Saint for the Third Millenium

One of the things that I love best about Catholicism is its incredible depth; no doubt, one lifetime isn't even close to enough to learn every facet of our beautiful faith. Reading Faustina, Saint for Our Times reminded me about this aspect of the Church. I'm repeatedly amazed at how much God continues to be intimately involved in the details of this world that He created. Clearly, His plan of salvation continues to unfold, and He is at work in our world in the 21st century just as much as in the times of Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Moses.

The story of St. Faustina makes this especially clear, as her message of Divine Mercy is so powerful and relevant to us in modern times. I found her connection with John Paul II to be especially intriguing. At the 2002 consecration of the International Shrine of Divine Mercy in Lagievniki, Poland, he said:

"I will solemnly entrust the world to Divine Mercy. I do so with the burning desire that the message of God's merciful love, proclaimed here through Saint Faustina, may be made known to all the peoples of the earth and fill their hearts with hope. May this message radiate from this place to our beloved homeland and throughout the world."

and

"Where, if not in the Divine Mercy, can the world find refuge and the light of hope?"

John Paul II not only established Divine Mercy Sunday, he even completed his days on earth on the vigil of Divine Mercy, 2005.

Rev. George W. Kosicki, CSB, the author of Faustina, Saint for Our Times is uniquely qualified to introduce us to this beautiful saint. His extensive study of her life and surroundings and, of course, her Diary helps make this book a perfect introduction to Saint Faustina and the message of Divine Mercy. Fr. Kosicki includes chapters on St. Faustina's life, her mission, her spiritual life, her connection to both eastern and western facets of the Catholic faith, her relevance to the third millennium, and a discussion of our response, as well as a section with Divine Mercy prayers and finally a Divine Mercy timeline.

Overall, I would very much recommend this book. It's a perfect introduction to the Divine Mercy devotion, especially good for anyone who's considering tackling reading St. Faustina's Diary. It truly gave me a good understanding of Divine Mercy, which is quite exciting as well as comforting in our turbulent modern times!

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