St. Faustina Kowalska
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Readings for St. Faustina Kowalska
Additional information about St. Faustina Kowalska
Reading 1: Ephesians
3:14-19
Brothers and
sisters:
I kneel before the
Father,
from whom every
family in heaven and on earth is named,
that he may grant
you in accord with the riches of his glory
to be strengthened
with power through his Spirit in the inner self,
and that Christ may
dwell in your hearts through faith;
that you, rooted
and grounded in love,
may have strength
to comprehend with all the holy ones
what is the breadth
and length and height and depth,
and to know the
love of Christ that surpasses knowledge,
so that you may be
filled with all the fullness of God.
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Commentary on Eph 3:14-19
St. Paul is
addressing the Gentiles in Ephesus. “The apostle prays that those he is
addressing may, like the rest of the church, deepen their understanding of
God's plan of salvation in Christ. It is a plan that affects the whole universe
(Ephesians 3:15) with the breadth
and length and height and depth of God's love in Christ (Ephesians 3:18) or possibly the
universe in all its dimensions. The apostle prays that they may perceive the
redemptive love of Christ for them and be completely immersed in the fullness
of God (Ephesians 3:19). [1]
CCC: Eph 3:14 239, 2214, 2367; Eph 3:16-17 1073, 2714; Eph 3:16 1995; Eph 3:18-21 2565
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1bc-2,
3-4, 8-9, 13-14, 17-18a
R. (1) O
bless the Lord, my soul!
Bless the LORD, O
my soul;
and all my being,
bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O
my soul,
and forget not all
his benefits.
R. O bless the
Lord, my soul!
He pardons all your
iniquities,
he heals all your
ills,
He redeems your
life from destruction,
crowns you with
kindness and compassion.
R. O bless the
Lord, my soul!
Merciful and gracious
is the LORD,
slow to anger and
abounding in kindness.
He will not always
chide,
nor does he keep
his wrath forever.
R. O bless the
Lord, my soul!
As a father has
compassion on his children,
so the LORD has
compassion on those who fear him,
For he knows how we
are formed;
he remembers that
we are dust.
R. O bless the
Lord, my soul!
But the kindness of
the LORD is from eternity
to eternity toward
those who fear him,
And his justice
toward his children's children
among those who
keep his covenant.
R. O bless the
Lord, my soul!
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Commentary on Ps 103:1bc-2, 3-4,
8-9, 13-14, 17-18
This hymn of praise
focuses on God’s power and will to heal all ills and to support us in times of
trouble. It is through his own will that he does this. The final two strophes
reference God as a Father loving his children.
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Gospel: Matthew 11:25-30
At that time Jesus
responded:
"I give praise
to you, Father,
Lord of heaven and
earth,
for although you
have hidden these things
from the wise and
the learned
you have revealed
them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such
has been your gracious will.
All things have
been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows the
Son except the Father,
and no one knows
the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom
the Son wishes to reveal him."
"Come to me,
all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you
rest.
Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me,
for I am meek and
humble of heart;
and you will find
rest for yourselves.
For my yoke is
easy, and my burden light."
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Commentary on Mt 11:25-30
Jesus has just
completed a fairly scathing criticism of the people in the places he has been
and performed miracles, yet many have not accepted him as the Messiah. He now
concludes this section as he reflects that, while the scribes and Pharisees
(“the wise and learned”) have not understood who he is, those with simple faith
have accepted him freely. He then issues an invitation to all who “labor and
are burdened” quoting an invitation similar to one in the book of Sirach to
learn wisdom and submit to her yoke (Sirach 51:23, 26).
“This Q saying,
identical with Luke 10:21-22 except for
minor variations, introduces a joyous note into this section, so dominated by
the theme of unbelief. While the wise and the learned, the scribes and
Pharisees, have rejected Jesus' preaching and the significance of his mighty
deeds, the childlike have accepted them. Acceptance depends upon the Father's
revelation, but this is granted to those who are open to receive it and refused
to the arrogant. Jesus can speak of all mysteries because he is the Son and
there is perfect reciprocity of knowledge between him and the Father; what has
been handed over to him is revealed only to those whom he wishes.” [2]
The final verses of
this section are found only in St. Matthew’s Gospel and promise salvation to
those who are downtrodden or in pain. “In extending his extraordinary
invitation Jesus is speaking as one possessing the full authority and
compassion of God. ‘Come to me, you all you grown weary with labor and heavily
burdened!’ The proclamation has all the universality and power that only a
divine call to mankind can have, the sort of blessed clamor of God’s compassion
within human history that we hear in the prophets.” [3]
CCC: Mt 11:25-27 2603, 2779; Mt 11:25-26 2701; Mt 11:25 153, 544, 2785; Mt 11:27 151, 240, 443, 473; Mt 11:28 1658; Mt 11:29-30 1615; Mt 11:29 459
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Reflection:
“Devotion to God’s Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God’s willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, ‘God’s love [mercy] endures forever.’” [4]
While St. Faustina is best known for her popular devotional, “Divine Mercy,” her life story is a testament to the blessing she clearly received through the beatitudes: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit God’s Kingdom. Meekness is not submission in fear like a beaten dog, rather it is an absolute acceptance of God’s love and mercy. In Sister Faustina’s case this acceptance is embodied in her absolute confidence that God had, through his Son, offered his love a mercy to the whole world.
Her life demonstrates her dedication to the yoke of Jesus. A yoke, in the less mechanized times of farming, was used to guide animals along the correct path. Jesus yoke, as the Gospel says is gentle, not the whipped sting of an overburdened beast. It guides us, as it did Faustina along the path to peace and contentment possible only in the divine light of God’s mercy.
On her feast day (established formally in May 2020), we ask for her intercession. We pray that we are given a portion of meekness and love that will readily accept the loving yoke of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Pax
[1] NAB Footnote
on Ephesians 3:14-19
[2] NAB footnote on Matthew 11:25ff
[3] Fire of Mercy Heart of the Word Volume
I, Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis, Ignatius Press, San Francisco, CA, © 1996 p. 710
[4] Franciscan
Media, reflection on St. Faustina.
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