# Theresian Anniversaires 2023 Manuscript a - Full Text Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A LB ## Initial Schedule: Presentation In 2023 we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Therese of the Child Jesus (January 2nd, 1873), as well as the first centenary of her beatification (April 29, 1923) and, in 2025, the first centenary of her canonization (May 17, 1925). For this occasion, the General Chap-ter of the Discalced Carmelites, celebrated in Rome from the 30th of August to the 14th of September 2021, decided to propose to the Order a cycle of reading the writings of Saint Therese. To make this decision a reality, the General Defini-tory has therefore prepared, in collaboration with the Paris Province, a program of reading and reflection on the Autobiographical Manuscripts and other writings of Therese. This will preferably be done in the context of a Community dialogue. The distribution is as follows: - Year 2023: Manuscript A - Year 2024: Manuscripts B and C - Year 2025: Prayers and other writings. Each year, 8 selected texts will be proposed. They will be accompanied by a brief comment and some questions aimed at stimulating reflection and dialogue. The main objective is to make us aware of the relevance of the experience and message of Therese of the Child Jesus for us today. Presentation 3It would be good if the community meeting were preceded by the reading and personal meditation on Therese’s text. The meeting could take place as follows: 1. Reading of the text. 2. One of the participants, who has already pre-pared his presentation, introduces the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other sup-ports, if necessary). 3. Community dialogue on the text, along these lines: a. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. b. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. c. What does the text say to me/us? Making relevant and applying the text to personal and community life. This way of doing things is for the purpose of al-lowing Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and for welcoming her to shed light upon and con-firm our personal and communal journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. For 2023, the texts selected in Manuscript A are the following: 1. Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r) 2. The smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v) 3. The Christmas grace (Ms A, 44r-45v) 4. Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v) 5. Her father’s sickness and Therese’s clothing (Ms A, 71r-73v) 6. On the waves of trust and love (Ms A, 80r-81v) 7. Death of her father and Celine enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v) 8. The Offering to Merciful Love (Ms A, 83v-84v) (For the texts of Therese, we use the Third Edition of Story of a Soul. The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Translated From the Original Manuscripts by John Clarke OCD, Washington: ICS Publica-tions 1997.) ## General Introduction: The Origin of Manuscript a One winter evening, while the four Martin sis-ters are gathered in the only heated room of the monastery, Therese recalled some childhood memories. Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart then suggested to Mother Ag-nes, then Prioress, to ask Therese to write her memoirs. Mother Agnes accepted and commissioned this account for her feast day, January 20, 1896. In the Lisieux Carmel there were four Martin sis-ters: first of all the eldest, Marie, who took the religious name of Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, born in 1860 and entered Carmel in 1886; then there was Pauline, Sister Agnes of Jesus, born in 1861, entered Carmel in 1882 and prioress for the first time in 1893; there was also Celine, Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face, born in 1869, entered Carmel after the death of her father in 1894; finally, there was Therese: Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, born on January the 2nd, 1873, in Alençon, en-tered Carmel at the age of 15 on the 9th of April, 1888. To these would be added a cousin: Marie Guérin, Sister Mary of the Eucharist, born in 1870 and entered Carmel in 1895. Therese was her Novice Mistress. Therese, after having feared that writing her mem-oirs would distract her heart by too much concentration on herself, came to understand that this could be a providential invitation to “sing the mercies of the Lord”. At this time she was only twenty-two years old, but af-ter seven years of life spent in Carmel she could already measure with wonder the whole journey travelled. In this same year 1895, this feeling of overflowing gratitude 6 Presentationled her to offer herself entirely to Merciful Love (June 9, 1895). Therese thus filled a small black notebook of 85 sheets, written on both sides (for the texts you will read we have Ms for Manuscript, then the name of the manuscript – A, B or C – and finally the corresponding page with the indication of r[ecto]/front or v[erso]/back), in which she narrates not so much the family memories that her sister had suggested to her, but the “mercies of the Lord” towards her. On January 20, 1896, Teresa silently placed her first manuscript before her Prioress. This happened in the choir, before the hour of silent prayer began. Therese never solicited any impression on this work; for her part, Mother Agnes would no longer speak about it. Manuscript A is Therese’s long thanksgiving for her childhood and youth, in the family and at Carmel. She com-pleted it as she was entering her full spiritual maturity. ## Study Guide 1 Singing the Mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r) Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r) Reading of the writings of Therese of the Child Jesus Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A Study guide 1: Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r) Proposal for the Community meeting: 1. Reading of the text. 2. One of the participants, who has already prepared his contribution, presents the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other supports, if necessary). 3. Community dialogue on the text. It would be good if the community meeting was preceded by a personal reading and meditation on the text of Therese. ### Manuscript A, 2r-4r Springtime story of a little white flower written by herself and dedicated to the Reverend Mother Agnes of Jesus. It is to you, dear Mother, to you who are doubly my Mother, that I come to confide the story of my soul. The day you asked me to do this, it seemed to me it would dis-tract my heart by too much concentration on myself, but since then Jesus has made me feel that in obeying simply, I would be pleasing Him; besides, I’m going to be doing only one thing: I shall begin to sing what I must sing eternally: “The Mercies of the Lord.” Before taking up my pen, I knelt before the statue of Mary (the one that has given so many proofs of the ma-ternal preferences of heaven’s Queen for our family), and I begged her to guide my hand that it trace no line displeasing to her. Then opening the Holy Gospels my eyes fell on these words: “And going up a mountain, he called to him men of his own choosing, and they came to him” (St. Mark, chap. III, v. 13). This is the mystery of my vocation, my whole life, and especially the mystery of the privileges Jesus showered on my soul. He does not call those who are worthy but those whom He pleases or as St. Paul says: God will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he will show pity to whom he will show pity. So then there is question not of him who wills nor of him who runs, but of God showing mercy” (Ep. to the Rom., chap. IX, v. 15 and 16). 4 Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r)I wondered for a long time why God has preferences, why all souls don’t receive an equal amount of graces. I was surprised when I saw Him shower His extraordinary favors on saints who had [2v] offended Him, for instance, St. Paul and St. Augustine, and whom He forced, so to speak, to accept His graces. When reading the lives of the saints, I was puzzled at seeing how Our Lord was pleased to caress certain ones from the cradle to the grave, allowing no obstacle in their way when coming to Him, helping them with such favors that they were unable to soil the immaculate beauty of their baptismal robe. I wondered why poor savages died in great numbers without even having heard the name of God pronounced. Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set be-fore me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus’ garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to Lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones and these must be con-tent to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances when He looks down at his feet. Perfection con-sists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be. I understood, too, that Our Lord’s love is revealed as perfectly in the most simple soul who resists His grace Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r) 5in nothing as in the most excellent soul; in fact, since the nature of love is to humble oneself, if all souls resembled those of the holy Doctors who illumined the Church [3r] with the clarity of their teachings, it seems God would not descend so low when coming to their heart. But He created the child who knows only how to make his feeble cries heard; He has created the poor savage who has nothing but the natural law to guide him. It is to their hearts that God deigns to lower Himself. These are the wild flowers whose simplicity attracts Him. When coming down in this way, God manifests His infinite grandeur. Just as the sun shines simultaneously on the tall cedars and on each little flower as though it were alone on the earth, so Our Lord is occupied particularly with each soul as though there were no others like it. And just as in nature all the seasons are arranged in such a way as to make the humblest daisy bloom on a set day, in the same way, everything works out for the good of each soul. Perhaps you are wondering, dear Mother, with some astonishment where I am going from here, for up till now I’ve said nothing that resembles the story of my life. But you asked me to write under no constraint whatever would come into my mind. It is not, then, my life, properly so-called, that I am going to write; it is my thoughts on the graces God deigned to grant me. I find myself at a period in my life when I can cast a glance on the past; my soul has matured in the crucible of exterior and interior trials. And now, like a flower strengthened by the storm, I can raise my head and see the words of Psalm 22 realized in me: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still wa-6 Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r)ters; he restores my soul. Even though I walk through the valley of [3v] the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me...” To me the Lord has always been “merciful and good, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love” (Ps. 102, v. 8). It is with great happiness, then, that I come to sing the mercies of the Lord with you, dear Mother. It is for you alone I am writing the story of the little flower gathered by Jesus. I will talk freely and without any worries as to the numerous digressions I will make. A mother’s heart understands her child even when it can but stammer, and so I’m sure of being understood by you, who formed my heart, offering it up to Jesus! It seems to me that if a little flower could speak, it would tell simply what God has done for it without trying to hide its blessings. It would not say, under the pretext of a false humility, it is not beautiful or without perfume, that the sun has taken away its splendor and the storm has broken its stem when it knows that all this is untrue. The flower about to tell her story rejoices at having to publish the totally gratuitous gifts of Jesus. She knows that nothing in herself was capable of attracting the divine glances, and His mercy alone brought about everything that is good in her. It was He who had her born in a holy soil, impregnated with a virginal perfume. It was He, too, who has her preceded by eight Lilies of dazzling whiteness. In His love He wished to preserve His little flower from the world’s poisoned breath. Hardly had her petals begun to unfold when this divine Savior transplanted her to Mount Car-Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r) 7mel where already two Lilies, who had taken care of her in the springtime of her life, spread [4r] their sweet perfume. Seven years have passed by since the little flower took root in the garden of the Spouse of Virgins, and now three Lilies bloom in her presence. A little farther off another lily expands under the eyes of Jesus. The two stems who brought these flowers into existence are now reunited for all eternity in the heavenly Fatherland. There they have found once again the four Lilies the earth had not seen develop. Oh! may Jesus deign not to allow a long time to pass on these strange shores for the flowers left in exile. May the Lily plant be soon complete in Heaven! I have just summed up in a few words, dear Moth-er, what God did for me. Now I will go into detail about the years of my childhood. I realize that here where oth-ers would see nothing but a tedious recital, your motherly heart will find some facts that are charming. Besides, the memories I’m about to evoke are also yours since my childhood unfolded near you, and I have the good fortune to belong to Parents without equal who surrounded us both with the same cares and the same tenderness. Oh! May they bless the littlest of their children and help her to sing the divine mercies! ### Introduction to the Text Here Is The Proposal for the First Text: We Are Right At The Beginning of Manuscript A (the Information Given Here Is Taken from The Notes of the New Edition of the Centenary, Cerf-ddb 1997) « The story of the little flower gathered by Jesus» (Ms A, 3v) runs through the whole of Manuscript A. Therese’s love for flowers is reflected in her personal history: the “little white flower”, is the saxifrage that her father plucked from a wall and offered to her when she confided her vocation to him (Ms A, 50v). The theme of Mercy echoes throughout the entire manuscript, up to the last pages consecrated to the Act of Offering to Merciful Love. The term mercy recurs twenty-nine times in the autobiographical manuscripts.. When Therese speaks of the statue of Mary (Ms A, 2r), it is the “Virgin of the Smile”, which today surmounts the tomb of Saints Louis and Azelie Martin, Therese’s parents, who had a particular devotion to this statue. It plays an essential role in Teresa’s life, curing her of her serious childhood nervous illness (Ms A, 29v-31r) and accompanying her in her last agony in the infirmary (starting on 8 July 1897). In January 1895, it had been placed in the antechamber of Therese’s cell. «The nature of love is to humble oneself» (Ms A, 2v): immediately, Therese gathers here many of her great themes, and this becomes one of the essential “gestures”, images of love, of divine grace, which recurs twenty-four times in her writings. Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r) 9When Teresa sighs “May the Lily plant be soon complete in Heaven” (Ms A, 4r), at the moment in which she writes, “three Lilies” are in Carmel with her (Marie, Pauline and Celine) and another is blossoming at the Visitation convent in Caen (Le-onie). “The two stems now reunited for all eternity” mean her parents, who “have found the four Lilies”, the four siblings who died at a tender age. ### For the Community Dialogue 1. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. 2. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. 3. What does the text say to me / us? Making relevant and ap-plying the test to personal and community life. The purpose of doing things in this manner is to allow Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and to welcome her to shed light upon and confirm our personal and community journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. ### Questions 1. Teresa has a vocabulary that uses symbols a lot. In this section, the symbolism of the flower is very present. How do these symbols speak to us? Today, in our eagerness to proclaim the Gospel, what are the symbols that would seem most appropriate to us? What would we suggest? 2. Therese tells us that she is preparing to sing God’s mercies in her life. She thus testifies that spiritual maturity is linked to the expression of our gratitude to God. What actual space do we give to the acceptance of Mercy? How can we help the world experience Mercy? 3. A couple of times in the text Therese speaks of God’s preferences. How can we use this to discover all of “those favoured by God”? ## Study Guide 2 the Smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v) Reading of the writings of Therese of the Child Jesus Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A Study guide 2: The smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v) Proposal for the Community meeting: 1. Reading of the text. 2. One of the participants, who has already prepared his contribution, presents the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other supports, if necessary). 3. Community dialogue on the text. It would be good if the community meeting was preceded by a personal reading and meditation on the text of Therese. ### Manuscript A, 29v-31v (ICS English Translation Pp 64 - 71) My greatest consolation when I was sick was to re-ceive a letter from Pauline. I read and reread it until I knew it by heart. Once, dear Mother, you sent me an hourglass and one of my dolls dressed as a Carmelite; it was impossible for me to express my joy. Uncle wasn’t too happy, and said that instead of making me think of Carmel, it would be better to remove it from my mind. I am quite convinced, on the contrary, that the thought of one day becoming a Carmelite made me live. I enjoyed working for Pauline. I made her little things out of cardboard and my greatest occupation was to make crowns for the Blessed Virgin out of daisies and forget-me-nots. We were at the time in the beautiful month of May, and nature was adorned with flowers and was bursting out with joy. The “little flower” alone was lan-guishing and seemed forever withered. However, she had a Sun near her, and this Sun was the miraculous statue of the Blessed Virgin that had spoken to Mama twice, and the little flower often, very often, turned her petals toward this blessed Star. One day I saw Papa enter Marie’s room where I was in bed. He gave her several pieces of gold with an expression of great sadness and told her to write to Paris and have some Masses said at Our Lady of Victories so that she would cure his poor little girl. Ah! how touched I was to see my dear King’s faith and love! [30r°] I would have loved to be able to tell him I was cured; but I had already given him enough false joys, and it wasn’t my 4 The smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v)desires that could work a miracle, and a miracle was necessary for my cure. A miracle was necessary and it was our Lady of Victories who worked it. One Sunday during the No-vena of Masses, Marie went into the garden, leaving me with Léonie who was reading near the window. After a few moments I began calling in a low tone: “Mama, Mama.” Léonie, accustomed to hearing me always calling out like this, didn’t pay any attention. This lasted a long time, and then I called her much louder. Marie finally returned. I saw her enter, but I cannot say I recognized her and continued to call her in a louder tone: “Mama.” I was suffering very much from this forced and inexplicable struggle and Marie was suffering perhaps even more than I. After some futile attempts to show me she was by my side,59 Marie knelt down near my bed with Léonie and Céline. Turning to the Blessed Virgin and praying with the fervor of a mother begging for the life of her child, Marie obtained what she wanted. Finding no help on earth, poor little Thérèse had also turned toward the Mother of heaven, and prayed with all her heart that she take pity on her. All of a sudden the Blessed Virgin appeared beautiful to me, so beautiful that never had I seen anything so attractive; her face was suffused with an ineffable benevolence and tenderness, but what penetrated to the very depths of my soul was the «ravishing smile of the Blessed Virgin.» At that instant, all my pain disappeared, and two large tears glistened on my eyelashes, and flowed down my cheeks silently, but they were tears of unmixed joy. Ah! I thought, the Blessed The smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v) 5Virgin smiled at me, how happy I am, [30v°] but never will I tell anyone for my happiness would then disappear. With-out any effort I lowered my eyes, and I saw Marie who was looking down at me lovingly; she seemed moved and ap-peared to surmise the favor the Blessed Virgin had given me. Ah! it was really to her, to her touching prayers that I owed the grace of the Queen of heaven’s smile. Seeing my gaze fixed on the Blessed Virgin, she cried out: «Thérèse is cured!» Yes, the little flower was going to be born again to life, and the luminous Ray that had warmed her again was not to stop its favors; the Ray did not act all at once, but sweetly and gently it raised the little flower and strengthneed her in such a way that five years later she was ex-panding on the fertile mountain of Carmel. As I said, Marie had guessed that the Blessed Virgin had given me some hidden grace. When I was alone with her and she asked me what I had seen, I was unable to re-sist her very tender and pressing questions; astonished at seeing my secret discovered without my having revealed it, I confided it entirely to my dear Marie. Alas! just as I had felt, my happiness was going to disappear and change into bitterness. The memory of the ineffable grace I had received was a real spiritual trial for me for the next four years, and I was not to find my happiness again until I was kneeling at the feet of Our Lady of Victories. At this time, my happiness was restored to me in all its fullness. I shall talk later on about this second grace of the Blessed Virgin. At present I shall explain, my dear Mother, how my joy was changed into sadness. )Marie, after having heard the simple and sincere recital of “my grace,” asked me for permission to tell it at Carmel, and I could not say no. On my first visit to this dear Carmel, I was filled with joy when seeing my Pauline with the habit of the Blessed Virgin. [31r°] It was a sweet moment for both of us. There were so many things to say that I couldn’t say anything at all, my heart was too full. Good Mother Marie de Gonzague was there also, giving me a thousand signs of affection; I saw the other Sisters, and in their presence I was questioned about the grace I had received. They asked me if the Blessed Virgin was carrying the Child Jesus, or if there was much light, etc. All these questions troubled me and caused me much pain, and I was able to say only one thing: «The Blessed Virgin had appeared very beautiful, and I had seen her smile at me.» It was her countenance alone that had struck me, and seeing that the Carmelites had imagined something else entirely (my spiritual trials beginning already with regard to my sickness), I thought I had lied. Without any doubt, if I had kept my secret I would also have kept my happiness, but the Blessed Virgin permitted this torment for my soul’s good, as perhaps without it I would have had some thought of vanity, whereas humiliation becoming my lot, I was unable to look upon myself without a feeling of pro-found horror. Ah! what I suffered I shall not be able to say except in heaven! While speaking about the visit to the Car-melites, I am reminded of the first visit which took place shortly after Pauline’s entrance. I forgot to speak about it, but there is a detail that should not be omitted. The morning of the day I was to visit, I was thinking things over in The smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v) 7my bed (for it was there I made my profound meditations, and, contrary to the bride in the Canticles, I always found my Beloved there), I wondered what name I would be giv-en in Carmel. I knew there was a Sister Thérèse of Jesus; however, my beautiful name of Thérèse could not be tak-en away from me. All of a sudden, I thought [31v°] of Little Jesus whom I loved so much, and I said: «Oh! how happy I would be if they called me Thérèse of the Child Jesus!» I said nothing during the visit about the dream I had while wide awake. But to good Mother Marie de Gonzague, who was asking the Sisters what name I should be given, came the idea of calling me by the name I had dreamed about. My joy was great and this happy meeting of minds seemed to be a singular favor from my beloved Child Jesus. ### Introduction to the Text Let us repeat what we already said in the first work sheet about the «miraculous statue of the Blessed Virgin»: it is the «Virgin of the Smile» which is now above the tomb of the Saint. The Martin-Guérin spouses had a particular devotion to this image, which plays an essential role in Therese’s life, curing her of her serious childhood nervous disease (Ms A, 29v-31r) and ac-companying her in her agony in the infirmary (from July 8, 1897). In January 1895, it was in the antechamber of Therese’s cell. This statue had been offered to the young Louis Martin by a very pious old woman from Alençon who was confident that she had found in him a person worthy of receiving such a gift. As a bachelor, Louis placed her in his gazebo, where he used 8 The smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v)to retire to read and pray. After their marriage, the statue be-came the center of family prayer. During Mary’s month she was surrounded by flowers. Often, Zèlie Martin, Luis’s wife, turned to the Blessed Virgin, and confessed that she had received «fa-vors that only I know.» In Les Buissonnets (name of the Martins’ house in Lisieux after Zèlie’s death), the statue continued to oc-cupy a prominent place. Therese also prayed to Our Lady under the title of our Lady of Victories: a devotion and sanctuary much loved by the Mar-tins. A novena of Masses was celebrated in Paris for the healing of Therese as a child. On her journey to Rome, Therese visited this church on November 4, 1887, with her father and Celine, and received a calming grace (Ms A, 30v; 56v-57r). «Marie obtained what she wanted» (Ms A, 30r): this is how Marie of the Sacred Heart (her sister Marie) recalled this scene: «The most terrible crisis was the one that counted in her Life. I thought she was going to succumb. Seeing her exhausted in this painful struggle, I wanted to give her a drink, but she screamed in terror, «They want to poison me.» It was then that I threw my-self with my sisters at the feet of the Blessed Virgin. Three times I repeated the same prayer. The third time, I saw Teresa staring fixedly at the statue of the Blessed Virgin...» (Declaration in the ordinary Process). «The Ray did not act all at once, but sweetly and gently it raised the little flower and strengthened her....» (Ms A, 30v): Therese’s sisters have confirmed that this serious nervous dis-ease left no after-effects, apart from two small alerts, reported by Leonie. The smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v) 9«My happiness was going to disappear and change into bitterness» (Ms A, 30v): a strong word in Therese, who uses it thirty-two times in the Manuscripts and letters. It evokes as in transparency the bitterness of Christ’s chalice. «Humiliation becoming my lot» (Ms A, 31r): Therese’s particularly strong expression shows that humiliation here is experienced without compensation, perhaps more harshly than at other times in her life, and at a tender age, ten years. ### For the Community Dialogue 1. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. 2. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. 3. What does the text say to me / us? Making relevant and ap-plying the test to personal and community life. The purpose of doing things in this manner is to allow Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and to welcome her to shed light upon and confirm our personal and community journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. ### Questions 1. This episode of the grace of Our Lady’s smile Therese lived through in a context of separation and difficulty in mourning for her mother and for the one who now represented her, Pauline, who had just entered Carmel. What meaning does Therese give to her illness? How does she encourage us to bear our suffering? How to present Therese so that she can help people in the suffering they are going through? 2. Teresa frequently established links between Carmel, the Virgin Mary and Pauline representing her mother. What is the profound spirit of our relationship with the Virgin Mary in our Carmelite vocation? What does it mean for us to have entered a Marian Order? 3. We can also read and meditate on her poem 54, written a few months before «entering life.» Let us especially read the stanzas dedicated to suffering (of Mary and Therese with Mary). Let us observe the evolution between the text of Manuscript A above and the poetry of May 1897. ## Study Guide 3 the Grace of Christmas (Ms A, 44r-45v) Reading of the writings of Therese of the Child Jesus Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A Study guide 3: The grace of Christmas (Ms A, 44r-45v) Proposal for the Community meeting: 1. Reading of the text. 2. One of the participants, who has already prepared his contribution, presents the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other supports, if necessary). 3. Community dialogue on the text. It would be good if the community meeting was preceded by a personal reading and meditation on the text of Therese ### Manuscript A, 44r-45v (ICS English Translation Pp. 93 – 99) When Marie entered Carmel, I was still very scrupulous. No longer able to confide in her I turned toward heaven. I addressed myself to the four angels who had preceded me there, for I thought that these innocent souls, having never known troubles or fear, would have pity on their poor little sister who was suffering on earth. I spoke to them with the simplicity of a child, pointing out that being the youngest of the family, I was always the most loved, the most covered with my sisters’ tender cares, that if they had remained on earth they, too, would have given me proofs of their affection. Their departure for heaven did not appear to me as a reason for forgetting me; on the contrary, finding themselves in a position to draw from the divine treasures, they had to take peace for me from these treasures and thus show me that in heaven they still knew how to love! The answer was not long in coming, for soon peace came to inundate my soul with its delightful waves, and I knew then that if I was loved on earth, I was also loved in heaven. Since that mo-meant, my devotion for my little brothers and sisters has grown and I love to hold dialogues with them frequently, to speak with them about the sadness of our exile, about my desire to join them soon in the Fatherland! Although God showered His graces upon me, it wasn’t because I merited them because I was still very imperfect. I had a great desire, it is true, to practice [44v°] virtue, but I went about it in a strange way. Being the youngest in the family, I wasn’t accustomed to doing 4 The grace of Christmas (Ms A, 44r-45v)things for myself. Céline tidied up the room in which we slept, and I myself didn’t do any housework whatsoever. After Marie’s entrance into Carmel, it sometimes hap-pened that I tried to make up the bed to please God, or else in the evening, when Céline was away, I’d bring in her plants. But as I already said, it was for God alone I was doing these things and should not have expected any thanks from creatures. Alas, it was just the opposite. If Céline was unfortunate enough not to seem happy or surprised because of these little services, I became un-happy and proved it by my tears. I was really unbearable because of my extreme touchiness; if I happened to cause anyone I loved some little trouble, even unwittingly, instead of forgetting about it and not crying, which made matters worse, I cried like a Magdalene and then when I began to cheer up, I’d begin to cry again for having cried. All arguments were useless; I was quite unable to correct this terrible fault. I really don’t know how I could entertain the thought of entering Carmel when I was still in the swaddling clothes of a child! God would have to work a little miracle to make me grow up in an instant, and this miracle He performed on that unforgettable Christmas day. On that luminous night which sheds such light on the delights of the Holy Trinity, Jesus, the gentle, little Child of only one hour, changed the night of my soul into rays of light. On that night when He made Himself subject to weakness and suffering for love of me, He made me strong and courageous, arming me with His weapons. Since that night I have never been defeated in any combat, but rather walked from victory to victory, beginning, so to speak, “to run as a giant”! The grace of Christmas (Ms A, 44r-45v) 5[45r°] The source of my tears was dried up and has since reopened rarely and with great difficulty. This justified what was often said to me: “You cry so much during your childhood, you’ll no longer have tears to shed later on!” It was December 25, 1886, that I received the grace of leaving my childhood, in a word, the grace of my complete conversion. We had come back from Mid-night Mass where I had the happiness of receiving the strong and powerful God. Upon arriving at Les Buisson-nets, I used to love to take my shoes from the chimney corner and examine the presents in them; this old cus-tom had given us so much joy in our youth that Céline wanted to continue treating me as a baby since I was the youngest in the family. Papa had always loved to see my happiness and listen to my cries of delight as I drew each surprise from the magic shoes, and my dear King’s gaiety increased my own happiness very much. However, Jesus desired to show me that I was to give up the defects of my childhood and so He withdrew its innocent pleasures. He permitted Papa, tired out after the Midnight Mass, to experience annoyance when seeing my shoes at the fireplace, and that he speak those words which pierced my heart: “Well, fortunately, this will be the last year!” I was going upstairs, at the time, to remove my hat, and Céline, knowing how sensitive I was and seeing the tears already glistening in my eyes, wanted to cry too, for she loved me very much and understood my grief. She said, “Oh, Thérèse, don’t go downstairs; it would cause you too much grief to look at your slippers right now!” But Thérèse was no longer the same; Jesus had changed her heart! Forcing back my tears, I descended the stairs rap-6 The grace of Christmas (Ms A, 44r-45v)idly; controlling the poundings of my heart, I took my slippers and placed them in front of Papa, and withdrew all the objects joyfully. I had the happy appearance of a Queen. Having regained his own cheerfulness, Papa was laughing; Céline believed it was all a dream! Fortunately, it was a sweet reality; Thérèse had discovered once again the strength of soul which she had lost at the age of four and a half, and she was to preserve it forever! [45v°] On that night of light began the third period of my life, the most beautiful and the most filled with graces from heaven. The work I had been unable to do in ten years was done by Jesus in one instant, contenting himself with my good will which was never lacking. I could say to Him like His apostles: “Master, I fished all night and caught nothing.” More merciful to me than He was to His disciples, Jesus took the net Himself, cast it, and drew it in filled with fish. He made me a fisher of souls. I experienced a great desire to work for the conversion of sinners, a desire I hadn’t felt so intensely before. I felt charity enter into my soul, and the need to forget myself and to please others; since then I’ve been happy! ### Introduction to the Text Therese of Lisieux turned fourteen shortly after this event she recounted. At Christmas, she experienced a full re-covery from a hypersensitivity that had wounded her life since the death of her mother when Therese was aged four-and-a-half. Her temperament changed: she became shy, a little withdrawn. Hypersensitive, she cried for nothing and then cried again because she had cried! Nine years later, she evoked this foundational event that we often call «the grace of Christmas». The «four little angels» are Helene, born October 10, 1864, died February 22, 1870; Joseph-Luis, born September 20, 1866, died February 14, 1867; Joseph-Jean-Baptiste, born December 19, 1867, died August 24, 1868 and Melanie-Therese, born Au-gust 16, 1870 and died October 8, 1870. «Bientôt» [soon or speedily] (Ms A, 44r): a favorite word for the impatient Therese (218 times in her writings). Already in 1895, Therese thought she was going to die soon; in February 1895, in her poem «Vivre d’Amour» [Living on Love] (Poem 17), she wrote: «For I sense my exile is about to end!....». «My extreme sensitivity» (Ms A, 44v): this childlike sen-sitivity was to remain underlying throughout Therese’s life, judging by the number of uses of the words crying or tears. «The delights of the Holy Trinity» (Ms A, 44v) [ICS p. 97]: the word delights is a strong word for Teresa to designate the happiness of God, the happiness he gives and the happiness he feels. «To run as a giant» (Ms A, 44v): Therese also used the ex-pression in a letter to Celine on 25th of April, 1893 (Letter 241). 8 The grace of Christmas (Ms A, 44r-45v)«Jesus had changed her heart!» (Ms A, 45r) [ICS p.98]: Ce-line confirmed in the Process: «I witnessed this sudden change and thought I was in the middle of a dream, when, for the first time, I saw her completely master a pain that would have pre-viously left her desolate, she was cheering up my father with a lovely grace. This change was decisive; after that, never again was she dominated by the shocks of her sensitivity». «To work for the conversion of sinners» (Ms A, 45v): Ce-line went on to declare in the Process: «This transformation was not limited to the mastery of herself, but it was seen, at the same time, that her soul flourished and was exercised in the practices of zeal and charity. She dreamed of the salvation of souls and worked ardently and generously for the conversion of sinners». ### For the Community Dialogue 1. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. 2. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. 3. What does the text say to me / us? Making relevant and ap-plying the test to personal and community life. The purpose of doing things in this manner is to allow Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and to welcome her to shed light upon and confirm our personal and community journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. ### Questions 1. Therese, when faced with her scrupulous illness, prays to her brothers and sisters who died in infancy. We can wonder about our relationship with all those who have gone before us. How do we live this communion of saints, pray for them and pray to them? 2. In what sense does this represent a conversion for Therese? Can we share any conversion experienced during our own spiritual journey? 3. To deepen the study of this conversion, we can list the effects of Therese’s experience. What essential fruit emerges in her relationship with Christ, fruit that will not cease to deepen afterwards? (See in particular the Offering to Merciful Love, the parable of the little bird, the discovery of the elevator...). We can also read in parallel letter 201, where Therese offers again her interpretation of the Christmas grace to Father Roulland. 4. How does this testimony of Teresa invite us to live out our own relationship with Jesus? ## Study Guide 4 Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v) Reading of the writings of Therese of the Child Jesus Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A Study guide 4: Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v) Proposal for the Community meeting: 1. Reading of the text. 2. One of the participants, who has already prepared his contribution, presents the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other supports, if necessary). 3. Community dialogue on the text. It would be good if the community meeting was preceded by a personal reading and meditation on the text of Therese. ### Manuscript A, 45v-46v [ICS Pp. 99 – 101] One Sunday, looking at a picture of Our Lord on the Cross, I was struck by the blood flowing from one of the divine hands. I felt a great pang of sorrow when thinking this blood was falling to the ground without an-yone’s hastening to gather it up. I was resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the Cross and to receive the di-vine dew. I understood I was then to pour it out upon souls. The cry of Jesus on the Cross sounded continually in my heart: “I thirst!” These words ignited within me an unknown and very living fire. I wanted to give my Belov-ed to drink and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls. As yet, it was not the souls of priests that attracted me, but those of great sinners; I burned with the desire to snatch them from the eternal flames. To awaken my zeal God showed me my desires were pleasing to Him. I heard talk of a great criminal just condemned to death for some horrible crimes; everything pointed to the fact that he would die impenitent. I wanted at all costs to prevent him from falling into hell, and to attain my purpose I employed every means imaginable. Feeling that of myself I could do nothing, I offered [46r°] to God all the infinite merits of Our Lord, the treasures of the Church, and finally I begged Céline to have a Mass offered for my intentions. I didn’t dare ask this myself for fear of being obliged to say it was for Pranzini, the great criminal. I didn’t even want to tell Céline, but she asked me such tender and pressing questions, I confided my secret to her. Far from laughing at me, she asked if she 4 Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v)could help convert my sinner. I accepted gratefully, for I would have wished all creatures would unite with me to beg grace for the guilty man. I felt in the depths of my heart certain that our de-sires would be granted, but to obtain courage to pray for sinners I told God I was sure He would pardon the poor, unfortunate Pranzini; that I’d believe this even if he went to his death without any signs of repentance or without having gone to confession. I was absolutely confident in the mercy of Jesus. But I was begging Him for a “sign” of repentance only for my own simple consolation. My prayer was answered to the letter! In spite of Papa’s prohibition that we read no papers, I didn’t think I was disobeying when reading the passages pertaining to Pranzini. The day after his execution I found the newspaper “La Croix.” I opened it quickly and what did I see? Ah! my tears betrayed my emotion and I was obliged to hide. Pranzini had not gone to confession. He had mounted the scaffold and was preparing to place his head in the formidable opening, when suddenly, seized by an inspiration, he turned, took hold of the crucifix the priest was holding out to him and kissed the sacred wounds three times! Then his soul went to receive the merciful sentence of Him who declares that in heaven there will be more joy over one sinner who does penance than over ninety-nine just who have no need of repentance! I had obtained the “sign” I requested, and this sign was a perfect replica of the [46v°] grace Jesus had given me when He attracted me to pray for sinners. Wasn’t it before the wounds of Jesus, when seeing His divine blood Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v) 5flowing, that the thirst for souls had entered my heart? I wished to give them this immaculate blood to drink, this blood which was to purify them from their stains, and the lips of my “first child” were pressed to the sacred wounds! What an unspeakably sweet response! After this unique grace my desire to save souls grows each day, and I seemed to hear Jesus say to me what he said to the Samaritan woman: “Give me to drink!” It was a true interchange of love: to souls I was giving the blood of Jesus, to Jesus I was offering these same souls refreshed by the divine dew. I slaked His thirst and the more I gave Him to drink, the more the thirst of my poor little soul increased, and it was this ardent thirst He was giving me as the most delightful drink of His love. God was able in a very short time to extricate me from the very narrow circle in which I was turning without knowing how to come out. ### Introduction to the Text As our Carmelite brother François-Marie Léthel affirms: «This story is one of Therese’s most beautiful texts, one of the strongest concerning Hope in Infinite Mercy in the apparently most desperate situation. In its simplicity and freshness, this text is very rich from the theological point of view, on the mys-tery of the Redemption and the Church’s cooperation with this mystery. It unites the points of view of faith, hope and charity, but with hope the dominant point. The starting point is a sim-ple image of Jesus Crucified and Mary Magdalene embracing his feet, according to traditional iconography». « I thirst» (Ms A, 45v): Jesus’ thirst on the cross, his blood shed, awakens in Therese the «thirst for souls», the desire to «purify them from their stains», which will instil in her the bold actions and fiery thoughts related in the following pages (up to 46v), in a« «true interchange of love», such as the consequences of the «grace of Christmas» and the contemplation of Christ, dead for sinners. «As yet, it was not the souls of priests that attracted me» (Ms A, 45v): Therese was to say on September 2, 1890, during the canonical examination that preceded profession: «I came to save souls and especially to pray for priests» (Ms A, 69v) [ICS p. 149]. During the Process, Céline amusingly said, «She called this kind of apostolate working in the wholesale trade, since through the head, it reached the members». The trip to Rome marked a decisive turning point: «Having never lived close to them, I was not able to understand the principal aim of the Re-form of Carmel. To pray for sinners attracted me, but to pray for the souls of priests whom I believed to be as pure as crystal Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v) 7seemed puzzling to me! (Ms A, 56r) [ICS 122]. In Carmel, Ther-ese will never forget this first vocation. «Condemned to death for some horrible crimes» (Ms A, 45v) [ICS 99]: Thirty-one years old Henri Pranzini had slit the throats of two women and a little girl in a robbery, on March the 17th, 1887, at rue Montaigne in Paris. His trial began on the 9th of July of the same year and ended on the 13th of July with his death sentence. It was then that Therese must have been passionate about his conversion because the criminal did not seem to show remorse or ask for forgiveness. For Therese, it was a question of preventing him at all costs «from falling into hell». At a time when Catholicism was strongly imbued with fear of God’s judgment, the teenager’s privileged weapowns were prayer and a trust intimately linked to the mercy of the Father. « All the infinite merits of Our Lord » (Ms A, 46r) [ICS 99]: Therese liked to emphasize the infinite character of Jesus’ merits. Her description of the Pranzini episode is very close to her Act of Offering. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face would never then cease to pray for the salvation of sinners and would speak of Pranzini as her «first child». The young Carmelite would remain anchored in mercy until her last breath. ### For the Community Dialogue 1. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. 2. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. 3. What does the text say to me / us? Making relevant and ap-plying the test to personal and community life. The purpose of doing things in this manner is to allow Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and to welcome her to shed light upon and confirm our personal and community journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. ### Questions 1. We can only be struck by the spiritual connection between her Christmas grace (text 3) and this account. We see in this text a double level: Therese is certain of God’s merciful action and at the same time she asks him for a sign. How do we give meaning to these two dimensions: certainty and the need of a sign? Is it the same in our prayer life, what is it here that Therese comes to shed light upon for us? 2. We see how the bond between Christ and Therese grows, as she receives from Jesus her mission, in union with him. In the end, what is the part Therese plays, what is that of Jesus? Does this speak to us in our way of living our missionary commitment in prayer? 3. Therese and Pranzini share in admittedly very different circumstances the same essential spiritual reality, which consists in consenting to let oneself be saved by Christ and recognizing oneself as gratuitously saved by his love. What place does this experience have in my life? In the lives of the people I meet? How is this expressed? ## Study Guide 5 Father’s Illness Ad Therese Receives the Habit (Ms A, 71r-73v) Reading of the writings of Therese of the Child Jesus Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A Study guide 5: Father’s illness ad Therese receives the habit (Ms A, 71r-73v) Proposal for the Community meeting: 1. Reading of the text. 2. 3. One of the participants, who has already prepared his contribution, presents the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other supports, if necessary). Community dialogue on the text. It would be good if the community meeting was preceded by a personal reading and meditation on the text of Therese. ### Manuscript A, 71r-73v [ICS Pp. 151 – 157] The little flower transplanted to Mount Carmel was to ex-pand under the shadow of the cross. The tears and blood of Jesus were to be her dew, and her Sun was His adorable Face veiled with tears. Until my coming to Carmel, I had never fathomed the depths of the treasures hidden in the Holy Face. It was through you, dear Mother, that I learned to know these treasures. Just as formerly you had preceded us into Carmel, so also you were first to enter deeply into the mysteries of love hidden in the Face of our Spouse. You called me and I understood. I understood what real glory was. He whose Kingdom is not of this world showed me that true wisdom consists in “desiring to be unknown and counted as nothing,” in “placing one’s joy in the contempt of self.” Ah! I desired that, like the Face of Jesus, “my face be truly hidden, that no one on earth would know me.” I thirsted after suffering and I longed to be forgotten. How merciful is the way God has guided me. Never has He given me the desire for anything which He has not given me, and even His bitter chalice seemed delightful to me. After those beautiful festivities of the month of May, namely, the Profession and taking of the Veil [71v°] of our dear Marie, the old-est in the family being crowned on her wedding day by the youngest, we had to be visited by trial. The preceding year, in May, Papa was seized with a paralytic stroke in the limbs and we were greatly dis-turbed. But the strong character of my dear King soon took control and our fears disappeared. However, more than once during the trip to Rome we noticed that he easily grew tired and wasn’t as cheerful as usual. What I noticed especially was the progress he was making in perfection. He had succeeded, like St. Francis de Sales, in over4 Father’s illness ad Therese receives the habit (Ms A, 71r-73v)coming his natural impetuosity to such an extent that he appeared to have the most gentle nature in the world. The things of earth seemed hardly to touch him, he easily surmounted contradictions, and God was flooding him with consolations. During his daily visits to the Blessed Sacrament his eyes were often filled with tears and his face breathed forth a heavenly beatitude. When Léonie left the Visit-ation, he was not disturbed and made no reproaches to God for not having answered the prayers he offered up to obtain his daughter’s vocation. It was even with joy that he left to go and bring her home. Here is the faith with which Papa accepted the separation of his little Queen, announcing it to his friends in these words: “My dear Friends, Thérèse, my little Queen, entered Carmel yesterday! Only God could demand such a sacrifice. Don’t sympathize with me, for my heart is overflowing with joy.” It was time that such a faithful servant receive the reward of his works, and it was right that his wages resemble those which God gave to the King of heaven, His only Son. Papa had just made a donation to God of an altar, and it was he who was chosen as victim to be offered with the Lamb without spot. [72r°] You are aware, dear Mother, of our bitter sufferings during the month of June, and especially June 24, 1888. These memories are too deeply engraved in the bottom of our hearts to require any mention in writing. O Mother! how we suffered! And this was still only the beginning of the trial. The time for my reception of the Habit had arrived. I was accepted by the conventual chapter, but how could we dream of any kind of ceremony? Already they were talking of giving me the Habit without my going outside the cloister, and then they decided to wait. Against all expectation, our dear Father recovered from his second attack, and the Bishop set the ceremony for January 10. The wait had been long, but what a beautiful celebration it was! Father’s illness ad Therese receives the habit (Ms A, 71r-73v) 5Nothing was missing, not even the snow! I don’t know if I’ve already told you how much I love snow? When I was small, its whiteness filled me with delight, and one of the greatest pleasures I had was taking a walk under the light snowflakes. Where did this love of snow come from? Perhaps it was because I was a little winter flower, and the first adornment with which my eyes beheld nature clothed was its white mantle. I had always wished that on the day I received the Habit, nature would be adorned in white just like me. The evening before, I was gazing at the gray skies from which a fine rain was falling every now and again, and the temperature was so mild I could no longer hope for any snow. The following morning the skies hadn’t changed. The celebration, however, was wonderful. The most beautiful, the most attractive flower of all was my dear King; never had he looked so handsome, so dignified. Every-body admired him. This was really his day of triumph and it was to be his last celebration on this earth. He had now given all his children to God, for Céline, too, had confided her vocation to him. He had wept tears of joy, and had gone with her to thank Him who “bestowed such honor on him by taking all his children.” [72v°] At the termination of the ceremony the Bishop intoned the Te Deum. One of the priests remarked to him that this hymn of thanksgiving was usually sung only at Professions, but, once begun, it was continued to the end. And indeed it was fitting that the feast be thus completed since in it were united all the others. After embracing my dear King for the last time, I entered the cloister once more, and the first thing that struck my eye was the statue of “the little Jesus” smiling at me from the midst of flowers and lights. Immediately afterward, my glance was drawn to the snow, the monastery garden was white like me! What thoughtfulness on the part of Jesus! Anticipating the desires of His fiancée, He gave her snow. Snow! What mortal bridegroom, 6 Father’s illness ad Therese receives the habit (Ms A, 71r-73v)no matter how powerful he may be, could make snow fall from heaven to charm his beloved? Perhaps people wondered and asked themselves this question. What is certain, though, is that many considered the snow on my Clothing Day as a little miracle and the whole town was astonished. Some found I had a strange taste, loving snow! Well, so much the better! This accentuated even more the incomprehensible condescension of the Spouse of virgins, of Him who loves Lilies white as SNOW! The Bishop came into the cloister after the ceremony and was very kind to me. I believe he was very proud I had succeeded and told everyone I was “his little girl.” He was always kind to me on his return trips to the Carmel. I remember especially his visit on the occasion of our Father St. John of the Cross’s Centenary. He took my head in his hands and gave me a thousand caresses; never was I so honored! At the same time, God reminded me of the caresses [73r°] He will bestow on me in the presence of the angels and saints, and now He was giving me only a faint image of this. The consolation I experienced at this thought was very great indeed! January 10, as I have just said, was my King’s day of tri-umph. I compare it to the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem on the day of the palms. Like that of our Divine Master, Papa’s glory of a day was followed by a painful passion and this passion was not his alone. Just as the sufferings of Jesus pierced His Moth-er’s heart with a sword of sorrow, so our hearts experienced the sufferings of the one we cherished most tenderly on earth. I recall that in the month of June, 1888, at the moment of our first trials, I said: “I am suffering very much, but I feel I can still bear greater trials.” I was not thinking then of the ones reserved for me. I didn’t know that on February 12, a month after my reception of the Habit, our dear Father would drink the most bitter and most humiliating of all chalices. Father’s illness ad Therese receives the habit (Ms A, 71r-73v) 7Ah! that day, I didn’t say I was able to suffer more! Words cannot express our anguish, and I’m not going to attempt to de-scribe it. One day, in heaven, we shall love talking to one another about our glorious trials; don’t we already feel happy for having suffered them? Yes, Papa’s three years of martyrdom appear to me as the most lovable, the most fruitful of my life; I wouldn’t exchange them for all the ecstasies and revelations of the saints. My heart overflows with gratitude when I think of this inestimable treasure that must cause a holy jealousy to the angels of the heavenly court. My desire for suffering was answered, and yet my attraction for it did not diminish. My soul soon shared in the sufferings of my [73v°] heart. Spiritual aridity was my daily bread and, de-prived of all consolation, I was still the happiest of creatures since all my desires had been satisfied. O dear Mother! how sweet our great trial was since [5] from our hearts came only sighs of love and gratitude! We were no longer walking in the way of perfection, we were flying, all five of us. The two poor little exiles of Caen, while still in the world, were no longer of it. Ah! what marvels the trial worked in my dear Céline’s soul! All the letters she wrote at this epoch are filled with resignation and love. And who could express the visits we had together? Ah! far from separating us, Carmel’s grilles united our souls more strongly; we had the same thoughts, the same desires, the same love for Jesus and for souls. When Céline and Thérèse were speaking together, never did a word concerning the things of the earth mingle in their conversations which were al-ready in the heavens. As formerly in the belvédère, they dreamed about things of eternity. To enjoy this endless happiness as soon as possible, they chose as their lot here on earth both suffering and contempt. ### Introduction to the Text The depths of treasures hidden in the Holy Face » (Ms A, 71r), [ICS p. 152]. Devotion to the Holy Face developed in the 19th cen-tury following revelations made by Our Lord to sister Marie de Saint-Pierre, of the Tours Carmel. From the beginning of her religious life, Therese was initiated into this devotion by Sister Agnes of Jesus. She then deepened it in a very personal way, by using texts from the prophet Isaiah, mainly at the time of her father’s illness. On January 10, 1889, the day she took the habit, she signed an image for the first time: «Sister Therese of the Child Jesus of the Holy Face.» She was the first at the Carmel of Lisieux to choose this title. What should be known about her father, Louis Martin, is that he was going to suffer from a real disease. Indeed, in the spring of 1887, Louis’ health experienced a first serious alert: an attack of paralysis in one leg. A year later, worrying symptoms appeared: memory loss, distractions, forgetfulness. He who was always impeccably dressed sometimes appeared in a neglected outfit. In June 1888, he left without warning and disappeared for several days: he was found in Le Havre four days later. Circulation problems caused screams, tears, and senseless words alternated with periods of remission when Mr. Martin made plans. Today, doctors agree that Louis Martin suffered from cerebral arteriosclerosis with a flare-up of uremia. He died on July 29, 1894. « Papa had just made a donation to God of an altar » (Ms A, 71v), [ICS p. 153]: Mr. Martin himself paid for the high altar of Saint-Pierre Cathedral in Lisieux, when the first appeal was made for donations and he demanded secrecy about his gesture. « Giving me the Habit without my going outside the cloister » (Ms A, 72r), [ICS p. 154]: on the day of receiving the habit, the postulant came out of the cloister dressed as a bride. She took part in the outdoor ceremony surrounded by her family. Father’s illness ad Therese receives the habit (Ms A, 71r-73v) 9« The statue of the little Jesus » (Ms A, 72v), [ICS p, 155]: this was a statue of a Child Jesus painted in pink that Therese was ap-pointed to take care of and adorn until her death. « Papa’s glory of a day was followed by a painful passion » (Ms A, 73r), [ICS p. 156]: the linking of Mr. Martin’s trial with the Pas-sion of Christ would gradually become an identification with Isaiah’s suffering Servant, whom Therese would discover the following year, that is to say in 1890. « Our dear Father would drink the most bitter and most humiliating of all chalices. » (Ms A, 73r), [ICS p. 156]: On February 12, Mr. Martin was transferred to a nursing home in Caen, following hallucinations that had taken on a disturbing form for those around him. « I was still the happiest of creatures » (Ms A, 73v), [ICS p. 157]: as often, Thérèse weaves here the most contradictory impressions to describe the state of heroic love that fills her heart. ### For the Community Dialogue 1. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. 2. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. 3. What does the text say to me / us? Making relevant and applying the test to personal and community life. The purpose of doing things in this manner is to allow Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and to welcome her to shed light upon and confirm our personal and community journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. ### Questions 1. The Holy Face: Therese is nourished by three dimensions that she connects together: a devotion (to the Holy Face), an experience (the sickness of her father) and the Word of God (the suffering servant of Isaiah). This triptych is really enlightening; Does the way she sets it out help us in our way of living through an ordeal and/or accompanying others in their ordeal? 2. Is contemplation of the Passion of Christ usually a support, a call when we are going through personal and/or community trials? Do we propose this contemplation to the people in the trial we encounter? 3. Suffering is a fact in Therese’s entire life: affective trials (separations,...), bodily and spiritual (scruples, trial of faith...). By desiring suffering, Therese expresses her will not to fight against it but, above all, she wants to join Jesus and use all reality (including suffering) to nourish her trust in Jesus’ work in her and through everything. Above all, do we choose to believe in the active presenzqce of Jesus no matter what we feel? How to propose this today in the culture of well-being that is ours? 4. In addition, parallel readings: Letter 108 and Prayer 12. ## Study Guide 6 on the Waves of Confidence and Love (Ms A, 80r-81v) Reading of the writings of Therese of the Child Jesus Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A Study guide 6: On the waves of confidence and love (Ms A, 80r-81v) Prior note: texts studied in worksheets 6, 7 and 8 (Ms A, 80r-84v) together form the con-clusion of Manuscript A. It may be useful to do a complete first reading of these pages. Proposal for the Community meeting: 1. Reading of the text. 2. One of the participants, who has already prepared his contribution, presents the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other supports, if necessary). 3. Community dialogue on the text. It would be good if the community meeting was preceded by a personal reading and meditation on the text of Therese. ### Manuscript A, 80r-81v [ICS Pp. 173 – 175] The year that followed my Profession, that is, two months before Mother Geneviève’s death, I received great graces during my retreat. Ordinarily, the retreats that are preached are more painful to me than the ones I make alone, but this year it was otherwise. I had made a preparatory novena with great fervor, in spite of the inner sentimeant I had, for it seemed to me that the preacher would not be able to understand me since he was sup-posed to do good to great sinners but not [80v°] to religious souls. God wanted to show me that He was the Director of my soul, and so He made use of this Father specifically, who was appreciated only by me in the community. At the time I was having great interior trials of all kinds, even to the point of asking myself whether heaven really existed. I felt disposed to say nothing of my interior dispositions since I didn’t know how to express them, but I had hardly entered the confessional when I felt my soul expand. After speaking only a few words, I was understood in a marvelous way and my soul was like a book in which this priest read bet-ter than I did myself. He launched me full sail upon the waves of confidence and love which so strongly attracted me, but upon which I dared not ad-vance. He told me that my faults caused God no pain, and that holding as he did God’s place, he was telling me in His name that God was very much pleased with me. Oh! how happy I was to hear those consoling words! Never had I heard that our faults could not cause God any pain, and this assurance filled me with joy, helping me to 4 Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v)bear patiently with life’s exile. I felt at the bottom of my heart that this was really so, for God is more tender than a mother, and were you not, dear Mother, always ready to par-don the little offenses I committed against you in-voluntarily? How often I experienced this! No word of re-proach touched me as much as did one of your caresses. My nature was such that fear made me recoil; with love not only did I advance, I actually flew. O Mother, it was especially since the blessed day of your election that I have flown in the ways of love. On that day Pauline became my living Jesus. [81r°] I had the happiness of contemplating for a long time the marvels Jesus is working by means of my dear Mother. I see that suffering alone gives birth to souls, and more than ever before these sublime words of Jesus unveil their depths to me: “Amen, amen, I say to you, un-less the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it re-mains alone; but if it dies, it will bring forth much fruit.” What an abundant harvest you have reaped! You have sown in tears, but soon you will see the result of your works, and you will return filled with joy, carrying sheaves in your arms. O Mother, among these ripe sheaves is hidden the little white flower; however, in heaven she will have a voice with which to sing of your gentleness and your virtues which she sees you practice every day in the darkness and the silence of life’s exile! Yes, for the past two years I have understood very well the mysteries hidden from me until then. God showed me the same mercy He showed to King Solomon. He has not willed that I have one single desire which is Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v) 5not fulfilled, not only my desires for perfec-tion but those too whose vanity I have understood without having experienced it. As I have always looked upon you, dear Mother, as my ideal, I desired to be like you in everything; when I saw you do beautiful paintings and delightful poems, I said to myself: How happy I would be if I were able to paint and to know how to express my thoughts in verse and thus do good to souls. I would not have wanted to ask for these natural gifts and my desires remained hidden away at the bottom of my heart. Jesus hid-den also in this poor little heart was pleased to show it that everything is vanity and afflic-tion of spirit under the sun. To the great astonishment of the Sisters I was told to paint, and God permitted that I profit by the lessons my dear Mother gave me. He willed also [81v°] that I write poems and compose little pieces that were considered beautiful. And just as Solomon, when he considered all the works of his hands in which he had placed so much useless toil, saw that all is vanity and af-fliction of spirit, in the same way I rec-ognized from EXPERI-ENCE that happiness consists in hiding oneself, in remaining igno-rant of created things. I understood that without love all works are nothing, even the most dazzling, such as raising the dead to life and converting peoples. Instead of doing me any harm, of making me vain, the gifts which God showered upon me (without my hav-ing asked for them) drew me to Him; and I saw that He alone was unchangeable, that He alone could fulfill my im-mense desires. ### Introduction to the Text “During my retreat” (Ms A, 80r): these are the Exercises preached from the 8th to the 15th of October 1891 by Father Alexis Prou, a forty-seven-year-old Franciscan recollect from Caen. This renowned preacher had given over one hundred retreats to men and women religious of all Orders in the West of France. “Ordinarily, the retreats that are preached are more painful to me” (Ms A, 80r): Let us keep in mind that starting from Father Alexis’s retreat, Therese was freed from her worries, but until her death she kept a strict eye on herself, avoiding the slightest fault. “On the waves of confidence and love” (Ms A, 80v): Moth-er Agnes recounted that “although she felt attracted to the path of love and abandonment, Therese took it with total con-fidence only after Father Alexis had confirmed that she was on the right path, something that several previous directors had not said” (from the Apostolic Process). “Since the blessed day of your election” (Ms A, 80v): Sis-ter Agnes of Jesus was elected prioress on February 20, 1893. Manuscript A gives very little indication of Therese’s spiritual evolution during her novitiate, from September 1890 to Feb-ruary 1893, apart from the Spiritual Exercises of Father Alexis Prou; to find out more, consult the correspondence. The time her sister (Mother Agnes) was prioress was for her a period of undeniable growth and maturing, but she will not let her-self be chained by family be-longing, especially when the two prioresses, Marie de Gonzague and Agnes of Jesus, clashed, sometimes violently. Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v) 7“How happy I would be if I were able to paint” (Ms A, 81r): at the end of her of-fice as sacristan, Therese received the task of painting on the occasion of the election of Mother Ag-nes. Among other things, she painted the fresco in the chapel in June 1893. Then, probably in September, she was appointed assistant turn-sister. “He willed also that I write poems and compose little pieces that were considered beautiful” (Ms A, 81v): her first poem, The Divine Dew, is from February the 2nd, 1893, 18 days before the election. Previously, it was Mother Agnes who com-posed poems, hymns and recreations for the community. For these works, Therese could have only one hour from noon to 1.00pm and another from 8.00pm to 9.00pm. ### For the Community Dialogue 1. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. 2. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. 3. What does the text say to me / us? Making relevant and ap-plying the test to personal and community life. The purpose of doing things in this manner is to allow Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and to welcome her to shed light upon and confirm our personal and community journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. ### Questions 1. Therese is very sensitive to human mediations and to those of events. What is the main spiritual fruit of her acceptance of mediations? How is this reflected in our personal, community and apostolic life? 2. When Therese is asked to exercise her gifts at the service of the community, how is her desire transformed? How do we put our gifts at the service of the communi-ty and others? 3. Therese establishes here a connection between God’s merciful action and the ful-filment of her desires, especially her spiritual ones. What place do our desires have in our relationship with God? Does our relationship with God through our history participate in the expansion and transformation of the nature of our desires? ## Study Guide 7 the father’s Death and Celine Enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v) Reading of the writings of Therese of the Child Jesus Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A Study guide 7: The father’s death and Celine enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v) Proposal for the Community meeting: 1. Reading of the text. 2. 3. One of the participants, who has already prepared his contribution, presents the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other supports, if necessary). Community dialogue on the text. It would be good if the community meeting was preceded by a personal reading and meditation on the text of Therese. ### Manuscript A, 81v-83v There are other desires of another kind that Jesus was pleased to grant me, childish desires similar to the snow at my reception of the Habit. You know, dear Mother, how much I love flowers; when making myself a prisoner at the age of fifteen, I gave up forever the pleasure of running through fields decked out in their springtime treasures. Well, never in my life did I possess so many flowers as after my entrance into Carmel. It is the custom for fiancés to often give their fiancées bouquets and Jesus didn’t forget it. He sent me in great abundance sheaves of cornflowers, huge daisies, poppies, etc., all the flowers that delighted me the most. There was even a little flower called corncockle that I had never found since our stay at Lisieux; I wanted very much to see it again, that flower of my childhood which I had picked in the fields of Alençon. And at Carmel it came to smile at me again and show me that in the smallest things as well as the greatest, God gives the hundredfold in this life to those souls who leave everything for love of Him. But the most intimate of my desires, the greatest of them all, which I thought would never [82r°] be realized, was my dear Céline’s entrance into the same Carmel as ours. This dream appeared to be improbable: to live under the same roof, to share the joys and pains of the companion of my childhood; I had made my sacrifice complete by confiding to Jesus my dear sister’s future, resolved to see her leave for the other side of the world if necessary. The only thing I couldn’t accept was her not being the spouse of Jesus, for since I loved her as much as I loved myself it was impossible for me to see her give her heart to a mortal being. I had already suffered very much when knowing she was exposed to dangers in the world which were unknown to me. Since my entrance into Carmel, I can say that my affection for Céline was a mother’s love rather than a sister’s. When she was to attend a party one day, the very thought of it caused 4 The father’s death and Celine enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v)me so much pain that I begged God to prevent her from dan-cing, and (contrary to my custom) I even shed a torrent of tears. Jesus deigned to answer me. He permitted that His little fiancée be unable to dance that evening (even though she was not em-barrassed to dance gracefully when it was necessary). She was invited to dance and was unable to refuse the invitation, but her partner found out he was totally powerless to make her dance; to his great confusion he was condemned simply to walking in order to conduct her to her place, and then he made his es-cape and did not reappear for the whole evening. This incident, unique in its kind, made me grow in confidence and love for the One who set His seal upon my forehead and had imprinted it at the same time upon that of my dear Céline. Last year, July 29, God broke the bonds of His incomparable servant and called him to his eternal reward; at the same time He broke those which still held His dear fiancée in the world because she had accomplished her mission. Having been given the office of representing us all with our Father whom we so ten-derly loved, she had accomplished this mission just like an an-gel. And angels don’t remain [82v°] on earth once they’ve fulfilled God’s will, for they return immediately to Him, and this is why they’re represented with wings. Our angel also spread her white wings; she was ready to fly far away to find Jesus, but He made her fly close by. He was content with simply accepting the great sacrifice which was very painful for little Thérèse. Her Céline had kept a secret hidden from her for two full years. Ah, how Céline herself had suffered because of this! Finally, from heaven my dear King, who never liked stragglers when he was still with us on earth, hastened to arrange Céline’s muddled affairs, and she joined us on September 14! When the difficulties seemed insurmountable one day, I said to Jesus during my act of thanksgiving: “You know, my God, how much I want to know whether Papa went straight to heaven; I am not asking You to speak to me, but give me a sign. If Sister A. of the father’s death and Celine enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v) 5J. consents to Céline’s entrance or places no obstacle to it, this will be an answer that Papa went straight to You.” This Sister, as you are aware, dear Mother, found we were already too many with three, and she didn’t want another of our family to be admitted. But God who holds the hearts of His creatures in His hand, inclining them to do His will, changed this Sister’s dispositions. The first one to meet me after my thanksgiving was Sister Aimée, and she called me over to her with a friendly smile and told me to come up with her to your cell. She spoke to me about Céline and there were tears in her eyes. Ah! how many things I have to thank Jesus for; He answers all my requests! And now I have no other desire except to love Jesus unto folly. My childish desires have all flown away. I still love to adorn the Infant Jesus’ altar with flowers, but ever since He has given me the Flower I desired, my dear Céline, I desire no other; she is the one I [83r°] offer Him as my most delightful bouquet. Neither do I desire any longer suffering or death, and still I love them both; it is love alone that attracts me, however. I desired them for a long time; I possessed suffering and believed I had touched the shores of heaven, that the little flower would be gathered in the springtime of her life. Now, abandonment alone guides me. I have no other compass! I can no longer ask for anything with fervor except the accomplishment of God’s will in my soul without any creature being able to set obstacles in the way. I can speak these words of the Spiritual Canticle of St. John of the Cross: In the inner wine cellar I drank of my Beloved, and, when I went abroad through all this valley I no longer knew anything, and lost the herd that I was following. Now I occupy my soul 6 The father’s death and Celine enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v)and all my energy in his service; I no longer tend the herd, nor have I any other work now that my every act is LOVE. Or rather: After I have known it LOVE works so in me that whether things go well or badly love turns them to one sweetness transforming the soul in ITSELF. How sweet is the way of love, dear Mother. True, one can fall or commit infidelities, but, knowing how to draw profit from everything, love quickly consumes everything that can be displeasing to Jesus; it leaves nothing but a humble and profound peace in the depths of the heart. Ah! how many lights have I not drawn from the works of our holy Father, St. John of the Cross! At the ages of seventeen and eighteen I had no other spiritual nourishment; later on, how-ever, all books left me in aridity and I’m still in that state. If I open a book composed by a spiritual author (even the most beautiful, the most touching book), I feel my heart contract immediately and I read without understanding, so to speak. Or if I do understand, my mind comes to a standstill without the capacity of meditating. In this helplessness, Holy Scripture and the [83v°] Imitation come to my aid; in them I discover a solid and very pure nourishment. But it is especially the Gospels that sustain me during my hours of prayer, for in them I find what is necessary for my poor little soul. I am constantly discovering in them new lights, hidden and mysterious meanings. I understand and I know from experience that: “The kingdom of God is within you.” Jesus has no need of books or teachers to instruct souls; He teaches without the noise of words. Never The father’s death and Celine enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v) 7have I heard Him speak, but I feel that He is within me at each moment; He is guiding and inspiring me with what I must say and do. I find just when I need them certain lights that I had not seen until then, and it isn’t most frequently during my hours of prayer that these are most abundant but rather in the midst of my daily occupations. ### Introduction to the Text “This dream appeared to be improbable” (Ms A, 82r): the ecclesiastical superior of the Carmel of Lisieux (Canon Delatroëtte) who had already been opposed to Therese’s entry, had sworn that a fourth sister would not be admitted to Carmel. Saint Teresa of Avila had written from Valladolid on 22nd July 1579 to Madre María de San José: “It isn’t right that three sisters be together in one monastery...” [ICS LL Vol 2, L304 p. 212:5]. However, Therese’s letters to Celine became more pressing during Mr. Martin’s hospitalization in Caen, to prevent Celine, relieved of her responsibilities towards her father, from giving in to marriage proposals. “The only thing I couldn’t accept” (Ms A, 82r): Teresa shows herself adamant about Celine’s virginity and her consecration to Christ; hence the emphasis, both resolute and pleading, of her letters to her sister. At that time, Celine did not always appreciate her sis-ter’s intransigence. She later agreed that the “vigilance of her angel” had been much needed for her. “God broke the bonds of His incomparable servant” (Ms A, 82r): Mr. Martin died on Sunday, July 29, 1894, at the Chateau La Musse, near the Guérins (his in-laws). “Her Céline had kept a secret hidden from her for two full years” (Ms A, 82r): the Jesuit Father Pichon, had set his sights on Celine for a missionary foundation in Canada, and had already spoken to her in 8 The father’s death and Celine enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v)a letter of June 2, 1891. Father Pichon was director of Marie, then of Therese until her entry into Carmel and finally of Celine. “If Sister A. of J. consents to Céline’s entrance” (Ms A, 82v): Therese is speaking here of Sister Amata of Jesus of the Heart of Mary. The latter had entered the Carmel of Lisieux on October 13, 1871, at the age of 20, and died there on January 7, 1930. The circular at her death reads: “The opposition she had expressed to the entry of Sister Gene-vieve of the Holy Face (Celine) was inalterable. (...) If she feared the influence of the four sisters in the one monastery, she feared above all the talents of Sister Genevieve. There was no need for artists in the community, you just had to focus on the practical aspects, and have good nurses, seamstresses, washerwomen, etc., nothing more”. “Now I have no other desire except to love Jesus unto folly” (Ms A, 82v): Therese has reached a kind of peak, where her wishes had been granted, where she could “no longer ask for anything with fer-vor except the accomplishment of God’s will” (Ms A, 83r). Here The-rese is in tune with the theology of desire of St. John of the Cross. “How many lights have I not drawn from the works of our holy Father, St. John of the Cross!” (Ms A, 83r): rather unusual reading at the Carmel of Lisieux for such a young novice (seventeen years old). But Therese at Les Buissonnets (her home in Li-sieux) already knew the Doctor of Carmel, both through her two Carmelite sisters and through quotations. However, she would only read his works in Carmel. ### For the Community Dialogue 1. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. 2. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. 3. What does the text say to me / us? Making relevant and applying the test to personal and community life. The purpose of doing things in this manner is to allow Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and to welcome her to shed light upon and confirm our personal and community journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. ### Questions 1. We return to the same topic as in the previous text. We can begin by naming the nature of Therese’s desires throughout the text and highlighting the mediations that help Teresa express them. But Therese goes further: beyond desires, their continuous deepening leads her to transcend them. How does Therese bear witness to this new spiritual maturity? Who is now the main protagonist? 2. What is now the most important thing for Therese in her relationship with Jesus? Could we, by echoing Therese’s testimony, express in our community sharing something of our experience of desire as a place for deepening and an epiphany of a deeper desire to enter into communion with the life of Jesus? ## Study Guide 8 the Offering to Merciful Love (Ms A, 83v-84v) Reading of the writings of Therese of the Child Jesus Theresian anniversaries 2023-2025 2023: Manuscript A Study guide 8: The Offering to Merciful Love (Ms A, 83v-84v) Proposal for the Community meeting: 1. Reading of the text. 2. One of the participants, who has already prepared his contribution, presents the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other supports, if necessary). 3. Community dialogue on the text. It would be a good idea if the community meeting were preceded by personal reading and meditation upon Therese’s text. ### Manuscript A, 83v-84v [ICS Pp. 180 – 182] O my dear Mother! after so many graces can I not sing with the Psalmist: “How GOOD is the Lord, his MERCY endures forever!” It seems to me that if all creatures had re-ceived the same graces I received, God would be feared by none but would be loved to the point of folly; and through love, not through fear, no one would ever consent to cause Him any pain. I understand, however, that all souls cannot be the same, that it is necessary there be different types in order to honor each of God’s perfections in a particular way. To me He has granted His infinite Mercy, and through it I contemplate and adore the other divine perfections! All of these perfections appear to be resplendent with love; even His Justice (and perhaps this even more so than the others) seems to me clothed in love. What a sweet joy it is to think that God is Just, i.e., that He takes into account our weakness, that He is perfectly aware of our fragile nature. What should I fear then? Ah! must not the infinitely just God, who deigns [84r°] to pardon the faults of the prodigal son with so much kindness, be just also toward me who “am with Him always”? This year, June 9, the feast of the Holy Trinity, I re-ceived the grace to understand more than ever before how much Jesus desires to be loved. I was thinking about the souls who offer themselves as victims of God’s Justice in order to turn away the pun-ishments reserved to sinners, drawing them upon themselves. This offering seemed great and very generous to 4 The Offering to Merciful Love (Ms A, 83v-84v)me, but I was far from feeling attracted to making it. From the depths of my heart, I cried out: “O my God! Will Your Justice alone find souls willing to immolate themselves as victims? Does not Your Mer-ciful Love need them too? On every side this love is un-known, rejected; those hearts upon whom You would lav-ish it turn to creatures, seeking happiness from them with their miserable affection; they do this instead of throwing themselves into Your arms and of accepting Your infinite Love. O my God! Is Your disdained Love going to remain closed up within Your Heart? It seems to me that if You were to find souls offering themselves as victims of hol-ocaust to Your Love, You would consume them rapidly; it seems to me, too, that You would be happy not to hold back the waves of infinite tenderness within You. If Your Justice loves to release itself, this Justice which extends only over the earth, how much more does Your Merciful Love desire to set souls on fire since Your Mercy reaches to the heavens. O my Jesus, let me be this happy victim; consume Your holocaust with the fire of Your Divine Love!” You permitted me, dear Mother, to offer myself in this way to God, and you know the rivers or rather the oceans of graces that flooded my soul. Ah! since the hap-py day, it seems to me that Love penetrates and surrounds me, that at each moment this Merciful Love renews me, purifying my soul and leaving no trace of sin within it, and [84v°] I need have no fear of purgatory. I know that of my-self I would not merit even to enter that place of expiation since only holy souls can have entrance there, but I also know that the Fire of Love is more sanctifying than is the fire of purgatory. I know that Jesus cannot desire uselessThe Offering to Merciful Love (Ms A, 83v-84v) 5sufferings for us, and that He would not inspire the longings I feel unless He wanted to grant them. Oh! how sweet is the way of Love! How I want to ap-ply myself to doing the will of God always with the greatest self-surrender! Here, dear Mother, is all I can tell you about the life of your little Thérèse; you know better than I do what she is and what Jesus has done for her. You will forgive me for having abridged my religious life so much. How will this “story of a little white flower” come to an end? Perhaps the little flower will be plucked in her youthful freshness or else transplanted to other shores. I don’t know, but what I am certain about is that God’s Mercy will accompany her always, that it will never cease blessing the dear Mother who offered her to Jesus; she will rejoice eternally at being one of the flowers of her crown. And with this dear Mother she will sing eternally the new canticle of Love. ### Introduction to the Text We arrive with this last text at the end of Manuscript A; it is a text profoundly marked by the Act of Offering, which we invite you to reread. Following the Act of offering to Mer-ciful Love, Therese is flooded with streams of divine love. This is the time of maturity and self-sacrifice. Therese’s be-ing is unified. Her whole life revolves around the love of Jesus and the service of his mission. “This year, June 9” (Ms A, 84r): Therese pronounced her “Act of offering to Merciful Love” (Prayer 6). Therese offered herself to Merciful Love on June 9, 1895, during Mass. While at that time pious souls offered themselves to “divine justice”, Teresa revolutionized the offering: what God wanted to pour out on earth was not vengeful justice, but the waves of his merciful Love. Therese would affirm several times that jus-tice itself seemed to her to be “clothed in love”. Love must have the last word and it is at the level of love that the restoration of justice must take place. So let us go immediately to him, let us take the direct path, let us surrender ourselves to love. “How will this ‘story of a little white flower’ come to an end” (Ms A, 84v): before the frightening trials of 1896 and the last year 1897, 1895 was a wonderful stage in Therese’s life, a year of spiritual fullness in which she writes Manuscript A, writes three Recreations (Plays 3, 4 and 5) and composes ten Poems (Poetry 16 to 25), including “Living on Love” and “To the Sacred Heart of Jesus” she welcomed her cousin Marie Guérin (Sister Marie of the Eucharist) to Carmel and became godmother to her first spiritual brother, Fr Bellière. The Offering to Merciful Love (Ms A, 83v-84v) 7“Or else transplanted to other shores” (Ms A, 84v): Therese began very early to think about leaving for the Car-mel of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), founded by Lisieux in 1861. Now, at the time Teresa was writing, she was rather oriented toward the Carmel of Hanoi, which had just been founded in 1895. “She will sing eternally the new canticle of Love” (Ms A, 84v): here we can quote from the Living Flame of Saint John of the Cross: “In the state of life so perfect, the soul always walks in festivity, inwardly and outwardly, and it frequently bears on its spiritual tongue a new song in great jubilation in God, a song always new, enfolded in a gladness and love arising from the knowledge the soul has of its happy state” (Living Flame S 2:36). ### For the Community Dialogue 1. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. 2. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. 3. What does the text say to me / us? Making relevant and ap-plying the test to personal and community life. The objective of this itinerary is to allow Therese to speak to us, interrogate us, encourage us, and welcome her to shed light upon and confirm our personal and community journey. The proposed questions are therefore only indicative and may eventually accompany personal meditation and community exchange. ### Questions 1. We can reread text 1 and note the reality that embraces the whole of Manuscript A: divine mercy in Therese’s life. How do these texts seem complementary to us? 2. How can we make explicit the fruits of her evolution, in her relationship with herself, in her relationship with God? And for us, what would allow the true liberation of our own selves? 3. While Therese now experienced that divine mercy always accompanied her, what experience became for her the place of permanent welcome and consented to by divine power? What experience do we have of divine mercy? In conclusion: Therese ends by evoking the fruits of her Offering to Merciful Love. This prayer is the expression of Therese’s entire evolution. You are invited to reread it (Prayer 6) and to pray it together at the end of this first year of the journey. --- DISCALCED CARMELITES General Curia of the Teresian Carmel www.discalcedcarmelite.com Design by Lorenzo Barone OCDS --- **Source:** OCD General Curia, *Theresian Anniversaries 2023: Manuscript A* (Rome: OCD General Curia, 2023).