I have loved the Litany of Trust from Sr. Faustina Maria Pia of the Sisters of Life for years, and in 2021 I listened to the song version based on it from Sr. Caroline Caritas, S.V. many times. When I heard that Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. had a book coming out in 2021 titled Jesus, I Trust In You: A 30-Day Personal Retreat with the Litany of Trust I ordered it right away but then took about a year and a half, instead of 30 days, to read it. For whatever reason, I began reading it and instantly loved it, but then it got tucked away instead of continuing the daily habit. I pulled it back out this fall, restarted from the beginning and slowly read entries here and there. I mostly read it before the tabernacle or during Adoration – much like with Abide.
In the book, Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, S.V. gives background into why and how she wrote the Litany of Trust as well as an overview of trust in the preface and introduction, followed by 30 daily entries. Each day provides about 5-6 pages of thinking related to each of the lines from the litany following a set pattern of an opening narrative or explanation to bring the concept to life, a heading titled Jesus, I trust in You connecting the line to Jesus, and an invitation containing a bulleted list of three ideas to grow in trust related to the particular line. The last line of the litany actually finishes on day 29, while the conclusion of day 30, is titled Jesus, I Trust in You: The Blessing of Openness. Then, there is a page with the Divine Mercy image followed by the prayer.
I appreciated that hearing further background from what the author of the litany and book has learned about each line added depth to my understanding of and appreciation for the litany. It was special to see the insight into the meaning of the prayer for her and how it came to be. It also inspired me to write my Litany of Dreams earlier this year. I am going to be passing my copy of the book on to a friend; however, the table of contents for the book would be perfect for those who have already read the book to revisit from time to time to skim the days to see which lines from the prayer resonate as being especially needed in that season of life to then revisit the associated chapter.
One of my favorite sections was on day 29 – That I am Your beloved one, Jesus, I trust in You – because it highlighted the Bible chapter that is at the core of Beauty of Becoming (John 14) and connected it to the customs surrounding proposals during Jesus’ time, which would have framed the apostles’ understanding of Jesus’ actions at the Last Supper. I don’t remember hearing that description before, and I read it while sitting in my church after daily Mass, so I was able to look at the representation of the Last Supper underneath the tabernacle as my understanding of the significance of that moment (and subsequently every Mass and reception of the Eucharist) came into sharper focus.
There were many sections that linked to the Father, so I also especially loved how those layers added depth to my understanding of Him since my word for the current liturgical year is Father. One example is that on day 26, of Jesus it said, “[…] He shares His innermost self with us by inviting us into His relationship with the Father” (p. 169). This section built on other days that focused on the intimacy of relationship with God, such as day 23 that focused on the power of silence to nurture going deeper with the Lord. She noted, “He wants you to get to know Him, in and through silence. It is a kind of hiddenness that is necessary for intimacy to grow; a hiddenness because there is something good and He wants you to come closer to Him as He reveals it. He asks us to listen in a new way, trusting that letting go of our own concepts of His voice and attentiveness will allow things to unfold in His hands” (p. 147).
Based on the focus of Beauty of Becoming being about the process of becoming who we were created to be, day 17 stood out to me because it focused on how sin and vice can obstruct our authentic selves alongside hope that we don’t have to stay that way. She said, “Because we have been created in the image and likeness of God, we were made for greatness. Yet, we get attacked in the very place God wants to shine forth brilliantly. […] Because of this, as our hearts are transformed, it’s an adjustment to allow the Lord to reveal to us who we really are” (pp. 106-107).
Especially because of my personal journey in recent years, the reminder that “The peace Jesus offers is not a peace that the world offers, which seems contingent on our plans falling into place. The peace He gives is sturdier, coming from the confidence that the unchanging God is with us” (pp. 114-115) was very helpful and brought consolation.
I recognized in 2013 that God was intentionally calling me to trust and that my journey from that point forward has been about ongoing opportunities to continually grow, stretching me beyond my comfort zone into terrain that requires greater trust. In 2017 I got a stamped cuff bracelet on Etsy (the owner of the shop no longer has that item listed) that said Jesus, I trust in You. When I received it and put it on, I realized that Jesus, I trust in You is really saying Jesus, I love You. By that point, I had also read St. Faustina’s diary. Because of my love of story, with Jesus, I Trust in You, I appreciated the blend of connections to the Sr. Faustina Maria Pia’s own life, as well as the lives of others, seeing glimpses into different people’s journeys of growing in trust in order to both celebrate how God works in lives, as well as gaining new insights to my own story.
Because trust is at the core of growth in relationship with the Lord, this book has a lot to offer, providing many different layers to ponder over time. Jesus, I trust in You. Help me to trust You more.
Copyright 2022 Amanda Villagómez
