Divine Mercy: The Heart of the Gospel

90 Divine Mercy: The Heart Of The Gospel only, and that is - trust” (Diary, entry no. 1578). Faustina herself, tak­ ing her cue from the French Carmelites, declared: “my name is sacri­ fice” (135). Her mission was given her by Jesus: “My daughter, give me souls. Know that it is your mission to win souls for me by prayer and sacrifice, and by encouraging them to trust in my mercy” (1690). Why does sacrifice appear in this world of mercy? It is God whose name is Mercy: no human could take the name “Mercy” which is an attribute of God, first and foremost. But it is remarkable that the great apostle of Mercy, Faustina Kowalska, should take for her name - or have given her for a name - “sacrifice.” This question will help us explore some questions regarding mercy, suffering, and sacrifice, both in the expiatory Passion of Christ and in that share in his sufferings that has been granted his followers (cf. Col 1:24). Not least of the graces granted Faustina was the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity: “You are our dwelling place” (451). O f the Trinity, in one vision she saw an “impenetrable brightness in the form o f a crystal dwelling place, woven together from waves o f a brilliance unapproach­ able to both creatures and spirits ... a triple Unity, which is incompre­ hensible - which is infinity” (420). Her vision o f the Trinity indicates the origin both o f her relation to Jesus and to Mercy. In another section, she notes: On one occasion I was reflecting on the Holy Trinity, on the essence o f God. I absolutely wanted to know and fathom who God is ... In an instant my spirit was caught up into what seemed to be the next world. I saw an inaccessible light, and in this light what appeared like three sources o f light which I could not understand. And out o f that light came words in the form of lightning which encircled heaven and earth. Not understanding anything, I was very sad. Suddenly, from this sea of inaccessible light came our dearly beloved Savior, unutterable beautiful with his shining Wounds. And from this light came a voice which said, Who God is in His Essence, no one will fathom, neither the mind of Angels nor o f man. Jesus said to me, Get to know God by con­ templating His attributes. A moment later, he traced the sign of the cross with his hand and vanished (30). Thus, a vision of the Trinity emphasizes the unknowableness o f God