Sister Faustina Kowalska: Her LIfe and MIssion

Luckily, when words of persuasion have no effect, there is one unfailing remedy in the hands of a con­ summate sp iritua l d irec tress - i t is obedience. When S is te r F au s tin a lay helplessly in sp iritua l agony, a second novice entered th e ir cell. F righ tened by the sight of h e r companion lying on the floor, she ran as fa s t as she could for th e Novice M istress who came a t once, and - as S ister F au s tin a w rites - 'in the name o f holy obedience orcCered me to g e t up from the ground. M y strength, returned immediately, and I go t up, trembling. ‘The Directress recognized immediately the state o f my soui.'. (Diary, Notebook I, para . 102). "‘With kindly words she began to e?ylain to me that this was a triaC sent to me by Qod, saying, "Odave great confidence; Qod is always our fa ther , even when 9de sends us trials.' I returned to my duties as i f I had come out from the tomb, my senses saturated w ith what my sou l had e?(perienced.' (Diary, Notebook I, para. 24). The re lief did no t la s t long. As evening approached, S ister F au s tin a ’s sufferings increased again. B u t in the n igh t help came: the Mother of God visited h e r with th e In fan t Je su s on h e r arm . The Mother of God reinforced the sp iritua l streng th of th e tormented S ister, and gave h e r comfort and courage. This heavenly aid enabled S is te r F au s tina to tak e a b rea th before th e nex t wave of temp ta tion , the most terrible of all she had so fa r undergone. 'I t seemed as though hell had conspired against me. A terrible hatred began to breath out in my soul, a hatred fo r a ll that is holy and divine . ' (Diary, Notebook I, para . 25). "The soul does its best to defend itself; it tries 89