Continued from last week, An Interview with Sister Faustina Maria Pia of the Child Jesus.

Bonnie: Is it easier to trust God since you wrote the Litany of Trust?

Sister Faustina Maria Pia of the Child Jesus: “It’s a learning curve, I still have struggles, but the more I  trust Him, the more I desire to trust Him, and the greater my confidence to be really vulnerable with the Lord and honest with Him and myself and honest with others. I have the desire to live life in the purest sense, to not sugar coat anything, or avoid anything, to have wholeness, that God is good and He’s in it.  He offers in every moment an exchange of love that is being offered no matter if I think there should be one or shouldn’t be one. He is offering everything at every moment, to really live the present moment in its integrity and there is great peace and freedom that believing that brings. 

Bonnie: What suggestions do you have for people who are struggling to trust Jesus?

Sister Faustina Maria Pia of the Child Jesus:” First thing, which I have seen in my own life and has been a catalyst for graces,  is to have a really open dialogue with Jesus, silent prayer time where you are really speaking to Jesus as a friend.  Don’t worry about saying things the right way, or am I complaining to God, or am I too insensitive to that or too sensitive to that, say things as you are feeling them. You won’t be able to move beyond it (if you don’t) because it is not healthy to swallow things. The Saints could suffer things in silence because they were really and truly offering it in love but for most of us when we suffer in silence it usually leads to bitterness, anger, and resentment. Even though we feel heroic about it, saying ‘My life is so hard and no one knows it.’ It is not spiritually fruitful because it has to be met in a state of love, it has to be brought before His gaze and given to Him. For me, what really removed the wedge between the relationship with me and the Lord, which allowed me to trust him more deeply and believe in His words and promises, I had to be upfront and say, ‘I really hate this.’ ‘I feel so helpless here and I feel good for nothing.’ I have been placed in a situation that has been difficult, I have ideas and why are you not allowing any of those things to happen,’ or whatever it is, say, ‘God, I want to believe you and trust you, but these negative thoughts are coming to my head. I want to trust you, help me to trust you.’ God can handle these things and He wants to lead us from the real reality of where we are.

The second thing that I would suggest is St. Therese of the Child Jesus. I am a big fan of St. Therese in how to live TRUST. The combination of St. Faustina and St. Therese is a nice spirituality.  My full name is Sister Faustina Maria Pia of the Child Jesus. I really feel reading a little about St. Therese and how she saw her weaknesses changes the whole landscape of our encounter with God. It is so different when we see HIS love and the pursuit of His Fatherly heart and how He aches for us. We don’t think we are worthy of love because we see everything in our eyes and not in His eyes. Of course, when I don’t like myself, I don’t believe in God’s love, that’s how it works. That is why that personal meeting of the heart is so important to encounter the real Jesus. Reading St. Therese whets our appetite, ‘Wow I want to think like she did, I want to see my own failures and have confidence that He is going to be so merciful because He sees how weak I am, I want that!’ Reading a little a bit about St. Therese is so helpful, there are a lot of books about her. I love, “Under the Torrent of His Love,” a short book about her spirituality being linked to her understanding of mercy. Basically, the whole of it is when we understand that God is a merciful Father, the necessary spirituality is Spiritual Childhood. If we understand God’s mercy than we can TRUST Him. Everything that St. Therese writes is understanding God’s mercy. A huge combo of learning about trust is between Sister Faustina and Saint Therese. “

Books recommended by Sister Faustina Maria Pia of the Child Jesus:

“Under the Torrent of His Love,” by Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus

“The Life of Faustina Kowalska,” by Sister Sophia Michalenko

It is beautiful how the Holy Spirit guided this post to appear now, just three days before the Feast of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, October 1st, and seven days before the feast of St. Faustina, October 5th. All praise to Him! Be assured of my daily prayers for you and I would be very grateful for your continued prayers. May we continue to grow in confidence in His mercy and place all our trust in Jesus. St. Therese and St. Faustina, pray for us!

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