As the sun shines both on the cedar and on the floweret, so the Divine Sun illumines every soul, great and small, and all correspond to His care-just as in nature the seasons are so disposed that on the appointed day the humblest daisy shall unfold its petals. These are the field flowers whose simplicity charms Him and by His condescension to them Our Saviour shows His infinite greatness. But He has created the little child, who knows nothing and can but utter feeble cries, and the poor savage who has only the natural law to guide him, and it is to their hearts that He deigns to stoop. In fact, the characteristic of love being self-abasement, if all souls resembled the holy Doctors who have illuminated the Church, it seems that God in coming to them would not stoop low enough. I understood this also, that God's Love is made manifest as well in a simple soul which does not resist His grace as in one more highly endowed. And the more gladly they do His Will the greater is their perfection. He has been pleased to create great Saints who may be compared to the lily and the rose, but He has also created lesser ones, who must be content to be daisies or simple violets flowering at His Feet, and whose mission it is to gladden His Divine Eyes when He deigns to look down on them. And so it is in the world of souls, Our Lord's living garden. I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would lose its springtide beauty, and the fields would no longer be enamelled with lovely hues. He showed me the book of nature, and I understood that every flower created by Him is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. Our Lord has deigned to explain this mystery to me. And again it puzzled me why so many poor savages should die without having even heard the name of God. In reading the lives of the Saints I was surprised to see that there were certain privileged souls, whom Our Lord favoured from the cradle to the grave, allowing no obstacle in their path which might keep them from mounting towards Him, permitting no sin to soil the spotless brightness of their baptismal robe. Mary Magdalen, and many others, whom He forced, so to speak, to receive His grace. I was filled with wonder when I saw extraordinary favours showered on great sinners like St. I often asked myself why God had preferences, why all souls did not receive an equal measure of grace. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." 8 8Cf. Paul says: "God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. He does not call those who are worthy, but those whom He will. They threw a clear light upon the mystery of my vocation and of my entire life, and above all upon the favours which Our Lord has granted to my soul. Then opening the Gospels, my eyes fell on these words: "Jesus, going up into a mountain, called unto Him whom He would Himself." 6 6 Mark 3:13. As I knelt I begged of that dear Mother to guide my hand, and thus ensure that only what was pleasing to her should find place here. A like favour was granted to Thérèse herself, as will be seen in the course of the narrative. 5 5This statue twice appeared as if endowed with life, in order to enlighten and console Mme. 88:1.īefore setting about my task I knelt before the statue of Our Lady which had given my family so many proofs of Our Heavenly Mother's loving care. I begin therefore to sing what must be my eternal song: "the Mercies of the Lord." 4 4 Ps. When you asked me to write it, I feared the task might unsettle me, but since then Our Lord has deigned to make me understand that by simple obedience I shall please Him best. It is to you, dear Mother, that I am about to confide the story of my soul.
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