One day when I had an ardent desire for humiliation, it happened that a young postulant so fully satisfied it, that the thought of Semei cursing David came to my mind and I repeated interiorly with the holy King: _Yes, it is indeed the Lord who has commanded him to say all these things to me_.[33] Thus the good God takes care of me. He cannot always offer me the strength-giving bread of exterior humiliation, but from time to time He permits me to feast upon _the crumbs that fall from the table of the children_.[34] How great is His Mercy! HIST. D’UNE AME, CH. X All creatures might incline towards _the little flower_, admiring it and overwhelming it with their praise, but never would that add a shadow of vain satisfaction to the true joy of knowing itself to be a mere nothing in the sight of God. HIST. D’UNE AME, CH. IX Because I was little and weak, Jesus stooped down to me and tenderly instructed me in the secrets of His Love. HIST. D’UNE AME, CH. V I am too little to have any vanity, I am also too little to know how to turn beautiful phrases so as to make it appear that I have a great deal of humility. I prefer to acknowledge simply that _He that is mighty hath done great things to me_;[35] and the greatest is His having shown me my littleness, my powerlessness for all good. HIST. D’UNE AME, CH. IX The only thing not subject to be envied is the lowest place, it is therefore this lowest place alone which is without vanity and affliction of spirit. Still, _the way of a man is not always in his power_[36] and sometimes we are surprised by a desire for that which glitters. Then, let us take our place humbly amongst the imperfect, deeming ourselves little souls whom the good God must sustain at each moment. As soon as He sees us truly convinced of our nothingness and we say to Him: _My foot hath slipped: Thy mercy, O Lord, hath held me up_,[37] He stretches out His Hand to us; but if we _will_ attempt to do something grand, even under pretext of zeal, He leaves us alone. It is enough therefore that we humble ourselves, and bear our imperfections with sweetness: there, for us, lies true sanctity. COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES The most eloquent discourses would be incapable of inspiring one act of love without the grace that moves the heart. See a beautiful, rose-tinted peach, of so sweet a savour that no craft of confectioner could produce nectar like it. Is it for the peach itself that God has created this lovely colour and delicate velvety surface? Is it for the sake of the peach that He has given it so delicious a flavour? No, it is for us; what alone belongs to it and forms the essence of its existence is its stone; it possesses nothing more.