My Name is Sacrifice: An Interpretation of Power in Saint Faustina

Abstract

Nineteenth century phenomenologist Gerardus van der Leeuw studied human phenomena as it relates to power. He identified gift giving in sacrificial traditions as the locus of power; donor and recipient are bound to each other, giving of themselves, and enabling the continual flow of power. This essay applies van der Leeuw’s schema to consider the case of the Christian mystic, Saint Faustina (1905-1938), whose life was characterized by sacrifice. Faustina mimicked Christ as sacerdos et hostia through the embodiment of self-sacrifice. Through van der Leeuw’s understanding of the sacrificial, Faustina is re-conceptualized from a figure of humility and meekness to an individual of great power; subject and object become blurred as Faustina and God participate in an exchange of power, leaving Faustina powerful, but ultimately without agency and locked into a life of servitude.