Hello, I'm Father Joe Roche of the Marianfathers of the Emanclad Conception.

Thank you for joining us as we continue with our year-long journey reading the diary of St. Maria Faustina Kavalska from beginning to end.

Today we take up from where we left off, beginning with diary entry number 395.

February 15, 1935, a visit for a few days to my family home to see my dying mother. When I learned that my mother was seriously ill and near death,

and that she had asked that I come home, as she wanted to see me once more

before dying, a host of emotions were awakened in my heart. As a child who sincerely loves its mother,

I wanted very much to fulfill her wish, but I left this to God and resigned myself completely

to his will.

Paying no heed to the ache in my heart, I followed God's will.

On the morning of my name day, February 15th, Mother Superior gave me a second letter from my family

and granted me permission to go to my parents' home to fulfill the wish and request of my

dying mother. I began at once to make the necessary preparations for the journey and left Vilnius in the

evening. I offered the whole night for my seriously ill mother that God might grant her the grace of

losing none of the merits of her suffering.

My traveling companions were very kind. Several women of the sodality of Mary were in the same

compartment with me. I sensed that one of them was suffering greatly and fighting a difficult

battle in her soul. I began to pray in spirit for this soul.

At 11 o'clock these women went to another compartment for a chat, leaving only the two of us

behind in the carriage. I could feel that my prayer was causing this soul's struggle to become

even fiercer. I did not console her, but prayed all the more fervently.

Finally, the lady turned to me and asked if she was obliged to fulfill a certain promise

which she had made to God.

...