Thoughts of Saint Thérèse of the Child JesusThérèse, de Lisieux, Saint
Religion
Thoughts of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Thérèse, de Lisieux, Saint
Meditations
A SISTER showed her a photograph representing Joan of Arc
consoled in the prison by her Voices. Sœur Thérèse said: "I too
am consoled by an interior voice. The Saints encourage me from
above, they say to me: 'So long as thou art in fetters thou
canst not fulfil thy mission; but later, after thy death--_then_
will be the time of thy conquests.'"
COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES
IN Heaven the good God will do all I wish, because I have never
done my own will upon earth.
COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES
EVEN now I know it; yes, all my hopes will be fulfilled . . .
yes . . . the Lord will work wonders for me which will surpass
infinitely my immeasurable desires.
VIII LETTER TO MÈRE AGNÈS DE JÉSUS
HUMILITY
IT appears to me that humility is the truth. I know not whether
I am humble, but I know that I see the truth in all things.
COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES
I HAVE understood what true glory is. He whose _Kingdom is not
of this world_ [1] showed me that the only enviable royalty
consists in loving _to be unknown and esteemed as nothing_, [2]
and finding our joy in contempt of self. I wished that like the
Face of Jesus, mine might be _as it were hidden and despised_.
[3] _That none upon earth might esteem me_. I thirsted to suffer
and to be forgotten.
HIST. D'UNE AME, CH. VII
[1] John, xviii, 36.
[2] _Imit_., I, ii, 3.
[3] Is., liii, 3.
JESUS made me understand that the true, the only glory is that
which will last for ever; that to attain to it we need not
perform wonderful deeds, but rather, those hidden from the eyes
of others and from self, so that _the left hand knoweth not what
the right hand doth_. [4]
HIST. D'UNE AME, CH. IV
[4] Matt., vi, 3.
THÉRÈSE is weak, very weak; of this she has new and salutary
experience every day. But Jesus takes pleasure in teaching her
how to _glory in her infirmities_. [5] It is a great grace this,
for herein is found peace and tranquillity. When we see
ourselves so miserable, we wish no longer to look at self but
only on the Well-Beloved.
II LETTER TO HER COUSIN MARIE GUÉRIN
[5] II Cor., xi, 5.
I AM a _very little_ soul who can offer only _very little_
things to the good God; yet, it often happens that these little
sacrifices which give such peace to the heart escape me; but
that does not discourage me, I bear with having a little less
peace and I try to be more watchful another time.
HIST. D'UNE AME, CH. X
VEILED in the white Host, O my Well-Beloved, how meek and humble
of heart dost Thou show Thyself to me! Thou couldst not stoop
lower to teach me humility, and I, to respond to Thy Love,
desire to put myself in the lowest place and share Thy
humiliations, that I may _have part with Thee_ [6] in the
Kingdom of Heaven.
I beseech Thee, my Jesus, to send me some humiliation every time
that I shall attempt to put myself above others.
HIST. D'UNE AME, APPENDIX
[6] John, xiii, 8.
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