This Lent I thought that we could try something new as a community. Because all of us are at different places in our Spiritual Lives, as well as having different levels of availability to add things to our religious practices, I thought it would be good to have us all try something easy for Lent.
Several years ago I came across a profound devotion called “the Litany of Trust” that was created by Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, a Sister of Life out of New York City. She wrote the litany as a response to the trials and tribulations she saw people in NYC going through.
The litany helps put into words the fears, worries, and refusals we struggle with that hold us back from placing our complete trust in Jesus. It also allows us to affirm and state our trust in Jesus, relying on the Holy Spirit to give us the grace to do so.
When you read the lines of this litany, I would guess that a few particular lines might stick out to you. They might be words you’ve never spoken aloud but resonate deep within your heart. This litany allows you to tell Jesus about your struggles and ask for the grace to trust Him. This is why Sr. Faustina wrote the litany – she felt the stirring of Christ in her heart to share these words so that we might pray with them and find solace in the struggles that life throws at us.
This wonderful prayer will help you to rely more on Jesus and less on yourself. It will help you with your little struggles during the good times, but it will also provide you with great comfort and confidence in the heat of your greatest struggles.
Sr. Faustina Maria Pia wrote, “I had no intention of writing a prayer, and a prayer on trust. But I found myself a few years into
my religious life as a sister in a situation where I didn’t know what to do, and I was asking Jesus for clarity. The question came
across my heart: What does it mean to trust?”
The Litany of Trust is a wonderful way to grow in the virtue of trust. When I reflect on my prayer life or conversations around
faith that I’ve had with friends, the conversation often comes back to a similar theme: trust. For any relationship to be real or
meaningful, trust has to be at the core of it. This is especially true in our relationship with our holy Father, God.
But trust can be hard, and it’s ok to admit that it’s hard. We might have had past relationship wounds which can become a
barrier to trust. We may have been taught about the facts of our faith, but haven’t made the jump to trusting the person of
Jesus. We may believe in the Lord, but haven’t yet made the leap to let go of our own selfish will. It takes time and it takes
faith.
Thus, my hope for us as a parish this Lent is to daily pray the Litany of Trust in our private devotion. If it takes about sixty days
to make something a habit (say most psychologists) then I think taking 40 solid days to just ask God to increase our Trust in him is a great way to start the habit of trusting God more. For your use this Lent, Litany of Trust cards will be handed out on Ash Wednesday, along with a devotional book from Bishop Robert Barron.
I will close with one last quotation from St. Faustina Maria Pia, who wrote the prayer: “When we are called, if we look at
ourselves, we are filled with fear and anxiety. But if we look at Christ, those fears fade. We are made to live in His gaze.
In that place, the impossible is done.”
Litany of Trust booklets will be available at the church entrances this weekend.
Click here to view: "The Story Behind the Litany of Trust with Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V."