It was a sunny Saturday morning and I was with my granddaughter, Paige, at her soccer game. Halfway through the game a man came wandering up as if he were looking for something. He came up to me and told me of his dog, a Chihuahua named Tiny. Tiny lived in a subdivision about one quarter of a mile away. He ran away, was lost and nowhere to be found. We looked on the property next to the soccer field and then all around, but no Tiny.

Saddened and worried for his dog, I thought to ask for his phone number just in case Tiny showed up. As he left, empathetic to his loss and concerned about his dog, I thought to say a prayer. Given how long Tiny was lost and how far away from home, I prayed to our Lord for the dog to be found and for his safe return. Needing help in my prayer, as always I sought the intercession of St. Faustina. But knowing that although others would be interceding, the graces would come through the well-known saint for lost things, St. Anthony. I asked him, also. And then because it was such a big problem that touched my heart, I included the Blessed Mother, and all the angels and saints, especially the ones with whom I have a special devotion.

In her Diary, St. Faustina records these words of Jesus: "But for Me to be able to act upon the soul, the soul must have faith. O how pleasing to Me is living faith! (1420).

Elsewhere in her Diary (entry 921), the Lord tells her, "My daughter, I am told that there is much simplicity in you, so why do you not tell Me about everything that concerns you, even the smallest details? Tell Me about everything, and know that this will give Me great joy."

Saint Faustina answered, "But You know about everything, Lord." And Jesus replied to her, "Yes, I do know; but you should not excuse yourself with the fact that I know, but with childlike simplicity talk to Me about everything, for My ears and heart are inclined towards you, and your words are dear to Me."

In her next Diary entry, she writes:

When I began this big novena for three intentions, I saw a tiny insect on the ground and thought: how did it get here in the middle of winter? Then I heard the following words in my soul: You see, I am thinking of it and sustaining it, and what is it compared to you? Why was your soul fearful for a moment? I apologized to the Lord for that moment. Jesus wants me to always be a child and to leave all care to Him, and to submit blindly to His holy will. He took everything upon Himself. (922)

And so the soccer game ended, and everyone went home or about their day, but the dog was never found. Days passed, Sunday, Monday Tuesday, and then into Wednesday. We hadn't heard anything about Tiny, nor were we thinking about it. Wednesday morning, my wife was at home. I was working from my home and got a late start going to work. At about 11:15 a.m., exactly as I was backing out of the garage, a Chihuahua turned the corner from the side of my house, and I immediately stopped the car. I ran into the house to see if I could find the phone number the man had left me. I got it, went outside and cornered the dog in a partially fenced yard of my neighbor. My wife was watering the flowers, and I called for her. She came to help box the dog in the yard since the dog would not let us touch him.

He was scared and hungry. He slipped around us towards the front of our house near the garage, and I prayed he would go into the garage so we could lower it and keep him inside until we called the owner. To my surprise, the dog went up to our back door in our garage and lied down. We lowered the garage door and called the number. It was Tiny. She had been missing for five days, traveled 2.5 miles to end up exactly in my view and then right to our back door in our garage only to lie down and rest until his owner came to get him. I found out when he came over that I was the only person to whom he had given his phone number.

He was home praying for Tiny's safe return. He was just hoping for a miracle, since he thought the dog had been killed because he was gone for so long. What a look of relief and such a joyful reunion. Tiny was just as happy to see his owner. We praised God. And we thanked St. Anthony and all the angels and saints. We knew it was a miracle.

And of course, nothing happens by accident.

Praise God for His love and friendship, goodness and mercy. And for all of our friends in heaven who love us.

And so with childlike trust we learn to do as St Faustina says in Diary entry 2:

O My God

When I look into the future, I am frightened,
But why plunge into the future?
Only the present moment is precious to me,
As the future may never enter my soul at all.

It is no longer in my power,
To change, correct or add to the past;
For neither sages nor prophets could do that.
And so, what the past has embraced I must entrust to God.

O present moment, you belong to me, whole and entire.
I desire to use you as best I can.
And although I am weak and small,
You grant me the grace of your omnipotence.
And so, trusting in Your mercy,
I walk through life like a little child,
Offering You each day this heart
Burning with love for Your greater glory.

Jay Hastings of Bartlett, Tenn., is the founder of a growing group of Divine Mercy devotees who ensure that the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy is being prayed every hour of the day. The 24-hour Chaplet To pray with the St Faustina Shrine Society email sfshrine@msn.com 

 The following is a real-life story Jay will share about St FaustinaShrine/Society as we pray over and for people with our 1st class relic of St Faustina: By Jay Hastings

After reading scroll down for more real-life stories.

This story is on the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy Website or read below: 

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/tragic-car-accident-reveals-gods-mercy

Jesus tells us the importance of praying for the sick and dying. "Encourage souls to say the Chaplet which I have given you," Jesus told St. Faustina (Diary, 1541). "Whoever will recite it will receive great mercy at the hour of death" (687). "When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the Merciful Savior" (Diary 1541).

If we are requested to do so, some members of our 24-Hour Chaplet of Divine Mercy prayer group      (Now St Faustina Shrine/Society) pray over the sick and the dying using a first-class relic of St. Faustina. Allow me to share with you one such occasion.

A young man named Nick was badly bruised and stricken with pain, suffering from trauma all over his body. He was in a coma from a car accident. His family and friends were in distress, filled with sorrow.

After hearing of the accident through a friend, I called Nick's mom, Lauren. I offered to drive from Memphis, Tenn., to Jackson, Miss., to pray the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy for Nick - a trip of about 250 miles. As I was talking with Lauren, I sensed such an overwhelming feeling of holiness surrounding her and our phone call, which stayed with me for some time. I knew our Lord was calling upon my group to help her.

This was on a Saturday. My wife and I were planning to leave for Jackson the next morning because Nick was expected to be OK until then. That night, while my wife and I were grocery shopping, a friend of Lauren's had a vision of St. Faustina being at the right side of Nick's head.

Turns out, my wife and I would have a change of plans. Lauren asked us if we could come down to Jackson that Saturday evening, with St. Faustina's relic. It was around 6:30 p.m. We knew there was very little chance we would get to the hospital within the permitted visiting hours. Still, we decided to go - to forego dinner at home, to drop everything, and leave immediately.

Many graces were poured out that night to make sure a Chaplet was said by Nick's bedside. I know for our part, my wife and I entrusted it all to God. We went to the Church to get the relic, gassed up our car like racers do at a pit stop, and hopped on the interstate and headed for Jackson.

Because my wife was very hungry, along the way I decided to make a quick stop to grab a burger. Much to my surprise, as my wife brought it to my attention, we exited the interstate and had to cross a four-lane highway to get to a fast food drive-thru. Miraculously, all four lanes just opened up, and we crossed without delay. We got our burgers fast and jetted back on the interstate with hardly a delay.

We had to speed, and the freeway seemed to open up for us. We arrived by 10 p.m. Despite our tardiness, the hospital staff let us in. We were able to pray a Chaplet for Nick in Intensive Care with St. Faustina's relic at the right side of his head. The family was moved by our act of mercy and by how important we felt it was to pray this Chaplet from God.

Surrounded in holiness
Nick was a very holy young man. He affected the lives of those around him by his love and charity towards his friends, neighbors, and the people whom he met.

Nick died the next day, early in the morning.

There was an enormous turnout for his funeral. Many people recalled Nick's kind and Christ-like spirit. Many lives were touched from this sharing and the faith witness of his family. Many teenagers and adults were moved by the example of Nick, who was so spiritually focused. As people grieved, it was apparent that God's graces and mercy were being poured out in great abundance.

Since the funeral, God has continued to use this faithful young man's life and early death as an instrument of grace and mercy for others. For instance, the young man who was in the car with Nick survived the accident and is now becoming Catholic!

Another example is that some time after Nick's death, his mother, Lauren, was in Florida for a school event. Because of a time constraint, the only Mass available for her to attend was at a Byzantine Catholic Church. (It was named St. Nicholas, by the way.) A friend had recently told her that she had a vision in her heart of Nick walking with the saints. During the Byzantine liturgy, to Lauren's amazement, the congregation prayed the words used in the Chaplet of The Divine Mercy: "... Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world." Lauren viewed this as confirmation of her friend's vision - of the role St. Faustina had in helping Nick to go home to Heaven and of the sweet mercy and compassion of our Lord for those who are hurting.

Grace extends to roommate
Then, in July, Lauren received a call from Nick's former roommate, Brandon. He was in Washington, D.C., where he worked as an intern for a senator. The week of Nick's accident was particularly difficult for Brandon. He was away from anyone who knew Nick, and he missed his old roommate.

Brandon decided to go for a run. He put on his LSU shorts and Pi Kap T-shirt. Shortly after beginning his run, a young lady called out to him: "Hey, do you go to LSU?" Brandon replied, "Yes."

He stopped to speak with her. When she saw that Brandon was wearing a Pi Kap shirt, she asked if Brandon knew Brad Stidham (Nick's older brother). Brandon said, "Yes. Very well," and to that, the young lady said that she is his cousin, Amy! Amy had just moved to D.C. the week before. Some may call this a coincidence, but there isn't one person who knows Nick who doesn't believe that he had something to do with Brandon meeting Amy. God truly loves and cares for His children. He truly knows what we need and when we need it!

Jesus told St. Faustina: "I am Love and Mercy itself. When a soul approaches Me with trust, I fill it with such an abundance of graces that it cannot contain them within itself, but radiates them to other souls (Diary, 1074).

The story of Nick is proof of that promise being fulfilled.

To join and pray with St Faustina Shrine/Society, contact Jay Hastings via e-mail, sfshrine@msn.com or via phone, 901-438-7772.