Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

mentioned originated with th e physician. In particu lar, those periods in which the disease seemed somewhat in abeyance and h e r tem pe ra tu re fell almost to normal (when S ister Faus tina , despite h e r lack of strength , heroically concealed, wen t to h e r normal daily work) deceived those around her. They saw h e r pale drawn face b u t merely though t i t the trace of an illness which would d isappear when she became stronger. Therefore the superiors tried to make h e r stronger and ordained additional meals for S ister Fau s tina . She also received certain dispensations in th e convent life, when on occasion she requested them: to be allowed to go to bed earlier, to re s t in the daytime, etc. But even these requests of h e rs caused su rp rise because she had previously exhibited physical endurance^ From th e time of h e r f irs t vows, which is officially regarded as the commencement of h e r illness, the tuberculosis progressed inexorably. Two years la ter, when S is te r F au s tina was in Plock, the changes in her were obvious, b u t the diagnosis had no t yet been made. A b rief circum stantial rem ark of S ister B. illus tra tes the situation very well. She noticed th a t when she asked S is ter F au s tina to ru n an e rrand for her, the la t te r went to do i t clinging onto the hand ra il of the sta irs. Seeing th is, h e r companion realized "how ill and suffering she m ust be". Indeed, the worsening of h e r hea lth was so evident th a t th e superior tran sfe rred h e r for some time to hea lth ie r country surroundings and ligh ter work a t the daugh ter house of Plock, in Biala. Bu t th is did not b ring about th e desired resu lts . S ister F au s tin a had to lie down more often; i t was more difficult for h e r to carry out h e r daily duties. She did not give in to weakness, however, and did no t complain, try ing to lead the normal community life. How difficult th is was can be judged from th e words of S is te r S., who says she h e a rd S is te r F au s tina and saw how "when it was hard for her and she had no more strength, she would throw herse lf on the ground in 260