| Age | Sources and Pages | Code Number | Quotations | Relevant Key Words, Phrases and Their Code Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | SS 35. |
8-5-1 | And still I continued to be surrounded with the most delicate tenderness. Our Father's very affectionate heart seemed to be enriched now with a truly maternal love! You and Marie, Mother, were you not the most tender and selfless of mothers? Ah! if God had not showered His beneficent rays upon His little flower, she could never have accustomed herself to earth, for she was too weak to stand up against the rains and the storms. She needed warmth, a gentle dew, and the springtime breezes. Never were these lacking. Jesus had her find them beneath the snow of trial! |
2-5-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials). 39-5-1 (Pauline) |
| 8~9 | SS 72. |
8-8-1 | 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), 14-8-1 (The Little Way), 16-8-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 21-8-1 (A Saint), 24-8-1 (Mercy of God, Grace), 25-8-2 (Glory) |
| 9 | SS 57 -58. |
8-9-1 | …This was no doubt not said seriously, but little Therese had taken it seriously; and how she suffered when she heard her dear Pauline speaking one day to Marie about her coming entrance into Carmel. I didn't know what Carmel was, but I understood that Pauline was going to leave me to enter a convent. I understood, too, she would not wait for me and I was about to lose my second Mother! Ah! how can I express the anguish of my heart! In one instant, I understood what life was; until then, I had never seen it so sad; but it appeared to me in all its reality, and I saw it was nothing but a continual suffering and separation. I shed bitter tears because I did not yet understand the joy of sacrifice. I was weak, so weak that I consider it a great grace to have been able to support a trial which seemed to be far above my strength! |
2-9-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 23-9-1 (The Joy of Sufferings), 24-9-1 (Mercy of God, Grace), 39-9-1 (Pauline) |
| 11 | SS 77. |
8-11-1 | 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!… |
14-11-2 (The Little Way), 15-11-1 (Union with Jesus), 17-11-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 11 | SS 83 -84. |
8-11-2 |
…Without having drunk the empoisoned cup of a too ardent love of
creatures, I feel I cannot be mistaken. I have seen so many souls,
seduced by this false light, fly like poor moths and burn their
wings, and then return to the real and gentle light of Love that
gives them new wings which are more brilliant and delicate, so that
they can fly towards Jesus, that Divine Fire “which burns without
consuming.” Ah! I feel it! Jesus knew I was too feeble to be exposed
to temptation; perhaps I would have allowed myself to be burned
entirely by the misleading light had I seen it shining in my eyes.
It was not so for me, for I encountered only bitterness where
stronger souls met with joy, and they detached themselves from it
through fidelity.
I have no merit at all, then, in not having given
myself up to the love of creatures. I was preserved from it only
through God's mercy! I know that without Him, I could have fallen as low as St. Mary Magdalene, and the profound words of Our Lord to Simon resound with a great sweetness in my soul. I know that “ he to whom less is forgiven, LOVES less,” (Luke 7:47.) but I also know that Jesus has forgiven me more than St. Mary Magdalene since He forgave me in advance of preventing me from falling. Ah! I wish I could explain what I feel…. |
15-11-2 (Union with Jesus), 16-11-2 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-11-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-11-2 (Mercy of God, Grace), 45-11-1 (Magdalene) |
| 13 | SS 92 -93. |
8-13-1 | …God, who willed to call to Himself the smallest and weakest of all, hastened to develop her wings. He, who is pleased to show His goodness and power by using the least worthy instruments, willed to call me before calling Celine who no doubt merited this favor more. But Jesus knew how weak I was and it was for this reason He hid me first in the crevice of the rock.(Canticle of Canticles 2:14.) | |
| 14 | SS 105. |
8-14-1 | …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! |
9-14-1 (Poor in Spirit), 10-14-1 (Littleness), 14-14-3 (The Little Way), 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) |
| 15 | SS 149. |
8-15-1 | This is so true that, a few months after I entered, Father Pichon, having come for the Profession of Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, was surprised to see what God was doing in my soul. He told me that he was watching me at prayer in the choir one evening, and that he believed my fervor was childish and my way was very sweet. My interview with the good Father was a great consolation to me, but it was veiled in tears because I experienced much difficulty in confiding in him. I made a general confession, something I had never made before, and at its termination he spoke the most consoling words I ever heard in my life: “In the presence of God, the Blessed Virgin, and all the Saints, I DECLARE THAT YOU HAVE NEVER COMMITTED A MORTAL SIN.” Than (sic.) he added: “Thank God for what He had done for you; had He abandoned you, instead of being a little angel, you would have become a little demon.” I had no difficulty in believing it; I felt how weak and imperfect I was and gratitude flooded my soul. |
5-15-1 (Prayer, Meditation, Contemplation), 26-15-1 (Confession), 27-15-1 (Sinners, Sins), 29-15-1 (Consolation) |
| 15 | GCI 442, Jul. 5 -9, 1888, LT 55: to Sr. Agnes of Jesus. |
8-15-2 | Yes, I desire them, these agonies of the heart, these pinpricks about which the lamb speaks. What does it matter to the little reed if it bends? It is not afraid of breaking, for it has been planted at the edge of the waters, and, instead of touching the ground when it bends, it encounters only a beneficent wave which strengthens it and makes it want another storm to come and pass over its frail head. Its weakness gives rise to all its confidence. It cannot break since, no matter what happens to it, it wants only to see the gentle hand of its Jesus…. |
2-15-12 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 4-15-1 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 39-15-10 (Pauline) |
| 16 | GCI 577, July 14, 1889, LT 94: to Celine. |
8-16-1 | 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), 14-16-12 (The Little Way), 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 595, Nov. 21, 1889, LC 119: from Sr. Marie of the Angels. |
8-16-2 | …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), 9-16-1 (Poor in Spirits), 10-16-2 (Littleness), 12-16-3 (Humility, Humbleness), 14-16-14 (The Little Way), 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 | GCI 641, July 27 -29, 1890, LT 109: to Marie Guerin. |
8-17-1 |
…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)…. |
14-17-4 (The Little Way), 16-17-8 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 24-17-4 (Mercy of God, Grace), 28-17-1 (Peace) |
| 21 | GCII 851, April 26, 1894, LT 161: to Celine. |
8-21-1 | 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…. | 10-21-1 (Littleness), 14-21-2 (The Little Way), 17-21-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-21-1 (Mercy of God, Graces), 42-21-1 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 22 | SS 180. |
8-22-1 | …I understand, however, that all souls cannot be the same, that it is necessary there be different types in order to honor each of Go's perfections in a particular way. To me He has granted His infinite Mercy, and through it I contemplate and adore the other divine perfections! All of these perfections appear to be resplendent with love; even His Justice (and perhaps this even more so than the others) seems to me clothed in love. What a sweet joy it is to think that God is Just, i.e., that He takes into account our weakness, that He is perfectly aware of our fragile nature. What should I fear then? Ah! must not the infinitely just God, who deigns to pardon the faults of the prodigal son with so much kindness, be just also towards me who “am with Him always”? (Luke15:31.) | 16-22-6 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 17-22-6 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-22-5 (Mercy of God, Grace) |
| 22 | SS 188. |
8-22-2 | … Ah! if all weak and imperfect souls felt what the least of souls feels, that is, the soul of your little Therese, not one would despair of reaching the summit of the mount of love. Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude…. |
2-22-6 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 8-22-2 (Weakness, Frailty), 17-22-10 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 42-22-2 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 23 | SS 193. |
8-23-1 | O my Jesus! What is your answer to all my follies? Is there a soul more little, more powerless than mine? Nevertheless even because of my weakness, it has pleased You, O Lord, to grant my little childish desires and You desire, today, to grant other desires that are greater than the universe. |
10-23-1 (Littleness) |
| 23 | SS 195. |
8-23-2 | 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. |
11-23-1 (Nothingness), 14-23-1 (The Little Way), 17-23-1 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 23 | SS 198 -199. |
8-23-3 |
And yet after all these misdeeds, instead of going and hiding away
in a corner, to weep over its misery and to die of sorrow,
the little
bird turns towards its beloved Sun, presenting its wet wings to
its beneficent rays. It cries like a swallow and in its sweet song
it recounts in detail all its infidelities, thinking in the boldness
of its full trust that it will acquire in even greater fullness
the love of Him who came to call
not the just but sinners. (Matthew 9:11.)
And even if the Adorable Star remains deaf to the plaintive chirping
of the little creature, even if it remains hidden, well, the little
one will remain wet, accepting its numbness from the cold and rejoicing
in its suffering which it knows it deserves. O Jesus, Your little bird is happy to be weak and little…. |
4-23-1 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 10-23-3 (Littleness), 17-23-5 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 23-23-3 (The Joy of Sufferings), 27-23-1 (Sinners, Sins) |
| 23 | SS 200. |
8-23-4 |
O Jesus, allow me in my boundless gratitude to say to You that Your love reaches
unto folly. In the presence of this folly, how can You not desire that my heart
leap towards You? How can my confidence, then, have any limits? Ah! the saints
have committed their follies for You, and they have done great things because
they are eagles. Jesus, I am too little to perform great actions, and my own folly is this: to trust that Your Love will accept me as a victim. My folly consists in begging the eagles, my brothers, to obtain for me the favor of flying towards the Sun of Love with the Divine Eagle's own wings! As long as You desire it, O my Beloved, Your little bird will remain without strength and without wings and will always stay with its gaze fixed upon You. … … I feel that if You found a souls weaker and little than mine, which is impossible, You would be pleased to grant it still greater favors, provided it abandoned itself with total confidence to Your Infinite Mercy…. |
4-23-2 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 7-23-2 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 10-23-4 (Littleness), 17-23-6 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-23-1 (Mercy of God, Graces), 42-23-3 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 23 | GCII, p. 999, Sep. 17, 1896, LT197: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
8-23-5 | …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), 10-23-6 (Littleness), 14-23-5 (The Little Way), 17-23-12 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 24-23-2 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 23 | GCII 999- 1000, Sep. 17, 1896, LT 197: to Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart. |
8-23-6 | 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), 9-23-1 (Poor in Spirits), 10-23-7 (Littleness), 11-23-3 (Nothingness), 14-23-6 (The Little Way), 17-23-13 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity), 42-23-6 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 23 | GCII 1041 -1042, Dec. 26, 1896, LT 213: to l'abbe Bell- iere. |
8-23-7 |
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), 14-23-8 (The Little Way), 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 206. |
8-24-1 | …From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for not sparing me. Jesus knew very well that His little flower stood in need of the living waters of humiliation, for she was too weak to take root without this kind of help, and it was through you, dear Mother, that this blessing was given to me. |
2-24-1 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 12-24-1 (Humility, Humbleness) 12-24-1 (Humility, Humbleness) |
| 24 | SS 206. |
8-24-2 | …She preserves, in the bottom of her calyx, the precious drops of dew she has received, and these serve to remind her always how little and weak she is. All creatures can bow towards her, admire her, and shower their praises upon her. I don't know why this is, but none of this could add one single drop of false joy to the true joy she experiences in her heart. Here she sees herself as she really is in God's eyes: a poor little thing, nothing at all. |
10-24-1 (Littleness), 11-24-1 (Nothingness) |
| 24 | SS 207. |
8-24-3 |
…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. |
10-24-2 (Littleness), 14-24-1 (The Little Way), 16-24-1 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 21-24-1 (A Saint) |
| 24 | SS 210. |
8-24-4 | …I prefer to agree very simply that the Almighty has done great things in the soul of His divine Mother's child, and the greatest thing is to have shown her littleness, her impotence. | 10-24-4 (Littleness) |
| 24 | SS 220. |
8-24-5 | …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. | 10-24-5 (Littleness), 14-24-3 (The Little Way), 17-24-3 (Love Jesus, The Love of God, Charity) |
| 24 | SS220 -221. |
8-24-6 |
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. |
14-24-4 (The Little Way), 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 224. |
8-24-7 | …Later on, no doubt, the time in which I am now will appear filled with imperfections, but now I am astonished at nothing. I am not disturbed at seeing myself weakness itself. (2 Corinthians 12:5.) On the contrary, it is in my weakness that I glory, and I expect each day to discover new imperfections in myself. Remembering that “ charity covers a multitude of sins,” (Proverbs 10:12.) I draw from this rich mine which Jesus has opened up before me. | |
| 24 | GCII 1085, Apr. 25, 1897, LT 226: to l'abbe Bell- iere. |
8-24-8 |
…Oh, Brother!
I beg you to believe me. God has not given you as a sister
a great soul but a very little and a very imperfect one. Do not think that it is humility that prevents me from acknowledging the gifts of God. I know He has done great things in me, and I sing of this each day with joy. I remember that the one must love more who has been forgiven more, so I take care to make my life an act of love, and I am no longer disturbed at being a little soul; on the contrary, I take delight in this. That is why I dare to hope “my exile will be short,” but it is not because I am prepared. I feel that I shall never be prepared if the Lord does not see fit to transform me Himself. He can do so in one instant; after all the graces He has granted me, I still await this one from His infinite mercy. |
10-24-7 (Littleness), 12-24-3 (Humility, Humbleness), 24-24-7 (Mercy of God, Grace), 42-24-4 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 24 | GCII 1093 -1094, May 9, 1897, LT 226: to P. Rou -lland. |
8-24-9 | …I know one must be very pure to appear before the God of all Holiness, but I know, too, that the Lord is infinitely just; and it is this justice which frightens so many souls that is the object of my joy and confidence. To be just is not only to exercise severity in order to punish the guilty; it is also to recognize right intentions and to reward virtue. I expect as much from God's justice as from His mercy. It is because He is just that “He is compassionate and filled with gentleness, slow to punish, and abundant in mercy”, (Psalm 102:8.) for He knows our frailty, He remembers we are only dust. As a father has tenderness for his children, so the Lord has compassion on us!!… |
4-24-3 (Trust, Confidence, Abandonment), 24-24-8 (Mercy of God, Grace) |
| 24 | GCII 1121 -1122, Jun. 7, 1897, LT 243: to Sr. Gene- vieve. |
8-24-10 |
…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 … |
10-24-10 (Littleness), 11-24-4 (Nothingness), 12-24-4 (Humility, Humbleness), 14-24-9 (The Little Way), 16-24-11 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 42-24-5 (Works, Actions, Great Actions) |
| 24 | GCII 1133, June 21, 1897, LT 247: to l'abbe Bell- iere. |
8-24-11 |
…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), 12-24-5 (Humility, Humbleness), 14-24-11 (The Little Way), 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 | LC 46, May 20. |
8-24-12 | 1. “Someone told me I shall fear death. This could very well be true. There isn't anyone here more mistrustful of her feelings than I am. I never rely on my own ideas; I know how weak I am. However, I want to rejoice in the feeling that God gives me at the present moment. There will always be time to suffer the opposite.” | |
| 24 | LC 48, from May 21 to 26. |
8-24-13 | 6. “I've been told so much that I have courage, and this is so far from the truth, that I have said to myself: Well, then, you mustn't make a liar out of everybody! And so I set myself, with the help of grace, to the acquisition of courage. I've acted just like a warrior who, hearing himself always being praised for his bravery and knowing that he's nothing but a coward, ends up by being ashamed of the compliments and wants to be deserving of them.” | |
| 24 | LC 74, Jul. 5. |
8-24-14 |
1. I was talking to her about my weak points, and she said: “I have my weakness also, but I rejoice in them. I don't always succeed either in rising above the nothings of this earth; for example, I will be tormented by a foolish thing I said or did. Then I enter into myself, and I say: Alas, I'm still at the same place as I was formerly! But I tell myself this with great gentleness and without any sadness! It's so good to feel that one is weak and little!” |
10-24-12 (Littleness) |
| 24 | LC 93, Jul. 13. |
8-24-15 |
9. “When Sister Genevieve used to come to visit me, I wasn't
able to say all I wanted to say in a half hour. Then, during
the week, whenever I had a thought or else was sorry for
having forgotten to tell her something, I would ask God
to let her know and understand what I was thinking about, and
in the next visit she'd speak to me exactly about the thing
I had asked God to let her know. “At the beginning, when she was really suffering and I was unable to console her, I would leave the visit with a heavy heart, but I soon understood it wasn't I who could console anyone; and then I was no longer troubled when she left very sad. I begged God to supply for my weakness, and I felt he answered me. I would see this in the following visit. Since that time, whenever I involuntarily caused anyone any trouble, I would beg God to repair it, and then I no longer tormented myself with the matter.” |
|
| 24 | LC 103 -104, Jul. 20. |
8-24-16 |
1. She coughed up blood at three in the morning. “What would you have done had one of us been sick instead of you? Would you have come to the infirmary during the recreation periods?” I asked. “I would have gone directly to recreation, without asking for any information. However, I'd have done this quite simply so that no one would notice the sacrifice I was making. If I had come to the infirmary, it would have been to please others and not to satisfy myself. I would do all this in order to accomplish my little task and to draw down grace upon you, which the seeking of myself would certainly not accomplish. I myself would have drawn great strength from this sacrifices. If at times through weakness, I would have acted otherwise, I would not have been discouraged. I would have been careful to make up for my failures by depriving myself still more, without allowing this to be seen by others.” |
2-24-43 (Sufferings, Sacrifices, Crosses, Trials), 3-24-6 (Silence, Hidden), 7-24-18 (Renunciation, Forget Self), 24-24-18 (Mercy of God, Graces) |
| 24 | LC 129, Aug. 3. |
8-24-17 |
2. I was telling her that she must have had to struggle a lot in
order to become perfect: “Oh, it's not that!” Novissima Verba adds (The authenticity of this text is questionable): And a little later she said: “Sanctity does not consist in this or that practice; it consists in a disposition of heart which makes us humble and little in the arms of God, conscious of our weakness, and confident to the point of audacity in the goodness of our Father.” |
10-24-14 (Littleness), 12-24-10 (Humility, Humbleness), 16-24-29 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity), 38-24-2 (Disposition) |
| 24 | LC 137, Aug. 6. |
8-24-18 |
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), 9-24-3 (Poor in Spirit), 14-24-24 (The Little Way), 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. |
8-24-19 |
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), 10-24-15 (Littleness), 11-24-5 (Nothingness), 14-24-25 (The Little Way), 16-24-33 (His Will, Perfection, Sanctity) |
| 24 | LC 181, Sep. 2. |
8-24-20 | 6. “When we accept our disappointment at our failures, God immediately returns to us." |
7-24-23 (Renunciation, Forget Self) |
| 24 | LC 199, Sep. 25. |
8-24-21 |
1. I had told her what was said in recreation regarding
Father Youf (the Chaplain), who had a great fear of death.
The Sisters were speaking about the responsibility of
those who were in charge of souls and those who lived a long life. “As far as little ones are concerned, they will be judged with great gentleness. And one can remain little, even in the most formidable offices, even when living for a long time. If I were to die at the age of eighty, if I were in China, anywhere, I would still die, I feel, as little as I am today. And it is written: ‘At the end, the Lord will rise up to save the gentle and the humble of the earth.’ (Psalm 75:10.) It doesn't say ‘to judge,’ but ‘to save.’” |
10-24-18 (Littleness) |