(Carmel of Lisieux) JMJT
Wednesday evening - February 24, 1897
Jesus
The Reverend,
Before entering into the silence of the holy quarantine, I would like to add a short note to the letter from Our Venerable Mother, to thank you for the one you sent me last month.
If you experience consolation in thinking that in Carmel, a sister prays unceasingly for you, my gratitude is no less great than yours towards Our Lord who has given me a little brother whom He intends to become his Priest and his Apostle... Truly you will only know in Heaven how dear you are to me. I feel that our souls are made to understand each other, your prose that you say: “rough and short” reveals to me that Jesus has placed in your heart aspirations that He only gives to souls called to the highest holiness. Since He Himself chose me to be your sister, I hope that He will not look at my weakness or rather that He will use this very weakness to do His work; for the Mighty God likes to show his power by using nothing.- United in Him, our souls will be able to save many others because this gentle Jesus said: "If two of you agree together, something let them ask my Father, it will be granted to them.” Ah! what we ask Him is to work for his glory, to love him and make him loved... How could our union and our prayer not be blessed?
Father, since the canticle on love gave you pleasure, our Good Mother told me to copy several others for you, but you will not receive them for a few weeks, because I have few free moments. even on Sundays because of my job as sacristan. These poor poems will reveal to you not what I am, but what I would like and should be... In composing them I looked more at the bottom than at the form, also the rules of verse are not always respected , my goal was to translate my feelings (or rather the feelings of the Carmelite) in order to respond to the desires of my sisters. These verses are more suitable for a nun than for a seminarian, but I hope they will please you. Is not your soul the bride of the Divine Lamb and will it not soon become his bride, on the blessed day of your ordination to the Sub-Diaconate?
I thank, Father, for having chosen me as godmother of the first child that you will have the joy of baptizing, it is therefore up to me to choose the names of my future godchild; I wish to give him as protectors the Blessed Virgin, St Joseph and St Maurice, patron saint of my dear little brother. Doubtless this child still exists only in the thought of the Good Lord, but I am already praying for him and fulfilling my duties as godmother in advance. I also pray for all the souls entrusted to you and above all I beg Jesus to embellish yours with all the virtues and especially with his love. You tell me that very often you also pray for your sister; since you have this charity, I would be very happy if every day you agree to say for her this prayer which contains all her desires: "Merciful Father, in the name of our Sweet Jesus, of the Virgin Mary and of the Saints, I ask you to set my sister on fire with your Spirit of Love and grant her the grace to make you loved a lot.” You promised me to pray for me all your life, no doubt it will be longer than mine and you are not allowed to sing like me: “I hope my exile will be short!... but neither are you permitted to forget your promise. If the Lord takes me with Him soon, I ask you to continue the same little prayer every day, for I would desire in Heaven the same thing as on earth: to love Jesus and make Him loved.
Father, you must find me very strange, perhaps you regret having a sister who seems to want to go and enjoy eternal rest and leave you to work alone... but don't worry, the only thing I want , it is the will of the Good Lord, and I admit that if in Heaven I could no longer work for his glory, I would prefer exile to my homeland.
I don't know the future, however if Jesus fulfills my presentiments, I promise to remain your little sister Up there. Our union far from being broken will become more intimate, then there will be no more fences, no more gates and my soul will be able to fly with you in distant missions. Our roles will remain the same, to you the apostolic arms, to me prayer and love...
Monsieur l'Abbé, I realize that I am forgetting myself, it is late, in a few minutes the divine office will ring and yet I still have a request to make of you. memorable dates in your life so that I can join you in a very special way in thanking Our Sweet Savior for the graces He has granted you.
In the Sacred Heart of Jesus-Host which will soon be exposed to our adoration, I am happy to say to myself forever:
Your tiny and unworthy Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face rel.carm.ind.
