In 2006, he heard the story of St. Faustina and Divine Mercy given by his pastor in La Junta Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Pueblo, which captivated him. He had much more time to read in his retirement, and he ordered a copy of the Diary of St. Faustina and read it cover-to-cover, and started to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. “Mark, Mark” One morning, he was running errands around the farm on his four-wheeler when he heard a woman’s voice call his name, “Mark, Mark.” He turned off the four-wheeler and listened, and again heard the woman’s voice. Looking around, there was no woman on the farm that morning. After she had his full attention, the woman said, “Mark, I want you to pray for all the souls on their deathbed today, that they may accept the mercy of Jesus into their life.” Mark rushed into the house and checked in the Diary, thinking he had read something very similar in the Diary. He knew that Faustina had spoken to him and given him a mission. He lived out that mission by beginning a prayer group that met every Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. in his parish and continues to meet today. He also shared the story of St. Faustina and Divine Mercy with as many as would listen until the day he died on April 14, 2014. I share my brother’s story because I know there are thousands and thousands of stories like his. The Divine Mercy of Jesus is mightily at work. Misery to Mercy Brothers and sisters, I think it is abundantly clear today: Great suffering is being endured, wars are proliferating, hatreds are dividing. Families collapse, countries are in great travail, the misery of the poor and their plight is so obvious. Yet, the Good News is that God does not abandon us. He is right in the middle of our misery and begs us to accept Him in the midst of it all. Saint Faustina writes in her Diary (1507): “One thing alone is necessary: that the sinner set ajar the door of his heart, be it ever so little, to let in a ray of God’s Merciful grace and then God will do the rest.” For those of you who have been keeping yourselves shielded from God through fear or anger, or some other obstacle, open the door of your heart to the merciful love of Jesus, even if only a tiny bit. You will be amazed at what that little opening can accomplish. You will also be amazed at how much God loves you, misses you, and has been searching for you, waiting for your response. His merciful love will convict us with a deep sorrow for our sins, while also filling our heart with gratitude for His mercy. Because of His love, you will be helped to move “from misery to mercy” and experience the great forgiveness of Jesus, especially through the Sacrament of Confession. There is a great urgency today. Saint Faustina describes the Mercy of God as an inexhaustible source from God who is so eager for people to accept His Love. She writes in her Diary (793), “You are a bottomless sea of Mercy for us sinners; and the greater the misery, the more right we have to Your Mercy.” This seems truer today than ever. There seems to be an urgency to accept and to trust God. He only wants us to draw closer to Him, and in these days of great challenge and even darkness, the urgency seems ever more pressing: no more delaying, no more putting Him off to another day or another time in the future. … Mercy to Mission In the Gospels, the Great Commission (especially clear in Mt 28) to share the Good News is not an option but is given to everyone as a mandate. The Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation confirm this mandate for each one of us. In the context of Divine Mercy, each one of us is called to share the graces of Divine Mercy. As St. Faustina wrote, “I want to tell souls of your goodness and encourage them to trust Your Mercy. That is my mission, which you Yourself have entrusted to me, O Lord, in this life and in the life to come” (Diary, 1325). This year, we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of our country. Interceding for our nation takes on greater importance and must be our focus for the anniversary. In honor of this occasion, the bishops of our country in June are going to consecrate our nation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Let us all make this a big part of our mission to intercede deeply for our country. We need intercessory prayer more than ever. May we all make this a part of our mission, to beg the Lord for a superabundant miracle of mercy that will transform each one of us, our country, and the world. Watch EWTN coverage of Divine Mercy Sunday 2026 from the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy on DivineMercyPlus.org. “Open the door of your heart to the Merciful love of Jesus, even if only a tiny bit. You will be amazed at what that little opening can accomplish. You will also be amazed at how much God loves you, misses you, and has been searching for you, waiting for your response.” Marian Helper • Summer 2026 • Marian.org 15
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