Carmelite QuotesQuote of the day, 23 August: Pauline Martin
At the beginning of 1944, the escalating air war brought fear of bombing raids to our region.
“It could very well happen,” Mother Agnès declared. “At times, I feel anguished. Then I think of Our Lord’s agony: ‘He was seized with sadness, weariness, and dread. My soul is sorrowful even unto death!’ (cf. Mk 14:33–34). If you knew how much these passages comfort me. I had them copied out specially so I could reread them.”
“Are you afraid?” someone asked her as the air raid siren wailed.
“Yes, but I abandon myself to God. Only what he permits will happen. We must trust him. He has his reasons. If he wants everything destroyed, we’ll bear it…”
And she concluded:
“Jesus said: ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away’ (Mt 24:35). Yes, everything here below must pass, but God will always remain with us.”
Mother Agnès of Jesus, o.c.d. (Pauline Martin)
Obituary Circular of Mother Agnès of Jesus (1952)
Note: From 6 June to 22 August 1944, dozens of bombardments demolished 2100 out of 2800 buildings in Lisieux and destroyed most of the religious institutions and two churches, killing more than one-tenth of the population, including 60 religious men and women. On the evening of June 7, fire consumed the residence of the Carmelite chaplains and the Office Central de Lisieux pilgrim center, thereby threatening the Carmelite monastery and its chapel. A less precarious shelter was required—the crypt of the Shrine of St. Thérèse in Lisieux. Mother Agnès (age 82) and the Carmelites settled at the top of the crypt in the right-hand chapel, which is dominated by a reproduction of the Virgin of the Smile. They emerged on 23 August 1944 when Lisieux was finally liberated from the German occupiers.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Featured image: The Shrine of St. Thérèse in Lisieux, seen atop the hill in the background of this photo from June 1944, was the last stronghold and shelter amid the Allied bombardments of the town. In the crypt of the basilica, the Carmelite nuns took refuge against what one called “the storm of iron and fire.” Image credit: Médiathèque de Lisieux, PhotosNormandie / Flickr (Some rights reserved)
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