| Age | Sources and Pages | Code Number | Quotations | Relevant Key Words, Phrases and Their Code Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6? | SS 38. |
14-6-1 | I loved God very much and offered my heart to Him very often, making use of the little formula Mother had taught me. |
17-6-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 8~9 | SS 72. |
14-8-1 | When reading the accounts of the patriotic deeds of French heroines, especially the Venerable JOAN OF ARC, I had a great desire to imitate them; and it seemed I felt within me the same burning zeal with which they were animated, the same heavenly inspiration. Then I received a grace which I have always looked upon as one of the greatest in my life because at that age I wasn't receiving the lights I'm now receiving when I am flooded with them. I considered that I was born for glory and when I searched out the means of attaining it, God inspired in me the sentiments I have just described. He made me understand my own glory would not be evident to the eyes of mortals, that it would consist in becoming a great saint! This desire could certainly appear daring if one were to consider how weak and imperfect I was, and how, after seven years in the religious life, I still am weak and imperfect. I always feel, however, the bold confidence of becoming a great saint because I don't count on my merits since I have none, but I trust in Him who is Virtue and Holiness. God alone, content with my weak efforts, will raise me to Himself and make me a saint, clothing me in His infinite merits. I didn't think then that one had to suffer very much to reach sanctity, but God was not long in showing me this was so and in sending me the trials I have already mentioned. |
2-8-3 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 4-8-1 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 8-8-1 (Weakness, Frailty), 16-8-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 21-8-1 (A Saint), 24-8-1 (Mercy of God, Grace), 25-8-2 (Glory) |
| 10 | SS 73. |
14-10-1 | …I must admit this type of life had its charms for me. Wisdom is right in saying: “ The bewitching of vanity overturns the innocent mind!” (Wisdom 4:12.) At the age of ten the heart allows itself to be easily dazzled, and I consider it a great grace not to have remained at Alencon. The friends we had there were too worldly; they knew too well how to ally the joys of this earth to the service of God. They didn't think about death enough, and yet death had paid its visit to a great number of those whom I knew, the young, the rich, the happy! I love to return in spirit to the enchanting places where they live, wondering where these people are, what became of their houses and gardens where I saw them enjoy life's luxuries? And I see that all is vanity and vexation of spirit under the sun, (Ecclesiastes 2:11.) that the only good is to love God with all one's heart and to be poor in spirit here on earth. |
9-10-1 (Poor in Spirit), 17-10-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-10-1 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 10~11 | SS 74. |
14-10-2 | …Just as famous warriors taught their children the art of war, so Marie spoke to me about life's struggles and of the palm given to the victors. She spoke also about the eternal riches that one can so easily amass each day, and what a misfortune it was to pass by without so much as stretching forth one's hand to take them. She explained the way of becoming holy through fidelity in little things; furthermore, she gave me a little leaflet called “Renunciation” and I meditated upon this with delight. |
5-10-1 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 7-10-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 10-10-1 (Littleness), |
| 11~ 12? |
SS 27. |
14-11-1 | This little incident of my childhood is a summary of my whole life; later on when perfection was set before me, I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect thing to do and forget self. I understood, too, there were many degree of perfection and each soul was free to respond to the advances of Our Lord, to do little or much for Him, in a word, to choose among the sacrifices He was asking. Then, as in the days of my childhood, I cried out: “My God ‘I choose all!’ I don't want to be a saint by halves, I'm not afraid to suffer for You, I fear only one thing: to keep my own will; so take it, for ‘I choose all’ that You will!” |
2-11-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-11-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-11-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 21-11-1 (A Saint) |
| 11 | SS 77. |
14-11-2 | Ah! how sweet was that first kiss of Jesus! It was a kiss of love; I felt that I was loved, and I said: “I love You, and I give myself to You forever!” There were no demands made, no struggles, no sacrifices; for a long time now Jesus and poor little Therese looked at and understood each other. That day, it was no longer simply a look, it was a fusion; they were no longer two, Therese had vanished as a drop of water is lost in the immensity of the ocean. Jesus alone remained; He was the Master, the King. Had not Therese asked Him to take away her liberty, for her liberty frightened her? She felt so feeble and fragile that she wanted to be united forever to the divine Strength!… |
8-11-1 (Weakness, Frailty), 15-11-1 (Union with Jesus), 17-11-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 11 | SS 79 -80. |
14-11-3 | The day after my communion, the words of Marie came to my mind. I felt born within my heart a great desire to suffer , and at the same time the interior assurance that Jesus reserved a great number of crosses for me. I felt myself flooded with consolations so great that I look upon them as one of the greatest graces of my life. Suffering became my attraction; it had charms about it which ravished me without my understanding them very well. Up until this time, I had suffered without loving suffering, but since this day I felt a real love for it. I also felt the desire of loving only God, of finding my joy only in Him. Often during my Communions, I repeated these words of the Imitation:“ O Jesus, unspeakable sweetness, change all the consolations of this earth into bitterness for me.” This prayer fell from my lips without effort, without constraint; it seemed I repeated it not with my will but like a child who repeats the words a person he loves has inspired in him. |
2-11-2 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 5-11-1 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 17-11-2 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 18-11-2 (Holy Communion), 24-11-1 (Mercy of God, Grace), 29-11-1 (Consolation) |
| 11 | GCI 180, Jan. 1884, (?), LC 19: from Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
14-11-4 |
…Oh! how happy the Child Jesus must be when His little Therese places on
His crib the perfumed harvest of her efforts and her little acts of love!…
How beautiful must His smile be! And how His little arms must press
the dear
bouquet of virtues and the little flower girl also gently to His Heart. You see, dear Therese, there are so many bad people who make the Child Jesus' tears flow immediately… there are so many, so many! That you must console Him a little and dry our Jesus' little tears as much as possible! |
2-11-3 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-11-2 (Renunciation, ForgetSelf), 39-11-2 (Pauline), 50-11-1 (Jesus's Wounds, Pains and Tears), |
| 11 | GCI 189, Feb. 29, 1884, LC 24: from Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
14-11-5 | Sister Therese of St. Augustine gave me this little chaplet of practices for you, and Marie will explain how you are to use it. |
2-11-5 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-11-3 (Renunciation, Forget Self) |
| 11 | GCI 190, Mar. 1-6, 1884, LT 11: to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
14-11-6 | Every day, I try to perform as many practices as I can, and I do all in my power not to let a single occasion pass by. I am saying at the bottom of my heart the little prayers which form the perfume of roses, as often as I can. |
2-11-6 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 5-11-2 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 7-11-4 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 39-11-5 (Pauline) |
| 24 | LC 123, July 31. |
14-24-7 |
13. “I have found happiness
and joy on earth, but soley in suffering,
for I've suffered very much here below; you must make it known
to souls…. “Since my First Communion, since the time I asked Jesus to change all the consolations of this earth into bitterness for me, I had a perpetual desire to suffer. I wasn't thinking, however, of making suffering my joy: this is a grace that was given to me later on. Up until then, it was like a spark hidden beneath the ashes, and like blossoms on a tree that must become fruit in time. but seeing my blossoms always falling, that is, allowing myself to fall into tears whenever I suffered, I said to myself with astonishment and sadness: “But I will never go beyond the stage of desires!” |
2-24-51 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 23-24-12 (The Joy of Sufferings), 24-11-5 (Mercy of God, Graces), 29-11-2 (Consolation), 47-24-3 (Consistency of Spirituality), |
| 13 | SS 97 -98. |
14-13-1 |
God would have to work a little miracle to make me grow up in an instant,
and this miracle He performed on that unforgettable Christmas day. On that
luminous night which sheds such light on the delights of
the Holy Trinity,
Jesus, the gentle, little Child of only one hour, changed the night of my
soul into rays of light.
On that night when He made Himself subject to
weakness and suffering for love of me, He made me strong and courageous,
arming me with His weapons. Since that
night I have never been defeated
in any combat, but rather walked from victory to victory,
beginning, so
to speak, “to run as a giant!” The source of my tears was
dried up and
has since re-opened rarely and with great difficulty. This justified what
was often said to me: “You cry so much during your childhood, you'll no
longer have tears to shed later on!” It was December 25, 1886, that I received the grace of leaving my childhood, in a word, the grace of my complete conversion. |
2-13-2 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 5-13-1 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 24-13-3 (Mercy of God, Graces), 49-13-1 (Trinity) |
| 14 | SS 99 -98. |
14-14-1 |
…He made me a fisher of souls.
I experienced a great desire to work for
the conversion of sinners, a desire I hadn't
felt so intensely before. I felt charity enter into my soul, and the need to forget myself and to please others; since then I've been happy! One Sunday, looking at a picture of Our Lord on the Cross, I was struck by the blood flowing from one of the divine hands. I felt a great pang of sorrow when thinking this blood was falling to the gound without anyone's hastening to gather it up. I was resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the Cross and to receive the divine dew. I understood I was then to pour it out upon souls. The cry of Jesus on the Cross sounded continually in my heart: “I thirst!” (John 19:28.) These words ignited within me an unknown and very living fire. I wanted to give my Beloved to drink and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls. And yet, it was not the souls of priests that attracted me, but those of great sinners; I burned with desire to snatch them from the eternal flames. |
2-14-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-14-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 13-14-1 (Joyful Soul), 17-14-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-14-1 (Salvation of Souls), 27-14-1 (Sinners, Sins), |
| 14 | SS 102. |
14-14-2 | …I experienced already what God reserved for those who love Him (not with the eye but with the heart), and seeing the eternal rewards had no proportion to life's small sacrifices, I wanted to love, to love Jesus with a passion, giving Him a thousand proofs of my love while it was possible. |
2-14-2 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 17-14-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 14 | SS 105. |
14-14-3 | …It was with such an intention that Jesus showered His graces so lavishly upon His little flower, he, who cried out in His mortal life: “I thank thee, Father, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and revealed them to babes,” (Matthew 11:25.) willed to have His mercy shine out in me. Because I was little and weak He lowered himself to me, and He instructed me secretly in the things of His love. Ah! had the learned who spent their life in study come to me, undoubtedly they would have been astonished to see a child of fourteen understand perfection's secrets, secrets all their knowledge cannot reveal because to possess them one has to be poor in spirit! |
8-14-1 (Weakness, Frailty), 9-14-1 (Poor in Spirit), 10-14-1 (Littleness), 16-14-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-14-5 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-14-5 (Mercy of God, Graces), 44-14-1 (Reveals to the Little Ones), 48-14-1 (The Wise and the Prudent) |
| 14 | SS 111 -112. |
14-14-4 |
Many things happened before my trip to Bayeux; exteriorly my life
appeared to be as usual. I studied, took lessons in drawing from
Celine, and my clever teacher recognized in me an aptitude for her
art.
Above all, I was growing in love for God; I felt
within my
heart certain aspirations unknown until then, and at times I had
veritable transports of love. One evening, not knowing how to tell Jesus that I loved Him and how much I desired that He be loved and glorified everywhere, I was thinking He would never receive a single act of love from hell; then I said to God that to please Him I would consent to see myself plunged into hell so that He would be loved eternally in that place of blasphemy. I realized this could not give Him glory since he desires only our happiness, but when we love, we experience the need of saying a thousand foolish things; if I talked in this way, it wasn't because heaven did not excite my desire, but because at this time my heaven was none other than Love, and I felt, as did St. Paul, that nothing could separate us from the Divine Being who so ravished me! |
17-14-7 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 25-14-1 (Glory) |
| 14 | SS 121 -122. |
14-14-5 | I understood true greatness is to be found in the soul, not in a name, since as Isaias says: “The Lord will call his servants by ANOTHER NAME,” (Isaias 65:15.) and St. John says: “ To him that overcomes I will give a white stone, and on the stone a NEW NAME written which no man knows but the one who receives it.” (Apocalypse 2:17.) It is in heaven, then, that we shall know our titles of nobility. Then shall every man have praise from God (1 Corinthians 4:5.) and the one who on earth wanted to be the poorest, the most forgotten out of love of Jesus, will be the first, the noblest, and the richest! |
7-14-3 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 9-14-2 (Poor in Spirit), 17-14-9 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 14 | SS 125. |
14-14-6 | 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. |
1-14-2 (Self-love, Nature), 2-14-10 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-14-1 (Silence, Hidden), 7-14-4 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 17-14-10 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 14 | SS 131 -132. |
14-14-7 | …She became my saint of predilection, my intimate confidante. Everything in her thrilled me, especially her abandonment, her limitless confidence which made her capable of virginizing souls who had never desired any other joys but those of the present life. St.Cecilia is like the bride in the Canticle; in her I see “a choir in an armed camp.” (Canticle of Canticles 7:1.) Her life was nothing else but a melodious song in the midst of the greatest trials, and this does not surprise me because “the Gospel rested on her heart,” and in her heart reposed the Spouse of Virgins! |
2-14-11 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 4-14-1 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 21-14-1 (A Saint) |
| 15 | SS 149. |
14-15-1 | …Illusions, God gave me the grace not to have A SINGLE ONE when entering Carmel. I found the religious life to be exactly as I had imagined it, no sacrifice astonished me and yet, as you know, dear Mother, my first steps met with more thorns than roses! Yes, suffering opened wide its arms to me and I threw myself into them with love. I had declared at the feet of Jesus-Victim, in the examination preceding my Profession, what I had come to Carmel for: “I came to save souls and especially to pray for priests.” When one wishes to attain a goal, one must use the means; Jesus made me understand that it was through suffering that He wanted to give me souls, and my attraction for suffering grew in proportion to its increase. This was my way for five years; exteriorly nothing revealed my suffering which was all the more painful since I alone was aware of it. |
2-15-2 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-15-1 (Silence, hidden), 22-15-1 (Salvation of Souls), 24-15-1 (Mercy of God, Graces), 46-15-1 (Revelations) |
| 15 | GCI 400 -401, March 18 (?), 1888, LT 43B to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
14-15-2 |
…Oh, Pauline, when Jesus will have placed me on the blessed shore of Carmel,
I want to give myself totally to Him, I want to live no longer but for Him. Oh,
no, I shall not fear His strikes, for, even
in the most bitter sufferings, I
always feel that it is His gentle hand that is striking. I really felt this at
Rome at the very moment when I would have believed the earth could have given
way beneath my steps. I desire only one thing when I shall be in Carmel, and it is to suffer always for Jesus. Life passes so quickly that really it must be better to have a very beautiful crown and a little trouble than to have an ordinary one without any trouble. And then for a suffering borne with joy, when I think that during the whole of eternity I will love God better. Then in suffering we can save souls. Ah! Pauline, if at the moment of my death I could have a soul to offer to Jesus, how happy I would be; it would be a soul that would have been snatched from the fire of hell and would bless God for all eternity. |
2-15-5 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-15-2 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 17-15-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-15-2 (Salvation of Souls), 23-15-1 (The Joy of Sufferings), 37-15-1 (Time), 39-15-3 (Pauline) |
| 15 | GCI 427, May 12 -20, 1888, LT 49: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
14-15-3 | 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), 11-15-1 (Nothingness), |
| 15 | GCI 449 -450, July 23, 1888, LT57: to Celine. |
14-15-4 | Life is burdensome. What bitterness… but what sweetness. Yes, life is painful for us. It is hard to begin a day of work. The feeble bud has seen it just as the beautiful lily has. If we feel Jesus present, oh! then we would really do all for Him, but no, He seems a thousand leagues away. We are all alone with ourselves. Oh! what annoying company when Jesus is not there. But what is this sweet Friend doing then? Doesn't He see our anguish, the weight that is oppressing us? Where is He? Why doesn't He come to console us since we have Him alone for a friend? Alas, He is not far; He is there, very close. He is looking at us, and He is begging this sorrow, this agony from us. He needs it for souls and for our soul. He wants to give us such a beautiful recompense, and His ambitions for us are very great. But how can He say: “My turn,” (A Note: Fr. Arminjon) if ours hasn't come, if we have given Him nothing? Alas, it does pain Him to give us sorrows to drink, but He knows this is the only means of preparing us to “know Him as He knows Himself and to become Gods ourselves.” Oh! what a destiny. How great is our soul…. |
2-15-13 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 22-15-3 (Salvation of Souls), 23-15-3 (The Joy of Sufferings), 40-15-1 (Participation to Salvation) |
| 15 | GCI 467 -468, Oct. 20, 1888, LT 65: to Celine. |
14-15-5 | When I think that if God were to give us the entire universe with all its treasures that this would not be comparable to the lightest suffering! What a grace when, in the morning, we feel no courage, no strength to practice virtue; that is the moment to put the axe to the root of the tree. Instead of wasting our time gathering a few baubles, we can dip into diamonds, and what a profit at the end of the day…. It is true that sometimes, for a few moments, we look with scorn at gathering our treasures, and this is the difficult moment. We are tempted to leave all behind, but in one act of love, even unfelt love, all is repaired, and Jesus smiles. He is helping us without seeming to do so, and the tears that the wicked make Him shed are dried by our poor and feeble love. Love can do all things, and the most difficult things don't appear difficult to it. Jesus does not look so much at the grandeur of actions or even their difficulty as at the love which goes to make up these actions…. |
2-15-16 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 17-15-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-15-3 (Mercy of God, Graces), 41-15-1 (Unfelt Love), 42-15-1 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 15 | GCI 478, Nov. 18, 1888, LT 67: to Mme. Guerin. |
14-15-6 | This morning, during my Holy Communion, I prayed very much to Jesus to give you His joys; alas! this is not what He is sending us for some time. It is the Cross, the Cross alone, which He is giving us in order to test us…. Oh! Aunt, if it had been only myself who was suffering, this would have been nothing, but I know the large share you took in our trial. For your feast, I would like to take away all sorrow and to take for myself all your pains. This is what I was asking for just now from Him whose Heart beats in unison with my own. I then felt that all He could give us of the best was suffering, and He was giving this only to His chosen friends; this answer proved to me that I was not answered, for I saw that Jesus loved dear Aunt too much to take away the Cross!… |
2-15-18 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 5-15-2 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 18-15-1 (Holy Communion) |
| 16? | SS 152 |
14-16-1 |
…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), 11-16-1 (Nothingness), 23-16-1 (The Joy of Sufferings), 24-16-1 (Mercy of God, Graces), 25-16-1 (Glory) |
| 16 | SS 159 -160. |
14-16-2 |
…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…. |
1-16-1 (Self-love, Nature), 2-16-8 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-16-3 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 33-16-1 (Penance, Mortification), 42-16-1 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 16~17 | SS 248 -249. |
14-16-3 | …Instead of the beautiful strains of music I heard only her occasional complaints, and instead of the rich gildings I saw only the bricks of our austere cloister, hardly visible in the faintly glimmering light. I cannot express in words what happened in my soul; what I know is that the Lord illumined it with rays of truth which so surpassed the dark brilliance of earthly feasts that I could not believe my happiness. Ah! I would not have exchanged the ten minutes employed in carrying out my humble office of charity to enjoy a thousand years of worldly feasts. If already in suffering and in combat one can enjoy a moment of happiness that surpasses all the joys of this earth, and this when simply considering that God has withdrawn us from this world, what will this happiness be in heaven when one shall see in the midst of eternal joy and everlasting repose the incomparable grace the Lord gave us when He chose us to dwell in His house, heaven's real portal? |
2-16-9 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 20-16-1 (Truth), 23-16-3 (The Joy of Sufferings), 24-16-2 (Mercy of God, Grace), 37-16-2 (Time) |
| 16 | GCI 500, Jan. 6, 1889, LT74: to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
14-16-4 |
If you only knew how much I want to be indifferent to
the things of this earth. What do all created beauties mean
to me, I would be unhappy possessing them, my heart would
be so empty!… It is incredible how big my heart appears to
me when I consider all earth's treasures. But when I consider
Jesus, how little it appears to me!!
I would so much like
to love Him!… Love Him more than He has ever been loved!…
My only desire is to do the will of Jesus always! To dry away
the little tears that sinners make Him shed…. Oh! I do not
WANT Jesus to have any sorrow. On the day of my espousals,
I would like to convert all the sinners of this earth and
to save all the souls in purgatory!… The Lamb of Jesus is going to laugh when it sees this desire of the little grain of sand!… I know that it's folly, but, nevertheless, I would like it to be this way so that Jesus have not one single tear to shed. |
7-16-4 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-16-2 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-16-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-16-1 (Salvation of Souls), 27-16-1 (Sinners, Sins), 39-16-2 (Pauline), 50-16-1 (Jesus's Wounds, Pains and Tears) |
| 16 | GCI 514, Jan.8, 1889, LT79: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
14-16-5 | Oh! the homeland…the homeland! How I thirst for heaven, there where I shall love Jesus without reserve! But we must suffer and cry in order to arrive there…well, then, I want to suffer all that will please Jesus; let Him do whatever He wills with His little ball. |
2-16-15 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 16-16-5 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-16-4 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 16 | GCI 529 -530, Jan. 23- 25(?), 1889, LT81, to Celine. |
14-16-6 |
You give me an impression, at this moment, of a person who is surrounded with
immense riches… the sight of them is lost over the horizon…. This person wants
to turn her back because, she says, too many riches embarrass her, she does not know
what to do with them; it is better to lose them, or that another take them!… That
other will not come, for these riches are prepared for the fiancee of Jesus… and
for her alone!… God would turn the world upside down to find
suffering in order
to give it to a soul upon whom His DIVINE glance has rested with an indescribable
love!… The things of this earth…what do they mean to us?… Should this be our homeland, this slime, so unworthy of an immortal soul… and what does it matter to us that cowardly men harvest the mustiness that grows on this slime? The more our heart is in heaven, the less we feel these pinpricks…. But believe that this is a grace and a great grace to feel these pinpricks, for, then, our life is a martyrdom, and one day Jesus will give us the palm. To suffer and to be despised!…what bitterness but what glory…. Suffer both again and always…. But all passes. |
2-16-18 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 17-16-5 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-16-3 (Mercy of God, Graces), 25-16-2 (Glory), 37-16-3 (Time) |
| 16 | GCI 537, Feb. 28, 1889, LT 82: to Celine. |
14-16-7 |
Oh! how it costs to give Jesus what He asks!…What joy that it
costs…
What an unspeakable
joy to carry our Crosses
FEEBLY… Has
the Lily-immortelle understood the poor grain of sand?….Your novitiate
is one of sorrow; what and inexplicable privilege…. Ah! dear little sister, far from complaining to Jesus about the Cross he is sending us, I cannot understand the infinite love that has drawn Him to treat us in this way…. Our dear Father must be much loved by Jesus to have to suffer this way, but don't you find that the misfortune that is striking him is really the complement of his beautiful life?… I feel, little Lily-Immortelle, that I am speaking real follies to you, but it does not matter. I still think very many others things about the love of Jesus which are perhaps much stronger than what I am saying to you….What a joy to be humbled; it is the only thing that makes saints!… Can we doubt now the will of Jesus concerning our souls?… Life is only a dream, and soon we shall wake up, and what joy… the greater our sufferings are the more infinite will be our glory… Oh, let us not lose the trial that Jesus is sending us, it is a gold mine to be exploited. Are we going to miss the chance?… The grain of sand wants to get to work, without joy, without courage, without strength, and it is all these titles which will facilitate the enterprise for it; it wants to work through love. |
2-16-19 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 12-16-1 (Humility, Humbleness), 16-16-7 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-16-8 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 21-16-1 (Saints), 23-16-7 (The Joy of Sufferings), 37-16-4 (Time), |
| 16 | GCI 541- 542, March 5, 1889, LT 83: to Celine. |
14-16-8 |
Each new suffering, each new agony of her
heart is like a light breeze
which will carry to Jesus the perfume of His lily; then He will smile
lovingly, and He will immediately prepare a new sorrow. He is filling
the chalice to the brim, thinking that the more His lily grows in love
the more, too, must it grow in suffering!… What a privilege Jesus grants us in sending such a great sorrow. Ah! ETERNITY will not be too long to thank Him. He is giving us His favors just as He gave them to the greatest saints. Why this great predilection?… However, what she does not know perhaps is the love that Jesus has for her, a love that demands ALL. There is nothing that is impossible for Him. He does not want to set any limit to His Lily's SANCTITY; His limit is that there is no limit!… Why should there be any? We are greater than the whole universe, and one day we ourselves shall have a divine existence…. Oh! I thank Jesus for having placed a lily near our dear Father, a lily that fears nothing, a lily that wishes rather to die than to abandon the glorious field in which the love of Jesus has placed it!… Now we have no longer anything to hope for on earth, no longer anything but suffering and again suffering. When we have finished, suffering will still be there, extending its arms to us. Oh! what a lot worthy of envy…. The Cherubim in heaven envy our joy…. |
2-16-20 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 16-16-8 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 21-16-2 (A Saint), 23-16-8 (The Joy of Sufferings), 37-16-5 (Time), |
| 16 | GCI 546- 547, March 12, 1889, LT 85: to Celine. |
14-16-9 |
Jesus' love for Celine can be understood only by Jesus!… Jesus
had
done foolish things for Celine…. Let Celine do foolish things for
Jesus…. Love is repaid by love alone, and the
wounds of love are
healed only by love. Let us really offer our sufferings to Jesus to save souls, poor souls!… They have less grace than we have, and still all the Blood of a God was shed to save them…. And yet Jesus wills to make their salvation depend on one sigh from our heart….What a mystery! If one sigh can save a soul, what can sufferings like ours not do?… Let us refuse Jesus nothing!… |
2-16-22 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-16-8 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-16-9 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-16-10 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-16-3 (Salvation of Souls), 24-16-4 (Mercy of God, Graces), 40-16-1 (Participation to Salvation), 50-16-2 (Jesus's Wounds, Pains and Tears) |
| 16 | GCI 552 -553, Apr. 4, 1889, LT 87: to Celine |
14-16-10 |
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. |
1-16-3 (Self Love, Nature), 2-16-24 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-16-10 (Renunciation, Forget self), 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) |
| 16 | GCI 567 -568, May 30, 1889, LT 93: to Marie Guerin. |
14-16-11 |
Should I tell you something that has given me much sorrow?… It is that my little Marie has given up her Communions…on the feast of the Ascension and on the last day of Mary's month!… Oh! what sorrow this has caused Jesus!… The devil has to be very clever to mislead a soul in this way!… But don't you know, my dear, that this is the only goal of his desires? The evil one knows well that he can't make a soul that wants to belong totally to Jesus commit a sin, so he tries to make the soul believe it has. It is already much for him to put disturbance in this soul, but to satisfy his rage something else is needed; He wants to deprive Jesus of a loved tabernacle, and, not being able to enter this sanctuary, he wants, at least, that it remain empty and without any Master!… Alas, what will become of this poor heart?… When the evil has succeeded in drawing the soul away from Holy Communion, he has won everything…. And Jesus weeps!… Oh, my darling, think, then, that Jesus is there in the Tabernacle expressly for you, for you alone; He is burning with the desire to enter your heart…so don't listen to the devil, mock him, and go without any fear to receive Jesus in peace and love!…. …what offends Him and what wounds His Heart is the lack of confidence!… Dear little sister, receive Communion often, very often…. That is the only remedy if you want to be healed, and Jesus hasn't placed this attraction in your soul for nothing. |
4-16-1 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 15-16-1 (Union with Jesus), 18-16-1 (Holy Communion), 27-16-2 (Sinners, Sins), 50-16-4 (Jesus's Wounds, Pains and Tears) |
| 16 | GCI 577, July 14, 1889, LT 94: to Celine. |
14-16-12 | My soul doesn't leave you … it suffers exile with you!… Oh! how hard it is to live, to remain on this earth of bitterness and anguish…. But, tomorrow … in an hour, we shall be at port, what joy! Ah, what a good it will be to contemplate Jesus face to face all through the whole of eternity! Always, always more love, always more intoxicating joys… a happiness without clouds…. What has Jesus done, then, to detach our souls from all that is created? Ah, He has struck a big blow… but it is a blow of love. God is admirable, but He is especially lovable; let us love Him, then … let us love Him enough to suffer for Him all that He wills, even spiritual pains, aridities, anxieties, apparent coldness …. Ah, here is great love, to love Jesus without feeling the sweetness of this love … this is martyrdom…. Well, then, let us die as martyrs. Oh! Celine… sweet echo of my soul, do you understand? … Unknown martyrdom, known to God alone, which the eye of the creature cannot discover, a martyrdom without honor, without triumph…. That is love pushed to the point of heroism.… But, one day, a grateful God will cry out: “Now, my turn. ” Oh, what will we see then?… What is this life which will no more have an end?… God will be the soul of our soul… unfathomable mystery.… The eye of man has not seen the uncreated light, his ear has not heard the incomparable harmonies, and his heart cannot have any idea of what God reserves for those whom He loves. And all this will come soon, yes, soon. |
2-16-28 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-16-3 (Silence, Hidden), 7-16-11 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 8-16-1 (Weakness, Frailty), 15-16-2 (Union with Jesus), 16-16-12 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-16-13 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 23-16-11 (The Joy of Sufferings), 37-16-10 (Time), 41-16-4 (Unfelt Love) |
| 16 | GCI 587- 588, Oct. 15, 1889, LT 96: to Celine. |
14-16-13 | 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), 11-16-5 (Nothingness), 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) |
| 16 | GCI 595, Nov. 21, 1889, LC 119: from Sr. Marie of the Angels. |
14-16-14 | …Attached yourself to the Cross like
the ivy in order to die there if
Jesus so wills. May divine suffering be the center of your life; plunge
into this bottomless ocean, and may it engulf you as it did Jesus, for
there alone are life and happiness.
Always love to be little, so little
that the eyes of Jesus only may find you! Little grain of dust,
be unseen
by all in order to be seen by God alone. Be filled with confidence that good Jesus will do everything; rejoice at being poor, at feeling yourself so poor in order that, little beggar, you may have everything from the infinite charity and love of Jesus! Take flight to the All of your heart with wings of humility, simplicity, and love. Jesus loves you with a tender predilection, so pay Him in return, and be happy to love Jesus in suffering for Jesus! |
2-16-34 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 4-16-2 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 8-16-2 (Weakness, Frailty), 9-16-1 (Poor in Spirit), 10-16-2 (Humility, Humbleness), 12-16-3 (Humility, Humbleness), 16-16-14 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-16-16 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 23-16-12 (The Joy of Sufferings), 31-16-2 (Simplicity of the Soul), 44-16-2 (Reveals to the Little Ones) |
| 17 | SS 169. |
14-17-1 | …but I haven't said anything to you as yet concerning my good fortune at knowing our holy Mother Genevieve. This certainly was a priceless gift; God, who had given me so many graces, willed that I should live with a saint. Not one that was inimitable, but one who was made holy by the practice of the hidden virtues, the ordinary virtues…. |
3-17-1 (Silence, Hidden), 16-17-4 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 21-17-1 (A Saint), 24-17-2 (The Mercy of God, Graces), 30-17-1 (Ordinary) |
| 17 | GCI 612, May 4, 1890, LT 103: to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
14-17-2 | …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), 11-17-1 (Nothingness), 25-17-1 (Glory), 39-17-1 (Pauline) |
| 17 | GCI 620, May 10, 1890, LT 106: to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
14-17-3 |
…How happy I am to be always a prisoner in Carmel; I have no desire
to go to Lourdes to have ecstasies. I prefer (the monotony of sacrifice)!
What a joy to be so hidden that
nobody thinks of you!… To be unknown
even to persons with whom you live…. Silence, this is the language that alone can tell you what is happening in my soul!… |
2-17-7 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-17-3 (Silence, Hidden), 7-17-3 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 23-17-2 (The Joy of Sufferings), 39-17-4 (Pauline) |
| 17 | GCI 641, July 27 -29, 1890, LT 109: to Marie Guerin. |
14-17-4 |
…You are mistaken, my darling, if you believe that your little
Therese walks always with fervor on the road of virtue.
She is
weak and very weak, and every day she has a new experience of
this weakness, but, Marie, Jesus is pleased to teach her, as He
did St. Paul, the science of rejoicing in her infirmities. This
is a great grace, and I beg Jesus to teach it to you, for peace
and quiet of heart are to be found there only. When we see
ourselves as so miserable, then we no longer wish to consider
ourselves, and we look only on the unique Beloved!… Dear little Marie, as for myself, I know no other means of reaching perfection but (love)…. |
8-17-1 (Weakness, Frailty), 16-17-8 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 24-17-4 (Mercy of God, Grace), 28-17-1 (Peace) |
| 22 | GCII 902 -903, April 28, LT 176: to Sr. The- rese- Dosi- thee |
14-17-5 |
…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.) |
1-22-1 (Self-love, Nature), 3-22-3 (Silence, Hidden), 7-17-4 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-22-9 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 20-22-1 (Truth), 28-22-3 (Peace) |
| 18 | GCII 728, Jul. 8, 1891, LT 129: to Celine. |
14-18-1 | … Oh! what an exile it is, the exile of earth, especially during these hours when everything seems to abandon us…. But it is then that it is precious, it is then that the day of salvation dawns; yes, dear Celine, suffering alone can give birth to souls for Jesus…. Is it surprising that we are so favored, we whose only desire is to save a soul that seems to be lost forever?… |
2-18-4 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 22-18-2 (Salvation of Souls) |
| 19 | GCII 752 -753, Aug. 15, 1892, LT 135: to Celine. |
14-19-1 |
…And this Beloved instructs my soul, he speaks to it in silence, in
darkness…. Recently, there came a thought to me which I have to tell
my Celine. It was one day when I was thinking of what I could do
to save souls, a word of the gospel gave me a real light. In days
gone by, Jesus said to His disciples when showing them the fields of
ripe corn: “
Lift up your
eyes and see how
the fields are already white
enough to be harvested,” (John 4:35.) and a little later: “
In truth, the harvest
is abundant but the number of laborers is small, ask then the master
of the harvest to send laborers.” (Matthew 9:37-38.) What a
mystery!… Is not Jesus
all-powerful? Are not creatures His who made them? Why, then, does
Jesus say: “Ask the Lord of the harvest that he send some
workers?” Why?… Ah!
it is because Jesus has so incomprehensible a love for us
that He wills that we have a share with Him in the salvation of souls.
He wills to do nothing without us. The Creator of the universe awaits
the prayer of a poor little soul to save other souls redeemed like it
at the price of all His Blood. Our own vocation is not to go out
to harvest the fields of ripe corn. Jesus does not say to us: “Lower
your eyes, look at the fields and go harvest them.” Our mission is
still more sublime. These are the words of Jesus: “
Lift your eyes and
see.” See how in my heaven there are empty places; it is up to you
to fill them, you are my Moses praying on the mountain, ask me for
workers and I shall send them, I await only a prayer, a sigh from
your heart! Is not the apostolate of prayer, so to speak, more elevated than that of the word? Our mission as Carmelites is to form evangelical workers who will save thousands of souls whose mothers we shall be…. |
3-19-1 (Silence, Hidden), 5-19-1 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 16-19-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 22-19-1 (Salvation of Souls), 40-19-1 (Participation to Salvation), 43-19-1 (Darkness) |
| 19 | GCII 761- 762, Oct. 19, 1892, LT 137: to Celine. |
14-19-2 | …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), 11-19-1 (Nothingness), 15-19-1 (Union with Jesus) |
| 20 | SS 173. |
14-20-1 | O Mother, it was especially since the blessed day of your election that I have flown in the ways of love. On that day Pauline became my living Jesus…. |
17-20-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 20 | GCII 794 -795, Jul. 6, 1893, LT 142: to Celine. |
14-20-2 | …Now here we are, all five of us, on our way. What joy to be able to say: “I am sure of doing God's will.” This holy will is clearly manifested with regard to Celine. She is the one whom Jesus has chosen among us all to be the crown, the reward of the holy patriarch who has delighted heaven by his fidelity. How dare you say you have been forgotten, less loved than the others? I say you have been CHOSEN by privilege, your mission is all the more beautiful because, while remaining our dear Father's visible angel, you are at the same time the spouse of Jesus. This is true, perhaps Celine thinks, but I am not doing less than the others for God. I have more consolations and consequently less merits. “ My thoughts are not your thoughts,” says the Lord. Merit does not consist in doing or in giving much, but rather in receiving, in loving much…. It is said, it is much sweeter to give than to receive, and it is true. But when Jesus wills to take for Himself the sweetness of giving, it would not be gracious to refuse. Let us allow Him to take and give all He wills. Perfection consists in doing His will, and the soul that surrenders itself totally to Him is called by Jesus Himself “His mother, His sister,” and His whole family. And elsewhere: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word (that is, he will do my will) and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.” (John 14:23.) Oh, Celine how easy it is to please Jesus, to delight His Heart, one has only to love Him, without looking at one's self, without examining one's faults too much…. |
16-20-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-20-2 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 29-20-1 (Consolation) |
| 20 | GCII 795 - 796, July 6, 1893, LT 142: to Celine. |
14-20-3 |
…when the sun became hot, the Beloved led us into His garden. He made
us gather the
myrrh of trial by separating us
from
everything and from
Himself. The hill of myrrh has strengthened us with its bitter scents,
so Jesus has made us come down again, and now we are in the valley. He
leads us beside the waters…. Dear Celine, I do not know too well what
I would like to say. Ah! let us be always
Jesus' drop of dew. In that
is happiness, perfection…. Fortunately, I am speaking to you, for other
persons would be unable to understand my language, and I admit it is
true for only a few souls.
In fact, directors have others advance in
perfection by having them perform a great number of acts of virtue, and
they are right; but my director, who is Jesus, teaches me not to count
up my acts. He teaches me to do all through love, to refuse Him nothing,
to be content when He gives me a chance of proving to Him that I love Him.
But this is done in peace, in
abandonment; it is Jesus who is doing all
in me, and I am doing nothing. I feel very much united to my Celine. I believe God has not often made two souls who understand each other so well, never a discordant note. The hand of Jesus touching one of the lyres makes the other vibrate at the same time…. Oh! let us remain hidden in our divine Flower of the fields until the shadows lengthen;… |
2-20-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-20-1 (Silence, Hidden), 4-20-1 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 7-20-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-20-2 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-20-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 23-20-1 (The Joy of Sufferings), 28-20-1 (Peace), 42-20-1 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 20 | GCII 801, Jul. 18, 1893, LT 143: to Celine. |
14-20-4 |
…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), 11-20-1 (Nothingness), 17-20-4 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 37-20-1 (Time), 43-20-1 (Darkness) |
| 20 | GCII 808- 809, Aug. 2, 1893, LT 145: to Celine. |
14-20-5 |
…Jesus does not will that we find His adorable presence in repose;
He hides
Himself; He wraps Himself in darkness. It was not thus that He acted with
the
crowd of Jews, for we see in the
gospel that the people were CARRIED AWAY
when He was speaking.
Jesus used to charm weak souls with His divine words,
He was trying to make them strong for the day of trial…. But how
small was
the number of Our Lord's friends when He was SILENT before his
judges!…
Oh! what a melody for my heart is this silence of Jesus…. He made Himself
poor that we might be able to give Him love.
He holds out His hand to us like a
beggar so that on the radiant
day of judgment when He will appear
in His glory, He may have us hear those sweet words: “
Come, blessed of
my Father, for I was hungry and you gave to eat; I was thirsty, and you
gave me to drink; I did not know where to lodge, and you gave me a home.
I was in prison, sick, and you helped me.” (Matthew 25:34-36.) It
is Jesus Himself who spoke
these words;
it is He who wants our love, who begs for
it.… He places
Himself, so to speak, at our mercy, He does not want to take anything
unless we give it to Him, and the smallest thing is precious in His
divine eyes…. Jesus is a hidden treasure, an inestimable good which few souls can find, for it is hidden, and the world loves what sparkles. Ah! if Jesus had willed to show Himself to all souls with His ineffable gifts, no doubt there is not one of them that would have despised Him. However, He does not will that we love Him for His gifts, He Himself must be our reward. To find a hidden thing one must hide oneself; our life must then be a mystery. We must be like Jesus, Jesus whose face was hidden…. “Do you want to learn something that may be of use to you?” says the Imitation. “Love to be unknown and accounted for nothing…. And elsewhere; “After you have left everything, you must above all leave yourself; let one man boast of one thing, another of something else; as for you, place your joy only in contempt of yourself.” What peace these words give to the soul, Celine. |
2-20-3 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-20-2 (Silence, Hidden), 16-20-3 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 19-20-1 (The Words of God), 25-20-1 (Glory), 28-20-3 (Peace), 40-20-1 (Participation to Salvation), 43-20-2 (Darkness) |
| 20 | GCII 813, Aug. 13, 1893, LT 147: to Celine. |
14-20-6 | I find that Jesus is very good in allowing my poor letters to do you some good, but, I assure you, I am not making the mistake of thinking I have anything to do with it. “If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do those work who build it.” (Psalm 126:1) All the most beautiful discourses of the greatest saints would be incapable of making one single act of love come from a heart that Jesus did not possess. He alone can use His lyre, no one else can make its harmonious notes sound; however, Jesus uses all means, all creatures in order to hide His adorable presence, but He does not hide Himself in such a way that He does not allow Himself to be divined…. |
15-20-1 (Union with Jesus) |
| 20 | GCII 816, Aug. 13, 1893, LT 148: to Leonie. |
14-20-7 | Dear little Sister, you see the share I am taking in your joy. I know that it is great but also that sacrifices do not fail to accompany it; without them, would the religious life be meritorious? No, certainly not. On the contrary, it is the little crosses that are our whole joy; they are more common than big ones and prepare the heart to receive the latter when this is the will of our good Master. |
2-20-4 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 16-20-4 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 23-20-2 (The Joy of Suffering) |
| 20 | GCII 826, Oct. 20(?), 1893, LT 149: to Celine. |
14-20-8 | … He alone understands when nothing answers us…. He alone arranges the events of our life of exile. It is He who offers us at times the bitter chalice. But we do not see Him, He is hiding. He veils His divine hand, and we can see only creatures. Then we suffer since the voice of our Beloved does not make itself heard and that of creatures seems to misunderstand us…. Yes, the most bitter sorrow is that of not being understood…. |
2-20-5 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 16-20-5 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 23-20-3 (The Joy of Sufferings) |
| 21 | GCII 841, March or May, 1894, LT 157: to Celine. |
14-21-1 | Let the little exile be sad without being sad, for if tenderness of creatures is not concentrated on her, the tenderness of Jesus is totally CONCENTRATED on her. Now that Celine is without a home, Jesus Himself is well obliged. He is content to see His dear spouse wandering, this pleases Him! Why?… I myself know nothing about it…. This is Jesus' secret, but I believe He is preparing very beautiful things in His little house. … He has to work so much that He seems to forget His dear Celine…but, no, without being seen by her, he is looking at her through the window. … He is pleased to see her in the desert, having no other duty but to love while suffering, without even feeling that she loves!… Jesus knows that life is only a dream, so He is taking delight in seeing His spouse weeping on the banks of the river of Babylon! Soon the day will come when Jesus will take His Celine by the hand and will have her enter her little house which will have become an eternal palace…. Then He will say: “‘Now, my turn.’ You have given me on earth the only home that every human heart is unwilling to renounce, that is, yourself, and now I am giving you as a dwelling my eternal substance, that is, “Myself.” This is your house for all eternity. During the night of life, you have been homeless and solitary, now you will have a companion, and it is I, Jesus, your Spouse, your Friend, for whom you sacrificed all, who will be this Companion, who must fill you with joy from age to age!…” |
2-21-2 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-21-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 17-21-2 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 37-21-2 (Time) |
| 21 | GCII 851, April 26, 1894, LT 161: to Celine. |
14-21-2 | Do not fear, dear Celine, as long as your lyre does not cease to sing for Jesus, never will it break…. No doubt it is fragile, more fragile than crystal. If you were to give it to an inexperienced musician, soon it would break; but Jesus is the one who makes the lyre of your heart sound…. He is happy that you are feeling your weakness; He is the one placing in your soul sentiments of mistrust of itself. Dear Celine, thank Jesus. He grants you His choice graces; if always you remain faithful in pleasing Him in little things He will find Himself OBLIGED to help you in GREAT Things…. | 8-21-1 (Weakness, Frailty), 10-21-1 (Littleness), 17-21-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-21-1 (Mercy of God, Graces), 42-21-1 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 21 | GCII 861- 862, July 7, 1894, LT 165: to Celine. |
14-21-3 | …Frequently, we descend into the fertile valleys, where our heart loves to nourish itself, the vast field of the scriptures which has so many times opened before us to pour out its rich treasures in our favor; this vast field seems to us to be a desert, arid and without water….We know no longer where we are; instead of peace and light, we find only turmoil or at least darkness…. But, like the spouse, we know the cause of our trial: our soul is troubled because of the chariots of Aminadab….We are still not as yet in our homeland, and trial must purify us as gold in the crucible…. At times, we believe ourselves abandoned. Alas! the chariots, the vain noises that disturb us, are they within us or outside us? We do not know… but Jesus really knows. He sees our sadness and suddenly His gentle voice makes itself heard, a voice more gentle than the springtime breeze: “ Return, return, my Sulamitess; return, return, that we may look at you!…” (Cant. Chap. 6, v. 12.) What a call is that of the Spouse!… And we were no longer daring even to look at ourselves so much did we consider ourselves without any splendor and adornment; and Jesus calls us, He wants to look at us at His leisure, but He is not alone; with Him, the two other Persons of the Blessed trinity come to take possession of our soul…. Jesus had promised it in days gone by when He was about to reascend to His Father and our Father. He said with ineffable tenderness: “ If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and we will make in him our abode.” (John 14:23.) To keep the word of Jesus, that is the sole condition of our happiness, the proof of our love for Him. But what, then, is this word?… It seems to me that the word of Jesus is Himself… He, Jesus, the Word, the Word of God!… In another place, Jesus teaches us that He is the way, the truth, the life. We know, then, what is the Word that we must keep; like Pilate, we shall not ask Jesus: “What is Truth?” We possess Truth. We are keeping Jesus in our hearts!… |
2-21-5 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 15-21-1 (Union with Jesus), 19-21-1 (Words of God), 20-21-1 (Truth), 28-21-1 (Peace), 43-21-1 (Darkness), 49-21-1 (Trinity) |
| 21 | GCII 882, Aug. 19, 1894, LT 169: to Celine. |
14-21-4 | …We have only the short moment of this life to give to God… and He is already preparing to say: “ Now, my turn…” What a joy to suffer for Him who loves us unto folly and to pass as fools in the eyes of the world. We judge other as we judge ourselves, and since the world is senseless!… It naturally thinks we are the ones who are senseless!… But after all, we are not the first; the only crime with which Jesus was reproached by Herod was that of being foolish, and I think like him!… Yes, it was folly to seek out the poor little hearts of mortals to make them His thrones, He, the King of Glory, who is seated above the Cherubim…. He, whom the heavens cannot contain…. He was foolish, our Beloved, to come to earth in search of sinners in order to make them His friends, His intimates, His equals, He who was perfectly happy with the two adorable Persons of the Trinity!… |
2-21-10 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 17-21-5 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 23-21-1 (The Joy of Sufferings), 27-21-1 (Sinners, Sins), 37-21-3 (Time), 49-21-2 (Trinity) |
21 | GCII 882 -883, Aug. 19, 1894, LT 169: to Celine. |
14-21-5 | We are not idlers, squanderers, either. Jesus has defended us in the person of the Magdalene. He was at table, Martha was serving, Lasarus was eating with Him and His disciples. As for Mary, she was not thinking of taking any food but of pleasing Him whom she loved, so she took a jar filled with an ointment of great price and poured it on the head of Jesus, after breaking the jar, and the whole house was scented with the ointment, but the APOSTLES complained against Magdalene …. It is really the same for us, the most fervent Christians, priests, find that we are exaggerated, that we should serve with Martha instead of consecrating to Jesus the vessels of our lives, with the ointments enclosed within them …. And nevertheless what does it matter if our vessels be broken since Jesus is consoled and since, in spite of itself, the world is obliged to smell the perfumes that are exhaled and serve to purify the empoisoned air the world never ceases to breathe in. |
17-21-6 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 45-21-1 (Magdalene) |
22 | SS 14. |
14-22-1 |
…
Perfection consists in doing His will,
in being what He wills us to be. I understood, too, that Our Lord's love is revealed as perfectly in the most simple soul that resists His grace in nothing as in the most excellent soul; in fact, since the nature of love is to humble oneself,… |
2-22-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 12-22-1 (Humility, Humbleness), 16-22-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-22-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-22-1 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 22 | SS 175. |
14-22-2 | …And just as Solomon, when he considered all the works of his hands in which he had place so much useless toil, saw that all is vanity and affliction of spirit, in the same way I recognized from EXPERIENCE that happiness consists in hiding oneself, in remaining ignorant of created things. I understood that without love all works are nothing, even the most dazzling, such as raising the dead to life and converting peoples. |
3-22-2 (Silence, Hidden), 17-22-2 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 23-22-1 (The Joy of Suffering), 42-22-1 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 22 | SS 180. |
14-22-3 |
This year, June 9, the feast of the Holy Trinity, I
received the grace to understand
more than ever before how much Jesus desires to be loved. I was thinking about the souls who offer themselves as victims of God's Justice in order to turn away the punishments reserved to sinners, drawing them upon themselves. This offering seemed great and very generous to me, but I was far from feeling attracted to making it. From the depths of my heart, I cried out: “O my God! Will Your Justice alone find souls willing to immolate themselves as victims? Does not Your Merciful Love need them too? On every side this love is unknown, rejected; those hearts upon whom You would lavish it turn to creatures seeking happiness from them with their miserable affection; they do this instead of throwing themselves into Your arms and of accepting Your infinite Love. |
4-22-2 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 17-22-7 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-22-6 (Mercy of God, Graces), 27-22-1 (Sinners, Sins) |
| 22 | SS 181. |
14-22-4 | …Ah! since that happy day, it seems to me that Love penetrates and surrounds me, that at each moment this Merciful Love renews me, purifying my soul and leaving no trace of sin within it, and I need have no fear of purgatory. I know that of myself I would not merit even to enter there, but I also know that the Fire of Love is more sanctifying than is the fire of purgatory. I know that Jesus cannot desire useless sufferings for us, and He would not inspire the longings I feel unless He wanted to grant them. Oh! how sweet is the way of Love! How I want to apply myself to doing the will of God always with the greatest self-surrender! |
2-22-4 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-22-2 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-22-7 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-22-8 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 27-22-2 (Sinners, Sins) |
| 22 | SS 188. |
14-22-5 | …I understand so well that it is only love which makes us acceptable to God that this love is the only good I ambition. Jesus deigned to show me the road that leads to this Divine Furnace, and this road is the surrender of the little child who sleeps without fear in its Father's arms…. |
2-22-5 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 4-22-3 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 17-22-9 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 22 | SS 189. |
14-22-6 | …He has no need of our works but only of our love, for the same God who declares He has no need to tell us when He is hungry did not fear to beg for a little water from the Samaritan woman. He was thirsty. But when He said: “Give me to drink,” (John 4:7.) it was the love of His poor creature the Creator of the universe was seeking. He was thirsty for love. Ah! I feel it more than ever before, Jesus is parched, for He meets only the ungrateful and indifferent among His disciples in the world, and among His own disciples, alas, He finds few hearts who surrender to Him without reservations, who understand the real tenderness of His infinite Love. |
4-22-4 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 17-22-11 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 40-22-1 (Participation to Salvation), 42-22-3 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 22 | SS 277. |
14-22-7 |
I thank You, O my God! for all the graces You have granted me,
especially the grace of making me pass through
the crucible of
suffering. It is with joy I shall contemplate You on the Last
Day carrying the sceptre of Your Cross.
Since You deigned
to give me a share in this very precious Cross, I hope in heaven
to resemble You and to see shining in my glorified body the sacred
stigmata of Your Passion…. After earth's Exile, I hope to go and enjoy You in the Fatherland, but I do not want to lay up merits for heaven. I want to work for Your Love alone with the one purpose of pleasing You, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally. |
2-22-7 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 17-22-12 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-22-2 (Salvation of Souls), 24-22-7 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 22 | GCII 909, July 20 -21, 1895, LT 178: to Mme. Guerin. |
14-22-8 | … St. Teresa was very right in saying to Our Lord, who was loading her with crosses when she was undertaking great works for Him; “Ah! Lord, I am not surprised that You have so few friends! You treat them so badly!” On another occasion, she said that to souls whom God loves with an ordinary love He gives some trials, but on those He loves with a love of predilection He lavishes His crosses as the most certain mark of His tenderness…. |
2-22-9 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 17-22-13 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 23 | SS 195. |
14-23-1 | 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), 11-23-1 (Nothingness), 17-23-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 23 | SS 196 -197. |
14-23-2 |
…
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), 11-23-2 (Nothingness), 17-23-13 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 23-23-1 (The Joy of Sufferings), 42-23-2 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 23 | GCII 966, July 12, 1896, LT191: to Celine. |
14-23-3 |
…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…. |
1-23-1 (Self-love, Nature), 10-23-5 (Littleness), 13-23-1 (Joyful Soul), 17-23-10 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-23-3 (Salvation of Souls), 42-23-4 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 23 | GCII 994 Sep. 13, 1896, LT 196: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
4-23-3 | …Without showing Himself, without making His voice heard, Jesus teaches me in secret; it is not by means of books, for I do not understand what I am reading, but at times a word like this one that I drew out at the end of prayer (after having remained in silence and aridity) comes to console me: “Here is the Master I am giving you; he will teach you all you must do. I want to have you read in the book of life, wherein is contained the science of LOVE.” The science of Love, oh! yes, this word resounds sweetly in the ear of my soul, and I desire only this science. Having given all my riches for it, I looked upon this as having given nothing, just as did the spouse in the sacred canticles…. I understand so well that it is only love which makes us pleasing to God that this love is the only good that I ambition. Jesus is pleased to show me the only road that leads to this divine furnace, and this road is the abandonment of the little child who sleeps without fear in its Father's arms.… |
3-23-1 (Silence, Hidden), 4-23-3 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 17-23-11 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 35-23-1 (Books), 42-23-5 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 23 | GCII 999, Sep. 17, 1896, LT197: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
14-23-5 | …Recall those words of Father: “The martyrs suffered with joy, and the King of Martyrs suffered with sadness.” Yes, Jesus said: “Father, let this chalice pass away from me.” (Matthew 26:39.) Dear Sister, how can you say after this that my desires are the sign of my love? … Ah! I really feel that it is not this at all that pleases God in my little soul; what pleases Him is that He sees me loving my littleness and my poverty, the blind hope that I have in His mercy…. That is my only treasure, dear Godmother, why would this treasure not be yours?… |
4-23-4 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 8-23-5 (Weakness, Frailty), 10-23-6 (Littleness), 17-23-12 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-23-2 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 23 | GCII 999- 1000, Sept. 17, 1896, LT197: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
14-23-6 | 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), 11-23-3 (Nothingness), 17-23-13 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 42-23-6 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 23 | GCII 1038 Dec. 24, 1896, LT 211: to Sr. Marie Gene- vieve. Christ- mas 1896. |
14-23-7 |
If you only knew how much you delight my heart and that of my little
Jesus, oh, how happy you would be!… But you do not know, you do not
see, and your soul is in sadness.
I would like to console you, and,
if I do not do it, it is because I know the value of suffering and
anguish of heart. Oh, my dear child! If you only knew
how my soul
was plunged into bitterness when I saw my tender spouse St. Joseph
coming back sadly to me without having found an inn. If you want to bear in peace the trial of not pleasing yourself, be at the door of your house, but do not fear, the poorer you are the more Jesus will love you…. |
2-23-12 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 9-23-2 (Poor in Spirit), 28-23-3 (Peace) |
| 23 | GCII 1041 -1042, Dec. 26, 1896, LT 213: to l'abbe Bell- iere. |
14-23-8 |
I assure you, Monsieur l'Abbe, I am doing all that is within my power
to obtain the graces necessary for you; these graces certainly will
be granted to you
since Our Lord never asks sacrifices from us above
our strength. At times, it is true, this divine Saviour makes us feel
all the bitterness of the chalice that He is offering our soul. When
He asks the sacrifice of all that is dearest in this world, it is
impossible, without a very special grace, not to cry out like Him in
the garden of agony: “
Father, let this chalice pass from me…however,
may your will be done and not mine.” (Matthew 26:39.) It is very consoling to think that Jesus, the Strong God, knew our weaknesses, that He trembled at the sight of the bitter chalice, this chalice that He had in the past so ardently desired to drink. Monsieur l'Abbe, your lot is really beautiful since Our Lord chose it for Himself and since He first wet His lips with the cup He is offering you. A Saint has said: “The greatest honor God can give a soul is not to give it much but to ask much from it!” Jesus is treating you then as a privileged one. He wills that you already begin your mission and that through suffering you may save souls. Is it not in suffering, in dying that He Himself redeemed the world?… Monsieur l'Abbe, you come seeking consolations from her whom Jesus has given you as a sister, and you have the right. Since Reverend Mother allows me to write you, I would like to respond to the sweet mission entrusted to me, but I feel the surest means of reaching my goal is to pray and to suffer…. Let us work together for the salvation of souls; we have only the one day of this life to save them and thus to give the Lord proofs of our love. |
2-23-14 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 5-23-1 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 8-23-7 (Weakness, Frailty), 16-23-5 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-23-15 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-23-5 (Salvation of Souls), 24-23-4 (Mercy of God, Graces), 29-23-1 (Consolations), 37-23-2 (Time) |
| 24 | SS 207. |
14-24-1 |
…Yes, all is well when one seeks only
the will of Jesus,… You know, Mother, I have always wanted to be a saint. Alas! I have always noticed that when I compared myself to the saints, there is between them and me the same difference that exists between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and the obscure grain of sand trampled underfoot by the passers-by. Instead of becoming discouraged, I said to myself: God cannot inspire unrealizable desires. I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness. It is impossible for me to grow up, and so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short, and totally new. |
8-24-3 (Weakness, Frailty), 10-24-2 (Littleness), 16-24-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 21-24-1 (A Saint) |
| 24 | SS 209. |
14-24-2 | …Perhaps you remembered that often the Lord is pleased to grant wisdom to the little ones, and that one day, in a transport of joy, He blessed His Father for revealing them to the little ones. (Matthew 11:25.) Mother, you know yourself that those souls are rare who don't measure the divine power according to their own narrow minds;… |
2-24-2 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 44-24-1 (Reveals to Little Ones) |
| 24 | SS 220. |
14-24-3 | …Ah! I understand now that charity consists in bearing with the faults of others, in not being surprised at their weakness, in being edified by the smallest acts of virtue we see them practice. But I understood above all that charity must not remain hidden in the bottom of the heart. | 8-24-5 (Weakness, Frailty), 10-24-5 (Littleness), 17-24-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 24 | SS220 -221. |
14-24-4 |
When the Lord commanded His people to love their
neighbor as themselves, (Leviticus 19:18.) He had not as yet come upon
the earth. Knowing the extent to which each one loved himself, He was
not able to ask of His creatures a greater love than this for one's
neighbor. But when Jesus gave His Apostles a new commandment, HIS
OWN COMMANDMENT (John 15:12.), as He calls it later on,
it is no longer a question
of loving one's neighbor as oneself but of loving him as He, Jesus,
has loved him, and will love him to the consummation of the ages.
Ah! Lord, I know you don't command the impossible.
You know better
than I do my weakness and imperfection; You know very well that never
would I be able to love my Sisters as You love them, unless You, O my
Jesus, loved them in me. It is because You wanted to give me this grace
that You made Your new commandment. Oh! how I love this new commandment
since it gives me the assurance that Your Will is to love in me all
those You command me to love! Yes, I feel it, when I am charitable, it is Jesus alone who is acting in me, and the more united I am to Him, the more also do I love my Sisters. |
8-24-6 (Weakness, Frailty), 15-24-1 (Union with Jesus), 16-24-4 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-24-4 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-24-3 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 24 | SS 226 -227. |
14-24-5 |
…Ah!
what peace floods the soul when she rises above
natural feelings. No,
there is no joy comparable to that which the truly poor in spirit
experience.
If such a one asks for something with detachment, and if this thing is not
only refused but one tries to take away what one already has, the poor
in spirit follow Jesus' counsel: “
If anyone take away your coat, let go
your cloak also.” (Matthew 5:40.) To give up one's cloak is, it seems to me, renouncing one's ultimate rights; it is considering oneself as the servant and the slaves of others…. |
2-24-10 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-24-1 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 9-24-1 (Poor in Spirit), 28-24-3 (Peace) |
| 24 | SS 237. |
14-24-6 |
…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. |
1-24-2 (Self- love, Nature), 2-24-13 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-24-4 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 17-24-5 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 29-24-1 (Consolation) |
| 24 | GCII 1093- 1094, May 9, 1897, LT 226: to P. Roulland. |
14-24-7 | 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), 11-24-2 (Nothingness), 16-24-9 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 24-24-9 (Mercy of God, Graces), 35-24-1 (Books) |
| 24 | GCII 1117, June, 1897, (?), LT 241: to Sr. Martha of Jesus. |
14-24-8 |
Dear little Sister, yes, I understood all…. I am begging Jesus to make the sun
of His grace shine in your soul. Ah! do not fear to tell Him
you love Him, even
without feeling it. This is the way to force Jesus to help you, to carry you like
a little child too feeble to walk. It is a great trial to look on the black side, but this does not depend on you completely. Do what you can; detach your heart from the worries of this earth, and above all from creatures, and then be sure Jesus will do the rest. He will be unable to allow you to fall into the dreaded mire…. Be consoled, dear little Sister, in heaven you will no longer take a dark view of everything but a very bright view…. Yes, everything will be decked out in the divine brightness of our Spouse, the Lily of the valleys. Together we shall follow Him everywhere He goes…. Ah! let us profit from the short moment of life… together let us please Jesus, let us save souls for Him by our sacrifices…. Above all, let us be little, so little that everybody may trample us underfoot, without our even having the appearance of feeling it and suffering from it…. |
2-24-21 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 10-24-9 (Littleness), 16-24-10 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-24-14 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 22-24-6 (Salvation of Souls), 24-24-10 (Mercy of God, Graces), 37-24-3 (Time), 41-24-1 (Unfelt Love) |
| 24 | GCII 1121 -1122, Jun. 7, 1897, LT 243: to Sr. Gene- vieve. |
14-24-9 |
…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), 11-24-4 (Nothingness), 12-24-4 (Humility, Humbleness), 16-24-11 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 42-24-5 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 24 | GCII 1127, Jun. 9, 1897, LT 244: to l'abbe Bell- iere. This letter was never sent. |
14-24-10 |
Oh, dear little Brother, how happy I am to die!…Yes, I am happy not
because I shall be delivered from sufferings here below (sufferings, on
the contrary, is the only thing that seems desirable to me in this
valley of tears), but because I really feel that
such is God's will. Our good Mother would like to keep me on earth; at this moment they are making a novena of Masses for me to Our Lady of Victories. She has already cured me in my childhood, but I believe the miracle she will work will be none other than that of consoling the Mother who loves me so tenderly. Dear little Brother, at the moment of appearing before God, I understand more than ever that there is only one thing necessary, that is, to work soley for Him and to do nothing for self or for creatures. |
2-24-22 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 7-24-9 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-24-12 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| 24 | GCII 1133, June 21, 1897, LT 247: to l'abbe Bell- iere. |
14-24-11 |
…I love them too, I love their repentance, and especially…
their loving audacity! When I see Magdalene walking up before
the many guests, washing with her tears the feet of her adored
Master, whom she is touching for the first time, I feel that
her heart has understood the abysses
of love and mercy of the
Heart of Jesus, and, sinner though she is, this Heart of love
was not only disposed to pardon her but to lavish on her the
blessings of His divine intimacy, to lift her to the highest
summits of contemplation. Ah! dear little Brother, ever since I have been given the grace to understand also the love of the Heart of Jesus, I admit that it has expelled all fear from my heart. The remembrance of my faults humbles me, draws me never to depend on my strength which is only weakness, but this remembrance speaks to me of mercy and love even more. |
5-24-5 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 8-24-11 (Weakness, Frailty), 12-24-5 (Humility, Humbleness), 17-24-15 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-24-11 (Mercy of God, Graces), 27-24-4 (Sinners, Sins), 34-24-2 (Repentence, Contrition), 45-24-3 (Magdalene) |
| 24 | GCII 1134, June 21, 1897, LT 247: to l'abbe Bell- iere. |
14-24-12 | I know there are some saints who spent their life in the practice of astonishing mortifications to expiate their sins, but what of it; “there are many mansions in the house of heavenly Father,” (John 14:2.) Jesus has said, and it is because of this that I followed the way He is tracing out for me. I try to be no longer occupied with myself in anything, and I abandon myself to what Jesus sees fit to do in my soul, for I have not chosen an austere life to expiate my faults but those of others. |
4-24-5 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 7-24-10 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 22-24-7 (Salvation of Souls), 27-24-5 (Sinners, Sins), 33-24-1 (Penance, Mortification) |
| 24 | GCII 1152 -1153, Jul. 18, 1897, LT 258: to l'abbe Bell- iere |
14-24-13 | Yes, I am certain of it, after my entrance into life, my dear little Brother's sadness will be changed into a peaceful joy that no creature will be able to take from him. I feel it, we must go to heaven by the same way, that of suffering united to love. When I shall be in port, I shall teach you, dear little Brother of my soul, how you must sail the stormy sea of the world with the abandonment and the love of a child who knows his Father loves him and would be unable to leave him in the hour of danger. Ah! how I would like to make you understand the tenderness of the Heart of Jesus, what He expects from you. In your letter of the 14th, you made my heart thrill sweetly; I understood more than ever the degree to which your soul is sister to my own, since it is called to raise itself to God by the ELEVATOR of love and not to climb the rough stairway of fear…. I am not surprised in any way that the practice of familiarity with Jesus seems to you a little difficult to realize; we cannot reach it in one day, but I am sure that I shall help you much more to walk by this delightful way when I shall have been delivered from my mortal envelpe, and soon, like St. Augustine, you will say: “Love is the weight that draws me.” | 2-24-25 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 4-24-6 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 7-24-12 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-24-14 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-24-18 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 24 | LC 37 -38, Apr. 18. |
14-24-14 |
1. She had just confided to me
some painful humiliations some Sisters
had given her: “It is in this way that God gives me the means of remaining very little; however, this is exactly what is needed. I'm always happy, for I always manage in the midst of the tempest to preserve interior peace. If one tells me about her fights with the Sisters, I am careful not to work myself up against this or that Sister. I must, for example, while listening to her, be able to look out the window and enjoy interiorly the sight of sky, the trees, etc. Understand? Just now, during my struggle with regard to Sister X, I was watching with pleasure two beautiful magpies playing in the field, and I was as much at peace as if I were at prayer. I really fought with Sister, and I am very tired, but I don't fear the struggle. It is God's will that I fight right up until death. Oh! little Mother, pray for me!” |
2-24-26 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 10-24-11 (Littleness), 14-24-14 (The Little Way), 16-24-15 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 28-24-6 (Peace) |
| 24 | LC 91, Jul. 12. |
14-24-15 | 2. “God will have to carry out my will in heaven because I have never done my own will here on earth.” | 16-24-22 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| 24 | LC 92, Jul. 12. |
14-24-16 |
7. It seemed to me she was down-hearted in spite of her happy
mood, and I said: “It's for our sake that you take on
this happy mood and say these cheerful things, isn't it?” “ I always act without any ‘pretence.’” |
13-24-4 (Joyful Souls, Cheerfulness), 20-24-4 (Truth) |
| 24 | LC 93 -94, Jul. 13. |
14-24-17 |
12. “With virgins we shall be virgins; with the doctors, doctors;
with the martyrs, martyrs; because all the saints are our
relatives; but
those who've followed the way of spiritual
childhood will always retain the charms of childhood.” She developed these thoughts. |
|
| 24 | LC 99 -100, July 15. |
14-24-18 |
5. She told me about the following incident, the memory of which
was the source of a great grace to her: “Sister Marie of the Eucharist wanted to light the candles for a procession; she had no matches; however, seeing the little lamp which was burning in the front of the relics, she approached it. Alas, it was half out; there remained only a feeble glimmer on its blackened wick. She succeeded in lighting her candle from it, and with this candle, she lighted those of the whole community. It was, therefore, the half-extinguished little lamp which had produced all these beautiful flames which, in their turn, could produce an infinity of others and even light whole universe. Nevertheless, it would always be the little lamp which would be first cause of all this light. How could the beautiful flames boast of having produced this fire, when they themselves were lighted with such a small spark? “It is the same with the Communion of Saints. Very often, without our knowing it, the graces and lights that we receive are due to a hidden soul, for God wills that the saints communicate grace to each other through prayer with great love, with a love much greater than that of a family, and even the most perfect family on earth. How often have I thought that I may owe all the graces I've received to the prayers of a person who begged them from God for me, and whom I shall know only in heaven…. |
5-24-6 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 16-24-25 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-24-24 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 21-24-4 (A Saint), 24-24-17 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 24 | LC 102, July 17. |
14-24-19 |
6. …Saturday, at 2:00 in the morning, she coughed up blood : “I feel that I'm about to enter into my rest. But I feel especially that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making God loved as I love Him, of giving my little way to souls. If God answers my desires, my heaven will be spent on earth until the end of the world. Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth. This isn't impossible, since from the bosom of the beatific vision, the angels watch over us. “I can't make heaven a feast of rejoicing; I can't rest as long as there are souls to be saved. But when the angels will have said: ‘ Time is no more! (Apocalypse 10:6.) ’ then I will take my rest; I'll be able to rejoice, because the number of the elect will be complete and because all will have entered into joy and repose. My heart beats with joy at this thought.” |
17-24-25 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 24 | LC 105, Jul. 21. |
14-24-20 |
5. We are telling her she was fortunate in having been chosen by God
to tell souls about the way of confidence; she answered “ What does it matter whether it's I or someone else who gives this way to souls! as long as the way is pointed out; the instrument is unimportant.” |
|
| 24 | LC 106, Jul. 23. |
14-24-21 |
3. I was always telling her of my
fear that she'd have to suffer much more: “We who run in the way of love shouldn't be thinking of sufferings that can take place in the future; it's a lack of confidence, it's like meddling in the work of creation.” |
2-24-45 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 4-24-15 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 37-24-4 (Time) |
| 24 | LC 115, Jul. 27. |
14-24-22 |
15. She was having difficulty breathing, and I showed my sympathy
and sorrow for her: “Don't be disturbed; if I can't breathe, God will give me the strength to bear it. I love Him! He'll never abandon me.” |
16-24-28 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 24-24-19 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 24 | LC 126, Aug. 1. |
14-24-23 |
2. During Matins, with a reference to her autobiographical manuscripts: “After my death, you mustn't speak to anyone about my manuscript before it is published; you must speak about it only to Mother Prioress. If you act otherwise, the devil will make use of more than one trap to hinder the work of God, a very important work!” |
|
| 24 | LC 137, Aug. 6. |
14-24-24 |
4. “
I can depend on nothing, on no good works
of my own in order
to have confidence. For example, I'd like to be able to say
that I've carried out all my obligations of reciting my prayers
for the dead. This poverty, however, was a real light and a grace
for me. I was thinking that never in my life would I be able
to pay my debts to God; this was real riches, real strength for me,
if I wanted to take it in this way. “Then I made this prayer to God: O my God, I beg You, pay the debt that I have acquired with regard to the souls in purgatory, but do it as God, so that it be infinitely better than if I had said my Offices for the Dead. And then I remembered with great consolation these words of St. John of the Cross' canticle: ‘Pay all debts.’ I had always applied this to Love. I felt this grace can't be expressed in words; it's far too sweet! We experience such great peace when we're totally poor, when we depend upon no one except God.” |
4-24-17 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 5-24-8 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 8-24-18 (Weakness, Frailty), 9-24-3 (Poor in Spirit), 16-24-31 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-24-27 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-24-22 (Mercy of God, Graces), 28-24-12 (Peace), 29-24-4 (Consolation), 42-24-9 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 24 | LC 138 -139, Aug. 6. |
14-24-25 |
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), 11-24-5 (Nothingness), 16-24-33 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| 24 | LC 141, Aug. 8. |
14-24-26 |
2. She was gazing at the sky through the window of the infirmary,
and Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart said: “You look up at
the heavens with so much love!” She was very tired at
the moment, and she answered simply with a smile; later on
she confided what she was thinking to me: “Ah! she believed I was looking at the sky and thinking of the real heavens! No, it was simply because I admire the material heavens; the other is closed against me more and more. Then immediately I said to myself with great gentleness: Oh, certainly, it's really through love that I'm looking up at the sky; yes, it's through love for God, since everything that I do, my actions, my looks, everything, since my Offering, is done through love.” |
17-24-29 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 42-24-10 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 24 | LC 142, Aug. 8. |
14-24-27 | 3. “Today, I was thinking of my past life, about the courageous act I performed formerly at Christmas, and the praise directed to Judith came into my mind: ‘You have acted with manly courage, and your heart has been strengthened.’ (Judith 15:11.) Many souls say: I don't have the strength to accomplish this sacrifice. Let them do, then, what I did: exert a great effort. God never refuses that first grace that gives one the courage to act; afterwards, the heart is strengthened and one advances from victory to victory.” | 2-24-56 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 24-24-23 (Mercy of God, Graces), 47-24-4 (Consistency of Spirituality) |
| 24 | LC 147, Aug. 12. |
2-24-58 |
3. “Ever since the ear of corn, my sentiments regarding myself are even
lower. But how great the grace is that I received this morning when
the priest began the Confiteor before giving me Communion, and all
the Sisters continued. I saw Jesus very close to giving Himself to
me, and this confession appears to me as such a necessary humiliation.
‘I confess to Almighty God, to Blessed Virgin Mary, to all the saints,
that I have sinned exceedingly ….’ Oh! yes, I said to myself, they
do well to beg pardon from God and all the saints for me at this moment….
Like the publican, I felt I was a great sinner.
I found God to be so
merciful! I found it so touching to address oneself to the whole heavenly
court to obtain God's pardon through its intercession. Ah! I could hardly
keep from crying, and when the Sacred Host touched my lips, I was really
moved. “How extraordinary it is to have experienced this at the Confiteor! I believe it's because of my present disposition; I feel so miserable! My confidence is not lessened, on the contrary; and the word ‘miserable’ is not exact, because I am rich with all the divine treasures; but it's exactly because of this that I humble myself even more. When I think of all the graces God gave me, I restrain myself so as not to shed tears of gratitude continually. “I believe the tears I shed this morning were tears of perfect contrition. Ah! how impossible it is to give oneself such sentiments! It is the Holy Spirit, who gives them, He who ‘breathes where he wills.’” (John 3:8.) |
2-24-58 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 12-24-14 (Humility, Humbleness), 18-24-1 (Holy Communion), 24-24-25 (Mercy of God, Graces), 26-24-1 (Confession), 27-24-10 (Sinners, Sins), 34-24-3 (Repentence, Contrition), 38-24-3 (Disposition), |
| 24 | LC 217, Jul. 22, from a note of Celine. |
14-24-29 |
4. On July 22, I wrote to Aunt, Mme. Guerin: “The other day I was
reading a passage on the happiness of heaven to my little patient,
and she interrupted me, saying: “ That's not what attracts me….” “What then?” I asked: “ Oh! it's Love! To love, to be loved, and to return to the earth to make love loved….” |
17-24-32 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 24 | LC 257, Jul. from a note of Mother Agnes of Jesus. |
14-24-30 |
I was asking her about
the “way” she wanted to teach to souls
after her death: “Mother, it's the way of spiritual childhood, it's the way of confidence and total abandon. I want to teach them the little means that have so perfectly succeeded with me, to tell them there is only one thing to do here on earth: to cast at Jesus the flowers of little sacrifices, to take Him by caresses; this is the way I've taken Him, and it's for this that I shall be so well received.” |
2-24-52 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 4-24-18 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), |
| 24 | LC 281, Jul. 20 a note of Sr. Marie of the Eucha -rist. |
14-24-31 | …. I asked her the other day: “Did you sometimes refuse God anything?” She said: “No, I don't remember refusing Him anything. Even when I was very little, at the age of three, I began to refuse God nothing He was asking from me.” |
7-24-26 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 16-24-37 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| age ? |
LC 212 -213. from a note of Celine. |
14--32 |
When the promoter of the faith asked me at the canonical
process: “Why do you desire the beatification of Sister
Therese of the Child Jesus?” I answered that
it was solely
that her Little Way might become known to the world. I spoke
of it as a “Little Way” because the saint has consistently
used this expression when referring to that particular road
along which she was traveling to union with God. It was,
what we might call, the symbol of her school of spirituality. The promoter of the faith warned me, however: “Once you begin to speak of a special Way, the Cause is infallibly doomed; innumerable cases on record bear abundant witness to that.” “That is indeed too bad,” I replied, “but a fear of hindering the beatification of Sister Therese could never deter me from stressing the only important point that interests me – that her Little Way might be raised with her, so to speak, to the honors of the altar.” So I held out; nor did the cause suffer as a result. In fact, everything relating to the process began to move so rapidly that it was only a few years later that the decree on the heroicity of the virtues of Sister Therese was promulgated by the Sovereign Pontiff, Benedict XV. On that day, August 14, 1921, when His Holiness in his discourse officially raised The Way of Spiritual Childhood to its exalted rank in the life of the Church, my joy reached heights never again attained, not even on those other memorable days when my little sister Therese was first beatified and then canonized by Holy Mother Church. (note:an additional observation made by Celine, See pp.212-213 of the LC.) Through that hidden wisdom which is revealed to little ones, Therese possessed a special faculty for discovering again this door to eternal life and of pointing it out to others. Her Little Way was, in practice, the virtue of humility. But it also established her, unmistakably in the spirit of childhood. She used to delight in pointing out to me various passages of the Gospel where there is reference to this spirit of childhood. |
10--20 (Littleness), 12--18 (Humility, Humbleness), |