Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

Je su s H imself led the re tre a t . S is te r F au s tin a had become used to God tak in g p a r t in one of h e r re trea ts . Je su s had m any times already , in various ways, enriched th e ir con ten t or ta u g h t h e r to unde rs tand them more deeply and fully. Up to now, th is had always been help by augm en ting th e r e t r e a t given by a priest. This time, He was lead ing the re trea t . He decided on the programme, gave ou t the tex ts to read, the themes for m editation , and H imself gave the instructions. For each day of th e r e t re a t th e re was a Scrip tu ra l reading, two med ita tions and an instruction , which summed up the theme previously given for meditation and contained p rac tica l directions on how to introduce th e requ irem en ts of behav iour into h e r daily life.S ister F au s t in a has given a detailed account of th is r e t re a t in h e r Diary, (Notebook VI, paras . 1753-1779). The plan of the r e t re a t was as follows: on the f irs t day of the r e t re a t the Lord gave h e r the following order: "Voday you w ill read chapter fifteen o f the (jospeC o f Sain t John. I -want you to read i t very slow ly.' cIhe chapter contains the follow ing te \ts: - Jesus is the true Vine. - J{is command to love one another. - Vhe hatred o f the world fo r Jlim and V is disciptes. f o r the f ir s t meditation Jesus gave: 'Consider... ‘Who i t is to whom your heart is so closely un ited By the vow s...' and fo r the second meditation: 'Consider the Gfe o f Qod which is fou n d in the Church, fo r the salvation and the sancti­ fication o f your souC Consider the use that you make o f these treasures o f grace." The teaching of Jesu s , summ ing up the whole day’s meditation, discussed in a very pa rticu la r way how S ister F au s tin a was to carry on th e sp iritua l struggle to preserve th e v irtues m ed ita ted upon. Among other m a t te rs Je su s recommended: 367