Quote of the day, 17 June: Léonie Martin

From our Caen monastery
July 20, 1887

My beloved little Sister,

I don’t want dear Céline’s letter to leave without adding a short note for you. Thanks for your charming little letter; you have understood my intentions well, and this is how I want you to write me.

It is already a month since I have had the joy of knowing our honored Mother and our good Mistress of Novices for the first time. I am very happy, dear little sister, in my new family; here, I am surrounded by affection. How different from the Poor Clares, and how good it seems to me! God has given me great graces, for He is the One who led me here as though by the hand; I believe He wants me to be here.

Pray for me, my beloved little Thérèse so that I make no mistake. As for myself, I think much about you, and I am not forgetting the grace that you want so much to obtain. Be at peace, then, my darling, nothing is impossible with God.

Our cell looks out upon the garden where I see a beautiful Calvary scene placed there this year on Passion Sunday. Oh! how it gives me courage to suffer all that is most bitter, when I consider a God, who has suffered so much for us. I see, too, the two steeples of St. Stephen’s, and I think that God is very close to me since He is really present in our churches.

And so you can see I am very happy; envy my happiness because this is permitted, for it is the only thing worthy of envy on earth, all the rest is but nothing. I beg you, beloved little sister, to give my best regards to all whom I love, especially to my good little Father, whom I love so much.

Your sister, who has more affection for you than ever.

Servant of God Sister Françoise-Thérèse (Léonie) Martin, V.H.M.

Letter LC 50 to Saint Thérèse

Note: The Servant of God Sister Françoise-Thérèse Martin died Tuesday, 17 June 1941, at around 1:30 in the morning. You can learn more about the life of Léonie Martin in English thanks to Martin family expert Maureen O’Riordan, and in French thanks to the Visitation Nuns in Caen.

Thérèse of Lisieux, S & Clarke, J 1982, General Correspondence: Letters of Saint Therese of Lisieux: Volume 1 1877-1890, Centenary ed., Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington DC.

Featured image: The Servant of God is seen in her later years in the Visitation monastery of Caen, France. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).

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