Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

S is te r Fau s tina , whose chief p raye r in hospital was - as she wrote - suffering, now joined h e r sufferings to C h ris t’s Passion, adding the small mortifications possible for h e r du ring h e r illness and in hospital conditions, such as: sleeping w ithou t a pillow, not ea ting enough so th a t she fe lt hungry, a daily chaplet of p rayer to the Divine Mercy, with crossed arm s, and, if possible, other prayers also said with crossed arms. (Diary, Notebook II, para. 934). Je su s accepted S ister F au s tin a ’s sacrifice and allowed h e r to suffer with Him. Therefore, as Lent passed, he r pains increased. They were most severe during Holy Week. Here are S ister F au s t in a ’s own words: 'March 24, 1937. ‘Wednesday o f Odoly ‘Week.- I have f e t t great suffering in my hody, hut / f e e t the Lord is upholding me, fo r otheruhse I zvouid not he ah(e to hear it. March 25, 1937. Jloly Thursday. During dhohy Mass... the Lord... said to me, Lean your head on M y breast and rest... I shad g ive you a sm all portion o f M y Passion, bu t do not be afraid, be brave; do not seek, relief, but accept everything zvith. submission to M y ‘W ill.. I earnestly desired to spend the zvfwle night zvith Jesus in the d a r f prison cell. I prayed un t i l eleven o 'clock. Lit eleven, the Lord said to me, Lie dozvn and take your rest. I have le t you e?(perience in three hours zvhat I suffered during the zvhole night. Lind immediately I zvent to bed. I had no physical strength left; the suffering had deprived me o f it com- ' Polish ciemnica, litera lly "dark cell", denotes bo th the a l ta r of Maundy Thursday liturgy (Repository) and the prison in which Je su s spen t the n igh t of H is Passion. 277