Early December 1888
JMJT
Jesus in Carmel on December 88
My dear Mistress,
I am very touched by your kind invitation. It was with pleasure that I received the dear circular from the children of Mary. Certainly I will not fail to assist with my heart at this beautiful feast, for was it not in this blessed chapel that the Blessed Virgin was kind enough to adopt me for her child on the fine day of my First Communion and on that of my reception into the Congregation of the Children of Mary. I could not forget, my dear Mistress, how good you were to me at the time of these great epochs of my life, and I cannot doubt that the signal grace of my religious vocation took its seed in this happy day when surrounded by my good Mistresses, I consecrated myself to Mary at the foot of her altar, choosing her especially for my Mother, when in the morning I had received Jesus for the first time. I like to believe that she did not look then at my unworthiness and at the dear Mistresses who had so carefully prepared my heart to receive there her divine son; I like to believe that it is for this reason that she wanted to make me become even more perfectly her child by giving me the great grace of taking me to Carmel.
I believe, my dear Mistress, that you have been informed of my beloved Father's illness; I feared for a few days that the good Lord would snatch him from my tenderness, but Jesus condescended to do me the grace to restore him for the time of my taking the habit; I counted on writing to you every day to inform you of my reception at the chapter, but not knowing the moment that Monsignor would like to set, I was still waiting. I hope, my dear Mistress, that you have not taken this delay for indifference, oh! no, my heart is still the same, I believe that since my entry into Carmel, it has become even more tender and more loving; also I often think of all my good Mistresses and I like to name them in particular to Jesus during the blessed hours that I pass at his feet. I dare to ask you, my dear Mistress, to kindly be my interpreter with them to recall me to their religious memory, in particular to that of Madame the Prioress, for whom I retain the most filial and grateful affection. Please, also, do not forget me with my happy companions, of whom I always remain the little sister in Mary.
Farewell, my dear Mistress, I hope that you will not forget in your holy prayers the one who is and will always be your grateful child.
Sr Thérèse of the Child Jesus post.carm.ind.
