Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

which m igh t have terrified h e r if not for th e certa in ty th a t Jesus H imself was ac ting through her, and th a t He would therefore assured ly suppo rt and streng then her too-feeble capacity for the work. Indeed, Je su s left no room for doubt on t h a t score: ,cIhe graces I gran t yon are not fo r you alone, but fo r a great number o f other souls as well... A n d your heart is M y constant dwelling place, despite the misery that you are. J unite M yself w ith you, take away your misery and g ive you M y mercy. I perform works o f mercy in every sou l ‘The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to ‘My mercy. M y mercy is confirmed in every work, o f M y hands. 9Te who trusts in M y mercy zvill not perish, fo r a ll his affairs are Mine, and his enemies zv ill be shattered a t the base o f M y fo o ts to o l’ (Diary, Notebook II, para. 723). 'My daughter, i f I demand through you that people revere M y mercy, you should be the f ir s t to distinguish yourself by this confidence in M y mercy. I demand from you deeds o f mercy, which are to arise out o f love fo r Me. ‘y'ou are to show mercy to your neighbours always and everywhere, you must not shrinhfrom this or try to excuse or absolve yourselffrom it. 7 am giving you three ways o f exercising mercy toward your neighbour: the f ir s t - by deed, the second - by word, the th ird - by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness o f mercy, and i t is an unquestionable proof o f love fo r me. ‘By this means a sou l glorifies and pays rezference to M y mercy.' (Diary, Notebook II, para. 742). Knowing th a t she had such a sp iritua l backing, S ister F au s tina could, with complete confidence, unde rtake the 195