← [[f2-c-08|Charity — Manuscript C, Chapter X]] | [[formation-II-c-handbook-toc|Table of Contents]] | [[f2-c-10|Those Whom You Have Given Me — Final Hours (Part II)]] → # Those Whom You Have Given Me — Final Hours (Part I) Explanatory note: At the beginning of July 1897, Thérèse was moved from her cell to the infirmary that was situated on the ground floor of the monastery. She was so weak that she could no longer hold a pen, so she used a small pencil to write her last letter (dated August 10, 1897, to Maurice Belliere, a young seminarian) and the final pages of Story of a Soul. Thérèse continued to write down her spiritual insights despite her poor health. **Required Reading:**Story of a Soul, chapter XI, pg. 373-393 Additional Reading: Commentary pages 405-417; Epilogue and Appendices, pg. 419-436 # Essential Points to Discuss • Thérèse discovered a new form of attachment (gift of the intellect) which demanded a new form of detachment. In the monastery, she shared her spiritual wisdom freely with her sisters. At times she noticed that another sister passed off Thérèse’s spiritual insights as her own. Thérèse said nothing to try to reclaim her insights because “... Jesus has given me the grace of not being any more attached to the goods of the mind and heart than to those of the earth…This thought belongs to the Holy Spirit and not to me… He is therefore free to use me to give a good thought to a soul; and if I think this inspiration belongs to me, I would be like ‘the donkey carrying the relics’ who believed the reverence paid to the saints was being directed to him. ” She received “the grace of not being any more attached to the goods of the mind and heart than to those of earth” (pg.374). “The reason Thérèse was able to be detached from her spiritual insights is that she possessed the knowledge that her insights could only nourish her soul if she were detached from them” (pg. 405). • Within this context, Thérèse follows the teaching of St. John of the Cross. It is John’s teaching that all the goods of earth and heaven are meant to help us on the way to salvation, but they can become obstacles if we relate to them with possessiveness. This is true even of the most spiritual gifts. For example, John tells us that God will often shower a soul with sensible consolations in prayer for the sake of weaning it away from the things of the world. Thus, a consoling experience of God’s presence can be beneficial to our spiritual growth, but if a person becomes attached to consolation, then it becomes an obstacle on the path, for the person begins to seek a consoling experience and ceases to seek God, who granted the experience. As John writes, “Some [people] let themselves be encumbered by the very consolations and favors God bestows on them for the sake of advancing, and they advance not at all” (Ascent, Prologue, 117; Story of a Soul, Reflection, pg. 407. • “I do not hold in contempt beautiful thoughts which nourish the soul and unite it with God; but for a long time I have understood that we must not depend on 40 them and even make perfection consist in receiving many spiritual lights. The most beautiful thoughts are nothing without good works” (pg. 374). • “…whenever we feed our ego, we starve our spirit in the process, for it is only the love of God, not the approval and applause of the world, that can nourish our spirits” (pg. 410). • Consequently, Thérèse saw herself as an instrument of God by using an image of a little paint brush. “My dear Mother, I am a little brush that Jesus has chosen in order to paint His own image in the souls you entrusted to my care” (pg. 376). At first, Thérèse found the task difficult because she feared that her novices might judge her to be too severe. Nevertheless, she did not allow her fear to stand in the way of doing her duty. “… but I did this with such tender expressions and showed her such a great affection that very soon her tears were mingled with mine. She acknowledged with great humility that what I was saying was true, and she promised to commence a new life, asking me as a favor always to let her know her faults… ‘A brother who is helped by a brother is like a strong city’” (Proverbs 18:19, pg. 377-378). • “There is much to reflect upon here. For Thérèse, fraternal correction was always an act of love. May it be the same with us, for there is always the danger that we can use truth as a blunt instrument, under the guise of ‘tough love.’ Honesty and telling the truth are not synonymous: truth is a statement of fact; but honesty is a virtue guided by love. We need to examine our motive before we speak. We need to be sure that we are not using truth in the service of evil” (pg. 413). • From 1893 to 1896, Thérèse was assigned to watch over the postulants in the novitiate and help them to adapt to the Carmelite life in a community setting. Her immediate thought was that the task would be impossible. However, the moment she realized that God is the “Master Artist,” the task no longer seemed difficult. Hence, Thérèse (like the rest of us) learned valuable lessons when she was helping postulants. a. “From a distance it appears all roses to do good to souls, making them love God more and molding them according to one’s personal views and ideas. At close range it is totally the contrary, the roses disappear; one feels that to do good is as impossible without God’s help as to make the sun shine at night” (pg. 380). b. “One feels it is absolutely necessary to forget one’s likings, one’s personal conceptions, and to guide souls along the road which Jesus has traced out for them without trying to make them walk one’s own way” (pg. 380). c. “With the grace of Jesus, never have I tried to attract their hearts to me; I understood that my mission was to lead them to God…” (pg. 381). d. “It is impossible to act with all in the same manner. With certain souls, I feel I must make myself little, not fearing to humble myself by admitting my own struggles and defects; seeing I have the same weakness as they, my little Sisters in their turn admit their faults and rejoice because I understand them through experience. With others, on the contrary, I have seen that to do them any good I must be very firm 41 and never go back on a decision once it is made. To abase oneself would not then be humility but weakness. God has given me the grace not to fear the battle; I must do my duty at all costs” (pg. 381). e. “... I am very happy to be able to follow the inclination of my heart and not serve up a bitter dish. Yes, but I notice quickly that I must not advance too far, one word could destroy the beautiful edifice constructed in tears” (pg. 382). f. By the grace of God, Thérèse understood: “Ah! it is prayer, it is sacrifice which give me all my strength; these are the invincible weapons which Jesus has given me. They can touch souls much better than words, as I have frequently experienced” (pg. 382). • “For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus” (pg. 384). • Thérèse continues to observe the community life with a keen eye of wisdom: “I have noticed (and this is very natural) that the most saintly Sisters are the most loved. We seek their company; we render them services without their asking…On the other hand, imperfect souls are not sought out. … [I realized,] I must seek out in recreation, on free days, the company of Sisters who are least agreeable to me in order to carry out with regards to these wounded souls the office of the good Samaritan… He [Jesus] gives in the Gospel in almost these words: ‘When you give a dinner or a supper do not invite your friends, or your brethren, or your relatives, or your rich neighbors, lest perhaps they also invite you in return…But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; and blessed shall you be, because they have nothing to repay you with, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Mt. 6:4)” (pg. 388-389). • Thérèse recalls another blessed opportunity she was given to show an ongoing act of charity toward one of the elderly Sisters — Sister St. Pierre. Thérèse volunteered to take Sister St. Pierre to the refectory as she was unable to do so on her own: “It cost me very much to offer myself for this little service because I knew it was not easy to please Sister St. Pierre… However, I did not want to lose such a beautiful opportunity for exercising charity, remembering the words of Jesus: Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do to me” (pg. 390). “When I was guiding Sister St. Pierre, I did it with so much love that I could not possibly have done better had I been guiding Jesus Himself” (pg. 392). p.42 --- **Source:** Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, *Formation II Year C: Story of a Soul (The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux)* (US National Formation Program, 2024).