“If you but knew how agreeable the sight of my Face is to my Father!!!”

(Words of Our Lord.)

A fortnight after the Virgin of the apparition at La Valette had threatened France with the divine wrath, Sister Mary St. Peter, who in the solitude of Carmel was still ignorant of this important occurrence, wrote (October, 1846) to the mother prioress:

“Permit me to give you an account of the sad presentiments I experienced this morning after a communication which I received during the holy communion. You are aware, reverend mother, that for several months I have experienced nothing extraordinary. Our Lord, during this time of trial, has deigned to purify my soul by great interior sufferings, he has withdrawn his presence from me. But today, as soon as I received holy communion, my Divine Master gave me to understand that he desired me to remain at his feet. I obeyed, and then he caused me to hear these sad and dreadful words: ‘My justice is aroused because of the profanation of the holy day of the Lord. I seek a victim!’ To which I answered: ‘Lord, thou knowst that my superiors have given me the permission to abandon myself entirely into thy divine hands; do with me what thou wilt. But what am I, O Lord? Is it really thou who hast thus spoken to my soul?’ He replied: ‘You will not be long in doubt.’”

“From that moment, it seemed to me that Our Lord, accepted the act of abandonment which I had made him, and I perceived that he was going to take possession of my entire being, in order that he, himself, would in some manner, suffer in me to appease his justice; then he commanded me to receive holy communion every Sunday, first as an honorable amend in reparation for all the servile work performed on this sacred day; second, to appease his justice ready to strike mankind, and to ask for the conversion of sinners; third, to obtain a respite from all manual labor on the Lord’s day. Then it seemed to me that Our Lord invited me to offer his Holy Face to his heavenly Father, in order to draw down mercy.”

“This is, as nearly as possible, reverend mother, what has taken place in my soul. Let us hasten to appease the wrath of our God, for I feel that his justice is ready to strike us, the arm of the Lord is raised! I abandon these things to your good judgment; but I pray you, reverend mother, to observe one thing which affects me sensibly, and is the reason why I desire more and more ardently to see the establishment of the Work of Reparation: that the communications which I have been receiving these three years, tend always to the same end; my divine Master has always complained of these two things, the profanation of the Lord’s Day, and the blasphemy of the most Holy Name of God.”

“Oh! how much I desire the establishment of this work which Our Lord has so often demanded of me, for it will appease the wrath of God, and ward off the chastisements with which we are menaced.”

Jesus had promised the sister that she would not long remain in doubt whether it were really he who announced the chastisements which the justice of God was preparing. Of this she was soon convinced by the inundation of the Loire, which threatened Tours with imminent peril, and caused the most frightful ravages, such as had not been witnessed for centuries. All the world was in consternation, and recognized therein the all-powerful hand of Him, who disposes of the elements at will, and whom none can resist.

“We should acknowledge,” observes the pious Carmelite, “that Tours has been saved by a miracle. But alas! they are ignorant of the principal cause of this terrible disaster, — the profanation of the Sunday.”

M. Dupont, in his letters, also speaks of this destructive calamity, and attributes it to the same cause. He therein beholds the fulfilment of the menaces made by the Virgin of La Salette. “These dear, little children,” said he, “have prophesied but too well, when they announced that we were on the eve of experiencing great calamities, if we did, not return to God. Famine was already making itself felt among the poorer classes who had not sufficient means to purchase bread at the enormous price to which it had been risen. Public men are in consternation, fearing a revolution; in fact, there has been sufficient said to arouse the people and to fill them with the desire for blood and pillage. How often have they not been told that death is the end of all things, and that riches will render man supremely happy.”

The Lord made known to his servant that his justice was, in reality, preparing chastisements for mankind. We shall soon behold, not only the elements as the instruments of the divine wrath, but the malice of man in open rebellion against itself.”

Some days after, another communication on the subject took place. In her report to the mother prioress, Mary of St. Peter exclaims: “Oh! if you could perceive all that my heart is undergoing at this moment! I cannot contain myself any longer. I weep, but my tears are tears of gratitude and love because of the words of mercy and peace which this amiable Savior has made me understand. O sweet Jesus! thou couldst not behold us sufferings from the chastisements of divine justice without being touched more than we, ourselves, at the sight of the punishments we have so justly merited by our sins!”

She then relates that Jesus Christ informed her that the torrents of divine justice were not yet entirely exhausted toward France. “I have seen,” said she, “other chastisements prepared to satiate divine justice. At this sight I cried out: O sweet Jesus! if I could quaff the cup to the dregs that my brethren might be spared! Jesus replied that he accepted my good will, but that I was not equal to the task, that he alone was able to drain it to the last bitter drops.”

“The Savior, beholding my sorrow, made me a sign to enter his Divine Heart; in his infinite mercy, he gave it to me as a sacred vase worthy of being presented to the Eternal Father, wherein to receive his just anger which, as I understood, would be changed into the wine of his mercy by passing through this vase. But the rights of his justice can not be compromised; and if I may thus express myself, he desires to make an alliance between his justice and his mercy, and for this purpose, he asks for the establishment of the Reparation in honor of his Holy Name, for he would disarm the anger of his Father, if he could offer him a Reparatory Work. Is it not the least we might do, O sweet Jesus! to repair by our prayers, by our sighs and by our adorations, the enormous crimes of which we are guilty against the majesty of God! The following, reverend mother, is the prayer with which Our Lord has been pleased to inspire me, and which I would wish to repeat unceasingly.”

“Eternal Father, behold the Divine Heart of Jesus, which I now offer thee, wherein to receive the wine of thy justice that it may be changed for us into the wine of mercy.”

He gave me to understand that each time I made this offering, a drop of the wine of divine anger would fall into the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and there would be transformed into mercy. I beg of you, my good mother, to prevail on our sisters to make this offering frequently, for alas! what am I, but a miserable atom, incapable of arresting the anger of God!”

Mgr. Morlot had requested that information be sent him of all that would be manifested to the sister. Therefore, the mother prioress hastened to transmit the report which we have just read. On the same day, October 25, 1846, the prelate returned the following answer:—

“I thank you for this interesting communication. There is no doubt but that the calamities, we have just witnessed, are the chastisements of our sins and infidelities, and of the many crimes which inundate the earth. May this chosen soul use all her efforts to stay the torrent of evil. Let all who fear the Lord redouble their zeal and fervor! Pray for me that I may have grace to accomplish my duty on this point.”

“Be assured, reverend mother, of my most devoted consideration in the Lord,”

† F. N., Archbishop of Tours.

In the communications which follow, it seems as if the Son of God were particularly occupied with France. He exhorted his little spouse to suffer and to pray, saying: “I am charged with all the sins of the world, but I desire that you will be responsible for those of France.” He then encouraged her, adding: “I will suffer in you, in order to appease the wrath of my Father, and I will cede to you all my merits that you may acquit yourself of your assumed debts.”

The faithful child of Carmel hastened to comply with the wishes of the Lord. “I beheld myself covered with crimes, and I asked pardon for them with the same confusion as if I had committed them myself.” Another day, insisting on the special mission which he had confided to his servant, he spoke to her with the authority becoming the Sovereign Master of kings and of nations, who assigns to each a particular role as well in the spiritual order of grace, as in temporal and civil matters. It was with difficulty she persuaded herself that God would make use of so vile an instrument to perform such a grand mission. But Our Lord consoled her saying: “In the order of my providence, I appoint a certain king to govern such a country; can I not then in the order of grace assign a special portion to the care of a particular individual to look after its eternal interests? I have chosen you to care for France. Pray for her: — immolate yourself for her;— I give you again the chief and most important member of my sacred person to offer to my Father in order to appease his divine justice. Oh! if you knew how efficacious, how full of virtue is my divine Face! I have taken upon my head the sins of mankind, that my members might be spared. Therefore, offer my Face to my Father, for it is the sole means of appeasing him.” He adds: “I desire this Work of Reparation, rest assured that it shall be established, but the fruit has not yet reached maturity.”

The generous Carmelite followed the counsel of her superiors, and abandoned herself to her Divine Master, ready to do what would be most pleasing to him. “Then,” said she, “Our Lord charged me anew with France, and I answered: I accept this charge most willingly, my adorable Master, but permit me to make one condition: that you will be the sovereign Ruler, for if your heavenly Father beholds you seated on the throne of France, most assuredly, he will stay his hand.”

“I receive Our Lord in each of my communions in the name of the entire French nation, and I offer him my heart to serve as his throne; then I salute and adore him as Sovereign King, supplicating him not to abandon a nation which has been so generous in contributing to make his Name known to idolatrous lands.”

“Whenever I suffer, I pray Jesus to suffer in me, in order to appease his Father, and I also beseech him to perform in me all my actions; thus I unite myself to him and suffer in union with him, in awaiting the moment appointed for the Work of Reparation. Sit Nomen Domini benedictum.”

From the mission consigned to the Carmelite virgin, we perceive that the salvation of France is intimately linked with the Work of Reparation. Consequently, Our Lord hastens to offer the same exterior sign of salvation to both, and the same efficacious means, namely, the worship of his adorable Face. This is the subject of one of the sister’s letters, dated November 22nd, of the same year.

“I have received,” said she, “a new communication on the subject of the Holy Face of our Lord, notwithstanding my unworthiness; the following is the substance of what my Divine Master has given me to understand. ‘My daughter, I appoint you to-day as my agent, and I again remit my Holy Face into your hands, to offer it unceasingly to my Father for the salvation of France. Turn to good account this divine talent and it will enable you to transact all the business of my house. By this Holy Face, you will obtain the salvation of a multitude of sinners: in consideration of this offering, nothing will be refused you. If you knew how agreeable the sight of my Face is to my Heavenly Father!’”

We can understand the joy she experienced when she exclaimed in a transport of delight: “These favors redouble my zeal for the salvation of our country, and urge me to resort to the means which Our Lord has placed at my disposal, to offer without cessation to the Eternal Father the adorable Face of his divine Son for the salvation of France, and also to obtain the establishment of the Work of Reparation.”

These three were never separated in her thoughts, the Reparation, the salvation of France and the Holy Face.

“I am occupied with all these,” said she, “according to the inspiration of grace.”

We perceived that her heavenly Spouse was most bountiful in dispensing his lights and instructions to this virgin of the cloister.

She writes to the mother prioress on the 21st of December:

“How shall I express, reverend mother, all that has passed in my soul during the fifteen days that Our Lord poured torrents of graces, the most precious, on me a miserable sinner! Poor little worm that I am, I cannot find language to convey an idea of those heavenly gifts; nevertheless, I shall communicate to you all I can of what Jesus gave me to understand.”

“This divine Director of my soul said to me: ‘My daughter, be more pliable under my operations, and more simple, for I wish to nourish you myself with the milk of my consolations. The uneasy reflections you make on self, the fear you have of illusion, impede me from fully accomplishing my designs over you.’ When I had acknowledged my fault, he assumed a greater power over me and revealed many admirable secrets of his infinite mercy. He called my attention to his justice and manifested his wrath as a great ocean, but at the same time, he commanded me to resist the impetuous torrent of his anger in union with his Divine Heart, that it might be lost in the abyss of his mercy.”

“Another day, he presented to my view the multitude of souls who are daily falling into hell, and invited me in the most touching manner to fly to the rescue of these poor sinners. He made me comprehend the real obligation of the Christian towards these unfortunate, blind creatures, who precipitate themselves into the eternal abyss; whose eyes would have been opened if charitable souls had interceded in their behalf. He said that if he would demand of the rich an account of the temporal goods confided them for the succor of the poor, with how much more reason would he not demand of a Carmelite, and of all religious souls, a rigorous account of the use they have made of the treasures of their celestial Spouse in succoring unfortunate sinners! Then my amiable Savior, opening to me the immense treasures composed of the infinite merits of his life and Passion, added: ‘My daughter, I give you my Face and my Heart, I give you my precious Blood and my Sacred Wounds; draw from this treasury and scatter blessings around! Purchase without money, my Blood is the price of souls. Oh! what a sorrow it is for my Heart to see that the remedies which have cost me so much suffering are so wantonly despised! Demand of my Father as many souls as I have shed drops of blood in my Passion!”

“Again, on another day, he presented me his holy cross saying, that he had brought forth his children upon this bed of sorrow; making me understand that it was by the cross borne for his love, that I would obtain eternal life for the agonizing, for whose resurrection to the life of grace he was so ardent. Oh! what a longing desire I beheld in the Heart of Jesus for the salvation of sinners! What light I received from him on the efficacy of offering prayers in their behalf! But what shall I say of the sight Our Lord gave me of his Wounds and of his Blood! Ah! let us press these Divine Wounds by our ardent prayers and this Precious Blood will flow abundantly over poor sinners!”

“On another occasion, Jesus placed my soul at the gate of eternity, or rather at the gate of the end of the road called Time, in order to aid agonizing sinners to prepare themselves for this last important journey! Oh! when we reflect that the justice of God is always ready to pronounce sentence on the guilty, and that we can plead their cause and appease this Sovereign Judge, with what zeal should we not fly to the rescue of those who may be condemned to eternal death and who, perhaps, have still one more hour in which divine mercy, if implored, would touch their hearts! Oh! how I feel impelled to pray for these poor souls!”

“And now, reverend mother, with your permission, I shall speak of a wall of protection which Our Lord gave me to behold; a mysterious wall protecting France against the arrows of divine justice. Oh! with how much gratitude to the excessive mercy of God, have I not been filled on beholding this vision! He gave me to understand that this wall which reached up to heaven, was the exercise which I practiced every day, joined, no doubt, to the prayers and merits offered to God by so many holy souls for the salvation of France. This exercise consists in presenting the Face of Jesus a hundred times to his Father, in honor of all the mysteries of the life and death of this divine Savior, and in offering him the merits of each of these mysteries for the salvation of France. He told me that he gave me this vision to encourage me to persevere in my undertaking.”

The critical situation of the agonizing had visibly affected the servant of God; she was brought back some time after to this same spiritual work of mercy, and was placed anew between what she termed the “Gates of Time and Eternity.”

On the 10th of January, 1847, she writes: “For three weeks Our Lord has released me somewhat from the important occupation pertaining to the salvation of France, that I might apply myself solely and uninterruptedly to the service of the poor agonizing. I accompany the most Blessed Virgin as her little servant on her visits to these travelers from time to eternity. Jesus made known to me that he gave me to his august Mother to fulfil this mission. Oh! what a glorious occupation, on which I have never much reflected; but the moment has come, when I must work with more ardor than ever for the salvation of souls. It seemed that Our Lord announced to me that I had only three years more to live. I am now thirty years of age(1). I shall endeavor during the three years to come to try to imitate Our Lord more closely, for at this age he was untiring in his efforts to bring back the lost sheep to the true fold.”

“These words give me new strength and light: ‘If you but knew the gift of God!’ He enlightened me on their signification, and I commenced to penetrate the winders of this precious Gift of the Father. Oh! what could I not obtain for myself and for my brethren if I knew how to make use of his infinite merits unknown to the majority of men! I sanctify myself for them, Jesus has said to his Father. Let us then offer to this Divine Father, for the salvation of souls, all that our Redeemer has suffered for us, and we shall thereby enrich our extreme indigence. O blindness of men! who run with ardor after the treasures of earth which together cannot purchase one single soul. The Gift of God is unknown, despised; this vast treasure of Christians with which we can buy millions of souls by presenting the infinite merits of Jesus at the bank of the Divine Majesty! It seems to me that we should never present ourselves in presence of the Eternal Father without having some of the merits of his Son in our hands to oblige him, in a manner, to accomplish the admirable promise of Our Lord: ‘Verily, I say into you, whatsoever you ask of the Father in my Name shall be granted you.’ If we have no virtue of ourselves to offer God, let us present those of Jesus, our Savior, who has sanctified himself for us. Let us offer his meekness, his patience, his humility, his poverty, his fasts, his vigils, and his zeal for the glory of his Father, and the salvation of souls! Let us offer his divine and efficacious prayers. He has prayed during his mortal life; the Gospel relates that he retired at, night to pray, he prayed to heaven, he presented his wounds to his Father, and he prays continually for us in the most Blessed Sacrament of the altar! Oh! ineffable mystery! A God Savior praying for his creatures! Let us unite our prayers to those of the Word Incarnate, and they shall be heard; let us again offer to the eternal Father the Divine Heart of Jesus, his adorable Face and his sacred Wounds; let us offer his tears and his blood, let us offer his journeys, his labors, his words and his silence, all he has suffered in each of the mysteries of his holy life; in fine, let us always have our eyes fixed on this ‘Gift of God.’”

“Let us, if we are able, enumerate all the goods we possess in this treasure unknown to the world and we shall soon become rich ourselves and shall enrich poor sinners; because we can offer the humility of Jesus for the conversion of the proud; his poverty for the avaricious; his mortifications for the sensual; his zeal to glorify his Father, for the blasphemers, and all the accusations he has suffered at the hands of the Jews, especially that of violating the Sabaoth for the conversion of those who really violate the Lord’s Day.”

“O ‘Gift of God,’ so long unknown, thou shalt henceforth be my only treasure! How many new riches do I not daily discover in thee!”

We cannot help admiring these aspirations of love and these transports of zeal which gush forth from the pure heart of this admirable sister. It was not without reason that she concludes in these terms:— “You see, reverend mother, that if Our Lord has often charged me with the salvation of souls, he has taught me how to save them.”

1. Sr. St. Peter died in her 32nd year, 17 months after this revelation, being then but 31 years, 9 months of age. There is here a slight contradiction easily explained by observing that she says “it seems to me” which allows a certain latitude in reckoning the years. A little later she announced the precise date of her death.