Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

severe pains. She bore the worst pa ins pa tien tly and even cheerfully. She almost never asked for paink illers or sleeping d raugh ts , and when she was given them , she refused them . Her motive was simple: she was too weak to be able to concentrate, and she felt th a t suffering was th e only form of p ray e r available to her. She therefore did no t wish to deprive h e rse lf of it. Her prayerful a tti tu d e to suffering evoked respec t filled with hum ility for th is love and th is sacrifice tak en to the point of heroism . She became a moral au tho rity for them. As a p a t ien t she was n e i th e r difficult nor bu rden ­ some. She h ad no requ irem en ts of them , and for as long as she could she did a lmost everything for herself. The s isters could always, however, make h e r life p lea san t for her. W ha t they did were really trifles, b u t i t showed th e ir care, and t h a t "fullness of hea rt" of which the Gospel speaks. Even Mother Irene Krzyza- nowska, on a v isit to her, rem a rked th a t i t was too p re tty for a nun , the p riva te room in which she lay. Not only the sisters a t th e hosp ita l apprec ia ted the holiness of S is te r Fau s tina . The p a tien ts were also unde r h e r spell, for she always h ad a k ind smile for them and an ear ready to lis ten to th e ir complaints or the problems which illness b rough t in plenty. S ister F. says, "They adm ired h e r goodness, k indness and piety". They loved to be with he r , for she did not so much give moral instruction as give them confidence in th e Mercy of God for everyone who repen ts h is sins and does penance. She became a symbol of hope to them . She was like a ray of sunsh ine which fell a thw a r t the lives of troubled people, warm ing them with the love of God. In addition, she has tened w ith p raye rs to th e dying, ready to be a t th e ir bedside day or nigh t, because she considered th is h e r duty, say ing th a t as the re was no p ries t a t hand , the dying h ad no certa in sp iritua l care. So the fea r of death , which d is tressed th e sick of th a t place w ith cruel ru th lessness , was lessened by the sight of h e r slight person, as i f she were God’s helm sman 273