What happens when you believe in God’s love but still struggle with overwhelming fear and anxiety? For Colin Nykaza, an encounter with Divine Mercy changed the way he understood suffering, trust, and God’s plan for his life.
Joining The Mark Swartzberg Show, Colin shared with Mark how his seven years in the seminary helped deepen his relationship with God and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Although he ultimately discerned a different vocation, those years prepared him for a life of serving others.
But his journey wasn’t easy. Colin has struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), experiencing periods of intense anxiety, depression, and fear that sometimes left him feeling paralyzed.
While discerning a religious vocation in Italy, Colin became overwhelmed by the fear that choosing the wrong path meant turning his back on God.
One day, sitting alone in a chapel, he opened his breviary and noticed a Divine Mercy prayer card he had been using as a bookmark. Looking into the eyes of Jesus in the image, he experienced something extraordinary.
Suddenly, his anxiety and fear disappeared. He felt profoundly loved by God.
Three days later, however, the suffering returned.
Rather than seeing this as abandonment, Colin came to understand that God’s mercy doesn’t always mean removing our crosses. Sometimes, it means giving us the grace to carry them.
His experiences have since helped him accompany others struggling with similar challenges.
Colin encourages Catholics to encounter God’s mercy through the Mass, Reconciliation, Eucharistic Adoration, and the Divine Mercy devotion.
His message is especially comforting for anyone who feels unworthy or overwhelmed: You don’t have to earn God’s love. You can simply receive it.
As Colin reminds us, “He wants us to enjoy His presence, to be loved by Him.”
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