From Sister Marie‑Dosithée to Mr. and Mrs. Guérin. June 9, 1872.
V. + J.
From our, Mother of Le Mans
the 9 June 1872
My dear brother and my dear sister,
I take advantage of Pauline's letter to write you a little note (Pauline's letter on the back of this one is dated June 13).
How are you? I am worried about your health; the weather is so unfavorable this year; we can clearly see that the good Lord is angry, because all the elements seem conjured up for our loss, joined to all the other evils that threaten us, and which will probably arrive one way or another. Yet here we are in the month of June, Zélie has told me so many things for this month: I'm starting to doubt her predictions, they don't seem about to come true yet, it's true that it doesn't take much of time: I don't think it will be as we think, things don't usually happen as we planned. What is certain is that we are not out of the woods, yet there would be a very simple way, that would be to come back to God, which is not done.
I just had a vision of Heaven. The procession of the Blessed Sacrament comes every two years to our chapel; it was this year (Procession on the Sunday following the Friday of the Sacred Heart); I cannot tell you the impression I feel each time; when I consider the kindness of NS who thus allows anything to be done with him. My God, how happy we are to belong to him! It's a foretaste of Heaven... And those unfortunate people who want to tear faith from the hearts of the poor and the unfortunate: but that's throwing them into despair! It is to deprive them of all their happiness and their treasure! What then are the treasures of the earth? But a real chimera! and honors? Does not a poor servant who [1v°] take communion equal the greatest lady on earth who is by her side at the Holy Table! Oh! that is true equality and it is only there. But back to our procession. Our little chapel was splendidly decorated and a real gem, but never beautiful enough for the divine guest who was to visit it. I was able to catch a glimpse of it through a window overlooking the chapel (Sister Marie‑Dosithée was cloistered and could not go to the chapel open to the public) and what gave me great pleasure to see was all those little heads of Virgins which appeared above the gallery of the tribune, they seemed so innocent and so modest all those little boarders, coming out to meet Our Lord, covered with their great veils of tulle which descend to the feet and crowned with ruffles of tulle which suited them perfectly, of course your two nieces were part of the procession.
Please pray a lot so that my little Pauline has a good first communion. It is such a serious thing and has a great influence for all the rest of life, that I always fear that its natural levity will deprive it of some of the graces it should receive. She is doing well now and seems to me to want to be a good little girl. Marie always supports herself in the right way, she continues to have the honor roll: I am happy with her studies, she applies herself with all her heart and although my big daughter still has a lot of faults, with the grace of God and the good will she shows, all of this will disappear with time.
My health is not bad, my heart is always in good condition towards you, for I love you dearly and all that is yours and you have no doubt of it, nor I of yours towards me. We will soon be reunited with the Father and the Mother (Mr. and Mrs. Guérin, deceased); time is advancing and eternity is approaching, which gives me great pleasure; work well for it and we will see our last day come with a laughing face. Amen.
I embrace you all with all the affection of which I am capable.
Your devoted sister
Sr. M. Dosithee Guérin
From the Von Ste Marie.
D.S.B.
