Today, Sept 4th, is the Feast of Bl. Dina Belanger. She was a nun, virgin and mystic who lived from 1897-1929. She was born in Quebec, Canada and later moved to New York. She died at the age of 33 from tuberculosis. During her short life she was blessed with many graces including an invisible stigmata and frequent communication with Our Lord Jesus. Like Saint Faustina, Bl Dina Belanger was a privaledged soul who received messages of Mercy from Our Lord.
Bl. Dina wrote of God’s great mercy: “Infinite Mercy is exercised on our behalf in the measure that it finds us miserable and unworthy.”
She heard Our Lord Say, in the sufferings of His Agonizing Heart:
'Very few souls wish to sympathize with Me in My Agony.'
'Very few souls, even consecrated souls, know how to sympathize with the Agony of My Heart'.
'I confide precious secrets to souls who are willing to console Me in My Agony.'
'If religious souls only knew! But alas, they do not know! Some do not know because they are afraid to know. They are afraid of being obliged to give up some of their attachments....I do not call all consecrated souls to compassionate My Agony sensibly and in a special manner. I grant this favor to certain souls that I Myself choose. But I call all consecrated souls to console My Heart by obedience, regularity, perfect observance of the Rule, and care to perform every action perfectly through pure love of Me.'
The devil tempted Dina to not make her perpetual vows, as she began to focus on her flaws. She began to think she would not make a good religious. She even began to lose confidence in God's Mercy. However, Our Lord said to her, 'Do not look at yourself. Have confidence in My Mercy. It is precisely because you are weak and wretched that I have chosen you.'
Tonight these last word's of Jesus to Bl. Dina Belanger are just the encouragement I need. I feel that the Lord must be very dissappointed with me. I wonder how the Lord could ever use me as His instrument. I pray for the Lord's patience with me and then lose patience with my family. Yet hearing Jesus' instruction "have confidence in My Mercy" and Bl. Dina's word's “Infinite Mercy is exercised on our behalf in the measure that it finds us miserable and unworthy.” Who then am I to doubt the depth of Jesus' Mercy. If I trust in His Mercy completely no matter how wretched and sinful I am then the Lord can still use me.
As I have repeated in the Praises of Divine Mercy:
Divine Mercy, only hope of despairing souls
Divine Mercy, lifting us out of every misery
Divine Mercy, embracing all the works of His hands.
On this Feast of Bl. Dina Belanger, let us all be reminded of Jesus' Divine Mercy. Even when we fall frequently and feel small and dissappointing to Him this is when we can take an opportunity to show Him our trust, complete trust in His greatest Attribute: Divine Mercy.
Dina Belanger was beatified on March 20th 1993 by Pope John Paul II.
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