St. Faustina Kowalska
By Martha Coté
I came to know Saint Faustina through
praying the chaplet of the divine mercy. Around the same time a dear friend
bought her diary as a gift to me. I love reading about the lives of the Saints,
so I began to read. I soon found myself liking Saint Faustina and as I
continued to read, I felt as though she was a dear friend of mine. At that same
time my prayer life started to blossom more, I began to develop a sincere
devotion to praying the chaplet before bed at night.
Saint Faustina was born August 25 1905
in the village of Glogowic, Poland to a poor and pious family. She was the
third of ten children and at her baptism she was to be given the name Helena.
From a young age she sensed in her soul the call to the religious life. When
she made her desire known to her parents they decidedly opposed the move. So
Helena tried to stifle this call within her. Then at a dance with her sister, Jesus
appeared to her in a vision and his words, “How long shall I put up with you?” “How
long will you keep putting me off?” With this she went to a near by chapel and
begged God to show her the way she was to enter a convent.
Putting her affairs in order, she left
with only the clothing she wore. After an exhausting search she knocked on the
door of the convent of the sisters of Our Lady of Mercy on Zytnia Street in
Warsaw. It was here she was to stay for 5 years and she made her perpetual vows
of chastity, poverty and obedience. Her entire life was concentrated on a
closer union with god and striving with a close union of her will to the will
of god. Saint Faustina’s entire life was that of saving souls. And on Gods
chosen mission that she will be his secretary to make known his divine mercy
for mankind. Her life was filled with complete trust without limit to God. She
always completed her assigned work with cheerfulness and unselfish love of
neighbor. She concealed the suffering she endured and at times ridicule from
her own superiors.
I am sure that Saint Faustina can teach
us many things today. For instance that we all can do well where we are, and at
all times. In any given situation or state in life. By this we can dedicate ourselves
more each day to love of God and our neighbor. I believe Saint Faustina could
start today in this age of technology to help us to be aware of the beauty of
nature, and the seasons the rising and setting of the sun. God keeps all of
this in existence. To awaken in us our own desire to be loved as his creation
and in this wanting only to please him. I feel that Saint Faustina could
inspire the youth of today. They could know that there is no one else like them
and in this way come to know themselves and each other. They could start their own
personal relationship with Christ.
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