The hatred of satan for Divine Mercy

From the Diary of St. Faustina 

1405   -   November 30, 1937. When I was going upstairs this evening, a strange dislike for everything having to do with God suddenly came over me. At that, I heard Satan who said to me, "Think no more about this work. God is not as merciful as you say He is. Do not pray for sinners, because they will be damned all the same, and by this work of mercy you expose your own self to damnation. Talk no more about this mercy of God with your confessor and especially not with Father Sopocko and Father Andrasz." At this point, the voice took the appearance of my Guardian Angel, and at that moment I replied, "I know who you are: the father of lies [cf. Jn. 8:44]." I made the sign of the cross, and the angel vanished with great racket and fury. 



When we think of the power of Divine Mercy for souls, do we ourselves ask in our hearts, what are we doing to save souls, so many who are now in danger.  If we hear of a person who is ill, dying or suffering with addiction problems, or a person in prison on death row, do we pray for them sincerely the Chaplet of Mercy to enable that soul to receive God's Mercy at the hour of death.  We can offer our daily sufferings in union with Christ Crucified for the sake of others, as well as offering our prayers.  Every interior act of self giving is valuable to Jesus and let Him do as He wishes with it.  Our lives are short on this earth.  The sufferings in hell will never end.  Think about that ...do we want anyone to suffer eternal damnation ?  The Saints fought hard for souls, offering their sufferings in union with Jesus Crucified.  We have been given a great grace in the Devotion of Divine Mercy for these times, a grace unparalleled in any other time in history.  

How are we responding to this request from Christ Himself ?  How will we answer to God for the souls lost if we pay no heed to His Pleas to pray the Chaplet of Mercy for souls, to respect the Sunday of Divine Mercy and to spread the Message of this great indulgence to as many souls as possible, to get His Image into as many Churches and homes as possible.  We do not know what lies ahead of us, but Jesus does know, He is preparing us for the most difficult times in our Church which lay ahead.  Perhaps the Image of Jesus will be our only consolation in the times to come, where many Churches may be closed, Priests persecuted or martyred....remember this is happening in some countries now, where Catholics and Christians are under persecution and Churches destroyed and Priests killed....let us pray for Gods Mercy as now the Church is entering into its Calvary..but it will be triumphant as the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  

Bl. Fr. Michael Sopocko: His own words on meeting St. Faustina and the Work involved with the Image of Divine Mercy

I met s. Faustina in the summer (June or July 1933) as a penitent in the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy in Vilnus, Lithuania (25 Senatorska St.), in which I was, then, an ordinary confessor. She attracted my attention with an unusual subtlety of her soul and a close union with God; there was mostly no matter for absolution and she never offended God with a deadly sin. Already at the beginning she stated that she had known me for a long time from a vision, that I was to be her spiritual leader and I had to carry out some God's plans that were to be presented to me through her. I ignored her story and I put her to some test which made s. Faustina start looking for another confessor, with the permission of the Mother Superior. After some time she returned to me and she said that she was prepared to bear everything and she would never leave me again. I cannot reiterate here all the details of our conversation, which is partly included in her diary, written by her on my recommendation, since later I forbade her to discuss her confession experiences.

On getting to know s. Faustina better I concluded that the Gifts of Holy Spirit worked in her in a concealed state, but quite often they appeared more openly, partly overwhelming her soul in a lively manner, arousing surges of love, solemn heroic acts of sacrifice and self-denial. Particularly frequently, I could see the work of the Gifts of Understanding, Knowledge and Wisdom thanks to which s. Faustina clearly saw the nothingness of worldly things, and the importance of suffering and humiliations. In a simple way she got to know the attributes of God, and most of all His Infinite Mercy.

On another occasion, she, in turn, kept her gaze fixed at the beatific, joyful light for some time, out of which a figure of Christ emerged in a walking position, blessing the world with His right hand, and with His left one opening His robe in the vicinity of His heart, two rays gushed out of the opened robe - a red and a white one. S. Faustina had already had such and other sensual and mental visions for several years and she heard supernatural words, captured by the sense of hearing, imagination and the mind.

Being cautious of s. Faustina's illusion, hallucination and delusion, I turned to the Mother Superior, Irene, to inform me who s. Faustina was, what opinion she enjoyed among her Sisters and Superiors in the Congregation. I also requested that her mental and physical health be examined. Having received an opinion favorable for her in every respect, still for some time I took an expectant position. I partly did not believe, I was thinking, praying and examining,
I also asked some enlightened priests for advice on what to do, without revealing what and whom it concerned.

All it concerned carrying out alleged definite demands of Our Lord Jesus to paint the picture, which s. Faustina used to see and to establish the feast of the Divine Mercy on the first Sunday after Easter. Finally, motivated by curiosity of what the picture would look like rather than the belief in the authenticity of s. Faustina's visions, I decided to set about painting the picture. I contacted an artist painter, Eugeniusz Kazimirowski, who lived in the same house as I did and who undertook the task to paint a picture for a certain sum of money. I contacted other Superior as well, who allowed s. Faustina to go to the painter twice a week in order to show what the picture should look like.

The work took several months and finally in June/July 1934 the picture was completed.  S. Faustina complained that the picture was not as beautiful as she saw it, but the Lord Jesus comforted her and said it was enough the way it was and He added: "I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep on coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature: Jesus, I trust in You" (see Image).

For the time being Sr. Faustina was unable to explain what the rays in the picture meant.
After a few days she said that the Lord Jesus had explained it to her in a prayer: "… rays
in the image denote blood and water. The pale ray stands for the water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the blood that is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized Heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. Happy be the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him…, 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…, I desire that the first Sunday after Easter be the Feast of Mercy…, that whoever approaches the Fount of Life on this day will be granted complete remission of sins and punishment. Mankind will not have peace until it turns with to My mercy…, Before I come as the just Judge, I am coming first as the King of Mercy, so that no one can seek excuses on the Judgment Day, the Day which is not far away".

Diary of St. Faustina...on the Power of the Devotion to Divine Mercy

675     + August 7, 1936. When I received the article] [136] about Divine Mercy with the image [on the cover], God's presence filled me in an extraordinary way. When I steeped myself in a prayer of thanksgiving, I suddenly saw the Lord Jesus in a great brightness, just as He is painted, and at His feet I saw Father Andrasz and Father Sopocko. Both were holding pens in their hands, and flashes of light and fire, like lightning, were coming from the tips of their pens and striking a great crowd of people who were hurrying I know not where. Whoever was touched by the ray of light immediately turned his back on the crowd and held out his hands to Jesus. Some returned with great joy, others with great pain and compunction. Jesus was looking at both priests with great kindness. After a while, I was left alone with Jesus, and I said, "Jesus, take me now, for Your will has already been accomplished." And Jesus answered, My will has not yet been completely accomplished in you; you will still suffer much, but I am with you; do not fear.

Early Days of the Sisters of Merciful Jesus

Father Sopocko came back to Vilnius on August 19, 1944. In November, Faustina Osinska together with her friends, asked him to accept their vows. In connection with this on November 9, 1944,
he started to give to the first six a retreat. This retreat was to be an immediate preparation
for the ceremony of the vows, which were planned for November 16.

"After the retreat, at the appointed day, on early and dark morning, for the curfew was still obligatory, from different parts of the city, six girls came from the Zarzecze suburb, to the chapel of Carmelite Sisters’. There in a "catacomb" atmosphere after Holy Mass at five o’clock they took their simple private vows of loyal service to the Most Merciful Savior and His Merciful Mother. It is impossible to describe with words the joyful atmosphere that prevailed among the "newly vowed" of Christ. A simple meal was prepared at the convent gate by hospitable Sister Carmelites. How happy they were in spite of different kinds of lacking, they were so rich in spite of poverty showing itself from everywhere, they were brave and full of trust in spite of the dangers lying in wait from everywhere" (Michael Sopocko, memoirs).

After the war was finished in 1945, Lithuania, was joined to USSR. Mass migration of the population of Vilnius and its region to Poland took place. Archibichop Jalbrzykowski was forced to leave Vilnius, with all the Curia and the Seminary. During this time also three sisters went to Poland. Because of their departure, on November 16, 1945 the vows were renewed only by three sisters, which remained. Faustina and Benigna longed for religious habits, for the convent, for a meager place with simplicity where in common life they would glorify the Merciful God. Vilnius at those times did not give any hope for it. To realize their desire, they decided to go to Poland.
Before they left, on August 24, 1946, they paid their last visit to Fr. Michael Sopocko.

"Our travel leaving Vilnius was quiet. One passage of our life is finished, we are going to start a new life to fulfill the will of the One who has chosen us..."
(Diary of sr. Benigna).

On November 16, 1946, "all six" once more gathered together this time in Poznan to renew their vows. Fr. Siwek, a Jesuit, said Holy Mass. The Sisters wanted to realize the idea of Divine Mercy
in different ways. Few of them wanted to found a religious congregation, others a lay institute and still others wanted to be in the congregation but they felt responsible for their families. In this way the "first six" were divided into three shades, of which Sr. Faustina spoke.

Article from:  http://www.faustina-message.com/

Diary of St. Faustina...on how satan hates the Divine Mercy

1405   -  November 30, 1937. When I was going upstairs this evening, a strange dislike for everything having to do with God suddenly came over me. At that, I heard Satan who said to me, "Think no more about this work. God is not as merciful as you say He is. Do not pray for sinners, because they will be damned all the same, and by this work of mercy you expose your own self to damnation. Talk no more about this mercy of God with your confessor and especially not with Father Sopocko and Father Andrasz.” 

At this point, the voice took the appearance of my Guardian Angel, and at that moment I replied, "I know who you are: the father of lies [cf. Jn. 8:44]." I made the sign of the cross, and the angel vanished with great racket and fury. 

A Priest according to My Heart....Jesus on Bl. Fr. Michael Sopocko

Fr. Michael Sopocko was beatified on 28th September 2008 in Bialystok, Poland. 

The Cardinal of Krakow likewise recalled: "Blessed Fr. Sopocko proclaimed the mercy of God not only through direct and complete involvement in this task, which was initiated by Sr. Faustina. He himself was a man of infinite trust in the mercy of God. This was his deepest spiritual attitude. This was his 'personal song.' This was a special characteristic of his Christian and priestly identity."

The Beatification date of Sept. 28 had a symbolic significance for the Archdiocese of Bialystok because on this day the archdiocese celebrates annually "The Day of Prayer for the Holiness of Priests."

Around the altar of the beatification, there was a colorful banner quoting the words of Jesus to St. Faustina about Fr. Sopocko: "He is a priest according to my heart" (Diary, 1256).

Holy Father's Words on Sopocko


Following his Angelus message from Castel Gandolfo, in Italy, the Holy Father turned His thoughts to the faithful gathered in Bialystok, Poland, for the beatification of Father Michael Sopocko. There he said:

In a special way I extend my greetings to the Bialystok, Poland, participants of the beatification of the Servant of God, Fr. Michael Sopocko, the confessor and spiritual guide of St. Faustina Kowalska. At his suggestion, [Sister Faustina] described her mystical experiences and apparitions of merciful Jesus in her well known Diary. And also thanks to his efforts, the image with the words 'Jesus, I trust in you,' was painted and transmitted to the world. This Servant of God became known as a zealous priest, teacher and promoter of the Divine Mercy devotion. ...

I unite myself with joy with the Archdioceses of Bialystok and Vilnius and with all the faithful throughout the world to whom this message of merciful Jesus is dear. My beloved predecessor the Servant of God, John Paul II, most certainly rejoices in this beatification in Father's house. He is the one who entrusted the world to Divine Mercy. That is why I repeat his wish: May the God who is rich in mercy bless all of you.

Diary of St. Faustina...on her Spiritual Director, Bl. Fr. Michael Sopocko

August 30. Reverend Father Sopocko left this morning. When I was steeped in a prayer of thanksgiving for the great grace that I had received from God; namely, that of seeing Father, I became united in a special way with the Lord who said to me, he is a priest after My own Heart; his efforts are pleasing to Me. You see, My daughter, that My will must be done and that which I had promised you, I shall do. Through him I spread comfort to suffering and careworn souls. Through him it pleased Me to proclaim the worship of My mercy. And through this work of mercy more souls will come close to Me than otherwise would have, even if he had kept giving absolution day and night for the rest of his life, because by so doing, he would have labored only for as long as he lived; whereas, thanks to this work of mercy, he will be laboring till the end of the world.

Diary of St. Faustina...on the New Congregation, her Spiritual Directors, and Praying for the Dying.

1012 + March 8, 1937. Today, as I was praying for the intention of Father Andrasz, I suddenly understood how intimately this soul communed with God and how pleasing he was to the Lord. It gave me immense joy, because I desire intensely that all souls be united with God as closely as possible.

1013 + During prayer today, my soul was overcome with such a strong desire to begin the work, that I could not restrain my enthusiasm. Oh, how ardently I desire that the souls in this Congregation present themselves before the throne of God and continuously implore His incomprehensible mercy on behalf of the whole world, praising and glorifying this unfathomable mercy of God. A mysterious force is driving me to action.

1014 March 12, 1937. I saw the weariness of a certain priest [probably Father Sopocko] for whom the Lord has traced out a hard and difficult road; but the fruits of his work are alive. May God give us many such souls, capable of loving Him in the midst of the greatest torments.

1015 + I felt today how greatly a certain dying soul desired prayers. I prayed until I felt she had died. Oh, dying souls are in such great need of prayer! O Jesus, inspire souls to pray often for the dying.

15th February - Feast of Bl. Fr. Michael Sopocko

The Power of Prayer  -  "Ask and You Shall Receive"
by Blessed Michael Sopocko

Our Lord showed the need for prayer when He said, "Without me, you can do nothing".(John 15:5) Then He assured us of the power of prayer, "Ask and it will be givento you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened" (Matt 7:7-8). "And if you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer". (Matt. 21: 22)

To emphasise the effectiveness of prayer still more strongly, He made use of a comparison: "What man is there among you, if his son asked for bread, would give him a stone?  Or if he asked for a fish, would give him a snake? If you then being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father, who is in Heaven, give good things to them that ask Him?" (Matt. 7:9-11)

Prayer, which is a conversation with God, should have certain characteristics. It should be trusting, humble and persistent. Above all, we must prepare ourselves for prayer: "But when you pray, enter into your room, and having shut the door pray to your Father in secret and then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you". (Matt. 6:6)

He often urged us to trust, but especially in prayer: "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours". (Mark 11:24)

He highlighted humility in the parable of the prayer of the Pharisee and the Publican, on whom He passed judgment. "I tell you that this man (Publican), rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted". (Luke 18: 14)

In order to teach perseverance in prayer, He told the parable of the Unjust Judge, who refused for a long time to defend a certain widow against her adversary. “And will not God”, said Jesus, at the end of the parable, “bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night?". “Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice and quickly”. (Luke 18:1-8). And to the Apostles before His Passion, He said: "Watch ye, and pray that you enter not into temptation". (Mark 14: 38)

Diary of St. Faustina....on Gods unfathomable Mercy that we will never understand

Jesus to St. Faustina...

"My daughter, speak to priests about this inconceivable mercy of Mine. The flames of mercy are burning Me-clamoring to be spent; I want to keep pouring them out upon souls; souls just don't want to believe in My goodness." (Diary, 177)

"My love and mercy knows no bounds." (Diary, 718)


"Tell aching mankind to snuggle close to My merciful Heart, and I will fill it -with peace.

Reflection:  Sometimes we just cannot believe Gods mercy for us, can He truly forgive us for what we have done, the answer is Yes.  We will never understand Gods mercy.  Look around you - the world is still moving and exisiting even with all its sins....that in itself is Gods Mercy when we wake up to another day.  So as God is merciful to us, we ask the Lord to help us to be merciful to others.  The world will never understand Gods mercy, we can see this every day in the newspapers and how people are so easily exposed and condemned.  But this is not Gods way.  We are called as Christians to take on the mind of Christ and let His Words guide our thoughts, His actions guide our actions.  We must leave all judgement to God who never turns away from a contrite soul.