Tithing: what is it and what is its meaning?

The purpose of the tithe was to fundraising for the material support of the Church and those most in need, today Pope Francis tells us "The enemy of generosity is consumerism".

Every Christian can contribute financially "what he has decided in his heart and not reluctantly or by force, because God loves a cheerful giver". 2 Corinthians 9:7

What is tithing

The word tithe comes from the Latin decimus and is linked to a tenth, the tenth part of something. The concept was used to refer to the 10% fee to be paid to a king, a ruler or a leader. Those who were to make the payment gave a tenth of their earnings or income to the creditor. It was a common ancient practice among the Babylonians, Persians, Greeks and Romans and among the Hebrews.

The meaning of tithing in the Bibleis the tenth part of all the fruits acquired, which must be given to God as recognition of his supreme dominion. Cf. Leviticus 27:30-33. The tithe is offered to God, but it is transferred to his ministers. Cf. Num 28:21.

The tithe and offering should be understood today, according to the Christian spirit of a heartfelt giving of love for helping the Church and the most disadvantaged in their needs.

"The generosity of the little things widens the heart, beware of consumerism".. In his homily at morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta on November 26, 2018, Pope Francis urged us to ask ourselves how we can be more generous to the poor, the current tithe is in "the little things." And he warned that the enemy of generosity is consumerism, spending more than we need to spend.

How tithing is reflected in the Bible

The Old Testament speaks of the willingness of heart to titheaccording to the phrase "let each one give as he has decided in his heart, not giving with sorrow but with joy.". The meaning of the tithe in the bible appears for the first time when Abram, gives it to the priest Melchizedek in a token of gratitude (Genesis 14:18-20; Hebrews 7:4). Over time, it was instructed for all the priests Levites and was even established as an obligation or law.

Then Jacob gives the tithe of all his possessions to the Lord. "And this stone, which I have set up for a sign, shall be God's house; and of all that thou shalt give me, I will set apart for thee the tithe." (Genesis 28:22)

Subsequently the Bible explains how each year, the Israelites set aside a tenth of what their land produced (Leviticus 27:30). If they decided to pay with money, then they had to add 20 % to its value (Leviticus 27:31). They also had to give "tenths of the cattle and herd" (Leviticus 27:32).

To calculate the tithe of their livestock, the Israelites chose every tenth animal that came out of their pen. The Law said that they could not examine whether that animal was good or bad, nor exchange it for another. Furthermore, they could not pay that tithe with money (Leviticus 27:32, 33).

But the second tithe, the one used for the annual feasts, could be paid with money. This was very practical for the Israelites who came from far away to attend the feasts (Deuteronomy 14:25, 26). Israelite families used these offerings on their special feasts. And there were specific years in which these offerings were used to helping the very poor. (Deuteronomy 14:28, 29; 26:12.)

Paying tithe was a moral obligation, the Mosaic law did not establish any punishment for those who did not comply with the law.. The Israelites had to declare before God that they had complied and then ask him to bless them for having done so (Deuteronomy 26:12-15).

Grupo de personas en un entorno antiguo, similar a un mercado o templo, entregando ofrendas de frutas y monedas a un hombre que las recibe. La escena evoca la práctica del diezmo en tiempos bíblicos.
In the marketplace of ancient Judea, people came to give their tithes.

Tithing in the Bible: the New Testament

In the days of Jesustithe was still paid. But, when he died on the cross, this was no longer a requirement. Jesus does not reject it, but teaches a new reference: to give no longer the 10% but to give oneself totally as master.r, not counting the cost. Therefore, he condemned the religious leaders because they were very strict in collecting the tithe and at the same time, neglected "the most important matters of the Law: justice, mercy and faithfulness" (Matthew 23:23).

Jesus' death annulled the Mosaic Law, including "the command to collect the tithe from the people" (Hebrews 7:5, 18; Ephesians 2:13-15; Colossians 2:13, 14). In none of the four times that the tithe appears in the New Testament are we taught to be guided by that measure. It is no longer limited to the law of 10 % but refers us to the example of Jesus Christ who gave himself unreservedly. Jesus lives a radical surrender and teaches us that we should do the same. That is why he transmitted to us the concept and the importance of the Works of mercySpiritual and corporal.

The Heart of Jesus is the model of total surrender. He gave himself to death on Calvary. Jesus gives us His grace to know how to give and to give as He gave Himself.. Everything belongs to God and we are stewards of our resources according to the Holy Spirit who enlightens our conscience. San Pablo teaches and lives the same self-giving, "For you know the generosity of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, though he was rich, yet for your sakes became poor, that you might be enriched by his poverty." (II Corinthians 8,9)

The Pope Francisco Pope gives catechesis on Jubilee, tithing and condemnation of usury. At the general audience on Ash Wednesday 2016.

Importance for the financing of the Church in Spain

The Catechism of the Catholic Church mentions the tithe only once, in reference to the Christian's responsibility towards the poor, already founded in the Old Testament. The fifth commandment, "to help the Church in her needs", that the faithful are obliged to help, each according to his or her ability, to the material needs of the Church (cf. CCC can. 222).

There is much confusion among the population about the sources of financing of the Catholic Church in Spain. The Catholic Church receives from the Spanish State, 0.7% of the taxes of those who freely check the corresponding box in the personal income tax declaration. This has been the case since the modification of the tax allocation system was signed in December 2006. And it can be considered a way of contributing a tithe or offering to the Church today.

In addition to the State's contribution via personal income tax, the Church is supported by the contributions and offerings of its faithful through other means:

Marking the Church box on the income tax return does not imply any cost for the citizen. You will not get back less or pay more. But it is a great help for thousands of people who need it. A small gesture for a great work. In the CARF Foundation's Reflection Days that we organized with different collaborators online, Silvia Meseguer explained the financing of religion in Spain.

Bibliography:

Catechism of the Catholic Church
infocatolica.com
Opusdei.org

St. Luke, writer of the third Gospel

Saint Luke was born in Antioch. His origin was Gentile, probably Greek, and he dedicated himself to medicine. After converting to Christianity around the year 40, he accompanied St. Paul on his second apostolic journey and spent the last part of the apostle's life with him at the time of his captivity in Rome. He is the author of the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles.

There are figures who, without having known Jesus directly, managed to transmit in their account of the Lord's life a special vividness and tenderness. One such man was St. Luke'sHe was the physician loved by St. Paul and the chronicler who most detailed the infancy of Jesus among all the evangelists. He is the one who has best shown us that period of the Lord's life.

St. Luke offers details that help us consider the humanity of Jesus Christ and the normality of the life of the Holy Family: how Our Lord was wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, the purification of Mary and the presentation of the Child in the temple, the loss of Jesus in Jerusalem... Probably any family of that time lived through similar situations. And surely it was Our Mother the Virgin Mary who told it to them firsthand.

Presenting the truth

He was not an apostle of the first hour, no; his vocation was the same as that of any Christian, but it was a call to investigate, to order and to present the Truth with the precision of a physician and the soul of an artist.

From very early times, St. Luke received the title of painter of the Virgin. Because he is the evangelist who most clearly traces the figure of Mary as a model of correspondence to God. Of her he emphasizes that she is full of grace, she conceives by the Holy Spirit, she will be blessed for all generations....

Giorgio Vasari as St. Luke painting the Virgin, 1565. The bull, symbol of the evangelist in the tetramorphos.

At the same time, it expresses that she responds with fidelity and gratitude to all these divine graces: she receives with humility the angel's announcement, she surrenders herself to the divine plans, she observes the customs of her people....

His story does not begin with a miraculous catch of fish or a direct call to the seashore. St. Luke was a learned man, instructed in the science of Hippocrates, a Gentile whose mind was trained to observe in detail and contrast. That attentive gaze allowed him to approach with precision and clarity the life and figure of the carpenter of Nazareth. His gospel is, in a sense, a detailed history of salvation from birth to death, resurrection, ascension and appearance to different groups of disciples and the apostles.

The beloved doctor

Providence weaves threads in unsuspected ways. Luke's path crossed that of Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor turned Paul, apostle to the Gentiles. In the Acts of the Apostles, the second part of his work, where Luke himself, with humility, uses the pronoun "we," he includes himself in the missionary adventure of St. Paul. He became his inseparable companion, confidant and, as Paul himself calls him in the letter to the Colossians, 'the beloved physician'"' (Col 4:14).

It is easy to imagine these two great saints conversing during long voyages across the Mediterranean or during nights in prison. Paul, the passionate apostle; Luke, the methodical observer. Perhaps from these dialogues, from this sharing of faith and mission, or perhaps at the invitation of St. Paul, the conviction was born in St. Luke to put down in writing, and in an orderly way, everything that had happened.

san lucas evangelista y médico

Eyewitnesses

He was not satisfied with what he had heard; as a good investigator, "it seemed to me also, after I had accurately reported everything from the beginning, to write it down for you in an orderly fashion, distinguished Theophilus" (Lk 1:3), interviewing the eyewitnesses, those who had seen, heard and touched the Word made flesh.

According to a very ancient tradition, who better to tell her the mysteries of Jesus' infancy than Jesus herself? Virgin Mary? Your Gospel is the most Marian one, the one that gives us the MagnificatIt is the one that allows us to look into the Immaculate Heart of Our Mother Mary.

Pintura renacentista de Giorgio Vasari donde San Lucas, sentado frente a un caballete, pinta un retrato de la Virgen María y el Niño Jesús, quienes posan para él rodeados de querubines.
St. Luke painting the Virginfresco by Giorgio Vasari (1565).

To God through letters

It is not known how St. Luke's died and appeared before the Judgment of God. Some sources indicate that he may have been martyred, but other traditions indicate that he died at the age of 84, after a patient, meticulous and God-inspired work.

His work: the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles, two books, one story: the story of the love of God who became man and who continues to live and act in his Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. And with St. Luke as a faithful companion of St. Paul on his missionary journeys, he documented the beginnings of the Church.

The Gospel of Mercy

If we were to define the third Gospel with a single word, it would be mercy. Luke presents a Jesus who constantly comes to heal human frailty. It is the parable of the Good Samaritan, of the lost sheep, of the prodigal son....

It is the Gospel that shows us a God who never tires of forgiving, who runs to embrace the repentant sinner and who celebrates a feast in heaven for every conversion. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us in number 125, "the Gospels are the heart of all the Scriptures because they are the chief witness to the life and teaching of the Word made flesh, our Savior." Luke's work is an eloquent witness to this truth.

His pen, guided by the Holy Spirit, not only brought his addressee, the illustrious Theophilus, out of doubt, but has continued to bring souls closer over the course of twenty centuries, reminding us that holiness is not the absence of pain, but allowing oneself to be accompanied by the Divine Physician, Christ.

The chronicler of early Christianity

In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke focuses on the nascent Church, but the protagonist remains the same: the Holy Spirit. He narrates with detail and emotion the adventure of the first Christians, the persecutions, Paul's journeys, the miracles and, above all, the irrepressible spread of the Good News. It teaches us that the vocation Christianity begins with a personal encounter with Christ that impels one to carry out the mission: witnesses to the ends of the earth.

san lucas evangelista y médico

The work of St. Luke's is, in short, a hymn to the faithfulness of God and to the greatness of the vocation human. A physician from Antioch, a man who did not know Jesus personallybecame, by the grace of God and his diligent work, one of his most faithful portraitists, bequeathing to us a gospel which is a balm for the soul and a road map for the Church of all times.

Christians in the Acts of the Apostles

As Pope Francis shows us in a 2019 catechesis "in the Acts of the Apostles, St. Luke shows us the Church of Jerusalem as the paradigm of every Christian community. The Christians persevered in the teaching of the apostles, in communion, they remembered the Lord through the breaking of bread, that is, the Eucharist, and they dialogued with God in prayer.

The believers lived all together, conscious of the bond that unites them as brothers and sisters in Christ, feeling especially called to share with everyone spiritual and material goods, according to the needs of each one. Thus, by sharing the Word of God and also the bread, the Church becomes the leaven of a new world in which justice, solidarity and compassion flourish.

The book of Acts adds that the disciples went daily to the temple, broke bread in their homes and praised God. Indeed, the liturgy is not just another aspect of the Church, but the expression of its essence, the place where we meet the Risen One and experience his love."

Important dates of St. John Paul II

St. John Paul II, the traveling Pope, left an indelible mark on the history of the Catholic Church and the entire world. In order to understand the magnitude of his pontificate and his person, we must be familiar with the most important dates in the life of St. John Paul IIThe Pope's pontificate, those key moments that marked his path from his native Poland to the Holy See. On October 16, we commemorate the anniversary of the beginning of his pontificate back in 1978.

Join us in this chronological journey through the life of this great saint who inspired the creation of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome, where more than a thousand seminarians, diocesan priests and religious men and women from all over the world are trained each year, who then return to their countries of origin to train others.

Karol Wojtyła como sacerdote en Niegowić, Polonia, 1948. Fechas más importantes de san Juan Pablo II.
Karol Wojtyła as a priest in Niegowić, Poland, 1948.

Early years and the priesthood

The life of Karol Wojtyła, the first name of St. John Paul II, was marked from the beginning by the great events of the 20th century and by a very difficult childhood. His youth was forged between the Nazi occupation and the subsequent Soviet domination of Poland, experiences that profoundly shaped his character and his faith.

To delve deeper into these early years, we recommend this video that summarizes his life:

John Paul II, a pontificate that changed lives

The election of a non-Italian cardinal surprised the world and marked the beginning of one of the longest and most significant pontificates in history, lasting 26 years, 5 months and 18 days. The most important dates of the pontificate of St. John Paul II are numerous and of great significance, some of which are highlighted below:

John Paul II during his visit to the Polish Parliament, 1999.

Apostolic journeys

In his almost 27 years of pontificate John Paul II made a total of 240 trips on the five continents: 104, outside Italy; and 146, carried out in Italy. If we translate this into kilometers: 1,247,613 kilometers, or 3.24 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon. The circumference of the Earth is about 40,075 km, this distance is equivalent to 31.13 laps to the planet.

In this video we leave you some of his most significant moments and gestures:

The last years of a saint

The last years of his life were marked by Parkinson's disease, which he bore with a fortitude that touched the world. Despite his physical limitations, he continued his mission to the end.

Encyclicals of great theological content

Here is a list of the encyclicals that St. John Paul II published during his pontificate, 14 in total. It includes the Latin name, the main theme and the year of publication:

Title (Latin)SubjectAyear of publication
1. Redemptor HominisJesus Christ, Redeemer of man. The centrality of man in the mystery of Redemption.March 4, 1979
2. Dives in MisericordiaThe Divine Mercy of God the Father.November 30, 1980
3. Laborem ExercensHuman labor and the social question (90th anniversary of Rerum Novarum).September 14, 1981
4. Slavorum ApostoliIn commemoration of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Apostles of the Slavs.June 2, 1985
5. Dominum et VivificantemThe Holy Spirit in the life of the Church and the world.May 18, 1986
6. Redemptoris MaterThe Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Church.March 25, 1987
7. Sollicitudo Rei SocialisThe Social Concern of the Church (20th anniversary of Populorum Progressio).December 30, 1987
8. Redemptoris MissioThe permanent validity of the missionary mandate.December 7, 1990
9. Centesimus AnnusThe social question, one hundred years after Rerum Novarum.May 1, 1991
10. Veritatis SplendorFundamentals of the moral teaching of the Church.August 6, 1993
11. Evangelium VitaeThe value and inviolability of human life.March 25, 1995
12. Ut Unum SintOn ecumenical commitment.May 25, 1995
13. Fides et RatioOn the relationship between faith and reason.September 14, 1998
14. Ecclesia de Eucharistia vivitThe Eucharist in its relationship with the Church.April 17, 2003

To know the most important dates of St. John Paul II immerses us in the life of an essential figure for understanding the 20th century; a man who lived and brought the Gospel to every corner of the planet with a message of hope, love and the defense of human dignity.

The gift of tears

Men are often ashamed to cry and shed tears; and it is a pity that this ancestral taboo that considers crying appropriate only for women still stands.

Perhaps in a subconscious area of the manly soul, Cervantes' enumeration of man's good crying still weighs too heavily: "For three things it is lawful for a prudent man to weep: the first, because he has sinned; the second, to obtain pardon for sin; the third, because he is jealous: tears do not speak well of a grave face." 

In my opinion, Don Miguel fell very short in this list of reasons for crying, perhaps because he failed to see that crying is one of the most sublime outpourings granted to us by our ancestors. Creator. He knows very well that a man needs to unburden his spirit at least as much as a woman does.

don de llorar ernesto juliá

We all cry, some more than others, it is true, but all of us: young and old, men and women, sick and healthy, conservative, backward, progressive, etc. Who does not weep at the death of a mother, sheds tears of joy at the birth of a child; who faces the attack of the enemy without flinching, sheds tears of despair and frustration at the betrayal of a friend.

And who has not wept peacefully when he kissed his elderly mother again after many years? Perhaps in those moments he has savored tears as a gift of God's tenderness towards human beings. 

Tears open doors

There is perhaps no gesture more endearingly human and divine as tears, than the very same Jesus ChristGod and true, lived in the death of his friend Lazarus. The Apostles also shed tears, and I dare say that there has not been a saint who has not wept.

Tears open the doors of those narrow prisons in which every human being feels imprisoned from time to time. What other recourse is there when faced with the death of an innocent child; when suffering an injustice that we are unable to repair; when faced with the rebellion of a child; when suffering from a completely unforeseen illness; when faced with the sudden madness of a loved one?

The shame of crying

Many people may be embarrassed to be seen crying by others, as if a tearful face is a humiliating manifestation of weakness, a sign of immaturity, or an inability to cope with certain life events.

I don't find Jacinto Benavente's comment very happy. regarding the different circumstances in which a man and a woman cry: "Men, he says, almost always cry alone; women cry only when they have a friend at their side who can wipe away their tears". And he is not happy, simply because every human being who cries wants to be consoled, although perhaps few are aware that the only one who can console them in the depths of their soul is God: this is what men and women thought, whom, throughout my life, I have found crying alone in a corner of a church.

Smiling after crying

"A life in which not a tear falls is like one of those deserts in which not a drop of water falls; it only breeds snakes". Castelar's comment, even with its good dose of romanticism, is still accurate. 

Only those who know how to cry, do not hate, do not bear grudges, do not feed desires for revenge.He manages to unleash the joy of his spirit with a serene smile.

Smiling after crying is like a rainbow, a symbol of peace, of serenity. And, on the contrary, not knowing, or not wanting to cry already has a hint of a curse, a condemnation to be cruel, and to never forgive. It is one of the misfortunes that can occur in the life of a man, of a woman.

Ernesto Juliá, ernesto.julia@gmail.com

Originally published in Religion Confidential.

The 108 Eucharistic miracles of St. Carlo Acutis

With his actions and his conduct, the already declared saint, represents a model of a young man who knows how to follow with courage and firmness the path indicated by the Lord, despite the difficulties without ceasing to lead a life close to Jesus.

The life project of St. Carlo Acutis, considered the millennial saint, was to live with Jesus, for Jesus and in union with Jesus. His life was not to dedicate it to vain things, but to give it to God, placing all his projects in his hands.

The life of this young Italian saint, leaves as fruit a work on the Eucharistic miracles for all Christians with which he manages to bring Jesus to the whole world through the Internet. He made, almost unwittingly, a contribution to the evangelizing work of the Church around the Holy Eucharist and the real presence of Jesus in it.

Blessed Carlo Acutis is an authentic witness that the Gospel can be fully lived by an adolescent. His brief existence, destined to the goal of the encounter with Jesus, is an example for Christian youth..

milagros eucarísticos carlo acutis
Map with the 163 panels created by saint Carlos Acutis
Donate so that priests can celebrate the miracle of the Mass.

The exhibition on the Eucharistic miracles of St. Carlo Acutis

Carlo Acutis is known as Patron Saint of the Internet because he was able to use the new communication techniques to transmit the Gospel and to communicate Christian values.

In addition, he conducted research, compilation and design work that resulted in the creation of 163 panels where photographs and historical descriptions of Eucharistic miracles are shown. in different centuries and in the world.

In this way the exhibition on the Eucharistic miracles of Saint Carlo Acutis which has already toured many countries around the worldHe has visited more than 500 parishes in Italy and more than ten thousand parishes in other countries with translations in different languages.

With a a wide variety of photographs and historical descriptions, the Eucharistic miracles exhibition, the that have occurred over the centuries in different countries and that have been the subject of major events that have recognized by the Catholic Church. By means of the panels, the millennial saint gets us to virtually visit the places where these miracles occurred.

St. Carlo Acutis has a message for today's youth: life in Christ is beautiful and must be lived in fullness. Eternal realities are authentic and we are immersed in them more than we think.

"Everyone is born an original, but many die as photocopies." In order not to die as a photocopy, Carlo Acutis drinks from the source of the sacraments, which for him are the most powerful means to grow in Christian virtues. 

El joven san Carlo Acutis en una foto al aire libre con un paisaje de montañas al fondo, vistiendo un polo rojo y una mochila.
Carlo Acutis (1991-2006), the "cyber-apostle of the Eucharist," whose upcoming canonization will make him St. Carlo Acutis.

What are Eucharistic miracles?

The Eucharistic miracles are prodigious interventions of God. which are intended to confirm faith in the real presence of the body and blood of the Lord in the Eucharist.

During the liturgy of the Eucharist, the most important moment of the Catholic Mass is the Consecration of the bread and wine that will be transformed, through the words of the priest, into the body and blood of Christ.

This marvelous transformation, in the most important part of the Mass, takes the name of transubstantiation, that is, the change of one substance for another, cannot be experienced at all by the senses, only faith assures us of this marvelous transformation. It changes the substance without changing the accidents.

The Eucharistic miracles seek to confirm this faith, which is based on the words of Jesus: what looks like bread is not bread and what looks like wine is not wine.

In the Eucharistic miracles, flesh and blood are indeed seen, or one without the other depending on the miracle.

The purpose of these wonders is to demonstrate that we should not look for the external appearance (bread and wine), but for the substance, the true reality of things, which is the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ God our Lord.

Fotografía del adolescente san Carlo Acutis sonriendo a la cámara en un entorno histórico, con un puente de piedra y un río al fondo, durante un viaje.
St. Carlo Acutis in an image that reflects his simplicity and the joy of a young man of our time.

Brief biography of St. Carlo Acutis

This young saint died in October 2006, at the age of 15, of acute myeloid leukemia, leaving in the memory of those who know his life a deep admiration for his witness of Christian life.

From a very early age, Carlo showed a great attraction for the Eucharist, he was a normal boy. He carried out different apostolic works.

He played the saxophone, played soccer and had fun with video games. But he did it all with an absolutely special harmony, thanks to his great friendship with Jesus.

He was a great connoisseur of the computer world. His knowledge ranged from computer programming to film editing, website creation, digital newspapers, and he used it for his apostolate.

His devotion grew daily thanks to Communion; he participated fervently in Holy Mass and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament.

Carlo's love for the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary were the pillars of his life. The Virgin Mary was his confidant and he never ceased to venerate her, praying the Holy Rosary and dedicating to her his sacrifices in the form of renunciations.

This is how he lived Carlo AcutisIn intimate friendship with Jesus and in his constant presence, he understood that an authentic spiritual life was necessary for effective missionary action. When he was diagnosed with leukemia, he offered his sufferings "for the Lord, the Pope and the Church".

As of April 6, 2019, the mortal remains of Carlo rest in the Sanctuary of the Despoilment of Assisi. Pope Francis named him blessed on October 10, 2020. And on September 7, 2025, Pope Leo XIV proclaimed him a saint, together with Pier Giorgio Frassati.

Canonization of St. Carlo Acutis

Acutis considered the millennial saint is canonized together with Pier Giorgio Frassati on September 7th 2025 in St. Peter's Square by Pope Leo XIV, accompanied by thousands of people.

If you were not able to see his canonization, you can now watch it through the following video:

Faustina Kowalska, Apostle of the Divine Mercy

In the history of the Catholic Church, few twentieth century figures have had such a profound and universal impact as saint Faustina Kowalska. This Polish nun, Apostle of the Divine Mercy, canonized in the year 2000

He received his message directly from Jesus Christ through a series of mystical revelations. His confessor obliged him to write down all the revelations in what is known as the Diary of Divine Mercy.

The first years

Helena Kowalska was born in 1905 in the village of Głogowiec, Poland, into a poor and pious peasant family. From a very young age, she felt a strong inclination towards the spiritual life. At the age of seven, she already sensed in her soul the call to the consecrated life.

Her parents were initially opposed due to the family's precarious economic situation. During her adolescence, she worked as a servant to help her family and save for her dowry, a common requirement at the time for entering a convent.

Despite the difficulties, the call of God was insistent. At the age of 18, faced with the refusal of her parents, she decided to give herself to the vagaries of life in order to silence the call of Grace. Precisely with her sister Josephine, when everyone was enjoying themselves and having a good time, she was not capable, she suffered and felt great sadness.

This episode was decisive for her vocation. She had a vision of the suffering Jesus who asked her: "Helena, my daughter, how long will you make me suffer, how long will you deceive me? This moment marked a point of no return.

She abandoned everything and, following this divine impulse, went to Warsaw to look for a convent that would accept her. After being rejected by several congregations, she was finally admitted into the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925, where she adopted the name of Sister Maria Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament.

Imagen de Jesús de la Divina Misericordia de Santa Faustina Kowalsk

The mission of the Divine Mercy Secretariat

In 1928 she took her vows as a nun and lived very few years as such, since she died on October 5, 1938, at the age of 33, of which 13 years were spent in the convent. The life of Saint Faustina Kowalska like nun was apparently ordinary and simple. She performed with humility and diligence the simplest tasks: cook, gardener, doorkeeper, for she was warned that she would enter there as a lay sister and that, because of her low level of schooling, she might not reach higher levels in the order.

However, in the secret of her cell and of her heart, a mystical life of unprecedented depth was developing. Jesus appeared to her and entrusted her with a mission: to be the apostle and secretary of His Divine Mercy.

The core of her mission is found in her Diary, which her confessor obliged her to write with the simplicity of a person who barely received any academic training because of her extreme poverty. The manuscript of more than 600 pages meticulously recorded Jesus' words, visions and spiritual experiences.

In these revelations, Christ asked him to paint an image of Him as He appeared to him, with two rays emanating from His heart, one red and the other pale, symbolizing the blood and water shed on the Cross. Under the image was to be the inscription: "Jesus, I trust in You". Jesus told her that he wanted the image of the Divine Mercy to be "solemnly blessed on the first Sunday after Easter; that Sunday will be the feast of mercy".

This image, known today as the Divine Mercy, is one of the most recognized Christian icons in the world. Jesus also taught Sister Faustina the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a prayer to implore mercy for the whole world, and asked her to establish the first Sunday after Easter as the Feast of Mercy.

This devotion was not a simple addition to popular piety, but an urgent reminder to a world mired in conflict and despair that God's greatest attribute is His infinite mercy.

A humble life

The service life humble of saint Faustina Kowalska was not limited to her prophetic mission. Her spirituality was deeply rooted in sacrifice and self-offering for the salvation of souls. She offered her sufferings, both physical-she suffered from tuberculosis for years-and spiritual, in union with the Passion of Christ. She understood that service to others and love of neighbor were the most authentic manifestation of devotion to Divine Mercy.

His obedience to his superiors and his spiritual director, Blessed Michael Sopoćko, was exemplary. Despite the doubts, misunderstandings and difficulties he encountered, even within his own congregation, he persevered with unwavering trust in the will of God. It was precisely his confessor, Sopoćko, who indicated to him that he should write a Diary with all the revelations that Jesus was making to him.

His life reflects how God chooses the humble to carry out his greatest works, demonstrating that holiness does not lie in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary things with extraordinary love.

Faustina told Sopoćko about the Divine Mercy image, and in January 1934, he introduced her to the artist Eugene Kazimierowski, also a professor at the same university, where her confessor was teaching Pastoral Theology.

Divine Mercy

The Journal of saint Faustina Kowalska has been translated into dozens of languages and has guided countless people into a deeper relationship with God. Devotion to the Divine MercyThe company was decisively driven by St. John Paul II -who called her the great apostle of Mercy in our times, has spread throughout the Church. Today, its message resounds in a world wounded by division and sin, God's Mercy is the only refuge and the only hope.

On April 18, 1993, the Feast of Divine Mercy (second Sunday of Easter), John Paul II declared Sister Faustina Blessed in front of a crowd of Divine Mercy devotees in St. Peter's Square in Rome.

Maria Faustina Kowalska was canonized on April 30, 2000.The Holy Father presided over the canonization ceremony, the second Sunday of Easter, which the Catholic Church also calls Divine Mercy Sunday. The Holy Father presided over the canonization ceremony before a large crowd of devotees.

The life of this humble nun Polish teaches us that a service lifelived in faith and trust, can transform the world. St. Faustina reminds us that, no matter how great our weaknesses or sins, God's loving heart is always open to welcome us with his infinite mercy.