Question about St. Faustina's diary

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rivera
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rivera

Guest
Hi all,

I thought I read/heard that Jesus told St Faustina that he appears to the soul at the point of death and gives him/her several opportunities to accept Him. Can anyone point me to where this is in her Diary?

Thanks,
rivera
 
I haven’t read enough of the diary to help you out with that. I’ve started it a couple of times, but keep getting side tracked.
 
Dear Rivera,

Providentially, I just read that portion of the Diary this afternoon. It is in Notebook V, pages 82-83. The page numbers are St. Faustina’s, so, whatever edition of the diary you have, my information should be accurate… If not, let me know.
 
Br. Dan:
Dear Rivera,

Providentially, I just read that portion of the Diary this afternoon. It is in Notebook V, pages 82-83. The page numbers are St. Faustina’s, so, whatever edition of the diary you have, my information should be accurate… If not, let me know.
Click to expand...
Br Dan,
I looked up that section in my copy of the Diary and I do not believe that it is saying what Rivera says it does.

Rivera says;
Jesus told St Faustina that he appears to the soul at the point of death and gives him/her several opportunities to accept Him.
Click to expand...
Now, I believe that it is Catholic Teaching that if one does not accept Christ before death he is condemned. As the Diary has a Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur which guarantees that it is free from doctrinal and moral error.

Now if we look to the section pointed out. You see the heading of Conversations of the Merciful God with a Despairing Soul.

It does not say anything about a deceased soul.
 
Dear ByzCath,

As I have not read the whole Diary yet, there may be something further on which addresses this question more accurately. However, I think Rivera’s question about the soul at the point of death is reflected in the comments of St. Faustina in that she speaks of “final grace.” To me, that refers to the point of death. Also, she says “The soul knows that this, for her, is final grace and, should it show even a flicker of good will, the mercy of God will accomplish the rest.” This seems to be true only for a soul who is at the point of death and has no opportunity to improve. Otherwise, everyone who has ever shown a “flicker of good will” would have it made… I think even I have a flicker of good will but i still can certainly condemn myself through future actions. A person at the point of death has no chance for future actions so God’s mercy does the rest. That’s how I read it.

A “deaceased soul” is another matter. Rivera, i think, and I are talking about a soul at the point of death but still very much alive and able to accept God’s Mercy.
 
**I have studied St Faustina, and her writings, and in all charity I believe there is a bit of misunderstanding here. **

**No where in the Diary does St Faustina mention that speaking to Our Lord, a “soul” is given several opportunities to accept Him at the point of death.

**The chapters mentioned (Book V, 82-83) is an example of a conversation the Jesus has with a soul that is in deep dispair. **

First Our Lord comes to the soul speaking of His Mercy. The soul turns from the Lord and does not speak to Him. The Lord then trys again, speaking of His endless Mercy. The soul in it’s deep dispair speaks to Our Lord saying that “My sins are to great” and which point Our Lord says “My Mercy is greater than all the sin in the world” At this point the soul is in such misery that it can actually experience the feeling of Hell. (Longing to be in the Presence of Our Lord, but unable to be.)

Jesus again comes to the soul a third time, giving it all the grace it needs, clearing a path to heaven, and leaving it to make it’s own decision. A soul must turn to Jesus on it’s own. It must choose.

As the conversation continues, the soul is overwhelmed before Our Lord and His endless Mercy. Upon accepting His Mercy, Our Lord tells the soul to “be humble” as he/she contiunes on his/her journey through life.

**The next conversation in the Diary is between a sinful soul and Jesus. **

**St Faustina frequently uses the word “soul” to mean anyone, man women, child. **

I hope this helps.

Jesus, I Trust in You!
 
Dear Sir_Hubert,

Thank you for your charitable response. I’m no expert in anything, including St. Faustina. So, I’m only offering my own opinion on what the Diary says and what I know about Catholic teaching regarding salvation.

First, we agree that God offers His mercy to the soul, in this context, three times and each offer is more intense or powerful than the previous. Now, I am extrapolating from the use of the term “final grace” to mean that no further opportunities for repentance will be offered to this particular soul. And/or, “final grace” means that the grace offered is sufficient for the soul’s salvation. In either case, the only way God would stop offering a sinner the grace of repentance or a sinner would need no further grace for salvation is if that soul were at the point of death and was no longer capable, in the future, of receiving or rejecting His Mercy. This soul has no human future in which to choose one way or the other. This choice to accept or reject is the last choice she’ll make and it’s that choice which the Diary is illustrating.

Now, that makes perfect sense to me but probably doesn’t make any sense to anyone else… Also, even if what I say is true, you still could be right in arguing that St. Faustina didn’t mean this or God didn’t mean this in that particular revelation.
 
Friar_David_O.Carm said:
Br Dan,
I looked up that section in my copy of the Diary and I do not believe that it is saying what Rivera says it does.

Rivera says;

Now, I believe that it is Catholic Teaching that if one does not accept Christ before death he is condemned. As the Diary has a Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur which guarantees that it is free from doctrinal and moral error.

Now if we look to the section pointed out. You see the heading of Conversations of the Merciful God with a Despairing Soul.

It does not say anything about a deceased soul.
Click to expand...
Thats incorrect,if dogmas are only protected from error(for example at Vatican 1 it was acknowledged popes erred 41 times in history) before they debated infallibilty,what makes u think Nihil obstat means without error.At best it means tolerable,many who give the nihil obstatt also state the opinion expressed does not necessarily agree with the person giving it.There are errors in the divine mercy. One is offering the father the divinity of christ as reparition for sins,many theolgians have described this as theologically impossible
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top