1201 I feel so unwell here, however, that I am obliged to stay in bed. I feel strange sharp pains
all through my chest; I cannot even move my hand. One night, I had to lie quite
motionless, as it seemed to me that if I budged, everything in my lungs would tear. The
night was endless. I united myself to Jesus Crucified, and I implored the heavenly Father
on behalf of sinners. It is said that maladies of the lungs do not cause such sharp pains,
but I suffer these sharp pains constantly. My health has deteriorated so much here that I
must remain in bed, and Sister N. [probably Sister Helen 203] says I will not improve,
because the climate of Rabka is not good for every sick person.
1202 I could not even go to Holy Mass or receive Holy Communion today but, amidst the
sufferings of body and soul, I kept on repeating, “May the Lord‟s will be done. I know that
Your bounty is without limit.” Then I heard an angel who sang out my whole life history
and everything it comprised. I was surprised, but also strengthened.
1203 Saint Joseph urged me to have a constant devotion to him. He himself told me to recite
three prayers [the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory be] and the Memorare 204 once every
day. He looked at me with great kindness and gave me to know how much he is
supporting this work [of mercy]. He has promised me this special help and protection. I
recite the requested prayers every day and feel his special protection.
(56) August 1, 1937. One-day retreat.
272
1204 A retreat of suffering. O Jesus, in these days of suffering, I am not capable of any kind of
prayer. The oppression of my body and soul has increased. O my Jesus, You do see
that Your child is on the decline. I am not forcing myself further, but simply submitting my
will to the will of Jesus. O Jesus, You are always Jesus to me.
1205 When I went to confession, I did not even know how to confess. However, the priest
[probably Father Casimir Ratkiewicz205] recognized the condition of my soul at once and
said to me, “Despite everything, you are on the way to salvation; you are on the right
path, but God may leave your soul in this darkness and obscurity until death, and the
former light may never return. But in all things abandon yourself to the will of God.”
1206 Today, I started a novena to Our Lady of the Assumption for three intentions: first, that I
may see the Reverend Dr. Sopocko; second, that God would hasten this work; and third,
for the intention of my country.
1207 August 10. Today I am returning to Cracow, in the company of one of the sisters. My
soul is shrouded in suffering. I am continually uniting myself to Him by an act of the will.
He is my power and strength.
1208 May You be blessed, O God, for everything You send me. Nothing under the sun
happens without Your will. I cannot penetrate Your secrets with regard to myself, but I
press my lips to the chalice you offer me.
1209 (57) Jesus, I trust in You.
Novena to The Divine Mercy 206
Which Jesus instructed me to write down and make before the Feast of Mercy. It begins
on Good Friday. I desire that during these nine days you bring souls to the fountain of My mercy, that they may draw therefrom strength and refreshment and whatever grace they need in the hardships of life, and especially at the hour of death. On each day you will bring to My Heart a different group of souls, and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy, and I will bring all these souls into the house of My Father. You will do this in this life and in the next. I will deny nothing to any soul whom you will bring to the fount of My mercy. On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My bitter Passion, for graces for these souls.
I answered, “Jesus, I do not know how to make this novena or which souls to bring first
into Your Most Compassionate heart.” Jesus replied that He would tell me which souls to
bring each day into His Heart.
First Day
1210 Today, bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me.
273
1211 Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us,
do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which (58) we place in Your infinite
goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never
let us escape from it. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father
and the Holy Spirit.
Oh omnipotence of Divine Mercy,
Salvation of sinful people,
You re a sea of mercy and compassion;
You aid those who entreat You with humility.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor
sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate heart of Jesus. For the sake of His
sorrowful Passion, show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your
mercy forever and ever. Amen.
Second Day
1212 Today bring to me the souls of priests and religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me the strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them, as through channels, My mercy flows out upon mankind.
1213 Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in us, that
we may perform worthy works of mercy, and that all who see them may glorify the Father
of Mercy who is in heaven.
The Fountain of God‟s love
Dwells in pure hearts,
Bathed in the Sea of Mercy,
Radiant as stars, bright as the dawn.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze (59) upon the company [of chosen ones] in Your
vineyard – upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of
Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to
them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation,
and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.
Third Day
1214 Today bring to Me all devout and faithful souls, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought Me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were that drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness.
1215 Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy You impart Your graces in great
abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate
Heart and never let us escape from it. We beg this of You by that most wondrous love for
the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.
The miracles of mercy are impenetrable.
Neither the sinner nor just one will fathom them.
274
When You cast upon us an eye of pity,
You draw us all closer to Your love.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of
your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround
them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure
of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify your
boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.
(60) Fourth Day
1216 Today bring to Me the pagans and those who do not yet know Me. I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy.
1217 Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode
of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of pagans who as yet do not know You. Let
the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your
wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most
Compassionate Heart.
May the light of Your love
Enlighten the souls in darkness;
Grant that these souls will know You
And, together with us, praise Your mercy.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of pagans and of those who as yet
do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate heart of Jesus. Draw
them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to
love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages.
Amen.
Fifth Day
1218 Today bring to Me the souls of heretics and schismatics, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. During My bitter Passion they tore at My Body and Heart; that is, My Church. As they return to unity with the Church, My wounds heal, and in this way they alleviate My Passion.
1219 Most Merciful Jesus, Goodness Itself, You do not refuse light to those who seek it of You.
Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of heretics and
schismatics. Draw them by Your light into the unity of the Church, and do not let them
escape from the abode of Your Most Compassionate heart; but bring it about that they,
too, come to extol the generosity of Your mercy.
(61 ) Even for those who have torn the garment
of Your unity,
A fount of mercy flows from Your Heart.
The omnipotence of Your mercy, Oh God,
Can lead these souls also out of error.
275
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of heretics and schismatics, who
have squandered Your blessings and misused Your graces by obstinately persisting in
their errors. Do not look upon their errors, but upon the love of Your own Son and upon
His bitter Passion, which He underwent for their sake, since they, too, are enclosed in the
Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Bring it about that they also may glorify Your great
mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Sixth Day
1220 Today bring to me the meek and humble souls and the souls of little children, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls most closely resemble My Heart. They strengthened Me during My bitter agony. I saw them as earthly Angels, who would keep vigil at My altars. I pour out upon them whole torrents of grace. Only the humble soul is able to receive My grace. I favor humble souls with My confidence.
1221 (62) Most Merciful Jesus, You yourself have said, “Learn from Me for I am meek and
humble of heart.” Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart all meek
and humble souls and the souls of little children. These souls send all heaven into
ecstasy and they are the heavenly Father‟s favorites. They are a sweet-smelling bouquet
before the throne of God; God Himself takes delight in their fragrance. These souls have
a permanent abode in Your Most Compassionate Heart, O Jesus, and they unceasingly
sing out a hymn of love and mercy.
1222 A truly gentle and humble soul
Already here on earth the air of paradise breathes,
And in the fragrance of her humble heart
The Creator Himself delights.
1223 Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon meek and humble souls, and upon the souls
of little children who are enfolded in the abode which is the Most Compassionate Heart of
Jesus. These souls bear the closest resemblance to Your Son. Their fragrance rises
from the earth and reaches Your very throne. Father of mercy and of all goodness, I beg
You by the love You bear these souls and by the delight You take in them: Bless the
whole world, that all souls together may sing out the praises of your mercy for endless
ages. Amen.
Seventh Day
1224 Today bring to me the souls who especially venerate and glorify My mercy, and immerse them in My mercy. These souls sorrowed most over My Passion and entered most deeply into My Spirit. They are living images of My Compassionate heart. These souls will shine with a special brightness in the next life. Not one of them will go into the fire of hell. I shall particularly defend each one of them at the hour of death.
1225 (63) Most Merciful Jesus, whose Heart is Love Itself, receive into the abode of Your Most
Compassionate Heart the souls of those who particularly extol and venerate the
greatness of Your mercy. These souls are mighty with the very power of God Himself. In
the midst of all afflictions and adversities they go forward, confident of Your mercy.
276
These souls are united to Jesus and carry all mankind on their shoulders. These souls
will not be judged severely, but Your mercy will embrace them as they depart from this
life.
A soul who praises the goodness of her Lord
Is especially loved by Him.
She is always close to the living fountain
And draws graces from Mercy Divine.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls who glorify and venerate Your
greatest attribute, that of Your fathomless mercy, and who are enclosed in the Most
Compassionate Heart of Jesus. These souls are a living Gospel; their hands are full of
deeds of mercy, and their spirit, overflowing with joy, sings a canticle of mercy to You, O
Most High! I beg You O God: Show them Your mercy according to the hope and trust
they have placed in You. Let there be accomplished in them the promise of Jesus, who
said to them, I Myself will defend as My own glory, during their lifetime, and especially at the hour of their death, those souls who will venerate My fathomless mercy.
Eighth Day
1226 Today bring to Me the souls who are in the prison of Purgatory, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. Let the torrents of My Blood cool down their scorching flames. All these souls are greatly loved by Me. They are making retribution to My justice. It is in your power to bring them relief. Draw all the indulgences from the treasury (64) of My Church and offer them on their behalf. Oh, if you only knew the torments they suffer, you would continually offer for them the alms of the spirit and pay off their debt to My justice.
1227 Most Merciful Jesus, You Yourself have said that You desire mercy; so I bring into the
abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls in Purgatory, souls who are very
dear to You, and yet, who must make retribution to Your justice. May the streams of
Blood and Water which gushed forth from Your Heart put out the flames of the purifying
fire, that in that place, too, the power of Your mercy may be praised.
From that terrible heat of the cleansing fire
Rises a plaint to Your mercy,
And they receive comfort, refreshment, relief
In the stream of mingled Blood and Water.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls suffering in Purgatory, who are
enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. I beg You, by the sorrowful Passion
of Jesus Your Son, and by all the bitterness with which His most sacred Soul was
flooded, manifest Your mercy to the souls who are under Your just scrutiny. Look upon
them in no other way than through the Wounds of Jesus, Your dearly beloved Son; for we
firmly believe that there is no limit to Your goodness and compassion.
Ninth Day
1228 Today bring to Me souls who have become lukewarm, and immerse them in the abyss of My mercy. These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered
277 the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. They were the reason I cried out: “Father, take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will.” For them, the last hope (65) of salvation is to flee to My mercy.
1229 Most Compassionate Jesus, You are Compassion Itself. I bring lukewarm souls into the
abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart. In this fire of Your pure love let these tepid
souls, who like corpses, filled You with such deep loathing, be once again set aflame. O
Most Compassionate Jesus, exercise the omnipotence of Your mercy and draw them into
the very ardor of Your love; and bestow upon them the gift of holy love, for nothing is
beyond Your power.
Fire and ice cannot be joined;
Either the fire dies, or the ice melts.
But by Your mercy, O God,
You can make up for all that is lacking.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon lukewarm souls, who are nonetheless
enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Father of Mercy, I beg You by the
bitter Passion of Your Son and by His three-hour agony on the Cross; Let them, too,
glorify the abyss of Your mercy…..
1230 (66) O day of eternity, O day so long desired,
With thirst and longing, my eyes search you out.
Soon love will tear the veil asunder.
And you will be my salvation.
O day most beautiful, moment incomparable,
When for the first time I shall see my God,
The Bridegroom of my soul and Lord of lords,
And fear will not restrain my soul.
O day most solemn, O day of brightness,
When the soul will know God in His omnipotence
And drown totally in His love,
Knowing the miseries of exile are o'er.
O happy day, O blessed day,
When my heart will burn for You with fire eternal,
For even now I feel Your presence, though through the veil.
Through life and death, O Jesus, You are my rapture and delight.
O day, of which I dreamed through all my life,
Waiting long for You, O God,
For it is You alone whom I desire.
You are the one and only of my heart; all else is naught.
O day of delight, day of eternal bliss,
God of great majesty, my beloved Spouse,
You know that nothing will satisfy a virgin heart.
On Your tender Heart I rest my brow.
278
[End of Notebook Three]
279
Notebook Four Of the Diary of Sister Faustina
Notebook IV
NOTEBOOK IV
(1)+
J.M.J.
280
1231 Today Jesus came to live in my heart,
He descended from His throne on high,
The great Lord, the Creator of all things;
And He came to me in the form of bread.
O Eternal God, in my bosom enclosed,
Possessing You, I possess all Heaven,
And with the Angels I sing to You: Holy,
I live for Your glory alone.
Not with a Seraph, do You unite Yourself, O god,
But with a wretched man
Who can do nothing without You;
But to him You are ever merciful.
My heart is Your abode,
O King of Eternal Glory;
Rule in my heart and be Lord,
As in a palace of splendor untold.
O great, incomprehensible God,
Who had deigned to abase Yourself so,
Humbly I adore you
And beg You in Your goodness to save me.
(2)+
J.M.J.
1232 O sweet Mother of God,
I model my life on You;
You are for me the bright dawn;
In You I lose myself, enraptured.
O Mother, Immaculate Virgin,
In You the divine ray is reflected,
Midst storms, „tis You who teach me to love the Lord,
O my shield and defense from the foe.
Cracow, August 10, 1937.
1233 Sr. Mary Faustina
of the Blessed Sacrament
O Sacred Host, fountain of divine sweetness,
You give strength to my soul;
O You are the Omnipotent One, who took flesh of the Virgin,
You come to my heart, in secret,
Beyond reach of the groping senses.
281
(3)+
J.M.J.
Cracow, August 10, 1937
Notebook Four
1234 All for You, Jesus. I desire to adore Your mercy with every beat of my heart and, to the
extent that I am able, to encourage souls to trust in that mercy, as You Yourself have
commanded me, O Lord.
1235 In my heart, in my soul, there is a dark night. My spirit has come up against an
impenetrable wall that hides God from me. But this darkness is not of my doing. Strange
indeed is this torture of which I fear to write in full. But even in this state, I am trying to be
faithful to You. O my Jesus. Always and in all things, my heart beats for You alone.
1236 (4) August 10, 1937. I came back today from Rabka to Cracow. I feel very ill. Only
Jesus knows how much I am suffering. During these days, I have very much resembled
Jesus Crucified. I have armed myself with patience in order to explain to each sister why
I was not able to stay there: that is, because my health had become worse, even though I
knew very well that certain sisters would inquire, not out of sympathy for my sufferings,
but in order to add to them.
1237 O Jesus, what darkness is enveloping me and what nothingness is penetrating me. But,
my Jesus, do not leave me alone; grant me the grace of faithfulness. Although I cannot
penetrate the mystery of God‟s visitation, it is in my power to say: Your will be done.
1238 August 12. On passing through Cracow, Rev. Father Sopocko paid me a short visit
today. I had wanted to see him, and god fulfilled my desire. (5) This priest is a great
soul, entirely filled with God. My joy was very great, and I thanked God for this great
grace, because it was for the greater glory of God that I wanted to see him.
1239 O living Host, O hidden Jesus. You see the condition of my soul. Of myself, I am unable
to utter Your Holy Name. I cannot bring forth from my hart the fire of love but, kneeling at
Your feet, I cast upon the Tabernacle the gaze of my soul, a gaze of faithfulness. As for
You, You are ever the same, while within my soul a change takes place. I trust that the
time will come when You will unveil Your countenance, and Your child will again see
Yo9ur sweet face. I am astonished, Jesus, that You can hide Yourself from me for so
long and that You can restrain the enormous love You have for me. In the dwelling of my
heart, I am listening and waiting for Your coming, O only Treasure of my heart!
1240 (6) The Lord Jesus greatly protects His representatives on earth. How closely He is
united with them; and He orders me to give priority to their opinion over His. I have come
to know the great intimacy which exists between Jesus and the priest. Jesus defends
whatever the priest says, and often complies with his wishes, and sometimes makes His
own relationship with a soul depending on the priest‟s advice. O Jesus, through a special
grace, I have come to know very clearly to what extent You have shared your power and
mystery with them, more so than with the Angels. I rejoice in this, for it is all for my good.
1241 + O my Jesus, when someone is unkind and unpleasant toward us, it is difficult enough to
bear this kind of suffering. But this is very little in comparison to a suffering which I
282
cannot bear; namely, that which I experience when someone exhibits kindness towards
me and then lays snares at my feet at every step (7) I take. What great will power is
necessary to love such a soul for God‟s sake. Many a time one has to be heroic in loving
such a soul as God demands. If contact with that person were infrequent, it would be
easier to endure, but when one lives in close contact with the person and experiences this
at each step, this demands a very great effort.
1242 My Jesus, penetrate me through and through so that I might be able to reflect You in my
whole life. Divinize me so that my deeds may have supernatural value. Grant that I may
have love, compassion and mercy for every soul without exception. O my Jesus, each of
Your saints reflects one of Your virtues; I desire to reflect Your compassionate heart, full
of mercy; I want to glorify it. Let Your mercy, O Jesus, be (8) impressed upon my heart
and soul like a seal, and this will be my badge in this and the future life. Glorifying Your
mercy is the exclusive task of my life.
August 15, 1937. Father Andrasz‟ instructions.
1243 “These times of dryness and stark awareness of one‟s wretchedness, which God has
permitted, allow the soul to know how little it can do by itself. They will teach you how
much you should appreciate God‟s graces. Secondly, faithfulness in all exercises and
duties, faithfulness in everything, just as in times of joy. Thirdly, as regards the matters in
question, be absolutely obedient to the Archbishop [Jalbrzykowski] although, from time to
time, the matter can be brought to his attention, but peacefully. (9) Sometimes, a little
bitter truth is necessary.”
At the end of the conversation, I asked the priest to allow me to commune with Jesus as I
had done formerly. He answered, “I cannot give orders to the Lord Jesus, but if He
Himself draws you to Himself you may follow the attraction. However, always remember
to show Him great reverence, for the Lord is great indeed. If you are truly seeking God‟s
will in all this and desire to fulfill it, you can be at peace; the Lord will not allow any sort of
error. As to the mortifications and sufferings, you will give me an account next time of
how you can carry them out. Place yourself in the hands of the Most Holy Mother.”
1244 August 15, 1937. During meditation, God‟s presence pervaded me keenly, and I was
aware of the Virgin Mary‟s joy at the moment of Her Assumption Towards the end of the
ceremony (10) carried out in honor of the Mother of God, I saw the Virgin Mary, and She
said to me, Oh, how very pleased I am with the homage of your love! And at that moment
She covered all the sisters of our Congregation with Her mantle. With Her right hand,
She clasped Mother General Michael to herself, and with Her left hand She did so to me,
while all the sisters were at Her feet, covered with Her mantle. Then the Mother of God
said, Everyone who perseveres zealously till death in My Congregation will be spared the fire of purgatory, and I desire that each one distinguish herself by the following virtues: humility and meekness; chastity and love of God and neighbor; compassion and mercy.
After these words, the whole Congregation disappeared from my sight, and I remained
alone with the Most Holy Mother who instructed me about the will of God and how to (11 )
apply it to my life, submitting completely to His most holy decrees. It is impossible for one
to please God without obeying His holy will. My daughter, I strongly recommend that you faithfully fulfill all God’s wishes, for that is most pleasing in His holy eyes. I very much desire that you distinguish yourself in this faithfulness in accomplishing god’s will. Put the
283 will of God before all sacrifices and holocausts. While the heavenly Mother was talking to
me, a deep understanding of this will of god was entering my soul.
1245 My Jesus, delight of my hart, when my soul is filled with Your divinity, I accept sweetness
and bitterness with the same equanimity. One and the other will pass away. All that I
keep in my soul is the love of God. For this I strive; all else is secondary.
1246 (12) 16 [August 1937]. After Holy Communion, I saw the Lord Jesus in all His majesty,
and He said to me, My daughter, during the weeks when you neither saw Me nor felt My presence, I was more profoundly united to you that at times [when you
experienced] ecstasy. And the faithfulness and fragrance of your prayer have reached Me. After these words, my soul became flooded with God‟s consolation. I did
not see Jesus, and there was only one word I could utter and that was: “Jesus.” And
after pronouncing that Name, my soul was again filled with light and deeper recollection,
which lasted uninterruptedly for three days. However, outwardly I could still carry out my
usual duties.
My whole being was stirred to its most secret depths. God‟s greatness does not frighten
me, but makes me happy. By giving Him glory, I myself am lifted up. On seeing His
happiness, I myself am made happy, because (13) all that is in Him flows back upon me.
1247 I came to know of the condition of a certain soul and of what in that soul is displeasing to
God. I learn it in the following way: I immediately feel pain in m
y hands, my feet and my
side, in those places where the hands, feet and side of the Savior were pierced. At that
same time, I receive knowledge of the soul‟s condition and of the nature of the sin
committed.
1248 I experience a desire to make reparation to the Lord Jesus in a way which corresponds
[to the offense]. Today I wore a chain belt for seven hours in order to obtain the grace of
repentance for that soul. In the seventh hour I felt relief as the soul experienced interiorly
the remission of its sin, although it had not yet gone to confession. For sins of the flesh, I
mortify the body and fast to the degree that I am permitted. For sins of pride, (14) I pray
with my forehead touching the floor. For sins of hatred, I pray and do some good deed for
a person whom I find difficult. And thus I make amends according to the nature of the sin
of which I am aware.
1249 19 [August 1937]. Today during adoration, the Lord gave me to know how much He
desires a soul to distinguish itself by deeds of love. And in spirit I saw how many souls
are calling out to us, “Give us God.” And the blood of the Apostles boiled up within me. I
will not be stingy with it; I will shed it all to the last drop for immortal souls. Although
perhaps God will not demand that in the physical sense, in spirit it is possible and no less
meritorious.
1250 Today I realized that I was not to ask for a certain permission, but that I was to respond to
this matter as the Mother of God would have me do. For the present, no explanations are
(15) necessary; peace has returned to me. I received this inspiration just as I was on my
way to make my examination of conscience, and I was very worried because I did not
know how to go about it. Divine light can do more in one moment than I, fatiguing myself for several days.
