Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

a t recreation. The Mother M istress recommended her as an example to me, especially as regards good humour and ga ie ty ." (Archives of S.F., Recollections). Illum ina ted from all these angles, the p ic ture of Helena certainly seems a cheerful one. The in terio r confusion she experienced on f ir s t seeing the rea lity of convent life - in an active r a th e r th an a contemplative order - was soon dissipated and does no t appear to have been noticed by others. After a short period of doubt, the young woman rea lised th a t she was in the righ t place, and from th is certa in ty a soothing peace descended on her, enabling h e r to overcome h e r difficul­ ties and rise above the painful moments, little by little. Such moments m u s t occur in daily life among a large group of people. In any case, th e Lord was near, so n e a r th a t not only m igh t one run to Him a t any moment of the day, b u t be forever confident of being w ithin His reach. This was, for Helena, a new and very g re a t joy. Close to th e C h ris t of th e Eucharist, she took h e r f irs t steps trus tfu lly on th e pa th th a t was pleasing to God, though not always, in the beginning, easy for her. 67