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(18.4) On Great Suffering at Death: Grace of Contrition After a Life of Sin 220
(Diary # 388; Lk 23:39-43): lxvi In her Diary, Sr. Faustina refers to the good thief,
suffering greatly on his cross, next to Jesus in Calvary. Coming to the end of his life and
pondering over his life of sin, he opened his heart to the miracle of “grace,” and became a
contrite soul. He then humbly appealed to the Lord, “Jesus remember me when you come into
Your kingdom” (Lk 23:42).
And Jesus Christ, who was going through the agony of His own Passion, and coming to
His imminent death on the Cross, took time to reach out and console a sinner who was in dire
need of Him, as well as to show His forgiving love and tender mercy. “A bruised reed He will
not break” (Is 42:3; Mt 12:20) lxvii And He assured him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be
with me in Paradise” (Lk 23:43). Sr. Faustina commented on the great effect of God’s “grace”
and a sinner’s “reflection” on his life, amid acute suffering at the end of his life (Diary # 388).
(Please see other details below in Thesis Section III B.5 (5.2), “On the Grace from
Suffering; A Life of Sin, but Contrite at Death,” based on the same vignette, Diary, # 388).
III A.19 On Suffering and Praying the Chaplet through Nature’s Storm (Diary, # 1731)
One day, Sr. Faustina was roused from her sleep by a great rainstorm with very strong
winds, heavy downpour, and thunderbolts crashing repeatedly. She then heard the Lord speak to
her, “Say the Chaplet I have taught you, and the storm will cease.” She began praying the
Chaplet right away. She was not yet done praying when the storm suddenly stopped. She heard
the Lord speak again, “Through the Chaplet you will obtain everything, if what you ask for is
compatible with My will”(Diary, # 1731).
220
Ibid., Faustina, Diary, # 388.
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