Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

"On a certain day three priests were ta lk ing in the parlour o f the convent in V ilnius about theological matters. The priests were the chaplain, Fr. Siedlecki, Fr. Sopocko and Fr. Dqbrowski. S .J . To solve a particular question, one o f the priests proposed inv iting S ister Faustina and ask ing her opinion. S ister An ton ina sent for S is ter Faustina, and she gave her opinion in simple terms on the theme they propos­ ed." (Archives of S.F., Recoil. S.E.). S ister F au s tin a was a phenomenon unique among the sisters. Her knowledge canno t be compared with th a t of other sisters of the second choir. Her religious knowledge was carefully gleaned, and stored in a remarkably absorbent memory, from sermons, lessons and re trea ts , and from religious li te ra tu re - though leas t from th a t source - toge ther with the knowledge she acquired so copiously from mystical intimacy with God. All these elements were transformed in h e r soul into wisdom, which became h e r special charism and distinguished h e r from those around her. I t is also worth emphasising th a t in all h e r sp iritua l riches - inna te and supe rna tu ra l - S is te r F au s tina was a model of pure, sublimated religious folk culture. To explain w ha t I mean by folk or p e a san t culture, I cite Professor S tanislaw Pigon’s view of the sp iritua lity of country folk: "The peasant in his village always has to live directly under the approval o f the heavens. H is work is in closest union w ith the life o f nature, and is dependent on its mysteries o f constant change. A t the mercy o f the elements, bound, to nature as is the sailor to his ship, alone in the vast spaces o f the universe, he m ust always be orientated to the place whence comes the firs t cause o f things and their Ruler. Fashioned by centuries, the pea san t’s soul is religious. 426