21th January 1894
JMJT
The dream of the Child Jesus.
Text accompanying a painting painted by Thérèse
While playing with the flowers that his beloved wife brought him in her crib, Jesus thinks of what He will do to thank her... Up in the Celestial gardens, the angels, servants of the Divine Child, are already weaving the crowns that his heart has reserved for his beloved.
However, night came. The moon sends its silvery radiance and the sweet Child Jesus falls asleep... His little hand does not leave the flowers that delighted him during the day and his heart continues to dream of the happiness of his beloved wife.
Soon, He catches a glimpse of strange objects in the distance that have no resemblance to spring flowers. A cross!... A spear!... A crown of thorns! and yet the Divine Child does not tremble. This is what He chooses to show his wife how much He loves her!... But it is still not enough, his childish face and so beautiful, He sees it disfigured, bleeding!...unrecognizable!.. Jesus knows well that his wife will always recognize him, that she will be at his side, when all will abandon him, so the Divine Child smiles at this bloody image, He smiles again at the chalice filled with wine that makes virgins germinate. . He knows that in his Eucharist the ungrateful will abandon him, but Jesus thinks of the love of his spouse, of her delicacies. He sees the flowers of his virtues fragrant in the Sanctuary and the child Jesus continues to sleep gently... He waits for the shadows to decline... for the night of life to be replaced by the radiant day of eternity!...
It is then that Jesus will return to his beloved spouse the flowers she gave him consoling him on earth... It is then that He will incline his Divine Face towards her, all radiant with glory and He will make his Wife taste eternally the ineffable sweetness of his divine kiss!!!...
My darling mother,
You have just read the dream that your child wanted to reproduce for your party. But unfortunately ! it is your artist's brush that alone could have painted such a sweet mystery!... I hope that you will only look at the goodwill of the one who would be so happy to please you.
It is you, my Mother, it is your virtues that I wanted to represent by the little flowers that Jesus presses to his heart. Flowers are good for Jesus alone! yes, the virtues of my dear Mother will always remain hidden with the little Child in the nursery, however, despite the humility that would like to veil them, the mysterious perfume that escapes from these flowers already makes me sense the wonders that I will see one day. day in the eternal Homeland when I will be allowed to contemplate the treasures of tenderness that you now lavish on Jesus.
O my Mother! you know, I will never be able to express to you all my gratitude for having guided me like an angel from Heaven in the middle of the paths of life; it was you who taught me to know Jesus, to love him; now that you are doubly my Mother, oh! always lead me towards the Beloved, teach me to practice virtue so that in Heaven I am not placed too far from you and so that you can recognize me for your child and your little sister.
Thérèse of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face rel.carm.ind. [unworthy Carmelite nun]
