From Mother Marie de Gonzague to Thérèse. About December 13, 1888
My darling grain of sand laughed at my jackpot from Panama compared to his little humiliation... my darling angel must know that Jesus does not care so much about the value, the grandeur, the size of the gift as we offer Him only in the manner of offering Him the present; a very small humiliation well received, accepted with joy, is worth more to the heart of Jesus than all the greatest crosses in the world, if there is nestled in their acceptance a little self-searching, a little grain of vanity, a a bit of self-love, an iota of something unworthy of the heart of Jesus!... May my little nothing prepare itself well by all the thorns of each hour encountered under its feet for the great grace granted by the Divine Child during the month of January, month dedicated to the Divine Childhood.... May everything be offered to obtain from Jesus the grace to understand this favor as much as the mind of man can grasp it, because in heaven only will we understand the signal honor that the Divine Spouse does to our souls by uniting them to Himself.
Our united hearts in the C. of Jesus.
