When
I was touring Prague, I had this very informative tour guide, after describing
the political and religious turmoil the Czech Republic has faced she said, “when
things are good people forget about God, but when troubles come they cling to
their faith and fight for their beliefs.”
That statement rattled my brain. I know from personal experience that when
challenges come my way I cling to God with all my might, but in times of plenty
I can get a little loose in my relationship with Him. When my dog was a couple months old he used
to remain between my legs when I took him to the dog park as he got older he
began to wander a little further from me.
I think that’s what my relationship with God is like, when I am in
trouble I try to remain super close, but as my confidence increases I can start
to wander. I don’t visit him in
adoration as much, or I dismiss prayer times for other activities. Yet, just like my dog might go exploring, he
always knows where I am and keeps a close eye to run towards me before I am
out of sight… I guess that’s one of the reasons that I enjoy saint literature
because their stories of faith help me want to desire God with the same
intensity at all times.
A great place for prayer and the window of the room belonging to Saint Faustina.
I have been
reading the Diary of Saint Faustina, before my trip I got half way
through it. I knew we would be visiting
some of the sites dedicated to her so I wanted to have a better grasp of who
she was. Her writings are great insight
into someone with a deep-unwavering connection to God. Whether she is celebrating or deeply troubled
her refuge is the same Lord, Jesus Christ.
During my trip, I was excited to tour the places that I had only
imagined while reading her manuscript. When the bus pulled to the Divine Mercy
Shrine, I was completely disappointed because the building looks out of place
and washed in tacky modern style! It just doesn’t go with the beautiful,
historical myriad of classic architecture known in these European
countries. I entered the shrine and the
bare white walls made my heart sink. As
I moved deeper into the building following the pilgrims, I noticed that we were
entering a simply decorated chapel dedicated to Saint Faustina. The chapel had been evacuated for our use,
Father would celebrate Mass here. As he
got ready in the sacristy, I knelt in front of the altar and touched a relic of
Saint Faustina. I closed my eyes and imagined her speaking to Jesus, and he
revealing the painting of the Divine Mercy to her. I saw her kneeling and talking to him lively
and he responding. This image made me
smile. This image made me desire this
level of intimacy with God. I was lost
in thought and could feel tears streaming down my face because I knew that God desires the same with me. During Mass, I
thanked God for giving me so many blessings – especially to bring to life the
books I have read.
The Inside of the shrine. The chapel where they have the original painting and the body of Saint Faustina are off limits to photos. Below the outside of the shrine.
Leaving the
shrine we headed to an area with a little more history, the convent where Saint
Faustina lived. The guide pointed to the
window where her room was located, the same room she died in. Then we were led into the chapel of the convent where the original Divine Mercy painting sits above the tomb of Saint Faustina. I went to the very front and knelt right in front
of the image and I couldn’t imagine Jesus more beautiful- though Saint Faustina
tells us he is. I also was surprised
because the rays that come forth are red and white- sometimes in replicas I
have seen them to be red and blue. I remained kneeling until I was tapped on
the shoulder indicating that my time was up.
I took with me the message that long ago attracted me to this image, “Jesus,
I trust in You.” I want those five words
to be my comfort and refuge because sometimes I can so easily doubt in His
providence.
As I got on
the bus, I was delighted by the many blessings that I had received in just one
day! For a book nerd (like myself)
nothing gives more pleasure than bringing a book to life. Usually I have to settle for a movie remake
of a novel, but in this case I was walking into the pages written years ago by
a real Saint about true events. A woman
who loved God in goodness and in sickness and who’s legacy is to do the same,
to say and mean with complete confidence, “Jesus, I trust in you!”
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