St. Faustina’s Meditations on the Passion

Posted On October 16, 2009

Many people have asked about the powerful meditations that are used on our CD “The Rosary & The Chaplet of Divine Mercy,” so I am posting them here.

Opening Prayer
O my Jesus, … I unite my desires to the desires that
You had on the cross (1581). I call upon You
and … beg Your mercy for poor sinners. …

O Most Sacred Heart, Fount of Mercy from which gush forth
rays of inconceivable graces, …
be mindful of Your own bitter Passion
and do not permit the loss of souls
redeemed at so dear a price. …

O Jesus, let every soul trust in [Your] Passion
and place its hope in [Your] mercy.
[You] will not deny [Your] mercy to anyone.
Heaven and earth may change,
but [Your] mercy will never be exhausted.

Jesus! I desire to bring all sinners to Your feet
that they may glorify Your mercy
throughout endless ages (72).
I now embrace the whole world
and ask You for mercy for it (1582).

The Agony of Jesus

I entered into the sufferings which Jesus underwent in the Garden of Olives (646). The Lord pressed me to His Heart and said,

I shall give you a small portion of My Passion, but do not be afraid, be brave; do not seek relief, but accept everything with submission to My will (1053).

When Jesus was taking leave of me, such great pain filled my soul that it is impossible to express it. Every beat of Jesus’ Heart was reflected in my heart and pierced my soul. In the course of this suffering, my love grew immeasurably. Together with Him, I underwent, in a special way, all the various tortures. The world still has no idea of all that Jesus suffered.

I accompanied Him to the Garden of Gethsemane; I stayed with Him in the prison; I went with Him before the judges; I underwent with Him each of the tortures. Not a single one of His movements or looks escaped my notice. I came to know all the omnipotence of His love and of His mercy toward souls (1054).

The Scourging

I saw the Lord Jesus tied to a pillar, stripped of His clothes, and the scourging began immediately. I saw four men who took turns at striking the Lord with scourges. My heart almost stopped at the sight of these tortures (445).

I saw how the Lord Jesus suffered as He was being scourged. Oh, such an inconceivable agony! … His blood flowed to the ground, and in some places His flesh started to fall off. I saw a few bare bones on His back. The meek Jesus moaned softly and sighed (188).

The Lord said to me, I suffer even greater pain than that which you see. And Jesus gave me to know for what sins He subjected himself to the scourging: these are sins of impurity. Oh, how dreadful was Jesus’ moral suffering during the scourging (445)!

The Crowning with Thorns

After the scourging, the torturers took the Lord and stripped Him of His own garment, which had already adhered to the wounds. As they took it off, His wounds reopened. Then they threw a dirty and tattered scarlet cloak over the fresh wounds of the Lord.

They wove a crown of thorns, which they put on His sacred head. They put a reed in His hand and made fun of Him, bowing to Him as to a king. Some spat in His face, while others took the reed and struck Him on the head with it. Others caused him pain by slapping Him; still others covered His face and struck Him with their fists.

Jesus bore all this with meekness. Who can comprehend Him – comprehend His suffering? Jesus’ eyes were downcast. … Let every soul reflect on what Jesus was suffering at that moment. They tried to outdo each other in insulting the Lord (408).

Carrying the Cross

I saw a multitude of souls crucified like Him. Then I saw a second multitude of souls, and a third. The second multitude were not nailed to [their] crosses, but were holding them firmly in their hands. The third were neither nailed to [their] crosses nor holding them firmly in their hands, but were dragging [their] crosses behind them and were discontent. Jesus then said to me,

Do you see these souls? Those who are like Me in the pain and contempt they suffer will be like Me also in glory. And those who resemble Me less in pain and contempt will also bear less resemblance to Me in glory (446).

The Crucifixion

I saw the Lord Jesus nailed upon the cross amidst great torments. A soft moan issued from His Heart. After some time, He said,

I thirst. I thirst for the salvation of souls. Help Me, My daughter, to save souls. Join your sufferings to My Passion and offer them to the heavenly Father for sinners (1032).

I saw two rays issue from His side, just as they appear in the image. I then felt in my soul the desire to save souls and to empty myself for the sake of poor sinners. I offered myself, together with the dying Jesus, to the Eternal Father, for the salvation of the whole world (648).

(Excerpted from “Divine Mercy in My Soul: the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska,” copyright 1987 Congregation of Marians, Stockbridge, MA 01263. All rights reserved. Used with permission.)