Sister Gaudia from Poland, who is actually part of Saint Faustina’s community, was in my home town of Brainerd about a month ago. She was there with another sister, Sister Veritas. They spoke to my parish and told this true story that happened in Poland a number of years ago.
A relatively young priest is in a hospital visiting some of his parishioners. He is walking down the hallway, and a nun stops him and says, “Father, can you go into this room? There’s a man on his deathbed. He’s been here for days. We’ve asked priests to go in, but he chases everyone away. He doesn’t want to talk about Jesus. But he’s dying. Could you please visit him?”
The priest goes in and introduces himself to the patient. The guy erupts and starts cursing at him. He is so angry: “I don’t want anything to do with you. Get out of here!”
The priest says, “Okay” and goes out into the hall.
The nun is still there. She says, “Could you go back in?”
The priest replies, “He doesn’t want anything I have to offer.”
“Just give it another chance,” pleads the nun.
The priest reluctantly reenters the room. “I’m not going to ask if you want to go to confession. I’m not going to ask if you want Holy Communion. But is it okay if I just sit here next to your bed and pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy?”
The old man replies, “I don’t care. Do whatever you want.”
The priest sits down and begins softly praying the words of the Chaplet: “For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world….”
Suddenly the man bursts out, “Stop it!”
Startled, the priest looks up and asks, “Why?”
“Because there is no mercy for me!”
“Why do you think there is no mercy for you?” asks the priest.
“It doesn’t matter,” responds the old man.
But the priest persists: “Why do you think there is no mercy for you?”
“I’ll tell you… Twenty-five years ago, I was working for the railroad. My job was to lower the crossing guard arm when a train would come to prevent cars from going on the tracks. But one night I was drunk. I didn’t lower the crossing guard arm, and a couple and their three young children were on the tracks as a train came, and they were all instantly killed. That was my fault. So there is no mercy for me. I have failed. It is over.”
The priest just sits there staring at the rosary in his hands. Finally he asks, “Where was this?”
The man tells him the name of the Polish town.
The priest looks up and says, “Twenty-five years ago, my mom and my dad were taking my little siblings on a trip. I couldn’t go with them. They were driving through this small town. For some reason the railroad crossing guard arm wasn’t lowered. As they were crossing the tracks, a train came and killed them all. I lost my whole family that night.” The priest gazes intently into the man’s face, and he says, “My brother, God forgives you. Not only that, I forgive you.”
The man realises that God’s mercy is for him.
The priest asks, “Would you let me hear your confession and give you the Eucharist?”
The man makes his confession and receives Holy Communion. Two days later he dies. Mercy wins. His failure is not final.
The story goes on. It’s kind of cool. After giving the man Communion, the priest goes into the hallway in search of the nun. He can’t find her. The administration tells him, “We don’t employ any nuns at this hospital.”
For years the priest does not know who this nun is. Eventually he goes to the town of Vilnius, which is where Saint Faustina lived. He goes to the convent to say Mass for the nuns there. He sees a painting on the wall of Saint Faustina, and he says, “I’ve met that nun a couple of years ago.”
“No, Father, you did not,” replies one of the nuns. “She’s been dead since 1938.”
The priest then realises it was Sister Faustina who told him to go into the patient’s room, told him to go back again into that room.
Source: Apology Analogy.com
Heavenly Father, I am so thankful of this day that my hearth be filled of joy realizing that hope cannot be lost and so is faith and love all together because God’s mercy is constant and mercy always win and so our failure is not absolutely final. Amen.
Thank you Asisclo, we are blessed to know our Father and receive His mercy. God bless
Would you be most kind to give me the source of the story? Who is the priest? What is his name? I would love to read more about it
The source is in the first line: Sister Gaudia from Poland, who is actually part of Saint Faustina’s community, was in my home town of Brainerd about a month ago. I cannot be certain where I copied the text from, but I think it was The Curate’s Diary magazine
God bless
Geoff
God’s mercy is everlasting, from lowest sinner to great sinners,there is no ending of His Mercy, my Lord & my God, be merciful to me a sinner
Amen Melinda. Jesus told St Faustina that “mercy is the greatest attribute of God” and we all need it.
Praise God, what a beautiful story.
Thank you and God Bless you
Thank you Henrietta, I do love the work of God and stories like this do inspire us. God bless
I LOVE this story. I know God gives us miracles every day, but this really hits he heart. It helped 2 people that day not just the dying man but the priest also got closure. Can you even imagine hearing the words God does forgive but I also forgive you. Wow!
Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Joyce for your lovely comment. God Bless you
I have never read the story of Sister Saint Faustina till today. I only used to recite the chaplet of Mercy without ever knowing the origin of it. I faithfully recite it , mostly because I’m a widow suffering intensely from chronic anxiety disorder for 27 years causing me so many disabilities and illness. I have not gained an answer to my prayers but still, I will not stop praying even through my pains. Among three sons I have only 1 unmarried ,jobless son looking after me. i pray that he believes in Jesus Christ once again and is immensely Blessed By God.
H. P
Hello Hilda, thank you for your comment I’m sorry you suffer anxiety so bad, I know a few people who suffer likewise. May the Lord be always at your side in all that you do and have to suffer. Your cross is a heavy one but Jesus is trusting you with this and his grace will be sufficient always. God bless Geoff
Been praying the Divine Mercy. I believe in miracles. I prayed for a Mormon, did not know beforehand that they were Mormons requesting for prayers for her son with MV A almost lost his foot. Prayed and when the couple saw a branch of a tree moving no wind, took a photo and it was our Lourdes sitting in the branch. Been a devotee to Mother Mary Sue 7 yrs old cuz I was so sickly until finished Nursing. Still a devotee and now at almost 86 no more ailments. I have and still praying for others and always get good feedback. I use my FB for evangelization. Thanks for our Blessed Mother’s intercession.
That is a wonderful testimony and God bless you for your witness and prayers. God bless Geoff