| Age | Sources and Pages | Code Number | Quotations | Relevant Key Words, Phrases and Their Code Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | GCI 427, May 12 -20, 1888, LT 49: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
11-15-1 | Ask that your little daughter always remain a little grain of sand, truly unknown, truly hidden from all eyes, that Jesus alone may be able to see it, and that it may become smaller and smaller, that it may be reduced to nothing…. |
2-15-9 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-15-3 (Silence, Hidden), 10-15-3 (Littleness), 14-15-3 (The Little Way) |
| 15 | GCI 436, Jun. 18, 1888, LC 82: from Fr. P. Pichon. |
11-15-2 | You will always carry out those ardent desires for sanctity, for the apostolate, by aiming at nothingness out of love for God. In your little nothingness, you will find the great ALL… And with Him what can you not do? | 2-15-10 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 16-15-4 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| 16? | SS 152 |
11-16-1 |
…I understood what real
glory was.
He whose Kingdom is not of this world
(John 18:36.) showed me that true wisdom consists
in “desiring to be unknown
and counted as nothing,” in “placing one's joy in the contempt
of self.”
Ah! I desired that, like the Face of Jesus, “
my face be truly hidden, that
no one on earth would know me.” (Isaias 53:3.)
I thirsted after
suffering and I longed to be forgotten. How merciful is the way God has guided me. Never has He given me the desire for anything which He has not given me, and even His bitter chalice seemed delightful to me. |
2-16-2 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-16-1 (Silence, Hidden), 7-16-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 14-16-1 (The Little Way), 23-16-1 (The Joy of Sufferings), 24-16-1 (Mercy of God, Graces), 25-16-1 (Glory) |
| 16 | GCI 504, Jan. 7, 1889, LT 76: to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
11-16-2 |
How good He is to me, He who will soon be my Fiancee; how
divinely lovable He is when not wanting to allow me
to attach myself to ANY created thing.
He knows well that
if He were to give me a shadow of HAPPINESS, I would attach
myself to it with all my energy, all the strength of my heart,
and this shadow He is refusing me; He prefers leaving me in
darkness to giving me a false light which would not be
Himself!… Since I can't find any creature that contents me,
I want to give all to Jesus, and I don't want to give to
the creature even one atom of my love. My Jesus always makes
me understand that He alone is perfect joy, when He appears
to be absent!… Today more than yesterday, if that were possible, I was deprived of all consolations. I thank Jesus, who finds this good for my soul, and that, perhaps if He were to console me, I would stop at this sweetness; but He wants that all be for Himself!… Well, then, all will be for Him, all, even when I feel I am able to offer nothing; so, just like this evening, I will give Him this nothing! Although Jesus is giving no consolation, He is giving me a peace so great that it is doing me more good!… |
7-16-5 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 17-16-2 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 28-16-1 (Peace), 29-16-2 (Consolation), 39-16-3 (Pauline), 43-16-1 (Darkness) |
| 16 | GCI 559, Apr. 27, 1889, LC 111: from Fr. P. Pichon. |
11-16-3 |
Love all that comes to you from Jesus, everything, even
the most bitter
gall, the sharpest thorns, your most filial agonies, the divine
absences. Be obstinate in smiling at Our Lord just the same. Yes, you are right, it is better to love Jesus on His terms; there is more love on Calvary than on Thabor. Yes, yes, take joy in being nothing since Jesus is all. Bless God that you feel nothing, possess nothing, find nothing in yourself. |
2-16-25 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 17-16-11 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), |
| 16 | GCI 579, Jul.? or Aug.?, 1889, LT 95: to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
11-16-4 | …Dear lamb, how good it is to work for Jesus alone, for Him ALONE!… Oh, then, how full the heart is, how light one feels…. Little Belloni of Jesus, pray for the poor little grain of sand, that the grain of sand be always in its place, that is to say, under the feet of all, that no one may think of it, that its existence be, so to speak, unknown. The grain of sand does not desire to be humbled; this is still too glorious since one would be obliged to be occupied with it. It desires only one thing, to be FORGOTTEN, counted for nothing!… |
2-16-29 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-16-12 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 12-16-2 (Humility, Humbleness), 39-16-6 (Pauline) |
| 16 | GCI 587- 588, Oct. 15, 1889, LT 96: to Celine. |
11-16-5 | Yes, life is a treasure…each moment is an eternity, an eternity of joy in heaven, an eternity of seeing God face to face, of being one with Him!… There is only Jesus who is; all the rest is not…. Let us love Him, then, unto folly; let us save souls for Him. Ah! Celine, I feel that Jesus is asking both us to quench His thirst by giving Him souls, the souls of priests especially. I feel that Jesus wills that I say this to you, for our mission is to forget ourselves and to reduce ourselves to nothing…. We are so insignificant …and yet Jesus wills that the salvation of souls depends on the sacrifices of our love. He is begging souls from us…. Ah, let us understand His look! There are so few who understand it. Jesus is giving us a hidden light!… Celine… life will be short, eternity is without end…. Let us make our life a continual sacrifice, a martyrdom of love, in order to console Jesus. He wants only a look, a sigh, but a look and a sigh that are for Him alone!… Let all the moments of our life be for Him alone!; let creatures touch us only in passing. There is only one thing to do during the night, the one night of life which will come only once, and this is to love, to love Jesus with all the strength of our heart and to save souls for Him so that He may be loved.… Oh, make Jesus loved!… | 2-16-33 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-16-4 (Silence, Hidden), 7-16-13 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 14-16-13 (The Little Way), 16-16-13 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-16-15 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-16-7 (Salvation of Souls), 37-16-12 (Time), 40-16-2 (Participation to Salvation) |
| 17 | GCI 612, May 4, 1890, LT 103: to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
11-17-1 | …Oh! how it longs to be reduced to nothing, to be unknown by all creatures. Poor little thing, it desires nothing any longer, nothing but to be FORGOTTEN… not contempt, insults, this would be too glorious for a grain of sand. Were one to despise it, one would have to see it, But to be FORGOTTEN!… Yes, I want to be forgotten, and this, not only by creatures but by myself. I'd like to be reduced to nothing to such an extent as to have no desire whatsoever…. The glory of Jesus, that is all;… |
2-17-4 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-17-2 (Silence, Hidden), 7-17-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 14-17-2 (The Little Way), 25-17-1 (Glory), 39-17-1 (Pauline) |
| 19 | GCII 761- 762, Oct. 19, 1892, LT 137: to Celine. |
11-19-1 | …And He answered: “The foxes have their lairs, the birds of heaven their nests, but I have no place to rest my head.” (Matthew 8:20.) This is where we must descend in order that we may serve as an abode for Jesus. To be so poor that we do not have a place to rest our head. This is, dear Celine, what Jesus has done in my soul during my retreat…. You understand, there is question here of the interior. Besides, has not the exterior already been reduced to nothing by means of the very sad trial of Caen?… In our dear Father, Jesus has stricken us in the most sensitive exterior part of our heart; now let us allow Him to act, He can complete His work in our souls…. What Jesus desires is that we receive Him into our hearts. No doubt, they are already empty of creatures, but, alas, I feel mine is not entirely empty of myself, and it is for this reason that Jesus tells me to descend…. He, the King of kings, humbled Himself in such a way that His face was hidden, and no one recognized him… and I, too, want to hide my face, I want my Beloved alone to see it, that He be the only one to count my tears…that in my heart at least He may rest His dear head and feel that there He is known and understood!… |
2-19-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-19-2 (Silence, Hidden), 7-19-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 9-19-1 (Poor in Spirit), 14-19-2 (The Little Way), 15-19-1 (Union with Jesus) |
| 20 | GCII 801, Jul. 18, 1893, LT 143: to Celine. |
11-20-1 |
…I had to go along quietly in peace and love, doing only what He was asking
me…. But I had a light. St. Teresa says we must maintain love.
The wood is
not within our reach when we are in darkness, in aridities, but at least
are we not obliged to throw little pieces of straw on it? Jesus is really
powerful enough to keep the fire going by Himself. However, He is satisfied
when He sees us put a little fuel on it. This
attentiveness pleases Jesus,
and then He throws on the fire a lot of wood. We do not see it, but we do
feel the
strength of love's warmth. I have
experienced it; when I
am feeling
nothing, when I am INCAPABLE of praying, of practicing virtue, then is the
moment for seeking opportunities,
nothings, which please Jesus more than
mastery of the world or even martyrdom suffered with generosity. For example,
a smile, a friendly word, when I would want to say
nothing, or put on a look
of annoyance, etc., etc. Celine, do you understand? It is not for the purpose of weaving my crown, gaining merits, it is in order to please Jesus…. When I do not have any opportunities, I want at least to tell Him frequently that I love Him; this is not difficult, and it keeps the fire going. Even though this fire of love would seem to me to have gone out, I would like to throw something on it, and Jesus could then relight it. Celine, I am afraid I have not said what I should; perhaps you will think I always do what I am saying. Oh, no! I am not always faithful, but I never get discouraged; I abandon myself into the arms of Jesus. |
4-20-2 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 14-20-4 (The Little Way), 17-20-4 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 37-20-1 (Time), 43-20-1 (Darkness) |
| 23 | SS 195. |
11-23-1 | I am only a child, powerless and weak, and yet it is my weakness that gives me the boldness of offering myself as VICTIM of Your Love, O Jesus! In times past, victims, pure and spotless, were the only ones accepted by the Strong and Powerful God. To satisfy Divine Justice, perfect victims were necessary, but the law of Love has succeeded to the law of fear, and Love has chosen me as a holocaust, me, a weak and imperfect creature. Is not this choice worthy of Love? Yes, in order that Love be fully satisfied, it is necessary that It lower Itself, and that It lower Itself to nothingness and transform this nothingness into fire. |
8-23-2 (Weakness, Frailty), 14-23-1 (The Little Way), 17-23-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 23 | SS 196 -197. |
11-23-2 |
…
What this child asks for is Love. She knows
only one thing:
to love You, O Jesus.
Astounding works are forbidden to her;
she cannot preach the Gospel, shed her blood; but what does it
matter since her brothers work in her stead and she, a little
child, stays very close to the throne of the King and Queen.
She loves in her brothers' place while they do the fighting.
But how will she prove her love since
love is proved by works?
Well, the little child will strew flowers, she will perfume
the royal throne with their sweet scents, and she will sing in
her silvery tones the canticle of Love. Yes, my Beloved, this is how my life will be consumed. I have no other means of proving my love for you other than that of strewing flowers, that is, not allowing one little sacrifice to escape, not one look, one word, profiting by all the smallest things and doing them through love. I desire to suffer for love and even to rejoice through love; and in this way I shall strew flowers before Your throne. I shall not come upon one without unpettaling it for You. While I am strewing my flowers, I shall sing, for could one cry while doing such a joyous action? I shall sing even when I must gather my flowers in the midst of thorns, and my song will be all the more melodious in proportion to the length and sharpness of the thorns. O Jesus, of what use will my flowers be to You? Ah! I know very well that this fragrant shower, these fragile, worthless petals, these songs of love from the littlest of hearts will charm You. Yes, these nothingness will please You. They will bring a smile to the Church Triumphant. She will gather up my flowers unpetalled through love and have them pass through Your own divine hands, O Jesus. And this Church in heaven, desirous of playing with her little child, will cast these flowers, which are now infinitely valuable because of Your divine touch, upon the Church suffering in order to extinguish its flames and upon the Church Militant in order to gain the victory for it! |
2-23-2 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-23-1 (Renunciation, Sacrifices), 10-23-2 (Littleness), 14-23-2 (The Little Way), 17-23-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 23-23-1 (The Joy of Sufferings), 42-23-2 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 23 | GCII 999- 1000, Sept. 17, 1896, LT197: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
11-23-3 | Oh, dear Sister, I beg you, understand your little girl, understand that to love Jesus, to be His victim of love, the weaker one is, without desires or virtues, the more suited one is for the workings of this consuming and transforming Love…. The desire alone to be a victim suffices, but we must consent to remain always poor and without strength, and this is the difficulty, for: “The truly poor in spirit, where do we find him? You must look for him from afar,” (Proverbs 31:10.) said the psalmist…. He does not say that you must look for him among the great souls, but “from afar,” that is to say in lowliness, in nothingness…. Ah! let us remain then very far from all that sparkles, let us love our littleness, let us love to feel nothing, then we shall be poor in spirit, and Jesus will come to look for us, and however far we may be, He will transform us in flames of love…. Oh! how I would like to be able to make you understand what I feel!… It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to Love…. |
4-23-5 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 8-23-6 (Weakness, Frailty), 9-23-1 (Poor in Spirits), 10-23-7 (Littleness), 14-23-6 (The Little Way), 17-23-13 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 42-23-6 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 24 | SS 206. |
11-24-1 | …She preserves, in the bottom of her calyx, the precious drops of dew she has received, and these serve to remind her always how little and weak she is. All creatures can bow towards her, admire her, and shower their praises upon her. I don't know why this is, but none of this could add one single drop of false joy to the true joy she experiences in her heart. Here she sees herself as she really is in God's eyes: a poor little thing, nothing at all. |
8-24-2 (Weakness, Frailty), 10-24-1 (Littleness) |
| 24 | GCII 1093- 1094, May 9, 1897, LT 226: to P. Roulland. |
11-24-2 | This is, Brother, what I think of God's justice; my way is all confidence and love. I do not understand souls who fear a Friend so tender. At times, when I am reading certain spiritual treatises in which perfection is shown through a thousand obstacles, surrounded by a crowd of illusions, my poor little mind quickly tires; I close the learned book that is breaking my head and drying up my heart, and I take up Holy Scripture. Then all seems luminous to me; a single word uncovers for my soul infinite horizons, perfection seems simple to me, I see it is sufficient to recognize one's nothingness and to abandon oneself as a child into God's arms. Leaving to great souls, to great minds the beautiful books I cannot understand, much less put into practice, I rejoice at being little since children alone and those who resemble them will be admitted to the heavenly banquet.(Matthew 19:14.) |
4-24-4 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 10-24-8 (Littleness), 14-24-7 (The Little Way), 16-24-9 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 24-24-9 (Mercy of God, Graces), 35-24-1 (Books) |
| 24 | GCII 1164 -1165, Jul. 26, 1897, LT 261: to l'abbe Bell- iere. |
11-24-3 | …Regarding those who love Him and who come after each indelicacy to ask His pardon by throwing themselves into His arms, Jesus is thrilled with joy. He says to His angels what the father of the prodigal son said to his servants: “ Clothe him in his best robe, and place a ring on his finger, and let us rejoice.” (Luke 15:22.) Ah! how little known are the goodness, the merciful love of Jesus, Brother!… It is true, to enjoy these treasures one must humble oneself, recognize one's nothingness, and that is what many souls do not want to do; but, little Brother, this is not the way you act, so the way of simple and loving confidence is really made for you. |
4-24-7 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 12-24-6 (Humility, Humbleness), 17-24-19 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-24-12 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 24 | GCII 1121 -1122, Jun. 7, 1897, LT 243: to Sr. Gene- vieve. |
11-24-4 |
…Beloved little Sister, let us never speak what appears great in the eyes
of creatures. Solomon, the wisest king whoever was on earth, having
considered the different works that occupy men under the sun, painting,
sculpture, all the arts, understood that all these things were subject
to envy; he cried out that
they were only vanity and affliction of spirit!…
The only thing that is not envied is the last place; there is, then,
only this last place which is not vanity and affliction of spirit…. However, “the way of man is not within his power,” (Jeremias 10:23.) and we surprise ourselves at times by desiring what sparkles. So let us line up humbly among the imperfect, let us esteem ourselves as little souls whom God must sustain at each moment. When He sees we are very much convinced of our nothingness, he extends His hand to us. If we still wish to attempt doing something great even under the pretext of zeal, Good Jesus leaves us all alone. “But when I said: ‘My foot has stumbled,’ your mercy, Lord, strengthened me! … Ps. XCIII.” (Psalm 93:18.) Yes, it suffices to humble oneself, to bear with one's imperfections. That is real sanctity! Let us take each other by the hand, dear little sister, and let us run to the last place … no one will come to dispute with us over it … |
8-24-10 (Weakness, Frailty), 10-24-10 (Littleness), 12-24-4 (Humility, Humbleness), 14-24-9 (The Little Way), 16-24-11 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 42-24-5 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 24 | LC 138 -139, Aug. 6. |
11-24-5 |
8 I asked her to explain what she
meant by “remaining a little child
before God.” She said: “It is to recognize our nothingness, to expect everything from God as a little child expects everything from its father; it is to be disquieted about nothing, and not to be set on gaining our living. Even among the poor, they give the child what is necessary, but as soon as he grows up, his father no longer wants to feed him and says: ‘Work now, you can take care of yourself.’ “It was so as not to hear this that I never wanted to grow up, feeling that I was incapable of making my living, the eternal life of heaven. I've always remained little, therefore, having no other occupation but to gather flowers, the flowers of love and sacrifice, and of offering them to God in order to please Him. “To be little is not attributing to oneself the virtues that one practices, believing oneself capable of anything, but to recognize that God places this treasure in the hands of His little child to be used when necessary; but it remains always God's treasure. Finally, it is not to become discouraged over one's faults, for children fall often, but they are too little to hurt themselves very much.” |
2-24-55 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 8-24-19 (Weakness, Frailty), 10-24-15 (Littleness), 14-24-25 (The Little Way), 16-24-33 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| 24 | LC 140, Aug. 7. |
11-24-6 |
4. “Oh! If I were unfaithful, if I committed only the slightest
infidelity, I feel that I would pay for it with frightful
troubles, and I would no longer be able to accept death. Thus
I never cease to say to God: ‘O my God, I beg You, preserve
me from the misfortune of being unfaithful.’” I asked: “What infidelity are you speaking about?” “A proud thought voluntarily entertained. For example, if I were to say to myself: I have acquired a certain virtue, and I am certain I can practice it. For then, this would be relying upon my own strength, and when we do this, we run the risk of falling into the abyss. However, I will have the right of doing stupid things up until my death, if I am humble and if I remain little. Look at little children: they never stop breaking things, tearing things, falling down, and they do this even while loving their parents very, very much. When I fall in this way, it makes me realize my nothingness more and I say to myself: What would I do, and what would I become, if I were to rely upon my own strength? |
10-24-16 (Littleness), 12-24-13 (Humility, Humbleness) |
| 24 | LC 141, Aug. 8. |
11-24-7 |
1. I was telling her I'd make her virtues valued later
on; she answered: “It is to God alone that all value must be attributed; there's nothing of value in my little nothingness.” |
|
| 24 | LC 148, Aug. 13. |
11-24-8 |
I was telling her about a thought I had during Compline
about heaven: “As for me, I have light only to see my little nothingness. This does me more good than all the lights on the faith.” |