Pillars of Fire In My Soul

From such an awareness of God, from such a going out on God’s part, there arose in her soul an intense yearning: O my Creator, l long for You ... All that is on earth seems to me like a pale shadow. It is You I long for and desire ... Oh, take me to Yourself, Lord! You know that I am dying, and I am dying of yearning for You; and yet, I cannot die ... Death, where are you? [Lord,] You draw me into the abyss of Your divinity, and You veil Yourself with darkness. My whole being is immersed in You, yet I desire to see You face to face. When will this come about for me? (Diary, 841) At this point one could write a most beautiful chapter about Sister Faustina’s keeping company with the inhabitants of Heaven. According to what she recorded in her Diary, she was very privileged in this regard. At times she had the happiness of keeping company with angels as did St. Stanislaus Kostka. The Infant Jesus often appeared to her, especially during Mass. She experienced, as though in the flesh, scenes from the Passion of Our Lord. She had many sublime revelations of the Most Holy Trinity. All this caused her not only to be penetrated by pro- found recollection, but also to be set on fire with the ardor of love and with an insuppressible yearning for God. IV. SISTER FAUSTINA’S MISSION But we must hasten to the most important matter of her life; for all these privileges, which will be the theme of a more elaborate exposition in a more extensive biography, were meant to prepare Sister Faustina for her great mission, namely, to make known to the world the devotion to The Divine Mercy in its new form. All mankind, especially during this last century, is continuously straying farther and farther from God, from Christ, and from His Church. Consequently, in spite of the great Divine Mercy … We Trust in You! 37