| Age | Sources and Pages | Code Number | Quotations | Relevant Key Words, Phrases and Their Code Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2? | SS 22. |
1-2-1 | …, she's less gentle and has a stubborn streak in her that is almost invincible;…(Mme. Martin) | |
| 2? | SS 23. |
1-2-2 | …I am obliged to correct this poor little baby who gets into frightful tantrums; when things don't go just right and according to her way of thinking, she rolls on the floor in desperation like one without any hope….(Mme. Martin) | |
| 2? | SS 24. |
1-2-3 | There was another fault I had when wide-awake, which Mamma doesn't mention in her letters and this was an excessive self-love…. | |
| 3? | SS 24 -25. |
1-3-1 | …With a nature such as my own, had I been reared by parents without virtue or even if I had been spoiled by the maid, Louise as Celine was, I would have become very bad and perhaps have even been lost. But Jesus was watching over His little fiancee; He had willed that all turn out for her good even her faults which, corrected very early, stood her in good stead to make her grow in perfection. As I had an excessive self-love and also a love of the good, as soon as I began to think seriously (which I did when still very little), it was enough for one to say a thing wasn't good and I had no desire to repeat it twice. |
7-3-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-3-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| 11- 12? |
SS 86. |
1-11-1 | …These words, all the more flattering since they were not spoken in my presence, left in my soul a pleasurable impression which showed me clearly how much I was filled with self-love. | |
| 11 -12? |
SS 87. |
1-11-2 | …I felt it was far more valuable to speak to God than to speak about Him, for there is so much self-love intermingled with spiritual conversations!… | |
| 14 | SS 111. |
1-14-1 | …He promised to accompany me to Bayeux the moment I expressed my desire to go there since I was determined to do all within my power, even saying I would go to the Holy Father if the Bishop did not want to allow me to enter at fifteen. | |
| 14 | SS 125. |
1-14-2 | When I saw all these beauties very profound thoughts came to life in my soul. I seemed to understand already the grandeur of God and the marvels of heaven. The religious life appeared to me exactly as it is with its subjections, its small sacrifices carried out in the shadows. I understood how easy it is to become all wrapped up in self, forgetting entirely the sublime goal of one's calling. I said to myself: When I am a prisoner in Carmel and trials come my way and I have only a tiny bit of the starry heavens to contemplate, I shall remember what my eyes have seen today. This thought will encourage me and I shall easily forget my own little interests, recalling the grandeur and power of God, this God whom I want to love alone. |
2-14-10 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-14-1 (Silence, Hidden), 7-14-4 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 14-14-6 (The Little Way), 17-14-10 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 16 | SS 159 -160. |
1-16-1 |
…I was exerting much effort, too, at not
excusing myself, which was very
difficult for me, especially with our Novice Mistress from whom I didn't want
to hide anything. Here was my first victory, not too great but it cost me
a whole lot. A little vase set behind a window was broken, and our Mistress,
thinking it was my fault, showed it to me and told me to be more careful in the
future. Without a word, I kissed the floor, promising to be more careful in the
future. Because of my lack of virtue these little practices
cost me very much
and I had to console myself with the thought that at the Last Judgment everything
would be revealed. I noticed this: when one performs her duty, never excusing
herself, no one knows it; on the contrary, imperfections appear immediately.
I applied myself to practicing little virtues, not having the capability of practicing the great. For instance, I loved to fold up the mantles forgotten by the Sisters, and go render them all sorts of little services. Love for mortification was given me, and this love was all the greater because I was allowed nothing by way of satisfying it. The only little mortification I was doing while still in the world, which consisted in not leaning my back against any support while seated, was forbidden me because of my inclination to stoop. Alas! my ardor for penances would not have lasted long had the Superiors allowed them. The penances they did allow me consisted in mortifying my self-love, which did me much more good than corporal penances. The refectory, which I was given charge of immediately after I received the Habit, furnished me, on more than one occasion, with the chance of putting my Self-love in its proper place, i.e., under my feet…. |
2-16-8 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-16-3 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 14-16-2 (The Little Way), 33-16-1 (Penance, Mortification), 42-16-1 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 16 | GCI 529 Jan. 23 -25 (?), 1889, LT 81; to Celine |
1-16-2 | But you don't feel your love for YOUR SPOUSE. You would like your heart to be a flame that rises up to Him without the lightest smoke. Don't forget that the smoke that surrounds you is only for yourself in order to remove from you the sight of your love for Jesus, while the flame is only for Him. At least,then He has this love entirely, for if He were to show it to us just a little bit, swiftly self-love would come like a fatal wind which extinguishes everything!… |
17-16-7 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 16 | GCI 552 -553, Apr. 4, 1889, LT 87: to Celine |
1-16-3 |
Your letter gave great sadness to my soul! Poor little Papa!…
No, the
thoughts of Jesus are not our thoughts, and His ways are not
our ways…. (Isaias 55:8.) He is offering us a chalice as bitter as our feeble nature can bear!… Let us not withdraw our lips from this chalice prepared by the hand of Jesus…. Let us see life as it really is …. It is a moment between two eternities…. Let us suffer in peace! I admit that this word peace seemed a little strong to me, but the other day, when reflecting on it, I found the secret of suffering in peace…. The one who says peace is not saying joy, or at least, felt joy…. To suffer in peace it is enough to will all that Jesus wills…. To be the spouse of Jesus we must resemble Jesus, and Jesus is all bloody, He is crowned with thorns!… “A thousand years in your eyes, Lord, are as yesterday, which has PASSED”!… (Psalm 90:4.) “On the banks of the river of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Sion…. We hung our harps on the willows in the fields…. Those who led us into captivity said to us: ‘Sing for us one of the pleasant songs from Sion.’ How could we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land!” …Psalm of David… (Psalm 136:1-4.). No, let us not sing the canticles of heaven to creatures…. But, like Cecilia, let us sing a melodious canticle in our heart to our Beloved!… The canticle of suffering united to His sufferings is what delights His Heart the most!… Jesus is on fire with love for us… look at His adorable Face!… Look at His eyes lifeless and lowered! Look at His wounds…. Look at Jesus in His Face…. There you will see how He loves us. |
2-16-24 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-16-10 (Renunciation, Forget self), 14-16-10 (The Little Way), 16-16-10 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-16-9 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 28-16-3 (Peace), 37-16-7 (Time), 41-16-3 (Unfelt Love), 50-16-3 (Jesus's Wounds, Pains and Tears) |
| 17 | SS 158. |
1-17-1 | …I was to wait for another eight months. I found it difficult, at first, to accept this great sacrifice, but soon light shone in my soul. I was meditating on the Foundations of the Spiritual Life by Father Surin at the time…. One day, during my prayer, I understood that my intense desire to make Profession was mixed with a great self-love. Since I had given myself to Jesus to please and console Him, I had no right to oblige Him to do my will instead of His own…. |
2-17-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials) , 16-17-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| 22 | GCII 902 -903, Apr. 28, LT 176: to Sr. The- rese- Dosi- thee |
1-22-1 |
…I assured you, I was very sad, but, one day, God
gave me to understand
that there was a great self-seeking
in this desire to pronounce my holy
vows. Then I said to myself: For my reception of the Habit, I was robed
in a beautiful white dress adorned with lace and flowers, and who was
thinking, now, of giving me any dress for my wedding? … This dress I
must prepare all alone; Jesus wills that no
one help me except Himself,
so with His aid I was going to set myself to the task,
to work with
fervor…. Creatures will not see my efforts which will be
hidden in my
heart. Taking care to forget myself, I shall
want no other look but that
of Jesus…. What does it matter if I appear poor and destitute of mind
and talents?… I want to put into practice this counsel from the
Imitation: “Let this one take glory in one thing, another in
something
else, but as for you, set your joy only in contempt of self, in My will
and My glory.” Or : “Do you want to learn something that will help
you; Love to be unknown and counted as nothing!…”
When thinking
this over,
I felt a great peace in my soul, I felt that
here was truth and peace! I
was no longer disturbed about the date of my Profession, thinking that
on the day when my wedding dress was finished, Jesus would come seeking
His poor little spouse…. (Note: This letter was written when she was 22 years old, recalling the final Profession days at the age of 17.) |
3-22-3 (Silence, Hidden), 7-17-4 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 14-17-5 (The Little Way), 16-22-9 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 20-22-1 (Truth), 28-22-3 (Peace) |
| 23 | GCII 966, Jul. 12, 1896, LT 191: to Celine. |
1-23-1 |
…At the time of the law of fear, before the coming of Our Lord,
the Prophet Isaias already said, speaking in the name of the King
of heaven: “Can a mother forget her
child?…Well! even if a mother
were to forget her child, I myself will never forget you.”
(Isaias 49:15.)
What
a delightful promise! Ah! we who are living in
the law of love,
how can we not profit by the loving advances our Spouse is making
to us… how can we fear Him who allows Himself to be enchained by
a hair fluttering on our neck. Let us understand, then, how to hold Him prisoner, this God who becomes the beggar of our love. When telling us that it is a hair that can effect this prodigy, He is showing us that the smallest actions done out of love are the ones which charm His Heart. Ah! if we had to do great things, how much we would have to be pitied? … How fortunate we are since Jesus allows Himself to be enchained by the smallest things.… It is not little sacrifices you lack, dear Leonie, is not your life made up of them?… I take delight at seeing you before such a treasure and especially when thinking you know how to profit from it, not only for yourself, but for souls …. It is so sweet to help Jesus by our light sacrifices, to help Him save souls that He bought at the price of His Blood and that are awaiting only our help in order not to fall into the abyss…. It seems to me that if our sacrifices are the hairs which captivate Jesus, our joys are also; for this, it suffices not to center in on a selfish happiness but to offer our Spouse the little joys He is sowing on the path of life to charm our souls and raise them to Himself…. |
10-23-5 (Littleness), 13-23-1 (Joyful Soul), 14-23-3 (The Little Way), 17-23-10 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-23-3 (Salvation of Souls), 42-23-4 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 24 | SS 229. |
1-24-1 | …Truly, when one knows very well that never will the time one lends be ever returned, one would prefer to say: “I give it to you.” This would satisfy self-love, for giving is a more generous act than lending, and then we make the Sister feel we don't depend on her services. Ah! how contrary are the teachings of Jesus to the feelings of nature! Without the help of His graces it would be impossible not only to put them into practice but to even understand them. |
7-24-2 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 24-24-4 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 24 | SS 237. |
1-24-2 |
…Love is nourished only by sacrifices,
and the more a soul refuses natural
satisfactions, the stronger and more disinterested becomes her
tenderness…. …in a word, dear Mother, I found a thousand reasons for pleasing my nature. How happy I am now for having deprived myself from the very beginning of my religious life! I already enjoy the reward promised to those who fight courageously. I no longer feel the necessity of refusing all human consolations, for my soul is strengthened by Him whom I wanted to love uniquely. I can see with joy that in loving Him the heart expands and can give to those who are dear to it incomparably more tenderness than if it had concentrated upon one egotistical and unfruitful love. |
2-24-13 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-24-4 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 14-24-6 (The Little Way), 17-24-5 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 29-24-1 (Consolation) |
| 24 | SS 238. |
1-24-3 | Mother, from the moment I understand that it was impossible for me to do anything by myself, the task you imposed upon me no longer appeared difficult. I felt that the only thing necessary was to unite myself more and more to Jesus and that “ all these things will be given to you besides.” (Matthew 6:33.) In fact, never was my hope mistaken, for God saw fit to fill my little hand as many times as it was necessary for nourishing the soul of my Sisters. I admit, dear Mother, that if I had depended in the least on my own strength, I would very soon have had to give up. |
15-24-2 (Union with Jesus) |
| 24 | SS 239. |
1-24-4 | …I would prefer a thousand times to receive reproofs than to give them to others; however, I feel it is necessary that this be a suffering for me, for, when we act according to nature, it is impossible for the soul being corrected to understand her faults;… |
7-24-6 (Renunciation, Forget Self) |
| 24 | SS 244. |
1-24-5 | …I cannot explain how a thing which is so displeasing to nature can cause such a great happiness; if I had not experienced it, I could not believe it…. |
7-24-7 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 23-24-5 (The Joy of Sufferings) |
| 24 | SS 245 -246. |
1-24-6 | I have noticed (and this is very natural) that the most saintly Sisters are the most loved. We seek their company; we render them services without their asking; finally, those souls so capable of bearing with the lack of respect and consideration of others see themselves surrounded with everyone's affection. We may apply to them these words of our Father St. John of the Cross: “All goods were given to me when I no longer sought them through self-love .” | |
| 24 | LC 90, Jul. 12. |
1-24-7 | “She told me that formerly she had
to undergo a rough battle with
regard to a lamp to be prepared for Mother Marie de Gonzague's
family that arrived unexpectedly to spend the night in the extern
Sisters' quarters.
The struggle was so violent, there came such
thoughts against authority into her mind, that, not to give in to
them, she had to implore God's help with insistence. At the same
time, she applied herself as well as she could to what had been
demanded of her. It was during the night silence. She was portress,
and Sister St. Raphael was first in charge: “To conquer myself I imagined I was preparing the lamp for the Blessed Virgin and the Child Jesus; and then I did it with an incredible care, not leaving on it the least speck of dust, and, little by little, I felt a great appeasement and a great sweetness. Matins sounded, and I was not able to go to it immediately, but I experienced such a disposition of mind, I had received such a grace, that if Sister St. Raphael had come, and had said, for example, that I was mistaken about the lamp, that I had to prepare another, I would have obeyed her happily. From that day, I made the resolution never to consider whether the things commanded me appeared useful or not.” |
7-24-15 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 24-24-16 (Mercy of God, Graces), 38-24-1 (Disposition) |
| 24 | LC 129, Aug. 3. |
1-24-8 |
1. I asked: “What did you
do to reach such unchangeable
peace?” “I forgot self, and I was careful to seek myself in nothing.” |
7-24-21 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 28-24-10 (Peace) |
| 24 | LC 130, Aug. 3. |
1-24-9 |
5. I was talking to her
about
mortifications under the form of
penitential instruments: “We must be very restrained on this point, for often nature is involved in this matter more than anything else.” (*) Novissima Verba (Note:See the explanation on this book on pp. 8-9 of the LC) adds: She had told me on another occasion: “A passage in the life of Blessed Henry Suso struck me with regard to corporal penances. He had performed frightful penances which had destroyed his health; an angel appeared to him, telling him to stop. Then he added: ‘You are no longer to fight as a simple soldier; from this moment I shall arm you as a knight.’ And he made the Saint understand the superiority of the spiritual combat over corporal mortifications. “Well, little Mother, God didn't want me to be a simple soldier; I was armed from the beginning as a knight, and I went out to war against self in the spiritual domain, through self-denial in hidden sacrifices. I discovered peace and humility in this obscure struggle in which nature finds nothing for self.” |
3-24-7 (Silence, Hidden), 7-24-22 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 12-24-11 (Humility, Humbleness), 28-24-11 (Peace), 33-24-2 (Penance, Mortification) |
| 24 | LC 252, Jul. 11, a note of Sr. Marie of the Eucha -rist. |
1-24-10 | “It always give God a very little pain when we rationalize a very little about what Mother Prioress has said; and it gives Him much pain when we rationalize much, even in our heart.” |
7-24-24 (Renunciation, Forget Self) |
| 24 | LC 242, Sep. 1. |
1-24-11 |
With reference to Mother H. of
the Heart of Jesus, to whom the
infirmarians had to pay much attention: “How happy I would have been to be her infirmarian. This would have cost me much according to my natural inclinations, but it seems to me I would have taken care of her with so much love, because I think of what Our Lord said: ‘I was sick and you visited me.’” (Matthew 24:36.) |
7-24-27 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 17-24-33 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 24 | LC 253, Sep. 11. from a note of Sr. Marie of the Eucha -rist. |
1-24-12 | “You must become gentle; never any harsh words, never a harsh tone, never take on a harsh look, always be gentle.” |
7-24-28 (Renunciation, Forget Self) |
Proceed to the next List 2: Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials.