LLEGE
tite
|
FE
|
MICHAEL’S CO
|
Y OF ST
3 1761 04339 1226
pre
ts OS
i
|
it
Sos
St ig
oo
3
Re
sn QE
2m,
LR
ST no es de
Pounds SNS
JOHN M. KELLY LIBRARY
Donated by The Redemptorists of the Toronto Province from the Library Collection of Holy Redeemer College, Windsor
University of St. Michael's College, Toronto
rt f
“HOLY REDEEMER Lana pk NT RE WINDsop
i r Pit ere ee Rs ù Pe) ROCKVILLE te : ie
programy Oe We
ÊLIrE
OF
NSTER VARY NE PETER
CARMELITE OF TOURS
Written by Herself.
ARRANGED AND COMPLETED WITH THE AID OF HER LET- TERS AND THE ANNALS OF HER MONASTERY
By M. L’ABBE JANVIER,
Director of the Priests of the Holy Face.
WITH THE APPROBATION OF THE ARCHBISHOP OF TOURS.
TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH,
REVISED EDITION.
ee
1884
ERREY HOLY REDEEMEMEBWARY: wivncne
ENTERED according to Act of Congress, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, in the year 1883.
PREFACE.
The life which we are now about to offer the public, will undoubtedly be acknowledged to be one of the most remarkable that has ap- peared in our century. A poor, simple seam- stress chosen as the mediator between the anger of a justly offended God and the sins of a guilty, ungrateful people: — the heavenly ambassadress to one of the mighty courts of the world :—the recipient of the most astonish- ing revelations :—and all this in our days! Is it possible that visions, ecstasies and revelations are the lot of mortals of the nineteenth cen- tury ? Do these not rather belong to the days of the prophets, of the apostles? Sit Nomen Domini benedictum! May the Name of the Lord be blessed! His arm is not shortened, nor his holy spirit mute in our day more than in times gone by. The life of this generous spouse of Christ is only one of the many proofs that his Church is now, as it ever has been,
IV PREFACE.
holy : holy in her doctrine, holy in her minis- ters and holy in her children.
In obedience to her superiors, Sister Mary St. Peter writes her own life, the charm of which lies in its childlike simplicity. Her humility and her obedience shine forth in every line, producing the most wonderful fruits of generosity and zeal for the salvation of souls. What a heroic mission was hers! To establish Reparation in the Church; to vindicate the honor due to the most Holy Name of God. And with what admirable generosity, untiring zeal and devotedness without reserve, has she not delivered herself to the Spirit of the Most High, to be a docile instrument in his hand for the glory of his Name, and the consolation of his Holy Face !
It is to you, O children of Erin, ho the iron heart ofthe usurper has driven from your green hills and fertile valleys, to you who have braved the perils of the deep, the dreary exile in the midst of a strange people, to you who, in the midst of trials and dangers, of difficul- ties and hardships whose name is legion, you who have gloriously surmounted every ob- stacle and have succeeded in planting the faith from ocean to ocean, from the ice-bound shores of the Canadas, to the zephyr-fanned
PREFACE. V
plains of Mexico, it is to you to uphold the glory of the Name of the Most High ; to teach your children to honor this most Holy Name, to perform all things im the name of God, the hallowed expression of your ancestors: In the Name of God. It isto you, theIrish American people, worthy children of a St. Patrick and a St. Bridget, to you ‘is this little book affec- tionately dedicated. May its perusal produce fruit a hundred fold to the glory of the most Holy Name of God!
May 1, 1884.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
ONE LATELE BRETON... Sede VEN ce ee ee ee
Birth— Early years—First steps in virtue—Her at- traction for prayer—First Communion—Death of her mother—Her temptations—Her pious amuse- ments— Learns a trade—Admitted to a confrater-
nity in honor of Blessed Virgin—Aridities and
trials—Change of confessor—Makes a retreat.
CHAPTER II. BEM MIAN TON: coe sco oe de Ge pb ebies ssc ewok en eee
Gratitude to the Blessed Virgin—First thoughts of ‘quitting the world—Her new director—His opin- ion of his little penitent—His counsels—Her pious practices of devotion—Trials and rebuffs —Her charity manifested toward a poor family—Her in- fluence over them—First account of the extraor- dinary operations of grace in her soul—Her love for humiliations and sufferings—Humiliations or- dained by her confessor—Consolations which she experienced—Devotion to Jesus in the most Bless- ed Sacrament—To vag Sacred Heart—Miraculous cure.
CHAPTER 11]. De NANG oo cae Gi Pr ba bag ET PR PRO UL whee eA
Influence exercised over her companions—Their entertainments—Tllness of her sister—Fears of her father that she was about to leave him—Embarass-
PAGE-
‘19
35
CONTENTS. VII
ments—Second marriage of her father—Visit to Meaux—Permission from her confessor to enter there— Disappointment—Recourse to St. Martin-— Vision—Avidity for prayer—Charity toward the indigent sick—Illness of her confessor—Pilgrim- age to Notre-Dame de la Peinière— Her confessor desires to send her to the Hospitaliers at Rennes— Trials—Promise of Our Lord that she would be a Carmelite—Poverty of her father a seeming ob- stacle—Her adieus.
. CHAPTER IV.
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS................., 58
3 Her departure—Reception by the community—First
trials in religious life—History of the monastery of Tours—First Superiors—Difficulties of the foundation—Fidelity of the sisters to their relig- ious engagements during the revolution of 1789- Driven from their convent—Sufferings of the religious—Prisons—Return to their conventual life—Miraculous picture of the Blessed Virgin—— Other sacred objects.in their possession.
CHAPTER V.
SEER NON Gos ol liek dik ce bale de cee 78
Early endeavors to attain the spirit of her rules— first vision relative to Reparation—Act of aban- donment demanded by the Lord—Objections of the mother prioress—Summary of life of Mother Mary of Incarnation——Early life—Call to reli- gion—Her character--Devotion of Sr. Mary St. Peter to the Holy Infancy—Consecration to the Holy Family—‘ The Ass of the Infant Jesus ”— Month of the Infant Jesus—The devil tries to smother her.
VIII CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VI.
HER PROFESSION..... ge ee Feats SET a 96
Her three demands at Chapter--Her profession——- Act of Consecration——-Method of keeping in union with God—Her spirit of mortification—Her in- terview with an extraordinary confessor—Ap- proves her method of meditation—Appointed portress—Her prayers for Spain—Our Lord again demands the Act of Perfect Abandonment— Change of monasteries—Troubles of the Supe- rior—Supernatural aid—Vision of Our Lord— Attachment to sensible devotion.
CHAPTER VII.
Eh: GOLDEN: DAGGBR 6 su de hic PERS ae pees 123
Communications on the Work of Reparation—Ex- traordinary storm—Reflections of the sister—Our Lord’s first complaints of the sin of Blasphemy—— The Golden Dagger—Consoling promises—-Surprise of the Prioress at the account of this vision—Her devotion to the Holy Name of God—Her exercise in Reparation—Her Superior refuses to recognize these new devotions—Submission of the sister— Her interior sufferings—Finding of printed leaf- let on Reparation—Joy of Sister St. Peter—-M. Dupont distributes Forty Days Prayer among the Communities—Rigor of her Superiors diminish- ing—Malady of the mother prioress—Novena made by the community for her recovery——Cure.
CHAPTER VIIL
DR RAPARATIONS.. dci 08225 00008 8 ve NT UNS IL 141
Confessors of the house—The sister defines her “ vis- ions The Lord demands the birth of the devo- tion at Carmel—New communications—The Holy Name of God—tThe sister offers a little billet to the Blessed Virgin—Our Lady of Good Help—
eg ee oe ee y= a ee à. © be aaa
CONTENTS.
Fert of a novice—Divine vengeance—Blasphemy demoralizing modern society—France the centre of this cerroding evil—The Association at Rome— Prayers of Roparation.
CHAPTER IX.
TM TERRAIN csc AA RES RP fan ast paeps tacg aun aces Interview with the Superior—The sister obtains
permission to make her Act of abandonment to the Infant Jesus—She asks to have the Reparatory Prayers printed—lIs refused—Her letter to the prioress—Her motto ‘“ And He was subject to them ”—Method of meditation given her by Our
Lord—The Association—Great desire of the sis-
ter for the establishment of Reparation.
CHAPTER X.
AER PMTSOIOR Eee ie Rs Necessity of examining the revelations—Character of
Mgr. Morlot—High esteem for M. Dupont—In- cident at the archbishopric — The communica- tions subjected to the decision of the prelate— His pastoral—The Association of Notre Dame de la Riche—The Lord encourages her to suffer— The carmelites leave their old monastery——Graces obtained by the Reparatory prayers.
CHAPTER XI.
RP DIR HORRY ccc On ces eo kawes Death of the Duke of Orleans—The Saviour desires
the sister to relieve this soul—Three years after, is assured of his beatitude—Proof of this circum- stance—Mor. Morlot’s consoling letter to Queen Amelia—Similar circumstance narrated in the life of a religious of the Visitation—Our portress is besieged by visitors—The ~ Little Gospel ”—M. Dupont defrays the expenses—Great favors ob- tained by the Little Gospel.
Ix
167
188
207
D». CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XII.
Tie HOG PAOR aii ie A Ae anh bo oe
- The Lord encourages his servant to ask for an in- terview with the archbishop—Visit of the archbis- hop to the sister—His counsels—Encouragement—
' Her joy and consolation—The archbishop ap- proves the prayers—New trials and temptations— Vision of St. Veronica—Our Lord first speaks of his Holy Face—Consoling promises—Establishes relation between the Holy Face and the Sacred Heart.
CHAPTER XIII.
VERONICA AND THE GOOD THIEF... .ccccccccccccccccccecce
Another vision—The piece of coin—Great favors ac- corded through the intercession of St. Veronica—
Second vision—Consoling promises in favor of
those devoted to his Holy Face—Third vision— Influence exercised by the Holy Face on St. Peter—Prayer to the Holy Family—Sign of Rep- aration—Our Lord reproaches her for her neglect in praying for blasphemy — Threats of divine justice—Our Lord thanks her Superior for her zeal in promoting his work—Appointed shepherdess by Our Lord to watch over souls—Offers the example of Veronica and the Good Thief—Magnificent promises to those who devote themselves to Rep- aration—He commands her to write his promises.
CHAPTER XIV.
TA PALETTE sie osccciecs cod vire ce ANT 70
M. Dupont—Intimacy with the Carmelites—Sister St. Peter asks him for a book treating on the Blessed Sacrament—Esteem of the archbishop for
250
269
M. Dupont—The mother prioress relates the sis- ~
ter’s vision in which she prophesies the apparition of the Blessed Virgin (September, 1846)—La Sa-
CONTENTS. XI
lette, October 22nd—Reasons given by the mother superior why this communication is not found in the sister’s writings—Joy and thanksgiving of Sr. St. Peter.
CHAPTER XV.
ae Bink: Oe RRANON A i eR ae 1285.
Interior sufferings—The Lord warns her of his anger because of the profanation of the Sunday—Inun- dation of the Loire—Offers herself as a victim to avert the calamities which threaten France— Demands the establishment of the Work of Rep- aration— Information of these revelations sent to the archbishop—Our Lord holds her responsible for all the sins of France—Shows her the multi- tude daily falling into hell—Invests her with all the treasures of his Passion to ransom souls—Her charity toward the agonizing.
GHAPTER XVI.
ÉD MDI IT AS MT CURE ie Ios PI PTE TR ER eek 300-
‘“Abridgment of facts” addressed to the archbishop— Approbation—The litanies composed by the sister authorized—M. Dupont distributes these ‘‘ Abridg- ments ’—The Lord complains of the want of love of the faithful—Their neglect in visiting the Blessed Sacrament—She points out the relation between the face and the name of a man—The estab- lishment of the Reparation predicted—The sister saddened at the sight of the many difficulties— The Abridgment of Facts noised abroad — Dis- quietude of the archbishop—Prohibits any further movement in the matter—Submission of M. Du- pont and the Community—Chastisements an- nounced—She receives another command from the Lord to write to the archbishop—Opposition of the superior—Sufferings of the sister.
XII CONTENTS. CHAPTER XVII.
ATs COM MON ISIN LU ak 318
Secret societies—Their destructive principles—The Lord bids her combat them with his cross—She is afraid she has sinned in using imprecations against them — Her interior dispositions — The Work of Reparation, the salvation of France—She asks other graces of Our Lord—The Reparation to be given to the world through the intercession of Mary—He compares it to a mine of gold—De- mands the Work—tThe sister remits the work into the hands of the Blessed Virgin—Our Lady of the Holy Name of God.
CHAPTER XVIIL
"TAR AROH-CONFRATERNITY. 6. cs 0.2.0 se 78806
M. Lebrumont-Julien visits the Carmelites—His in- terview with the Bishop of Langres—Reparation— Canonical erection of the Confraternity—Pius IX. constitutes it an arch-confraternity—Congregation established by Mlle. Dubouché—Her vision— Picture of the Holy Face—Renounces the world— Father Marie Augustin (Herman)—Nightly ado- ration of the Blessed Sacrament.
CHAPTER XIX.
"Tae Divine Marernivy oo cis ee 348
Nature of the sister’s communications explained by the teaching of theologians—St. Theresa—Her devotion to the Holy Infancy—Hidden mystery— Jesus, infant in the arms of his Mother—Scriptural references—Confirms her singular revelations by the writings of the saints—Her exercices of devo- tion to the Infant Jesus—-Revelations of the same nature granted to a religious of Beaune—Mary at the foot of the cross becoming the Mother of all men—Legatee of the merits of Redemption.
CONTENTS. XIIT
CHAPTER XX.
INTERVIEW WITH THE SECRETARY........-cccccccccccecs 379:
Grief of the sister over the sterility of the church of
1 Tours—Prediction of new calamities—Notice for- warded to the archbishop —- The Church men-
} aced—Her prayers for the Pope——Revolution at
i Paris—The Lord threatens her with a rigorous
j account of the graces received—Begs a sign that |
the archbishop may be convinced—Our Lord |
commands her again to declare all her revelations
to the archbishop—He sends his secretary—Ac-
count of the interview—Consolation from Our ~
Lord—Ecce Homo.
CHAPTER XXI.
REM ATT OU ocala des dad shade ewe UE 402:
Simplicity of her life—Her appearance—Her educa- tion—Natural qualities of mind—Good judgment— Gayety—Her concentration of mind—Her char- ity—Her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament— To the Blessed Virgin—Her humility—Spirit of sacrifice—Perfect obedience — Detachment—Rec- ollection — Her love for mortification — ‘“ The Drum ’’—Testimony of one of the sisters.
CHAPTER XXII.
PRM AL es AND TATE. ns di Ne ou 421
Foretells her death—Her strength commencing to fail—Her days shortened by her continual appli- cation to the things of God—She falls ill—Opinion of physicians—Retires to the infirmary—Her edi- fying resignation—The remembrance of her inti- mate communications with the Lord withdrawn— Her cruel sufferings—Her Patience—Confidence in God—Annointed—Asks pardon of the Commu- nity—Gratitude toward her superior—-Her agony— Assaults of the devil—Last benediction of the.
XIV CONTENTS.
archbishop—Her last words—Sit Nomen Domini benedictum.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Hern BurtaAL—Haer WORK... ccs. 439
‘General opinion of her sanctity among the Carmel- ites—One sister convinced after an extraordinary dream—The great number who flocked to venerate her last remains—Extraordinary cure—The arch- bishop—Sorrow of M. Dupont—Pilgrimage to her grave—Her last remains transferred to Carmel— Mission of M. Dupont — Origin of the picture of the Holy Face—Miracles wrought by the oil burning before the Holy Face at M. Dupont’s house—His death—House transformed into a pub- lic chapel—The formation of the Order of Reg- alars of the Holy Face—Rapid extension of the Reparation.
Sit Nomen Domini benedictum !
PROTEST OF THE TRANSLATOR.
In obedience to the decrees of Urbain VIIT, of holy memory, we protest that we do not intend to attribute any other than purely human authority to all the miracles, revela- tions, graces and incidents contained in this book, neither to the titles holy or blessed ap- plied to the servants of God not yet canonized, except in cases where these have been con- firmed by the Holy Roman Catholic Church and by the Holy Apostolic See ; therefore, to their judgment we submit all that is written in this book.
The proceeds of the sale of this book are destined for a charitable purpose,
PROMISES
Made by Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sr. Mary St. Peter in favor of those who honor his most Holy Face.
‘ By my Holy Face you will work marvels.”
‘You will obtain from my Holy Face the salvation of a multitude of sinners.”
“If you could comprehend how agreeable the sight of my Holy Face is to my Heavenly Father !”
‘ According to the care you take to repair my coun- tenance disfigured by blasphemy, so shall I be animated in the same degree to transform your soul which has been disfigured by sin ; I will imprint thereon my own image, and I will render it as beautiful as when it came forth from the baptismal font.”
‘My adorable Face is the seal of the Divinity, having the power to imprint itself on the souls of those who apply it to their persons.”
‘ As in an earthly kingdom, the subjects can procure all they desire by being provided with a piece of money stamped with the effigy of the monarch, so also shall you be able to obtain all that you desire in the kingdom of heaven, on presenting the impress of my sacred humanity, which is my Holy Face.”
eo TE) TE
OF
SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
CHAPTER I. OUR LITTLE BRETON.
‘6 ] weep over my sins.”’
(Words of the Sister when but a child. )
Ir is to Catholic Brittany, that ground so fruitful in virtuous and heroic characters, that we are indebted for Sister Mary of St. Peter.
She was born at Rennes, in 1816, of worthy
and honest parents of whom but little is known. Her father, whose name was Peter Eluere, was a locksmith by trade, and married Fran- ces Portier, a lady worthy by her piety of such a husband, who, as we shall see, was x Christian of the old school. Some years after their marriage this virtuous woman was car- ried off by death. Being ‘thus left a widower with twelve children, Peter Eluere had to
2 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
endure many privations and sufferings, and to: labor assiduously to be able to bring up his children, and provide for them in their sick- ness which, for the most part, was long and fatal; for he beheld them all, one after the ether consigned to the tomb, with the excep- tion of one son and one daughter, who survived him. His glory before God and man was to have given to Carmel and to the Church the child of benediction, whose life we have under- taken to narrate.
When Sister Mary St. Peter had become a religious, she was obliged by obedience to write her own life, even the most minute details of the early years of her childhood. We shall make an extensive use of her letters and other writings during the course of our narrative, preserving as much as possible the simple and unassuming style so natural to her. She thus enters upon the task set before her.
“Notwithstanding the great repugnance I experience in writing of matters concerning myself, I will not hesitate to submit to the orders of obedience. I shall perform what I have been commanded with the assistance of the child Jesus, into whose revered little hand I have placed my pen, entreating him to write -an account of the precious graces which he has accorded me, and my malice in so often offending Him, that thereby God the Father may be glorified for having by his almighty power produced such abundant fruit for the
OUR LITTLE BRETON. 3
glory of his Holy Name,* from such sterile . ground covered with the brambles and thorns of sin and imperfection. At the feet of the child Jesus in the manger, I now commence my narrative, in obedience to you, reverend Mother.’
‘I was born on the 4th of October 1816, a day rendered memorable by the death of our holy Mother, St. Theresa; it was also the feast of St. Francis of Assissium, whose name my mother bore. I was baptized in the church of St. Germain, at Rennes, receiving for patrons St. Peter and St. Francis of Assisium. My poor, dear mother received on this, her birth- day, a sad bouquet, in presenting to the world a little girl who was to cause her so many anxieties, and such solicitude, by her ill health . and her wilfulness. She confided me to the care of a nurse, who was a most excellent per- son. But about a month after my birth, an accident occurred, which would have caused my death, had it not been for the special pro- tection of God. My nurse, having gone out for a moment, left me in my cradle. One of her little girls took me in her arms and car- ried me to the fireplace to keep me warm ; but I fell from her hold into the fire : I have always retained the marks of this accident
* She alluded to the work of reparation for blasphemies with which our Lord, himself, inspired her, and which really contributed to the glory of his Holy Name.
+ The Mother Prioress of the Carmelite Monastery) of Tours, Mary of the Incarnation, of whom we shall speak farther on.
4 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
even to this day. My mother, much grieved. at the occurrence, dismissed this woman from her service.”
“T will now give an account of one of the first acts of malice which I can remember. When I had grown a little older, some one told me of the accident, which had happened. to me. To my surprise, my good old nurse came one day to see me. I received her coldly, remarking with much asperity: ‘ You have already burned one of my cheeks, have you come to-day to disfigure the other?” At four years of age, I was attacked with scarlet fever, which brought me to death’s door. My parents have often told me that I had been in great danger for nineteen days, having been unable to take nourishment of any kind, save a small glass of cider. The very recollection of this often made my father laugh, when speaking | of my illness, during which, a beverage so contrary to my condition, should have been the means of preserving my life.”
“From ihe moment my reason commenced. to develope itself, my virtuous parents gave me the advantage of a pious education ; but I was naturally very disagreeable and obstinate. My pious mother took me often to church with her, but here I was thoughtless and giddy, and kept turning my head in every direction to see what was going on around me. After manifesting such a want of reverence and decorum in the House of God, and failing in fidelity tomy mother’s counsels, I was severely
Fe ae UT ay Se eS. a
ree
ITT Oe Oe eT ae
OUR LITTLE BRETON. ee |
punished on my return home. When I was a little over six years of age, I was taken to confession to accuse myself of all my faults. I was so jealous of my little sister that my parents were obliged to separate us and send her away for some time. Besides these exterior defects, which rendered me so disagreeable to others, my heart was filled with
pride and self-love. On one occasion my mother
said to me in the presence of my father, for the purpose of mortifying me: ‘Surely, this is not our little girl, if so, she must have been transformed by her nurse; it is impossible that our child could be as perverse as this littie one.” Such réflections coming from the lips of my mother, were not very flattering. But I soon gained quite a victory over my pride. Every day a poor, blind, old man, shab- biky dressed, passed our door. On approaching the corner of the street he required the assist- ance of some kindly hand to conduct him to the right path. My kind-hearted parents frequently requested me to render him this necessary assistance; but I was so excessively proud, and manifested so much repugnance that they did not insist. Finally, one day I determined to overcome my pride. I ran from the house and took the poor old man gently by the hand, and led him to the right path. It seemed to me then that I had performed a most heroic act. Whenever I was reprehended for my misbehavior by my parents, I did not rebel against their authority for I perceived
6 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
that it was for my benefit they corrected me, and my wayward heart was touched at times by the voice of God, which reproached me for my ingratitude.”
“J received particular instructions concern- ing the ever Blessed Virgin ; most wonderful examples of her protection and power were related to me; my.heart was touched, and I commenced to pray fervently to this good mother, and I soon became better. I began to love prayer and no longer received admoni- tions on my return home from High Mass and the other religious services of the Church, for I had become more sedate. When any thing repugnant to my inclinations occurred, I offered it to God, saying, ‘My God, I offer Thee this in expiation of my sins.’”’
Let us for an instant interrupt this artless narrative, and insert two incidents which we have learned from another source. These trifling imperfections which she considered as serious faults, were nothing more than the result of that forgetfulness common to child- hood, yet which, at so tender an age, had im- pressed her with the most lively horror. Sev- eral times, her eldest sister found her alone, weeping bitterly. When asked the cause of her tears, the dear little one replied, ‘I am Weeping over my sins.” She feared even the slightest appearance of sin to such an extent, that at eight years of age, having had some scruples with regard to a book which had been lent her, she repaired to the parish priest
"er ES ee nn A A RTS PR RS ee hay se Pt. lun
OUR LITTLE BRETON. 7
before ever opening it, to ask his opinion regarding its perusal; when she learned that the book would do her no injury, yet, that it was only a frivolous story from the reading of which nothing profitable could be gleaned, she returned it to the owner immediately, without even having read the first page. “My good parents,” said she, “sent me to catechism with the other little children of the parish. I enjoyed the instructions greatly, and my conduct soon becoming more edifying, flattery succeeded the reproaches which | had been in the habit of receiving. On one occa- sion, a lady said to my mother in my presence : ‘Madam, your little girl conducts herself in church like a person of forty years of age!’ But I think that these flattering remarks only increased my pride and self-love. I commenced about this time to practice the devotion of the Holy Way of the Cross. The reflections on the sufferings of our Divine Lord affected my heart in a very sensible manner, for I felt that my sins had been the cause of his sufferings, and full of contrition, I said: ‘Oh! my Saviour, didst thou not perceive during thy dolorous Passion that one day I would be converted and would belong entirely to Thee?’ I kissed the ground, and humbled myself to the earth at each station. When I returned home, it often happened that my face was all covered with dust, and our Lord permitted that this act of devotion should draw upon me a humiliation, for whenever my sister was displeased with me
8 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
she would taunt me with the appellation: ‘dirty nose, which frequently put my feeble virtue to a severe test.”
“The grace of God was attracting me strongly, yet, I was inconstant in the practice of virtue, alternately rising and falling. I know not how it happened, but I remember having heard of a sort of prayer called mental, which was much more agreeable to God than vocal prayer. I had an ardent desire to pray in this manner, and I said to myself: I shall recite no more words in saying my prayers ; for the future I shall pray mentally. But when I finished my prayers according to my new rnethod, I was seized with doubts and scruples for not having said my morning and evening prayers as had been my custom. Our Lord, beholding my desire, inspired me to contem- plate his sufferings caused by my sins and infidelities, over which I wept sincerely ; and He permitted, a little later, that I should hear a sermon treating entirely of meditation. I opened both my ears and my heart to receive this beautiful instruction, for I was so anxious to learn how to make so delightful a prayer.”
This attraction for prayer in a child of such tender years, prognosticated the wonders which would result. When the favored child had attained the age of ten and a half years, she prepared herself for her first Communion, by making a good general confession.
‘By the mercy of God,” said she, “my heart was truly touched by grace. I received with
OUR LITTLE BRETON. q
great devotion this Divine Saviour whom I had so often offended in my childhood, and I offered myself entirely to Him On the same day I received the sacrament of Confirmation, and was invested with the scapular, thereby placing myself under the protection of my tender mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom I owed my conversion. My confessor,
_ observing that I was entirely changed, per-
mitted me to receive holy communion again during the course of the ensuing year. He was surprised at the marvelous change which grace had operated in my soul, and did not hesitate to tell me so; but after saying many fine things on the subject, he commenced to ridicule and humble me. As I was not very humble, I would have much preferred not to have received these flatteries and thus to have avoided the humiliations which followed. Our Lord, who watched over me, sent me at this time spiritual trials, well adapted to humble and purify my soul.”
“The devil, seeing that his prey had escaped him, made a last effort to regain an entrance into my soul. Having been driven from his hold he went, as the Gospel relates, to seek seven other spirits more wicked than himself, to aid him to regain his prey. Then I was attacked by a thousand temptations : my mind was enveloped in darkness, my soul tormented with scruples, and I believed that I was com- mitting sin every moment: I had not a minute’s peace. If I listened to a sermon the
10 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
demon whispered imprecations and blasphe- mies in my ear, and my mind was harassed with evil thoughts. I was then but twelve years old. The sins of my past life returned to my memory with redoubled force; it seemed — that I had never confessed them. Confession appeared to be something impossible for I lost myself in lengthy examinations, and never believed myself sufficiently prepared. When my turn came, I entered the confessional with my soul filled with doubts, sorrow and anxiety ; I no longer found any consolation in my pray- ers, for I feared I recited them without the proper dispositions, and I repeatedly com- menced over and over again the same prayer.
“This repetition was as absurd as it was fatiguing. My confessor did all in his power to console me ; but being so young, and Having had no experience in this kind of temptation, I did not make him sufficiently acquainted with the nature and extent of my sufferings ; during this time of trial our Heavenly Father was only purifying my soul. I was then far from entertaining notions of pride and self- love.”
‘Our Lord afflicted me in a most sensible manner, by depriving me of my good mother, whom I loved most dearly. When she expired, I recalled to my mind that St. Theresa was but twelve years of age when she lost her mother, and like this great saint, I also implored the Blessed Virgin Mary to become a mother to me, and to fill the place of my own dear mother
i i ; | ‘
;
OUR LITTLE BRETON. 11
who had been just taken from me. Our Blessed Lady, indeed, heard my prayer, for I have
always experienced, in a very special manner, the effects of her maternal protection.”
“I continued to attend the catechism class for several years. The priest in charge of the Sunday School, was a very competent and worthy person. He is now a most zealous Bishop.* I believe he saw: clearly the sad con- dition of my soul, but as he was not my con- fessor, he could not give me the consolation of - which I stood so much in need. However, it was he who taught me the method of making mental prayer by the sermon to which I have already made reference, and later on he ren- dered me great service.’
“The fôte- -day of the Catechism class was approaching. Three little girls had been chosen to recite a piece in the foi of a dialogue. I was one of the number ; each one received her role to memorize. My two companions were to discuss with me on the pleasures of the world, which they were to laud highly, whilst I was to represent their vanity and nothing- ness. At the termination of the piece one of the two concluded by saying, that my discourse had convinced her that I had made a vow of poverty, and that perhaps I would become a Carmelite. May our Lord be blessed ! for I really received this vocation some time later: the
* Mgr. de la Haïlandière, who became Bishop of Vincennes in America. He afterwards returned to Rennes.
12 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
other two remained in the world and were married.”
“Finally, it pleased God to deliver me in the following manner from the torture of my mental sufferings. A pious young companion of mine, aware of my spiritual condition, had the charity to speak of it to my confessor, who was also hers. One day I entered the confessional after her, but feeling that I was not sufficiently prepared, I arose to retire. What was my astonishment, when I heard my confessor open the door of the confessional and order me to return immediately, and commence my confes- \sion without delay. I excused myself saying, that I was not sufficiently prepared, that I had not finished my examination of conscience, and that I felt no contrition for my sins: but he would not listen to my reasoning. I submitted to obedience. made my confession and received absolution ; my confessor then said to me: ‘My child, be assured that this confession has been one of the best of your life.’ He then expressly forbade me to recite my prayers over and over again; and he gave me a rule to follow re- specting the scruples which tormented me ‘so terribly. Our Blessed Lord granted me the grace to submit to the counsels of my director, and the devil was overcome by obedience. All my disquietudes vanished like smoke, aitd a holy peace returned to my weary heart. Then approaching our Divine Lord in the sacrament of his love with a humble confidence and a holy peace of mind, I soon experienced its
OUR LITTLE BRETON. 15
marvelous effects ; my soul was inundated with consolation. I also received many graces while assisting at the holy Sacrilice of the Mass. When the moment of consecration approached it was with difficulty IT could con- ceal my transports of joy from the observation _ of those present. I kept myselfin the Divine Presence continually, and my union with God ‘was uninterrupted.”
As she lived at home with her filles her brothers and sisters, Perrine, (feminine for Peter, her baptismal name,) cheerfully joined in all theiramusements. Having assisted at Mass and the other offices of the Church on Sundays, they assembled in a party and walked to the country. On these occasions they took with them some little refreshments, and each one di- verted himself as he thought proper. Our little Perrine knew well how to pass these hours of pleasant recreation piously, and to the edifica- tion of all. We have learned these particulars from one of her cousins of the same age, Jennie Benoit, who generally formed one of the number on these little fétes. Having arrived at the place where they proposed passing the remainder of the day, Perrine would draw her cousin aside and then they would enter- tain themselves, conversing on the Blessed Virgin and on the benefits bestowed on them by their heavenly Mother.
The education of our little Breton was exceedingly limited, she having had but two years regular attendance at school : reading,
14 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
writing, grammar, and arithmetic, such, at. that period, was all the instruction considered. necessary for persons in her sphere of life. The daughter of the mechanic Eluere, although naturally gifted, received no further educa- tional advantages than those afforded by the times to persons in her position.
Two of her paternal aunts kept a dressmak- ing establishment of considerable importance, and to them our little Perrine was confided to. learn the business.
‘“ My good aunt,” said she, “ placed me ina corner near her where I worked as if I were in a little cell, separated from the other young persons employed in the establishment. I was. not disturbed by them, nor they by me, for they never for a moment perceived the opera- tions of divine grace which were going on in my soul. Nothing could divert me from the intimate conversations which I held with our Divine Lord. I often made spiritual commun- ions, which so enkindled in my soul the fire of divine love, that in the midst of my occupa- tions I was so transported from this earth, that. at times it became difficult to control myself. Our Divine Lord granted me the favor of being admitted into the Congregation of our Blessed. Lady, of which one A i my good aunts was the: directress.”
This Association had been established by some holy missionaries in 1817, to maintain and preserve piety and the practice of christian virtue among the youth of the city. : At that.
ae or a
OUR LITTLE BRETON. 15
time the association numbered several hundred members, it continued to flourish for many years and was the means of doing much good at Ren- nes; it still exists, though not so flourishing. The ordinary reunions take place in the same isolated little chapel where but very recently an image of the Holy Face was installed with great devotion and solemnity in honor of the former member whose life we are now narrat- ing.
“ After the ordinary period of probation,” said she, “‘ I was received as a member by the council, and made my act of consecration. Oh ! what aday of consolation! The ceremony recall- ed to me my first communion. I was, as on that day, attired in white, with a lighted candle in my hand, and kneeling before the director and another ecclesiastic, and in the presence of over five hundred of my new sisters, I renewed my baptismal vows, and I promised faithfully to observe the rules of the associa- tion. I then consecrated myself tothe most Blessed Virgin, my good mother. This associa- tion had been established for the working- classes, who were bound to it by no vow ; the rules and regulations were well adapted to pre- serve a religious spirit and the love of piety in the hearts of the young ; every two weeks the director gave an excellent and instructive dis- course to the members.”
The Divine Master, having nourished his» little servant with the spiritual milk of con- solation for a sufficiently long period, now
16 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
wished to strengthen her soul by more solid and substantial food, that she might be fortified to pass, as she herself expressed it, ‘ from Thabor to Calvary.”
‘Consolation gave way to aridity and spir- itual barrenness, this condition seemed strange tome. What! to feel that I was no longer loving and serving God! Being ignorant of the wavs of grace, | imagined that by force of applica- tion, | could again taste the ineffable delights of those transports of love with which I had been favored ; but these vain efforts only wearied me and made me sick. I spoke of the state of my souk to my confessor, who did not seem to be at all moved by what I related to him. He only said that by degrees I would again enjoy the same consolations. I continued
in the same state of aridity, and in my ingrat- itude to my heavenly benefactor, I relaxed in the path of perfection; my weary, miserable heart turned to creatures for consolation. I had no peace of mind, and although my faults were not grievous yet they were injurious to my soul, for our blessed Lord demanded of me a greater degree of generosity.”
In this painful state of mental suffering she took a step which might have compromised her whole future. Imagining that her confessor seemed indifferent to her faults, Perrine, docile and confiding asshe had ever been, asked per-
emission of her virtuous father to consult another confessor. Being a discreet person, he doubted the prudence of assenting to his
ret ER ee ee A
ew? eee
ales RAS Oe OE eS Pe a ee ee
OUR LITTLE BRETON. ee
daughter’s request, and before so doing, con- sulted the same priest whom she wished to leave. This was the curé of the parish for whom he entertained the greatest esteem. Perrine’s father represented to him that perhaps she might feel better under the direction of another confessor, who was then held in great repute by the pious. The good curé readily gave his consent to the desired change ; but our little penitent soon had cause to repent of her inconstancy.
“ Although,” said she, “I received the most excellent counsels from my new director, yet I became no better. At the age of seventeen the vain attractions of the world began to entice
. me, and growing lukewarm in the service of
God, I soon gave myself up to the foolish van- ities of the world. But what was most disas- trous of all at this time, was my neglect of prayer, a means so necessary to the soul in van- quishing her passions, and in strengthening her against the attacks of the Evil One.”
“ After the death of my mother, the care of the house devolved upon my eldest sister and proud J was not always disposed to submit to her authority, and was thus, often the cause of much trouble and dissention. My conscience often reproached me for my infidel- ities : I recalled to mind the happy days of my childhood when, faithful to the God of mercy and love, I was filled with ineffable delights ; I longed to return to Him, but my soul was, as it were, enchained by my evil propensities ;
bt À LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
finally I had recourse to Her who is never invoked in vain, to Mary, my tender mother, to whom I had consecrated myself forever.” The feast of the Purification was approach- ing, and I prepared myself by a novena. I passed this beautiful day in great devotion, offering a taper to be burned before the altar of the Blessed Virgin. The chains, by which I had been so long bound, were severed, and my heart was entirely changed. Some invisible power seemed to impel me to return to my old confessor. As soon as I beheld him I exclaimed, ‘Oh! my good father, virtue fled from my soul when I left your direction. I implore you to number me once more among your many penitents.’ He received me as did | the father of the Prodigal son, with great charity. Soon after this, I made a retreat of eight days in a religious house where there were missionaries preaching. It was there that divine mercy awaited me. I had most earnestly besought the Blessed Virgin to obtain a happy result to my retreat, and my prayers were heard. The grace of God, together with the in- structions of the good missionaries produced the most salutary effects in my soul. I made a general confession, and beholding all my sins and the infinite mercy of God which I had so long despised, and contemplating the wounds of my crucifix, I felt my heart penetrated with contrition, my eyes shed torrents of tears, and I promised for the future an inviolable fidelity to God.” |
+
CHAPTER II. HER VOCATION.
‘ Ah! my child, your passions have been only wounded, they must be immolated.” :
(Words of her Confessor.)
Our little Perrine had just completed her seventeenth year: her retreat “entirely con- verted her,” as she herself said. She always. attributed this great grace to the most Blessed Virgin, the mother of Jesus, and from that moment united to her past sentiments of filial affection for this tender Mother, a lifelong debt of gratitude.
‘I became devoted to the Blessed Virgin,” said she, ‘in a most particular manner; I admired with what mercy this divine Mother withdrew me from the verge of the abyss whither my infidelities were leading me; my confidence in her daily increased and I felt inspired to beg her to obtain for me the grace of becoming a religious. My good Mother heard my prayer, for I soon felt the desire of abandoning the world grow stronger in my soul. But what was I to do? I was afraid to mention the subject to my confessor. One day, when my sufferings were extreme,
20 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
and the grace of God was strongly agitating me on the subject of my vocation, I hastened to the altar of my cherished Mother,our Blessed Lady, and deposited in her maternal heart all my fears and anxieties. The blessed Virgin soon soothed my troubled heart and delivered me from my disquietude. There was in this chapel, opposite her beautiful silver statue, the confessional of one of her zealous servants, the vicar, of whom I have alreadv spoken, who had given me the part of a religious in the catechism conference at which I was asked if I would like to be a Carmelite. | was kneeling before the statue of our Blessed Mother, sup- plicating her to assist me in my interior combat, when I suddenly perceived that this good priest was about to enter his confessional, and itseemed that he made me a sign to enter. I connot account for how it happened, as I had never spoken to him of the concerns of my soul, and behold, much to my astonishment, he told me all that was passing in my interior, saying: ‘You want to be a religious, my child, but to obtain the object of your desire, you imagine there is a mountain in your way. Am É not right ?’ Delighted with having so unexpectedly found a consoler who understood me perfectly, I spoke to him very frankly of my spiritual affairs. He examined me minutely and declared that I had a good vocation. Much encouraged by his counsels, I went to find my confessor to whom I had not dared broach the subject of my vocation.”
HER VOCATION. 21
‘When I made known to him my desire of entering the religious state, he replied: ‘ Your sentiments accord perfectly with mine, for I have always thought that you would be a religious.’ This assurance from my confessor filled me with joy. Some days after this, he advised me to defer my departure until spring ; but, alas!in the meantime, I had to pass through the hands of another spiritual father who was not so quick to decide religious voca- tions. For five years he labored incessantly at the destruction of the inward wall of my pride and self-love, with the hammer of morti- fication, before he considered me worthy of inhabiting the solitude of Carmel.”
The new director, of whom she now speaks, never sent aspirants to religion until they had given ample proof to hope that once entered the convent, they would never return io the world again. From accidental causes, Perrine was led to place herself under the direction of this wise and prudent confessor.
The parish priest, her former director, threatened with loss of sight, was obliged to go to Paris for medical treatment, and know- ing that his spiritual child required the direction of a skillful and experienced guide, he recommended her to this holy and venera- ble ecclesiastic, who at the time rendered valuable services to the various religious communities of the diocese. He was a man of great enlightenment in the ways of grace, and was gifted with peculiar tact in the
22 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
discernment of religious vocations; he was so widely known that mothers dreaded to see their daughters going to consult him. This skilful director was l’abbé Panager who, at the time of his death, was pastor of Saint Etienne at Rennes. We have his opinion of our young Perrine, too significant in its brevity to be passed unnoticed :
“I have only known her from the time she chose me as her director, and this simply because she wished to become a religious. Her motive prompted me to receive her kindly, and I immediately undertook to aid her. I always found her very exact, and very docile under my direction. I[ lent her books, and from time to time gave her some particular advice. She edified me very much, and I decided proposing her as a candidate to the Carmelites.”
Perrine, accordingly, presented herself to this man of God, informing him of her desire to become a carmelite. He received her with great charity and encouraged her to per- severe in her holy purpose, but was not willing to accept the responsibility of becom- ing her director without mature reflection. His counsel produced such an effect on our little aspirant that after the return of her pre- vious confessor she entreated l’abbé Panager to continue her direction, but he still insisted. on having more time for consideration. Finally, he said to her: ‘“ My child, I will undertake your direction for the honor and glory of God, and for the salvation of your soul.”
HER VOCATION. 28
‘“ These words,” said the sister, ‘‘inspired me with great confidence in this holy man’s direc- tion. His first wish was to fathom the depths of my soul, and for this purpose he directed me to give him a written account of the manner in which our Lord had conducted me in the past, and also desired to be informed of my present disposition. I wrote a small notice of these matters and remitted it to him; then he bade me make a rule of life. After some time I requested him to interest himself in reference to my admission to the convent. ‘Ah! my child,’ said he, ‘ your passions have been only wounded, they must be immolated.’ I had such an ardent desire of becoming a carmelite that I would have passed through fire and water, were it necessary, to accomplish my object; bearing this end in view, I commenced with renewed fervor to labor at my perfec- tion.”
The coansels and exhortations of her confessor made a great impression on her mind, and she “took great care not to forget them”. We shall quote from the sister’s own artless narra- tive.
‘ His first care was to caution me against the foolish weaknesses but too common to devotees. “My child,’ said he, ‘do not go about consult- ing different directors. If you wish me to be really your spiritual father, you must be really my child: be simple then, as a child; itis here you must avow your failings, your doubts and temptations, but make no such disclosures
24 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST, PETER.
elsewhere for it would avail you nothing. Never speak of your confessor, nor of the penances imposed on you; gostraight to God in the spirit of faith; make no uneasy researches in your soul for these are but fuel for Purgatory. Study to know yourself and to know God ; the more you will know him, the more you will love him; be always cheerful and gay; be not like those sad and pensive beings who seem to bear the yoke of the Lord as if it were a heavy burden. Oh! my child, what a beautiful path the Lord has chosen for you! Consider the reward that awaits you if you prove faithful! Pr epare yourself for the great designs God has. in view over you.”
“Such is a glimpse.of the wise counsels which I received from this good father. By the grace of God they became fruitful in my soul. He lent me books which treated of prayer, interior life, and also the Lives of the Naints. All these spiritual aids fortified me, and . strengthened my desire of embracing the relig- ious life. But when I expressed my earnest wish to leave the world, he would calmly reply : ‘My child, the habit does not make the nun.’ I saw by this answer that I had still to labor at my perfection. I prayed continually to the Blessed Virgin, my dear protectress, to conduct me as a carmelite into the house where she was most loved. I also prayed fervently to the glorious St. Joseph, begging him to obtain for me the precious gift of prayer. To obtain this grace, and all the others of which
Sige ge ees ee
HER . VOCATION. 25
I stood in need, especially that of becoming a religious, I performed a little pilgrimage in his honor. On Wednesdays, I ate nothing but dry bread for my breakfast, and on Saturdays, I did the same in honor of our Blessed Lady. I had a great devotion to the Holy Family : Jesus, Mary and Joseph were constantly i in my mind. ‘Most Holy Family!’ I would say to them, ‘if I had the happiness of living when you were on this earth I would most surely have gone in quest of you, in whatsoever place you were to be found, that I might have had the honor of serving you as your “little domestic.’
‘ My director lent me the life of St. Theresa. When I read the promise which our Lord made her at the foundation of her first convent, Nt. Joseph of Avila, that He would dwell therein, the Holy Virgin and St. Joseph guarding the doors, one on either side, oh! how excessive was my joy! I no longer doubted that I would solicit an entrance to Carmel, the abode of the Holy Family. I tormented my confessor from that moment, begging him to interest himself in my behalf: but to try me still longer he gave me evasive answers, such as these: ‘I shall see :—God’s time has not yet come.’ Once he said to me: ‘Do you suppose, my child, that I would suffer you to enter a convent hastily, before your vocation has been well tried, and leave it directly as do so many young persons ? No, my child, when I send you, you will be well prepared.’ ”
This was a sore trial for our young aspirant.
26 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
In the meantime, Divine Providence furnished. her with an occasion of gratifying, at least in part, her ardent desire. An indigent family came to dwell in the neighborhood of her father’s house. This poor family consisted of three members: the father, a laboring man, the mother who was blind, and :a little son aged about four or five years. They were so very unfortunate, especially during the winter when the husband had no work, that their miserable little hut really bore the appearance of the stable of Bethlehem. They were found without fire or a morsel of bread. ‘I could not permit to pass. such a precious opportunity of honoring the Holy Family in the persons of these poor peo- ple, and I did not rest one moment until I had rendered their situation more comfortable. By the grace of God I entertained a great veneration and affection for them, and lavished on them all the care which their indigence demanded. At that time, just previous to my admission as a carmelite, my limited means did not permit me to supply all their necessi- ties: but the Holy Family, whom I served in their persons, rendered me so eloquent in pleading their cause among my acquaintances that nothing was ever refused me.”
‘All my happiness consisted in visiting and instructing them in their religious duties, from which they had been estranged, no doubt, by their extreme poverty. I persuaded them to go to confession; and I engaged the husband
HER VOCATION. 27
to make a retreat of eight days in a house destined for that purpose. If I loved this family they reciprocated my affection, and I soon perceived the influence I had acquired over them. When dissentions arose between them, from time to time, I would be called on to settle the difficulty and restore peace.”
The Holy Family did not allow their little servant to go unrewarded. Perrine daily pro- gressed in virtue. She was permitted by her director to make the vow of chastity which she renewed on all the feasts of the Blessed Virgin. With the view of preparing herself for the religious life, she endeavored to practice the higher virtues of mortification, humility, obedience and the love of prayer. She also exercised a charitable zeal towards her young companions, assisting them in their spiritual advancement.
Let us listen to her own account of her pious practices of devotion. ‘I have always had
a special attraction for prayer, and believing that I could not be a child of prayer without at the same time having a great love for mor- tification, I labored courageously to acquire this latter virtue, and also to destroy all my evil propensities. The better to succeed in my purpose, I took note of my daily failures and of the number of my acts of mortification. I kept by my side two little ribbons, on which were strung small beads such as are used for chaplets; one end served to note my failures, the other, the number of my little
28 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
sacrifices, or virtuous actions performed during the day. This cord of mortification was com- posed of fifteen beads in honor of the fifteen mysteries of the Holy Rosary ; and I believe that, at night, I often had the blessing of offering the entire chaplet completed to our Blessed Lady. I practiced the mortification of the eyes; whenever anything pleasant or agreeable was presented to my view, I would turn my head away and would not look at it. When I would be just on the point of saying something agreeable or witty, I would remain silent. I made my general and particular examination with the view of overcoming my predominant passion,—pride. But our Blessed Lord himself soon sent me the necessary assistance to vanquish my enemy.”
Almighty God, who never permits himself to be outdone in generosity, beholding this eandid and faithful soul thus placing herself unreservedly at his disposal, was pleased to instruct and enlighten her himself.
Many times,” said she, “in the course of my. life, I have experienced the extraordinary operations of grace in my soul, during which, if I may thus express it, our Lord showed me a glimpse of the celestial favors with which he would one day enrich my soul. I had the happiness of receiving holy communion three times a week besides Sundays. It was at this divine banquet that our Blessed Lord united himself intimately to my soul. My director had commanded me to inform
HER VOCATION. 29
him of all that passed in my soul, and I, there- fore, rendered him a strict account of these supernatural operations with the simplicity of a child, at which he did not seem to be astonished. ‘ My child,’ said he, ‘ does not your soul belong to God? Then, permit this Divine Master, to do as he will in his own house.” These interior communications of our Lord, of which I was so unworthy, continued. Then 1 began to commit them to writing for the purpose of submitting them to the guide of my soul. I was sure by this means not to fall into illusion. He never made any reference to these communications in my presence: this pleased me very much, for such divine favors covered me with confusion. On one occasion when | had presented to him one of these writings, it occurred to me that if I had read to him, myself, the account of these testimonies of affection which our divine Lord had given me, that it would be a great mortification, I admitted this to my confessor; and I was, in- deed, obliged to do excessive violence to myself to read my letters to him. But our Divine Lord in his mercy made use of this as a means of connterbalan ing his extraordinary favors, lest they might produce in my soul the germs of vanily and self-love. One day, after having received holy communion, I perceived in my soul something like a wall which shook violently, threatening me with destruction. At the same time I heard a voice telling me not to fear, that it would serve to crush. out my
80 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
self-love. I comprehended afterwards that — this was a kind warning of a long series of humiliations and mortifications, a path so pain- ful to nature, and through which our Divine Lord caused me to walk shortly after.” -
“ As we can do nothing of ourselves, it was necessary that the Divine Master himself should produce in my soul a great love for suffering and humiliation. in order to destroy my pride completely, for it was a great obstacle to my perfect union with Him. This would also cause the violet of humility to spring forth in my soul, hereby inviting Jesus to dwell in my heart. I prayed most fervently to obtain the love of humiliations, and _ in- formed my director of my ardent desire of suffering, entreating him not to spare me. ‘Reverend father,’ said I, ‘do not heed the cries of nature, but immolate my pride.’ He was slow to act and waited also on this occasion to see, no doubt, if my desire were only the offspring ofa passing fervor socommon among young persons. At length, he said to me one day: ‘My child, I am convinced that our Lord wills you to attain perfection by some other than the ordinary way. Go,*then, ‘before the Most Adorable Sacrament, and con- sider before God what you can do to humble yourself; choose what you judge to be the most perfect in the way of humiliations, and then return and inform me of your decision.’ ”
From that hour commenced what she play- fully termed, her “ journey through the path of
HER VOCATION. 31
humiliations’? which were never wanting ; for each time that she went to see her director, he purposely tried: to mortify her as much as possible. One day, for example, he brusquely showed her the door. Another time, Sunday, she was seen walking through the streets carrying an old tattered umbrella notwith- standing that the sun was shining very bril- liantly ; and this for no other purpose than to attract public attention and ridicule. On another occasion, she took to the dressmaker a parcel containing material for a dress. She had scarcely unfolded the wrapping paper, when a general burst of laughter and merriment at her expense, ensued ; for nothing more absurd or ridiculous could have been selected for a dress. All these things had been per- mitted by her director as practices of humi- lity.
‘ When I went to my director,” said she, “to return the books he lent me, or to ask for others, he had always the charity to offer me a good dish of humiliations; yet, he never anticipated grace. | was obliged to implore him to continue the kind service he was rendering me. * Well,’ he would say, ‘ what does our Lord desire of you to-day? Have you nothing to ask me ?’ As I was naturally very simple and childlike, and that our Lord gave me the grace to walk in this way, a mul- titude of things came to my mind, the greater part being utterly impracticable; but merely mentioning them to him, and asking his per-
52 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
mission to perform them, was a most humiliat- ing mortification. When he noticed that it gave me pain to speak undisguisedly he would reprehend me quietly but sweetly. ‘ Be simple as a little child,’ he would say. ‘See with what simplicity a little child repeats all that passes in its mind without thinking of examining what it has to say!’ He would then permit all that was reasonable; and as for that which was unnecessary he appeared equally willing, until he perceived that I had so far conquered my pride as to consent to perform even the most difficult things, when he would interdict them.”
One of the great secrets of this manner of direction arose from the confessor’s knowledge of the sincerity of his penitent, who artlessly related to him that which she believed would mortify her the most, yet choosing nothing of herself: She would say.to him at times: “ Ah! father, how much it costs me to act thus.” ‘My child,” he would reply, ‘if it costs you to be humiliated, believe me, it costs me as much to be obliged to humiliate you, but have courage.”
‘When I had crushed my pride under my feet, our Lord inundated my soul with heav- enly consolations: these were necessary to me, for without the most powerful assistance of God I never could have acted in this way. When I was inspired to practise some act of mortification, I felt such a powerful impulse of grace urging me on, that it would have been impossible for me not to have performed
HER VOCATION. 33
this mortification, I had such a fear of becom- ing unfaithful to grace. ‘Come,’ said I, to encourage myself, ‘one act of heroism and the victory will be mine. I can accomplish all things in Him who strengthens me!’ I felt convinced that grace demanded this fidelity from me; and notwithstanding all the bitter- ness and repugnance I experienced, I contin- ued io implore my director to nourish my soul with the wholesome breac of mortifica- tion, so distasteful to nature. He sent me several times to visit two very discreet and pious young ladies with whom he had previously made his arrangements, and there I found the means of triumphing over my pride and practising humility. On one occasion, when I was on a visit to these young ladies, one of the sisters complained that a person had addressed some very humiliating remarks to her. ‘Oh!’ said I, ‘you are very fortunate to be able to find humiliations already prepared; others are obliged to seek for them.’ ”
During this time of trial our little Perrine drew all her fortitude from Jesus in the most Blessed Sacrament. ‘ Ah!” said she, “ what consolation I found in visiting this good Saviour, particularly during the middle of the day, when he is most forgotten; I then poured forth my soul in his divine presence.” Once, as she was praying in the chapelof the Visita- tion, prostrate before the altar, one of her friends perceiving her, was very careful not to disturb her or make her aware of her presence.
2
34 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
She found Perrine kneeling with clasped hands, her head turned upward and her eyes fixed as. if on some invisible being with whom she seemed to be in communion.
Perrine often addressed herself to the Sacred. ‘Heart of Jesus. ‘I often made acts of repara- tion to the Sacred Heart, to whom I have a great devotion. I conjured the most Sacred Heart of Jesus to break the chains which still bound me to the world that I might take my flight toward Carmel. I went afterwards and cast myself at the feet of the most Holy Virgin, in the same chapel where I had already re- ceived so many graces for my vocation; and animated with ardent love, I poured forth my heart in her maternal bosom as would a little child. JI importuned her unceasingly, saying, ‘Behold, my good Mother, my companions are all married. When wilt thou give me Him for whom my heart sighs ? I wish for none other than thy beloved Son for my heavenly spouse.’”” At the conclusion of this petition we find the . following note:
“This good mother obtained my relief from a malady: for nine days I besought her to. cure me, promising to have some masses. said in her honor; and in thanksgiving for having granted my request, I had fifteen masses said in honor of the mysteries of the most holy rosary.”
CHAPTER III.
THE TRIAL.
*¢ You will be a Carmelite. ”’
(Words of Our Lord.)
Previous to her entering the noviciate of Carmel, Perrine, retained in the world by her confessor, was destined by divine Provi- dence to fill the office of little directress, or rather to be a pious little apostle among her young companions. Let us permit her to ex- plain herself on this subject.
I continued to work with my pious aunts, who employed many young girls in their ser- vice. These latter, observing that by the grace of God, I practised virtue, and that I always looked cheerful and happy as my di- rector had commanded, placed great confi- dence in me, and frequently ednenited me in their little embarrassments of conscience and on their practices of piety. I taught them the method of mental prayer, and assisted them to advance in virtue: miserable sinner that I was, I had received grace in abundance from God and it was but just that I should be char- itable to others. One of these young persons made such rapid progress in virtue, that she
36 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
very soon surpassed her little directress and. entered the religious state before I did. We conversed about our Divine Lord, the Blessed Virgin, and the glorious Patriarch St. Joseph, and also on the practice of virtue. Observing that they thus consulted me, who stood so much in need of counsel myself, I was afraid that I was acting contrary to humility and I sought the advice of my confessor. He told me to continue, that the piety of these young girls would supply my deficiency : this opinion tranquilized me and I continued to aid them as before. But during all my intercourse with them I never revealed what was passing in my own soul ; I kept my secret to myself. I had no difficulty in teaching them the method of mental prayer, as | myself performed this exercise with the greatest ease, for the presence of my Divine Saviour was so familiar, that I seemed to behold Him dwelling in my heart.”
We know from the testimony of others, that in order to give greater facility for audience to her young friends, our little directress pre- pared a small room in her father’s house, to which they had private and easy access. Here she received these pious young persons. for a pleasant little “chat” as she termed it, dissimulating under this popular expression the role of confidence assigned her.
Those who desired could converse without re- straint of their spiritual necessities. She taught them how to meditate, to examine themselves. interiorly, and how to walk resolutely in the
+ % è ~—
THE TRIAL. 37
path of virtue, thus, to be prepared to meet all the possible dangers which might menace their innocence in the midst of the world in which they were destined to live.
‘“ One of my companions was afflicted with a very extraordinary malady. The remedies prescribed by the physician giving her no re- lief, I had an intimate conviction that if she had recourse to the most Blessed Virgin, her distemper would be cured ; and I advised her to wear a miraculous medal. We made a novena together, at the conclusion of which she was entirely cured. The graces which we thus re- ceived from our heavenly protectress inflamed us with a tender love for her. I prayed her unceasingly to break the chains which held me captive, and I frequently offered tapers to be burned before her altar. I prepared my- self for the celebration of her feasts by no-
venas ; and presented little crowns, bouquets
of flowers, and other decorations for her altars. In fine, I tried my best to touch her mater- nal heart, that she might give me her divine Son for my heavenly spouse. So many offer- ings, though unworthy of being presented to the august Queen of heaven, were not re-. garded by her with indifference, for she soon removed one of my greatest difficulties, that of leaving my father.”
As we have seen, Perrine lost her mother when only twelve years old. “ After the death of my mother,” said she, “ my good father had no other desire but to serve God and his neigh-
38 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
bor. He worked peacefully at his trade of locksmith, without any idea of ever marrying again - his life was modeled on that of St. | oseph. Every morning he assisted at the holy sacrifice of the mass, ind at the benediction of the most Blessed Sacrament in the evening, when possible ; notwithstanding his hard work he always observed the abstinences and fasts of the Church, and regularly approached the sacraments with the most edifying faith and piety. He was often visited with great tribulations which he bore with christian-like fortitude and patience.” |
His eldest son, Prosper, had left home and gone to America with Monseigneur de la Hai- landiére, to whom he was much attached. He settled at Vincennes in the United States, where he resumed his trade of locksmith, attending punctually to his business affairs, and giving there as well as when at home, the edifying example of a virtuous and christian life.
But let us return to Perrine : “ My eldest sister, ” said she, “ who attended to the house- hold duties, was attacked with a long illness : and about the same time my father had con- ceived the idea that I was thinking of leaving him to embrace the religious state. This filled him with alarm and anxiety, for he did not wish to confide his house to the care of a servant. In his perplexity he made me the confident of his troubles hoping thereby to deter me from leav- ing him. Ispoke to him rather ambiguously of my vocation, as I myself did not know
THE TRIAL. 39
when my confessor would permit me to enter the Carmelites, for he still continued his eva- sive answers and gave me very little hope, notwithstanding my earnest desire to quit the world. In the meantime, my dear father was preparing for the emergency; he spoke of his troubles to the parish priest, his confessor ; this worthy pastor, held him in the highest es- teem, for he often said that he was the best of his parishoners. Already aware of my intention of becoming a carmelite, he advised my father to get married. My good parent. was naturally of a very cold and retiring dis- position, and as can be easily imagined, was not a little embarrassed in the execution of this project; but his kind friend, the priest, as- sured him that he would undertake to find a suitable companion ; and at last, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin, he was married to a most excellent woman whom we kindly welcomed to our home, and my father was happy. ”
The sister concludes this artless narrative by enumerating the many other obstacles to be surmounted in the pursuit of her vocation.
“I thought I had at last reached the term of my sufferings and disappointments, and that the doors of Carmel were about to be opened to receive me. One of my aunts with whom I worked, decided to go to Mans to assist at the benediction of the new carmelite monas- tery, and at the same time to visit one of the religious, an old friend of hers whom she loved
40 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
very dearly ; she told me that I might accom- pany her. This good news filled me with joy, and I hastened to my confessor, entreating him to allow me to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to accomplish my long cherished desire. He consented, and gave me a letter for the reverend mother prioress, telling me that I could enter the monastery of Mans if she was willing to receive me; he then gave me his benediction, and I set out immediately with my aunt. We arrived on the eve of the cere- mony at the monastery where we were most kindly received by the carmelites: the next day I assisted at the benediction of a new re- fectory and a new cemetery. On the same day a postulant received the holy habit.”
“The cloister being thrown open for the occasion, we visited the interior of the convent. Tentered the community room and there beheld those dear sisters, many of whom were from my own native province ; nothing could have given me more pleasure than this visit. In the afternoon, I had the honor of speaking pri- vately to the very reverend mother prioress to whom I had presented my confessor’s letter the evening previous. I expressed my great desire of becoming a carmelite. She told me that she had received positive orders from his Lordship the Bishop to admit no more subjects, as the house was then too small, every cell being occupied. Although disheartened by this information, I consulted her respecting my vocation, and spoke to her of my inward
THE TRIAL. 41
dispositions. She evidently saw that, notwith- standing my unworthiness,Our Lord had chosen me to be a child of Carmel, and kindly gave me some information on the rules of the order, expressing her regret at not being able to admit me ; nor could she make any application in my behalf, as Monseigneur was at the time absent on a journey. She spoke very highly of the monastery of Orleans from which she had come to found the house at Mans, and pro- mised to apply there for my admission.”
Our disappointed little postulant was thus obliged to return home and resume her ordinary duties. She entreated her confessor to make application for her entrance among the carmel- ites of Orleans or those of Blois ; however, he did not seem to be very sanguine about the matter.
‘I was so importunate in my request that he must have been annoyed with me; his evasive answers were most discouraging. ‘ We shall see to that ; or ‘God’s time has not yet come.’ One day I went to a chapel dedicated to St. Martin. It being his feast, his relics were exposed for the veneration of the faithful ; I kissed them with great devotion, and also received holy communion in honor of this great saint of whom, at the time, I knew noth- ing ; not even in what part of France he had exercised his holy ministry; but that was of little consequence to me then, overwhelmed as I was with grief and desolation. I addressed to him this simple and fervent prayer: ‘O holy
42 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
Saint Martin, look down upon me in my sorrow. I desire to consecrate myself to God, but there is no one to take any interest in me or plead my cause. O holy Saint, I feel convinced that if you were now on this earth your heart would be touched at my distress and you would aid me to obtain the object of all my desires.’ [implored him to receive me in his dio- cese if there were any religiousin it. St. Martin heard my prayer, for I am confident that it was through his intercession, I became a carmelite at Tours. I had neither desired nor asked my confessor to enter the house of Tours, for I did not know that there was a carmelite monastery in the city until I had been received there.”
In the meantime Our Lord was preparing her for the life of sacrifice which she was about to embrace, and for this end, had already be- stowed upon her supernatural graces of the highest order.
‘ One day after holy communion,” said she, ‘T had a vision: Our Lord concentrated all the » powers of my soul in his Divine Heart, and I seemed to behold therein a number of persons bound together by a golden chain, each, seem- ingly, bearing a cross. These were, without doubt, religious souls, for I recognized among the number, one of my friends who had embraced the religious life. It seemed that I, too, was nie a with them and I i sought Our Lord to give me also a cross. He led me to understand that I must submit to his divin e will for the present and await
THE TRIAL. 43
with resignation the accomplishment of his designs over me; insinuating that this was sufficient to bear for the present. ‘ But,’ said He, ‘when you shall have entered religion, I shall give you another cross to carry.’ This promise remained so much engraved on my mind, that falling sick after I had entered Carmel as a postulant, I thought to myself: ‘Perhaps this is the cross which Our Lord promised me.’ But poor simpleton that I was! this was but a straw to carry in comparison to the cross which my good Master had in reserve for me after my profession. I am now convinced that the Work of Reparation with which the Lord charged me later, was the cross then predicted, for I found it in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was from that fountain of divine love that he spoke to me for the first time of this work which was to cost me so many sighs and tears.”
Thenceforth she had a very ardent aflec- tion for the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. “This devotion was my chief delight : and I earnest- ly engaged my companions to love and honor the divine Heart of my Saviour. My sister was very ill at the time, and I advised her to have a novena of masses offered in reparation for the outrages commited against the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the sacrament of his love, with the intention of obtaining her restoration, if it were the divine will. She consented, and the masses were said in the chapel of the Visi- tation; for it was to a sister of this Order
44 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
that our Divine Lord made known the devotion to his Sacred Heart. The principal altar of the chapel was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I assisted at these masses, during which I received the most extraordinary graces, a written account of which I gave to my director. I cannot recall them now as my mind was so penetrated with the ineffable love of Our Lord manifested to me in his divine Heart that I have only a confused idea of these heavenly favors, for it seemed that my soul was entirely lost in God. However, I am certain of one thing: that Our Lord showed me a cross, telling me it was on this he cru- cified his spouses. I think I must have been frightened, for soon after he added these words : ‘ Be consoled my daughter; you will not be as inhumanly crucified as I was, the nails shall pierce though my flesh before touching yours.’ Doubtless, He wished by these words to assure me that He being the first to experience all the tortures and igno- minies of the cross, the faithful disciples who followed in his footsteps would now find all its bitterness changed to delight. ” |
For some time Our Lord inspired her with a certain kind of prayer which she describes as “ delightful,” but he soon gave her to un- derstand that this inspiration would be with- drawn : and, in fact, shortly after she fell into astate of mental aridity. “Our Lord,” said she, ‘caused me to pass from Thabor to Cal- vary, according to his own good pleasure and
THE TRIAL. 45
the necessities of my soul; but as I was now more enlightened in the ways of God than during the period of my spiritual infancy, I passed through these interior trials without any detriment tomy soul.”
One grace which she esteemed far above all these extraordinary favors, was that of being able to alleviate the necessities of the indigent sick. ‘The Lord, ” writes she, ‘“en- dowed me witha love for giving alms ; I had a small private fund which my dear father allowed me to dispose of as I thought proper. I would sometimes make a little offering to Our Lord, and then again to his holy Mother, in the persons of the poor and aflicted. A young woman came to dwell in our neigh- borhood, who soon after her marriage, had fallen ill of a long and painful malady which proved fatal : the charitable mission of pre- paring her for death fell to my lot. I placed a picture of the Blessed Virgin near her bed, that this good mother might come to as- sist her in her last moments. I was then quite young and had seldom confronted death. The poor, afflicted creature whom I encouraged by consoling words, desired that I should remain always at her side. She sent for me one night to inquire if she were soon going to die: I re- plied that in all probability Our Lord would soon call her to himself ; she was then reduced to the last extremity. I do not remember dis- tinctly but I think it was that same night that she was suddenly seized with terror at
46 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
the sight of something invisible to us; it was: the Angel of Darkness who had come to tempt her in this, her last moment. She suddenly | screamed out : ‘ Look at the large black cat at the foot of my bed !—For my part I perceived. nothing.—I sprinkled the bed with holy water.
‘T see it again!’ she exclaimed ; we made a: second aspersion and the Evil One was put to: flight. We continued praying for this poor
creature, who expired before our eyes. She had received the last sacraments with the most
edifying submission to the holy will of God. and died very happily.”
‘ It so happened, that after her death, I and one of my friends, should be the only ones to: prepare her for burial. I had the greatest re- pugnance to touch the dead, but as no -one could be found to render this service to the poor deceased, I was obliged to do it myself.”
“The Divine Master in his infinite mercy thus offered me an excellent opportunity of cancelling a multitude of my sins, which were undoubtedly the cause of retarding my en-- trance into religion. The hour appointed by God was slowly approaching : I besought all the saints to intercede for me, and had recourse: to the assistance of our holy mother St. Theresa. At home we had a picture of this saint, and when I was at table my eyes were always fixed on this portrait, so much so, that I was often more occupied in contemplating the pic- ture than in eating my dinner. My father, who was then fully aware of my intention of
THE TRIAL. AT
becoming a carmelite, often conversed with me on this subject. On one occasion, during din- ner, he made me laugh heartly at his anxieties concerning my future bed at the convent. He had, no doubt, heard of some of the foolish notions entertained by people of the world re- ‘garding the austeïities practised by the Car- melites ; he said, not without evincing great concern, ‘If the sheets are nailed to the four corners of the bed, how will you ever get into a bed thus arranged ?’ ‘Oh!’ said I, ‘that is the least of my anxieties.”
‘“T was not content merely with praying to our holy mother St. Theresa, I read her life and made a list of her confessors, and of the holy persons who had assisted her in estab- lishing the reform. I arranged them in a litany without examining whether they had been canonized or not. St. John of the Cross ‘was the first on the list; and I added the names of the saints to whom I had a special devotion, hoping that with the aid of these powerful advocates the doors of Carmel might “at length be opened to me. At {last they were not regardless of this simple act of con- fidence, for it was on the eve of the feast of All-Saints that I was admitted to that happy ‘asylum, the object of all my desires.”
Another trial was still in reserve for her. Her director fell ill, and was unable to hear her confession. Observing that she made no pro- ‘gress towards the attainment of her object, and being reluctant to importune her confessor,
48 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST, PETER.
she made a last effort to interest in her behalf the ever Blessed Virgin.
‘I was inspired,” said she, “ to undertake a pilgrimage in honor of Notre Dame de la Peiniére, from whom I had already obtained many favors. This chapel wasin the parish of St. Didier, six leagues from Rennes. As I was well acquainted with its zealous pastor, and had also a friend residing there, I easily obtained permission to perform my pilgrimage. Full of confidence I set out with the intention of asking our Blessed Lady for the recovery of my confessor as a visible proof of my vocation ; praying her at the same time to sever the many chains which held me captive in the world. ‘Ah,’ said I, ‘Iam like a bird in a cage. I cannot find the smallest opening from which to make my escape.’ There was a good priest travelling in the same car with me, with whom I conversed during the journey. I spoke to. him of the Blessed Virgin, and observing that it pleased him, I related many little incidents in her honor ; I also spoke to him about the Arch-. Confraternity of the Sacred Heart of Mary. This conversation afforded me much pleasure for I loved to honor and glorify the Blessed Virgin as much as I could. At length we arrived at. St. Didier, and I directed my steps toward the church. There I offered my devotions, and Our Lord condescended to speak to me concerning my vocation.”
“To render what I am about to narrate more explicit, I must state that one of my
Do:
THE TRIAL. 49°
reasons for fearing I would not be received by the Carmelites was, that my father was poor and could not give me more than six hundred
. francs ($100) on my entrance. I had asked assist-
ance of a rich priest of my acquaintance, but he only expressed his regret at his inability to aid me in consequence of having recently met with considerable losses. Perhaps, 1 was wanting in confidence in the Providence of God. The communication which I had received from Our Lord, and to which I have previously hinted, filled me with consolation. I think that this time also He showed me a cross. saying: ‘Is not a vocation of higher worth than gold?’ Thus giving me to understand that if in hisinfinite mercy he granted me the first grace, he could as easily provide the second, which was of minor importance. He then said : ‘Pray to my mother, and you shall obtain your request.’”’
Full of faith and hope, Perrine continued her pilgrimage. This miraculous statue was in a very spacious chapel, which had been built a quarter of a league from the parish church. She cheerfully gave her little offer- ing towards the completion of the chapel, and performed her visits for nine consecutive days, reciting the first part of the rosary going to the church, the second part in the chapel at the feet of the Blessed Virgin, and the third, on her return.
“Oh! how fervently I implored my Blessed Mother to take an interest in my vocation !
50 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
What sweetness and consolation I tasted whilst at the feet of the consoler of the afflicted! She did not remain deaf to my entreaties, for I received from her divine Son the most wonder- . ful graces during my novena. For the honor -of the most Holy Virgin, I sincerely regret not having preserved a written account of all those graces. I remember, however, that Our Lord med that I should be permitted to follow his will without more delay. I made an exact statement of all that had passed in my soul, and carried this important letter to the most Blessed Virgin, begging her to bless it and to touch the heart of him to whom I should remit it. ‘O my good Mother, said I with childlike simplicity, ‘ I do not wish to spend this winter in sewing, I only desire to be occu- pied in praising your divine Son, and I there- fore remit into your hands my scissors, needles, thimble etc., etc.’” Thus saying, she deposited the contents of her work- basket at the feet of the Blessed Virgin.
On her then to Rennes she found her director in better health, and presented him her letter, which produced a great impression on him. However, he tried to conceal it, but the effects were soon apparent, for he set to work in earnest to obtain her admission among the Carmelites ; yet, in seeming opposition to her wishes, he proposed to her to enter among the religious Hospitalieres of Rennes. ‘“ I feel no attraction for them,” said she, “get I would prefer toenter among the Hospitalieres rather
THE TRIAL. 51
than to remain in the world. How embarrassing ! I knew ofno other carmelite convent than that of Mans, and there I could not be received. I did not know that there was a convent at Tours. and one at Morlaix. I went to my little oratory and said to St. Theresa and to St. John of the Cross, of whom I had a picture: ‘ Alas! you do not want to receive me then among your sisters !’” :
She thought that the question of her portion might prove the greatest difficulty. She resolved to go and see the venerable priest who: had directed her for two years and a half, and to whom she had been more than once a subject of edification. He was.then in his seventy seventh year, yet he had lost none of his facul- ties and fulfilled the duties of his ministry with as much activity as a young priest.
“I met him one day in the city ; he seemed desirous of knowing if I really wished to be a sister, but as I had no intention of unfold- ing my plans in the middle of the street, I de-- ferred my answer for a more suitable place ; and as he possessed much of this world’s goods. I proposed interesting his charity in my be- half. With this object in view I called to visit him one afternoon. It was here that Our Lord
awaited me, to crown the long series of trials. and humiliations to which I had been sub- jected. Through respect for this venerable ser- vant of God, I knelt at his feet to speak on the subject of my vocation; but ignoring how well the soil of my poor soul had been ploughed.
52 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
and cultivated during the past five years, he desired to test my virtue in a very unexpected and mortifying manner. He took out his brevi- ary and commenced to read without appear- ing to notice me, or to listen to what 1 was saying ; after a few moments he arose quite abruptly and ordered me to leave. I respected the will of God manifested by his minister, and was not long awaiting my recompense. This trial was about the last I had to undergo during the remainder of my stay in the world. The worthy priest, agreeably to my desire had the goodness to present me a small sum of money. ”
“ But eight days. had elapsed since my return from my pilgrimage, and as I have said, the last time I saw my director he seemed quite decided to send me to the Hospitalieres. Iwas in painful anxiety, for I had such a desire to dwell in the desert of Carmel! The spirit of retirement, silence and prayer, had such an attraction for me, and in the order of the Hospitalieres I would be obliged to take care of the sick, and what was still more repug- nant, to prepare. for burial the bodies of the dead, of which 1 stood in mortal terror. Our Lord, in his goodness, relieved me from this embarrassment. He had promised to hear me > through the intercession of his Blessed Mother, and he kept his word. The ninth day after my pilgrimage he revealed himself to me after holy communion, and with infinite condescen- sion said the following words: ‘ My child, I
THE TRIAL. 58
love you too much to permit that you should any longer be a prey to these perplexities ! You shall not be a Hospitaliere. This is only a trial to which you are being subjected. Even now matters are being arranged for your reception. You will be a Carmelite. This last sentence was repeated several times: ‘ You will be a Carmelite ;’ and I think Our Lord added, ‘a Carmelite of Tours” But I knew nothing of Tours, not even that the Carmelites had been established there. I feared that this was but an illusion, for I felt persuaded that my director thought no more of sending me to Carmel. What shall I do, said I to myself! I must write down this communication and take it to him according to my custom ; but I was not particularly desirous of presenting this note : Oh!the infinite goodness of God! what was my astonishment when my confessor said to me : ‘ My child, you have been received among the Carmelites of Tours”. What delightful news! What happiness I enjoyed that day! What grateful thanksgiving I offered to our Blessed Lord and to his most Holy Mother for having so promptly heard the supplications and entreaties which I had addressed to them during my pilgrimage !”
“ The letter which I had placed at the feet of our Lady de la Peiniére and afterwards re- mitted to my director, had been the prin- cipal instrument in the accomplishment of the long cherished wish of my heart. My con- fessor had written to the mother prioress of
54 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER. Tours applying for my admission. This good, charitable mother ynmediately replied, that she would receive me with pleasure. But how was all this accomplished ? Why had Our Lord made known so manifestly that it was his divine will I should enter at Tours, sixty leagues from my native place, whilst there were carmelites at Nantes and at Morlaix so- much nearer home ? I asked my confessor if he had held any communication with the carmel- ites of Tours. He informed me that once, when passing through Tours, he had had the idea of visiting the carmelites, but that he had not gone and consequently was not acquainted with them. The reverend mother prioress had still less to do in bringing about this result, for she was greatly astonished that a priest of whom she knew little more than his name would apply to her for the admission of a pos- tulant. What then was the solution of this mystery ? Ah! I see it all. St. Martin had not forgotten the prayers offered in his chapel on the day of his feast, when I confided to him my sorrows and besought him to procure my entrance to one of the houses of his diocese.”
Here again is another remarkable circum-. stance connected with this affair: “The reverend mother prioress of Tours had fixed the time of my entrance for the feast of All-. Saints: a long delay for my ardent disposi- tion, leaving two months still to be passed in the world. Nevertheless, this day was not appointed by mere chance, for I left Brittany
TRS de à oy
THE TRIAL. 55
on the very feast of St. Martin, who evidently wished to prove that it was he who was my liberator.”
“ There remained still another question to be
solved, my entrance-fee. But that was soon dis-
posed of. AsI have before stated, my father was a mechanic attending regularly to his business ;
but God often sent him severe trials. He had to meet the heavy expenses of the prolonged illness of my eldest sister who was still feeble. My brother had failed in business and it cost two thousand francs to re-establish him, towards which my good aunts contributed as much as
they could. After all these outlays it was found
impossible to give me more than six hundred francs, but Our Lord had given me to understand that he who had bestowed the vocation could
also provide the dowry.”
“The Blessed Virgin, with a generosity equal to her power, compensated me for the alms I
had offered for the construction of her new
chapel, and a young lady named Mary with whom my director had made me practise the
virtue of mortification, as a preparation for her
entrance to a religious congregation, promised
to contribute the YO Age
“What remained for me to do after such
special graces from the most Blessed Vir-
gin! Our Lord had well said: ‘ Address
yourself to my mother, it is through her you
shall be heard :’ remarkable Dvd of which I
have always preserved a lasting souvenir.
‘There still remained the fulfilment of a sacred
56 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
duty towards the Blessed Virgin Mary : that of offering her a grateful and earnest act of love. I solicited the permission to return to her holy chapel to offer her thanks for all the benefits granted me. [then bade farewell to my protectress, recommending to her the new state I was going to embrace, in which I would be attached to her divine Son by the sweetest ties of love. In the simplicity of my heart I again asked her for that dear Son as my heavenly spouse ; she, at length, consented to give him, notwithstanding my unworthiness ; my heart had now no other love and nothing more to desire, save the arrival of the happy day of our spiritual nuptials.”
On her return, as if to celebrate in advance what she termed her ‘ nuptials, the many relatives of the future carmelite assembled around her for the last time, and celebrated in her honor a modest little féte, touching de- monstration of affection worthy of the christian sentiments which animated the father of the young aspirant and her virtuous relatives. Each felt the regret natural at parting, but all united in praying for her perseverance, for they beheld therein a happiness for Perrine and a blessing for themselves. Their wishes were fulfilled far beyond their most sanguine expec- tations.
“ For myself I most ardently desired the ap- proach of the day of my departure. We were awaiting the arrival of a religious, travelling in the direction of Tourraine, to whose care I was
THE TRIAN, 57
to be confided for the journey; but as she did not make her appearance, and as I was burning with the desire to set out, my father decided to leave his business for some days that he might present me himself to the Lord. I bade adieu to my home and friends with much joy, although I loved them very tenderly, yet, I had such a longing to go and serve the Holy Family at Carmel that my natural feelings of sorrow at such a separation were easily stifled. I went also to bid adieu to him who had directed me in my vocation. He vouched for my perseverance. But fearing that the way in which the Lord would conduct me might not bein harmony with the community life, he said, ‘My child, endeavor to follow the com- mon way; when a religious is conducted in an extraordinary manner she is obliged to demand an extraordinary confessor, which is not always convenient in a community.’ Then as if ina spirit of prophecy, he added: ‘ Do quickly that which you have to do; hasten to sanctify yourself for your course will not be long.’ After some other counsels he gave me his last blessing and I departed.”
CHAPTER IV.
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS.
‘There I found the child Jesus and the Holy Family.”
(Words of our postulant.)
“ Accompanied by my father, I left the town of Rennes on the feast ofmy dear patron, St. Martin of Tours, the 11th of November, 1839, and travelled towards Tourraine, my future home. I reached Tours on the 13th, and proceeded immediately to the convent where | arrived at 5 o’clock in the afternoon. What rendered this event remarkable to me was, that it was St. Martin who presented me to ‘all the saints of Carmel,’ for on the next. day their feast was to be celebrated. I felt. assured that these good saints would not refuse me admission on the day of their feast, for I had prayed fervently, entreating them to admit me into their company; they could not have given me a better or more striking proof. of my perseverance than that of having received me on such a day.”
Our little Breton postulant seemed to have had no curiosity to visit the city. ‘ That,” said she, “is of little importance to me. Having
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 59
quitted the travelling coach, my father con- | ducted me to the Carmelites; he gave me his benediction and said with great emotion, while embracing me for the last time: ‘The will of God alone, my child, gives me courage to make this sacrifice.’ Poor father! May God reward your admirable resignation to His decrees!.. Very soon the doors were thrown open and my father remitted meto the care .of this new family who presented themselves to receive me. If at that moment I offered to God the sacrifice of a fond father, he gave me in return a most excellent mother, who was to render me inestimable services. This was the reverend mother Mary of the Incarnation, prioress and at the same time mistress of novices. When in the world, Our Lord one day gave me to understand that the mother whom he destined for me would have a special grace to conduct me in his ways; and, in fact, the promise was verified as soon as our reverend mother under- stood my interior dispositions. This knowledge _ came to her by degrees, and according as God judged it proper for his glory and the salva- tion of my soul.”
“ After I had embraced my new sisters, the reverend mother conducted me to the altar of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, my heavenly mother, to thank her for my admission into the holy house of Carmel, and to place myself under her special protection. The hour of recreation soon drew nigh: I was invited to sing and I did not wait to be importuned, for
60 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
I had sung the same hymn many times while awaiting the happy day of my entrance into Carmel. It was as follows: Oh! Bless’d be God! I’ve found that peace For which I’ve sighed so long ; For Him my love shall never cease, He’ll ever be my song.
“There were fifteen stanzas which I sang with such cheerfulness that no one thought of interrupting me.”
The new postulant seemed inclined to con- tinue, when suddenly the reverend mother prioress, who had been absent, entered the recreation room. Finding one disposed to sing, the others to listen, and all apparently enjoy- ing themselves, she considered it a splendid occasion to test the postulant. ‘ Well,” said she, ‘‘ you have been in a hurry to display your little talent.” A dead silence ensued. After a few seconds, the mother prioress, turning toward the little singer, said: “See if you can entertain us with something better!” “Oh! reverend mother,” replied she, ‘I have sung youthe very best thing I know.” Such was her simple reply. Not a shadow of disappoint- ment or embarrassment could be observed on her countenance. It was very evident that by virtue as well as by natural disposition, Perrine was not of a melancholy turn of mind.
“This frank gaiety,” said she, ‘“ was already a proof of my vocation for Carmel; for our holy mother, St. Theresa, would not allow sad or melancholy subjects to remain among her
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 61
daughters; of this I was fully aware. The following day, I attended the Divine Office, during which I had a very ridiculous tempta- tion, and as it was the only one I remember having had against my vocation, I shall relate it. Observing the officiant, the chantress, the chorists and other sisters going to the middle of the choir, make a genuflexion, say something in Latin, then return for others to take their place,—I. was alarmed at the number and variety of these ceremonies. I thought I would never have intelligence enough to know how to do so many things, nor to perceive when my turn would come to do likewise. I con- cluded that perhaps it would be much more expedient for me to take my little bundle and return to Brittany. But how could I get home ! I had only forty francs in my purse; surely that would not meet the expenses of so long a journey. I had forgotten that I had given even this to the good mother prioress. Fiawreteen I consoled myself by saying: have patience and we shall see what will “happen. I was con- ducted to the confessional :—further dismay. I perceived a small slab of iron painted white, pierced with little round holes, and placed in the wall according to the carmelite custom. They told me that I should speak through this erating to the confessor :—Patience again, my soul, and we shall soon see how all these things will terminate! From the chapel I was conducted to the novictate. There I found the child Jesus and the Holy Family, the cherished objects
62 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
of my affection. From this moment the Holy Family, for whom I had quitted the world and entered Carmel where I knew they were spe- cially honored, smoothed away all my difficul- ties and I found all things easy and agreeable. I was so much at home that it already seemed several years since my arrival. Then I un derstood by my own experience that there is vocation, not only for an order, but also voca- tion for a particular House of that order, as I had no attraction for any other convent; on the contrary, from the moment I entered that of Tours I felt that I was where God wished me to be.” ,
Let us for a few brief moments interrupt these interesting details to make acquaintance with the house into which Perrine was led by Divine Providence.
The monastery of Tours is by no means the least considerable among the many which the daughters of St. Theresa have established in France. We behold in its foundation a visible proof of St. Martin’s protection of his episco- pal city.
Divine love had already formed a bond of union between the carmelite Reformer and the Thaumaturgus of the Gauls, which her biographer has not neglected to mention. The virgin of Avila writes: ‘To-day is the feast of St. Martin to whom I have a special devotion, for I have frequently received extraordinary graces from Our Lord during this octave.”
It was, as we have seen, on the feast of this
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 63
holy bishop that Perrine had received marked assistance in the pursuit of her vocation; it was also during the celebration of that same feast that she found, not far from the tomb of the glorious apostle, the asylum wherein her perfection was to be accomplished. Is it not. an indication of the watchful care of Provi- dence to have enriched the city of St. Martin with a community so thoroughly imbued with the Theresian spirit ? It will be our agreeable: duty to trace, summarily, the origin of the monastery and its principal historical phases down to the time of the admission of sister St. Peter.
The monastery of Tours was established in 1608. Four years previous, that of Paris was founded by cardinal de Berulle, madame Acarie and Blessed Mary of the Incarnation. The latter was related to M. de Fontaines-Marans, seigneur de Rouziers, in the vicinity of Tours, whose favorite daughter had entered among the Carmelites of Paris, but because of ill- health she was obliged to return home. To indemnify this beloved child who still sighed for the peaceful solitudes of Carmel, M. de Rou- ziers proposed founding a monastery at Tours with the hope that she would be received as benefactress, thus enabling her to satisfy her pious desire, and at the same time remain near the paternal mansion. It was madame Acarie in person who negotiated for this foundation with the pious nobleman. Cardinal de Berulle appointed mother Ann of St. Bartholomew,
64 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
prioress of the projected monastery, and nomi- nated seven sisters to accompany her. This was the devoted friend of St. Theresa who expired in her arms. She had come from Spain with several other sisters, accompanied by car- dinal de Berulle. The annals of the monas- tery have preserved the following account of the foundation: ‘‘ We left Paris on the 5th of May and arrived here on the 9th. The journey was tedious and painful; but St. Theresa appeared and consoled her faithful friend. She seemed to walk by her side on a path strewn with thorns, exhorting her to continue her arduous undertaking in the following words: ‘Courage! I shall assist you.’ From the moment of their arrival, the sisters took possession of the house prepared for them, and the Blessed Sacrament was deposited in the chapel the Sunday within the octave of the Ascension, the 18th of May.”
‘On the same day, mother Ann of St. Bartho- lomew recommended the new monastery to Our Lord during her communion, supplicating him to bestow his graces on the little flock of missionaries present, and on all those who, in the future, would present themselves to serve Him. ‘My adorable Master assured me,’ said she, ‘that he would grant my request; and from that moment to the present time 1 have witnessed the marvelous accomplish- ment of his promise.’ ”’
At this period the population of Tours in- cluded a great number of heretics, descendants
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 65
-of the Huguenots who, in the preceding age, had been the cause of the most frightful civil wars. When they learned that a number of nuns were coming to reside in their city, and were even crossing the Loire, they exclaimed: ‘May they go to the bottom of the river before reaching the shore!” However, their impious desires were not realized. The grace of God soon triumphed and changed these hostile feelings. The nearest neighbor of the Carmel- ites cited them before the law because of a stray hen, but he was so filled with admiration at the sight of their exquisite charity, that he -soon abjured heresy. This incident was much commented upon by the sectarians, who uttered all sorts of invectives against the Carmelites ; ‘one of them saying: “These Theresians are ca- pable of making Catholics of us despite our- selves.” ... They would have had still greater reason to fear had they known how many prayers and penances were daily offered for their conversion in the interior of the cloister.
The new monastery had already attained such a reputation of sanctity that persons of the highest rank came from far and near to solicit the privilege of taking the holy habit. From the first year of the foundation, there were as many as twenty postulants at a time. Among those whom the venerable mother Ann of St. Bartholomew admitted to profession, we are pleased to find the name of one of the daughters -of a Breton gentleman, Mile. Querlingue, in reli- -gion Mary of St. Elias ; another young lady from
66 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
Rennes, Mlle. de la Rivière, in religion John of St. Joseph, who was afterwards sent to the monastery of Morlaix. These two being, as it were, the first among the most precious fruits: of sanctity which catholic Brittany was one. day to produce.
The holiness of the first professed was: mirrored in the disciples formed by them. We. have a proof of this in the fact that from among those who founded the monastery of Tours four were chosen to spread the Reform of St. Theresa ; so capable were they deemed of im- planting the true spirit. Many others were afterward taken from this monastery for the same purpose. But to return to our subject :
Mother Ann of St. Bartholomew was spe- cially favored by God. These are her words: “The Divine Majesty bestowed on me many graces, though I had no confessor with whom I could easily communicate, for our director understood no Spanish, nor I the French, yet I confessed as best I could, and our superiors. came to visit us once a year. Our Lord supplied this deficiency by the consolations which he sent, for he now bestowed on me the graces. of which I had been deprived at other times. These strengthened me in the practice of vir- tue and penance for many days together. It. seemed that sufferings redoubled my strength and without reflecting on it, I felt myself closely united to God, and so to say, clothed with the spirit of St. Paul, which caused me to exclaim with him: ‘ What shall separate me
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 67
from the love of Our Lord Jesus Christ!’ I was, as it were, environed with the love of my
Saviour: if he had not sustained me by his .
almighty power and strengthened my nature against the many favors with which I was overwhelmed, I never could have been able to bear them. I repeated with the great Apostle: ‘I wish to be an anathema and to die for my brethren and my Lord Jesus Christ.’ And as it happens that on such occasions, the soul lovingly immolates herself without reserve, Our Lord once said to me: ‘It is the glory of the Just:to do my will,’ adding words so full of tenderness that I was as if beside myself with divine love.”
In all the difficulties of this foundation, she -applied for aid to Nt. Theresa, who appeared to her several times. Not to lose sight of her holy friend she wore a small picture of Her. When quitting the monastery of Tours, mother Ann of St. Bartholomew left her mantle as did the prophet Elias to his disciple; doubtless her spirit likewise ; for the religious of this monastery have ever been distinguished for the most sublime virtues, particularly for an inviolable fidelity to obedience, and for the vigilance with which they preserved in all its purity the true spirit of their holy mother, St. Theresa of Jesus. They were not unfrequently called upon to found or govern other houses of the order, upon which they drew down celestial benedictions. We refer in particular to a sister from Quatrebarbes, in religion mother Eliza-
68 . WIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER. .
beth of the Holy Trinity, prioress of the monas- tery of Beaume, who died in the odor of sanc- _ tity. Others in 1617 founded the monastery of of Riom, at Auvergne; again others, that of Nantes, in 1618, of Senz in 1625, and that of Angers in 1626.
The year 1616 was memorable for the erec- tion of the church belonging to the monastery. The first stone was laid on Holy Tuesday March 29th by the Queen, Mary de Medicis, when returning from Midi after the marriage of her son Louis XIII. with Ann of Austria. The edifice was blessed on Friday, the 38rd of May 1619, and dedicated to the Maternity of the most Blessed Virgin. The solemn conse- cration took place during the’ priority of Mother Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament, spiritual daughter of Blessed Mary of the In- carnation. The monastery then changed its primitive title of ‘ Notre Dame des Anges ” to that of “The Incarnation or, the Holy Mother of God,” for it is mentioned in the ancient do- cuments under these two appellations. At _ present it bears the latter title.
It is related that at the time of the canoni- zation of St. Philip de Neri, M. Odoir, a good priest well known in the Order, came to Tours. The mother prioress requested him to offer the holy sacrifice of the mass, to obtain through the intercession of St. Philip, the restoration of two of the sisters who were ill. On retiring from the altar after having offered the Holy Sacrifice the saintly priest said to the prioress :
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 69
“Reverend mother, one of your sisters is re- stored to health,” (which was really the case) ; he added: “The religious of your community are very pleasing to God, for whilst I was ad- ministering to them the holy communion, Our Lord seemed so desirous of reposing in their hearts that the Sacred Host departed from my fingers with great eagerness.”
The Carmelites of Tours have always been remarkable for their great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. One day during prayer, the prioress beheld Our Lord, who showed her his adorable Heart wherein were lovingly in- closed all the sisters of the community. When Jansenism sought to devastate France by effacing the true spirit of Christianity from the Hoatts of the faithful, the Carmelites of Tours preserved intact the purity of the fzith, and accepted with entire submission all the decrees of the Holy See. On several occasions, the religious of this monastery were chosen by their superiors either to defend or to-establish sound doctrine in other convents, in which the members had insensibly become imbued with the spirit of heresy. The strict adherence of the prioresses to the decisions of the Holy Church was even manifested in the writings of this period ; every circular addressed to the different houses of the Order invariably termin- ated as follows: “We remain true daughters of the Church, submissive, by the grace of God, to all her decrees.”
When the revolution of 1789 burst for th, the
70 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER. |
number of professed was nineteen, every one proving herself worthy of her holy vocation. One day several of the municipal counsellors, under the title of commissioners, presented themselves at the parlor, forced open the door and entered the interior of the cloister to pro- pose to the sisters what they termed, “The Oath of Liberty:” all peremptorily refused to take the oath, declaring that they had offered to God their vows, from which no human power could dispense them; that they knew of no liberty more glorious than the practice of their monastic duties.
In a few days the officers returned. Im- : pressed with the idea that obedience to the superior was the cause of the previous failure of their efforts, they proposed a re-election, at which they themselves would preside, exact- ing that all the religious of the house, even the lay sisters and novices, should have a voice in the election. Imagine the astonishment of the officers when they found that the same superiors were unanimously chosen. “We have been fooled!” they exclaimed. Finding that these means proved ineffectual, they had resort to another expedient: that of speaking privately to each religious. They made every effort to spread disunion and trouble among the members of the community. But all their endeavors only served to cement more ‘closely the bonds of faith and charity which existed among those good sisters.
It was not long before they were driven from
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 71
their monastery and forced to seek a shelter among their friends, who received them with fear and sorrow. Soon, however, they were arrested and thrown into prison. We cannot give an adequate idea of what they endured ding their cruel imprisonment, One of the sictors, blind and aged eighty-seven, too feeble to walk, was left for four hours in an open court-yard where she was exposed to all the severity of the season ; she contracted inflam- mation of the lungs and died eight days after, deprived of all assistance, but consoling her- self with the thought that she gave her life for the love of her heavenly Spouse.
The other sisters were several times trans- ferred to the different prisons of the city. One day, they received the announcement that they were to be taken out ; the poor nuns thought they were to be brought to the place of execu- tion ; joy was manifested in their countenances for death had long been the object of their desire. On the way, they learned that they were only journeying to another prison. The populace had been bribed to utter all manner of abusive language against these holy sisters while they were traversing the pub- lic thoroughfares. One of these saintly souls regretted that day to her last moment exclaim- ing: ‘“ Alas! must I die in bed after having lost such an occasion of martyrdom!” Lan- guage cannot depict the terrible sufferings they endured during these eighteen months of imprisonment. The bare boards were fre- |
72 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
quently their only bed, and their food was coarse and loathsome ; the fidelity with which they kept their rules of abstinence, in the midst of their excessive sufferings, filled to over- flowing their cup of bitterness ; for notwith- standing all their privations, they constantly practised their rule of abstinence. At length, the prison doors were thrown open and they were permitted to go forth. They dispersed among devoted friends, and awaited patiently the hour of re-union.
Nevertheless, they lived in all possible reg- ularity, under the most exact obedience, religiously united to their Superior, who re- mained in office until after their re-establish- ment. Every Saturday she sent to each one whatever was necessary for the week ; on Sundavs they assembled for their relig- ious exercises, held the chapter, and asked their permissions, as if they had been in the convent. They possessed nothing in particu- lar, but guarded their vow of poverty as strictly as if in the cloister.
After the storm had subsided in the year 1798, they were enabled to resume their for- mer manner of life. Then it was a source of consolation to them to reflect that during this ' long period of sufferings, their regular obser- vances had never for one moment been inter- rupted, not even during the sad days of their imprisonment. Their first habitation was a miserable little house, where they were obliged to support themselves by the labor of their
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 13
hands, but Providence soon came to their aid. A benefactress gave them the necessary money to purchase an old institution of which they took possession in 1805.*
They then resumed anew the prattice of their holy customs, but were not able to observe the strict enclosure. It was only in 1822, after they had returned to their old convent, endear- ed to them by so many titles, that Almighty God accorded them this consolation. They found apart of the buildings destroyed, yet there still remained a portion of the old house which had been consecrated by the sojourn of the venerable Ann of St. Bartholomew and her first daughters. The church wasin adilapidated condition, in consequence of having been used as a ware-house during the six years of trouble ; the main-altar, however, had not been dis- turbed, nor the large painting of the mystery of the Incarnation, under whose invocation the Carmelite Monastery of Tours had been placed. The Blessed Virgin seemed to have taken upon herself the duty of watching over and preserving the edifice consecrated to her, which the following fact, cited literally from the annals of the monastery, will prove.
‘The proprietor of our house was earnestly solicited to sell the church for a theatre, for which, from its favorable position, it was well adapted. On the eve of the day on which
* The ancient House of Refuge situated in the parish of Notre Dame ia Riche, which was afterward given up to its original des- tination.
74 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER. ®
the sale was to take place, one of the commis- sioners went to the church to conclude some business arrangements. What was his aston- ishment to see two little streams of water issuing from the painting! He approached, and saw that these tiny rivulets came from the eyes of the Blessed Virgin. Astonished at the marvelous occurrence, he examined the pic- ture very minutely, to ascertain if this pro- ceeded from any natural cause, but could discover nothing. The painting was at an elevation of thirty feet from the floor, and was suspended on a wall three feet thick, on which not the slightest appearance of moisture could be perceived. This man, who professed no religion, was so impressed by the event, that he ran in alarm to relate what he had seen to the proprietor, saying with great earnestness: ‘ If you sell that church for a theatre, you and your family will be lost forever, for I have just seen the Virgin Mary weeping there.’ We know notif the proprietor attached any impor- tance to this extraordinary fact: the church, however, from one cause or another, was not sold. The commissioner, in his fright, hastened to the abode of our Mothers to report what had taken place ; several of whom went to the spot and bore testimony to the fact.”
This miraculous picture is still to be seen over the main-altar in the church of the mon: astery. The Carmelites also possess another very interesting historical picture worthy of veneration ; a beautiful image of Our Lord, the
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 75
original of which, it is said, is preserved at Génes, and is regarded by pious tradition as the true portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ which he, himself, sent to king Abgare. * A small number of copies of the picture have been taken, and are to be seen in Spain. M. Gauthier, a gentleman from Angers, brought one on his return from Spain with Cardinal de Bérulle, where they had gone to solicit the Carmel- ites to establish a house of their Order in France. This picture, he kept in his possession for years, but finally gave it to a friend; at present, it is in the possession of the Carmel- ites of Tours. It is painted on wood; the countenance of Our Lord is life-size and exquisitely beautiful ; the view of it inspires the beholder with admiration and love, so del- icate are the delineations, and so vivid is the harmony of the coloring. Need we be surprised that from among all other religious houses, Our Lord should have chosen this particular monastery to rejoice in the possession of such | an incomparable treasure! For it was here
* St. John Damascene relates this fact in the following manner. (De Orth. fide, lib. IV, cap. XVII. Orat. de virginibus.» Abgare, king of Odessa iu Syria, sent a painter to our Lord Jesus Christ to take his portrait. The painter could not succeed in consequence of the great brilliancy, or effulgence of glory which emanated from the august countenance of the Lord. But the Saviour placed on his divine face a piece of linen which immediately took the impression ot his sacred countenance ; our Lord then sent this linen to Abgare to satisfy his pious curiosity.
Fleury, in his Ecclesiastical History, Vol. XII. p. 49, narrates the same circumstance more at length. He quotes all the authors who have mentioned the fact ; he, himself, seems not to have the slightest doubt of its authenticity.
76 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
that he first manifested the mystery of his dolorous Face, and chose this spot as the cradle of the devotion of Reparation.
The Carmelites of Tours preserve many other objects of inestimable value to them. Among others, acelebrated relic of St. Theresa, a large particle of the bone of her right wrist, with the authentic documents signed by the Archbishop of Grenada, by the Discalced Car- melite Monks, and by other dignitaries of the province of St. Ange,in Upper Andalusia. This precious relic was brought from the frontiers of Spain by a royal courier, and sent to the Carmelites. Another treasure, with which they are enriched, is the mantle left them, as we have already mentioned, by the venerable Ann of St. Bartholomew. And still another equally treasured, the pall used at the profession of Mother Magdalen of St. Joseph, the daughter of the noble founder, of whom we have already spoken. It is under this same pall that, at pres- ent, the sisters prostrate themselves on the day of their profession. Lastly, they have the hap- piness of possessing a piece of the veil of the most Blessed Virgin, sent them in 1835 by the Carmelites of Chartres.
At the time of the admission of Sr. M. St. Peter, only seventeen years had elapsed since the return of the Carmelites to their monastery. They faithfully guarded these precious sou- venirs of the great example of virtue which their ancient Mothers had left them. Some of these venerable religious are still living and
THE CARMELITE MONASTERY OF TOURS. 77
sustain the primitive spirit of the monastery. ‘The rules are observed in their full vigor.
Mother Mary of the Incarnation, a soul well-tried in every virtue and of whom we shall speak later, gave to the entire commu- nity an impulse as energetic as it was salutary. It was under the direction of this worthy Supe- rioress, that our little Perrine was immediately placed. For such a school, the young postulant was already well prepared, by her worthy and able director, to mount by rapid strides to the highest summit of religious perfection. Let us hasten to return to her artless narra- tive, in which she herself will relate her first experiences in cloistered life.
CHAPTER V.
HER NOVICIATE.
‘ I looked upon myself as the little- servant of the Holy Family.”
(Words of the Sister.)
The life of a carmelite, according to St. Theresa, should be one of special devotedness. to the glory of God and the service of the Church by prayer and penance. The illus- trious Reformer repeated continually to her spiritual children: ‘‘ My daughters, we have not come to Carmel to repose or to enjoy our- selves, but to labor, to suffer and to save souls.”
From the momont of her arrival, our little: Breton postulant felt that she should be thor- oughly imbued with this spirit. “The God of mercy,’ said she, ‘“ manifested the designs he had in view in calling me to the religious. state ; designs well suited to give me an ex- alted idea of the sublime vocation I had embraced. The object of all the previous communications with which Our Lord had hitherto favored me, was the sanctification of my own soul. I labored exclusively for my-
HER NOVICIATE. 79
self, as I was only charged with the care of my own perfection. But when God called me to Carmel, where I was to devote myself _ ‘solely to his glory, the necessities of the Church and the salvation of souls, he deigned to teach me to nature of the devotedness, the ‘spirit of sacrifice and the zeal for the salva- tion of others, sublime virtues of which, as yet, I knew nothing. On this subject I received the following communication, which I have always regarded as the foundation-stone of the Work of Reparation: for before speaking to me openly of this great work, Our Lord waited until I had obtained my superior’s consent to make the act of perfect abandonment which he required of me. This communication re- mains engraved on my heart, but as I did not make a written account of it, I can only nar- rate from memory what transpired.”
“One day, after I had received holy com- munion, Our Lord, accompanied by an angel, condescended to manifest himself to my soul. He showed me the multitudes that were -daily falling into hell, and then expressed his wish that I should offer myself without re- serve to his good pleasure; moreover, that I should abandon to him all the merits I might acquire in my new career, for the accom- plishment of his designs. He promised me that he would take care of my interests, that he would cause me to participate in all his merits, and would himself, be the director of my soul. The angel (elsewhere she states
80 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
that it was the archangel Raphael), urged me ~ to consent to this magnanimous proposal. It seemed to me that he envied my happiness, for being purely spiritual he could neither suffer nor merit. This celestial spirit assured me that if I consented to Our Lord’s request, the angels would surround my death-bed and de- fend me against the assaults of the devil.” “How I longed to make this act then and there! I was almost on the point of offering the sacrifice to the Lord; but either because _ my Divine Master had advised me differently, or that I was afraid to stray from the path of obedignce, I did not comply with his wish, thinking that I ought to have the permission of our reverend superioress. To obtain this, I briefly transcribed the communication and presented it to her, as. I had been accustomed to do with my confessor. Our good Mother, not aware of the manner in which Our Lord conducted me, did not give much credit to what her little postulant related, but she wisely said: ‘My child, this abandonment which you desire to make, is no: ordinary act, therefore, as I have yet no au- thority over you I cannot counsel you, and for — much greater reason, cannot permit you to make it. As I had a very great love for obedience, I submitted respectfully to the opinion of our reverend mother; yet her decis- ion grieved me. I returned to Our Lord and ~ said, ‘Behold, my sweet Saviour, obedience prevents me from complying with thy demand;
oui re pe va ct oe >
HER NOVICIATE. 81
but thou dost behold the inmost recesses of
my heart, and therefore, knowest.that I have offered thee all that I can give.’ Our Lord, for the moment, seemed satisfied with my good will; nevertheless, he inspired me several times to reiterate the same demand. It was only after I had obtained the per- mission of my superiors that he fully com- municated to me the Work of Reparation. Our prudent mother, perceiving from this that I received extraordinary favors, took steps to ascertain the nature of the spirit which con- ducted me ; she forbade me to pay any atten- tion to these supernatural operations. Then I no longer heard any interior words, and Our Lord ewe to submit himself with me, in
some manner, to holy obedience.”
This superior, to whom Our Lord, for the moment, was thus submissive, was Mother Mary of the Incarnation; had he not ap- pointed her his immediate representative to this vessel of election, to the chosen soul whom he proposed to make an instrument of mercy! It is important that we should make the acquaintance of this venerable mother imme- diately, as she plays a conspicuous part in the communications of Sister St. Peter,
The venerable mother Mary of the Incarna- tion was a Breton. She was born at Paimbeeuf, under the “ Directoire ” on the 9th of January 1785. At that time, the law required children to be taken before the Municipal officers to- have their names inscribed on the civil register.
82 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
This child was presented, bearing her moth- er’s name, Marie Angelique. The municipal officers, all Revolutionists, were averse to such a pious Christian name, and gave her one of their own choice, directing that she should be called Virtue. Thus it was that Divine Prov- idence made use of the wicked to give a characteristic appellation to this child of bene- diction from the moment of her entrance into the world. All the innocence and strength of character comprised in the beautiful name, Virtue, was fully exemplified in her future life. At her birth she could only receive the sacra- mentof Baptism informally, because of the per- secution ; a few years later, all the attendant ceremonies were administered. She appreci- ated so well the grace of regeneration, that on hearing a person speak of infidel lands, she
claimed: “Oh! how I pity the poor children of those countries who have not as I have had, the happiness of being baptized ! ”
Angelique early became inured to sufferings, her parents having met with reverses of every description. Once her mother was congratu- lated for having a child of such promise, ma- ture beyond her years, but she was heard to reply : “Alas! she has so often seen me weep!”
This worthy lady, left a widow after the Revolution, removed to Tours. Her little ‘daughter, though so young, gave early evi- ‘dence that she understood the happiness of knowing and loving God. She had most ce- lestial inspirations, and seemed naturally averse
HER NOVICIATE. 83
to all the pleasures of the world; God was. not long in manifesting to her his designs. At the age of thirteen or fourteen, passing before. the devastated church of the Carmelites, she felt inwardly moved to enter. Kneeling on the steps leading to the sanctuary, she gazed in- tently on the painting of our Blessed Lady which hung on the wall at considerable height, in front of the grating which separated the choir of the religious from the church. She- then thought to herself: ‘‘ How happy should I be, if one day I were admitted among those . who have dwelt within these venerable walls !”” Immediately she heard a voice reply : ‘“ Per- severe, and thou shalt taste this happiness.” At this moment she was seized with a pre- sentiment of sorrow ; a crushing weight seemed to have fallen on her soul, and she fell pros- trate on the pavement, shedding an abundance of tears : her sobs and sighs were re-echoed by the deserted building. Terrified. the poor child ran to a friend to relate what had hap- pened ; the latter said earnestly : ‘“ My child, I have long foreseen that you will one day be a religious.”
The world was not long to retain this inno- cent dove, who at the age of seventeen flew to: the bosom of Carmel. After the Revolutionary storm had swept by, the Carmelites found shelter in an old monastery purchased with the fruit of their toils and self-denials. Marie Angelique, renouncing the tender care of an affectionate mother, presented herself to share
84 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
that poverty which was the portion of the daughters of St. Theresa, who soon dis- covered the treasure they had acquired and lost no time to enhance its value ; they submit- ted her to the most rigorous trials of obedience in order to destroy her self-will completely. Their efforts were not fruitless, for when still a young professed, she was called upon as Mis- tress of Novices, to form others to religious perfection. ;
The many sacrifices and privations which the community had suffered during those years of ‘distress, had prematurely ruined her health, and brought on a long and painful illness to which she finally succumbed. Nothing could induce her to deviate from her usual routine of labor, prayer and penance. Appointed treasurer, she managed the modest finances of the house with such prudence and ability, that the mon- astery was soon relieved from the extreme indigence into which it had been plunged by spoliation.
Elected prioress in 1834, she made some important improvements in the old monastery, which had been restored to them in 1822. It was in this place that she had received the first call of grace. When obliged by threats of municipal expropriation to leave this venerable asylum, the task of constructing a new monas- tery devolved upon her. She succeeded mar- velously in her enterprise, with the assistance -of St. Theresa. Her charity was inexhaustible: from the depths of her solitude she extended
7 eee Sn eee ee
HER NOVICIATE. 85
both spiritual and temporal aid to all the wants made known to her by Divine Providence. We find that she was instrumental in the
re-establishment of the Carmelite friars in France, by the charity rendered two Spanish religious who had been brought prisoners to Tours She procured. their release, and pro- vided for all their necessities until they were
able to rejoin the reverend Father Dominic and
other exiled priests who were to found a new monastery. A person of superior mind, she elicited the admiration of all those with whom she had any intercourse ; it was said, “ What a pity such a remarkable woman is shut up in a cloister !”
The venerable Mothers who had received her,
considering her as the chain destined to link
together ancient and modern times had, as she often remarked, bequeathed to her ‘the custody of the sacred traditions of the order on the peril of her soul.” She accepted it on those terms and under those conditions. To insure their pre- servation, she gathered together with pious respect from Tours and the other monasteries
of France, the rules, religious regulations, and
all the customs pertaining to monastic disci- pline. From these she compiled, ‘The Car- melite’s Treasure’ a most precious work, well adapted to preservé the traditions of the Order in France.
As superior, Mother Mary of the Incarnation
‘new admirably how to combine firmness
with gentleness Although it pained her to
86 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST, PETER.
reprehend or chastise others, yet she never for an instant hesitated when the necessity of the occasion demanded, or the dictates of her conscience deemed it expedient. Her lively faith and experienced judgment were always guided by the rules of Christian prudence and by the most scrupulous discretion. One of her special gifts was the discernment of spirits. Obedience was the infallible mark by which she judged between the operations of grace and those of nature; this, in her opitiion, was the touchstone of real virtue. When necessary, she administered humiliations in good doses, and manifested an apparent indifference for the communications confided her.
Such was the course pursued by this pru- dent Mother in regard to the young Breton aspirant committed to her care. To discover the spirit by which she was influenced, the reverend mother adopted the method pursued by Perrine’s former confessor, and directed her to give a written account of all that con- cerned her celestial communications. When- ever her spiritual daughter presented herself with her paper, the Mother would take it quietly, lay it aside and continue her occupa- tion, intimating thereby that she would attend to it when time permitted, after she had disposed of all other matters.
The special devotion of our young postulant, was a tender love of the holy Infancy of Jesus. Let us not deprive her of the pleasure of describing the manner in which she was
HER NOVICIATE 87
attracted by grace, previous to her reception of the holy habit.
“When but an infant in Carmelite life, Our Lord gave me a special attraction to the mystery of his holy Infancy, and made known what he desired of me. The following exercise, consisting of a special devotion for every day of the month, was traced out in my mind; I practised this exercise with great consolation and with much profit. I looked upon myself as the little servant of the Holy Family, and offered to serve them. I longed to bear their livery in being clothed with the habit of the Carmelites, beseeching our reverend mother to grant me this inestimable favor, notwithstand- ing my great unworthiness. Accordingly, I received the holy habit on the 21st of May, 1840, during the lovely month dedicated to her, through whose intercession I had obtained the grace of being called to the religious life. On that memorable day of benediction, I consecrated myself anew to the Holy Family in a most particular manner. The following is the formula which I wrote and placed on my heart during the ceremony :
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Most holy and admirable family, I beg of you to receive me to-day as your little servant; this is the most ardent desire of my heart. I beseech you to hear my prayer, for I am firmly resolved to be for- ever faithful; and though I cannot immolate myself by the vows of religion, nevertheless, I beg of you to receive my desire of fulfilling
88 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
them, and to grant me the grace to accomplish them as perfectly as if contracted. O most Holy Infant Jesus! Grant that I may be as. submissive to the Holy Ghost and to my supe- riors as you were to the most Holy Virgin and to St. Joseph. And thou, O Mary, conceived without sin, obtain for me that I may never tarnish the brilliancy of the angelic virtue of purity. O blessed patriarch St. Joseph, thou who hast practised holy poverty in so eminent a degree of perfection, and who hast sacrificed thyself for the Holy Infant Jesus and the most Blessed Virgin, his mother, obtain by thy exam- ple and thy powerful influence with God, that I may love and practise holy poverty to my last breath, that I may make it a duty and a pleasure to sacrifice myself for my sisters. O most Holy Family! grant that I may glory in being your humble servant. Deign to receive me on this happy day, and give me in proof of your acceptance of my offering, ‘the grace of acquitting myself worthily of the divine office, that I may recite it with respectful attention and loving fervor; grant that I may be as vigi- lant at matins as if I were in Heaven, enrap- tured by the grandeur of God and the splendor of his glory. Amen.”
“ After this consecration, I regarded myself as the little domestic of the Holy Family, and in all my occupations I had the intention of serving them at Nazareth. I had but one more ambition, that of being the little Ass of the Infant Jesus. Ifthe royal prophet David
e HER NOVICIATE. 89
looked upon himself as a beast of burden before the Lord, with how much more pro- priety could I not designate myself the Ass of the Infant Jesus ? Reflecting that the Son of God reduced himself to such poverty for our love, that he was necessitated on his triumph- ant entry into Jerusalem, to send his dis- ciples to borrow so humble an animal, saying on his part, that ‘the Master had need of it, Texclaimed: ‘My good Saviour, now that thou art in Heaven, I desire thou shouldst have an ass on earth, entirely at thy disposal, whom thou mayst lead about at pleasure, wherever thou wilt; accept me, I begof thee. As well as I can remember, I was most desirous of knowing if Our Lord accepted my offering, and I believe I even prayed to the Holy Family with that intention. Afterward, I proceeded to my appointment in the following manner.”
“Our reverend Mothers were then on their retreat; during this time, the postulants and novices took their recreation in the novi- tiate. One evening, as we were all assembled before a picture of the Holy Family at the hour of recreation, I proposed to my com- panions to make a sheepfold for the Holy Family in such a manner, that each would be consecrated to them according to the office, or title drawn by lot; the proposition was unanimously accepted. It was decided. that one of us should be the ass of the Infant Jesus, another the ox, another the sheep, and
90 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
so on. The convention was held, the billets drawn, and to my great joy, I was chosen by Providence to be the Ass of.the Infant Jesus. 1 inquired into the characteristics of the ass, for I wanted to avoid its defects. A postulant, who possessed one in the world, gave me all the necessary information.— We could not have passed a more pleasant recreation.—My billet. was couched in the following terms : ‘The Ass of the Holy Infant is stubborn, he is idle ; he will walk only in by-ways, but he has resolved to correct these defects. His office shall be, to keep the Infant Jesus warm, to carry him on his journeys; and in a word, to render to the Holy Family all the little ser- vices in its power.’ ”
‘‘T was enchanted with my new title; but I thought there was still something more to obtain before I could validly assume the duties of my ofilce. This was the approval of our reverend mother, whom I prayed to have the kindness to sign my billet; for said I, our dear Mother represents Our Lord; if I can obtain her signature it will be a certain proof that the Divine Infant accepts me as his little ass. Our reverend mother was very much amused with our simplicity. ‘I have no objec- tion, said she, ‘to sign your little billets.’ She became a child with her children, prac- tising the saying of St. Paul, making herself all to all, to gain all; and we thus obtained her signature. I was quite serious in thus offering myselfto the Infant Jesus; I regarded
HER NOVICIATE. 91
it as a little contract by which I could com- ply with the request of Our Lord, made some days after my entrance into religion, that of giving myself entirely to Him together with all that I could do for the accomplishment of his designs; for I felt myself continually urged to make the act of abandonment. The permission of my superiors, only, was wanting. When our reverend mother signed my billet, I hoped that I could make my little sacrifice to the Holy Infant. However, to be more cer- tain, I spoke to our reverend mother and asked her if she would be willing to give up her little Ass entirely to the Infant Jesus, that he might do with her as he wished. She replied : ‘No, my child ; tell Him that I only lend her, I cannot yet give her up entirely.’ ”
“There were many other painful refusals in store for me; a perfect abandonment to God for the accomplishment of his designs might have entailed results which I could not then foresee, being so little initiated in the ways of the Lord. Our wise and prudent mother wished first to exercise this poor and ‘misera- ble instrument in the virtue of obedience and in the renunciation of self-will. I offered myself to the Lord as a loaned Ass, through the hands of Mary and Joseph. This little act of simplicity was, I believe, very pleasing to the Divine Infant, for he began to direct me a- new in his ways; this was in fulfilment of a promise he had made after my entrance into Carmel. I regarded my soul as the poor stable
92 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
of Bethlehem ; and considering the Holy Infant Jesus reposing in my heart, | adored him in union with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, and I offered to be his little domestic. I was his little Ass in prayer, stimulating myself to keep him warm by the ardor of my love; his. little domestic in actien, by performing for the Holy Family all the duties imposed on me, imagining myself to be in the house of Nazareth The Divine Infant inspired me to honor him each day of the month by a special devotion.” We give here an extract :
MONTH OF THE HOLY INFANT JESUS.
On the 15th of the month, she celebrated the Espousals of the Holy Virgin with St. Joseph, engaging herself to labor for them as their little servant.
_ The 16th, was consecrated to the mystery of the Incarnation. On the nine following days, she honored the Holy Infant in the womb of his Virgin Mother; then she accompanied the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to Bethlehem.
On the 25th, she celebrated the birth of the Divine Infant.
On the 26th, she united her homage to that of the shepherds.
On the 27th, she adored him in his circum- cision, when he was named Jesus.
On the 28th, she honored him in union with the Magi.
On the 29th, in his presentation in the Temple.
HER NOVICIATE. 93
On the 30th, in his flight to Egypt.
The first seven days of the following month were consecrated to the Infant Jesus in his exile; then she honored his first steps, his first words, his first actions, his purity and his simplicity.
On the 8th, she celebrated the return of the Holy Family to Nazareth.
On the 9th, she contemplated Jesus com- mencing to work, with St. Joseph.
On aire 10th, she honored the obedience which the Divine Infant rendered his parents.
On the 11th, his affection for his Blessed Mother and for the faithful Guardian of his holy infancy.
The 12th, she consecrated to the Holy Childin his twelfth year, going to Jerusalem with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to celebrate the Passover and to manifest his love.
On the 18th, she adored him in the midst of the Doctors of the Law, defending the rights of his Father.
On the 24th, she rendered her homage to the Holy Child, found in the Temple by Mary and Joseph, returning in their company to Nazareth, where he was subject to them. This completed the month of the Holy Infan- cy ; the following day, the 15th, she recom- menced. The thought of the Divine Infant, in union with whom she performed all her actions, rendered every occupation easy and
agreeable, and thus the time passed impercep- tibly.
94 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
“ But,” said she ‘ Satan, pride itself, was jealous when he saw me honor the humilia- tion of the Word Incarnate. One day, when I had performed an action which undoubted- ly, was very displeasing to him, he endeav- ored to be revenged as follows: That night, after retiring, and just as I was falling asleep, I felt on my head something like a great, ugly beast which seemed to be trying 6 smother me: immediately I had a presentiment that it was the devil, he was pressing my head. I cried out to the Blessed Virgin to come to my rescue. On hearing this sacred name he took to flight, I then offered a prayer of thanks- giving, after which, if I remember rightly, I began to sing these words, so terrible to the infernal spirits: ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, ET HABITAVIT IN NOBIS! This took place during the grand silence : though I did not really see the devil, yet from the extraor- dinary sensation experienced in my soul, I understood that it proceeded from more than an ordinary dream. Satan, undoubtedly, want- ed to smother the Ass of the Divine Infant, but the Blessed Virgin came to her assistance.”
This devotion of Sr. St. Peter to the Holy Infancy, was cherished by her to her last breath. ‘Though by the call of divine grace, she was to accompany Our Lord in the most dolorous scenes of his Passion, yet she was incessantly drawn. back to this first consoling mystery of his life, the sweet and anisole impress of which her viginal soul always retained.
HER NOVICIATE. 95
To maintain herself always in contemplation of the Divine Infant, she ornamented two little statues, one of which she called her little king, and the other, her poor king ; both being ap- propriately decorated to represent the charac- ter which her ingenious devotion gave to each one. She carried one or the other constantly with her: and on her death-bed we shall see how her pious and grateful charity easily found the means of gaining graces from her little Kings for the benefactors of her monas- tery.
~ ® 4 4 €. fs wv. 4.3 KS 7 % ack cee CU Low £ ERPETU® — € } ; BRoOcKY we ee CHAPTER: VI.
HER PROFESSION.
‘ My child, it is not enough to sactifice one thing to God; all must be immolated to him. ”’
(The Mother Prioress.)
Sister Mary St. Peter’s noviciate was fast
drawing to a close. The mere thought of the
happy day on which our fervent and generous novice would consecrate herself to God by the sacred vows of religion, caused her to exult with impatient joy. She hastened to mani- fest her eagerness to be admitted to her holy profession, and frequently entreated her supe- rior to grant her this favor. ‘ “ At last,’’ said the sister, “she ceded to my pressing solicitations, not withstanding my lack of virtue and capacity, and decided to take the necessary steps toward my admission. Being told that I would be obliged to present myself three times at the chapter before being ad- mitted, 1 had the inspiration to perform a little exercise of piety each time I presented myself, in order to obtain for my celestial spouse,
Jesus, the sole object ofmy desires. I addressed
_ HER PROFESSION. 97
myself to the three persons who have had special claims upon him; to the Eternal Father, the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph. . In this way, I made my three demands for profession with great devotion, and gained him for whom I had longed unceasingly. Not- withstanding my unworthiness, the community had the charity to admit me to my profession, and I celebrated my spiritual nuptials with Jesus. L’Abbé Panager, curé of St. Etienne, who had been my former director, came to preach at the ceremony. He took for his text: Beatam me dicent omnes generationes : (All nations shall cali me Blessed) : He pictured the beauty of the state I had embraced, repeating contin- ually, ‘Blessed art thou!’ How true! Was I not blessed! My vocation irrevocably decided, and all my desires accomplished! I was su- premely happy. ”
Our humble novice passes rather lightly over this important, circumstance. We can supply some interesting particulars of the period which elapsed between the time of her admission by the community and the day of the solemn ceremony ; these facts have been taken from the annals of the monastery. The interval of several weeks was passed by Sr. St. Peter in fervent and careful preparation for the all-important day. She made a retreat of ten days with so much fervor and recollection, that she had not once raised her eyes, so ab- sorbed was she in-God. The day on which she pronounced her yows, the mother prioress, on
4
98 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST, PETER.
leaving the room in which Sr. St. Peter had been congratulated by the community, per- ceived a young novice very sad and pensive ; turning towards the newly professed the Mother said: ‘Peter, go and console John!’ Sr. St. Peter ran to embrace her companion, promis- ing her that her turn would soon come. In fact, the latter was professed a few months later, notwithstanding the many forebodings to the contrary’ She never forgot the impression made on her on that occasion. In embracing” Sr. St. Peter it seemed to her that she had. approached an angel. Sister St. Peter’s pro- fession took place on the 8th of June 1841, date worthy of record. On such an important. occasion, the sister was not without having given her Divihe Spouse a new proof of her love. The followingis her act of
CONSECRATION.
“OQ my God! deign to accept the sacrifice: which I offer Thee in union with Jesus my Sav- iour, immolated for man. I offer thee through him and in union with him the entire abandon- ment of myself, the sacrifice of my life. I remit my soul to thy all-merciful hands. To: thee O Jesus, my beloved Spouse, I offer my entire being on the altar of thy Divine Heart, by the hands of the most Holy Virgin and of St. Joseph ; through them I deposit my vows, begging them to bethe witnesses and the guardians thereof. Deign, O cherished Family to accept the entire consecration which I make
‘HER PROFESSION. 99
of myself to. your service ; I also offer myself to thee on this day, in union with our holy Mother St. Theresa, and our Father St. John of the Cross, for the accomplishment of thy designs over my soul. Look upon me as thine. I pray thee to guard my holy vows ; accom- plish them in me by thy all-powerful grace. O Jesus, my adorable Spouse, I am so poor, so miserable, so inconstant in virtue !”
“In union with the Hearts of Mary and Joseph, I make my professson and promise,
Poverty, Chastity and Obedience to God,to our —
Lord Jesus, and to the most blessed Virgin Mary, under the authority of our lawful Superiors, according tothe primitive Rule of the Order of Mount Carmel of the ‘Reform of St. Theresa’ without mitigation, and this to the hour of my death. O Divine Infant ! unite my sacrifice to thine. ”
‘When presented in the Temple, thou didst sacrifice thyself for my redemption : to-day I offer myself to redeem sinners. O Mary ! my tender Mother, and you my good Father St. Joseph, who presented two doves to the
_ High Priest for the redemption of the Infant Jesus, deign, | beseech you, to offer to the Eter- nal Father, my body and my soul, to redeem this Divine Infant from the hands of sinners and to heal his wounds. Impress on me, I implore you, his divine resemblance ; rather grant that it may not be 1 who live, but thou Jesus, who livest and reignest in me! O Jesus, Mary and Joseph! with what ardor and
100 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
joy would I not have gone to offer myself to serve you, if I had had the happiness of living when you were on thisearth! With the same sentiments of love, I wish to serve this hofy community as though it were you who dwelt in this house. I beseech you to accept all my labors, all that I have belongs entirely to you. Deign to regard me henceforth as your little servant, and dispose of me as you will. Amen.”
Sr. MARY St. PETER oF THE Horny FAMILY. (Unworthy Carmelite.)
June 8th, 1841.
The sister, on entering the monastery, had taken the name of Mary, patroness of all the Carmelites, and that of St. Peter, her bap- tismal name ; thus was she doubly placed. under the protection of the Prince of the Apostles. On the day of her profession, she wished to become more particularly allied to the Holy Family ; for this reason she added to her other titles, as we have seen, that of the “ Holy Family,” which she lovingly cherished and by which she was known.
But tocontinue with her narrative : “ Being thus entirely consecrated to Jesus as his little domestic, I was soon inspired by him to guard his flock in the pasture of his divine Infancy ; and I arranged the plan of a little exercise in honor of the twelve mysteries of the first twelve years of his life ; which I called the
HER PROFESSION. 101
“ Twelve Tribes of Israel ”, of which the _ following is an extract :”
“In honor of his first year, I offered him, through the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, our Holy Father the Pope, and all the hie- rarchy of the Church militant, under the pro- tection of Sts. Peter and Paul.
The second year, I offered for the souls of all religious, under the protection of St. John and the holy Apostles.
The third year, for kings under the protec- tion of holy king David and the Magi.
The fourth year, for the unfortunate free- masons, under the protection of the holy Mar- tyrs.
The fifth year, for all comedians, under the protection of St. John the Baptist.
The sixth year, for infidel nations, under the protection of the nine choirs of angels.
The seventh year, for heretics and schis- matics, under the protection of St. Ann.
The eighth year, for the Jews, under the protection of St. Ann and St. Joachim.
The ninth year, for unbelievers, under the protection of the holy Prophets.
The tenth year, for all obdurate sinners, under the protection of the holy Confessors.
The eleventh year, for tepid souls, under the protection of the holy Women.
Finally, the twelth year, for the souls of the Just, under the protection of our holy Mother St. Teresa, and all the holy Virgins. ”
Such is what she termed the ‘ Sheepfold of
102 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
the Infant Jesus,” most touching and admirable occupation of zeal and charity for the Church and the salvation of souls. Our Lord had inspired her with this devotion after her pro- fession. According to her opinion, nothing could be better suited to the humble function chosen by her with so much love. —“ My adorable Saviour,” said she, ‘‘soon assumed such power over me, notwithstanding my unworthi- ‘ness, that I could truly say he had become the director and master of my soul.” |
In this divine school, the sister, docile and faithful disciple, made rapid progress in the contemplative life. The activity of her mind attracted her to the perpetual contemplation of the mysteries of the life of Our Lord. Taking for her starting-point the Holy Infancy of Jesus, she passed successively over the scenes of his hidden life, his dolorous life and his glorious life ; from his Incarnation to his triumphant Ascension. She distributed the hours of the day in such manner, that each recalled to her mind some particular circum- stance 1n the life of Our Lord, to whom she united herself by faith and loving contempla- tion. She had such an attraction for this exer- cise that she performed without any apparent effort, what to others, might seem tedious and complicated. We can form some conception of this from the concise report she drew up, in obedience to the mother prioress.
“At eight o’clock in the evening, I offer myself to the most holy Virgin and St. Joseph,
HER PROFESSION. 108:
as their little domestic, to guard their sheep in the pastures of the Infant Jesus, that is his mysteries and hissacred wounds; and I adore the mystery of the Incarnation until nine o’clock, when matins are sung; then I celebrate the birth of the Infant Jesus; I unite myself to the angels, to the shepherds, and the Magi who adored him in the manger. During the first nocturn, I adore his eternal birth in the bosom of his Father, and his divine life; during the second nocturn, I adore his birth in the stable of Bethlehem and his mortal life; at the third nocturn, I adore his sacramental birth in the Holy Eucharist, and his spiritual birth in our hearts.”
‘“ At each of the nine psalms, I unite myself to the nine choirs of angels.”
“ At the Te Deum, I adore the Infant Jesus manifesting himself to the Jewish people in the persons of the Shepherds.’
During the psalms of lauds, I adore the Holy Infant circumcised and receiving the name, Jesus; afterward, I adore him with the Magi, as God, King and Man.—This is my mental occupation during matins.”’
She thus, perhaps without being aware of it, adopted a method the most approved by liturgists and masters of the spiritual life, that af being united in spirit to Our Lord in the mysteries of his sacred life during the psal- mody and recitation of the office.
Matins is the last choir-exercise of the day
101 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
for the Carmelites, shortly after which the religious take the necessary repose. Sister M. St. Peter continued her homage to the Divine Infant. “Having retired to my cell,” said she, “Iam occupied until eleven, with the sheepfold and the sheep of the Holy Infant Jesus, beseeching that amiable Saviour to pour his benedictions on them, and to apply to them his sacred merits. After this, I retire to rest in union with the Holy Infant reposing in the manger. In the morning, as soon as I hear the réveil, I arise and adore the Eternal Father saying to him, with the Infant Jesus: ‘Behold me, my Father, I have come to do thy will” Then I repair to the choir for prayer, in union with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph conducting the Infant Jesus to the Temple. During my prayer, I offer myself with him to his Heavenly Father; I renew the holy vows of my profession and give my- self to this Divine Saviour. Afterward, I offer him to his Eternal Father for the salva- tion of his sheep. Meditation being finished, we go with the Holy Family to Nazareth; soon the bell summons us to the ‘ Little Hours,’ and we depart for Egypt. During the twelve psalms of these Hours, I adore the twelve . years of the Holy Infancy; and honor his sojourn in Egypt, his return to Nazareth, and ‘his stay in the Temple of Jerusalem, where he was found in the midst of the Doctors.”
“ After the holy sacrifice of the mass, the hour for work arrives, then I contemplate Our
HER PROFESSION, 105
Lord during his hidden and laborious life. At eleven o’clock, I adore Jesus baptised by St. John : after noon till one o’clock, Iremain with him in the desert ; from one to two, I follow him in his public life. At two o’clock ves- pers commence’: then I adore his triumphant entry into the city of Jerusalem, and I go to the choir in union with our Divine Saviour ; during the office I keep myselfin spirit at his feet, honoring the sentiments of his adorable Heart during the last week he passed with his disciples, and the excess of his love, which urged him to institute the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.”
“© Afterward, we arrive at the Garden of Olives, and there I remain during the rest of the afternoon ; I follow Our Lord through the different stages of his Passion in union with the Blessed Virgin. At five o’clock the bell calls us to meditation.” According to the spirit of the Carmelite rules, the’ even- ing meditation is one of the most important exercises of the day; this will sufficiently explain the number and variety of interior acts performed by Sr. St. Peter during her meditation.
‘ At this moment,” said she, “I adore Jesus crucified, and I remain either at the foot of the cross or in the Sacred Heart. I begin by an examination of conscience, and after humbling myself for my faults, I offer myself entirely to Our Lord, renewing my holy vows, in union with his sacrifice. After having
&
106 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
thus given myself to him, it seems that he gives himself reciprocally to me with all his merits: he unites my soul to his, causing me to participate in the honor which he renders his Father as Victim. Then I lose sight of my- self to be occupied with my heavenly Spouse, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. I find in the Heart of Our Lord all the mysteries of his most holy life, his merits, and all his sheep. I offer each mystery to the Eternal Father for such and such a portion of the sheepfold of the Infant Jesus. After which, I present to thi§ Divine Father the four quarters of the globe, which I have placed in the four wounds of the feet and the hands of my. Saviour: the twelve flocks of the Holy Family occupy the fold of the Sacred Heart. To these I also join the souls in purgatory, hav- ing placed them in the other wounds of this adorable body. Then I offer this august Victim to the Eternal Father by the hands of the Blessed Virgin, as a sacrifice of expiation and of thanksgiving for all the perfections of the most Holy Trinity. Finally, I adore the last sigh of Jesus on the cross. Such is the method which Our Lord has given me to pursue during the evening meditation.”
This method of prayer was particularly adapt- ed to her disposition, and notwithstanding the seeming multiplicity of acts, we must concede that it is most simple, natural and practical. Habit, and the attraction of grace rendered it easy and delightful to her, She
a
HER PROFESSION. 107
never lost sight of Our Lord ; the meditation ended, she still continued her perfect union with him. ‘“ During the remainder of the day, I occupy myself till complin with Jesus reposing in the sepulchre; then I adore him rising from the tomb, and I contemplate him in his ascension to Heaven.”
“This is, in general, the order of my daily exercises. But to faciliate the action of the Divine Master in my soul, I must practise a total renouncement of all that could flatier the senses: no reflections on self unless to humble myself. God alone, his will and his glory: such is my maxim. These words, And he was subject to them, and again, J have not come to be served, but to serve, are always in my mind. Our Lord gave me a thorough convic- tion of my utter incapacity to do anything good, and also of my abject misery. The Child Jesus led his little Ass by the bridle of his holy grace, I had but to renounce myself, and obey.”
We need not be surprised at this interior self “renunciation” or at the “humility” with which the good sister seems to be penetrated ; it was but the fruit of her continual applica- tion to the mysteries of the life of the Saviour. The mother prioress, to whom these details were related in confidence, kept a constant watch over her, and became convinced that she was actuated by the impulse of divine grace. Nevertheless, to assure herself of the spirit which animated her, she spared her no
108 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
humiliation but mortified her on all occasions, and at every instant opposed her wishes; ina word, she endeavored to make her pursue a more ordinary course.
“T made every effort to obey,” said the pious religious, “ but to no purpose ; for. I would soon find myself in the same path. Our mother permitted me to speak to a holy priest, well enlightened in the interior life. She said: ‘My child, explain to him how you make your meditation and in what manner you are conducted by God.’ I availed myself of this occasion with thankfulness, and laid bare my interior to this good priest. Having thoroughly examined all, he said: ‘My child continue your course without fear, let God conduct you as he wills, for you have estab- lished the foundation of your spiritual life on a solid basis,—mortification. Tell your reverend mother that I am satisfied; I will speak to her myself also.’ After this, our prudent mother permitted me to ahandon myself fully to the spirit of God; but she wisely coun- selled me to be faithful to grace, anc not to remain inactive after the cessation of the divine operations in my soul. As I had no employment to distract my mind from the presence of God, the entire day was passed in an uninterrupted prayer, if I can thus ex- press myself. My work was no hinderance to my continual union with Our Lord. Having thus no opportunity to practise virtue, I had ‘not much merit; but our reverend mother,
HER PROFESSION. 109
who continually watched over the spiritual ad- vancement of my soul, soon gave me an office most fruitful in distractions, that of portress. My love of silence and praycr found no sympathy with my new office, but I re- garded the command of our mother as an order from Heaven, and joyfully submitted, thinking that on that day, the feast of the Incar- nation, the Infant Jesus had given me an evident proof that he had chosen me to be his little domestic, and that he would em- ploy me in this office to perform all the errands of the house. I then renewed the consecration of myself to the Divine Infant.”
It may be well to observe here, that the office of portress, according to the rule of the Carmelites, and as it was imposed on Sister St. Peter, is exercised exclusively within the interior of the cloister; she who is appointed thereto, receives all the commissions and mes- sages from without, and transmits the same to those within the cloister. For this reason, it must not be confused with that of the Sister Tou- rieres who are in direct communication with the world, and whose obligations and duties are essentially different from the cloistered religious. The offlce of portress has its moments of fatigue. She who so willingly designated herself, the little ‘ Ass of the Infant Jesus, ”’ was obliged more than once, to ask for relief from her Divine Master, through her superior. Besides the fatigue incidental to this employ- ment, general business and preoccupation of
110 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
mind, are the particular lot of those appointed portress. This was exactly what the mother prioress had in view in appointing Sister St. Peter, foreseeing that it would effectu- ally cross the good sister in her habits of prayer and recollection ; and indeed, it was a perpetual source of penance and self-renun- ciation : she practised all the austerities pre- scribed by the rules, even adding others volun- tarily ; yet always maintaining herself within the limits of discretion. Her entire life, both interiorly and exteriorly, was in reality one continued mortification, severing her com- pletely from all the pleasures of the senses.. She had asked for a statue of the Infant Jesus and in a short time received it. She relates the fact with her usual simplicity :
‘“T often desired to have. a little statue of the Infant Jesus, to render my homage to him during the day; but I hesitated to ask our reverend mother for it. One day, it seemed that the Divine Infant urged me to insist on having one ; I obeyed the inspiration, and my peti- tion was granted. I now had the Holy Infant with me in the parlor, and I was supremely happy ; I offered him all my little labors and. demanded souls as a recompense. This. Divine Infant gave me, in such profusion, all the graces I needed to fulfil my employment, that it was not injurious to my spiritual applica-- tion, nor did it prevent my union with God. when at prayer. All day long I labored for the salvation of the sheep of the Holy Infant
HER PROFESSION. EF
Jesus, and at prayer, he repaid me a hundred fold. By times during the day, he visited my soul with a powerful impulse of his grace. I would leave my work for a brief moment, when I felt his approach, that I might hearken to him the more attentively ; but thinking that I should have permission I asked our ‘reverend mother. As she never neglected any opportunity of exercising my virtue, she for- bade me notice these interior operations. *T only permit you, when your mind is dis- turbed, to pause an instant to recollect your- self’ With the grace of God, I followed minutely her wise counsels.”
In 1848, Our Lord engaged her, in a spe- cial manner, to pray for Spain, which was then ‘in a state of revolution. This Catholic country, the birth-place of St. Theresa and the cradle of the Reform of the Carmelites, would naturally have engroësed the attention of Sister St. Peter, and it was not surprising that she often remem- ‘bered it before God at a period when the Span- ‘ish nuns and clergy were being persecuted and sent into exile.
“I have never,” said she, ‘“ felt my soul so closely united to God as during that time. My Divine Master operated in me something which I can -neither understand nor explain. It seemed that I heard him asking grace from his heavenly Father for that kingdom, and so urgently that I was astonished. He obliged me
o beg mercy in his name; but I feel that I
112 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
am unequal to the task of explaining this mys- tery of his love, therefore I abandon it.”
God communicated himself freely to this: generous professed. She felt more and more _ urged to make the act of entire abandonment.
with which she had been inspired after her admission to Carmel; but her Superiors always refused to grant the permission. However, this year, 1843, she unexpectedly had an occasion to: renew her demand. The Carmelites were obliged to quit their old monastery and search for a site on which to buildanew. The circum- stances attendant on this change are intimately connected with the life of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, and consequently with that of Sister St. Peter. The following facts, relative to this event, are taken from the annals of the monastery.
‘For some time past, our house had been an obstacle to the various improvements planned. by the city; moreover, our neighbor’s new buildings overlooked our premises from which resulted serious inconveniences as to regularity, not to speak of the unhealthfulness brought. about by such a state of things. Nevertheless, we would not have thought of making any change, for we could not bear the idea of aban- doning the cradle of our religious life, hallowed by the virtues of our first Mothers, saintly ground which we had recovered at the cost of so much labor and sacrifice. But when least expected, unforeseen circumstances hastened the time ofthe dreaded change ; several persons,
HER PROFESSION. ‘118
| desirous of purchasing the house, made some: very advantageous offers; the inconveniences. we experienced increased daily; the plans of the city officials were about to be put into exe- cution, and we were compelled to decide on our: departure. Before taking other measures, we: had to procure the ground whereon to build. After much research, Divine Providence direct- ed our Superiors to a place which seemed spe- cially reserved for us. It was situated in a tranquil and solitary part of the city, near the archbishopric; there were no surrounding buildings, the air was pure, and in aword, the spot seemed specially chosen for our manner of life. We soon made the purchase depending on the treasury of our Heavenly Father, for we had not even half the capital necessary for such an undertaking. ”
“The first alms we received for this purpose merits a special mention. It came from a poor but virtuous old man, who touched with com- passion at the sight of our destitution, gave all he had, as we afterward learned. His offer- ing resembled the widow’s mite, and was most pleasing to God, for it became a source of bene- diction. But to keep us perfectly detatched from earthly things, Our Lord permitted that. assistance should be rendered us only in ac- cordance with our necessities, and at the very moment when all hope was lost, frequently by means unforeseen. Once in a moment of ex- treme distress, we appealed to St. Yves, the intercessor of the poor, and we received assist-
114 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
ance truly extraordinary. He inspired a lady of noble birth, whose modesty forbids us reveal her name, to give usa special mark of her benevolence, though but little acquainted with our community, thus winning for herself our lasting gratitude, besides the title and privi- leges of a benefactress.”’
From the outset, this undertaking was a source of much anxiety to the reverend mother prioress, Mary of the Incarnation, as we can readily understand. Quite naturally she re- commended the matter to Sister St. Peter, and ‘enjoined her to pray to the Infant Jesus to find a suitable spot for a habitation for his spouses. ‘With this intention, 1 prayed to the Divine Infant ” said the sister, ‘and asked’ of him the land, but I believe I heard him reply: Give me the land of your soul! I understood perfectly what he meant. He, also, had a build- ing to raise for the glory of his Father, and had long chosen the sandy ground of my soul for the accomplishment of his design ; notwith- standing my unworthiness, he had ordained that so miserable a creature should be the means of adding greater éclat to his glory.”
After prime, she went to the office of the mother prioress, who spoke of her anxiety in reference to the great enterprise with which she had been charged. “ Our good mother,” Said the sister, “had need of a little relaxation of mind: I commenced to talk and soon made her laugh heartily : ‘Reverend mother,’ said I, “when a man wants some money and has none,
HER PROFESSION. . 115
he sells his ass ; if you will sell me to the In- fant Jesus, I am sure He will give you some money to build the house.’ Our reverend mother smiled ‘at my singular proposition ; but I persisted, saying: ‘Mother, I am not worth much, but as the Holy Infant wants me and even asks for me, he will surely purchase me.’ Delighted with the thought of being sold for Our Lord, who permitted himself to be sold by Judas, for love of me, I then added: ‘ Mother, how much will you sell me for?” Our reverend mother perceived by my air of sincerity and by the great desire I manifested in making such a request, that Our Lord had perhaps some design in view; she seemed to: condescend, and replied: ‘Well, my child, you can say to the Infant Jesus that if I were rich, I would give you to him, but as I am very poor and in need of money to build his holy house, I am obliged to sell you; ask him then to purchase you.’ This reply gave me great pleasure; I addressed myself to the Holy Infant and imparted to him the commis- sion of our reverend mother: I besought him as a favor to purchase me, that I might ther be at his disposal. ”’ : “One night, while I was praying fervently,,. offering him the love of the shepherds, the Magi and the saints who had seen and adored him, I wove a little crown in honor of the twelve years of his most Holy Infancy. I thought this little homage was most pleasing to him, for I believe I saw him in the interior of my
116 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
soul, and he gave me to understand these words: ‘Tell your mother prioress that if she write to such a person, she will assist to build the house.’ Oh! what good news! Be- hold already a proof that the Holy Infant wished to purchase his little Ass. I went to our good mother to give her the message of Our Lord. The person in question lived 180 leagues from ‘Tours; I was slightly acquainted with her, but our Rey. Mother had never heard of her. However, she wished to ascertain the truth of this communication, and wrote to the lady without giving any of these particulars. The reply was slow in coming and I began to fear a little ; but the Divine Infant again assured me. At last, a letter came from the lady, in which was enclosed an order for five hundred francs. That was the first donation our mother prioress received; it was a guarantee of what our Divine Saviour would do in the future. My heart was filled with joy at the arrival of the letter, and I said five hundred ‘ Laudates’ to the Holy Infantin thanksgiving. I asked our Rev. Mother if that sum were not more that sufficient to buy an ass, and if she yet consented to deliver me to the Divine Infant who had sent her this amount. But she still wished to try my patience, and to discover the spirit which moved me; she explained that she required more money for the construction of the house of Our Lord before granting the desired consent.”
The good sister then redoubled her fervor
HER. PROFESSION. 117
as much for the glory of Him who had claimed her, as for the assistance of her mother prioress, whom she saw in such pressing necessity. One of her practices was to say the beautiful invitatory for the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus; Mirabile Nomen Jesus quod est super omne nomen ; venite adoremus. (The name of Jesus is admirable above all names ; come let us adore). She repeated this thousands of times, engaging the other sisters to repeat it also, in order to form a series of invocations which she likened to bank-notes on Divine Providence; her con- fidence never failed to have its reward.
One day, during her prayer, she found herself as if in the middle of a building. “Our Lord gave me to understand that it was a great and meritorious thing to erect a dwell- ing for him; He said that our Mother would have many difficulties to encounter in her undertaking, but that he would furnish the stones. He also directed me to tell her not to be troubled; that if the monastery were con- structed according to the rule of St. Theresa, he would pay all, for. she would receive assistance from divers sources. ‘ But,’ added he,
if the house be not built according to this _ rule, pay for it as best you can.”
‘I found my commission a little embarrass- ing, but I overcame my repugnance in order to accomplish the will of Our Lord. When I had communicated to our reverend mother what he had given me to understand, she told me that she had not been able to rest the night pre-
118 LIFE OF SISTER MARY ST. PETER.
vious, in consequence of the uneasiness caused by the plan proposed by the architect, which was not at all in accordance with the usual mode of building. She procured another in perfect conformity with the customs of St. The- | resa ;—Our Lord was satisfied and was ready to fulfil his promise.”
The stones which the sister had to furnish were, as she understood later, the prayers in reparation for the blasphemies and outrages — committed against the glory of the Holy Name of God. These prayers drew down the greatest benedictions on the house. The work of Rep- aration would soon be made known to her. One day the pious virgin was speaking to her prioress of the abundant graces she had re- ceived before entering religion; the Rev. Mother replied that probably she had been | unfaithful to God, since his favors were now withdrawn. ‘Offer an honorable amende,” said she, “in reparation for your faults and pray that he may restore your soul to the same con- dition in which it was when he communicated. himself to you so abundantly.”
“I shall obey you, my mother,” wrote the sister, “and I shall pray Our Lord, in your name to pardon me. My soul was at the time | greatly agitated, prayer was, a task, my imagi- nation was like a furious courser, beyond control; but the Divine Master in his bounty | heard the prayer offered him through obe- dience. The next day, on awakening, I heard an interior voice say: Return to the house
HER PROFESSION. 119
of thy Father, which is no other than my Heart. These words produced a great calm in my soul. Having gone to prayer, I united myself to Our Lord in the most Blessed Sacrament, and I heard him say: ‘Apply yourself to honor my Sacred Heart and that of my Mother, do not separate them ; pray to them for yourself and for sinners, then I shall forget your past ingratitude, and I shall give you more graces than ever before, because you are now more united to me by your vows.’”’
‘ À doubt presented itself, whether it was really Our Lord who spoke, but he gave me this assurance: ‘It is I, Jesus, present