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 188.

During the last days of the Carnival, beginning with diary entry number 188.

During the last days of the carnival, when I was making a holy hour, I saw how the Lord Jesus suffered as he was being scourged. Oh, such an inconceivable agony! How terribly Jesus

suffered during the scourging! O poor sinners, on the day of judgment,

how will you face the Jesus whom you are now torturing so cruelly? His blood flowed to the ground,

and in some places his flesh started to fall off. I saw a few bare bones on his back. The meek Jesus moaned

softly and sighed. On one occasion, Jesus gave me to know how pleasing to him is the soul

that faithfully keeps the rule. A soul will receive a greater reward for observing the rule than for penances and great mortifications.

The latter will be rewarded also if they are undertaken over and above the rule, but they will not surpass the rule.

Once during an adoration, the Lord demanded that I give himself up to him as an offering

by bearing a certain suffering in atonement, not only for the sins of the world in general,

but specifically for transgressions committed in this house. Immediately I said, very good,

I am ready. But Jesus gave me to see what I was going

to suffer, and in one moment the whole passion unfolded itself before my eyes. Firstly, my intentions

will not be recognized. There will be all kinds of suspicion and distrust, as well as various

kinds of humiliations and adversities.

I will not mention everything here. All these things stood before my soul's eye,

like a dark storm from which lightning was ready to strike at any moment, waiting only for

my consent. For a moment my nature was frightened. Then suddenly the dinner bell rang.

...