Hello, I'm Father Joe Roche of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception.

Thank you for joining us as we continue with our year-long journey,

reading the diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska from beginning to end.

Today we take up from where we left off, beginning with diary entry number 112 at notebook page number 53. I will mention one more

thing regarding the confessor. It is his duty to occasionally put to the test, to try to exercise,

to learn whether he is dealing with straw, with iron, or with pure gold.

Each of these three types of souls needs different kinds of training.

The confessor must, and this is absolutely necessary, form a clear judgment of each soul

in order to know how heavy a burden it can carry at certain times in certain circumstances or in

particular situations. As for myself, it was only later on after many negative experiences

that when I saw that I was not understood, I no longer laid bare my soul or allowed my peace to be disturbed.

But this happened only when all these graces had already been submitted to the judgment of a wise,

well instructed and experienced confessor.

Now I know what to go by in certain cases.

And again, I would like to say three words to the soul that is

determined to strive for sanctity and to derive fruit, that is to say benefit from confession.

First word, complete sincerity and openness. Even the holiest and wisest confessor cannot forcibly pour into the soul what he desires if it is not sincere and open.

An insincere, secretive soul risks great dangers in the spiritual life, and even the Lord Jesus himself does not give himself to such a soul on a higher level because

he knows it would derive no benefit from these special graces.

Second word, humility.

A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble.

Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing to probe with

...