Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

Na tura lly , th is did not make h e r life any easier, and sometimes caused conflicts. Observan t by n a tu re , she could perceive in ano ther w ha t is usually hidden from the too curious or intrusive. Her n a tu ra l gift was supplemented by grace. Subm itting he rse lf to th e action of grace, S ister F au s tina obtained a supe rna tu ra l gift, the charism of being able to read the hum an soul. She learned to see through hum an beings to th e ir in terior difficulties, sufferings and struggles. As time went on and as she gained experience, she became a marvellous counsellor, finding the appropria te solution to sp iritual conflicts even when she had not been told of them. I t is no t surprising then , th a t a lthough formally speaking she occupied a humble role in h e r religious community, th is pa rticu la r wisdom in observing hum an affairs from the s tandpo in t of God’s plan caused h e r more th an once to rise beyond h e r social position, and i t astounded those who were be t te r educated than he rse lf and sometimes occupying highly responsible posts. This t r a i t drew a tten tion to itself, in some cases a t trac ting others to her, and in others repelling sharply. In general, however, dislike softened with th e passage of time. Perhaps h e r gentle and peaceable approach, and the unchanging k indness and n a tu ra ln e ss with which she trea ted those who disliked her, had th e ir effect. Perhaps a longer contact with h e r simply caused the f irs t ruffled feelings to subside. The fact th a t she h ad h e r opponents is by no means a negative element in an app ra isa l of S ister Faustina . Every active person causes reaction, and a measure of a person’s worth is no t only h is positive achievements and the appreciative reaction of those around him , b u t also the type of opposition he provokes and the method of coming to term s with it. Le t us try to imagine her. W ha t was Helenka Kowal­ ska like, when, as a nineteen-year-old she en tered the convent? On th e exterior, she was no th ing special, small and slim. "A skinny little thing, th in and poor looking, w ith not much expression, unpromising", was 14