Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

Then S ister Faustina rem inded me o f the conversa­ tions we had had in the novitiate; she rem inded me how necessary it was to respect one’s superiors and see the will o f God in their commands. There was no need to fear the superiors, hut to go to them trustingly about every matter. I said, "It’s a ll very for you to talk, Sister, because you have other conditions, better than mine." S ister Faustina replied tha t she too had not had an easy life, but tha t she tried to be on good terms w ith her superiors. "I go to my superiors with everything", she said, "and though they often shu t the door in my face, I go in again by another door. Sister, do not avoid your superiors. You used to say, when we were in the novitiate, tha t you were gra te fu l to God for the grace o f a vocation, you used to have a devotion to the Crucified Christ, to Our Lady, and to the Holy Spirit. Sister, do pray fervently and don ’t give in to these black clouds which have gathered over you." She asked me to pu sh the black thoughts away from me, and added, "I am pray ing for you, Sister, and I sha ll continue to pray, but you must change your life." When I asked her why she had come and how she knew o f my difficulties, she d id not reply, as i f she had not heard the question. "This conversation lasted perhaps an hour. A s she sa id goodbye, she said, "Praised be Jesus Christ", and added, "We sha ll not see each other on earth aga in .” "After th is conversation I felt strangely comforted in spirit. I became able to trust my superiors and somehow my inner strength had returned newly. I was very grateful to S ister Faustina for wha t she d id for m e ." (Archives of S.F., Recoil.). Bu t although S is te r F au s t in a gladly listened to the confidences of o ther sisters , she did no t say much about herself, or only by chance. The personal problems she ra ised concerned the practical m a t te rs of daily life. On 429