Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

was the source of new values, no t a d isaster; th a t in applying physical help it was also necessary to take care no t to damage th is source. He himself, a recent convert to the Catholic Church, could not and did not wish to make i t difficult for h e r to prac tise h e r fa ith in th e way appropria te for her, which aroused in him the h ighest respect and wonder. He therefore took upon h im se lf the responsibility, no t only for h e r trea tm en t , b u t for the grea tness of effort perm itted to her, which conflicted with th e trea tm en t. "It is very serious and incurable," he s ta ted , "but S ister Faustina is an exceptional religious, so I do not pay attention. Anyone else in her state would not get up (to a tten d Mass in th e chapel). I cannot forbid her to do so... Whenever I v isit her, she is always smiling. I t is not easy to smile am idst such sufferings”, he said, shak ing h is head in g rea t surprise. Dr Silberg correctly surm ised w ha t the essential remedy was for S is te r Fau s tina , which could no t be forbidden her. This is w ha t she he rse lf says in the Diary: 7 f i n d myself so zvead that zvere it not fo r Ofoly Communion I zvouid f a t t continually. One thing alone sustains me, and this is dfoly Communion. Ifrom i t I drazv my strength; in i t is a ll my comfort. I fea r life on days zvhen I do not receive 9fo(y Communion. I fea r my ozvn self... from the tabernacle I drazv strength, pozver, courage and light. Mere I seefd consolation in time o f anguish. I zvouid not knozv hozv to give glory to Qod i f I d id not have the ‘Eucharist in my heart." (Diary, Notebook III, para . 1037). But le t us no t race ahead. S is te r F au s tin a was in th e sana torium for the f i r s t tim e from th e beginning of December 1936 un til th e end of April 1937, and for the 265