The Beautiful Heart of St. Faustina
On the 27th February 1938, St. Faustina recorded in her Diary, ‘Today, I went to confession to Father Andrasz. I did as Jesus wanted. After confession, a surge of light filled my soul. Then I heard a voice, “Because you are a child, you shall remain close to My Heart. Your simplicity is more pleasing to Me than your mortifications”. (Diary 1617)

On this occasion, Jesus spoke to her after her heart had been cleansed in the Sacrament of Confession and filled with Divine Light as she sat in the church. These words were not just meant for St. Faustina, but for us all. It reveals how important a pure and simple heart is to Jesus.

To be Close to God
We all want to be holy and close to God, like St. Faustina was. However, sometimes we struggle. We can wonder what we have to do to become holy. We ask ourselves ‘do I have to go on a long pilgrimage?’ or ‘fast for days on end?’ Do we need to carry out some difficult task? As good as all these things are, what the Lord really wants from us is simplicity and purity of heart, love of God and total trust in His love and mercy.

Newborn Child and their Parents
Look at a newborn child. Beautiful and perfectly formed, the child is utterly helpless and completely dependent on their parents for everything, like food and clothing and most importantly, love and affection. It is to the parents that the child clings to, turns to, and depends on. This dependent relationship is so natural. It is not forced or strained. When the child receives all these things, the child flourishes, develops and grows.

Take Trust into Confession
For us, confession should not be a forced or strained. We should have no fear in approaching His mercy. It should be natural like the newborn child and parents. In confession, our heart should open to His Sacred Heart, like a flower opening to the warm sun. What the Lord did for St. Faustina, He wants to do for us. He wants to cleanse our souls and fill them with His light.

Too Much at Stake
If you have a difficulty with going to confession; if you are afraid, fearful or anxious, you need to pray about it. Never allow anything to stop you from receiving God's healing grace in confession. What is at stake is too important: your soul and eternal life.

Child of God
We may feel vulnerable and insignificant in this world. But whatever or wherever we are, we must remember we are a Child of God. Jesus preached that our Father in Heaven is the best of fathers, so when we contemplate the love and affection of an earthy parent, we must remember that God loves us with the same love, affection, and dedication. It is a way for us to understand God’s love for us, so as to strengthen our trust and confidence in Him.

When Troubles Arise
We should never make that mistake of thinking that because God loves us in this way, that we will have no problems in life. Jesus told us, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world”. (John 16:33) But it is because we will have difficulties in life, that we must remember the affection of God for us and turn to Him during these painful times.

The Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila
When we are struggling in life, we should remember the prayer of St. Teresa of Avila,
“Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away : God never changes.
Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices”.
So when we are suffering or upset, try to remember that you are a child of God and cling to Him like a new born child clings to their parents and remember the wise words of St. Teresa of Avila.