Pillars of Fire In My Soul

VIII. OUR OBLIGATION If Our Blessed Mother, that “kind-hearted” Mother who loves us all so very much, speaks in this manner, what conclu- sion must we draw from it? Only this, that it is not a third-rate matter with which we are dealing, but a cause that is of vital concern for us. Therefore, as regards the Devotion to The Divine Mercy in its new form, we cannot be indifferent or neg- ligent, as though the matter left us neither hot nor cold. On the contrary, when Heaven stands before us with such a splendid gift, we should understand that it is our duty to do our very best, our utmost, to root and ground this devotion in our own hearts first. Are we already doing this? Next, we should understand that we ought to propagate it prudently, but at the same time earnestly, in our own social circles, and especially among those who have gone astray, for they are in greatest need of The Divine Mercy. We should all do our part in this regard by a variety of means so that our entire country become inflamed with this devotion. Finally, let us make the above our great and holy ambition, so that the blessings of Jesus connected with this devotion to The Divine Mercy might flow through us upon all of mankind. We gather from her Diary that Sister Faustina dearly loved her country: O Poland, my dear homeland! she exclaimed at one point, If you only knew how many prayers and sacrifices I offer to God for you! (Diary, 1083) As a matter of fact, she prayed much and did penance for Poland’s benefit, at times directly at Heaven’s command. She also had certain enlighten- ments with regard to Poland’s destiny. The last words which Sister Faustina wrote about her beloved Poland, more or less four months before her death, have a certain mysterious aspect about them. They are pervaded with great hope, and they seem to connect the destiny of Poland with this “work of Mercy”. Divine Mercy … We Trust in You! 63