For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
“Now a gray, ordinary day has begun…but God’s great grace has remained in my soul. I feel I am all God’s; I feel I am His child, I feel I am wholly God’s property. I experience this in a way that can be physically sensed. I am completely at peace about everything…I am continuously united with Him. It seems to me as though Jesus could not be happy without me, nor could I, without Him. Although I understand that, being God, He is happy in Himself and has absolutely no need of any creature, still, His goodness compels Him to give Himself to the creature, and with a generosity which is beyond understanding.”
Helena Kowalska, known widely as Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938) and as the Apostle of Divine Mercy, in Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul (Stockbridge: Marian Press, 2005) 89.
My friend and fellow monk, Randy Kipp, introduced me to Kowalska. In reading excerpts of her diary on this Valentine’s day, I was moved by the intimacy of this entry. Though the day was ordinary and gray, God’s grace filled Kowalska with peace. How profound God’s goodness compels Him to give Himself to you and me!
As you express your love to those around you on this special day, pause to tell Jesus how much you love Him and how happy and special He makes you feel. Though His generosity is beyond understanding, thank Him specifically for His grace, His peace, and for helping you grasp a small part of His unfathomable love for you.