the Carmel
Therese's correspondence LT 141 – To Celine – April 25, 1893

DE  
MARTIN Thérèse, Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus
À 
MARTIN Céline, Sister Geneviève of the Holy Face

25/04/1893

JMJT

Jesus

In Carmel April 25, 93

                My dear Celine,

                I'm going to tell you a thought that came to me this morning, or rather I'm going to share with you Jesus' desires for your soul... When I think of you with the only friend of our souls, it is always simplicity that presents itself to me as the distinctive character of your heart... Celine!... simple little flower Céline, does not envy garden flowers. Jesus did not tell us: "I am the flower of the garden, the cultivated rose", but he tells us: "I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys." Well ! I thought this morning near the tabernacle that my Céline, the little flower of Jesus, must be and always remain a drop of dew hidden in the divine corolla of the beautiful lily of the valleys. A drop of dew, what could be simpler and purer? It is not the clouds that formed it since when the azure of the Sky is starry the dew descends on the flowers, it is not comparable to the rain which it exceeds in freshness and beauty. The dew exists only at night; as soon as the Sun shines its warm rays it distils the charming pearls which sparkle at the ends of the blades of prairie grass and the dew changes into a light vapor. Céline is a small drop of dew which was not formed by the clouds, but which descended from the beautiful Heaven of her homeland. During the night of life, her own mission is to hide in the heart of the flower of the fields, no human gaze should discover her there, the only chalice which possesses the little droplet will experience its freshness. Happy little dewdrop that is known only to Jesus!... do not stop to consider the course of the resounding rivers which make the admiration of creatures. Do not even envy the clear stream which meanders in the meadow. No doubt his murmur is very soft... But creatures can hear it... and then the chalice of the flower of the fields cannot contain it. It cannot be for Jesus alone. To belong to Him, one must be small, as small as a drop of dew!... Oh ! how few souls aspire to remain so small!... But, say they, are not the river and the stream more useful than the drop of dew, what does it do? it is good for nothing except to refresh for a few moments a flower of the fields which is today and which tomorrow will have disappeared... No doubt these people are right, the dewdrop is only good for that, but they don't know the rural flower that wanted to live in our land of exile and stay there for the short night of life. If they knew her they would understand the reproach that Jesus once made to Martha... Our beloved does not need our beautiful thoughts, our brilliant works; if he wants sublime thoughts, does he not have his angels, his legions of celestial spirits whose science infinitely surpasses that of the greatest geniuses of our sad earth?... It is therefore not the spirit and the talents that Jesus came to seek here below. He made himself the flower of the field only to show us how much He cherishes simplicity. The lily of the valley aspires only after a small drop of dew... And that is why He created one called Céline!... During the night of life it must remain hidden from all human gaze, but when the shadows begin to decline, when the flower of the field has become the Sun of justice, when He comes to fulfill his giant course, will you forget? -He his little dewdrop?... Oh no ! as soon as he appears in glory, the companion of his exile will also appear there. The divine Sun will stop on her one of his rays of love, and immediately will show itself to the eyes of the dazzled angels and saints the poor little drop of dew which will sparkle like a precious diamond which, reflecting the Sun of justice, will have become similar to Him. But that's not all. The divine star, looking at its dewdrop, will attract it towards Him, it will rise like a light vapor and will settle for eternity in the heart of the burning hearth of uncreated love, and it will always be united to Him.
                In what astonishment will then be plunged those who in this world had considered the little drop of dew useless!... No doubt they will have an excuse, the gift of God had not been revealed to them, they had not approached their heart of that of the flower of the fields and had not heard those catchy words: "Give me a drink." Jesus does not call all souls to be drops of dew, He wants there to be precious liquors that creatures appreciate, which relieve them in their needs, but for Him he reserves a drop of dew, that is his whole ambition...

                What a privilege to be called to such a lofty mission!... But to respond to it as one must remain simple... Jesus knows well that on earth it is difficult to remain pure, so he wants his dew drops are unaware of themselves, He likes to contemplate them but He alone looks at them, and for them, not knowing their value, they consider themselves below other creatures... This is what the Lily of the valleys desires. The little dewdrop, Céline, understood... This is the purpose for which Jesus created her, but she must not forget her poor little Sister, she must get her to realize what Jesus made it clear, so that one day the same ray of love distills the two little drops of dew and that together they can, after having been one on earth, be united for eternity within the Divine sun.

Thérèse of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face rel.carm.ind.

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