Carmelite QuotesQuote of the day, 30 September: Conrad de Meester, ocd
“In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with empty hands.”
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Prayer 6
Empty hands, yes… but hands open to God. “When I appear before my Beloved Spouse, I shall have only my desires to offer him” (Letter 218 to Brother Simeon).
Thérèse’s last breath came with her last words: ‘My God, I love you.’
This was the supreme moment. Now she was to meet the Lord face-to-face. Now love had taken full possession of her being.
This was love as deep as the ocean and more radiant than the sun. This was life and joy immeasurable: unending life with Mary and with all the saints in Heaven; eternal life with God who is all in all.
Hope had finally done its work.
Conrad de Meester, o.c.d.
Chapter 8, My God, I Love You
Note: Saint Thérèse died shortly after 7:00 p.m. on the evening of 30 September 1897.
de Meester, C 2002, With Empty Hands: The Message of St. Therese of Lisieux, translated from the French by Seymour, M, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: Detail from Photo 9: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux with her sisters and Mother Marie de Gonzague in the Court of Lourdes at Carmel, photographed by Céline on 20 November 1894. This photograph served as the model for Céline’s famous oval portrait of Thérèse. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (By permission).
