From Sister Marie-Dosithée Guérin to Mme Martin.
G+J
From our Le Mans Monastery
February 15, 1867
Dear Little Sister,
I received your dispatch yesterday evening at half past five, our little angel (Joseph) was already in Heaven. Dear Sister, how shall I comfort you? I myself need consolation, I am all trembling and yet well resigned to the Will of God. He gave it to us, He took it away from us, bless his holy name!
I will tell you that, since his birth, I have always had a presentiment of what has happened; it was requested under such conditions that, in the century in which we live, one can hardly realize them except by dying at the age at which he died.
Poor little child, he is in heaven, without having gone through the sufferings of life, he has not offended God, he is going to present his baptismal robe to his Creator without any stains, he is going to be the protector of his family. Now, I will always turn to him to obtain graces, because, dear Sister, believe it well, the inhabitants of heaven have well-ordered charity and they are interested first of all in their family and in those who have done them good. good here.
This morning, at Holy Communion, as I begged Our Lord to leave it to us (Sister Marie-Dosithée had only received the dispatch of the 14th and not yet the letter informing her of the death of little Joseph), that moreover, we wanted to raise him only for his glory and for the conquest of the poor souls, it seemed to me inside to hear this answer that "He wanted the firstfruits and would later give you another child who would be as we desire".
Another reason for consolation: these little angels do not all have the same beatitude, but their glory is greater according as they have been more conformed to Jesus Christ, through suffering. So, since your poor little Joseph has suffered a lot, his sufferings, although unconscious, have earned him an immense weight of glory.
You ask me if your child loves you, if he will recognize you in Heaven, if you will see him again? I have only one thing to tell you, and that is that there is no shadow of a doubt about it. For me, in the midst of my pain, I experience a tangible joy in thinking of this blessed soul who protects us and looks at us with tender affection.
I believe, my dear little Zélie, that you would do well to come and see me, we would console ourselves together; but above all write to me as often as you like, I will try to give you all the consolations that are in my power.
If you only knew how good the community is!. . . Yesterday evening I had you recommended to prayers, all our sisters gave me such marks of sympathy in this circumstance that I feel very grateful to them. Sometimes our good Mother took me out of prayer to console me and tell me to write to you, she has all the delicacies of holy charity, so I pray the good Lord to give her a hundredfold all that she made for us.
And your poor husband, how sorry he must be! Tell him that this letter and all the feelings I express in it are also for him.
