St Therese: Chapter XII

Suffering

 Door to the infirmary where Therese died.

Like her Divine Master, she passed through the world doing good; like Him, she  had  been forgotten  and  unknown,  and  now,  still  following  in  His Footsteps,  she  was  to  climb  the  hill  of Calvary.  Accustomed  to  see  her always  suffering,  yet  always  joyous  and  brave,  Mother Prioress,  doubtless inspired by God, allowed her to take part in the Community exercises, some of  which  tired  her  extremely.  At  night,  she  would  courageously  mount  the stairs  alone,  pausing  at  each  step  to  take  breath.  It  was  with  difficulty  that she reached her cell, and then in so exhausted a state, that sometimes, as she avowed  later,  it  took  her  quite  an  hour  to  undress.  After  all  this  exertion  it was upon a hard pallet that she took her rest. Her nights, too, were very bad, and when asked if she would not like someone to be near her in her hours of pain, she replied: "Oh, no! on the contrary, I am only too glad to be in a cell away  from  my  Sisters,  that  I  may  not  be  heard.  I  am  content  to  suffer alone—as  soon  as  I  am  pitied  and  loaded  with  attentions,  my  happiness leaves me."

The Mission of Therese

One  of  the  Mothers,  having  come  to  visit  her,  did  her  a  trifling  service. "How  happy  I  should  be,"  thought  the  Mother,  "if  this  Angel  would  only say:  'I  will  repay  you  in  Heaven!'  At  that  instant  Soeur  Thérèse,  turning  to her, said: "Mother, I will repay you in Heaven!"
But more surprising than all, was her consciousness of the mission for which Our  Lord  had  destined  her.  The  veil  which  hides  the  future  seemed  lifted, and more than once she revealed to us its secrets, in prophecies which have already been realised. "I  have  never  given  the  Good  God  aught  but  love;  it  is  with  Love He will repay. AFTER MY DEATH I WILL LET FALL A SHOWER OF ROSES."
 
At  another  time  she  interrupted  a  Sister,  who  was  speaking  to  her  of  the happiness  of  Heaven,  by  the  sublime  words:  "It  is  not  that  which  attracts me."
"And  what  attracts  you?"  asked  the  other. 
"Oh!  it  is  Love!  To  love,  to  be beloved, and to return to earth to win love for our Love!"
 
One  evening,  she  welcomed  Mother  Agnes  of  Jesus  with  an  extraordinary expression of joy: "Mother!" she said, "some notes from a concert far away have  just  reached  my ears,  and  have  made  me  think  that  soon  I  shall  be listening to the wondrous melodies of Paradise. The thought, however, gave me but a moment's joy—one hope alone makes my heart beat fast: the Love that I shall receive and the Love I shall be able to give!
 
"I  feel  that  my  mission  is  soon  to  begin—my  mission  to  make  others  love
God as I love Him . . . to each souls my little way.  I WILL SPEND MY HEAVEN IN DOING GOOD UPON EARTH. Nor  is this impossible, since  from the  very heart  of  the  Beatific Vision, the Angels keep watch over us. No, there can be no rest for me until the end of the  world.  But  when  the  Angel  shall  have  said:  'Time  is  no  more!'  then  I shall rest, then I shall be able to rejoice, because the number of the elect will be complete."
 
"And what is this little way that you would teach to souls?"
 

"IT  IS  THE  WAY  OF  SPIRITUAL  CHILDHOOD,  THE  WAY  OF TRUST AND ABSOLUTE SELF-SURRENDER. I want to point out to them the means that I have always found so perfectly successful, to tell them that there is but one thing to do here below: we must offer  Jesus the  flowers  of  little  sacrifices  and  win  Him by  a  caress.  That  is
how I have won Him, and that is why I shall be made so welcome."

The picture  faithfully shows the facial expression and posture of St Therese immediately after her death, 30 September 1897. It is based on a picture by Céline. The words in the picture are: 'In the evening of this life, you will be judged on love.'