15 Days of Prayer with Saint Faustina Kowalska
John J. Cleary
Last year I stumbled upon a different volume in this series, 15 Days of Prayer with Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati by Père Charles Desjobert, OP, and really enjoyed it. I did some research on the series and this was the fifteenth volume I decided to work through. In my research to date there have been at least 40 volumes in this series. Many written in French and then translated, including this volume, this book was first published in English in 2002. Unlike many that were written in French and translated into English. Then in 2010 the series were rebranded, this is one of only a handful with digital copies currently available. Though the digital edition does erroneously list 2 translators.
I believe as of the writing of this review there have been 40 volumes in the series in English; the earliest I found was from 1999 through to a volume which was published in 2025. Only about a dozen seem to be in print currently and of those only a handful appears to have eBooks. With my dual form of dyslexia this is disappointing. I greatly prefer eBooks so I can change the font, and the colour of font and page to make reading easier. I have added all the eBook editions I could find to my wish list. About the Series we are informed:
“15 Days of Prayer Series
On a journey, it’s good to have a guide. Even great saints took spiritual directors or confessors with them on their itineraries toward sanctity. Now you can be guided by the most influential spiritual figures of all time. The 15 Days of Prayer series introduces their deepest and most personal thoughts.
This popular series is perfect if you are looking for a gift, or if you want to be introduced to a particular guide and his or her spirituality. Each volume contains:
• A brief biography of the saint or spiritual leader
• A guide to creating a format for prayer or retreat
• Fifteen meditation sessions with reflection guides”
The description of this specific volume states:
“When Helen Kowalska (1905-1938) entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy as Sister Faustina, she also entered a spiritual “dark night.” That night ended when, transformed by this experience, she recognized God’s love for her in the sufferings of Jesus; instructed by him in a vision, she produced the Image of the Divine Mercy. These selections, taken from the diary that her spiritual director encouraged her to keep, relate her mystical experiences and convey the spirituality she drew from love for the Eucharist and reinforced through trust in the mercy of God.
Praying with Saint Faustina will lead to the joy and comfort found only by trusting in God, seeking his mercy, and reflecting that mercy in life.”
On the back of the physical book we are informed:
“John J. Cleary has been an editor at Liguori Publications since 1997. A graduate of St. Louis University with a degree in Theological Studies, Mr. Cleary has served as editor for each of the entries in the 15 Days of Prayer series.”
We are informed on the page with the book description that:
“John J. Cleary is a graduate of St. Louis University with a degree in Theological Studies and has served as editor for many of the volumes in the "15 Days of Prayer" series.”
The chapters in this volume are:
How to Use This Book
A Brief Chronology of Saint Faustina Kowalska’s Life
Introduction
A Few Notes About Saint Faustina Kowalska
How to Recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy
1 The Lord Is Calling
2 A Period of Darkness
3 Divine Mercy Revealed
4 Love for the Eucharist
5 Mercy Is the Heart of Forgiveness
6 The Chaplet
7 Trust in Mercy
8 The Importance of Reconciliation
9 Love for Mary
10 The Mission
11 A Special Prayer for Faustina
12 Suffering
13 The Desire for Sainthood
14 Humility in Whole
15 Fully United With God
Bibliography
I highlighted a few of passages while reading this volume some of them are:
“All of the great saints with whom I am familiar had a spiritual director or a confessor who journeyed with them.”
“The purpose of the volume that you hold in your hand is to lead you, over a period of fifteen days or, maybe more realistically, fifteen prayer periods, to a place where prayer is possible. If you already have a regular experience and practice of prayer, perhaps this volume can help lead you to a deeper place, a more intimate relationship with the Lord.”
“There are three simple rules that need to be followed in order to use this book with a measure of satisfaction.”
“It is therefore important to me that I use the time that I have identified when it is available to me.”
“Her life is a journey of trust in Jesus Christ, of knowing the healing and comfort his great mercy provides.”
“Trust and mercy are at the center of this book. We have all come to know wrath in our lives; we have all felt the pain it brings. Let us now come to trust in the mercy our Lord Jesus Christ desires us to know.”
“Saint Faustina’s spiritual life was based on deep humility, purity of intention, and loving obedience to God in imitation of the virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”
“I am totally in accord with Your will; do with me as You please, O Lord, but only grant me the grace of loving You more and more ardently. This is what is most precious to me.”
“To find God in all things—this is a great challenge in life. When we stare at a sunset or look at a small child in his mother’s arms, we easily feel the presence of God. It is right there in front of us. But what of the darker corners of our lives? What of those areas of suffering, cruelty, dryness, hatred, and desperation? Can we find God so readily there?”
“These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who will dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him.”
“Any action of love we perform for God could not be so without God first giving us the grace to do so. As Jesus gave every part of himself to the Father, we must follow him. This means sacrificing our will to that of the Father.”
“If we see someone in need of something we can give—be it a listening ear, money, and so forth—we must be charitable enough to sacrifice a luxury or pleasure and be willing to go without for love of another. Any obstacle of selfishness must be overcome.”
“Is the Eucharist an important part of my spiritual life? Do I recognize the nourishment it provides to my soul as I seek to serve God by serving his people? Does the Eucharist open my eyes to see Jesus in the people I encounter in my daily life?”
“With God as our model, we are capable of forgiveness. He has forgiven us, and we can forgive those who do us wrong. This begins with the practice of mercy. Each day we should practice at least one act of mercy so that love and forgiveness can grow inside us, and so that hardheartedness does not settle within, keeping us from a deeper love of God and each other.”
“We are forgiven. This reality must never escape our understanding of who we are and where we stand with God. We are his beloved creation; we could never offend him to the point that he would not show us his mercy and love in forgiveness.”
“Time must be devoted to forgiveness and mercy in contemplation and prayer. God took mercy on us, and in his great love forgave our trespasses so that we would be united with him once again. He did this through Jesus Christ. We must recognize the Christ in others and love accordingly.”
“Perhaps my spiritual director will have some advice as to how I can foster mercy and forgiveness in my spiritual life through the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.”
“The fact that Jesus spoke continually of his mercy to Faustina, particularly at those times when she was in the midst of very painful suffering, made her realize to a greater degree that periods of suffering are opportune moments to rely more and more upon the mercy of God, and thereby deepen the union between servant and Master.”
“During visions in which she appeared to Faustina, Mary directed her daughter to grow in virtue through the practice of humility, purity, and love of God. In our own lives, we strive to grow in love by practicing these virtues. Mary serves as the ideal model of humility, purity, and love of God. This reality is echoed throughout Scripture and is inherent to Mary’s role as the Mother of God.”
“To be humble is to recognize the low state of one’s person in the presence of God. To be humble is to understand that there is a God, and we are not him. To be humble is to know our place as servant, and to recognize the authority of the Master.”
“Because God loves her so much, he cannot refuse her requests when she appeals for his graces on our behalf. Mary is our loving intercessor, and any intention she brings to God from our prayers to her he will not decline. Mary sees us in our need, and she has mercy upon us.”
“What does Mary teach me about humility? How can fostering humility in my life lead me to a deeper relationship with God?”
“Suffering—physical, psychological, spiritual—can be a great isolator. There is a tendency to “close off” from others when we are in pain. The selfishness that oftentimes accompanies suffering can isolate the person suffering from the world around him; it can isolate that person from God as well. A person will focus on himself—his suffering—to the point that he removes himself from the people in his life. He begins to tend to his own need and abandon loved ones. He can blame God for his ordeal and cease praying.”
“While self-interest is a necessary element in dealing with pain (a person in pain should seek treatment), suffering does not need to be an isolated and angry period. It can be an opportunity to grow in the love of God and unite oneself with the suffering of Christ.”
“The temptation to feel sorry for oneself and question God’s mercy in the midst of great suffering can seem overwhelming. The moment this temptation arrives is that point in time when God’s grace is needed the most. We must fight the temptation to selfishness, to distrust God, when we suffer. Let us follow the example of Jesus, as Saint Faustina did, and trust wholly in the mercy of the Lord, offering our suffering as a sacrifice to our heavenly Father.”
“The reality is that we are all—priests and laity alike—called to holiness. Another reality is that holiness can be found in so much of the laity’s daily—and seemingly mundane—activities. God is present in all things; it is up to us to recognize him there. When we approach an activity in our lives in a spirit of love and with the intent of glorifying God through that action, we are seeking holiness just as if we were praying inside our parish church.”
“When God became man in the Incarnation, he did not come to us as an earthly king bedecked in jewels, or as a wealthy member of the higher class, or as a person expecting to be served by the rest of humanity, waited on hand and foot. When God-made-man walked the earth he lived his life as a humble servant, and in the process modeled for our benefit what it means to be truly human.”
“If God—who is perfect—lived his human life as a humble and obedient servant, why would we choose to live our lives any other way? We have been shown by God how a happy and peaceful human person is to live; and he has given us the desire and grace to do so.”
“First, do not fight against a temptation by yourself, but disclose it to the confessor at once, and then the temptation will lose all its force. Second, during these ordeals do not lose your peace; live in My presence; ask My Mother and the saints for help. Third, have the certitude that I am looking at you and supporting you. Fourth, do not fear either struggles of the soul or any temptations, because I am supporting you; if only you are willing to fight, know that the victory is always on your side. Fifth, know that by fighting bravely you give Me a great glory and amass merits for yourself. Temptation gives you a chance to show Me your fidelity (Diary 1560).”
“Everything in our lives—including life itself—is a gift from God. Our family, our friends, joy, laughter, the sacraments—these are all God’s gifts. How can we respond to God with anything but gratitude? Everything comes from his goodness, from his love and mercy. When we reflect on this for even the briefest of moments, we are humbled into the realization that we owe our very life to God, that we are his servant and he is our Master.”
“Faustina’s life was a work of love and prayer for souls in need, a well of trust in the divine will, and a testimony to the great mercy of God.”
“Secondly, the soul in need of mercy must approach the Lord with deep humility, understanding that as a human being, one is never worthy of—one never earns—God’s mercy. God’s mercy is all gift, and the soul is the fortunate and poor servant graced to receive such a grace from so high a Master.”
“Saint Faustina Kowalska’s life was a progression of total and complete trust in the love and mercy of God. From her days as a child, singing hymns while she worked on her parents’ farm, to her teenage years as a cheerful housemaid, to her final hours in prayer, Faustina recognized her sinfulness, acknowledged her place as creature and servant, and relied humbly and totally upon God’s mercy.”
I hope those quotes give you a feel for this volume. Over the years I have read much about Saint Faustina and Divine Mercy, but I really enjoyed working through these 15 days with the saint, her words, and her thoughts.
This is a good volume in an excellent series. Spending these 15 days with Saint Faustina, was informative. The written reflections and the discussion questions were engaging. I just really wish all of the 40 volumes were available as eBooks, I would work through them all if so.
A great read in an excellent series!
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!
Other books about Divine Mercy and Saint Faustina:
…
Books in the 15 Days of Prayer With Series:
Blessed Frédéric Ozanam - Christian Verheyde
Dietrich Bonhoeffer - Matthieu Arnold
Don Bosco - Robert Schiele
Henri Nouwen - Robert Waldron
Jean-Claude Colin - Francois Drouilly
Johannes Tauler - Andre Pinet
Meister Eckhart - André Gozier
Peter Joseph Triest - Brother René Stockman
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin - André Dupleix
Saint Alphonsus Liguori - Jean-Marie Segalen
Saint Augustine - Jaime García
Saint Benedict - André Gozier
Saint Catherine of Siena - Chantal van der Plancke
Saint Dominic - Alain Quilici
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton - Betty Ann McNeil
Saint Eugene de Mazenod - Bernard Dullier
Saint Francis de Sales - Claude Morel
Saint Francis of Assisi - Thaddée Matura O.F.M.
Saint John of the Cross - Constant Tonnelier
Saint Katharine Drexel - Leo Luke Marcello
Saint Martín de Porres: A Saint of the Americas - Brian J. Pierce
Saint Teresa of Avila - Jean Abiven
Saint Therese of Lisieux - Victoria Hebert
Saint Thomas Aquinas - Suzanne Vrai and André Pinet
The Curé of Ars - Pierre Blanc
…
