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Yet, come nighttime, Sr. Faustina still saw it as an opportune time “to suffer freely,”
alone in her room. She “stretched on the wood of the cross,” and “in spirit” spent time with Jesus
in the Tabernacle. At times, she “writhed in terrible pain” as well as shed tears of sorrow and
pain, which she offered to the “Heart” of Jesus who “alone understood” her plight. The whole
day and night actually became for her, a time of more physical and moral sufferings, or a “sweet
agony,” in Christ. She realized that embracing the cross, in Christ, was a chance to gain the grace
of love for her oppressors, as well as strength of her soul. Sr. Faustina wrote (Diary, # 1454):
The solemn silence of the night made it possible for me to suffer freely. My body
was stretched on the wood of the cross. I writhed in terrible pain until eleven
o’clock. I went in spirit to the Tabernacle and uncovered the ciborium, leaning
my head on the rim of the cup, and all my tears flowed silently toward the Heart
of Him who alone understands what pain and suffering is. And I experienced the
sweetness of this suffering, and my soul came to desire this sweet agony, which I
would not have exchanged for all the world’s treasures. The Lord gave me
strength of spirit and love towards those through whom these sufferings came
(Diary, # 1454).
(12.8) On Love of Neighbor: Whatever Good is Done to Them is Done to Christ 256
Sr. Faustina shared her great suffering for the unkindness of others, borne with love to a
“heroic” degree, in Christ. She wrote in her Diary:
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 cannot bear; namely, that which I experience when someone
exhibits kindness towards me and then lays snares at my feet at every step 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 (Diary, # 1241).
Jesus taught Sr. Faustina on love of neighbor by asking de