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Divine
Mercy Diary - Introduction
Preface
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6
Divine Mercy
In my soul
Introduction
Introduction
To the Polish Edition, 1981
1. THE AUTHOR OF THE DAIRY.
Sister Faustina, Helena Kowalska was born on August 25, 1905, in
the village of Glogowiec, in Lodz, Poland. At age 14, without
completing elementary school, she went to work, first in
Aleksandrow, Lodz, and then in Lodz itself. By the time she was 15
she had made known to her parents her desire to enter the convent.
On August 1, 1925, she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of
Our Lady of Mercy. She went through her postulancy in Warsaw, and
then was sent to the novitiate house in Cracow, where during her
invertiture she was given the name Sister Mary Faustina and was
incorporated into the novitiate. After a two year novitiate, she
made her first profession of vows on April 30, 1928. next, as a
temporarily professed sister, she worked in various houses of the
Congregation: in Warsaw, in Vilnius, in Kiekrz near Poznan, in
Plock, in Biala near Plock, in Warsaw and in Cracow. On May 1,
1933, she took her perpetual vows.
After only a few weeks of convent life her health began to
deteriorate. She had contracted consumption and lived through
several bouts of this illness. In August, 1934, she suffered a
violent attack of asthma for the first time. Although the doctors
did not state it, it already was, in all likelihood, tuberculosis,
which subsequently progressed to such an extent that in 1936 she
spent the last five months of her life in that same hospital; and
after having been brought back to the convent in Cracow, she died
there on October 5th.
2. THE PURPOSE OF WRITING THE DIARY.
 Sister Faustina
herself stated that she desired by this writing to fulfill the
express command of the Lord Jesus and the order of both her
confessors, Rev. M. Sopocko and Fr. J. Andrasz. She also
acknowledged that she desired through this diary to inform people
of the goodness and grace of God. She also noted frequently that
she wrote it with the express permission of her Superiors, which
constituted for her the confirmation of God’s will.
The Diary, in her opinion was not intended to be read by the
general public; at any rate, never during her lifetime. For this
reason she decidedly kept this writing a secret from her fellow
sisters, of which we have factual evidence in the breaks found in
several places and in the incomplete sentences in general.
Besides, she wrote a not in her Diary, aiming her remarks at the
would be curious, in the following words: “Jesus. No one is
permitted to read these notebooks and the notes contained therein
– Father Andrasz must first check them, or Father Sopocko –
considering that they are matters of conscience. If it is God’s
will that everything be given to souls for their consolation. It
is not necessary to give the notebooks themselves to the sisters
to read, Superiors excepted, until they are edited. Cracow, day of
recollection, April 3, 1938. S. Faustina.”
From the above words one can gather that the servant of God
expected the Diary to be printed eventually “for the consolation
of souls,” but desired that it take place only after her death.
Rev. M. Sopocko in his letters explains the reason for the writing
of the Diary in yet another way. He points out that the number of
spiritual experiences of the Servant of God was too great to be
discussed in the confessional, without having third parties notice
it. Furthermore, as a seminary professor, he had no time for long
confessions of this type. He therefore told her to write down
everything that she considered to be the will of God, and to give
it to him periodically for his perusal.
3. THE CONTENTS OF THE DIARY.
The Servant of God writes her experiences and supernatural graces
without delay. For the most part, she concentrates her attention
on matters of the interior life and her contact with God. She
devotes much room, and this with particular care, to the
teachings, inspirations, and dispositions of God. At times, she
mentions actual exterior facts. On some pages she writes her own
reflections and resolutions stemming from her meditations or from
conferences heard, and sometimes she even notes directly the
essence of the priests’ instructions.
On very many pages we find her poetry, in which she tries to
express her feelings toward God. These verses have the character
of personal expressions of love and longing for God. She expresses
in them most often her adoration and love, as well as her desire
of full union with her Creator. The versification itself indicates
that the author wrote her works spontaneously, more under the
influence of emotions and affections, than as a result of cold
reflection. In a criticism of her verses it has been stated that
“without knowing he literary patterns, she hit upon the path of
Polish poetry on her own.”
Writing without a preconceived plan, she at times mentions, along
with the above details, the environment in which she lives, her
work, and the condition of her health. Feeling free and easy about
form – she was writing for the confessor alone – she does not
conform her text to a certain style; she is not hampered by a lack
of periods or other punctuation marks, not even by spelling
errors. The text itself reflects the great simplicity of the
author: emotional, but keeping herself under the discipline of the
will; uneducated, but extremely prudent and distinguished for her
sound judgment of things; undergoing trials, but never
surrendering to psychological depression or to agitation in
adversities. Submissive to the will of God and full of confidence
in the Divine Mercy, as she lived united with Him, so she also
write of Him and for Him.
4. CHRONOLOGY IN THE WRITING OF THE DIARY.
From Rev. M. Sopocko we learn that Sister Faustina burned a
certain section of the Diary. Informed of this, he made her
rewrite from memory, as a penance, the destroyed portion and
simultaneously to note her current experiences. It was this
precisely that caused a confusion in the chronology of facts in
the greater part of the Servant of God’s notebooks. Anyway,
aware of this fact, she would sometimes include the date of the
happening; about other matters she writes without dates, using the
term at one time. As a result, there occurred several repetitions
of the same fact or experience, for example, see numbers 993 and
996. It is evident that the author was not concerned with
chronology; that is, the sequence of facts, but with the noting of
the facts themselves.
The Servant of God began to write the Diary in 1934. The first
poem and notation is dated: July 28, 1934. In addition, she wrote
retrospectively, returning to recollections firs from the year
1925, after which she went to the year 1929 and then to 1931.
Skipping 1930 and 1932, she begins with facts from the year 1933.
She then interrupts the flow of the narration and quite
unexpectedly returns to the year 1928. After this recollection she
notes some affairs of the current year, which again she
interrupts, in order to complete the previous year 1933. On the
remaining pages in the first notebook, she later wrote, in January
1937, her retreat resolutions.
Basically, from this point, Sister Faustina begins to write
everything as it occurs; and the recollected elements go back to
only a few past days or weeks. Thus, she first completes the year
1934, then presents the year 1935, continues with the year 1936
and the year 1937. the years of her illness gave her somewhat more
time for writing and for this reason are most substantially
represented on the pages of the Diary. The year of her death
(1938) fills up the last part of the Diary.
5. THE TEXT OF THE MANUSCRIPT.
The entire text of her writings is contained in six notebooks, 20
x 16 cm (size of first and second), or 191/2 x 151/2 cm (size of
the third and fifth). The fourth notebook is the narrowest, its
width being scarcely 12 cm. the sixth notebook likewise is narrow,
being 15 cm wide. All these copybooks are of squared or lined
sheets quite closely written on both sides. The number of written
pages is: 105 + 160 + 33 + 30 + 71, the total of 477 pages of
manuscript. The last notebook is not filled.
The writings in essence show no sign of damage. Only one page was
torn out (which is noted near the text) by an unknown person. In
the individual notebooks we find several blank pages, which
evidently were intended to be used to add something, but from
which the servant of God desisted. The notebook pages were not
numbered. Presently they do possess a pagination, made in pencil
for practical reasons by Father J. Andrasz, S.J. and Sister Xavier
Olszamowska of the Congregation of the sisters of Our Lady of
Mercy.
After the completion of the Informative Process in Cracow, all of
the notebooks, with the exception of the fourth, were bound with a
green cloth glued to a stiff cardboard. A digit was printed on the
cover of each notebook, indicating the consecutive number of the
pad. The fourth notebook was left in its original form, and only
the wires were removed to protect it from rust. The wires were
replaced by ordinary thread. On each notebook cover, with the
exception of the fourth, Sr. Faustina wrote her religious name and
some maxim. It was always a thought about the Divine Mercy. These
subtitles were taken into account only in the present editing of
the text. They have been omitted in previous transcripts.
6. THE MANNER OF WRITING OF THE DIARY.
The servant of God very often interlaces the factual accounts with
prayers. Into her own words she weaves words of the Lord Jesus, or
she ends a started narrative with the words of the Lord Jesus. a
lack of punctuation marks caused, as a result, a lack of clarity
in the text. It often happens that she begins an account of some
fact or matter, and ends it with a prayerful turning to God or
with an act of adoration and admiration for the unfolding Divine
activity.
Besides ordinary prayers, as was already stated, we find in the
Diary many verses which almost always are a poetic form of prayer.
Especially the second half of the Diary, where facts and
experiences are noted day by day, contains many elements which
indicate a constant remembrance of the presence of God. To the
ever-present God she turns with petition and thanksgiving,
rejoicing in His Love, diligently recording all that she is
experiencing.
In the original Diary manuscript we find a series of words
superfluously repeated. This leads one to assume that the servant
of God was forbidden to cross out what she had written. And
perhaps it was for this reason that she left the repeated words as
well as the wrong or unnecessary ones. The state of the manuscript
allows one also to suppose that she did not reread what she wrote,
for then she certainly would have inserted, for example, a letter
missing in some word.
We find a whole series of underlined words and sentences in the
manuscript. This was done at the request of Fr. Sopocko, who
several times instructed her to note in this fashion what the Lord
Jesus demanded of her. The number of these underlinings bears
witness that Sr. Faustina seriously considered everything she
wrote as a command of the Lord Jesus.
7. HISTORY OF THE TEXT.
The servant of God always kept the notebooks of the Diary in her
own possession. Only on occasion did she give them to Fr. Sopocko
and then to Fr. Andrasz, S.J. to be studied. After her death, the
manuscript remained in the Congregation. moreoever, it was so
carefully guarded and to such an extent that, except for a few
persons, the Congregation at large new nothing of its existence.
Only when Fr. Andrasz began to write the biography of Sister
Faustina was the Diary made available to him in confidence, as to
a confessor who had full right to it. After receiving the Diary
from him, the Congregation scrupulously continues to guard it.
Initially, the Diary of Sister Faustina was rewritten by Sister
Xavier Olszamowska at the request of Mother general Michaela
Moraczewska. Unfortunately, this transcription was neither
accurate nor scholarly, since the copyist thought it proper to add
or delate certain little words and make grammatical changes; in
addition, through human oversight, she omitted some of the words.
To safeguard the Diary, the text was microfilmed in the 1950’s.
In making copies, however, neither the original nor the microfilm
were used, but on the typescript of Sr. Xavier Olszamowska, which,
all in all, was considered authentic, since no one compared the
copied text with the original. On the contrary, private copies and
even an Italian translation of this unauthentice text were made.
What is worse, the above text received in its time the
authorization and approbation of the Curia of Cracow.
We know of the following official confirmations of the text of
“Sr. Xavier Olszamowska”;
1) of March 3, 1950, the Metroplitan Curia of Cracow No. 1317/50,
signed by Cardinal A. Sepieha and Fr. Brzycki;
2) December 6, 1951, the Metropolitan Curia of Cracow No.
10583/51, signed by Fr. Wit Brzycki. This text is somewhat
different from the former but in non-essentials. From it was made
the above-mentioned Italian translation and a whole series of
copies by the Pallotine Fathers.
3) July 30, 1952, the Metropolitan Curia of Cracow, No. 5625/52,
signed by Fr. John Pochopien. The text was very similar to the
previous one.
Finally, a copy of the original was made. This last one was
included in the Acts of the Informative Process in Cracow on
October 19, 1967, and signed by Fr. Stefan Marszowski. This text
was not only transcribed from the original but also verified in
detail during the Informative Process by Fr. Isidore Borkiewicz,
O.F.M.. Conv. And sister Beata Piekut of the Congregation of the
sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Poland. A French translation was
made from this copy. It was included in the Acts of the
Informative Process, together with the latest transcript and
photocopies, and sent to Rome.
The present critical edition is likewise based solely on the
manuscript of Sister Faustina. The whole critical apparatus, all
footnotes and indices, was the work of Sister Beata Piekut in
cooperation with other sisters who helped to copy the texts. As a
historian, the undersigned Promoter of Faith of the Informative
Process served in this by his advice and suggestions. He was in
continues contact wit the sister preparing the present edition. He
watched over the authenticity of the texts and their accuracy,
both factual and historical. The text thus prepared and
monographed was sent to Rome to Fr. Anthony Mruk, S.J.. General
Postulator of the Cause, so that after his authoritative
verification and under his direction it would be ready to appear
in print.
8. THE MEANING AND VALUE OF THE DIARY.
The Diary of Sister Faustina is not some kind of collection of
“marvels” or a book containing accounts of extraordinary
visions. Such a judgment could be made after a cursory and
inattentive reading of it. Actually, it is a valuable and
instructive literary work. First of all, it reveals the Servant of
God’s interior life. From the pages of the Diary she appears to
us as a person demanding of herself and resolute in her striving
for perfection. We see how intensely Sister Faustian works and
takes advantage of every occasion to be enriched spiritually.
Through the Diary we get to know her difficulties and dark nights
of soul, as well as her mystical flights, illuminations and
interior consolations. What merits special emphasis is her inner
strength, flowing most certainly from her reliance on God and her
unquestionable heroic trust in the Divine Mercy.
The Diary presents to us in an eloquent and convincing manner the
infinity of the Divine Mercy. It not only teaches one about the
Most Merciful Savior, but also encourages one to worship Him. It
likewise shows us in a practical way various forms of worship, and
at the same time illustrates facts of Divine interventions and His
answers to the prayers of those who earnestly petition Him. The
Diary has this value, also, that it teaches a childlike and very
simple relationship to God, that it suggests the possibility of
union with a God present to us at each moment. It is true that it
indicates that living in the presence of God is a grace, but a
grace obtainable trough prayer and a humble trust in God.
The outstanding value of the Diary, however, is in the instruction
and encouragement it give to live an intensive interior life.
Through Sister Faustina’s example it teaches us the need of
diligent and resolute work on inner discipline. It teaches in a
practical way the difficult art of love of one’s neighbor. It
contains many correct teachings and incentives toward unyielding
interior discipline and, what is more important, toward an
unshaken trust in God’s assistance, especially in this work.
9. SIGNIFICANT TEXTUAL INACCURACIES IN THE FORMER TRANSCRIPTS.
As compared to the original, the former transcripts have omitted
entire pages, left out whole sentences, and changed a great many
of the words, substituting them with others. The number of
inaccuracies cited fill several single-spaced typewritten pages,
it is not surprising, therefore, that the former texts met with
censure and mistrust. And thus, for example, on page 7 of the
typewritten copy, 8 mistakes were found; on page 25, 7 mistakes,
on page 177, 8, etc.
It suffices to cite a few examples to show what some of the
mistakes of these first transcriptions were. Apart from the fact
that the paginations of the manuscript are inaccurate, it must be
stated that many things have been omitted as, for example, on page
85 of the manuscript. The original text is the following: “you
will strive for deep peace in abiding with me. I shall remove all
doubts in this regard. I know that now you are peaceful…” in
the transcript, on the other hand we find: “You will strive for
deep peace in abiding with me. I know that now you are
peaceful…” a little further on the same page: “when he ends
the conference, and present to him the fears you have regarding
Me, and I shall answer you…” but in the transcript it reads:
“when he ends the conference, and I shall answer you…”
On page 153 of the manuscript is the sentence: “The meditation
was no mortification for me, for thinking about God is a delight
and not a mortification; but there was a mortification of the will
in that I was not doing (simply) what I like but what I was told
to do, and it is in this that interior mortification consists.”
In the transcript it received this form: “the meditation was not
a mortification for me, for thinking about God is a delight and
not an interior mortification.”
On page 202 of the original are these words of the Lord Jesus: “Why
are you afraid to do My will? Will I not help you as I have done
thus far? Repeat everyone of my demands to those who represent Me
on earth, but do only what they tell you to do.” At
that, a certain strength entered my soul. The next morning…”
They were transcribed thus” “Why
are you afraid to do My will? The
next morning…”
The amount of these omissions is enormous. The worst of it is that
they were retained in the Italian translation. But a much greater
wrong is a whole series of unclear stylistics which were left
uncorrected. Sister Faustina would make the transition from using
her own words to quoting the words of the Lord Jesus all in the
same sentence. And so, for example, on page 161 of her manuscript
we find such a sentence: “God promised a great grace especially
to you and everyone [-here she proceeds to quote the Lord Jesus-]
who will make known this great mercy of Mine.” Such a sentence
without clarification is not only unintelligible, but point blank
smacks of heresy. The sentence on page 26 of notebook V, number
1379 is similar to it.
From among many such ambiguities, which without a footnote are
completely incomprehensible, let us cite one more example. On page
161 of the manuscript, Sr. Faustina says: “When the priest was
saying these words, that an obedient soul is filled with the
strength of God, [-the servant of God interjects without any sign
the words of the Lord Jesus-] yes, when
you are obedient I take away your weakness and replace it with My
strength.
The inaccurate transcription also
caused, in some places, a confusion in essential matters of the
text. And so, on page 202 of the manuscript we have the sentence:
“it is my desire to share this happiness with all people. I
cannot lock it away in my own heart alone, for His flames burn me
and cause my bosom and my entrails to burst asunder.”
In the former transcriptions, however, the sentence looked like
this: “I desire to share this happiness with all people, I
cannot lock this happiness in my own heart, for my flames burn me
and cause my bosom and entrails to burst asunder” (The emphasis
of Fr. J.M.).
Morever, the original text itself is sometimes confusing as, for
example, page 69 of notebook V, number 1464.
10. THE PRINCIPLES OF THE PRESENT PRINTED TEXT.
The Diary in the present edition was not only more completely
checked against the original, but was likewise amply provided with
scholarly research. Besides the present introduction, were added a
calendar of the life of the author, an index of persons, things,
and names of places. Also, pertinent footnotes were added to
clarify the meaning of the text, as well as for a better
understanding of certain facts related by the Servant of God, and
of certain phrases and expressions of the author. In these same
footnotes the problems needing deeper analysis were extensively
treated as, for instance, the matter of a congregation dedicated
to the worship of the Divine Mercy or the matter of painting the
image of the Merciful Lord Jesus.
The Diary text is enriched by a newly discovered, carefully
handwritten, small, but precious and rich in content, work of
Sister Faustina entitled, “My Preparation for Holy Communion.”
It was written in a small notebook, 71/2 by 11 cm, where on 12
sides of small squared graph paper were recorded Sister
Faustina’s innermost thoughts associated with a particular
reception of Holy Communion. If one can rely on the dates she
herself noted, she began writing her reflections about Holy
Communion in Cracow on January 10, 1938. This text was included in
the Diary indices.
In a few places where the stylistic text was unclear, the
necessary words or letters were added in brackets. The Servant of
God quite often used ungrammatical abbreviations. Throughout the
Diary the punctuation marks were made uniform for, in general, it
possessed none. This was all the more necessary since the
ambiguities of some texts could arouse doubt. The newest spelling
of words was applied, and misspelled words were corrected without
any signs of change being given. However, in the Polish version,
certain known specialties of style of the author were retained as,
for example, her using “tym … im” (the more … the more)
with the comparative degree of adjectives or adverbs, which in the
Polish of today are used in the inverse order; that is, “im …tym.”
The present text was given a fourfold numbering system on each
page. In the upper center of each page, in Roman Numerals, are
placed the numbers of the original notebooks of Sr. Faustina’s
manuscripts.
The Arabic Numeral in parentheses at the beginning or within the
text designates the corresponding page in the original notebooks
written by Sr. Faustian.
Numbers were placed in sequence at the sides of the Diary text to
make it easier for the reader to find the particular themes
contained in the indices of persons, places and things.
The raised numbers in Italics placed beside certain words in the
text indicate the sequential numbers of individual footnotes
explaining the contents of the Diary.
Fr. Jerzy Mroqczynski
Vice-Promoter of Faith
In the Informative Process
Radziwillow, May 7, 1973
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