Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

Having m e t the rea lity , S is te r F au s t in a found th a t he r idea of dea th was transformed . From being a general idea, imprecisely imagined, i t became a real picture in which pa rticu la rly clear elements, for her, were the connection of th e soul with the body, the problem of sin and forgiveness in all th e varie ty and unique n a tu re of the dea ths which she observed. Each dea th was different, each b rough t a new knowledge of the hum an soul, and all th is increased he r unde rs tand ing of the intercession she had been charged w ith by Jesus. So, then , h e r meditations on death did no t take S ister F au s t in a in the direction of th e concept th a t , with death , life is extinct. As rega rds the question of ap ­ proaching death , w ha t in te re s ted h e r was th a t to the very la s t moment of life th e re exists th e possibility of ask ing God for forgiveness of sins, and receiving it. Seeing the dea th of others, S is te r F au s t in a lea rned the practical needs of th a t moment, and h e r though ts were taken up with seeking ways to help; she avoided th a t passivity which, in th e majority of people, is the n a tu ra l re su lt of reflection on th e approaching end of life. God so created the world, th a t in giving to others, we make ourselves rich. Our own souls grow in proportion to the grea tness of our love of our neighbours. So, too, S is te r Fau s tina , in becoming absorbed with th e pro­ blems of saving people a t th is final stage of th e ir lives, a t the same time developed and was in teriorly enriched. Her love of neighbour took on more of th e cha rac ter of un iversa l love, un lim ited by any ties or loyalties. As far as she could, she m irrored in h e rse lf something of the love of Jesus. However, to learn Christ-like love in these circumstances does no t come easy. I t is only possible to a t ta in i t by a heroic ac t of th e will. "O merciful Jesus... I give y o u my whole 6ting. ‘Trans­ form me into yourse lf and make me capable o f doing 323