Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

Following Je su s ’ instructions, S is te r F au s tina made meditation on His Passion h e r daily duty. In the Congregation, saying th e S tations of the Cross is recommended, bu t no t compulsory. Many witnesses s ta te th a t th is was h e r favourite p rayer and frequently performed. On 1st May 1933 S ister F au s tin a made h e r perpe tua l vows. Je su s H imself h ad been h e r Teacher, and F a th e r Andrasz had so confirmed h e r in terio r life as genuine th a t she could now lean w ithou t hes ita tion on the strong base of h e r relationship with God. The "annun ­ ciation" was past. So too was the period of h e r sp iritual "engagement". Her tr ia ls , searchings and painful sp iritual m a tu ring were also behind her. She had developed to he r fullness, so th a t , in absorbing God with he r whole person, she could now perform th e task en tru s ted to her for life and pass on God to souls, and thu s draw Him to he rse lf in order to give to others. S ister F au s tina could hard ly grasp the though t of the happiness th a t was to come. I t surpassed all her expectations. She was flooded with joy in h e r soul. She had received "full m easure and flowing over." An enormous g ra titude to God arose within he r for this immeasurable gift of His love. 'When I tflinty o f my perpetual vows and (Wfw i t is that wants me to be jo ined w ith Odim, fo r hours I become absorbed in the thought o f Odim. Jdow can this be; yo u are (jjod and I - I am yo u r creature, you , the Immortal JQng and I, a beggar and misery itself! (But now aid is clear to me; yo u r grace arid yo u r love, O Lord, zvill f i l l the g u l f between you , Jesus, and me.’ (Diary, Notebook I, para. 199). S is te r F aus tina made h e r perpe tua l vows before Bishop S tan islaus Rospond. When he p u t th e wedding ring on h e r finger, th e bishop solemnly intoned the sacram ental formula: 142