Mercy, deign, if it be Your holy will, to grant me, through her intercession, the grace for which I fervently pray…
My sins render me unworthy of Your Mercy, but be mindful of Saint Faustina’s spirit of sacrifice and self-denial, and reward her virtue by granting the petition which, with childlike trust, I present to You through her intercession.
Our Father…,
Hail Mary…,
Glory Be…
Saint Faustina, pray for us.
BATTLE ORDER 9 : LEARN 3 O’CLOCK THE PRAYER
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us. … O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You. (Diary, 84, 1319)
You now have this arrow permanently stored in your quiver.
Keep progressing in your Battle Training, learn new truths and fire more arrows.
Now it’s time to fire Arrow 7
CLICK IMAGE BELOW TO FIRE ARROW 8
CATHOLIC ARROWS 