Book Review: “52 Weeks with Saint Faustina”

“In the old covenant, I sent prophets wielding thunderbolts to my people. Today, I’m sending you with my mercy to the people of the whole world.”

Jesus addressed these words to a future saint during her vision nearly 100 years ago. In his message, Jesus seeks to remind us of the truth about God’s loving mercy for mankind. He shared this message not with a pope or a bishop, but instead, to a simple Polish nun.

Those with a devotion to the Divine Mercy Chaplet are likely aware of the story of Saint Faustina. However, many of us perhaps aren’t familiar with Saint Faustina’s connection to the Divine Mercy image hanging in churches and homes throughout the world. Hers is a story of complete trust, devotion and love of our Lord. 

And now, you can journey with Saint Faustina for a year.

In “52 Weeks with Saint Faustina,” popular author and EWTN host Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s latest book, O’Boyle takes readers on a journey through the life of Saint Faustina. Broken into four parts; Ordinary Life, Merciful Life, Interior Life and Mystical Life, readers experience Saint Faustina’s remarkable life like never before.

A rather poor young woman born in 1905, Helena Kowalska joined the Congregation of the Sisters of our Lady of Mercy in 1925. She became Sister Faustina. Though Sister Faustina was assigned mostly menial tasks at her convent, she had a deep and profound spiritual life.

Sister Faustina had visions of our Lord, and during one vision, she saw Jesus clothed in a white garment with his right hand raised in a blessing. His left hand was touching his garment in the area of his heart, and from there two large rays came forth, one red and the other pale.
 
Jesus said to her: “Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus, I trust in you. I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the soul that venerates this image will not perish.”

With obedience, Sister Faustina commissioned the painting that now hangs ubiquitously throughout the world. Jesus also asked her to create a new form of prayer, for the intercession of souls, called the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

Saint Faustina died at age 33 in 1938, and was later canonized on the Sunday after Easter, now known as Divine Mercy Sunday, in the year 2000 by Saint John Paul II.

Few of us have the opportunity to travel to Poland to walk in the footsteps of Saint Faustina, but with this book, readers are given the next best thing; the opportunity to spend a year intimately learning about Saint Faustina – the Apostle of Divine Mercy.

“52 Weeks with Saint Faustina” doesn’t follow any liturgical season, so the journey with Saint Faustina can begin at any time. “52 Weeks with Saint Faustina” was published in 2018 by Marian Press.

Saint Faustina, pray for us!
 
Christopher Aderhold is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.