| Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face Marie Celine Martin "Beloved Holy Face " |
| "God's mercy is better than life. Yes, I rely only on God's mercy and on his compassion; I want to arouse his compassion by my poverty, for I know that is how I will have gained all." - Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face |
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| April 28, 1869 -February 25, 1959 |
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On the 24th of July, witnessing daily the cruelty of a slow and painful death, Thérèse’s illness, was taking a toll on Céline’s confidence. How can Thérèse be so positive and brave when she was suffering so much? When most people who are dying don’t have the positive energy to get them through it? Céline says to Thérèse: “You are my ideal, and this I cannot obtain.” (LC) I don’t see how I can embrace death the way you do when you are suffering so much when my natural instincts tells me otherwise. I am like a child, in her mother’s arms reaching for everything and not able to realize that nothing is in my grasp. And Thérèse says to Céline: “Yes, but on the last day, Jesus will approach His little Céline with all she has desired, and then she will seize everything.” (LC) August had arrived and her health was slowly depleting even more. Thérèse looked at her with endearment and said: “Remember always that you are very little and when you are very little. You don’t have beautiful thoughts.” (LC) As Thérèse was speaking to one of her sisters, Céline entered into the conversation and added: “I will not be able to live without her!” And Thérèse responded: “That’s right; so I’ll bring you two wings!” (LC) On August 5th, as both Thérèse and Céline were speaking to each other, the teaching never stopped between the two of them. In an effort to teach Céline “poverty of spirit and of heart”, Thérèse reminded her never to strive for accomplishments and accolades in this life but to stay where she was and most importantly become “very little”. Céline’s focus was to be fully on God. Thérèse lovingly said: “When I am in Heaven, I’ll draw from God’s treasures and I’ll say: “This is for Marie, this for Pauline, this for Léonie, and this for the very little Céline.’ And making a sign to Papa: ‘She is the littlest now, so we must hasten to get her!’” (LC) Further in their conversation, Céline again reproaches Thérèse about her leaving her. And Thérèse counteracts her words with: “Oh! Not for the space of an inch!” (LC) As Céline told Thérèse a story that placed obstacles in her path where she felt she wouldn’t be able to be with Thérèse in Heaven, Thérèse said to her: “You must ask God: ‘I know very well that I’ll never be worthy of what I hope for, but I hold out my hand to You like a beggar and I’m sure You will answer me fully, for You are so good!” (LC) As the teachings continued each day, Céline remarked to Thérèse about her obituary and said to her: “I would rather be gone before they wrote it. Do you believe it? Yes, I believe it, but you must not lose patience; look at how patient I am. You will have to act like that.” (LC) Thérèse continued to instill in Céline that she must detach herself completely from herself. For her to not worry about what was going on around her and what she thinks she must have or obtain but to have total trust in God to provide for her what He sees that her needs are. Essentially, Thérèse asked her to please follow my lead. On the 16th of August, Céline awoke to see Thérèse in physical agony. She approached her and Thérèse told her the devil has surrounded her. She remarked: “I cannot see him but I can feel him. He is tormenting me; he is holding me with an iron hand to prevent me from taking the slightest relief; he is increasing my pains in order to make me despair. And I can no longer pray! I can only look at the Blessed Virgin and say: ‘Jesus!’ how necessary is that prayer at Compline: ‘Procul recedant omnia et noctium phantasmata!’” (Deliver us from the phantoms of the night.) (LC) Thérèse then went on to say to Céline: “I experience something mysterious. Until now, I’ve suffered especially in my right side, but God asked me if I wanted to suffer for you, and I immediately answered that I did. At the same instant, my left side was seized with an incredible pain. I’m suffering for you, and the devil doesn’t want it!” (LC) After Céline hearing what Thérèse had told her, she went and got a blessed candle. Céline lit the candle and then the pain that Thérèse was suffering from on her left side was gone. Since Thérèse experienced the same amount of pain on her left side as she did on her right, she now jokingly calls her left side “Céline’s side”. On the 21st of August, Thérèse was relapsing physically, her suffering had strengthened and she was emotionally exhausted. She said to Céline that she didn’t want to sound as though she were complaining so when Thérèse said to Céline that she was suffering, Thérèse wanted her to say to her “All the better!” The next day, after realizing how upset Céline was over seeing her in such great pain, signaled her over to her bed and said to her: “Little Demoiselle? I love you very much and it’s very sweet for me to be taken care of by you.” (LC) September had arrived and it was the last month that Thérèse would suffer on this earth. Céline remarked to Thérèse about the close relationship they had: “People will not be able to know that we loved each other so much. And Thérèse responded back: “It’s not worth desiring that people believe it; the important thing is that it’s so.” (LC) Days later, Thérèse affirmed to her that she would protect her always. On September 16th, Céline had done something that she knew that she shouldn’t have done and Thérèse caught it and looked at her and responded: “You will be there at my side just the same!” (LC) Later that day, Thérèse, filled with emotion by how well Céline was taking care of her, she said: “Oh, how grateful I am to my poor little Bobonne! You will see all I’ll do for you!” (LC) Thérèse was very thankful for all the attention she was given by Céline during her illness, every other day, she would tell Céline how much she loved her and felt the obligation of repaying her for all that she has done for her. Thérèse remarked: “To love you, you have me…and not to love you, it isn’t God...it’s the devil.” (LC) On the last four days of Thérèse’s life, Thérèse was in an enormous amount of pain. So much so that she begged Céline to pray to Mary on her behalf. She said to Céline, please pray to the Virgin Mary for me, my little infirmarian but when it comes to praying for myself I cannot get myself to do so…(in a sigh) “Oh! How necessary it is to pray for the agonizing! If you only knew!” (LC) Thérèse’s sister’s asked her who will receive your last look, and Thérèse said: “If God leaves me free, it will be for Mother Prioress.” (Mother Marie de Gonzaga) On the day of Thérèse’s death, September 30th, it was her final bitter taste of suffering. She was suffering so much that Pauline had to hold her up on one side and Céline had to hold her up on the other. Moments later as Céline was rubbing ice against her lips, Thérèse raised her eyes to Céline with a “prophetic insistence”. Thérèse’s look expressed to Céline was with great love and compassion and with it a “superhuman expression of encouragement and promise” as if she actually said to Céline: “Go, go! Céline, I shall be with you!” (LC) All the pains and worries of this earth were now Thérèse’s past and her eyes were on Heaven and the start of her journey was about to begin. Minutes before her death, Thérèse’s eyes searched the room for Mother Marie de Gonzaga. She had stated to her sister earlier that her last look would be on mother prioress. As Thérèse spoke her final words, Thérèse turned instead to Céline and placed her last look on her, a blessing Céline so desired and received. As Céline stated later in life, “For the memory of that last look, so much desired by all and given to me, sustains me always and is an inexpressible strength for me.” (LC) After Thérèse took her last breath, Céline ran out of the infirmary and leaned against one of the pillars, in hopes of seeing her sister’s spirit ascend to Heaven. But the visibility was obscured by clouds and just then as she spoke aloud to herself crying: “If only there were some stars in the heavens! (LC) The clouds and the rain suddenly dissipated and the stars shone through. It was a sign for her that her beloved sister’s soul made it. On October 1, 1897, Thérèse’s body was prepared. Céline took her first photograph of her sister in the infirmary. Due to the dynamics of the camera lens, it was only “equipped for pictures of longer focus, and Céline did not have much space in the small infirmary; thus the picture had to be taken from a high angle and was not taken in natural light.” (PA) Céline was not really happy with the photograph because she felt it did not capture Thérèse’s true facial expression but admitted it did show her “heavenly smile”. As they transferred her body from the infirmary to the choir to be viewed by family and friends, Céline decided to take another photograph of her beloved sister on October 3, 1897. This photograph too, felt by Céline did not capture what they saw of their sister. Pauline had stated: “We felt there was an air of majesty about her, but we did not recognize her anymore.” (PA) As Céline stood in her sister’s presence, she saw a tear clinging to Thérèse’s eyelid. She reached for her handkerchief and wiped away her last tear. Later, she would cut the cloth into a tear itself for veneration. On October 4, 1897, Thérèse’s funeral was conducted and she was laid to rest in the new cemetery for the Carmelite nuns. Céline and Léonie, led the procession of mourners. While Céline was admiring the night’s sky, a flame appeared before her eyes and encircled itself in the sky. As she visualized this unexplainable event, she felt in her soul a resounding peace. It was to her, an image of her sister Thérèse’s soul. Céline was so convinced that this unexplainable event was brought about by God and her sister that it was a response to her prayers. Not even a year after Thérèse’s death did Céline experience another favor of a different kind. Prior to Thérèse’s death, Thérèse knew that Céline would always come running to her for advice. While Thérèse was dying, Céline never had the opportunity to speak with her about a passage she meditated on and did not understand from Zechariah 9:17. After Thérèse’s death, she again meditated on this same passage and this time she received from her sister “an inner sweetness accompanied by the warmth of divine Charity.” (C) Céline held the responsibility of the sacristan. This was an individual who cares for the sacred vessels, vestments, lights, reliquaries, pamphlets, statues, and anything related to the care of the sacristy and its contents within the Carmelite chapel. It was a position held close to Céline’s heart and she paid special attention to taking care of all of these essentials. But all of this attention she placed on taking care of the Carmelite chapel brought about criticism from Mother Marie de Gonzaga which was to Céline’s dismay. However, it was not until Bishop Amette who visited the Carmelite chapel when he conducted a ceremony in honor of Blessed Denis of the Nativity, O.C.D of Honfleur, and spoke about how impressed he was by Céline’s work in front of the entire community did Mother Marie de Gonzaga change her mind. During the month of February in 1899, a spiritual attack ensued on Céline, questioning her virtues when it came to celibacy. No matter how many prayers she prayed, the temptation was still there but she held her ground and clinged to God even though it was difficult to do. She refocused her efforts instead on saving souls. Saving souls from Satan’s clutches, if saving only one, would mean more to her than the temptations she herself was facing, there was no comparison to the two. As she said: “The desire to save souls was like a mania for me...It was this hope that gave me courage.” (C) The spiritual attacks she endured lasted for two years and three months. With an ever increasing interest into the life of Thérèse, after reading her autobiography, the Bishop of Bayeux asked Céline to write a booklet about her sister. In this booklet, it described the life of her sister prior to entering the Carmelite monastery and the virtues she practiced with. The last part of the booklet was about how she dealt with her illness and her death. The final name of the book would be called Appeal to Divine Love. The purpose of the booklet was to lead Therese’s followers to her message. Secondo Pia photographed the Shroud of Turin in May of 1898. Later, these photographic negative images would be published in a book called Le Linceul du Christ by Professor Paul Vignon. On a pilgrimage, Céline’s uncle Isidore, purchased this book and brought it back with him to Lisieux. Her uncle decided to give Céline the book. When Céline saw the book, it enraptured her soul; she could not put it down. When it came time for her to retire to her cell, she would take it out and examine the image of the face and studied it feverishly. As Céline first saw the image of his face she stated: “It was truly my Jesus as my heart had sensed him to be…And, looking for the marks of his sufferings, I observed by the wounds the imprint of the cruel crown of thorns…” (C) After examing the photographic negatives, she found it in her heart to paint the image of the Shroud of Turin. Céline writes in her notes on the 8th of September 1900, “O my Jesus…you know that my desire has always been to love you and to make you loved. Since I cannot express a greater love than that which Thérèse lavished on you, my dream is to lavish it on you myself. Together, and on the same day, O Jesus, you accepted us as little Victims of you Merciful Love, I am the first one to have followed her Little Way. She opened the door, and I dashed in after her…Is the day very distant when I will hear the sound of your voice, when you will clasp me to your Heart, when I will be able to see your Countenance and kiss your sweet Face, when will I be seated eternally beside Thérèse on our lap? O Jesus, may I live for you and die of Love!” (C) In the spring of 1904, Céline started her quest to paint the image of Jesus. Her first attempt was using charcoal as a medium but unfortunately when she tried to get the image she created published the charcoal painting was rejected. Using charcoal as a medium did not offer a three dimensional effect needed to print the image on paper. Céline’s determination did not end there, a year later; she once again began her journey to paint the same image again as a grisaille (usually painted in a multiple shades of gray). This time, it would involve many prayers to Our Lady of the Smile, St. Joseph, her deceased family members and all the angels and saints. This was a real labor of love for her and she used every ounce of her strength to recreate the image she had imaged to be the true face of Jesus. Once the painting was completed, she brought it with her before Our Lady as an offering. After offering the painting, she was inspired to research the gospels and found this verse: “All those who were there and who saw what took place said: ‘Truly, this is the Son of God.’” (C) Céline’s painting had such a likeness to the image on the Shroud of Turin. The Carmelite monastery devotion to the Holy Face was great and they wanted to promote the likeness to the faithful. At the same time, devotion to Thérèse was increasing. To include both, the Carmelites thought of placing the image of the Holy Face on the front of the card and a devotional prayer from Thérèse on the back. Fr. Eugene Prévost, cfs helped the Carmelites in distributing the cards composed in eight different languages. Fr. Eugene had strong ties to the Vatican, he requested an indulgence for the picture and prayer to the Holy Face in February 1906, it was granted by Pope Pius X. A year later, Fr. Eugene gave Pope Pius X a copy of The Story of a Soul and as he opened it, he found the picture of the Holy Face and he was delighted in seeing it incorporated into the 1906 edition of the Story of a Soul. Pope Pius X gave Céline a remembrance and sent her a bronze medal with his picture on it. Devotions to the Holy Face spread to millions, it was suggested that the image painted by Céline should be entered into an art competition. The masterpiece was entered into the International Exposition of Religious Art at Bois-le-Duc in the Netherlands in 1909. The painting was awarded the grand prize. Céline states: “I am not surprised at having succeeded with the sorrowful Face of my Jesus. I know it is said that only a pure soul could have the gift for reproducing so beautiful a Countenance; but I still say that, in order to understand such wounds, a soul would have had to bear its imprints.” (C) Céline found her devotion in the Passion of Christ. As she stated: “God had seduced me”. (C) She painted two more paintings of the Passion of Christ. The first one was Our Lord being tied to the pillar and the second one was of his crucifixion. Her zeal and fervor increased to composing a special prayer said in the Breviary (Divine Office) and a Mass in honor of the Holy Face. She was faithful in her devotion. As her continued devotion increased to the Holy Face and the Passion of Christ, the prioress, Mother Agnes of Jesus, Céline’s sister Pauline, gave her consent on November 14, 1916 to changing Céline’s religious name to Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face and of Saint Teresa. Her feast day would be on the day celebrated on the Transfiguration of Christ- (The Transfiguration of Christ is the culminating point of His public life, as His Baptism is its starting point, and His Ascension its end) (NA) Each year the Carmelite monastery would hold a community procession, Céline, with her passion for the Holy Face, bore the banner of the image of the Holy Face as the procession proceeded. Having had the banner of the image of the Holy Face she states: “The face of God, how could I not present myself with the assurance before that Face of God? Yes, since the Face of my Jesus is God made visible to me under the appearance of flesh, ‘the bow of the mighty is broken, and the feeble have girded themselves with strength.’”(1Sam 2:4) Céline delved into the life of Jesus wholeheartedly. She wanted to know everything there was to know about Him. She studied everything that was in her possession and at her disposal. She reference and cross reference the places in the Bible where there were major events that occurred in his life. Céline made every effort to take her knowledge that she had gained and educate the community through a series of slides of the scenes that Jesus encountered in his life. She went so far as to outline routes Jesus took prior to his crucifixion. She outlined in detail the events during Holy Week. Many of her sisters were impressed by her knowledge. As a gift to Pauline for her feast day, Céline arranged “A little chest in which she had collected a sample of the twelve stones that, in the Apocalypse, form the walls of the heavenly Jerusalem.” (C) Céline sought out to study many different Bibles that had been produced by a variety of authors. Their translation of the Bible held a variety of differences among each of them. She found that they were usually based upon their own perception of who they thought God was. The Little Theological Summa of St. Thomas was given to Céline in June 1917. She read through the entire book and made annotation of quotes describing Jesus. She analyzed her own thoughts and words which she had written down previously and compared them to the book. After close analysis of both interpretations, she found that they were similar in thought. In all of her readings, she still held true to the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. As she states: “I do not believe and do not wish to believe anything except what holy Mother Church believes and teaches.” (C) Céline studied large volumes of books on Christ. Previously, when she had a theological question or did not understand a verse she would seek out and consult with Thérèse first. However, after Thérèse’s death, she used prayer and meditation as a means of understanding passages for which she did not understand. Her drive for knowledge on Jesus was a need to have a closer union with Him. He was her life. As she describes: “Each morning when I go to prayer, I can see the dawn rising and I am thrilled with hope, because I know just as surely as the horizon is tinged with color before me that Jesus, asleep during the night of this life, will also rise and his glory will shine on me. It will no longer be the “pale morning star”, brilliant but fleeting, that I will greet in passing. No, Jesus, whom I have loved so much, my God whom I have found in his Sacred Humility, he, my Sun, will no longer set. He will be my eternal light and my glory…and all this will happen soon.” (C) Céline’s devotion to Our Lady was just as great. Our Lady is not unapproachable, as a figure just to admire, but she is someone that we can imitate, easily speak to and of course, lay all of our burdens onto. Céline was a child of Mary, for her, all of the honor bestowed upon us was ours. “To the existence of the Mother of God: work, prayer, rest, study of the Scripture, with no blazing lights or marvels of any kind. That is what makes her close to us and capable of sympathizing with our ills.” (C) The beginning process for the canonization had begun for Céline’s sister Thérèse. There were many different views about this subject from dismay to indifference to acceptance. Either way, the beginning stages of the canonization process had a life of its own. Therese was viewed by many in the Vatican as just an “ordinary religious” and at that time, many of the people who were previously canonized as saints performed heroic acts in the name of Jesus. But Therese was special in that she captured the hearts and minds of the ordinary person. It was the public who insisted that her message be heard. When an investigation into the life of Thérèse, during the diocesan process began in 1910, Marie, Pauline, Léonie and Céline were asked to write a deposition about their sister. Each one of them was asked not to share their version of events in their sister’s life with each other. When it was time for Céline to give her accounts of her sister’s life, she continually instituted the phrase “The Little Way”. When she spoke of “The Little Way” while she was being questioned it brought chills among the listeners, especially the Promoter of the Faith. Later, the Promoter of the Faith approached her and asked her not to say those words. He was fearful that Thérèse’s cause would be ended abruptly. But Céline was defiant and insistent upon including this phrase. As she remarked: “If it is defeated, it is defeated; but since I have sworn to tell the truth, I must give witness to what I have seen and heard, no matter what happens!” (C) Therese was different, in that she “Practiced only simple and hidden virtues”. There was no comparison; she broke the mold of what a saint could be. As Céline stated: “I would not let my sister be placed in the circle where custom aligned the other saints, that she had practiced simple and hidden virtues, and that it would be necessary to get used to it…” (C) Despite the objections by the clergy, the process continued and as history has proven, “The Little Way” has withstood the test of time. At this same time on September 6, 1910, Thérèse’s first exhumation was conducted at the Lisieux cemetery. The ceremony consisted of placing the remains of Thérèse and her old coffin into a better coffin and officially recognizing her remains by both clergy and doctors. Céline had always longed to be with Jesus and her sister Thérèse in heaven. In 1911, she developed an attack of pneumonia in both of her lungs; her sisters had thought that she would not make it because her illness was so severe. But Céline proved them all wrong and her health improved dramatically. In 1915, the Superior of the Carmelite Order, waived the “Rule” where there was to be only 2 biological sisters in the chapter of the same monastery. Céline became exempt from this rule and was finally able to take a position within the chapter. On April 9, 1915, the progression of the canonization process of Thérèse had reached to the Apostolic Process where the Holy See was to conduct an examination of Céline’s sister virtues. It was decided that this examination would take place at the Carmelite monastery in Lisieux. Céline’s sister Léonie was asked to come to Lisieux to testify on the virtues of her sister. It was a great joy, knowing that the sister, Céline, Marie and Pauline haven’t seen in several years and thought that they would never see again in the flesh was coming to their Carmel. Léonie was accompanied by Mother Superior Jeanne-Marguerite. Once Léonie arrived, it was as if time had never passed. It was as if they were back at Les Buissonnets. The presence of the entire family both living and dead was felt by all of them. It was a moment in time they all would remember the rest of their lives and it would be the last time all of them would be together until they were all reunited in Heaven. To complete the examination process, an exhumation of the remains of Thérèse was conducted. On the 9th of August 1917, a procession led by Bishop Lemonnier went to the Carmelite cemetery and unearthed the casket and brought it to the Cemetery chapel. There the casket remained enclosed until the next day. On the 10th, Céline was given permission as well as one of her Carmelite sisters, Sister Madeleine of Jesus, to leave the monastery and assist in the examination of the remains. Céline was driven to the cemetery in the early hours of the morning and witnessed the removal of all of the remains of Thérèse out of the coffin. The only thing that remained unchanged from the first exhumation in 1910 was the silk ribbon banner and roses that was placed in the coffin reading: “I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth. After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses.” Céline assisted in wrapping the remains of her sister in white lien and tying them with silk ribbons. On August 14, 1921, Pope Benedict XV addressed in his papal message to the faithful about “The little way of Spiritual Childhood” and Thérèse’s virtues, for Céline it was a “victory” for all the hard work she and her sisters had done for her sister Thérèse. Céline stated: “I have never experienced such a great and deep joy as I did…The beatification and canonization themselves did not bring me as intense a happiness.” (C) Céline wrote on November 25,“Finding myself in the garden, in the hermitage of the Holy Face, I saw once again the humiliations that have been our lot and that of our dear father; relatives distancing themselves from us, apologizing for being part of our family; friends and acquaintances who said among themselves: “what good was his piety?” He bore the weight of his own sacrifices; and the godless sneer, because of him, at the lamentable end of the just.” It seemed to me that then God had said to his angels: “Write” and I saw one of them mark something down on the “Debit” side of the ledger. Since then, many years have passed. Would the All-Powerful delay the day of reckoning? At that moment, I raised my eyes, and I noticed on the cross of Carmel’s dome the little glittering star…All the celebrations of our Therèse’s canonization were summarized there, and I heard in my heart these words pronounced with indescribable fatherly tenderness: “Are you happy?” Then a wave of gratitude swept over me completely, and, with tears in my eyes, I could say over and over again with love: “O my God!” (C) With the influx of interest in St. Thérèse, after her canonization, Céline worked continuously hard on spreading her sister’s message. Her duties evolved into fully dedicating herself to her sister’s cause, thus having herself replaced from the daily responsibilities of the monastery so that she could spend more time promoting her sister. Céline co-authored with her sister Pauline, the book “Little Catechism of the Act of Oblation”. Both of them simplified Thérèse’s message so that everything could be included and understood especially by those that faced learning disabilities. After that book was completed, another book was written called the “Little Way” encouraging followers of the Theresian message to imitate her sister. Pauline composed the writings and Céline took on the design aspect of the book. A third book was put together called “Life in Imagery”, which was a collection of photographs that depicted the life of St. Thérèse. Céline then took on the task of cataloging everything that was about Thérèse from her life as a child through the canonization process. Everything was organized based upon Thérèse’s love for God. The information she had gathered and organized culminated into a book called “The Spirit of Blessed Thérèse of the Child Jesus” expressing Thérèse’s love for God. In all of the work that Céline had accomplished there never was a sense of completeness for her. She continuously had the drive to continue to pursue more ways of promoting her sister’s way which for many others was a daunting task. On obtaining the houses once occupied by the Martin family, Céline worked increasing hard for the sake of pilgrims as well as having them organized in the way that reflected the way Thérèse lived her life. From the house they resided in Alencon to daunting task of the Basilica of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Every detail was examined and contemplated on before it was instituted. By 1929, the foundation stone was laid for the start of the Basilica of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. It was a task closely monitored by Céline where she aided in the design aspects. Painting was a great passion for Céline, not only in her work for St. Thérèse but also as a means of expression. Her eyesight was depleting as she got older which made it more difficult for her to paint. There were however, critics which detested her work and made it known but there were many religious and lay people which rose to her defense as Fr. Francis of Holy Mary stated: “Thérèse nevertheless used these pictures to make her presence felt throughout the entire world, for the remote huts in the bush country to the tents of the nomads…exercise their her gracious influence. Because of this, Céline’s portraits merit our respect.” (C) Céline was given the position in the community council, also in 1929, for which she kept until her death. Céline’s role consisted of advising and overseeing of the publications of works distributed through the Central Office of Lisieux and also direct correspondence with people from around the world. The most difficult obstacle for her to face wasn’t the vast number of letters that were written by followers of St. Thérèse but the constant visits that were received into the monastery. As Céline described it: “To be treated like some strange animal” was the most difficult and gave her the feelings of wanting to rebel against it. (C) She didn’t want to be seen as a “great attraction”. It was the “Little Way” for Céline that gave her serenity. As she wrote to Pauline: “I don’t know how to show my gratitude to God for putting us, like Jesus through humiliation. I feel I will bless him for it throughout eternity. Down here, I thank him for it with a joyful soul. I believe there are no graces greater than that. Ecstasies and Miracles seem trite compared to that. Besides, I thrill with happiness to recall all that has happened in my life that made me fall, all that contributed to humbling me, even my faults, since they could not disfigure what is used for loving more.” (C) On October 9, 1935, Céline described in her writing her union with Our Lady: “Yesterday evening, during the time of silence, I felt ineffably united to my heavenly Mother; I experienced an indefinable feeling I dare not express. It seemed to me that the Blessed Mother was here with us, that she was my sister, my friend; there was a familiarity between us, a kind of equality like that of a family. Oh! How pleasant that was! This morning, during Mass, I was still thinking about it, and it was sweet for me to make the comparison between that grace and the Feast of the Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin we celebrate today. This the third time in my life that my heavenly Mother has visited me at first Vespers of this very consoling solemnity.” (C) Written by: R. Hann Bibliography Piat, Stéphanie Fr. The Story Of A Family: The Home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. (SF) Trans: Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey. Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1948. Martin, Celine. The Mother of the Little Flower Trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. (ML) Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1957 Martin, Celine. The Father of the Little Flower Trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. (FL) Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1955 Scallan, Dorthy. The Whole World Will Love Me, The Life of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (WW) Edited by Fr. Emeric B. Scallan, S.T.B. Rockford, Ill. Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1954 ---. CÉLINE: Sister Geneviève of the Holy Face. Trans: The Carmelite Sisters of the Eucharist of Colchester, Conn. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997. (C) Martin, Céline The Father of the Little Flower (Louis Martin) (FL) trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1955 Clarke, John, trans. St.Thérèse of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations. (LC) Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1977. |
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| Céline: Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face, sister and witness of St. Therese of the Child Jesus By: Stephane-Joseph Piat Paperback: 201 pages Publisher: Ignatius Press (August 1997) Language: English ISBN-10: 0898706025 ISBN-13: 978-0898706024 www.amazon.com |
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