The Diary of St. Faustina?

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I’m currently reading this book, after a few pages, I kinda lost because I don’t really know why I’m reading this.

Nowadays, I’ve been having difficulty reading such books. Probably because I read many apologetic books which I read because I wanna learn about a topic (Mary, purgatory, papacy, etc).

Thus, I’m wondering what can I expect to learn by reading the Diary of St. Faustina?

Thanks all.
 
I recommend that you read her diary as a meditation on the mercy of God? You can also learn a bit about the saint:shrug:
 
Reading the writings of a mystic is different than reading on doctrine, or sacraments.

Such books generally require a person have a rooted prayer life, otherwise what the mystic writes about, can’t be related to by the reader.

The first time I read St. Teresa’s “Way of Perfection,” I had to put it down, for it made no sense to me.

Years later, after doing contemplative prayer, I read the book and understood completely what St. Teresa was saying.

God leads you to where you’re ready to be fed.

So, be sure to have an active prayer life.

Jim
 
Amen to Jim’s post.

I have had this book for over a year and still have not read all of it.

You definitely can not read it as a story, etc…daily tidbits will do and I assure you, whatever place you are in your faith life, her diary will speak to you. Each and every time that I read just a small paragraph, I receive some spiritual education.

God bless. Dana
 
Usually when I read the writings of such mystics, I feel a greater understanding of suffering, inspiration to accept it (although it is not easy to embrace suffering), and its origins as our union with Jesus…Who is on the Cross.
 
I myself find St. Faustina’s Diary a very good book to have always at hand. As you’ve noticed, it’s a diary of her interior life. This format lends itself very well to read just a page or even a couple of paragraphs whenever the opportunity comes. Even though there indeed is a story line throughout the Diary, that of her ever getting closer to the Lord, there’s no convoluted plot line. It gives me the freedom of either reading it as a book or as pious ejaculations, depending on my mood and on my availability.

HTH

:blessyou:
 
JimR-OCDS said:
…I had to put it down, for it made no sense to me…
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I’ve read the diary and at the time I read it a family member warned me that it was dry reading and that St. Faustina repeated the same thing over and over again throughout and then said they couldn’t finish it.
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JimR-OCDS:
…God leads you to where you’re ready to be fed…
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I ignored the advice not to read it and read it anyway with an open mind and heart and with each time St. Faustina went over the supposedly same thing over and over again, I found new insight into how to conduct my spiritual life through how she conducted hers.
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vince2paul:
…I’m wondering what can I expect to learn by reading the Diary of St. Faustina?
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I was called to read her diary because that is where God led me at that time in my life. You can’t force spirituality on yourself, it needs to come to you. That call may or may not lead to reading the diary of St. Faustina. In other words, you may learn a lot from reading the diary or God may be calling you to learn a lot through other means.
 
I had a difficult time reading the Diary of St. Faustina–it took me forever, and I only managed to get about 3/4 of the way through it. Then I lost interest, because it seemed so repetitive, and I found some of it hard to believe ( but I don’t doubt her in the least). I found her more difficult to read than St. Teresa of Avila, who is a difficult read. But I did get a greater appreciation of God’s Mercy, and I have always loved the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

I do not fully understand the Mystics, but I can appreciate their great love of God. I do not understand their degree of suffering, I do not desire to suffer like that, and I think that these people are truly blessed by God to be able to give of themselves to that degree. I also think that God has chosen them for this role before their birth–they seem to have a propensity for mysticism from early childhood, and a unique relationship with Him from early on.

I also think that if a person is not careful when they read them, they can begin to compare themselves with them, and get the impression that their own spirituality is somehow deficient. We can learn a great deal from them, but God relates to each one of us in a different way, and His gifts are given as He chooses, and are right for us in His Divine plan.

But, to get back to the topic, I can appreciate the difficulties in reading St. Faustina’s Diary, and I think the average Catholic would experience difficulty also. Don’t feel bad about it.
 
I’ve been reading it for a few days now. I could understand it gradually. I try to read a few pages before I go to bed. It is indeed a book that I have to read slowly and so that I could meditate and pray while reading it.

I believe I should not read it quickly. After all, it’s NOT a story book/novel where the ending is very important. 🙂
 
vince2paul said:
I’m currently reading this book, after a few pages, I kinda lost because I don’t really know why I’m reading this.

Nowadays, I’ve been having difficulty reading such books. Probably because I read many apologetic books which I read because I wanna learn about a topic (Mary, purgatory, papacy, etc).

Thus, I’m wondering what can I expect to learn by reading the Diary of St. Faustina?

Thanks all.
Click to expand...
Thus, I’m wondering what can I expect to learn by reading the Diary of St. Faustina?
Click to expand...
Perhaps you will need to read it to find out:rolleyes: …
 
You’ll learn EVERYTHING. This book ruined my life in a VERY GOOD way 🙂 . I hope it will ruin yours… :yup:
 
The biggest benefit to me was being able to read Our Lord’s counsels to St. Faustina, which went beyond the customary norm of keeping the commandments. These are perhaps hard sayings for some of us. I copied the references in my own index at the back of the book, such as:
  • Avoid grumblers like the plague … 226, 690, 1760
  • Yield the first place to others … 789
  • Do not defend yourself … 270, 504, 600, 786, 792, 1701, 1727
  • Do not seek sympathy from creatures … 279
  • Be silent when others reject your truth … 1164
  • Envious hearts continuously observe others, instead of correcting themselves … 1717
  • Souls who live only by the letter place the letter above the spirit of love … 1478
  • Do not value any external thing too highly (detachment) … 1685
  • Give away everything at the first sign of a demand … 1685
  • Set little store on what people say; let them judge you as they like … 1685
  • Allow people to take away even what is due you – respect, your good name – let your spirit rise above all that … 1685
  • Have no concern about how anyone else acts … 1446
Just a few examples that have helped me to reflect on my limited view of spirituality to ponder a more complete trust in God’s providence and defense of His own beloved souls.
 
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