Acknowledgments
About the Cover by Father C. Frank Phillips, CR
Other Books by Susan Tassone
Editor’s note: Citations at the end of quotations refer to number sections of the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. For example, see “(1372)” on page 24.
Personal Acknowledgments
I’m so pleased and happy to tell you about these incredible people who helped make this book possible.
To Bert Ghezzi: Thank you, exceptional editor, for giving structure to another best seller and for allowing me the freedom to be as creative as possible.
To Bill Dodds: My extraordinary and special copy editor, who always make my books more powerful, warm, and eloquent. Thank you for helping readers of this book better see conversion through the eyes of kindness and compassion.
To Father Dan Cambra, M.I.C.: I can’t thank you enough for telling me no one had written about St. Faustina’s Diary while looking through the lens of conversion! What a glorious sight it is to see her beautiful words come into focus that way. Thanks to you, I can share them with others. Her message of God’s mercy continues to reach hearts, minds, and souls around the world because of what you do.
To my former editor and still dear friend, Jackie Lindsey: This is our tenth book together, and none of them could have happened without you!
To Steven Jay Gross: There will never be enough words in this world or the next to describe you or to thank you. You are the greatest blessing in my life. I became “The Purgatory Lady” because of you, my dear, dear friend, and I thank God for you daily.
To Deacon Mike McCloskey: I can’t even begin to tell you how helpful you’ve been. I hope you know I’m deeply grateful — and so fortunate! — to have you as a friend.
To Larry Lesof: You’re always there for me, dear friend. Always helpful. Always faithful. My eternal thanks.
To Mike Wick: Many authors have a “go-to-guy.” You’re my “go-to-guy extraordinaire”!
To George Foster: Thank you for going over my manuscripts with such amazing attention to so many, many details!
To Loyola University Chicago librarians Yolande Wersching and Vanessa Crouther: And yet again, your assistance was outstanding! And so appreciated.
To Maria Cristina Ramis and Kathryn Owens: I’m sure no other author has a better resource than you two for tracking down just the resources my books need! Thank you, wonderfully resourceful ladies.
To Theresa Leurck: You’re not only a champion of EWTN but my champion for all you do for the holy souls in purgatory.
To Frank Scharl: You are my treasured friend, with such a generous heart, who shows up like a guardian angel to help me. The holy souls and I thank you.
To Garrett Fosco: Thank you so, so much for a cover photo that captured the spirit — and truth! — of what this book is all about.
Foreword
Helping Jesus Find “The One” Who Is Lost by Helping “The One” Who Is Lost Find Jesus
There’s no doubt why Jesus came into the world: “To seek and to save the lost” (Lk 19:10). To save all of us. To save you. To save me.
He was and is the Good Shepherd, willing to leave the ninety-nine sheep in the wasteland and follow the lost sheep until He finds it. Then, rejoicing, carrying it home on His shoulders and returning it to His flock.
God doesn’t want any of His wayward children to be lost, but truly rejoices when they repent of their sins, turn back to Him, and are saved. This is conversion.
In her latest book, St. Faustina Prayer Book for the Conversion of Sinners, Susan Tassone clearly explains the nature of conversion and the dynamics involved. Jesus wants all of us, each of us, to be involved in His mission of universal salvation. In other words, we must help bring souls to Him by our prayers, sacrifices, good example, works of mercy, and efforts at evangelization. This, along with growth in personal holiness, has always been a major focus in living our Christian lives. The famous saying of St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesian Congregation, sums this up: “Give me souls; you can have the rest!”
It’s evident, though, that as the world becomes more materialistic (focusing only on things one wants in this world), more hedonistic (seeking sexual pleasures of all kinds despite God’s law and commandments), and more proud and arrogant (developing a pompous attitude of being self-sufficient and not needing God), conversion will become an increasingly major focus of the Church’s mission, and for each of us personally.
Even now as a priest, people often ask me: “Father, please pray for my children who refuse to go to Mass anymore … for my son who is living with his girlfriend … for my daughter who wants to marry her girlfriend … for my grandchildren who are on drugs … for my sister’s daughter who wants to get an abortion … for my friends, who have four children and are getting a divorce.…” The list is endless.
Those for whom these prayers are requested are, ultimately, living lives of great unhappiness, but, infinitely worse, they’re in grave danger of being separated from God for all eternity. What can be done to save them? Here Susan Tassone’s book gives us solid guidance.
In our own time, we’ve seen Pope Francis focus on mercy and conversion of hearts, with special emphasis during the 2015-2016 Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. His message for all of us is the one St. Faustina received from Jesus. The one Our Lord entrusted to her. The one she recorded so faithfully in her diary.
And what St. Faustina teaches us echoes the words of Our Lady in Fátima, Portugal, a century ago. When Mary appeared to three shepherd children — Lúcia, Francisco, and Jacinta — she told them: “Pray, pray very much, and make sacrifices for sinners, for many souls go to hell, because there are none to sacrifice themselves and to pray for them.”
Conversion has never been very easy, but it’s always been crucial. The soul of the person converted will be saved from eternal death and punishment. And(!) the one who helps the sinner convert will share in his or her glory in heaven. Above all, God himself will be glorified by those who have been saved. As Jesus told St. Faustina, “I expect from you, My child, a great number of souls who will glorify My mercy for all eternity” (1489). The conversions of an individual (a family member, a friend, and even an enemy) usually takes perseverance and sacrifice. One of the greatest examples is the conversion of St. Augustine by the prayers and tears of his mother, St. Monica. Augustine was caught up in a life of lust, having lived with two women and fathered a child by one of them. Even when he came to the point where he wanted to give up his sinful ways, he felt helpless to resist his passions.
