St. Faustina and Bl. Francis Xavier Seelos – Oct 05 – Homily – Fr John Lawrence

 

Fr John Lawrence gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Oct 05, 2023, on the lives of Francis Xavier Seelos, and St. Faustina Kowalska, both of whom have their feast today.

Today, we honor St. Faustina and Blessed Francis Xavier Silos, with a particular focus on St. Faustina due to her popularity. Blessed Silos, born on January 11, 1819, in Bavaria, devoted himself to religious service, becoming a Redemptorist missionary in America, aiding German-speaking immigrants. After some trials with language, he became a well-regarded confessor and spiritual director, traveling across states to preach. His life was cut short by yellow fever on October 4, 1867, in New Orleans.

St. Faustina, born 38 years later in Poland, exhibited a spiritual inclination from a young age. Despite family obligations, she pursued religious life, joining the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Warsaw on August 1, 1925. Throughout her 13-year service across various convents, she had many mystical experiences, documenting them in her diary. Her notable encounter on February 22, 1931, led to the creation of the Divine Mercy image, depicting Jesus with rays of mercy, under the guidance of Father Sopoczko and an artist in Vilnius. The image was publicly venerated during a jubilee celebration at the eastern gate of Vilnius in 1934, symbolically linked to the prophecy in Ezekiel's vision of the temple's eastern gate. St. Faustina's revelations on Divine Mercy continued until her health declined due to tuberculosis, leading to her passing on October 5, 1938. Her teachings on Divine Mercy were further propagated posthumously through Blessed Michael Sopoczko's writings and the publication of her diary.

Ezekiel's vision of the temple's eastern gate can be linked to the scripture passage: Ezekiel 44:1-2 - The eastern gate shall remain closed, it shall not be opened - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/ezekiel/44?1.
Similarly, Moses' encounter with God can be referenced to Exodus 3:1-12 - Moses encounters God in a burning bush, who commissions him to deliver Israel - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/3?1.

00:00 - Introduction
00:19 - Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos and St. Faustina
00:44 - Early Life of Blessed Seelos
01:21 - Seelos Joins Redemptorists and Serves in U.S.
02:13 - Seelos Ministers in Pittsburgh and Baltimore
03:33 - Seelos Transferred to New Orleans
04:11 - Seelos Dies After Contracting Yellow Fever
05:01 - Early Life of St. Faustina
05:48 - St. Faustina Enters Religious Life
06:22 - St. Faustina's Mystical Experiences
07:30 - Jesus Appears and Requests Divine Mercy Image
08:20 - Struggles to Complete the Requested Image
09:53 - Fr. Sopoczko Helps Promote Divine Mercy
10:50 - St. Faustina's Death and Message Spread

Ave Maria!

Mass: St. Faustina Kowalska - Opt Mem - http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=510
Readings: Thursday 26th Week of Ordinary Time - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/100523.cfm
1st: neh 8:1-4, 5-6, 7-12
Resp: psa 19:8-11
Gsp: luk 10:1-12

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=2219&r=1514

Also on Facebook: https://fb.watch/nuvUzeg53s/
and YouTube: https://youtu.be/aZQl8DfHqZo